Believe it or not, oceans and seas are easy to be harmed by the development of human society. They are also influenced by man-made pollution easily. It is human beings that do great harm to the ocean ecosystems(生态系统).
The coral reefs(珊瑚礁)are fine ecosystems that provide food and protection for many ocean creatures. The coral in almost all of the oceans is in danger from pollution.Chemicals from factories end up in the seas and oceans and destroy coral reefs. If the coral systems die some ocean creatures will be sure to die out.
Protecting the ocean also has something to do with the protection of ocean wildlife like dolphins. The fishing industry depends on modern ways to catch many fish in order to earn more money. But the nets for fishing also seize other sea animals. The fishing boat workers are advised to check their nets and set other ocean animals free. But the boats are in a hurry to make money and often other ocean animals are caught with fish.
Offshore oil spills(近海石油泄露) can destroy the ocean environment because oil kills all ocean life. The world depends on oil and because there is a great amount of oil off the shore of many countries, the need for oil is more important than the risk of the oil spill. However, the fact is that one human mistake can lead to an ocean environmental accident that will cause years of damage to the fine ocean ecosystems. Oil spills will kill all the creatures in the area of the spill. The oil will be washed up on shore and destroy the ecosystems along the shore including birds.
Everyone who cares about the environment should be interested in protecting the ocean, and all of us should do something for the protection of the ocean.According to the passage, the ocean is harmed easily as a result of .
| A．the overuse of the oceans |
| B．the change of natural conditions |
| C．the increase of population by the sea |
| D．the increasing activities of humans |
What does the second paragraph mainly tell readers?
| A．How ocean creatures depend on coral reefs. |
| B．Coral reefs are home to ocean animals. |
| C．The great harm caused by factory pollution. |
| D．The importance of protecting coral systems. |
The underlined work “seize” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced with“ ”.
| A．catch | B．attract | C．place | D．cover |
Why do people continue to get oil in the sea at the risk of oil spills?
| A．Because they believe the oil spill can be stopped. |
| B．Because there is a large amount of oil in the sea. |
| C．Because they are in great need of oil. |
| D．Because getting oil in sea is easier than on land. |
Betty Skelton was often called “The First Lady of Firsts’’ because of the many records she set. She grew up in Pensacola, Florida, watching airplanes flying to and from a nearby navy base. As a child, she persuaded her parents to let her take flying lessons. By 12, Betty made her first flight alone, though not legally permitted to do so until she turned 16.
During the 1940s, female pilots were mostly prevented from commercial and military flying. So Betty Skelton decided to use her flight skills in aerobatics(特技飞行)，performing difficult turns, drops, and other exercises. She began performing and competing around the country.
She won the International Feminine Aerobatic Championship(IFAC)for three years in a row, starting in 1948. She and her little Pitts Special plane the “Little Stinker’’ became famous.
Dorothy Cochrane is an aviation expert who once studied and worked with Betty Skelton. “Betty was such a wonderful aerobatic pilot that she really set the bar high for other women to follow and she was a great role model for them. She really was as good as some of the men.”
Once Ms. Skelton had made her mark on flying, she moved on to racecars, becoming the first female test driver in the racecar industry. She set several land speed records. She also set a cross-country record, driving from New York to California in under 57 hours. And she became one of the top women advertising experts working with General Motors in support of the company’s Corvette car.
Ms. Skelton died in August, 2011, at the age of 85. Visitors to the Washington area can see her “little Stinker” plane at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The small red and white plane hangs high in the air above the entrance to the museum.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．Betty Skelton was the first Lady of the US. |
| B．16 was the legal age for people to fly an airplane. |
| C．Betty became a navy pilot when she was 16. |
| D．Betty’s parents didn’t support her flying interest. |
What happened to Betty Skelton in 1950?
| A．She moved on to racecars. |
| B．She became an aerobatic pilot. |
| C．She was 20 years old. |
| D．She won the IFAC for the third time. |
What can we know from the words by Dorothy Cochrane?
