It's late evening in the middle of the winter. The snow is deep, but off I go into the wild.Suddenly, I hear it: the howl (嚎叫) of wolves. Excitedly, I walk faster in the direction of the howling.
I've been working as a volunteer wolf tracker in Yellowstone National Park for over a year. It's my job to follow wolves to record information about them. Like wolves, however, I don't work alone. I'm one of a team of people who have been in a project to help reintroduce wolves to the park.
Humans have always feared wolves. From fairy tales to movies, the wolf is always the bad guy a danger to humans and other animals. In the 1920s, the organizers of the park shared this view about wolves and made the decision to drive them away from the park.As a result,the number of elk(麋鹿)in the park increased. The elk started looking for food near river banks since they didn't have to worry about wolves.This, in turn, stopped trees from growing along the rivers, doing great harm to the environment there.
The return of wolves has already made a big difference. To begin with, the elk soon learned to stay away from the rivers, so new trees have been able to grow there. The trees become home to new wildlife, such as birds, and provide food for more animals.
The park is now becoming more and more popular with those who want to see wolves in their natural environment. It has also helped the local people make more money, Tourists visit the area,stay in the local hotels, and eat in the local restaurants.
Looking at the wild animals and the beautiful sceneries around me, I am amazed at the changes the wolf has made to Yellowstone.And happily,it is playing a good guy in this story.
(1)According to the passage, one of a wolf tracker's jobs is to .
A. catch wolves in the park
B. feed wolves in the wild
C. stop wolves from killing elk
D. collect information about wolves
(2)Why did the organizers drive the wolves away from the park in the 1920s?
A. The wolves were always howling at night.
B. The elk in the park were in danger of dying out.
C. The wolves had done great harm to the environment.
D. The park was thought to be unsafe with wolves around.
(3)Paragraphs 4 and 5 are mainly about the that wolves have brought to Yellowstone.
A. risks
B. troubles
C. changes
D. competitions
(4)What does the writer mean by the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?
A. Wolves are important to Yellowstone.
B. Yellowstone has been home to wolves.
C. The wolf and the elk live in peace now.
D.The number of wolves is growing fast.
In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by "small talk". Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather: "Nice day, isn't it?" "Terrible weather, isn't it?" But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small. talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: "Great game, isn't it?" At bus-stops, people may comment about the transport system: "The bus service is terrible, isn't it?"
Greetings and small talk are an important part of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.
The passage suggests that when we learn a language______.
A.we should know the culture about the country |
B.we should only master the grammar and vocabulary |
C.we should grasp the importance of the language |
D.we should learn about the transport system of the country |
When we say "Great game, isn't it?" we in fact______.
A.have a conversation | B.begin a small talk |
C.greet each other | D.ask a question |
What we learn from the passage is that______.
A.in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather |
B.different language has different grammar |
C.small talk is an important part in a language |
D.small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation |
Tips for avoiding traffic jams:
The radio has more than just music. Check the local news station for the latest traffic report. Or go online and check traffic cameras before you set out. If there is a jam, you'll be prepared and can try another route.
Take the road less traveled. Although highways may be the most direct route, back (偏僻的) roads can be much less crowded, which can save you from the frustration of the stop-and-go traffic.
Rush hour isn't just a lovely nickname. It means the morning and afternoon traffic lasts for several hours, but they're still called "rush hour" for a reason - everyone's on the road and in a hurry to get somewhere. Treat rush hour like bad weather - if you don't have to go anywhere, stay off the roads.
Tips for those unavoidable traffic jams:
Don't break the law. You've gone 30 feet in 30 minutes and all of a sudden you see people using the shoulders(紧急停车道). Don't behave like them. Not only is this illegal, but also there's a good chance they'll get caught or cause even more problems.
Pay extra attention to zig-zaggers (Z字形行进者). When some people are anxious, they may start changing lanes(车道)every 5 seconds or cut you off, Keep checking your windows and mirrors. for these lane changers.
Look for an escape. If it is possible to exit the road safely, do it. Use a GPS unit, and you can change your route mid-trip if needed.
Be courteous. Good manners could help you avoid a possible accident. Allow people in from a lane that is ending. Speeding up to keep them out increases your chances of an accident.
To avoid traffic jams,we are advised to do the following EXCEPT_______.
A.get traffic news before leaving |
B.choose back roads. |
C.avoid rush hours. |
D.change lanes frequently. |
What should we do when there are zig-zaggers?
A.Keep checking the mirrors |
B.Stop and let them go first |
C.Sound the hom loudly. |
D.Drive quickly to keep them out |
What does the underlined word “courteous”in the last paragraph mean?
A.Energetic | B.Polite | C.Careful | D.Honest |
In which part of a magazine can this passage be found?
A.Entertainment | B.Market | C.Life | D.Advertisement |
The world's oldest person, Ms. Baines, died. She celebrated her 115th birthday with congratulations from Barack Obama, President of the United States. Over her life she lived through the terms of 21 US presidents.
