Among various programs, TV talk shows have covered every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one is different in style. But no two shows are more opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey shows.Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of "rubbish talk". The topics on his show are as surprising as can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show titles of love, sex, cheating, and hate, to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is about the dark side of society, yet people are willing to eat up the troubles of other people's lives.
Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes the TV talk show to its top. But Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show is mainly about the improvement of society and different quality of life. Contents are from teaching your children lessons, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.
Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being poured into society. Jerry ends every show with a "final word". He makes a small speech about the entire idea of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
Clean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main audience are middle-class Americans. Most of the people have the time, money and ability to deal with life's tough problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of a connection with the young adults of society. These are 18-to 21year-olds whose main troubles in life include love, relationship, sex, money and drug. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned through the show's exploitation.
Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows are____.
A.more interesting | B.unusually poplar | C.more detailed | D.more formal |
Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear unpleasant, people who watch the shows ______.
A.show disbelief in them | B.are ready to face up to them |
C.remain cold to them | D.are willing to get away from them |
Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?
A.A new type of robot. | B.National hatred. |
C.Family income planning. | D.Street accident. |
We can learn from the passage that the two talk shows ____.
A.have become the only ones of its kind | B.exploit the weaknesses in human nature |
C.appear at different times of the day | D.attract different people |
What is the advantage of the Jerry Springer show?
A.The show exposes the dark sides of society. | B.The show pours poisonous waste into society. |
C.Jerry sums up the whole idea of the show. | D.Jerry talks abou the improvement of society. |
When the musical sound rings you, you immediately reach for your pocket ready to have a chat. But although you probably use it all the time, have you ever stopped to think about the manners related to talking on the phone? If you haven’t, here are some tips to guide you.
●Always give the person you are calling plenty of time to get to the phone before you hang up. If the person who answers is not the one you want,give your name and ask if you may speak to the person you want.
●Think about the time you call people. Try not to call too early in the morning(before about 9:00)or too late at night(after about 9:30). Also try not to call at mealtimes.
●If you go by plane to visit your relatives at Christmas, remember to follow airline instructions. Cell phones must be turned off as soon as the plane doors are closed and remain so until the doors open again on arrival.
●When face to face with someone, do not talk on the phone. It is rude to be on the phone when a waiter is trying to take your order in a restaurant, or when you are returning the shoes you have just been trying on in a shop. Finish any face-to-face business before taking a call. Continuing to use the phone while nodding to the person in front of you is quite impolite.
●When in a restaurant with your friends,keep phone conversations short. Make a call only if it is important. Practise speaking in a low voice. If no one looks your way, you’ve got it.
●If you go to a theatre, a concert or a cinema, consider the other people around you. Check that your phone is “off” before you enter. If you are expecting a very important call, put your phone on “vibrate”(振动)and run for the exit as soon as you feel it. If you forget both “off” and “vibrate” and your phone rings, don’t answer it, turn it off straight away.
Which is true according to the passage above?
A.You may call people anytime as you like. |
B.You may talk loudly on the phone at dinner in the restaurant. |
C.You may keep on talking on the phone while greeting somebody. |
D.You may call people as soon as you get on the plane,but not after the doors are closed. |
We may infer from these tips that__________.
A.some people don’t pay much attention to manners while making cell phone calls |
B.you may ask to leave a message unless the person you are calling is in |
C.calling people too early or too late in the morning is not polite |
D.almost everyone has got a cell phone |
What does the underlined sentence “…you’ve got it” mean in the passage?
A.You have succeeded in making a call without disturbing others. | |
B.You have made the phone call brief and interesting. | |
C.You’ve got the message you are waiting for. | D.You have made a phone call secretly. |
From the tips given above, we can decide the writer is sure to share the opinion that______.
A.1ike the saying “clothes make a man”, nowadays cell phones make a man | |
B.as the old saying goes, money talks; nowadays cell phones talk | |
C.the way we use the cell phones tells what we are like | D.we are what cell phones we use |
We know that many animals do not stay in one place.Birds,fish and other animals move from one place to another at a certain time.They move for different reasons:most of them move to find food more easily,but others move to get away from places that are too crowded.
