In China, people usually set off firecrackers to celebrate Spring Festival. But this year seemed very quiet. It was really different. A man called Zhang Wei was asked by a reporter in an interview. He said that his friends and he hadn’t set off a single firecracker.
“We all suffered from last month’s smog(雾霾). If we don’t call an end to the firecracker, the environment will get worse and worse during the holiday.” Said Zhang Wei. He put up a notice in his community in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. In the notice, he called on more people to set off fewer firecrackers during this year’s Spring Festival holiday.
Lots of parents agreed with Zhang Wei’s idea. They said that they hated the noise of firecrackers. The noise used to wake up their babies too early. The babies really needed quiet mornings,
More Chinese looked forward to celebrating the holiday in a greener way. They decided not to set off firecrackers. They also decided not to waste food. They said that the new celebrations sounded fashionable.
“My family didn’t buy any fireworks this year. Instead, we donated the money to charity. It’s good for the environment and charity as well.” Internet user “Fighter” wrote on Sina Weibo.How do people usually celebrate Spring Festival in China?
| A．By setting off firecrackers. |
| B．By donating the money to charity. |
| C．By not wasting food. |
| D．By putting up a notice. |
Lots of parents hated the noise of firecrackers because____.
| A．they couldn’t afford to buy them. |
| B．firecrackers were too expensive. |
| C．the noise might wake up their babies. |
| D．firecrackers might cause fire |
More people decided _____.
| A．not to get together |
| B．not to set off firecrackers |
| C．not to throw away more food |
| D．to call an end to all the celebrations |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Don’t Waste Food | B．Spring Festival Celebrations |
| C．Spring Festival Goes Green | D．Firecrackers and Noise |
A heartless thief is believed to have crashed a fund-raiser and made off with a bag of cash meant to help a New York City firefighter pay for life-changing surgery for his 9-year-old son. But little Aidan Sullivan -- who was born with a facial defect and no right ear -- yesterday put up a brave front, with a message for the crook(thief): "I'm going to kick your butt!"
"I want to look normal," said Aidan, whose father, Tim, is a firefighter in the Bronx. The third-grader has hemi facial micro soma, in which one half of the face doesn't develop correctly.
Last weekend, family friend Peter Drake, a Ridgefield, Conn., firefighter, hosted a fund-raiser, collecting between $8,000 and $9,000. But when the party at a Danbury, Conn., Irish cultural center was over, the money had disappeared.
"At the end of the night, all the money that was donated was put in a zippered bag," said Tim Sullivan. "A bartender gave the bag to Pete... He had it in his hands. He put it down to go do something, and when he came back, he saw that it was missing."
Sullivan said his longtime friend -- who has had fund-raisers to pay for Aidan's 10 previous surgeries -- is "devastated."
"Pete was so upset. He kept saying, 'I let Aidan down, I let Aidan down,” Colleen Sullivan, 40, recalled.
"We even went Dumpster diving, in case it was thrown out."
The Sullivans plan to go ahead with the March 1 surgery led by specialists at NYU's Langone Medical Center in Manhattan. The money would have offset the $10,000 to $15,000 that insurance doesn't cover. Yesterday, Aidan said he's not a fan of hospitals and doesn't like to be away from his sister, Kaylee, 4. But he's willing to do it. "I'm excited," he said. "Finally, an ear." Where do you probably read this text from?
| A．A magazine. | B．A newspaper. | C．A book. | D．An advertisement. |
How did little Aidan Sullivan feel when he knew the money was missing.
| A．He felt excited. | B．He felt surprised. |
| C．He felt upset. | D．He felt annoyed. |
What is the money used for according to this text?
| A．To help Aidan Sullivan to have another operation. |
| B．To help pay for Aidan Sullivan’s life insurance. |
| C．To return the money the Sullivans owed to the hospital. |
| D．To help a firefighter who got hurt in the ear. |
What is true of little Aidan Sullivan?
| A．He hates going to hospital. |
| B．He will go to New York for the surgery. |
| C．He didn’t care too much about the lost money. |
| D．He has received 10 surgeries before. |
What can we infer about Pete from the text?
| A．He was heartless. | B．He was kind. |
| C．He was caress. | D．He was a firefighter. |
Lynn is the publisher of Indiana Living Green magazine, a local Indiana-based publication focusing on all issues related to leading a sustainable lifestyle. Her knowledge, passion and unwavering dedication to this cause are both inspiring and admirable and are the reasons I nominate her for the Heart of Green Local Hero.
Lynn's interest in sustainable living has expanded over the years from simple recycling and wildlife gardening to encouraging others to appreciate nature and do what each can to protect the environment. The creation of Indiana Living Green comes from her belief that most individuals have an inner desire to do what is best for our environment and that each individual act truly does make a difference.
