Switzerland is the best place to be born in the world in 2013, and the US is just 16th. A new study produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit says American babies will have a dimmer future than those born in Hong Kong, Ireland and even Canada. The EIU, a sister company of The Economist, attempted to measure how well countries will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life in years to come.
People born in Switzerland will tend to be the happiest and have the best quality of life judged in terms of wealth, health and trust in public institutions, according to the analysis. The Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark also all make the top five in a “quality-of-life” index（指数）where it is best to be born next year.
One of the most important factors is being rich, but other factors come into play including crime, trust in public institutions and the health of family life. In total, the index takes into account 11 factors. These include fixed factors such as geography, others that change slowly over time such as demography（人口学）social and cultural characteristics, and the state of the world economy. The index also looks at income per head in 2030, which is roughly when children born in 2013 will reach adulthood. Small economies dominate the top 10 countries, with Australia coming second and New Zealand and the Netherlands not too far behind.
Half of the top 10 countries are European, but only one, the Netherlands, is from the euro-zone. The crisis-ridden south of Europe, including Greece, Portugal and Spain, falls behind despite the advantage of a favourable climate. Interestingly, the largest European economies - Germany, France and Britain — do not do particularly well. Nigeria has the unenviable title of being the worst country for a baby to enter the world in 2013.According to the passage, the happiest people live in .
| A．Denmark | B．Switzerland | C．Germany | D．Nigeria |
The factors of telling the best place to be born don’t include .
| A．economy | B．geography |
| C．trust in public institutions | D．pollution |
From the passage, we know .
| A．the Economist Intelligence Unit is a company |
| B．the Economist attempted to measure the best place to live |
| C．the Scandinavian countries are hardly at the top of the list |
| D．half of the top 10 countries are from the euro-zone |
The purpose of the text is to show people .
| A．the best place to be born in 2013 |
| B．a new study made by the EIU |
| C．the worst country to be born in 2013 |
| D．the factors of measuring the best place to be born |
My husband Ollie had retired from teaching and we were making plans to travel together to Florida. Then he was terribly ill and became very weak, hardly able to speak. Weeks passed and it became clear that Ollie was near death, but I prayed day and night that he could get better.
One of us was always in Ollie's hospital room--either me, or our grown children, Bruce and Karen. One day, in his broken and weak speech, Ollie told Bruce, “Go home. You should be with Gwen.” Gwen was Bruce's wife. They had been married for six years and lived hundreds of miles away. Gwen was about to have a baby. We felt an extra sadness, knowing Ollie would never see his first grandchild.
“I don't want to leave you, dad, ” Bruce said. Ollie repeated, “You should be with Gwen. ” Reluctantly, Bruce left. “When the baby comes, ”he promised Ollie, “you will be the first to know. ” A few days later, around 2 p. m., Ollie awoke from a sleep. He turned and looked at me. I sat close to hear his weak words. “The baby is coming now. It's a boy, ” he said. For a moment his eyes were filled with tears. Then he went back to sleep again. Not long after that, Karen ran into the room. “Bruce called, ” she said, a smile lighting her face. “Gwen gave birth to a healthy baby boy around two o' clock. ”
Ollie smiled; he had been the first to know. That night, Ollie died in his sleep.
| A．he could hardly be able to speak |
| B．he was too weak to travel |
| C．he could not afford the trip |
| D．he was waiting for his grandchild to be born |
| A．Ollie didn't want his son to be absent when his baby was born. |
| B．Ollie wanted Bruce to bring the baby along as soon as it was born. |
| C．Ollie thought it was too much trouble for Bruce to stay at hospital. |
| D．Ollie couldn't bear his son seeing him dying with a broken heart. |
| A．Disappointedly | B．Immediately |
| C．Excitedly | D．Unwillingly |
| A．Ollie and his wife had planned to settle in Florida. |
| B．Ollie cared for his son more than his daughter. |
| C．Ollie died happy and in peace. |
| D．Ollie was sad about not being able to see his first grandchild. |
Most respected scientists agree that we need to find another source of energy- and quickly. If we continue to burn oil and pump carbon into the atmosphere, then the effects on global climate will lead to global disasters even before the oil disappear.
The British government has set a target of a 20 percent reduction in carbon emission by 2010. Central to this policy is the search for alternative, renewable forms of energy production---and this is where the serious disagreement among scientists begins.
Here, two people active in the debate about wind farms give their points of view.
