“Everybody loves a bargain.” One person’s useless, ugly, or broken object can be another person’s bargain. That is why so many Americans do not throw things away. They put them outside their houses. They put on a “For Sale” sign. And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale.
The sellers put a paid announcement(付费通告)in a local newspaper. It tells when and where the yard sale will take place. These sales are very popular during weekends in spring, summer, and autumn. Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house. Then they sit all day in the sunlight---like tired guests at a party---waiting for someone to take them home.
Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale. Sometimes, there are more clothes than anything else. Cooking equipment is also popular. So are old toys, tools, books, tables and chairs. Then there are objects called “white elephants”. A white elephant is something you think is extremely ugly or useless. It may be an electric light shaped like a fish. You feel a sharp pain whenever you look at it. To someone else, however, it might be a thing of beauty and joy.
Some people go to yard sales to find a special thing that they collect. It may be old toy trains, for example, or painting of dogs. Experts say more Americans are collecting old things now than ever before. Most people who go to yard sales, however, are not looking for anything special. They might buy an object simply because it costs so little. They enjoy negotiating(谈判) over prices, even if they really do not need the object. Later, they may hold their own yard to sell all the things they have bought.What kind of things will go to a yard sale?
| A．Cheap and ugly things. | B．Things people no longer use. |
| C．Things out of season. | D．Things of great value. |
A white elephant refers to _________.
| A．something that can cause a feeling of pain |
| B．something disliked by the owners while appreciated by others |
| C．something sold at the lowest prices |
| D．a toy shaped like a fish |
Most people go to yard sales to________.
| A．find valuable paintings | B．look for something special |
| C．find a bargain | D．kill their time |
Which of the following is NOT true about a yard sale?
| A．It may not be held when the weather is very cold. |
| B．It can last for a whole day. |
| C．It is usually held with a party. |
| D．It is held outdoors. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that__________.
| A．people may find something of great value on a yard sale |
| B．yard sales only attract those who have a low income |
| C．things on a yard sale can cost people a lot |
| D．most people don’t want to go to yard sales. |
For years experts have argued that poor households are consuming less nourishing food than the rest of the population.
But a survey of some of the lowest earners in Britain shows the nutritional value of what they eat is little different to everyone else.
In fact, the same deficiencies in diet were shared by all the population and the findings suggest that poor eating choices are far more widespread than previously suspected - affecting many wealthier families.
These included low fruit and vegetable consumption, not eating enough oily fish and eating too much saturated fat and sugar.
“This is a large and significant study and it shows we are all eating just as bad a diet as each other,” said Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City University.
The poorest families were eating only slightly more sugar and slightly less fruit and vegetables, according to the study of 3,728 respondents in the bottom of the population.
Alison Tedstone, head of nutritional science at the Food Standard Agency, said: “Overall, people on low incomes have less than ideal diets, but their diets are only slightly worse than those of the rest of the population.”
The study also showed that low earners are choosing to eat unhealthily. Their food choices were not linked to their income, their access to shops or their cooking skills.
The findings appear to contradict assumptions that the poor cannot afford healthier foods or are too far away from shops that sell them.
The Low Income Nutrition and Diet Survey showed that like the rest of the population, the poor's daily fruit and vegetable intake on average is below the recommended five portions. Fewer than 10 per cent of respondents hit this target, while around 20 per cent ate less than a portion per day.
More than three quarters (76 per cent) of men and 81 per cent of women did less than one 30-minute session of moderate or vigorous exercise per week.
Some 45 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women were smokers.
This compares with 28 per cent of men and 24 per cent of women in the general population.
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．Whether the poor or the rich maybe have a bad diet. |
| B．Even the poor can enjoy enough fruit and fish consumption. |
| C．Only the poor have a bad diet. |
| D．The study was conveyed in both the rich and the poor. |
What kind of persons maybe eat most sugar?
| A．The rich. | B．Men. | C．The poorest. | D．Women |
From the passage, we can learn __________.
| A．the poor choose unhealthy food because of low income |
| B．having no access to shops also leads to the poor’s bad diet |
| C．the poor’s daily fruit intake is as much as general people |
| D．the number of smokers in the poor is bigger than that in general people |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．The poor’s healthy problem. | B．Keep off junk food. |
| C．How to have a good diet. | D．A diet survey. |
Plastics are considered one of the most serious pollutants causing environmental problems. The garbage containing plastics end up in the waterways that eventually flow into the oceans. Accumulation (聚集)of plastic in the ocean endangers marine life and pollutes the water.
