Sports are all about change. A team gets better. A kid practices more and swims a personal best or learns a new move on the basketball court. In 2006, two things happened that got me thinking about change—in sports and in life.
One of them is tennis champion Andre Agassi, who retired in 2006. Agassi was a terrific player who won 60 titles, including eight major championships(冠军称号). But his greatest accomplishment(成就)might have been how much he changed during his career.
When he was young, Agassi was a show off who seemed to care only about himself. He didn't train very hard, but he won matches because of his tremendous(极大的) talent.
Eventually, though, injuries and his bad attitude caught up with him. He fell from No.1 in the world ranking to No.141.
So Agassi changed. He trained harder and became a world-class player again. More importantly, he changed as a person. He was nicer to fans and opponents(对手). He stopped thinking just about himself and started thinking about others. Through his Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, he raised more than $60 million to help disadvantaged kids around his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. He even started a school, the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, for at-risk kids.
At the start of a new year, lots of people promise themselves they will change. They might vow to get in good physical shape, do better in school or be nicer to others.
Changes such as those can be difficult. But they do happen. Just remember Andre Agassi: It wasn't easy, but he changed, and changed for the better.According to the writer, which of the following may be the greatest achievement for Agassi?
A.He once ranked No.1 in the world rankings. |
B.He won 60 titles. |
C.He changed much during his career. |
D.He won 8 major championships. |
What does the underlined work “vow” in the 6th paragraph probably mean?
A.promise. | B.agree. | C.wish. | D.prove. |
What do you know about Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation?
A.It is intended to help at-risk kids. |
B.It is a charity school set up by Agassi. |
C.Some disadvantaged kids can get help from it. |
D.Agassi runs it with his prize money. |
What might be talked about in the paragraphs following this passage?
A.What achievements Agassi has made after he changed for the better. |
B.How we can change for the better. |
C.Another thing happened in life that got the writer thinking about change. |
D.Some assessments(评价) about Agassi from different people. |
Tamiflu does not kill but prevents H1N1 from further proliferation (繁衍) till the virus limits itself in about 1-2 weeks (its natural cycle).H1N1, like other Influenza A viruses, only infects the upper respiratory tract and proliferates (only) there.The only way of entry are the nostrils(鼻孔) and mouth/ throat.In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1.
Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, some very simple steps can be practiced:
1.Frequent hand-washing.
2."Hands-off-the-face" approach.Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe).
3.Gargle(漱口) twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt).H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms.Simple gargling prevents proliferation.In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one.Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4.Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrilsat least once every day with warm salt water,Which is very effective in bringing down viral population.
5.Strengthen your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C .If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
6.Drink as much of warm liquids as you can.Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction.They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
7.All these are simple ways to prevent, within means of most households, and certainly much less painful than to wait in long queues outside public hospitals.
1.What part of a person’s body do H1N1flu viruses mainly infect?
A.one’s lung B.the upper respiratory tract
C.one’s heart D.one’s throat and lung
2.H1N1 flu viruses go into our bodies by ________.
A.touching B.diet C.breathing D.dirt
3.What does the underlined word “underestimate” mean ?
A.assign too low a value to
B.drop the cost of
C.pay more attention to
D.calculate the number of money
4.The author presents this passage by ______.
A.telling an interesting story B.testing an idea by reasoning
C.introducing some practical methods D.describing some activities in a natural order
The words of Gandhi, Einstein and other great thinkers are to be quoted in service announcements on London’s Underground.
Transport for London has asked Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller to edit a list of mottos to be used by tube drivers.Gandhi’s “there is more to life than increasing its speed” and the artist Cezanne’s “we live in a rain-bow of chaos” are among the quotes.Deller hopes they will make passengers’ journeys a bit more thought-provoking(发人深省的).
Deller’s original plan was to abolish all public announcements for a day.“It makes me feel annoyed,” he said.“It’s like some psychological warfare(战争 ) on the passengers.”
But his idea was refused by the manager of Transport for London, who instead agreed to the plan of replacing some announcements with something more human and attractive.
Sally Shaw, who is running the scheme for Transport for London, says it is part of an attempt to improve day-to-day interaction and rely less on automated announcements.
“I think everyone has their own little philosophy on their journeys.And if we can get more of that out in the air, that would be great,” she said.
Susy Wells, one of the drivers to test the idea out on the London Underground, is also enthusiastic about it.
She said, “I like to make my own announcements and it’s nice to get passengers to think as well.”
What’s more, some quotes are helpful to the drivers.They help the passengers become more understanding about the drivers’ work.
The quotes such as Thomas Fuller’s “a stumble(绊脚) may prevent a fall” are popular for helping explain why a little inconvenience was sometimes necessary to keep the system safe.
1.The underlined phrase “tube drivers” probably means______.
A.taxi drivers B.subway drivers
C.truck drivers D.bus drivers
2.Why did Deller want to abolish all public announcements on the underground?
A.Because they cause a war among passengers.
B.Because the public announcements make Deller tired.
C.Because the public announcements are dull.
D.All public announcements are not suitable for the passengers.
3.The reason why the sayings are to be quoted on London’s Underground is ______.
A.that everyone has their own life motto
B.that sayings are believed to be more human and attractive
C.that sayings can help develop spiritual civilization in London
D.that saying can make drivers think more
4.The best title of this passage would be _____.
