Not everyone can become a professional basketball or football player. Not everyone, especially youth living in the city, has access to large green fields. But kids still want to compete. So all over America, young people started skateboarding and bicycling. This is where the Extreme Games, or X-Games, started.
The X-Games are beautiful to watch. They simply defy gravity. Riders fly down ramps on skateboards and do crazy tricks in the air. The X-Games have become so popular that this year BMX cycling is the newest sport in the Beijing Olympics. You will see competitors descend a 25-foot (8 meters) ramp, the highest in the world, as they race through a wild obstacle course.
But the X-Games are more than sports. They have become a culture. Fans of the X-Games have rejected the mainstream. They wear certain clothes, listen to different music and live life to the fullest.
It is not unusual to see young people riding a skateboard or showing off their cycling tricks in a park. Extreme sports arrived in China in the late 1990s. The Chinese Extreme Sports Association was established in 2004
Shanghai will hold the Asian X-Games at the end of April. Check them out and maybe you'll find a new sport you love. According to the passage we know that _________.
| A．all the young people have access to large green fields |
| B．not all the young people like playing sports |
| C．only young people living in the countryside have access to large green fields |
| D．not all the people can become a professional basketball player |
The Extreme Games start from _________.
| A．people's work |
| B．the countryside life |
| C．people's different sports interest |
| D．large green fields |
The Extreme Games are popular with a lot of people because of the factors except that _________.
| A．it is a very exciting sport |
| B．it makes people more confident |
| C．it is quite wonderful |
| D．it is the only sport for both city people and country people |
That we often see some young people wearing all kinds of clothes, listening to music and riding a skateboard or showing off their cycling tricks shows _________.
| A．the Extreme Games have come to China for a long time |
| B．the Extreme Games have become a fashionable culture |
| C．the Extreme Games have become new sports |
| D．the Extreme Games have become the best way to keep fit |
(Reuters) --- A stampede killed at least 36 people during New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai, authorities said, but the police denied reports that it was caused by people rushing to pick up fake money thrown from a building overlooking the city's famous waterfront.
It was the worst disaster in the modern city since 58 died in an apartment building fire in 2010.
The cause of the crush has still to be confirmed, though state media and some witnesses have said it was at least partly aroused when people rushed to pick up coupons that looked like bank notes.
A man named Wu said the fake money had been thrown down from a bar above the street as part of the celebrations.
"This incident happened after the stampede," police said in a brief statement, without saying what the real cause was.
Another witness said there had been a problem away from the area where the fake bills were thrown, with people trying to get on to a raised platform overlooking the river.
Xinhua news agency said that people had been trampled on after falling down on the steps up to the platform.
Authorities had shown some concern about crowd control in the days leading up to New Year's Eve. They recently canceled an annual 3D laser show on the Bund, which last year attracted as many as 300,000 people.
On New Year's Eve, Beijing also canceled a countdown event in the central business district, Chinese media said, due to police fears about overcrowding.
The Shanghai government said on its official microblog that an inquiry had begun, and that all other New Year events had been canceled.
In 2004, 37 people died in a stampede in northern Beijing, on a bridge at a scenic spot, during the Lunar New Year holiday.According to the passage, why did people go to the Bund?
| A．To meet their old friends and relatives. |
| B．To celebrate the New Year’s Eve. |
| C．To watch an annual 3D laser show. |
| D．To pick up bank notes. |
What can be inferred according to the passage?
| A．Some possible measures had been taken by authorities. |
| B．People like 3D laser show better than any other events. |
| C．The local government had shown their worry about overcrowding. |
| D．The celebrations in Beijing were influenced by this stampede. |
What’s the passage about?
| A．A countdown event in Beijing. |
| B．A laser show on the Bund. |
| C．An apartment fire in Shanghai. |
| D．A stampede on New Year’s Eve in Shanghai. |
Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris? The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370 under Charles V. By the seventeenth century, it had stopped to be important for defense. Cardinal Richelieu turned it into a prison. It was not an ordinary prison to punish common crimes. Its huge doors closed only on enemies of the King. The Bastille's workings were secret. Prisoners were taken to it in closed vehicles. Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall. No talking was allowed. Worst of all, a prisoner never knew if he would be there a day, a week, a year, or forever. Only the King's letter could set him free.
Over the years, the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer. By the time of its fall, most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptions(贪污腐败) of the government. Voltaire, the famous French writer, spent a year there in 1717-1718, and another 12 days in 1726.
For those who believed in free speech and free thinking, the Bastille stood for everything evil. The day it was captured, only seven prisoners were found inside. Still, the Bastille was hated by the people. It was a symbol of the King's complete power.The Bastille had been a prison ______.
| A．since the time of Charles V |
| B． since 1370 |
| C．before the seventeenth century |
| D．since the time of Cardinal Richelieu |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．Anyone who did something wrong could find himself suddenly in the Bastille. |
| B．The Bastille was only for those who were opposed to the King. |
| C．Things done in the Bastille were hardly known to people outside. |
| D．Voltaire was twice put in the Bastille. |
At the time of its fall, the Bastille housed ______.