Does a plastic continent exist? Yes, a plastic continent does exist and was discovered by Captain Charles Moore a decade ago. The plastic continent is twice the size of Britain and it is the region between the Hawaii Islands and California in the central Pacific Ocean.
One of the causes of the lack of marine life in this region is due to pollution and pollutants are none other than plastics. Captain Charles Moore believes plastic waste started accumulating in the 1950s.
The plastic continent is the man-made continent of floating plastic waste. The fisher men and the sailors have avoided this region for years. The reasons are:
1. There are no fish here because of the lack of nutrients.
2. The zone also lacks the wind that is essential for sailing.
To do research on the ocean pollution, Captain Moore founded Algalita Marine Research Foundation. Other organizations such as Greenpeace supported his cause. The reports of The United Nations Environment Program show that millions of seabirds and marine animals are dying due to the invasion(入侵)of plastics. The waste plastics can be recycled, but in fact they are being thrown into the oceans. The marine animals mistake these for food and eat them. This leads to their death that affects the marine food chain.
To save the oceans from the plastic continent you need to reduce the use of plastics, reuse plastic bags and recycle plastics. What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．A plastic continent does exist in the Pacific Ocean |
| B．Endangered marine life is well protected. |
| C．Plastics are one of the main causes of water pollution. |
| D．Plastics should be forbidden in people’s daily life. |
What is the direct influence of the plastic continent?
| A．Local fishermen have to fish in other areas. |
| B．The water becomes shallow and fish have to move away. |
| C．The wind is too strong there and it makes sailing more difficult. |
| D．It makes people realize the importance of protecting the environment. |
It is implied that the work of plastic recycling proves to be ______.
| A．effective | B．expensive | C．a difficult task | D．not good enough |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Many marine animals are dying due to the broken marine food chain. |
| B．Captain Moore founded Greenpeace to do research on the ocean pollution. |
| C．The marine animals have no choice but to eat plastics for lack of food. |
| D．There are three ways to prevent the oceans from becoming a plastic continent. |
It is Saturday afternoon．You and your friends are planning to go to the movies and then spend the night together． Just as you start to get ready, your dad reminds you it is your aunt's birthday and the whole family is going out to dinner to celebrate．How can this possibly end without a huge argument?
One of the greatest sources of tension（紧张情绪）between teenagers and their families is the struggle to balance personal desires with family expectations．As you are getting older，you are becoming more independent and more interested in being with your friends．
However，at the same time，your family is trying to figure out how to deal with these changes． While you once spent most of your free time with your family，you are now often absent from home．Parents may get their feelings hurt．Or they might feel that they are losing control of their family during this period．You might feel angry that so many family demands are placed on you．
There are a few things you can try to make it a little easier to ease（缓解）the tension．
* Make your plans in advance．Ask your parents if there is anything else planned at that time．
* When something with your friends interferes（干扰；冲突）with a family event，try to figure out if there is any way you can do both．
* Suggest something you would really like to do with your family．Sometimes parents feel better just knowing their teenager wants to spend time with them．
Some of the time you won’t be happy with the outcome（结果）．You might either have to disappoint your parents or have to miss out being with your friends．However，if you show consideration（体谅）for the feelings of both your family and your friends，you can solve the problem in a tender way．
The purpose of the first paragraph is to _________．
| A．show a disagreement of views |
| B．serve as a description of teenager trouble |
| C．serve as an introduction to the discussion |
| D．show the popularity of teenager problem |
The tension between teenagers and their families is caused by the fact that____________．
| A．teenagers don’t like to take family demands |
| B．parents want to keep their family under control |
| C．parents feel unhappy that their children make so many friends |
| D．both parents and teenagers don’t pay attention to each other’s feeling much |
Which of the following is NOT the advice given in the passage?
| A．Don’t feel angry if your parents ask you to do something． |
| B．Try to think of ways to balance family event with friend event． |
| C．Tell your parents before you decide to spend time with your friends． |
| D．Advise your parents to do something that you are interested in with you． |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To inform us of parent and teenager tension． |
| B．To tell us about a common teenager problem． |
| C．To persuade parents to show consideration for teenagers． |
| D．To advise teenagers how to deal with their tension with their family． |
Win a trip to the OREGON COAST----- Dare to Explore the Pacific Ocean. Build the biggest sand castle on the beach. Search tide pools for sea life. Watch the bright orange sunset over the ocean. Whether you’ve been to the Pacific Ocean before or have only closed your eyes and imagined it, we want to know how you would explore the Oregon Coast if you had the chance to go this summer.
