1 . On her first morning in America last summer, my daughter went out to explore her new neighborhood alone, without even telling my wife or me. Of course we were worried; we had just moved from Berlin, and she was just 8. But when she came home, we realized we had no reason to panic. Beaming with pride, she told us how she had discovered the little park around the corner, and had made friends with a few local dog owners.
When this story comes up in conversations with American friends, we usually meet with polite disbelief. Most are horrified by the idea that their children might roam (闲逛) around without adult supervision (监管).
A study by the University of California has found that American kids spend 90 percent of their free time at home, often in front of the TV or playing video games. Such narrowing of children’s world has happened across the developed world. But German parents are generally much more accepting of letting children take some risks.
“We are depriving (剥夺) them of opportunities to learn how to take control of their own lives,” writes Peter Gray, a research professor at Boston College. He argues that this increases the chance that they will suffer from anxiety, depression, and various other mental disorders, which have gone up dramatically in recent decades (十年).
I am no psychologist like Professor Gray, but I know I won’t be around forever to protect my girls from the challenges life holds in store for them. And by giving kids more control over their lives, they learn to have more confidence in their own abilities.
1. Hearing the author’s daughter exploring the new neighborhood alone, his American friends feel________.| A．worried | B．proud |
| C．doubtful | D．terrified |
| A．American kids enjoy playing at home |
| B．German parents are less protective than American parents |
| C．German kids like taking risks more than American kids |
| D．American parents don’t limit their children's activities in their leisure time |
| A．parents should always be around their children to protect them from risks |
| B．more and more parents suffer from mental problems |
| C．children are having more opportunities to take control of their lives |
| D．giving children more freedom is beneficial to their mental development |
| A．Open-minded. | B．Irresponsible. |
| C．Careless. | D．Protective. |
Following the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge,Australia plans to build a new landmark—a Chinese theme park,including a full-sized replica(复制品)of the gates to Beijing’s Forbidden City.The plan,which will cost ￡330 million,has been passed by the local government.This big park is to be built in Wyong Shire,about 50 miles north of Sydney.
The local mayor,Doug Eaton,said the park,to be finished in 2020,was built to become one of the country’s main tourist attractions.“What this park will do is to turn Wyong into a tourist destination and bring millions of money into the area.”The government has agreed to sell the land to the Australian Chinese Theme Park Pty Ltd,the personal company behind the project.The big project will begin with the building of the Forbidden City gates in 2015.
Besides a full-sized replica of the gates to Beijing’s Forbidden City,the park will also have a huge temple with a giant Buddha(佛)and a mini-city looking like Chinese water towns.There is also a part in the building style of the Tang and Song dynasties and another in the style of the Ming and Qing dynasties.It will feature a 1,000-seat theatre,restaurants,a royal villa(皇家别墅),and a children’s part built for pandas,which won’t have any pandas.
“It’s going to be a special $500 million tourist attraction,engaging more than a thousand people to work for it and bringing fast development to Wyong,”said Bruce Zhong,chairman of the ACTP.The project is designed to create a big Chinese tourist market.Experiences in many countries have shown that the more one attracts Chinese tourists,the more money one would make.For example,more than 400,000 Chinese tourists visit the state of New South Wales each year.
1. What is Doug Eaton’s attitude to the Chinese theme park?
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Negative. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge are the only two landmarks in Australia |
| B．the Australian government will pay for the building of the Chinese theme park |
| C．the local government is against the plan of building the Chinese theme park |
| D．the Chinese theme park includes a kid area showing something about pandas |
| A．attracting | B．organizing |
| C．preparing | D．employing |
The Erie Canal was the first important national waterway built in the US.It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie Troy to Albany on the Hudson River.It joined the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.The canal served as a route over which industrial goods could flow into the west,and materials could pour into the east.The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation’s largest city.
The building of the canal was paid for entirely by the state of New York.It cost $ 7,143,789,but it soon gained its price many times over.Between 1825,when the canal was opened,and 1882,when toll charges(过运河费) were stopped,the state collected $ 121,461,891.
For a hundred years before the Erie was built,people had been talking about a canal which could join the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.The man who planned the Erie Canal and carried the plan through was De Witt Clinton.Those who were against the canal laughingly called it “Clinton’s Ditch(沟)”.Clinton talked and wrote about the canal and drew up plans for it.He and Governor Morris went to Washington in 1812 to ask for help for the canal,but they were unsuccessful.
Clinton became governor of New York in 1817,and shortly afterwards,on July 4,1817,broke ground for the canal in Rome,N,Y.The first part of the canal was completed in 1820.As the canal grew,towns along its course developed fast.The length of the canal is 363 miles.
