Air pollution is damaging 60% of Europe’s prime wildlife sites in meadows, forests and bushes, according to a new report.
A team of EU scientists said nitrogen emissions(氮排放) from cars, factories and farming were threatening biodiversity. It’s the second report this week warning of the on-going risks and threats linked to nitrogen pollution.
Nitrogen in the atmosphere is harmless in its inert(惰性的) state, but the report says reactive forms of nitrogen, largely produced by human activity, can be a menace to the natural world.
Emissions mostly come from vehicle exhausts(排气), factories, artificial fertilizers(肥料) and animal waste from intensive farming. The reactive nitrogen they emit to the air disrupts the environment in two ways: It can make acidic soils too acidic to support their previous mix of species. But primarily, because nitrogen is a fertilizer, it favors wild plants that can maximize the use of nitrogen to help them grow.
In effect, some of the nitrogen spread to fertilize crops is carried in the atmosphere to fertilize weeds, possibly a great distance from where the chemicals were first applied.
The effects of fertilization and acidification favor common aggressive species like grasses, brambles and nettles. They harm more delicate species like mosses(苔藓), and insect-eating sundew plants.
The report said 60% of wildlife sites were now receiving a critical load of reactive nitrogen. The report’s lead author, Dr Kevin Hicks from the University of York’s Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), told BBC News that England’s Peak District had a definitely low range of species as a result of the reactive nitrogen that fell on the area.
“Nitrogen creates a rather big problem that seems to me to have been given too little attention,” he said. “Governments are responsible for protecting areas like this, but they are clearly failing.”
He said more research was needed to understand the knock-on effects for creatures from the changes in vegetation accidentally caused by emissions from cars, industry and farms.
At the conference, the representatives agreed “The Edinburgh Declaration on Reactive Nitrogen”. The document highlights the importance of reducing reactive nitrogen emissions to the environment, adding that the benefits of reducing nitrogen outweigh the costs of taking action.The underlined word “menace” is used to express that the reactive nitrogen, largely produced by human activity can be ___________.
| A．frightening | B．threatening | C．unique | D．unusual |
We can infer from the passage that _________.
| A．it’s harmless to have reactive nitrogen existing in the atmosphere |
| B．reactive nitrogen emissions help aggressive species less than crops |
| C．the harm to those delicate species has a negative impact on biodiversity |
| D．reactive nitrogen can fertilize soils and keep their biodiversity |
The team of EU scientists released the second report of nitrogen emissions this week when __________.
| A．no action was taken to stop nitrogen emission |
| B．governments were willing to protect areas harmed by nitrogen |
| C．“The Edinburgh Declaration on Reactive Nitrogen” was agreed |
| D．nitrogen emissions were threatening wildlife sites’ biodiversity |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Keeping Away From Nitrogen Emissions | B．Stopping Nitrogen Emissions |
| C．Air Pollution Damaging Europe’s Wildlife | D．Saving Europe’s Wildlife |
We can make mistakes at any age．Some mistakes we make are about money．But most mistakes are about people．One might say, "Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?" "When I got that great job, did Jim really feel good about it, as a friend? Or did he envy my luck?" When we look back, doubts like these can make us feel bad．
Why do we go wrong about our friends? Sometimes what people want to say hides their real meaning．And if we don't really listen, we miss the feeling behind the words． Suppose someone tells you, "You're a lucky dog．" Is he really on your side? If he says, "You are a lucky guy", that's being friendly．But if he says "a lucky dog", there's a bit of envy in those words．Maybe he doesn't see it himself．But he puts you down a little if he brings in the "dog"．What he may be saying is that he doesn't think you deserve your luck．
"Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for" is another noise that says one thing and means another．It could mean that the speaker i
s tryin
g to get you to see your problem as part of your life as a whole．But is he trying to? Wrapped up in this phrase is the thought that your problem isn't important．It's telling you to think of all the starving people in the world when you haven't got a date for Saturday night．
How can you tell the real meaning behind someone's words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking．Do his words fit the way he looks? Does what he says agree with the tone of voice, his posture, or the look in his eyes? Stop and think．The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save another mistake．
Therefore, when you hear someone saying, 
please try to know what he really means．Don't just listen to what he says with your ears but feel the words he uses with your head．In this way you may m
ake fewer mistakes．.
