In front of a popular restaurant, a line of customers wait for taxis. And wait. Most of the cabs(taxis) are full. That’s nothing unusual in this city of 4 million people. But it’s 2:30 in the morning.
Visitors to the Olympic Games may leave disappointed if they see Athens only through the eyes of the typical tourist, who makes a beeline of the islands after the visit to the Acropolis(雅典卫城) and the unusual and attractive Plaka district. To fully appreciate and discover Athens’ many charms(魅力), do as the Greeks do: walk out into the neighborhoods, find the packed nightclubs, eat at one of the innumerable(数不清的) restaurants, or see Hollywood stars under real stars in a romantic outdoor cinema.
The Greek capital is named for the ancient goddess Athena, whose favourite animal was the owl(猫头鹰). It’s a fitting symbol for the city’s nocturnal (夜里的) nature, which often reaches its highest point in summer with a rush hour just before dawn.
As native Athenian Panos Demestiha said, Athens by day is unlivable(不宜居住的), but it’s magical at night. Athenians face up to heavy traffic block, decreasing green space, dusty streets… City officials are using the momentum(契机) of the August 13-29 Olympics to fix some of these problems and make city life more bearable.To the surprise of the visitors to Athens , ____.
| A．most of the cabs are often full all day long |
| B．the cabs are often empty |
| C．the cabs are almost full even at 2:30 am |
| D．there is no cab in the street at 2:30 am. |
The name of Athens came from ____.
| A．a goddess | B．a famous athlete |
| C．a kind of animal | D．a kind of plant |
The typical visitors will often visit the following places EXCEP ____.
| A．the neighborhood | B．the Plaka district |
| C．the Acropolis | D．famous islands |
The underlined word “bearable” in the last paragraph can be replaced by “____”.
| A．astonishing | B．forgettable |
| C．exciting | D．comfortable |
Artie Shaw was born in New York City in 1910. His name was Arthur Arshawsky. His parents were poor immigrants who had come to the United States from Eastern Europe. His family later moved to New Haven, Connecticut.
At the age of fourteen, he began to play the saxophone and then the clarinet. From a very young age, Artie Shaw wanted to play his clarinet better than anyone. He wanted his sound and music to be perfect. He worked at this task much of his life.
He began working as a professional musician when he was fifteen. He left home and began playing in bands across the United States.
In 1928, young Artie Shaw traveled to Chicago, Illinois to hear the great trumpet player, Louis Armstrong. He immediately understood that Armstrong's great jazz sound was the beginning of something new and exciting. Artie left Chicago with a growing interest in jazz music. Soon after, he moved to New York City.
He got work playing the clarinet for the Columbia Broadcast System radio network. In 1936, he was given a chance to form a small group and play at New York's famous Imperial Theater on Broadway. His group was not the top band in the show. But the crowd loved his music. This proved to be a major step in his career.
Artie Shaw was always trying something new, something different. He heard a young black woman sing and hired her for his band. This was the first time that a black woman sang with white musicians. Racial separation was the rule in many states. Artie Shaw did not care.
Artie Shaw wrote several books in his later years. He wrote stories for magazines. He spoke about music at colleges and universities. But he had very little to do with the world of recording or music. During those years however, he received many awards and honors for his music. These included a Hall of Fame award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
| A．born to a wealthy family |
| B．a famous singer |
| C．a man with a great dream |
| D．was in love with music when he was a baby |
| A．first began to play the clarinet |
| B．wanted to be the most famous musician around the world |
| C．began playing in bands across the United States |
| D．became a famous musician when he was fifteen |
| A．he showed a growing interest in jazz music |
| B．he worked for Columbia Broadcast System radio network as a singer |
| C．he formed a small band when he was twenty three |
| D．he thought that racial separation should be the rule of the society |
| A．almost stopped playing music |
| B．worked for a magazine as an professional writer |
| C．he made many speeches about his life at colleges |
| D．he received many awards and honors for his books |
| A．Artie Shaw’s Life Stories |
| B．Artie Shaw — A Crazy Musician |
| C．Artie Shaw — A Great Writer |
| D．Artie Shaw’s Music Life |
Once there was a man who liked to eat mangoes. One day he decided to get the sweetest mango from the very top of the tree. Mangoes which are exposed to the sun the most are the sweetest.
