1 . Do you look for something to read while in London? If so, you’re lucky. The British capital happens to have an incredible collection of bookshops.
Foyles
If you will, dig the picture: four miles of shelves holding up to 200, 000 books. Let’s hope you have some time to read books when travelling in Foyles. This bookshop is impossible to leave empty-handed. It was once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest bookshop on the planet.
Location: 107 Charing Cross Rd
Hatchards
In the year 1797, Thomas Paine published Agrarian Justice. It’s also the year this London bookshop, the oldest in the city today, first turned on its lights. It stocks an excellent selection of fiction, nonfiction, history and other sorts.
Location: 187 Piccadilly St
Libreria
This bookshop is one of the most pleasing of its kind in London. The yellow bookshelves add a touch of color and mystery and, well, you kind of just want to grab a book and a seat and stay a while. Mobile phone usage is strongly banned here.
Location: 65 Hanbury St
London Review Bookshop
This wonderful bookshop that opened in 2003 comes from the smart people of the London Review of Books. As you’d expect, there is an excellent selection of history, philosophy, politics, new fiction and many other sorts here. Plus, there’s a nice cafe in which you can have something to drink and start reading.
Location: 16 Bury PI
1. Where can you find the oldest bookshop in London?| A．16 Bury PI. | B．187 Piccadilly St. |
| C．107 Charing Cross Rd. | D．65 Hanbury St. |
| A．It has various books. | B．It is located in London. |
| C．It has yellow bookshelves. | D．It is the biggest one. |
| A．Foyles. | B．Hatchards. |
| C．Libreria. | D．London Review Bookshop. |
2 . I lay in the hospital bed with my six-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, holding her in my arm “Mommy, will you stay with me the whole time?” she asked, looking up. “You know I can’t be in the operating room,” I said carefully, not wanting to frighten her. “But Daddy and I will be waiting right outside.” Elizabeth nodded, but her eyes looked troubled.
Elizabeth had broken her right leg in July. Seven months later, it still hadn’t healed (康复). In fact, it had gotten worse. She was here in the hospital for surgery (手术).
I wanted to tell her that everything would be okay and promise that this would be the last time she’d have to go through this. But what if something went wrong again? How could I comfort my daughter when I needed comfort myself?
There was a knock at the door. A nurse? I thought. Time to say goodbye already? But the woman who came in wasn’t a nurse. “Hi,” the woman said. “I’m a volunteer here, and I’ve got something for Elizabeth.” She handed a brightblue box to my daughter.
Elizabeth sat up and took the box. She opened it and started pulling out goodies one by one candies, stickers, a lovely toy in the shape of a star. She hugged the star, perking up for the first time since she entered the hospital. “Thank you,” she said. “I love them.” There was a big smile on her face. It had been so long since I saw that big smile. The gift was a great comfort not only to my daughter, but also to me.
1. Why did the author’s daughter feel upset?| A．She would have surgery on her arm. |
| B．The author had no time to play with her. |
| C．She had to stay in the hospital for a long time. |
| D．The author couldn’t stay in the operating room with her. |
| A．there was no time for her to do so. |
| B．she wasn't sure of the result herself. |
| C．she believed everything would be okay. |
| D．she thought there was no need for her to do so. |
| A．To offer a gift. | B．To say goodbye. |
| C．To comfort the author. | D．To get all the things ready. |
| A．having a rest | B．taking out |
| C．doing her best | D．becoming cheerful |
3 . Crop diversity (多样性）is important to feed the increasing population of our planet. Agricultural experts say having a large variety of plants also helps to protect crops against possible diseases and future risks. Hundreds of thousands of different plants now exist. But many experts say the number has decreased sharply during the past century.
One of the world's largest seed conservation projects has predicted further losses. The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is warning that up to one hundred thousand plant species could permanently disappear. The rich collection of genes that decide their qualities would disappear with them.
Not all experts agree that a decrease in cultivated(培植的）food crops is a risk. A recent study, led by Paul Heald of the University of Illinois College, showed a different situation, at least in the United States. The study examined records of plant varieties in America during the past century. They found that the total number of vegetable and apple crop varieties in the United States did not fall over the past century. Instead, he says, the study may show a small increase in the number of varieties.
