The Donkey Mobile Library
It is a bright morning in the Ethiopian countryside. Yohannes walks beside a pair of donkeys that are pulling a two-wheeled cart. They arrive at the agricultural town of Awassa where Yohannes opens the sides of the cart to display, not the usual vegetables or tools, but children’s books. This is the Donkey Mobile Library, the first of its kind in Ethiopia and one of only a few in the world.
Yohannes was born in Ethiopia, North Africa, but trained to be a librarian in the USA and returned to Ethiopia years ago. The cart is full of picture books donated by American libraries, teachers and school children.
Yohannes arranges small painted benches in the shade of the trees, and suddenly Ethiopian children come shouting and racing down every road and path. It’s mobile library day! They circle the bookshelves with great excitement. Until the Donkey Mobile Library began its regular two-monthly visits, many of these children had never seen a book.
“Without books, education is very dull, like food without salt. You can survive but you can’t really come alive,” says Yohannes. “The ability to read is the basis for greater productivity, better health and longer life. Even though the children lack material goods, with books they can imagine a world of possibilities.”
Yohannes first worked in the children’s section of the main library in America. Surrounded by books he had never seen before, he realized how joyful and imaginative children’s literature is. He says, “I always thought of Ethiopia. But how could I bring children’s books to my home country when it had almost no libraries to keep the books in?”
He contacted Jane Kurtz, a writer born in America but brought up in Ethiopia, and together they created the Donkey Mobile Library. The children say that the Library has given them ideas about what they might do in the future. A child called Dareje wants to be a scientist and find a cure for life-threatening diseases. An eleven year-old girl, Fikerte, wants to do research about the moon and discover new facts about outer space. Tamrat, aged 10, comes every time.
“What brings you back here time and time again?” the librarian asks him.
“The stories,” Tamrat replies instantly. How do the children feel when they see the Donkey Mobile Library?
| A．Curious. | B．Surprised. | C．Interested. | D．Excited. |
We can conclude from the passage that .
| A．Ethiopian children have no idea about their future |
| B．Yohannes and Kurtz share similar life experiences |
| C．donkey carts in Awassa usually carry vegetables and tools |
| D．most books in the Donkey Mobile Library were bought in America |
According to the passage, the Donkey Mobile Library .
| A．visits the countryside every day | B．benefits Ethiopian children a lot |
| C．was created by Yohannes himself | D．was the first of its kind in the world |
Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?
| A．A news report. | B．A book review. | C．A historical story. | D．An advertisement. |
When TV news programmers report wars or diseases, the editors rarely use the most horrifying pictures of dead or wounded victims because they don’t want to upset their viewers. Even so, viewers are usually warned in advance that they“may find some of these scenes disturbing”, so they can look away if they choose. But the men and women whose job is to record those scenes, the TV cameramen, have no such choice. It is their duty to witness the horrors of the world and record them, no matter how unpleasant they may be. As a result, it is one of the most dangerous, exposed and emotionally taxing jobs the world has to offer.
Today, the demand for their work is rising. The explosion of satellite broadcasting and 24hour news in recent years has created an almost insatiable（不能满足的）demand for TV information. But major broadcaster sand the TV news agencies（部）, such as Reuters and WTN, have never had enough staff（人员）to meet thje worldwide demand for up-to-date pictures, so increasingly they turn to freelance（自由职业的）TV cameramen.
These freelance cameramen are independent operators tied to no particular organization. They will work for any company which hires them, for just a few hours or for several weeks in a war zone. But if the freelance cameraman is injured in the course of the job, the TV company is not responsible for him. The freelance must survive on his own.
“TV will always need hard, vivid and moving pictures which are fresh, but these companies feel uncomfortable with large numbers of employees on their books.”Explains Nik Cowing, once a foreign editor for Britain’s Channel 4 news and now a BBC news presenter.
