For millions of Chinese Internet users, the penguin is more than a flightless bird from the Antarctic. To them it is the symbol of QQ, the instant-messaging service marking its 10th anniversary.
QQ’s creator, Ma Huateng, 38, is a lover of stargazing, and describes himself as a combination of idealist and realist. “ I’m introverted. My friends believed I was too shy to find a girlfriend,” Ma said. He found a girlfriend, now his wife, through chatting online on QQ. Born in Hainan province, Ma loved watching stars and dreamed of becoming an astronomer. He moved to Shenzhen, along with his parents, in southern Guangdong province when he was in his teens. Ma was impressed by the slogan “ Time is money, efficiency is life” found all over the city. It was the most famous slogan born in Shenzhen, representing China’s reform and opening. The pioneering city provided chances for Ma to watch burgeoning reforms. He saw people carry big bags of cash to buy stocks after China launched a capital market in Shenzhen and Shanghai in the late 1980s. When he graduated from Shenzhen University in 1993, Ma designed a stock exchange software system and sold it for 50,000 yuan ($ 7,3000). He then worked as an IT engineer for five years.
It was in 1998 that Ma realized Internet would transform China and the world, and launched his own company, Shenzhen Tencent Inc. A unit of Tencent, Tencent Holdings Ltd, went public on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2004. “ China’s reform and opening provided me with a chance to grow the company,” Ma said. The country had only 3 million Internet users when QQ made its debut in 1999, but now China has around 300 million Internet users, Ma said. Hu Qiheng, chairwomen of the Internet Society of China(ISC), said reform and opening not only improved people’s living standards, but also gave them a chance to explore the outside world and a chance for the Internet to boom in the country.
It was in the late 1990s that China’s major Web portals mushroomed, including Sina, Sohu, 163, Tencent and Alibaba. That boom came to sa sudden halt when the internet bubble burst in 2000. “We were under great pressure when the Internet bubble burst. Things have only recovered since 2005,” Ma said. The IT sector was among the first batch of industries in China to experience zero-tariff treatment, meaning that the nation’s Internet sector had to face challenges from international peers.
QQ, with around 450 million users, provides services such as chatting, music, games and QQ currency-an indispensable currency in china’s virtual community. “ Chinese websites have survived the competition with foreign peers over the past ten years, but it will be the next ten years that decide Chinese Internet enterprises’ fate,” Ma said. Domestic enterprises have to compete with international companies on services, innovation and core technology, he said. One of Ma’s favorite films is March of the Penguins-a French documentary directed by Luc Jacquet. He said: “Penguin is a lovely animal to me. It is a combination of love, courage and adventurism.”
1.Which of the following is true about the founder of QQ?
A．Creating an IT company of his own had always been his dream since childhood.
B．He constantly moved from place to place when he was in his teens.
C．The instant-messaging service he created brought him not only money but also a family.
D．He worked for the Shenzhen Stock Exchange after graduation.
2.China’s reform and opening led to the following results EXCEPT_________.
A．a rise in the living standards of Chinese people
B．an opportunity for IT companies to grow
C．potential industrial competition from other countries
D．a chance for people to invest in overseas stock market
3.Which of the following events did actually take place?
A．QQ suffered from a sudden decrease in the number of users when the Internet bubble burst in 2000.
B．QQ heped China’s Internet take flight.
C．QQ was equipped with the most advanced technology in the world when it made its debut in 1999.
D．QQ went public on the main board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in the late 1980s.
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Sina and Sohu will develop services like chatting, music and games in order to survive the future international competition.
B．For the sake of domestic enterprises, the tariff needs to be adjusted to a higher value.
C．Ma Huateng views penguin as a lovely animal because it processes the characteristics that he does not.
D．The 50,000 yuan Ma earned from selling the stock exchange software system might be a part of his initial investment in Tencent.
Nowadays，much of the profit of a business—sometimes the whole of its success—depends upon the use of the odds and ends.The odds and ends are various small things，which are left over when the main things are produced.But they possess a real value of their own.
