Driving home from work one evening in the heavy rain, I found a very wet, injured cat on the side of the road. He looked up at me, meowing pitifully. A car must have hit it so it wasn’t able to move. I stopped my car and carried the cat in and went on driving.
At the nearest vet clinic, the vet gently examined it. "He's about eight months old and has two broken legs, but I would need X-rays to know how serious the damage is," he told me. "As he's not your cat, I don't know if you want to go ahead with this. It could be rather expensive."
I knew it would cost me hundreds of dollars, but I agreed with his advice. The following morning the vet rang to say the X-rays confirmed two bad breaks in his legs. "I'll operate on his legs and put metal pins in them to keep them fixed." he told me.
That afternoon I went to pick up my little friend. There I could hardly recognize him. His previously dirty fur was now a beautiful silver grey. His front legs were in two casts and he lay there looking at me, purring(发咕噜声) happily.
I thanked the doctor and went out to pay the bill. "I think you've given me the wrong account," I said to the clerk. "This is only $85. He's had X-rays and an operation on his legs." "No, that's right," she replied. "The vet has only charged you for the medication. There's a message on the bottom."
Written under the total were the words "SPECIAL RATE FOR ADOPTIONS." I was speechless at his kind and generous gesture. I paid the account and under his message I wrote "WITH GRATEFUL THANKS, CAT AND MUM."Why didn’t the vet give the cat X-rays immediately?
| A．The damage was not serious at all. |
| B．The cat was too young to be X-rayed. |
| C．The doctor wasn’t sure whether the author would like to cover the expenses. |
| D．The examination was too expensive for the author to afford. |
What do we know about the author?
| A．The author was a caring and generous lady. |
| B．The author often adopted animals. |
| C．The author’s workplace was far from home. |
| D．The author only worked at night. |
Which of the following is true of the cat?
| A．He was deserted by his owner and nearly starved to death. |
| B．He was saved on a dark and stormy night. |
| C．He was a lively creature with beautiful brown fur. |
| D．His back legs were broken and had to have an operation. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．The adventure of a cat |
| B．An impressive vet |
| C．An unforgettable night |
| D．Love in relays |
A farmer had a cow.
A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet.
“What’s the problem?” The vet asked him when he arrived.
“My cow’s ill,” the farmer said. “I don’t know what's the matter with her. She’s lying down and won’t eat. She’s making a strange noise.”
The vet looked over the cow. "She’s certainly ill," he said, "and she needs to take some very strong medicine."
He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, "Give her these. The pills should make her better."
“How should I give them to her?” the farmer asked.
The vet gave him a tube (管子)and said, "Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow（吹）. That’ll make it."
The next day the vet came to the farm again. The farmer was sitting outside his house and looked more worried.
“How’s your cow?” the vet asked.
“No change,” the farmer said, “and I’m feeling very strange myself.”
“Oh?” the vet said, "Why?"
“I did what you said,” the farmer answered. “I put the tube in the cow’s mouth and then put two pills down it.”
“And?” the vet asked.
“The cow blew first,” the farmer said.The farmer asked the vet for help when his cow _______
| A．couldn't lie down | B．didn't eat the pills | C．couldn't make any noise | D．was ill |
What medicine did the vet give the farmer?
| A．A bottle of pills. | B．A long tube. | C．Two pills. | D．A small box. |
The vet taught the farmer how _________.
| A．to blow the tube | B．to make the cow take the pills |
| C．to take the medicine | D．to put the tube in his mouth |
Which of the following is true?
| A．The farmer ate the pills himself. |
| B．The cow got better after taking the medicine. |
| C．The vet came to help the farmer change the cow the next day. |
| D．The farmer was working outside his house the next day. |
For better eyesight, doctors advise limiting the hours of screen time and encourage having enough eye resting time.
However, another study shows that sitting in front of computer or TV screens for long hours is not the only reason for myopia（近视）. An Australian research team studied young children in Sydney and Singapore to find the reasons for myopia.
The research team found that the prevalence（流行）of myopia among children in Sydney was lower than children in Singapore, even though they spent more time in front of computer and TV screens. The major finding is that children in Sydney spend longer hours on outdoor activities than those in Singapore.
