I chose to study in Madrid because I had a desire to learn Spanish. My first impressions of Madrid were incredible. It was before the New Year that I arrived in Madrid for the first time. While traveling to my Spanish friend's house in a taxi, I appreciated the buildings along the road which were different from those of my own country.
There are an incredible number of restaurants and bars from all over the world. If you are really into sightseeing, I hope you have rechargeable batteries for your digital camera, because one week really isn't enough time to see everything here including a number of art, science, and historical museums as well as parks, buildings, and amazing landscapes.
What I liked best about life in Madrid was the fact that if you were frustrated with schoolwork and wanted to have some fun, you can easily go out. The nightlife never seems to stop and the people are all very friendly. You can meet people and practice Spanish while having fun at the same time.
What I liked least was the fact that many people smoked in the streets. Also, coming from the US, I was used to having a big breakfast every morning, but while living with an actual Spanish family, I wasn't really satisfied with the food in the morning.
I think I have definitely become more independent since I came back from Spain. Living in a big city like Madrid ,I found that it is necessary to plan ahead and to make a schedule for future. There is so much to see, not just in the Spanish World, but in the European World as well.What's the purpose of the text?
| A．To attract people to tour around Madrid. |
| B．To show how to enjoy Spanish culture. |
| C．To give advice on how to study Spanish. |
| D．To describe the author's life in Madrid. |
The author went to Madrid to _________________.
| A．visit his friend | B．go on a sightseeing tour |
| C．study Spanish | D．complete his trip around Europe |
Why did the author suggest taking rechargeable batteries?
| A．It's difficult to deal with the used batteries. |
| B．It's not convenient to recharge batteries. |
| C．There are few stores that sell ordinary batteries. |
| D．You will find lots of places worth taking pictures of. |
Which of the following in Madrid didn't please the author?
| A．Parks and buildings. | B．Restaurants and bars. |
| C．Nightlife | D．Breakfast. |
This year’s World Food Prize will honor two leaders of hunger-fighting groups based in the United States. The winners are David Beckmann of Bread for the World and Jo Luck of Heifer International. They will share the prize of 250,000 dollars. The World Food Prize usually goes to researchers or top policy officials. This is the first time it will recognize the work of nongovernmental groups.
Heifer International provides donated animals and training to farmers in 50 countries. Jo Luck remains president until next year. Under her leadership, the group’s budget grew from less than 10,000,000 dollars to more than 130,000,000 dollars. Jo Luck, “People pass on their gifts of not just animals but also gifts of training and leadership. We have seen cases where we have been gone 5 and 10 years and we go back and they have developed roads and built schools, and they have other communities receiving the animals and the training. You just give them those resources and that training and opportunity, and you cannot hold them back.” She told the story of a woman from a poor village in Zimbabwe. A family member helped send her to school in the United States with earnings from a donated milk goat. She received a doctoral degree. Jo Luck, “That is what a goat did. That is one example. The animal is only the catalyst（催化剂）. That is the beginning of many other things that follow.”
David Beckmann became president of Bread for the World in 1991. He is an economist and a Christian clergyman（牧师）. Bread for the World organizes people from religious and non-religious groups to write, call and visit members of Congress（国会）. The purpose is to support measures to improve the lives of the poor. David Beckmann points to big increase in American development assistance. He said, “I think that would not have happened without the support of hundreds of thousands of people and churches that are part of Bread for the World and that keep the pressure on their members of Congress.” The prize committee also credited his efforts with helping to increase aid to needy families in the United States.The World Food Prize honors ________.
| A．people who fight against hunger |
| B．researchers or top policy officials |
| C．people from nongovernmental groups |
| D．people who have advanced human development |
Why does Jo Luck receive the prize?
| A．Under her leadership, people develop roads and build schools. |
| B．She has served Heifer International for almost 20 years. |
| C．Under her leadership, Heifer International helps farmers in 50 countries. |
| D．She makes the group’s budget grow to more than 130 million. |
What has David Beckmann done to deserve the prize?
| A．He has trained farmers in 50 countries. |
| B．He has made a great contribution to science. |
| C．He has led Bread for the World for more than 20 years. |
| D．He has aimed to support measures to improve the lives of the poor. |
“Now I just don’t believe that.” Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It’s simply badly researched, or, the makers must think we’re fools.
