Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive.
After the first expedition, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures.
Larry’s first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different Spots for free. Larry didn’t even know what the time was, how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.
Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.
1. In what way was this expedition different for Larry?
A.His daughter had grown up. |
B.He had become a famous diver. |
C.His father would dive with him. |
D.His daughter would dive with him. |
A.Larry had some privileges. |
B.Larry liked the rented diving suits. |
C.Divers had to buy diving equipment. |
D.Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive. |
A.To protect himself from danger. |
B.To dive into the deep water. |
C.To admire the underwater view. |
D.To take photo more conveniently. |
A.Larry didn’t wear a watch. |
B.Larry was not good at math. |
C.Larry had a poor memory. |
D.Larry enjoyed the adventure. |
A.Become a successful diver. |
B.Make a good diving guide. |
C.Take a lot of photo underwater. |
D.Have longer hours of training. |
2 . Outside her shabby cottage, old Mrs. Tailor was hanging out laundry on a wire line, unaware that some children lay hidden in the leaves of a nearby tree watching her every move. They were determined to find out if she really was a witch.
They watched as she took a broomstick to clean the dirt from her stone steps. But, much to their disappointment, she did not mount the broomstick and take flight. Suddenly, the old lady's work was interrupted by the cackling of her hen-a signal that an egg had been laid in the warm nest on top of the haystack.
The old broomstick was put aside as she hobbled off towards the haystack followed by Sooty, a black cat she had rescued from a fox trap some time back. With only three legs, it was hard for Sooty to keep up with the old lady. The cat provided proof-the children were sure that only a witch could own a black cat with three legs.
There, standing on a wooden box, was Mrs. Tailor, stretching out to gather her precious egg. Taking the egg in one of her hands, she began to climb down when, without warning, the box broke and the old lady fell.
"We have to got and help her," whispered Amy.
"What if it is a trick?" replied Ben.
"Don't be silly, Ben. If she were a witch, she would have turned us into frogs already," reasoned Meg. "Come on Amy, let's go." The girls climbed down the tree and ran all the way to the haystack.
Approaching carefully, they could see a wound on the old lady's face. She had knocked her head on a stone and her ankle was definitely broken. "Go and get Dad," Amy yelled to her brother. "Tell him about the accident."
The boys did not need another excuse to leave. They ran as fast as they could for help, hoping that Mrs. Tailor would not wake and turn the girls into frogs.
1. Why were the children hiding in the tree?A.They wanted to watch Mrs. Tailor do her housework closely |
B.They were playing a hide-and-seek game |
C.They wanted to find out if the story about Mrs. Tailor was true |
D.They were pretending to be spies |
A.her front steps were clean |
B.she noticed the children in the tree |
C.she was ready to take a flight |
D.she heard the hen cackling |
A.he thought that she could be tricking them |
B.he knew that they could not have been in the tree |
C.he did not see the old lady fall down |
D.he was afraid of the three-legged cat |
A.Make hay while the sun shines |
B.Never judge a book by its cover |
C.People in glasshouses should not throw stones |
D.A bird in the hands worth two in the bush |
3 . Most people, when they travel to space, would like to stay in orbit (轨道) for a few days or more. And this stands to reason, if you’re paying $ 20,000 for your trip to orbit! So in order for tourism to reach its full potential there’s going to be a need for space hotels. What would a space hotel actually be like to visit? Hotels in orbit will offer the services you expect from a hotel — private rooms, meals, bars. But they’ll also offer two unique experiences: impressive views — of Earth and space — and the endless entertainment of living in zero gravity — including sports and other activities that make use of this.
The hotels themselves will vary greatly — from being quite simple in the early days to huge luxury (奢侈的) structures at a later date. It’s actually surprising that as later as 1997, very few designs for space hotels were published. This is mainly because those who might be expected to design them haven’t expected the costs to come down far enough to make them possible.
Lots of people who’ve been to space have described vividly what it’s like to live in zero gravity. There are obviously all sorts of possibilities for dancing, gymnastics, and zero-G sports. Luckily, you don’t need to sleep much living in zero gravity, so you’ll have plenty of time for relaxing by hanging out in a bar with a window looking down at the turning Earth below.
