Are you a big fan of pirate(海盗) stories? Do you know how to talk like a pirate? You can have fun on September 19th. This special holiday is called International Talk Like A Pirate Day. It was invented in 1995 by two young Americans, John Baur and Mark Summers.
These two good friends came up with this idea when they were playing racquetball, and began to talk like pirates. At that moment, they thought, “Young people are interested in pirate, but there is no such a chance for people to get together to share it. Why not have a day when everybody talks like a pirate?” They decided to make September 19th the date. Since then, Baur and Summers have tried hard to promote Talk Like A Pirate Day. As Baur said, “We’ve talked like pirates, and encouraged several of our friends to do so every September 19th.”
At first, this day was only known by a few people. In 2002, Baur and Summers sent a letter about their invented holiday to Dave Barry. This columnist(专栏作家)really liked their idea. He promoted the holiday and made it known to more and more people. Now, it has really become an international holiday. On Talk Like A Pirate Day, you need to dress like a pirate. You should wear a big hat or maybe cover one of your eyes. You can pretend to be any kind of pirate that you can find in any story or movie.
Having fun and being relaxed are not the only best things about the holiday. Young people share the same interest and childhood dreams that day. That's why it is welcomed by so many people, especially young people.
Unlike traditional holidays, International Talk Like A Pirate Day is a brand new holiday which is invented by the youth themselves and celebrated by themselves too. Because of Baur and Summers’ imagination and creativity, thousands of young people’s pirate dream come true. Next time, when you have a good idea, why not share it with your fiends and insist on your belief? Maybe you can create another wonderful holiday for the youth in the future.
How did John Baur and Mark Summers invent the special holiday?
A.Many young people asked them to do it |
B.They did it just for pleasure |
C.They did it in order to honor pirates |
D.They thought out the idea by chance and imagination |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.It was Dave Barry who made more people know the holiday. |
B.Talk Like A Pirate Day is a young, active and lively holiday |
C.The holiday has been popular since the birth of it. |
D.Thanks to John Baur and Mark Summers’ imagination and creativity, many people realize the pirate dream. |
According to the passage, which of the following can show that the holiday is special?
A.It is a brand new holiday invented and celebrated by the youth themselves. |
B.It is a wonderful and instructive holiday. |
C.It has a long history. |
D.People can make their dream come true on this day. |
Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage in a newspaper?
A.Young people’s pirate dream | B.Can you talk like a pirate? |
C.John Baur and Mark Summers | D.September 19th—a traditional day in honor of pirates |
A three-year independent investigation into the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon has yielded new eyewitness evidence which, according to the Southern California-based researchers who conducted the investigation conclusively (and unfortunately), establishes as a historical fact that the violence which took place in Arlington that day was not the result of a surprise attack by suicide hijackers, but rather a military black operation involving a carefully planned and skillfully executed deception."
A CNN Reporter at the scene states that there is no evidence that a 757 hit the Pentagon.
What hit the Pentagon? A Boeing 757 loaded with passengers and fuel right? Who was on Flight 757? According to the Flight Information there were No Arabs on it. That makes me wonder if Flight 757 actually existed at all.
From the pictures and the videos, people can find that there are several doubtful points that need to be taken into consideration, for example the marker line on the grass in the satellite and ground pictures, the different colors of the smoke, the hole which the plane impacted, and the standing pylons (架线塔).
Also, from the comparison of the different pictures, people can find some other strange points. For example, the gear (齿轮) is not the matching one. The wreckage of the plane is not the one from the American Airlines. The glass on the pavement of the pole is another doubtful point. The last thing that need considering is about the collapse. One of the gif video shows the plane impacting the Pentagon. The only problem with this video footage is that it has been altered (改变) and can not be fully trusted.
These crash photos and videos shown here clearly have been doctored (篡改) and don't even match the physics of what happened. So where is the real video? It leaves me many questions. Is this a missile? It is a real enigma.
Where can you possibly read this article?
A.In a newspaper. | B.In a book. | C.On a website. | D.In a magazine. |
What the word “yielded” mean in the first sentence?
A.given in | B.surrendered | C.given away | D.produced |
Which of the following doubtful points is not mentioned in the passage?
