China is a land of bicycles.At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country.Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle.Millions of them, all black.Cars were rare.Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year.I've found the opposite is true.There are millions of cars.However, people still use their bicycles to get around.For many, it's the easiest and cheapest way to travel today.Bicycles also come in different colors—silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It's fun watching people biking.They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks(人行道)．Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can't provide.
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle.Great weather accompanied my great buy.I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly(守秩序的)．To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times.I didn't want to get hit.So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem.It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States.The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home.The feeling on the bicycle was amazing.The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful.I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people.Biking made me feel alive.According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?
| A．Because they are traditional and safe. |
| B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive. |
| C．Because they are colorful and available. |
| D．Because they are fast and environmentfriendly. |
The author decided to buy a bicycle because he intended ________.
| A．to ride it for fun |
| B．to use it for transport |
| C．to experience local culture |
| D．to improve his riding skills |
How did the author feel about his street crossing?
| A．It was boring. | B．It was difficult. |
| C．It was lively. | D．It was wonderful. |
Which of the following best describes the author's biking experience?
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills. |
| B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding. |
| C．The author was praised by the other bikers. |
| D．The author took great pleasure in biking. |
Some of the planet’s most precious animals and plants are disappearing, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The group, based in Switzerland, works with governments and experts to protect threatened species. On September 12, the IUCN released its Red List, a list of species at greatest risk of extinction.
The list includes 41,415 animals and plants. The IUCN says that habitat destruction, hunting and other causes threaten one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians(两栖动物).
Who is to blame?
Scientists believe that 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activity. “We are losing animals and plants at a high rate,” says Julia Marton-LefEevre, director general of the IUCN. “We need to change our behavior.” Warmer oceans and over-fishing are changing sea life. This year for the first time corals(珊瑚) made their appearance on the list. The gharial, a crocodile living in India and Nepal, has lost almost 60 percent of its population in the last 10 years. It is a victim（受害者）of habitat destruction.
Still, the news is not all bad. Thanks to efforts made to protect it, the Mauritius echo parakeet, a bird once endangered, has seen an increase in its population. “This shows that protection methods can work,” says Marton-LefEevre. “That’s the message we want to send to young people.”
In China the new reserve（保护区）itself is part of green efforts that have seen more than 2,400 nature reserves of various kinds being set up, covering more than 15 percent of the nation’s land area, official figures showed.
"The country’s natural resources(资源) have benefited from conservation," said Lei Guangchun, director of the nature reserve department of Beijing Forestry University. "It is a big increase nowadays compared with other countries." Lei said.
The total areas of China’s natural reserves have covered 1.38 million km2, which accounts for 15.4% of China’s area, higher than both the world average（平均水平） of 11% and the rate in most developed countries.
Li Zhong, an official in charge of the nature reserves office with the State Forestry Administration, thought it was important to increase investment（投资） in such reserves at all levels. What do we know about the IUCN?
| A．A union for listing animals and plants on the earth |
| B．A group of volunteers who are interested in wildlife |
| C．An organization concerning the protection of rare species’ survival |
| D．A government made up officials, scientists and experts |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．All the protection methods can’t work. |
| B．The IUCN does most of the protection. |
| C．The efforts China makes has paid off. |
| D．Enough is done in wildlife protection. |
Which of the following is not the cause of the disappearance of the animals?
| A．Bad weather | B．Over-hunting | C．Warmer oceans | D．Habitat destruction |
Which of the sentence is NOT true?
| A．China has been paying great attention to protecting the natural resources. |
| B．China has set up a lot of natural reserves. |
| C．The natural reserves in China cover more than 15 percent of the nation’s land area. |
| D．The rate of China’s natural reserves is lower than the average of the world. |
A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin （顽童） was walking around the shining car. “Is this your car, Paul?” he asked.
Paul answered, “Yes, my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it cost you nothing? Boy, I wish…” He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He wished he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Paul greatly.
“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in surprise, and then he said again, “Would you like to take a ride in my car?”
“Oh yes, I’d love that.”
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, “Paul, would you mind driving in front of my house?”
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again．“Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled （残疾） brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.
“There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m going to give you one just like it… Then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas window that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in and the three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.The street urchin was very surprised when __________.
| A．he saw the shining car | B．Paul told him about the car |
| C．he was walking around the car | D．Paul received an expensive car |
From the story we know that the urchin __________.
| A．wished to give his brother a car |
| B．wished Paul’s brother to give him a car |
| C．wished Paul could be a brother like that |
| D．wished he could have a brother like Paul’s |
The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house ______.
| A．to show he had a rich friend | B．to show his neighbors the car |
| C．to let his brother ride in the car | D．to tell his brother about his wish |
We can infer from the story that __________.
| A．Paul couldn’t understand the urchin |
| B．the urchin’s wish came true in the end |
| C．the urchin wished to have a rich brother |
| D．the urchin had a deep love for his brother |
Everybody knows that words can carry messages. People communicate with words. Books, magazines, TV, radio and films all help us to communicate with others. They all help us to know what is going on in the world and what other people are thinking about.
Do you think you can communicate without words? A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad. When you put up your hand in class, the teacher knows you want to say something or ask a question. You shake your head, and people know you are saying “No”. You nod and people know you are saying “Yes”.
