Nowadays, more and more people are moving to big, noisy cities from small villages. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a residential area nearby, too. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the USA, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see many huge skyscrapers and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.
1. Why do people move to live in cities or towns?| A．Because they would like to live a more comfortable life there. |
| B．Because they mainly want to find a job there. |
| C．Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life. |
| D．Because they are sure of having a better life there. |
| A．Big companies usually have their main offices in the business district. |
| B．Nearly every major city has its own business district. |
| C．A business district usually lies in the city center downtown. |
| D．The people working in the business district in America only need to travel a short way to work. |
| A．work in the center of a big city but live in the suburbs of the city |
| B．work in the suburbs of a big city and live there |
| C．work in the center of a big city and live there |
| D．work in the center of a big city but live in rural areas |
| A．has now stopped already | B．will surely continue in the future |
| C．has been going on for more than 2,000 years | D．may not continue in the future |
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The city is seeing a rise in private car owners. In March, the city sent out 2,000 private car licenses, the highest number of licenses ever sent out in a month. And prices rose to 14,600 yuan, 500 more than in February. Industry experts say this suggests that local people have a strong, active interest in buying cars.
By the year 2020, the number of automobiles in Shanghai will probably reach two million. If one parking lot is for each car, then a lot of parking space should be built for these vehicles.
Downtown Shanghai is most short of parking space. However, experts point out that simply building more parking lots in downtown areas is not practical and doesn’t provide an ideal solution. The idea of “Park & Ride” system has been suggested. This means that drivers can leave their vehicles in car par nearby subway or bus stations and ride public transport to go downtown. Based on this idea, the city will limit the number of parking lots in downtown areas and demand higher parking fees but build more parking areas near main subway and bus stops.
1. The underlined phrase “mapping out ” in the first paragraph means __________.
| A．making | B．arguing | C．controlling | D．inspiring |
| A．850,000 | B．1,000,000 | C．150,000 | D．2,000,000 |
| A．The city sent out more private licenses in February. |
| B．Less and less people bought cars in March. |
| C．The city sent out less private licenses in March. |
| D．More and more people are going to buy cars. |
| A．send out more private car licenses |
| B．build more parking lots near bus stops |
| C．encourage people to buy more cars |
| D．build more parking areas in downtown |
As you get closer to middle school, a computer with Internet access becomes more of a necessity. Teachers will often give assignments that require a student to use the Internet for research. After a computer, technology choices for students become more difficult to make – especially when it comes to cell-phones. Kids will beg their parents for a cell-phone, especially in middle school. For many parents, it's a safety issue: They want to know that their kids can reach them quickly if necessary. For teachers, cell phones can be used to record lessons when students are absent. But many teachers dislike cell-phones. Some kids send messages or have talks in the class. Sending messages also raises the problem of cheating on exams. More and more schools are now forbidding the use of cell-phones.
Many kids see iPods as necessary things to have. iPods are great for music, but do they do anything good for your children’s education? Maybe they do. That’s the opinion of Doug Johnson, an educator for 30 years. Johnson says that educators should accept all new forms of technology in the classroom, including iPods. “Some do more with their cell- phones than we can do with our laptops,” he jokes. “I don’t think we should be afraid. The truth is that it’s easier to change the way we teach than to change the technology habits of an entire generation.”
1. According to author, primary school children should___.
| A．use the computer and the Internet regularly | B．ask their parents to buy them cell-phones |
| C．buy iPods to listen to music | D．go to libraries to read more books |
| A．They want their children to be cool. |
| B．They think cell-phones be helpful to their study. |
| C．They want to keep in touch with their children. |
| D．They want their children to keep up to date. |
| A．cell-phones can be used to cheat on exams |
| B．schoolchildren will send messages during class |
| C．cell-phones can be used to record lessons |
| D．schoolchildren might talk on them during class |
| A．iPods can be used to listen to music. |
| B．iPods can be helpful for children’s education. |
| C．iPods can be used to play games. |
| D．iPods are necessary for children’s lives. |
| A．cell-phones are not useful to students |
| B．teachers should let students use cell-phones |
| C．it’s better for teachers to change their teaching methods |
| D．schoolchildren should follow the trends(潮流) of fashion |
【推荐3】LEGO is to begin selling braille (盲文) bricks to help blind and partially sighted children learn to read the touch-based alphabet (全部字母).
After the first announcement of its braille bricks in 2019, LEGO has announced that shoppers would be able to buy the accessible kit for the first time. Up until now, the LEGO Foundation has given out the kits free of charge, as part of a pilot program, to organizations specializing in the education of children with vision impairment (障碍).
While some view braille as old-fashioned, given modern technology that can turn written text into spoken word, blind adults say they like to read with their fingers while listening to other things.
The European Blind Union says knowledge of braille leads to improved spelling, reading and writing, contributing to higher levels of education and better employment opportunities for those who are vision impaired.
Dave Williams, who works for the Royal National Institute of Blind People, which acts for blind and partially sighted people, said, “Who would want a greeting card read to you? And there are things like board games.” And he added learning braille with LEGO helped give those who could not read print independence.
