BBC News (May 11, 2008) —Edinburgh Zoo
plans to bring a pair of giant pandas from China to Scotland. Representatives
from Edinburgh Zoo have recently returned from China. They signed a letter of
intent (意向书) there, making a promise to bring giant pandas to the Zoo.
It has been
suggested that the pair of giant pandas should be on loan (暂借) to the Royal
Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) for 10 years. The pair of giant pandas
would give birth to babies during that time. Edinburgh Zoo would be the eighth
zoo in the Western world to care for the species if the project goes ahead.
Zoo chiefs said
that looking after the endangered animals could benefit conservation. David
Windmill, chief of RZSS, said, "Working with giant pandas means so much
more to us than introducing a new species to our collection. It is an
opportunity to work on a global level with other conservationists to gain a
better understanding of the giant pandas, the threats they face, and what we
can do to ensure their survival."
At present, there
are only around 1,500 giant pandas in the wild. RZSS has been working on the
project for almost a year, hoping to have giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo by
2009, the year of the society’s centenary (一百周年纪念日). Mr. Windmill
said that the project has received strong support from the UK and Scottish Governments. He also said that this must continue if the Zoo is to reach an
agreement with the Chinese. As part of the agreement with the Chinese
Government, Edinburgh Zoo will work together with Chinese scientists on
research projects benefiting conservation in the wild.
RZSS will also
provide money to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild. Giant
pandas live in mountainous regions in central China and almost mainly feed on
bamboo, which makes up 99% of what they eat.
1.What
do we know from the first two paragraphs?
A. China will give a pair of giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo.
B. Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have
been to China.
C. The Scottish Government has signed a
letter of intent with China.
D. Edinburgh Zoo is the first Western zoo
to have giant pandas.
2.According
to the text, RZSS may be ___________.
A. a company that deals with international business
B. an organization that researches
endangered animals
C. a government department in charge of
Western issues
D. an activity having something to do with
animals
3.We
can know from the text that _____________.
A.
David Windmill is Edinburgh Zoo’s chief
B. the number of giant pandas in the wild
is still unknown
C. RZSS will celebrate its centenary in
2009
D. RZSS knows the threats the giant pandas
face well
4.What’s
the main idea of the text?
A.
Edinburgh Zoo expects giant pandas from China.
B. Edinburgh Zoo does research into giant
pandas.
C. Scotland supports giant panda
conservation.
D. Giant pandas live happily in central China.
The United States is one of the richest
countries in the world. Most people live in urban areas, and the large stretch
of land left unused is full of scenic beauty. On the one hand it is proud of
its urban areas, and on the other hand, it has the rich wealth of forests,
mountains, plains and much more.
On the east coast of the country there are
cities like New York, the leading city in business. Washington, D.C. is the capital of the country, where you will get an opportunity to see the White
House. The city will simply impress you, with many museums showing the culture,
lifestyle, art and architecture of the country. Another place worth visiting is
Miami, one of the most popular international tourist destinations. It is also
well known for its Latin culture, wonderful urban nightlife and beaches.
Moving to the west coast, you will come
across the most amazing places in which to relax. Los Angeles is the place
where you can see life in all its many forms; this city is world-famous for its
Hollywood film industry. It also has beaches that can offer breathtaking
surfing experiences.
Moving on to the Pacific Coast Highway, we
get to see the beauty of San Francisco. Clean beaches and mountains topped (盖住) by clouds are worth
seeing. Travelers can enjoy day trips to beaches, deserts and wine-producing
regions. Chicago lies on the shore of the Great Lakes and is believed to be the
fastest growing city in the world, with its high standard of living and rich
lifestyles. The city is a center for many theaters and is world-famous for its
strong tradition of music jazz and the blues.
1.According
to the first paragraph, we know that ______.
A. most American people live in the countryside
B. a lot of land has not been used in the US
C. the US has the largest forest in the
world
D. the US has a larger area of urban land
than wild land
2.Which
city in the US is famous for its Latin culture?
A. New York.
B. San Francisco.
C. Los Angeles. D.
Miami.
3.Which
of the following is TRUE?
A. The article refers to four cities on the east coast.
B. You can go to Los Angeles to experience
surfing.
C. You cannot enjoy the blues in Chicago.
D. San Francisco is a center for many
theaters.
4.What
is the text mainly about?
A. One of the reasons why the US is rich.
B. The customs and culture of the US.
C. A brief introduction to some American
cities.
