Every two years, cities around the world make bids to the International Olympic Commission (IOC)to host the Olympic Games. Today, cities are selected through a much more rigorous (严格的） process.
Any city that wants to host the Olympic Games puts in its name to the IOC and is considered an “Applicant City”. For the next ten months, the IOC investigates the city on several points：
1. The city must prove that it is big enough to handle the Olympics. They also need to show that they can handle the high level of security needed at the games.
2. The city needs to convince (使明白）residents that the expenses of covering the Olympics (which may be covered by raising taxes)are worth it in city improvement and new jobs.
3. The city needs to maintain a highly positive media exposure to carry the games.
If the IOC decides that a city has fulfilled the three points above, the city is considered a “Candidate City” and goes into the second phase of the process. After submitting an application and an application fee, the IOC makes a final judging on which city is the best candidate for the coming Summer or Winter Olympic Games.
The costs for bidding for the games are incredibly high. Bid committees must pay an application fee to the IOC. Following these fees, the cities generally need to begin large construction projects like building the “Olympic village”， new sports arenas(竞技场） and stadiums, and transportation systems.
If the Olympics are so expensive, why do cities want to host the games? Cities bid for the Olympics for a variety of reasons ： the desire to show pride in their city and their country, the eagerness to be in the international spotlight for two weeks, the opportunity to bring new jobs into the community, and to build up tourism to that city. The point that the city must be big enough to handle the Olympics is probably because __________
| A．it makes sure that there will be enough people to watch the games |
| B．a huge number of tourists, athletes, journalists. and politicians will come with the games |
| C．there will be enough money to build sports arenas and stadiums |
| D．the Olympic Games was never held in small cities before |
Which of the following is the correct order to be a city to host the Olympics?
a. To build large construction projects.
b. To put in its name to the IOC.
c. To fulfill the IOC's points for bidding.
d. To succeed in getting the final judging from the IOC.
e. To pay the application fee to the IOC.
A. a, e，b, c，d
B. b, a，c, e，d
C. c, b，a, d，e
D. b, c，e, d，a Which of the following is NOT the result of hosting the Olympics?
| A．Raising the position on the international stage. |
| B．Promoting the development of tourism. |
| C．Creating more employment opportunities. |
| D．Strengthening the citizens' physical body. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．History of the International Olympic Commission |
| B．How the Olympic Locations are Chosen |
| C．How Expensive to Bid for the Olympics |
| D．Advantages of Hosting the Olympics |
Do you know about a series of books that say they are “for dummies”? These American self-help books have been translated into more than thirty-nine language including Chinese, Arabic, Russian, French, German, Greek and Spanish.
“Dummy” is a word for a stupid person. The dummies books are not really for stupid people. They are designed to show people how to do something they may never have tried before, like painting a house or learning a language. The books all say in a funny way that they are for dummies, such as World History for Dummies, Rabbits for Dummies, Chinese Cooking for Dummies, and Wedding Planning for Dummies. The first such book, Dos for Dummies, was published in 1991. It helped people learn how to use the DOS operating system for computers. Since then, more than one hundred fifty million dummies books have been sold.
The dummies. Com website explains the idea behind the books. It says that they show that people can be taught to do anything. First they can make fun of ideas that are difficult to understand. Then they show how the information can be interesting and easy. The publishers say that the books do not provide more information than necessary. They give readers just enough information to do what they want. They say that the dummies books give the best and easiest way to do something. And the books use simple and easy language.
These are more than one thousand different dummies books. A report in New York Times say that the top-selling dummies books are those that explain technology and personal finance.
The publishers say that the best-selling dummies books are those providing information many people need-like information about diseases books to help them. And there are even more dummies books to come. The publishers say that they publish about two hundred new dummies books every year. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Books for Dummies | B．The Easiest, the Best |
| C．Self-Help Books | D．New Ideas behind the books |
According to the dummies.com website, people can with the help of dummies books.
| A．simple some personal things | B．do anything they want |
| C．become expert in any field | D．learn any foreign language |
The dummies books have been popular because
| A．they provide just what is needed and are easy to understand |
| B．they provide abundant information on the concerning subject |
| C．people can learn to do anything with just one copy |
| D．people can save lots of money through self-teaching |
According to New York Times, we know that books on sell best.
| A．technology and personal finance | B．opera and car repairing |
| C．diseases and education | D．cooking and world history |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The first dummies book was on Chinese cooking. |
| B．The dummies books will continue to be popular |
| C．Fifty million different dummies books have been published. |
| D．The simple language was intended for child readers. |
Robert Spring, a 19tth century forger(伪造者)，was so good at his profession that he was able to make his living for 15 years by selling false signatures of Americans. Spring was born in England in 1813 and arrived in Philadelphia in 1858 to open a bookstore. At first he became rich by selling his small but real collection of early U.S. autographs（手稿）. Discovering his ability at copying handwriting, he began imitating signatures of George. Washington and Ben Franklin and writing them on the title pages of old books. To lessen the chance of detection(察觉), he sent his forgeries to England and Canada for sale.
Forgers have a hard time selling their products. A forger can’t deal with a respectable buyer but people who don’t have much knowledge in the field. Forgers have many ways to make their work look real. For example, they buy old books to use the aged paper of the title page, and they can treat paper and ink with chemical.
