Until last spring, Nia Parker and the other kids in her neighborhood went to school on Bus 59.But as fuel prices rose, the school district needed to find a way to cut its transportation costs.So the school’s busing company redrew its route map, canceling Nia’s bus.Now Nia and her neighbors travel the half mile to school via a “walking school bus”—a group of kids, supervised (监护) by an adult or two, who make the walk together.
Many parents are delighted to see their kids walking to school, partly because many did so themselves.According to a 1979 survey, nearly half of school kids walked or biked to school, compared with only 16 percent in 2011.Modern parents have been unwilling to let kids walk to school for fear of traffic, crime or simple bullying, but with organized adult supervision, those concerns have reduced.
Schools and busing companies are finding other ways to save.In rural areas where busing is a must, some schools have even chosen four-day school weeks.Busing companies instruct drivers to cancel extra stops from routes and to turn off the engine while idling(挂空挡).They are also using computer software to determine the most fuel-efficient routes, which aren’t always the shortest ones.
There could be disadvantages, however, to the busing cutbacks（削减）.If every formerly bused student begins walking to school, it’s an environmental win—but if too many of their parents decide to drive them instead, the carbon footprint can grow.Replacing buses with many more parent-driven cars can also increase safety risks.A 2011 report concluded students are 13 times safer on a school bus than in a passenger car, since buses have fewer accidents and with stand them better due to their size.And some students complain about the long morning hikes, particularly when the route contains a really big hill. In regards to walking to school, modern parents seem much concerned with the _____.
| A．safety of their kids |
| B．kids’ physical strength |
| C．time spent on the way |
| D．changes in the route |
To save money, some schools choose to _____.
| A．shorten the school week |
| B．take the shortest routes |
| C．stop using school buses |
| D．use fuel-efficient buses |
Busing cutbacks may lead to _____.
| A．fewer complaints about long morning hikes |
| B．more students taking public transportation |
| C．an increase in carbon dioxide emissions |
| D．a decrease in the safety of school buses |
We were on tour a few summers ago, driving through Chicago, when right outside of the city, we got pulled over(被迫停车). A middle-aged policeman came up to the ear and was really being troublesome at first. He said, "You were speeding. Where are you going in such a hurry?" Our guitarist, Tim, told him that we were on our way to Wisconsin to play a show. Then his way towards us totally changed. He asked, "Oh, so you boys are in a band?" We told him that we were. He then asked all the usual band questions about the type of music we played, and how long we had been at it.
Suddenly, he stopped and said, "Tim, you want to get out of this ticket, don't you?" Tim said, "Yes. " So the officer asked him to step out of the car. The rest of us, inside the car, didn' t know what to think as we watched the policeman talk to Tim. Then the policeman put Tim in the back of the police car and threw the car into reverse(倒车), stopping a few feet in back of our car.
Now we suddenly felt frightened. We didn't know if we were all going to prison. Suddenly, the policeman's voice came over in a loudspeaker. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever, we have Tim here singing on Route 90." Later we knew, the policeman had told Tim that if he sang one of our songs over the loudspeaker in the police car, we would get out of the ticket. Seconds later, Tim started screaming into the receiver. The policeman enjoyed the performance, and sent us on our way without a ticket.Why did the policeman stop the boys?
| A．Because they drove too fast. |
| B．Because they were late for their show. |
| C．Because they didn't see the policeman. |
| D．Because they had to answer the band questions. |
The policeman became friendly to the boys when he knew they ______.
| A．had long been at the band |
| B．played the music he loved |
| C．were driving for a show |
| D．promised him a performance |
The underlined word "ticket" in paragraph 2 means "a piece of paper that ______".
| A．allows you to enter a cinema |
| B．shows the price or size in a shop |
| C．shows that you have paid to travel on a bus |
| D．orders you to pay money because you have done something wrong |
How did the boys probably feel when they went on their way again?
| A．Happy. |
| B．Calm. |
| C．Angry. |
| D．Frightened. |
Welcome to Adventure land!
Everyone loves Adventure land! The Parks and Exhibitions were built for you to explore, enjoy, and admire their wonders. Every visit will be an unforgettable experience.
The Travel Pavilion
Explore places you have never been to before, and experience different ways of life.
Visit the Amazon jungle (丛林) village, the Turkish market, the Tai floating market, the Berber mountain house and others. Talk to the people there, who will tell you about their lives and things they make. You can try making a carpet, making nets, fishing…
The Future Tower
This exhibition shows how progress will touch our lives. It allows us to look into the future and explore the cities of the next century and the way we'll be living then. Spend some time in our space station and you can even take a "journey" to Mars!
The Nature Park
This is not really one park but several parks.
In the Safari Park you can drive among African animals and see lions, giraffes, elephants in the wild. Move on to the Ocean Park to watch the dolphins and whales.
