Even after centuries of exploration(探险), the ocean still holds its mysteries. Although we know more today about the world’s oceans and creatures living in them than ever before, every once in a while the sea brings up something so strange, so unexpected, that makes the world wonder what it could be.
Such was the case when the currents (水流) of the Mediterranean Ocean recently washed a 13-foot-long, smelly body onto the shores of the village of Villaricos in Andalusia, Spain. An early report in the Spanish publication Lavante described the strange, horned (带角的) body as what might seem like a big fish, but it was already in pieces. Locals joked that it was some kind of Loch Ness Monster.
The media jumped right on the creature, of course. Some sites called it a horned sea monster. The popular newspaper Boing Boing called it a dragon. Some people guessed that it might be an oarfish(皇带鱼), which is actually a rarely seen kind of big fish that can grow up to 55 feet long.
But now the experts have weighed in and we’re sorry to report that it’s not a dragon, a Loch Ness Monster, or even an oarfish. “That is actually a shark skeleton (骨架),” Professor Grubbs from Florida State University told NBC News. “The parts toward the back were confusing me, but those are the lower caudal fin (尾鳍) supports. The “horns” are the scapulocoracoids which support the pectoral fins(胸鳍).” Scapulocoracoids are backbones common to many animals.
So there we go, another mystery solved. Well, the ancient maps that once described areas of the ocean as places of dragons have yet to be proven true. But it’s good to know that the ocean still has a few surprises for us, even in cases where they’re just dead, smelly bodies.The creature mentioned in the text _____.
| A．was about 15 feet long with a horn |
| B．could probably grow up to 55 feet long |
| C．was already in pieces but it was still alive |
| D．was found on the shores of a village in Spain |
What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 really refer to?
| A．A dragon. | B．A shark skeleton. |
| C．An oarfish. | D．A horned sea monster. |
The third paragraph is mainly about _____.
| A．how the creature was found |
| B．the characteristics of an oarfish |
| C．people’s guesses about the creature |
| D．Boing Boing’s opinion of the creature |
The main purpose of the text is to _____.
| A．show the mystery of the ocean |
| B．ask people to protect sea animals |
| C．introduce a rarely seen kind of fish |
| D．show how to find surprises in the sea |
BEIJING, March, 17th --The Japanese automaker Toyota will recall some 4,400 units of FJ Cruiser cars in China over seat belt flaws, China's consumer quality watchdog said Saturday.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said on its website that Toyota China will recall these imported cars produced between December 2007 and March 2013.
Toyota is busy working on the solution to the flaw and will release improvement methods before April 15, according to the administration.
This marks Toyota's second recalling this year after the auto giant announced in January that it would recall 22,869 units of Lexus IS cars in China due to wiper arm problem.
China's private auto ownership reached 93.09 million units by the end of 2012, up 18.3 percent compared with the year before. Along with the fast expanding auto market, Chinese drivers grow more concerned about the quality of their cars.
Also on Saturday, the AQSIQ said in a statement on its website that its research has basically confirmed the German automaker Volkswagen's direct shift gearbox (DSG) transmission has defects which may cause engine power failures and urged Volkswagen to recall defective cars after China Central Television (CCTV) exposed Volkswagen's gearbox defect on Friday.
To better protect the interests of Chinese consumers, the AQSIQ announced late last year that it would formulate a guideline to regulate a recall system for faulty cars.What does underlined the word “recall” in the first paragraph probably mean?
| A．To ask people to return a product. |
| B．To bring something into one’s mind. |
| C．To remember something from the past. |
| D．To ask someone to go back. |
According to the passage, Lexus IS cars were found to have .
| A．seat belt flaws | B．wiper arm problem |
| C．gearbox defect | D．engine power failure |
What is the purpose of regulating a recall system for faulty cars?
| A．To limit the sales of imported cars in China. |
| B．For a better development of national automobile industry of China. |
| C．In order to show the authority and power of AQSIQ. |
| D．For a better protection of rights and interests of Chinese consumers. |
What was China’s private auto ownership by the end of 2011?
| A．About 93 million units. | B．About 110 million units. |
| C．About 79 million units. | D．About 90 million units. |
Which of the following statements is probably NOT true according to the news?
| A．Toyota will release its improvements on faulty cars in less than a month. |
| B．Chinese put more and more focus on the quality of their cars. |
| C．You may get the information about faulty cars on the website of AQSIQ. |
| D．It was AQSIQ that first exposed Volkswagen’s DSG defects. |
Nearly all our food comes from the soil. Some of us eat meat, of course, but animals live on plants. If there were no plants, we would have no animals and no meat. So the soil is very necessary for life. The top of the ground is usually covered with grass or other plants. There may be dead leaves and dead plants on the grass. The waste matter (粪) from animals also falls on it.