Indoor and outdoor sports activities both make the eyes focus on more distant objects, which prevents the eyes from changing shape. But outdoor activities may better help avoid myopia than indoor sports activities.
Jane Gwiazda, who does research in sight problems, says: “Natural light is good for eye growth. And extra vitamin D from the sun might contribute to eye growth.”
Many doctors suggest that every child get its first eye test done when he/she is about two and half years old, and even if his/her sight seems perfect.
It is necessary for myopic children to wear glasses to prevent headaches, trouble reading or injuries. It is also important that schools invite doctors to test their students’ eyes.
If that is not possible, school teachers should at least encourage parents and children to have regular eye examinations and wear glasses. And parents should remember not only to limit the total screen time for their children, but also to encourage them to spend time outdoors.What’s the aim of the study by the Australian research team ?
| A．To find the reasons for myopia. |
| B．To find the ways to treat myopia. |
| C．To prove the bad effects of myopia. |
| D．To prove the prevalence of myopia. |
Why are there fewer children with myopia in Sydney than in Singapore ?
| A．Because Sydney children watch less TV. |
| B．Because Sydney children have more eye resting time. |
| C．Because Sydney children use computers less. |
| D．Because Sydney children do more outdoor sports. |
What conclusion can we draw from the passage ?
| A．Sydney children don’t study hard. |
| B．Singapore children do few exercises. |
| C．Outdoor activities do more good to eyes. |
| D．Room light does harm to children’s eyes. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE ?
| A．Children should have eye tests as soon as they reach school age. |
| B．Doing outdoor activities with no glasses is good for myopia children. |
| C．Focusing on distant objects can help the eyes keep their original shape. |
| D．Children should limit their time in the sun in order to protect their eyes. |
For the most part, you are probably only exposed to the music that is played on your favorite radio stations and TV shows, music Web sites, or the music that your friends and family members enjoy. While you probably know a lot about your favorite type of music, it can be a rewarding experience to enlarge your horizons（眼界）, discovering artists and types of music that you’re not familiar with. Who knows, you might discover you like certain types of music you never even considered.
Have you ever wondered about the history and influences of your favorite types of music ? For example, did you know that rock ‘n’ roll originated（起源）from the blues, and that the blues began as a form of musical expression for African Americans during slavery（奴隶制度）？Did you know that most hip-hop is heavily influenced by early rhythm blues and jazz ?
There are many fun ways to learn about different musical styles and their historical roots. For example, if you like hip-hop, listen to some of your favorite CDs and take note of the samples the performers used to create the songs. There is a possibility that the artist used parts of older songs to create the music. You can go to the library or online to learn more about the artists and listen to more of their music by checking out CDs from the library or downloading songs online for a small fee.
You can learn so much about culture and history just by paying attention to different types of music and what is being expressed in the songs. There are so many different styles of music to learn about, and you owe（欠）it to yourself to make an effort to listen to and learn about them.The main topic of this passage is _____.
| A．creating music | B．performing music |
| C．enjoying your favorite music | D．learning about music |
What music did African Americans use to express their feelings of being slaves ?
| A．Rock ‘n’ roll. | B．The blues. |
| C．Hip-hop. | D．Jazz. |
How can you learn about culture and history through music ?
| A．By writing down the names of the music. |
| B．By creating music from older songs yourself. |
| C．By caring about what is being expressed in music. |
| D．By keeping a record of fees after downloading songs online. |
By saying the underlined sentence in the last paragraph, the author probably means that _____.
| A．you should try harder to learn about music |
| B．you should return something to music |
| C．you should borrow music CDs from others |
| D．you should buy music CDs yourself |
Good manners play an important part in maintaining（保持）peace in society. A man with good manners doesn’t hurt others’ feelings, and therefore he’s on good terms with everyone. In this way he helps to keep the peace in society.
But a man with bad manners has no respect for others. He uses words carelessly and behaves rudely towards others and causes a lot of unpleasantness. In the end, he himself will suffer the most. Everyone avoids him and he is forced to live alone.
