In Yemen, you always see one type of vehicle on the road: the water truck.They travel mountain roads and cross deserts to bring Yemenis the goods more valuable than oil.It is one that only the rich can afford, with the supply regularly being cut off.Others must rely on scarce rain or charity to fight thirst.
Experts say Yemen is going to be the first country in the world to run out of water.The capital, Sanaa, will run out of drinking water as early as 2025，says a report by the World Bank.
Hannan, an 18yearold from Lahej, said that only the rich could prepare for cuts in supply.“In a good week we’ll have a water supply all week but then the following week there will be water only for a day or two, ” she said.
She and her husband, a factory worker, pay 3,000 riyals (99 yuan) for a week’s supply of water from a touring water truck when the taps run dry.With an income of only 20,000 riyals (660 yuan) a month，this means the family often spend half their money on water.
“There are a lot of people who can’t afford it and they have to rely on their neighbors to help，” she said.
The average person in Yemen survives on onefifth of what the World Health Organization considers to be enough water.
In Taiz, in the south，tap water is available only once every 45 days.In the mountainous Malhan district in the north，women and children climb a 1,500m mountain to collect water from a spring, often in the small hours to avoid long queues.
Yemen is located in Southwest Asia，bordering the Arabian and Red Sea.Yemeni people have lived on scarce water supplies for thousands of years but that problem has been made serious by conflict in the area，the fastgrowing population and the use of water to grow a drug called qat.With one of the world’s highest rates of population growth—3.46 percent, Yemen is the poorest Arab country.
The government is considering desalinating (淡化) seawater，but this would be expensive and it may now be too late.The only other solution is to cut down on farming, but that means importing even more food.The passage aims to________.
| A．analyze the reasons why Yemen lacks water |
| B．suggest some solutions to the water issue in Yemen |
| C．present how serious the water problem is in Yemen |
| D．encourage the world to help Yemenis who are suffering from water shortages |
When Hannan said that only the rich could prepare for cuts in supply，she meant that________.
| A．rich people drank more water than the poor |
| B．rich people could buy water from the water trucks if there was a water supply cut |
| C．she had a rich neighbor who often helped her during water supply cuts |
| D．the rich were not affected by water supply cuts |
Which of the following may be a reason why Yemen is short of water?
| A．The country has had no rain for a long time. |
| B．The population of Yemen is growing fast. |
| C．The government has failed to reduce farming. |
| D．People can’t afford the water from government water trucks. |
The best title for the passage is “________”．
| A．Never take water for granted |
| B．The water truck—the commonest sight in Yemen |
| C．The first country to run out of water in the world |
| D．No water for Yemen |
Does a 600-year-old Chinese map prove that Christopher Columbus was not the first international explorer to navigate(航行) the New World?
In his book “Who Discovered America?”, published on Tuesday, author Gavin Menzies says the settling of North America by nonnative peoples is more complex than previously thought.
“The traditional story of Columbus discovering the New World is absolute fantasy. It’s fairy tales,” Menzies, 76, said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
However, not everyone is sold on the theory. It has been described as “Unreal” by critics, who say Menzies’ claims are impractical and not based in historical fact.
Menzies has primarily focused his studies on when and how North America was first explored. He also has enthusiastic supporters—his previous books have been best-sellers, and supporters of his theories have donated millions to his efforts, allowing him to hire a number of experts to join in his investigatons.
Menzies says that the Chinese map, found in a bookstore, was drew by Chinese navigator Zheng He and shows a detailed map of America dating back to 1418. That would place Zheng He’s efforts some 70 years ahead of Columbus. In fact, Menzies says Columbus used a copy of Zheng He’s map to plot his own voyage.
The map itself has been authenticated(鉴定), but there is currently no way of proving the map was based on images drafted in the 1400s. However, Menzies says that certain observations on the map, including descriptions of communities and other cultural landmarks in Peru, coincide with known data from that period. In addition, Menzies makes an even broader claim in his book, saying that Chinese sailors were the first to cross the Pacific Ocean 40,000 years ago. Menzies says there is DNA evidence to support his claim.
So how does Menzies believe the Chinese pulled off such a giant historical accomplishment thousands of years before anyone else?
“If you just go out in a plastic bathtub, the currents will just carry you there,” Menzies told the Mail. “They just came with the current; it’s as simple as that.”
Critics of Menzies point out that he holds no degrees or professional training as a historian. But the Daily Mail says he “can no longer be called an amateur” after his most recent efforts.
