OTTAWA — Canada’s western city of Calgary is the world’s best city when it comes to healthy living, local press reported Monday.
According to an international survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, a London-based consulting firm, Calgary was put at the top of a list of 144 cities. It scored 121 points, just above Honolulu’s score of 120. Helsinki（赫尔辛基，芬兰首都） and Ottawa followed at 119.5 and 118.5 respectively.
Three other Canadian cities came in the top 20. Montreal and Vancouver tied for ninth and Toronto came in at 18th.
The scores are based on air pollution levels, availability and quality of hospitals and medical supplies, as well as the efficiency of waste removal and sewage systems.
In America, the lowest scoring city was Atlanta, which was ranked 76th. Athens was the lowest scoring city in Western Europe, ranking 120th because of its air pollution. London was ranked 59th.
1. How many Canadian cities are in the top 20?
A. 3. B. 4. C. 5. D. 6.
2. Which of the following is NOT taken into account when the cities were scored?
A. Weather conditions. B. Air quality.
C. Waste removal. D. Medical supplies.
3. Among the following cities, which is the lowest scoring one?
A. Atlanta. B. Athens. C. London. D. Helsinki.
China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers（房产开发商）and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted（转换）to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold a t a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate（房地产）market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate (控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans（贷款）and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.What is the average housing price per square meter in China?
| A．8000 yuan. | B．10000 yuan. | C．7000 yuan. | D．it’s not mentioned here. |
Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States?
| A．Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. |
| B．American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. |
| C．The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they se  ll their houses. |
| D．There population who need houses in China than in the United States. |
How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing prices?
| A．Four. | B．Three. | C．Tow. | D．One. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．The housing price in China is so high that the government should do something useful to prevent it. |
| B．There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market. |
| C．The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States. |
| D．The Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. |
JAMES Brown, the legendary US singer known as the “Godfather of Soul”, died Christmas morning, 2006. he was 73.
Brown was one of the major musical influences of the last
50 years. He provided the basis for mu
ch of black music and
most of pop music with his early hits like. “Please, Please,
Please”. He essentially created funk（“疯客”音乐）with
mid-1960s songs such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag".
It won him a Grammy Award as best rhythm-and-blues song,
and it was only the beginning of Mr. Brown's rhythmic
breakthroughs. His rapid-footed dancing inspired Michael Jackson and Prince. Rap stars of recent years, such as Fat Boys and Publ
ic Enemy, have all borrowed his lyrics and rhythms.
Brown's songs in the late 1960s and early 1970s, such as "Hot Pants" and "Make It Funky", mixed the sophistication(复杂) of jazz-style arrangements with raw funk. With these songs, Brown established himself as the godfather not just of soul, but of all subsequent styles of dance music: funk, disco, hip hop.
"He made soul music a world music," said Al Sharpton, who toured with Brown in the 1970s and imitates his hairstyle to this day. "What Brown was to music in terms of soul and hip hop, rap, all of that, is what Bach(巴赫, 德国作曲家) was to classical music. He put everybody on a different beat, a different style of music."
Amid the civil rights movement of the 1960s Mr. Brown used his fame and music for social messages. He released "Don't Be a Dropout" in 1966 and met with Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey to promote a stay-in-school initiative. Two years later "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" insisted, "We won't quit movin' until we get what we deserve." The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．black music in the US |
| B．James Brown's unique music styles |
| C．James Brown's contribution to American music |
| D．great musicians in the US in the last 50 years |
The author intends to tell us by the last paragraph that ______.
| A．James Brown was proud of being a black |
| B．James Brown was also active in political movements |
| C．the then Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey was one of Brown's fans |
| D．no children dropped out of school because of James Brown's social influence |
Which of the following indicates that Brown's career began to take off?
| A．His rapid-footed dancing. |
| B．His three years in prison. |
| C．His tour around the country with Al Sharpton. |
| D．His mid-1960s songs such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag". |
James Brown has influenced all American music types EXCEPT ______.
| A．classical music | B．rhythm-and-blues |
| C．Rap | D．hip hop |
Autumn means different things to different people. It all depends on your personality, said British naturalist Richard Mabey. "Personality shapes your view of the season," he said. "You may see it as a fading away, a packing up（结束）, or as a time of packing in another sense – the excited gathering of resources before a long journey."