When cold weather comes,many birds move to warmer places to find food.Some fishes give birth in warm water and move to cold water to feed.The most famous migration(迁移)is probably the migration of fish,which is called “Salmon”.This fish is born in fresh water but it travels many miles to salt water.There it spends its life.When it is old,it returns to its birthplace in fresh water.Then it gives birth and dies there.In northern Europe,there is a kind of mouse.They leave their mountain homes when they become too crowded.They move down to the low land.Sometimes they move all the way to the seaside,and many of them are killed when they fall into the sea.
Recently,scientists have studied the migration of a kind of lobster(龙虾).Every year,when the season of bad weather arrives,the lobsters get into a long time and start to walk across the floor of the ocean.Nobody knows why they do this,and nobody knows where they go.
So,sometimes we know why humans and animals move from one place to another,but at other times we don’t.Maybe living things just like to travel.
Most animals move from one place to another at a certain time to _________.
A.give birth | B.enjoy warmer water |
C.find food more easily | D.find beautiful places |
The mice in northern Europe move when _________.
A.they give birth | B.the weather is bad |
C.the place gets too crowded | D.they haven’t enough food |
The lobsters move _________.
A.to the fresh water | B.to the deeper sea |
C.at a certain time | D.to find more food |
How many coins have you got in your pocket right now?Three?Two?Or one?With a phonecard you can make up to 200 calls without any change at all.
1.What do you do with it?
Go to a telephone box marked “Phonecard”.Put in your card,make your call and when you've finished,a screen tells you how much is left on your card.It costs no extra for the cards,and the calls cast 10 per unit,the same as any other payphone call.You can put them in units of 10,20,40,100 or 200.
2.Now appearing in a shop near you
Near each card phone place you'll find a shop where you can buy one.They're at bus,train and city tube stations.Many universities,hospitals and clubs,restaurants and gas stations on the highway and shopping centers.At airports and seaports.
3.No more broken payphones
Most broken payphones are like that they've been vandalized(破坏了的).There are no coins in Cardphone to excite thieves' interest in it.So you're not probably to find a vandalized one.Get a phonecard yourself and try it out.Or get a bigger wallet.
There are three sections in the passage.Which section do you think is about why phonecards are good?
A.Section 1. | B.Section 2. | C.Section 3. | D.Section 1&2. |
Choose the right order of the steps under“How to use a phonecard”.
a.Put in your phonecard.
b.Look at the screen to find out how many calls you can still make.
c.Go to a telephone box marked “Phonecard”.
d.Make your call.
A.a,b,c,d | B.c,a,d,b | C.a,d,c,b | D.c,d,a,b |
The last sentence “Or get a bigger wallet”means“_________”.
A.Phonecards are cheap |
B.You cannot use all payphones |
C.Thieves will not break card phones |
D.People do not like carrying a lot of coins |
Snow-melting Agent
A heavy snow can kill pests and this means a good harvest next year.This will bring as well as trouble to urbanites.
On Nov.16,2003,a cold air current brought a heavy snow to Beijing.To prevent traffic jams,related government departments mobilized people to clear off snow on streets.
One of the most effective ways to clear off snow on roads is to scatter snow-melting agent on the roads.The major component of the snow-melting agent is salt.The snow-melting agent can make snow stop from freezing,make it easier to clear off the road,and allow traffic to flow smoothly.But it also brings about some hidden dangers.In the spring of 2003,over 300 000 trees in Beijing urban districts died.After analyzing soil around these trees,experts discovered that the salt content of these soils was 392 times higher than normal.Where did the excessive salt come from?After investigating,forestry experts found that when clearing snow in the winter,people usually heap snow containing snow-melting agent at trees’ roots,and that when the snow melts,this agent penetrates the soil and increases its salt content.The snow-melting agent indirectly killed the trees.
Statistics show that during a heavy snow in 2002,over 1000 tons of snow-melting agent was scatterred on streets in Beijing.Snow water containing a large amount of snow-melting agent got into the soil through sewers.
In addition,salt in the snow-melting agent can expedite the corrosion of steel bars in concrete buildings and cause the concrete to crack and peel,shortening the life of roads.
Scientists and government officials are required to solve traffic problems caused by heavy snows as soon as possible and at the same time try to reduce the negative effects of the snow-melting agent.This is a difficult problem placed before them.Related authorities have framed some local criteria to regulate the production and use of snow-melting agents.
Now,more harmless snow-melting agents are being developed.Now that even snow-melting agents that meet today’s criteria must still be used carefully,we have to rely more on our manpower and machines to clear off snow.
