Howard Dill is a giant among giant pumpkin growers. He grew world champion pumpkins for four years running，from 1979 to 1982，and missed winning the fifth year by a mere 5 pounds. Today，his Dill Atlantic Giant seeds are sold worldwide to more than 50 seed companies. The pumpkins grown from his Dill Atlantic Giant seeds commonly weigh in at over 1,000 pounds.“I don’t have any training in genetics ；it was all trial and error，”Dill says. He inherited his love of pumpkins from his father and has enjoyed growing them for years.
Dill still grows giant pumpkins, but not for competition. In the fall, visitors come to enjoy the pumpkin patch on his 90-acre farm in Nova Scotia，Canada. He plants ten acres of pumpkins for Halloween and two acres of giant pumpkins. One of giant pumpkins was recently baked into 442 pumpkin pies and sold at $ 5 each for charity.
It you want to try growing a giant pumpkin, Dill recommends starting with a soil test and then adding fertilizer as needed. Plant the giant pumpkin seed. A giant pumpkin can gain 15 to 20 pounds a day， so careful watering—every day or two—is essential. You should wait about 130 days until the pumpkin matures and then you can harvest it.
Dill’s favorite pumpkin set the Guinness Book record in 1981. It weighted 493.5 pounds. “I’ve grown them larger since， but that one meant a lot,” he remembers. “I never would have predicted ten years ago that there would be a 1,000-pounder，but there are many of them now，”says Dill。The 2006 world record holder is Larry Checkon of Pennsylvania. He grew a 1,469 pounder. Dill says, “These world champions are grown from my seeds， so I feel like a winner right along with them.”What can we learn about the world champion pumpkin of 1983?
| A．It weighed over 1,000 pounds. |
| B．It was missing after the competition. |
| C．It was 5 pounds heavier than that of 1982. |
| D．It was 5 pounds heavier than Dill’s biggest one that year. |
One of Dill’s giant pumpkins earned .
| A．$2210 | B．$442 | C．$1000 | D．$1469 |
In the third paragraph Dill mainly tells about .
| A．how to do a soil test | B．how to plant the giant pumpkin seed |
| C．when to water the pumpkin | D．how to grow a giant pumpkin |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Howard Dill is well trained in genetics. |
| B．Howard Dill grows pumpkins just for competiton. |
| C．Dill felt proud of Larry Checkon’s champion pumpkin. |
| D．Dill’s favorite pumpkin is the heaviest of all those he has ever grown. |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Gardening Giant: Howard Dill | B．World Champion Pumpkin |
| C．Dill Atlantic Giant Seeds | D．How to Grow Giant Pumpkins |
On the evening of June 21, 1992, a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes entered the beautiful hall of the Bell Tower Hotel in Xi’an with his bicycle. The hotel workers received him and telephoned the manager, for they had never seen a bicycle in the hotel ball before though they lived in “the kingdom of bicycles.”
Robert Friedlander, an American, arrived in Xi’an on his bicycle trip across Asia which started last December in New Delhi, India.
When he was 11, he read the book Ma-rco Polo and made up his mind to visit the Silk Road. Now, after 44 years , he was on the Silk Road in Xi’an and his early dreams were coming true.
Robert Friedlander’s next destinations (目的地) were Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Urumqi, etc. He will complete his trip in Pakistan.The best headline(标题) for this newspaper article would be________.
| A．The Kingdom of Bicycles | B．A Beautiful Hotel in Xi’an |
| C．Marco Polo and the Silk Road | D．An American Achieving His Aims |
The hotel workers told the manager about Friedlander coming to the hotel because
| A．he asked to see the manager |
| B．he entered the hall with a bike |
| C．the manager had to know about all foreign guests |
| D．the manager knew about his trip and was expecting him |
Friedlander is visiting the three countries in the following order, .
| A．China, Pakistan, and India | B．Pakistan, China, and India |
| C．India, China, and Pakistan | D．China, India, and Pakistan |
BEIJING , March 9 --- The central government will require an additional three years of use for official vehicles for ministers and governors to reduce the costs of purchasing new cars, media have reported.
The new rule has been applied among all Party and government departments nationwide, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday. The new rule has not yet been made public, said Li, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee.