If this is true, perhaps it tells us a little about, for instance, Thomas Hood, the 19th Century English poet. About November, he wrote:
No warmth, no c
heerfulness, no healthful ease
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees
November!
On the other hand, another English poet John Keats, already sensing he was seriously ill, was inspired by a late September day to pen one of the most famous poems in the English language, To Autumn. He wrote to a friend afterwards that there was something comforting and healing about it.
According to Richard Mabey, Keats has the biological evidence on his side. Autumn is not a time of slowing down, but a time of new beginnings and great movements of creatures. For example, just at the moment that Keats's "gathering swallows" （in To Autumn） are departing for Africa, millions of creatures are fleeing from the frozen north like Iceland, Greenland and Russia to winter along the east and south coasts of Britain. According to scientists, before falling, the leaves transfer their chlorophyll（叶绿素） and carbohydrates into the woody parts of the tree for safe-keeping over winter. What remains are the natural antioxidants（防老剂） in the leaves: the yellow and orange carotenoids（类胡萝卜素）, and another protective chemical specially produced for autumn, the bright-red anthocyanin（花青素）. High color is not a signal of deterioration（退化） and decline, but of detox（排毒的） ability and good health.
A century after Keats, the American poet Loren Eiseley wrote in his journal: "Suppose we saw ourselves burning like maples in a golden autumn. [And that we could] di
sintegrate（瓦解） like autumn leaves…dropping their substance like chlorophyll. Would not our attitude towards death be different?"From Thomas Hood’s poem, we may infer that _______.
| A．he suffered a lot from cold November |
| B．he missed the shining summer days very much |
| C．he had a negative attitude towards autumn |
| D．he enjoyed butterflies and bees very much |
Which word can best describe Loren Eiseley’s attitude towards autumn?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Fearful. | C．Doubtful. | D．Realistic. |
In autumn, leaves turn yellow before falling because ______.
| A．they can’t bear the freezing |
| B．they can’t get enough water from the wood part |
| C．chlorophyll and carbohydrates have been lost through leaves |
| D．chlorophyll and carbohydrates have come back to the wood part |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．Man can never live long, just as leaves must leave the tree annually. |
| B．Man is different from autumn leaves, which will come again the next spring. |
| C．Man should treat death calmly, just like autumn leaves fall to the ground. |
| D．Man should have a positive attitude towards death, quite different from autumn leaves. |
We invite you to join us this summer for the First ePals Conferencel
Dear ePals Community Member, ePals will hold its first conference
for tech directors and teachers on Tuesday, July 15, in Boston. Our one-day
event is a pre-conference of Alan.
November’s Building Learning Commurities 2008 Conference.
Come see how ePals, the Internet’s largest social learning network, can
transform your classroom,
school and district with our award-winning, safe and protected School
M@ilTM and SchoolBlogTM
offered at no cost.
ePals team members, expert teachers and instructional technology directors will share their
experiences using the ePals Global Community to build 21st Century skills in the classroom.
Among the speakers are:
• Tim DiScipio, co-founder of ePals, sharing the vision for global collaboration and corporate partnerships with National Geographic, the classmate PC powered by Intel, and the XO from One Laptop Per Child
• Dr. Kari Stubbs on "ePals 101: Where and How to Start Using Global Collaborative Tools in Project-based Learning." Dr. Stubbs led the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) initiative in Kansas before joining ePals as director of professional development.
• Dr. Rita Oates on "Accomplishing the New NETS Standards for Students with ePals Tools and Activities." Dr. Oates formerly was in charge of ed tech in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
• Dr. Laurie Henry, University of Kentucky, talking about literacy(读写能力) issues in the online world
• Dr. Shelia Gersh, City Colleges of New York, sharing her ePals project as an example of a successful 21st century online educational experience
• Carol Bar, teacher at Blue Valley High School(KS), "Blogging for Language Acquisition"
• Adina Popa, teacher at Potowmack Elementary (VA), will speak about schoolwide use of ePals and video conferencing to other classrooms
• Several district tech directors talking about best practices in implementation(安装) and use in their districts for safe and protected student email and blogs
• Other classroom teachers sharing their experiences for instructional success in the online community and using free, safe and protected online tools from ePals
Register and get more information at www.epals.com/conferenceThe letter is written to _______.
