When the evening is coming, my dear son and I are preparing for the tape time. “Shoes on,” I remind 9-year-old Sam. “Snakes are always waiting for the chance to kiss you. But with our feet stepped into my car, we are safe.” We take blankets and cups of milk and head out to the shelter that serves as our garage. This has become our bedtime habit.
I press “play.” A motherly voice fills the car. My mother and my aunt send us books on tape obtained from secondhand shops or rescued from the back of drawer. Maybe no one in England lays cassettes anymore, but I still love them.
Sam rests on his seat. He’s sitting in the front seat. I am listening to the cassette. But I am also thinking. In a month’s time, my boy will be 10. Next year, he will be 11. And so it will go on, until he leaves me and his father and his sister to live out his own stories---as it is only right and proper he should.
Will he think back to the times when he sat in the dark in a car in Africa, listening to tales of Wales in World War Ⅱ, the finest lady detective of Botswana, or a country he has visited, and tells me he finds them “very interesting”? Will he think , when he is grown-up, the poor mum always makes the ancient tape player which is out of date work?
I like to believe that he will recall those wonderful moments. By then, perhaps, my child will realize a deep love of sharing and understanding by listening to the old tape player. I hope Sam will think that these evenings we spend in the car are a story themselves. It is his own first chapter. In time my boy will ease off the hand brake and roll out into the world. Until then, I’ll keep pressing “play”.What habit did the writer and her son develop?
| A．To play outside in the evening |
| B．To listen to tapes in a car |
| C．To drive in the evening |
| D．To read books together at night |
How does the author think about Sam’s leaving the family in the future?
| A．Interesting. | B．Common and natural. |
| C．Absurd. | D．Unbearable. |
In paragraph4, the two questions can prove that ________.
| A．playing with children is fun for parents |
| B．listening to stories is a good way to enjoy life |
| C．children need to ask questions in reading |
| D．Listening experiences will be part of Sam’s life |
The best title for the passage may be “_______”.
| A．A gift of a story player |
| B．A childhood full of love and story |
| C．Deep love for the tape player |
| D．The future life of our children |
If you’re thinking about reaching for another biscuit to get you through the working day, think again. Eating unhealthy snacks at your desk makes you pile on almost half a stone a year, a survey has revealed. The waistlines of women suffer the most, with the average female putting on 6lb 3oz – the equivalent of a whole dress size – while men see their weight increase by 5lb 2oz.
The report into our eating habits found that, on average, we eat at least two snacks a day, with 30 per cent of us tucking into three or more. Women admit eating more than men, with a further 13 per cent of ladies scoffing four or more snacks a day. The research, by The Village Bakery, found biscuits are the most common vice, with 42 per cent regularly opening a pack, closely followed by chocolate (38 per cent), crisps (32 per cent) and cakes (13 per cent).
And office workers are worse than most. Cakes and biscuits brought into work by colleagues are one of the main temptations office staff give in to. In addition, 33 per cent admit reaching for nibbles to cope with stress and 22 per cent say they need a sugar rush to perk them up in the afternoon.
Simon Staddon, of The Village Bakery, said: “We were aware time-poor office workers can find it difficult to easily access a nutritional lunch. But we were really shocked by the extent to which ‘quick fix' lunches are affecting weight gain and general wellbeing. Popular mid-afternoon pick-me-ups such biscuits, chocolate and cakes are high in calories, fat and full of sugar, all of which affect your blood sugar levels and ultimately lead to weight gain.”
The survey of 2,000 British men and women suggests we are often ashamed of our unhealthy eating. Twenty-four per cent of Britons admit lying about how many snacks they eat with 33 per cent of women lying, compared to 20 per cent of men. Unfortunately, it's not as if we are likely to do anything positive to counteract the sweet treats.According to the passage, women usually put weight on first ________.
| A．on the face | B．on the legs |
| C．on the feet | D．in the middle |
What’s the main reason of eating snacks in office?
| A．Colleagues eat them to save money. |
| B．Staff use them to cope with their lunch. |
| C．Colleagues often bring them to office. |
| D．Bosses invite staff to eat them. |
Why do office workers eat a “quick fix” lunch?
| A．Because it has much of nutrition. |
| B．Because it has little effect on weight gain. |
| C．Because it has little effect on general wellbeing. |
| D．Because they have short time to have their lunches. |
It can be inferred that British women are ________.
| A．less likely to lie on snacks than men |
| B．more likely to lie on snacks than men |
| C．more ashamed of eating snacks than men |
| D．less ashamed of eating snacks than men |
What does the underlined word possibly mean?
| A．act against | B．appeal to |
| C．cope with | D．get in |
Part III Reading Comprehension （30 marks）
Directions: Read the following three passages, Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are four choices marked A, B,C and D．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
Humans aren’t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee. Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better pollination(授粉). According to a recent study published in the journal Science.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. They found that the nectar(花蜜) of some flowers, such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants, as well as certain coffee flowers, contains low doses of caffeine. To get bees to feed on these flowers, the team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers. They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from flowers that were sweetened with a sugar, but did not contain caffeine. After 24 hours, the bees trained on caffeinated flowers returned to these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to the uncaffeinated plants.