All soil needs food. If we do not give it any, the plants will be weak. Farmers found that animals’ waste is the best food for the soil, but chemical fertilizers (化肥) are also very useful. The same crop (庄稼) should not be grown in the same place every year; it’s better to have a different crop. A change of crop and the use of a good fertilizer will keep the land good.What would happen first without plants?
| A．People would have more crops. | B．Animals would die. |
| C．There would be more food. | D．There would be less soil. |
What does the writer tell us in the first paragraph (段落)?
| A．Leaves, plants, grass and waste live on each other. |
| B．There would be no animals without meat. |
| C．There would be no plants without animals. |
| D．People, animals, plants and soil live on each other. |
Which is the best food for soil in the field?
| A．Chemical fertilizers | B．Plants and grass. | C．Animals’ waste. | D．Different crops. |
Why do we often grow a different crop in the same place every year?
| A．Because we can keep the soil rich this way. |
| B．Because we don’t have enough land. |
| C．Because we want to have a different food. |
| D．Because we do this as a habit. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Soil and Waste | B．Plants and Animals | C．Food and Waste | D．Soil and Food |
Valencia is in the east part of Spain(西班牙). It has a port on the sea, two miles away on the coast. It is the capital of a province that is also named Valencia.
The city is a market centre for what is produced by the land around the city. Most of the city’s money is made from farming. It is also a busy business city, with ships, railways, clothes and machine factories.
Valencia has an old part with white buildings, colored roofs, and narrow streets. The modern part has long, wide streets and new buildings. Valencia is well known for its parks and gardens. It has many old churches and museums. The University in the centre of the city was built in the 13th century.
The city of Valencia has been known since the 2nd century. In the 8th century it was the capital of Spain. There is also an important city in Venezuela(委内瑞拉)named Valencia.From the text, how many places have the name Valencia?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
What is the main difference between the two parts of the city?
| A．The color of the buildings. | B．The length of the streets. |
| C．The age of the buildings. | D．The color of the roofs. |
When was Valencia the most important city in Spain?
| A．2nd century. | B．8th century. | C．13th century. | D．20th century. |
What is Valencia famous for?
| A．Its seaport. | B．Its University. |
| C．Its churches and museums. | D．Its parks and gardens. |
The main income of the city of Valencia is from its_____.
| A．markets. | B．business. | C．factories. | D．farming. |
Florence Nightingale（南丁格尔） was born in a rich family. When she was young she took lessons in music and drawing, and read great books. She also traveled a great deal with her mother and father.
As a child she felt that visiting sick people was both a duty and a pleasure. She enjoyed helping them.
At last mind was made up. “I’m going to be a nurse,” she decided.
“Nursing isn’t the right work for a lady,” her father told her.
“Then I will make it so, “she smiled. And she went to learn nursing in Germany and France. When she returned to England, Florence started a nursing home for home. During the Crimean War in 1854 she went with a group of thirty eight nurses to the front hospitals. What they saw there was terrible. Dirt and death were everywhere to be seen — and smelled. The officer there did not want any woman to tell him how to run a hospital, either. But the brave nurse went to work.
Florence used her own money and some from friends to buy clothes, beds, medicine and food for the men. Her only pay was in smiles from the lips of dying soldiers. But they were more than enough for this kind woman.
After she returned to England, she was honored for her services by Queen Victoria. But Florence said that her work had just begun. She raised money to build the Nightingale Home for Nurses in London. She also wrote a book on public health, which was printed in several countries.
Florence Nightingale died at the age of ninety, still trying to serve others through her work as a nurse. Indeed, it is because of her that we honor nurses today. When she was a child, Florence ____ .
| A．loved to travel very much |
| B．knew what her duty in life was |
| C．loved to help the sick people |
| D．was most interested in music and drawing |
What made Florence make up her mind to become a nurse？
| A．Her father’s support. |
| B．Her desire to help the sick. |
| C．Her education in Germany and France. |
| D．Her knowledge from reading great books. |
During the Crimean War in 1854, Florence served in the front hospital where ____ .
| A．she earned a little money |
| B．work was very difficult |
| C．few soldiers died because of her work |
| D．she didn’t have enough food or clothes |
Why was Florence honored by Queen Victoria？
| A．She built the Nightingale Home for Nurses. |
| B．She wrote a book on public health. |
| C．She worked as a nurse all her life. |
| D．She did a great deal of work during the Crimean War. |
The passage can best be described as ____ .
| A．the life story of a famous woman | B．a description of the nursing work |
| C．an example of successful education | D．the history of nursing in England |
In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by “small talk”. Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather. “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Terrible weather, isn’t it?” But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion(宗教) or politics(政治) so these are not suitable topics for small talk. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching. “Great game, isn’t it?” At bus-stops, people may comment on the transport system. “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”Small talk is _______________.
| A．a kind of conversation with short words |
| B．a greeting used when people meet each other |
| C．to let people disagree about something |
| D．something we talk about to start a conversation |
The favorite topic of small talk for English people is _________.
| A．the weather | B．politics | C．games | D．languages |
The passage suggests that when we learn a language _________.
| A．we should learn about the transport system of the country |
| B．we should only master the grammar and the vocabulary |
| C．we should learn the culture of the country |
| D．we should understand the importance of the language |
When we say “Great game, isn’t it?”, we are in fact __________.
| A．asking a question | B．having a conversation |
| C．greeting each other | D．making small talk |
What we learn from the passage is that __________.
| A．different languages have different grammar |
| B．small talk is an important part of a language |
| C．small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation |
| D．in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather |
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