London used to be “foggy”(有雾的) for the same reason that cities like Beijing or Chongqing are “foggy” today. The “fog” was in fact smog(烟雾), a mixture of smoke and fog.In other words, it was made by air pollution. In London, some of this pollution came from factories, but much of it came from the coal(煤)that people burnt in their houses to keep warm during the winter. By the 1950s, London’s smog problem had become so bad that the government decided to do something to clean the air. A new law was made and nobody could burn coal in any British city. Within a few years, the air became much cleaner. There were no more “pea-soupers”.
Many Chinese cities now face the same sort of problem with air pollution that London faced 40 or 50 years ago. However, this problem is more difficult for Chinese cities to solve. One reason is that more of the pollution comes from the factories, rather than from coal burnt in people’s houses. If these factories were closed, this would harm the economy and lots of people would lose their jobs. Another reason is that changing from coal to cleaner fuel(燃料), like gas, is quite expensive.
However, the air in many Chinese cities is becoming cleaner and cleaner, as the government and people pay more and more attention to cutting down pollution. As a result, there are fewer “pea-soupers” in Beijing than there used to be.
What was the main reason for air pollution in London?
A.There was too much smoke in the sky.
B.There were too many factories in the city.
C.People burnt too much coal in the houses.
How did the air in London become much cleaner?
A.There was not so much fog in the winter later.
B.A law was made to keep people from burning coal in their houses.
C.Many factories in the city were closed.
What does the underlined work “pea-soupers” refer to?
A.Smog. B.Smoke. C.Gas.
The problem of air pollution is more difficult for Chinese cities to solve because of _____reasons
A.one B.two C.three
Which sentence is Not true?
A.Using coal is much more expensive than using gas.
B.Factories made much more pollution in China.
C.The reasons of air pollution in London and Beijing are different.
The Guinness(吉尼斯) World Records Museum address:329 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205
Open Hours:
From September to May :10 am to 7 pm Sunday through Thursday
10 am to 10 pm Friday and Saturday
From June to August: 10 am to 10 pm Sunday through Thursday
10 am to Midnight Friday and Saturday
Adult single: $ 14.95 for 2 attractions, $18.95 for any 4 attractions,$22.95 for all attractions
Child(4~12)Single: $8.95 for 2 attractions ,$11.95 for any 4 attraction, $14.95 for all attractions
In the museum you can enter the different exhibition halls you see below. In each of these halls you can see the world records of different kinds . Sometimes you may get a chance to do something so that you can know better how a record was set.On a Sunday in October, you may stay in the museum until _____.
A.9:00 pm | B.8:00 pm | C.7:00 pm | D.10:00 pm |
From the advertisement we can learn that there are _______ visitors to the museum on Fridays and Saturdays in summer.
A.more | B.some | C.fewer | D.many |
A 10 –year–old girl and her mother will visit two attractions. How much will they pay ?
A.$14.95. | B.$17.90. | C.$23.90. | D.$29.90. |
According to the advertisement, sometimes visitors to the museum _______.
A.will surely meet one who set a record |
B.may set a world record of their own |
C.may see someone setting a record |
D.can experience how a record was set |
任务型阅读
It’s important to have some friends in your life. The following types of friends are just what you need to keep happy.
1. A Loyal Best Friend
Sometimes a loyal best friend is the only thing you need to stay calm. Everyone needs a friend who will support them at any time. He knows all of your deepest and darkest secrets, but still loves you all the same.
2. A Friend From a Different Culture
If everyone had a friend from a different culture, the world would be a much better place. Being in a cross-cultural friendship allows you to explore customs, values, and traditions outside of your own culture. Perhaps you can learn some new ways to do things.
So, don’t be afraid of someone that is from a different culture. Instead, keep your mind open, and make the effort to learn about something different while getting to know the person.
3. A Friendly Neighbor
These days, a lot of people don’t know their own neighbors. It’s a pity, because some neighbors can help you a lot sometimes. If you’re on a vacation, and you suddenly realize that you forgot to lock the door, you can call up your neighbor and ask them to lock it for you.
4. A Work Pal
Did you know that with a full-time job, you spend at least 50% of your working hours at work? Not only that, but you spend some more time on work. So does your work pal. When something worries you at work, you can have someone to talk with.
Your work pal doesn’t have to be your best friend outside of work. If you share some interests, you can also be best friends outside of the office.
With these friends in your life, you’re sure to live a long and happy life!
Four |
|
A Loyal Best Friend |
Sometimes you need a loyal best friend to help stay calm. It’s necessary for everyone to get He knows |
A Friend From a Different |
You can learn a lot out of your own culture to have a cross-cultural friendship. It’s |
A Friendly Neighbor |
Neighbors can be the nicest and most If you’re out and forget to lock the door, you can ask your neighbor to lock it for you by |
A Work Pal |
When you have Your work pal may not be your best friend outside of work |
With these friends in your life, you’re |
You are probably familiar with the saying:An apple a day keeps the doctor away. A recent research carried out by the Chinese University of Hong Kong may change the saying:An apple a day may keep aging away.
The research chose fruit flies(果蝇), as they share many genes(基因)with humans. The fruit flies were either fed normally or had an apple extract(浓缩物) added to their diet.
It turned out that those fruit flies that were given apple extract lived about 55 days—five days longer than the flies that were normally fed. The research group also found it easier for the flies to walk,climb and move about as they aged.
