Owning a personal island is a luxurious treat one can imagine.
New Holland Island
$400 million, 18 acres
Roman Abramovich
Investment Banker
Located in Saint Petersburg Canal in Russia, the island takes its name after its resemblance to areas in Amsterdam. The owner plans to turn it into a cultural center. The new look of this island is expected to be revealed in another six years.
Musha Cay Island
$150 million, 700 acres
David Copperfield
Famous magician
World-famous magician David Copperfield has developed the island located in the southern part of Bahamas into a magical resort (度假胜地) with adventures, treasure hunts, luxurious apartments, and water sports. All these, for $32,250 a night!
Mago Island
$10 million, 5,400 acres
Mel Gibson
Actor
Interestingly, this island is almost the size of a small country! Mel Gibson does not plan on developing it into a resort, thus keeping its natural beauty.
Mosquito Island
$15 million, 120 acres
Richard Branson
Investor
This island is rich in eco-diversity and is also one of the rich rainforest places. Branson plans to make this island the most eco-friendly and develop the biodiversity (生物多样性) of this island.
James Island
$19 million, 780 acres
Craig McCaw
Cell phone pioneer
Craig McCaw plans to develop the island, but not at the cost of losing its natural beauty. Smoking is banned on the island, and only electric bikes or cars are used for transport. All power lines are laid underground. The island also has a golf course designed by the excellent golf champion Jack Nicklaus.
Allan Island
$13.5 million, 292 acres
Paul Allen
Investor
The island is reportedly named after a hero, and Paul Allen plans on building a vacation home here. However, his vacation home was built on another island nearby. So, the Allan Island now has only a caretaker’s small house without electricity. And it is up for sale. Hands anybody?The island which has been developed now belongs to a(n) ____________.
| A．investment banker | B．famous magician |
| C．actor | D．investor |
How many acres does the cheapest island of the six cover?
| A．120. | B．700. |
| C．780. | D．5,400. |
Who will be potential visitors to the James Island?
| A．Those who like adventures and treasure hunts. |
| B．Those who like rich cultural atmosphere. |
| C．Those who long to live in a luxurious apartment. |
| D．Those who agree with the environmentalists’ ideas. |
If you want to buy a personal island, you should pay a visit to _____________.
| A．the Mago Island | B．the Mosquito Island |
| C．the Allan Island | D．the James Island |
Car Talk
When I got the driving license last summer, Mom and I took our first trip around an empty parking lot. Then I found that my mother was not the best teacher for me. It wasn't that she shouted, or told me that I was doing poorly. As you can imagine, my mother's "helpful instructions" only managed to make me more nervous.
Since I could no longer practice with her, the job was placed in the hands of my father. The idea of learning from Dad was not one that thrilled me. I loved him dearly, but I just did not see Dad as someone I could be comfortable learning from. He almost never talked. We shared a typical father-daughter relationship. He'd ask how school was, and I'd say it was fine. Unfortunately, that was the most of our conversations. Spending hours alone with someone who might as well have been a stranger really scared me.
As we got into the car that first time, I was not surprised at what happened. Dad and I drove around, saying almost nothing, aside from a few instructions on how to turn. As my lessons went on, however, things began to change. Dad would turn the radio up so I could fully appreciate his favorite Stones music. And he actually began talking. I was soon hearing about past failed dates, "basic body" gym class, and other tales from his past, including some of his first meeting with Mom.
Dad' s sudden chattiness was shocking until I thought about why he was telling me so much in the car. In all the years that I had wondered why my father never spoke that much, I had never stopped to consider that it was because I had never bothered to listen. Homework, friends, and even TV had all called me away from him, and, consequently, I never thought my quiet father had anything to say.
Since I began driving with him, my driving skill has greatly increased. More important, though, is that my knowledge of who my father is has also increased. Just living with him wasn't enough—it took driving with him for me to get to know someone who was a mystery.The author couldn't practice driving with her mother because .
| A．she couldn't talk with her mother | B．her father wanted to teach her |
| C．her mother made her nervous | D．she didn't trust her mother |
At first, the idea of learning driving from her father made her .
| A．happy | B．uneasy | C．satisfied | D．disappointed |
What surprised the author when the driving lessons went on?
| A．Her Dad liked modern music. | B．Her Dad was the best teacher. |
| C．Her Dad was a chatty person. | D．Her Dad told her his sad stories. |
With her story "Car Talk", the author indicates that .