Under the old rules, the cars used by minister-level officials could be replaced as often as every five years, Li said. These officials will also keep the same cars when they assume new posts, he added.
The new rule also reiterated(重申) that officials ranking below minister-or-governor-levels should not be allocated cars. The cars possessed by their departments should be used on demand.
“It violates the rules for lower-ranking --- even county-level-officials to be allocated cars,” Li said.
Purchases of vehicles for official use have been heavily investigated, as they account for a large expenditure (花费) of public funds every year.
A survey on the Web news www.ifeng.com found 64 percent of respondents believed the new rule will be difficult to carry out because it is related to officials’ interests.
“Local government departments had halted(中断) approvals for requests for such vehicles and had started to work on new quotas(指标) under the new rules,” Li said. “The future reform of official vehicle use will introduce market mechanisms and monetization.”
Premier Wen Jiabao said in the annual government work report on Saturday that expenditures on such vehicles will not increase in 2011 compared with a year ago.
Beijing’s standing deputy mayor Ji Lin last week said the municipal (市政的) government will release the number of vehicles for official use in the capital as early as at the end of this month.
Earlier this month, the Minister of Finance had published a rule regulating the budgets for such vehicles.What is the purpose of the new rule allocating vehicles among officials?
| A．To promote a low-carbon lifestyle. |
| B．To cut down the present huge expenditures of purchasing cars. |
| C．To make good use of budgets for official cars. |
| D．To solve the problem of severe traffic jam. |
How often could the cars used by minister-level officials be replaced according to the new rule?
| A．Every 3 years. | B．Every 5 years. | C．Every 8 years. | D．Every 10 years. |
What about the officials ranking below minister-or-governor levels in terms of official vehicles?
| A．They can still possess special cars. |
| B．They can use their own private cars. |
| C．They can use cars whenever officially necessary. |
| D．They can be allocated second-hand cars. |
What is the public’s attitude toward the new rule’s fulfillment?
| A．Uncertain. | B．Optimistic. | C．Indifferent. | D．Passive |
From the passage, we can infer that_________.
| A．the government is determined to carry out the new rule |
| B．the new rule has not yet been made public |
| C．the new rule will benefit official’s interest |
| D．the new rule is applied to minister-level officials |
BEIJING, March, 17th --The Japanese automaker Toyota will recall some 4,400 units of FJ Cruiser cars in China over seat belt flaws, China's consumer quality watchdog said Saturday.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said on its website that Toyota China will recall these imported cars produced between December 2007 and March 2013.
Toyota is busy working on the solution to the flaw and will release improvement methods before April 15, according to the administration.
This marks Toyota's second recalling this year after the auto giant announced in January that it would recall 22,869 units of Lexus IS cars in China due to wiper arm problem.
China's private auto ownership reached 93.09 million units by the end of 2012, up 18.3 percent compared with the year before. Along with the fast expanding auto market, Chinese drivers grow more concerned about the quality of their cars.
Also on Saturday, the AQSIQ said in a statement on its website that its research has basically confirmed the German automaker Volkswagen's direct shift gearbox (DSG) transmission has defects which may cause engine power failures and urged Volkswagen to recall defective cars after China Central Television (CCTV) exposed Volkswagen's gearbox defect on Friday.
To better protect the interests of Chinese consumers, the AQSIQ announced late last year that it would formulate a guideline to regulate a recall system for faulty cars.What does underlined the word “recall” in the first paragraph probably mean?
| A．To ask people to return a product. |
| B．To bring something into one’s mind. |
| C．To remember something from the past. |
| D．To ask someone to go back. |
According to the passage, Lexus IS cars were found to have .
| A．seat belt flaws | B．wiper arm problem |
| C．gearbox defect | D．engine power failure |
What is the purpose of regulating a recall system for faulty cars?
| A．To limit the sales of imported cars in China. |
| B．For a better development of national automobile industry of China. |
| C．In order to show the authority and power of AQSIQ. |
| D．For a better protection of rights and interests of Chinese consumers. |
What was China’s private auto ownership by the end of 2011?
| A．About 93 million units. | B．About 110 million units. |
| C．About 79 million units. | D．About 90 million units. |
Which of the following statements is probably NOT true according to the news?
| A．Toyota will release its improvements on faulty cars in less than a month. |
| B．Chinese put more and more focus on the quality of their cars. |
| C．You may get the information about faulty cars on the website of AQSIQ. |
| D．It was AQSIQ that first exposed Volkswagen’s DSG defects. |
A boy who was nervous on his first day of school climbed onto a third-floor balcony (阳台) and put legs over the side. His mother and teachers tried their best to bring him down, but failed. However, a firefighter who dressed as "Spiderman" succeeded in saving him.