“By hiring freelancers, they can buy in the skills they need only when they need them. It also enables them to reduce the risk.”He says.In the last sentence of the first paragraph,“taxing”most probably means“ ”.
| A．depressing | B．satisfying |
| C．demanding | D．encouraging |
TV news agencies turn to freelance cameramen in order to .
| A．save expense and avoid（避免）risks |
| B．buy pictures which are the most stimulating（剌激的）to the senses |
| C．look for pictures that are of fine qualities |
| D．get first-hand information and pictures |
The freelance cameramen .
| A．have better skills than other cameramen |
| B．are tied to many TV news agencies |
| C．have to take great risks in the course of work |
| D．need to reduce risks of work for TV companies |
It is implied in the passage that .
| A．TV cameramen have to witness disasters and killings whether they like them or not |
| B．TV cameramen are a special group of people who enjoy horrifying pictures |
| C．TV cameramen should be given greater choice of work |
| D．the development of TV resulted in the growing demand for TV cameramen’s work |
The main idea of the first paragraph is .
| A．TV programs are reducing the use of horrible pictures of death and wound |
| B．it is a requirement of work for TV cameramen to disregard people’s feelings |
| C．it is the duty of TV cameramen to record horrifying scenes |
| D．TV cameramen’s job is extremely dangerous and emotionally taxing |
Believing overweight among school children is the result of bake sales, the Education Department of New York declared that bake sales will be banned all through the states, as a part of their new “wellness”policy.
The ban gives a harder time to schools tying to earn money，because of budget difficulties. Bake sales have proven to be highly profitable toward schools with young people because the start-up costs are very small. Allie，a Roslyn High School freshman , agrees that bake sales are needed for school supplies.“l think it’s wrong for schools to ban bake sales because a lot of schools need the money to be raised. Our school could really use the money for new uniforms.”Allie also commented on the bake sales apparent cause of child overweight. “I feel that it is the student’s choice to eat the baked goods. lf they want it, let them have it．”Jessica，another Roslyn High School freshman, had a different opinion.“I feel that children can not always stay away from items such as cupcakes. It might be better if the amount of bake sales were limited, and only allowed students to buy one item.”
New York Education advisors are having trouble coming up with substitute product for students to sell. A plan of advertising healthier foods has come into play. However the department needs to consider if students will go for items like vegetables. Allie and Jessica don’t think so.“Students might not like the healthier foods. This way, the schools are gaining less money.”Allie shares. Another plan to think about is the idea of not selling food products altogether. Alternate programs are being conducted throughout New York schools，such as walk-a-thons, as a healthy way for students to earn money for their schools．The new “wellness”policy is declared in order to_______．
| A．help schools out of budget difficulties |
| B．reduce child overweight caused by bake food |
| C．help students save money spent on food |
| D．reduce the price of bake food sold in schools |
Which of the following statement about Allie is true?
| A．He is rich in experience about the bake sales at schoo1. |
| B．He agrees to carry out the bake sales ban at schools. |
| C．He attaches great importance to the school's income. |
| D．He attaches too much importance to students' health. |
According to Jessica, the cupcakes____________
| A．Don't belong to the bake sales | B．Should't be banned at school |
| C．Mustn't be sold at schools | D．can be fully replaced by vegetables |
Which is both healthy and profitable way for schools to earn money?
| A．The bake sales. | B．The vegetables sales |
| C．The walk-a-thons. | D．The food product sales． |
We can infer from the passage that schools in New York always______.
| A．sell baked food to students | B．free students to choose food |
| C．find ways to earn money | D．offer chances to earn money |
Here is the Eight O’clock News.
…
Chinese people spent about 120 billion yuan during the first three days of the May Golden Week last year. This year it has increased to 140 billion yuan.
The children of Beijing No.2 Middle School sang with students from Toronto in Canada to celebrate the 20th anniversary. They had been sister schools since 1986. They spent about two weeks together in Beijing. They visited the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. They took a lot of photos in Beihai Park.
Have you ever got tired of heavy shopping bags? A new shopping assistant robot which was invented by a Japanese company could be the answer. The helpful robot can follow you around and carry several bags. The robot was tested at a shopping center in February 2006.
About 500 people from different countries were in the 2006 “Rock Paper Scissors (剪刀)” World Match in Canada. This event was founded in 1842. It is said that playing this game is fun, and also a good way to solve problems among people.
