London has more than nine million visitors every year. They come and visit some of the most famous places in England: Big Ben, the Tower of London and the River Thames.
You can see some of the most interesting places in London by getting on the tour buses. Or you can take a ride on the London Eye. This large wheel slowly takes you 135m above the River Thames.
The River Thames is London’s main waterway. It has shaped the capital’s landscape, history and geography. So one of the best ways of knowing more about the city is to take a trip along the river.
The clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, has become one of the main symbols of London. The sound of the bell, which you can hear at the beginning of many television and radio programmes, has become well-known throughout the nation.
No visit to London is complete without a look at the Tower of London, in the eastern part of the city. After Big Ben, the Tower may be London’s most visited tourist spot. Directly south is Tower Bridge, which is more than100 years old.
Along all the palaces in London, Buckingham Palace is the most famous. It has been the main London home of the royal family since Queen Victoria moved there in 1873. You can visit some of the rooms in August and September. And most mornings of the year you can watch the soldiers
outside changing the guard.
About one hour by train out of London is the Tower of Windsor. Here you can visit another of the Queen’s homes-Windsor Castle. There was a fire in 1992 and many of the rooms were badly burned. But now they are full of beautiful pictures, tables and chairs again.
Sightseeing in London is great, but it can get very tiring. So, the best way to start the day is to fill up with an English breakfast.
You can buy an English breakfast in nearly every hotel, and at many restaurants and cafes. An English pub is a good place to stop for lunch and a drink. You can get hot or cold food and try one of England’s many ales(浓啤酒). Fish and chips are also a traditional English meal. So look out for fish and chip shops in cities as well as by the sea.
Or you can sit outside one of the many roadside pubs and cafes in London, and simply watch the busy world go by.We can learn from the text that ____________.
| A．Windsor Castle has been rebuilt |
| B．the Big Ben can be heard everywhere in London |
| C．only some of the hotels in England serve breakfast. |
| D．the London Eye can carry you where you like to go |
Which place may be London’s most visited tourist spot?
| A．Buckingham Palace | B．The Tower of London |
| C．Big Ben | D．The River Thames |
If you go to London in December, you will not be able to ___________
| A．visit Windsor Castle |
| B．tour the Buckingham Palace |
| C．tour the city along the River Thames |
| D．watch the soldiers outside the Buckingham Palace changing guards. |
The underlined word “landscape” (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to _________.
| A．sights | B．interests | C．characteristics | D．culture |
The whole passage mainly introduces the ________________.
A. tourism in London B. tourists in London
B. history in London D. sightseeing in London
Love, success, happiness, family and freedom----how important are these values to you? Here is one interview which explores the fundamental questions in life.
Question: Could you introduce yourself first?
Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old. I was born in a war-torn area. Right now I’m a web designer.
Q: What are your great memories?
A: My parents used to take us to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields. For me it was like a holiday because we were going to have fun all day long. Those are my great memories.
Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?
A: Yes. As life was very hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family. I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age. However, it taught me to deal with problems all alone. I learnt to be independent.
Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?
A: If I could change something in my life, I’d change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area. I would have loved to live with my family in freedom. Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn’t matter as long as I can live with my family and we are safe.
Q: How do your get along with your parents?
A: My parents supported me until I came of age. I want to give back what I’ve got. That’s our way. But I am working in another city. My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it. It filters(过滤) out your emotion and leaves your voice only. My deepest feelings should be passed through sight, hearing and touch. In Misbah’s childhood, .
| A．he was fond of getting close to nature |
| B．he liked living in the countryside |
| C．he was free from worry |
| D．he often spent holidays with his family |
What did Misbah desire most in his childhood?
| A．A colorful life. | B．Peace and freedom |
| C．A beautiful house | D．Money for his family. |
How would Misbah prefer to communicate with his parents?
| A．By chatting on the Internet. |
| B．By calling them sometimes. |
| C．By writing them letters |
| D．By paying weekly visits |
If there were only one question left, what would it most probably be?
| A．What was your childhood dream? |
| B．What is your parents’ view of you? |
| C．What is your biggest achievement? |
| D．What was your hardest experience in the war? |
There once was a very honest shopkeeper whose business was to provide goods to the local people. He would open his shop at 8:00 a.m. after having his breakfast and at 1:00 p.m. he would go for lunch. In the evening at 8:30 p.m. he closed his shop to complete his daily routine.
However, to get time for lunch was really difficult because he didn’t have anybody to help him at that time. Therefore, it was his daily practice that whichever customer was shopping at 1:00 p.m. would be asked to oversee (看管) the shop until the shopkeeper returned from lunch.
One day, a group of four thieves planned to steal from his shop while he was gone for lunch. One of the thieves went at 1:00 p.m. to be the customer that would be asked to oversee the shop.
The thief, pretending to be a customer, went in at 1:00 p.m. and started buying several items. As planned, the shop-keeper asked the thief to sit on his chair for thirty minutes until he returned from lunch.
