On 27th February 2008, something very unusual happened in the UK; there was a rather large earthquake. It was the biggest earthquake in 25 years in the UK. There have been very small tremors in the past but they pale into insignificance compared to this one.
It was felt in a large area across the country too, from as far north as Edinburgh in Scotland to as far south as Plymouth on the south coast of England.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in a small town in Lincolnshire, which is an area about two and a half to three hours north of London by car. A magnitude of 5.2 was registered on the Richter scale.
There were lots of reports in the news from people who felt the earth move. One man said, "We had loads of vibrating and wall shaking and stuff, noise coming off the roof. I came outside – the chimney's on the floor!"
A collapsed chimney was the cause of what was probably the worst injury from the earthquake; a man broke his pelvis when the chimney fell on him.
Another man who spoke to the BBC described the moment the earthquake occurred, "Everything was shaking. As soon as it happened we all went outside and saw everyone else down the street, coming out and just realized it was an earthquake."
The huge rumble, which was felt by a lot of people, surprisingly caused very little structural damage to property.
Most British people would be surprised to learn that there are 200-300 earthquakes in Britain every year, but most of them are so small, they go unnoticed. The magnitude of this earthquake is fairly small in comparison to some other natural disasters that have made international news, but for the people affected, it certainly came as quite a surprise.
60. Before this earthquake _______.
A. there was no signs of any shakings at all.
B. people did not feel anything unusual.
C. many people realized there would be a bigger one to come.
D. some small quakes were only too small to be ignored.
61. From this passage we know ______ is in the south of Great Britain.
A. Lincolnshire B. Edinburgh
C. Plymouth D. Scotland
62. This earthquake _____.
A. hardly caused any damages to the people’s belongings..
B. brought down many buildings in England.
C. scared many people to death.
D. made the world greatly surprised.
63. After reading this passage we can infer_______.
A. people in England faced the earthquake bravely.
B. this earthquake seemed to be felt all over Great Britain.
C. this earthquake is the biggest one in history.
D. the chimneys in Britain are the most poorly built parts of the houses.
Here is an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it, in front of an audience of millions at CCTV`s Spring Festival Gala. Liu`s magic tricks have made the centuries-old art of magic fashionable (时髦的)once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned (老练的) young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing (目击)something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people`s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction(互动) with his audiences. He has a special understanding of performing skills.
“It is actually thinking , rather than one`s performing skills, that is more important to achieve a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively，to make them appear more attractive.” Liu said.
Liu Qian`s success dates back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan`s Youth Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur (业余的) magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a decent (体面的) job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To improve his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passers-by, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough(难对付的) crowds.” Liu said.The story is about _________.
| A．how Liu Qian became China`s hottest magician |
| B．why people love magic |
| C．what magic tricks are |
| D．what fashionable magic is |
People love to watch magic because __________.
| A．they can`t figure out the secret of magic |
| B．it arouses their curiosity |
| C．they love watching magicians make the impossible happen |
| D．it is a centuries-old art |
Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
| A．He was interested in magic when he was little |
| B．He had won Taiwan`s Youth Magic Contest |
| C．He became an amateur magician in his spare time |
| D．He couldn`t find a decent job after graduation |
From the story, we know that________.
| A．Liu Qian competed in many magic competitions |
| B．Liu Qian often invites audiences to be in his magic shows |
| C．Liu Qian performs on streets in order to increase his fame |
| D．Liu Qian does street shows to make money |
Until a relatively short time ago, traveling abroad was limited to rich tourists and wealthy businesspeople. Flying abroad was not common for the average person. In time, however, plane travel became safer, more convenient, and less expensive. As a result, people of different backgrounds now fly to distant places for pleasure and businesspeople fly to one country for a breakfast or lunch conference, and then fly to another country for a dinner meeting.
With the world becoming smaller, many young adults make the decision to study in foreign universities. It is an exciting, challenging experience to live in a foreign country. Anyone who can study abroad is fortunate; but, of course, it is not easy to change from one culture to another. One faces many difficulties.
The student who studies in a foreign country leaves behind a familiar, loving, comfortable environment. Back home, he has his family, friends, and acquaintances. He knows the language, politics, money, food, social customs, and so forth. He knows all the unclear aspects of his native culture, such as body language, and bargaining practices, etc. in short, he knows “the system” in his native country. Then one day he leaves all this behind and suddenly finds himself in a place where everyone and everything is strange, perhaps even confusing. All this strangeness is a major surprise to a person’s self-confidence. This sudden change often leads to a reaction called culture shock.
Foreigners experience different degrees of culture shock. The symptoms range from being ill at ease to being seriously depressed. Feeling homesick, unhappy, and very sensitive are other signs of culture shock. It is easy to understand that the endless frustrations of the early days in a new country would produce dissatisfaction, and perhaps even hostility. People are always at ease in a familiar environment. A mature, realistic person experiences mild, temporary symptoms; the insecure newcomer suffers more seriously from a culture shock.
During the inevitable period of adjustment, the international student tends to complain about everything in the new environment. In fact, the student is likely to exaggerate the problems. When the student meets another miserable person from the same country, he will pour out his unhappy feelings. Together they can complain in their native language. Although this complaining provides temporary satisfaction, it certainly does not help him adapt to a new society. Being negative will never get rid of the feelings of frustrations. The mature person understands that a positive attitude, determination, and flexibility are important in making the change successful. A sense of humor is a big help.
76. Nowadays, flying abroad is ___ ____.
A. limited to rich tourists and wealthy businesspeople
B. more convenient but less safe
C. common for the average person
D. not common for the average person
77. “The system” in the third paragraph includes the following except _________.
