Today, air travel is far safer than driving a car on a busy motorway. But still there is a danger that grows every year. Airliners get larger and larger. Some airplanes can carry over 300 passengers. And the air itself becomes more and more crowded. If one large airliner struck into another in midair, 600 lives could be lost.
From the moment an airliner takes off to the moment it lands, every movement is watched on radar screens. Air traffic controllers tell the pilot exactly when to turn, when to climb and when to come down.
The air traffic controllers around a busy airport like London, Heathrow may deal with 2,500 planes a day. Not all of them actually land at the airport. Any plane that flies near the airport comes under the orders of the controllers there. Even a small mistake on their part could cause a terrible accident.
Recently such a disaster almost happened. Two large jets were flying towards the airport. One was carrying 69 passengers from Toronto, the other 176 passengers from Chicago. An air traffic controller noticed on his radar（雷达） screen that the two planes were too close to each other. He ordered one to turn to the right and to climb. But he made a mistake. He ordered the wrong plane to do this. So, instead of turning away from the second plane the first plane turned towards it. Fifteen seconds later, it flew directly in front of the second plane. They avoided each other by the smallest part of a second. The distance between them was less than that of a large swimming pool. This is an example of the danger that grows every year.The air traffic controllers of an airport _______.
| A．control all the planes flying near the airport |
| B．give orders to planes leaving the airport |
| C．only deal with the planes that want to land there |
| D．are allowed to handle 250 planes a day |
The danger of air crashes（碰撞） grows every year because ________.
| A．airliners are getting larger and air traffic is becoming heavier |
| B．a pilot does not always hear a controller’s order |
| C．a controller is likely to make more and more mistakes |
| D．airports can hardly serve the growing number of airplanes |
The example in the passage is to show that _______.
| A．air traffic controllers are often careless |
| B．air traffic controllers should pay much attention to avoiding accidents |
| C．it is difficult for airplanes to avoid terrible accidents |
| D．two planes should not fly too close to each other |
Sportsmanship (体育精神) means that players should try to win, but respect (尊敬), friendship and competition are also virtues (美德) of sportsmanship.
What were some of the great sportsmanship moments at the Olympics? Let’s take a look!
Respect
Respect means that players should not only respect rules but also his or her rivals (对手). During the Olympic tennis event, the world No. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland (瑞士) lost the gold medal. Andy Murray of Brain won it. Federer felt sad but he still congratulated his rival.
Competition
American shooter Matt Emmons failed on his final shot at both Sydney and Beijing Games. But he has never been afraid of the competition. He competed at the London Olympics and got a bronze medal.
Friendship
Badminton players Lin Dan of China and Lee Chongwei of Malaysia are big rivals on the court (球场). During the Olympic Games, Lin beat Lee to win the gold medal. Although it is a pity for Lee, he politely shook hands with his rival. Lin also gave Lee a hug and said, “Lee is such a good rival.” They always hang out together after games. Lin will invite Lee to his wedding ceremony (婚礼) this year.When did Matt Emmons get a bronze medal?
| A．At the Sydney Olympics. |
| B．At the Beijing Olympics. |
| C．At the London Olympics. |
| D．At the Athens Olympics. |
What did Lee do when Lin beat him?
| A．He cried after the game. |
| B．He shook hands with Lin. |
| C．He gave a hug to Lin. |
| D．He hurt Lin on his head. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
| A．Sportsmanship means that players only try to win. |
| B．Respect means that players should respect rules but nothing. |
| C．Matt Emmons has been afraid of the competition after failing on his final shot. |
| D．Lin wants Lee to take part in his wedding ceremony this year. |
Are you learning English and do you need help with grammar? Do you want to learn new vocabulary or slang (俚语)? Well, you can find help online with these top 5 free English as a Second Language websites.
1. Dave’s ESL Cafe
This is a complete website that can help you learn and practice English. You can read many stories and do a lot of exercises to test yourself. You can also post questions and answers onto the help center.
2. About.com
You can get free English courses from About.com and you’ll get regular e-mails that will help you learn English.
3. The Classroom by Voice of America
You can watch videos and listen to news stories to improve your listening and vocabulary skills. You can also hear English words and their meanings.
4. Heinle’s Newbury House Dictionary of American English
Do you need to find the definition of a word? Use this online dictionary to find simple and clear definitions, as well as example sentences and idioms (习语). You can also find different cultural facts.