To live well in society, money alone is not enough. Even the richest man cannot afford to have bad manners. He may have enough money to buy all things he wants; but if his manners are bad, he will have no friends, and no one can live happily without friends.
We should have good manners, for it’s human nature to try to get friendship; and friendship has to be earned （获得）through our own attitude towards others. If we are kind to others, they will be kind to us, and kindness is the most basic quality of good manners. Bad manners drive away friends as well as our own family members.
On the other hand, a man with good manners has many friends. He commands the respect of all those who come into contact（联系）with him. He doesn’t talk ill about others. Even when he’s provoked, he tries his best not to upset others. He also feels sorry about the weak and the disabled.
There are, however, many people who behave so well outside their homes that they are respected by everyone outside. But in their own homes they are worse than the devil（魔鬼）. Such people cannot be said to have good manners. Their behavior will soon be discovered by others.
If one’s manners are good, one behaves well everywhere, even when one is away from the critical（爱挑剔的）eyes of others. Only such a person can live well in society.People with good manners bring society _____.
| A．peace | B．enjoyment | C．respect | D．friendship |
What does the author mainly want to tell us in Paragraph 4 ?
| A．People are born friendly. |
| B．Bad manners make people lose friends. |
| C．Money is not the most important. |
| D．Kind people will be treated kindly. |
The underlined word “provoked” in the passage may mean _____.
| A．tired | B．sad ` | C．made angry | D．left alone |
What’s the main idea of the passage ?
| A．Kindness is important. |
| B．Friendship is important. |
| C．Good manners are important. |
| D．People with bad manners can’t live well. |
Driving to a friend's house on a recent evening, I was attracted by the sight of the full moon rising just above my friend’s rooftops. I stopped to watch it for a few moments, thinking about what a pity it was that most city people, myself included, usually miss sights like this because we spend most of our lives indoors.
My friend had also seen it. He grew up living in a forest in Europe, and the moon meant a lot to him then. It had touched much of his life.
I know the feeling. Last December I took my seven-year-old daughter to the mountainous jungle of northern India with some friends. We stayed in a forest rest-house with no electricity or running hot water. Our group had campfires outside every night, and indoors when it was too cold outside. The moon grew to its fullest during our trip. Between me and the high mountains lay three or four valleys. Not a light shone in them and not a sound could be heard. It was one of the quietest places I have ever known, a bottomless well of silence. And above me was the full moon, which struck me deeply.
Today our lives are filled with glass, metal, plastic and fibre-glass. We have televisions, cell phones, pagers, electricity, heaters and ovens and air-conditioners, cars, computers.
Struggling through traffic that evening at the end of a tiring day, most of it spent indoors, I thought: before long, I would like to live in a small cottage. There I will grow vegetables and read books and walk in the mountains And perhaps write, but not in anger. I may become an old man there, and wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled and measure out my life in coffee spoons. But I will be able to walk outside on a cold silent night and touch the moon.The best title for the passage would be______.
| A．The pleasures of modern life | B．Touched by the moon |
| C．A bottomless well of silence | D．Break away from modern life |
What impressed the writer most in the mountainous jungle of northern India?
| A．The nice moonlight | B．Complete silence. |
| C．No modern equipment | D．The high mountains |
Modern things (Paragraph 4) are mentioned mainly to______.
| A．show that the writer likes city life very much |
| B．tell us that people greatly benefit from modern life |
| C．show that we can also enjoy nature at home through them |
| D．explain that people have less chances to enjoy nature |
The author wrote the passage to_______.
| A．advise modern people to learn to live |
| B．show the love for the moonlight |
| C．express the feeling of returning to nature |
| D．want to communicate longing for modern life |
How do you enter a room full of strangers? Do you walk right in full of confidence? Or do you try to slip in without being noticed? ______
In life, we admire those who do their tasks confidently. We prefer people who appear to know what they are doing. But where does that confidence begin?
Developing self-confidence starts very early. It’s parents’ role to get kids on the right track toward becoming confident people. ______ That can be done by focusing on the child’s strengths. Parents should encourage their children to try new things and take risks. When children make mistakes, their parents should still let them know that they are loved. Children whose parents do these things will likely develop into confident adults. ___
___ So what’s the solution?
◎ With most things in life, practice makes perfect, and that is true of confidence skills. ______
◎ Always hold your head high and look people in the eye. Answer questions clearly and confidently.