．In the 1st paragraph, the writer says something that happened between him and his friends ____．
| A．He feels happy, thinking of how nice his friends were to him |
| B．He feels he may not have read his friends' true feelings correctly |
| C．He doesn't think it was a mistake to have broken up with his friend |
| D．He is sorry that his friends let him down |
.
This passage is mainly about __ __．
| A．how to avoid mistakes about money and friends |
| B．what to do when you listen to others talking |
| C．how to avoid mistakes in understanding what people tell you |
| D．why you keep people friendly without trusting them |
.
．According to the author, the reason why we go wrong about our friends is that
| A．we fail to listen carefully when they talk |
| B．people tend to be angry when we check what they say |
| C．people usually state one thing but mean another |
| D．we tend to doubt what our friends say |
.
．The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph refers to__ __．
| A．being friendly | B．a bit of envy |
| C．a lucky dog | D．your luck |
Dear Michelle:
My Dad hates my Mom. He tells me that she is a liar and that I should not trust her. Of course, they are divorced but they have “joint custody(共同监护)”. What a joke! I am 15, my brother is nine, and we have a life of hell, frankly.
We live one week on and one week off. This was the brilliant idea of both of my parents, which was fair to them but ruining my life. I can’t get away from his voice and his putting my mom down. Sometimes I think about running away.
A Hopeless Ant
Dear Hopeless Ant:
First, thank you for trusting me with your problem. If all you said is correct, then there are several
things that you can and should do to help yourself, your brother, and your parents.
● You need a family counselor(顾问). Such a person could listen to each family member alone and
then meet together to talk about the situation.
If refused, you need to talk to a counselor in your school. You need to be heard, and you need an
adult who will listen. A school counselor can organize a meeting with your parents.
● Perhaps you need to write to her. Writing things down allows people to go over it more than one
time.
I cannot imagine that she will stand passively by and do nothing at all to help once she reads how
you feel. Your father needs a letter as well. He may not realize the destructive effect that it has on his
children.
● Lastly, have a plan in mind when all else fails that is not self-destructive. Life passes very quickly, and you will grow up and have your own life.
Above all, you need to keep yourself safe. Never doubt that it will get better. Write back and let me know how everything is going.
The Hopeless Ant wrote the letter to _______.
A. complain about the problems
B. ask for advice
C. make his father punished
D. just play a joke.
The Hopeless Ant hated his father because __________.
| A．his father always told a lie |
| B．his father wasn’t friendly to his mother |
| C．his father divorced his mother |
| D．the Hopeless Ant couldn’t stay with his parents |
.
According to the text, which of the following advice is in greatest need for the Hopeless Ant?
| A．Keep himself safe. | B．Have a talk with his parents. |
| C．Have his own family plan. | D．Write letters to families. |
.
In which part of a website may the passage appear?
| A．Entertainment. | B．Advertisement. | C．Life. | D．Education. |
A group of reporters asked a group of 4-to-8-year-old children this question, “What does love mean?” The answers were surprising. The children would answer like they did below.
Rebecca --- age 8
“When my grandmother hurt her knees , she couldn’t bend (弯腰) over and paint her toenails (脚趾甲) any more. So my grandfather would do it for her all the time, even when his hands hurt, too. That’s love.”
Samantha --- age 6
“Love is when someone hurts you, and you get so mad but you don’t shout at her because you know it would hurt her feelings.”
Terry --- age 4
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
Bethany --- age 4
“I let my big sister pick on (捉弄) me because my Mum says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her.”
Lauren --- age 4
“I know my elder sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new clothes.”
Elaine --- age 5
“Love is when Mummy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.”
Clear --- age 5
“My Mummy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.”
Jessica --- age 8
“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”The passage mainly tells us about ______.
| A．what “ life ” means to children |
| B．what “family ” means to children |
| C．what “ friendship ” means to children |
| D．what “ love ” means to children |
Who told us the love between Mum and Dad?
| A．Clear. | B．Elaine. |
| C．Rebecca. | D．Lauren. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Rebecca’s grandmother ever couldn’t bend over. |
| B．Bethany wants to be picked on by any other person. |
| C．If Samantha becomes angry, she will not shout at others. |
| D．Lauren prefers to wear her sister’s old clothes. |
What does Jessica mean about love?
| A．Too much love is no love. |
| B．You should say love more often. |
| C．You mean what you think. |
| D．Say love more often if you have it. |
What is love according to Terry?
| A．Love is the care between husband and wife. |
| B．Love is a rest when you are tired. |
| C．Love is what cheers you up when you are tired. |
| D．Love is a kiss from parents. |
Most of us long for relationships in which we are loved and accepted. Our hearts’ desire is to give and receive love in relationships that make us feel that even if others disagree with what we do or say, they still love us, accept us, and appreciate what we give to the world. While it would be wonderful to have these types of relationships with all people, we know that’s hard to do. However, we can have such relationships with some others, but only when we first have them with ourselves—and, strangely, this is often the hardest relationship of all.
