If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day ,few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学).Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to .
| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students .
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
The passage is likely to appear in .
| A．a biography | B．a history paper |
| C．a newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
Since ancient times, people have known about its ability to reduce pain and high body temperature. More than 2000 years ago, the Greek doctor Hippocrates advised his patients to chew on the bark and leaves of the willow.
The tree contains a chemical called salicin（柳醇）. From salicin, researchers in the 1800s discovered how to make salicylic acid（酸）. And in 1897, a chemist named Felix Hoffmann at Friedrich Bayer and Company in Germany created acetyl salicylic acid. Later it became the active substance in a new medicine that Bayer called aspirin. The "a" came from acetyl. The "spir" came from the spirea plant, which also produces salicin. And the "in" Well, that is a common way to end medicine names.
In 1982, a British scientist shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in part for discovering how aspirin works. Sir John Vane found that aspirin blocks the body from making natural substances called prostaglandins（前列腺素）.Prostaglandins have several effects on the body. Some cause pain and the expansion, or swelling（ 肿瘤; 膨胀）, of damaged tissue. Others protect the lining of the stomach and small intestine. Prostaglandins also make the heart, kidneys and blood vessels （血管）work well. But there is a problem. Aspirin works against all prostaglandins, good and bad. Scientists learned how aspirin interferes with an enzyme（酶）. One form of this enzyme makes the prostaglandin that causes pain and swelling. Another form of the enzyme creates a protective effect. So aspirin can reduce pain and swelling in damaged tissues. But it can also harm the inside of the stomach and small intestine（肠）.What sickness can the medicine from the willow deal with according to the passage?
| A．Cold | B．Toothache | C．Cancer | D．Skin disease |
What can we know about Prostaglandin according to the passage?
| A．It results from pain. |
| B．It prevents the lining of the stomach and small intestine. |
| C．It causes blood vessels to work wrongly. |
| D．It is sometimes good but sometimes bad. |
What can we know about aspirin according to the passage?
| A．Aspirin can treat almost diseases. |
| B．Aspirin can create the protective enzyme. |
| C．Aspirin can harm the inside of the stomach and small intestine. |
| D．Aspirin can protect the inside of the stomach and small intestine. |
If women are mercilessly exploited year after year, they have only themselves to blame. Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion. When you come to think of it, only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear.
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time altering the dresses they have. Skirts are lengthened or shortened; neck－lines are lowered or raised, and soon.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth, comfort and durability. They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn’t at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or delicately picking her way through deep snow in high－heeled shoes.
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are obvious. Does the constantly changing fashion of women's clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanged styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to decide. The writer would be less critical if fashion designers placed more stress on the of clothing
___ .
| A．comfort | B．appearance | C．cost | D．suitability |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE？
| A．Fashion designs should not be encouraged since they are only welcomed by women. |
| B．The constant changes in women's clothing reflect their strength of character. |
| C．The fashion industry makes an important contribution to society. |
| D．New fashions in clothing are created for the commercial exploitation of women. |
By saying “the conclusions to be drawn are obvious”, the writer means that _____.
| A．women’s inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at |
| B．women are better able to put up with discomfort |
| C．men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers |
| D．men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion |
| Book 1 Elixir written by Eric Walters Twelve-year-old Roth becomes a friend of Dr．Banting and his assistant, Mr．Best, who are in search of a cure for diabetes （糖尿病）．She finds herself torn between her sympathy for the animals being experimented on and her friendship with Banting and Best． |
| Book 2 George Washingtion Carver written by Elizabeth Macleod Meet the “Peanut（花生）Specialist”, George Washington Carver, the inventor and professor who made over 325 products out of peanuts．Through his agricultural research, he also greatly improved the lives of countless black farmers in the southern United States．See also Macleod’s Albert Einstein: A Life of Genius. |
| Book 3 The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations written by Alootook Ipellie & David MacDonald Explore more than 40 ideas necessary to Inuit survival．From ideas familiar to us today to inventive concepts that shaped their lives, celebrate the creativity of a remarkably intelligent people．Also see other books: The Chinese Thought of It by Tingxing Ye and A Native American Thought of It by Rocky Landon and David MacDonald． |
| Book 4 Made in Canada:101 Amazing Achievements written by Bev Spencer What things do we use daily that have a Canadian connection? Here are 101 common things that were invented in Canada or by a Canadian, including the Blackberry, alkaline（碱性）batteries and the Blue Box recycling program． |
| Book 5 Newton and the Time Machine written by Michael McGowan Ten-year-old boy Newton has invented a time machine to see dinosaurs up close．But it disappears on a test run with his two huge friends, King Herbert and Queen Certrude, in it! Can he save them before time runs out? |
Which of the following best describes Roth’s feeling in Book 1?