Professor Geraldine Wright led the researchers. “Remembering floral traits (花部特征) is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we found that caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are,” Wright said in a statement.
Improved memory led to the better pollination. That’s because once bees sip the caffeine nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate. This also suggests that caffeine plays a role in improving the bees’ ability to search for food.
Researchers found that caffeine’s effect on the bee brain is similar to its effect on mammals. “The change is similar to that produced by caffeine in neurons (神经元)”associated with learning and memory in the rat brain,” Wright said.
Bee populations have declining since 2007. The dramatic drop in the insects’ numbers has serious effects for ecosystems and the farming industry. Bees are needed in the reproduction of crops and spreading wild flower species. Understanding what keeps bees buzzing could help to make sure that the insects are able to remember and pollinate their favorite flowers.
Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
| A．Caffeine has no effect on the rat brain. |
| B．Bee population has been increasing. |
| C．The nectar of lemon plants contains caffeine. |
| D．Bees dislike nectar from sweetened flowers. |
After reading the passage, John, who works in the farming industry, will probably feel ________.
| A．annoyed | B．angry | C．nervous | D．excited |
Which of the following relationship is correct according to the passage?
| A．improved memory — caffeine nectar — better pollination |
| B．caffeine nectar — improved memory — better pollination |
| C．improved memory — better pollination — caffeine nectar |
| D．caffeine nectar — better pollination — improved memory |
We can know from the passage that ________.
| A．the rat is a mammal |
| B．caffeine has nothing to do with memory |
| C．bees are good at remembering floral traits |
| D．Geraldine Wright did the research on his own |
What section of a newspaper may this passage be taken from?
| A．Science | B．Education |
| C．Culture | D．Sports |
You feel happiest when you create a healthy balance between giving and receiving. If you give and give without making time to fill your own needs, then it’s likely you will burn out, or feel upset .When you take and take without giving anything back ,you never feel fulfilled, so you are always searching for ways to fill the void in your life.
The way to create a healthy balance between giving and receiving is to know and then live by your values .I break values up into two groups which I call being and having values. Your being values are the character traits of the ideal person you would like to be. I suggest to my clients that they choose three being values that they are willing to make a commitment to live by. An example of some being values are: kind, loving, generous, inspirational, peaceful, wise and even powerful. By acting on these values you give to others through your actions and you inspire others by being a positive role model. Mastering being these character traits becomes your life purpose.
Your having values are the feelings you need to create in order to be happy. These could be companionship, achievement, support, being valued or financial security. This is what you receive. You take responsibility for filling your own needs by taking steps to create these feelings and conditions in your life.
When you make a commitment to live by your being values, it becomes easier to make conscious choices rather than reactionary ones. If your usual pattern is to talk about your problems, you could choose to think and act like a calm person. A calm person might go for a walk, meditate, or set a time limit before responding. If your usual pattern is to worry, you could choose to act like a responsible or wise person. In other words, you would act like the person you choose to be—this is the key to personal power.
When you choose to act on your values, you not only feel good about yourself, you reinforce your chosen beliefs. Over time acting in this way changes how you see the world, and in turn the way other people think of you.
The main purpose of this passage is to ___________.
| A．persuade the readers to make a commitment |
| B．inform the readers how to be truly happy |
| C．explain to the readers what personal values are |
| D．instruct the readers how to make wise choices |
According to the text, living by your being values ,you would ___________.
| A．gain a lot of power |
| B．fill your own needs |
| C．seek all human virtues |
| D．form positive personality |
The underlined word “void” in Paragraph 1 means ___________.
| A．a feeling of emptiness |
| B．an absence of one’s mind |
| C．a break of continuity |
| D．a state of confusion |
Which of the following does not belong to “your having values”?
| A．your success in the competition |
| B．the help from your friends |
| C．your own peaceful mind |
| D．the friendship |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Having values are better than being values. |
| B．The way other people think of you decides who you are. |
| C．A calm person does not choose to complain. |
| D．A responsible person does not care about financial security. |
One of my China Dialogue colleagues in Beijing recently bought a Philips energy-saving light bulb to replace a standard one．He was happy with his choice．It may have cost 30 yuan （just under US$4．50） - ten times the price of a filament （灯丝） bulb - but he wanted to save energy as part of his low-carbon lifestyle．And according to the shopkeeper, he would save, in the long run, much more than the 30 yuan he was spending．
Yet only one month later, his expensive light bulb blew up, before he had saved even a small part of the purchase price．Will he stick to his high-cost, low-carbon lifestyle?
