The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what’s important.
-----Anonymous
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car’s back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car, who almost caused a big accident, started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck."
Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.
I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do any more."
Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about. The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? Here's my bet. You'll be happier. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't.
1. What happened one day when the author was taking a taxi?
A. The taxi almost hit another car.
B. The taxi driver was injured.
C. The author scolded the driver of the other car.
D. The author learned a lesson from the driver of the garbage truck.
2. How did the taxi driver respond to the behaviour of the driver of the black car?
A. He yelled back at the driver.
B. He sent the driver to the hospital.
C. He was friendly towards the driver.
D. He dumped some garbage in front of his car.
3. What does the taxi driver think of people according to Paragraph 3?
A. Many people like to drive garbage trucks.
B. Many people dump garbage wherever they like.
C. Many people are warm-hearted to make others happy.
D. Many people tend to be very much depressed.
4. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?
A. The author used to have a lot of garbage trucks.
B. The author used to complain a lot.
C. The author used to have a lot of money.
D. The author used to be a good manager.
5. According to the passage, what should you do if people “dump garbage” on you?
A. Ignore them and go on with our own work.
B. Try our best to persuade them not to do that again.
C. Tell them to dump the garbage in the right place.
D. Take over their work and carry the garbage to somewhere else.
China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate(控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.
What is the average housing price per square meter in China?
A.8000 yuan | B.10000 yuan | C.7000 yuan | D.It’s not mentioned here |
Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China
is even higher than in the United States?
A.Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. |
B.American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. |
C.The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. |
D.There are more people who need houses in China. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
A The housing price in China is so high that the government should do something useful to
prevent it.
B. There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market
C. The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States
D. Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.
How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing
prices?
A.Four | B.Three | C.Five | D.Two |
We can achieve knowledge either actively or passively. We achieve it actively by direct experience, by testing and proving an idea, or by reasoning.
We achieve knowledge passively by being told by someone else. Most of the learning that takes place in the classroom and the kind that happens when we watch TV or read newspapers or magazines is passive. Conditioned as we are to passive learning, it’s not surprising that we depend on it in our everyday communication with friends and co-workers.
Unfortunately, passive learning has a serious problem. It makes us tend to accept what we are told even when it is little more than hearsay and rumor.
Did you ever play the game Rumor? It begins when one person writes down a message but doesn’t show it to anyone. Then the person whispers it, word for word, to another person. That person, in turn, whispers it to still another, and so on, through all the people playing the game. The last person writes down the message word for word as he or she hears it. Then the two written statements are compared. Typically, the original message has changed.
That’s what happens in daily life. The simple fact that people repeat a story in their own words changes the story. Then , too, most people listen imperfectly. And many enjoy adding their own creative touch to a story, trying to improve on it, stamping(打上标记) it with their own personal style, Yet those who hear it think they know.
This process is also found among scholars and authors: A statement of opinion by one writer may be re-stated as a fact by another, who may in turn be quoted by yet another; and this process may continue, unless it occurs to someone to question the facts on which the original writer based his opinion or to challenge the interpretation he placed upon those facts.
According to the passage, passive learning may occur in _____.
A.doing a medical experiment | B.solving a math problem |
C.visiting an exhibition | D.doing scientific reasoning |
The underlined word “it” in Paragragh 2 refers to ______.
A.active learning | B.knowledge |
C.communication | D.passive learning |
The author mentions the game Rumor to show that ______.
A.a message may be changed when being passed on |
B.a message should be delivered in different ways |
C.people may have problems with their sense of hearing |
D.people tend not to believe in what they know as rumor |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.Active learning is less important. |
B.Passive learning may not be reliable. |
C.Active learning occurs more frequently. |
D.Passive learning is not found among scholars. |
You may know the English letters A, B and C. But do you know there are people called ABC? You may like eating bananas. But did you know there is a “banana person”? How strange! Are these people from “another Earth”? No. They are just Chinese people like you and me.
ABC means American-Born Chinese. An ABC is a Chinese, but was born in the United States. Sometimes, people call an ABC a “banana person”. A banana is yellow outside and white inside. So, when a person is a banana, he or she is white inside—thinking like a Westerner and yellow outside—looking like a Chinese.
Do you know why? Usually, ABCs know little about China or the Chinese language. Some of them don’t speak Chinese.