For those who regard it as a major risk, they blame climate change and loss of habitat, normal growth area, for damaging plant life. They note human activities also contribute to the problem. Besides, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says modern business farming is responsible for loss of farmers’ traditional crop varieties. Some scientists and others blame patenting for what they say are losses of crop diversity. A patent is the legal right of an inventor to a process or a product, even a plant. To get this right, the inventor has to demonstrate the qualities that make the patented plant different from other plants.
But the study led by Professor Paul actually failed this assumption. Professor Paul said, “People tend to believe what they want to believe. But as a scientist, I must believe the study results. ”
1. The author begins the text by ______________.| A．listing possible crop diseases |
| B．stating the significance of crop diversity |
| C．giving the definition of crop diversity |
| D．describing a number of existing plants |
| A．show America’s great achievement in protecting crop diversity |
| B．give a different opinion that the number of crop varieties is increasing |
| C．explain the present situation of vegetables and apple crop varieties |
| D．support the viewpoint that the number of crop varieties is decreasing |
| A．the reasons for crop diversity decreasing |
| B．the unfavorable comments on patented plants |
| C．the further losses caused by plant diversity decreasing |
| D．the harmful effects brought by modern business farming |
4 . Goolsbee, now a professor at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, said the rising number of Americans out of work forever paints a troubling picture about the recovery (恢复).
“If we are on path to only be two-thirds recovered,” Goolsbee wrote, “and then have millions of businesses closed down and the jobs there lost fast, there will be years for us to try to get back onto the path we were on before.”
And those everlasting job losses will influence the economy. People out of work may cutback spending or even stop it. They are at risk of falling behind on car payments, credit card bills and bank loan (贷款). Those risks are magnified by the fact that the government has so far failed to provide additional economic recovery policies (政策) — even though the US economy is in great need of them.
“Good insurance (保险) policies for people out of work have helped them pay the loan much more easily,” Principal’s Shah wrote, “but with everlasting job losses clearly rising and still no sign of an additional economic recovery package, the trouble will become more widespread and obvious.”
The hope is that those recognized as jobless at present will in the end get a job somewhere else. Even though some restaurants, shops and small businesses have shut down, new companies are opening each day here and there. But there is a time limit at play because the time of continuously out of job influences the chances of getting another job. “The longer you’re out of the job market,” said PNC’s Faucher, “the more difficult it becomes to find a new one.” Many Americans who had a job loss or had a too long vacation without any payment are eagerly looking forward to another job.
1. What does the underlined word “magnified” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Reduced. | B．Enlarged. |
| C．Avoided. | D．Unchanged. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Confused. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．Losing jobs gets them out of the job market. |
| B．They have more opportunities to have vacations. |
| C．They successfully get offers from new companies. |
| D．Losing jobs for long makes it harder to find a new one. |
| A．The jobless usually spend less. |
| B．Insurance companies offer necessary loans. |
| C．More job losses suggest a dark economy future. |
| D．The economy recovery depends on the government. |
5 . Affordable Beach Vacation in Corfu
Corfu, an island off the coast of Greece, offers visitors sunkissed shores with clear water and lots of beaches.
Finding the Perfect Beach
Our first pick is Sidari Beach. It’s a blue flag beach perfect for couples looking for a more private feel, as it’s far from bigger tourist destinations. Issos Beach makes for the perfect place for watching the sunset. Dassia Bay has a bit more water sports. Paleokastritsa is an amazing West Coast village with six beaches on offer, including Rovinia Beach.
Getting around Corfu
Corfu offers bike rentals and bus service as a cheaper alternative (替代) to taxis. The best time to visit Corfu is during the “shoulder season” in April/May. The weather isn’t as warm as the high seasons but it remains perfect. It is not crowded in this period, but you still need to book ahead of schedule as Corfu stays popular throughout the year.
Eating Out For Less
There are a lot of well-priced restaurants but street food is also a big winner. Some popular choices are Souvlakia and Pita Gyros. There are also many cheeses special to Greece, including Tirokafteri and Ladotyri. Corfu also has many unbelievable desserts (甜食). Stazei Meli is a tourist favourite to give them a try.