| A．It is not easy for other women to break Betty Skelton’s records. |
| B．She was even more excellent than some men in skills. |
| C．It is difficult for other women to reach the height Betty Skelton flew to. |
| D．Betty Skelton is an inspiring role model for pilots worldwide. |
What is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Betty started to fly alone at a nearby navy base at the age of 12. |
| B．“Little Stinker” was Betty Skelton’s Pitts Special plane. |
| C．Betty set several speed records in car racing. |
| D．Betty even set a cross-country record. |
What is the correct order of the events that happened in the passage?
a. Betty won the international Feminine Aerobatic Championship.
b. Betty became an advertising expert.
c. Betty made her first flight alone.
d. Betty began her aerobatic performance.
e. Betty became the first female test driver.
| A．a→b→c→d→e | B．a→e→b→c→d |
| C．c→d→a→e→b | D．c→b→d→a→e |
What is great art? On the one hand, we can all see that great art is old art which is called great. But how do we know which art of our own times is great, and which will be forgotten? And who decides?
These are important questions, for the great art of the past often was not considered great during its own time. When Shakespeare and Charles Dickens were writing, for example, most critics considered them as hack (平庸的) writers with little or no literary ability.
Similarly, Van Gogh and many of the other Impressionist painters of the late nineteenth century were not allowed to participate in events involving what were thought to be the "real" painters of the time, and often they were very poor. Yet today their paintings often sell for millions of dollars, while those so-called "real" painters are now barely remembered.
So what makes great art? Can, for example, rock music be great art? Music videos? Cartoons and comics? Those who call themselves critics of the fine arts often have been the last to recognize great art in the past, and we can probably expect this to be the situation today.
Critics often don’t recognize great art because they tend to be prejudiced against what is popular. Popular works, whether they are novels, movies, or comics, are usually considered to be produced for the sake of money only, and not for the sake of art.
But popularity, it seems to me, is one of the three signs that a present-day work of art may come to be thought of as great. The other two are that it is groundbreaking, and that it is inherently (内在的) beautiful.
Many works have one or even two of these qualities of being popular, unusual, and beautiful. But having all the three often will mean that a work of art will someday be seen to be great, though it may take a good spoonful of time, such as a century or two, to know for sure. The first paragraph is intended to__________.
| A．lead to the following and arouse the reader’s curiosity |
| B．introduce some real painters to the readers |
| C．introduce the questions the writer wants to answer |
| D．explain what kind of art will become popular |
The author used the examples of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Van Gogh to prove _____.
| A．these masters’ works have some shortcomings |
| B．these masters wouldn’t have been so successful without the critics |
| C．truly beautiful works of art are never understood when first created |
| D．great masters are often not acknowledged while they were alive |
According to the author, great works _______.
| A．may be presented in different forms |
| B．are generally valued by critics |
| C．are thought valuable because of their sale price |
| D．will lose their value if they’re not accepted |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Critics have changed their attitudes to great works. |
| B．Most of the opinions of critics are valueless. |
| C．The work of art itself, not the critics, determines its greatness. |
| D．Works of Impressionist painters will be great one day. |
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Michelle, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的).” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.
| A．science on learning a second language |
| B．man’s ability of learning a second language |
| C．language can help brain power |
| D．language learning and maths study |
In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to ______.
| A．say language is also a kind of physical labor |
| B．prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language |
| C．to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language |
| D．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well |
We may know from the scientific findings that ______.
| A．the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is |
| B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
| C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people’s brain |
| D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
The underlined word “bilingual” probably means ______.
| A．a researcher on language learning |
| B．a person who is good at learning foreign languages |
| C．a person who can speak two languages |
| D．an active language learner |
There are some highlights in April in Shanghai.
Live Music – Late Night Jazz
Enjoy real American jazz from Herbie Davis, the famous trumpet player. He’s coming with his new 7 – piece band, Herbie’s Heroes. Herbie is known to play well into the early hours, so don’t expect to get much sleep. This is Herbie’s third visit to Shanghai. The first two were sold out, so get your tickets quickly.