Firefighter David Smith was called in after the 6-year-old’s teachers and mother had failed to get him down from the balcony. "He was asking for his mother, "Smith said. "He was crying, and wouldn’t let any of us get near him." After hearing a conversation between the boy’s mother and his teachers about his love of superheroes , Smith hurried home to get his Spiderman clothes.
"I told him 'Spiderman is here to save you. No one will hurt you now,’" Smith said. "Then I told him to walk slowly toward me. I was really nervous that he might fall if he got too excited and started running." Then the crying boy broke into a smile and walked into the fireman’s arms.
The fictional (虚构的) superhero was created by writer Stan Lee in the early 1960s. It has recently become popular again through a series of movies made about him. In them he is acted by superstar Tobey Maguire, who acted with Kirsten Dunst and James Franco.Which would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Spiderman Is Back | B．"Spiderman" Saved a Boy |
| C．Spiderman Is Popular | D．A Boy’s Love of Spiderman |
Put the following things in the correct order.
a. The fireman dressed as "Spiderman".
b. The mother talked with the boy’s teachers.
c. The boy didn’t let anyone get near him.
d. The boy smiled at the fireman.
| A．c, b, a, d | B．c, b, d, a | C．b, c, a, d | D．b, a, c, d |
How did the fireman succeed in saving the boy?
| A．By showing he had the same interest as the boy. |
| B．By bringing the boy’s mother to his side. |
| C．By dressing up as a superhero. |
| D．By making friends with him. |
What do we learn from the passage?
| A．The boy had been forced to go to school. |
| B．The mother did not love her son. |
| C．Spiderman is a superhero in a series of movies. |
| D．Spiderman became popular again in the 1960s. |
NEW YORK (AP) — The investigation into the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz has gone through decades and countries, from basements to rooftops and seemingly everywhere in between.
No one has ever been charged criminally — and the little boy with sandy brown hair and a toothy grin was declared dead in 2001.
This week, the six-year-old boy who went missing from the Soho area of New York City in 1979 is back in the news. Police and the FBI are investigating a possible lead into the 33-year-old case of Etan Patz, the first missing child to appear on the side of a milk box.
The child disappeared on the way to school on the morning of May 25, 1979. It was the first time he was allowed to walk the two blocks to the bus stop alone.
A tip seemed to have led officials to the basement of a building on the corner of Prince and Wooster streets, about a block and a half from where Etan had lived with his family.
The name Etan Patz has become a hot topic on Twitter as people weigh in on the case. Shirley Brady noted: “As mom to a 6 years old in Soho, it’s still held out by locals as cautionary tale (警示故事).” Another wrote, “Boy who disappeared on his way to school in 1979 has been REOPENED! Crazy.” One wondered, “Why is FBI and NYPD searching for a kid that disappeared in 1979?”
Good question. This is a case that Stuart Gra Bois, as an assistant U.S. lawyer under Rudolph Giuliani, followed for years. It became the most famous missing-person case in New York City, turned a nationwide spotlight on missing children, and created headlines around the globe. No one was ever stated guilty of the crime.
The case led to the creation of National Missing Children’s Day, marked on May 25, the day the blond-haired, blue-eyed child went missing.
The case has even pointed to a suspect, charged with child molester (猥亵者) Julio Antonio Ramos, who is currently in prison. Patz’s babysitter had been dating the man, and Ramos did know the kid, but has denied taking him away.
New evidence in the case suggests another suspect who lived in the apartment at the time: a local handyman named Othniel Miller, who gave Etan $1 for helping him the night before the disappearance.
The man’s name had come up in an earlier investigation, but he was a friend of the Patz family, and the NYPD did not follow the lead.