1. Which place is probably the best choice for couples?| A．Sidari Beach. | B．Dassia Bay. |
| C．Issos Beach. | D．Rovinia Beach. |
| A．Rent a bike. | B．Book in advance. |
| C．Wear warm clothes. | D．Set off in April/May. |
| A．It cooks popular dishes. | B．It severs well-priced food. |
| C．It produces special cheese. | D．It sells amazing desserts. |
6 . Many cars advertisements（广告）in the United States are red, blue or green. But nearly 75% of the new cars sold in the United States are black, white, silver or gray.
Les Jackson is a reporter who writes about cars. He says Americans prefer the cars whose colors do not show dirt clearly. In this way, the owners can wash their cars less to save money. In fact, some areas that are short of water do not allow people to wash their cars often.
Dan Benton works for a company called Axalta, which sells paint（涂料）to international car markers. He says white cars are usually sold at a better price than cars of other colors. And they absorb less energy, which means temperatures inside them are lower in warmer areas. Besides, research at Monash University in Australia suggests that there is a lower risk of car accidents during the day for white cars compared with darker ones. In China, many buyer say white makes a small car look bigger.
Axalta says about 11% of the cars sold in North America are red and 8% are blue. In South America, 10% of the new cars sold are red.
“Green cars have become less popular,” Dan Benton says. “In the mid 1990s, green was the most popular color in North America. But today, green cars are hard to find.”
In the future, people may not have to choose the color of their cars---technology may let owners change their cars’ paint color anytime.
1. Americans like to buy cars that don’t show dirt clearly in order to _________| A．save energy | B．save money |
| C．follow the government policy | D．reduce car accidents |
| A．looking more beautiful | B．absorbing less heat |
| C．being more expensive | D．being safer |
| A．South American | B．Australian |
| C．Chinese | D．North American |
| A．Red | B．White |
| C．Blue | D．Green |
7 . According to a new study, putting preschooler(学龄前儿童) in bed by 8 p.m. could reduce their chances of becoming overweight or obese later in life by half. Preschoolers are children around the age of 4 or 5.
The World Health Organization says obesity can lead to serious long-term health problems like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Researchers from the Ohio State University’s College of Public Health have found that young children who go to bed after 9 p.m. are twice as likely to be obese later in life. The researchers wrote their findings in The Journal of Pediatrics.
The lead author of the study is Sarah Anderson. She is a professor of epidemiology(流行病学). Anderson says that, for parents, the results of the study support the importance of creating a bedtime routine.
She says that having a usual bedtime routine is something “families can do to lower their children’s risk” of becoming overweight.
Researchers used data from 977 children for the study. These children are part of a larger project called the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. The project follows healthy babies born in 1991 in 10 cities in US.
When these children turned 15 years old, the researchers looked at their rates of obesity. Of those with the earliest bedtimes, only one out of 10 was obese. Of those who went to bed between 8 and 9 p.m., 16 percent became obese. And out of those with the latest bedtimes, 23 percent became obese.
The World Health Organization reported in 2014 that the number of overweight babies and young children worldwide had increased from 31 million in 1990 to 44 million in 2012. If that trend continues, the WHO warns, there will be 70 million obese children in the world by 2025.
1. According to the passage, the risk of obesity ______.| A．can be cut by half if children go to bed by 9 p.m. |
| B．can lead to low blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease |
| C．is the highest at the age of 4 or 5 |
| D．is higher for those children who sleep late at night |
| A．heavy | B．light | C．fat | D．slim |
| A．The research is organized by the World Health Organization. |
| B．The result shows that children sleeping before 8 p.m. have the lowest rate of obesity. |
| C．The findings are based on the data provided by The Journal of Pediatrics. |
| D．The research is funded(提供资金) by the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. |
| A．Objective(客观) | B．Disappointed | C．Positive | D．Satisfied |
8 . People are social creatures and we depend on our relationships with others for our health and happiness. While we can individually make efforts toward slow living, finally we need the support of others and community organizations to be successful. Slow Cities meet this need. Like Slow Food, the Slow Cities movement started in Italy. Its organization is known as Cittaslow, which has spread to about 30 other countries throughout the world since 1999.