| A．fathers love their daughters dearly |
| B．mothers are less patient than fathers |
| C．family members need real communication |
| D．it takes time to improve the father-daughter relationship |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
| Earn Money This Summer with Sunny Libraries! Do you have too much free time this summer vacation? Do you need a summer job to earn extra money? Do you want to be involved in your community (社区)? Sunny Area Library System (SALS) has job opportunities for high school students. These are good chances to get work experience. |
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| Book Theater brings children' s book stories to life. It has shows at all Sunny Libraries. Applicants should enjoy performing in front of an audience and working with young children. Work Hours: Practice: Fridays 4:00 pm — 6:00 pm Performance: Tuesdays 10:00 am Rate of Pay: $16/performance |
Computer Tutor helps guests to deal with technology problems, involving Internet searches and using the SALS Website to find materials. Applicants should have computer skills. Work Hours: Monday—Friday 9:00 am—5:00 pm Rate of Pay: $ 8/hour |
| Bookmobile helps the driver find the routes to libraries. The truck you work in is air-conditioned, and the driver is friendly. Applicants must be able to lift heavy boxes. Work Hours: Sunday and Friday 9:00 am — 4:00 pm Rate of Pay: $10/hour |
Reader Desk provides service with a smile while checking materials in and out to guests. Friendly attitude and ability to work on library data system required. Work Hours: Monday—Tuesday 8:00 am—4:00 pm Rate of Pay: $ 7.50/hour |
If you are interested in acting, should be your choice.
| A．Book Theater | B．Bookmobile |
| C．Computer Tutor | D．Reader Desk |
If you get the job of "Bookmobile", you are expected to .
| A．work with young children | B．lift heavy boxes |
| C．check materials for guests | D．repair computers |
The purpose of the advertisement is to .
| A．attract students to libraries | B．raise money for libraries |
| C．introduce new books | D．offer job opportunities |
Boredom and Creativity
Most of us think of being bored at work as a negative experience, but a new study suggests it can have positive results including an increase in creativity because it gives us time to daydream.
That is the finding of Dr. Sandi Mann from the University of Central Lancashire. Dr. Mann conducted two studies. In the first experiment, 40 people were asked to carry out a boring task. They were told to copy numbers out of a telephone directory for 15 minutes. After that they were asked to complete another task. A pair of cups were given to each of them. Everyone tried to come up with different uses of the cups, and was given a chance to display their creativity. Meanwhile, another group of 40 people were just asked to come up with uses for the cups without doing any boring tasks before. It turned out that the 40 people who had first copied out the telephone numbers were more creative than the control group(对照组).
To see if daydreaming was a factor in this effect, a second boring task was introduced that allowed even more daydreaming than the boring writing task. This second study saw 30 people copying out the numbers as before, but also included a second group of 30 reading rather than writing them.
Again the researchers found that the people in the control group were least creative, but the people who had just read the names were more creative than those who had to write them out. This suggests that more passive boring activities, like reading or perhaps attending meetings, can lead to more creativity. Compared with reading, writing reduced the scope（范围） for daydreaming. As a result, it reduces the effects of boredom on creativity.
Dr. Mann says: “Boredom at work has always been seen as something to be avoided, but perhaps we should accept it in order to promote our creativity. What we want to do next is to see what the practical implications of this finding are. Do people who are bored at work become more creative in other areas of their work -- or do they go home and write novels?” Who proved to be the most creative in the two studies?
| A．The people who attended meetings. |
| B．The people who did the reading task. |
| C．The people who invented uses for cups. |
| D．The people who copied telephone numbers. |
The studies conducted by Dr. Mann indicate that creativity results from _______.
| A．creative tasks |
| B．controlled activities |
| C．the range of daydreaming |
| D．reading and writing ability |
What is Dr. Mann’s attitude towards boredom at work?
| A．Positive. |
| B．Skeptical. |
| C．Subjective. |
| D．Disapproving. |
What will Dr. Mann probably continue to research in their study?
| A．The real causes of creativity. |
| B．The actual use of boredom. |
| C．The practical reasons of boredom. |
| D．The writing ability improved by boredom. |
Going Green
For career（职业） changers thinking about growth and advancement potential, forget the blue-collar and white-collar categories: Green is the way to go. According to Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Progress, careers that promote environmental responsibility will become main stream within a decade. “The growth in green careers will be like the Internet boom, which not only created new jobs, but also had an influence on the overall economy（经济）,” he says.
