A troubled young man in Connecticut laid his hands on the kinds of guns that no civilian should ever have and shot 20 children and 6 adults . It was a tragedy that “ broke the hearts of America ” , as President Barack Obama said . The obvious way to prevent the next such massacre is gun control . And , yes , we need it now . Voters need to be loud , politicians need to be brave , and the gun lobby needs to be defeated . Perhaps Barack Obama , no longer up for election , will no longer be chicken .
But American violence doesn’t just come from the weapons we buy and the gun shows we frequent . It’s much deeper than that . This is also the country that supplies three-quarters of the world’s arms trade . These are weapon sales authorized by our government and by a Democratic President . International weapon sales by America between 2010 and 2011 tripled . The same Democratic President continues a policy of targeted ( often poorly ) assassinations in Pakistan .
This country also supplies most of the world’s violent entertainment . America leads the world in massacres in life , and in film too . The most popular movie this week , “ SKyfall , ” is a load of fun ; but every emotional climax involves a shooting , sometimes with small guns sometimes with large ones . Firearms have long been identified with manliness in popular culture . Ever more they are identified with womanliness , too . The most popular culture . Every more they are identified with womanliness , too . The most popular video game this week is “ Halo 4 ; ” the most popular novel is Tom Clancy’s “ Treat Vector ; ” the second and s\third best-selling works of nonfiction are “ Killing Kennedy ” and “ Killing Lincoln , ” respectively . Every author , and every creator , should have the right to make what they want . Still , every civilian has a right to choose what to see and what to buy .
Violence is sometimes essential to art , and often to foreign policy , too . But the cruel killing in Newtown , the worst single event in this country in eleven years and three months , should lead to a moment of deep reflection . It’s time to talk about guns ; but it’s also time to talk about a lot more .What does the underlined word “ massacre ” in paragraph 1 probably mean ?
| A．Awful accident | B．Serious condition |
| C．Mass killing | D．Great destruction |
The author lists some examples of violent entertainment EXCEPT __________ .
| A．movies | B．books |
| C．songs | D．games |
Which of the following would the author probably agree with ?
| A．Gun control is the only solution to violence in America . |
| B．Arms trade can benefit our society if limited to a certain degree . |
| C．Readers should be given the right to choose what they want . |
| D．Violence in art should share the blame for the killing in America . |
The best title for the passage would probably be __________ .
| A．The Roots of Violent Movies |
| B．America’s Culture of Violence |
| C．Bloody Killing Shocked America |
| D．Divide on Gun Control in America |
Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks time. Then inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year. If it falls within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.
Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes (沙丘) are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.
There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the Southwestern United States, cliffs (悬崖) and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert mountains are always changing — very, very slowly — as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock.
Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day, a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.Many plants may survive in deserts when ________.
| A．the rain is spread out in a year |
| B．the rain falls only in a few weeks |
| C．there is little rain in a year |
| D．it is dry all the year round |
Sand dunes are formed when ________.
| A．sand piles up gradually |
| B．there is plenty of rain in a year |
| C．the sea has dried up over the years |
| D．pieces of rock get smaller |
The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that in a desert there is ________.
| A．too much sand |
| B．more sand than before |
| C．nothing except sand |
| D．something else besides sand |
It can be learned from the text that in a desert ________.
| A．there is no rainfall throughout the year |
| B．life exists in rough conditions |
| C．all sand dunes are a few feet high |
| D．rocks are worn away only by wind and heat |
A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of (证明有……罪) shoplifting for the second time in six months.
Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops.
Luz, who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road, Cambridge, admitted stealing clothes worth ￡9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street, London, on March 9.
Phillip Lemoyne, prosecuting (起诉), said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store .When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected, having taken off the anti-theft security alarms (防盗警报装置).
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying, Mr Lemoyne said.
He added that she was upset on her arrest (逮捕) and apologized for her actions.
Luz, 28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October, but Morag Duff, defending, said she had never been in trouble with the police before that.
“She is ashamed and embarrassed (尴尬的) but doesnt really have any explanation why she did this, Miss Duff said. She didnt intend to steal when she went into the store. She is at a loss to explain it. She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady. She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this.
Judge David Azan fined Luz ￡50, and warned, “You’ve got a criminal record. If you carry on like this, you will end up in prison, which will ruin your bright future you may have.”
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain, went on to a famous university in Berlin, Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University, UK.What is Ana Luz’s nationality?
| A．American. | B．British. | C．Spanish. | D．German. |
What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean?
| A．In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things. |
| B．She doesnt know why she has the desire to steal from shops. |
| C．She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops. |
| D．Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions. |
Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “shoplifting” used in the passage?
| A．Carrying goods in a lift for a shop. |
| B．Taking goods to the ladies’ toilet. |
| C．Selecting some goods from a display (陈列). |
| D．Taking goods from a shop without paying. |
From the passage we can learn that _________.
| A．Ana Luz has already got her PhD at Cambridge University, UK |
| B．Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so |
| C．the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more |
| D．Phillip Lemoyne is the respectable and intelligent womans defense lawyer |
Happy birthday
The China National Opera (CNO) will give a concert to celebrate its 50th birthday.