But if ABCs cannot speak Chinese, can we still call them Chinese people? Yes, of course. They are Chinese. They are overseas (海外) Chinese. These people may be citizens(公民) of another country like the US, Canada or Singapore. But they have Chinese blood. Their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents were from China. They all have black eyes and black hair.
But they are not Chinese citizens. They are not the people of the People’s Republic of China. For example, we all know the famous scientist C.N. Yang(杨振宁). He got the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1957. The Chinese love him, but he is an American citizen.
What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A.He wants to tell us something about “ABC”. |
B.He wants to show that Chinese are well respected in America. |
C.He wants to tell us some knowledge about the English language. |
D.He wants to introduce the American culture to us. |
Chinese in Western countries are called “banana persons” because ____.
A.their bodies are white inside but yellow outside |
B.they think like Westerners but look like Chinese |
C.they were born in China but go to study in America |
D.they like to eat bananas |
C.N. Yang is mentioned here to show that ____.
A. American Chinese are great. B. we love American Chinese
C. The Chinese can win Nobel Prizes D. American Chinese are not Chinese citizens
Dear Cassy,
Thanks for reminding me by e-mail that you want to baby-sit our children. In spite of the fact that you are only 15 years old, my wife and I would be willing to consider your application if you can meet a few modest requirements:
1. Submit three letters from teachers who will prove that you have never failed to follow directions perfectly in class and never failed to hand in the homework on time.
2. Submit a note from two doctors which says that you are in perfect health, have never been sick, and will never be sick.
3. Submit a document (文件) from your physical education teacher or team coach that proves that you can do each of the following: Run two miles in less than nine minutes, climb an oily rope to a height of twenty feet in thirty seconds while balancing a glass of water on your nose, and walk in bare feet over hot coals and broken glass without complaint or injury.
4. Submit letters from at least two mental health experts saying that you have never had a bad thought towards any living being or not living object.
5. Play and defeat five expert chess players with your eyes covered after going without sleep for 48 hours.
6. Wait patiently for two years while we make sure that all your documents are true.
Your loving and trusting friends,
The Smiths
From the letter we can know that ______.
A.Cassy wrote to the Smiths twice | B.Cassy loves children very much |
C.Cassy will be in perfect health | D.Cassy does very well in her studies |
Which of the following can most probably replace the underlined word “submit”?
A.write | B.report | C.hand in | D.recommend (推荐) |
What can we infer from this text?
A.Their children are hard to baby-sit. | B.Their children are well educated. |
C.Cassy is good at doing many things. | D.Cassy won't get the job as a baby-sitter. |
Which of the following words can best describe the Smiths?
A.Humorous. | B.Patient. | C.Honest. | D.Kind-hearted. |
Two thieves came to a house to steal something. They dug a hole in the wall of the house.
There lived many mice in the house. The woman in the moonlight saw a mouse crawl(爬行) into the house. “Look! In comes one,” she said to the man in the house. The thief was so frightened that he hurriedly crawled out of the house and said to the one waiting outside, “She found me when I was just in.” But the thief outside didn’t believe him, so he said, “Let us try to crawl into the house together.” At that time two mice happened to crawl into the house, too. The woman saw the mice and shouted, “In come two, catch them!” The two thieves were terribly frightened. The man in the house said, “You saw them come in but where are they? I will catch them tonight.” The two thieves started running away at once.
The two thieves wanted to make it clear whether they had been found or not the night before. The next day they acted as men selling sweet potatoes and came before the house. The man and the woman were ploughing in their fields. The rope broke and the woman came home for a rope. She saw two men selling sweet potatoes and wanted to buy some. She picked out two which looked like mice. At the time the man couldn’t wait for her any longer in the fields and he ran back from the fields to hurry her up. The woman showed the sweet potatoes to the man and said, “How they look like the two of last night.” The man said, “I asked you to fetch a rope, why don’t you hurry for it?” The two thieves ran away very quickly without their sweet potatoes.
The two thieves failed to steal anything from the house because _____.
A.they were found out |
B.they were frightened by what they had heard in the house |
C.they didn’t work together well with each other |
D.mice stopped them from doing so |
From the last paragraph, we know that _____.
A.the two thieves were famous selling sweet potatoes |
B.the woman recognized the two thieves |
C.the woman pretended to know nothing about the two thieves and made fun of them |
D.the two thieves didn’t know that they were not found at all |
When the woman said, “How they look like the two of last night,” _____.
