1 . In the aftermath of many wars including the Vietnam war in the late 1970s, much of the village land in Cambodia today is still unable to be used because of the large number of unexploded landmines(地雷) that are thought to be left hidden in the ground. In fact, around half of people there believe that landmines have restricted(限制) their life in some way.
Searching unexploded landmines is a dangerous task. Dogs are often trained to help with the searches. Although this is known to be an effective method, it takes too much money and time to both train and transport them.
Things however are looking brighter on the horizon as there has been a big breakthrough by an organization in Belgium (known as APOPO) who have been successfully training the African giant pouched rats to look for landmines.
The small size and lightweight bodies of the rats mean that they themselves do not set the landmines off if they walk over them, making sure that these little animals are simply not being sent off to their death. They are so efficient that one African giant pouched rat is thought to be able to search an area over 200 square feet in just 20 minutes (which would take a person up to four days).
Since 1997 when APOPO was founded, these creatures have helped to find 13, 200 landmines which can then be cleared from Cambodia but also from minefields in Tanzania, Mozambique and Angola.
1. What restricts Cambodians’ life according to the passage?| A．The unexploded landmines | B．Dogs that are often trained |
| C．The African giant pouched rats | D．There are too many wars there |
① It takes too much money and time to both train and transport dogs.
② It is not an effective method to use dogs to search landmines.
③ The African giant pouched rats don’t set the landmines off if they walk over them
④ That African giant pouched rats search the landmines very quickly.
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①②④ | D．①③④ |
| A．clever and beautiful | B．strong and clever |
| C．small and light | D．expensive and strong |
| A．in 1996 | B．in 1997 | C．in 1998 | D．in 1999 |
| A．The giant rats helping to clear landmines. | B．A dangerous place with unexploded landmines |
| C．We should protect animals around us | D．The giant rats are more useful than dogs |
2 . My name is Michael. This is my neighborhood. There is a big supermarket near my house. The Things there are cheap, so many people like shopping there. Across from the supermarket is a school. It's my school. There is a library next to my school. I like reading books there.
I am Nick. My neighborhood is busy. There are a lot of stores and restaurants in my neighborhood. My house is on a street corner. There is a post office near it. And next to the post office is a pay phone.
My name is Amy. In my neighborhood, there is a big park. Lots of people go there to have fun. I like to play there, too. There is a restaurant across from the park. A bank is next to the restaurant. And some clothes stores are near the bank.
1. How is the supermarket near Michael’s house?| A．Quiet. | B．Small | C．Big | D．Far. |
| A．Next to a restaurant | B．Near a post office |
| C．On the Center Street. | D．Across from the park |
① a park ② a bank ③ a restaurant ④ a supermarket
| A．①②③. | B．①②④ | C．②③④ | D．①③④ |
| A．Nick’s neighborhood is very quiet | B．Amy likes to play in a small park |
| C．Michael enjoys reading books in the library. | D．Their houses are far from the shopping center. |
| A．Our Neighborhood | B．Our Family |
| C．Our supermarket | D．Our Park |
3 . Would you like to live in a city where buildings turn the lights off for you, and self-driving cars will find the nearest parking space themselves? Although it might sound a little far from you, living in a “smart” city like this could happen sooner than you think.
Great changes have taken place in towns that we have lived in for centuries, while completely new cities are being built. One such place is the city of Songdo. Every home there will have a “telepresence”system(远程遥控系统)--- allowing users to control the heating and looks, take part in video meetings, and receive education, healthcare and government services. Around the city, escalators(自动扶梯) will only move when someone is on them, and offices and schools will all be connected to the system.
The great mind behind Songdo is from the company Cisco. In fact, technology companies round the world such as IBM, Siemens and Microsoft are already in the business.
About 75% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050, so cities will need to be more modern to deal with the coming problems. “Making cities smarter is one way out, and I think this will in turn make cities greener.” Said Dan Hill, head of a research company.
