On 15th June 1996, a huge bomb in Manchester, in the north-west of England, destroyed the city centre, causing nearly a billion pounds’ worth of damage. The bomb, which had been planted by a terrorist group called the IRA, injured over 200 people but remarkably killed no one as police had evacuated the area following a warning from the IRA.
Manchester had already undergone some changes as it recovered from the economic depression of the early 1990s that had destroyed much of its industry and created large-scale unemployment. It had won the right to host the Commonwealth Games (a large sporting event) and redeveloped some deserted areas through the building of the National Velodrome, an exhibition centre and an award-winning concert hall. However, at the time of the bombing, the city centre was still badly neglected — dominated by the Arndale Shopping Centre (once described as looking like an enormous public toilet) and squares that were run-down and affected by drug addiction. So, dreadful though the bombing was, it actually provided an opportunity to start again that might not have happened otherwise.
Within weeks of the explosion, the government had set up a public-private company to manage the recovery and launched an international competition to design the redevelopment. The winning plan involved restoring the historic buildings that had been damaged, tearing down and rebuilding some of the ugly buildings, creating new public spaces and improving life for pedestrians. Alongside this, the government reduced traffic in the centre by changing the direction of some main roads and developed an integrated public transport system, making access to the centre easier. Since these improvements, the city has attempted to boost tourism by using some of the city’s historical sites for major public events and by creating the Urbis building, which now houses the National Museum of Football. In turn, these changes have been key in attracting new investors, such as the Qatari royal family who own Manchester City Football Club.
Since 1996, the Manchester economy has grown in all areas. However, there are some concerns that inequality has also increased. Nor are all the new spaces appreciated. One new garden square designed by an international architect was rated as the worst attraction in the city. Others argue that in changing market stalls and industry for luxury consumption and glass buildings, the city has lost some of its soul.
1. What does the word “evacuate” (paragraph 1)most probably mean?| A．Looking for something in a place. | B．Estimate the losses in a ruined place. |
| C．Remove people from a place of danger. | D．Determine a numerical value of a place. |
| A．It presented an unexpected opportunity for Manchester. |
| B．It destroyed the city centre that used to be busy and crowded. |
| C．It resulted in a lot of people getting hurt or killed in Manchester. |
| D．It cost Manchester its chance to host the Commonwealth Games. |
| A．It set up Manchester City Football Club. |
| B．It organised an international competition to attract new investors. |
| C．It tore down some historical sites to make room for public events. |
| D．It developed a public traffic system to make the city center more accessible. |
| A．Damage Manchester suffered due to the IRA bombing. |
| B．The IRA bombing in Manchester and its consequences. |
| C．Challenges related to the redevelopment of Manchester. |
| D．The long-term effects of the changes made in Manchester. |
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When the Japanese attacked America’s ships at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941,they did it secretly.The makers of the movie Pearl Harbor have behaved differently.
The noise about Pearl Harbor,made by Disney,has reached its highest point with its premiere(首次公演) before the movie opens in cinemas across the US at the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend,a time to recall national heroes who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield.
As Ben Affleck is the main star,the movie seems sure to become a success in the United States at least.
At almost three hours in length,it promises to be a good old Hollywood movie.There is a love story.Affleck and his co-star,Josh Hartnett,both fall in love with the navy nurse,Kate Beckinsale and,of course,there is much human courage and love of country.
It’s certain that Disney will be accused of “changing” history.The showing of actual events in a movie always causes arguments.
Bits of the story are deliberately not mentioned in the movie.It does not address the theory held by some historians that President Franklin Roosevelt knew about Japan’s intention to attack the ships in Pearl Harbor.It is said he did nothing,as he was aware that such a blow would allow him to take America into the Second World War.
Japan remains sensitive about being accused of wartime atrocities(暴行).And Disney is sensitive about its business in Japan,where it has a theme park.
