Here are four pieces of news from China Daily.
United Nations
Picture of your world
A prize of US$5,000 will be awarded to the winner of the Youth category (aged 15 to 24), in the fourth International Photographic Competition on the Environment.
The competition, titled “Focus on Your World”, is being run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP,联合国环境规划署) from July till December. Both amateur (业余的) and professional photographers of all nationalities and ages are welcome to enter. For more information, go to www.unep-photo.com .
Australia
Goodbye to the bears
Koalas, a symbol of Australia, may die out within 15 years as the growth of towns along the east coast destroys their fragile (易毁坏的) habitats.
A survey of the koala habitats found that about 30 percent were no longer home, while 60 percent had suffered much destruction. The Australian Koala Foundation has written to the government urging it to declare the koala an endangered species. At present, there are about 100,000 koalas in Australia.
Iraq
Rebel attacks worsen
More than 100 people, including three US soldiers, were killed in bloody attacks in five Iraqi cities last Thursday. At least 300 people were wounded.
The violence was part of efforts made by Iraqi rebels (反抗者) and foreign militants to ruin the formal handover to Iraqi rule in six days’ time. A group headed by al-Qaida-linked (和基地组织有联系的) terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said they were responsible for the attacks.
Shenzhen’s salaries are the best
A survey showed average annual income in Shenzhen last year reaching 25,500 yuan, the highest in the country, followed by Beijing and Shanghai. Shenzhen plans to issue a salary guidebook listing average salaries in different occupations, so people working there can better understand their career situation — or perhaps even argue with the boss.
1. According to the passage, the fourth International Photographic Competition on the Environment will last _______.
A. seven months B. six months
C. six days D. seven weeks
2. According to the survey, in Australia there were about _______ koalas that were no longer home.
A. 1,000 B. 30,000 C. 60,000 D. 100,000
3. According to the passage, over 100 people were killed in bloody attacks by _______.
A. US soldiers B. al-Qaida
C. Iraqi policemen D. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Movie makers at one time worried that they might be put out of business by television. Recently, however, more and more people have been going to the movies. This may be partly because the economic situation in America has worsened. When at the movies, people forget their troubles, as they get involved in the story on the screen. Also, directors have recently been producing pictures that large numbers of people want to see.
Americans in the millions are returning to their love affair with the movies. Motion picture industry experts see two main factors responsible for this: an increased need by Americans to escape from economic worries and a large number of new movies with broad audience appeal.
Movie makers admit that their rising popularity is partly the result of poor economic conditions, which traditionally bring an increase in theater attendance. “When people are fearful about the future, they look for escape,” comments Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. “In a shaded theater, with a 65-foot screen, you lose yourself for two and a half hours and people find this beneficial.” What did movie makers worry about before?
| A．That no one would go to the cinema. |
| B．That movies couldn’t be a business any more. |
| C．That their movies might be played on television. |
| D．That people preferred watching TV to seeing films. |
Why are so many people going to see movies now?
| A．Because people now have much more money. |
| B．Because people have troubles. |
| C．Because people wanted to escape from real life. |
| D．Because watching movies is now much cheaper than watching TV. |
The main topic of American movies is about .
| A．economy | B．love | C．tradition | D．not mentioned |
According to the passage, which statement is True?
| A．At present, more and more people have been going to the movies. |
| B．Movies attracted people only by motion pictures. |
| C．Jack Valenti is anxiously looking for escape from movies. |
| D．Movie industry is welcome by Chinese people. |
What does the underlined word mean in the first paragraph?
| A．become bad | B．become popular | C．become attractive | D．become amazing |
Tourism wasn’t as important as it is today. In the past, only people with a good deal of money could travel on holidays to other countries. More people travel today than in the past because there is a growing middle class in many parts of the world; that is to say, people now have more money for travel. Special plane fares for tourists make travel less expensive and more attractive than ever before. One person doesn’t travel for the same reason as another. But most people enjoy seeing countries that are different from their own. They also like to meet new people and to taste new food.
Tourism causes many changes in a country and in people’s lives. People build new hotels and restaurants and train native men and women as guides to show visitors around interesting places. There’re new nightclubs and other amusements. International tourism is clearly a big business.In the old days _________ could travel to other countries.
| A．boys and girls, men or women, young or old |
| B．either kings or queens |
| C．both the poor and the rich |
| D．nobody but those who had money |
More people travel today than in the past because______________.
| A．people have become interested in traveling |
| B．traveling today is easier than in the past |
| C．people now have spare money for travel |
| D．great changes have taken place in the world |
What makes travel more attractive than before?