1. According to the text, living in a “smart” city _______________.| A．is not a green way | B．will be far from you |
| C．will soon become true | D．is completely impossible |
| A．A meeting in Songdo. | B．A city of the future |
| C．A plan to build a house, | D．A report on public health |
| A．Cisco | B．IBM | C．Siements | D．Microsoft |
| A．drive people out of cities | B．control the world’s population |
| C．develop his own company | D．solve the cities’ coming problems |
| A．Future Education | B．Smart Cities |
| C．Government Services | D．Famous Companies |
4 . I just returned to my hometown of Wilson Creek. I was away for 10 years. So many things have changed around here. When I left Wilson Creek, there was a small lake in the south-east of the town.
They have filled in the lake and built a large shopping center and a swimming pool there. They have also built a new post office just across from my old school.
The baseball stadium(体育场)in the north-east of Wilson Creek has also changed a lot. They have now added a new stand(看台). Now the stadium can seat a few thousand people. It looks really great.
The biggest changes have taken place in the town center. It has become a pedestrianised area(步行区) and you can't drive there anymore. They have built a large square and a cinema. There is also a new street cafe and a grassy area.
My street looks just the same as it always has been, but a public library has appeared on the next street. There used to be a park there but they have cut down all the trees. What a pity! The library now has a large green area in front of it but it's not the same as when the park was there.
Another change is the new restaurants that have opened in Wilson Creek. A Chinese restaurant and an Italian restaurant have opened in the town center, and a Mexican restaurant has opened near my home. I'm going to the Mexican one tomorrow!
1. The shopping center is where a used to be.| A．swimming pool | B．lake | C．post office | D．school |
| A．In the south-east. |
| B．In the north-east. |
| C．In the town center. |
| D．Near the writer's home. |
| A．his street hasn't changed |
| B．his street doesn't have a library |
| C．the park isn't there anymore |
| D．the library doesn't have a green area |
| A．Watch a movie in the town center cinema. |
| B．Watch a baseball match at the stadium. |
| C．Go to a Mexican restaurant. |
| D．Go shopping in the shopping center. |
| A．My Favorite Restaurant in Town |
| B．My Favorite Things to Do in Town |
| C．Great Buildings in My Hometown |
| D．Great Changes in My Hometown |
A beautiful girl with a master’s degree(硕士学位) went through a lot of challenges and her name was on the list. In the final stage she faced an interview together—with another girl. Both of them were outstanding, not only in looks but also in education.
The girl was successful in the interview. It seemed that she would get the chance. At last the examiner asked her, “Can you come to the office next Monday?” Shocked by the unexpected question, the beautiful girl couldn’t make a decision at the moment, so she said, “I have to talk with my parents before I give an answer.” The examiner felt surprised but said calmly, “If so, let’s wait till you are ready.”
The next day, the girl came to tell the examiner that her parents had agreed to let her begin work next Monday. But the examiner said regretfully (遗憾地), “Sorry, another suitable candidate (选手)has got the job. You had better try another place.” The beautiful girl was surprised. She asked for an explanation(解释) and was told, “What is needed here is a person who knows her own mind.”
That was how a good opportunity right under the nose of a beautiful girl ran away.
1. The beautiful girl wanted to ask her parents for advice because_________| A．she didn’t like the job | B．she didn’t expect the examiner would ask such a question |
| C．she didn’t want to answer the question | D．her parents would be angry if she didn’t ask them |
| A．the company lost its best clerk |
| B．no girl got the job |
| C．the other girl who failed at the last interview might get the job |
| D．the examiner was very pleased with the girl |
| A．a person’s confidence |
| B．a person’s knowledge |
| C．aperson’sage |
| D．a person’ s beautiful looks |
| A．就在鼻子下 | B．想要得到的 | C．没有把握的 | D．就在眼前的 |
| A．Make Decisions With Your Parents |
| B．A Successful Interview |
| C．Use Your Own Mind |
| D．Answer the Examiner’s Question Quickly |