This year,in addition to using snow-melting agents,Beijing will use a large number of snow vehicles to clear snow on roads.In more places,citizens are mobilized to clear snow with their hands.This may be a test of a city’s civilization level.
Salt is a snow-melting agent while _________ is a cleaning agent.
A.water | B.soap | C.a washing-machine | D.a housewife |
The third paragraph of the text is mainly about _______.
A.the side effect of snow-melting agent |
B.a case of damage to trees caused by snow-melting agent |
C.the results of using snow-melting agent |
D.the uses of snow-melting agent |
According to the text,the most practical way to clear off snow is to _________.
A.use snow-melting agent as much as possible |
B.only use more harmless snow-melting agent |
C.encourage people to clear snow with their hands |
D.use more snow vehicles |
This text most probably appears in_________.
A.a newspaper | B.a magazine on latest findings |
C.a book on salt | D.a magazine on environmental protection |
Though “nanometer” is now a fashionable term all over the world,few people know exactly what it is.It has become a new favorite of manufacturers and sellers in recent years.Many “high-tech” products bearing the name “nano” have entered the market,bringing more mysterious feeling to surprised consumers.
Nanometer is a very small length unit of measure,and is very small.One millimeter is 1000 micrometers,and one micrometer is 1000 nanometers.That is,one nanometer is one billionth of a meter.Nano materials are solid materials composed of particles or crystallites of less than 100 nanometer in size.Then,is a cup made of nano material really any different from an ordinary cup in function as far as how it works?
Are nano cups really so wonderful?A reporter went to the Institute of Nanomedicine,which is the first such institute of such a sort in the world and the only one in China,specializing in researching the investigation of the application of nano technology into medicine.
Ji(director Institute of Nanomedicine):
A water molecule is composed of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom.It can be alterchanged only by special manipulation of the atoms.The material constituting the cup can have a nanometer particles size of the nano level.But it cannot change the chemical and physical properties of the water contained in it.The water in the cup is still water.When people drink it,it will produce no special effect on human body.
Prof.Ji told the reporter,so far,the investigation of nano materials is still confined in the laboratory.No commercial micro products can be produced yet.With the present level of science and technology,the time of everyday goods age of daily use articles made of nanometer materials is still years away.
The commodities labeled with nano marks in the market now are only traditional products coated with a thin layer of nanometer material,which makes them more abrasion resistant,much easier to be cleaned,or oil repelling or moth proof.
Prof.Ji explained that nano cup is a real cup.It can also be included in the list of nano products in a certain sense.But the nano cup has not changed its property and function as a cup.It is not a magical medicine for curing and health care.
Which of the following shows the right relationship?
A.nanometer<millimeter<micrometer<meter |
B.nanometer<micrometer<millimeter<meter |
C.micrometer<millimeter<nanometer<meter |
D.millimeter<micrometer<nanometer<meter |
The underlined part in the last second paragraph but one is about_________.
A.the strong points of nano cups | B.the shortcomings of nano cups |
C.the uses of nano cups | D.the wonders of nano cups |
Which of the following does not show that nano cups are different from ordinary cups?
A.Nano cups can’t make people healthier. |
B.Nano cups are made of a different material. |
C.Nano cups are much easier to be cleaned. |
D.Nano cups are hard to produce. |
According to the text,nano cups in the market are_________.
A.only traditional products |
B.ordinary cups covered with a little nanometer material on the surface |
C.cups made of a nano material |
D.cups made of a mixed material |
The Internet has opened up a whole new on-line world for us to meet, chat and go where we've never been before.
But just as in face-to-face communication, there are some basic rules of behavior that should be followed when online. The basic rule is simple: treat others in the same way you would want to be treated.Imagine how you'd feel if you were in the other person's shoes.
For anything you're about to send: ask yourself, "Would I say this to the person's face?" If the answer is no, rewrite and reread.Repeat the process till you feel sure that you'd feel comfortable saying the words to the person's face.
If someone in the chat room is rude to you, your instinct is to fire back in the same manner. But try not to do so. You should either ignore the person, or use your chat software to block their messages. If it was caused by a disagreement with another member, try to fix the situation by politely discussing it. Remember to respect the beliefs and opinions of others in the chat room.
Everyone was new to the network once. Offer advice when asked by newcomers, as they may not be sure what to do or how to communicate. When someone makes a mistake whether it's a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer be kind about it. If it's a small mistake, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before saying anything. Having good manners yourself doesn't give you license to correct everyone else.