Investigators plan to be at the site, 127 B Prince St., which is now a Lucky Brand jeans store, for the next two to three days to search for human remains. The Associated Press reports that the excavation (挖掘) has been the result of a recently ordered review of the case by Manhattan’s police. We can learn from the first three paragraphs that ________.
| A．The 6-year-old missing boy was found by the side of a milk box |
| B．Police and the FBI have not been following the case of Etan Patz for 33 years |
| C．The investigation into the disappearance of boy has worked fruitlessly for decades |
| D．Etan Patz went missing from the Soho area of New York city in 1979 and died in 2001 |
What does the underlined phrase “weigh in on the case” mean?
| A．ignore the case | B．feel stressed on the case |
| C．reopen the case | D．begin to discuss the case |
What was a possible cause of reopening the case of Etan Patz?
| A．Local lawyers strongly demanded the reopening of the case. |
| B．The Associated Press reported the result of the review of the case. |
| C．New evidence appeared which led officials to the basement of a building. |
| D．Local people realized the importance of the case without criminal being charged. |
Which of the following statements is true in the text?
| A．The National Missing Children’s Day was created on May 25, 1979. |
| B．The search for human remains will be carried out at 127 B Prince Street. |
| C．The NYPD didn’t follow the lead of Julio Antonio for he had been dating Patz’ babysitter. |
| D．Othniel Miller, a local handyman assisted Etan and gave him $1 before the disappearance. |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．People air the same view about the case on the Internet |
| B．People reject the reopening of the case of the missing boy |
| C．The missing-person case still has a long-lasting influence on people |
| D．Twitter is the only place for people to discuss about missing-person cases |
Drunken driving—sometimes called America's socially accepted form of murder—has become a national epidemic(流行病). Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers, adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years.
A drunken driver is usually defined as one with a 0.10 blood alcohol content or roughly three beers, glasses of wine or several glasses of whisky drunk within two hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manly image and judges were serious in most courts, but the drunken slaughter(屠宰) has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially involving young children, that public opinion is no longer so tolerant.
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, reversing(使翻转) a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18-20-year-old drivers more than doubled, so the state recently upped it back to 21.
Reformers, however, fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink.
Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests and, in many areas already, to a marked decline in accidents, some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks. A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who “obviously drunk” and later drove off the road, killing a nine-year-old boy.
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state, some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years of national prohibition(禁止) of alcohol that began in 1919, what President Hoover called the “noble experiment”. They forgot that legal prohibition didn’t stop drinking, but encouraged political corruption and organized crime. As with the booming drug trade generally, there is no easy solution.From the first paragraph, we can know that _________.
| A．most Americans like drinking |
| B．heavy drinking is hard to avoid |
| C．many Americans are killed by drunk drivers |
| D．Americans are not shocked by traffic accidents |
In America, public opinion about drunken driving has changed because ________.
| A．judges are no longer serious |
| B．new laws are introduced in some states |
| C．the problem has attracted public attention |
| D．drivers do not appreciate their manly image |
What can be inferred from the fact of the traffic accidents in New Jersey?
| A．The legal drinking age should be raised. |
| B．Young drivers were usually bad. |
| C．Most drivers hoped to raise the legal drinking age. |
| D．Drivers should not be allowed to drink. |
Laws recently introduced in some states have _________.
| A．reduced the number of deaths. |
| B．resulted in fewer serious accidents. |
| C．prevented bars from serving drunken customers. |
| D．specified the amount drivers can drink. |
Which of the following best shows the writer’s opinion of drunken driving?
| A．It may lead to organized crime. |
| B．It is difficult to solve this problem. |
| C．The new laws can stop heavy drinking. |
| D．There should be no bars to serve drink. |
As computers become more and more popular in China, Chinese are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes(笔画) of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more widespread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer. All the students interviewed say they usually use computers.
It's faster and easier to correct the mistakes if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being used more and more often in modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
“When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I'm familiar with it.”
“I'm not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”
Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and efficient to type on a computer, why bother to write by hand?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic (审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. Besides, handwriting contains the writer's emotion. Through one's handwriting, people can learn one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression.”