The first paragraph serves as a(n) .
| A．comment | B．introduction |
| C．summary | D．example |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．All people are not enthusiastic about the theory. |
| B．Not all people are surprised at the theory. |
| C．Not everyone wants to sell the theory. |
| D．Everybody believes the theory. |
Critics of Menzies hold that Menzies .
| A．is just playing a joke | B．creates the map himself |
| C．is no longer an amateur | D．has no academic background |
According to Menzies, .
| A．Zheng He once reached South America |
| B．Columbus discovered America in about 1490 |
| C．Zheng He helped Columbus discover the New World |
| D．it was quite hard for Chinese to cross the Pacific Ocean |
| 1. Sourcing Assistant Needed Time: 28 March—27 September, 2013 Indian company’s Shanghai office is looking for a local Chinese girl, who can speak fluent English, and has at least one year experience in trading business. Main responsibilities are: sourcing for new suppliers, factory visiting, negotiating and orders following up… Interested candidates can email me your expected salary, resume(简历)and current photo to :sarah@gate.com, Miss Wang for more details. |
2. Senior Interior Designer Time: 10 January—9 June, 2013 Reply to: Linette, killbourn@ rhkdesign. com.cn RHK Design is seeking a Senior Interior Designer for our corporate projects. Your primary role is to work closely with our American and European clients to deliver the international design solution they require. You must have an ability to work with 8 individual managers to negotiate space needs and requirements, and communicate your designs to your design support team. Deep knowledge of interesting and creative materials is required. Travel throughout China may be required. |
| 3. Customer Service Assistant Time: 1 February—31 August, 2013 Reply to: chinasemester@gmail.com Type of job: Full-time Requirements: —BA, or BS degree; foreigners only; —One year’s working experience desired, preferably in customer service or hospitality industry; — Responsible, pleasant personality and selfmotivated; —Good communication and interpersonal skills; —Good command of both spoken and written English; Putonghua is an advantage but not a must. Work Load: 5-day-work Monthly Salary: Around RMB 8,000—10，000 |
4. Female English Tutor Needed Time:5 January—1 October, 2013 Reply to: zsj123@163.com A 10-year-old girl is looking for an oral English tutor. Time: twice a week, in the evening and on weekend, 1.5 hrs at a time Wage(报酬): RMB 200/h Requirements: From America; female; experienced |
We can know from the first two ads that .
| A．RHK Design deals with business from European countries |
| B．to be a sourcing assistant, you need to be very persuasive |
| C．to work for RHK Design, you need to be very experienced in trading |
| D．a girl from Beijing is very likely to be employed by the Indian Company |
If you are an American woman looking for a part-time job, you can contact .
| A．sarah@gate.com | B．killbourn@rhkdesign.com.cn |
| C．zsj123@163.com | D．chinasemeser@gmail.com |
For one who doesn’t mind traveling a lot, which of the positions can be considered?
| A．Senior Interior Designer. |
| B．Female English Tutor. |
| C．Sourcing Assistant. |
| D．Customer Service Assistant. |
Which of the following statements about the third position is TRUE?
| A．Nationalities are not required for the position. |
| B．There’s a requirement of maximum service period. |
| C．The deadline for application is July the 31st. |
| D．Communication skills are requested a must. |
A Tale of Two Cities was written by the famous English writer Charles Dickens. The tale is mainly about the French Revolution in 1789, where the poor rose up against the king and the nobles. Dickens showed deep sympathy for the poor and deep hatred for the cruelty of the upper class, though he wrote quite a lot about the love triangle between Lucie, Charles and Sydney.
In this novel, Dickens wrote some lively characters like Sydney and those crazy revolutionaries. In this tale, we can’t see any absolute roles. Charles, though he’s a brave and good man, obviously he hasn’t as much ability as Sydney. Sydney, a typical tragic(悲剧的) man, a man like him, usually has great ability. But he has some weak points on characters and the worst is that he always loves a woman he shouldn’t love and 99.99% die for her at last in an extremely heroic or tragic way. The revolutionaries are not as full of justice as usual. They get mad when they can get revenge(报复) for their unfair treatment. The fire of hatred burns everything. When they’re at the bottom of the society, they’re calling for justice, for fair treatment, for freedom, but when they’re in charge of the society, their world is up-side-down. They hate everything that is connected to the very people against them, even including Charles’ wife, Dr. Manette’s daughter. So these men have no difference from those former governors at heart.