According to the result, the researchers believed that the antioxidants(抗氧化剂) in the apple extract helped clean up dangerous chemicals(化学物质) that cause illnesses,as well as aging.
In another study,researchers examined diets of thousands of women. They discovered that those who regularly ate apples were 20 percent less likely to suffer heart illnesses and stroke.
The apples’ genetic code(遗传密码) was discovered recently. It allows scientists to develop nicer and healthier fruits. Researchers are already using the information to grow a kind of apples full of antioxidants that can keep eyes and joints healthy and protect humans against heart illnesses and cancer.
Apples that kill the desire(欲望) to eat could also be produced, with the first“extra-healthy’’apples on supermarket shelves within just four or five years.
The team that keeps studying apple DNA includes 100 scientists from five countries. Their research also suggests that around 65 million years ago, when dinosaurs began to die off the plant,which would finally become today’s apple tree, experienced a great genetic change. The number of many of its genes doubled. The extra genes allowed the apple to get used to worse conditions and go through a different development from peaches,strawberries and other related fruits.Why were fruit flies used for the research?
A.Because they have a similar diet to humans. |
B.Because they have a history as long as apples. |
C.Because they share a lot of genes with humans. |
D.Because they feed on nothing but apple extract. |
What result did the researchers find out?
A.Apples produce chemicals that can change human genes. |
B.Apples have antioxidants that kill chemicals that cause aging. |
C.Apples are rich in vitamins that are needed in humans’ bodies. |
D.Apples produce chemicals that make apples taste more delicious. |
What happened to apples around 65 million years ago according to the research?
A.Their genes stopped their development as the environment got worse. |
B.Their genes became twice in number but they finally died off like dinosaurs. |
C.They experienced a great genetic change making them used to worse conditions. |
D.They went through a similar development to peaches, strawberries and other related fruits. |
What can we infer(推断)from the passage?
A.Eating apples may bring us more advantages than we might believe before. |
B.People who have the habit of eating apples don’t need to see a doctor. |
C.Apples that kill the desire to eat are already available in supermarkets now. |
D.People will eat apples instead of peaches and strawberries from now on. |
America is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon. They don’t feel hurt .If the same two people meet again, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand. Friendships between us develop more slowly but may become lifelong feelings, extending (延伸) deeply into both families.
There is another difficult point for us to understand .Although Americans treat friends warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don’t show their politeness to them if it requires a great deal of time. But in China, we are usually generous with our time. We, as hosts, will appear at an airport even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off from our work to act as guides to our friends. It is opposite in America .Americans can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily plans. They will probably expect the visitors to get themselves from the airport to the hotels. And they expect the visitors will phone them from there. Once the visitors arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real.
For Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to restaurants, except for business matters. Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life .So accept their hospitality(好客) at home and enjoy your visit in America !The underlined phrase “pick up” in Paragraph 1 may mean “____________”.
A.keep out | B.give up |
C.pay no attention to | D.continue |
Which of the following is the typical (典型的) way of American hospitality ?
A.Treating friends at home. |
B.Taking days off to be with friends . |
C.Meeting friends at the airport at midnight. |
D.Sharing everything they have. |
Which of the following statements is True according to the passage?
A.Americans are always generous with their time. |
B.Americans don’t feel hurt if their friendships disappear soon . |
C.Chinese friendships develop more slowly but will never disappear. |
D.Chinese friendships are more sincere than American friendships . |
This passage is most probably written for____________ .
A.American students |
B.Chinese students |
C.Chinese visitors to America |
D.American visitors to China |
I love it at night. It’s peaceful. And when it cools down I sometimes do some ironing(熨烫衣物). I don’t really care for it. I work full-time and I am too busy for most housework. I remember the old woman who taught me to iron. I was about 15 and I had to get a job taking care of a woman to make a living. She had been an able-bodied, healthy woman until the accident that caused her to be paralyzed.
The woman sat in an electric wheelchair all day. She could only move her head and arms. She would tell me how to do things. She would teach me in great detail on the correct ways to do things. Her home was perfect and beautiful. She would follow me around in her electric wheelchair to make sure I did everything exactly right. I’m sure she had been a perfect homemaker. She would have me fold(折叠) everything, including socks. I would complain silently and wish terrible things on her. She taught me the right way to make the bed. I know sometimes she’d get frustrated(沮丧) and impatient with me. I knew she wanted to do it herself. But she never shouted or scolded. She only insisted I do it right. I didn’t like it much, but I did it.
Today I can iron pretty well. I know where to start on a shirt and the right way to do the trousers. Now when I think about it, I don’t think she is an old lady. I think she might have been about my age now. Anyway, when I iron, I think of her and silently thank her for all the things I learned.The writer used to take care of the lady because ________.
A.she wanted to learn to do housework |
B.she was a friend of the lady’s |
C.she had to earn some money |
D.she couldn’t find a room to live in |
The underlined word ‘paralyzed’ in the first paragraph may mean ‘______’.
A.destroyed | B.deaf |
C.seriously ill | D.unable to walk |
The little girl was ______ when the lady taught her how to do housework.
A.encouraged to learn | B.unwilling to learn |
C.delighted to learn | D.recommended to learn |
Now the writer ______.
A.is still afraid of the lady |
B.hates the strict lady |
C.admires the disabled lady |
D.is very grateful to the lady |