If you do decide to tell someone about a mistake, point it out politely. At the same time, if you find you are wrong, be sure to correct yourself and apologize to those that you have offended.
It is not polite to ask others personal questions such as their age, sex, and marital status. Unless you know the person very well, and you are both comfortable with sharing personal information, don't ask such questions.
When you send short messages to a person, you must _____.
A.make sure that they mean no harm | B.read them again and again |
C.say something good to hear | D.repeat them later to the person's face |
If you are hurt in the chat room by others, you should _____
A.fight back in the same way | B.take them seriously |
C.have none of them | D.be angry at them |
If a newcomer who communicates on line makes any mistakes, you _____.
A.should point them out sharply |
B.shouldn’t give any advice unless required by them |
C.should say something about them |
D.should take your responsibility to correct them |
This passage mainly tells us ______.
A.some rules of Internet communication. | B.ways of sending messages |
C.rules of the chat room | D.ways of making friends on the Internet |
The diagram is mainly about ______.
A.the food chain of the animal | B.the system of energy flowing |
C.how to get food for man | D.the growth of the energy |
Which is not the result of photosynthesis of the plant?
A.Oxygen is released into the air. | B.Food is provided for animals. |
C.Certain forms of energy is produced. | D.The air is cleaned. |
What occurs when the energy flows through the system?
A.Energy is consumed and one becomes the food of others. |
B.Energy is stored and plants become animals. |
C.Man plays an important part in energy flowing. |
D.The more energy is consumed, the more energy the sun will supply. |
What should be done in order to improve the living conditions according to the diagram?
A.More animals should be raised. | B.Decomposers should be made full use of. |
C.More trees should be planted. | D.Man should be controlled. |
After years of hearing drivers complain about scratches on their cars, Japan’s Nissan Motor Company has officially announced the next big thing— a paint that not only resists scratches and scrapes, but actually repairs itself within a few days.
The new material, developed by Nippon Paint Company, contains an elastic rubbery-like resin (弹性树脂) that is able to heal minor marks caused by car wash equipment, parking lot encounters, road debris (石头碎片) or even on-purpose destruction.
The automaker admits its results vary depending on the temperature and the depth of the damage, but adds this is the only paint like it in the world, and tests prove it works.
Minor scratches, the most common type, are said to slowly fade over about a week. And once they’re gone, there is no trace that they were ever there.
The special paint is said to last for at least three years after it is first applied, but there is no word yet on whether more can be added after that period.
Nissan claims car washes are the worst offenders for this type of damage, accounting for at least 80 percent of all incidents.
But the complete auto-healing won’t come without scratching your wallet. The vehicle maker notes the special paint adds about $100 US to the price of a car.
It plans to use its new chemical mixture only on its X-Trail SUVs in Japan for now, as it looks for a more widespread presentation. And while plans to offer the feature overseas haven’t been made yet, if it’s a hit there, you can be almost sure market forces will drive it to these shores, as well.
From the article, we can find that _________.
A.the paint has already been used on cars by now |
B.it beats other products of its kind in its lengthy effect |
C.car damage is mainly caused by scratches and scrapes |
D.marketing this paint in Europe is not under way |
The paint used on cars can _________.
A.last 3 years before it is reapplied again |
B.fade only in a few days |
C.help to protect minor paint damage |
D.reduce car scrape incidents to 20 percent |
What does the underlined part refer to?
A.certain models of Nissan | B.name for one kind of paint |
C.somewhere in Japan | D.a word standing for a car-dealer store |
What can be inferred from the article?
A.The paint was developed by Nissan Motor Company. |
B.The paint might work better in summer than in winter. |
C.The mark on the car could disappear as soon as the pain is applied. |
D.The paint is very popular in Japan. |
Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks at play each time we reach out for that particular brand(品牌) of product on the shelf.
Coloring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packaged(包装)in green, yellow or brown because we think of these as healthy colors. Ice cream packets are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver.
When some kind of pain killer was brought out recently, researchers found that the colors turned the customers off because they made the product look weak and ineffective. Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package because we think of it as safe, and white as calm.
The size of a product can attract a shopper. But quite often a bottle doesn’t contain as much as it appears to.
It is believed that the better-known companies spend, on average, 70 percent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging!
The most successful producers know that it’s not enough to have a good product. The founder of Pears soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to promote(推销) their goods, came to the conclusion: “Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius(天才)to sell it.”