Lisa Taylor, mum to seven-year-old Olivia, said, “Olivia first discovered LEGO braille bricks at school and they had such a big impact on her curiosity about braille. Before then, she found it hard to get started with the symbols but now she’s improving all the time.”
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 2?| A．LEGO is the first firm to put braille into use. |
| B．LEGO began its sell of braille bricks in 2019. |
| C．LEGO integrates old tradition with modern technology. |
| D．LEGO has donated braille bricks to certain organizations. |
| A．Reading with their fingers. | B．Listening to a greeting card. |
| C．Writing with new technology. | D．Learning from past experience. |
| A．By improving their social skills. | B．By bettering their reading ability. |
| C．By helping them develop independence. | D．By awakening their curiosity about braille. |
| A．To express users’ satisfaction. | B．To start a new topic. |
| C．To erase doubts about LEGO. | D．To compare different opinions. |
【推荐1】Now too much CO2 makes the Earth warmer and warmer, and brings bad effect to people. To save our Earth, a new lifestyle called low-carbon life becomes popular. Low carbon means low energy and no waste. It is necessary for everybody to learn to live a low-carbon life.
To live a low-carbon life, we’d better save as much energy as we can. For example, turn off the lights and TV when you don’t use them, use cold water to wash clothes or dishes; take a short shower and try to take a cold one when the weather gets warm; don’t do the cooking with electricity.
To live a low-carbon life, we should eat less meat. Being a vegetarian can help reduce (减少) one and a half ton of carbon dioxide a year, but keeping animals for food produces even more carbon dioxide than all the cars do in the world.
To live a low-carbon life, we should plant more trees. Trees are very important for us. They can not only produce oxygen for us to breathe and keep the air clean, but also take in the harmful gases from the air. To protect trees we should stop people from cutting down trees and plant as many trees as we can.
If we can keep them a habit in our daily life, the earth will become a safer planet for us to live on.
1. Why does low-carbon life become popular?| A．Because it can protect animals. | B．Because it can save the earth. |
| C．Because it can protect trees. | D．Because it can clean water. |
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．We can use cold water in our life. | B．We can try to use less water. |
| C．We can eat too much meat. | D．We can take a bath. |
| A．The ways to protect trees. | B．The ways to keep animals for food. |
| C．The ways to live a comfortable life. | D．The ways to live a low-carbon life. |
【推荐2】Scientists at Israel’s Tel Aviv University say they have created the world’s first 3D-printed heart with human tissue and blood vessels. Although the organ is only as big as a rabbit’s heart, the researchers are hoping the technology could one day be developed enough to help human patients in need of a heart transplant.
Lead researcher Tal Dvir said that while other scientists have managed to 3D-print the structure of a heart in the past, this is the first time anyone has printed an entire heart. “Our results demonstrate the potential of our approach for engineering personalized tissue and organ replacement in the future,” Dvir said in a press statement.
Scientists used fatty tissue taken from human patients to create the heart. Some material in the tissue was reprogrammed to become stem cells. The remaining material was processed into a hydrogel. They used the hydrogel as a printing: “ink”. This method plays a key role in removing the risk that the implant will be rejected by the patient’s body. The team’s next step is to cultivate the organs in a lab and to teach them how to “behave” like hearts. Dvir’s 3D-printed hearts can currently contract, but the cells still need to develop a pumping ability. His team eventually plans to test the hearts in animals.
“Maybe, in ten years, there will be organ printers in the finest hospitals around the world, and these procedures will be conducted routinely,” Dvir said. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 610,000 people die of this disease in America every year─amounting to about 1 in every 4 deaths. There are currently more than 3, 700 people waiting for a heart transplant in the United States, according to data from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
1. What is the purpose of creating the 3D-printed heart?| A．To develop 3 D-printed technology. | B．To help patients receive a new heart. |
| C．To study the hearts of rabbits. | D．To connect hospitals with universities. |
| A．The procedures of the research. | B．The importance of the research. |
| C．The method of the 3D-printed heart. | D．The material of the 3D-printed heart. |
| A．To appeal to hospitals to reduce medical fees. |
| B．To explain the main reason for heart disease. |
| C．To show the need to advance the new technology. |
| D．To urge researchers to develop effective medical devices. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Disapproving. | D．Indifferent. |
【推荐3】“The Manuscript Writing Cafe only allows in people who have a writing deadline to face!” owner Takuya Kawai tweeted. “It’s in order to maintain a level of focus and tense atmosphere at the cafe! Thank you for your understanding.”
The cafe, which only opened a few days ago, charges customers by time used, and is equipped with USB ports, computer stands, and free Wi-Fi. Struggling writers can also bring their own food and drinks, or have it delivered there since coffee and water are the only things that they can get, but it’s pretty strict when it comes to the actual writing.
When entering the cafe, customers must write down at the reception desk（前台）how many words they plan to write and by what time they plan to finish. Every hour, a member of the staff will come by to check on their progress and apply a predetermined pressure level to help move things along.
