Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers fried to conquer (征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s ,the main crop, potatoes was affected by disease and about 750, 000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly, Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.
1.What does the author tell us in Paragraph 1?
A. How the Irish fought against the English.
B. How Ireland gained independence.
C. How two “Irelands” came into being.
D. How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland.
2.The last paragraph is mainly about____.
A. the Irish character B. Irish culture
C. Irish musical instruments D. a famous Irish writer
3.We learn from the text that in Ireland _____.
A. different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments
B. people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside
C. it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker
D. food shortages in the 1840s led to a decline in population
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Life in Ireland
B. Ireland, Past and Present
C. A Very Difficult History
D. The Independence of Ireland
It’s you and I who are to blame for the state of the earth. No question about it. It’s our life-style that is threatening life on Earth, so we must make the changes. The good news is that many of those changes are really quite simple, even enjoyable, but for every careful step we take as individuals, we must press government and industry to take a big step on our benefit. And we must start now. Tomorrow’s too late.
My aim this year is to persuade as many of my friends and colleagues as possible to choose the train, and leave their cars behind too. My gardens have been pesticide(杀虫剂)–free zones for years and I enjoy seeing more wildlife on my doorstep as a result; I’ve tried to reduce my contribution to water pollution too, by using environment-friendly, phosphate(磷)–free washing powder , and by no longer thinking of the toilet as a suitable waste-disposal(处理) point .
I ran after a young lady through town recently to give her back the piece of paper she had carelessly thrown away. She disappeared into a shop, and when I followed her inside and made my presentation, she was doubly embarrassed--she worked there, and the boss gave her a ticking–off too. I’ve started asking fellow drivers at gas stations why they aren’t using unleaded (无铅的) petrol . These are small things, but we have to start somewhere, and every little does help.
1.We can learn from the first paragraph that____________.
A．you and I are responsible for looking after the environment
B．the government and industry are responsible for looking after the environment
C．the government is responsible for looking after the environment
D．both A and B
2.To help the environment, the author is trying to do everything mentioned below EXCEPT_________.
A．taking the train instead of a car
B．avoiding the use of pesticides
C．throwing away the old cars
D．running after those who throw articles carelessly
3.The author ran after a woman through town because he wanted__________.
A．to find out where she worked
B．to give her back the piece of paper she had lost
C．to ask her to pay him for picking up the piece of paper.
D．to tell her not to throw away pieces of paper carelessly
4.The purpose of this passage is to__________.
A．persuade his friends to take the train
B．try to advise us all to protect our environment
C．make clear who is responsible for the environment
D．inform us of the good news
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Fun Day To celebrate the Year of the snake Organised by Lam Tin Youth Centre and Kwun Tong High School Date: 2 February 2013 Time: 10 am—5 pm Place: Kwun Tong Playground Fee: $20 (buy three get one free) Programmes: drama, lion dance, magic show and ballet performance Highlights: 1) enter the lucky draw to win a digital camera 2) learn to make festival food Join us on the Fun Day! All are welcome! Free Soft Drinks Note: ● Tickets are available at the General Office of Lam Tin Youth Center ● For those who would like to be a volunteer, please contact Miss Olivia Wong one week before the activity. |
1.What you have just read is a ________.
A. note B. poster C. schedule D. report
2.What is going to take place on 2 February 2013?
A. A big event to welcome a Chinese new year.
B. A social gathering to raise money for wildlife.
C. A party for close friends to meet and have fun.
D. A meeting of Kwun Tong High School students.
3.How much do you have to pay in total if four of you go together?
A. $20. B. $40. C.$80. D. $60.
4.Which of the following statements is true?
A. Tickets are sold in Kwun Tong High School.
B. Free digital cameras are provided for everybody.
C. It’s unnecessary to take soft drinks with you.
D. Festival food will be served without extra charge.
Global financial big dogs are no match for China's "Da Ma", or housewives, who have crowded into gold stores across China, buying up 300 tons of gold over the past two weeks. No wonder gold prices have steadied after taking a dive.
During the May Day holiday, gold stores were crowded with mostly female customers. Most of them are middle-aged "Chinese housewives". This group of buyers has risen to fame recently. They are big spenders and are desperate to get their hands on a bargain. "I bought some gold jewellery and kept them as a gift for my son when he gets married," said a buyer from Shanghai.
