British people have the worst quality of life in Europe, according to a report which highlights （强调) the long hours, bad weather, low life expectancy and high price of many goods.
In a study of ten of the largest European countries, Britain, which was considered a popular country to live in, now comes last followed by Ireland, with France and Spain topping the table.
Though British families enjoy the highest income in Europe, they still have to fight with a high cost of living, with fuel, food and alcohol all costing more than the European average.
With the high price of petrol, the UK is the second most expensive country in Europe. However, diesel (柴油) is more expensive in the UK than anywhere else in Europe.
The report by the website uSwitch analyses 10 European countries against 17 different benchmarks(基准点), from the price of gas, electricity, fuel, food and drink to the money each country spends on education, health to working conditions and the weather.
The top three countries are France, Spain and Denmark, with Sweden, Ireland and Britain coming eighth, ninth and tenth respectively.
The study comes less than a week after the United Nations moved Britain out of the top 20 list of most desirable countries to live in for the first time.
Although France and Germany were at the beginning hit hard by the global financial crisis, both have officially got out of the trouble, while Britain has yet to prove this has happened. Later this week, despite (尽管) signs of recovery in the housing market and rising sales, unemployment is still expected to have climbed to above 2.5 million for the first time since 1994.Which country has the best quality of life in Europe according to the report?
| A．Ireland. | B．France. | C．Sweden. | D．Denmark |
Which is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．British families are suffering from the high cost of living. |
| B．The report comes after the website uSwitch analysed 10 Asian countries. |
| C．The price of petrol is higher in Britain than anywhere else in Europe. |
| D．The quality of British life is reported to be terrible because of the bad working conditions. |
The underlined word “desirable” probably means .
| A．terrible | B．attractive | C．expensive | D．different |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．Britain is still struggling to get out of the global financial crisis. |
| B．Unemployment in Britain is expected to go down soon. |
| C．Recovery in the housing market leads to unemployment in Britain. |
| D．Britain has recovered from the crisis together with France and Germany. |
Every year there are hundreds of earthquakes in different parts of the world. In September, 1923, Tokyo and Yokohama were 
both destroyed by an earthquake and the fires that followed it. They had to be completely rebuilt. One of the most serious earthquakes was in 
China’s Shanxi province in 1556. It killed almost one million people.
We measure an earthquake’s strength on the Richter Scale. The Richter Scale was introduced in 1935 in Southern California in the USA. It measures earthquakes on a scale of one to ten. Any earthquake measuring five or more is usually serious.
The Earth’s crust(地壳) is made up of rock called plates. As these plates move, they sometimes crash against each other, causing the crust to quake. In cities such as Tokyo, where small quakes happen quite often, many modern buildings are designed to be flexible so when the Earth moves, they move with it.
Earthquakes can also break up gas and oil pipes. This can cause fires to break out, which can do as much damage as the earthquake itself.
Another effect of earthquakes is tsunamis. These are huge waves created by earthquakes beneath the sea. They can be many meters high and cause great damage to coastal towns and cities, China, Japan, Russia and the USA have the highest occurrence(发生) of earthquakes in the world.The passage is mainly about .
| A．scientists who study earthquakes | B．the way of measuring earthquakes |
| C．a usual natural disaster | D．what people should do in the earthquake |
The earthquake in Shanxi Province , which in NOT true?
| A．happened in 1556 | B．killed one million people |
| C．was the only earthquake in China | D．caused a lot of damage |
Earthquakes
| A．don’t cause much damage | B．are not serious |
| C．most possibly happen in Japan | D．happen all over the world |
According to the passage we know that tsunamis .
| A．can cause earthquakes |
| B．are caused by earthquakes |
| C．only happen on land |
| D．are a way of measuring earthquakes |
Lane waited on the bench nearest the bridge, as he had been instructed.
. The strong wind blew straight across the river, and he had to put his overcoat closer about him.
He went over his instructions in his mind. The spy would appear at four o’clock. He would talk to Lane for a while, after which he would get up, leaving his newspapers behind. The plans would be found inside.
A distant clock began to strike the hour. As if from nowhere, a man appeared and sat down beside Lane, placing his newspaper on the seat between them. He was thin and middle-aged, and seemed in need of a good meal. He didn’t look like a successful spy, Lane thought. His talk about the weather was uninteresting.
