The 4G mobile phones have been made available for some time and are now on hot sale. Quite a few customers are attracted by the much quicker access to the Internet and some new fancy features or functions and some people just want to keep pace with fashion.
By today's standards, my mobile phone is pretty rubbish. It's a Nokia 1616. If that doesn't mean much to you (it's not the kind of phone you see advertised on television), all you need to know is that it's a small, not very heavy device with which you can send and receive telephone calls and text messages. It also has a very handy flashlight on the top for when you can't find your keys, or when you drop something on the floor in the cinema. Other than that, my phone doesn't do much. Well, it has an alarm, and it probably has a calculator and things like that, but it's nothing compared to a smartphone. Why would I want one of those?
I have often been told that the big advantage of having a smartphone is that "you can do everything with them!" But when was the last time you saw someone doing "everything" with a smartphone? Okay, so they may have an endless list of functions, but generally they are used for checking social networking sites, playing games, and receiving and replying to emails. I'm happy just doing all of those things at home on my laptop.
As far as I can tell, the best thing about having a smartphone is that you can be connected to the internet all the time. Don't get me wrong. I love the internet, but I just don't see the point of constantly being online. I can't remember the last time I received a Facebook update which was so urgent that I had to read it as soon as it appeared, and I can't imagine ever having a job which was so important that I would need to read work-related emails immediately. I would think that if someone needed me urgently, they would just ring me rather than send an email. And my trusty Nokia can manage that.
One of the most peculiar effects of the smartphone is, in my opinion, the newly-found addiction to maps and navigation (导航) systems. Is there anything more boring than knowing exactly where you are all of the time? How do you get to know an area if you don't get lost there a few times? And if you are dependant on online maps, what happens to those great places you find just by chance? You can't exactly find out from Google maps the journey from“here”to “that hidden cafe with the tasty-looking cakes", or to "that pond next to the church which looks really pretty in the evening sun. " It is, of course, true that we all occasionally need to be pointed in the right direction, but I find that there are often real life humans you can ask.
There are many benefits of having a very basic mobile phone, like the fact that it cost me about twenty pounds, and that I don't have to worry too much about it being stolen. But the main benefit has to be the fact that it provides me with the word “greatest excuse for my bad habits”. Whether it's turning up late to events, or getting lost on a trip, or missing buses or trains, or forgetting about an appointment at work, I'm pretty sure I'm covered with the following explanation "I'm really, sorry I don't have a smartphone."The writer uses his Nokia 1616 mainly to __________.
| A．play online games |
| B．do calculating work |
| C．make calls and text messages |
| D．check social network sites |
It can be inferred from the above passage that__________.
| A．work-related emails should be answered immediately |
| B．a Facebook update is usually very important |
| C．smartphones should always be connected to the net |
| D．a laptop and a smartphone share many functions |
According to the passage, if you use navigation systems, you may __________.
| A．find a boring trip actually exciting |
| B．miss some really wonderful places |
| C．be persuaded to eat in a certain café |
| D．be misled to a totally wrong place |
To the writer, one benefit of having a basic mobile phone is that__________.
| A．it can be used as an excuse for his bad habits |
| B．it can often be found back after it is stolen |
| C．it can remind him of important appointments |
| D．it can save him the trouble of catching trains |
The butterfly Ecological Park, which opened early this May, is located in Dabao Village in Longfeng Township of Pengzhou City, some 65 kilometers to the north of Chengdu downtown.
The park, covering an area of 67 hectares, is more famous for a variety of butterflies living in lush surroundings and houses a collection of some 30,000 butterfly species. An ideal site for parents and kids alike to enjoy the sight of “the flying flowers” and the ecological area.
A great variety of butterflies live in China, and Sichan and Yunnan are rich in butterfly resources. At present, 702 species have been discovered in Sichuan, where the number of butterfly species equals to the total of Europe. In the Longmen Mountain of Pengzhou City alone, there are more than 500 species.
The butterfly Ecological Park, a project of RMB200 million at the foot of the Longmen Mountain, is the natural habitat of butterflies. The park also has educational and cultural programs. The park has prepared many spring and summer activities for visitors, including a scientific exhibition about butterflies, a “butterfly valley” where visitors can have a close look at butterflies, even with them resting on the shoulders, and enjoy themselves in activities designed for children.