A.the colors of the smoke | B.the model of the plane |
C.the standing pylons | D.the marker line on the grass |
What is the author’s attitude towards the 911 investigation?
A.Positive. | B.Neutral. | C.Skeptical. | D.Negative. |
Early last Tuesday, six men carrying machine guns, a pistol and a hunting rifle got on a four—car electric “ milk train” at the Dutch town of Assen. Shortly after it left Beilen, ten miles away, the terrorists stopped the train and seized the passenger as hostages. As police and Dutch soldiers ringed the train, another group of terrorists stuck in Amsterdam, forcing their way into the Indonesian consulate and taking 41 more hostages, including 16 children. By week’s end the terrorists had murdered three people aboard the train, and four more had been wounded in the raid on the consulate.
The kidnapping, and the subsequent cold—blooded murders, virtually rocked the Netherlands. While the Cabinet met in emergency sessions, television and radio station paused normal programming in favor of solemn music and news bulletins.
The terrorists were Indonesians from the South Moluccan Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and they were demanding that the Dutch help them gain independence from the Jakarta regime.(雅加达政权)
The twin acts of violence were not the first signs of South Molucca anger. Just before a 1970 visit to the Netherlands by Indonesia’s President Suharto, they attacked the Indonesian embassy in the Hague, killing a Dutch policeman. Last week’s kidnappings are two days before the Dutch Appeals Court was to trial 16 South Moluccan’s who were implicated in a plot last April to kidnap Queen Juliana and other members of the Royal family. They planned to storm the palace at Soestdijk after attacking the gates with an armoured car(装甲车).
The Moluccan headache is a heritage(遗留问题) of the old days of empire. A chain of islands at the eastern of the Indonesian archipelago, the Moluccas were once known as the Spice Islands. When the Netherlands gave up its East Indies colonies in 1949, the Moluccans wanted to set up a South Moluccan Republic, some 12,000 islanders were allowed to settle to the Netherlands. Their number swollen by Dutch—born children now reached 35,000. the young Moluccans here are demanding that the Dutch help them gain independence from the Jakarta regime.
Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?
A.Dozens of people were seized by the terrorist as hostages. |
B.The Indonesian consulate was located in Amsterdam. |
C.The terrorists were Indonesians living in the Netherlands. |
D.The terrorists all surrendered(投降) to the police and soldiers. |
Why did television and radio stations pause normal programming?
A.The acts of violence shocked the whole country. |
B.The terrorists destroyed necessary equipment. |
C.the Cabinet needed to think quietly. |
D.Their men were too sad to produce good program. |
The last paragraph __________.
A.is mainly about the history of Indonesia |
B.tells us how Indonesia won its independence |
C.tell us how the Netherlands gave up its rule |
D.briefly accounts for the acts of violence |
War Horse author Michael Morpurgo is being interviewed:
Reporter:How did War Horse become so successful?
Michael:War Horse was published in 1982,and it did not sell very well.But my publishers kept it in print,along with all my books.I am very grateful to Egmont and I’m sure now they are very grateful to themselves.
The book was discovered 21 years later,by accident.I was on Desert Island Discs on Radio 4 in 2003 when my work was becoming better known.One of the listeners was the mother of a director called Tom Morris,and after reading War Horse herself she told her son to read it.Two years later the play came out,and it was a huge hit that went to the West End,Broadway and now Canada and Australia,then a nationwide American tour in June this year.
In 2009 kathy kennedy,the producer who worked with Steven Spielberg,walked into the New London Theatre to see the play because her daughter liked it very much.She then phoned Spielberg and told him this would be his next film!The way it all happened is better than any of my stories.War Horse has now sold over 1 million copies.
Reporter:Has War Horse changed your life?
Michael:It has made all the difference in the world.The most important gift it has given us is not to have to worry about money,because there has always been a slight anxiety.It has allowed us to ensure our grandchildren’s education.There is a disadvantage to it as well,which is an assumption that I am super rich.I’m not,actually.It is very nice and completely unexpected but I have got to go on writing.If I were younger,I think,it would go to my head.Now I am too old for anything to go to my head.It is not the same as winning the lottery(彩票)。
Why are Michael’s publishers grateful to themselves too?