If a business，big or small，looked down upon these odds and ends，it would mean a big difference in the amount of the benefit of the business.Take a meat factory for instance，there are countless odds and ends—bones and hair，which can be made into glue and rope to increase its profit greatly.
Then，if we are college students，what about our odds and ends—the odd moments？Take time for example.Every one of us has the exact same amount of it.Everyone’s success or failure depends on the use of their time.But everyone uses the time more or less in the same way.However，why many great men in science or art have made huge successes for themselves in the world？Because they have made best use of their odd moments.Thomas A．Edison，never allowed his odd moments to slip by.He thought，planned，and tried his inventions.He always worked twenty hours out of each twentyfour.His inventions made him famous all over the world，and provided valuable wealth for the human beings.
So，remember this axiom：busy people always find time for everything.However，people with great spare time find time for nothing.Is it very strange？Not at all！The question is how to gather up fragments of time and make full use of them.As many big businesses have found，the real profit is in using the odds and ends.We also must do in this way to make best use of our odd moments and manage to be successful in something we do.What are odds and ends?
| A．They are nothing useful. |
| B．They are very small，but valuable things. |
| C．They are the main things factories produce. |
| D．They are odd moments students refuse to gather up. |
Why should the odds and ends be made full use of?
| A．Because they often determine success or failure. |
| B．Because they can only be found by successful people. |
| C．Because they are various small things people don’t want. |
| D．Because they are useless things left over. |
The underlined word axiom in the last paragraph means________.
| A．a statement given by famous people |
| B．a statement accepted as true |
| C．a statement that can be argued |
| D．a statement accepted in scientific field |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The profit of all companies depends on the odds and ends. |
| B．In some way，big meat companies can ignore some small things，such as bones. |
| C．College students only make full use of their spare time before exams. |
| D．Many successful men are good at using the odds and ends. |
Women had a significant part to play during World War Ⅱ，which was the time when women also made their own contributions.Some women’s great efforts and their names have been recorded in history.Here’s a look at some of the strong figures of women in World War Ⅱ.
Tatiana Nikolaevna Baramzina was born in Glazov of Russia on December 12,1919.In 1943，she was sent to the Central Women’s Sniper Training School and upon her graduation in April，she was further sent to the front.She managed to kill around 16 enemies in the first three months！Unfortunately，she was captured(俘虏) by the enemies and was killed on the fifth of July in 1944.Today，the street where she grew up has been renamed in her memory.
Anne Frank was a Germanborn Jewish girl who was wellknown for the publication of her diary that described all her experiences when the Germans occupied Holland in World War Ⅱ.Anne was born on June 12,1929 and she，along with her family，went into hiding in July 1942.Two years later，her family was captured and seven months from her arrest，Anne Frank died of illness in early March 1945.
Margaret Ringenberg was born on 17 June,1921，in Indiana of America.She began her career during World War Ⅱ when she became a ferry pilot for the Women Airforce Service Pilots.After that she turned a flight instructor in 1945.She even wrote her own book named Girls Can’t Be Pilots.She passed away on 28 July,2008，after flying for 40,000 hours in the air.
Hannah Szenes was born on 17th July,1921 and was trained to parachute(用降落伞空投) by the British army into Yugoslavia during World War Ⅱ.This task was given in order to save the Jews of Hungary.Her secret mission was not revealed even when she was tortured(折磨) following her arrest at the Hungarian border.Hannah Szenes had to brave immense tortures，yet she did not lose heart.She bravely battled it out and tried to sing to keep her spirits high！She also kept a record of events in her diary till 7th November,1944，when she was finally killed.