◎ Focus on the things that you do well, and look for opportunities to use those abilities.
◎ Prepare thoroughly for every project. You’ll approach the task more confidently knowing that you are ready.
◎ ______ It could be a good test score or a prize from a contest. Remind yourself that one success often leads to the next.
However, all humans fail at times, and you will too. Even with efforts to try all the above, you will never be perfect. But you can learn to love and accept yourself and live your life with confidence.
| A. Keep in mind an item that reminds you of a recent success. B. The more you practice them, the easier they will become. C. The way you go into new situations show your level of self-confidence. D. Our goal is to prepare students to go into the world with confidence. E. To help that process, parents should always offer more praise than criticism. F. Learning from mistakes helps you face the same situation later without fear. G. But self-confidence still doesn’t come easily. |
A 7.0 magnitude（级）earthquake killed more than 230,000 people in Haiti. Then an 8.8 magnitude quake killed more than 900 people in Chile. And few weeks later, a 6.0 magnitude quake struck rural eastern Turkey, killing at least 57 people.
The earthquakes kept coming hard and fast. 1 It’s not. The problem is what’s happening above ground, not underground, experts say.
2 They’re rapidly putting up buildings that can’t stand up to earth quakes, scientists believe.
And news reports and better earthquake monitoring make it seem as if earth quakes are increasing all the time.
On average, there are 134 earthquakes a year that have a magnitude between 6.0 and 6.9. So far this year there have been 40 earthquakes—more than in most years for that time period. But that’s because the 8.8 quake in Chile caused a large number of strong aftershocks.
Also, it’s not the number of quakes, but their destructive effects that gain attention. The death is largely due to building standards, 3 Paul Earle, a US seismologist, called for better building standards in the world’s big cities.
Of the 130 cities worldwide with populations of more than I million, more than half are likely to be hit by earthquakes. 4 “If you have a problem feeding yourself, you’re not really going to worry about earthquakes,” said Paul.
The earthquakes made everyone start to think 5 “People are paying attention to the violent planet we’re always lived on. Come back an another six moths if there has been no earthquakes, most people will have forgotten it again,” said US disaster researcher Dennis Mileti.
| A．But it won’t last. B．More people are moving into big cities. C．Earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do. D．There have been more deaths overt the past decade from earthquakes. E．Many people began to wonder if something terrible is happening underground. F．While it seems as if the are more earthquakes occurring, there really aren’t. G．But developing nations with growing populations don’t pay attention to earthquake preparedness. |
After a day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs your eyeballs begin to move quickly (although your eyelids are closed). This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very slowly and very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion that counting sheep will put you to sleep.A good title for this passage is _______.
| A．Sleep. | B．Good Health | C．Dreams | D．Work and Rest |
The word “drowsy” in the last paragraph means_______.
| A．sick | B．asleep | C．a little sleepy | D．noisy |
This passage suggests that not getting enough sleep might make you _______.
| A．dream more | B．have poor health | C．nervous | D．breathe quickly |
During REM ________.
| A．your eyes move quickly | B．you dream |
| C．you are restless | D．both A and B |
The average number of hours of sleep that an adult needs is_________.
| A．approximately(大约) six hours. | B．around ten hours. |
| C．about eight hours | D．not stated here. |
“There are no real friends or enemies in the business world”. This saying may have been on the minds of bosses at China’s main online video providers, Youku.com Inc and Tudou Holdings Ltd, when the one-time rivals（对手）agreed to merge (合并) on March 12. The deal will create the country’s largest company in the online video industry, Youku Tudou Inc.
Three months ago, the two companies were involved in a copyright dispute. On December 12, Tudou charged Youku.com with illegally airing the entertainment series, Kangxi is coming. Tudou was the only company which had rights to the series. In response, Youku filed a lawsuit（诉讼） against Tudou, claiming the company was broadcasting more than 50 Youku-owned TV series.