Tourists can enjoy the splendid scenery of thousands of butterflies at the “butterfly valley” and appreciate more than 30,000 different kinds of butterfly species at the exhibition area. Classified as the only category I butterfly species the Wild Animal Protection Law in 1989 in China, the Golden Kaiserihind is the most expensive species living in “butterfly valley”, with an estimated value of RMB10,000 each.What does the underlined word “lush’in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
| A．subtle | B．rich | C．grateful | D．sensitive |
The author mentioned Europe in the essay to _______?
| A．stress that Sichuan has plenty of butterfly resources. |
| B．state that a large number of butterflies live in Europe. |
| C．tell readers that more than 500 species of butterflies live in Europe. |
| D．emphasize that Europe is less famous than the Longmen Mountain. |
Why is The butterfly Ecological Park situated at the foot of the Longmen Mountain?
| A．Because the park has educational and cultural programs. |
| B．Because the park has prepared many spring and summer activities. |
| C．Because visitors can have a close look at butterflies in the park. |
| D．Because butterflies of various species can live there naturally. |
The Golden Kaiserihind in the last paragraph is probably ________.
| A．a splendid scenery | B．a butterfly valley |
| C．an estimated value | D．a butterfly species |
Today, over six billion people live on the planet. This means that there are very few places on Earth with no people. One place that has very few people is at the bottom of the Earth. In Antarctica, the icy continent surrounding the South Pole, you will not find anyone who lives there all the time.
First, Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. For example, it can be –l30℃ in the winter. Humans cannot live in this kind of environment. Because it is so cold, very few plants or animals live there. This means there are no farms and no places to find wild plants or animals to eat.
Second, Antarctica can be dangerous. Many people think that it is safe to travel to Antarctica in the summer months when it is warmer. However, Antarctica is mostly ice, so when it’s summer, the ice melts. When the ice melts, the ice can break. So, people cannot travel around Antarctica during the summer. If the ice breaks, they could fall into the water and die.
Another serious problem in Antarctica is the sun. Because Antarctica is mostly ice, there are no trees so there is no shade. Also, the ground is mostly white ice so the sun bounces off (反射) it. The light from the sky and the light from the ground can burn people’s skin and hurt their eyes. People must be very careful in this situation. For example, they must wear sunglasses to protect their eyes. They must also cover their hands and faces all the time.
Although Antarctica is a tough place to live, explorers have discovered coal in Antarctica. This leads them to believe that Antarctica at one time was a land of swam (沼泽) and forests.This text is mainly about _____.
| A．the discovery of Antarctica |
| B．how people travel around Antarctica |
| C．different animals found in Antarctica |
| D．why it is difficult to live in Antarctica |
We can learn from the text that _____.
| A．Antarctica is a place with no animals |
| B．no people can survive in Antarctica |
| C．Antarctica is colder than any other continent on Earth |
| D．the temperature in Antarctica is below zero all the time |
When is the most dangerous time to travel around Antarctica?
| A．In spring. | B．In summer. | C．In autumn. | D．In winter. |
Getting close to active or erupting volcanoes can be dangerous. But for Michael Rampino, it’s all in a day’s work. Rampino is a volcanologist, a scientist who studies volcanoes and how they affect our planet. Rampino has been close to red-hot lava flows (熔岩流) in Hawaii and explosive volcanoes in Indonesia. He knows when to get close to an active volcano and when to back away.
Rampino wasn’t always a volcanologist. He worked for NASA for seven years. He studied rocks until he began to research climate change and the effects that volcanoes have on climate. He became interested in the subject. “Once I started working with volcanoes,” Rampino said, “I was hooked.”
Rampino is a professor at New York University. As part of his job, he travels to areas where volcanoes have been active. “Active” means they have erupted within the past few centuries and probably will erupt again. Rampino studies the deposits (沉积物) of ash and other materials from the eruptions. The ash may hold clues to what happened to the Earth in the distant past. It may also help scientists predict what could happen to Earth’s climate in the future.
Rampino doesn’t work alone. He works with a team of scientists who use computers to stimulate (模拟) the effects volcanoes have on Earth’s atmosphere.
Being a volcanologist may be hard work, but it’s also fun. “It’s cool traveling the world studying volcanoes,” Rampino says. When he talks to students about his work, he tells them that his goal is “to understand the events that have shaped Earth’s history.”To Rampino, being close to active volcanoes is _____.
| A．adventurous but meaningful |
| B．scary but necessary |
| C．impossible and unnecessary |
| D．dangerous but urgent |
The underlined word “hooked” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_____”.
| A．trapped | B．touched | C．frightened | D．attracted |
Rampino’s study on volcanoes might help _____.
| A．warn people to protect the environment |
| B．support the study of Earth’s future climate |
| C．tell the future eruption time of the volcanoes |
| D．reduce the possibility of the volcanoes’ eruptions |
In which part of a newspaper could we find this text?
| A．Climate. | B．History. | C．People. | D．Business. |
What would you do if Martians (火星人) kidnapped (绑架) your mom? In the 3-D animated movie Mars Needs Moms, a young boy named Milo finds himself in this exact difficult situation. The aliens want to steal Milo’s mother’s “momness” for their own young. Now it’s up to the 9-year-old to get his mom back before she is lost forever.