Of course all good things have come to an end, unfortunately. And so after a few days you’ll find yourself heading back to the earth. You’ll be thinking how soon you can save up enough to get back up again-or maybe you should change jobs to get to work in an orbiting hotel!
1. When traveling in space, most people would like to stay in orbit for a few days because ________.A.it is expensive to travel in space |
B.they would find the possible life in other star systems |
C.they could enjoy the luxury of space hotels |
D.they want to realise the full potential of tourism |
A.The gravitational pull. | B.The special views. |
C.The relaxation in a bar. | D.The space walk. |
A.When was the space traveling made possible? |
B.What are the unique experiences that space hotels will offer? |
C.Why were there not many published designs for space hotels? |
D.How can the travelers enjoy themselves in space hotels? |
A.traveling in space | B.the ways of living in space hotels |
C.zero gravity and space hotels | D.the description of space hotels |
However, at the back of the minds of many people, especially those who missed the “good old days”,
With efficiency also comes mass production. Such is the nature of factories and the success of industrialization today. Factories have improved efficiency. Unskillful tasks are left to machines and products are better made and produced with greater accuracy than any human hand could ever have done. However, with the improvements in efficiency also comes the loss of the personal touch when making these products. For example, many handcrafts(手工艺品) are now produced in a factory. Although this means that supply is better able to increase demand, now that the supply is quick and efficient, the demand might fall because mass production lowers the quality of the handicraft and it is difficult to find unique designs on each item.
Nevertheless, we must not commit the mistake of analyzing progress only from one point of view. In fact, progress has allowed tradition to keep up. It is only with progress and the invention of new technology that many old products can be brought back to their old state. New technology is required for old products to stay old.
It is people’s attitude towards progress that causes the type of influence that technology has on society. Technology is flexible. There is no fixed way of making use of it. Everything depends on people’s attitude. The worst effects of progress will fall on those who are unable to rethink their attitudes and views of society. When we accept progress and adapt it to suit our needs, a new “past” is created.
1. According to Paragraph 1, progress can benefit people when they are willing to _______.
A.live a better life |
B.look for better methods |
C.change ways of living |
D.accept technology and advance steadily |
A.tools | B.messages | C.barriers | D.skills |
A.describing a process | B.using examples |
C.following time order | D.making classification |
A.lack great accuracy | B.lack the personal touch |
C.are of high value | D.are quite welcome |
A.It can destroy old traditions. |
B.It can lead to social progress. |
C.It can be used to correct mistakes. |
D.It can be used to preserve old products. |
A.Progress can suit the needs of daily life. |
B.People review the past with great regret. |
C.Technology should be introduced in a fixed way. |
D.People’s attitude decides the use of technology. |
You choose to be a winner!
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers. It has been made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account(交易账户)where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24/7 – that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers:
No account keeping fees!
You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees!
Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits(储蓄)without taking them out in a month.
Convenient
Teenagers are busy – we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all. With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet···You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job!
Mega magazine included
Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key – card) but it is easy. We can’t wait to hear from you. It’s the best way to choose to be a winner!
1. The Winners Club is a bank account intended for ________.
A.parents | B.teenagers | C.winners | D.adults |
A.Special gifts are ready for parents. |
B.The bank opens only on work days. |
C.Services are convenient for its members. |
D.Fees are necessary for the account keeping. |
A.encourage spending |
B.are free to all teenagers |
C.are full of adventure stories |
D.help to make more of your money |
A.be an Internet user |
B.be permitted by your parent |
C.have a big sum of money |
D.be in your twenties |
A.To set up a club. |
B.To provide part-time jobs. |
C.To organize key-cards. |
D.To introduce a new banking service. |
However, the scale and speed of this growth seem set to destroy the very things tourists want to enjoy. In those countries where there was a rush to make quick money out of seaside holidays, overcrowded beaches and the concrete jungles of endless hotels have begun to lose their appeal.