| A．attract more customers |
| B．answer readers’ questions |
| C．inform related people of a conference |
| D．recommend some teachers |
From the text we can learn that ______.
| A．the July 15 conference is just a pre-conference |
| B．the July 15 conference will last till November |
| C．BLC08 will be set up at the July 15 conference |
| D．the BLC08 Conference will be held this summer |
________ will t
alk about his/her experiences in using the ePals and video conference in classrooms at school.
| A．Tim DiScipio | B．Dr. Laurie Henry |
| C．Adina Popa | D．A tech director |
It can be inferred from the text that ePals here _______.
| A．refer to those who keep in touch with each other through email |
| B．is in fact a software for online language study |
| C．is an expensive tool for language learners on the Internet |
| D．refer to all the language teachers who globally communicate with each other |
Makoto、Mr. Zheng、Mr. Zhu、Jack 和Xiao Wang 正在广州寻找合适的餐厅，第61-65题是对他们个人情况的介绍。阅读下列餐厅的信息(A、B、C、D、E、F)，选出符合他们各人需要的最佳选择。选项中有一项是多余的。Makoto is a Japanese tourist who has stayed in Guangzhou for a few days. He wants to make a tour of North China but unfortunately he has no time. So he would like to find a restaurant where he can taste northern food and experience the life in the north.
Mr. Zheng was born in Hunan but went to Japan at an early age. This time he came to Guangzhou to deal with some business affairs. Coming back to his homeland after being away for about 20 years, he hopes to find a restaurant serving food of his home town.
It is the first time for Mr. Zhu, who comes from the northeast of China, to visit Guangdong Province. He is interested in traditional Cantonese food and Cantonese lifestyle.
Jack is a successful businessman. He is flying to Guangzhou to meet some people, who are likely to sign a contract with him. He wants to find a high quality restaurant. Of course, it is the quality rather than the price that he cares about.
Xiao Wang, a migrant worker in Guangzhou, plans to hold a party with his 10 friends. All of them are fond of the Sichuan cuisine. Xiao Wang hopes to spend less than 600 yuan for the dinner.
| A Nanhai Yucun Restaurant Founded in 1986, Nanhai Yucun Restaurant has always been one of the gourmets’ choices in Guangzhou. Prices are high, but so is the quality. Just look at the gust list; the King and Queen of Spain, South Korea’s Prime Minister and his wife have eaten here, along with lots of local famous people. |
| B Dongbeiren Dongbeiren is meant for northerners. The decoration is basically red—from the paper cuts and the curtains to the Kang (a bed with a table where people can sit comfortably without shoes and with their legs folded). It is perhaps a way to remind the northerners of home or for other people to get in touch with the north. |
| C Taotaoju Restaurant Taotaoju Restaurant is one of Guangzhou’s most well-known traditional Cantonese restaurants, located in a historic building in the heart of the city’s Xiguan District. You can’t get any more traditional Guangzhou than this, which is a great place for dim sum and seafood. You haven’t lived in Guangzhou until you’ve eaten dim sum in a true local place like Taotaoju. It’s also a popular spot for parties. |
| D Chongqing Xiaodongtian Restaurant It’s one of the top Sichuan cuisine restaurants in Guangzhou, featuring Chongqing flavor. It is a group of chain restaurants in Guangzhou. The food is Sichuan style, but the decoration and surroundings are a bit old. Like most Sichuan restaurants, the pleasant smell of their traditional hot pot spreads throughout the whole place. Food here is medium-priced, around 50 RMB per person. |
| E Maojia Reastaurant Maojia Reastaurant is a local favorite for strong-flavored Hunan dishes. It has a strong cultural atmosphere related to Chairman Mao and also introduces Maojia dishes characteristic of tasty Hunan local flavors, which are a bit softer than the traditional Hunan flavor. |
| F Enmi Japanese Reastaurant The decoration here is beautiful and peaceful. A small “courtyard of bamboo” is refreshing while the space between tables is large and comfortable. The diverse sashimi (raw fish slices) is a must-try here. The food, however, is served slow and the regulated tow hours for ordering is strange. |
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