| A．a large number of prisoners |
| B．a lot of writers who had been against the government |
| C．only a few prisoners |
| D．some dozens of people who believed in free speech and free thinking |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The King could put people in, or let them go out, as he wanted. |
| B．Over the years the number of prisoners in the Bastille was getting more and more. |
| C．All prisoners in the Bastille had to stay there for life. |
| D．At the time it was captured, there were so few prisoners in it that it meant little to the people. |
It is a hot summer day，and you feel thirsty. A friend gives you a glass of cold lemonade．How do you feel when you see the glass? Will you describe your feeling as happiness or as pleasure? I believe you will say it is a feeling of pleasure．There is a connection between these two kinds of feelings，and sometimes one causes the other，but they are not the same．Pleasure is more dependent on the five senses while happiness is independent of them．
When you are happy，little unpleasant events usually do not disturb you．When you are unhappy，you feel as if everything is against you．You may compensate for it by eating chocolate and sweets because this gives you pleasure；yet you stay unhappy．A person may smoke cigarettes because it gives him pleasure，yet，this does not make him happier，especially if he knows the fact that it is not good for his health
The physical world is always in a changing state．At each moment a new thing is being created，changed，transformed and then destroyed．This is the normal state of things and no one can change it．If we stay still in a certain state，we are sure to experience unhappiness sooner or later．On the other hand，if we adjust to the environment，nothing can influence our moods．Then outer events have nothing to do with our inner joy of mind．
The room of the mind was filled with worry or fear．If you are free of thinking about them, the room has been emptied，and then you will see what is happening and experience it When your mind stays quiet，you will see that happiness comes from the inside．What does the underlined phrase“compensate for”in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
| A．to make a suitable payment for |
| B．to let out your anger for |
| C．to provide with a balancing effect for |
| D．to solve the problems for |
According to the passage, in which of the following situations can you feel happy?
| A．A friend gives you a glass of cold lemonade when you feel thirsty． |
| B．You eat chocolate and sweets when you feel as if everything is against you． |
| C．Smoke cigarettes even though you know the fact that it is not good for your health． |
| D．You are free from worry or fear when your mind stays quiet． |
We can learn from the passage．
| A．happiness is more dependent on the five senses |
| B．pleasure sometimes arouses happiness |
| C．you feel happy when nothing around you changes in a certain state |
| D．you feel unhappy because you have to adjust to the environment |
Which can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Pleasure Leads To Happiness | B．Happiness Changes Us |
| C．Happiness Is Within Us | D．Stay A Quiet Mind |
The SAT is one of two major tests for the entrance to American colleges and universities. The other test is called the ACT. More than 2 million students take the SAT yearly, including about 100,000 foreign students. The organization of the SAT will change the entrance test in 2016. The College Board announced that the new SAT will no longer test students on rarely used words. But it will include passages from American historical documents or from writings on freedom and human rights.
The College Board says words on the new test will be related to usage. Students will be asked to tell the meaning of words according to the context of the reading passages. Nigerian student Peace Umoru is in her first year at Howard University. She says the rarely used words are the hardest part for international students. The new test will be easier because of the reform.
Eddie West is with the College Board. He says the new test will better predict a student’s performance in college. The changes are moving the test in a positive direction. The new SAT pays more attention to skills and abilities that students need to succeed. The addition of material about American historical documents could make the test harder for international students. After all, they live in different countries with different cultures. But it’s a good chance for them to understand the Declaration of Independence or Martin Luther King’s work, or anything else that might be tested.
Students from other countries, particularly those who did not grow up learning English, may feel it is more difficult. For them, the test is in a foreign language. But the College Board says it has formed a free, online educational service. Khan Academy will provide preparation material linked to the newly designed SAT.What will be tested in the new SAT?
| A．All the different meanings of a word. |
| B．The rare usage of the common words. |
| C．The difficult words for foreign students. |
| D．The proper meaning of the words in the passages. |
The new SAT could be more difficult for international students because .
| A．they are short of skills and abilities |
| B．they often perform badly in college |
| C．they know nothing about American history |
| D．they have different cultural backgrounds |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．How to prepare for the new SAT. |
| B．The SAT will change the entrance test in 2016. |
| C．Advice for foreign students on passing the SAT. |
| D．Tests for entrance to American colleges and universities. |
Everyone, please imagine, a big explosion breaks out as the plane takes us high in the sky. The plane is full of smoke and the engine sounds scary. Two minutes later, the engines are turned off. We are now sitting in a plane with no sound. And we can see: Life is over.
That really happened. In January 2009, I had a front-row seat on Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York.
Now let me tell you the three things I learned when the silence came.
First, I thought about all the people I wanted to reach out to but didn’t. I thought about all the experiences I wanted to have but never did. I no longer wanted to put off anything in life. Second, I really regretted the time I wasted on things that did not matter. I decided to remove negative energy from my life. Third, I realized, wow, dying was not scary. But it was very sad just because I only wished I could have seen my kids grow up.
Fortunately, I was given the gift of a miracle of not dying that day. I was given another gift, with which I was to see into the future and come back and live differently.
About a month later, my wife and I were at a performance by my daughter, not much artistic talent. Yet, I’m crying. I realized that above all, the only goal in my life was to be a good father.
Audience, again, imagine the same thing happening on your plane. How would you change? What would you get done? And more than anything, are you being the best parent you can?
Thank you.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．Air crash is always a tragedy. |
| B．What I learned from the air crash. |
| C．Life is a miracle as we imagine. |
| D．How to become a good father. |
When does the idea “Life is over” come into being?
| A．Exactly during the explosion. |
| B．When the plane was full of smoke. |
| C．Before the engines sounded scary. |
| D．When the engines were turned off. |
What is the author’s final goal in life?
| A．Never to put off anything in life. |
| B．To remove negative energy from life. |
| C．To see his daughter grow up. |
| D．To be a good father. |
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