A.Because they never stopped printing it and it finally proved successful. |
B.Because they earned a lot thanks to books of high quality they printed. |
C.Because they have the ability to enlarge their company. |
D.Because they have the potential to film the story. |
War Horse got the first huge success thanks to____.
A.Steven Spielberg and his daughter |
B.Tom Morris and his listeners |
C.Kathy Kennedy’s daughter |
D.Tom Morris’ mother |
Why did Kathy Kennedy watch the play of War Horse?
A.Because she knew that the film was very popular. |
B.Because her daughter was mad on the play. |
C.Because her friend,Steven Spielberg,advised her to see it. |
D.Because she was looking for a story with an animal in her mind. |
What change made Michael feel most valuable because of War Horse?
A.He could stay at home looking after his grandchildren. |
B.He can make friends with famous film directors. |
C.He needn’t worry about his financial problems. |
D.He needn’t spend time writing another book. |
What is the attitude of Michael to his great success?
A.Calm. | B.Unbelievable. | C.Confused | D.Excited. |
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the largest cities in the world. It is also one of the world’s most modern cities. Twice last century, the city was destroyed and rebuilt. In 1923 a major earthquake struck the city. Thousands of people were killed and millions were left homeless as buildings collapsed and fires broke out throughout Tokyo. It took seven years to rebuild the city. During World War II, Tokyo was destroyed once again. As a result of these disasters, there is nothing of old Tokyo remaining in the downtown area.
After the war, the people of Tokyo began to rebuild their city. Buildings went up at a fantastic rate, and between1945 and 1960, the city’s population more than doubled. Because of the Olympic Games held in Tokyo in 1964, many new stadiums, parks and hotels were built to treat visitors from all over the world. As a result of this rapid development, however, many problems have risen. Housing shortage, pollution, and waste disposal(处理) have presented serious challenges to the city, but the government has begun several programs to answer them.
What kind of city is Tokyo?
A historic city. B. A world famous seaport.
C. A highly modernized city. D. A most attractive (有吸引力的) city for tourists.
What major(主要的) event(s) happened in Tokyo last century?
A.Its population was doubled. |
B.It was twice destroyed by natural disasters and was twice rebuilt. |
C.Serious social problems emerged.(出现) |
D.It was ruined by an earthquake and a war, but was twice rebuilt. |
Which of the following problems is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.Housing shortage. | B.Waste disposal. |
C.Heavy traffic. | D.Pollution. |
What has brought so many problems to Tokyo today?
A.A severe (严重) earthquake and the Second World War. |
B.The foreign occupation (占领) after the war. |
C.The population explosion between 1945 and 1960. |
D.The rapid development of the city after the war. |
Your name made you do it, though unconsciously, suggests new research that finds your name can negatively make you achieve less. Psychologists at Yale and the University of California, San Diego studying the unconscious influence of names say a preference for our own names and initials — the “name-letter effect” — can have some negative consequences.
Students whose names begin with C or D get lower grades than those whose names begin with A or B; major league baseball players whose first or last names began with K (the strikeout-signifying letter) are significantly more likely to strike out.
Assistant professors Leif Nelson of UCSD and Joseph Simmons of Yale have conducted five studies over five years using information from thousands of individuals.
“The conscious process is baseball players want to get a hit and students want to get A's,” Nelson says. “So if you get a change in performance consistent with the name-letter effect, it clearly shows there must be some unconscious desire operating in the other direction.”
The researchers' work supports a series of studies published since 2002 that have found the “name-letter effect” causes people to make life choices based on names that resemble their own. Those studies by Brett Pelham, an associate professor at SUNY University, have found that people are disproportionately(不定比例地)likely to live in states or cities resembling their names, have careers that resemble their names and even marry those whose surnames begin with the same letter as their own.
The twist, Pelham says, is that he has believed the name-letter effect would apply only to positive outcomes. Nelson and Simmons, he says, are “showing it applies more so to negative things than positive things.”
The researchers say the effect is definitely more than coincidence but is small nevertheless. “I know plenty of Chrises and Davids who have done very well in school,” Simmons says.
The new research is mainly about the relationship between one’s ______.
A.name and unconsciousness | B.name and characteristics |
C.name and success | D.sports and school achievements |
Who may serve as an example to show the “name-letter effect”?