A few minutes later he got up and continued on his way. Lane picked up the paper which lay on the bench, as if he wanted to read the news. He was excited to see the plans, stuck on the center page. At that moment, however, there was a strong gust of wind which lifted the newspaper into the air, like a kite, and blew it into the river.Which of the following statement is TRUE?
| A．Sitting on the bench, Lane repeated his orders to himself |
| B．Lane would read about the plans in the newspaper. |
| C．The man Lane was expecting didn’t arrive on time |
| D．The man who suddenly appeared was not the one Lane was waiting for. |
The spy was going to give Lane some important .
| A．papers | B．information | C．instructions | D．advice |
Lane found the spy very .
| A．interesting | B．peculiar | C．ordinary | D．well-fed |
The spy left the newspaper .
| A．by the plan | B．by mistake | C．at Lane’s request | D．out of kindness |
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| A．The Bargain Books Store | B．The 4-for-3 Books Store. |
| C．The Significant Seven. | D．The Textbook Store |
If you order two 9-dollar books, one 5-dollar book and one 3-dollar book in the 4-for-3 Books Store, then you can get free.
| A．none | B．the 3-dollar book |
| C．the 5-dollar book | D．the two 9-dollar books |
In the Significant Seven, you can find .
| A．your favorite books 40% off the list price |
| B．the reader’s favorite books 30% off the list price |
| C．the new titles chosen by the editors as the must-read books of the season everyday |
| D．the best-selling books chosen by editors on show every Monday |
The underlined word “categories” means “ ’.
| A．stores | B．shelves | C．types | D．sports |
It was starting to get dark and Bobby turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the setting sun’s rays reflecting off something along the roadside. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime(一角钱). Never before has anyone felt so wealthy as B
obby felt at that moment.
As he held his new found treasure, a warmth spread throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store he saw.
His excitement quickly turned cold when the salesperson told him that he couldn’t buy anything with only a dime.
He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother’s Christmas gift. The shop owner looked at Bobby and his ten cents offering. Then he said to him, “You just wait here and I’ll see what I can do for you.”
The sound of the door closed as the last customer left. All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel cold and afraid. Suddenly the shop owner came out. There, before Bobby’s eyes, lay twelve long stem, red roses, with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow. Bobby’s heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box. “That will be ten cents, young man.” The shop owner said reaching out his hand for the dime.
Sensing the boy’s reluctance(勉强), the shop owner added, “I just happened to have some roses on sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them?”
When the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true. Walking out of the door that the owner was holding, Bobby heard the shopkeeper say, “Merry Christmas, son.” Bobby feel that he was rich?
| A．Because he found a purse with many dollars |
B．Becau se he found some money on the way home. |
| C．Because he was given a bunch of flowers |
| D．Because he found some hidden treasure. |
What can we infer from the third paragraph?
| A．Christmas gifts were always very expensive |
| B．The salesperson’s words greatly disappointed Bobby. |
| C．Bobby was tired of trying one shop after another |
| D．The salesperson was trying to cheat Bobby. |
While waiting for the shop owner in the flower ship, Bobby .
| A．was full of excitement and joy |
| B．was very thankful to the shop owner |
| C．felt he had been cheated by the owner |
| D．was not sure whether the owner would accept his offering |
Living an Adventurous Life
Nearly ten years ago, I was told that I had a brain tumor （瘤）, and this experience changed my attitude about adventure forever．I thought that I was going to die and that all my adventures were over．I did not have a brain tumor, it turned out, but rather multiple sclerosis （多发性硬化症）, which meant that, although they were not over, the nature of my adventures could have to change．
Each morning that I wake up is a fresh event, something that I might not have had．Each gesture that I make carries the weight of uncertainty and demands significant attention: buttoning my shirt, changing a light bulb, walking down stairs．I might not be able to do it this time．If I could not delight in them, they would likely drown me in anger and in self-pity．
I admire the grand adventures of others．I read about them with interest．With Peter Matthiessen I have hiked across the Himalayas to the Crystal Mountain．I have walked with Annie Dillard up, down, into, and across Tinker Creek in all seasons．David Bain has gone with me along 110 miles of Philippine coast, and Ed Abbey has rowed me down the Colorado River．I enjoy the adventures of these courageous figures, who can strike out on difficult trips – 2 miles, 250 miles, 3000 miles – ready to bear cold and tiredness, indeed not just to bear but to celebrate．
But as for me, I can no longer walk very far from the armchair in which I read．Some days I don’t even make it to the backyard．And yet I’m unwilling to give up the adventurous life, the difficulty of it, even the pain, the anxiety and fear, and the sudden brief lift of spirit that makes a hard journey more attractive．
I refine adventure, make it smaller and smaller．And now, whether I am moving on my hands and knees across the dining room to help my cat, lying wide-eyed in the dark battling another period of sadness, gathering flowers from the garden, meeting a friend for lunch, I am always having the adventures that are mine to have．Which of the following is TRUE about the author’s reaction after the illness?
| A．The author is drowned in anger and self-pity． |
| B．The author travels to places he/she has dreamed of． |
| C．The author can’t take care of himself/herself any longer． |
D．The a uthor adapts to the condition successfully． |
Why does the author admire the people mentioned in Paragraph 3?
| A．Because they write popular novels． | B．Because they are great adventurers． |
| C．Because they are famous geographers． | D．Because they fight with hardship in life． |
Which of the following shows the author’s strong love for adventures?
| A．The author spends almost every day looking for adventures． |
| B．The author works hard to make more money for adventures． |
| C．The author imagines having adventures while reading． |
| D．The author expects to recover only to continue adventures． |
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