A.she referred to the two thieves | B.she meant nothing |
C.she said it on purpose | D.she referred to the mice |
The best title for the passage may be ____.
A.Two Clever Thieves | B.Terrible Mice |
C.Hit the Mark by a Fluke | D.A Clever Couple |
Friendship Day in India falls on the first Sunday of August every year. It is celebrated with many activities.
Young people in India spend the day with their closest friends and have fun together. Most youngsters in India plan a movie or have a meal with their friends. Many friends may go on a drive to tourist places or make a plan for camping. Some friends go to the supermarket to do some shopping. On Friendship Day, most stores offer discounted prices for customers and it is the perfect day to buy something for friends.
Some friends go to parties that are organized by many restaurants in order to attract youngsters. Such parties are very enjoyable. You can get food at a discounted price. Some friends just decide to meet up (碰头,相聚) at someone’s home and talk about their happy time. The time good friends spend sitting together and talking over a cup of coffee is precious and unforgettable.
Long-distance friends call up each other on this day and wish each other with warm feelings. Some of them even plan to meet up on this particular day. Yet some others plan a surprising visit just to see their friend gasp (喘息) in shock!
In 2009, Friendship Day in India falls on August 2nd.So don’t forget to celebrate it with your friends.
When is Friendship Day celebrated in India?
A.On August 2nd every year. | B.On the third weekend of August every year. |
C.On August 1st every year. | D.On the first weekend of August every year. |
According to the text, which of the following is the most popular way that youngsters in India celebrate Friendship Day?
A.Traveling with friends | B.Seeing a film with friends |
C.Dancing with friends | D.Going shopping with friends. |
How many ways are discussed in Paragraph 3 that friends spend Friendship Day together?
A.Two | B.Three | C.Four | D.Five |
The underlined phrase “a surprising visit” in Paragraph 4 refers to “____”.
A.a visit to a friend who hasn’t expected it |
B.a visit to a friend who has dreamed of it for a long time |
C.a visit to a friend who tries to avoid it |
D.a visit to a friend who lives in a faraway place |
Western New Bridge Library Announcement
Shortened Library Hours for Spring Break |
Library Hours have been shortened to 7 hours a day (9:00 a.m. – 4:00p.m.) for Spring Break from March 24 to March 30. |
Coming Events |
On Monday, March 24, at 10:30 a.m., Scott Sutton, a children’s writer, will tell stories to kid over seven. Sutton’s attractive style will surely inspire everyone present! At 1:00 p.m., on March 26, the Geogetown Musicians will present an Irish Folk Concert, which will be entertaining for the entire family. Come for the music and stay to check out some relevant books for the rest of the week! On Thursday, March 27, at 2:00 p.m., the annual Children’s Gathering will take place in Room 201, the second-floor. Pick up an invitation in the Children’s Room and return your RSVP(回复) to reserve your seat at the table by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25. Only children are allowed in the Gathering. At 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 28, Enzo Monfre of the hit kid’s science show, Enzoology, will bring Fossils Live! Surely Enzo will take the audience back in time, deep beneath the surface of the earth, to uncover the mysteries of killer dinosaurs, and more. Enzo recently appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show—come and see him at the library! |
Please note:In case of emergency, please call the Help Desk at 926-3736 and follow the procedures outlined on the voice message. The call-down service is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies. The Help Desk supplies service to you all the year around! For questions about all these, please contacthld@wnbl.corg. |
Come for the great Fun; Stay for the relevant Books! |
To attend the annual Children’s Gathering, one has to _____.
A.buy a ticket | B.apply in advance |
C.make a reservation | D.contact the call-down service |
According to the passage, Enzo Monfre will ______.
A.show the children around a zoo |
B.tell stories to children over seven |
C.be present at the science show in person |
D.lead the children to the Ellen DeGeneres Show |
We can learn from the passage that children can ______.
A.attend all the activities with their parents |
B.borrow some relevant books for the activities. |
C.participate in the activities form 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
D.choose only one of the activities according to their interest |
Despite the fact that it has never been seen almost everyone is familiar with the legendary unicorn(独角兽). Descriptions of unicorns have been found dating from ancient times. The great philosopher Aristotle theorized that there were two types of unicorn--- the so-called Indian Ass and the Oryx, a kind of antelope. Unicorns are often used in the logo of a noble family, town council or university as their special sign. Even Scotland is represented by a unicorn.