The gold business is skyrocketing. "Our sales are growing by the day. Yesterday we sold more than ten million yuan of gold products," a gold store salesperson said. The gold rush in China started about two weeks ago thanks to a decline in global gold prices. Media reports suggest that Chinese housewives have spent about 100 billion yuan, or about 16 billion US dollars, purchasing 300 tons of gold since mid-April. That has helped support gold prices.
"Gold prices depressed since the middle of last month but have risen gradually. That is mainly due to the strong demand from Asian markets," said foreign trader Zhang Chen from Industrial & Commercial Bank of China. "Some people even joked that Chinese housewives have beaten Wall Street analysts." For Chinese people, with limited investment options, the only thing better than buying gold is buying gold at discount prices.
1.What does the author indicate(表明;预示)in the first sentence of the first paragraph?
A. The global big dogs can’t match with Chinese housewives.
B. Chinese housewives spend a great deal of money on gold
C. China's "Da Ma" help a lot to support the global economic crisis
D. Chinese housewives have a better consumption idea than global financial big dogs .
2.We can infer from the passage that_______________
A. China’s "Da Ma" become the largest gold buyers due to a decline in global gold prices.
B. China's "Da Ma" crowded into stores to get gold as the best gifts for sons when they get married.
C. China's "Da Ma" are bigger spenders and cleverer than global financial big dogs.
D. Chinese housewives are most willing to spend money in buying gold .
3.In the writer’s view, Chinese housewives are desperate to get their hands on a bargain because_____.
A. it is worthy to buy gold.
B .they have a strong demand
C. it is at discount prices.
D they have unlimited investment options
4.The author’s description about the passage is ______.
A. doubtful B. subjective C. objective D. Negative
A man wanted to study medicine but couldn’t make up his mind. He went to ask his friend, “Is it ___ for me to study it now? I’ll be 44 after 4 years of college.” His friend said to him, “Why not?Four years later you will be 44 whether or not you go to college.” He ____ about it for a night and got the idea. The next day he went to sign at the college.
One of my friends, Jim, did ____with somebody else a few years ago. Their ship got ____in the storm at sea and their hope, together with their goods ____ suddenly. Jim was so ____by the blow that he became low-spirited and couldn’t ____ focus his attention on his work. While his ____who suffered the same catastrophe (灾难) never ____. His day went on as colorfully as before. My friend asked him how he could ____it. He said, “When you complain, and feel sad, life goes on as usual; when you are happy and ____yourself, the world runs as usual. Which do you ____?”
That’s how a person leads his life. When you are ____and in a good mood, your future seems sunny and bright. ____, when you are worried and have something sad in your ____, your future will turn dark. The latter situation will cost you a great deal ____ you allow it to last. You will ____ the joyful things.
There is a poem that ____ “Whether you are aware or not, whether you like or dislike, show attention or ignore , flowers bloom luxuriously（怒放）all the same.” Just as flowers keep blooming, fine days are ____one after another. ____ to spend your days—joyfully or sorrowfully—will entirely depend on yourself.
1.A. difficult B. convenient C. suitable D. comfortable
2.A. thought B. cared C. worried D. complained
3.A. action B. research C. business D. agreement
4.A. absorbed B. buried C. involved D. caught
5.A. escaped B. survived C. decreased D. disappeared
6.A. embarrassed B. upset C. nervous D. amazed
7.A. still B. even C. ever D. yet
8.A. partner B. director C. employer D. interviewer
9.A. lost weight B. lost his way C. lost face D. lost heart
10.A. agree B. manage C. attempt D. understand
11.A. enjoy B. prove C. teach D. behave
12.A. decide B. suggest C. imagine D. choose
13.A. independent B. realistic C. optimistic D. negative
14.A. In fact B. On the contrary C. In other words D. In the end
15.A. mind B. thought C. idea D. opinion
16.A. so that B. unless C. if D. even if
17.A. remind B. lose C. keep D. remember
18.A. says B. talks C. writes D. speaks
19.A. spending B. passing C. wasting D. leaving
20.A. Whether B. How C. Where D. Why
Though____ money, his parents managed to send him to university.
A. lacked B . lacking of C. lacking D. lacked in
