The following is something about extreme sports: Dangerous as they are, extreme sports remain appealing among many Australian young people! Camp extreme sports is the perfect test of your heart.
Kite Surfing
It’s the exciting mixture of kite, board and waves. The idea of using a kite to accelerate speed seems like a new challenge, yet the art of kite flying dates back to the 13th-century Chinese when it was used as a simple means of transport.
Catch a wind and you’re moving — up, down and across the surf. “It’s always exciting. You’d jump 5 feet or 35 feet. You never know if you’re going to go up in the air, and your heart is just going boom, boom, boom.”
Coasteering
It is by far the best activity and the event that everyone is still talking about. This is exploring the coastline without worrying about a coastal path or finding a rocky bay blocking your route. You climb, dive and swim from one place to another. With Coasteering, you don’t have to be able to swim as the wet suit and buoyancy(浮力) aid will keep you floating when you are in the water.
Sky Diving
Traditional parachuting(跳伞) doesn’t sound risky enough. So now sky diving is the name for jumping from a plane and listening to your heart beating heavily as you move fast towards earth before you open your parachute at the last moment.
Mountain Biking
It’s been around so long that bikers are no longer satisfied with just going up and down a mountain. Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough land, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but include features designed to improve strength and performance in rough areas.
For details, please call us on 1300-792-668 or click here: www.xtremecamp.com.au.All the four extreme sports are intended to test one’s _____.
| A．potential strength | B．physical health |
| C．sports skills | D．courage |
The underlined word “it” refers to _____.
| A．kite flying | B．kite surfing |
| C．a kite | D．the art of kites |
Which of the following sports can be the most risky?
| A．Kite surfing. | B．Coasteering. |
| C． Mountain biking. | D．Sky diving. |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．kites were the main means of transport in China |
| B．swimming skills play a key role in Coasteering |
| C．mountain biking requires more than riding common bikes |
| D．parachuting is the least popular sports at present |
I first went to Harrow in the summer term.The school had the biggest swimming pool I had ever seen.It was a good joke to come up behind a naked boy,and push him into the pool.I made quite a habit of this with boys of my own size or less.
One day I saw a boy wrapped in a towel on the side of the pool.He was no bigger than I was,so I thought him a fair game.Coming secretly behind,I pushed him in,holding on to his towel so that it would not get wet,I was surprised to see an angry face come out from the water,and a being of great strength making its way by fierce strokes(猛力地划) to the shore.I fled,but in vain.He overtook me,seized me violently,and threw me into the deepest part of the pool.I soon climbed out on the other side,and found myself surrounded by a crowd of younger boys.“Do you know what you have done?”they said.“It’s Amery;he is in Grade Six.He is champion at gym;he has got his football honor.”
I was frightened and felt ashamed.How could I tell his position when he was wrapped in a bath towel and so small?I decided to apologize immediately.“I am sorry,”I said,“I mistook you for a Grade Four boy.You are so small.”He didn’t seem pleased at all,so I added in a most brilliant word.“My father,who is a great man,is also small.”At this he laughed,and after some general words about my rude behavior and how I had better be careful in the future,signified the incident was closed.The writer thought Amery “a fair game” because the boy______.
| A．looked like an animal |
| B．was fond of games |
| C．was of similar size |
| D．was good at sports |
The writer felt “ashamed” because______.
| A．he was laughed at by other boys |
| B．Amery turned out to be in the same grade |
| C．he pushed Amery hard and hurt him |
| D．he played a joke on an outstanding athlete |
By saying “My father,who is a great man,is also small”,the writer_______.
| A．tried to please Amery |
| B．challenged Amery |
| C．threatened Amery |
| D．admired his father |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The writer could run faster than Amery. |
| B．The writer liked playing jokes on boy of all sizes. |
| C．Amery was a student in Grade Four. |
| D．Amery forgave the writer for his rude behavior. |
Governments and health officials around the world continued to take steps Tuesday against the outbreak of swine flu that has killed scores of people in Mexico and spread to the U.S., Europe and possibly Asia.