- Travel by air to other countries is much cheaper today.
- More guides are being trained to show beautiful spots.
- Modern telegraph lines make travel less expensive.
- New hotels and restaurants have been built.
| A．Tourism won’t bring any changes in people’s minds. |
| B．People have some trouble in making journey. |
| C．With the development of tourism, great changes have taken place in many parts in the world. |
| D．Tourism causes only some changes in clothing. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．The Change of Tourism | B．Tourism |
| C．The Importance of Tourism | D．The Cause of Tourism Change |
The olive is one of the oldest planted crops known to man and is still widely grown in the Mediterranean.An olive tree can have a life of 500 years and is strong enough to continue to grow if ever chopped to the ground.It takes up four years before the olive tree is ripe enough to bear fruit.
Olive trees originated in the Mediterranean region where there is the perfect climate for the olive tree planting.It is characterized by abundant sunshine year-round and hot,dry summers with an average temperature of 80°F.In winter,it rarely drops below 50°F.Olive trees were first planted by humans around 4000 BC in an area known as the Fertile Crescent.Before the areas became desert,countries such as modern-day Turkey and Iraq had a lush environment with soil that plants grow well.Archaeological findings suggest that farming began in the Fertile Crescent before 7000BC.Instead of living as hunter-gatherers,these early humans settled down and harvested native plants.They selected olive trees that produced larger and oilier olives than the wild trees.
Olives and olive oil became valuable trade items between societies and civilizations.People who moved from one place to another and traders from the Fertile Crescent introduced olive oil to Syria and Crete,which spread to Egypt,Greece,and Rome.It continued to migrate westward until olive trees were first introduced to Califomia between 1769 and 1785.
The olive tree and olive oil have important symbolism in each religion.In Christianity,a dove(鸽子)brought an olive branch to Noah as a symbol of peace and new life after God flooded the Earth.The Prophet Muhammad suggested the use of olive oil for medicinal(药用的) purposes and massage(按摩).
Olive oil has medicinal benefits.Olive oil has been used for health benefits.Regular eating olive oil can reduce the risk of cancers.It was used during the Spanish Civil War from 1808 to 1813 to treat cases of fever.In 1960,oleuropein(橄榄多酚)was removed from olive leaves,which helps with food poisoning.If an olive tree is chopped to the ground,______.
| A．it can’t grow any more |
| B．it can produce more new ones |
| C．there is no doubt that it will die |
| D．it is able to grow back strongly |
What does the underlined word “lush”in para.2 probably mean?
| A．Of bad climate. | B．Changeable or unstable. |
| C．Extremely disadvantaged. | D．Growing thickly and strongly. |
We can learn from the first two paragraphs that_____.
| A．the olive tree can stand extreme cold |
| B．the olive tree enjoys the long sunshine |
| C．the olive is the oldest tree in the world |
| D．the climate of deserts suits the olive tree |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
①Olive trees bear fruits every four years.
②Olive oil was a food production before 7000BC.
③In Muhammad,olive oil was used as medicine.
④Olive trees were introduced to California in the 18th century.
A.②③④ B. ①②③ C. ①③④ D. ①②④What is this passage mainly about?
| A．The history of the olive tree. |
| B．The characteristic of the olive tree. |
| C．The origin and medicinal benefits of the olive tree. |
| D．The different symbols of the olive tree in each region. |
You may never connect the words “good” and “eco-friendly”with plastic.It’s time to do a rethink on that as we say hello to hemp(大麻)plastic.Traditionally,plastics have been made from petrochemicals,which are mainly poisonous.Plants,on the other hand,are also a source of cellulose(纤维素),which can be used to make biodegradable (生物所能分解的)plastic.As hemp happens to be one of the richest sources of cellulose,it is only natural that scientists will support its use,considering its ecological benefits.
Hemp plastic is biodegradable and recyclable.If you thought being eco-friendly reduced its solidity,you couldn’t be more wrong.The hard level of hemp plastic can match that of regular plastic.Hemp plastic is resistant to heat;however,the most outstanding feature of a few varieties of hemp plastic is that they are flame resistant too.Finally,if Henry Ford could imagine creating a car with this material,we can perhaps believe that it indeed is“ten times stronger than steel”.
