1 . When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard, and was always very kind.
When Doctor Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He believed in the principle “No pain, no gain”. He hardly watered his new trees, which few in the face of conventional (传统的) wisdom. Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said he had to make things tough for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how, if they were not watered, trees would grow deep roots in search of water. So, Instead of watering his trees every morning, he’d beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the trees’ attention.
Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty-five years ago. They were all tall and strong.
I planted a couple of trees myself a few years ago. Two years of attending these trees meant they grew weak. Whenever a cold wind blew, their branches trembled. Adversity (逆境) seemed to benefit Doctor Gibbs’ trees in ways comfort and ease never could exist.
Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray that their lives will be easy. But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to meet with hardship. There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What I need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the rain falls and the wind blows, they won’t be torn apart.
1. With the trees planted, Doctor Gibbs often ______.| A．kept watering them every morning |
| B．paid little attention to them |
| C．talked to them to get their attention |
| D．beat them to make them grow deep roots |
| A．Strange and harmful. |
| B．Interesting and funny. |
| C．Original and reasonable. |
| D．Cruel und unacceptable. |
| A．Have an easy life, without too much to worry about. |
| B．Meet people like Doctor Gibbs in the future. |
| C．Have good luck, facing less hardship in their life. |
| D．Be able to stand the rain and wind in their lives. |
| A．Growing roots |
| B．Doctor Gibbs and his trees |
| C．Prayers for my sons |
| D．Watering trees |
| 12:25a.m Tuesday | The Real Swiss Robinson Family Laura worried that her children have had their life too easy due to her husband’s career in big business, so she decides to take her teenagers to the Cook Islands to experience the simple life. They face storms and a lack of food, but Laura is happy as their local guide shows them the island’s wealth of rare fruits and foods. |
| 11:00a.m Wednesday | A team have come across an armed man who is holding two baby chimps who were trapped. One of them, David, is sent to a medical emergency in the forest. Later a center director, Nielsen, finds a suitable place to set free more rescued animals. |
| 7:50p.m Thursday | Lost Building of Britain Simon Thurley visits the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey(修道院), which ,before its destruction by Henry VIII, was famous for some of the most amazing stained glasses of its age. It also had a great deal of financial power, acting as the center of an influential business empire. |
1. Why is Laura worried?
| A．Because life on the Cook Islands is too simple. |
| B．Because her husband faces difficulties in his business. |
| C．Because storms are approaching her hometown. |
| D．Because her children may not know how to cherish(珍惜) life. |
| A．7:50 p.m Thursday |
| B．11:00 p.m on Wednesday |
| C．11:00 a.m on Wednesday |
| D．12:25 a.m on Tuesday |
| A．David is a farmer |
| B．Henry VIII set up a business empire in the Abbey |
| C．Nielsen is an animal-lover |
| D．Glastonbury Abbey is famous today for its stained-glass |
3 . From the modern London Eye to the historic Tower of London, below are London's most visited tourist attractions. Many of London's top attractions are free, making them affordable places to learn about some culture. Whether you prefer history or modern art, you'll find it at one of these must-visit spots.
British Museum
The world-famous British Museum exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times, from around the world. The most interesting and exciting parts include the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures (雕塑) and the mummies in the Ancient Egypt collection. Some exhibitions require tickets.
National Gallery
The greatest and most beautiful building of Trafalgar Square, London's National Gallery is a vast space filled with Western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. In this impressive art gallery you can find works by masters such as Van Gogh, da Vinci, Botticelli, Constable, Renoir, Titian and Stubbs. Some exhibitions require tickets.
Tate Modern
Sitting on the banks of the Thames is the Tate Modern, Britain's national museum of modern and contemporary (当代的) art. Its unique shape is due to it being a power station before. The gallery's restaurants offer wonderful views across the city. Some exhibitions require tickets.
Coca-Cola London Eye
The Coca-Cola London Eye is a major feature of London's skyline. It has some of London's best views from its 32 capsules, each weighing 10 tonnes and holding up to 25 people. Climb aboard for a breathtaking experience, with an unforgettable view of more than 55 of London's most famous landmarks — all in just 30 minutes!
Madame Tussauds
At Madame Tussauds, you'll come face-to-face with some of the world's most famous faces. From Shakespeare to Lady Gaga you'll meet influential figures from show business, sport, politics and even royalty. Strike a pose with Usain Bolt, get close to One Direction or receive a once-in-a-lifetime audience with Her Majesty the Queen.
1. What do the British Museum and the National Gallery have in common?| A．Both have chargeable exhibitions. |
| B．Both are on the banks of the Thames. |
| C．Both have vast spaces and special shapes. |
| D．Both exhibit modern and contemporary art. |
| A．the Tate Modern |
| B．the British Museum |
| C．the National Gallery |
| D．the Coca-Cola London Eye |
| A．enjoy Shakespeare's works |
| B．talk to some famous people |
| C．watch Lady Gaga's performance |
| D．see figures of many influential people |
The earthquake affected the students of the destroyed areas in many ways:losing parents,being scared and feeling lonely.How can we help them?Teens reporter talked with Lin Dan,the program director of the Sunshine in Your Heart Project at the Red Cross Society of China.