China's environmental organizations have started to advocate low-carbon lifestyles and the decrease of carbon footprints to help fight against climate change．But they have overlooked one fact: in China, low-carbon living comes at a high cost．It means buying energy-saving bulbs and appliances, and environmentally friendly building materials and daily goods．Cost can no longer be the only standard for purchases．An energy-saving and environmentally friendly product is more expensive than a standard alternative - whether it's a simple light bulb or the house it shines．For average consumers, even buying an ordinary bulb is a huge burden．How can we persuade ordinary people to choose an energy-saving residence? This is not a trend they can afford to follow; perhaps this fashion is only for the rich．
Most consumers today do not cause huge carbon dioxide （CO2） emissions．Their responsibility lies not in choosing a low-carbon lifestyle today, but in avoiding a high-carbon life in the future．The principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" - a basis of sustainable development - can be applied here as well．
In China, low-carbon living still is resisted by a lack of social infrastructure（基础设施）. Even if your salary allows you to make that choice, nobody is there to help you accomplish it．
Consider energy-saving homes. You need to find out whether or not the developer has used natural materials wherever possible; how effective the insulation（绝缘物、隔热物） is; and what the green credentials of installed equipment are．You can read up a little, but you'll still be lucky to avoid being puzzled by the developers' marketing．Many so-called energy-saving buildings are nothing of the sort, and some are even more energy-hungry than the average home - as Li Taige warned in his article "Energy-efficient buildings? Not always", on China Dialogue last August．What may probably be the best title of this passage?
| A．To purchase a cheap bulb - your wise alternative． |
| B．To choose an energy-saving residence - a must of your life |
| C．To learn a low-carbon lifestyle - each citizen's responsibility |
| D．To learn a low-carbon lifestyle - a promising but difficult purpose |
Why does the writer say this fashion is only for the rich in the fourth paragraph?
| A．Because the cost is a very important standard for purchases. |
| B．Because buying an ordinary bulb is very expensive. |
| C．Because energy-saving products are more expensive than the common alternatives. |
| D．Because rich people like to follow this trend. |
What does the writer think of energy-saving homes?
| A．Most of them are environmentally friendly. |
| B．They are musts of low-carbon lifestyle of Chinese. |
| C．They are huge burdens for Chinese people. |
| D．Many of them are more in name than in reality. |
We can infer from the passage that ____．
| A．Using energy-saving bulbs and appliances is a fashion． |
| B．It's easy for most Chinese to try to learn a low-carbon lifestyle． |
| C．All citizens in China don’t have the same responsibility in living a low-carbon lifestyle． |
| D．Most Chinese families cannot afford to purchase an energy-saving residence. |
What is the writer's attitude towards the low-carbon lifestyle?
| A．informative and entertaining |
| B．supportive but cautious |
| C．negative but wis |
| D．positive and active |
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
Chinese and Nigerian media should pay more attention to their own growing roles and strive to present a reliable image of China to African audiences and vice versa(反之亦然). Agreement on this important step in ongoing cooperation between the two sides was reached by media representatives attending a media forum on September 19 in Abuja, Nigeria.
The agreement comes in the wake of increasing attention being paid by the international community on Africa's deepening relationship with China. "This presents an important opportunity for media in China, Nigeria and other African countries. We should seize the moment to expand cooperation between Chinese and Nigeria media, increase our say, and contribute to cooperation between China, Nigeria and Africa as a whole," said Li Wufeng, Vice Minister of the State Council Information Office at the China-Nigeria Media meeting.
The media meeting was jointly held by the State Council Information Office, the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, and the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria. It formed part of the "Experience China" program, which aims to increase cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between China and other parts of the world.
In the past, due to poor communication facilities, China and African countries could only learn about each other through third parties, in particular Western media, which may have given rise to and perpetuated misunderstandings.
"China is still not a constant feature or subject on the front page and prime time in the news media in Nigeria unless there are disasters and alleged human rights abuses to be reported," said Martins Oloja, Editor of The Guardian.
Major Western media continue to promote a Cold War mentality and view Sino-African ties through the lens of geopolitics, framing everything as competition between East and West, Chinese and Nigerian media professionals said at the forum. Some Western media outlets accuse China of ignoring mutually beneficial solutions or sustainable development of African people, while robbing the continent of its natural resources.
"Nigerians cannot expect Aljazeera or BBC to report on Africa, and indeed Nigeria and China relations, the way we want," said Oloja.
Mutually objective coverage will generate more cooperation and better understanding between China and Nigeria, said Li Xiaohua, a representative from China. org.cn, a leading multi-language website in China.What is the purpose of this media forum on September 19 in Abuja?
| A．More international community should pay attention to Africa’s deepening relationship with China. |
| B．People should seize the moment to expand cooperation between China and African countries. |
| C．Chinese and Nigerian media should pay more attention to their own growing roles and strive to present a reliable image to each other. |
| D．Let more Chinese people know about the culture of Africa. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 4?
| A．defeated | B．continued |
| C．disappeared | D．decreased |
Which of the following is right?
| A．The State Council Information Office and "Experience China" program attended this China-Nigeria Media meeting. |
| B．In the past, China and African countries could learn about each other very well. |
| C．Chinese people and Chinese events has been well reported through African media. |
| D．Nowadays, some African media still cannot give the true stories of China. |
What is the attitude of the major western media towards the Sino-African relationship?
| A．They think highly of it. |
| B．They report it as it is. |
| C．They view it through the angle of geopolitics. |
| D．They view it as a competition between two countries. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Having a bigger say |
| B．A Media Forum between China and Nigeria |
| C．Helping the African Media |
| D．Improving our report in Africa |
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