5. Personal English Portal (门户网站) on YouTube
You can watch this series of videos on YouTube to develop your listening skills. You can also do a search for “learn English” on YouTube to find other videos. This is a good way to practice English and have fun.You can at the help center on the website Dave’s ESL Cafe.
| A．watch videos and pictures |
| B．listen to news and music |
| C．watch movies and matches |
| D．read questions and answers |
About.com often sends e-mails to its visitors to help them .
| A．get relaxed | B．have fun |
| C．become famous | D．learn English |
The underlined word “definition” means “ ” in Chinese.
| A．来源 | B．释义 |
| C．意图 | D．背景 |
History
Water polo (水球) or water ball is a team water sport. It started in England in the nineteenth century. The sport has been popular ever since.
The Sport
Water polo is played between two teams in a swimming pool. Players swim in the pool, carrying and throwing the ball to their team members. They try to score as many goals as possible.
There are 6 players and 1 goalkeeper (守门员) on a team. The teams have two different coloured caps. Visiting team field players usually wear white caps, and home team field players usually wear blue caps. Both goalkeepers wear red caps, numbered “1”. During the game, the goalkeepers can use two hands, but the other team members can only use one hand when carrying or throwing the ball. The game is divided (划分) into 4 periods. Each goal is one point.
In the Olympics
Water polo was introduced in the Olympics of 1900. The only two teams were Great Britain and Belgium (比利时). Great Britain beat Belgium at last. Water polo used to be a sport for men only, but after a long wait, women’s water polo became an official sport in the Olympic Games in 2000 in Sydney.Water polo started in America in the 1800s.
There are 7 players on a team in a water polo game, including a goalkeeper.
The goalkeepers usually wear blue caps in water polo games.
Each water polo game has 4 periods.
Women’s water polo was introduced in the Olympic Games in 1900.
The human brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms, but it can hold much more information than most computers. However, there is another difference between humans and computers. Computers don't forget information they are given, but humans often do. No one remembers everything, and luckily we don't usually have to. But everyone can improve their memory if they want to. Here are some suggestions.
◆Try to use new information immediately（立刻）. For example, if you meet someone who says "Hi! I'm Carlos," don't just say "Hello." Repeat the person's name. Say"____"
◆Break a big number into smaller parts. For example, it's hard to memorize (记忆) 109244153. But if you break it into three parts--109/244/153—it becomes easier.
◆Write out what you need to remember over and over again. This will help you keep it in mind longer, especially for memorizing formulas (公式) or facts.
◆Always review information. If you bring what you've learned back to your mind, they become easier to remember. For example, before you go to sleep, it’s a good idea to review the new things you learned that day.
◆Discuss with a friend. It is always easier to remember things through discussions. You can have a discussion about what's right and what's wrong, and it will lead to the right answer.
◆Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory. You can always do something to help improve your memory. And everyone's memory gets better if they use it often enough.
All of the suggestions are helpful. If you follow them, you are certain to improve your memory.How many suggestions are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
Which should be put in the blank (空格) in Paragraph 2？
| A．Hello, Carlos. | B．How do you do? | C．Hello, I am Sophia. | D．Glad to meet you! |
What can help memorize a big number more easily according to the passage?
| A．To store it in a computer. |
| B．To break it into smaller parts. |
| C．To discuss it with a friend. |
| D．To review it before you sleep. |
What does the sentence "Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory” mean?
| A．You should tell others about your bad memory. |
| B．You should believe in other people all the time. |
| C．You should ask others to improve their memory. |
| D．You should be confident in your memory ability. |
Have successful people ever felt sad? Do they have any “secrets” to success? The answers to these questions can be found in US president Barack Obama’s “back to school” speech. Here is an excerpt(摘录) from his speech.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense that you can be rich and successful without any hard work—that your ticket to success is through pop music or basketball or being a TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. Not all the homework will seem rather important to your life right this minute. And you may not succeed at everything the first time you try.
That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures (the opposite of success). JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was turned down 12 times before it finally came out. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots (投篮) during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures beat(打败) you—you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time.
No one’s born being good at things. You become good at things through hard work.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to tell when you don’t know something, and to learn something new.
And even when you’re struggling(奋斗), even when you’re discouraged (泄气), and you feel other people have given up on you—don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.Why does Barack Obama mention (提到) JK Rowling and Michael Jordan in the third paragraph?
| A．To compare these two famous persons. |
| B．To explain that the more failures he has, the more successful he is. |
| C．If you want to be successful, you should fail first. |
| D．To show that failure is the mother of success. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．No one can be successful without working hard. |
| B．Failure can be good if you treat it in a right way. |
| C．Those who believe in themselves shouldn’t ask others for help. |
| D．One should try his best to make his dream come true. |
Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined sentence?
| A．One shouldn’t ask questions because it is a sign of strength. |
| B．One should believe in himself though he will face much difficulty. |
| C．One doesn’t have to work hard when he has failed several times. |
| D．One doesn’t have to ask for help because it is a sign of weakness. |