Not all the reviews of the movie have been full of praise.A reviewer for Newsweek,who was given an early preview,acknowledged that the 40-minute sequence(连续镜头) showing the attack itself was powerful.The attack comes quite late in the movie,however,and the reviewer was less impressed with the characters and the love story.
“Almost every line of the dialogue sounds like it comes from an old movie,” the reviewer wrote.
1. From the passage we can infer that the Memorial Day refers to .
| A．the day when the United States was founded |
| B．the day when people honour their ancestors |
| C．a day when people honour those who died in wars |
| D．a day when people celebrate the victories of World War Ⅱ |
| A．may be a very popular movie star |
| B．regarded Josh Hartnett as an enemy |
| C．experienced the Pearl Harbor Incident |
| D．was in love with the actress Kate Beckinsale |
| A．The movie has made the Japanese angry. |
| B．The movie will cause a lot of arguments. |
| C．The movie truly describes the Pearl Harbor Incident. |
| D．The movie shows that President Franklin Roosevelt knew about Japan’s intention. |
| A．The scenes of the attack leave no impression. |
| B．The dialogue in the movie is original and creative. |
| C．The characters and the love story are less attractive. |
| D．The attack scenes occupy too much time of the movie. |
【推荐2】The first Ferris wheel was built for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The people who planned the fair were looking for an attraction that would bring people to Chicago. The Eiffel Tower had been a great success for the fair in Pairs in 1889, and they wanted something like that.
George Ferris handed in drawings of a giant wheel that people could ride on. At first everyone laughed at his strange idea. But Mr. Ferris didn’t give up, and finally the idea was accepted. The ride opened in June of 1893.
That first wheel had thirty six enclosed cars, each holding sixty passengers. When filled it carried 2,160 people. During that summer in Chicago one and a half million people rode the Ferris wheel, which was named after Ferris. Six platforms were used to pick up and drop off passengers. Each ride was two full turns of the wheel. On the first turn, it made six stops for loading. Then the second turn was a nonstop nine-minute ride. Each car had five large glass windows in front and in back, giving everyone a great view of Chicago and Lake Michigan.
After the fair the ride was moved to a nearby amusement park built especially to show off the wheel. In 1904 it was moved again—this time to St. Louis for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. After the fair in St. Louis closed, the wheel stood unused. In 1906 it was finally sold to a company for scrap(废弃材料）metal. It took 200 pounds of dynamite to bring it down.
Fortunately a Chicago bridge builder, W. E. Sullivan, figured out how to make a smaller Ferris wheel that could easily be taken apart and put together. In 1906 he started the company that still makes many of the Ferris wheels used today.
But whenever you ride one remember that it all began with George Ferris’ very strange idea.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?| A．Large designs are more successful than small ones. |
| B．Riding a Ferris wheel is the best way to travel around the world. |
| C．World fairs attracted millions of visitors to Chicago from all around the world. |
| D．Ferris’ design was so successful that Ferris wheels are still around today. |
| A．make George Ferris well-known worldwide. |
| B．attract visitors to an event in Chicago. |
| C．match the Eiffel Tower in Paris |
| D．bring fun to people in Chicago |
| A．He showed great creativity in the Ferris wheel design. |
| B．His Ferris wheel design was impractical. |
| C．He was a leader in the amusement industry. |
| D．He did a lot better than W. |
| E．Sullivan. |
| A．To persuade the reader to ride a Ferris wheel. |
| B．To describe the success of the 1893 World’s Fair. |
| C．To inform the reader about the first Ferris wheel ever built. |
| D．To entertain the reader with a story about World Fairs in the US. |
【推荐3】What is the capital of Canada? If you’re well-versed in geographic knowledge, you know the answer is Ottawa. But why is that? After all, Toronto is much larger than any other city in Canada. Montreal is an international city with ties to Europe. Vancouver is a major city with a very strategic port. Quebec City is centrally located.
Why were none of these cities chosen to be the capital of Canada? As it turns out, choosing a capital city is more complicated than pointing to the biggest city on the map.
