【推荐1】The Sydney Opera House is a very famous building in the world. It has become Sydney's best-known landmark and international symbol. The Opera House with a "sailing roof" was designed by a famous Danish architect（丹麦建筑大师）, Utzon. The base for the building was started in 1959, years before the designs were finished. Utzon spent four years designing the Opera House. In 1962, the designs were finalized（定稿）and the construction began. In 1967, they started the decoration inside. It took 14 years in total to build the Opera House. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it on October 20th, 1973.

The Sydney Opera House cost around $100 million and was paid for by the public. 6,225 square meters of glass was used to build it. The Opera House includes 1,000 rooms. It is 185 meters long and 120 meters wide. The building's roof sections weigh about 15 tons. Each year, this fantastic building attracts 200,000 tourists to come for a visit or enjoy events in it.

The Opera House reaches out into the harbour（港湾）. It is amazing and unforgettable, offering people a strong sense of beauty.

1. The designer of the Sydney Opera House was from       .

A．America

B．Australia

C．England

D．Denmark

2. Building the Sydney Opera House lasted       .

A．from 1959 to 1973

B．from 1962 to 1973

C．from 1959 to 1967

D．from 1962 to 1967

3. The underlined word "construction" means        in Chinese.

A．创立

B．设计

C．施工

D．竣工

4.        paid for the cost of the building of the Sydney Opera House.

A．Utzon

B．The public

C．Queen Elizabeth II

D．The government

5. Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Sailing Roof	B．Travelling in Sydney
C．The Sydney Opera House	D．The Opening of the Opera House

【推荐2】Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons for example, economic reasons—why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?

In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.

It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative and do not like change.

Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward. If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different, even though that might be the more risky choice.

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the author?

A．We should reproduce the same old buildings.

B．Buildings should not dominate their surroundings.

C．Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in.

D．No one understands why people speak against new buildings.

2. By “more things forward” in the last paragraph, the author probably means “__________”.

A．Destroy old buildings	B．Put things in a different place
C．Choose new architectural styles	D．Respect people’s feelings for historical buildings

3. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To explain why people dislike change.

B．To warm that we could end up living in caves.

C．To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.

D．To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.

【推荐3】In Pontevedra, Spain, people don’t shout. Since cars are not allowed in the city, there are no horns（喇叭）or noises from car engines. People don’t have to try hard to make themselves heard. What you hear in the street, instead, is the singing of birds.

“Listen,” says Miguel Lores, the mayor（市长）, opening the windows of his office. From the street below rises the sound of human voices. “More than 14,000 cars used to pass along this street every day. There were more cars passing through the city in a day than people living here.

Lores became mayor in 1999. He spent months walking around the city. “The historical city is dead,” he said one day. “It is full of cars. It is heavily polluted. There are a lot of traffic accidents. The elderly and children aren’t able to use the streets because of cars. People who had a chance to leave have done so.”

At first, Lores thought of improving traffic conditions. However, he couldn’t come up with a good plan. After lots of discussions, the government finally decided to get rid of（清除）cars.

The change has brought Pontevedra many benefits. Traffic accidents are now rare（罕见的）. CO₂ emissions（排放物）are down by 70%. Many people are moving to the city, making it lively again.

Most local people like the change. Ramiro Armesto, a mother of two young children, said, “In the past, the first thing to see in the morning was traffic jams. Now, the city is cleaner, quieter and safer.” Raquel Garcia, another parent, said she had stayed in many cities around the world. However, she had never lived in a city as “easy to live in” as Pontevedra. “Even if it’s raining, I walk everywhere. The feeling is wonderful,” she added.

1. From Paragraph 1, we know Pontevedra is a(n) ________ city in Spain.

A．ancient

B．quiet

C．busy

D．crowded

2. For Lores, what was the city Pontevedra’s main problem?

A．The historical city was dead.	B．There were lots of traffic accidents.
C．Many people were leaving the city.	D．There were too many cars in the city.

3. The underlined word “benefits” probably means “________” in English.

A．choices

B．advantages

C．problems

D．symbols

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To show how people like the change.	B．To let more cities follow the change.
C．To explain what people think of the city.	D．To tell why people like living in Pontevedra.

5. What is the best title of the passage?

A．A city without cars.	B．The path to a city’s progress.
C．A good plan for a city.	D．The changes of Pontevedra.

【推荐1】

Timetable Air Beijing (International)							CAAC
		Beijing	Bahrain	Doha	Abu Dhabi	Duhai		Muscat
Week	Flight No	Leaving	Arriving	Arriving	Arriving	Arriving		Arriving
Mon	F002	1000	1920		2225	0725
	F112	2045		0615		1900		1030
Tus	F004	1000		1930				2225
Wed	F008	1000	1920		2225			0010
	F018	2045				1375		0925
Thurs	F012	1400	2320		0325
	F018	2045				137		0925
Fri	F016	1000	1920					2225
	F126	2045						0825
Sat	F006	1000		1930				0010
	F128	2045	0605			0855		1035
Sun	F014	1000		1930		2230
	F022	2045	0605					0945

1. What does 2045 mean?

A．twenty forty-five in the evening

B．eight forty-five in the morning

C．a quarter past eight in the evening

D．a quarter to nine in the evening

2. What’s the flight number from Beijing to Abu Dhabi?

A．F002, F004 and F012

B．F002, F008 and F012

C．F002, F008 and F018

D．F012, F016 and F022

3. How long does it take from Beijing to Doha?

A．Ten hours.

