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Today, the bicycle is the primary method of transportation for the human race. About 1.6 billion bicycles are in use around the world --- in big cities, along remote country lanes, and in the smallest villages ---and hundreds of millions of bikes are produced every year to meet the continuing demand for cheap wheeled transport.
Yet the bicycle is hardly a new vision of how humans move around. Historians speculate(猜测) about Leonardo da Vinci’s 1940s drawings and a 1580s stained glass window in England that appear to describe a two-wheeler. The first widely recognized two-wheeler in actual use, however, was the pedal-less Celerifere, a toy of the French upper class in the 1970s. The more famous Draisienne followed that toy in 1816, still without pedals. The front wheel could be steered, and this two-wheeler was eventually mass-produced in Europe, particularly in England. Ernest Michaux added cranks(曲轴) to the two-wheeler in 1855, which started a revolution in human transportation --- the Velocipede.
By 1870, complicated metal Velocipede were in production in Europe and the United States. Over time, they gave way to the “Ordinary” or high-wheeler. The Ordinary was the beginning of the heyday(全盛期) of bicycling. It was speedy and capable of long trips on poor roads, so it was soon in widespread use. At that time a skilled person might earn 25 cents an hour in wages, but a good Ordinary sold for $75 to $125, making it more expensive than building a house. Nevertheless, they sold at a furious pace.
Ordinaries had a big problem, however. When the front wheel came up against any obstacle that it could not roll over, the bike simply threw the rider headfirst onto the ground. Called a “header”, this characteristic problem inspired the “safety bicycle” in the 1980s. With two wheels of equal size, plus a roller chain(齿轮) transmission, the safety bicycle was with a slight adaptation, they attracted thousands of women to cycling. Many historians point to the safety bicycle as the beginning of women’s rights.
In England, in 1909, the Raleigh bicycle, equipped with a 3-speed hub, started to be produced. In the 1930s, British-built “lightweight” bicycles, suitable for the packed earth of country roads, were being imported into the United States. The early 1980s saw the creation of the “Freestyle” or trick bicycle. And in the late 1990s, the road bike and the mountain bike proved to be the dominant machines of the decade.
Today, the bicycle continues to be the most energy and cost-efficient transportation device in the world.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．The places suited to the use of bicycles. |
| B．The way bicycles are used in the world. |
| C．The importance and popularity of bicycles. |
| D．The number of bikes produced every year. |
We can learn from the second paragraph that____________.
| A．the Celerifere was actually the first bicycle in history. |
| B．the Draisienne had two pedals and its wheels could be steered. |
| C．Ernest Michaux created the Velocipede in 1885. |
| D．the bicycle idea might have come from one of da Vinci’s drawings. |
What does the underlined word “furious” in the third paragraph mean?
| A．Rapid | B．Gentle | C．Steady | D．Smooth |
How has the author developed the text?
| A．In order of space | B．In order of time |
| C．In order of importance | D．In order of frequency |
Criticism(批评) never changes a thing. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive.
Don’t scare yourself
Stop scaring yourself with your thought that it’s terrible to live this way. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure, and immediately change your scary thought to a pleasant one. Imagine a positive future ahead of you.
Be gentle, kind and patient
Be patient with yourself as you learn new ways of thinking. If you make a mistake you will develop self-hatred, but don’t hate yourself for thinking. Gently change your thoughts. Praise and support yourself.
Criticism breaks your spirit, while praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with everything. Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is best to ask for help when you need it.
Take care of your body
Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need in order to have enough energy and vitality(活力)? Learn about exercise. What kinds of exercise do you enjoy? Insist on doing exercise every day.
Mirror work
Look into your eyes in the mirror often and express the growing sense of love you have for yourself. At least once a day you should say to yourself: "I love you." If you have confidence in yourself, you’ll never give in to difficulty.
Love yourself. Do it now, begin now, and do the best you can. According to the author, you should _____.
| A．praise yourself now and then |
| B．change yourself |
| C．criticize someone else |
| D．criticize yourself |
The underlined phrase in paragraph 1 probably means ______.
| A．to defend | B．to challenge |
| C．to appreciate | D．to suspect |
You should face the mirror and say that you love yourself so that you can _____.
| A．imagine a positive future ahead of you |
| B．grow more confident of yourself |
| C．find out the expressions on your face |
| D．learn more about yourself |
| Interested In Childcare? Qualified person or preschool teacher needed for busy childcare center, south of the river. Full-time work guaranteed. Immediate(马上的) start necessary. The candidate(候选人) must be able to work as a co-operative team member. Phone 6345 2345 for an interview and fax resume to 6345 2345. |
| We Need Office Cleaners! Three people are required for professional cleaning in the CBD area. Working hours from 5: 00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays for each one. Approximately five hours per shift(轮班). A good record is necessary. Experience preferred. Phone 6345 7843 now. |
| Want To Work As A Dental Nurse? This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified dental nurse with a confident and cheerful personality to work in the School Dental Health Scheme. You must be able to get along well with children because work involves talking to groups about dental health practices. For further information, visit our website at schooldentalservices @ gov.sg. And fax your resume to 6234 4567. |
| Florist Wanted! Are you a creative and trained florist with at least two years of experience? Then this may be just what you are seeking. The city’s leading Florist Artist Studio needs another part-time member on their wedding team. Please phone 6098 7888 now! |
You may find the above advertisements _____.
