While students in Hainan are quite used to clear skies, Beijing teenagers are not so lucky. As another warm winter approaches, the city can expect the normal clouds of smoke caused by air pollution.
But things may start to improve soon. The government is co-operating with a US-based environmental protection agency to update existing buses and trucks with clean fuel technology. The new technology could reduce air pollutants in existing diesel engines(柴油机)by 40 percent. The programme will begin by testing buses in Beijing to see if the technology can be applied to them.
“We encourage the development of public transports. But at the same time we need to reduce pollution from them, ”said an official.
Efforts are being made to improve the capital’s environment with tighter controls on emissions(排放). Some heavily polluting factories and construction sites, such as those owned by the steel giant Shougang Group, have been asked to cut production in November and December or be closed.
Beijing was the third polluted city in the world at the end of last century, according to the UN. But thanks to recent measures, the capital has made some progress. Last year 224 clear days were rated as having good air quality. In 1998 the air quality index(指数)gave just 100 days as good.
“I am glad to see an improvement, ”said a senior 1 boy living in the northwest of Beijing. “Compared to other places, the air quality of Beijing is still worrying though. I hate pollution. Once I was riding my bike in the morning when I almost had a traffic accident because I couldn’t see a car only metres away from me in fog. ”
In early October, the skies were covered by such a thick fog that a display show by the visiting French Air Force was called off.
Rapid development, industry, traffic fumes and sandstorms from the desert all contribute to the city’s bad air. The passage is mainly about .
| A．a programme aiming at improving Beijing’s air quality |
| B．progress made in Beijing’s air quality |
| C．Beijing’s air pollution |
| D．the differences between Hainan and Beijing |
Which of the following is NOT the measure taken or to be taken to improve Beijing’s air quality?
| A．Clean fuel technology will be used in public transports. |
| B．Some factories have been asked to cut production. |
| C．Some construction sites have been told to be closed. |
| D．A display show of airplanes has been called off. |
We can infer from the passage that, with the aim of being an ecological(生态的)city, .
| A．far more still needs to be done |
| B．nothing else needs to be done |
| C．all traffic has to be closed |
| D．the development of the city has to be slowed down |
Which of the following is NOT correct according to the passage?
| A．Beijing’s air quality is getting worse and worse. |
| B．Rapid development, industry, traffic fumes and sandstorms are all the causes of bad air quality. |
| C．People see clouds of smoke in the sky in the winter of Beijing. |
| D．The government is making efforts to stop air pollution. |
The morning had been a disaster．My tooth was aching, and I’d been in an argument with a friend．Her words still hurt, “The trouble with you is that you won’t put yourself in my place．Can’t you see things from my point of view?” I shook my head stubbornly---and felt the ache in my tooth．I’d thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable．I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one could see me immediately．Finally, at about lunchtime, l got lucky．
“If you come by right now,” the receptionist said, “the dentist will fit you in．”
I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car．But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist．What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn’t he as busy as the others?
In the dentist’s office, I sat down and looked around．I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried．The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my ice-cold one．
When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, “Don’t worry．The dentist is very good．”
“How long do I have to wait for him?” I asked impatiently．
“Come on, he is coming．Just lie down and relax．And enjoy the artwork,” the assistant said，“The artwork?” I was puzzled．
The chair went back．Suddenly I smiled．There was a beautiful picture, right where I could enjoy it: on the ceiling．How considerate the dentist was! At that moment, l began to understand what my friend meant by her words．
What a relief!Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling that morning?
| A．Cheerful. | B．Nervous. | C．Satisfied. | D．Upset. |
What made the author begin to doubt about the dentist?
| A．The dentist’s agreeing to treat her at very short notice. |
| B．The dentist’s being as busy as the other dentists. |
| C．The surroundings of the dentist’s office. |
| D．The laughing assistant of the dentist. |
What does the author want to tell us in the text?
| A．Strike while the iron is hot. |
| B．Have a good word for one’s friend. |
| C．Put yourself in others’ shoes. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
General Airport Tips
Plan to get to the airport at least an hour early, or two during holidays and other busy times; this will reduce the stress of the flight．If all goes well, you will have time to relax, shop for last-minute items, or have a meal before the flight．
Flight Delays
Find out why your flight is delayed．Call the free call numbers．Find out if other airlines are experiencing similar delays．If you believe the delay is due to something other than weather or air traffic problems, then mention your suspicion （怀疑） and ask the airline agent to book you on the next available flight, either on the same air-line or a competing one．This is called "Rule 240", and all airlines are required to do it．Use the lingo （行话）; ask, "Can you 240 me?" when speaking with an agent．They will know what you mean．
Flight Cancellations（取消）
If your flight is canceled, then make a reservation on the next flight to your destination．Usually, air-line officials will try to book everyone on their next flight out．Often they will put you on a competitor's next flight only if you request it．
Getting bumped（不能登机）
To avoid getting bumped, you must be at the loading gate at least 10 minutes ahead of scheduled departure for a U.S. Flight, 20 minutes to /from Bahamas, Canada, and Mexico and 30 to/ from all other international points．You must be at the loading gate, not the airport entrance．By arriving at the airport earlier, one can _______．
| A．get on the airplane immediately |
| B．reduce the pressure of the flight |
| C．have a good rest in the airplane |
| D．buy what he wants in the airport |
If a person calls "Rule 240", he wants to _______．
| A．make sure the time for the next plane |
| B．get a ticket for the next flight |
| C．know if other flights are also delayed |
| D．ask about the cause of the plane delay |
People heading for Germany must be at the loading gate at least__________．
| A．40 minutes ahead of time |
| B．20 minutes ahead of time |
| C．30 minutes ahead of time |
| D．10 minutes ahead of time |
The purpose in writing this text is to________．
| A．show us how to get on a plane |
| B．tell us what to do before and after a flight |
| C．put forward suggestions for a flight |
| D．give us advice on dealing with airlines |
In Canada and the United States, there is a new group of children called “satellite kids”, who live in one place but whose parents live in another place.