B．Nine hours and a half.

C．Seven and a half hours.

D．Six hours and a quarter.

4. On what days can one fly from Beijing to Doha arriving in the morning?

A．Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

B．Monday, Thursday and Wednesday.

C．Wednesday.

D．Monday.

【推荐1】Chocolate is one of the most popular foods in the world. Many people choose it as a birthday gift. When a child gets a box of chocolate as a gift, he may feel happy. It is popular among people, especially among children.
Chocolate tastes nice. People eat chocolate candy, chocolate cake and chocolate cookies. They also drink hot chocolate.
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans. Here are some interesting things about cocoa beans.
In the past, the Mayas and the Aztecs used cocoa beans as money because they were small, easy to carry, and not easy to find. A turkey cost ninety cocoa beans and a small rabbit cost thirty cocoa beans. They also cooked the beans and mixed(混合)them with water. Sometimes they added corn or hot pepper. They did not add sugar. The drink was very expensive. Only rich people could buy it.
1. There are some different kinds of foods. Which is not mentioned(提及)in the passage?

A．chocolate candy	B．chocolate cake
C．chocolate cookies	D．chocolate ice cream

2. The Mayas and the Aztecs used cocoa beans as money for some reasons.
Which is 1NOT one of the reasons?

A．They were small.

B．They were easy to carry. '

C．They were not easy to find.

D．They tasted nice.

3. If a person wanted to buy two turkeys and three rabbits, he needed to pay_____ for them.

A．120 cocoa beans	B．240 cocoa beans
C．270 cocoa beans	D．360 cocoa beans

4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．The chocolate is not popular among children.

B．People never drink hot chocolate.

C．The Mayas and the Aztecs added sugar to the beans.

D．The Mayas and the Aztecs mixed the beans with water.

【推荐2】 Our English teacher，Tom Jackson，has some good neighbours. They are Carl，Ann，Joe and Mary. Here's some information about them.

Carl is a train conductor. He works on the railway for 28 years. It is always a good job for him because he likes meeting people. Carl is very helpful and tries to make the passengers comfortable. He often stops to talk with the passengers. He likes his work because he can travel to many different places.

Ann is a kind woman in a small town. In a hospital she works as a nurse for four years. She likes her work very much This month she is helping mothers with their new babies.

Joe is a taxi driver. He drives a taxi for 22 years. Most of the time Joe likes his work He takes many film and television stars to the airport. He is cheerful and smiles a lot，and his passengers like him. He makes a good living and supports a family of four.

Mary is a teacher in a high school. She teaches French. She has 33 students in her class. 15 boys and 18 girls. She likes her students，and her students like her，too. She is very kind and helps them a lot. She is always happy to be a teacher.

1. Carl likes his job because.

A．he can meet many film and television stars

B．he makes a good living

C．he works on the railway for 28 years

D．he can go to many different places

2. Mary___________，so her students like her.

A．often travels with her students by train

B．often stops to talk with her students

C．is kind-hearted and helpful

D．can make friends with many film stars

3. Which of the following is true？

A．Ann helps mothers with their new babies for four years.

B．Ann works as a nurse for four years.

C．There are thirty-three students in Ann's class.

D．With Ann's help，the passengers can feel comfortable on the train.

4. The word“supports”means "____________ "in the passage.

A．加强

B．激励

C．拥护

D．供养

5. From the passage，we learn that___________ enjoy their work all the time.

A．Carl，Ann and Joe	B．Mary，Carl and Ann
C．All of Tom's four friends	D．Joe，Ann and Mary

【推荐3】Extreme sports(极限运动) are very exciting. They are not safe for everyone, but a lot of people like them now. Here are two popular extreme sports. Take a look.

Wingsuit flying(翼装飞行)

Do you dream of flying like a bird? If your answer is “Yes”, you can try wingsuit flying.

Look! The man is wearing a wingsuit. The big wingsuit catches the wind, so he can fly in the sky. Wingsuit players usually jump out of a plane to start their flying.

Parkour( 跑酷)

Parkour is a special sport. Parkour players get around cities in a different way. They jump and climb to move across, over and under any walls or buildings. At first, it was a part of military training(军事训练) in France. Later the word “parkour” first showed up in 1997. David Belle made it popular all over the world.

1. What does the writer think of extreme sports?
① safe        ② boring        ③ popular        ④ dangerous       ⑤ easy

A．①③

B．②④

C．③④

D．②⑤

2. People did parkour to ________ in France at first.

A．relax

B．train

C．study

D．grow

3. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the passage?

A．Extreme sports are very exciting, but dangerous for lots of people.

B．Wingsuit players usually jump out of a train to start their flying.

C．David Belle is an important man in parkour's history.

D．Parkour was once a part of military training in France.