The words of Gandhi, Einstein and other great thinkers are to be quoted in service announcements on London’s Underground．
Transport for London has asked Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller to edit a list of mottos to be used by tube drivers．Gandhi’s “there is more to life than increasing its speed” and the artist Cezanne’s “we live in a rain-bow of chaos” are among the quotes．Deller hopes they will make passengers’ journeys a bit more thought-provoking(发人深省的)．
Deller’s original plan was to abolish all public announcements for a day．“It makes me feel annoyed,” he said．“It’s like some psychological warfare(战争 ) on the passengers．”
But his idea was refused by the manager of Transport for London, who instead agreed to the plan of replacing some announcements with something more human and attractive．
Sally Shaw, who is running the scheme for Transport for London, says it is part of an attempt to improve day-to-day interaction and rely less on automated announcements．
“I think everyone has their own little philosophy on their journeys．And if we can get more of that out in the air, that would be great,” she said．
Susy Wells, one of the drivers to test the idea out on the London Underground, is also enthusiastic about it．
She said, “I like to make my own announcements and it’s nice to get passengers to think as well．”
What’s more, some quotes are helpful to the drivers．They help the passengers become more understanding about the drivers’ work．
The quotes such as Thomas Fuller’s “a stumble(绊脚) may prevent a fall” are popular for helping explain why a little inconvenience was sometimes necessary to keep the system safe．
1．The underlined phrase “tube drivers” probably means______．
A．taxi drivers B．subway drivers
C．truck drivers D．bus drivers
2．Why did Deller want to abolish all public announcements on the underground?
A．Because they cause a war among passengers．
B．Because the public announcements make Deller tired．
C．Because the public announcements are dull．
D．All public announcements are not suitable for the passengers．
3．The reason why the sayings are to be quoted on London’s Underground is ______．
A．that everyone has their own life motto
B．that sayings are believed to be more human and attractive
C．that sayings can help develop spiritual civilization in London
D．that saying can make drivers think more
4．The best title of this passage would be _____．
A．Changes on London’s Underground
B．Culture on London’s Underground
C．Some Quotes Seen on London’s Underground
D．Introduction to London’s Underground
Once there was a man who liked to eat mangoes. One day he decided to get the sweetest mango from the very top of the tree. Mangoes which are exposed to the sun the most are the sweetest.
So he climbed up to the top, where the branches were thin. He managed to pick up a few sweet reddish fruits, but, in an attempt to climb down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, he caught the branch as he was falling and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call nearby villagers for help. They immediately came with a ladder and sticks, but could do little to help him.
Then after some time one calm and thoughtful person arrived – a well-known sage who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were very curious to see what he would do, as he was famous in solving many people’s problems in the area and sometimes very complicated ones.
He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man.
Everybody was surprised. The hanging mango lover started to shout, “What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Do you want me to break my neck?” The sage was silent. Then he took another stone and threw it at the man. The man was very angry, “If I could just come down, I would show you!”
That’s what everybody wanted – that he came down. But how? Now everybody was tense, as to what would happen next! Some wanted to chastise the sage, but they didn’t. The sage picked another stone and threw it again at the man, even more forcefully. Now the man on the tree was enraged and developed a great determination to come down and take revenge（复仇）.
He then used all his skill and strength and somehow reached the branches which were safe to start going down. And he made it! Everybody was amazed.
However, the rescued man found the sage gone. He stood there, realizing that the man really saved him because he induced（引诱）him to try his best and save himself.
“I should be thankful and not angry.” From the story we know that the sweetest mango must be the one .
| A．on the very top of the tree |
| B．hidden in the middle of a tree |
| C．on the tree for the longest time |
| D．exposed to sunlight less often |
What happened after he had picked a few sweet reddish mangoes?
| A．He slipped and fell to the ground suddenly. |
| B．He was climbing down quickly |
| C．He remained hanging helplessly on the tree. |
| D．He shouted loudly for help but no one helped. |
How did the man feel when the sage hit him with a stone?
| A．He was nervous. | B．He kept silent | C．He felt surprised. | D．He was angry. |
What do you think motivated the man to climb down?
| A．Courage. | B．Revenge. | C．Carefulness. | D．Assistance. |
In his lowest days when few people bought his records, Taiwan singer Steve Chou (周传雄) lived alone in Canada and did little. One day, he passed by a local CD store and accidentally heard a song that greatly enchanted (迷住) him. His passion for music was suddenly rekindled (重新点燃).