How will the earthquake affect the teenagers mentally?
They’ll have feelings of fear,anger and feel they are not safe.They will find it hard to focus.They will tend to cry,shout and tremble.And they might be afraid to be alone.
What will happen if they are not helped?
The teenagers will find it hard to live in a balanced way.If things get worse,they might not be able to focus on their studies.They might give up on life.
How can we help them overcome these problems?
The first thing is to build up trust with them.Show your sympathy and sadness,and be their friends.Then you have to give them a sense of safety.Tell them that there’s a solution to every problem.Thirdly,try to satisfy their psychological needs. Some of us were not directly affected by the quake but have seen images on TV and feel scared.What should we do?
Talk with an adult or share your feelings with someone who might feel similar.If this doesn’t help,then you should see a doctor for professional help.
1. What’s the BEST title of the passage?
| A．The scare caused by the earthquake |
| B．Dealing with the pain left behind after the earthquake |
| C．How to get a sense of safety |
| D．The psychological needs |
| A．They’ll tend to cry,shout and tremble. |
| B．They may be afraid to be alone. |
| C．They’ll feel unsafe. |
| D．They’ll feel sympathetic. |
| A．mental | B．physical |
| C．material | D．professional |
| A．the scare caused by the earthquake can be relieved quickly |
| B．seeing a doctor is the most important measure to deal with the problems |
| C．the images on TV can also affect people and even cause problems |
| D．to help them overcome these problems,we should always talk with them |
5 . As Internet users become more dependent on the Internet to store information, are people remember less? If you know your computer will save information, why store it in your own personal memory, your brain? Experts are wondering if the Internet is changing what we remember and how.
In a recent study, Professor Betsy Sparrow conducted some experiments. She and her research team wanted to know the Internet is changing memory. In the first experiment, they gave people 40 unimportant facts to type into a computer. The first group of people understood that the computer would save the information. The second group understood that the computer would not save it. Later, the second group remembered the information better. People in the first group knew they could find the information again, so they did not try to remember it.
In another experiment, the researchers gave people facts to remember, and told them where to find the information on the Internet. The information was in a specific computer folder (文件夹). Surprisingly, people later remember the folder location (位置) better than the facts. When people use the Internet, they do not remember the information. Rather, they remember how to find it. This is called “transactive memory (交互记忆)”
According to Sparrow, we are not becoming people with poor memories as a result of the Internet. Instead, computer users are developing stronger transactive memories; that is, people are learning how to organize huge quantities of information so that they are able to access it at a later date. This doesn’t mean we are becoming either more or less intelligent, but there is no doubt that the way we use memory is changing.
1. The passage begins with two questions to ________.| A．introduce the main topic | B．show the author’s attitude |
| C．describe how to use the Internet | D．explain how to store information |
| A．Sparrow’s team typed the information into a computer. |
| B．The two groups remembered the information equally well. |
| C．The first group did not try to remember the formation. |
| D．The second group did not understand the information. |
| A．keep the information in mind |
| B．change the quantity of information |
| C．organize information like a computer |
| D．remember how to find the information |
| A．We are using memory differently. |
| B．We are becoming more intelligent. |
| C．We have poorer memories than before. |
| D．We need a better way to access information. |
6 . Choose Your One-Day-Tours!
Tour A - Bath &Stonehenge including entrance fees to the ancient Roman bathrooms and Stonehenge -￡37 until 26 March and ￡39 thereafter. Visit the city with over 2,000 years of history and Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent and the Costume Museum, Stonehenge is one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments dating back over 5,000 years.
Tour B - Oxford & Stratford including entrance fees to the University St Mary’s Church Tower and Anne Hathaway’s -￡32 until 12 March and ￡36 thereafter. Oxford: Includes a guided tour of England’s oldest university city and colleges. Look over the “city of dreaming spires(尖顶）” from St Mary‘s Church Tower. Stratford: Includes a guided tour exploring much of the Shakespeare wonder.
Tour C - Windsor Castle &Hampton Court: including entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace -￡34 until 11 March and ￡37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Windsor and Hampton Court, Henry VILL’s favorite palace. Free time to visit Windsor Castle(entrance fees not included).With 500 years of history, Hampton Court was once the home of four Kings and one Queen. Now this former royal palace is open to the public as a major tourist attraction. Visit the palace and its various historic gardens, which include the famous maze(迷宫) where it is easy to get lost!
Tour D –Cambridge including entrance fees to the Tower of Saint Mary the Great -￡33 until 18 March and ￡37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Cambridge, the famous university town, and the gardens of the 18th century.