These names are just a few of the women who played a significant part in World War Ⅱ.Their stories go a long way in showing the kind of lifestyles they led and their struggles and sacrifices.What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．Women were braver than men in World War Ⅱ. |
| B．Women and men made equal contributions in World War Ⅱ. |
| C．Women played a significant role in World War Ⅱ. |
| D．Women’s death rate was high in World War Ⅱ. |
Which of the four women heroes died the youngest?
| A．Tatiana Baramzina. |
| B．Anne Frank. |
| C．Margaret Ringenberg. |
| D．Hannah Szenes. |
Who were killed by the enemy in the war?
| A．Tatiana Baramzina and Anne Frank. |
| B．Hannah Szenes and Tatiana Baramzina. |
| C．Anne Frank and Margaret Ringenberg. |
| D．Margaret Ringenberg and Hannah Szenes. |
It can be learned from the text that ________.
| A．Tatiana Baramzina was once a flight instructor |
| B．Margaret Ringenberg was the best at writing about the war experiences |
| C．Anne Frank and her family were arrested by Germans in 1944 |
| D．Hannah Szenes was arrested by Germans because of her diary |
In today’s throwaway society，dealing with the city’s growing mountain of waste is an increasing challenge for the city council (市议会)．
Recently，Edinburgh is faced with the problem of disposing of (处理) about 250,000 million tons of waste a year.Despite different ways to dispose of much of it in a green manner—largely through encouraging recycling—its aging facilities such as the Powderhall landfill do not have the ability to deal with it.
The European Union (EU) has issued a new policy，regulating how such mountains of waste are to be disposed of.The five councils (Edinburgh，East Lothian，West Lothian，Midlothian and Borders) face fines around ￡18 million a year from 2013 if they don’t increase recycling levels and rely less on landfill.With this in mind，the councils got together with the idea of building a large incinerator plant (垃圾焚烧厂) to burn half of the waste produced in their districts.But this plan fell apart after the change of target levels by a new UK government waste policy which required that no more than 25% of the city’s waste should be disposed of in this way by 2025.
After the plan was abandoned，a private company which already transported millions of tons of the city’s waste by train to a landfill site near Dunbar，offered an
alternative solution when it suggested opening a huge waste site near Portobello.
Since Powderhall is supposed to close in 2015，it seemed necessary for the members of the Edinburgh Council to accept the suggestion.But soon they turned it down—after 700 local objections reached them—because it would have meant hundreds of lorries a day making loud noise through heavily populated areas.
That still leaves the council with a problem.By 2013，only 50% of 1995 levels of waste will be allowed to be sent to landfill.Even if recycling targets are met，there will still be a large amount of rubbish to be burnt up.Due to this，Edinburgh and Midlothian councils have now decided to work together to build an incinerator plant as time to find a solution is fast running out.(2011·湖北，C)The main way of handling waste in a green manner in Edinburgh is ________.
| A．recycling | B．restoring |
| C．burying | D．burning |
The five councils worked out a plan to build an incinerator plant to ________.
| A．reduce the cost of burying waste |
| B．meet the EU requirements |
| C．speed up waste recycling |
| D．replace landfill sites |
The city council of Edinburgh rejected the suggestion to open a huge landfill site near Portobello because ________.
| A．it came from a private company |
| B．the council was not interested in it |
| C．it was not supported by EU |
| D．the local people were against it |
What is the final decision of Edinburgh and Midlothian councils?
| A．To open a new landfill nearby. |
| B．To close the Powderhall landfill in 2015. |
| C．To set up a plant for burning waste. |
| D．To persuade people to reduce their waste. |
As a nation we are becoming more aware of the food we and our children are eating.The recent campaign to improve school dinners by celebrity(名人) chef Jamie Oliver has helped raise awareness of our fast food lifestyles.While we may be trying to eat more healthily，it seems we still have some bad habits.
•Healthy eaters or just trendy?
Are there certain things that you do and don’t eat and why？With so many food programmes and books telling you what you should and shouldn’t eat to be healthy，it’s hard to make choices.
Some people are vegetarians for moral reasons，some don’t like the taste of meat and there are one or two people who do it because it’s trendy.Likewise，it can be trendy to follow the latest celebrity’s diet because it’s what the famous are doing.