1. We can see that the Erie Canal .
| A．joined the Great Lakes together |
| B．crossed New York from north to south |
| C．played an important part in developing New York City |
| D．was the first waterway built in the US |
| A．the Great Lakes flow |
| B．the Hudson River flows |
| C．Lake Erie flows |
| D．the Erie Canal flows |
| A．The Erie Canal brought profits of over $ 114,000,000. |
| B．It’s 363 miles from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. |
| C．The West was more advanced than the East when the canal was built. |
| D．Many other states helped New York build the canal. |
| A．Clinton broke ground for the canal at both ends. |
| B．Clinton started building the canal before he became governor. |
| C．All parts of the canal were completed at the same time. |
| D．The construction of the canal took eight years. |
Would you believe that the tallest bridge in France reaches higher than the Eiffel Tower?Each of the projects mentioned here has set at least one world record for its height,scale or ingenuity(独创性).Here are four amazing engineering wonders of the modern world.
Venice,Italy:The Venice Tide Barrier Project will be the largest flood prevention project in the world.The project has been debated in one form or another for over 40 years as a way to protect this historical city-on-the-water for future generations.With Venice slowly sinking,and the water around it slowly rising,and floods always a fear,Italians have known for a long time that something needs to be done.Finally,the Prime Minister of Italy approved the second phase of the plan,including 80 hinged barriers(用铰链连接的壁垒),each approximately 6,500 square feet.
Millau,France:The Millau Viaduct(米洛高架桥)is the highest bridge in the world.At 1,125 feet high(slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower,1,063 feet)and over 8,000 feet long,it sometimes sits above the cloud line.The engineered wonder of the bridge itself is nearly as amazing as the view of the valley below.
Zhangjiajie,China:The Bailong Elevator is the world’s largest outside elevator.At about 1,070 feet high,this elevator looms(隐约出现) high midway up a cliff overlooking a valley far below.Moreover,the elevator is mostly made of glass,affording passengers a dizzying view to the depths below.There is some concern,however,about the elevator’s long-term impact on the surrounding natural environment.
Norway to Britain:The Langeled Pipeline extends(延伸)from Nyhamna,Norway,to Easington in the UK.It is about 1,200 km long and before the completion of the Nord Stream pipeline,it was the longest underwater gas pipeline in the world.Gas is exported(出口)from the Ormen Lange field,situated at a depth of 1,000 metres and located 100 km northwest of the Norwegian coast to Nyhamna.From there the Langeled Pipeline runs to Easington in the UK via the Sleipner Riser Platform in the North Sea.It will eventually supply 20% of Britain’s gas needs.
1. In the first paragraph,the author began with a question in order to .
| A．introduce the topic |
| B．amaze readers |
| C．show the height of the Eiffel Tower |
| D．ask readers to answer it |
| A．the project is designed to store water |
| B．all people agree with the project at first |
| C．floods are a fear to Venice |
| D．the hinged barriers are 6,500 square feet in all |
| A．They are in the same country. |
| B．They are both made of glass. |
| C．Both of them are taller than the Eiffel Tower. |
| D．Both of them have a bad effect on the environment. |
| A．Britain | B．Norway |
| C．France | D．Italy |
Mozart was a great man born with a given talent. He was writing songs at the age of five and performing before the queen by the time he was six years old. Early on, Mozart realised what his talents were, practiced or honed what he was born to do and used his natural abilities to create amazing pieces of music.
Mozart was not the first to be born with natural talents and he wasn’t the last. We all have them. We only need to discover what they are and use them to the best of our abilities. You have been given amazing gifts that are meant to be shared with the world. Your job is to find out what those talents are and master them.
Finding your natural talents may not be an easy task. Perhaps your parents except fewer wouldn’t approve of (赞成) your artistic ability to paint or sing, because they want you to be a successful doctor or lawyer. Maybe your gift wouldn’t seem to have the ability to bring the kind of wealth you hope. These may be excuses; it’s up to you. Have you ever noticed that when you engage in an activity in which you are naturally talented, you feel active and excited? That’s a sign that these are the things you should do. Discover your brilliance (才华) in life and practice, practice, practice.
Look at the world’s greatest athletes. They practice what they’re naturally good at, and what they love. You don’t see Jordan sitting trying to study DNA. If that was something he was talented at, that’s what he would be doing. But it’s not. He’s a brilliant athlete. He sticks to what he does best and he realises his dream.
There are only two steps to success—discover your brilliance and perfect it.
