London has become a cycle friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme．It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London．
So how does it work？First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key．The key will unlock one of the bikes，which are kept at docking stations in and around central London．You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go，for the length of time you use the bike．
Transport for London, which runs the scheme，are hoping to have 6，000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year．The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion in London and is expected to generate up to 40，000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been “filled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as common place on our roads as black cabs and red buses”.
However，there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday．On the first day some people found they couldn’t dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered．Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few “teething problems” and have said they wouldn’t charge for the first day as a“gesture of goodwill”．Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles．
Despite the comments，the green-thinking London Mayor still seems very positive about things，saying，“My campaign for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a gigantic pedal-powered push forwards．”Which is the correct order of a bike hire？
a．pay a usage charge according to the time b．pay for the key
c．cycle in and around central London d．sign up as a member to get a key
| A．b-d-c-a | B．b-c-a-d | C．d-c-b-a | D．d-b-c-a |
．Which of the following is NOT the “teething problems” of the scheme？
| A．People were unable to lock properly． |
| B．People could not dock the bikes properly． |
| C．People had no enthusiasm about the scheme． |
| D．It’s too expensive for some people to hire a bike． |
．From the passage we know __________．
| A．the ‘cycling revolution’ failed once started |
| B．the scheme will be put off due to the problems |
| C．all the citizens in London are in favor of the scheme |
| D．the London Mayor has great confidence in the scheme |
Have you ever had a science class that you look forward to? It doesn’t happen often. But when you have a teacher like Mrs. Field, it’s more than a science class. It’s a science class where learning is easy and fun. There is no getting down to a huge textbook or listening to a teacher about something you don’t care about.
My experience with Mrs. Field didn’t start with science class, but with her as my tutor. I was always a weak reader and wasn’t getting any better. My parents told me I needed to be tutored. One day after school, I went into the library with my mom for my first tutoring time. I had no idea who was tutoring me. My mom practically had to drag me into the library. The first thing we did was to play a game to get to know each other and get rid of the awkwardness. We didn’t even play a reading game.
We also went around the library and I got to pick out a book I wanted to read. She didn’t make me read a boring textbook about something I didn’t care about. I didn’t even pick a book. I picked out a magazine about remote control cars. I thought to myself, how bad could it be? To my surprise, She told me even though I was reading a magazine, I was still reading. After the first magazine, she picked out a book she liked. I would read a chapter and then she would read a chapter to me, in this way I didn’t have to read for long periods of time.
As I got better and faster at reading, I was able to read two chapters in the same amount of time, which used to take me to read one chapter.
Reading is one of the most important things in high school and college to be successful. If it were not for her, I would not be the reader I am today ! The writer tutored by Mrs. Field because____________.
| A．he was too shy to talk with others. |
| B．he found science fun but hard. |
| C．he was eager to learn science. |
| D．he lacked the skills of reading. |
It can be inferred from the second paragraph that __________.
| A．the writer knew Mrs. Field very well |
| B．the writer was unwilling to be tutored |
| C．the writer felt awkward to read in the library |
| D．the writer went to the library to play a reading game |
At the library, the writer __________.
| A．chose any book he was interested in |
| B．played a reading game with Mrs. Field |
| C．was asked to read one chapter after another |
| D．had to read textbooks rather than magazines |
What’s the author’s feeling about Mrs. Field according to the last paragraph?
| A．unsatisfied | B．worried |
| C．grateful | D．regretful |
Your car is a necessary part of your life. You use it every day. Of course, you want to hold on to it so you make sure it has the latest alarm and immobilizer. But despite all these, cars like yours are still stolen every day. In fact, in this country, one car is stolen almost every minute! And if your car is stolen, you only have a 50:50 chance of seeing it again.
Each year, car crime costs nearly £3 billion. Of course, if you’re insured, you won’t lose out, or will you? Firstly, you will have to pay extra insurance later on, and then you may not be offered the full amount by the agent. You will probably have to hire a car and you will also lose the value of the contents and accessories (配件) in the car.
Now comes the solution. An RAC Trackstar system, hidden in one of 47 possible secret locations in your car, is the key of our system. If your car is stolen, radio signals are sent at twenty-second intervals from the car to the RAC Trackstar National Control Center via a satellite network. Then a computer gives the vehicle’s exact location, speed and direction.
The RAC Trackstar National Control Center, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, will immediately inform the police in the area where the car is located. Because the police receive information every twenty seconds, they will always know the vehicle’s location. Once the thief has been arrested, your car will be returned to you.
RAC Trackstar is unique in being able to provide the National Control Center with details of the exact location of your car, its speed and direction. And speed is the key to successful recovery of a stolen vehicle. RAC Trackstar Control will immediately tell the police if you report your car stolen and under the 24-hour Guardian Option. It will also tell you if your car has been stolen. RAC Trackstar’s constant updates mean the police are kept informed of the car’s location. All these greatly improve your chances of seeing your car again.
If your car is stolen, you will have to ______.
| A．hire a new car |
| B．pay more insurance |
| C．buy a RAC Trackstar system |
| D．inform the National Control Center |
The Trackstar system can tell the police ______.
| A．how the car is stolen | B．who the thief is |
| C．what brand the car is | D．where the car is |
The underlined word “It” in the last paragraph refers to ______.
| A．the local police station |
| B．the Guardian Option |
| C．the insurance company |
| D．the RAC Trackstar Control |
According to the passage, people with RAC Trackstar ______.
| A．automatically find directions |
| B．seldom get their vehicles damaged |
| C．have less chance of being in an accident |
| D．are more likely to get the stolen cars back |
A castle is a type of fortified（加固的）structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages. This is different from a palace, which is no fortified-though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to diverse structures.