Gertrude Baines passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Western Convalescent Hospital in Los Angeles, where she had lived for her last ten years. Emma Camanag, the hospital's leader said she was a respectable lady. "It is really an honor for the hospital to take care of her over the last 10 years and we will greatly miss her, It is just like we have lost a relative, " said Emma.
Ms. Baines, who was born in Shellman, Georgia, in 1894, had no living relatives. She grew up in the southern US during difficult times. During that time, African American people were required to use separate, often poor, public services. She married young and later divorced(离婚).Her only child, a daughter, was born in 1909 and died of a terrible disease at the age of 18. Ms. Baines worked as a maid(女佣) in Ohio before moving to Los Angeles where she lived on her own until she was well over 100.
She once told an interviewer, "As to the secrets of long life, I do not have any disappointments in my own life."
She gained some fame when she voted for Mr. Obama in the US presidential election, saying she supported him "because he's for the colored people". It was only the second time in her life she had voted, the first time being for John F. Kennedy.
Ms. Baines became the world's oldest person in January. Japanese woman, Kama Chien, 114, has now taken over the title.
Ms, Baines voted for Mr. Obama because he______.
A.was very popular in the hospital |
B.did good things for African Americans |
C.did even better than John F. Kennedy |
D.congratulated her on her birthday |
It can be inferred(推断) from the passage that______.
A.Ms. Baines didn't like any presidents except Mr. Obama and John F. Kennedy |
B.Ms. Baines' daughter died many years before her husband |
C.Japanese woman Kama Chien is the second oldest in the world now |
D.a positive attitude towards life is the main secret of .Ms. Baines' long life |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Ms. Baines liked to live alone. |
B.Ms. Baines died in a hospital in Los Angeles. |
C.Ms. Baines and her husband had only one child. |
D.Ms. Baines used to serve' others in Ohio. |
The passage is mainly about ______.
A.how Ms, Baines lived for so long |
B.why Ms. Baines voted for Mr. Obama |
C.the world's oldest person, Ms. Baines |
D.Ms. Baines and President Obama . |
Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the local people of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the local people become unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy(经济). It is important to think about the people of a destination country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance(推进) the well-being (health and happiness) of local people.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a lot of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals, first-class roads and other support facilities needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international-class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel will lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost.What is probably the reason if local people dislike tourists?
A.Tourists come to enjoy the customs and beauty. |
B.Local people lose jobs. |
C.A lot of hotels are built. |
D.Too many tourists cause traffic problems. |
What can we do to solve the problems caused by tourism?
A.Make plans properly. |
B.Help the country’s economy. |
C.Build fewer hotels. |
D.Advance the well-being of local people. |
If tourism grows too quickly, ___________.
A.businesses will lose money |
B.other parts of the country’s economy will make more money |
C.local people will be happier |
D.more local people will work for tourists. |
Support facilities needed by tourist attractions includes ___________.
①public places②hotels③airports④roads⑤electricity⑥sewers
A.①②③④⑤ | B.②③④⑤⑥ | C.①②③⑤⑥ | D.①③④⑤⑥ |
If the writer wants to add Paragraph 5 to the passage, he may tell us ________.
A.whether people need to build more hotels |
B.whether people need to plan tourism properly |
C.how to deal with the problems above |
D.how to prevent tourism growing too quickly |
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao promised that the country would take actions to improve school bus safety on Sunday, a day after China saw its second terrible school bus accident in November, 2011.
“School buses should be safe mobile campuses(校园) for students,” the premier said at a national meeting on women and children, “Society(社会) should remember in mind that children should be the first to enjoy all kinds of social caring and the last ones to suffer from any disaster.”
School buses have become a hot topic in China since the deaths of 21 people, including 19 pre-school students, in a traffic accident between a truck and a school-owned minibus in Gansu province on Nov. 16, 2011. The nine-seat minibus was carrying 64 people at the time of the accident, according to the reports.
The second accident, in which a school bus in the northern province of Liaoning rolled over on Friday, left 35 people injured, according to China Daily.
“In recent days, a series of big accidents involving school buses has led to great anger among the people. These accidents have also made me uncomfortable,” said Mr Wang, an old teacher from Jiangsu. And he also thought that school bus safety must become a serious problem for schools and the government.
Premier Wen has already asked the government to develop new safety standard (标准) for school buses and made sure to help local government with safe buses for school-age children.How many seats did the minibus in Gansu province have before it was turned into a school bus?
A.64 | B.21 | C.9 | D.19 |
What does “roll over” mean in Paragraph 4?
A.倒车 | B.翻车 | C.撞车 | D.飞车 |
How did Mr Wang feel when such accidents happened?
A.nervous | B.angry | C.stressed | D.tired |
Which of the following sentences is Not True?
A.21 pre-school students died in the school bus traffic accident in Gansu. |
B.35 people were hurt in the school bus accident in Liaoning. |
C.Mr. Wang thought school bus safety was a serious problem. |
D.The government has been asked to develop new safety standard for school buses. |