The Pyramid
This is the center of Adventure land. Need some postcards, stamps or even toys? For all these things and many more, visit our underground shopping center.The Travel Pavilion is built to help visitors _____.
| A．realize the importance of travelling |
| B．become familiar with mountain countries |
| C．learn how to make things such as fishing nets |
| D．learn something about different places in the world |
If you are interested in knowing about what people' s life will be, you may visit _____.
| A．the Travel Pavilion |
| B．the Future Tower |
| C．the Safari Park |
| D．the Pyramid |
If you want to get a toy lion to take home, where will you most likely go?
| A．The Pyramid. |
| B．The Nature Park. |
| C．The Future Tower. |
| D．The Travel Pavilion. |
You and your friends will have lots of fun with Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies. You can talk to someone who is in another room at your house or someone who is up to 180 feet away from you. You can take your walkie -talkie with you when you go camping or walking.
Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies are easy to use. This is what you do:
1. Push the ON button.
2. Hold the TALK button in and say something. If your friend has his/her walkie - talkie on, he/she will hear you.
If you want to talk for a long time, you can lock the TALK button. Just push the button in and up. When you finish talking, push the TALK button down.
3. When you finish talking, let go of the TALK button and listen. When your friend pushes the TALK button and says something, you will hear what your friend says through your walkie -talkie.
4. When you finish talking with your friend, push the ON button again to turn your walkie-talkie off.
| REMEMBER ◆If you cannothear, push L (loud) to make it louder. ◆If it is too loud, push S (soft) to make it quieter. |
What are Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies used for?
| A．Talking with others. |
| B．Listening to music. |
| C．Giving directions. |
| D．Locating places. |
How can you lock the TALK button?
| A．Keep the button on. |
| B．Hold the button back. |
| C．Push the button in and up. |
| D．Turn the button off and down. |
Which button will you push when you can't hear clearly?
| A．S |
| B．L |
| C．TALK |
| D．ON |
The author writes this passage to _____.
| A．tell how to make Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies |
| B．show how to use Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies |
| C．explain to the readers his camping experience |
| D．introduce some special ways to make friends |
Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have undergone an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.
One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for hog producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power.
Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that computer-aided robots will make startling changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the barn, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete mobilization of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.Which sentence carried the main idea of the whole passage?
| A．The first sentence of the first paragraph. |
| B．The first sentence of the second paragraph. |
| C．The first sentence of the third paragraph. |
| D．The last sentence of the second paragraph. |
according to the passage, computers can not help farmers decide _______.
| A．how much money they can earn from their products |
| B．whether to plant a certain kind of crop |
| C．what livestock to raise |
| D．when to sell their products |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Farmers in the future will depend totally on computers. |
| B．Both computers and robots have been in use on today’s farms. |
| C．Farmers mainly use machines on their farms at present. |
| D．Students at agricultural colleges must take computer classes because they can do nothing without the help of computers on today’s farms. |
according to the engineers, _______will be done by robots in the near future.
| A．all farm work | B．milking cows |
| C．most of the farm work | D．some farm work |
What is the best title for the whole passage?
| A．Computer, Farmers’ Best Friend | B．Farmers in The Future |
| C．The Agricultural Revolution | D．Computers and Robots |
I have a friend named Monty Roberts. He has let me use his horse ranch(养马场)to put on events to raise money for youth at risk programs.
Last time I was there he introduced me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant(流动的)horse trainer. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be when he grew up.”
“That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of owning a horse ranch someday. He put all his heart into the project and wrote about his dream in great detail. He even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of the buildings, stables and the track, and even a detailed floor plan for a 4000-square-foot house on it.”
“The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later ,he received a large red “F” on his paper with a note, ‘See me after class.’ The boy went to see the teacher and asked why. The teacher told him there was no way for a young boy like him to do that because owning a horse ranch required much money and resources, and then added ‘If you’ll rewrite his paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’”
“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what to do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it’s a very important decision for you.’”
“Finally, a week later, the boy turned in the same paper without any change and stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.’”
“I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.”
Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what. The teacher gave him an “F” for his written paper because the
teacher thought .
| A．he didn’t do a good job in his studies |
| B．he described an unrealistic goal in his paper |
| C．he came from an itinerant horse trainer’s family |
| D．he wrote his paper without the help of his father |
Why did the boy turn in the same paper without any change?
| A．Because he made up his mind to stick to his dream. |
| B．Because his father stopped him from rewriting it. |
| C．Because he was angry about his teacher’s words. |
| D．Because he had put too much of his heart into it. |
From the story we can infer that the boy was actually .
| A．Monty himself | B．the author himself |
| C．Monty’s friend | D．an unknown person |
According to the passage, the following statements are true EXCEPT
that .
| A．the boy was very interested in having a horse ranch of his own |
| B．the boy might have got a higher grade if he’d rewritten his paper |
| C．the boy succeeded in turning his dream into reality in the end |
| D．the boy wouldn’t have reached his goal without his father’s support |
The author wrote this passage mainly to
| A．tell people how to describe their goals |
| B．warn people against dream stealers |
| C．encourage people to stick to their dreams |
| D．teach people how to write their papers |
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