Different generations of CNO vocalists, like Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei, will present the concert which will feature both songs from famous Chinese operas like The White-haired GM and The Hundred Bride, as well as, arias (咏叹调) of such western opera classics as Madame Butterfly, La Traviata and Rigoletto.
Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 7, 8
Location: Tianqiao Theatre
Tel: 65514787, 83156170
Tickets: 60-500 yuan (US $ 7.2-60.2)
Folk music
A concert will be held to feature some recently-composed traditional Chinese music works. The concert, given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre, will include such pieces as Memory of childhood, Memorial Ceremony for God and Wine Song.
Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 13
Location: Concert hall at the National Library of China
Tel: 6848-5462, 6841-9220 Tickets:30-200 yuan(US $ 3.6-24.1)
Moon Music
A concert of traditional Chinese music will be given on the eve of the Moon Festival which falls on September 21st this year.
The concert will feature a number of famous pieces centred on the theme of the moon, such as Moonlight, Spring Night on a Moonlit River and Lofty Mountain and Flowing river.
A number of popular traditional Chinese music performers, like Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, will play solos as well as cooperate with the folk music orchestra (管弦乐队).
Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 21st
Location: Grand theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities
Tel: 6606-8888, 6606-9999
Tickets: 40-220 yuan(US $ 4.8-27)If you want to buy tickets for listening to the music Memory of Childhood, you will dial ______.
| A．6551-4748 | B．6848-5462 |
| C．8315-6170 | D．6606-9999 |
Which statement is right according to the passage?
| A．Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei stand for the same generation of CNO vocalists. |
| B．Rigoletto is a famous piece on the theme of the moon. |
| C．Lofty Mountain and Flowing River is a traditional Chinese music. |
| D．Zhou Yaokun will play solos and Fan Weiqing will cooperate with the folk music orchestra. |
Madame Butterfly is ______.
| A．a Chinese opera | B．a western opera |
| C．a pieces of music | D．a song |
In which column of a newspaper will the article be published?
| A．Entertainment. | B．People. | C．Culture. | D．Sports. |
I fell in love with England because it was quaint (古雅) — all those little houses, looking terribly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls’ houses. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved London. I’ve slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it’s an ugly town now.
Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentlemen, fair play, and good manners. The fair play is going, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good manners —people shut doors heavily in your face and politeness is disappearing.
I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. You’re forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here it usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafés are not terribly nice.
As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb (a lot of money) on taxis because I will not take public transport after 10 pm. I used to use it, but now I’m afraid.
The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that’s typically French. In Middlesex I had a neighbour who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone.The writer doesnt like London because she _________.
| A．is not used to the life there now |
| B．has lived there for seventeen years |
| C．prefers to live in an old-fashioned house |
| D．has to be polite to everyone she meets there |
Where do people usually meet their friends in England?
| A．In a café. | B．In a restaurant. |
| C．In a nightclub. | D．In a pub. |
The underlined part it (in para. 4) refers to_________.
| A．a taxi | B．the money |
| C．a bomb | D．public transport |
The writer took her neighbour to France for Christmas because he _________.
| A．felt lonely in England |
| B．had never been to France |
| C．was from a typical French family |
| D．didnt like the British idea of family |
Perhaps you have heard a lot about the Internet，but what is it?
The Internet is many different networks around the world. A network is a group of computers put together. These networks joined together are called the Internet．
Maybe that doesn’t sound interesting. But when we’ve joined the Internet, there are lots of things we can do．We can find lots of interesting information on the World Wide Web(www)．We can use the Internet instead of a library to find all kinds of information for our homework. We can find information about our favourite sports or film stars and do shopping on the Inter-net. We can also send messages to other people by e-mail. It is much cheaper and quicker than calling our friends or sending a letter.
Thanks to the Internet, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. People can now work at home with a computer in front of them, getting and sending the information they need. They can buy or sell whatever they want by the Internet. But do you know 98％of the information is in English? So what will English be like tomorrow?The passage is mainly about________.
| A．the Internet | B．information |
| C．computers | D．e mail |
The quickest and cheapest way for people to send messages to their friends is________．
| A．by post | B．by e mail | C．by telephone | D．by TV |
The Internet cannot be used to__________.
| A．find information for our homework |
| B．get some information about our favourite sports stars |
| C．do some shopping |
| D．do our housework |
.Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The Internet is a big computer． |
| B．The Internet is lots of computer networks． |
| C．The Internet is very helpful． |
| D．People can work at home with the help of the Internet． |
What does the writer try to tell us with the last two sentences?
| A．The Internet is more and more popular． |
| B．All the information is in English． |
| C．English is important in using the Internet． |
| D．Every computer must join the Internet． |
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