Do you love yourself? You may think you do, but do you really? There’s only one way to find out— by taking a close look at what you think, say, and do. You may not like some of what you find, but if you are serious about really loving yourself, you can use this insight to do some positive inner work. Here’re three ways for gaining greater personal insight for deeper love:
Listen Closely to Your Thoughts
Your thoughts will determine your actions. One thing helping you to listen to your thoughts is keeping a journal. It is not necessary for you to write in it every day, but it helps to record various insights you gain as you go about your life. Instead of using a big notebook, you might use a small notepad that you can keep in your pocket for easy access to record your thoughts as they occur to you. Whichever method you choose, what’s most important is that you write your thoughts down. It will help you know what’s in your heart.
Be Honest with Yourself
To do this, you should pay attention to your actions. Actions speak louder than words, and they always tell the truth. If you say you love your job, but your actions say otherwise, which do you think is more reliable? On the other hand, if you say you’re not good at a certain job, but your actions say otherwise, that’s also important. What do you do with this insight? You can use it to make more positive choices in your life. By being honest with yourself, you will act according to truth instead of just what you tell yourself.
Take Quiet Time to Listen to Your Inner Voice
This is similar to the first point, but it takes a step further— beyond the natural mind to the heart that cannot be seen. You may want to use your quiet time to think deeply. However you use this time, the key is to shut out all of the noise around you by focusing deep within yourself. Breathing deeply during quiet time will also help you focus. I know it’s hard to find quiet time during a particularly busy day, but it’s so important— even if it’s just 10 minutes a day and you have to hide somewhere to get it. Quiet time can really make a difference in your life.
Despite what your mind may be telling you, you can have love with no limits. The key is to unconditionally love yourself first.. By looking deep into what we think, say, and do, we can .
| A．know whether we really love ourselves |
| B．appreciate what we give to the world |
| C．realize what type of relationship we long for |
| D．know whether we are loved and accepted by others |
.An important way for gaining personal insight is to .
| A．do some positive inner work |
| B．keep a journal wherever you go |
| C．look closely at what others say about us |
| D．pay attention to our thoughts |
.The insight we gain from our actions can help us .
| A．focus our attention on our jobs |
| B．make more positive choices in our life |
| C．act according to the truth |
| D．tell the differences between our words and our actions |
.It can be learned from the passage that if we want to have love without limits, we must first of all .
| A．be honest with ourselves anytime |
| B．give our love to others generously |
| C．love ourselves unconditionally |
| D．take quiet time and think deeply |
阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
“Have you ever been out on a boat and felt it lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the rush of energy as waves came over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh. “There is certainly a lot of energy in waves,” he said. Scientists are working to use that energy to make electricity. Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. “The wind starts out by making little ripples(涟漪), but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves,” Taylor said. “Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.” When waves come toward the shore, people can set up dams to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (涡轮机). The turbine can then power an electrical generator to produce electricity.
“The resource is huge,” said Janet Swain of the World Watch Institute. “We will never run out of wave power.” Besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil or coal. Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface—that would make wave power seem ideal for creating energy throughout the world, though there are some weak points yet to overcome.
Swain said that wave power still costs too much money. She also said that its effects on sea animals are still unknown. What is more, wave power could affect fishing and boat traffic. Traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may someday run out. “Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is rising rapidly throughout the world,” Swain said. In the future when you turn on a light, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!
The writer uses the two questions at the beginning of the passage to .
| A．test the readers’ knowledge about waves |
| B．draw the readers’ attention to the topic |
| C．show Jamie Taylor’s importance |
| D．invite the readers to answer them |
The underlined phrase “picking up” is closest in meaning to .
| A．starting again | B．speeding up |
| C．improving | D．gathering |
We can make better use of wave energy if we .
| A．shorten its journey to thousands of homes |
| B．build more small power stations on the oceans |
| C．reduce the cost of turning it into electric power |
| D．quicken the steps of producing electricity |
It can be inferred that someday we might not worry about .
| A．our power supply |
| B．our boat traffic |
| C．air pollution |
| D．our supply of sea fish |
Kellyanne O’Niell had not even completed her first aid course when she was called upon to put her skills into action.
