Visiting the Embassies of Washington, D．C．
Washington, D．C．is known for its many museums and government buildings．It is also home to embassies（大使馆）from more than 170 countries. Many of these buildings around the city have interesting histories. Some embassies are in large historical homes. Others were built more recently to show the building desihgn of their countries. Many embassies hold special cultural（文化）events.
The Embassy of Uzbekistan
It is in a richly decorated（装修）home built in 1906 by a wealthy banker, Clarence Moore. But Mr Moore did not live to enjoy his house for very long. He died on board the ship Titanic, which sank 1912·This building served as the Canadian Embassy before Uzbekistan bought it in 1996．
The Embassy of Finland
The Italian Embassy is near Massachusetts Avenue. Nearby, the Embassy of Finland looks like it is built out of blocks of glass．Its design is modern，but it fits in nicely with the natural environment around it．A screen of plants covers part of the front of the building．Inside．visitors Can look through large glass windows deep into the wooded areas of Rock Creek Park. The Finnish Embassy holds many interesting exhibits．
The Embassy of France
It is in a gated area off Reservoir Road．The embassy’s cultural center, La Maison Francaise, organizes many cultural events．Also．if you are very lucky, you might be invited to a party at the home of the French ambassador(大使)．This extraordinary home in the Kalorama neighborhood looks like a palace。Organizations like the Washington Opera sometimes hp1d events in this beautiful house。
The International Center
Last month，China opened a new embassy in the area of Washington called the International Center．C．C．Pei and L．C。Pei designed the building．Measuring more than 10．000 square meters，this is One of the biggest embassies in Washington．C．C．Pei said the areas of plants around the embassy
were to present people a natural and calming design．Which embassy was once a large historical home?
| A．The International Center． | B．The Embassy of Finland． |
| C．The Embassy of France． | D．The Embassy of Uzbekistan． |
What can we learn about the International Center from the text?
| A．It once belonged to a rich banker． |
| B．It was built out of blocks of glass． |
| C．It stands in the Kalorama neighborhood． |
| D．It is a newly—constructed building． |
At the Embassy of France，you
can .
A．see many exhibits of great interest
B．attend events in La Maison Francaise
C．invi
te the French ambassador home
D．visit its designers C．C．Pei and L．C．PeiThis text is most probably taken from
| A．a science magazine | B．a medical report |
| C．a travel guide | D．a history textbook |
Close your eyes for a minute and imagine what life would be like if you had a hundred dollars less. Also imagine what it would be like spending the rest of your life with you eyes closed. Imagine having to read this page, not with your eyes but with your finger-tips.
With existing medical knowledge and skills, two-thirds of the world’s 42 million blind should not have to suffer. Unfortunately, rich countries posses most of this knowledge, while developing countries do not.
ORBIS is an international non-profit organization which operates the world’s only flying teaching eye hospital. ORBIS intends to help fight blindness worldwide. Inside a DC-8 aircraft, there is a fully-equipped teaching hospital with television studio and classroom. Doctors are taught the latest techniques of bringing sight back to people there. Project ORBIS also aims at promoting peaceful cooperation(合作) among countries.
ORBIS tries to help developing countries by providing training during three-week medical programs. ORBIS has taught sight-saving techniques to over 35,000 doctors and nurses, who continue to cure tens of thousands of blind people every year. ORBIS has conducted 17 plane programs is China so far. For the seven to ten million blind in China ORBIS is planning to do more for them. At the moment an ORBIS is working on a long-term plan to develop a training center and to provide eye care service to Shanxi Province. ORBIS needs your help to continue their work and free people from blindness.
For just US$38,you can help one person see; for $380 you can bring sight to 10 people; $1,300 helps teach a doctor new skills; and for $13,000 you can provide a training program for a group of doctors who can make thousands of blind people see again. Your money can open their eyes to the world. Please help ORBIS improve the quality of life for so many people less fortunate than ourselves.The first paragraph is intended to ______.
| A．introduce a new way of reading |
| B．advise the public to lead a simple life |
| C．direct the public’s attention to the blind |
| D．encourage the public to use imagination |
What do we learn about existing medical knowledge and skills in the world?
| A．They are adequate |
| B．They have not been updated. |
| C．They are not equally distributed |
| D．They have benefited most of the blind |
ORBIS aims to help the blind by ______.
| A．teaching medical students |
| B．training doctors and nurses |
| C．running flying hospitals globally |
| D．setting up non-profit organization |
What does the author try to do in the last paragraph?
| A．Appeal for donations |
| B．Make an advertisement |
| C．Promote training programs |
| D．Show sympathy for the blind |
What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．ORBIS in China |
| B．Fighting Blindness |
| C．ORBIS Flying Hospital |
| D．Sight-saving Techniques |
If it really is what’s on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble.