Then, the other three thieves quickly came and told the pretended customer to help, but something had changed within him and he knew deeply in his heart that if he was given responsibility for the shop, he should not perform any dishonest acts during that time. His friends did not agree. As the now honest man tried to stop them, they resisted (抵抗) and a fight started. And at the same time the shopkeeper returned and asked why there was a fighting. The now honest man explained the entire plan.
The shopkeeper had been searching for an honest man who could take ownership of the shop and run it. The shop-keeper felt that he had found the right man.What is the problem for the shopkeeper?
| A．Nobody could prepare lunch for him every day. |
| B．He had nobody to keep the shop when he went for lunch. |
| C．He was too busy to have lunch every day. |
| D．He couldn’t find a person to work at the shop. |
Why did the thief go to the shop at 1:00 p.m.?
| A．Because he thought he would be asked to keep the shop. |
| B．Because the shopkeeper invited him to lunch then. |
| C．Because the shop was closed at that time. |
| D．Because he thought he could buy cheap things then. |
When the shopkeeper returned from lunch, he found _______.
| A．everything in his shop was stolen |
| B．the thief became the new owner of the shop |
| C．there was a fighting in his shop |
| D．the thief helped his fellows steal things from his shop |
From the passage, we can infer that _______.
| A．once a thief, he will always be a thief |
| B．an honest man will be responsible for his action |
| C．you can’t believe in a dishonest man forever |
| D．trust can change a thief into an honest man |
A young man returns to his hometown of Aractataca, Colombia. He visits the house where he lived as a child. Here, he remembers the most important memories of his childhood. Standing in front of his old house, the young man makes an important decision. He says to himself, “I will start my life over again. I will become a writer.”
This man is the world famous writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born on March 6, 1928. During his early life, Garcia Marquez’s grandmother and grandfather told him many stories. His grandmother would tell him legends as if they were real. Garcia Marquez says that his grandmother’s way of storytelling later influenced his own methods.
When Garcia Marquez was about 20 years old, he left Aractataca and attended university in Bogota. He began studying law because this was what his father wanted him to study. However, Garcia Marquez was not happy.
During this time Garcia Marquez returned to Aractataca. It was on this visit that he realized he must stop studying law. And he recognized that he must return to the dream of his childhood-writing. For the next few years, Garcia Marquez wrote for many different newspapers. And in 1955, he published his first book called “Leaf Storm”.
For many years, Garcia Marquez knew he wanted to write about his grandfather’s house in Aractataca. To write this book, Garcia Marquez and his wife had to sell almost all of their possessions to survive. But their act was worth it. The book, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” was immediately successful. And this book created a path for Garcia Marquez’s future success.
In 1982, Gabriel Garcia Marquez was given the Nobel Prize in Literature for his book “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, making him the first Colombian and the fourth Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature.
Who influenced Garcia Marquez’s writing style?
| A．His grandfather. | B．His father. |
| C．His grandmother. | D．His wife. |
Garcia decided to take up writing_________.
| A．when he worked for a newspaper |
| B．under the influence of his family |
| C．when he graduated from college |
| D．after a visit to his hometown |
Garcia’s book “One Hundred Years of Solitude” .
| A．was written in the 1950s |
| B．enjoyed a quick success |
| C．helped Garcia lead a better life |
| D．was about Garcia’s grandfather |
What do we know from the text about Garcia Marquez?
| A．He is the first Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature. |
| B．He wrote for newspapers before publishing his own books. |
| C．His book “Leaf Storm” marked his great success in literature. |
| D．He followed his father’s wish to become a writer. |
Eating different colored foods can keep you healthy, as well as change your mood and behavior. Here is a list of colors, which can change your life.
Blue/Purple
Blue is considered to be peaceful and calming and it has the same effect on our health. The blue / purple color in food is due primarily to their anthocyanins which are antioxidants (抗氧化剂) that are particularly heart healthy and may help support healthy blood pressure. Out of all the blue and purple foods available, blueberries are considered to have the highest antioxidant level. An analysis of the latest data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study found that people who eat purple and blue fruits and vegetables are at a reduced risk for high blood pressure and are less likely to be overweight.
A food and health expert says that blue and purple color foods can prevent blood mass formation, and they also lower the risk of cancer.
Foods that contain blue and purple colors are: reddish eggplant (especially the skin), blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, etc.
Green
We all know that we should eat green as green symbolizes nature. The green foods are rich in isothiocyanates, which help resist cancer.
Dr. Ashok Agarwal, a food and nutrition specialist, explains, "They are excellent sources of folic acid, vitamin K, as well as carotene （胡萝卜素）. Diets high in those above are associated with lowered blood pressure."
Foods that contain the green color are: broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, etc.
Red
Lycopene (番茄红素) in reddish fruits and vegetables is a powerful antioxidant that has been associated with a reduced risk of some cancers, and also provides protection against heart attacks.