Lynn has been instrumental in bringing her green consciousness to Indiana by way of Indiana Living Green magazine over the past two years. Indiana Living Green is the only local publication solely focused on green living and sustainability. In addition, Lynn’s pioneering efforts also provide public educational forums via "Green Scenes" — a series of three hour events, each focusing on specific topics teaching Hoosiers how to lead greener lifestyles. She is a sought-after speaker, delivering topics such as "Greening Your Outdoor Space," "Updating Your Home to Green" and "Greening Your Lifestyle" to various businesses and organizations throughout Central Indiana. In addition, Lynn has appeared regularly on Indianapolis Fox 59 morning show’s "Living Green" segment, discussing various topics of interest ranging from grilling green and green baby buys to composting and recycling.
In addition to her role as publisher of Indiana Living Green magazine, Lynn is also a Habitat Steward Host for National Wildlife Federation, editor of Hoosier Organic Gardener, the newsletter of the Indiana Organic Gardeners Association, and a member of Garden Writers Association.
Lynn Jenkins deserves to be publicly recognized for all that she is and all that she has done and continues to do to educate and empower each of us to improve our individual lives, communities and our Earth. Which of the following is NOT true of Lynn Jenkins?
| A．She is the publisher of the magazine Indiana Living Green. |
| B．She is a member of Garden Writers Association. |
| C．She won the award the Heart of Green Local Hero. |
| D．She encourages people to love and protect nature. |
Indiana Living Green was probably _________.
| A．a book on modern life style | B．a magazine on fashion |
| C．a journal on travel | D．a magazine on green living |
What can we learn about “Green Scenes”?
| A．It is a scene set in a three-hour film. |
| B．It is a series of events focusing on green life. |
| C．It is a film set in Central Indiana. |
| D．It is a forum focusing on green lifestyle. |
The underlined word in the third paragraph probably means ________.
| A．simply | B．mainly | C．earnestly | D．seriously |
What is the purpose of the writing?
| A．To call on readers to protect the environment and live green. |
| B．To nominate Lynn Jenkins for the Heart of Green Local Hero. |
| C．To introduce the readers to the Heart of Green Local Hero. |
| D．To advertise for Indiana Living Green and its publisher. |
Malaria, the world's most widespread parasitic(寄生虫引起的) disease, kills as many as three million people every year—almost all of whom are under five, very poor, and African. In most years, more than five hundred million cases of illness result from the disease, although exact numbers are difficult to assess because many people don't (or can't) seek care. It is not unusual for a family earning less than two hundred dollars a year to spend a quarter of its income on malaria treatment, and what they often get no longer works. In countries like Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Gambia, no family, village, hospital, or workplace can remain unaffected for long.
Malaria starts suddenly, with violent chills, which are soon followed by an intense fever and, often, headaches. As the parasites multiply, they take over the entire body. Malaria parasites live by eating the red blood cells they infect. They can also attach themselves to blood vessels in the brain. If it doesn't kill you, malaria can happen again and again for years. The disease passed on to humans by female mosquitoes infected with one of four species of parasite. Together, the mosquito and the parasite are the most deadly couple in the history of the earth—and one of the most successful. Malaria has five thousand genes, and its ability to change rapidly to defend itself and resist new drugs has made it nearly impossible to control. Studies show that mosquitoes are passing on the virus more frequently, and there are more outbreaks in cities with large populations. Some of the disease's spread is due to global warming.
For decades, the first-choice treatment for malaria parasites in Africa has been chloroquine, a chemical which is very cheap and easy to make. Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, malaria parasites have become resistant to it. Successful alternatives that help prevent resistance are already available, but they have been in short supply and are very expensive. If these drugs should fail, nobody knows what would come next.According to paragraph 1, many people don't seek care because___.
| A．they can remain unaffected for long |
| B．it is unusual to seek care |
| C．they are too poor |
| D．there are too many people suffering from the disease |
People suffering from malaria___.
| A．have to kill female mosquitoes |
| B．have ability to defend parasites |
| C．have their red blood cells infected |
| D．have sudden fever, followed by chills |
Which of the following may be the reason for the wide spread of the disease?
| A．Its outbreaks in cities with large populations. |
| B．Its ability to pass on the virus frequently. |
| C．Its resistance to global warming. |
| D．Its ability to defend itself and resist new drugs. |
It can be inferred from the passage that___.
| A．no drugs have been found to treat the disease |
| B．the alternative treatment is not easily available to most people |
| C．malaria has developed its ability to resist parasites |
| D．nobody knows what will be the drug to treat the disease |
Which of the following questions has NOT been discussed in the passage?
| A．How can we know one is suffering from malaria? |
| B．How many people are killed by malaria each year? |
| C．Why are there so many people suffering from malaria? |
| D．What has been done to keep people unaffected for long? |
Until the twentieth century cigarettes were not an important threat to public health. Men used tobacco mainly in the form of cigars. They chewed tobacco, piped tobacco, and snuffed. Most women did not use tobacco at all.