“My heart tells me that music is the thing I truly want to do, not for fame or money,” Chou told Teens. “So I asked myself, ‘why not start all over again?’”
That's how we luckily regained this music genius, who has since then composed lots of hits for the pop music charts (排行榜). His emotional voice is enthralling (迷人的). "Sometimes we need to get close to nature to look deeply into our souls and see what we genuinely (真正地) want to follow," he said.
Following the success of Turkey in Blue, he has recently released his latest work Lovers Genesis. In this album he explores human relationships in the Internet age. This time, he takes the role of a calm observer rather than a struggling insider. "Technology itself is a good thing, but it depends on how you're going to use it," is Chou's advice to teenagers. Chou often gets his music ideas from trips. He has traveled to many places around the world and believes that learning a country's language is the fastest way of experiencing the culture behind it.How was Steve Zhou’s passion for music rekindled?
| A．He was encouraged by his friends. |
| B．When he passed by a store and heard a song that enchanted him. |
| C．He decided to rebuild his reputation. |
| D．A good idea suddenly occurred to him. |
Which of the following songs belongs to Steve Zhou ?
| A．Heal the world | B．I swear | C．Lovers Genesis | D．Lemon tree |
How does Zhou get his music idea ?
| A．From his work life | B．From his trips | C．From his friends | D．From musical books |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．Technology is always a good thing. |
| B．Technology by no means is a good thing. |
| C．If you use it properly, it will be helpful to your life. |
| D．We should not believe technology too much. |
Ottawa is the capital of Canada. It is the second largest city in Ontario and the fourth largest city in the country.
The Centre Block is the main building on Parliament Hill (国会山). It is also the location of several ceremonial spaces, such as the Hall of Honor and the Memorial Chamber. The present Centre Block is the second iteration of the building，after the first was destroyed by fire in 1916，and it is one of the most recognizable buildings in Canada.
Downtown Ottawa is the commercial and economic centre of the city. Most of the buildings are office towers. While most of Ottawa’s high tech industry is based elsewhere, it has a significant presence in the downtown core. The downtown also contains a number of apartments, hotels, and the older single family homes and townhouses along its edges.
The National Gallery of Canada is one of Canada’s premier art galleries. The Gallery has a large and varied collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and photographs. Although its focus is on Canadian art, it also holds works by some noted American and European artists.
The Rideau Canal is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America. At the very beginning，the purpose of the Rideau Canal was military, as it was intended to provide a secure supply and communication route between Montreal and the British naval base in Kingston. It remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating, with most of its original structures undamaged. The locks on the system open for navigation in mid-May and close in mid-October.The underlined word "iteration" in the 2nd paragraph probably means _____.
| A．repair | B．design | C．copy | D．landmark |
In the core of Downtown Ottawa, we could see _____.
| A．a large number of tall towers |
| B．head offices ofOttawa’s high tech industry |
| C．a number of apartments and hotels |
| D．the older single family homes and townhouses |
Collections in the National Gallery of Canada are mainly _____.
| A．paintings and drawings | B．sculpture and photographs |
| C．works by Canadian artists | D．artwork by Americans and European |
Which of the following is true about the Rideau Canal? _____.
| A．It is the oldest canal system inNorth America |
| B．It was originally for the military purpose |
| C．The original structures remain never changed |
| D．People can only go boating from May to October |
What do former American president Bill Clinton and rock musician Pete Townshend have in common.'? Both men have hearing damage from exposure(暴露，接触) to loud music, and both now wear hearing aids（助听器） as a result. As a teenager, Clinton played saxophone in a band. Townshend, who has the more severe hearing loss, was a guitarist for a band called the Who. He is one of the first rock musicians to call the public's attention to the problem of hearing loss from exposure to loud music.
Temporary（暂时） hearing loss can happen after only 15 minutes of listening to loud music. One early warning sign is when your ears begin to feel warm while you listen to music at a rock concert or through headphones. One later is that an unusual sound or a ringing is sometimes produced in your head after the concert.
"What happens is that the hair cells in the inner ear are damaged, but they're not dead," says physician and ear specialist Dr. Sam Levine. According to Dr. Levine, if you avoid further exposure to loud noise, it's possible to recondition the cells（细胞） somewhat. However, he adds, "Eventually, over a long period of time, hair cells are permanently damaged." And this is no small problem.
