For the past two years, 8-year-old Harli Jordean from Stoke Newington, London, has been selling marbles(弹珠). His successful marble company, Marble King, sells all things marble-related － from affordable tubs of the glass playthings to significantly expensive items like Duke of York solitaire tables － sourced, purchased and processed by the mini-CEO himself.
“I like having my own company. I like being the boss,” Harli told the Mirror.
With profits now in the thousands, “the world’s youngest CEO” has had to get his mother and older brothers to help him meet the growing demand.
Harli launched Marble King after swapping marbles at school led to schoolchildren consuming his marble collection. Yes, he literally “lost his marbles.” Harli and his mother, Tina, turned to the Internet to find replacements.
Harli saw an empty space online: the marbles he wanted were hard to find. Within months, Harli had his own marble-selling website － and orders started pouring in.
Tina says her son's attachment to marbles started when he was just 6.
“His attachment became so passionate that we started calling him the Marble King — so when he wanted to set up a website it was the natural name for it,” she told The Sun.
“I never thought it would become so popular － we are struggling to cope with the number of orders at times.”
The 8-year-old boy has his sights set on expanding his business and launching his own brand of marbles.
“Sometimes his ideas are so grand we have to scale them back a bit. But his dream is still to own Britain's biggest marble shop and open stores around the world,” Tina told The Daily Mail.
“At the moment he is annoying me by creating his own Marble King marbles － so that could well be the next step for him.”Harli’s Marble Company became popular as soon as he launched it because ______.
| A．it was run by “the world’s youngest CEO” |
| B．it filled the gap of online marble trade |
| C．Harli was fascinated with marble collection |
| D．Harli met the growing demand of the customers |
How many mass media are mentioned in the passage?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
The underlined expression “scale them back” is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．hold them down | B．carry them out |
| C．set them aside | D．clear them away |
What message do the last two paragraphs carry?
| A．Conflicts often occur between Harli Jordean and his family. |
| B．Harli’s mother and brothers are worried about Marble King’s future. |
| C．Marble King marbles will surely attract more fans around the world. |
| D．The “Marble King” has great ambition for his Marble King company. |
Mainland couples who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined for breaking the family planning policy，a senior official has warned．
As more women flock to Hong Kong to give birth to their second child，Zhang Feng，family planning department director of Guangdong Province，stressed that this violated China's policies．
“And those who are government employees will even be dismissed from their posts．”he said．
“It doesn’t matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland or in other countries and regions , they have violated the country’s policies and the probince’s regulations”.
He said that some families had been punished in the past few months after having a second in Hong Kong , but gave no details .
Zhang made his remarks when a Hong Kong newspaper carried a controversial notice claiming residents’ medical services had been affected by the growing number of mainland women who arrive in the city to give birth and gain fight of abode (居住)there.
According to statistics revealed by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government，about 88，000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010，but more than 41，000 or 47 percent，were to mainland couples，including a large number from Guangdong．
Hong Kong has limited the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in the city at 34，000 this year．
The issue also has caused calls for an amendment（修正）to Hong Kong's Basic Law so that babies born to mainland women are no longer granted permanent fight of abode．
“I support Hong Kong government's decision to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong．”Zhang said．
China introduced its family planning policy in 1979 to limit births in the world's most populous nation，although the rules have been relaxed in recent years．Which of the following is true?
| A．Those who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined． |
| B．Many government employees have been dismissed from their posts． |
| C．Zhang Feng is family planning department director of Guangdong Province． |
| D．It doesn't matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland． |
What does the word “violated” mean in the second paragraph?
| A．went against | B．was obeyed | C．was for | D．was dismissed |
Zhang Feng said that.
| A．few families had been punished after having a second child in China |
| B．about 88，000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010 |
| C．the residents' medical services in Hong Kong had been affected |
| D．he agreed to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong |
From the passage we can infer .
| A．in 2010 most of the babies born in Hong Kong belonged to mainland couples |
| B．the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in Hong Kong has been reduced |
| C．babies born to mainland women in Hong Kong can't get permanent right of abode now |
| D．the family planning policy in China is as strict as before |
Which is NOT the reason why some people want to give birth to a second child in Hong Kong?