So he climbed up to the top, where the branches were thin. He managed to pick up a few sweet reddish fruits, but, in an attempt to climb down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, he caught the branch as he was falling and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call nearby villagers for help. They immediately came with a ladder and sticks, but could do little to help him.
Then after some time one calm and thoughtful person arrived – a well-known sage who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were very curious to see what he would do, as he was famous in solving many people’s problems in the area and sometimes very complicated ones.
He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man.
Everybody was surprised. The hanging mango lover started to shout, “What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Do you want me to break my neck?” The sage was silent. Then he took another stone and threw it at the man. The man was very angry, “If I could just come down, I would show you!”
That’s what everybody wanted – that he came down. But how? Now everybody was tense, as to what would happen next! Some wanted to chastise the sage, but they didn’t. The sage picked another stone and threw it again at the man, even more forcefully. Now the man on the tree was enraged and developed a great determination to come down and take revenge（复仇）.
He then used all his skill and strength and somehow reached the branches which were safe to start going down. And he made it! Everybody was amazed.
However, the rescued man found the sage gone. He stood there, realizing that the man really saved him because he induced（引诱）him to try his best and save himself.
“I should be thankful and not angry.”
| A．on the very top of the tree |
| B．hidden in the middle of a tree |
| C．on the tree for the longest time |
| D．exposed to sunlight less often |
| A．He slipped and fell to the ground suddenly. |
| B．He was climbing down quickly but carefully. |
| C．He remained hanging helplessly on the tree. |
| D．He shouted loudly for help but no one helped. |
| A．He was nervous. | B．He kept silent. |
| C．He felt surprised. | D．He was angry. |
| A．Courage. | B．Revenge. |
| C．Carefulness. | D．Assistance. |
| A．Anger saves one’s life. |
| B．Wisdom does count. |
| C．Skill and strength count. |
| D．Anger is the biggest enemy. |
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. Your face is firm and young-looking. In 2035, medical technology is better than ever. Many people could live to be 150, so at 40, you’re not old at all. And your parents just had an anti-aging(抗衰老的) treatment. Now, all three of you look the same age!
You say to your shirt, “Turn red.” It changes from blue to red. In 2035, “smart clothes” contain particles(粒子) much smaller than the cells in your body. The particles can be programmed to change clothes’ color or pattern.
You walk into the kitchen. You pick up the milk, but a voice says, “You shouldn’t drink that!” Your fridge has read the chip (芯片) that contains information about the milk and it knows the milk is old. In 2035, every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip.
It’s time to go to work. In 2035, cars drive themselves. Just tell your “smart car” where to go. On the way, you can call a friend using your jacket sleeve. Such “smart technology” is all around you.
So will all these things come true? “For new technology to succeed.” says scientist Andrew Zolli. “it has to be so much better that it replaces what we have already.” The Internet is one example － what will be the next?
| A．people will never get old |
| B．everyone will look the same |
| C．red will be the most popular color |
| D．clothes will be able to change their pattern |
| A．Milk will be harmful to health. |
| B．More drinks will be available for sale. |
| C．Food in the grocery store will carry electronic information. |
| D．Milk in the grocery store will stay fresh much longer. |
| A．Nothing can replace the Internet. |
| B．Fridges will know what people need. |
| C．Jacket sleeves can be used as a guide. |
| D．Cars will be able to drive automatically. |
| A．successful new technology must break through what exists already |
| B．what we have today is sure to disappear because of new technology |
| C．all these things will be turned into reality without any difference |
| D．the Internet has already been the best technology |
| A．Food and clothing in 2035. |
| B．Future technology in everyday life. |
| C．Medical treatments of the future. |
| D．The reason for the success of new technology. |
Our first winter in Canada was the happiest we have ever experienced. We were living in the countryside then and had just arrived from Hong Kong that autumn.