According to the legend, anyone attempting to catch a unicorn had to be extremely careful as it was very fierce and dangerous. A clever trick suggested by unicorn-trappers, in order to catch this amazing animal without being hurt by its horn, was for the hunter to stand in front of a tree and then to move quickly behind it as the unicorn dashed angrily. Hopefully, the creature could then be caught when its horn was stuck in the tree.
When hollowed out and used as a drinking-cup, the unicorn’s horn was said to have the power to offer protection against person. It was believed that nobody could be harmed-by drinking the contents of a unicorn’s horn. Right up until the French Revolution in 1789, the French court was said to have used cups made of “unicorn” horn in order to protect the king. In addition, the horn was said to have medicinal value, so much so that it could be sold for more than ten times the price of the same weight of gold. What, then, was “unicorn” horn? We know at times the rhino(犀牛) was confused with this legendary creature. A drinking-cup supposedly made of “unicorn” horn was discovered to be made of the horn of a rhino.
Which of the following is TRUE of the unicorn?
A.It was not historically recorded |
B.Its horn was first used in France |
C.It was similar to the Indian Ass and the Oryx |
D.It could be the symbol of a university |
To catch a unicorn, the unicorn-trappers had to try all of the following EXCEPT ____.
A.attracting the unicorn to attack |
B.making use of the tree as a defense |
C.hiding quickly behind the unicorn |
D.having the unicorn horn stuck in the tree |
The last paragraph is mainly about ____.
A.the functions of the unicorn horn |
B.the users of the unicorn horn |
C.the price of the unicorn horn |
D.the comparison between the unicorn horn and the rhino horn |
Animation means making things which are lifeless come alive and move.
Since earliest times, people have always been astonished by movement. But not until last century had we managed to take control of movement, to record it, and in the case of animation, to retranslate it and recreate it. To do all this, we use a movie camera and a projector (放映机).
In the world of cartoon animation, nothing is impossible. You can make the characters do exactly what you want them to do.
A famous early cartoon character was Felix the Cat, created by Pat Sullivan in America in the early nineteen twenties. Felix was a wonderful cat. He could do all sorts of things no natural cat could do like taking off his tail, using it as a handle and then putting it back.
Most of the great early animators lived and worked in America, the home of the moving picture industry. The famous Walt Disney cartoon characters came to life after 1928. Popeye the Sailor and his girl friend Olive Oyo were born at Max Flcischer in 1933.
But to be an animator, you don’t have to be a professional. It is possible for anyone to make a simple animated film without using a camera at all. All you have to do is to draw directly onto an empty film and then run the film through a projector.
What does the passage mainly discuss?
A.Animal world | B.Movie camera | C.Cartoon making | D.Movement |
Which of the following statements is True?
A.People were unable to recreate the movement or record it in the nineteenth century. |
B.Pat Sullivan was a famous early cartoon character. |
C.It is impossible to make cartoon characters to do what they are designed to do. |
D.Only professional animators can make animated films. |
According to the passage, Felix the Cat _________.
A.was created by the American cartoonist Felix. |
B.was designed by Pat Sullivan in the early twentieth century. |
C.was unable to do what natural cats could not do. |
D.was created in the United States in the nineteenth century. |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
A.Walt Disney’s cartoon characters were born earlier than Pat Sullivan’s. |
B.only professionals can create cartoon character |
C.Popeye the Sailor and Olive Oyo were famous cartoonists. |
D.the cartoon industry started in the United States. |
Pingyao, in the center of Shanxi Province, is a famous historic cultural city of China and a world cultural heritage site (世界文化遗址). It’s 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan on the Fen River.
People lived in Pingyao during the New Stone Age. Its long period as a country government seat has left Pingyao with lots of historic buildings and sites, with a 2,700-year history. Ninety-nine of them are under government protection, including Zhengguo Temple, Shuanglin Temple and Pingyao Ancient City.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, businessmen organized commercial (商业的) groups that did business nationwide. Shanxi Province had some of the most important ones and Pingyao was their center. In 1823, a store, known as Rishengchang(Sunrise Prosperity), traded in bank checks rather than in silver or gold coins. It was the beginning of modern Chinese banking. Branch banks were soon set up in major cities in China and other parts of Asia, leading to great development in Pingyao. Its Lacquer ware (漆器) became well known.