Asians are immigrating (移民) to Canada and the United States in larger numbers than ever before. Most Asians immigrate because they believe that they can give their children a better education in the West. In Asia, especially in China, Japan, and Korea, it is difficult to go to university. Students must first pass the strict national examination. However, in Canada and the United States, it is easy to go to university, and anyone who wants to go can go. As a result, Asian parents decide to leave their countries so that their children can go to university.
The problem is that when Asians arrive, they discover that finding a job and making money are more difficult in the West than in the East. Also, they find that they are very lonely, and that they miss their homes. For these two reasons, most Asian parents decide to go back to work while their children study in the West. Therefore, these children become “satellite kids”, and most of their parents do not know how sad it is to be a “satellite kid”.
Only until now are Canadians and Americans discovering the “satellite kid” problem. Because these children do not speak English and because their parents are not there to take care of them, they are often absent from school. To be a “satellite kid” means to grow up in a country where you know you are different and where you cannot make friends because you do not speak English well. Also, it means to grow up lonely, because your parents are elsewhere. What these “satellite kids” will probably say to their parents is that it’s better to have parents around than to have a university educationSome Asian parents send their kids abroad because ________
| A．they hope their children may easily find a job there |
| B．all foreign universities are better than the ones in their own countries |
| C．the kids may not be accepted by universities in their own countries |
| D．the kids want to improve their English and make foreign friends |
“Satellite kids” refer to Asian kids ________
| A．without parents | B．speaking no English |
| C．with university education | D．living abroad alone |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Parents want better education for their kids |
| B．Parents feel lonely and miss their families |
| C．Kids in foreign countries alone are badly in need of care from family |
| D．Canadians and Americans begin to notice the “satellite kids” problem |
Give people a chance before you judge them because you really never know what’s going on beneath the surface. I am always reminded that judging a person by what others say or my first impression is usually wrong.
It’s so easy to make assumptions (臆想)and expectations about someone, just to find out they were completely false. The shy girl turns out to be one of the funniest girls I’ve ever met; the mean girl is actually very sensitive and loving; the cocky guy is unsure of himself, etc.
I hope there is a world where we stop judging a person by what they wear, their hairstyle, their job, their car; we simply love and accept them for who they are. Someone may have untidy hair because they over slept, or their clothes don’t match because their house burned down and lost everything. All I’m saying is, “can we focus more on what’s going on inside a person rather than the outside?”
There are so many people who seem like everything is just fine on the outside, but the inside is angry or hurting. They don’t know how to just be themselves or they’re afraid to because they may be seen as the “crazy” or “strange” persons.
I truly believe everything begins with ourselves. Before we can really stop judging others by the outside, we must stop judging ourselves. We must know how to treat ourselves first. Let’s stop getting in our own way and accept ourselves and others as we are.The underlined word “cocky” in Paragraph 2 probably means______.
| A．lovely | B．clever | C．proud | D．stupid |
When we judge a person, we should pay more attention to _______.
| A．what he wears | B．what he does or has |
| C．our first feelings and thoughts | D．what’s going on inside him |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Don’t judge a book by its cover | B．Judge a person by his outside. |
| C．Learn to just be yourselves. | D．Accept what you are. |
Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.
He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the sky. What he saw shocked and terrified him. A huge swarm of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and the buzzing mass seemed to be heading angrily towards him.
With no time to waste, Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding furiously—but without knowing how to escape the swarm. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings(蜇). The last sting had landed him in hospital—and that was only one bee sting! Suddenly, his father’s words came to him. “When you are in a tight situation, don’t panic. Use your brain and think your way out of it.”
On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house.” But Andy knew he could not reach the house in time. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a small dam used by Mr. Nelson. Off his bike and into the cool water he dived, disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he struggled up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?
| A．He was riding to school. |
| B．He was listening to a strange sound. |
| C．He was going fishing with his father. |
| D．He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?
| A．They crowded like a black cloud. |
| B．They shocked and terrified Andy. |
| C．They tried to attack Andy in a mass. |
| D．They made Andy stay in hospital for two days. |
How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?
| A．He asked Mr. Nelson for help. |
| B．He hid himself under the water. |
| C．He rushed into the Nelson house. |
| D．He rode off in the opposite direction. |
Which of the following can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?
| A．No pains, no gains. |
| B．Once bitten, twice shy. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| D．In time of danger, one’s mind works fast. |
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