1. Which tour will you choose if you want to see England’s oldest university city?| A．Tour A | B．Tour B |
| C．Tour C | D．Tour D |
| A．Windsor Castle & Hampton Court | B．Oxford & Stratford |
| C．Bath & Stonehenge | D．Cambridge |
| A．It used to be the home of royal families | B．It used to be a well-known maze |
| C．It is the oldest palace in Britain | D．It is a world-famous castle |
7 . China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true. There are millions of cars. However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors --- silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It’s fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks. Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide.
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather accompanied my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn’t want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.
1. According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?| A．Because they are traditional and safe. |
| B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive. |
| C．Because they are colorful and available. |
| D．Because they are fast and environment friendly. |
| A．to ride it for fun | B．to use it for transport |
| C．to experience local culture | D．to improve his riding skills |
| A．It was boring. | B．It was difficult. |
| C．It was lively. | D．It was wonderful. |
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills. |
| B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding. |
| C．The author was praised by the other bikers. |
| D．The author took great pleasure in biking. |
8 . “Hey, little boy, will you support me when I’m getting old?” Wang Wenshan, 35, asked his newborn baby as he hugged him at home.
The Chinese tradition of raising sons to support parents in their old age has been weakened by the rapidly growing economy and improved standard of living. As is the case with more and more developed countries, China faces an aging society. People are living longer and having fewer children. Therefore, many Chinese families are falling into a 4-2-1 family pattern: a couple raises one child and supports four elderly parents. But few realize that a problem is likely to happen ahead.
The aging of the population is a trend that now affects a growing number of countries. The Information Office of the State Council, China’s cabinet, issued（发行） a white paper on measures China has been taking to help its elderly population. The paper said China’s population entered the aging period at the end of the 20th century and the proportion of people aged 60 and above accounted for over 10 percent of the entire population. By the end of 2005, China had nearly 144 million people over 60, accounting for 11 percent of the population, according to the white paper.
An expanding aged population inevitably means that many issues must be settled, as the problem concerns every aspect of society. It puts more pressure on each family, causing disturbing economic consequences and serious social problems. It also challenges the labor force supply and the pension system.
“I used to think that it’s not an issue for me to provide for the aged,” said Wang, whose parents and parents-in-law all enjoy pensions and medical insurance. But last year Wang’s father suffered from a serious illness and afterward Wang began to feel the pressure on his shoulders.
After his father recovered, Wang opened a bank account for each parent and put away some money in the account every month to prepare for future uncertainties. In addition, he has to save money every month to provide for his son’s future education. “I’m now breaking my back to support my family: saving pensions for the parents, my son’s education funds, and living costs.”
Wang also bought some commercial old-age insurance for himself. “We have to take precautions(预防)before it is too late, and many of my colleagues share the same view,” he said.
1. Which of the following is not caused by an aging society?| A．Social problems. | B．Unemployment. |
| C．More pressure on each family. | D．The problem of the pension system. |
| A．the aging problem is one of the concerns of the Chinese government |
| B．China will encourage young couples to have more than one child |
| C．many people have realized the aging problem |
| D．children will not support their parents in China |
| A．Surprisingly. | B．Certainly. |
| C．Hopefully. | D．Evidently. |
| A．China is the only country to face an aging society |
| B．most of the developing countries face an aging society |
| C．countries with a large population face an aging society |
| D．more and more developed countries face an aging society |
Doctor Strong first became famous almost fifty years ago when his first children’s book was published. Since then, he has written forty-five books that have sold more than one hundred million copies around the world.
Doctor Strong’s books are known for their easy use of words and colorful, hand-drawn pictures. These drawings bring life to his imaginary creatures. The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and hundreds of others.
The San Diego Museum, in California, organized the art show. It included about three hundred Doctor Strong’s original(最早的) drawings and some of his writings.
Most of Doctor Strong’s books, although written in a funny way, have serious messages. For example, in Mc Elligot’s Pool, he describes the danger of pollution. He discusses the arms race in The Butter Battle Book, written in 1984.
Doctor Strong is almost eighty-four years old now. He says he never planned to write stories just for children. He says he writes stories that interest people of all ages. He says he uses easy words so that everyone, even a child, can understand.
1. Alfred Strong is a famous _______ in the United States.
| A．doctor | B．artist | C．writer | D．reader |
| A．his eighties when an art show was travelling around the United States |
| B．his fifties when his drawings and writings were published |
| C．1984 when his book Mc Elligot’s Pool was published |
| D．his thirties when his first book was published |
| A．they are stories about animals such as cats, elephants and so on |
| B．they are written in easy words with colorful pictures |
| C．he organized the art show in California |
| D．they are written in a funny way |
| A．to show his original pictures and drawings |
| B．to organize a special art show of his own |
| C．to make his readers laugh or smile when they read his books |
| D．not only to interest people but also to uncover some serious social problems |
