As China becomes increasingly urbanized (城市化), it has to find space for its urban and rural citizens as both groups become increasingly integrated. Experts suggest a possible model way may be “re-inventing” a “garden city”.
China’s mega-cities are bursting at the borders and the country is now undergoing the quickest and biggest urbanization in the history of mankind. It is estimated that by 2025, China will have 400 million more people living in its cities, raising its urban population to 900 million. Besides, new satellite towns are mushrooming on the urban fringes while city ring roads are rippling outwards into the countryside at amazing speed. Satellite maps collected by Professor Joshua Bolchover at the University of Hong Kong bring the problem sharply into focus. They track the changing rural-urban framework in the past 30 years, and suggest that cities are cruelly destroying surrounding rural land and rapidly reducing the amount of arable (可耕种的) land, which gives way to new residential blocks, new industrial zones, new financial centers and the other inevitable signs and signatures of economic growth.
This, however, is not sustainable growth pattern, especially when China has the world’s largest population to feed. So concerned urban planners are starting to note the social and physical effects of diaspora (大移居) when replaced rural communities are forced into the cities.
On the other hand, a trend of thought is gradually taking shape and this is the concept of the “garden city”, a combination of country and city that is being proposed by architects and city planners. Hua Li, from Tao Architects, is among the many professionals with such a voice. His argument is supported by a long-term study on this subject. As Hua says, the answer is to preserve patches of productive farmland within urban boundaries. Less transportation means we have fresh agricultural products at lower costs and less carbon emission in the city. And urban farmland can also be showcased for agricultural tourism and education.
The concept is already practiced at the grassroot level. Agriculture has gone into the air, up to roof and balcony in some communities in the cities. It’s common to see organic “hanging garden” on the roof of some traditional courtyard home. According to some people, the rooftop project translate to tangible (=" practical)" benefits, such as safe, nutritious vegetables, a cooler home in summer. Some say thanks to the tomatoes they plant that are natural insect killers, there’re fewer mosquitoes. Apart from these, it also contributes to better bonding with neighbors. Zhang, a doctor in Beijing, began creating his hanging garden five years ago. Since his garden became home to 30 kinds of vegetables and fruit --- all enough to feed his family, neighbors have enjoyed dropping by for a relaxing chat or just to see how well the lovely vegetables and fruit are doing.
Although people like Zhang are still rare and the greening of roof space with vegetables and fruit takes skill and energy, with more positive media exposure and advanced technology there is the prospect that garden city will become common practice in the near future. By then, cities will no longer look so gray when seen from the satellites. Some experts suggest re-inventing a “garden city” because ______.
| A．it is the only model way to save the cities |
| B．it helps stop destroying the rural areas |
| C．increasing urbanization takes place in China |
| D．China has the largest population to feed |
What is the purpose of paragraph 2?
| A．To show the experts’ concern about the increase of population. |
| B．To persuade people into supporting economic growth in cities. |
| C．To explain the reasons for the change of rural-urban framework. |
| D．To inform the readers of the consequences of quick urbanization. |
In Hua Li’s opinion, a combination of country and city will ______.
| A．benefit the environment and lower living costs |
| B．become a project that needs a long-term study |
| C．lead to more rural communities being replaced |
| D．attract more farmers to take tours in cities |
Zhang is mentioned (Paragraph 5) to show that ______.
| A．he achieves his dream to own a hanging garden |
| B．hanging gardens are becoming more popular |
| C．the garden contributes to a better neighborhood |
| D．he is a pioneer to practise the gardening concept |
As for the concept of the “garden city”, the writer feels ______.
| A．desperate | B．hopeful | C．disappointed | D．concerned |
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, is 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 (拥挤 ) in London and is expected to create up t0 40 ,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been 6ifilled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as commonplace 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 big pedal-powered push forwards. ". London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the new bike scheme in order to______.
| A．reduce the air pollution of the city |
| B．deal with the city's traffic problems |
| C．increase employment opportunities |
| D．encourage the citizens to take exercises |
. If you want to hire a bike, in which order will you do?