| A．They want to gain right of abode（居住）there for their babies． |
| B．They want to escape being punished for breaking the family planning policy． |
| C．They want to cause calls for an amendment（修正）to Hong Kong's Basic Law． |
| D．They want their babies to enjoy the good medical services in Hong Kong． |
Welcome to Australia
The Great Outdoors
Australia is the world’s oldest continent and indigenous Australians have one of the world’s oldest culture．
In Australia you will see unique plants and animals and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world．Many parks have information centres offering advice on where to go, what to see and how to see it--for both your personal safety and to protect our sensitive, natural environment．
Banks and Money Matters
Banks are generally open between 9:30am and 4pm on Monday to Thursday and 9:30am and 5pm on Friday．
Foreign currency or traveller’s cheques can be changed at all banks and some of the larger hotels．There are currency exchange facilities at all international airports．
___________________
Take care! Our sunlight is very strong and you can get sunburnt．
For best sun protection, it is advisable to wear:
A broad-brimmed hat
A shirt with a collar and sleeves
Sunscreen with high protection factor．
Swimming
We have so many beautiful places to swim--beaches, lakes, rivers and creeks．
Many of our waters are safe for swimming, but if you have any doubts, ask before entering the water．
Most of our popular ocean beaches have patrols with life-saving service．Red and yellow flags mark the area that you are advised to swim within．
If there are no flags and no life guards on the beach, talk to local people about the best areas to swim．
Staying Safe on the Roads
Australians drive on the left-hand side of the road．
For safety, everyone in the car, including children, must wear a seat belt．
Motor cyclists and bicyclists are required to wear a helmet．
Watch out for native animals crossing the roads, especially at night．Road signs are erected in places where animals are commonly seen．What is the best title of the third part of the passage?
| A．The Sun | B．Enjoy the Sun |
| C．Warning | D．Outdoor Activities |
If you arrive in Sydney at 5:10pm on Friday, where can you probably get your money changed on that day?
| A．At a bank． | B．At any hotel． |
| C．At a store | D．At the airport |
What advice can you get at the park information centre?
| A．Advice on how to wear a broad-brimmed hat． |
| B．Advice on how to drive safely in the park． |
| C．Advice on how to protect our environment |
| D．Advice on where to go to see a kangaroo． |
How can you ensure your safety when swimming?
| A．You can swim in whichever lake you like |
| B．You should swim with the life guard． |
| C．You can swim where there are red flags． |
| D．Always find a local person to ask about how to swim． |
Which of the following word might be the closest in meaning with the underlined word “erected”?
| A．set up | B．protected | C．stood | D．noticed |
All parents know that one of their most important tasks is to prepare their children for an independent life，but any parent can tell you that it’s hard to let go of your children．That balance between keeping your children safe and allowing them to learn from their own mistakes can be heartbreaking．Years of experience means that parents often do know best，but on the other hand，the young，being less bound by tradition，are often more creative，more able to find new solutions to old problems．Revolutions are led by the young．
Good teachers make the growth of critical （批判性的） thinking easier in their students，only to find that this can lead to a questioning of the teachers’ basic beliefs．Schools encourage parents to become involved，but are often embarrassed when parents have reservations about some of the educational methods being used．Governments encourage unimportant groups to empower themselves in order to participate fully in the development process．And they are often surprised when the new leaders of these groups turn around and attack the policies of that same government．The rebellions （叛逆的）young and the newly unimportant groups are important in social development．They are not necessarily representatives of those they want to represent or not realistic in their demands，but their voices must be heard．
Good parents know that just forbidding particular behaviors does not prevent their children from finding ways to engage in these forbidden activities．Indeed，sometimes the forbidden fruit is more inviting，just because it is not accepted by authority．Parents must work with their children to educate them on the facts，know as much as possible about he lives of their children，provide a good example，encourage more wholesome activities but also support their children when they don’t follow what is expected of them．But the most important point is that they also need to learn how to let go．By saying “Revolutions are led by the young”，the author indicates that young people are more___________________．
| A．conventional | B．creative |
| C．realistic | D．heartbreaking |
From the second paragraph we know__________________．
| A．the voice of the rebellious young should be heard by the government |
| B．schools encourage parents to question their education methods |
| C．movement is satisfied with the new leaders’ attack on the policies |
| D．teachers’ basic beliefs should be questioned by students |
In order to educate children well，parents should_________________．
| A．forbid particular behaviors in their daily life |
| B．know as much as possible as their children |
| C．educate them with facts and expect much of them |
| D．know them well and set a good example to them |
From the passage we can learn that the author prefers ___________________．
| A．free parenting | B．traditional parenting |
| C．smart parenting | D．critical parenting |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Teaching Methods – for Teachers and Schools |
| B．Parents’ Tasks – in Children’s Development |
| C．Way of Growth – for the Young Groups |
| D．Letting Go – for Children’s Independent Life |
However urban life strikes you，cities worldwide have been growing even more rapidly．Some of this growth has occurred in the developed world，but the most dramatic increase has been in the Third World．Almost all the world’s population growth over the next 30 years will take place in the cities of developing countries