In Spring’s time right after the Civil War, Britain was still fond of the Southern states, so Spring invented a respectable maiden lady known as Miss Fanny Jackson, the only daughter of General “Stonewall” Jackson. For several years Miss Fanny’s financial problems forced her to sell a great number of letters and manuscripts(手稿). Spring had to work very hard to satisfy the demand. All this activity did not prevent Spring from dying in poverty, leaving sharp-eyed experts the difficult task of separating his forgeries from the originals.Why did Spring sell his false autographs in England and Canada?
| A．There is a greater demand there than in America. |
| B．There was less chance of being detected there. |
| C．Britain was Spring’s birthplace. |
| D．The price were higher in England and Canada. |
After the Civil War, there was a great demand in Britain for
| A．Southern money |
| B．Signatures of George Washington and Ben Franklin |
| C．Southern manuscripts and letters |
| D．Civil War battle plans |
According to the passage, forgeries are usually sold to
| A．sharp-eyed experts | B．persons who aren’t experts |
| C．book dealers | D．owners of old books |
Who was Miss Fanny Jackson?
| A．The only daughter of General “Stonewall” Jackson |
| B．A little –known girl who sold her father’s to Robert Spring |
| C．Robert Spring’s daughter |
| D．An imaginary person created by Spring. |
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 a.m. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark exvept for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated. ”
“Oh, you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “ Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“ Oh, I’m in no hurry.” She said, “I’m on my way to a hospice (临终医院)。 I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器)
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At down, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” She asked.
“Nothing.” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment joy.”The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to .
| A．Show she was familiar with the city |
| B．reach the destination on time |
| C．let the driver earn more money |
| D．see some places for the last time. |
The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he
| A．wanted to do her a favor |
| B．shut off the meter by mistake |
| C．had received her payment in advance |
| D．was in a hurry to take other passenhers |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Giving is always a pleasure |
| B．People should respect each other |
| C．An act of kindness can bring people great joy. |
| D．People should learn to appreciate others’ concern. |
3D comes home
Have you had this experience? You are watching a movie. A man is shooting on the screen. The picture is so real that you think he is shooting at you. Or a car is speeding on the screen and at one point you are afraid it will hit you.
Three-dimensional (3D)films use special technology to make pictures seem more real and exciting than two-dimensional ones. Two popular movies in the cinema this year, UP and Ice Age; Dawn of the Dinosaurs both use 3D technology.
So far we can only see 3D films in the cinema with a special screen and projector. But soon, we will be able to watch them in our living rooms. Last month, the Japanese company Sony told reporters that it plans to bring 3D televisions to homes in 2010. The company is also hoping to make other products with 3D, like laptops and PS3.
“ The 3D train is on the track, and we are ready to drive it home,” said Sony President Sir Howard Stringer.
How 3D technology works
Three dimensional movies and TV programs are fun to watch, but do you know how they are made? It is much easier to understand if we do an experiment.
Hold one of your fingers up at arms length and close one eye. Then try closing the other eye. As you switch between open eyes you should see your finger “jumping” left and right against the background.
This happens because our two eyes are about 4 cm away from each other. The separation causes each eye to see the world from a different angle. The brain puts these two views together. What you see becomes three-dimensional.
Three dimensional movies are made using two video cameras at the same time, which creates two different images. When the movie plays in a cinema, two projectors put the two images on the screen. With a pair of 3D glasses, the two images are separated and each image only enters one eye. Your brain puts the two pictures back together, and the pictures on the screen become three-dimensional.
72. What does the sentence “The 3D train is on the track, and we are ready to drive it home” mean? .
A. They’ve got a train to take 3D films back home
B. They are ready to bring 3D technology to homes
C. They have no more work to do on 3D technology
D. They are not sure about the future of 3D films
73. According to the text, 3D films .
A. use advanced technology to make special sound effects.
B. are less real than ordinary films, but more exciting.
C. can only be seen in the cinema at the moment.
D. will take the place of 2D films in the near future.
74. From the text, we know that 3D technology .
A. works in a similar way to how our eyes see things.
B. is too expensive to be used in ordinary homes.
C. uses special video cameras and light effects
D. can be easy to experiment with
75. The passage is mainly about .
A. how 3D films will develop in the future.
B. what makes 3D films so enjoyable
C. how 3D technology works and its future
D. what 3D technology needs and its future
If you are human, you can’t help but experience times when everything seems to be going wrong and you feel as if your life is completely out of control. It is during those “down times” that words of encouragement from family, friends, co-workers or even strangers can lighten your spirits. It is also during those times that destructive words can sink you deeper and deeper into depression.
For example, consider this story about a group of frogs who were traveling through the woods when two of them fell into a deep pit （坑）. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two unfortunate frogs they would never get out.
The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop. Finally, one of the frogs took heed of what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again the crowd of frogs shouted at him to stop the pain. The more they shouted, the harder he jumped and finally he made it to safety.
When he got out, the other frogs asked him why he continued to jump when they were all shouting at him to simply quit. The frog explained to them that he was a little bit deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
Every time you have a chance to say either something positive or negative to another human being, do choose the chance to say something positive! Don’t let those opportunities get away from you. Your words have a large amount of power. Use them wisely. You really never know just how much they can mean to someone else.
68. The first paragraph tells us that words play an important part especially when .
A. we stay with our family, friends and co-workers
B. we hear strangers say something to us
C. we get through hard times in life
D. we make some big mistakes
69. The underlined phrase “took heed of ” had the similar meaning with “ ”.
A. acted according to B. had some doubt
C. held on to D. got used to
70. The more they shouted, the harder he jumped and finally he made it to safety. That’s because .
A. he struggled to prove that they were wrong
B. he thought they were encouraging him
C. he was angry with what they said
D. he didn’t want to let them down
71. After reading the passage, readers should learn a lesson that .
A. we can use encouraging words to help others out
B. having a positive attitude is important in life
C. never give up until we win D. we must believe in ourselves rather than others
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