Just halfway through her course, which was offered by Kilcooley Women’s Education Group, Kellyanne was walking home when she found herself faced with an emergency.
A youngster on the street had fallen onto broken glass. Describing the situation, Kellyanne said：“I noticed she fell onto some glass, and when she got up, I spotted a big wound starting at the thumb(大拇指)and finishing at the ring finger. I started applying pressure to the bleeding wound at once and sent someone to bring my first-aid box from my house.”
She continued: “I phoned for an ambulance and gave the lady every last detail that she wanted to know. I got another person to keep an eye out for the ambulance. The young girl was in great pain so she couldn’t stay still. I was scared she was not going to respond to me. I held her hand above the heart so that the bleeding could at least stop a little bit.”
“Once the person came back with the bandage, the ambulance was there. The nurse got me to hold a flashlight for her while she bandaged the wound. Once the girl was all bandaged up, I helped her onto the seat in the ambulance and she was taken to hospital.”
Margaret Pridgen, the British Red Cross trainer who had been teaching Kellyanne, was full of praise for her swift action. She said：“I think this is quite an achievement for this young girl, I have really seen her confidence grow during the training and am delighted she had the poise(镇定)to be able to deal with the situation and put her new skills into practice.”We can learn from the text that __________.
| A．Kellyanne is a first-aid worker |
| B．Kellyanne felt proud of herself |
| C．Margaret is the boss of Kellyanne |
| D．Margaret was satisfied with Kellyanne. |
When Kellyanne dealt with the emergency, she was ________.
| A．calm | B．hesitant |
| C．hopeless | D．Frightened |
What’s the correct order of the things Kellyanne did to save the girl?
a. she called for an ambulance.
b. she took steps to help stop the bleeding.
c. she asked someone to fetch her first-aid box.
d. she helped the nurse put the girl into the ambulance.
e. She got someone to keep an eye out for the ambulance.
| A．b-a-c-e-d | B．b-c-a-e-d |
| C．c-a-e-b-d | D．c-a-b-e-d |
B
Many areas of cropland in Bangladesh(孟加拉国) are becoming unfit for farming. The land is becoming salty. It is a big problem for the small country. More than 155 million people live in Bangladesh. Growing crops is the most common way Bangladeshis support themselves.
Farmers in the country are learning to grow vegetables in so-called "vertical gardens." The soil in these gardens is better because heavy rains have removed much of the salt.
A vertical garden is easy to make. Villagers fill containers with good soil and natural fertilizers. They put the containers on bricks so they are off the ground. They add pieces of the bricks to the soil to help water flow and drain.
The farmers cut small holes into the sides of the containers. This permits vegetables with short roots a place to grow. Vegetables with long roots grow on top of the container. One bag of soil can produce up to eight kilograms of vegetables in one season.
Villagers also grow vegetables in containers made from large, thin pieces of plastic supported by bamboo. This "vertical tower" measures more than a meter wide. Each of these towers can produce more than 100 kilograms of vegetables. It costs about $12-$13 to build.
The village of Chandipur is in southwestern Bangladesh. Pumpkins and other gourds(葫芦) grow on vines on top of small homes. The vegetables get the food they need from soil placed in containers on the ground.
Shobitha Debna is a 35-year-old farmer in the village. Her garden space is very small. But she is able to grow hundreds of kilograms of vegetables each season.
She says she grows gourds, including pumpkin, as well as green beans, red amaranth, beets, carrots, cauliflower and more.
Ms. Debna depends on the vegetables to earn money. She makes a few dollars a day.
