The Lunar New Year, which starts in late January this year, is the most important festival for Chinese people as most of them drop any business at hand to go back to their hometown to see their families. It is a tradition that has been cherished since ancient times, but as social mobility increases in modern times, the road to family reunions has become very uneasy.
It is not the higher travel costs, nor the expected big spending on gifts and other festival items, but the train ticket that has driven many travelers mad. I’ve heard some colleagues complain that they have tried every means to secure a train ticket, only to find it a mission impossible. Some of them have turned to the latest software to aid online booking; others have sought help from friends to increase the possibility of successful booking.
No doubt chunyun, the Spring Festival travel season, is the largest-scale annual human migration in the world. Last year, 220 million passengers traveled by train during the Spring Festival season, which usually lasts 40 days. It is a huge jump from 10 years ago, when the number was 128 million.
With the big sudden increase in demand, the railway company has increased investment in railway construction; still, it cannot bridge the supply gap, leading to fierce public complaints and criticism.
Admittedly, it is almost impossible for the railway company to suddenly improve its capacity to meet the explosive demand during the Spring Festival holiday. Moreover, any temporary increase in capacity would become unnecessary after the holiday and mean great commercial losses during the off season.
What the company can reasonably do is gradually improve its capacity while focusing on better distribution of its existing resources during the special peak season. At any rate, however, the problem cannot be solved overnight.Compared with ten years ago, the percentage of passengers last year increased by________.
| A．40% | B．58% | C．71% | D．83% |
Which of the following does the author probably agree with?
| A．Social mobility in modern times hasn’t changed much in these years. |
| B．The latest software may increase the possibility of successful booking. |
| C．Higher travel costs discourage travelers from reunions with families. |
| D．People nowadays cherish reunion with their families more than before. |
Which word can be used to best describe the way to solve the problem only by increasing capacity?
| A．Expensive | B．Effective | C．Hopeful | D．Impractical |
What’s the tone of the whole passage?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Objective | C．Subjective | D．Critical |
You may have never heard of Lanthanum, Cerium or Neodymium, but these elements (元素) and others known as “rare earth” play a major role in modern technology. They can actually be found in many places on the earth, but not in quantities that can be mined. Only a few countries — China, America, India, Australia, Brazil and Malaysia have any that can be mined enough to be traded.
Even though some of these elements such as Cerium are as abundant as Copper, they are not found in concentrated amounts on the earth’s surface. They are often mixed together with other metals, which makes extraction (提取) of these elements an expensive and an environmentally messy process. It was due to this reason that the term “rare earth” was invented.
Rare earth metals are used widely in our life. Rechargeable car batteries, computers, iPhones, DVD players, computer monitors, televisions, lighting, lasers, glass polishing, and superconductors all use quantities of rare earth metals. Also, with the advancement in “green” technology like solar panels, these shiny materials are becoming more important than ever. An average electric car uses 10 pounds of Lanthanum for its rechargeable battery!
America has large deposits (存储量) of rare earths and has one of the first mines. It was opened in Southern California in 1940. The element “Europium” was the first metal to be separated in quantity for use in color televisions. However, in the 1980’s and 1990’s, as China started producing these elements in Inner Mongolia, the mines in America and elsewhere could not keep pace. The mine in Mountain Pass, California also failed environmental regulations and shut down in 2002.
Now, recognizing the importance of having more than one supplier of this important resource, other rare earth owning countries like India and Australia are either dusting off their rare earth mines or speeding up their production. It is believed that the debate over rare earths will become louder in the coming months and years.What can we learn about rare earths?
| A．They are actually as abundant as Copper. |
| B．They can be mined easily as other metals. |
| C．They can only be found in a few countries. |
| D．They are not really as rare as they are named. |
Compared with China, America _____.
| A．paid more attention to Europium |
| B．has larger deposits of rare earths |
| C．started producing rare earths earlier |
| D．has more rare earth mines |
It can be inferred from the text that rare earths _____.
| A．are now in great demand |
| B．can now be used in few fields |
| C．are harmful to the environment |
| D．will soon be replaced by other metals |
“Your first home,” Laurence Yep wrote in his book, The Lost Garden, “will always be the one that you remember best. I have been away from it for over twenty years, but I still go back in my dreams.” For Yep, whose father came from China, home was an apartment and the family grocery store in a neighborhood of San Francisco. It was there that he learned about patience, hard work, and getting along with neighbors.
