Safety comes first
“Chinese style road crossing” became a hot topic in China from the end of last year. Now, many cities have started to punish these jaywalkers (乱闯马路的人).
“Chinese style road crossing” means crossing roads without thinking about traffic lights, as long as you are part of a crowd.
Beijing Traffic Management Bureau (北京交通管理局) announced that from April 6, people who do not wait for the green light to cross the road will receive a fine of 10 yuan. Officials from the bureau said that using the diagonal (对角线) to cross the road is also against the rules. Walkers should walk in an “L” shape.
Besides Beijing, many places have also taken steps to stop “Chinese style road crossing”. Provinces such as Sichuan, Shanxi and Zhejiang have already started to fine jaywalkers 5 to 50 yuan since last year.
Road traffic deaths top the list of deaths from non-natural causes in China, Xinhua reported. The action to punish behaviors that go against traffic rules calls on people to realize the importance of traffic safety.
However, many people complain that the red lights last too long. “But as long as the design of traffic lights is the same, everyone should follow the rulers. Otherwise the country will lose its order,” said People’s Daily.
Some cities have also paid attention to the problem. Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, for example, said it would not only focus on punishment, but also improve road safety facilities (设施), such as fixing traffic lights in a more proper way and building overpasses (天桥).Was the topic “Chinese style road crossing” very popular last year?
What is the right way for walkers to cross the road?
How are jaywalkers in Sichuan punished?
Why is it necessary to punish those who go against traffic rules?
Besides punishment, what else do some cities do to solve the problem?
What’s your opinion on the action to punish jaywalkers?
For a long time being happy was considered natural，and there was nothing special to do about it. Now we know that we can work at getting along well with other people. It is possible to act in such a way that other people will like us better.
One way is being unselfish，not wanting everything your own way or asking for the best share of everything, including the attention of your friends. Another way is to look for good points, not bad ones in other people.
You don’t have to be spineless(无骨气的)in order to be popular. In fact，you will be liked and respected(尊重)if you are not afraid to stand up for your rights(权利). But do it politely and pleasantly. One way to develop a good character is being friendly and polite to your own group, to older people，to strangers and especially to those who do not look important or do not interest you.
You cannot expect to be p
erfect, so you must learn not to b
e too unhappy when you make a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes, and no one is to be blamed unless he refuses to learn from them. Many young people become discouraged(泄气的) when they know their unpleasant qualities—selfishness，laziness，etc. Just remember that we all have some of these faults and have to fight against them.
When sometMng is wrong，it is best to try to make it right. Perhaps you don’t like a teacher or a classmate. Try to see why，and look at yourself，too. Make sure that you are not doing something to make others dislike you. In time, things may turn out all right, then you simply have to learn to get along the best you can w
ith the situation, without thinking too much about it. Worrying never helps in a situation you can’t change.Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined part?
| A．Not sharing anything with others. |
| B．Not thinking too much of yourself. |
| C．Not attracting the attention of your friends. |
| D．Not making friends with people who have bad points. |
How can we get along well with others according to the passage?
| A．We should find out unpleasant qualities in others and in ourselves. |
| B．We should show others our unpleasant qualities. |
| C．We should stand up for our rights in any way we like. |
| D．We should fight against our unpleasant qualities. |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．Even if we don’t have good relationships with others，we needn’t work at it. |
| B．Even if someone is not important to us，we still need to treat him politely. |
| C．Even if we are willing to learn from ouy mistakes，we are still to be blamed. |
| D．Even if the situation cannot be changed, we still need to worry much about it. |
It was the last day of final examinations at a large college. On the steps of one building, a group of engineering students were discussing the exam that was ahout to begin. On their faces was confidence. This was their last exam before they graduated(毕业)and found jobs.
Some talked of jobs they already had，others of jobs they would get. With four years of college study，they felt ready and able to conquer(征服)the world.
The coming exam，they knew，would be easy. The professor(教授)had said they could bring any books or notes they wanted，but they couldn’t talk to each other during the test.
They walked into the classroom. The professor passed out the papers. The students’ smiles became wide as they saw that there were only five essay-type questions.
Three
hours passed and the exam came to an end. Then the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. They seemed worried. No one spoke as the professor faced the class with the papers in her hand.
She looked at all the worried faces in front of her, and then asked，“How many students completed all five questions?”
Not a hand was put up.
‘‘How many of you answered four?” Still no hands.
“Three?Two?”The students moved restlessly in their seats.
“One，then. Certainly somebody finished one．”But the class stayed silent. The professor put down the papers.“That is just what I expected，”she said.
“I just wanted to make sure you realize that even though you have studied engineering for four years, there are still many things about the subject you don’t know. Instead of testing you on what you learned in this class, I’ve given you questions that skilled engineers face in the world outside the classroom. You can’t expect to be an expert(专家)on the day you graduate. You have to learn as you go.”