| A．in a store window | B．in a school magazine |
| C．in a newspaper | D．on a company notice-board |
The position of a(n) _____ is a part-time job.
| A．florist | B．artist |
| C．preschool teacher | D．dental nurse |
Which of the following is the most important for the childcare job?
| A．Cooking skills |
| B．The ability to work well with other people. |
| C．Childcare experience |
| D．The ability to start work in two weeks |
An office cleaner will be required to work about _____ hours a week.
| A．5 | B．10 | C．15 | D．45 |
One day, President Lincoln went to a party. At the gathering, a man called Douglas was repeatedly talking about Lincoln’s low position in life and saying that he first met Lincoln when he was a shop assistant at a village shop. Finally he said, “And Mr. Lincoln was a very good waiter too.”
People burst into laughter, but they quieted down when Mr. Lincoln said quietly.
“Gentlemen, what Mr. Douglas has said is true. I did keep a grocery(杂货店), and I did sell cotton, candles and cigars, and sometimes whiskey(威士忌酒). But I remember that in those days Mr. Douglas was one of my best customers. I often stood on one side of the counter(柜台) and sold whiskey to Mr. Douglas on the other side, but the difference between us now is: I have left my side of the counter, but Mr. Douglas still sticks to his as firmly as ever.”Where was Douglas talking about Lincoln’s low position in life?
| A．At home | B．At a grocery |
| C．At a gathering | D．In a restaurant |
Douglas was repeatedly talking about Lincoln’s low position in life because _____
| A．he was friendly to Lincoln. |
| B．Lincoln was an example to show that an American of low position can also rise up in life. |
| C．he wanted others to look down upon Lincoln. |
| D．he wanted to tell other people about Lincoln’s honesty as a shop assistant. |
How did Lincoln win the oral competition?
| A．By telling about his low position in life in his early days. |
| B．By making fun of Douglas’ low position now. |
| C．By proving Douglas was telling lies. |
| D．By comparing his present position with Douglas. |
What do you suppose the sentence “Mr. Douglas still sticks to his as firmly as ever means?”
| A．Douglas was still talking about Lincoln’s low position in life. |
| B．Douglas was still standing on the other side of the counter. |
| C．Douglas remained a drunkard and had not changed a bit. |
| D．Douglas kept on going to parties and speaking ill of Lincoln. |
In nature, you may see many insects and animals of different colors. Have you ever wondered why?
Locusts （蝗虫）are super delicious food for birds, but it is not always an easy job for birds to catch them. It is neither because locusts are good jumpers or runners nor because they are smarter than their enemies（敌人）. The reason is that the colors of locusts change with the colors of crops （庄稼）. When crops are young, locusts look green. But when autumn comes, locusts change to the yellow and brown color as crops do.
Brown bears, tigers and other animals move quietly through forests. They can’t be seen easily by their enemies. This is because they have colors similar to the trees. For the same reason, polar bears that live on a land of snow and ice are white. Butterflies （蝴蝶）and bees living among the flowers are colorful like flowers. Soil insects are mostly dark-colored and they live under the soil in a dark and wet environment. However, insects with colors different from plants can easily be found and eaten by others. So in order to survive, they have to hide themselves in the daytime and appear only at night.
Have you ever noticed some even stranger acts（行为）? The ink fish in the sea can send out some very black ink when it faces danger. As the ink spreads over, its enemies will find themselves in a dark world. At the same time the ink fish immediately swims away. That is how it keeps itself safe though it is not strong at all. According to the passage, most soil insects ______
| A．do not have bright colors |
| B．change their colors with the soil |
| C．do not live in a dark and wet environment. |
| D．eat colorful insects like butterflies and bees. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “survive” in the passage?
| A．繁殖 | B．产卵 | C．觅食 | D．生存 |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Some insects and animals have different skills. |
| B．Some insects and animals are cleverer than we think. |
| C．Some insects and animals use colors to protect themselves. |
| D．Some insects and animals can get used to the environment easily. |
Where did Li Hua see Mrs Daniels’ advertisement?
| A．At London University. | B．In a newspaper |
| C．On the Internet. | D．On TV. |
Why did Li Hua write the Email?
| A．To make friends with Mrs Daniels. |
| B．To apply to study at London University. |
| C．To get more information about Mrs Daniels’ lessons. |
| D．To find out more information about Aston College. |
Which of the following information did Li Hua NOT mention in his email?
| A．His age |
| B．His reasons for learning English |
| C．His language level |
| D．The language skills he wants to focus on. |
Li Hua wants to take the lessons to improve his ______.
| A．listening and writing | B．writing and speaking |
| C．listening and grammar | D．listening and speaking |