A. social customs
B. bargaining practices
C. politics
D. foreign culture
78. Culture shock affects foreigners _________.
A. in just the same way
B. in the same degree
C. in quite similar ways
D. in different degrees
79. Endless frustrations of the early days in a new country would create _________.
A. dissatisfaction
B. discomfort
C. hostility
D. all of the above
80. The following are important in fighting culture shock except _________.
A. determination
B. a positive attitude
C. a sense of humor
D. hostility
Wall Street is the banking center of New York City. But how did the street get its unusual name? To find out, we must go back to the early years of exploration in North America.
New York City was first called New Amsterdam by the explorer Henry Hudson. He was working for a Dutch trading company when he entered what is now the lower Hudson River area in the year 1609. There he found an island that was a perfect trading harbor. The Manhattan Indians lived there.
Dutch traders built a town on the end of Manhattan Island. It became a rich trading center. But the British questioned the right of the Dutch to control the area. The two nations went to war in 1652.
The governor of New Amsterdam, Peter Stuyvesant, worried that British settlers in New England would attack his town. He ordered that a protective wall be built at the north edge of Manhattan. The wall was more than 2,290 feet long. It extended from the Hudson River to the East River.
The British never attacked New Amsterdam. So the wall was never tested in war. But the path beside it became known as Wall Street. Later, Wall Street became a street of banks and business.
Dealing in stocks and shares in the stock markets began in the 17th Century. An informal market developed around the coffee houses in the City of London gradually. In 1773 “New Jonathan’s” Coffee House became the informal Stock Exchange, and it was formally established till 1802. at that time London was the largest share market, and the growth of the Industrial Revolution helped the establishment of local share markets in other parts of the country --- more than 330 of them when there were most. These markets first began moves towards combination in 1890, when the Council of Associated Stock Exchanges was formed. By 1967 all the “Country” Exchanges had got together themselves into six regional exchanges, and in 1973 all seven exchanges in the British Isles came together to form The Stock Exchanges of Great Britain and Ireland, and its member firms spread from Aberdeen to the Channel Islands and from Lancaster to Limerick.
72. Manhattan was named after __________.
A. a Dutch explorer
B. a British colonist
C. an Indian tribe
D. the Dutch governor
73. The British and the Dutch went to war in 1652 because __________.
A. they both liked the rich island
B. they both wanted to have Wall Street
C. they both wanted to control the rich area
D. they had questions in some aspects unsolved
74. The wall _________.
A. was used in the war
B. was never used in the war
C. was destroyed later
D. was so weak that the British never tested it
75. In 1773 “New Jonathan’s” Coffee House became _________.
A. the place the merchants had their ventures
B. an informal stock exchanges
C. a formal stock exchanges
D. the biggest market in Britain
Active participation in the classroom is not only accepted but also expected of the student in many courses. Some professors base part of the final grade on the student’s oral participation. Although there are formal lectures during which the student has a passive role (I.e., listening and taking notes), many courses are organized around classroom discussions, students questions, and informal lectures.
A professor’s teaching style is another factor that determines the degree and type of student participation. Some professors prefer to control discussion while others prefer to guide the class without controlling it. Many professors encourage students to question and challenge their ideas. Students who make statements that contradict the professor’s point of view should be prepared to prove their positions.
Ideally, the teacher-student relationship at universities is characterized by trust. The “honor system” demands that the student be honest in all areas of school work. Thus, cheating on tests, presenting others’ ideas as original, and turning in homework done by someone else are all forbidden.
Violation of the honor system can result in a student’s failing a course, having a record of the violation placed in the student’s school files, or even being driven out from the university. Students who cheat may lose the respect of other students, particularly those who study for exams and work independently. When leaving the classroom while students are taking an exam, an instructor may or may not say, “I expect you all to obey the honor system.” Even if the words are not stated, the student is expected to work alone and not to share answers.
68. In many courses, teachers__________.
A. allow the students to participate
B. require the students to participate
C. both A and B
D. neither A nor B
69. If a student does not agree with the professor in a lecture, the student is encouraged to __________.
A. remain silent
B. challenge the professor
C. leave the class
D. tell the professor immediately that he is wrong
70. If a professor believes in the “honor system,” it implies his _________.
A. suspicion of the students
B. distrust of the students
C. trust in the students
D. pride in the students
71. Violations of the honor system do not include __________.
A. cheating
B. failing a course
C. sharing answers
D. handing in homework done by another student
Matsushita, the world’s largest provider of consumer electronics, has decided to move in on Hollywood. Last weekend, Matsushita company leaders met with movies VIPs from MCA, Inc., the entertainment community that produced the movies as “Jaws” and “E.T. the Extra-terrestrial”. If the negotiations are successful, Matsushita will pay somewhere between $6 billion and $7.5 billion for MCA, by far the largest U.S. buying by a Japanese company.
The deal is larger than last year’s $5 billion buying of Columbia Pictures by Matsushita’s competitor, Sony Corporation. The movement by the Japanese companies shows Tokyo’s growing interest in the entertainment world. It is surprising for both sides of the Pacific Ocean. Why does a disciplined, no-nonsense nation like Japan want to get into show business? The answer is quite simple: To make money. Japanese corporation leaders feel the global potential of the entertainment business and recognize that there is an increasing market for movies and television in the rapidly industrializing world.
65. The movement of buying American entertainment companies by the Japanese shows that____ _.
A. American movies are better than Japanese
B. Japan has growing interest in the entertainment world
C. Japanese market is larger than American market
D. Japanese people are richer
66. A disciplined nation like Japan wants to get into show business because _____
A. they want to make money
B. they want to learn from American people
C. they want to entertain their people
D. they want to win in the competition
67. Matsushita would pay ______ for MCA.
A.$5 billion
B.$6 billion
C.$7.5 billion
D. Somewhere between $6 billion to $7.5 billion
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