On May 23, Shenzhen introduced tough new rules in order to discourage the “Chinese style of crossing the road”. “Chinese people cross roads without thinking about traffic lights, so long as they are part of a crowd,” said a post on Sina Weibo.
A CCTV news program showed that in only an hour, more than 600 people jumped red lights when crossing a road in Shijiazhuang, Hebei.
Many people say that they jaywalk(乱穿马路) because the red light lasts too long. Such an opinion is supported by a research team at Tongji University. The team did research on people’s waiting times at different road crossings for three years. They found that Chinese people would wait for 70 to 90 seconds(秒) before they lost their patience. “People are likely to ignore(忽视) the light when the waiting time is longer than they can bear,” said Ni Ying, a member of the research team.
However, a survey on Sina Weibo suggested that people jaywalk mainly because they ignore rules. “I always obey traffic rules. Time is important but safety should come first,” someone wrote on his Weibo.
Many countries give out punishments to jaywalkers. In Singapore, the maximum can be three months in prison. Some Chinese cities have started taking some actions, too. For example, the first three people in a jaywalking group will be fined 50 yuan in Shijiazhuang.
But calling on people to respect rules is more important. To completely solve the problem, everyone should realize the importance of obeying the traffic rules.Which of the following is the “Chinese style road crossing”?
| A．To cross a road slowly. |
| B．To follow the basic traffic rules. |
| C．To wait for the traffic light to turn green. |
| D．To cross roads without looking at traffic lights. |
What does the phrase “the team” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．A CCTV news program. |
| B．A research group at Tongji University. |
| C．A post on Sina Weibo. |
| D．A daily newspaper. |
How long will Chinese people wait for to cross the road before they lose patience?
| A．About five minutes. |
| B．Less than one minute. |
| C．Less than one and a half minutes. |
| D．More than ten minutes. |
Why do people jaywalk according to the survey on Sina Weibo?
| A．Because people don’t pay much attention to rules. |
| B．Because there are too many people on the road. |
| C．Because the red light lasts too long. |
| D．Because people have less patience. |
The writer suggests that we should __________ to solve the problem of jaywalking.
| A．punish the jaywalkers |
| B．reduce (减少) the time of red lights |
| C．ignore the traffic rules |
| D．call on people to obey the traffic rules |
If you enjoy reading, don’t miss Shakespeare and Company when you visit the city of Paris. It is a famous English-language bookstore on the left bank of the river Seine. The first Shakespeare and Company in history was opened in 1919 by an American, Sylvia Beach. Ms. Beach did more than sell books. Her bookstore was also a library, and she even prepared beds for writers visiting there. Ms. Beach was not only kind to people but also good at choosing books, so her bookstore was often visited by writers like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce. But in 1941, after the Germans took power in Paris, Ms. Beach was told to close her bookstore.
In 1951, another American, George Whitman, opened in Paris another English-language bookstore, Librairie Mistral. Since then, just as Ms. Beach did, Mr. Whitman has also made his bookstore a library for people to borrow books, and a free hotel for writers to stay in. To remember Ms. Beach, Mr. Whitman changed the name of his bookstore to Shakespeare and Company in 1964, two years after Ms. Beach died.
Next time when you are in Paris, don’t forget to visit this friendly bookstore, and see if you can spend a night there!When was Shakespeare and Company first opened？
| A．In 1919. | B．In 1941. | C．In 1951. | D．In 1964. |
What does Shakespeare and Company do?
a. It sells books. b. It lends books.
c. It offers food to readers. d. It prepares beds for writers.
| A．a, b, c | B．a, c, d | C．a, b, d | D．b, c, d |
Ms. Beach closed her business because _________.
| A．she died |
| B．she left Paris |
| C．she was made to do it |
| D．she didn’t manage it well |
What do we know about Mr. Whitman?
| A．He was Ms. Beach’s neighbor. |
| B．He used to work at Ms. Beach’s bookstore. |
| C．He opened a bookstore to remember Ms. Beach. |
| D．He has followed Ms. Beach’s ways of doing business. |
Looking for a new way to raise money for charity (慈善)? Has your school run out of clever and fun ideas? Don’t give up. There are several ways to support your favorite charity.
How about organizing a car wash? Everybody who has a car sooner or later washes it or has it washed. So why don’t you and your classmates do the job? The money the car owners pay for having their cars washed will go towards your charity. When we did it, we had an amazing time! At first, some of us were worried about getting wet or dirty and it’s true. But we also had fun, and at the end of the day it was really worth it!