Which of the following may trick a shopper into buying a product according to the text?
A.The cost of its package. |
B.The price of the product. |
C.The color of its package. |
D.The brand name of the product. |
The underlined part “the colors turned the customers off”(in Para.3) means that the colors ____.
A.attracted the customers strongly |
B.had weak effects on the customers |
C.tricked the customers into shopping |
D.caused the customers to lose interest |
Which of the following is the key to the success in product sales?
A.The way to promote goods. |
B.The discovery of a genius. |
C.The team to produce a good product. |
D.The brand name used by successful producers. |
Which of the following would be the best title for this text?
A.Choice of Good Products |
B.Disadvantages of Products |
C.Effect of Packaging on Shopping |
D.Brand Name and Shopping Tricks |
Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country, keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the wealth and happiness of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals, first- class roads, and other support facilities(配套设施)needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists , jobs and money are lost.
Which of the following do you think has been discussed in the part before this selection?
A.It is extremely important to develop tourism. |
B.Building roads and hotels is essential. |
C.Support facilities are highly necessary. |
D.Planning is of great importance to tourism. |
The underlined word“ inhabitants” (in Paragraph 1 ) probably means________.
A.tourists | B.passengers |
C.population | D.citizens |
Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT ________ .
A.a bad effect on other industries |
B.a change of tourists’ customs |
C.over - crowdedness of places of interest |
D.pressure on traffic |
It can be inferred from the text that ________ .
A.the author doesn’t like tourism developing so fast |
B.local people will benefit from tourist attraction |
C.other parts of a country’s economy won’t benefit from tourism much |
D.we can't build too many support facilities |
If you've been joining in chat room conversations, or trading e-mail with Web pals, you have become one of the millions who write in a peculiarly short form of English.
And you've got a sense of humor about short forms like SOHF(="sense" of humor failure) to describe Internet newcomers who don't understand you.
Across the globe, every night teenagers and their elders are “talking” online—many of them are talking at the same time.
It's fast: try talking to six people at once. It's brief: three or four words per exchange. It takes wit, concentration, and quick fingers.
And it requires tremendous linguistic economy. There's neither time nor space for explanations. Why consume precious key-strokes telling six friends you have to leave for a moment to take care of your little brother when BRB(="be" right back) will do? Want to enter a conversation? Just type PMFJI(="pardon" me for jumping in). Interested in whom you're talking to? Type A/S/L, the nearly universal request to know your pal's age, sex and location. You may get 15/M/NY as a response from your pal.
If something makes you laugh, say you're OTF(="on" the floor),or LOL(="laughing" out loud),or combine the two into ROTFL(="rolling" on the floor laughing).
And when it's time to get back to work or go to bed, you type GTG(="got" to go) or TTYL(talk to you later).
People want to write as fast as possible, and they want to get their ideas across as quickly as they can. Capital letters are left in the dust, except when expressing emotion, as it takes more time to hold down the “shift” key and capitals. Punctuation is going, too.
In order to talk to several people at the same time on the Internet_______.
A.you have to speak fast and fluently |
B.you have to express your ideas in a brief way |
C.you should speak with wit and humor |
D.one should pay much attention to the accuracy of the words |
If you get 17/F/NY as an answer to your A/S/L, it means_______.
A.the person on the other end is 17 from New York and he is fine |
B.you are talking to a girl who is 17 and lives in New York |
C.you are talking to 17 girls who are from New York |
D.the person who are talking to you is a 1.7-foot tall New York girl |
To save time on the Internet_______.
A.some people leave their letters in the dustbin |
B.some people never use “shift” in their writing |
C.many people leave the capital and punctuation |
D.people seldom use capital letters or punctuation |
What should you think about when you try to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others.These may show strengths that you can use in your work.A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in engineering career.A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work.So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school.On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard.Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work.You may be good at mental work or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills.
If you have had a part - time job on Saturday or in the summer, think what you gained from it.If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers.You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example.Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part - time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself.You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures.It is bitter to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist.Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background.You should not feel sorry about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
The first paragraph of the passage is mainly about ________.
A.the indirect value of school work |
B.the importance of being good at all subjects |
C.knowing one's strong or weak subjects at school |
D.using school performance to help to choose a career |
In the writer's opinion, for a student to have a part - time job is probably ________.
A.a good way to find out his weak points |
B.one of the best ways of earning extra money |
C.of great use for his work in the future |
D.a waste of time he could have spent on study |
If a student's school record is not good, according to the passage, he________ .
