Shanghai: Car rentals(出租) are becoming more and more popular as an inexpensive way of taking to the roads. Business people, foreigners and families alike are making good use of the growing industry.
The first car rental firm opened in Shanghai in 1992 and now 12 car rental players are in the game, with more than 11,500 cars in their books.
The largest Player----Shanghai Bashi Tourism Car Rental Center Offers a wide variety of choices-deluxe sedans, minivan, station wagons, coaches. Santana sedans are the big favorite.
Firms can attract enough customers for 70 percent of their cars every month. This figure shoots up during holiday seasons like National Day, Labor Day and New Year's Day, with some recording 100 percent rental.
The major market force rests in the growing Population of white-collar employees (白领雇员工),who can afford the new service, said Zhuang Yu, marketing manager of Shanghai Angel Car Rental Co.The words “deluxe sedans'," minivans" and station wagons" used in the text refer to
| A．cars in the making | B．bar rental firms. |
| C．cars for rent | D．car makers |
Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
| A．70% of the cars can be rented out on holiday |
| B．70% of the customers are white-collar employees. |
| C．More firms are open for service during holiday seasons. |
| D．Some firms rent out all their cars during holiday seasons. |
Shanghai's car rental industry is growing so fast mainly due to --,
| A．better cars supplied by producers |
| B．fast service offered by car rental firms |
| C．the increasing number of white-collar employees. |
| D．people's growing interest in travelling during holidays |
Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously, Jason was determined not to go against their father's wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loved experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you've been playing with his new computer.” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”
“He won’t find out,” Mark said. “I'll just have a quick look and shut it down.”
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father's equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
It was a strange-looking machine — one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model," his father had explained, “so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his father's warning only made Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colors, shifting and changing and then two big white words appeared in the centre of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.” “Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It's a computer game. I knew it! Dad's only been pretending to work. He's really been playing games instead.”A new message appeared on the screen: “
ENTER NAMES
VOYAGER 1:…
VOYAGER 2:…
Mark's fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
“INPUT ACCEPTED. START TRANSPORT PROGRAM. AUTO-RETRIEVE INITIATED( 自动回收程序已启动).”The screen turned even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume. “I think we'd better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled, reaching for the power switch. He was really frightened.But his hand never reached the switch. A single beam of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒) , until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed.
“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL. DESTINATION ( 目的地)：MARS. RETRIEVE DATE: 2025.”Why did Mark touch the computer against his father's warning?
| A．He wanted to take a voyage. | B．He wanted to practice his skill. |
| C．He was so much attracted by it. | D．He was eager to do an experiment. |
Where did the boys' father most likely work?
| A．In an electronic factory. | B．In a computer company. |
| C．In a scientific research center. | D．In an information processing center. |
Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of______.
| A．a computer game | B．a company website |
| C．a software producer | D．an astronomer |
Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?
| A．He was afraid of being scolded. |
| B．He didn't like the loud noise and light. |
| C．He didn't want to play games any more. |
| D．He was afraid something dangerous might happen. |
What happened to the boys at the end of the story?
| A．They were blown into the air. |
| B．They were sent to another planet. |
| C．They were hidden in the strong light. |
| D．They were carried away to another country. |
Today, there’s hardly an aspect of our life that isn’t being upended by the tons of information available on the hundreds of millions of sites crowding the Internet, not to mention its ability to keep us in constant touch with each other via electronic mail. “If the automobile and aerospace technology had exploded at the same pace as computer and information technology,” says Microsoft, “a new car would cost about $ 2 and go 600 miles on a small quantity of gas. And you could buy a Boeing 747 for the cost of a pizza.”
Probably the biggest payoff, however, is the billions of dollars the Internet is saving companies in producing goods and serving for the needs of their customers. Nothing like it has been seen since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when power-driven machines began producing more in a day than men could turn out in nearly a year. “We view the growth of the Internet and e-commerce as a global trend,” says Merrill Lynch, “along the lines of printing press, the telephone, the computer, and electricity.”
You would be hard pressed to name something that isn’t available on the Internet. Consider: books, health care, movie tickets, construction materials, baby clothes, stocks, cattle feed, music, electronics, antiques, tools, real estate, toys, autographs of famous people, wine and airline tickets. And even after you’ve moved on to your final resting place, there’s no reason those you love can’t keep in touch. A company called FinalThoughts.com offers a place for you to store “afterlife e-mails” you can send to Heaven with the help of a “guardian angel”.
Kids today are so computer literate that it in fact ensures the United States will remain the unchallenged leader in cyberspace for the foreseeable future. Nearly all children in families with incomes of more than $75,000 a year have home computers, according to a study by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Youngsters from ages 2 to 17 at all income levels have computers, with 52% of those connected to the Internet. Most kids use computers to play games (some for 30 hours or more a week), and many teenage girls think nothing of rushing home from school to have e-mail chats with friends they have just left.