A.Changes on London’s Underground
B.Culture on London’s Underground
C.Some Quotes Seen on London’s Underground
D.Introduction to London’s Underground
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature.However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry.Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water.Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition.This causes major environmental effects.For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports.Power walking is one of them that you could take up today.You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse.Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit.If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones.Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials.But the final goal should be “green gyms”.They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers.Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces.There is no special requirement for you to start your membership.And best of all, it’s free.
1.The author thinks the golf is resource-hungry because of the following EXCEPT that_____.
A.Golf wastes large areas of countryside
B.Golf runs out of much water
C.Keeping golf court in good condition needs too much energy
D.Golf is bad for people’s health
2.According to the passage, which of the following is an environment-friendly sport?
A.swimming in the pool B.hiking in the hills
C.playing basketball in the gym D.motor racing in the desert
3.The reason why the author uses power walking as an example mainly is because _________.
A.it improves our health B.it uses fewer resources
C.it is an outdoor sport D.it is recommended by experts
4.The purpose of the author’s writing this passage is to ______.
A.show us the function of major sports
B.encourage us to go in for green sports
C.discuss the major influence of popular sports
D.introduce different types of environment-friendly sports
The devastation of Typhoon Morakot over Taiwan and eastern China is a reminder that the northwest Pacific is the most dangerous region in the world for tropical storms.The worst of these are typhoons, which are the same as hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, or cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Australia.They all have winds of more than 118km/h (73mph) spinning around a central core.
These storms start off as a mass of thunderstorms in the tropics outside the Equator.Given the right conditions, they form a bigger and more organised storm and feed off warm seas at more than 26.5C (80F) to get the fuel that they need to become a fully-fledged(羽毛丰满的) typhoon, hurricane or cyclone.Each storm is like a heat engine, extracting heat from the warm, humid air over the sea and turning it into phenomenal amounts of energy — equivalent to about 200 times the entire world’s electrical generating capacity.But warm, moist air is not enough — these storms also need slack winds aloft, because strong high-altitude winds can rip off the top of the storm clouds and send the entire storm tumbling(翻跟头).
The damage from tropical storms often comes from their winds, or the storm surges from the sea as the winds pile up water into a huge battering ram(冲击夯) that floods coastlines.But the devastation from Typhoon Morakot came from its unbelievable rainfall — about a year’s average rain in some places — that set off landslides and mudslides.
1.According to the first paragraph, the common point among typhoons,hurricanes and cyclones is _______.
A.that they all come from the oceans
B.that they all have winds of over 118km/h spinning around a central core
C.that they all cause great damage
D.that they all can generate electricity
2.Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A.Typhoon Morakat devestates Taiwan and eastern China
B.How is the typhoon formed?
C.Typhoon Morakot was how to devestate the areas it travelled
D.How terrible is Typhoon Morakat!
3.The devastation from Typhoon Morakot is mainly from ______.
A.its wind B.its rainfall
C.landslides and mudslides D.the storm
4.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A.Taiwan is off the northwest Pacific
B.the damage from tropical storms often comes from their winds
C.tropical storms often happen
D.tropical storms only need warm, moist air
第二部分阅读理解(共25小题;第一节每小题2分,第二节每小题1分,满分45分)
第一节阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项。
Do you know of Guo Degang? In recent months he has become well known in China as a crosstalker.He has never performed on TV before, but attending his crosstalk performance is becoming increasingly fashionable in Beijing, especially for youth and school children.
Guo arrived in Beijing from Tianjin in 1995 and came across a teahouse where he found several young people performing crosstalk.Being a crosstalker himself, he couldn’t help taking to the stage.Gradually, more and more people came to the teahouse to see him perform.He soon found himself playing to audiences numbering more than 100 in a teahouse that could only contain 80.
As his popularity grew, Guo thought over the future of his art.“Traditional crosstalk is at least half an hour long, but performances are no longer than five minutes on TV, which kills much of the story.TV is part of the fast-food culture and crosstalk is a face-to-face art form — it needs interaction (交流), and is not suited to TV,” Guo said.He decided to bring it back to its roots: the teahouse and theater.
In 1996, Guo and some young crosstalk actors founded Deyun Crosstalk Association.Over the next ten years, the association organized countless performances in teahouses across Beijing.Despite their growing popularity, Guo ensured (确保) that ticket prices were kept low to make the art form accessible to everyone.Tickets to his performances are still 20 yuan today.And in keeping with technology and modern times, the association set up a BBS site on the Internet where fans could download recordings and discuss performances with actors.
He hopes that through their efforts, more young people will learn to appreciate crosstalk and perhaps train to be crosstalkers themselves.
1.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.Guo Degang and his traditional crosstalk
B.A traditional art form—crosstalk
C.The development history of crosstalk
D.Deyun Crosstalk Association
2.From the passage, we can know the crosstalk originates(源于) from ________.
A.the TV show B.the teahouse and theater
C.the cinema D.the common people
3.According to the passage, Deyun Crosstalk Association set up a BBS site on the internet to ________.
A.let fans download recordings
B.have fans discuss performances with actors
C.keep up with modern technology
D.ask more people appreciate their favorite crosstalk
4.From the passage, we can know the following EXCEPT________.
A.the crosstalk is a face-to- face art which needs interaction
B.Guo was a crosstalker when he was in Tianjing
C.the performances of Guo are very popular
D.the tickets to Guo’s performances may rise in future