This kind of farming is new in Chandipur. But it may spread across the country.The reason why cropland is becoming unfit for farming is that________.
| A．the soil has been polluted |
| B．more and more land is used for planting trees |
| C．the land is becoming salty |
| D．there is too much rain |
Why the soil in vertical gardens is better_______?
| A．because there is much less salt in the soil |
| B．because there is much salt in the soil |
| C．because there is enough water in the soil |
| D．because there is many nutrients in the soil |
From paragraph 4, we can learn that_______?
| A．vegetables with long roots grow in the sides of the containers |
| B．vegetables with short roots grow out of the small holes in the sides of the containers |
| C．vegetables with short roots grow on top of the container |
| D．vegetables in vertical gardens are not productive |
Ms. Debna grows many kinds of vegetables EXCEPT________.
| A．gourds | B．carrots | C．pumpkins | D．cucumbers |
What can we infer from the passage__________?
| A．Many areas of cropland in Bangladesh(孟加拉国) are becoming unfit for farming |
| B．155 million people in Bangladesh are short of food |
| C．This kind of farming may spread across Bangladesh |
| D．Ms. Debna earns a lot of money through selling vegetables |
Everywhere I look outside my home I see people busy on their high-tech devices（装置）, while driving, walking, shopping, even sitting in toilets. When connected electronically, they are away from physical reality.
People have been influenced to become technology addicted. One survey reported that “addicted” was the word most commonly used by people to describe their relationship to iPad and similar devices. One study found that people had a harder time resisting the allure of social media than they did for sleep, cigarettes and alcohol.
The main goal of technology companies is to get people to spend more money and time on their products, not to actually improve our quality of life. They have successfully created a cultural disease. Consumers willingly give up their freedom, money and time to catch up on the latest information, to keep pace with their peers or to appear modern.
I see people trapped in a flu-like relationship with time-sucking technology, where they serve technology more than technology serves them. I call this technology servitude. I am referring to a loss of personal freedom and independence because of uncontrolled consumption of many kinds of devices that eat up time and money.
What is a healthy use of technology devices? That is the vital question. Who is really in charge of my life? That is what people need to ask themselves if we are to have any chance of breaking up false beliefs about their use of technology. When we can live happily without using so much technology for a day or a week, then we can regain control and personal freedom, become the master of technology and discover what there is to enjoy in life free of technology. Mae West is famous for claiming the wisdom that “Too much of a good thing is wonderful.” But it’s time to discover that it does not work for technology.
Richard Fernandez, a former CEO at Google acknowledged that “we can be swept away by our technologies.” To break the grand digital connection people must consider how life long ago could be fantastic without today’s overused technology.The underlined word “allure” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.
| A．advantage | B．attraction |
| C．adaptation | D．attempt |
From the passage, technology companies aim to ______.
| A．attract people to buy their products |
| B．provide the latest information |
| C．improve people’s quality of life |
| D．deal with cultural diseases |
It can be inferred from this passage that people ______.
| A．consider too much technology wonderful |
| B．have realized the harm of high-tech devices |
| C．can regain freedom without high-tech devices |
| D．may enjoy life better without overused technology |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the overusing of high-tech devices?
| A．Objective | B．Positive |
| C．Disapproving | D．Sympathetic |
Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked
to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he
would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror
that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!The text is mainly about_________.
| A．a strange man |
| B．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century |
| C．an unusual party |
| D．how roller skating began |
People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he________.
| A．often gave others surprises | B．was full of imagination |
| C．was a gifted musician | D．invented the roller skates |
Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to_______.
| A．arrive at the party sooner |
| B．impress the party guests |
| C．test his invention |
| D．show his skill in walking on wheels |
What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?
| A．The roller skates needed further improvement. |
| B．Merlin got himself into trouble. |
| C．The party guests took Merlin for a fool. |
| D．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation. |
“If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!” That may seem a strange thing to say. But touching things can help you to see them better. Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is. When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it. With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too.
All children soon learn what “Don’t touch!” means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things as we might buy: food, clothes. To see something well, we have to touch it.
There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to them!
Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. There you can feel everything on show. If we want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you will really see. By touching things,________.
| A．you will have a strange feeling |
| B．you will learn how to reach out your hand |
| C．you can tell the difference of the things |
| D．you can tell what colors they are |
When people buy things in shops, they often_________.
| A．try them on first | B．keep their right hands on them |
| C．ask about them | D．feel and touch them |
Why does it say “At first, it is not easy to feel these things?” Because__________.
| A．the things are used by people, too | B．people feel the things too often |
| C．people know how to use the things | D．the things are hard to feel |
Which of the following can be the best title of the story?
| A．Touching by Feeling | B．To See or to Feel? |
| C．To See Better---Feel | D．Ways of Feeling |
The two-week vacation at the end of summer school ended yesterday. Kevin had gone nowhere during his vacation. He had the money, but he hated to travel alone. He used to take vacations with Gary, his youngest brother, but they had a big argument at the end of their last vacation. Each of them had spent the last three years waiting for the other to apologize.