A.may do well in his future work |
B.won't be able to find a suitable job |
C.may be a complete failure in the future |
D.will regret not having worked harder at school |
The whole passage centers around ________.
A.knowing oneself in looking for a job |
B.developing one's abilities useful in school |
C.gaining much knowledge by working hard at school |
D.choosing a career according to what one is skilled in |
There are little cars that may some day take the place of today’s automobiles(汽车). If everyone drives such a little car in the future, there will be less pollution in the air, there will be more parking space in cities, and the streets will be less crowded. The space now for one car of the usual size can hold at least three such little cars.
The little cars will cost much less to own and to drive. Driving will be safer, too, as these little cars can go only 65 kilometers an hour.
The cars of the future will be fine for going around the city, but they will not be useful for going far away. If the car is powered by electricity, it will have two batteries—one battery for the motor and the other for the horn (喇叭), signals (信号灯), etc. Little cars which are powered by gas will go 45 kilometers before needing to stop for more gas.
If big cars are still used along with the small ones, two sets of roads will be needed to set up in the future. Some roads will be used for the big, fast cars, and other roads will be needed for the small, slower ones.
1. What’s the advantage (优势) of the small cars?
A. There won’t be so much pollution and the small cars won’t be so expensive as the big ones.
B. It will be safer to drive these small cars.
C. There will be more space for cars to park.
D. All of the above.
2. Two sets of roads are necessary in the future in order to .
A. prevent car accidents
B. make the city more beautiful
C. let small cars run fast
D. limit the speed of the cars
3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. A car of the usual size now is three times as big as the small car.
B. The small car with a speed of 65 kilometers an hour is much more useless than a car of the usual size.
C. the little car will be safer but cost more.
D. The little car will need more gas.
4. The best title for this passage should be .
A. Big Cars and Small Cars
B. How to Drive Small Cars
C. Cars for Tomorrow
D. Cars for Everyone
CALCUTTA, India Mar 24, 2006 (AP) — One of the world’s oldest creatures, a giant tortoise believed to have been about 250 years old, has died in the Calcutta zoo where it spent more than half its long life.
Addwaita, which means “the one and only” in the local Bengali language, was one of four Aldabra tortoises brought to India by British sailors in the 18th century. Zoo officials say he was a gift for Lord Robert Clive of the East India Company, who was instrumental in establishing British colonial① rule in India, before he returned to England in 1767. Long after the other three tortoises died, Addwaita continued to thrive②, living in Clive’s garden before being moved to the zoo in 1875.
“According to records in the zoo, the age of the giant tortoise, Addwaita, who died on Wednesday, would be about 250 years,” said zoo director Subir Chowdhury. That would have made him much older than the world’s oldest documented③ living animal: Harriet, a 176-year-old Galapagos tortoise who lives at the Australia Zoo north of Brisbane, according to the zoo’s Web site. She was taken from the island of Isla Santa Cruz by Charles Darwin in the 19th century.
Aldabra tortoises come from the Aldabra atoll④in the Seychelle islands in the Indian Ocean, and often live to more than 100 years of age. Males can weigh up to 550 pounds. Addwaita, the zoo’s biggest attraction, had been unwell for the last few days, said local Forest Minister Jogesh Burman.
“We were keeping a watch on him. When the zoo keepers went to his enclosure on Wednesday they found him dead,” Burman said.
Notes:
① colonial adj. 殖民的
② thrive v. 茁壮成长
③ documented adj. 备有证明文件的
④ atoll n. 环礁
Choose the best answers according to the above:
According to the passage, Addwaita ________.
A.was sent to India as a gift by British government |
B.was sent to India by British sailors in 1767 |
C.lived together with three other Aldabra tortoises in India |
D.belonged to Lord Robert Clive for some time |
By now, the oldest animal in the world is about at ________.
A.176 years old | B.100 years old | C.250 years old | D.200 years old |
In the last few days before Addwaita died, he ________.
A.had been sent to hospital for treatment |
B.had been playing with travelers |
C.had been found not better than before |
D.had stayed in his enclosure for days |
What would be the best title for the passage?
A.An Old Aldabra Tortoise Died in India |
B.A Remarkable Life: Tortoise Dies at 250 |
C.A Special Kind of Tortoise — Addwaita |
D.The Oldest Animal Aldabra Tortoise Died |