Some doctors now think that the internal(内部的) fat surrounding important organs like the heart or liver could be as dangerous as the external fat which can be noticed more easily.
“Being thin doesn’t surely mean you are not fat,” said Dr Jimmy Bell at Imperial College. Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create “fat maps” showing where people store fat.
According to the result, people who keep their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are slim.
Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores can have surprising levels of fat deposits inside. Of the women, as many as 45 percent of those with normal BMI scores (20 to 25) actually had too high levels of internal fat. Among men, the percentage was nearly 60 percent.
According to Bell, people who are fat on the inside are actually on the edge of being fat. They eat too many fatty and sugary foods, but they are not eating enough to be fat. Scientists believe we naturally store fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.
Doctors are unsure about the exact dangers of internal fat, but some think it has something to do with heart disease and diabetes(糖尿病). They want to prove that internal fat damages the body’s communication systems.
The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. “If you want to be healthy, there is no shortcut. Exercise has to be an important part of your lifestyle.” Bell said.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Internal fat is of no importance. |
| B．Thin people may be fat inside. |
| C．Internal fat leads to many diseases. |
| D．Thin people don’t have diabetes. |
According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?
| A．Exercise can help to reduce the internal fat. |
| B．People can get rid of internal fat by improving diet. |
| C．People with heart disease all have internal fat. |
| D．Men are more likely to have too much internal fat. |
From the last paragraph, we can find that ______.
| A．exercise plays an important role in people’s life for keeping healthy |
| B．thin people usually have internal fat even if they are slim |
| C．it is easier to burn off internal fat than external fat |
| D．internal fat leading to disease has been proved |
Does handwriting matter? Not very much, according to many educators. However, scientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important. New evidence suggests that the link between handwriting and educational development is deep.
Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they are also better able to create ideas and remember information. In other words, it’s not only what we write that matters — but how.
A study led by Karin James, a psychologist at Indiana University, gave support to that view. A group of children, who had not learned to read and write, were offered a letter or a shape on a card and asked to copy it in one of three ways: draw the image on a page but with a dotted outline（虚线）, draw it on a piece of blank white paper, or type it on a computer. Then the researchers put the children in a brain scanner and showed them the image again.
It was found that when children had drawn a letter freehand without a dotted outline or a computer, the activity in three areas of the brain were increased. These three areas work actively in adults when they read and write. By contrast, children who chose the other two ways showed no such effect. Dr. James attributes the differences to the process of free handwriting: Not only must we first plan and take action in a way but we are also likely to produce a result that is variable. Those are not necessary when we have an outline.
It’s time for educators to change their mind and pay more attention to children’s handwriting.What do scientists mean by saying “it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important”?
| A．Handwriting is not very important to children. |
| B．Handwriting should not be ignored at present. |
| C．Handwriting has nothing to do with education. |
| D．Handwriting can not be learned in a short time. |
Which is NOT the children’s task in the experiment?
| A．Copy the image on a page but with a dotted outline. |
| B．Draw the image on a piece of blank white paper. |
| C．Put a brain scanner and show the image again. |
| D．Type the image directly on a computer. |
What does “that view” in Para. 3 refer to?
| A．How we write is as important as what we write. |
| B．A group of students should know what to write. |
| C．Children create ideas and remember information. |
| D．Children read quickly when they write by hand. |
According to the passage, the author obviously _______ giving up handwriting.
| A．is for | B．doesn’t care about |
| C．is responsible for | D．is against |
Medical Center：
The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university. The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems. Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation. Also，all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores.
Opening Hours：24 hours from Monday to Sunday
Phone：(412)396--6649 Fax：(412)396—6648
Diving Centre：
Our experienced instructors offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners. There are two evening lessons a week, in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely. You only need swimming costume and towel. Reduced rates for couples.