Mr. Brown, Laurence Yep’s high school English teacher, often set high goals for his students. He was the first person to encourage Yep to write. The experience of that class changed the direction of Yep’s life. At the age of 18 Yep published his first short story, a sci-fi fantasy. He has since written many books and many kinds of books. He has retold Chinese folk stories and written for the theater. In nearly all these varied works, Yep, who is married to the children’s book author Joanne Ryder, has returned to questions he has been asking himself since childhood: What does it mean to be Chinese and American? Can one who belongs to two cultures ever feel at home anywhere?
When asked, “How has being of a Chinese by origin been important to you?” Laurence Yep replied, “As a child I wanted to be as American as possible. Then, in my early twenties, I became very interested in my Chinese roots. For years after that, I thought that my function as a Chinese American writer was to act as a bridge between two cultures. Now, though, I am not so sure that it is possible to join them together. Compared with Asian culture, American culture pays more attention to individuals and competition. The two cultures pull in opposite directions. So I see myself now as someone who will always be on the border between two cultures. That works to my benefit as a writer because not quite fitting in helps me be a better observer.”According to Paragraph 1, Laurence Yep _____.
| A．misses his first home very much |
| B．goes back to China from time to time |
| C．moved to San Francisco at an early age |
| D．once worked part-time at a grocery store |
2We may infer from Paragraph 2 that Mr. Brown _____.
| A．asked Laurence Yep to be a good observer |
| B．taught Laurence Yep the value of patience |
| C．helped Laurence Yep finish his first book |
| D．had high expectations of Laurence Yep |
The last paragraph is mainly about Laurence Yep’s _____.
| A．childhood memories |
| B．varied writing styles |
| C．view of the two cultures |
| D．relationship with his family |
Which of the following best describes Laurence Yep’s attitude to life?
| A．Learn to accept your own differences. |
| B．Put the needs of others ahead of your own. |
| C．Work hard and you will receive many benefits. |
| D．Challenge others as you would wish to be challenged. |
阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中, 选出最佳选项。
A
 Greco-Roman Festival Friday, April 28th! As a member of the group, you will take part in at least one of the following activities. |
Activity I: Compete in an Olympic event
Sign up with your English teacher, and remember space is limited for each event. See the following list:
● Hercules Throw — Throw a football through a hoop (铁环) 20 feet away.
● Three-Headed Race — Three people line up with touching legs tied. Then they run the distance of the gym.
● Toga-Barrow Race —This is like a wheelbarrow race while wearing your toga (宽外袍). (Runners hold their partners’ feet while they walk on hands.)
Activity II: Make Greek or Roman food
Mrs. Jones has a list of recipes (食谱) from ancient Greece and Rome. Remember to give the food you make a unique name. For example, call your chocolate cake Zeus’s Delight.
Activity III: Create a work of art for the museum
Be sure your artwork reflects ancient Greek or Roman culture. Artwork may include sculptures, paintings, drawings or models. The museum is a great place to show off your artistic talent.
Activity IV: Perform an original play, song, or dance for the talent show
Rewrite your favorite Greek myth (神话) using modern language, or change the words of a popular song to tell a Greek or Roman tale. Gather your creative energy and send your ideas to your English teacher for approval.
Activity V: Come to the Toga-Tying party
Since the ancient Greeks should inspire your dressing for the event, feel free to attend the festival in a toga. Learn to tie your toga. Thursday, April 27th. After school in the gym.
| Group Number |
1:00 pm -1:25 pm |
1:30 pm -1:55 pm |
2:00 pm -2:25 pm |
2:30 pm -3:30 pm |
| I |
Activity I; Place: Gym |
Activity III; Place: Library |
Activity II; Place: Cafeteria |
Activity IV; Place: Library All teams! Hurry! No seats reserved. |
| II |
Activity II; Place: Cafeteria |
Activity I; Place: Gym |
Activity III; Place: Library |
|
| III |
Activity III; Place: Library |
Activity II; Place: Cafeteria |
Activity I; Place: Gym |
We can learn from Activity I that _____.
| A．players wear a toga for the football throw |
| B．different physical competitions are offered |
| C．Mrs. Jones is the judge of the competitions |
| D．skills in throwing are needed in these games |
Which piece of art would be shown in the museum?
| A．A painting of ancient Chinese coins. |
| B．A drawing of ancient Greek buildings. |
| C．A sculpture of an ancient Indian athlete. |
| D．A model of an ancient Egyptian sculpture. |
Right after showing the artwork, Group II may go to _____.
| A．make Greek or Roman food |
| B．compete in Olympic events |
| C．perform at the talent show |
| D．join the Toga-Tying party |
The text is most probably _____.
| A．a poster for school activities |
| B．a want ad for student volunteers |
| C．an introduction to the Greco-Roman Festival |
| D．a notice about arrangements for Olympic events |
Mosquitoes have an extraordinary ability to target humans far away and fly straight to their unprotected skin. Regrettably，mosquitoes can do more than cause an itchy(发痒的）wound. Some mosquitoes spread several serious diseases，including Dengue，yellow fever and malaria.
