The American newspaper has been around for about three hundred years. In 1721, the printer James Franklin, Benjamin’s older brother, started the New England Courant, and that was what we might recognize today as a real newspaper. He filled his paper with stories of adventure, articles on art, on famous people, and on all sorts of political subjects.
Three centuries after the appearance of Franklin’s Courant, few believe that newspapers in their present printed from will remain alive for long. Newspaper companies are losing advertisers(广告商)，readers, market value, and in some cases, their sense of purpose at a speed that would not have been imaginable just several years ago. The chief editor(主编) of the Times said recently, “At places where they gather, editors ask one another, ‘How are you?’, as if they have just come out of the hospital or a lost law case.” An article about the newspaper appeared on the website of the Guandian, under the headline “NOT DEAD YET.”
Perhaps not, but the rise of the Internet, which has made the daily newspaper look slow and out of step with the world, has brought about a real sense of death. Some American newspapers have lost 42% of their market value in the past three years. The New York Times Company has seen its stock(股票) drop by 54% since the end of 2004, with much of the loss coming in the past year. A manager at Deutsche Bank suggested that stock-holders sell off their Times stock. The Washington Post Company has prevented the trouble only by changing part of its business to education; its testing and test-preparation service now brings in at least half the company’s income.What can we learn about the New England Courant?
| A．It is mainly about the stock market. |
| B．It marks the beginning of the American newspaper. |
| C．It remains a successful newspaper in America. |
| D．It carries articles by political leaders. |
What can we infer about the newspaper editors?
| A．They often accept readers’ suggestions. |
| B．They care a lot about each other’s health. |
| C．They stop doing business with advertisers. |
| D．They face great difficulties in their business. |
Which of the following found a new way for its development?
| A．The Washington Post. |
| B．The Guardian. |
| C．The New York Times. |
| D．New England Courant. |
How does the author seem to feel about the future of newspapers?
| A．Satisfied. |
| B．Hopeful. |
| C．Worried. |
| D．Surprised. |
Mr Ling lives in China. He worked in a factory and last year he retired. His wife died five years ago and his son works in Japan. He always has sports and he is in good health.
One day his son called him and asked him to have a journey to Tokyo. He was very happy. He was afraid to travel by plane and took the ship.
On the firs
t morning on the ship Mr Ling met an Englishman at table. The man said to him, “Good morning!” He thought the Englishman told his name to him. So he stood up and said, “Ling Bing!” And it was repe
ated a few mornings and Mr Ling told a teacher about it. Hearing him, the teacher began to laugh and said, “He says hello to you in the morning.”
The next morning, when Mr Ling met the Englishman, he said, “Good morning!” And the Englishman stood up and said, “Ling Bing, sir.” Mr Ling stays at home ______________.
| A．with his wife | B．with his son | C．with his daughter | D．by himself |
Mr Ling went to Japan by ship because ______________.
| A．he thought it was safer |
| B．he wanted to have sports on the ship |
| C．he had little money to take a plane |
| D．he had enough time to do so |
The old man told his name to the Englishman because ________.
| A．he hoped to make friends with him. |
| B．he wanted to say hello to him, too. |
| C．he wanted him to teach him English |
| D．he thought “Good morning” was his name |
Which of the following is right?
| A．Mr Ling began to study English on the ship. |
| B．The Englishman thought “Ling Bing” meant “Good morning” in Chinese |
| C．The Englishman learned much Chinese on the ship. |
| D．The old woman began to teach Mr Ling English. |
任务型阅读: 下面的五个人都想找房子,以下各题是他们的个人情况介绍.阅读所给出的六则广告简介(A---F).选出符合个人需要的最佳选项.选项中有一项是多余的.
__Mr. and Mrs. Robinson have four children. They haven't got a car, so they want to live downtown. They can pay $500 a month, but they can't pay more than that.
Mr. Smith has been retired and he is alone. He is now not in good health. He wants a house in the country which is very quiet and near to see the doctor.
__The Williams are very rich, and they want to find a clean and comfortable house. They have a lot of friends and often invite them to spend the weekend in their house.
__ Mrs. White has a young daughter who is only seven years old, but she doesn't want to spend too much time sending her child to school. And she also likes a house near a park or the forest.
__ Mr. Jackson is a truck driver and he has two children, one of whom has a car and is going to get married. So they want to find a house where they can park their car and truck easily.
A: A small house in the country, two miles from a village but near a hospital, 450 dollars a month. Call 821-7146 for an evening or Sunday appointment.
B: Now available at Franklin Park, one block from a primary school. Two bedrooms at $225. Utilities included except electricity. One month's deposit(押金）required.
C: A flat of 120 square meters, with three bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen is in a building on New Street, which is not far from the center of the city. In each bedroom there is a bed, a sofa, a desk and two chairs. The rent is $480 per month. Five or six buses take you straight to the school, the hospital, the supermarket, and the train station.