What’s clear is that, whether we like it or not, the Internet is an ever growing part of our lives and there is no turning back. “The Internet is just 20% invented,” says cyber pioneer Jake Winebaum. “The last 80% is happening now.”What can we learn from the Microsoft’s remark?
| A．Information technology is developing at an amazing speed. |
| B．Today’s cars and airplanes are extremely overpriced. |
| C．Information technology has reached the point where improvement is difficult. |
| D．There’s more competition in information technology industry than in car industry. |
According to the author, the biggest benefit of the Internet is that___.
| A．it speeds up profit making |
| B．it saves companies huge amounts of money |
| C．it brings people incredible convenience |
| D．it provides easy access to information |
The author gives the example of FinalThoughts.com to make the point that____.
| A．there are some genius ideas on the Internet |
| B．people can find good bargains on the Internet |
| C．almost anything is available on the Internet |
| D．people are free to do anything on the Internet |
What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?
| A．The U.S. will stay ahead in the information technology in years. |
| B．Many American children don’t study hard. |
| C．Studies show that boys are more computer literate than girls. |
| D．There is a link between income and computer ownership. |
What is the message the author intends to convey?
| A．The Internet is going to get firm hold of our lives some day. |
| B．Children should be well prepared for the challenges in the information age. |
| C．We should have a positive attitude towards the changes the Internet brings. |
| D．The Internet is going to influence our lives even more greatly. |
Salt plays an important role in our daily diet. Even a small reduction in salt in the diet can be a big help to the heart. A new study used a computer model to predict -how just three grams less a day would affect heart disease in the United States.
The result: Thirteen percent fewer heart attacks. Eight percent fewer strokes. Four percent fewer deaths. Eleven percent fewer new cases of heart disease. And two hundred forty billion dollars in health care savings. Researchers found it could prevent one hundred thousand heart attacks and ninety-two thousand deaths every year．
The study is in the New England Journal of Medicine. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo at the University of California San Francisco was the lead author. She says people would not even notice a difference in taste with three grams,or one-half teaspoon, less salt per day. The team also included researchers at Stanford and Columbia University. Each gram of salt contains four hundred milligrams of sodiu(钠), which is how foods may list their salt content．
The government says the average American man eats ten grams of salt a day. The American Heart Association advises no more than three grams for healthy people. It says salt in the American diet has increased fifty percent since the nineteen seventies, while blood pressures have also risen. Less salt can mean a lower blood pressure.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leading an effort called the National Salt Reduction Initiative.The idea is to put pressure on food companies and restaurants. Critics call it government interference.
Mayor Bloomberg has already succeeded in other areas, like requiring fast food places in the city to list calorie information. Now a study by the Seattle Children's Research Institute shows that the calorie information on the menu can influence what parents order for their children. Ninety-nine parents of three to six year olds took part. Half had calories between the two groups for foods that the parents would have chosen for themselves. McDonald's menus clearly showing how many calories were in each food. Parents given the counts chose an average of one hundred two fewer calories when asked what they would order for their children. Yet there was no difference in calories between the two groups for foods that the parents would have chosen for themselves.
Study leader Pooja Tandon says even small calorie reductions on a regular basis can prevent weight gain over time.The study was published in the journal Pediatrics．Which of the following benefits does less salt diet in the passage NOT cover?
| A．The decrease of strokes | B．The prevention of weight gain |
| C．Fewer heart attacks | D．The drop in medical care cost |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．Americans ate no more than 5 grams of salt per day in the 1970s |
| B．the American Heart Association suggests less than 3 grams of salt a day for everyone |
| C．the less salt one eats, the healthier he will be |
| D．all the heart diseases result from eating too much salt |
The National Salt Reduction Initiative aims to_______.
| A．inform people of the harm that salt does to health |
| B．attract the public attention to the problem |
| C．require fast food places to list salt information |
| D．put pressure on food companies and restaurants |
The underlined sentence "Yet there was no difference in calories between the two groups for foods that the parents would have chosen for themselves." implies that _______.
| A．Parents pay less attention to the amount of calories in their diet. |
| B．Parents set a good example to their children in daily diet. |
| C．Parents take less salt than before while taking meals. |
| D．Most parents are on a diet for their health. |
Which of the following might be the best title for this passage?
| A．Relationship between Salt and Health |
| B．Less Salt Can Mean Being More Healthy |
| C．A Survey on People's Regular Diet |
| D．Mayor Michael Bloomberg and His Health Project |
Bedfordshire had its fair share of royal visits from the early stages of the 10th Century onwards and the importance that the county placed on this is evident in the monuments, country houses, churches and any number of other structures that are still present there to this day. Bedford Castle is one of those structures and, although it is nowhere near its former glory today, it is an essential attraction to visit if you really want to grasp what its heritage means to the county!