A.Miss Smith working as a lawyer. | B.Charles Brown married to Sue Rogers. |
C.Mr. Watt living in Washington | D.Paula Snow fond of the color white. |
Which can be used to explain the underlined word “twist” in the last but one paragraph?
A.Difference. | B.Conclusion. |
C.Funny side. | D.Shared part. |
The last paragraph mainly tells us that the “name-letter effect” ______.
A.isn’t believed in by many people | B.doesn’t work with certain names |
C.may not really exist | D.is often too small to show |
B
Play is the basic business of childhood, and more and more in recent years research has shown the great importance of play in the development of a human being.From earliest infancy (婴儿), every child needs opportunity and the right material for play, and the main tools of play are toys.The main function of toys is to suggest, encourage and assist play.To succeed in this, they must be good toys, which children will play with often, and will come back to again and again.Therefore, it is important to choose suitable toys for different stages of a child’s development.
In recent years research on infant development has shown that the standard a child is likely to reach, within the range of his inherited abilities, is largely determined in the first three years of his life.So a baby’s ability to benefit from the right play materials should not be underestimated.A baby who is encouraged, talked to and shown things and played with, has the best chance of growing up successfully.
The next stage, from three to five years old, curiosity knows no bounds.Every type of suitable toy should be made available to the child, for trying out, experimenting and learning, for discovering his own particular ability. Bricks and jigsaws and construction toys; painting, scribbling and making things; sand and water play; toys for imaginative and pretending play; the first social games for learning to play and get on with others.
By the third stage of play development—from five to seven or eight years old— the child is at school.But for a few more years play is still the best way of learning, at home or at school.It is easier to see which type of toys the child most enjoys.
Until the age of seven or eight, play and work mean much the same to a child.But once reading has been mastered, then books and school become the main source of learning.Toys are still interesting and valuable, which lead up to new hobbies, but their significance has changed —to a child of nine or ten years old, toys and games mean, as to adults, relaxation and fun.
60. The writer wants us to understand that a child_______.
A.cannot grow up without toys | B.matures through play |
C.uses toys as friends | D.has to be taught how to play |
61. According to the passage, the abilities a child has inherited from his parents ________.
A.determine his character |
B.will not change after the age of three |
C.partly determine the standard he is likely to reach |
D.to a large extent determine the choice of toys |
62. The passage tells us that children are the most curious when they are about______.
A.two years old | B.one year old |
C.six years old | D.four years old |
63. The article is about_______.
A.the importance of play | B.the importance of books |
C.the relationship between play and work | D.children’s speech development |
Thousands of people have been killed in a massive(大规模的) earthquake in Japan. The quake -- the most powerful to hit Japan in more than 100 years -- caused massive damage and many people are missing and feared dead.
The 8.9 magnitude quake struck Friday(March 11) off Japan's eastern coast, and prompted(引发) tsunami warnings(海啸警报)across the Pacific as far away as South America and the U.S. West Coast. Several days after a 8.9-magnitude earthquake and resulting 10-meter-high tsunami devastated the coastline. The United States Geological Survey says it was the fifth largest earthquake since 1900. The largest, with a 9.5 magnitude, shook Chile(智利) in 1960.
In Japan, the tsunami swept away boats, cars and hundreds of houses in coastal areas north of Tokyo. The quake shook buildings in the Japanese capital and caused several fires. All train and subway traffic in Tokyo has been stopped, and thousands of people there were unable to get back home. People are just trying to find clean water. Food supplies are running out. In the convenience stores, there are no rice balls left. There is no bottled water left. People are facing a really serious situation in the days ahead for these people that are living in areas that were only moderately(普通的) damaged. The final death toll could range from the thousands to tens of thousands, depending on how many of these communities are gone.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the government would do everything it can to minimize(使降到最低) the effects of the disaster. And in Washington, President Obama said the United States is ready to help the people of Japan.
The underline word damage means_____________ in the article.
A.illness | B.disaster | C.terror | D.danger |
Which is true according to the passage?