One evening in mid December snow began to fall. When we looked out of the window and saw that it was snowing, we all cheered. It was the first snow we had ever seen and we were excited. We could hardly wait for the snow to stop so that we could go out to play. Next morning when we woke up, it was still snowing. We switched on the radio and learned that more than ten inches of snow had fallen during the night and that since the roads were blocked（堵塞） there would be no school that day. We jumped up and down for joy and begged mother to let us go outside to play in the snow. She said we could go out after breakfast if we dressed ourselves warmly and promised to come back as soon as we felt cold.
When we went out, the snow had almost stopped. The roads, paths, gardens, and playing grounds were all hidden under a white blanket of soft snow. It was the most beautiful sight we had ever seen. Just then, we saw some neighbors’ children coming out to play. We ran over to join them. Together we built a snowman and a snow house. After that, we took turns sliding down a hill on a large piece of card-board. We were having so much fun when supper time came. Mother almost had to force us to go in and eat.
| A．Spring. | B．Summer. | C．Autumn. | D．Winter. |
| A．they knew they would have no school the next day |
| B．it was the first time they had seen snow |
| C．they knew that winter had come |
| D．they liked cold weather |
| A．their teacher were sure that children liked snow |
| B．they wanted to play on the snow field |
| C．heavy snow blocked the roads |
| D．their mother allowed them to play outside |
| A．immediately allowed them to go out |
| B．refused to let them go outside |
| C．told them to switch on the radio |
| D．told them to wait until after breakfast |
| A．a snowman and a cardboard house of their own |
| B．a snowman and a snow house for themselves to live in |
| C．a snowman and a snow house with their neighbors’ children |
| D．a white blanket on the roads |
There are rolling hills and ivy-covered brick buildings. There are small classrooms, high-tech labs, and green fields. There’s even a clock tower with a massive bell that rings for special events.
Cushing Academy has all the characteristics of a New England school, with one exception. This year, after having had a collection of more than 20,000 books, officials have decided the 144-year-old school no longer needs a traditional library. They have decided to give away all their books. The future, they believe, is digital.
“When I look at books, I see an outdated technology,” said James Tracy, headmaster of Cushing. “We’re not discouraging students from reading. We see this as a natural way to shape emerging trends and use technology. Instead of a traditional library, we’re building a virtual library where students will have access to millions of books on the computer. We see this as a model for the 21st-century school.”
Not everyone on campus is sold on Tracy’s vision.
Liz Vezina, a librarian at Cushing for 17 years, said she never imagined working as the director of a library without any books. “It makes me mad,” said Vezina, who has made a career of introducing students to books. “I’m going to miss them, and there’s something lost when they are done on a computer. There’s sensual side to them — the smell, the feel, the physicality of a book is something really special.”
Cushing is one of the first schools in the country to give up its books. William Powers, author of a book called the changes at Cushing “radical（激进的）” and “a huge loss for students”.
“There are modes of learning and thinking that at the moment are only available from actual books,” he said. “There is a kind of deep-dive reading that’s almost impossible to do on a screen. Without books, students are more likely to do the quick reading that screens enable, rather than be by themselves with the author’s ideas.”What is special about Cushing Academy?
| A．It is built in rolling mountains. |
| B．Its buildings are covered with ivy. |
| C．There will be no books in its library. |
| D．There is a clock tower with a big bell. |
The underlined sentence in the passage probably means _________.
| A．not all people agree with Tracy’s idea |
| B．Tracy’s idea is welcome in the school |
| C．in Tracy’s opinion not all books are sold |
| D．not everyone can imagine a virtual library |
In the opinion of Powers, actual books can make students _________.
| A．do a lot of quick reading |
| B．form the habit of reading |
| C．enjoy the pleasure of reading |
| D．understand the author’s views deeply |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Cushing is facing challenges |
| B．The Internet library promises a bright future |
| C．A library says goodbye to books |
| D．Cushing leads the world in digital technology |
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