| A．Painful. | B．Curious. | C．Frightened. | D．Disappointed. |
In Book 5, King Herbert and Queen Gertrude are_______.
| A．the names of the time machine |
| B．Newton’s human friends |
| C．two dinosaurs |
| D．the inventors of the time machine |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Alkaline batteries were invented by Dr. Banting. |
| B．Book 3 introduces 40 inventive concepts. |
| C．Animals are mentioned in Book 1 and Book 5. |
| D．George Washington Carver was a black farmer in the US. |
The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world's supply of water. With 97% of the world's water too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture. Although the idea of a water shortage(短缺)seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, many of the world's agricultural industries experience constant water shortages.
Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water redistribution(重新分配)are very high. Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered. Where valleys(山谷)are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed. Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other. Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements.
This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation (灌溉). In Texas, farmers' overuse of irrigation water has resulted in a 25% reduction of the water stores. In the Central Valley area of southwestern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much of the water use has been poorly managed.
Saudi Arabia's attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumping of huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves. Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry.What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
| A．Ways to reduce the costs of building dams. |
| B．Steps to improving water use management. |
| C．Measures to deal with worldwide water shortages. |
| D．Approaches to handling the pressure on water supply. |
From the first two paragraphs we learn that________.
| A．much of the world's water is available for use |
| B．people in high rainfall countries feel lucky |
| C．the costs of water redistribution should be considered |
| D．water can be easily carried through pipes across the world |
The text is mainly about________.
| A．water supply and increasing population |
| B．water shortages and environmental protection |
| C．water redistribution and wildlife protection |
| D．water use management and agriculture |
Homestay provides English language students with the opportunity to speak English outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a British home.
What to Expect
The host will provide accommodation and meals. Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week. You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health.
Accommodation Zones
Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones2,3 and 4 of the transport system. Most hosts do not live in the town center as much of central London is commercial and not residential（居住的）.Zones3 and 4often offer larger accommodation in a less crowed area. It is very convenient to travel in London by Underground.
Meal Plans Available
♢Continental Breakfast
♢Breakfast and Dinner
♢Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner
It’s important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast.Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal (谷物类食品), bread and tea or coffee. Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally part of a Continental Breakfast in England. Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by desert, fruit and coffee.
Friends
If you wish to invite a friend over to visit, you must first ask your host’s permission. You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy.
Self-Catering Accommodation in Private Homes
Accommodation on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room. This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestyle and is more suitable for the long-stay student. However, it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practice English at home quite as much. What can be inferred from Paragraph3?
| A．Zone 4 is more crowded than Zone 2. |
| B．Hosts dislike travelling to the city centre. |
| C．The business centre of London is in Zone1. |
| D．Accommodation in the city center is not provided. |
According to the passage, what does Continental Breakfast include?
| A．Dessert and coffee. |
| B．Bread and fruit juice. |
| C．Fruit and vegetables. |
| D．Centre and cold meat. |
Why do some people choose self-catering accommodation?
| A．To experience a warmer family atmosphere. |
| B．To enrich their knowledge of English. |
| C．To enjoy much more freedom. |
| D．To entertain friends as they like. |
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