According to analysts, the deal came out of the market battle between the two companies. Each spent so much money buying licensed content that they ended up in the red last year. “Funding pressures are the main reason for the deal,” said Shi Jialong, a Hong Kong-based analyst with CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets. “After the merger, there might be a fall in copyright purchase prices, which is good for the industry in the short term.”
The new company will face competition from Web portals(门户网站) providing similar services. Youku owned 21.8 percent of Chin’s online video market in the last quarter of last year and Tudou 13.7 percent, but Sohu.com followed close on the heels with 13.3 percent, according to domestic research company Analysys International.
Some analysts do not feel the deal will secure the market for Youku Tudou. Shi Yu, CEO of media company KU6, said the merger was unlikely to have a “one plus one more than two” effect. In his opinion, video-hosting sites need to find new ways of generation profit to succeed in the market.The main reason for Youku.com Inc and Tudou Holdings Ltd to merge is that .
| A．the two companies were in great demand of money |
| B．they were charge with illegally airing the entertainment series |
| C．the two companies created the country’s largest company |
| D．they intended to cut down the prices of copyrights |
The underlined words “in the red” in the third paragraph mean “ ”.
| A．in a big fight | B．in a great trouble | C．at a loss | D．at a distance |
What do the last two paragraphs imply?
| A．Shi Yu doesn’t think it a good idea for the two companies to merge. |
| B．The merger is really a win-win deal for the companies involved. |
| C．The merger may not promise a bright future for Youku Tudou. |
| D．The new company will be more competitive after the merger. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The merge will benefit the online video industry to some degree. |
| B．The two companies spent lots of money building video-hosting sites. |
| C．Youku Tudou Inc currently controls half of the online video market in China. |
| D．The new company has taken charged of all the entertainment series. |
I learned about life from an ant farm．When I was seven years old, my family created one．First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box, and then we waited for the live ants to arrive．Shortly after the chilly ants were dropped into the glass structure, they got to work making tunnels．I was amazed that each one knew exactly what to do．After hours of staring, I realized that the ants had assigned jobs．With my mom ' s help, I kept a diary of what happened each day and named the ants．
One day a tragedy struck the ant farm．The pages of the diary, still wrinkled where tear drops fell, indicate the depth of the tragedy．'I had put my face so close to the structure that I accidentally tipped it over, caving in all the tunnels．Although the ants survived their earthquake, one by one they began to die．I was terrified as I watched them give up their tunnel-building to carry the bodies to a comer of the farm．My mother reported that the ants were dying of "frustration．" They simply could not stand the reality that their tunnels had been destroyed．
Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm．Mom had hoped it would teach me about the natural world, but it taught me much more．Over the years, I came to realize the ants were a study in the benefits of teamwork．Working together, they were able to create an amazing world for themselves．I also learned that they should be admired for their hard work．Day in and day out, each labored at their task．The ant farm showed that teamwork and perseverance are indeed two key ingredients to success．But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently: Adversity （不幸、灾祸） is a natural part of life,and must be accepted．Unlike the ants, humans cannot give up when they face disappointment．Unlike the ants, we have to realize that if a tunnel caves in, we just have to build another．Giving up, I say, is not a choice．The family created an ant farm in a glass box because it was easy _____.
| A．for the ants to live in | B．to get sun light in |
| C．to keep the sand clean | D．for the boy to observe |
What made the pages of the diary wrinkled?
| A．The tears． | B．The earthquake | C．The ants． | D．The tragedy． |
What did the writer finally realize?
| A．Perseverance is the only way to success． |
| B．Humans cannot give up when facing adversity． |
| C．People should admire anyone for their hard work． |
| D．His mother taught him much more． |
When did the writer draw a more important lesson from his experience?
| A．Before he was seven years old． |
| B．When he was seven years old． |
| C．Immediately after the tragedy． |
| D．Many years after the tragedy |
The Ice Hotel
Are you going into skiing? Is winter your favorite time of year? If you like snow and ice, maybe you should stay at Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada. But, you can only check in at this hotel during the winter. Why ? Because this hotel is built every December. It has 32 rooms and 80 people can stay there each night. The hotel even has a movie theatre, art gallery, and church. Of course, all of these parts of the hotel are made of ice. In fact, all the furniture, art, lights, and even plates and drinking glasses are made out of ice.