For example, choosing the “S” level will have the cafe staff pushing you to get the work done more often, while the “M” level includes a more mild way.
However, the craziest rule of the Manuscript Writing Cafe is that writers are not allowed to end their work until reaching their goal or until the place closes down for the day, whichever comes first. It’s not clear how the cafe carries out this rule, but it is meant to keep customers from announcing high targets that they won’t be able to meet.
While some found it interesting, others said that it was too much pressure.
“If it were me, I would no longer be able to leave the store and would end up having to live there,” one person commented.
1. What is the purpose of opening the cafe?| A．To provide a good atmosphere for writing. |
| B．To earn a lot from writers. |
| C．To open a different cafe and attract people. |
| D．To gather people who love writing. |
| A．The service offered by the cafe. |
| B．The introduction of the cafe. |
| C．The unique rules in the cafe. |
| D．The charging standard of the cafe. |
| A．Many writers have the problem of finishing writing in time. |
| B．The rules are useful for effective writing. |
| C．Food and drinks are not allowed in the cafe. |
| D．Writers cannot leave the cafe unless they finish writing. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Varied. |
【推荐1】There is fierce debate about the best city and the most desirable county to settle down in Texas. No doubt Montgomery County is one of the state’s top competitors.
There are several thriving (蓬勃发展的) industries. Employment opportunities matter and Montgomery County has some thriving industries that are always looking for some new employees.
You’ll find nearby wildlife. You’re close to the Highlands, where you can see animal species,
It has the feel of a small town. When you move to Montgomery County, you’re very close to Houston. You can go shopping there or catch a Rockets or Astros game any time you like. At the same time, there’s a decidedly small- town feel to the place.
| A．There’s absolutely amazing food. |
| B．Conditions vary from school to school. |
| C．You may get into the healthcare industries. |
| D．There’s a new restaurant opening up in the county. |
| E．The community is close-knit, and there are small-sized classes. |
| F．The following are several reasons why it is such a pleasant place. |
| G．You’re also surrounded by incredible natural beauty in Montgomery County. |
I would like you to come to my place and meet my people at the end of your journey. You can’t leave America without visiting New York. My brother’s hobby, as you know, is taking pictures. He has a big album(相册)of pictures of the United States and of New York. I’m sending some of them to you. When you look atthemyou’ll understand why New York is a city of islands. In fact it lies on three big islands: Manhattan, Staten Island and Long Island. There are many small islands in the city.
The most expensive part of New York is Manhattan. This island is famous for its skyscrapers(摩天大楼).Broadway is a famous street in New York. It is known for its theatres and you can see wonderful shows there.
There are many museums and art galleries(画廊)in New York. Pupils often visit museums and have their art classes there. School children often visit the Bronx Zoo. It is the largest of the New York City zoos. It opened in 1899 and since then has always been a favorite place for animal lovers and children.
In 1789, New York became the first capital of the United States of America but it remained the capital for only one year. Now, as I’m sure you know, Washington, D.C. is the capital of the country.
1. The underlined word “them” in Para.2refers to__________.
| A．cards | B．albums |
| C．pictures | D．letters |
| A．Manhattan is known for its skyscrapers |
| B．New York is famous for its wonderful shows |
| C．the Bronx Zoo has the longest history among the zoos in America. |
| D．New York contains three islands in total |
| A．an advertisement | B．a letter |
| C．a travel journal | D．a geography report |
| A．persuade his friend to visit New York |
| B．introduce Washington D. C. in America |
| C． describe three islands in New York |
| D．show his brother’s album |
Visitors to the Olympic Games may leave disappointed if they see Athens only through the eyes of the typical tourist, who makes a beeline of the islands after the visit to the Acropolis(雅典卫城) and the unusual and attractive Plaka district. To fully appreciate and discover Athens’ many charms(魅力), do as the Greeks do: walk out into the neighborhoods, find the packed nightclubs, eat at one of the innumerable(数不清的) restaurants, or see Hollywood stars under real stars in a romantic outdoor cinema.
The Greek capital is named for the ancient goddess Athena, whose favourite animal was the owl(猫头鹰). It’s a fitting symbol for the city’s nocturnal (夜里的) nature, which often reaches its highest point in summer with a rush hour just before dawn.
As native Athenian Panos Demestiha said, Athens by day is unlivable(不宜居住的), but it’s magical at night. Athenians face up to heavy traffic block, decreasing green space, dusty streets… City officials are using the momentum(契机) of the August 13-29 Olympics to fix some of these problems and make city life more bearable.
1. To the surprise of the visitors to Athens , ____.
| A．most of the cabs are often full all day long |
| B．the cabs are often empty |
| C．the cabs are almost full even at 2:30 am |
| D．there is no cab in the street at 2:30 am. |
| A．a goddess | B．a famous athlete |
| C．a kind of animal | D．a kind of plant |
| A．the neighborhood | B．the Plaka district |
| C．the Acropolis | D．famous islands |
| A．astonishing | B．forgettable |
| C．exciting | D．comfortable |