Kevin did not feel good about being on non-speaking terms with his favorite brother. But he was not going to ask for forgiveness when, in his mind, this whole misunderstanding was his brother’s fault.
So Kevin’s summer vacation was spent in his own “back yard.” As usual, he had planned to clean up his apartment. As usual, two weeks later his apartment looked just as it had two weeks before.
He did do one thing new and different during his vacation. There was a new coffee shop on Foothill Street. It served 25 varieties of delicious coffee at reasonable prices, and the staff was genuinely friendly. The shop was air-conditioned at a slightly chilly temperature. About eight small round tables were inside. Outside were four bigger tables. Each had four white metal chairs around it, and several big umbrellas provided shade. Even on hot afternoons, there was usually a pleasant breeze.
Kevin visited the coffee shop four times during his vacation. He always sat at a table outside by himself and read the free daily paper. Each day he was there, he read most of the newspaper articles while he enjoyed two cups of coffee.
Between articles, he took breaks by watching the nearby traffic and pedestrians. The coffee shop was next to a huge parking lot. The lot was for customers of a grocery store, movie rental store, pharmacy, bank, and restaurant. Kevin considered his outdoor seat the perfect place for one of his favorite activities—people watching.
The coffee shop, with its excellent location and coffee, had helped make his vacation a pleasant one. But he knew in his heart, had his brother been there to join him just one day, his vacation would have been a perfect one. Why didn’t Kevin go anywhere during his vacation？
| A．Because he was short of money. | B．Because he didn’t like traveling. |
| C．Because he had no company. | D．Because he had to clean up his apartment. |
What did Kevin do in his vacation?
| A．He cleaned up his apartment. | B．He had a big argument with Gary. |
| C．He worked in a parking lot. | D．He stayed at home most of the time. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the coffee house?
| A．It served delicious coffee of different flavors. |
| B．It had an effective air-conditioning system. |
| C．It was often crowded with local customers. |
| D．It provided free newspapers for customers. |
Employment practices often reflect the needs of employers several decades ago．Times have changed．And so too has the Canadian workforce．Yet many employment practices have not kept pace with this change．For example, some work environments and washrooms designed for able-bodied workers seldom accommodate people who use a wheelchair．
Modernizing these practices is what employment equality is about．For example, making sure work benches and washrooms are adapted for disabled people entering the workplace paves the way for workers who become disabled on the job．By doing so, any given group of people? formerly discriminated against-now has access to better employment opportunities．
The objective, of course, is to make the workplace reflect Canadian society．However, this does not necessarily mean setting and enforcing quotas(实行配额）. Rather, it means identifying the barriers to employment and designing measures, with achievable goals and clear timetables, to remove them．
For example, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees-Canada’s largest union, it would be unrealistic in the short term to insist that because half of the working age population is women, that half of the employees of an engineering firm should be women．At this moment, there would not be enough qualified female engineers．
A reasonable numerical goal would be based on the number of women who actually are engineers （8% ） and those who are studying to become engineers （25% ）．A short term goal of 13% would be appropriate without running the risk of hiring unqualified people．
Equally important is to ensure people who have been disadvantaged the chance to become qualified for new opportunities．If aboriginal people （土著居民） , for example, can’t qualify for certain jobs because they haven’t had access to appropriate educational opportunities, then an employment equality program would have to address that problem with training programs.
Employment laws in this country cannot be considered displeasing if they guarantee all Canadians fair and equal access to the workforce.The passage is mainly about how to ____.
| A．modernize equipment for the disabled at work |
| B．achieve equality of employment opportunities |
| C．protect women’s rights in employment |
| D．complete a job training program |
The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 3 refers to ____.
| A．barriers | B．measures | C．goals | D．timetables |
The example of women shows that ____.