…
And now it’s time for Morning Music.The students from Canada and Beijing No. 2 Middle School didn’t _________.
| A．take photos | B．visit places of interest |
| C．sing songs | D．have a football match |
Which of the following is NOT talked about in the news?
| A．The robot can help with shopping bags. |
| B．A Japanese company invented the robot. |
| C．The robot was tested at a shopping centre. |
| D．There are such robots in people’s homes now. |
The underlined word “anniversary” means_________.
| A．birthday |
| B．yearly return of the date of an event |
| C．university |
| D．the new beginning of something important |
Which of the following is a game?
| A．Shopping assistant robot. | B．May Golden Week. |
| C．Rock Paper Scissors. | D．A visit to the school. |
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets — to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.The underlined word “swimmingly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “without _________”.
| A．a message | B．a problem | C．introduction | D．delay |
Some cats and dogs may fight when _________.
| A．they are cold to each other |
| B．they look away from each other |
| C．they misunderstood each other’s signals |
| D．they are introduced at an early age |
What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
| A．They eat and sleep each other. |
| B．They observe each other’s behaviors. |
| C．They learn to speak each other’s language. |
| D．They know something from each other’s voices. |
It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs _________.
| A．have common interests |
| B．are less different than was thought |
| C．have a common body language |
| D．are less intelligent than was expected |
What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
| A．We should learn to live in harmony. |
| B．We should know more about animals. |
| C．We should live in peace with animals. |
| D．We should learn more body languages. |
While football fans feel strongly angry and shocked about mistakes made by referees (裁判) because they cannot see clearly what has happened, a small German company is quietly pleased.
For Cairos Technologies, mistakes made by referees are the kind of advertising that money cannot buy. The company has developed a tiny chip(芯片) that fits inside a football and determines whether the ball has crossed the goal line, by being able to discover its exact location on the field. The world football organization, FIFA, has shown interest in the technology. It is very possible that the new technology will be used in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
"We've been testing the technology at the main soccer stadium in Nuremberg for some time and more recently in an under-17 FIFA Cup in Peru," said Gunter Rohmer, a director of the company. "The technology has performed well, and we're pretty optimistic（乐观）that it will be used at the games in Germany next year."
The chip only weighs 12 grams, and is placed in the center of the football. It sends 2,000 signals a second to a receiver network of 12 antennas(天线),placed around the field. The receivers then send information about the ball's location to a central computer, and because it works in real time, it can immediately tell the referee whether a goal has been scored. The chip even can tell when the ball crosses the line in mid-air. Oliver Braun, one of the inventors of the chip, says that feedback from German referees was generally positive. Germany sports-wear giant Adidas is also optimistic about using this kind of chip in other ball sports.
FIFA aims to test the technology later this year at another game in Japan before deciding whether or not to introduce it in all 12 stadiums in Germany for next year's World Cup. Carlos Technologies is pleased because ________.
| A．football fans are angry with referees |
| B．their new product can satisfy football fans |
| C．their new product will have a good market |
| D．they can sell a lot of football in the future |
In the first sentence in Paragraph 2,"... mistakes made by referees are the kind of advertising that money cannot buy" means ___________.
| A．Carlos Technologies can't afford the high price for advertising their product |
| B．Mistakes in production are also a kind of advertisement |
| C．Carios Technologies has already spent a lot of money on advertising their product |
| D．Referees' mistakes will be of great help for the sale of Carlos Technologies' new product |
The underlined word "feedback" probably means ___________.
| A．information given back by a user | B．advice given by someone |
| C．supplying food to customers | D．food given back by consumers |
The new product has drawn attention from some _________.
| A．famous people | B．referees | C．big companies | D．countries |
According to the passage , the following are true except _______ .
| A．The chip sends 2,000 signals a second |
| B．The chip even can tell when the ball crosses the line in mid-air. |
| C．The chip will be used at the game in Japan. |
| D．The chip will also be used at the games in Germany next year." |
Spending as little as $5 a day on someone else could significantly boost happiness, the team at the University of British Columbia found.
Their experiments on more than 630 Americans showed they were measurably happier when they spent money on others even if they thought spending the money on themselves would make them happier.
“We wanted to test our theory that how people spend their money is at least as important as how much money they earn,” said Elizabeth Dunn, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia. They asked their 600 volunteers first to rate their general happiness, report their annual income and detail their monthly spending including bills, gifts for themselves, gifts for others and donations to charity.
“No matter how much income each person made, those who spent money on others reported greater happiness, while those who spent more on themselves did not,” Dunn said in a statement.
