Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens are to start a war on gray-headed flying foxes. These super bats have invaded one of Australia’s most famous public spaces. Officials have said the animals are destroying trees and have to move on.
These unwanted guests at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens look like tiny foxes with wings. Officials have estimated there are about 11,000 of them living in the picturesque harbor-side park. After inspecting damage to dozens of trees they now believe there are twice as many as previously thought. Branches have been breaking under the weight of these furry invaders and their droppings have been poisoning plants.
Help may well be at hand, however, in the shape of the ordinary garbage bin. The gardens’ director Dr. Tim Entwistle hopes the unpleasant sounds of crashing bin lids will agitate the flying foxes and force them to move on. “The way to disturb them is to use noises, so we’ve used the loud noises made by rubbish bins in the past. You can also use speakers as long as you move the noise around, and what we’ll do is have a series of noises, at the beginning and end of the day. What we’ve found in the past is that the flying foxes leave the gardens and go somewhere else,” said Tim.
The gray-headed flying fox is Australia’s largest bat. It flies around at night using its eyes and a powerful sense of smell to search for fruit and flowers. Officials at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney have said they’re optimistic the unwelcome colony can be uprooted. If and when the bats do move to other parts of the city they will of course then become someone else’s problem.
1.According to the passage, Why do people want to get rid of the flying foxes ?
A.Because the garden are important public places.
B.Because they are polluting the city.
C.Because many garbage bins have been damaged by them.
D.Because they’re threatening the survival of trees and other plants.
2.In order to get rid of the flying foxes, what are people doing?
A.They are shooting them.
B.They are using rubbish containers.
C.They are shaking the trees hard.
D.They are cutting some trees down.
3.Which of the following can replace the underlined “agitate” in Paragraph 3?
A.Excite B.kill
C.disturb D.discourage
4.What does the writer imply from the last paragraph?
A.The bats will still stay in the gardens.
B.Some area will have to deal with the bats.
C.The grey-headed flying fox often eat trees
D.The damage caused by the bats is serious
Recently I accepted a challenge to join Naasih, a motivational speaker, on a voyage through India designed to revitalize(使恢复生机) my spirit. After too many hours, Naasih and I arrived in the slum(贫民窟) just as the sun was breaking across the smoggy Delhi sky. It seemed as if the small houses extended for miles, an ocean of tin roofs and laundry lines.
Finally, Naasih stopped and turned to me. "Give me your bag," he said. I handed it to him. I had promised to follow his directions, and in return, I was hoping to find whatever I thought was missing from my life. "I’ll meet you back here at sunset," Naasih said and walked away.
I began to walk through the streets. No one paid too much attention to the tall, hairless man walking among them. My throat was dry, my stomach turning over with hunger. And then I saw a small house and I knocked softly on the door.
A young, skinny man, no older than 25, came to answer it. As I soon found out, the man is named Sankar and he was a Lakers fan. I also learned that he was a recently graduated university student who had left his family to go after a dream of success in the big city. Instead, he had found work in the back of a restaurant.
After lunch, Sankar took me to play basketball with a group of children in a trash-filled field down the road. The sun was beginning to fall as the laughter of the basket games echoed(发出回声) across the slum. I had been so caught up in my day with Sankar. I had started the morning in fear and exhaustion, but I was ending the day connected to something much larger.
After the game, Sankar and I walked to Rata Road. There stood Naasih. He said, "You’re shining, Leon." I had been knocked entirely out of my comfort zone, and I felt that wild burst of life that had been missing from my own.
1.Why did the author come to Sankar’s home?
A.To play a game with him. B.To respond to Naasih’s request.
C.To relieve his hunger and thirst. D.To learn how disadvantaged people live.
2.What can we learn about Sankar?
A.He doesn’t live as he dreams. B.He finds a good job in the city.
C.He studies cooking in university. D.He has great talent for basketball.
3.What does Naasih mean by saying "You’re shining, Leon"?
A.Leon is an inspiration to him.
B.Leon has changed his state of mind.
C.Leon is popular among the children.
D.Leon is good at connecting with others.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A.A Voyage for Finding the Self B.The Power of Sport Games
C.The Pleasure from Indian Slums D.A Chance to Make Acquaintances
Starting Cycling
We have two services designed to give people the confidence and knowledge to cycle successfully.
Lessons
All our instructors have been trained to National Standards level of “Bikeability”. This means you will be trained to a standard consistent across the whole country.
There are 3 levels of skills to progress through. Children would start with levels 1 & 2, progressing from the playground or park to cycle on less busy local roads. Teenager and adult beginners can also learn levels 1 & 2 in an off-road and quiet environment.
Confident teenagers and adults can broaden their skills by learning level 3, using multi-lane (多道) roads and larger roundabouts (环岛). We provide both a complete package of lessons for the beginner or individual lessons tailored to the client. You can ride a bike but don’t feel confident about right turns on multi-lane roads. Whatever the need
We can address and practice until perfect!
Everyone can be taught to ride a bike!
We train both adults and children.
We cover London Zones 1 & 2
The cost is ￡30 per hour.
Guided Ride
We know that riding on the roads in London can be scary, and if you have to navigate (确定行车路线) as well it can become a real hard task! The Guided Ride service takes all the stress out of it for you by providing the following:
Route planned in advance to suit your skill level. Route map provided to you.