Simon Shearman
“First, a few facts about wind power. Wind is one of the cheapest of the new, renewable forms of energy. It is extremely safe---no member of the public has ever been injured at a wind farm. The shallow waters around Britain are the windiest in Europe---ideal locations for wind farms and, by 2010, up to ten percent of the electricity used in the UK could be produced by wind power. I find it annoying and frustrating that the biggest objection that opponents of wind farms can come up with is that the crisis of global warming is real and something must be done urgently.”
Alice Evans
“The simple, obvious fact is that wind turbines（涡轮机） cannot generate electricity if the wind is too light or too strong and it often is. Many scientists estimate that wind turbines generally produce only 30 percent of their capacity（容量）. This is not a reliable enough supply to enable us to close down conventional power stations. In fact, wind power can’t keep up with the growth of the demand for electricity, let alone replace other sources of power.”
It’s a topic that is causing heated debate around the country---but one we must address before it’s too late---before the oil runs out.Many scientists have different opinions on the search for a renewable energy because ______.
| A．they think fossil fuels are everlasting. |
| B．British government’s target is not realistic. |
| C．they are not sure in finding the clean and renewable energy. |
| D．the technology is not advanced enough. |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
| A．there won’t be a global disaster before the world runs out of oil. |
| B．the British government wants people to use 20 percent less oil by 2010. |
| C．Alice Evans supports the idea of wind power. |
| D．Simon Shearman thinks Britain a particularly suitable place for wind farms. |
If we generate electricity with wind turbines, _______.
| A．a light wind will do. |
| B．we cannot make full use of the capacity. |
| C．a strong wind will do |
| D．we’ll have enough electricity. |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Wind power is a good solution to energy crisis. |
| B．We’re experiencing the oil crisis now. |
| C．We should find alternative energy for oil as soon as possible. |
| D．There is no need for us to worry about energy problem. |
Technology is creating big changes in the music industry. Music lovers listen to and buy music on the Internet. They can watch live concerts of favorite artists online. And music makers, as well as music industry officials, use social media(媒体) to reach an increase public interest.
Nick Sherwin is the founder of the band called Suburban Skies. He says today’s technology permits a band to control its own future. He said, “Social media is a wonderful thing. You can make use of it to reach the public.” Sherwin says the Internet and social media have created possibilities for musicians. He says the new way to success is to give visitors more than one type of experience. “The most important thing is the content. You have to have songs and videos to show the audience. But I think it is extremely important to do shows, to build your brand, and to make you well known, ” Sherwin said.
Music industry officials discussed the future of the business during an international conference in Los Angeles, California. They said musicians are choosing to perform live across the country, following the drop in CD sales in the Unites States. Rob Light is head of music with a creative artists agency. He said, “Most of the income for artists is now coming from the live marketplace.”
Along with the popularity of live music there has been a big increase in the number of music festivals. These events are advertised on social media. Pasquale Rotella leads Insomniac, a company that produces electronic dance music festivals in several countries. “Someone could make it in their bedroom and put it out there. People can gain fans online without anyone’s help. That has completely helped the growth of dance music. ” said Rotella.
Bob Pittman leads the radio organization — Clear Channel Communication. He says music lovers are still listening to the radio, although there are new ways of finding music. He says 70 percent of Americans say they discover new music from what they hear on the radio. But Rob Light says radio will soon be a thing of the past. However, Nick Sherwin is not worried. He just wants to reach everyone who likes his style of music with the help of the Internet.From Paragraph 2, we learn that Nick Sherwin ______.
| A．doesn’t have any good ways to reach the public. |
| B．doesn’t believe his band has good content to draw attention. |
| C．thinks social media can help make his band’s music well known. |
| D．thinks everyone can become famous through making good use of the Internet. |
What Pasquale Rotella said in Paragraph 4 shows that ______.
| A．dance music has finally become popular. |
| B．there is too much music for people nowadays. |
| C．electronic dance music festivals are easy to hold. |
| D．people can make their music heard easily nowadays. |
According to Bob Pittman, radio ______.
| A．will be out of date quite soon. |
| B．is no longer listened to today. |
| C．will always be loved by some people. |
| D．is the best tool to introduce new songs. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．People prefer to listen to music online nowadays. |
| B．Technology is greatly changing the music industry. |
| C．The number of live concerts has greatly increased. |
| D．CD sales in the United States have greatly dropped. |
It takes Te’Anne Collins more than an hour to get to school by bus. But for her, it is worth it. Te’Anne is one of many talented students who will attend an interview for a musical theatre program at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. “She is someone with unbelievable talent, ” says her music teacher, Ann Merriam . “Te’Anne works two jobs, so she can support her studies and living expense.”