It is a pity that with so many useful qualities,we don’t see hemp plastic being used in our everyday life,the way it ought to be.Hemp plastic can easily take the place of the exiting plastic in products like cell phone chargers(充电器),laptop covers,etc.Currently,hemp plastic is being used to produce audio(音响设备),video,toys,automobile parts and packaging materials.
Hemp fiber is one of the strongest natural fibers known to us.As scientists keep looking for ways to solve the ecological damage that traditional plastics have caused,here is a material that can be produced to be 100% biodegradable.Hemp plastic is known to be several times durable as compared to polypropylene(聚丙烯)plastic,and it comes without all the health and safety threats,It really has long useful life.
Plastics keep reminding us of the damage that we have done to our planet,all under the excuse of convenience.As hemp products have become a new choice into our daily life,Please take a green plan now and make your effort to protect the environment.Plastics produced in the traditional way are______.
| A．harmful | B．made from plants |
| C．good and eco-friendly | D．biodegradable |
According to Para.2,hemp plastic_____.
| A．is all resistant to flame | B．doesn’t have enough solidity |
| C．will take the place of steel | D．can be used again after being processed |
What does the underlined word“durable”mean in Para.4?
| A．Very useful of important. |
| B．Costing little money or less money. |
| C．Staying in good condition for a long time. |
| D．Existing in large numbers or in many places. |
Which aspect of hemp plastic isn’t mentioned in the passage?
| A．Features. | B．Production cost | C．Applications. | D．Advantages. |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．Using hemp plastic is inconvenient. |
| B．People haven’t made the most of hemp. |
| C．Hemp fiber is a kind of strong man-made fiber. |
| D．Scientists have already known how to solve ecological damage. |
It has been two years since I published my first article on Yahoo!Contributor Network.I was very excited when I saw that what I had written was published on the Internet.
I recognized that the content sites such as Associated Content can provide a fertile ground for learning how to become a writer.I was thrifty(节俭的)—I could see that this was an open door for systematically(系统地)learning some basic writing skills without paying college tuition for classes,all to be finished at my own speed and without leaving the comfort of my own home.
During these past few years I gained enough experience and understanding of using Associated Content to try writing.I found writing for that site was not my cup of tea.However,my experience there was positive as I was rewarded with even more learning opportunities just by giving it a try.Through Associated Content I was introduced to the world of bolgs(博客).I decided to learn how to set up a blog myself.Now I’m interested in blogs and continue to work as a writer.
Writing for the content site Yahoo!Contributor Network gives me a chance of trying creative writing—news,reviews and numerous lifestyle issues.And all of these topics are my own choices.Then there is an opportunity to meet other writers.Yahoo!Contributor Network has a wonderful in-house messaging system that allows its writers to communicate easily with one another.Not all your tries are satisfactory and easy when you write for a content site,but the benefits are many if you try it.
My teacher once said,“If you don’t quit,you will win.”I have no desire to quit writing as I really enjoy it.My thanks go out to Associated content and yahoo!Contributor Network for all my progress in writing!And to my fellow writers—thank you so much for your support and friendship.May we continue in our efforts of inspiration for many years to come!According to the author,_______.
| A．people can read a lot of novels on Associated Content |
| B．Associated Content helps readers study writing regularly |
| C．Associated Content contributes to making one become a writer. |
| D．studying on Associated Content is rather expensive but convenient. |
In the author’s eyes,writing for Associated Content was not______.
| A．a job he can deal with | B．his favorite thing |
| C．a difficult task for him | D．meaningful work for him |
What is the benefit that Yahoo!Contributor Network offers?
| A．You can have all your articles published. |
| B．You can get a lot of rewards from the site. |
| C．You can use its information and messages for free. |
| D．You can easily communicate with other writers. |
The author uses his teacher’s words to show that____.
| A．he will stick to his writing career |
| B．his teacher gave him a lot of help |
| C．what his teacher said is really true |
| D．he has met much difficulty in writing |
We can learn from the passage that____.
| A．two years has passed since the author began writing |
| B．the author is grateful for the sites and his fellow writers |
| C．the author had his first book published on the Internet |
| D．the author thinks writing on the Internet is very easy |
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