What sound level is dangerous? According to Dr. Levine, regular exposure to noise above 85 decibels (分贝) is considered dangerous. The chart below offers a comparison of decibel levels to certain sounds. Here's another measurement you can use. If you're at a rock concert and the music is so loud that you have to shout to make yourself heard, you' re at risk for hearing loss. That's when wearing protective devices such as earplugs becomes critical.
The facts are pretty frightening. But are rock bands turning down the volume.'? Most aren't. "Rock music is supposed to be loud," says drummer Andrew Sather."I wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would the real fans of rock. "
Continued exposure to loud music and the failure to wear earplugs can lead to deafness, according to Dr. Levine. He states, "There's no cure for hearing loss. Your ears are trying to tell you something. That ringing is the scream of your hair cells dying. Each time that happens, more and more damage is done. "
| Levels of Common Noises Normal conversation 50 — 65 dB Food blender 88 dB Jet plane flying above a person standing outside 103 dB Rock band during a concert 110 — 140 dB |
From Paragraph 1, we can learn that ___________ .
| A．loud music is a major cause of hearing loss |
| B．famous people may have hearing problems |
| C．teenagers should stay away from school bands |
| D．the problem of hearing damage is widely known |
In Paragraph 3, the underlined word "recondition" means__________ .
| A．not to be seen | B．to fill with sound |
| C．to become larger in size | D．to make good again |
The purpose of the chart at the end of the article is to show__________ .
| A．a list of harmful sounds |
| B．the effect of rock concerts |
| C．the noise levels of sounds |
| D．relationship between daily activities and hearing loss |
Which of the following statements will Dr. Sam Levine probably agree?
| A．When your ears feel warm, your hair cells are dead. |
| B．Drummer Andrew Sather gives good advice. |
| C．Many are at the risk of losing hearing. |
| D．Doctors know how to deal with hearing loss. |
Dear Alcohol,
You've been around forever. I can remember all the pain you've caused for me.
Do you remember the night you almost took my father's life? I do. He loves you. Sometimes I think he loves you more than he loves me. He's addicted to you, to the way you promise to rid him of his problems only to cause more of them. You just sat back and laughed as his car went spinning through the street, crashing into two other cars. He wasn't the only one hurt by you that night.
Do you remember the night of my first high school party? You were there. My friends were intrigued by you. They treated you as if they were never going to see you again, drinking all of you that they could. I spent two hours that night helping my friends who had fallen completely. "I'm so embarrassed," they said as I held their hair back so that they could vomit (呕吐). "I'm sorry," they said when I called taxies for them, walking them out and paying the driver in advance. "This won't happen again," they said as they were sent to the hospital to have their stomachs pumped. Two 15-year-old girls slept in hospital beds that night thanks to you.
Do you remember the night when you took advantage of my 17-year-old neighbor who had to drive to pick up his sister from her dance lessons? Do you know how we all felt when he hit another car and killed the two people in the other car? He died the next morning too. His sister walked home from her dance lesson, and passed police cars and a crowd of people gathering on the sidewalk just two blocks away from the dance studio. She didn't realize her brother was in the midst of it all. She never saw him again. And it's all your fault.
I wish you'd walk out of my life forever. I don't want anything to do with you. Look at all the pain you've caused. Sure, you've made people happy too from time to time. But the damage you've caused in the lives of millions is inexcusable. Stop luring (引诱) in the people I love. Stop hurting me, please.
Sincerely,
AnonymousWhat is author's purpose in writing to alcohol?
| A．To introduce Mr. Alcohol to the readers |
| B．To describe the harm alcohol did to his family. |
| C．To show how much alcohol can hurt people. |
| D．To show the great fun that alcohol can bring to people's life. |
What did alcohol do to the author's father?
| A．It made him crash into two other cars and killed his life. |
| B．It made him drink too much and he had to get his stomach pumped. |
| C．It made him kill two other people when driving. |
| D．It made him get into a car accident and badly injure himself. |
The underlined phrase "were intrigued by" is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．were familiar with | B．were interested in |
| C．were disappointed with | D．were satisfied with |
What is the tone of the article?
| A．Critical. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Humorous. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号