You may not have heard of Ashoka, but for the past 27 years,this association, founded by Bill Drayton, has fought poverty (贫穷)and sickness, promoted education and encouraged small businesses. To support these worthy causes, Ashoka provides money for the world's most promising "changemakers" seeking to solve (解决) urgent problems and would like to create a world in which every citizen is a changemaker.
Drayton believes that anyone can become an agent for change. The important thing is to simply give yourself permission. If you see a problem that you care about, you can help solve it. The young in particular are willing to accept this concept because at heart every child wants to grow into a happy, healthy, contributing adult. In fact It is many young people's ambition to set up programmes or businesses that improve social conditions. An excellent example is an Ashoka project started in 1995 in Dhaka, which handled the rubbish problem facing the city ,helped local farmers and provided an income for poor people there .
When Masqsood and Iftekhar began to study the problem of all the uncollected rubbish that lay in Dhaka’s streets,Attracting tats and disease , they discovered that 80% of it was natural waste . So they educated the poor people in the city to compost (把……制成堆粪)this waste . They knew that they would have a market for the end product because local farmers were struggling with chemical ferntilisers (化肥) which were expensive and had reduced the natural minerals in the soil over the years . At first , they were refused ,but once they were able to persuade them that there was money to be made , the project took off. In 2009 sales were $14,000.
Drayton is optimistic that in ten years Ashoka will be making really serious ,practical progress in bringing about social change by changing the way we look at economic development.
1.Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
A. changemakers B. Businessmen
C. Social Conditions D.Rubbish Problem
2.The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 3 probably refers to" "
A. the local farmers B. Masqsood and Iftekhar
C. Drayton and his teamD. the poor people in Dhaka
3.It can be concluded from the passage that anyone can become a changemaker if he .
A. considers Drayton's concept
B. gets permission from Ashoka
C. tries to improve social conditions
D. is a young, happy and healthy adult
4.The authors attitude towards Ashoka's program can be described as
A. changingB. forgivingC. cautiousD. Positive
Should we allow modern buildings to‑ be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons for example, economic (经济的) reasons-why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?
In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.
It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的)and do not like change.
Although we have to respect people's feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward . If we always reproduced what was there before,we would all still be living in caves . Thus , I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different , even though that might be the more risky choice.
1.What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?
A. Some of them are not attractive.
B. Most of them ate too expensive to preserve.
C. They are more pleasing than modern buildings.
D. They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area.
2.Which of the following is true according to the author ?
A. We should reproduce the same old buildings.
B. Buildings should not dominate their surroundings.
C. Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in.
D. No one understands why people speak against new buildings.
3.By “move things forward ” in the last paragraph , the author probably means“ ”
A. Destroy old buildings
B. Put things in a different place
C. Choose new architectural styles
D. Respect people’s feelings for historical buildings
4.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To explain why people dislike change.
B. To warn that we could end up living in caves.
C. To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.
D. To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.
You are the collector in the gallery of your life. You collect. You might not mean to but you do. One out of three people collects tangible（有形的）things such as cats, photos and noisy toys.
There are among some 40 collections that are being shown at “The Museum Of”—the first of several new museums which, over the next two years, will exhibit the objects accumulated by unknown collectors. In doing so, they will promote a popular culture of museums, not what museums normally represent.
Some of the collections are fairly common—records, model houses. Others are strangely beautiful—branches that have fallen from tree, for example. But they all reveal （显露）a lot of things: ask someone what they collect and their answers will tell you who they are.
Other on the way include “The museum of Collectors” and “The Museum of Me.”These new ones, it is hoped, will build on the success of “The Museum Of.” The thinkers behind the project want to explore why people collect, and what it means to do so. They hope that visitors who may not have considered themselves collectors will begin to see they, too, collect.
Some collectors say they started or stopped making collections at important point: the beginning or end of adolescence—“it’s a growing-up thing; you stop when you grow up,”says one. Other painful times are mentioned, such as the end of a relationship. For time and life can seem so uncontrollable that a steady serial（顺序排列的）arrangement is comforting.
1.How will the new museums promote a popular culture of museums?
A. By collecting more tangible things.
B. By showing what ordinary people have collected.
C. By correcting what museums normally represent.
D. By accumulating 40 collections two years from now.
2.What can be learned about collectors from their collections?
A. Who they are.
B. How old they are.
C. Where they were born.
D. Why they might not mean to collect.
3.Which of the following is an aim of the new museums?
A. To help people sell their collections.
B. To encourage more people to collect.
C. To study the significance of collecting.
D. To find out why people visit museums.
4.According to the last paragraph, people may stop collecting when they
A. become adults
B. feel happy with life
C. are ready for a relationship
D. feel time to he uncontrollable
Recordings of angry bees are enough to send big, tough African elephants running away, a new study says. Beehives (蜂窝)-either recorded or real-may even prevent elephants from damaging farmer's crops.