A.Thousands of people have been killed in a massive earthquake in Japan. |
B.Only people in areas that were only moderately damaged are facing a really serious situation in the days. |
C.The tsunami devastatednot only the coastline in Japan, but also the areas across the Pacific as far away as South America and the U.S. West Coast. |
D.The massive earthquake caused the tsunami. |
According to the passage, which earthquake is the largest one since 1990 ?
A.the one happened in Japan on March 11, 2011 |
B.the one in Chile in 1960 |
C.the fifth largest earthquake since 1900 |
D.We don't know. |
If you're in Tokyo these days, what you can't get from the convenience store?
A.newspapers and magazines |
B.some medicine |
C.paper napkins and toothpastes |
D.rice balls and bottled water |
The passage can't be in/on __________.
A.March 10th newspapers | B.TV | C. Internet | D. Radios |
You never see him, but they’re with you every time you fly. They record where you are going, how fast you’re traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to withstand almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book. They’re known as the black box.
When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French submarine (潜水艇) detected the device’s homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed.
In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the device was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane – the area least subject to impact – from its original position in the landing wells (起落架舱). The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.
Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots’ conversations, and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments. Placed in an insulated (隔绝的) case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can withstand(抵挡)massive force and temperatures up to 2,000℉. When submerged(潜入水中), they’re also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they’re still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane’s black boxes were never recovered.
What does the author say about the black box?
A.It ensures the normal functioning of an airplane. |
B.The idea for its design comes from a comic book. |
C.Its ability to ward off disasters is incredible. |
D.It is an indispensable device on an airplane. |
. What information could be found from the black box on the Yemeni airliner?
A.Data for analyzing the cause of the crash. |
B.The total number of passengers on board. |
C.The scene of the crash and extent of the damage. |
D.Homing signals sent by the pilot before the crash. |
Why was the black box redesigned in 1965?
A.New materials became available by that time. |
B.Too much space was needed for its installation. |
C.The early models often got damaged in the crash. |
D.The early models didn’t provide the needed data. |
What do we know about the black boxes from Air France Flight 447?
A.There is still a good chance of their being recovered. |
B.There is an urgent need for them to be reconstructed. |
C.They have stopped sending homing signals. |
D.They were destroyed somewhere near Brazil. |
February 4, 2012 saw the take-off of a new rising NBA star-Jeremy Lin.
Among professional basketball players, Jeremy Lin's background is not typical. He graduated from Harvard University, which sends few players to the NBA, and he is the only Chinese-American NBA player.
Lin's enjoyment of basketball actually began in Taiwan. When Lin's father moved to U.S., his interest in the sport only grew and he passed on this love of basketball to his son, introducing him to the game at the age of five. The young Lin spent much of his youth playing basketball for fun.
In high school, Lin dreamed of playing in the NBA. When he applied for college, he was not offered a single sports scholarship. However, after his admission to Harvard, he was offered a place on its college basketball team.
During Lin's time at Harvard, his basketball career began to speed up. He scored 1,482 points, making him one of the highest scorers in Ivy League history.
When he graduated, no professional teams offered Lin a contract, but he was invited to play in the NBA Summer League. He played well and ended up eagerly signing a contract with the Golden State Warriors.
At first,playing in professional games filled Lin with excitement. He treasured opportunities to meet players he had been watching on TV for years. But slowly, the excitement wore off and was replaced by anxiety. In a few very difficult months, he was cut by two teams before the New York Knicks picked him up.
But he had the courage and determination to stick to his dream, so he put himself into hard training to get ready for his opportunity to come. Then his moment arrived on February 4, 2012,on which his excellent performance made him famous overnight. After that, he led the Knicks to their fifth straight victory. Knicks fans developed the nickname for him "Linsanity" (林发疯). Time magazine released its 2012 list of the 100 "Most Influential People in the World", Jeremy Lin included.
Which of the following is of little help in Lin’s success?
A.hisfather’sinfluence | B.hisdevotiontobasketball |
C.hisyearsofhardwork | D.hisgraduationfromHarvardUniversity |
What does the phrases "wore off" in seventh paragraph probably mean?
A.arose | B.disappeared | C.grew | D.remained |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Lin learned to play basketball when he was eight.