To encourage students to write more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Importance of Typing |
| B．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters |
| C．Writing by Computer Will Replace Writing by Hand |
| D．To Type or to Write by Hand |
The students interviewed prefer to type on a computer mainly because_______.
| A．they can correct the mistakes quickly and conveniently |
| B．they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and essays |
| C．they find it hard to remember how to write a character |
| D．computers have become a trend and fashion in China |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about advantages of handwriting?
| A．Handwriting contains the writer's emotion. |
| B．Handwriting can impress people well and build their self-confidence. |
| C．The writer's thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting. |
| D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. |
The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 probably means________.
| A．getting bored with | B．becoming crazy about |
| C．becoming dependent on | D．getting curious about |
One thing the tour books don’t tell you about London is that 2,000 of its residents are foxes. They ran away from the city about centuries ago after developers and pollution moved in. But now that the environment is cleaner, the foxes have come home, one of the many wild animals that have moved into urban areas around the world.
“The number and variety of wild animals in urban areas is increasing,” says Gomer Jones, president of the National Institute for Urban Wildlife, in Columbia, Maryland. A survey of the wildlife in New York’s Central Park last year tallied the species of mammals, including muskrats, shrews and flying squirrels. A similar survey conducted in the 1890s counted only five species. One of the country’s largest populations of raccoons (浣熊) now lives in Washington D.C., and moose (驼鹿) are regularly seen wandering into Maine towns. Peregrine falcons(游隼) dive from the window ledges of buildings in the largest U.S. cities to prey on (捕食) pigeons.
Several changes have brought wild animals to the cities. Foremost(首要的) is that air and water quality in many cities has improved as a result of the 1970s pollution-control efforts. Meanwhile, rural areas have been built up, leaving many animals on the edges of suburbs. In addition, urban wildlife refuges (避难处)have been created. The Greater London Council last year spent￡750,000 to buy land and build 10 permanent wildlife refuges in the city. Over 1,000 volunteers have donated money and cleared rubble from deserted lots. One evening last year a fox was seen on Westminster Bridge looking up at Big Ben.
For peregrine falcons, cities are actually safer than rural cliff dwellings (悬崖栖息地). By 1970 the birds had died out east of the Mississippi because the DDT had made their eggs too thin to support life. That year, scientist Tom Cade of Cornell University began raising the birds for release in cities, for cities afforded abundant food.
Cities can attract wild animals without turning them harmful. The trick is to create habitats where they can be self-sufficient but still be seen and appreciated. Such habitats can even be functional. In San Francisco, the local government is testing different kinds of rainwater control basins to see not only which ones retain (保持) the cleanest water but which will attract the most birds.The first paragraph suggests that ________.
| A．environment is vital for wildlife |
| B．tour books are not always a reliable source of information |
| C．London is a city of fox |
| D．foxes are highly adaptable to environment |
Which of the following is NOT a reason that wildlife is returning to the cities?
| A．Food is plentiful in the cities. |
| B．Wildlife is appreciated in the cities. |
| C．Wildlife refuges have been built in the cities |
| D．Air and water quality has improved in the cities |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．Londoners are putting more and more wild animals into their zoos. |
| B．Londoners are happy to see wild animals return to their city |
| C．Londoners are trying to move wild animals back to the countryside |
| D．Londoners have welcomed the wild birds, but found foxes a problem |
Too much TV watching can harm children's ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children．
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders． Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs．
A second study, looking at nearly 1000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year-olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood． But the results don't prove that TV is the cause and don't rule out that already poorly motivated youngsters（年轻人）may watch lots of TV．
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages 5 and 15． Those with college degrees had watched an average（平均）of less than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of more than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high school．
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored（得分）the lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest．
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to findings that children shouldn't have TVs in their bedrooms．According to the California study, the low-scoring group might
| A．have watched a lot of TV |
| B．not be interested in math |
| C．be unable to go to college |
| D．have had computers in their bedrooms |
What is the researchers' understanding of the New Zealand study results?
| A．Poorly motivated 26-year-old watch more TV． |
| B．Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest． |
| C．TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds． |
| D．The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain |
What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
| A．More time should be spent on computers． |
| B．Children should be forbidden from watching TV． |
| C．TV sets shouldn't be allowed in children's bedrooms． |
| D．Further studies on high-achieving students should be done． |
What would be the best title for this text?