Those countries with little experience of tourism can suffer most. In recent years, Nepal set out to attract foreign visitors to fund developments in health and education. Its forests, full of wildlife and rare flowers, were offered to tourists as one more untouched paradise. In fact, the nature all too soon felt the effects of thousands of holidaymakers traveling through the forest land. Ancient tracks became major routes for the walkers, with the consequent exploitation of precious trees and plants.
Not only can the environment of a country suffer from the sudden growth of tourism. The people as well rapidly feel its effects. Farmland makes way for hotels, roads and airports; the old way of life goes. The onetime farmer is now the servant of some multinational organization; he is no longer his own master. Once it was his back that bore the pain; now it is his smile that is exploited. No doubt he wonders whether he wasn't happier in his village working his own land.
Thankfully, the tourist industry is waking up to the responsibilities it has towards those countries that receive its customers. The protection of wildlife and the creation of national parks go hand in hand with tourist development and in fact obtain financial support from tourist companies. At the same time, tourists are being encouraged to respect not only the countryside they visit but also its people.
The way tourism is handled in the next ten years will decide its fate and that of the countries we all want to visit. Their needs and problems are more important than those of the tourist companies. Increased understanding in planning worldwide tourism can preserve the market for these companies. If not, in a few years' time the very things that attract tourists now may well have been destroyed.
1. What does the author indicate in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?
A.The Pacific island is a paradise. |
B.The Pacific island is worth visiting. |
C.The advertisement is not convincing. |
D.The advertisement is not impressive. |
A.its natural resources are untouched |
B.its forests are exploited for farmland |
C.it develops well in health and education |
D.it suffers from the heavy flow of tourists |
A.They are happy to work their own lands. |
B.They have to please the tourists for a living. |
C.They have to struggle for their independence. |
D.They are proud of working in multinational organizations. |
A.The number of tourists. |
B.The improvement of services. |
C.The promotion of new products. |
D.The management of tourism. |
A.optimistic | B.doubtful |
C.objective | D.negative |
It is obvious that if students value highly their test scores,then a great amount of their self-respect is put in the number.Students who perform poorly on the exam are left feeling that it is all over.The low test score,they think,will make it impossible for them to get into a good college.And without a degree from a
According to a study done in the 1990s,the SAT is only a reliable indicator of a student’s future performance in most cases.Interestingly,it becomes much more accurate when it is set together with other indicators-like a student’s high school grades.Even if standardized tests like the SAT could show a student’s academic proficiency(学业水平),they will never be able to test things like confidence,efforts and willpower,and are unable to give us the full picture of a student’s potentialities(潜力).This is not to suggest that we should stop using SAT scores in our college admission process.The SAT is an excellent test in many ways,and the score is still a useful means of testing students.However,it should be only one of many methods used.
1. The purpose of the SAT is to test students’______.
A.strong will |
B.academic ability |
C.full potentialities |
D.confidence in school work |
A.scores in the SAT |
B.achievements in mathematics |
C.job opportunities |
D.money spent on education |
A.a famous university |
B.a technical university |
C.a traditional university |
D.an expensive university |
A.how to prepare for the SAT |
B.stress caused by the SAT |
C.American higher education |
D.the SAT and its effects |
In recent years, IP rights have been the focus of a great deal of discussion because of a technology which looks set to weaken them altogether; the Internet. Many years ago, if you wanted a recording of a song, you would have to purchase it from a music store; if a novel, form a book store. In those days, IP rights were easily protected since it was very difficult to obtain intellectual property without paying for it. However, a lot of IP, including songs, films, books and artwork, can be downloaded today free of charge using the Internet. This practice has now taken the world by storm, dramatically affecting the way in which we view IP rights.
1. According to the writer, in the beginning, If rights were mainly of use to ______.
A.those creating music, art and literature | B.novelists |
C.engineers and inventors | D.those not receiving financial reward for their work |
A.It makes IP rights harder to protect. | B.It sells songs and films. |
C.It does not affect the way we understand IP rights. | D.It prevents the production of artwork. |
A.Intellectual property rights. | B.The Internet. |
C.Free downloading | D.The large number of songs, films and books. |
A.A History of IP Rights | B.Ways to Protect Your IP Rights. |
C.The Present and the Future Of IP | D.IP Rights and Our Attitudes |