B. Lin was excited for professional games and did a good job at the beginning.
C. Before Lin there was no Chinese-American NBA players.
D. Lin is the most outstanding player in NBA.
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. Lin didn’t have a smooth road in NBA.
B. Lin got an easy entry into NBA.
C. Lin didn’t show his basketball talents in Harvard University.
D. NBA prefers graduates from Harvard University.
Do other countries’ students also have so much homework? What do they usually do in their free time? You may feel curious about them.
On April 8, a report came out on the lives of high school students in China, Japan, South Korea and the US. It surveyed around 6,200 students from the four countries last year. You will find the answers to many of your questions in this report.
Who studies hardest?
Chinese students spend the most time studying. Nearly half of Chinese students spend more than two hours on their homework every day. That’s much more than students of the US (26.4%), Japan (8.2%) and South Korea (5.2%).
Who sleeps most often in class?
Japanese students fall asleep in class most often. About 45% of them said they sometimes doze offin class. In South Korea, it’s 32%; in the US, 21%; and 5% in China.
South Korean students don’t like taking notes. About 70% said they write down what the teacher says in class, many fewer than in Japan (93%), China (90%) and the US (89%).
Who is the most distracted (分心的)?
American students are the most active in class, but also the most distracted: 64.2% said they chat with friends in class; 46.9% said they eat snacks in class; and 38.9% said they send e-mails or read unrelated books in class.
What do they do after school?
In their spare time, most Chinese students study or surf the Internet. Most American students hang out with their friends. Most Japanese students do physical exercise. Most Korean students watch TV.
The report is about ___________.
A.the countries | B.the subjects | C.the students’ lives | D.the high schools |
What country isn’t mentioned in the report?
A.The US | B.South Korea | C.Japan | D.India |
__________ of the Chinese students spend more than two hours on their homework.
A.26.4% | B.8.2% | C.5.2% | D.48.6% |
The phrase doze off means ___________.
A.be half asleep | B.get up | C.eat snacks | D.send emails |
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 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, Roger 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 11, 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.
The pirate attack reported in the text happened __________.
A.far out in the Indian Ocean |
B.in the normal patrol area |
C.near the Somali, coast |
D.in the south of Africa |
According to the text, which can best describe the situation of the pirate problems?
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. |
Which is true about the warship patrols according to the text?
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. |
How many sailors were held by the pirates up to the time of the report?
A.228. | B.77. | C.383. | D.305. |
Talking on a mobile phone is expensive, so a lot of people send text messages. Text messages are much cheaper than talking on a mobile phone, and you can make it cheaper by making the words shorter. You can do this by taking out “unimportant” letters in the words and using numbers instead of words (2 =" to," 3 =" free," 4 =" for," 8 =" ate," so h8 =" hate," etc.). You can also keep away from using punctuation (标点). Here is an example: Do U wnt 2 g 2 th cnma tnite (Do you want to go to the cinema tonight?)
What do you think these text messages mean?
Whr hv U bn? Iv bn wtng hrs fr a cll.
Im hm nw, why nt gv me a cll.
I gt a txt mssge frm my frnd. Shes hvng a prty on Strdy.
Mobile phone users have developed a group of symbols (符号) to show how they feel. They are called emoticons, and there are some examples below. To read an emoticon, you have to look at it sideways. For example, if you say something in a text message that is a joke, you can follow it with a smiling face.
Why are text messages popular?
A.Because they are expensive. | B.Because they are cheap. |
C.Because they are hard to write. | D.Because they are not important. |
The first paragraph tells us that we can make the text messages shorter in ways.
A.one | B.two | C.three | D.four |
What does this text message “Do U wnt 2 cm?” mean? It means “ ?”.
A.Do you want to come | B.Do you wear two caps |
C.Do you want two cakes | D.Do you go home early |
Why do people use emoticons?
A.Because they can show how users feel. |
B.Because the symbols are beautiful. |
C.Because text messages are short. |
D.Because the users can’t make the words shorter. |
Group buying is one of the fastest growing trends in South Africa today. Industry leaders are confident the growth potential remains strong since group buying is location-specific. Start-up costs are low and profit room remains high, so many sites continue to receive invested money despite widespread criticism and Facebook’s decision to phase out of deal business due to privacy concerns.