1. In the writer’s opinion Mozart’s success lies in .| A．his great given talent |
| B．making good use of his natural talent |
| C．learning from others |
| D．his favorable conditions |
| A．To do something repeatedly to improve one’s skill. |
| B．To find out what one is always good at doing. |
| C．To do what one likes and what is interesting. |
| D．To ask others for some advice of doing something. |
| A．be a teacher or a lawyer |
| B．be a singer or an artist |
| C．earn much money as a player |
| D．give up painting or singing |
| A．work hard at what we are engaged in |
| B．fear no difficulty and realise our dream |
| C．practice what we are naturally good at |
| D．become a great athlete like Jordan |
Climate change has caused a rise in sea levels. This has increased an amount of salt in fresh water used on farms near the sea. As a result farmers are unable to use fields close to the sea. Scientists call this process “salinization(盐碱化)”, which is reducing the world’s farm lands by 1 to 2 percent every year.
But a farmer in Holland, Marc Van Rijsselberghe started with an experiment, using a mixture of sea and fresh water to grow healthy and tasty vegetables. He put several kinds of plants in the fields. Mr. Van Rijsselberghe worked on the project with scientists from the Free University of Amsterdam. He divided a farm into eight areas. Every area was watered by different water. “We put in a lot of plants in the fields and then we put them in fresh water and in sea water with all the varieties(变化) between them, and then we saw which variety was surviving and which variety was dying.” A computer program created water with eight levels of salinity(盐度). Computerized measuring devices(测量仪器)controlled the water levels and the levels of salinity.
Mr. Van Rijsselberghe said he was able to harvest vegetables from most of the eight test areas. He said the vegetables were smaller than those grown in fresh water. But he said they had more sugar and salt, so they tasted better.
The farmer grew carrots, potatoes, cabbage and onions. He found that potatoes grew better than the other vegetables in the combination of sea and fresh water. Mr. Van Rijsselberghe said four kinds of these potatoes were recently sent to Pakistan, where thousands of hectares(公顷)of land have been damaged by salinization. Farmers in Pakistan will test the Dutch potatoes to see if they can be grown in those fields.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．Farms near the sea are becoming less and less in Holland. |
| B．The damage salinization brings to the farms in Holland. |
| C．Farmers improve the skills to make full use of fresh water. |
| D．A Dutch farmer uses a mixture of sea and fresh water to grow vegetables. |
| A．The plant. |
| B．Fresh water. |
| C．Sea water. |
| D．Fresh and sea water. |
| A．salinization brings great benefits to farmers in Holland |
| B．the farmer did the experiment using high technology |
| C．vegetables grew better in sea water than in fresh water in the experiment |
| D．the farmer achieved success without anyone else helping him in the experiment |
| A．had less sugar than those grown in fresh water |
| B．were much bigger than those grown in fresh water |
| C．had a better taste than those grown in fresh water |
| D．had more beautiful colors than those grown in fresh water |
Scientists are trying to make the deserts into good land again.They want to bring water to the deserts so that people can live and grow food there.They are learning a lot about the deserts,but more and more of the earth is becoming deserts all the time.Scientists may not be able to change the desert in time.
Why is more and more land becoming deserts?Scientists think that people make deserts.People are doing bad things to the earth.For example,scientists tell the people how important plants are for stopping land becoming desert,but people don’t pay enough attention to the green plants.
Some places on the earth don’t get much rain.But they still don’t become deserts.This is because some green plants are growing there.Small green plants and grass are very important to dry places.Plants don’t let the sun make the earth even drier.Plants don’t let the wind blow the soil away.When a bit of rain falls,the plants hold the water.Without plants,the land can become desert more easily.The present fact is that green plants on the earth are fewer and fewer.If there were no green plants on the earth,the whole earth would become desert.
1. Deserts .
| A．never have any plants or animals in them before |
| B．can all be turned into good land soon |
| C．have little water or plants |
| D．make the earth drier |
| A．they don’t let the sun make the earth into good land |
| B．they don’t let the wind blow soil away |
| C．they are green |
| D．they have leaves |
| A．plants can keep dry land from becoming deserts |
| B．it is good to get rid of the grass in the deserts |
| C．all places without much rain will become deserts |
| D．it is better for the dry land to grow grass than to grow trees |
We already know the fastest,least expensive way to slow down climate change:use less energy.With a little effort,and not much money,most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.
Not long ago,my wife,PJ,and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change.Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago,and that the consequences(后果)could be severe if we don’t keep reducing emission(排放)of carbon dioxide(CO2)and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.
We decided to try an experiment.For one month we recorded our personal emission of CO2.We wanted to see how much we could cut back,so we went on a strict diet.The average US household produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing common things like turning on air conditioning or driving cars.That’s more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average,mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses.But how much should we try to reduce?
For an answer,I checked with Tim Flannery,author of The Weather Makers:How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth.In his book,he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emission to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points,such as the melting(融化) of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica.“To stay below that point,we need to reduce CO2 emission by 80 percent,”he said.