Dunn’s team also surveyed 16 employees at a company in Boston before and after they received an annual profit-sharing bonus of between $3,000 and $8,000. “Employees who devoted more of their bonus to prosocial spending experienced greater happiness after receiving the bonus, and the manner in which they spent that bonus was a more important predictor of their happiness than the size of the bonus itself,” they wrote in their report, published in the journal Science.
They gave their volunteers $5 or $20 and half got clear instructions on how to spend it. Those who spent the money on someone or something else reported feeling happier about it.
“These findings suggest that very minor changes in spending allocations-as little as $5 may be enough to produce real gains in happiness on a given day,” Dunn said. What is the general idea of the passage?
| A．The more you earn, the greater happiness you will get. |
| B．Spending more money on yourself will make you happier. |
| C．Money can buy happiness, but only if you spend it on someone else. |
| D．You can spend only $5 a day on someone else to get happiness. |
The underlined work “boost” in the first paragraph probably means .
| A．help to find | B．help to increase | C．help to bring | D．help to get |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Those who spend more money on others can get much more bonus. |
| B．People usually think spending money on themselves will make them happier. |
| C．Very small changes in spending your money may be enough to gain happiness. |
| D．Researchers think that how people spend their money is at least as important as how much money they earn. |
Dunn is .
| A．a reporter in a journal | B．a volunteer in the experiment |
| C．an employee in a company | D．a psychologist at a university |
It can be inferred from the 6th paragraph that .
| A．the volunteers not given $5 or $20 spent their own money on themselves |
| B．those who spent the money on someone or something else felt happier about it |
| C．the volunteers were given $5 or $20 as a reward for the experiment |
| D．half of the volunteers could spend the money as they liked |
It's 10:30 pm, and 11-year-old Brandon Blanco is sound asleep at home. Suddenly, a loud noise wakes him up. Naturally, Brandon reaches for his cell phone. The message becomes clear: "R U awake?"
Brandon' s use of technology doesn' t stop there. He also has a computer, a TV and three video-game consoles (控制台 ) in his room. With so many choices, it' s no surprise that when he isn' t at school, he spends nearly every waking minute using one or more of these devices
Brandon is hardly alone. According to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids aged 8 to18 are spending more time than ever before using electronic devices. How much time? More than seven and a half hours a day on average, the study found.
The jump is the result of a huge explosion in mobile devices, says Victoria Rideout, the lead author of the study. Today, nearly seven out of ten kids have cell phones. Just five years ago, it was four out of ten.
Often, kids multitask, or use more than one device at a time. " If you’ve got a chance to do something on your computer and take a phone call and have the TV on in the background, why not?" media expert Cheryl Olson says.
Most experts agree technology has much to offer kids. But some worry the kids could be missing out on other activities like playing outside or hanging out with friends. " It' s a matter of balance," says Olson." You’ve got to work on it. "
Multitasking while doing homework is another concern. Some kids listen to music, watch TV or use the phone while doing their homework. "It' s important to make sure that you can stop and concentrate on one thing deeply, " says Rideout.
With new and exciting devices hitting stores every year, keeping technology use in check is more important than ever. " Kids should try," adds Rideout. " But parents might have to step in sometimes. "Why do children spend more time in using electronic devices?
| A．Because more electronic devices are available to them. |
| B．Because electronic devices are more exciting than before. |
| C．Because they have less other activities. |
| D．Because they have less homework to do. |
It is known from the passage that ____.
| A．Brandon Blanco feels very annoyed about his late-night text |
| B．the teenagers using mobile devices have increased by 30% in the past five years |
| C．Cheryl Olson is not surprised about kids' increasing use of mobile devices |
| D．most experts think teenagers should not use electronic devices for their studies |
Which of the following is an example of multitasking according to the passage?
| A．Watching TV while using the computer. |
| B．Talking on the phone while staying with others. |
| C．Playing video games on the Internet. |
| D．Listening to music while relaxing. |
According to the passage, Victoria Rideout would probably agree that ____.
| A．kids should do homework while surfing the Internet |
| B．kids should do homework in a place without disturbance |
| C．kids should spend more time on homework |
| D．kids should have more homework than before |
A． “Better road design and training hold the key to cycle safety”, the new Transport Secretary said today as he pledged to restore Britain’s safety record. Patrick McLoughlin told Conservative Party Conference that while cycling was enjoying a post-Olympics boom, the number of casualties among cyclists was also rising. “But the number of accidents has gone up too. That means it needs better design and better education too.” Mr McLoughlin said in his first speech as Transport Secretary.