By the year 2030，for the first time in history，60 percent of the world’s people will be living in cities．
This is actually good news in some ways．“Cities are the fundamental building blocks of prosperity,” says Marc Weiss，chairman of the Prague Institute for Global Urban Development，“ both for the nation and for families．” Industrial and commercial activities in urban areas account for between 50 and 80 percent of the gross domestic product （GDP） in most countries of the world“ there’s the crazy notion that the way to deal with a city’s problems is to keep people out of them,” Weiss continued．“But the problems of the rural life are even more serious than those of the city．” For better or worse，urban-watchers are clear on one point: The quality of life for most people in the future will be determined by the quality of cities．Those cities will be bigger than ever．And yet，population numbers by themselves don’t determine a city’s prospects； after all，Addis Ababa，Ethiopia，and Hamburg，Germany，have the same population．Nor is explosive growth necessarily the determining factor．“City problems,” one authority points out，“mostly have to do with weak，ineffective，and usually unrepresentative city governments．”The passage mainly discusses ______________．
| A．Big cities． | B．City life． |
| C．Population． | D．Gross Domestic Product． |
According to the passage，in the year of 2030 _______．
| A．there will be 21 cities having a population of more than 10 million． |
| B．rural area will be extinct． |
| C．most people will live in cities． |
| D．the third world will keep abreast with the developed world． |
In the author’s opinion，_________．
| A．better city，better life |
| B．both urban and rural areas have a larger population |
| C．the larger population，the faster a city develops |
| D．both urban and rural areas have larger gross domestic products |
Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The developing countries develop faster than the developed countries． |
| B．Cities contribute more to the GDP than the villagers． |
| C．Some problems are more easily solved in cities than in country． |
| D．It’s impossible to solve urban problems by getting people out of cities． |
The last paragraph implies that ____________．
| A．public services are ineffective． |
| B．cities are increasing too fast． |
| C．population is not linked with development． |
| D．government should be responsible for the problems in the cities． |
“Long time no see” is a very interesting sentence．When I first read this sentence from an American friend’s email，I laughed．I thought it was a perfect example of Chinglish．
Obviously，it is a word-by-word literal translation of the Chinese greetings with a ruled English grammar and structure! Later on，my friend told me that it is a standard American greeting．I was too thrilled to believe her．Her words could not convince me at all．So I did a research on google．com．To my surprise，there are over 60 thousand web pages containing “Long time no see．” This sentence has been widely used in emails，letters，newspapers，movies，books，or any other possible places．Though it is sort of informal，it is part of the language that Americans use daily．Ironically，if you type this phrase in Microsoft Word，the software will tell you that the grammar needs to be corrected．
Nobody knows the origin of this Chinglish sentence．Some people believe that it came from Charlie Chan’s movies．In the 1930s，Hollywood moviemakers successfully created a world wide famous Chinese detective named “Charlie Chan” on wide screens．Detective Chan likes to teach Americans some Chinese wisdom by quoting Confucius．“Long time no see” was his trademark．Soon after Charlie Chan，“Long time no see” became a popular phrase in the real world with thanks to the popularity of these movies．
Some scholars refer to America as a huge pot of stew．All kinds of culture are mixed in the stew together，and they change the color and taste of each other．American Chinese，though a minority ethnic（少数民族的成员） group in the United States，is also contributing some changes to the stew! Language is usually the first thing to be influenced in the mixed stew．
You can have some other examples than adoptions from Chinese，such as pizza from Italian，susi from Japanese，and déjà vu from French etc．There is a long list! Americans do not just simply borrow something from others．They will modify it and make it their own，so you would not be surprised to find a tofu and peanut butter hamburger in a restaurant，or to buy a bottle of iced Chinese green tea with honey in a grocery store．Since Americans appreciate Chinese culture more and more nowadays，I believe more Chinese words will become American English in the future．In this way the American stew keeps adding richness and flavor．The writer himself felt surprised at ______．
| A．the Chinglish expression “Long time no see” |
| B．“Long time no see” used as standard American English |
| C．so many literal translation of the expressions used in America |
| D．finding out Americans use the expression every day |
The word “stew” in the 4th paragraph probably means ______．
| A．mixture literature | B．Confucius’ words |
| C．a kind of cooked dish | D．American changing cultures |
According to the passage，it can be inferred that ______．
| A．detectives translate the phrase “Long time no see” |
| B．Hollywood made “Long time no see” popular |
| C．the huge pot of stew greatly affects all kinds of languages |
| D．cultures can be changed in the huge pot of stew |
The main idea of the passage is that ______．
| A．some Chinese expressions are introduced into English |
| B．you’ll not be surprised at a tofu in a restaurant in America |
| C．some American expressions can be used in China |
| D．American English keep being enriched from different cultures |
According to the passage，which of the following statements is not true?
| A．Informal language sometimes doesn’t go with grammar and structure． |
| B．Languages are always ruled by grammar and structure． |
| C．“Long time no see” has been used in at least four media mentioned in the passage． |
| D．There are four languages mentioned to be adopted in the American stew． |