Cittaslow has set up 50 goals and principles, which supports communities as they protect the environment and build upon their own special qualities reflecting their historical roots as well as their strong desire or ambition for the future. This is not about nostalgia and following tradition closely; rather it is a call to refuse the forces of the same types that result in every place looking and feeling like every other place. By gathering together with others who share the same opinions or interests, we can start to include new projects to further improve the quality of life in our communities by using our imagination.
The basic part of Slow Cities is the idea that our health and happiness partly depend upon a healthy connection to the people and place where we live. The growing Sunday Parkways movement is just one great example of an activity that combines many of the well-being goals for cities in a fun, healthy, and family-oriented way. The Cittaslow website is designed as a place where ideas like these can be explored and exchanged.
The Slow Cities movement is not just about improving the quality of life of the citizens; it also encourages communities to develop their friendly and generous behavior towards guests, offering them an organized event, for example, a concert, a sporting event so that visitors can go through what is different and special about the area, really learning about the local culture. Slow Cities invite people to slow down so that they can see and connect with the rich diversity of the world where they live as well as the diversity of the world around them.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To show that human beings need social activities. |
| B．To stress that it is necessary to have Cittaslow. |
| C．To prove that the Slow Cities movement is getting popular. |
| D．To explain the relationship between health and happiness. |
| A．Be creative and improve their quality of life. |
| B．Be responsible and reflect on their historical development. |
| C．Be well prepared and try to continue their local customs. |
| D．Be grateful and value the good old days that they have had. |
| A．The activities and community culture. | B．The opinions and childhood education. |
| C．The neighbors and living environment. | D．The experiences and family background. |
| A．stubborn | B．hard-working | C．open-minded | D．strong-willed |
9 . A survey done by the University of Michigan shows a big drop in the number of teenagers who say they smoke cigarettes.
In the survey, over 44, 000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12, from 424 schools across the country were asked about their smoking habits. The results show that smoking among 8th graders went down from 21 percent in 2002, to 12 percent in 2007. In the same period, smoking dropped from 30% to 21% among 10th graders and from 37% to 30% among 12th graders.
Anti-smoking organisations think educating kids about smoking risks is the cause of the drop. “These important drops in teen smoking did not just happen by chance,” said study director Lloyd D, Johnston, “A lot of individuals and organisations have been trying to bring down the high rates of teenagers.”
Others say the higher price of cigarettes is an important reason teens are cutting back.
Whatever the reason, the drop in teen smoking is news to everyone, even cigarette-making companies warn their product is only for adults, not kids. Health experts are particularly paying attention to teenage smoking habits because lifetime smokers often get hooked on smoking at an early age.
But some say that the new figures aren’t exactly the cause for celebration. While it is true fewer teens are smoking today than five years ago, the rate of teen smoking is still higher than it was.
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in this country. “Our survey suggests that a lot of teens still do not understand the dangers of smoking particularly the younger teens,” Johnston said.
1. The rate of teen smoking among 12th graders dropped by according to the survey.| A．7% | B．30% | C．9% | D．21% |
| A．educating kids about smoking risks |
| B．efforts from health experts and organisations |
| C．the higher price of cigarettes |
| D．the cut down of the number of cigarettes |
| A．Become interested in. | B．Get tired of. |
| C．Give up. | D．Take no interest in. |
| A．The rate of teen smoking is far lower than it was. |
| B．Cigarette smoking can be stopped sooner or later. |
| C．There is a different idea about the drop in teenage smoking. |
| D．No younger teens really understand the dangers of smoking. |
1. According to the Code, visitors should act _______ .
| A．with care and respect | B．with relief and pleasure |
| C．with caution and calmness | D．with attention and observation |
| A．Take your own camping facilities. | B．Bury glass far away from rivers. |
| C．Follow the track for the sake of plants. | D．Observe signs to approach nesting birds. |
| A．A letter from your pen pal in New Zealand. |
| B．An advertisement put by a travel agency. |
| C．A brochure handed out by New Zealand Tourism Bureau. |
| D．A poster on the gate of the New Zealand’s national park. |