B. Cycling in the UK will become safer through “sheer weight of numbers,” the founder of one of the world’s leading cycle brands has said as he backed The Times’s Cyclesafe campaign. Simon Mottram, founder and chief executive of Rapha, has added his support to 40 cross-party MPs who have signed a letter urging David Cameron to use his speech at the Conservative Party Conference to promote measures to make the streets safer for cyclists.
C. Commuters who cycle to work face an increased danger as the casualty toll during peak hours rose by 10 percent last year. The rate at which cyclists were killed or seriously injured rose sharply last year, official figures showed yesterday.
D. In future decades, Londoners will look back on the way cyclists jostled with buses and lorries on major roads as an absurd anachronism. Some risks are unavoidable. But other risks survive only because we are too slow to embrace bold solutions. That is the message from designers who are proposing an ambitious plan to create cycle lanes suspended above London’s busiest streets. London is one of the most dangerous places in the world for cycling. “SkyCycle” would remedy that problem by attaching dedicated cycle paths to existing railway viaducts.
E. Money should be apportioned from the funding for major transport projects, such as the new Forth Crossing, to create a pot of cash for cycling, campaigners have told MSPs. Cycle groups have given warning that not enough money is being put into routes and promotion. They want the Scottish government to take a percentage of the funding allocated to key national projects and create an “active transport” fund to be distributed gradually.
F. We’d like you to tell us why you love cycling by sending a photo of yourself, a family member or friend with their bike and a note about why it is so brilliant. To take part, instagram your photo with the hashtag #ilovemybike or email it to us at ilovemybike@thetimes.co.uk. We’ll post the best pictures here ilovemybike.tumblr.com.
请阅读以下信息，并为他们匹配合适的新闻内容。“Cycle lanes in the sky” answer to traffic danger
More cyclists are seriously injured on Britain’s roads
Share a picture of you and your bike and help us promote the fun and freedom of cycling
“Weight of numbers” will bring safe cycling
Transport Secretary calls for better road design and training to help cyclists
Recently, some concerns have been raised about the health of the world's banana plants. Many media reports have said that bananas may completely disappear in the coming ten years.
Bananas are one of the world's most important food crops. They are also the fourth most valuable export. Bananas do not grow from seeds. Instead, they grow from existing plants. Bananas are threatened by disease because all the plants on a farm are copies of each other. They all share the same genetic weaknesses.
For example, the Cavendish banana is most popular in American markets. It is an important export crop. However, some kinds of fungus (真菌) organisms easily infect the Cavendish. Black Sigatoka disease affects the leaves of Cavendish banana plants. The disease is controlled on large farms by putting chemicals on the plant's leaves. Farmers put anti-fungal chemicals on their crops up to once a week.
Another fungal disease is more serious. Panama disease attacks the roots of the banana plant. There is no chemical treatment for this disease. Infected plants must be destroyed. Panama disease has affected crops in Southeast Asia, Australia and South Africa. There is concern that it may spread to bananas grown in the Americas. This could threaten an important export product for Central and South America.
The International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain, whose headquarter lies in France, supports research on bananas. The group says that more research must be done to develop improved kinds of bananas.
The group says that fungal diseases mainly affect only one kind of banana. In fact, there are five-hundred different kinds of bananas. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says the Cavendish banana represents only ten percent of world production.
The UN agency says farmers should grow different kinds of bananas. This protects against diseases that affect only one kind. Experts warn that disease may cause the Cavendish banana to disappear. This has already happened to one popular banana because of its genetic weakness against disease. (words: 335) What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．Bananas are the world’s most important food crops. |
| B．There are five hundred different kinds of bananas. |
| C．The risk to a popular banana shows need to grow other kinds. |
| D．How to grow bananas in different countries. |
Bananas are threatened by diseases because __________.
| A．they have genetic weaknesses against disease. |
| B．they are one of the most valuable exports. |
| C．the only way to prevent it is to put chemicals on their leaves. |
| D．they grow from the seed |
Panama disease__________.