JUDGING
1. Clear relationship between the Essay and the Drawing 40%.
2. Creativity and skill in design and form of the Drawing 40%.
3. Expression of the passion to draw and explore 10%.
4. Journalistic quality, uncluttered(整洁的)nature and overall quality of the Essay 10%.
PRIZE
By entering, you will have the chance to win an all-expense paid trip to the OREGON COAST. Activities will include: Kite flying, studying beautiful sea creatures, searching for sea life on a boat, science exploration at a science center and roasting over a beach campfire.
Who may enter: The competition is open to kids aged 6-14.
TEAM: Entries must be postmarked no later than July 31, 2010.
How to enter
Surf traveloregon.com/kids to download and print out an entry form.
Be sure to mark whether you have to or have not been to the Pacific Ocean in the form. Create a drawing of the Pacific Ocean on a piece of paper using a pen or paints.
Write an article of 100 words or less to explain why you want to go, what you think you would see, and what you would explore if you have never been to the Pacific Ocean, or describe your favorite memories from your last visit.
Send to Dare to Explore the Pacific Ocean, NG1145 17th street NW, WashingtonD.C.20036.
What is the most important for the judging?
| A．Whether your article is written in a neat way. |
| B．The article and the drawing should be closely related. |
| C．Whether you show your passion to draw and explore. |
| D．The skill in your drawing the map of the Atlantic Ocean. |
If you win the competition, you may________.
| A．fly a kite on the beach |
| B．search the ocean for sea plants |
| C．build the biggest tower on the beach |
| D．roast the sea creatures over a beach campfire |
What information can you get from the passage?
| A．Your article should be at least 100 words. |
| B．Every kid can take part in the competition. |
| C．You should mark the drawing with your name. |
| D．You must send the drawing before July 31, 2010. |
You can most probably read the passage in_______.
| A．a textbook | B．a travel guide | C．a newspaper | D．a research book |
Beliefs form a big part of our lives. Successful people have always believed that they can be and will be successful in their lives, such as Michael Phelps. Many of us have seen Michael Phelps win 8 gold medals in a single Olympic Games. That has created a history for himself. Many people have admired his success and the first reaction in their mind will be, “Wow, how I wish I could be like him!” Have you ever wondered what brought him success?
In fact, anyone can achieve what they have wanted to achieve. It is about beliefs. Everyone is a born winner. It is this belief that drives an individual to be successful in his or her own field. All successful individuals have strong beliefs and it is one of the bases for their success. If we start to believe in ourselves, the things that we can achieve will definitely give us a pleasant surprise.
Other than having a strong belief, it is the attitude that drives the individual to create their own history. The devotion towards themselves and the drive must also be present. Imagine having a strong belief in oneself and having a poor attitude towards life. Then how would that individual turn out to be? One’s attitude comprises the drive, the devotion and the desire to achieve his goals. If one has strong beliefs about the goals that he can achieve and he displays good attitudes towards them, it would be no surprise to anyone that he will be able to achieve his goals.
Start believing in yourself and you will achieve your goals and with the right positive attitude, you will definitely be able to create the miracle that you have always dreamt of.
Which of the following is the best summary of Paragraph2?
| A．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| B．Good begun is half done. |
| C．No pains, no gains. |
| D．God helps those who help themselves. |
The underlined word comprises in Paragraph3 most probably means_______?
| A．serve as | B．belongs to |
| C．consists of | D．stands for |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
| A．attitudes can be learned from one’s parents |
| B．only strong beliefs can’t ensure you a promising future |
| C．copying other’s behaviors is a good way to succeed |
| D．attitudes can only be learned through one’s success |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Differences Between Beliefs and Attitudes |
| B．The Nature of Beliefs and Positive Attitudes |
| C．Relationship Between Beliefs and Attitudes |
| D．The Power of Beliefs and Positive Attitudes |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号