The European castles originated in the 9th and 10th centuries, resulting in its land divided among nobles. These nobles built castles to control the area surrounding them, and they were both offensive and defensive structures. Although army uses are often emphasized in castle studies, the structures also served as centres of administration and symbols of power. Urban castles were used to control the local people and important travel routes, and rural castles were often built near farmland.
Many castles were originally built from earth and wood, but had their defences supplanted later by stone. In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, scientific approaches to castle defence appeared, and could function to maximize the castle’s firepower. These changes in defence came from a mixture of castle technology. Although gunpowder was introduced to be built well into the 16th century, improved cannon（大炮）fire made them uncomfortable places to live in. As a result, true castles went into decline.
From the 18th century onwards, there was a renewed interest in castles with the construction of mock（仿造的）castles, part of a romantic revival（复活）of Gothic architecture, but they had no defensive purpose.
According to the first paragraph, we can know .
| A．the palace is a fortified structure |
| B．the castle is different from the palace |
| C．the palace changed over time |
| D．the structures of the castle in different ages look the same. |
what does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．Symbols of the European castles. |
| B．Functions of the European castles. |
| C．Influences of the European castles. |
| D．Characteristics of the European castles. |
The underlined word “ supplanted ” in the third paragraph is closet in meaning to “ “.
| A．produced | B．saved | C．protected | D．replaced |
What can be inferred from the river?
| A．Castles have nothing in common with palaces. |
| B．Castles have a history of more than 1,000 years in Europe. |
| C．Castles were mainly used for defensive purposes after the 18th century. |
| D．The introduction of gunpowder instantly influenced castle building in Europe. |
Photography has been my interest ever since I was old enough to pick up a camera, but today I want to share with you the 15 most treasured photos of mine, and I didn’t take any of them. There were no art directors, no stylists, no chance for reshoots, not even any regard for lighting. In fact, most of them were taken by random tourists.
My story begins when I was in New York City for a speech, and my wife took a picture of me holding my daughter on her first birthday. We’re on the corner of the 57th and 5th avenue. We happened to be back in New York exactly a year later, so we decided to take the same picture.
Well you can see where this is going. Approaching my daughter’s third birthday, my wife said, “Hey, why don’t you take Sabina back to New York and make it a father-daughter trip, and continue the ceremony?” This is when we started asking passing tourists to take the picture.
So these photos are far more than representatives for a single moment, or even a specific trip. They’re also ways for us to freeze time for one week in October and reflect on our times and how we change from year to year, and nor just physically, but in every way. Because while we take the same photo, our viewpoints change, and she reaches new milestones and I get to see life through her eyes, and how she communicates with and sees everything. This very focused time we get to spend together is something we value and expect the entire year.
What can we know about the author from the first paragraph?
| A．He is fond of being photographed alone. |
| B．He hardly ever asks strangers to take pictures of him. |
| C．He has been interested in photography since childhood. |
| D．He’s proud of the 15 most treasured photos taken by himself. |
Who came up with the idea of having a father-daughter trip when Sabina was 3 years old?
| A．Her mother. | B．Her father. |
| C．Sabina herself | D．An unknown tourist. |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that .
| A．children usually get to see life through adults’ eyes |
| B．the 15 photos are meaningful to the author’s family |
| C．it takes the author a whole week to have a family photo taken |
| D．the viewpoints of the author’s family never change with the time. |
What can be the best title of the text?
| A．Believe it or not; photos do change |
| B．Photos help a family become rich |
| C．Even strangers can help take photographs |
| D．A father-daughter bond, one photo at a time |
Are you a volcano lover? Here is a list of some of the world’s most beautiful volcanoes that our travel agency can offer you to visit. Don’t miss them!
Mount Mayon, the Philippines
Located about 450 km southeast of Manila on the island of Luzon, Mount Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines; a September 2014 eruption forced thousands to flee the area. Those who hike the volcano are rewarded with views of the towns on the Albay province and the Pacific Ocean. But even those who prefer the view from a distance have historical good point at the Cagsawa Ruins, once an 18th Century Franciscan church that was destroyed by an 1814 eruption.
Kilauea and Mauna Kea, Hawall
Hawaii’s volcanoes are known for their active eruptions and extraordinary scenes. Mauna Kea is around one million years old, while Kilauea is the youngest volcano in Hawaii and has been erupting continuously since 1983. The lava falls straight into the sea, creating fantastic forms of black rocks and smoke clouds.
Mount Kelimutu, Indonesia
Kelimutu’s three mysterious crater lakes attract both scientists and tourists to the island of Flores in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province. One is emerald green（翡翠绿），another dark red, and the third pitch black. Scientists say the lakes take on such colors because the volcanic gases met the lakes’ minerals centuries ago.
People who hike Mount Mayon can enjoy the following EXCEPT .
| A．views of the towns in the Albay province |
| B．views of the Pacific Ocean |
| C．views of the Cagsawa Ruins |
| D．views of Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province |
According to the text, Kilauea .
| A．is an active volcano |
| B．stopped erupting in 1983 |
| C．is the youngest volcano in the world |
| D．forces thousands to flee in 2014. |
The colors of Kelimutu’s three mysterious crater lakes are due to .
| A．water pollution | B．different environment |
| C．chemical reaction | D．different temperatures |
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