On the other hand, if you don’t feel like getting wet or messy, but have some musical talent, how about organizing a street concert? Street musicians can make a lot of money, and so can you if you’ve got the talent and courage it takes to play in front of an audience. You just need to find a suitable place, practice for a few hours with your friends first, and give it a try!
I hope the above ideas have helped you a bit, and if you’ve got any other great suggestions, we would love to hear them and practice them, too. Good luck!What does the writer think of car wash?
| A．It’s dirty but fun. | B．It’s easy but dirty. |
| C．It’s easy and fun. | D．It’s cheap and dirty. |
What do the underlined words “an audience” in the 3rd paragraph mean?
| A．Passengers. | B．Listeners. |
| C．Musicians. | D．Teachers. |
What might be the best title for this passage?
| A．How to Wash a Car |
| B．How to Organize a Street Concert |
| C．Ways to Raise Money for Charity |
| D．Ways to Make Money after School |
The writer of the passage is most probably a _________.
| A．student | B．parent | C．driver | D．singer |
What you have read is a(n) _________.
| A．report | B．ad. | C．message | D．notice |
What restaurant is Tea Cottage?
| A．Chinese. | B．British. | C．American. | D．French. |
Who has to work every day?
| A．Singers. | B．Waiters. | C．Cleaners. | D．Cooks. |
If you want to get more information, you can _________.
| A．send a letter | B．make a call |
| C．send an email | D．visit the boss |
Dear Mom,
I’m sorry that I can’t go back home for Mother’s Day next week. On that day, I’ll have to go to an important meeting for my boss, who helps me a lot with my work and life here. But I’ll find time to see you at home soon.
Mom, thank you for everything you’ve done for Tim and me. After Dad died ten years ago, you had to work in a supermarket in the daytime and in a restaurant at night. But you always gave us two your love and care. Though you don’t have to work now, I still remember your coming home and feeling tired many evenings.
Tim is going to finish his studies next month. He said he would move back from school and look for a job near home. I’m glad you won’t live by yourself anymore. Let’s plan to take a trip in the near future. It’s been years since the three of us took a trip together.
Happy Mother’s Day! I love you, Mom.
Best wishes,
John John can’t go home on Mother’s Day because he has to _________.
| A．meet his boss | B．take a trip |
| C．attend a meeting | D．go to a party |
What can we learn about John’s mother?
| A．She lives by herself now. |
| B．She still works day and night. |
| C．She will make a plan to save money. |
| D．She used to be too busy to care for her children. |
What do we know from the letter?
| A．John has two brothers. |
| B．John is unhappy with his boss. |
| C．Tim will finish his studies soon. |
| D．Tim will leave home for his job soon. |
Which is true according to the letter?
| A．John’s father died at work. |
| B．Tim will look for a teaching job. |
| C．John bought a gift for his mother. |
| D．John hopes to take a trip with his family. |
Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.
Sometimes, the word “green” means young, fresh and growing. For example, a greenborn is someone who has no experience. In the 15 th century, a greenborn was a young cow or an ox whose borns(角)had not yet developed. A century later, a greenborn was a soldier who had no experience in war. By the 18 th century, a greenborn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.
Someone who is good at growing plants is said to have a green thumb(大拇指). The expression comes from the early 20 th century. A person with a green thumb can make plants grow quickly and well. The Green Revolution(绿色革命)is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. It was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.
Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling. Jealousy(嫉妒). The green eyed monster is not a dangerous animal from outer space. It is an expression used about 400 years ago by the British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling when someone has something he wants.
In most places in the world, a green light is a signal(信号)to move ahead. In everyday speech, a green light means approval(赞成)to continue with a project.A new solider was called a greenborn in the ____ century.
| A．15 th | B．16 th | C．18 th | D．20 th |
A person with a green thumb____.
| A．is good at growing plant |
| B．really has a green thumb |
| C．has no experience in war |
| D．is new in a job |
A man may meet the green eyed monster if ____.
| A．he sees a dangerous animal |
| B．he can’t get something |
| C．he reads a sad play |
| D．his friend gets a prize that he wants |
This passage doesn’t mention the history of the expression “____”.
| A．a green thumb | B．a greenborn |
| C．the green eyed monster | D．a green light |
Which would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Green, the color of grass and trees |
| B．The stories about the color “green” |
| C．Green, a sign of approval |
| D．Different meanings of “green” |