Every good action movie has a bad guy. The villain (反派角色) in this film is the Martian Supervisor, played by Mindy Sterling. The Supervisor has an icy cold heart. Remarkably, Sterling acted out almost all of her scenes in a special Martian language created just for the movie. “Learning Martian was a piece of cake,” Sterling said. “There wasn’t too much to learn; sometimes, I just made it up!”
Anyone who has a mother will be moved by this movie. In fact, anyone who loves someone will be moved by this movie. Maybe it is because the story was inspired by a real-life event. The movie is based on a novel by prize-winning cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. He wrote the book after a dinner-table incident between his wife and son, who was then 4 years old. That night, Breathed’s son had thrown his broccoli into the air and rushed out of the room angrily, yelling at his mother on the way out. Breathed told his son, “You might think differently about your mom if she were kidnapped by Martians.” He wrote the novel that same evening.
All kids get into arguments with their parents. The fights may be about homework, chores or eating vegetables. Mars Needs Moms tells us to look past these silly disagreements and to remember the importance of family and the things that really matter.In the movie Mars Needs Moms the aliens want to _____.
| A．kill Milo’s mother |
| B．take Milo as their kid |
| C．make Milo’s mother their kids’ mom |
| D．send their kids to Milo’s family |
To Mindy Sterling, learning Martian language is _____.
| A．simple | B．difficult | C．interesting | D．unacceptable |
What made Breathed write the novel?
| A．The movie producer’s idea. |
| B．His wife’s inspiration and help. |
| C．His good relationship with his mother. |
| D．His son’s bad behavior toward his mother. |
In the last paragraph the author wants to _____.
| A．advise children to help with the housework |
| B．encourage readers to learn something from the movie |
| C．stress the importance of doing something different |
| D．ask parents to be good teachers of their children |
Melbourne Zoo’s Close-up Visits will bring you face to face with some of our zoo’s most popular animals.
Each experience includes a 6×8 photograph, taken by one of our professional photographers, to help you keep the memory of your visit to Melbourne Zoo.
Please note: The price of a Close-up Visits ticket does not include entry to Melbourne Zoo.
Meerkat Close-up
| Price per person |
$30 |
| Max group size |
4 people |
| Restrictions (限制) |
Minimum age: 5. Children aged 5 to 12 must be accompanied by a paying adult |
| Time |
11:30 am |
Big Tortoise Close-up
| Price per person |
$15 |
| Max group size |
4 people |
| Restrictions |
Children under 12 must be accompanied by a paying adult |
| Time |
11:00 am |
Giraffe Close-up
| Price per person |
$30 |
| Max group size |
6 people |
| Restrictions |
Minimum age: 5. Children aged 5 to 12 must be accompanied by a paying adult |
| Time |
11:30 am |
Kangaroo Close-up
| Price per person |
$30 for up to 2 people |
| Max group size |
4 people |
| Restrictions |
Children under 12 must be accompanied by a paying adult |
| Time |
2:00 pm |
Bookings Information
● Bookings can be made by calling Zoo Photos on 0392859406.
● Bookings can be made on the day by visiting Zoo Photos from 9:30 am.
● A Zoo Photo Animal Experience does not include entry to Melbourne Zoo.
Terms and Conditions
● Group size and restrictions are needed to pay attention to.
● The photographer have the right to stop any experience at any time for reasons relating to animals’ health or visitors’ bad behavior.If you buy a ticket for Melbourne Zoo’s Close-up Visits, you _____.
| A．can enter Melbourne Zoo for free |
| B．are asked to work for the wildlife |
| C．can have a photo of yourself taken |
| D．aren’t allowed to meet animals face to face |
If you are free in the afternoon, you may choose to see _____.
| A．kangaroos | B．giraffes | C．big tortoises | D．meerkats |
Giraffe Close-up is different from Meerkat Close-up in _____.
| A．price | B．max group size | C．restrictions | D．time |
What do we know from the passage?
| A．You can make a booking from 9 in the morning. |
| B．Children of all ages can visit the animals in the zoo. |
| C．The photographer has the right to deal with your photos. |
| D．You may be forced to leave the zoo if you behave badly. |
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