a. pay for the key to a bike
b. sign up as a member to get a key
c. cycle in and around central London
d. pay for the bike according to the time you use it
| A．b→a→c→d | B．b→d→c→a |
| C．d→c→b→a | D．d→b→c→a |
. All the following are the problems of the scheme EXCEPT_____.
| A．the high cost to hire a bike |
| B．docking the bikes properly |
| C．not registering their usage of the bikes |
| D．not charging for the first day of the scheme |
. From the passage, we can infer that_______.
| A．the cycling revolution is not successful |
| B．all the citizens in London support the scheme |
| C．the London Mayor is confident in the scheme |
| D．the scheme will be cancelled because of the problems |
Over 500 dogs being delivered to a butcher house were saved by a Chinese animal protection organization. The incident then resulted in a debate among Chinese netizens about the necessity of pouring so much money and efforts into saving dogs.
On Friday, a truck loaded with over 500 dogs was stopped by volunteers from animal protection organization on Beijing section of Jingha expressway.
Beijing Times reported these dogs were being delivered to slaughter houses in the city of Changchun, northeast one in Jilin Province and would be eventually served on dinner tables.
After negotiations (协商) with the truck driver and a philanthropic (慈善) founda tion, Shangshan Foundation purchased these dogs with much money. Dogs were then delivered to the headquarter of China Small Animal Protection Association (CSAPA) , being taken care of and waiting for adoption.
After the dog saving mission was reported, Chinese net users debate over whether saving dogs worth so much efforts and money while there are still many poor and needy people in China lacking assistance.
Some net users argue the dog saving mission is placing too much attention to animals while lots of needy people are still left unattended.
A microblogger "Xiaowulaitajie" said on China's twitter-like website, weibo. com, "Dogs are saved, adopted and they attracted media attention. We'd better spend such money and take such efforts in helping the needy people. "
Another microblogger, Liluping, said "We poured such huge sum of money into saving dogs. I would rather the money be spent on disaster relief. "
Some applaud volunteers' actions and show eagerness of offering their helping hands to those saved dogs.
Still many disapprove those "saving dogs" critics. They argue that such act nevertheless embodies social progress.
A microblogger named "broken bridge" said, saving dogs does not go against taking care of people. Such enthusiasm in public affairs will help raise social awareness in helping the needy.
I think people and animals are created equal. Attention should be paid to people as well as animals.. According to the passage, we know the article probably comes from________ .
| A．a science fiction | B．a TV programme |
| C．the Internet | D．a magazine |
. Which one has the similar meaning to the underlined word “embodies”?
| A．express. | B．share. |
| C．emphasize. | D．prevent. |
. Whose opinion is closest to the writer's?
| A．Some net users'. | B．Liluping's. |
| C． Broken bridge 's. | D． Xiaowulaitajie's. |
. What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Why some people disagree to save the 500 dogs. |
| B．How the volunteers saved the 500 dogs to be killed. |
| C．These dogs were finally saved and sent back to their owners. |
| D．Different Chinese net users have different opinions on the mission. |
When I left my bag on a train, I lost my most precious possession, a small framed photograph of my great grandparents, Emily and Gordon Baker. The frame was made of silver, with an elegant flower design in one corner. The photograph was taken in March 1939 0n their wedding day. Emily looked very happy, and Gordon looked rather a larmed. A few months later, he was killed in action in North Africa. I received the photograph when my aunt Mabel died.
I'm a student at Edinburgh University and I live in an old Edwardian house. At the end of last term, I packed a large bag and a small bag and set off for London, where I was planning to catch the Eurostar train to Paris. Minutes after getting off the train at Kings Cross Station, I realized that I'd left the small bag in the overhead luggage rack. I ran back to the train, but it had already left the platform. www.com
This all happened several months ago, and I had become resigned to the loss of my most precious possession. then last week, something extraordinary happened. I logged onto the site ~ eBay and looked for a silver photo frame and I found it ! The photo of my great grandparents was on eBay !
I called the person who was advertising it. He was a little suspicious(怀疑 ) at first, and told me that he had bought it from a stall at an antique market. After we talked for a while, he asked if there was any way I could prove it was mine. All I could think of was that the photo was taken in March 1939. He opened the frame and made sure that this date was written by hand on the back of the photograph.