In the early stages of all industries, some companied fail because they cannot compete with stronger companies in difficult economic conditions. To deal with difficult conditions, an alarming number of businesses are developing group buying websites in places like China and India, so the increase of group buying in South Africa is nothing more than a natural progression into the international mainstream.
The group buying concept is fairly new and consumers have accepted this concept because they can now make full use of the rich information available on the Internet. Group buying is convenient and easy so it works. Anyone can view a site, join a mailing list, subscribe to RSS or print out a coupon(优惠券). The current group buying structure offered by the industry leaders works although there are still challenges to overcome.
Perhaps, the future of group buying is tied to the joining together of social media and mobile devices. Mobile devices are with us wherever we go and almost everyone is using some type of social media site like Facebook or Twitter to stay informed. Using GPS and social media technology to provide real time location-specific promotions would be beneficial to every consumer looking for the best deals in town.
Pause for a moment and think about it! What is better than signing on to your phone while having fun in town and you receive a real time information that your favorite shop across the street is offering a killer dial?
The future of the group buying in South Africa is bright and we can expect to see more advanced approaches to this concept in the future. In addition to the technological advances consumers will see the range of promotions expand to include new products and services.
What does the underlined phrase “phase out of” mean in the passage?
A.Gradually stop | B.Gradually increase | C.Begin to develop | D.Continue to enlarge |
The author sets China and India as examples to show that .
A.China and India are powerful countries |
B.China and India are in difficult economic conditions |
C.group buying is successful worldwide |
D.group buying is an international trend |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.People have accepted group buying because it’s a new concept |
B.Social media and mobile devices have been joined |
C.GPS and social media technology will be helpful in group buying |
D.Shops usually offer a killer deal when their customers are having fun |
The author’s attitude towards the future of group buying is .
A.pessimistic | B.optimistic | C.objective | D.subjective |
What does the passage mainly tell us?
A.The history of group buying |
B.Group buying in South Africa |
C.The feature of group buying |
D.The group buying concept |
The dream of flying into outer space, cherished by the Chinese people for centuries, will soon come true.
China launched its fourth unmanned spacecraft (飞船)“Shenzhou Ⅳ” on December 30 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu Province. It was the 27th consecutive(连续的 )and successful launch of China - made rockets since October 1996. This launch has made it more realistic for China to send a person into space on its own following Russia and the USA.
Qi Faren,leading designer of the spacecraft system, said all the functions (功能) designed for manned flights have withstood (经受住)the test of three previous, successful launches and return landings of the “Shenzhou” spaceships.
China launched the “Shenzhou Ⅰ ”, “Shenzhou Ⅱ ”and “Shenzhou Ⅲ ”spacecrafts in 1999,2001 and 2002 respectively.
“Shouzhou Ⅳ” was to make it a more comfortable place in which astronauts can live and work. All parts of the application system for manned flight are aboard the “Shenzhou Ⅳ”craft in all test flights.
China’s manned flight programme began in 1992. A number of unmanned test flights will be launched before Chinese astronauts are sent into space.
Leading scientists in charge of China’s manned space programme said the successful launch of the “Shenzhou Ⅳ” laid a solid foundation for the country’s future task of sending Chinese astronauts to outer space.
The spacecraft returned to the earth on January 5, after completing seven experiments in space.
Officials at the centre said that“ Shenzhou Ⅴ”, a manned spacecraft, is expected to be launched later this year.
How many countries can send a person into space on its own by now?
A.Not mentioned. | B.3. | C.4. | D.2. |
.China’s manned flight programme began in ________.
A.1992 | B.October 1996. | C.1999 | D.January 2003 |
As a matter of fact, ________ .
A.“Shenzhou Ⅴ ”has been launched |
B.“Shenzhou Ⅳ” was a manned spacecraft |
C.“Shenzhou Ⅲ ”and“ Shenzhou Ⅳ” were not launched in the same year |
D.the dream of man flying into outer space has come true in China |
.Which is the most suitable title for the passage?
A.The Successful Launching of “Shenzhou Ⅳ ”. |
B.The Landing of “Shenzhou Ⅳ ”. |
C.Chin a’s Manned Flight Programme. |
D.The Third Country Sending a Person into Outer Space. |
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