| A．only a small percentage of women engineers will get promoted |
| B．13% of the working age women should be hired as engineers |
| C．policy makers should adopt a practical and flexible approach |
| D．the quota of women for employment should be raised |
The underlined word "address" in Paragraph 6 probably means _
| A．put forward | B．run into | C．find out | D．deal with |
It tastes just like chicken
Away from home, eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full．It is a language all its own, and no words can say, "Glad to meet you ．．．glad to be doing business with you ．．．" quite like sharing a meal offered by your host．
Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say, "Thanks, but no thanks．" Acceptance of the food on your plate means acceptance of host, country, and company．So, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, swallow．Or, as one experienced traveler says, "Travel with a cast-iron stomach and eat everything everywhere．"
Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country’s eating culture．What would Ataiericans think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie or sirloin? Our discomfort comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our umamiliarity with it．After all, an oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep’s eye; and a first look at a lobster would remind almost anybody of a creature from a science fiction movie, not something you dip in butter and eat．By the way, in Saudi Arabia sheep’s eyes are a famous dish and in parts of China it’s bear’s paw soup．
Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites．It helps, though, to slice any item very thin．This way, you minimize the taste and the reminder of where it came from．Or, " Swallow it quickly, " as one traveler recommends．"I still can’t tell you what sheep’s eyeballs taste like．" As for dealing with taste, the old line that "it tastes just like chicken" is often thankfully true．Even when the "it" is really rat or snake．
Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating．What’s for dinner? Don’t ask． Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus．Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is chicken in that soup．The purpose of the article is to ____．
| A．introduce unfamiliar food |
| B．share the writer’s personal experiences |
| C．suggest ways to overcome a cultural barrier |
| D．advise on how to politely refuse to eat foreign food |
According to the writer, people hesitate at strange food mainly due to ____．
| A．the way it looks | B．safety worries |
| C．lack of information about it | D．the unfamiliar atmosphere |
From the article we can infer that ____．
| A．an American may feel comfortable with sirloin |
| B．one should refuse strange food after a few bites |
| C．English-language menus are not always dependable |
| D．one needs a cast-iron stomach to travel in other cultures |
One may say "It tastes just like chicken．" when ____．
| A．showing respect for chicken-loving nations |
| B．greeting people with different dieting habits |
| C．evaluating chefs at an international food festival |
| D．getting someone to try a visually unpleasant meal |
Once Dr．Mellinkoff invited me to join him at the hospital to discuss interesting cases with his students．The case at hand was a Guatemalan man, aged 34, who had a fever and many other medical ^problems．His condition was not improving, and there was not much hope he would live．
Dr．: Mellinkoff asked to see the patient．He introduced himself in Spanish and, in a very gentle voice, asked how he felt．The patient smiled and said everything was all right．Then the doctor asked if he was able to eat．The patient said that he had no desire to eat．
"Are you getting food you like?"
The patient said nothing．
"Do you get the kind of food you have at home?"
The answer was no．
The doctor put his hand on the man’s shoulder and his voice was very soft．
"If; you had food that you liked, would you eat it?"
"Yes, yes," the patient said．
The change in the patient’s appearance couldn’t have been more obvious．Nothing was said, but it was easy to tell that a message had been sent and! had also been received．
Later, the doctor asked why the Guatemalan man wasn’t getting food he could eat．One of the students said, "We all know how difficult it is to get the kitchen to make special meals．"
"Suppose," the doctor replied, "you felt a certain medicine was absolutely necessary but that our hospital didn’t carry it, would you accept defeat or would you insist the hospital meet your request?"
"I would probably insist," the student said．
"Very well," the doctor said．"You might want to try the same method in the kitchen．It won’t be-easy, but I can help you．Meanwhile, let’s get some food inside this man as fast as possible, and stay with it．Or he’ll be killed by hunger．By the way, there must be someone among you who can speak Spanish．If we want to make real progress, we need to be able to talk with him．"
Three weeks later．Doctor Mellinkoff told me that the Guatemalan man had left the hospital under his own power．It takes more than medicine to help sick people; you also have to talk to them and make them comfortable．The patient had no desire to eat because
| A．he was not hungry | B．he was seriously ill |
| C．he was given special meals | D．he was not satisfied with the food |
According to the passage, we can conclude that .
| A．the patient’s native language was Spanish |
| B．the patient’s illness was caused by hunger |
| C．Dr. Mellinkoff performed an operation on the patient |
| D．the hospital failed to provide the right medicine for the patient |
Which of the following words can be used to describe Dr. Mellinkoff?
| A．Cold. | B．Considerate. | C．Curious. | D．Careless. |
What do you think Dr. Mellinkoff wanted to tell his students in this case?
| A．Doctors should be good at foreign languages. |
| B．Doctors should know their patients’ real problems. |
| C．Doctors should try to improve their medical skills. |
| D．Doctors should have a good relationship ith their patients. |
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