The cigarette industry began in 1870s with the development of the cigarette manufacturing machine. This made it possible to produce great numbers of cigarettes very quickly, and it reduced the price.
Today cigarette smoking is a widespread habit. About forty-three percent of the adult men and thirty-one percent of the adult women in the United States smoke cigarettes regularly. It is encouraging to note, however, that millions of people have quit smoking. Seventy-five percent of the male population and forty-six percent of the female population have smoked cigarettes for some time during their lives, but twenty-six percent of these men and eleven percent of the women have stopped smoking. The number of persons who have given up smoking is increasing. Men as a group smoke more than women. Among both men and women the age group with the highest proportion of smokers is the age group 24—44.
Income, education, and occupation all play a part in determining a person’s smoking habit. City people smoke more than people living on farms. Well-educated men with high incomes are less likely to smoke cigarettes than men with fewer years of schooling and lower incomes. On the other hand, if a well-educated man with a higher income smokes, he’s likely to smoke more packs of cigarettes per day.
The situation is somewhat different for women. There are slightly more smokers among women with higher family incomes and higher education than among the lower income and lower educational groups. These more highly educated women tend to smoke more heavily.
Among teenagers the picture is similar. There are fewer teenager smokers from upper-income, well-educated families, and also fewer from families living in farm areas. High school students who are preparing for college are less likely to smoke than those who don’t plan to continue their education after high school. Children are most likely to start smoking if one or both of their parents smoke.The underlined word “picture” in the last paragraph probably means _____________.
| A．situation | B．photo | C．painting | D．teenager |
Which group of people smoked more according to the passage?
| A．The group of women. | B．The group of teenagers. |
| C．The group of men. | D．The group of old people. |
Which of the following factors will be likely to decide whether a person smokes or not?
| A．Income and sex. | B．Education and occupation |
| C．Sex and age. | D．All the above. |
According to the passage, if a teenager doesn’t plan to go to college, and if his parents both smoke, he will ________________.
| A．probably not smoke in the future. |
| B．probably start to smoke in the future. |
| C．persuade his parents to give up smoking. |
| D．hate his parents as well as other smokers. |
Which of the following isn’t true?
| A．It wasn’t until the twentieth century that cigarettes became an important threat to public. |
| B．More and more people are giving up smoking. |
| C．A poorly-educated woman with lower income is more likely to smoke than a well-educated woman with high income. |
| D．There are the most smokers in the age group of 24-44. |
Education and Training
Make sure your skills are up-to-date
If you’re looking for a new job or you want to change your career, having up-to-date skills is the key to a successful job search and your future earning power.
Choose the right training
If you need training to learn new skills or enhance（提高）existing skills, make sure you got to know the following : What training program is the best for you? How will you pay for your training? You need to consider all these and more when you choose your training.
Search for training providers
Massachusetts school information is made available by the Massachusetts career information system (CIS). This directory includes most of the training providers and colleges in the states. The data for trade schools covers programs, admissions, schedules and costs. Descriptions for two-year, four-year, and graduate schools include information about school size, setting, programs, admissions, schedules, and costs. A link to the school’s Internet home page is provided when available.
Learn about the Entrepreneurial（创业者的）training program
The Entrepreneurial training program (ETP) provides training and technical assistance to individuals with good business ideas and the desire to start their own business.
Learn about Apprenticeship(见习)programs
Division of apprentice training is a system for teaching highly technical skills through a combination of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction. Also, it is responsible for promoting, developing and providing services for apprenticeship programs in the state.
Many apprentice programs are in traditional building trade areas such as Carpentry, Electrical and Ironwork. In addition, apprentice programs are being developed in areas such as Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Childcare, Culinary Arts and Telecommunications.
Use Online Resources
Link directly to the websites of colleges and universities in the state of Massachusetts. Explore other online job databases.In order to gain new skills, you need to_____.
| A．look for a new job | B．turn to a training provider |
| C．choose the right training | D．start your own business |
According to the text, the CIS_____.
| A．designs schedules for training providers |
| B．organizes schools to do training |
| C．raises business ideas for training providers |
| D．provides information of training providers |
If you want to start your own company, you probably would turn to_____.
| A．an apprentice programs | B．the CIS | C．the Internet | D．the ETP |
Which of the following can be inferred from the text?
| A．Nobody but the unemployed will show interest in the information. |
| B．The CIS offers information about schools in Massachusetts. |
| C．Having up-to-date skills is necessary for starting one’s own business |
| D．Job hunters prefer online databases to other resources. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．If I want to find information about a four-year school, I should consult ETP. |
| B．CIS helps to train job seekers. |
| C．Apprentice programs provide training in areas like Carpentry, Electrical and Iron work. |
| D．On-the-job training is compulsory for those who want to start their own business. |
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