Because this hotel is so unusual, it is becoming very popular. People from all over the world come to the Ice Hotel to look at the fantastic ice art, drink and eat from designed ice dishes and experience the unique atmosphere (独特的气氛). Some couples have even got married in the hotel's ice church. But all these guests keep their winter coats on! Because of all the ice, the temperature inside the hotel is always between - 2ºC and - 5ºC. Surprisingly, sleeping is not a problem in the freezing cold hotel rooms. Every guest gets a special cold-weather sleeping bag and some fur blankets. These keep the room cozy and warm until morning.
What is the main idea of this reading?
| A．How the Ice Hotel is built |
| B．What makes the Ice Hotel special |
| C．Why the Ice Hotel is made of ice |
| D．The services of the Ice Hotel |
Why is sleeping NOT a problem in the hotel?
| A．the rooms are warm | B．the temperature is -2ºC |
| C．the sleeping bags are warm | D．the furniture is warm |
In which part of the hotel would you probably find "plates"?
| A．the church | B．the restaurant | C．the rooms | D．the art gallery |
I found out one time that doing a favor for someone could get you into a lot of trouble. I was in the eighth grade at the time, and we were having a final test. During the test, the girl sitting next to me whispered something, but I didn’t understand. So I leaned over her way and found out that she was trying to ask me if I had an extra pen. She showed me that hers was out of ink and would not write. I happened to have an extra one, so I took it out of my pocket and put it on her desk.
Later, after the test papers had been turned in, the teacher asked me to stay in the room when all the other students were dismissed（解散）. As soon as we were alone she began to talk to me about what it meant to grow up; she talked about how important it was to stand on your own two feet and be responsible (负责任) for your own acts. For a long time, she talked about honesty and emphasized（强调） the fact that when people do something dishonest, they are really cheating（欺骗） themselves. She made me promise that I would think seriously（认真地） about all the things she had said, and then she told me I could leave. I walked out of the room wondering why she had chosen to talk to me about all those things.
Later on, I found out that she thought I had cheated on the test. When she saw me lean over to talk to the girl next to me, it looked as if I was copying answers from the girl’s test paper. I tried to explain about the pen, but all she could say was it seemed very very strange to her that I hadn’t talked of anything about the pen the day she talked to me right after the test. Even if I tried to explain that I was just doing the girl a favor by letting her use my pen, I am sure she continued to believe that I had cheated on the test.The story took place exactly __________ .
| A．in the teacher’s office | B．in an exam room |
| C．in the school | D．in the language lab |
The girl wanted to borrow a pen, because ___________ .
| A．she had not brought a pen with her |
| B．she had lost her own on her way to school |
| C．there was something wrong with her own |
| D．her own had been taken away by someone |
The teacher saw all this, so she asked the boy ____________ .
| A．to go on writing his paper | B．to stop whispering |
| C．to leave the room immediately | D．to stay behind after the exam |
The thing(s) emphasized in her talk was (were) ___________ .
| A．honesty | B．sense of duty | C．seriousness | D．all of the above |
The boy knew everything _____________ .
| A．the moment he was asked to stay behind |
| B．when the teacher started talking about honesty |
| C．only some time later |
| D．when he was walking out of the room |
A cancer-stricken British teenage girl said Thursday she had been moved by messages of support from around the world after writing an online “Bucket List” of things she wanted to do before dying.
Alice Pyne, l5, created an Internet blog in which she described her fight against a cancer of the white blood cells. “ I've been fighting cancer for almost four years and now l know that the cancer is gaining on me and it doesn't look like I'm going to win this one,” she wrote.
For her list, the teenager took inspiration from the 2007 film “The Bucket List”, in which two terminally ill (患绝症的) men, played by Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, draw up a list of things they wish to do before they die.
On her list, at the site www. alicepyne. blogspot. com, she has included making everyone sign up to be a bone marrow donor (骨髓捐赠者), swimming with sharks, meeting boy band Take That and getting a purple iPad computer.
Messages of support and offers of help quickly flooded her webpage and it became one of the most talked about subjects on Twitter.