D. The beautiful landscapes of the US.
I chose to study in Madrid because I had a
desire to learn Spanish. My first impressions of Madrid were incredible. It was
before the New Year that I arrived in Madrid for the first time. While traveling
to my Spanish friend’s house in a taxi, I appreciated the buildings along the
road which were different from those of my own country.
There are an incredible
number of restaurants and bars from all over the world. If you are really into
sightseeing, I hope you have rechargeable batteries for your digital camera,
because one week really isn’t enough time to see everything here including a
number of art, science, and historical museums as well as parks, buildings, and
amazing landscapes.
What I liked best about life in Madrid was the fact that if you were frustrated with schoolwork and wanted to have some
fun, you can easily go out. The nightlife never seems to stop and the people
are all very friendly. You can meet people and practice Spanish while having
fun at the same time.
What I liked least was the
fact that many people smoked in the streets. Also, coming from the US, I was used to having a big breakfast every morning, but while living with an actual
Spanish family, I wasn’t really satisfied with the food in the morning.
I think I have definitely
become more independent since I came back from Spain. Living in a big city like
Madrid I found that it is necessary to plan ahead and to make a schedule (时间表) for future. There is
so much to see, not just in the Spanish World, but in the European World as
well.
1.What’s
the purpose of the text?
A. To attract people to tour around Madrid.
B. To show how to enjoy Spanish culture.
C. To give advice on how to study Spanish.
D. To describe the author’s life in Madrid.
2.The
author went to Madrid to _________________.
A. visit his
friend
B. go on a sightseeing tour
C. study Spanish
D. complete
his trip around Europe
3.Why
did the author suggest taking rechargeable batteries?
A. It’s difficult to deal with the used
batteries.
B. It’s not convenient to recharge
batteries.
C. There are few stores that sell ordinary
batteries.
D. You will find lots of places
worth taking pictures of.
4.Which
of the following in Madrid didn’t please the author?
A. Parks and
buildings. B.
Restaurants and bars.
C.
Nightlife.
D. Breakfast.
Weather is the subject matter of Westerners whenever they met. Housewives, businessmen, factory workers as well as farmers all talk about the weather. It’s everyday news, whether or not conditions change. Many newspapers carry a regular front page news story in addition to the full reports on as inside-page provided by the weather service. Here are several different types of weather reports taken from the western papers:
No. 1 Regional Forecast
|
New Jersey Today: Considerably cloudy with showers likely. High: 75-79. Southwesterly winds at 15-20m.p.h.. Precipitation(降水) probability 70 percent. Tonight: Warm and cloudy, rain likely. Low: 55-63. Southwesterly winds at 15 to 20m.p.h.. Tomorrow: Showers and thunderstorms likely. High: 75-79. Wind S to SW at 15 to 20m.p.h. |
No. 2 Three-day Forecast
|
Westchester, Rockland Friday: Mostly fine to partly cloudy. Saturday: Cloudy with some showers. Sunday: Mostly fine. Temperature: Daytime highs will average in the upper 60’s to 70’s while overnight lows will average in the low to 50’s throughout the period. |
No. 3 Weather Stories
|
Bitter cold, intensified(加剧) by high winds, gripped(控制) the Upper Midwest today, sheets of ice and snow left by the winter’s first major storm on highways throughout the area. At least six deaths were blamed on the storm. Hundreds of schools closed throughout the Upper Midwest yesterday and thousands of travelers waited out the weather at roadside shelters(避难处). Temperatures dropped well below zero early today from the Northern Plains through the Western Great Lakes under clearing skies. A 25-below-zero reading was forecast. Nearly a foot of snow fell on northern sections of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. And hardest hit were Duluth, Minn. and Superior, Wis., where 12 inches were recorded. Winds went up to 50 miles an hour. |
1.In a street corner of London, two strangers may begin their talk with “_____”.
A. Hi, how are you? B. What are you doing here? Waiting for someone?
C. A nice day, isn’t it? D. Didn’t you listen to the weather report last night?
2.The noon temperature of _____ is nearly 70’s at the weekend.
A. Western Great Lakes B. Duluth, Minn
C. Westchester, Rockland D. New Jersey
3.It seems that _____ has plenty of rain at the present season.
A. Western Great Lakes B. Wisconsin C. Westchester Rockland D. New Jersey
4.Which of the following is most probable according to No.3?