Place: The Jazz Club Dates:15 – 23 April Price:￥80
Time: 10:00 p.m. till late! TEL:6466 – 8736
Scottish dancing
Take your partners and get ready to dance till you drop. Scottish dancing is fun and easy to learn. Instructors will demonstrate the dances. The live band, Gordon Stroppie and the Weefrees, are also excellent.
Place: Jack Stein’s Dates: every Monday Price:￥60 including one drink
Time: 7:00 – 00:00 p.m. TEL:6402 – 1877
Exhibitions – Shanghai Museum
There are 120,000 pieces on show here. You can see the whole of Chinese history under one roof. It’s always interesting to visit, but doubly so at the moment with the Egyptian Tombs exhibition. There are lots of mummies and more gold than you’ve ever seen before. Let us know if you see a mummy move!
Place: Shanghai Museum Price:￥30（￥15 for students）
TEL:6888 – 6888 Dates: daily
Time: Monday – Friday 9:00 a. m. – 5:00 p. m., Weekends 9:00 a. m. – 9:00p.m.
Dining – Sushi chef in town
Sushi is getting really big in Shanghai. In Japan, it’s become an art form. The most famous Sushi ‘artist’ is Yuki Kamura. She’s also one of the few female chefs in Japan. She’ll be at Sushi Scene all of this month.
Place: Sushi Scene in the Shanghai Hotel Dates: all month
Price: ￥200 Time: lunchtime TEL: 6690 – 3211
For a full listing of events, see our website.From the text we may learn that Sushi is .
| A．a cook | B．an instructor | C．a kind of food | D．an artist |
Which is not true about the ads?
| A．Yuki Kamura will stay in Shanghai in April for a whole month. |
| B．A family of parents with 15 – year – old twins should pay 75 yuan for the Shanghai museum admission. |
| C．You will probably be taught to dance if you go to Jack Stein’s. |
| D．American jazz from Herbie Davis is popular in Shanghai. |
Where are the ads available to people?
| A．Newspaper | B．Magazine | C．TV | D．Internet |
Last Friday my brother and I were driving home together after doing some shopping and gave our attention to an interesting conversation. Because of this distraction (分心)my brother took a wrong turn.
Unfortunately, the wrong turn took us towards a bridge and we had no way to turn back. Unwillingly, my brother paid the bridge fee and drove on. He was clearly frustrated by the mistake and the needless waste of $4.
We eventually reached an exit and, as we took it, my brother noticed a young fellow pulled over to the side of the road. He came out of his car and tried to phone someone. I was busy trying to figure out which way we would go next but my brother pulled over and asked the guy if he needed any help. And he did. He had a flat tire and needed a tool to get it off.
My brother gave him a wrench, and then began to help him change the flat. The young man said that this had been a bad week for him: earlier he had gotten into a minor car accident, and now this flat on his way home from work. But he called us “a breath of fresh air” and kept thanking us because he really would have been stuck if we hadn’t come along.
After we finished the job he thanked us again and pulled out $20 from his pocket and tried to give it to us. “No,” I said. “We were never supposed to even get on that bridge,we took a wrong turn. But now we know why we did. It was to help you. Thank you for turning our mistake into an opportunity to serve.”
What I loved most was that my brother was able to see a chance to help. His reaction in the situation is a lesson for everyone and we felt so good the rest of the day. When did the author and his brother notice the young man who had a flat tire?
| A．Before they arrived at a bridge. |
| B．When they were passing through an exit. |
| C．When the young man stopped them for help. |
| D．After they came back to the right road. |
We can learn from the text that the writer’s brother ________.
| A．didn’t know the roads well |
| B．was a warm-hearted young man |
| C．made the turn to help the young man |
| D．regretted making a wrong turn all the way home |
What did the young man mean by calling the writer and his brother “a breath of fresh air” ?
| A．He had been in the hot sun waiting for help for so long. |
| B．His car’s air conditioner was broken. |
| C．They calmed him down by offering him a cold drink. |
| D．They changed his bad luck and the bad mood he was in. |
Which of the following sentences best describes the writer’s experience?
| A．It’s no use crying over spilt milk. |
| B．God helps those who help themselves. |
| C．Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind to it. |
| D．If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path. |
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