D: Nice modern apartment with nine bedrooms, a swimming pool and lovely gardens, start Jan. 1, partly furnished, with water and dryer, central air conditioning, 1800 dollars a month.
E: A house available for rent-furnished. Street Croix, Virgin, pool, wide ocean view. No buses but a parking lot nearby, $200 weekly. November--April. SR Box Y---680.
A new study（研究）warns that about thirty percent of the world’s people may not have enough water by the year 2025.
A private American organization called Population Action International did the new study. It says more than three hundred thirty-five million people lack enough water now. The people live in twenty-eight countries. Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East.
Population Action International researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025, about three thousand million people may lack water. At least 18 more countries are expected to have severe water problems. The demand for water keeps increasing. Yet, the amount of water on earth stays the same.
Mr. Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than in other parts of the world. He says population growth in these countries will continue to increase.
The report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking water is not safe. Mr. Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases, such as cholera, which is carried in water. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. This is true of Egypt, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Syria, Sudan and Iraq. And the report says lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies. This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning.
The Population Action International study gives several solutions to the water problem. One way, it says, is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose. Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water. A third way is to use less water of agriculture.
The report also says long-term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth, It says countries can't provide clean water unless they slow population growth by limiting the number of children people have. According to the writer’s opinion, the first serious problem caused by lack of water is ______.
| A．health problem | B．war | C．economy | D．industry |
Robert Engelman may be _______.
| A．an Englishman | B．an American | C．a Japanese | D．an Australian |
Which of the following is NOT the way to solve the water problem?
| A．To control population growth |
| B．To teach people not to waste water. |
| C．To find ways to use water for only one purpose. |
| D．To use less water of agriculture. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．How to get more water in the future. | B．Problems caused by water |
| C．The Lack of water | D．A new study of water |
Creativity(创造力) is the key to a brighter future, say education and business experts. Here is how schools and parents can encourage this important skill in children.
Creativity is not something one is just born with, nor is it necessarily an indicator(标志) of high intelligen
ce(智力). Just because a person is highly intelligent does not mean that he uses it creatively. Creativity is the matter of using his resources to produce new ideas that are good for something.
It is important to let children choose. From an early age, children should be allowed to make decisions and understand their results. Even if it's choosing food for lunch, making decision helps thinking skills. As children grow older, parents should let their children decide how to use their time or spend their money, but not help them too much if they make the wrong decision. The child may have a hard time, but that is all right. This is because the most important characteristic of creative people is a very strong desire to find a way out of trouble.Creativity is something ______.
| A．that people are born with |
| B．that depends on intelligence |
| C．that is a way of using what one has learnt to work out new problems |
| D．that is not important |
What should the parents do when their children decide how to spend their money?
| A．Try to help them as much as possible. |
| B．Take no notice of whatever they do. |
| C．Help them if their decision is wrong, but not too much. |
| D．Leave them as they are. |
What is the proper title of the passage?
| A．The Problems in Education | B．Let Children Choose |
| C．Children Need Creativity | D．A Brighter Future |
Pressure too much?
In our daily life we are used to hearing these words, “I can't wait for my holiday,” “I wish I could stay home today” And “I'm very tired.” These words come from pressure at work. Now the “iron rice bowl”(铁饭碗) is being broken into pieces. Workers may be fired if they don’t perform their duties well. They have to do their jobs better.
People feel pressure not only because they might find themselves out of work but also because they get no real pleasure from their work. For most of the workers, work is just a way of earning money. It appears to be meaningless and worthless.
But pressure is a natural part of work. There is no way to keep away from it. We should face up to it.
Work should be
a cause of happiness and pride rather than a punishment or a burden .In fact, a certain amount of pressure can provide challenge and chance for learning. To a modern man who is worried and low in spirit, developing a hobby and finding a new interest is of first importance. I like listening to pop music, which makes me calm and gives me pleasure.
If pressure becomes difficult to deal with, we should turn to our friends or families. We can have a drink with our friends and talk about the problem. We should always discuss our problems with our families. Good advice, warmth and happiness that families bring to us can reduce our pressure and encourage us to smooth away all difficulties.Peopel feel pressure at work mainly because ______.
| A．they will lose their jobs |
| B．most of them find less interest in their work |
| C．they can make more money after work. |
| D．they want to stay at home. |
Which of the following is WRONG in the writer’s opinion?
| A．Where there is work there is pressure. |
| B．Work shouldn’t be regarded as punishment or burden. |
| C．All modern men are worried and low in spirit. |
| D．A certain amount of pressure is necessary. |
From the text we can know that when pressure is too big, ________.
| A．we should drink coffee with our friends |
B． we can get help and comfort from our friends or families. |
| C．we can go home because it is warm |
| D．to talk out the problem to our friends and families is the best way. |
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