Dr. Smiths says, "Cooked tomato sauces are associated with greater health benefits as compared with the uncooked version as the heating process allows lycopene to be more easily absorbed by the body. Obtaining the most benefit from food depends on proper selection, storage and cooking of the produce."
Foods that contain red color are: Tomatoes and tomato products, watermelon, guava, red onions, red chili, red apples, red grapes, cherries, etc.
Orange
The orange foods are also rich in carotene, which are particularly good antioxidants. These foods are commonly considered eyesight foods because they contain vitamin A.
"Orange fruits and vegetables also play a part in preventing cancer, particularly of the lungs and stomach. Foods that contain the color orange are: Carrots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, etc.The passage tries to tell us that ______.
| A．colors mean a lot to people and their health |
| B．foods of different colors will have different benefits |
| C．eating foods with a color must prevent diseases |
| D．what people should eat in their daily lives |
All the colors mentioned in the passage have the function of ______.
| A．lowering blood pressure |
| B．improving eyesight |
| C．preventing cancer |
| D．reducing the risk of heart disease |
Which color can help keep us thin according to the passage?
| A．Purple. | B．Green. |
| C．Red. | D．Orange. |
The green and orange foods are both rich in _______.
| A．vitamin A | B．folic acid |
| C．carotene | D．vitamin K |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．all grapes help lower the risk of high blood pressure and cancer |
| B．lung cancer can be prevented by eating red-colored foods |
| C．green-colored foods contain a lot of vitamin A which is good for eye health |
| D．tomatoes should be eaten cooked so that we can benefit the most |
More and more people take part in marathons these days – over 30,000 people will run the London Marathon this weekend, for instance. But it’s not just the 26 miles and 385 yards that could be a daunting prospect. “I have to admit to being completely frustrated by the blocking and for 18-19 miles was just keeping away from people and being held up,” one participant grumbled after the 2012 London Marathon. “I had to overtake a lot of people and ended up with bruised（淤肿的）forearms from all the elbows,” said another.
How do such crowding problems arise, and could they be reduced? Some researchers believe that we can find the answers through a more familiar system in which jams appear – road traffic flow. Martin Treiber, of the Technical University of Dresden in Germany, has previously developed models for traffic flow. One of the first attempts to model traffic flow was made in the 1950s by James Lighthill and his collaborator Gerard Whitham of Manchester University. They considered the traffic as a kind of liquid flowing down a pipe, and looked at how the flow changes as the fluid gets denser(浓稠). At first the flow rate increases as the density increases, since you simply get more stuff through in the same period of time. But if the density becomes too high, there’s a risk of jams, and the flow rate drops sharply.
Treiber’s model of a marathon uses this same principle that the flow rate first increases and then decreases as the density of runners increases, thanks to an sudden switch from free to crowded flow. He assumes that there is a range of different preferred speeds for different runners, which each maintains throughout the race. With just these factors, Treiber can calculate the flow rate of runners, knowing the “carrying capacity”(承载能力)at each point on the route.
This allows Treiber to figure out how blocking might depend on the race conditions – for example, for different starting procedures. Some marathons start by letting all the runners set off at once (which means those at the back have to wait until those in front have moved forward). Others assign runners to various groups according to ability, and let them start in a series of waves.
Treiber has applied the model to the annual Rennsteig half-marathon in central Germany, which attracts around 6,000 participants. The traditional route had to be changed in 2013, because the police were no longer willing to close a road to ensure that runners could cross safely. It could pass either over a 60m wooden bridge or through a tunnel. Treiber used his model to predict the likely blocking caused in the various options. The model predicted that a mass start would risk an overload of runners if the bridge were to be used. Only by moving the starting point further back from the bridge could the danger be avoided – and even then, if some of the numbers assumed in the model were only slightly inaccurate, there was still a risk of jams at the bridge. On the other hand, no dangerous blocking seemed likely for the tunnel route. The run organizers consulted Treiber’s team, and eventually chose this option.What is the worst thing while running a marathon?
| A．The long distance. |
| B．Too many participants. |
| C．The dangerous blocking. |
| D．Serious injuries in forearms. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．James Lighthill is the first expert trying to model traffic flow. |
| B．The denser the flow is, the faster the flow rate becomes. |
| C．The flow rate increases in the beginning because fewer people passed together. |
| D．The flow rate increases first and then decreases later when the flow is too denser. |
What is NOT true about the Rennsteig?
| A．It has much less participants than the London Marathon in 2014. |
| B．It has a shorter distance than the London Marathon. |
| C．The route was changed because the traditional one is not safe any longer. |
| D．The participants running this marathon will pass a tunnel because this choice is safer. |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Make a comparison between marathon and road traffic. |
| B．Running a marathon is somewhat dangerous if it is not well organized. |
| C．Introduce a new technology to solve the blocking problem in marathon. |
| D．Some advice for people who are to run a marathon. |
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