If movies were completely scientifically accurate, they’d probably be as interesting as a Physics 101 lecture. In real life, there are no explosions in space, gas usually doesn’t explode from a lit cigarette, and Bruce Willis / Jackie Chan / Will Smith would most likely be in a coma(昏迷) after getting kicked in the head.
Recently, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on unconvincing tech moments from some top movies. Let’s see what they are all about.
Telegraph writer Tom Chivers’ first example is from the end-of-the-world movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus capable of destroying Windows, the computer system the alien(外星人的) spacecraft uses. “It’s a good thing they didn’t have Norton antivirus,” jokes Chivers.
It’s just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science. Another one Chivers mentions is from Star Wars, where glowing beams of light traveling through space look very impressive. The problem is that in space there are no air particles(颗粒) for the light to reflect off. In reality, they’d not be seen, which wouldn’t look so cool on the big screen.
Chivers’ second piece of Star Wars nonsense is the sound the fighters make in the movies: “ the bellow(咆哮) of an elephant mixed with a car driving on a wet road”. But sound needs a medium to travel through, like air. In space, there wouldn’t actually be any sound at all.
Few people would deny that the mind-bending Matrix films make for great viewing, but for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little silly.
And finally: as Chivers points out, DAN is not replaceable. But this bit of elementary genetics passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die another Day by. In the film the villain(坏人) has “gene therapy” to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible.What does the text mainly deal with?
| A．Plots of some famous movies. | B．Characters in space movies. |
| C．Popularity of space movies. | D．Mistakes made in some movies. |
From the first two paragraphs we can know that some movie makers ____.
| A．went against general knowledge of science |
| B．didn’t pay attention to the viewers’ real demand |
| C．overestimated viewers’ appreciation of movies. |
| D．didn’t try their best to improve the quality of the movies. |
What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．The newspapers. | B．Unconvincing tech moments |
| C．Some top movies. | D．Heroes in the movies. |
We can learn from Paragraph 7 that ____.
| A．most people like Matrix films |
| B．the truth of Matrix films remains in doubt |
| C．few people think Matrix films silly |
| D．Chivers thinks science is unacceptable |
Andy is the most unreasonable, pigheaded life form in the world, and he makes me so angry I could scream! Of course, I love him like a brother. I have to because he is my brother. More than that, he is my twin! That’s right. Andy and Amy(that’s me) have the same curly(卷曲的) hair and dark eyes and equally stubborn character. Yet, though we may look alike, on most issues(事情) we usually take completely opposite positions. If I say day, you can count on Andy to say night.
Just this week, the hot topic in school was all about the PTA’S proposal(提议) to adopt a school dress principle. Every student would be required to wear a uniform. Uniforms! Can you imagine? Oh, they would be uniforms in color. The dress style would be sort of loose and free.
I think a dress principle is a good idea. The reason is simple. School is tough enough without worrying about looking cool every single day. The fact is, the less I have to decide first thing in the morning, the better. I also wouldn’t mind not having to see guys wearing oversized jeans and shirts. And I certainly would welcome not seeing kids showing off designer clothes.
Andy is surprised at my opinion. He says he can’t believe that I would be willing to give up my all-American teenage birthright by dressing like — well, like a typical teenager. Last night, he even dragged out Mom and Dad’s high school photo albums. What a couple of peace-loving hippies(嬉皮士) they were!
The vote for or against uniforms took place later that day. The results of the vote and the headmaster’s decision will be announced next week. I wonder what it will be. I know how I voted, and I’m pretty sure I know how Andy voted.
How would you vote—for or against?The story is about___________.
| A．a school policy decision that will affect parents and students |
| B．a personal experience and is told in the first person |
| C．a historical event and is told in the third person |
| D．a conflict of opinions between boys and girls |
Amy’s position on school uniforms is most likely based on________.
| A．logical conclusions drawn form her own observation and personal experience |
| B．an aggressive reaction to what she has been told by people in authority |
| C．her preference for designer-labeled clothes |
| D．not liking anything her brother likes |
Which of the following is the best statement of Andy’s position?
| A．School clothing should reflect parents’ values. |
| B．Teenagers should never follow the latest fashions in dress. |
| C．How one dresses should be an expression of one’s individuality. |
| D．Wearing school uniforms means one less decision every morning. |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．A School Dress Principle. |
| B．My Stubborn Twin Brother |
| C．Endless Fights with My Brother |
| D．For or Against?--- That Is the Question |
Electrical devices（仪器）could soon use power make by human energy, Scientists say they have developed an experimental device that produces electricity from the physical movement of a person walking , British scientist Max Donelan and other scientists in Canada and the United States developed the device.