| A．Computers or Television |
| B．Effects of Television on Children |
| C．Studies on TV and College Education |
| D．Television and Children's Learning Habit |
Museum of London
At the Museum of London you can experience and discover the hidden treasures in our city's history．
From talks, walks and tours to evening classes, there's always something happening at museums． The museum is here for you all year round so you can relax in our cafes, find a gift in our shop or just enjoy the sights．
National Army Museum
The museum is available to wheelchair users． And baby changing units are available in the male and female toilets．
The museum cafe offers freshly-made tea and coffee and seasonal food． The National Army Museum Shop offers different kinds of goods（商品）which can be ordered by telephone or mail order, and an online shop has opened．
Opening hours: 10: 00 a． m．-5：30 p． m．
Garden Museum
The Garden Museum explores and celebrates British gardens and gardening through its collection．
A planned program of talks, children's activities and plant shows runs throughout the year． The shop offers a lot of perfect presents for those who love gardens and the garden cafe serves delicious freshly-made food． The museum also welcomes volunteer gardeners．
Musical Museum
The Musical Museum contains many collections of musical instruments．
The museum is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday． We are planning many special performances to which you are all invited． If you would like to have a party or use our facilities（设备）,then please call us for further details．
The museum shop provides a number of presents for musical instrument lovers． For further details please visit the website at www． visit-hounslow． com．We can learn from the text that all the museums
| A．have a gift shop for visitors |
| B．have collections of instruments |
| C．offer large baby changing units |
| D．offer different sight-seeing tours |
What's special about the Garden Museum?
| A．You can order goods by mail． |
| B．You can have freshly-made seasonal food． |
| C．You can relax in the cafes all day． |
| D．You can work as a volunteer there． |
If you want to hold a party, you should go to
| A．the Garden Museum |
| B．the Museum of London |
| C．the Musical Museum |
| D．the National Army Museum |
Somali pirates(海盗) robbed three Thai fishing ships with 77 sailors on board nearly l，200 miles off the Somali coast，the farthest-off-shore attack to date，an officer said Tuesday.
Pirates have gone farther south and east in answer to increased patrols(巡逻)by warships off the Somali shore. The robbing of the three ships on Sunday was about 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the international force，said a spokesman．
The spokesman said the attack so far out at sea was a clear sign that the international patrols against pirates were having a “marked effect on pirate activity in the area”．
“Once they start attacking that far out，you’re not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia,” said an officer，Ro ger Middleton．“Once you’re that far out，it's just the Indian Ocean，and it means you’re looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia，from Asia to South Africa.”
"This is the farthest robbing to date．They are now operating near the Maldives and India,”said another officer．
The three ships--the MV Prantalay ll，12，and l 4—had 77 members on board in total．All of them are Thai, the spokesman said．Before the Sunday robbing，pirates held l l ships and 228 sailors．
Pirates have increased attacks over the past year in hopes of catching more dollar payments. Because of increased patrols and defenses on board ships，the success rate(率)has gone down，though the number of successful attacks has stayed the same year over year.
| A．Somali Pirates Robbing Three Thai Fishing Ships. |
| B．Somali Pirates |
| C．Somali pirates Attack. |
| D．Somali Pirates Enlarging Their Field Increasingly. |
| A．far out in the Indian Ocean |
| B．in the normal patrol area |
| C．near the Somali, coast |
| D．in the south of Africa |
| A．More goods on board are lost. |
| B．Pirate attacks happen in a larger area now. |
| C．The number of attacks has stayed the same these years. |
| D．Pirate attacks are as serious as before along the Somali coast. |
| A．The patrols are of little effect. |
| B．The patrols are more difficult. |
| C．More patrols are quite necessary even in Asia. |
| D．The patrols only drive the pirates to other areas. |
| A．228. | B．77. | C．383. | D．305. |
A private group of scientists has announced plans to make an exact copy of a human being. An American member of the team says he and the others will soon begin a serious effort to clone humans. Panos Zavos says the team hopes to manufacture the world’s first cloned baby within the next two years.
In recent years, scientists have produced exact genetic copies of sheep and a few other animals. They created these clones from a single cell of an adult animal.