In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional houses and commercial buildings, 3,797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are in good condition. Not only do the houses in Pingyao show Shanxi’s history and culture, but this large number is valuable for studying its history, customs, and ancient buildings and art. Most of these houses are still used as homes and shops of local people.
In 1997, Ancient Pingyao City was listed in World Heritage List as “ World Culture Heritage Site”.
What does the underlined word “them”(in the 2nd paragraph) refer to?
A.Historic buildings and sites. | B.The three temples. |
C.The country government seats. | D.The 2,700-year history. |
Which of the following about Pingyao is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.Its location (位置). | B.Its tourism. |
C.Its business. | D.Its history. |
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Pingyao was a leading center in __________.
A.agriculture | B.raising cattle |
C.commercial trade | D.making gold coins |
If you want to know about the history of banking in China, you’ll visit __________.
A.Sunrise Prosperity | B.Zhengguo Temple |
C.A lacquer ware store | D.A commercial house |
The main idea of the passage is that______________.
A.Pingyao was the center of commerce |
B.There are many ancient architecture in Pingyao |
C.Pingyao was listed in World Heritage List |
D.Pingyao is a historic cultural city |
There are many types of reports. A report is simply an account of something that has happened. The commonest are new reports. We get them in newspapers, over the radio and on television. Sometimes cinemas also show us newsreels(新闻影片).
The main purpose of a newspaper is to provide news. If you examine a newspaper closely, you will find that there are all types of news: accidents, floods, fires, wars, fashions, sports, books, etc. The news covers everything that happens to people and their surroundings. Sometimes there are news items which are very amusing.
A news report is usually very short, except when it is about something very important, but it contains a lot of information. It is also written in short paragraphs. The first paragraph is, in fact, a summary of the news item. It gives all the necessary information—what, when, where, how and why. The other paragraphs give full details of the subject. There may also be interviews with people. The words actually spoken by them are within inverted commas(引号).
Often there are photographs with the news to make it more interesting.
In this passage, which of the following is mentioned as sources of new reports?
A.Cinemas, television and Internet. | B.Television, Internet and newspapers. |
C.Internet, newspapers and cinemas. | D.Radios, television and newspapers. |
According to this passage, the main purpose of a newspaper is to ________.
A.earn money | B.make the readers happy |
C.provide news | D.draw attention |
We can learn from this passage that news reports ________.
A.are never amusing | B.are always written in short paragraphs |
C.are always written in the first paragraph | |
D.give details of events in the first paragraph |
He only finished fourth in this year's Super Boy talent show. But it didn't stop him capturing (俘获) the hearts of thousands of fans. He can hit high notes with ease. And he is very modest. Zhang Jie,25,shed(流) sweat and tears all the way through the competition, but he never gave up.
“No matter how life treats him, he always fights back bravely ,”said Wu Chunyan, a Senior 2 student in Hubei. “He has never lost his dream of being a singer.” The road to fame is always rocky, and Zhang is no exception. As a college student he was majoring in tourism. He was considering becoming a tourist guide after graduation until he entered a singing competition.
His life changed after he competed in My Show. He won first place and signed with a record company. “I was very excited and regarded it as a way to take me closer to my dream,” he said. But the company gave him little money to make music and slowly began to ignore him. Zhang even borrowed money to buy costumes. “Life has its ups and downs. But the tough (艰难的) reality only makes me stronger,” he said.
He forgot he was once a champion of a talent show and joined Super Boy. His decision got support from his family who worked hard to make ends meet. His mother sold rice noodles on a street in his hometown, but she said she would “support him forever.”
“I have the dream to buy a large house for my parents, where my mom can get a large window sill (窗台) to grow flowers,” said Zhang.
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.An easy way to success | B.A rocky path to success |
C.A clever boy | D.A successful boy |
From the passage, we can know that _________.
A.he once won the first place in Super Boy talent show. |
B.he finished fourth in My Show. |
C.he is an exception on his way to fame. |
D.after signing with a record company, he didn’t get much money. |
When he met with difficulty in a record company, he decided to _______.