Te’Anne has come a long way since she first came to Wexford collegiate in 9th grade. She was new to the school and started going out with the wrong crowd. Her negative lifestyle and attitude caused her scores to decline steadily. It was Ann Merriam who pulled her aside. “She told me that she didn’t even know who I was and that she often heard bad things about me, ” says Te’Anne. “When I think about it now, I deserved it.” Now in Grade 12, Te’Anne has fought her way to the front of the stage and has earned her place as an important member of Wexford Gleeks — a club that Ann Merriam has been running for over 20 years.
Ann Merriam is the founder of the famous musical theatre program, which has been attracting audiences for years. A bit of a maverick(独行其是者)，she quietly started the program in the 80’s on a shoestring budget, despite an important leader’s disagreement at the beginning. Wexford Gleeks is now one of the top competitors at the 2013 Show Choir Canada competition. Te’Anne’s story began to spread and soon telephone calls came flooding in the school board from kids’ parents, because they knew Ann Merriam never gave up on any student.Te’Anne thinks a long bus journey is worthy, because she ______.
| A．gets permission to attend Wexford Collegiate. |
| B．is praised by her music teacher for her talent. |
| C．gets an opportunity for a musical theatre program. |
| D．is able to support her studies and living expenses. |
When Te’Anne was in Grade 9, she ______.
| A．made a good friendship with her teachers. |
| B．worked two jobs to support her school fees. |
| C．attended an interview for a musical program. |
| D．behaved badly and associated with the wrong crowd. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Te’Anne often heard of Ann Merriam in Grade 9. |
| B．Ann Merriam has managed Wexford Collegiate for 20 years. |
| C．Ann Merriam regretted founding the musical theatre program. |
| D．Te’Anne stepped on the stage of Wexford Gleeks in Grade 12. |
From Paragraph 3, it can be inferred that ____.
| A．Wexford Gleeks is a common art school. |
| B．Ann is the only leader of Wexford Gleeks. |
| C．more people want to attend Wexford Gleeks. |
| D．Wexford Gleeks only pays attention to smart students. |
The Flamingo Las Vegas is one of the oldest Las Vegas hotels. There are lots of wonderful Las Vegas shows that will leave a good impression on you. Here are the Las Vegas shows being performed at the hotel.
Donny and Marie
Donny and Marie is a family-friendly variety show. It is performed by well-known Donny and Marie Osmond on all weekdays except on Sundays and Mondays. The show follows the winning formula of their 1970s TV program, incorporating dancing, humor and all of their hit songs. It starts at 7:30 pm and each ticket costs at least $91.25.
Olivia Newton-John
Grammy award-winning singer Olivia Newton-John is “hopelessly devoted” to perform many of her fans, opening “Summer Nights” to perform many of her best-loved songs during her four decades long career. Alongside an eight-piece band, Newton-John will share stories about her career and sing many songs. Concert-goers can buy meet and greet tickets at $249. Regular price tickets start from $78.5. The show starts at 7:30 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Vinnie Favorito
Vinnie Favorito is a famous actor who is known to make people laugh. His jokes are very popular. Unlike other comedians who use pre-developed material, Vinnie Farorito gets his comedy from his interaction with people in the audience. The tickets start from $68.95. Performance days are six days per week except Sundays. Show time is 8 pm..
X Burlesque
X Burlesque is a wonderful show performed by six dancing ladies. The show is filled with popular music that suits everyone’s taste from rock to country and a variety of dancing styles that allow each dancer to showcase her unique talents. The tickets start from $50.26. It is a daily show at 10:00 pm.What do these shows have in common?
| A．They are free to children. |
| B．They are hosted by a woman. |
| C．They are performed every day. |
| D．They are performed in the Flamingo Las Vegas. |
If a young couple wants to see Olivia Newton-John in the flesh, they have to pay ____.
| A．78.5 dollars | B．157 dollars |
| C．249 dollars | D．498 dollars |
From the passage we can learn that _____.
| A．Vinnie Favorito comes to perform every day. |
| B．Olivia Newton-John often holds concerts in summer. |
| C．Children are not allowed to see Donny and Marie show. |
| D．Vinnie Favorito’s jokes come from communicating with the audience. |
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