Three years ago, another American doctor, Richard Seed, announced plans to clone a human being. However, there is no evidence that he has been successful.
Doctor Zavos says the new international group plans to offer human cloning only to women who are currently not able to become pregnant or produce children. He says the aim is to assist people who want to have their own biological child.
The technology would be similar to that used to clone animals. It would involve cleaning genetic material from a woman’s egg. Doctors then would place genetic material from the woman’s husband into the egg before putting it into the woman’s uterus(子宫).
Doctor Zavos says his group plans to do the work in a country near the Mediterranean Sea. He did not name the country. He says an Italian reproductive expert, Sevorino Antinori, is leading the team. Doctor Antinori has led the efforts to help many older women become pregnant. He is known for establishing pregnancies in women as old as sixty.
Many medical experts and other groups are opposed to the idea of cloning humans. Several countries ban or restrict work on human cloning. Several doctors criticize the announcement by Doctor Zavos. They say doctors do not know if cloning humans is possible or safe. They say it would be irresponsible to attempt to clone a human being. That is because the chances of success are too small and the risks are too great.The underlined word “manufacture” in the first paragraph means “_________”.
| A．produce | B．oppose | C．attempt | D．experiment |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．In theory, scientists are unlikely to clone humans. |
| B．Richard Seed has fallen behind other scientists in cloning humans. |
| C．Cloning human beings is good for men. |
| D．People have different ideas about cloning humans. |
How do many medical experts and other groups like the idea of cloning humans？
| A．They are in favour of the idea. |
| B．They are against the idea. |
| C．They have an optimistic attitude to the idea. |
| D．They think it is none of their business. |
If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day ,few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学).Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to .
| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students .
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
The passage is likely to appear in .
| A．a biography | B．a history paper |
| C．a newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
The slogan “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas” has been going strong for 27 years now. Dogs and cats have been popular Christmas gifts in the gifts in the UK and Europe for many years. But some people still haven’t quite got the message.
The slogan still holds good. Some 105,000 dogs were rounded up by local government last year because they had been abandoned, many of them shortly after the festival season.
The main reason given by owners for handing their dogs over to the Dogs Trust is that the dogs need more attention than they can give; behavioral problems and moving home are also reasons given.
But Eleanor Silk, the Trust’s communications director, says, “It’s often four or five months after Christmas, in early summer, when owners find that the dog has got too big and too active, or it hasn’t been trained properly and has caused damage around the home.”
In any case, some organizations that help pets are quick to point out that if you are serious about getting a puppy(小狗) as a pet, Christmas is not the time to do it. Puppies need to get used to their new surroundings, to be introduced to a routine, and to be looked after like small children. It’s hard to meet any of these needs at Christmas. What’s more, pulling a puppy out of a Christmas stocking in itself sends the wrong message to children. It encourages children to think of the puppy as a toy, rather than a responsibility.
Appreciating what you’re taking on with a dog can be a sobering (清醒的) realization. “For life” means thinking about the effect they’ll have on your life. It also infers you will need to care for the dog for its whole life.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Dogs and Cats—the Most Popular Christmas Gifts. |
| B．A pet is for Life, Not just for Christmas. |
| C．How to Take Care of Your Pets over Christmas. |
| D．Let’s Help Those Abandoned Pets |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a reason for pets to be abandoned?
| A．Pets spread some diseases. |
| B．Pets damage some things in the house. |
| C．The owners can’t take good care of the pets. |
| D．The owners have to move to other places. |
The underlined words “rounded up” in Paragraph 2 mean “________”.
| A．given out as gifts |
| B．thrown away |
| C．gathered into one place |
| D．raised to make money |
The fifth paragraph mainly tells us________.
| A．how to take best care of Christmas pets |
| B．the right time to have a puppy as a pet |
| C．the reasons why Christmas is not the time to get a pet |
| D．the worries about Christmas pets from organizations that help pets |
Why is the author against the idea of putting a dog in the Christmas stocking as a Christmas gift?
| A．Because these dogs can still cause damage. |
| B．Because children will not take dogs seriously. |
| C．Because children don’t like to have dogs as Christmas gifts. |
| D．Because a Christmas stocking is not big enough to put a dog in. |
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