With fears of a possible nuclear meltdown(核反应堆堆芯的熔毁) in Japan building up, evidence has come to light that the nation received warnings over the stability of its power plants from an international watchdog more than two years ago.
As the Telegraph is reporting, an official from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in December 2008 that safety rules were out of date, and strong earthquakes would cause a “serious problem” for the power stations.
A U.S. embassy document, by quoting（引用）an unnamed expert, states: “He (the IAEA official) explained that safety guides for earthquakes have only been updated three times in the last 35 years and that the IAEA is now re-examining them. Also, the presenter noted recent earthquakes in some cases have gone beyond the design basis for some nuclear plants, and that this is a serious problem that is now driving earthquake safety work.”
The Telegraph also reports that the government responded to the warnings by building an emergency response center at the Fukushima Daiichi plant designed to resist magnitude-7.0 earthquakes. Friday's earthquake, originally named a magnitude-8.9 shock, has since been upgraded to magnitude-9.0.
Other nuclear experts state IAEA officials had willingly ignored lessons from the Chernobyl disaster to protect the nuclear industry's expansion, reports Bloomberg. “After Chernobyl, all the force of the nuclear industry was directed to hide this event, for not creating damage to their reputation,”Russian nuclear accident specialist Iouli Andreyev tells Reuters, before noting that radiation from spent fuel rods（棒）stored close to reactors at Fukushima looked like an example of putting profit before safety. “The Japanese were very greedy, and they used every square inch of the space. But when you have a dense(密集的) placing of spent fuel in the basin, you have a high possibility of fire if the water is removed from the basin.”
1. From the passage, we know that ____________.
A. people fear that the nuclear meltdown will possibly become more and more serious in Japan
B. people are becoming more and more afraid of a possible nuclear meltdown in Japan
C. Japan made no response to the warnings over the safety of its power plants
D. Iouli Andreyev warned Japan not to store spent fuel rods close to reactors
2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Japan was warned of the stability of its power plants when they were built over 2 years ago.
B. Safety guides for earthquakes should be updated three times in 35 years.
C. The emergency response centre at the Fukushima Daiichi plant can not resist Friday’s
earthquake.
D. IAEA officials advised Japan to ignore lessons from the Chernobyl disaster.
3. IAEA officials were willing to ignore lessons from the Chernobyl disaster because they want ________.
A. to put profit before safety. B. the nuclear industry to develop
C. to protect the reputation of Japan D. every inch of land to be made good use of
4.The writer develops this passage mainly by__________.
A. making comments B. providing facts
C. quoting what experts say D. analysing what happened
As the world prepares to mark the 100th anniversary of
International Women’s Day on March 8, a new report
details the progress and challenges girls face in getting an education.
The report – from the Education for All Fast Track Initiative – highlights the importance of girls’ education for economic(经济的) and social development. It follows progress in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Mauritania, Mozambique and Niger.
Prema Clarke, author of Fast-tracking Girls’ Education, says, “Progress for girls’ education is that they can leave their homes, leave their families and come to a place to study and to learn. And that’s a big achievement because otherwise these girls have to stay at home, looking after their brothers and sisters, doing the cooking or doing the cleaning.”
She says progress toward the Millennium Development Goals and those of Education for All “is allowing and enabling girls and forcing countries to look at this issue(问题) and to ensure that interventions (干预) help girls attend school.”
Benefits
Improving education for girls brings many benefits, says Clarke. “It means that girls can then enter the workforce. They can look after their own families much more effectively. They can prevent child death rate. They can educate their own girl children when they begin to expand their own families.” Studies show that having an educated female population helps to improve a country’s health and economic well-being.
Warnings
The report says, “In developing countries, too many girls are not in school, and many girls face continuing health risks and danger just walking to class.”
“Especially in the fragile and post-conflict countries and in many of the African countries, this is a real issue,” she says. Till now, the interventions have been so focused on providing schooling and providing teachers, etc. And now I think there is much more expanded focus on looking at specific（特定的）communities of girls within at-risk groups that now need much more specific attention and much more creative solutions(解决方法) to help them attend school.”
1.The underlined word “highlights” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.
A. shows B. stresses C. remarks D. improves
2. According to Clarke, improving education can provide girls with all the opportunities EXCEPT _______.
A. to educate their own girl children B. to prevent child death rate
C. to enter the workforce D. to study abroad
3.This passage is intended to _____.
A. promote the progress in girls’ education
B. talk about the benefits of improving girls’ education
C. give some information about the education girls are facing
D. sing high praise for the girls’ education
4.It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A. the girls’ educational situation in developing countries is still serious
B. girls were free to go wherever they wanted to in the past
C. there are enough teachers in most of the African countries
D. International Women’s Day was first celebrated on March 8 in 1900
TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language, which assesses
the proficiency (熟练) of English language of a person in an academic setting. Various
institutions, scholarship programs require this test as a trusted and effective
indicator of a person’s ability to communicate in English.
TOEFL is available in CBT----Computer-based Technology, PBT----Paper-based Technology and IBT----Internet-based Test formats（形式）to assess the proficiency of English Language. IBT TOEFL is a four-hour test comprising sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. In areas where internet-based test is not available, a paper-based test (PBT) is given. PBT is a three-hour test comprising four sections: Listening, Structure and Written Expression, Reading Comprehension and Writing.
Taking TOEFL test opens many doors to get admission in foreign universities. More than 7500 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries rely on TOEFL test scores to check proficiency for English Language. It is very convenient to take this test and it is available in 165 countries world wide.
It measures your academic skills that whether you are ready to study or train at under graduate or post graduate level in foreign universities or not. In the test candidates are provided with a passage from text books and questions based on lectures, and you can be asked to speak or write in response related to that passage.