Good advice,I thought.I’d opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind.We’d gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock.I’d almost forgotten the windows even opened.We should not let this happen again.It’s time for us to change our habits if necessary.
1. Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?
| A．To take special kinds of food. |
| B．To respond to climate change. |
| C．To lose weight. |
| D．To improve their health. |
| A．freezing points | B．burning points |
| C．melting points | D．boiling points |
| A．made deep cuts in his personal emission of CO2 |
| B．wrote a book about the climate changes |
| C．succeeded in reducing CO2 emission by 80 percent |
| D．was an author popular among readers |
| A．Saving Energy Starts at Home |
| B．Changing Our Habits Begins at Work |
| C．Changing Climate Sounds Reasonable |
| D．Reducing Emission of CO2 Proves Difficult |
Backpacking in Europe is a wonderful experience for young people around the world.After high school or university,you can plan a European backpacking trip.
Packing
As you plan the things you will carry,bring warm clothes and a raincoat or umbrella to deal with changing weather in different European countries.Europeans like dressing nicely,and good clothes will make you feel less like a dusty(满是灰尘的) backpacker.It is not worth taking the trouble to bring a hair dryer or shampoo,as you can buy basic necessities(必需品) in Europe.
Hostels
The cheapest places to sleep when backpacking in Europe are hostels(where people can stay and eat fairly cheaply).Most hostels have a lot of information about low-cost ways to see local attractions,and many offer tours.The cost for hostel beds differs from country to country.In Paris,you might pay 30 euros,but in Bulgaria,you can get a bed for 10 euros.In general,hostels are more expensive in large,popular cities such as Paris,Rome and London.
Many backpackers use rail passes(火车通票),which allow unlimited(不受限的) travel within country groups over a period of time.If you have the time to travel by train and will be traveling in a country group,this can be a good deal.Otherwise,you may consider point-to-point tickets,local trains,buses and airlines such as Ryanair,easyJet and Wizz Air,which offer cheap flights.
Food
Eating out in Europe can come with a high cost,and the best way to cut your food budget(预算) is to cook meals in the shared kitchens in hostels.You can make several meals into picnics to take advantage of Europe’s parks.When shopping for your picnic,try and buy at a local market.You save some euros while supporting the local industry at the same time.When eating out,choose restaurants away from tourist attractions.
1. Which of the following is an advantage of hostels?
| A．They are often built in popular cities. |
| B．They are mainly open to young people. |
| C．They usually provide tour information. |
| D．They always ask the same price for their beds. |
| A．Traveling. | B．Shopping. |
| C．Entertainment. | D．Transportation. |
| A．eat meals on the train |
| B．choose a restaurant near a park |
| C．enjoy a meal sold at a local market |
| D．cook your own meals at the hostel kitchen |
Driving in Canada is similar to driving in many parts of the United States. Distances and speeds, however, are posted in kilometres per hour and some signs, particularly in Quebec, may only be in French.
Unless otherwise posted, the maximum(最大限度的) speed limit in Canada is 50km/hr in cities and 80km/hr on highways. On rural highways, the posted speed limit may be 100km/hr. It is not allowed to take automobile radar detectors(汽车雷达检测器) into Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and the Yukon. Seat belt use is required by law for all passengers, and child car seats must be used by children under 40 pounds. Some provinces require drivers to keep their vehicles’ headlights on during the day and some have banned(禁止) driving while using a hand-held cell phone. Motorcycles cannot share a lane(车道), and safety helmets for motorcycle riders and passengers are necessary. Running a red light is a serious crime throughout Canada and drivers are advised to stop before starting when a light turns green.
Winter travel can be dangerous due to heavy snowfalls and icy conditions. Some roads and bridges are often closed in winter. Snow tires are required in some provinces.Travelers should also be careful about animals while driving at night in rural areas.
Highway 401, from Detroit to Montreal, is one of the busiest highways in North America. It has been the scene of many deadly traffic accidents due to sudden and severe weather changes, high rates of speed, and heavy truck traffic. Thus drivers should be alert while travelling here.
Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information and tips. Also, we suggest that you visit the website of Canada’s national authority responsible for road safety.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．All signs on the roads in Quebec are in English. |
| B．Automobile radar detectors are allowed to be used in Manitoba. |
| C．Passengers may choose not to wear seat belts while in a car in Canada. |
| D．The speed of cars in Canadian cities should be less than 50km/hr. |
| A．Bad weather. | B．Drunk driving. |
| C．High speed. | D．Heavy traffic. |
| A．careful | B．relaxed |
| C．nervous | D．pleased |
| A．Different traffic rules in Canada |
| B．Tips for travelling by car in Canada |
| C．Special rules for driving in Canada |
| D．Traffic safety and road conditions in Canada |