A.join Super Boy | B.tell the others he was a champion |
C.give up on his way to success | D.quarrel with the boss |
Before he joined in a singing competition, his dream was to become________.
A.a great scientist | B.a good college student |
C.a famous singer | D.a tourist guide |
The 16-year-old girl Jessica Watson is said to be the youngest person to sail non-stop alone around the world. But her record has been questioned because someone thought that she has not sailed far enough. She will also not be recognized by the World Speed Sailing Record Council, as it was too dangerous for someone under 18 years old.
Ms Watson sailed into Sydney port on Saturday, seven months after leaving on a hard voyage. Family, friends and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have gathered to greet her. Thousands of well-wishers waited at the port and watched from boats as Ms Watson sailed her pink, 10m boat over the finishing line. Many more Australians watched the event broadcast live on television. Watson said she was just an “ordinary girl who believed in her dream”.
Ms Watson left Sydney on 18 October, despite that some people disagreed her plan. Watson traveled northeast through the South Pacific and across the equator (赤道), south to Cape Horn at the tip of South America, across the Atlantic Ocean to South Africa, through the Indian Ocean and around southern Australia. The route took her through some of the world’s most changeful waters, and she battled through huge storms and suffered seven accidents of her boat.
People around the world have followed Ms Watson’s adventures on her blog, which she has daily updated (更新). On her blog, she wrote down beautiful sunrise over seas, the excitement of meeting a blue whale and the bright, terrible sight of a shooting star flying across the night sky above her boat. Ms Watson has reportedly sold her story to a news company for $700,000. She is planning to write a book on her experience.
Which of the following oceans didn’t Ms Watson cross through in her voyage?
A.The Pacific Ocean | B.The Atlantic Ocean |
C.The Indian Ocean | D.The Arctic Ocean. |
Ms Watson’s voyage will NOT be considered an official world record mainly because ____.
A.no one can prove that her route was dangerous enough |
B.she hasn’t applied for the record |
C.girls are not allowed to take part in the dangerous sports |
D.teenagers re not encouraged to take such a dangerous adventure |
We can make a conclusion from this passage that Watson ____.
A.would make another voyage for money |
B.made the world round voyage for money |
C.had no way to communicate with others during the voyage. |
D.is so confident and brave that she could overcome troubles on her own |
All the following can be inferred from this passage EXCEPT that ____.
A.her book about her voyage is a best seller |
B.people in Australia had much interest in her voyage |
C.she spent more than 200 days alone at sea |
D.people have different attitudes towards her voyage |
Directions: The following people are expressing their thoughts (1--4) to show their concern for food, environment and so on. After that are pieces of related information (A--E). Now decide which piece of information would be most suitable for the thought and idea mentioned in questions1---4 and mark your answer letter (A---E) on your answer sheet. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
______ How I was struck by the clear water and fresh air in my childhood! But everything has changed, that is, the clear water and fresh air are nowhere to be found again as they were. Above all, a great deal of waste hardly rots away.
_____More and more people are beginning to have a good knowledge of the importance of a safer and cleaner environment, which in turn forces the business to be cleaned up.
____ I’m very much fond of growing some vegetables of my own in my small garden, for many vegetables on sale in markets are actually becoming more and more dangerous as a result of widespread pesticides.
____ Nowadays it is very convenient for consumers to find and buy green food in supermarkets as they are clearly marked.
A.“Organic produce is always better,” Gold said. “The food is free of pesticides, and you are generally supporting family farms instead of large farms. And more often than not it is locally grown and seasonal, so it is more tasty.” Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers buying into the organic trend, and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business. |
B.The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business. No longer will the public accept the old attitude of “Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it.” The public pressure is on, and gradually business is cleaning up its act.[ |
C.Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted. Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment-friendly products have contributed to the pollution problem. One result is that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastic, and metal containers are produced, and these are difficult to get rid of. |
D.Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds. Some supermarket products carry labels (标签) to show that the product is green. Some companies have made the manufacturing (制造) of clean and safe products their main selling point and emphasize it in their advertising. |
E. Market research shows that Gold and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for their preferences - but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete. For example, small amounts of pesticides can be used on organic products. And about three quarters of organic food in Britain is not local but imported to meet growing demand. “The demand for organic food is increasing by about one third every year, so it is a very fast-growing market,” said Sue Flock, a specialist in this line of business.