| A．doesn’t belong to fungal disease. |
| B．has spread to bananas in the world. |
| C．affects the leaves of banana plants. |
| D．destroys the bananas more seriously than Black Sigatoka disease. |
We can infer from Paragraph 6 that ____________.
| A．the center of the group is in the US. |
| B．the key to solving the disease is to research all kinds of bananas. |
| C．the Cavendish banana covers only a small part of the output of bananas. |
| D．each fungal disease affects five hundred different kinds of bananas. |
According to the passage, which information is right?
| A．The Cavendish banana can be mainly imported from North America and Europe. |
| B．Fungal diseases mainly affect the Cavendish banana. |
| C．The Cavendish banana won’t die out in the future. |
| D．Panama disease affects the leaves of banana plants. |
With his game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, Jeremy Lin (林书豪) finished the New York Knicks' dramatic reversed victory to defeat the Toronto Rapters.
The Knicks have won six games in a row, and Jeremy Lin has put up impressive numbers during the continuous period of competitions. Although the season is still young, the Knicks have reversed course in just one week from the NBA's most disappointing team to a playoff (季后赛) contestant. Lin, not team's high-paid stars, has saved the Knicks season and likely coach D'Antoni's job.
After nearly 15 years of disappointing, sometimes unsuccessful seasons, Madison Square Garden is alive again, and New York City can't stop talking about the Knicks. To put things into perspective, consider this: Just several years back, Knicks fans protested nightly outside of the Garden calling for the team's ownership to fire their resented coach Isiah Thomas.
Now, Madison Square Garden Co. shares are at a record high, the Knicks' average household television rating is up 70 percent since Lin joined the starting lineup (首发阵容), and jersey sales are increasing very quickly. I watched the Knicks-Lakers game at a bar in Harlem, and have not felt that kind of energy from fans since the great playoff between the Knicks and Miami Heat in the late 1990s.
Beyond the Knicks, Lin may be saving the NBA as well. Just a few months back, the NBA took a massive credibility hit during a multi-month lockout, where the owners did not allow the players to go back to play until they accept the new salary levels. As a consequence, the season did not even begin until Christmas Day. Over the past few years, LeBron James' (勒布朗﹒詹姆斯) relatively long and unpleasant free-agent (自由职业球员) events, combined with poor play around the league, have angered fans and damaged the league's brand.
Lin is leading a one-week NBA basketball revival. His legendary story has inspired Asian-Americans, increased NBA sales in China, and turned the basketball world upside down.
(words:348)According to the passage, Jeremy Lin's excellent performance saved the following except___
| A．The NBA | B．Coach Isiah Thomas |
| C．The Knicks | D．Madison Square Garden Co.’s shares |
The underlined word “young” in Paragraph 2 probably means "______"
| A．not old yet. | B．not completely grown. | C．in the development | D．in the early stage |
The NBA suffered the credibility crisis months ago because____
| A．The NBA delayed the season because of players’ wage disagreements |
| B．the NBA was disappointed at James’ free-agent event. |
| C．The NBA canceled the basketball match for the coming Christmas |
| D．James had a bad performance in the basketball court |
Which one of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．These Knicks’ stars who were paid well saved the Knicks season |
| B．The Knicks didn’t satisfy its fans for nearly 15 years until this season |
| C．The fans objected to dismissing Coach Isiah Thomas outside the Garden |
| D．The owners and the players didn’t agree on raising the TV ratings |
The passage is mainly about______
| A．why the New Yorkers thought well of Jeremy Lin |
| B．why Jeremy Lin became a member of the Knicks |
| C．how the Knicks defeated its opponents in a great playoff |
| D．how Jeremy Lin saved the Knicks, probably including the NBA |
It seems that there is no middle ground when it comes to cats. People either love them or hate them. These feelings are not new either. All through history, cats have been worshiped or hated. A study of ancient writings and evidence found in tombs indicates that for the past 5,000 years, cats have been kept as pets in China, Arabia, Egypt, and India. However, this isn’t very long compared to dogs, which have been domesticated for 50,000 years. Still, while the period in which cats have been domesticated may be quite short, it has definitely had its high and low points.