Though Dickens told us how the authority is recycling over and over again in some way, the novel is about something good. Love from Sydney to Lucie is one of the only few bright points in the novel and it’s really great. A man can sacrifice his life to save his lover’s husband. He doesn’t have any personal purpose and just for his lover’s happiness. So Dickens may imply us, only love can solve the problems between people, between the poor and the rich, love is everything.. A Tale of Two Cities is mainly about .
| A．Charles Dickens | B．the French Revolution |
| C．deep sympathy | D．the upper class |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Charles is as brave and able as Sydney. |
| B．Sydney loves a woman he shouldn’t love. |
| C．The revolutionaries show justice as usual. |
| D．Charles hates his wife, Dr. Manette’s daughter. |
The underlined phrase “these men” in Paragraph 2 most probably refers to “ ”.
| A．Charles and Sydney | B．the nobles |
| C．the revolutionaries | D．former governors |
What may Dickens really want to imply us readers?
| A．The authority is changing over and over again. |
| B．The novel is about something good only. |
| C．A great man can sacrifice his life for his lover. |
| D．Only love can settle the problems between people. |
My grandmother was from a town in Michigan. Summer after summer, I enjoyed staying with my grandparents as a young child. I was from the city and loved the small town they lived in. People knew everyone, their kids, their pets, their ancestors. The bond with them continued to grow as I grew and they got older. Grandma was always using her hands for something exciting. She would make little sandwiches and we’d have tea parties. She’d make beautiful quilts for each one. I remember the small thimble(顶针) she would use while doing her needle work.
A few years ago, when Grandma left this earth, I bid farewell to a loving grandmother. How quickly our lives can change. We had just had tea together a couple of months earlier, on her 91st birthday.
On one particular birthday, when I was feeling a little low, something happened to make me feel like she was sharing that special day with me. I was arranging some colorful pillows that she had made, and suddenly I felt something inside one pillow. It was small and hard. I moved the object to a seam(接缝) that I carefully opened, and to my delight out came a tiny silver thimble! How happy I was to find something that had been a part of her. I carefully laid the thimble alongside the others I’ve collected over the years, where I could continue to see the gift God chose to reveal(启示)to me. What a precious memory of a very special lady who somehow, I knew, was laughing in delight at sewing her thimble inside my pillow.
I made some tea, using my best china, as Grandma always did, and enjoyed my tea and Grandma’s thimble. What a wonderful birthday that was! The author wrote this passage to .
| A．show how she missed her grandma |
| B．express a desire to lead a simple life |
| C．call on people to care for the old |
| D．look back upon her happy childhood |
The author liked staying with her grandparents because .
| A．she knew almost everyone there |
| B．she liked the simple and friendly town life there |
| C．she could have tea parties and eat sandwiches |
| D．she could learn to sew quilts |
How did the author feel when she found the silver thimble?
| A．Sad. | B．Proud. | C．Lucky. | D．Cheerful. |
It can be inferred from the passage that the silver thimble .
| A．was the item the author had been trying to find |
| B．was the most treasured possession of Grandma |
| C．was very precious to the author |
| D．was a birthday gift Grandma had given the author |
It has become the modern substitute of glancing at your watch—the furtive(偷偷的)look at a phone screen to check for new messages or have a quick look at Facebook. Researchers have now found why we often feel such a strong urge to glance at our handset. Using your mobile, they say, is easily affected by other people.
A University of Michigan team say people are twice as likely to pull out their phones to check their messages or emails if they’re with someone who has just done the same. It also found that females were more likely to use their mobile than men because it was more ‘consistent ’ with the daily lives of women.
The team watched students in dining halls and coffee shops around campus, observing pairs of students sitting at tables for as long as 20 minutes and recorded their cellphone use at 10-second intervals.
“What we found most interesting was just how often people were using their mobile phones, ” Dr Daniel Kruger, the study’s co-author, said. “Every person we observed used his／her phone at least once while one woman was on hers about half of the time. You may see others checking their incoming messages and be encouraged to check your own. ’’
Overall, the students used their cellphones in an average of 24 percent, the researchers found. But they were significantly more likely to use their phones (39.5 percent) when their companion had just done so in the previous 10-second interval than without the social clue, the researchers said, adding that this behavior was often repeated.
Cell phones create an alternative way for one’s attention and may both promote and interrupt ongoing social activities, the researchers wrote.
Kruger believes this pattern could be related to the effects of social acceptance and rejection. If one person in a pair engages in another conversation through their phone, his or her companion may feel rejected. That companion then might be forced to connect with others from outside so as not to feel left out.
People’s strong desire to check their messages partly results from ___________.
| A．the same behavior of other people |
| B．the new messages of their handsets |
| C．the update service of Facebook |
| D．the modern substitute of their watches |
Why do women use their phones more frequently?
| A．They want to show off their modern mobiles. |
| B．They desire to meet the demands of society. |
| C．They try to set a good example for others. |
| D．They are more likely to be influenced by others. |
How might one feel when his companion is busy checking messages?
| A．Relaxed. | B．Ashamed. |
| C．Ignored. | D．Surprised. |
The underlined part “this behavior” in Paragraph 5 refers to _______________.
| A．receiving social clues | B．using the cellphones |
| C．joining in activities | D．engaging in conversations |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Social Acceptance And Rejection |
| B．Females Use Mobiles More than Men |
| C．How Do People Check Messages? |
| D．Cellphone Use Is Spreading |
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