Cycle and equipment checked. We will teach you a simple method to check basic roadworthiness (车辆性能) of your bike that you can perform on a weekly basis.
Route discussed and focus given to any areas requiring special attention.
Cycle along with the instructor close behind. Here the traffic can be controlled by the instructor and rider observed.
Occasionally stopping to discuss events.
We currently cover London Zones 1 & 2. Please contact us if your requirements are outside of these areas.
Cost ￡30
1.Where can Level 1 & 2 lessons for adult beginners be carried out？
A.Off road
B.Near large roundabouts
C.On busy local roads
D.On multi-lane roads
2.What service does the Guided Ride mainly provide?.
A.They help you to be familiar with London roads
B.They check your cycle and equipment every week.
C.They let users experience the busiest road in London.
D.They ensure users ride safely in London Zones 1 & 2
3.Who is the text probably intended for ?.
A.Bike riding lovers.
B.Children and teenagers
C.Travelers in London
D.Parents loving cycling
语法填空
Once a group of 50 people was attending a meeting. Halfway through his talk, the speaker stopped and decided 1. (create) a group activity. He went around the hall and gave each person a balloon (气球). Each one was asked to write his or her name on the balloon 2. (use) a marker pen. Then all the balloons 3. (collect) and put in another room.
The speaker then asked the group to find the balloon which had their name 4.(write) on within five minutes. Everyone was 5. (hurried) searching for their name, bumping (撞) into each other, pushing each other around. At the end of the five minutes, no one could find 6. (they) own balloon.
Now each person was asked to randomly (随便地) collect a balloon and give it to the person 7.name was on it. Within two minutes everyone had their own balloon. When everyone quieted down, the speaker began to talk, saying that this is exactly 8.was happening in our life. Everyone is busy looking for happiness, 9. not knowing where it is.
Our happiness sometimes lies 10. the happiness of other people. Give them their happiness and you will get your own.
Scheduling Time with Yourself
Many of us are so busy with work, school and home life that often there is no time left over to do something that you enjoy. What follows are some ways to carve out that essential time you need to slow down, enjoy life and relax yourself.
1. . Try to save certain weeknights just for you. If others ask you to do things those nights, just tell them you have plans. Use the time for gardening, reading, exercise, thinking or the ultimate luxury of doing nothing!
Monthly Treat. 2. . It could be on your lunch break, a weekend or it could be leaving work early. Maybe you get a spa treatment, go to see a movie, a haircut, play golf or whatever treat you’re always thinking about but rarely get to. Schedule it in and it will happen!
Buy Tickets in Advance. Sports, theater, concerts or any other event you would enjoy. Schedule the plans with a friend later. 3..
4.. Huh? Yes, many of us stay at work late on a regular basis. If this is you, make it a point to leave work exactly on time at least once a week, if not more. And then enjoy that time! Leave work at work.
Join a Group. Here are some ideas of groups that can allow you some time away from work and home: singing group, gardening group, astronomy society, book club, biking clubs, ski club, etc. What are you interested in? Strike while the iron is hot.5.. If you can’t find a club, consider starting one yourself!
A.Schedule a treat for yourself once a month.
B.listen to your favorite music!
C.Look up a club in your area today and join!
D.Having the tickets already in hand will force you to make it happen!
E.Evenings with Yourself.
F.Take an Adult Education Class.
G.Leave Work on Time.
There are hundreds of types of birthday cake in the world. You are likely to enjoy one during at least one of your birthday parties. But have you ever stopped and wondered, “Why am I eating this? What makes this dessert fit to celebrate the day of my birth?”
It’s because you are as important and beloved as the gods.
The ancient Egyptians are thought to have “invented” the celebration of birthdays. They believed when pharaohs (法老) were crowned, they became gods, so their coronation (加冕) day was their “birth” as a god.
Ancient Greeks borrowed the tradition, but realized that a dessert would make the celebration more meaningful. So they baked moon-shaped cakes to offer up to the goddess of the moon. They decorated them with lighted candles to make the cakes shine like the moon. It is the reason why we light our birthday cakes on fire.
Modern birthday parties are said to get their roots from an 18th century German celebration. On the morning of a child’s birthday, he or she would receive a cake with lighted candles that added up to the kid’s age, plus one. This extra candle was called the “light of life,” representing the hope of another full year lived.
And then, torture — because no one could eat the cake until after dinner. The family replaced the candles as they burned out throughout the day. Finally, when the moment came, the birthday child would make a wish, try to blow out all the candles in one breath, and dig in.
Since the ingredients (原料) to make cakes were pretty expensive, this birthday custom didn’t become popular until the Industrial Revolution. More ingredients were available, which made them cheaper, and bakeries even started selling pre-baked cakes.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The origin of birthday cakes. B.The significance of birthday cakes.
C.The history of birthday parties. D.The introduction of cake production.
2.Who established the tradition of celebrating birthdays with cakes according to the passage?
A.Germans. B.Pharaohs.
C.Ancient Greeks. D.Ancient Egyptians.
3.The underlined word “torture” in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to ________.
A.pleasure B.replacement
C.sharing D.suffering
4.Why was the birthday cake custom unpopular before the Industrial Revolution?
A.The transport was inconvenient.
B.The ingredients of cakes were expensive.
C.The cake could not be eaten before dinner.
D.The bakeries would not sell pre-baked cakes.