The increasing environmental problems and need for eco-friendly products and services are creating a new job section of green-collar jobs. Many countries of the world have realized the importance and need for energy-saving products and services. It is expected that by 2025 about 25% of the jobs in developed countries will be of green-collar jobs. Doesn’t the data look promising for the future?
Green-collar jobs have become a bright career chances for all. And jobs will pop up at every income level, from environmental manager to gardener. For example, many countries including the United States have understood that fossil fuels have negative effect on the environment which can later become a serious danger to mankind. As a result, possibilities are being explored to find alternatives to satisfy demands in a better way. The increasing demand of newer resources（资源） has creating the need for experts and researchers who can find better ways to deal with the ongoing needs. In addition, in order to meet the increasing demands of environment-friendly equipment, both green product designer and educated and trained workers are needed. Management of environmental organizations also demands a large number of environmental managers.
Where can you find green-collar jobs? Internet is undoubtedly the best way to find information on almost any matter. Nowadays, different kinds of jobs are being posted online. Search through a couple of job websites to look for a bright future in energy conversion and recycling of waste management. Check regularly and find the right work for yourself. People who read newspapers can also find different kinds of green-collar jobs.Why does Bracken Hendricks mention the Internet Boom in Paragraph One?
| A．To explain the importance of technology. |
| B．To provide evidence of his recent research. |
| C．To indicate the bright future of green careers. |
| D．To inform us of the way of finding green-collar jobs. |
Which of the following probably creates green-collar jobs?
| A．Promoting services. |
| B．Training employees. |
| C．Consuming fossil fuels. |
| D．Developing new resources. |
What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 3?
| A．The requirements for green employees. |
| B．The development of the green industry. |
| C．The economic influence of green careers. |
| D．The job chances in the environmental industry. |
The passage is written to _______.
| A．discuss eco-friendly services |
| B．introduce promising career chances |
| C．suggest ways of saving energy at work |
| D．explain the best method of finding jobs |
Museums in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia is a great place for visitors seeking a little culture. There are Atlanta museums of all kinds, to interest adults and children. The history of the area is a fascinating one and it is documented in many of the museums. There are also collections of art and science based institutions and displays from the natural world.
The city is famous for many reasons, one of them being the World of Coca-Cola Museum. It's a worldwide product with a long history and the collection contains memorabilia（大事记） and handmade objects. Some of the documents go back to 1905. Visitors can see how a bottling plant operates and there are films about the history of the company. This Atlanta museum has a Pop Culture Gallery that shows paintings with the Coca-Cola image. At the end of the tour, visitors can buy a souvenir at the gift store.
The Atlanta History Center，established in 1926, is most well-known for its civil war collection. There is also the exhibition of folk arts and the displays on the history of golf in the US.
The state is also proud of its famous daughter, novelist Margaret Mitchell. The Margaret Mitchell House and Museum was founded in the house that the author shared with her husband from 1925 until 1932. It was here that she wrote her great book, Gone with the Wind. Much of this Atlanta museum is focused on the 1939 Hollywood film of the book.
Families and school outings are fortunate in having the Fernbank Science Center. It serves the local educational community and the public also enjoys the displays. There are a wide variety of exhibitions, including a collection of dinosaur skeletons, an electron microscope and a Apollo spacecraft. The museum also has an impressive botanical collection.
The Georgia Aquarium(水族馆) is the largest one in the world and almost all the tourists place it high on their travel plan when visiting the city. There are numerous species to see and learn about. The highlights include whale sharks, electric fish, Japanese spider crabs, Californian sea lions and African black-footed penguins.
Atlanta museums have something for everyone and will never disappoint you. The underlined word plant in Paragraph 2 refers to _______.
| A．factory | B．movie | C．soft drink | D．handmade object |
Visitors interested in literature will probably go to _________.
| A．The Georgia Aquarium |
| B．Fernbank Science Center |
| C．The Atlanta History Center |
| D．The Margaret Mitchell House and Museum |
Visitors who go to Pop Culture Gallery can see _____.
| A．exhibition of folk arts |
| B．pictures of sea animals |
| C．collections of the civil war |
| D．paintings with the Coca-Cola image |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．Coca-Cola is popular with young visitors |
| B．most tourists want to visit the Georgia Aquarium |
| C．Science Center was set up by the local community |
| D．Atlanta museums mainly focus on art and literatur |
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