“It ' s definitely yours. " he said. "Come and get it ! ". The author's most precious possession was .
| A．A wedding photo in a silver frame taken in North Africa |
| B．A pretty family portrait in a silver frame taken in 1939 |
| C．A special photo of his great grandparents in a silver frame |
| D．A common photograph of his grandparents taken by Mabel |
. Which of the statement about the author is not wrong?
| A．He left the photo on a train and never got it back. |
| B．He put the photo in a small bag and left it on a train. |
| C．He left the photo on the Eurostar and ran back to get it. |
| D．He left the photo at his old Edwardian house in Edinburgh |
. The man advertising the frame proved it was the author's .
| A．by calling the seller up immediately |
| B．according to the price of the silver frame |
| C．by the author's explanation about the photo |
| D．by the date written on the back of the photo |
. It can be inferred that the author felt______when he found the silver photo on eBay.
| A．nervous | B．excited |
| C．disappointed | D．worried |
The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest problems is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, man moved to another place. But this is no longer true.
Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air. Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. We are sure that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must take care of the rise in pollution at the same time. _________, our world is becoming much smaller.
| A．Because of the rise in pollution |
| B．Thanks to science development |
| C．Because the earth is being polluted day and night |
| D．Because the earth is blown away by the wind every year |
. Hundreds of years ago, life was ____ it is today.
| A．much easier than | B．as easy as |
| C．much harder than | D．as hard as |
Pollution comes in many ways. We can even hear it. Here “it” refers to ____.
| A．rubbish | B．noise pollution |
| C．air pollution | D．water pollution |
Air pollution is still the most serious kind of pollution because ________.
| A．it makes much noise |
| B．it makes us angry more easily |
| C．it makes our rivers and lakes dirty |
| D．it’s bad for all living things in the world |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. |
| B．The pollution of the earth grows as fast as the world population does. |
| C．The problem of pollution is not so serious because there are not so many people on the earth. |
| D．If people could go to work by bus or bike instead of car or motorbike, it would be helpful in fighting against the problem of SO2. |
Where has the Time gone? is the hottest song that has moved thousands of Chinese. Chinese parents give their children endless love and ask nothing in return. However, sometimes, daughters and sons are too busy growing up and forget that their parents are getting older and older. What should we do? Let’s have a look at a letter of a father’s.
Dear son，
One day if you see me old and I am not myself, have patience and try to understand me. If I get dirty when eating…, if I cannot dress…, have patience. Remember the hours I spent teaching it to you.
If, when I speak to you, I say the same things one thousand and one times, do not stop me and listen to me. When you were small, I had to read to you one thousand and one times the same story until you get to sleep.
When I do not want to have a shower, neither shame（羞辱） me nor scold（责备） me. Remember when I had to chase you with a thousand excuses I invented, in order that you wanted to bath.
When you see me meet something new, give me the necessary time and don’t laugh at me. I taught you how to do so many things… to eat well, to dress well… to face life.
If I do not want to eat, do not force me. I know well when I need to and when not. When my legs do not allow me to walk, give me your hand the same way I did when you gave your first steps.
When sometimes I lose the memory during our conversation, let me have the necessary time to remember. And if I cannot do it, do not become nervous because the most important thing is not my conversation but to be with you and to have you listen to me.
Yours,
FFatherWhat do the Chinese parents often do?
| A．They often get dirty when eating. |
| B．They often read stories to their children at night. |
| C．They give their children endless love and ask nothing in return. |
| D．They often refuse to take a shower. |
What would the father do, if he wanted his son to go to sleep?
| A．He would read the same story many times to make his son sleep. |
| B．He would invent many excuses. |
| C．He would scold his son. |
| D．He would teach his son to count sheep. |
According the father, what should you do, when your old parents lose the memory during your conversation?
| A．Go on talking with them. | B．Leave them alone. |
| C．Go for a walking with them. | D．Be with them and listen to them. |
Why does the writer write this passage?
| A．To introduce the song, Where has the Time gone? |
| B．To show what we should do when our parents are old. |
| C．To show a father’s love to his son. |
| D．To complain that we are too busy. |
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