•Eating out
People are eating out more often now，not just on special occasions as in the past.The choice of restaurants has also diversified.Italian，Chinese and Indian restaurants have been around for years but have now been joined by Mongolian，Japanese，Mexican and so on.Bars and pubs are still popular for food and often promote English cuisine made with local produce.
“We enjoy eating out a couple of times every month whether with friends or just as a couple.We like trying new things so we go to different restaurants.” said Craig,25，County Durham.
•Eating on the go
From chocolate bars to sandwiches more people are eating on the go—on the street，in cars or on buses and trains.While our parents and grandparents may frown at this behaviour，considering it to be bad manners，people eat on the go because they are rushing from one place to another.And in the home the number of people sitting down at a dining table for their evening meal is on the decrease as meal times become more informal.
“If I’m running late for work I don’t think twice about eating toast in the car or on the bus but I know my mum wouldn’t approve，” said Stacey,24.What can we infer from the text?
| A．Our parents think highly of the eating habits mentioned in the text. |
| B．We should get rid of the bad habits and try to be healthier. |
| C．Japanese restaurants have been around for years. |
| D．It’s good for people to eat out more frequently. |
People find it difficult to decide what to eat to keep healthy because ________.
| A．different programmes and books have different ideas about healthy eating |
| B．there are many celebrities having different diet styles |
| C．what the famous are doing is different from ours |
| D．they have some bad eating habits |
The underlined word “diversified” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”．
| A．made a great change |
| B．made a big difference |
| C．had a rapid increase |
| D．had a wide variety |
Craig often goes to different restaurants because ________.
| A．he likes trying new things |
| B．he follows the latest celebrity diet |
| C．he enjoys the meal with his friends |
| D．he has more special occasions to celebrate |
President Abraham Lincoln’s first call for volunteers to fight in the Civil War was for whites only.The Civil War was a white man’s war，northern whites insisted.Its purpose was to preserve the Union.It was not being fought to end slavery.But by September of 1862，the sentiment toward black volunteers had changed.Lincoln had hoped that the war would be short，but it had already lasted for a year and a half.Union manpower had fallen dangerously.
Lincoln had a plan.He issued the Emancipation Proclamation.It stated that as of January 1,1863，all slaves living in the rebellious southern states would be forever free.And starting immediately，Union armies would accept black volunteers.
The southern rebels’response to Lincoln’s call for black troops was a deadly one.Captives (俘虏) of any Union regiment (团) with black troops were to be given “no quarter”．They were to be put to death immediately.
AfricanAmerican troops throughout the war distinguished themselves (表现突出) in battle at places like Milliken’s Bend，Fort Wagner，and the Crater at St.Petersburg.As to their conduct on the battlefield，Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson wrote，“Nobody knows anything about these men who has not seen them in battle.No officer in this regiment now doubts that the successful process of the war lies in the unlimited employment of black troops.” By the war’s end,186,000 black men had participated.They made up nearly 10 percent of Union forces.These black soldiers saw action in more than 250 battles.Black soldiers also gave their lives.By the war’s end，about 38,000 black soldiers had died.They died from disease，in battle，and after capture by rebel troops.This passage is mainly about________.
| A．cause of the Civil War |
| B．the Emancipation Proclamation |
| C．black soldiers in the Civil War |
| D．why Lincoln was a good president |
What does the underlined word “sentiment” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．Whites. |
| B．People who keep watch. |
| C．Rebels. |
| D．Thought and feeling. |
What can we conclude from the passage?
| A．Lincoln acted too late to free the slaves. |
| B．Blacks fought well for the Union cause. |
| C．The Civil War changed American history. |
| D．The southern rebels nearly won the Civil War. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The Civil War’s purpose was to drive the black away. |
| B．The Civil War ended just in one year with the help of the blacks. |
| C．All slaves were set free by September of 1862. |
| D．Black captives of any Union regiment were killed after Lincoln’s call. |
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