Ottawa was a good choice because it was centrally located between two other major contenders. Montreal (which was predominantly French) and York (now Toronto, which was predominantly British). These two cities were the largest in Ontario and Quebec, which were at the center of Canada in the middle of 19th century. Picking Ottawa was a good compromise, as the Queen did not want to appear to favor one major city over the other.
Also, unlike Toronto and Montreal, Ottawa was central but also a safe distance away from Canada’s southern neighbor, the United States. It meant the capital would be safer in the event the U.S. decided to attack again. After all, it had only been 40 years since the War of 1812 when American troops had invaded as a result of British interference(干涉) in shipping. Although America was unable to capture Canada, the invasion was costly for the British government, who was not about to let it happen again.
Hence, Ottawa was a great choice for the capital of Canada.
1. Which is the biggest city in Canada?| A．Toronto. | B．Ottawa. |
| C．Montreal. | D．Vancouver. |
| A．Ottawa was in the middle of Canada. |
| B．The Queen did not want to be criticized. |
| C．The two cities were in the middle of Canada. |
| D．There were different languages between the two cities. |
| A．The United States was a good neighbor. |
| B．The United States often attacked Canada. |
| C．Toronto and Montreal were in the middle of Canada. |
| D．The capital was not easy to be attacked. |
Eating a big breakfast could help you burn double the amount of calories than if you eat a larger meal at dinner.
It could be the key to losing weight while also keeping blood sugar levels steady, researchers at Lübeck University in Germany said. Their study found filling up in the morning boosts a metabolism (新陈代谢) process known as diet-induced thermogenesis(DIT). DIT refers to the number of calories the body expends to heat the body and digest food. It was shown to be twice as high for those who ate more at breakfast than at dinner. On the other hand, a low-calorie breakfast increases appetite(食欲), especially for sweets, the researchers admitted.
The findings published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism were based on a laboratory experiment of 16 men. They consumed a low and high calorie breakfast and dinner one day—and then vice versa (反过来) on another. The study also showed increases in blood sugar and insulin concentrations, caused by eating a meal, was reduced after breakfast, but not so much after dinner. The results also showed eating a low-calorie breakfast caused sweet desires with a higher appetite. This suggests those saving all their calories for the end of the day may face consequences because they snack more.
The study adds to increasing evidence that the best way of losing weight is to eat your largest meal in the morning—and your smallest in the evening. Dr Richter, a neurobiologist at Lübeck University, said, “Eating more at breakfast instead of dinner could prevent obesity(肥胖) and high blood sugar.” Both obesity and high blood sugar can lead to many life-threatening illnesses including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Previous research has shown DIT is lower in people with obesity. It’s seen as a measure of how well our metabolism is working.
DIT can differ depending on mealtime and is generally slower in the evening and at night due to our body clocks. Dr Richter said, “We recommend that patients with obesity as well as healthy people eat a large breakfast rather than a large dinner to reduce body weight and prevent metabolic diseases.”
Professor Daniela Jakubowicz, author of The Big Breakfast Diet, found that those who piled on the calories in the morning were more likely to feel satisfied, preventing snacking throughout the day. And another study by Professor Jakubowicz found that eating chocolate in the morning, when our metabolism is at its highest, prevented desires for sweet things later on.
1. We can learn from the passage that DIT ________| A．is usually slower in the evening than during the daytime. |
| B．refers to the number of calories needed to heat the body. |
| C．has been found by the researchers in a Germany university . |
| D．may become twice lower when people eat a big breakfast. |
| A．cause diabetes | B．lead to obesity |
| C．keep appetite | D．lower blood sugar |
| A．The observation of blood sugar changes. |
| B．Basic theories about diet-induced thermogenesis. |
| C．The data collected from a laboratory experiment. |
| D．Different experiments on people with different appetite. |
| A．DIT: lower in the morning or evening? | B．A low or high calorie dinner |
| C．A big breakfast, or a large dinner? | D．Less calories, better health |
【推荐2】Ice cream is especially popular in the United States. In fact, Americans eat more ice cream than people in any other country. Ice cream is a frozen treat that comes in hundreds of flavors. What’s your favorite flavor? Is it vanilla? That is the most popular flavor by far. Chocolate ranks second in popularity.