Cats were at their highest position of domesticated life in ancient Egypt. There were more cats living in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs than in any other place in the world since that time. This high number of cats was probably due to the laws protecting them. Cats were associated with the moon goddess, Bast, so the Egyptians worshiped them as holy animals. If anyone was caught killing a cat, the person could be put to death. Families in Egypt also mourned the death of a cat and had the body of the dead cat wrapped in cloth before it was finally laid to rest. This respect for cats carried over to the Roman Empire where cats were the only animals allowed into temples. This fact was probably due to the ability of cats to keep the temples free of mice and rats. With the coming of the Dark Ages in Europe, the place of cats in society took a turn for the Empire, Christians began to associate cats with pegan (异教徒) beliefs. Cats had a reputation as helpers of witches. When a person was accused of being a witch, a cat would often be put on trial with the person. The cat would be tortured（拷打） to try and make the person tell the truth, and usually the cat and the person would end up being burned in a bonfire or drowned. Bonfires of collected cats were not uncommon during this time.
The days of hunting witches have ended, but other myths about cats still hold out. For a while, people in some places used to bury live cats under new buildings for good luck. As well, many people today continue to believe that black cats bring bad luck. If a black cat walks in front of a person, that person must take extra care in the near future to watch out for dangerous situations. Regardless of superstition(迷信), cats remain a popular pet today. Some cat experts believe that a cat never truly be domesticated because it may turn wild and run away at any time. However, this claim has not put people off keeping cats in their homes. A third of homes in the United States have cats, and one out of every three of these homes keeps both a dog and a cat. Especially in large cities, many people in small apartments have found that cats make much better pets than dogs.
Cats may not be worshiped as gods any more, but there are people who seem to think of their cat as their children. These cat owners will do almost anything to keep their pets healthy and happy. For those cat owners who have always wondered what their pets are trying to tell them, a Japanese company may have come up with the perfect invention. In 2003, the Takara Company announced the Meowlingual, a cat translation device. The Meowlingual uses a microphone, display, and cat voice analyzer to analyze a cat’s meows to determine which of 200 phrases a cat is trying to say.
According to a company spokesperson, “… cat owners all over the world have been telling Takara, ‘ We want a cat translator!’” Now, the company “is making their dream come true by bringing in a new era of communication between cat lovers and their pets.”Which of these is NOT discussed in the passage?
| A．the status of cats throughout history |
| B．the evolution of different species of cats |
| C．the popularity of the cats today |
| D．communication between cats and their owners |
The second paragraph mainly describes_______.
| A．how Bast became a goddess. |
| B．the low point in the history of cats |
| C．the high point in the history of cats |
| D．the reason why cats are such good hunters |
How were cats treated in Europe during the Dark Ages?
| A．as farm animals | B．as food | C．as magical creatures | D．as honored guests |
According to the passage, what percentage of people in the United States keep both a cat and a dog?
| A．about 10 percent | B．nearly 25 percent | C．about 33 percent | D．close to 50 percent |
There are many famous museums throughout the world where people can enjoy art. Washington, D.C. has the National Gallery of Art; Paris has the Luvre; London, the British Museum. Florida International University (FIU) in Miami also shows art for people to see. And it does so without building, or even a wall for its drawing and paintings. FIU has opened what it says is the first computer art museum in the United States. You don’t have to visit the University to see the art. You just need a computer linked to a telephone. You can call the telephone number of a university computer and connect your own computer to it. All of the art is stored in the school computer. It is computer art, produced electronically by artists on their own computers. In only a few minutes, your computer can receive and copy all the pictures and drawings. Robert Shostak is direction of the new computer museum. He says he starts the museum because computer artists had no place to show their works.
A computer artist can only record his pictures electronically and send the records to others to see on their computers. He can also put his pictures on paper. But to print good pictures on paper, the computer artist needs an expensive laser printer (激光印刷) . Robert Shostak says the electronic（电子的） museum is mostly for art or computer students at school and universities. Many of the pictures in the museum are made by students. Mr Shostake said the FIU museum will take computer art more fun for computer artists because more people can see it. He says artists enjoy their work much more if they have an audience. And the great number of home computers in America could mean a huge audience for the electronic museum.The main purpose of this text is to give information about_______.
A. museums throughout the world
B. an electronic art museum in Miami, U.S.A.
C. art exhibitions（展览会） in Florida International University
D. latest development of computer artTo see the art in FIU museum, you need______.
| A．floppy discs（软盘） |
| B．a computer and a printer |
| C．pictures and drawings on paper |
| D．a computer connect to the museum by telephone line |
The museum was started when______.