“Oh dear and I thought that I was just doing a little blog for a few friends!” she wrote after her site attracted huge attention. “Thank you so much for all your lovely messages to me.”
Pyne, who lives with her family in the northwest English town of Ulverston, revealed (透露) the management of Take That had arranged for her to see the band after reading her blog. A group of local lawmakers have also joined forces with the Anthony Nolan blood cancer charity to encourage people to join its stem cell register. What happened after Alice Pyne wrote her“Bucket List”?
| A．The media called on people to help her. |
| B．People sent gifts to her from all over the world. |
| C．A lot of people offered to donate bone marrow to her. |
| D．People around the world sent messages to support her. |
Alice Pyne wrote her “Bucket List” to .
| A．express her last few wishes |
| B．say goodbye to a few friends |
| C．give comfort to two terminally ill men |
| D．catch people's attention |
It can be inferred from the second paragraph that Alice Pyne .
| A．is unaware of her own conditions |
| B．is calm to know that death is approaching |
| C．is very sad to know that she will die |
| D．is still quite confident in fighting against cancer |
Which of the following is NOT on Alice Pyne's “Bucket List”?
| A．To meet a boy. |
| B．To get a cool computer. |
| C．To swim with sharks. |
| D．To ask people to donate bone marrow. |
Take That will arrange to .
| A．invite Pyne to join the band |
| B．help Pyne in any possible way |
| C．donate money to Pyne |
| D．meet Pyne in person |
“Eat local.” It’s one way to reduce human effect on the planet. Eating local means to try to buy and consume foods that are grown in places close to home. However, most of the food sold at supermarkets is not locally grown or produced. Trucks and planes deliver these foods from hundreds or thousands of miles away. During the transportation, greenhouse(温室)gases are produced, causing global warming. So the shorter the distance your foods must travel, the less the harm is done to the environment.
But how do you get local food if you live in a large city, hundreds of miles away from farms？Environmental health scientist Dickson Despommier and his students came up with the idea of a “vertical(垂直的)farm”. 
A vertical farm is a glass-walled structure that could be built as tall as a skyscraper(摩天大楼). Since the garden is built upwards, rather than outwards, it requires much less space than an ordinary farm. The world is quickly running out of room for ordinary farming. Vertical farms could be a key to this situation. Despommier imagines a 30-story building with a greenhouse on every floor. The walls of the building would be clear, to allow crops to get as much sunlight as possible. Depending on a city’s water resources, Despommier thinks hydroponic(水培的) farming is another method for the vertical farm which needs no soil to grow plants.
Despommier says the hydroponic greenhouses would use a system that would use a city’s waste water and fill it with nutritions to make the crops grow. If this method works, it would provide food to a city and save millions of tons of water.
The idea of a vertical farm has attracted the attention of government officials around the world. Scott Stringer, a government official from New York City, thinks the city is suitable for the vertical farming. “Obviously we don’t have much land left for us,” Stringer said. “But the sky is the limit in Manhattan. ”
Despommier admits that there is still a lot of work to do to make vertical farms a reality. “But I think vertical farming is an idea that can work in a big way,” he says.Why are people advised to eat local?
| A．Because it means convenience(方便) to people. |
| B．Because it can help people save a lot of money. |
| C．Because local food has more nutrition. |
| D．Because it is environmentally friendly. |
Which is one of the vertical farm’s benefits when compared with ordinary farming?
| A．It produces healthier food. |
| B．It does less harm to the cities. |
| C．It needs less space of the city. |
| D．It requires less transport costs. |
By saying “the sky is the limit in Manhattan”, Stringer means _____.
| A．people can make full use of vertical space of Manhattan |
| B．there is a limit for using empty land in Manhattan |
| C．the height of buildings in Manhattan is limited |
| D．Manhattan can spread as far as possible |
What can we learn about the vertical farming in the passage?
| A．No soil is needed to grow plants in a vertical farm. |
| B．It has solved the problem of the food shortage in a big way. |
| C．It is a 30-story building with a greenhouse on every floor. |
| D．Crops are mainly grown in the rainwater in a vertical farm. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号