By early Tuesday, the swine flu outbreak in Mexico had caused in 152 deaths and more than 1,600 illnesses. So far, at least 113 cases have been proved worldwide, including 64 in the United States; six in Canada; 11 in New Zealand and two each in Spain the United Kingdom and Israel. None has yet resulted in death.
The World Health Organization on Monday raised its alert level from three to four on its six-level scale. The move means the U.N. agency has determined that the virus can transmit
from human to human.
"In this age of global travel, where people move around in airplanes so quickly, there is no region to which this virus could not spread," said Fukuda, assistant director-general of the WHO.
Governments around the world struggled to prevent further outbreak. Some, like China and Russia, banned pork imports from the United States and Mexico. U.S. President Barack Obama said the outbreak was a cause for concern, not for alarm. The government urged travelers to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico.
The latest WHO report listed only seven proved swine flu deaths in Mexico but it was not clear why there was the discrepency.
Mexico City has closed all schools until at least May 6 to help curb(control) the spread of swine flu and ordered 35,00 public venues to close or serve only takeaway meals. In addition, bars, clubs, movie theaters, pool halls, gyms, sport centers and convention halls have been told to close until May 5. Armed police officers are also guarding hospitals in Mexico City while roads and schools in the city of 20 million people are deserted. Officials also have talked about shutting down the bus and subway systems.How many people were found catching swine flu in Spain?
| A．2. | B．11. | C．6. | D．64. |
When learning the outbreak of swine flu, the WHO was ____.
| A．calm | B．nervous | C．shocked | D．careful |
Fukuda’s words suggest that _____.
| A．he likes travel by air |
| B．global travel hasn’t been affected |
| C．this virus can spread quickly because of global travel |
| D．planes must be forbidden to take to prevent swine flu |
The last paragraph mainly tells us _____.
| A．Mexico has taken measures to control swine flu |
| B．Mexico City is too dangerous to live in |
| C．the normal life in Mexico has been changed |
| D．people in Mexico are badly in need of help |
The Danish capital is a year-round destination. Here are some of the city's best annual events.
Roskilde Festival (July)
The Danes love the outdoors and they love rock music; the Roskilde Festival is where they combine these passions for a weekend of drunken celebration. The four-day event is held about 30 minutes from the city completely, which means you can either go in for the full festival experience, or you can travel from the city to the festival each day.
There are also day tickets if you don't have the power for the whole collection of facts.
Kulturnatten (October)
For something a little more high brow there's the Night of Culture. For one night only some 300 venues in the city stage theater performances, art exhibitions, concerts and poetry readings.
Father Christmas Congress (July)
One of the more bizarre fixtures in Copenhagen's calendar, the event is held in July—the slow season for Santas—at the Bakken amusement park, some 20 minutes north of the city. The most interesting of the event is a procession of Santas from all over the world along Strøget. Parents should be prepared for some embarrassed questions from the kids.
Tivoli Gardens (November/December)
These pleasure gardens make for a great day out any time of the year but to see them at their most attractive, visit from mid-November through December, when they are transformed into a fairy tale of lanterns and Christmas markets. There's also outdoor skating, a Christmas entertainment and the very Danish 'Nissekøbing' village, home to more than 100 mechanical fairies.If you are free in October, you can go to _____.
| A．Roskilde Festival | B．Kulturnatten |
| C．Father Christmas Congress | D．Tivoli Gardens |
Roskilde Festival is a festival _____.
| A．where many famous singers in Denmark gather |
| B．which is only held in the center of a city |
| C．that lasts about half an hour per day |
| D．that the Danas can enjoy |
How does the author think of the procession of Santas?
| A．Astonishing. | B．Funny. | C．Worth seeing. | D．Full of encouragement. |
The passage is probably written for _____.
| A．guides | B．tourists | C．businessmen | D．writers |
Planting trees around poultry farms can improve air and water quality -- and relations with neighbors. Research has shown that just three rows of trees near poultry houses can reduce the release of dust and ammonia(氨). They can also reduce the strong smell of ammonia gas.