A. The traffic was terribly affected.
B. The Five Great Lakes were covered by heavy snow.
C. The temperatures might drop to 50℃.
D. Many schools were damaged in the snowstorm.
It was the perfect weather for leaf
watching, and my housemate Julie and I meant to spend the weekend with our
friends in the north Georgia mountains. "Don’t you want to come along?
"Julie asked her 15-year-old son, Mark. "Enjoy the leaves by yourselves,”
he told her. "I’ll be fine staying home by myself. "Julie and I drove
there in my car after work on Friday. On Saturday morning we hiked along the
mountainside and enjoyed the beautiful colors. All of a sudden, I had a
terrible feeling. "Go home," a voice seemed to urge me. I couldn’t
explain it, but I didn’t want to be here any more. I just wanted to go home.
"Carol, calm down. You’re being silly, "Julie said. But the urge just
got stronger. "I’ve got to leave," I said. "If you want to stay,
you can get a ride back with everyone else tomorrow. "Julie stood up.
"No, I’ll go with you, "she said. We almost didn’t talk during the
two-hour trip back. I felt very guilty. Finally, we pulled in. The
lights were on in the house, but something was strange. The windows seemed to
be fogged up. Julie opened the door and smoke poured out. "Mark!" she
shouted. "Mark!" We rushed inside and found him asleep on the sofa.
Shaking him awake, Julie grabbed him. I grabbed the source of the smoke —a
pillow too close to the fireplace. I then took it outside and threw water on
it. Mark had built a fire to keep warm, and some embers (灰烬) had flown out. The
whole house could have gone up if we hadn’t gotten there just then!
1.What
do we know from the text?
A. Leaf watching was Mark’s hobby. B. Mark stayed home with his
friends.
C. Carol went to work on Friday.
D. Mark was
Carol’s cousin.
2.The
underlined phrase "pulled in" in the last paragraph probably means
"_______".
A. started the car B. arrived home and stopped the
car
C. moved away from the station D. came home late
3.While
driving home Carol ________.
A. was very terrified
B.
drove at a great speed
C. knew she had made a mistake D. hardly said anything
4.Why
did Carol want to go home?
A. She didn’t enjoy the
leaves. B.
She received her son’s telephone call.
C. She felt something urged her to go
home. D. She followed Julie’s advice.
The purpose of a letter of
application ( 求职信 ) is to help you to “sell” yourself. It should state ___1___the job
you want, and should tell what your abilities are and you have ___2___. It
should be simple, human, personal and brief without ___3___out any
necessary fact.
In writing a letter of application, keep in ___4___that the things a possible employer is most___5___ to want to know about are your qualifications and your aims. The opening paragraph is perhaps the most important part.___6___the first few sentences fail to___7___ the reader’s attention, the rest of the letter may not be ___8___at all. Try to key your opening remarks to the needs or interests of the employer not___9___your own need or desires. For example, instead of beginning with “ I saw your___10___in today’s paper,” you might say “I have made a careful___11___of your advertising during the past six months” or “I have made a survey in my neighborhood to find out how many housewives___12___your product and why they like it.”
Try to___13___generalities. Be clear about the kind of job for which you are now ___14___. College graduates looking for their first positions often ask “What can I___15___in a letter? Employers want experience---which, naturally, no___16___has.” The answer is that everything you have ever done is ___17___.
It is important to write a good strong closing for your letter.___18___a specific request for an interview or give the possible employer something definite to do or expect. An excellent___19___ is to enclose ( 内附 ) a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your letter. That makes it___20___ for a possible employer to get in touch with you.
1.A. clearly B. carefully C. obviously D. easily
2.A. found B. done C. known D. heard
3.A. sending B. taking C. leaving D. picking
4.A. brain B. sight C. order D. mind
5.A. probable B. possible C. likely D. able
6.A. White B. Although C. As D. If
7.A. pay B. win C. show D. fix
8.A. kept B. continued C. written D. read
9.A. to B. for C. into D. from
10.A. advertisement B. report C. article D. introduction
11.A. watch B. search C. study D. discussion
12.A. change B. make C. sell D. use
13.A. avoid B. remember C. protect D. gain
14.A. losing B. applying C. preparing D. fitting
15.A. offer B. supply C. mean D. provide
16.A. worker B. beginner C. owner D. manager
17.A. success B. development C. practice D. experience
18.A. Make B. Ask C. State D. Get
19.A. result B. decision C. promise D. idea
20.A. happier B. easier C. cheaper D. safer