The device connects to a person’s knee, As the person walks, the device captures energy each time the person slows down, To do this ,the device helps with the slowing sown movement of the leg, The movements of the walking person push parts of a small machine that produces electricity, Using the device, an adult walking quickly could produce thirteen watts of electricity in just a minute, Donelan says walking at that speed could produce enough power to operate a laptop computer for six minutes.
There are several possible uses for the device ,Developers say it could help people who work in areas without electricity to operate small computers, The deice could also be used in hospitals to operate heart pacemakers（起博器）,It could even be used to assist in the movement of robotic arms and legs.
The experimental version of the device weighs about one and a half kilograms, but it is too costly for most people to buy, But the researchers hope to make a lighter, less costly version.An improved version should be ready in one year.
The developers hope the device will one day help developing countries, Nearly twenty five percent of people around the world live without electric power.
A similar product was invented in 2005 by Larry Rome of the University of Pennsylvania,He created a bag carried on a person’s back that also produces power from walking, The knee device does not produce as much electricity as the bag ,But the bag requires the walker to carry a load of twenty to thirty kilograms.The second paragraph mainly talks about .
| A．who developed the device |
| B．how the device works |
| C．several possible uses for the devices |
| D．how much electricity the device can produce |
What is the disadvantage of the experimental version of the device?
| A．It is too heavy for the walker to bear |
| B．It is too complex for people to use |
| C．It is too expensive for most people to afford |
| D．It will slow down one’s walking speed. |
Compared with the device designed by Larry Rome ,this new device .
| A．produces power without adding more loads to the walker |
| B．can produce more power in a much shorter time |
| C．needs to be equipped with a battery |
| D．can help the walker walk faster |
From the passage, we can learn that the electrical device can .
| A．help housewives operate the washing machine |
| B．make it much easier for us to go online |
| C．produce more electricity than that invented by Larry Rome |
| D．be applied in medicine to operate heart pacemakers |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．First device powered by walking will soon be on the market |
| B．Advanced technology brings in a new way to operate heart pacemakers |
| C．Device gives new meaning to the idea of power walking |
| D．Human energy will become a main source of electricity |
While nature lovers across the world wish all humans to realize the significance of their natural surroundings ,many Australians are turning caring for the environment into a way of life.
Julie Astonis ,an Australian housewife in Brisbane is one such example, Even though autumn is approaching Australia’s Brisbane in April, one can still watch colorful blooming （盛开的）flowers in Julie’s little garden, as she tells that in her community, “Each of us has a beautiful yard, The whole community, from children to elderly people, takes care of the environment as if they are taking care of their own garden.”
“Gardening is the most popular club in our community,”she says, “A lot of retired people don’t just regularly organize gardening lectures, but also personally visit families in the community to provide gardening training , So you can see that flowers continue to bols-som in our gardens throughout the year.”
Talking about her people’s sense of care for the environment, Julie says when people in the community take along their dog, they always carry a garbage bag to deal with the dog’s waste, “In our community ,you will never experience the embarrassment of stepping on the dirty waste while you are walking on the grass,”says Julie with a smile,“Taking care of the dog’s waste can also help to develop children’s sense of responsibility!”
As to protecting water resources , the Australian government has made strict rules for families, Julie says, “We certainly would not use tap water to water the flowers!”She ways almost every family in her community has a huge tank used to store rainwater, which is later used as the resource of all outdoor water use, connect the water tank with their toilets.From the first three paragraphs we learn that .
| A．gardening is popular in most part of Australia |
| B．April is a great time for people to enjoy flowers |
| C．it’s not easy to keep a garden without proper training |
| D．Julie’s community has a deep sense of caring for nature |
Which of the following about Julie is true?
| A．She takes pride in her community. |
| B．She once stepped on a dog’s waste. |
| C．She is quite in favor of raising a dog. |
| D．She finds it embarrassing to walk on the grass. |
From what Julie says in the last paragraph, we know _________.
| A．rainwater is not the best resource |
| B．her community owns a public tank |
| C．her community makes full use of resources |
| D．it is not necessary to water flowers very often |
How many examples are given to show the caring for the environment in Australia?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Love nature, the Australian way | B．How Australians save resources |
| C．How Australians lead their life | D．Protect nature, a must of life |
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