Bedford Castle was built initially as a fortress to help protect Bedfordshire on the south of the River Ouse after the people in the local towns and villages had already been subdued. It was erected in 919 on the orders of King Edward the Elder, although it was destroyed by a Danish invasion years later. This was when it was rebuilt as the castle, of which the ruins exist today!
There is a long history behind the castle that involves several kings as a result of the Duke of Bedford being an ardent royalist. Bedford Castle repeatedly offered the kings of England refuge against various storms in the form of onslaughts from abroad and various domestic threats against them, and this is where much of its fame lies, even though the castle itself is no longer there. There are various tours of the ruins that you can take when you visit though and all of the guides are extremely knowledgeable. They will happily tell you tales of the mound and the castle that preceded it.
The mound is open to the public all year round and is a proud part of the area’s heritage. It is recommended by the majority of people that visit Bedfordshire because it tells you much about why the county is currently how it is. You can view the river from the mound and the surrounding settlements as well as the remains of the castle, and every moment spent there is worth it so enjoy the history and the very nature of the county itself! What do we know from the first paragraph?
| A．The royals pay regular visits to Bedfordshire |
| B．Bedford Castle represents the heritage of the county |
| C．Most of the ancient buildings are in use today |
| D．Bedfordshire had its fair share of royal visits |
The underlined word “initially” in Paragraph 2 probably means _______.
| A．at first | B．since the beginning |
| C．for one particular purpose | D．for a short time |
The kings of England came to Bedford Castle ______.
| A．to escape from the bad weather | B．to visit the Duke of Bedford |
| C．to enjoy the beauty of nature | D．to seek temporary protection |
Why are visitors recommended to visit Bedfordshire? ______
| A．It reflects the history of the country |
| B．It is the major heritage in that region |
| C．The ancient castle is well worth visiting |
| D．The castle is still in good condition |
The purpose of writing the text is _______.
| A．to attract tourists to Bedfordshire | B．to tell the history of Bedfordshire |
| C．to introduce Bedford Castle | D．to show where the kings used to go |
Many parents have learned the hard way that what sounds like open communication is often the very thing that closes a youngster’s ears and mouth. One common mistake is the Lecture, the long monologue that often starts with “When I was your age….” Eighteen-year-old Kelly calls lectures “long, one-side discussions in which I don’t say much.”
Kids reflexively（条件反射地） shut down in the face of a lecture. Their eyes glaze over, and they don’t register any incoming information. Listen to 13-year-old Sarah describe her least favorite times with her mom and dad. “First, they scream. Then comes the ‘We’re so disappointed’ speech. Then the ‘I never did that to my parents’ lecture begins. After that, even if they realize how ridiculous they sound, they never take it back.”
Lines like “When you have children of your own, you’ll understand” have been seriously said by parents since time immemorial. But many of our expert parents, like Bobby, a registered nurse and mother of three, feel that by falling back on clichés（陈词滥调）to justify our actions, we weaken our position.
Since kids are creatures of here and now, the far-off future has no relevance to them. Therefore, good communicators like Bobby suggest, “Give specific reasons for your actions in present language: ‘I’m not letting you go to the party because I don’t think there will be enough adult supervisions（监护）.’”
Betty, who lives in Missiouri, uses an indirect approach. “I find that warnings are accepted more readily if I discuss a news article on a subject I am concerned about. My husband and I talk about it while our children absorb the information. Then they never think I’m preaching(布道).”
This really helped when Betty’s kids began driving. Instead of constantly repeating “Don’t drink; don’t speed,” she would talk about articles in the paper and express sympathy for the victims of a car crash. Betty made no special effort to draw her kids into the conversation. She depended on a teenager’s strong desire to put in his opinions---especially if he thinks he isn’t being asked for them.The purpose of the passage is to _________.
| A．compare two ways of parents` communicating with their kids |
| B．explain why kids won’t listen to their parents |
| C．give parents advice on how to communicate with their kids |
| D．introduce kids` reaction to the communication between them and their parents |
Which of the following statements is NOT right?
| A．Kids won’t listen to their parents because they think what their parents say is boring. |
| B．Kids don’t like any discussion at all. |
| C．Some kids think their parents should apologize when they are wrong. |
| D．Many kids think they have no right to express their own opinions. |
What does the underlined word in the first paragraph mean?
| A．讨论 | B．对话 | C．插话 | D．独白 |
Which of the following topic may appeal to kids?
| A．Something related to kids’ present life |
| B．Kids possible life in the future |
| C．Parents` own experience |
| D．What parents have done to their own parents. |
In order to make kids follow their advice, parents should______.
| A．tell their kids to listen carefully |
| B．arouse kids’ desire to express themselves. |
| C．list out as many examples as possible |
| D．set out their warnings directly |
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