Making ice cream is pretty simple. It’s usually made from milk, cream, sugar, and flavorings (调味品). Mix them all together as you freeze them and you get ice cream. As the mixture begins to freeze you can then add fruit, nuts, or chocolate. Soft ice cream is just the ice cream that isn’t fully frozen yet. Some people make ice cream at home in an ice cream mixer, a special kind of home freezer. But nearly all ice cream produced today is made by machines in ice cream factories.
There are many other popular frozen desserts that are similar to ice cream. Sherbet is made from fruit syrup (糖浆) that has milk or egg white added to it. Spumoni is an ice cream with fruits and nuts. Ice milk, also called low-fat ice cream, is a sweetened frozen food made of skimmed milk.
You can even get ice cream made without milk or cream. Soy ice cream and rice ice cream are made without dairy products. They’re made using soy bean milk or rice milk instead.
Ice cream comes in countless flavors. You’ve probably eaten vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Other favorites include strawberry, cherry, peach, butter pecan, and chocolate mint. But have you ever eaten ice cream flavored with garlic or green tea? Some people do. You can even buy ice cream flavored with rose petals.
1. The underlined word “That” in first paragraph refers to “___________”.| A．any ice cream | B．vanilla | C．flavor | D．frozen treat |
| A．We should add nuts after we freeze the mixture. |
| B．Most Americans make their cream at home. |
| C．Soft ice cream isn’t fully frozen. |
| D．Making ice cream isn’t considered to be simple. |
| A．other frozen desserts | B．desserts in America |
| C．ice cream | D．ice cream with milk |
| A．Sherbet. | B．Spumoni. | C．Soft-serve ice cream. | D．Low-fat ice cream. |
【推荐3】Bats appear many times in literature and history, and have different roles depending on where you find them. But bats have an important role to play in our eco-system, and some of them are becoming endangered. International Bat Night was established to help people grasp some facts about bats. While we often think of bats as predators (捕食者) feeding on blood, the truth is quite different. Yes, there are bats that feed on blood, but they mostly feed on insects.
Bats are one of the major factors in reducing the numbers of obnoxious night insects like mosquitoes (蚊子) . If you’re a camper, you’ll know how uncomfortable mosquitoes can make an otherwise pleasant camping. There are also bats that feed on nectar (花蜜) , and help to spread the seeds of plants, in many cases where they’re the only ones working to help those plants produce! These are just a few of the qualities that bats own. There are far more than that, and International Bat Night is a great time to learn about them.
At International Bat Night, you can enjoy the quiet of the evening and watch the skies in your nearest bat habitat. Maybe it’s a night out in the woods, or just sitting at your front door if you’re fortunate enough. If you’re feeling both generous and adventurous, you can head out to one of your local Bat Conservatories and celebrate the night with the workers there while making a contribution to their work. Volunteer with them and help protect our flying friends!
1. What is the purpose of establishing International Bat Night?| A．To start a war against bats. |
| B．To reduce the number of bats. |
| C．To introduce the history of bats. |
| D．To get people to know some facts about bats. |
| A．Active. | B．Tiny. | C．Unpleasant. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．Bats can prevent diseases by feeding on mosquitoes. |
| B．Bats play a role in promoting the plants’ production. |
| C．Bats fly at night without disturbing human activities. |
| D．Bats can gather all the nectar from fruit and vegetables. |
| A．What to do to give protection to bats. |
| B．How to become a volunteer at the event. |
| C．How to celebrate International Bat Night. |
| D．What to watch at International Bat Night. |