Then，smiling, she added，“You will all pass this course, but remember that your education has just begun.’’What does the underlined word“restlessly”mean in the passage?
| A．confidentIy | B．proudly | C．excitedly | D．nervously |
Why did the professor design the final exam in such a way?
| A．To make the students realize that they still had much to learn after graduation. |
| B．To find out whether the students could put what they had learned into practice. |
| C．To show that she had much more knowledge than her students in engineering. |
| D．To examine whether the students learned what they had been taught in her class. |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．A Playful Joke | B．A Lucky Chance |
| C．A Strange Professor | D．A Special Exam |
If you are cycling in foreign countries, you will need to know what these traffic signs and signals mean.
| 1 |
 |
A sign like this one means that there is a bike lane(车道). If there is such a sign，you are required to use the bike lane. If there is not such a sign, you should ride with traffic as far to the right side of the road as possible. |
| 2 |
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This signal means you can cross the street along with pedestrians(行人). It has a green picture of a oerson w alking instead of using the word“walk”. |
| 3 |
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This signal is the “don’t walk”sign. It is a picture of a red hand, meaning you should stop. You should wait to cross the street until the green picture of the person walking is showing. |
| 4 |
 |
Car drivers and bikers must come to a complete stop at“STOP” signs. |
| 5 |
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A“YIELD”sign means to slow down and be ready to stop. If there are pedestrians or vehicles in or near the crossroad, you must stop. If there is no traffic in or near the crossroad and it is safe, you may go through. |
| 6 |
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This signal means you are coming to a zebra crossing. Car drivers and bikers must stop to allow people in the zebra crossing to cross the street. |
| 7 |
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When people are working on the roads, parts of the road are often dug up or rough(不平整的). Be careful when yon are cycling. Rough roads could make you fall off your bike. If you must move into the road to go around a work area，you should stop and look carefully to be sure there is no traffic coming. |
| 8 |
 |
 A detour is a way of getting around a roadway that is closed. Roads are usually closed because of road work or dangerous conditions. If you must take a detour, be careful about the roads you aren’t used to. |
What are cyclists required to do when they see the sign?
| A．To ride against traffic. |
| B．To ride on the left side of the road. |
| C．To ride on the bike lane. |
| D．To ride on the right side of the road |
Which of the following signs has the same meaning as the sign?
What should cyclists do when they see the sign?
| A．They should be careful when they cycle on the rough road. |
| B．They should take the rough road and fall off their bikes. |
| C．They should move into the road to go around a work area. |
| D．They should take another route instead of the closed roadway. |
Robots have been designed to do many things-play music，work in hospitals，but run a restaurant? There are two robot receptionists(接待员) and six robot waitresses and waiters in the Dalu Robot Restaurant in Jinan，Shandong．One hundred customers can eat in the restaurant at a time．Two of the robots serve drinks，while the other four serve the food． Not all the work in the restaurant is done by them．There are also people working there，especially in the kitchen．The cooks are humans because the robots don’t have the skills to cook．Robots can play music．
Six robots work in the Dalu Robot Restaurant．
No people work in the kitchen．
Only a few customers can eat in the restaurant at a time．
The robots can’t cook delicious food．
Earthquakes happen without warning(前兆)．They can happen any time of a day，at any point during the year．But don’t worry because most are so weak that they cannot be felt． Only a few big ones hurt people． However，it’s important to know what to do when an earthquake is happening．
Do NOT go outside．You could get injured from falling glass or parts of buildings．If you are outside，stay away from buildings and power lines (输电线)．
Stay under a desk，table，or other strong furniture．Hold on to it．Or stay in a corner of the building．Cover your face and head with your arms and cover your mouth with a towel or clothing．Stay inside until shaking stops and it is safe to go outside．
Keep away from windows，pictures or advertisements on the wall or the building，and anything else that could fall and hurt you．Most people get injured by falling things during an earthquake，not by the shaking itself．
Also keep away from a fire．You could fall down and burn yourself on the fire．
If you are driving when an earthquake happens，stop the car if it’s safe．Stay inside your car until the earthquake stops，and don’t drive near bridges． Try not to stop by power lines or trees．These could fall and hurt you．Most earthquakes are too to hurt people．
| A．strong | B．weak |
| C．dangerous | D．heavy |
From the passage，when an earthquake is happening，we should ．
| A．stay under a big building | B．stay under a strong furniture |
| C．stand by windows | D．drive near a big bridge |
It isn’t safe for you to while the earthquake is happening．
| A．run out of the building | B．stay in a corner of the building |
| C．cover your head with your arms | D．cover your mouth with a towel |
This passage tells us ．
| A．how dangerous the earthquake is． |
| B．how to be safe in an earthquake． |
| C．we shouldn’t be afraid of the earthquake． |
| D．how the earthquake comes into being． |
The best title for this passage should be“”．
| A．How Earthquakes Happen | B．How to Drive a Car |
| C．What We Should Do in Earthquakes | D．Why Earthquakes Happen |