A Robert Shostak wanted to do something for computer scientists
B. Robert Shostak wanted to help computer artists
C. art students needed a place to show their works
D. computer scientists wanted to do something about artThe words “an audience” in the last paragraph refer to ________.
| A．art students | B．computer owners |
| C．exhibits in the museum | D．those who will enjoy art. |
Four out of ten women who diet end up heavier than when they started watching their waistline, a study revealed today. The research also showed that a large percentage of women start noticing the pounds creeping back on just 21 days after reaching their ideal weight.
Yesterday, Dr Ian Campbell of the Jenny Craig weight management program said, ‘In the UK 61.4 percent of adults are overweight or obese. Successful weight management requires a long-term commitment in order to lose weight successfully and for good. Dieting can be a real challenge so setting realistic goals and remaining focused on them is important. Otherwise as this research shows, women could end up heavier than when they started.’
The “Food, Body, Mind” report was publicized by Jenny Craig who quizzed 2000 women aged between 18 and 65 who diet regularly on their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors around weight loss. Six in ten said they were currently on a diet and one in five women said they were on a continuous diet.
It found the most common triggers to start dieting was seeing their reflection in the mirror, preparing for a summer holiday or unflattering photos posted on social networking sites. Other popular reasons include comments by friends or relatives or their other half.
However, the study showed that one in ten give up within one day, while almost a fifth manage to make it to a week or more. The average is ten days. Many blamed pressure they put on themselves to lose weight too quickly for the weight gain, which leaves them with a bigger appetite than normal. Others blamed colleagues, who tuck into fatty lunches and snacks unaware of the effect it has on the dieter, while mothers’ polishing off（吃光）their children's leftovers was another common cause of weight gain. Which of the following might be the best title for this article?
| A．Diet: a tricky path to weight loss |
| B．Important things for successful diet |
| C．Four in ten women gain weight on diets |
| D．Obesity: problem for 61.4% adults in UK |
In the UK, women who go on a diet ________.
| A．are all overweight or obese |
| B．all fail because they are not persistent enough |
| C．are likely to gain weight again after reaching their ideal weight |
| D．end up heavier than when they start to diet |
The underlined word “triggers” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.
| A．effects | B．causes | C．examples | D．imagination |
Which of the following is NOT the reason why many people stop dieting very soon?
| A．The pressure they put on themselves to lose weight quickly. |
| B．Colleagues who give them fatty lunches and snacks. |
| C．Leftovers of children’s taken by their mothers. |
| D．Reflections they see in the mirror. |
Washington, November 1, 2012 (CNN) -- After years of planning and months of campaigning（竞选）, the most expensive presidential race in history comes down to a final five-day whirlwind of speeches and television ads in the eight states still up for grabs.
President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney plan to hold virtually nonstop events between now and the Tuesday election considered too close to call.
The focus is on battleground states worth 95 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Both sides are trying to close the deal with a decreasing number of uncommitted(未表态的) voters, while making sure supporters actually cast ballots.
That means a game of campaign chess that started Thursday, with appearances by the candidates (候选人)and their assistants as well as advertising dollars allocated to the places considered most vital to success.
Concluding a race expected to cost more than $6 billion overall, Obama and Romney and their running mates will hit all the battleground states -- Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin. The campaigns also are unloading a blast of television ads and mailings that threaten to overwhelm voters already saturated with politicking. Perhaps no one said it better than 4-year-old Abigael Evans of Fort Collins, Colorado, who -- according to NPR -- cried after listening to more election coverage on the radio and told her mother, ‘I'm tired of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.’The underlined phrase “too close to call” probably means .
| A．a game that one side is clearly winning. |
| B．a tie in which neither side seems likely to win |
| C．so close that you need not use a telephone |
| D．a visit close to one’s home state |
What is the focus of the last-5 -day campaigns for both presidential candidates?
| A．To make sure that their supporters understand their policies. |
| B．To collect enough money for campaign ads. |
| C．To paint their rival as black as possible. |
| D．To win over the voters who have not decide which candidate to vote for. |
The public generally feel ________ about these last-days election efforts.
| A．excited | B．disappointed | C．annoyed | D．relieved |
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