In 2002, scientist Lucy King and her team found that elephants avoid certain trees with bees living in them. Today, Lucy wants to see if African honeybees might discourage elephants from eating crops. But before she asked farmer to go to the trouble of setting up beehives on their farms, she needed to find out if the bees would scare elephants away.
Lucy found a wild beehive inside a tree in northern Kenya and set up a recorder. Then she threw a stone into the beehive, which burst into life. Lucy and her assistant hid in their car until the angry bees had calmed down. Next，Lucy searched out elephant families in Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya and put a speaker in a close to each family.
From a distance, Lucy switched on the pre-recorded sound of angry bees while at the same time recording the elephants with a video camera. Half the elephant groups left the area within ten seconds. Out of a total of 17 groups, only one group ignored the sound of the angry bees. Lucy reported that all the young elephants immediately ran to their mothers to hide under them. When Lucy Played the sound of a waterfall (瀑布) instead of the angry bees to many of the same elephant families, the animals were undisturbed. Even after four minutes, most of the groups stayed in one place.
Lucy is now studying whether the elephants will continue to avoid the sound of angry bees after hearing it several times. She hasn't tested enough groups yet to know, but her initial (最初的) results were promising enough to begin trials with farmers. She has now begun placing speakers in the fields to see if elephants are frightened away.
1.We know from the passage that elephants may be frightened of .
A. loud noises B. some crops
C. video cameras D. angry bees
2.As mentioned in the passage, Lucy
A. works by herself in Africa
B. needs to test more elephant groups
C. has stopped elephants eating crops
D. has got farmers to set up beehives on their farms
3.Why did Lucy throw a stone into a wild beehive?
A. To record the sound of bees.
B. To make a video of elephants.
C. To see if elephants would run away.
D. To find out more about the behavior of bees.
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Young elephants ignore African honeybees.
B. Waterfalls can make elephants stay in one place.
C. Elephants do not go near trees with bees living in them.
D. Farmers do not allow Lucy to conduct tests in their fields.
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1.With help from a Mr.H, you can .
A. stop using batteries.
B. finish your homework on time.
C. remember your teacher’s instructions.
D. get your room tidied on your way home.
2.A PENGO WATCH CONTROL can help you to .
A. repair your TV B. organize your homework
C. be a James Bond D. know what the weather is like
3.You can get your Mr. H for .
A. ＄499 B. ＄299 C. ＄199 D. ＄99
4.Where would you be most likely to find the two texts?
A. On a notice board B. In a company brochure.
C. On a teenage website D. In a college newspaper.
In 2012, I had just recovered form a serious illness when I received an invitation to a writer's conference in Orlando, Florida. My family persuaded me that a(n) might be just what the doctor ordered, so off I .
Arriving in the Sunshine State was rather tiring, but I to catch a taxi to my and settle in. Next morning, I took another to the shopping centre to buy a few souvenirs. I went to a cafe to have lunch, but all the tables were . Then I heard a friendly voice saying, "You can my table."
I gratefully sat down with the lady and we had a happy lunch together. As the drew to a close she asked how long I would be in Orlando. I had already told her that I hadn't a car, and hadn't realised how taking taxis would he, After a while she said, "My dear, don't use any more taxis. I'm retired and it would be my pleasure to you wherever you wish." I told her that I couldn't put her to that ,but she brushed aside my protests (反对)。She asked me where I was and next morning she was waiting at my apartment at the time to take me to Disney World. She spent some time with me before leaving me to alone. At the end of the day, she to take me back to my accommodation. I her money but she refused to take any.
I'll never forget that wonderful lady who, through her , filled my brief holiday in Florida with wonderful memories.
1.A. holiday B. ceremonyC. operationD. experiment
2.A. kept B. went C. droppedD. knocked
3.A. intended B. promised C. managedD. deserved
4.A. hospital B. companyC. universityD. accommodation
5.A. colleague B. passenger C. suitcaseD. taxi
6.A. Instead B. First C. LaterD. Once
7.A. classifiedB. occupiedC. decoratedD. painted
8.A. share B. reserveC. setD. possess
9.A. oldB. poor C. innocentD. stubborn
10.A. journey B. mealC. speechD. interview
11.A. donated B.repairedC. hired D. guided
12.A.convenient B. worthwhileC. unfortunateD. expensive
13.A.inspire B. entertainC. callD. drive
14.A.businessB. argument C. troubleD. challenge
15.A.working B. stayingC. movingD. shopping
16.A.appointedB.limitedC. favourite D. regular
17.A. digestB. explore C.perform D. calculate
18.A.forgotB. refusedC. returnedD.preferred
19.A.sentB.lentC. offered D. owed
20.A.confidenceB. dignityC.curiosityD. kindness