As the test is made up of 100 % academic questions, so many universities consider it the most effective test, while taking any admission. To take TOEFL test you should:
-----Improve your writing skills;
-----Improve your vocabulary;
-----Practice other reading passages on the TOEFL Test;
-----Be familiar with the format of the test;
-----Practice for listening test on the TOEFL test.
To take admission in World’s famous Harvard University, the minimum TOEFL score required is 587 on the paper-based test, 240 on the computer-based test, or 94-95 on the internet-based TOEFL.
1.The underlined word “comprising” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.
A. including B. forming C. combining D. explaining
2.Which section is Not included in IBT TOEFL?
A. Reading. B. Writing.
C. Speaking. D. Structure and Written Expression.
3. According to the passage, many students are required to take TOEFL test probably because the test can________.
A. improve their academic skills
B. indicate their proficiency of English language
C. provide scholarship programs in many countries
D. decide your graduation from foreign universities
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Advantages of TOEFL test B. Introduction to TOEFL test
C. Preparations for TOEFL test D. Assessment of TOEFL test
The Golden Gate Bridge, the first
sight for many people arriving in the United States by ship, is a
well-recognized landmark, which spans(横跨) the Golden Gate Strait.
The idea for a bridge across the strait had been around for many years, but it was not easy to get the project started. The construction of the bridge finally began in 1933. The construction work set new standards for safety----workers were among the first required to wear hard hats, and an innovative（革新的） safety net saved the lives of nineteen men while the bridge was built. The Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937, which was finished ahead of schedule.
Joseph Strauss was the chief engineer in charge of the bridge project. However, he had little experience with the construction of suspension（悬浮）bridges. For this reason, other engineers, architects, and designers made great contributions to the design and construction of the bridge. For example, the bridge owes its art style and unique orange color to the architects Irving and Gertrude Morrow. Charles Alton Ellis was the main engineer on the project and did much of the technical work necessary to build the bridge.
Today, the Golden Gate Bridge has a main span of 4,200 feet and a total length of 8,981 feet, making it one of the longest bridges in the world. The bridge is 90 feet wide, and its span is 220 feet above the water. The towers supporting the huge cables (巨缆) rise 746 feet above the waters of the Golden Gate Strait, making them 191 feet taller than the Washington Monument. About 40 million cars cross the bridge every year. There are foghorns（雾角）to let passing ships know where the bridge is, and aircraft beacons（信号灯）on the tops of the towers to stop planes from crashing into them.
1.The purpose of the passage is to _______.
A. describe the construction work of the Golden Gate Bridge
B. introduce the Golden Gate Bridge
C. tell us the history of the Golden Gate Bridge
D. introduce the engineers in charge of the Golden Gate Bridge
2.Safety innovations during the construction of the bridge included ________.
A. hardhats and a safety net B. aircraft beacons
C. foghorns D. all of the above
3. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A. Joseph Strauss was skilled in the construction of suspension bridges
B. it took the construction workers three years to build the Golden Gate Bridge
C. about 100 thousand cars cross the Golden Gate Bridge every day
D. the Golden Gate Bridge is the longest bridge in the world
4.The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 4 refers to ________.
A. towers B. cables C. waters D. bridges
完形填空 (共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I was standing on stage before 200 people, dressed up as George Washington. I had the lead role in my sixth grade 36 and, for the past two months, I had walked back and forth in my room 37 to say my lines.
Now it was time to give a 38 , and my heart was beating rapidly. At my 39 , I began to speak smoothly and clearly, but then it 40 : I stuttered（口吃）. I knew I would, and I did.
From that moment on, I 41 that my role in that play would be my first and my last. My speech problem affected 42 .
As a child, I struggled to say a full sentence, repeatedly hearing the 43 comments of my parents. “Take a deep breath and think about what you’re going to say.” I was too 44 to admit I had a problem.
45 my school career progressed my speech problem became less noticeable, but it never 46 . It held me back.
After realizing that class officers had to speak in front of the entire student body, I 47 running in class elections . I feared reading aloud and meeting new people.
I would 48 sit in my room and cry, imagining what it would be like to be 49 , like everyone else.
Finally, I came to my senses. I read articles about famous people who 50 their speech problems. I 51 the fact that I do have a problem that will always be with me.
It has made me a 52 person and, with time, I know I’ll gain the confidence to stand up and 53 to myself that it will never hold me back. 54 , I know that I’m not the only one who 55 , because nobody is perfect.
1. A. play B. game C. dance D . concert
2. A. desiring B. waiting C. struggling D. hesitating
3.A. test B. performance C. suggestion D. judgment
4.A. sight B. angle C. news D. turn
5.A. happened B. seemed C. broke D. remained
6. A. urged B. promised C. admitted D. repeated
7.A. nothing B. something C. everything D. anything
8.A. exciting B. surprising C. puzzling D. annoying
9.A. ashamed B. willing C. weak D. eager
10.A. Though B. As C. Before D. Unless
11. A. failed B. disappeared C. burst D. combined
12.A. insisted on B. put off C. approved of D. gave up
13.A. never B. seldom C. sometime D. constantly
14.A. normal B. special C. usual D. alive
15.A. realized B. refused C. overcame D. avoided
16. A. doubted B. changed C. hid D. faced
17.A. stronger B. greater C. wiser D. purer
18. A. explain B. prove C. respond D. scream
19.A. On the contrary B. On the other hand C. Above all D. At most
20. A. attempts B. argues C. suffers D. risks
—Be seated, please and I’ll make you a cup of tea.
—_________. Let’s come to the point first.
A. You needn’t do so B. Please don’t bother
C. You are welcome D. You are indeed too polite.