Other things can also carry messages. For example, a sign at the bus stop helps you to know which bus to take. A sign on the wall of your school helps you to find the library. Signs with arrows on doors tell you where to go in or out. Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of signs around you and that you receive messages from them all the time?
People can communicate in many ways without words. For example, an artist can use his drawings to tell about beautiful mountains, about the sea and many other things.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．It is a most popular way for man to communicate with words. |
| B．Words are the only way for man to communicate. |
| C．Using radio is one of the ways for man to communicate. |
| D．TV can help people to know the world better. |
Besides words, which can also be used to express oneself?
| A．Sign language. | B．Smile. | C．Head shaking. | D．Nodding. |
Which of the following signs is usually used to show you the direction?
| A．Picture. | B．A number. | C．A kind of color. | D．An arrow. |
According to the passage, how does an artist often express himself?
| A．He writes articles. | B．He gives reports. | C．He sings songs. | D．He draws pictures. |
Are you a problem shopper? The answer is “Yes”, if you or someone else thinks that you sometimes get carried away with shopping. In other words, do you or does someone else think you are occupied in extreme shopping? If people have regrets later about their shopping, or have an “out-of-control” feeling about the quantities of what they buy or the amount of credit they use, they may be considered to be problem shoppers.
Extreme shopping can lead to a more serious problem — addictive shopping. Addictive shoppers feel driven by the desire to shop and spend money. They experience great tension which drives them to shop and spend money and they feel a “rush” during the time they are occupied with the shopping activity.
Extreme or addictive shopping may result from long-time unpleasant feelings, of which anxiety, pain and shame are common ones. When we feel bad inside, we often do something to make ourselves feel better. In this case, we often go shopping.
A few people shop to relieve their boredom or emptiness. For some people, the motivation is a desire for status, power, beauty or success. Some love to shop as it makes them feel valued in the eyes of the shop assistants. Others shop simply because it makes them forget, at least temporarily, tension, fear or unhappiness in their life.
Besides, shopping malls are designed to encourage continual shopping. For instance, there are some malls where you can’t see clocks displaying the time because they don’t want you to become too aware of the time you spend there. What’s more, food courts, coffee shops and restrooms are provided, so you don’t have to leave the mall because of your physical needs.
Therefore, once you become aware of how market forces work, you will certainly come to control your shopping behavior. For example, how much time you will spend and what areas you will visit can be decided before you enter the mall. Keep a written account of what items you will buy and how much money you will spend. Make a plan for what you are going to buy before you feel the urge to shop and then stick to it. That is vital for gaining self-control. Which of the following people may not be problem shoppers?
| A．Those who cannot control the amount of credit they use. |
| B．Those who just walk around the shopping malls. |
| C．Those who are occupied in too much shopping. |
| D．Those who feel sorry for their shopping. |
According to the passage, what may not result in addictive shopping?
| A．The awareness of how market forces work. |
| B．The desire for status, power, beauty or success. |
| C．Boredom, emptiness, tension, fear or unhappiness in people’s life. |
| D．Long-time bad feelings of anxiety, pain and shame. |
What does the author suggest to control our shopping behaviour?
| A．Never going to the shopping malls because there are many tricks. |
| B．Applying for a credit card before we go shopping. |
| C．Making the shopping time as short as possible. |
| D．Making a shopping list before we go shopping. |
The author writes this passage to _______.
| A．inform the shopping malls how to attract more shoppers |
| B．scold the problem shoppers |
| C．provide solutions to the problem shopping |
| D．tell a shopping story |
Are you nervous about climbing because you think it’s too dangerous? Do you feel you’re not fit enough to climb? Do you know how to start climbing?
Let’s consider the idea that climbing is dangerous. Being afraid is natural, but if you use suitable ropes and other climbing equipments you will feel completely safe. Climbers are usually very careful because they know what they are doing is dangerous. Accidents happen, but when they do, they tend to attract a lot of publicity. As a result, people think there are many more accidents than there are in reality.
You cannot expect to start climbing straight away. Climbing is a challenge and challenges take time. It is necessary first of all that you achieve a good level of fitness. Begin as soon as you become interested in climbing—go to the gym, go swimming, take up jogging and continue to do so throughout your training period.
Discover as much as you can about climbing. Visit the library and find books especially for beginners or buy climbing magazines and look for articles which describe your situation. Look up information on the Internet. Find out about equipment, methods and places to go.
Next, take a course on a climbing wall. There are plenty of climbing walls all over the country which have trained and qualified people as instructors. Call your local leisure centre to find out if there is one in your area. These training sessions are a quick way to get experience and you are likely to meet other beginners. After this, you can do an outside course or join a club where you can meet climbers of all abilities and eventually join in group-climbing events.
At first you may not understand the importance of a good training period, but after you have completed your first climb and you are standing safely at the top of a rock feeling thrilled, then you will know it was the right thing to do.The article is written by ______.
| A．a doctor | B．an experienced climber |
| C．a beginner | D．a fitness instructor |
The writer thinks a new climber should ______.
| A．begin by becoming fit |
| B．be aware of the causes of the accidents |
| C．have the courage to meet the challenges |
| D．do enough sports to get interested in climbing |
By climbing walls you can ______.
| A．join a club you like | B．become qualified instructors |
| C．gain controlled experience | D．take part in group-climbing events |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph probably means ______.
| A．the climb | B．the training | C．the equipment | D．the achievement |
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