Over one million people worldwide die from these diseases each year. New research now shows how mosquitoes choose who to bite.
Mosquitoes need blood to survive. They are attracted to human skin and breath. They smell the carbon dioxide gas，which all mammals breathe out. This gas is the main way for mosquitoes to know that a warm-blooded creature is nearby.
But mosquitoes also use their eyes and sense of touch. Michael Dickinson is a professor at the California Institute of Technology. His research shows how these small insects，with even smaller brains，use three senses to find a blood meal.
Michael Dickinson’s team used plumes—a material that rises into the air of carbon dioxide gas into a wind tunnel. They then used cameras to record the mosquitoes. The insects followed the plume.
Then，the scientists placed dark objects on the lighter colored floor and walls of the tunnel. Mr. Dickinson said，at first，the mosquitoes showed no interest in the objects at all. “What was quite striking and quite surprising is that the mosquitoes fly back and forth for hours. These are hungry females and they completely ignore the objects on the floor and wall of the tunnel. But the moment they get a hit of CO2，they change their behavior quite obviously and now would become attracted to these little visual blobs (斑点）.”
This suggested to the researchers that a mosquito’s sense of smell is more important in the search for food. Once mosquitoes catch a smell of a human or animal，they also follow visual signals.
What do mosquitoes mainly use to find their targets?
| A．Sense of smell. | B．Sense of touch. |
| C．Sense of sight. | D．Smart brains. |
The first response of the mosquitoes to the objects in the experiment is .
| A．to fly to the dark ones |
| B．to catch and stick to them |
| C．to take no notice of them |
| D．to attach themselves to them |
How can we avoid being attacked by mosquitoes according to the text ?
| A．Don’t let them see us. |
| B．Use dark objects to stop them. |
| C．Make them fly back and forth for hours. |
| D．Attract them to objects full of carbon dioxide gas. |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．How Do Mosquitoes Survive? |
| B．Why Do Mosquitoes Need Blood? |
| C．How Do Mosquitoes Choose to Bite You? |
| D．Why Do Mosquitoes Attack the Human Being? |
Parents usually go to malls to find new school supplies for their children. One of the most important things to get during this time is the backpack. Most students choose to bring a backpack because it allows them to have both hands free. This makes the bag less likely to hinder (妨碍)other activities that the person carrying it may be doing at the same time. Here are the ways parents can choose the perfect backpack for school.
How many books will children be carrying to school? How many notebooks should be inside the bag? Parents should know these details before buying a bag for their children. Each situation requires a different bag so it pays to ask children about the expected load.
Do children need special storage for the bag? If they will be carrying a laptop computer inside the new backpack，make sure that parents get a model that’s designed specifically for laptop use. This will protect the computer from bumps and falls that might damage the device if it had less protection.
Are children going to use the bag for a long time? If they want to use a bag for a long time，parents will be better off investing in a good brand that is known for quality. Parents may have to pay extra cash to get the top of the line and the best backpack in the market.
Count the pockets. Backpacks usually come with a lot of pockets，and generally，the more pockets，the better. This allows children to organize their things，like pens and pencils inside small pockets.
Picking the perfect school backpack is all about getting the sweet compromise (折中）between form，function and price. Remember to choose the best fit for children’s needs.
Why do most students like bringing a backpack?
| A．Because it looks beautiful. |
| B．Because it’s a duty for them to bring it. |
| C．Because they can put all the books into it. |
| D．Because it helps them do other activities freely. |
What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．Parents should find out how many books their children have. |
| B．Parents must ask teachers for help before buying a backpack. |
| C．Parents should know the weight of things that will go inside the backpack. |
| D．Parents must ask their children’s requirements when buying a backpack. |
The underlined word “bumps” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to“ ”.
| A．knocks | B．jumps | C．stands | D．beats |
Which of the following can we know from the text?
| A．Picking a backpack is very easy to do. |
| B．It’s better for children to have a backpack that has more pockets. |
| C．The backpacks that have a good brand are more popular with children. |
| D．Parents always feel worried when buying a backpack for their children. |
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