Opening Hours：Monday and Friday：6：30 p．m．—8：30 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6312 Fax：(412)396—6706
Riding School：
You can start horse—riding at any age. Choose private or group lessons any weekday
between 9 a．m．and 8：30 p．m．(3：30 p．m．on Saturdays). There are 10 kilometers of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country. You will need a riding hat.
Opening Hours：Monday through Friday：9：00 a．m．—8：30 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6754 Fax：(412)396—6752
Sailing Club：
Our Young Sailor’s Course leads to the Stage 1 Sailing qualification. You’ll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid. Have fun with other course members , afterwards in the clubroom. There are 10 weekly two-hour 1essons (Tuesdays 6 p．m．～8 p．m．).
Opening Hours：Tuesdays：6：00 p．m．—8：00 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6644 Fax：(412)396—6644
Watersports Club：
We use a two-kilometer length of river for speedboat racing, and water-skiing, A beginners’ course consists of ten 20-minute lessons. You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently, but must be able to swim. The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9 a．m to 4 p．m，with lessons all through the day.
Opening Hours：Monday through Friday：9：00 a．m．—4：00 p．m．
Phone: (412)396—6899 Fax396—6890If you want to swim and enjoy activities which are fast and a bit dangerous, you should join ________ .
| A．Diving Centre | B．Riding School |
| C．Sailing Club | D．Watersports Club |
If you want to experience a new activity in the countryside in the mornings，you may fax ________.
| A．(412)396—6648 | B．(412)396—6752 |
| C．(412)396—6876 | D．(412)396—6706 |
If you are planning to explore the ocean depths, you should attend your lessons at ______ .
| A．Monday through Friday：7：00 a．m．—10：00 p．m． |
| B．24 hours from Monday to Sunday |
| C．Monday and Friday：6：30 p．m．—8：30 p．m． |
| D．Tuesdays：6：00 p．m．—8：00 p．m． |
Which is NOT the convenience that the Medical Center provides?
| A．Nursery for newly-born babies. |
| B．Well trained staff members. |
| C．Good equipment. |
| D．Various less expensive medicines. |
I was going to die in Antarctica, I was certain. A picture of my frost-covered body, pale and lifeless, filled my mind as I glanced around. In all directions spreads the empty wilderness of Antarctica, the only feature being the division between snow and sky. I sadly stared at my team, who were rapidly disappearing from my sight．
It happened in the year 2009 when I was head of an adventure attempting to reach the South Pole. The team was made up of ordinary women from all around the world—from Jamaica, India, Singapore and Cyprus—many of whom had never seen snow, or spent a night in a tent, before we set off. Our aim was to be the most international all-female team to reach the South Pole．
By the time I realized that my sledge was firmly stuck, the team were already a long way ahead of me. I called out to Era, my teammate from Brunei, who was next in line. Getting no response, I called again, but my shouts were carried away in the opposite direction by the wind. I had stood and watched the line for a while as it marched away from me, confident that at any moment one of my teammates would look behind her. Seconds passed. Nothing. I was gradually being left alone．
I pushed my sledge again, my strength suddenly increased when I thought of a cold, lonely death. This time the sledge moved a little. I kicked at the ice with my ski-pole and boot, desperately trying to break the sledge free and pushed again. The sledge shot forward, knocking me off balance. I struggled to my feet and set off after the team．
I caught up just as they realized I wasn't there. As we continued, my panic slowly faded. I found myself laughing to myself as I noticed Reena checking behind her every few paces. In fact for the whole of the rest of the day each member of the team glanced over her shoulder every few minutes. They were not going to risk losing me again.What can we know from the first paragraph?
| A．The author's poor physical condition． |
| B．The wonderful sights of Antarctica． |
| C．The rough natural conditions of Antarctica． |
| D．The author's regret of being left alone． |
What's the main idea of the second paragraph?
| A．Brief introduction about the adventure. |
| B．How the author became the team leader. |
| C．The process of selecting the team members. |
| D．Complete information about the team members. |
What made it possible for the author to get her sledge out of the ice?
| A．The shouts of her teammates. |
| B．The strong desire to live on. |
| C．A sudden change in wind direction. |
| D．The natural beauty ahead in Antarctica. |
Why did the team form the habit of looking behind?
| A．Because they were expecting their team leader's arrival. |
| B．Because their team leader demanded them to do so. |
| C．Because they were afraid there might be danger coming from behind. |
| D．Because they wanted to make sure their team leader was following. |
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