The trees take dust, ammonia and odors in their leaves. They also provide shade from the sun, so they reduce cooling costs in summer. And they act as a windbreak, so they reduce heating costs in winter. Trees can also improve water quality around farms by removing pollutions from soil and groundwater.
Several years ago, people were objecting to the odor of poultry farms on the Delmarva Peninsula in the eastern United State s. Delmarva is where the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia come together. Two thousand farms there can each house an average of seventy-five thousand chickens.
Traditionally the farms used windows to provide fresh air in the chicken houses. Farmers rarely planted trees or tall crops around the buildings, so there would be no barrier to the airflow. But then farms began to use new ventilation systems. Instead of windows, the new systems used tunnel fans to circulate air. The fans directed airflow from the poultry houses toward the homes of neighbors.
Researchers began dealing with the problem in two thousand. They found that over a period of six years, planting three rows of trees reduced total dust and ammonia by more than half. And they found that smells were reduced by eighteen percent.
Farmers may think trees will take too long to grow and be effective. But some trees can grow quickly. At least one-third of the Delmarva farms have planted trees, technically known as vegetative environmental buffers. The idea offers a way to cut pollution, save money and energy, and make the neighbors happy.The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A．planting trees as much as possible |
| B．the advantages of trees |
| C．how to reduce heating costs |
| D．why trees are received |
The word “odor” in paragraph 3 means ______.
| A．plant | B．smell | C．height | D．water |
The farms on the Delmarva Peninsula used to use ______ in chicken houses to provide fresh air.
| A．trees | B．tunnel fans | C．windows | D．poles |
It can be learned from the last two paragraphs that ______.
| A．three rows of trees are really good to the environment |
| B．researches began to realize the problem in 2000 |
| C．most farmers show interest in planting trees |
| D．the trees growing quickly can be cut off in a few years |
Our listener question this week comes from Abdullahi Farah, who wants to know about the life and work of Doctor Benjamin Carson.
Doctor Carson is an internationally recognized doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been the director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the hospital for twenty-five years. At the age of thirty-three, he became one of the youngest doctors in the United States to hold that position. And he was the first African-American to have that position at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Ben Carson is known for his work as a brain surgeon for children. For example, in nineteen eighty-seven, he led a team of seventy doctors and nurses in an operation to separate two babies joined at the head. Earlier attempts by other surgeons on other babies had failed. Doctor Carson successfully performed the operation. Both babies were able to survive independently.
Doctor Carson has written four books. His first book, "Gifted Hands," tells the story of his life. Benjamin Carson was born in nineteen fifty-one in Detroit, Michigan.
As a boy, Ben was not a good student. In fact, he was the worst in his class. When his mother learned of his failing grades she asked her sons to read two library books every week. She limited the amount of time they watched television. And she told them to respect every person.
Ben Carson soon became the top student in his class. He went on to study at Yale University, one of the best universities in the country, and later to medical school at the University of Michigan.
Doctor Carson has received many awards and honors. Last year he received the nation's highest civilian honor. Former President George W. Bush presented Benjamin Carson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony at the White House.The passage is probably taken from _____.
| A．a radio | B．a magazine | C．TV | D．a paper |
What does the word “surgeons” in paragraph 3 mean?
| A．nurses | B．doctors | C．hospitals | D．points |
Benjamin Carson’s change in study was largely because of ______
| A．his hard work | B．his teacher |
| C．his mother | D．his father |
What’s the aim to write the passage?
| A．To call on us to learn from Benjamin Carson. |
| B．To praise Benjamin Carson for his achievements. |
| C．To show us how Benjamin Carson succeeded |
| D．To introduce Benjamin Carson’s life and work |