Mexico City sits on an inland plateau(高原) surrounded by volcanic peaks, which makes air quality a constant concern for people who live here.
In April, the country took a decisive step toward improving air quality by enacting(颁布) a temporary ban(禁令) on private and federal vehicles in the city. The rule forbids people from driving in the city one day each week and one Saturday each month. Electric vehicles, government service vehicles, public transport options and school buses are not included in the ban.
Mexico City isn’t the first urban centre to be involved in car-free living. But the ban is more than an awareness-raiser; it was enacted with the direct aim of solving air pollution. In March, the city sank into a deep brown haze of smog when pollution levels passed the 200 mark. The city ordered some 1.1m of the area’s 4.7m cars off the streets and also offered free bus and subway rides.
Mexico City’s temporary vehicle ban raises questions about the best ways to improve urban air quality. India, whose citizens breathe some of the world’s dirtiest air, has tried a variety of solutions. Earlier this year, the Indian government started a 4% sales tax on new-car purchases.
Beijing also has experience with cleaning the air. The city introduced alternate-day rules in advance of the 2008 Olympic Games, which produced good, if short-lived, results. The day after the vehicle-use restrictions (限制) were lifted, the blue faded back to gray. And then there is the London congestion(拥挤) charge, introduced in 2003. The charge has had a measurable effect on air quality.
For now, Mexico City—named by the United Nations as the most polluted city on the planet in 1992—can look forward to the start of the region’s rainy season, when daily showers will help to clean the air.
1.What makes the air quality of Mexico City a concern for citizens?
A. Its population.
B. Its location.
C. Its public transportation.
D. Its government action.
2.Which is true about the rule enacted in April in Mexico City?
A. It will come into effect forever.
B. Federal vehicles are not included in the ban.
C. The rule prevents people from driving on Saturdays each month.
D. It’s a decisive measure toward reducing air pollution.
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Two more places are mentioned which dealt with air pollution besides Mexico City.
B. The Indian government started a 47% sales tax on new-car purchases in advance of the 2008 Olympic Games.
C. The action Beijing took has got good results for a very long time.
D. As for Mexico City, rainy season can help to improve the air quality.
4.Which word has the closest meaning to the underlined word “lifted”?
A. removedB. raisedC. approvedD. clarified
When a customer came into a Mexican restaurant in Georgia with an unusual request, a selfless waiter didn’t hesitate(犹豫) to help him out.
A disabled man with no hands who ordered a meal at Cinco cle Mayo Mexican Grill in Douglasville on Sunday afternoon hoped someone might be able to help him eat his lunch.
Server Alex Ruiz, 22, was more than happy to help as he sat opposite from the man and helped him enjoy his meal.
The heartwarming moment was captured in a photo by one of Ruiz’s workmates, Crystal Figueroa. She posted it on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
“He’s a great person,” Figuero, 24, whose father manages the restaurant, said.
“He’s always so nice, and the fact that he just came out of nowhere and helped a man he doesn’t even know have a meal says everything. That just shows the person that he is.
One of Figueroa’s friends, Reginald Widener, also witnessed the moment and posted the photo on his Facebook page.
“This seriously hit me right in the soul,” Widener wrote.
The waiters did not get the name of the man. He had never eaten in the restaurant before, according to Figueroa. But Ruiz jumped at the chance to help.
“I just feel like people should see that there’re still good people out there,” Figueroa said. “It was just a happy moment.”
1.Why did Alex Ruiz help the man eat his lunch?
A. The man was rich.
B. The man had no hands.
C. They knew each other.
D. He is Alex Ruiz’s father.
2.How many people posted the photo on the Internet?
A. Two.B. One.C. No one.D. Many.
3.What’s the relationship between Alex and Figueroa?
A. They are friends.
B. They are family.
C. Figueroa is Alex’s boss.
D. They are workmates.
4.What kind of person is Alex?
A. He hopes people to find something good in life.
B. He likes working on Sundays.
C. He is ready to help others.
D. He likes to post photos onto Facebook.
Wouldn’t you want to travel more often without breaking the bank? If you are interested, read on to find out how you can do simple things to save money next time you go on vacation.
Airfares
Plan in advance and visit discount websites to see if there are better deals. If you are planning to stay in two countries and an airline makes you change planes on those countries anyway, you might be in luck. Check pricing on the flights to see if you can stay a few days at the country of the flight change instead of changing planes right away since airlines often let you do that for the same price.
Accommodations
Sometimes the smaller towns close to where you are going have hotels that are much less expensive. If you don’t mind the 15-minute ride, you might just save a large amount of money. Home exchanges are pretty cool and popular especially in Europe. If you are of the adventure type, this could be exciting and refreshing. Sometimes smaller hotel chains are willing to give you free upgrades or even free nights. If you are staying at a destination for at least a few days, consider a vacation home instead of hotels. They are often more comfortable and your cost will probably be cheaper.
Eating
Figure out where you will be and eat before you actually go out. Avoid breakfast from the hotels because chances are good that the breakfast from the hotel is expensive and isn’t great. It probably pays to walk out the front door in the morning and find a local cafe. You might just discover the local favorite unexpectedly. Want a breakfast that costs nothing? Ask for some bread to-go at the restaurant the night before. In addition, fancy lunches are often much less expensive than dinners. If you eat a big lunch and a light dinner, it’s also healthier.
1.What kind of travelers will choose a vocation home?
A. Those who dislike small hotel chains.
B. Those who want an adventure trip.
C. Those who plan to live in one place for a few days.
D. Those who don’t mind long-distance trips.
2.To save money on eating, you are expected to ________.
A. eat more for dinner than lunch
B. have three meals in the hotels
C. buy bread from restaurants
D. try a local cafe for breakfast
3.The text is mainly about ________.
A. trips in different countries
B. tips on economical travel
C. dos and don’ts during a trip
D. arrangements for a package holiday
阅读下面短文，然后用60个单词左右概括短文的要点。
Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the advantage of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea; clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist (免疫学家), encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some reason.
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假如你是Sandy Smith，你的笔友Li Hua给你写了一封信，内容如下：
Dear Sandy,
I’m writing this letter to ask for help. I will visit England soon, but I know little about the culture of England. Please give me a hand.
I’m looking forward to hearing from your reply soon.
Yours,
Li Hua
请给Li Hua回一封信，要点如下：
1．交通和气候注意事项（适应靠左行走或驾驶的交通规则，出门带伞）；
2．公共场合的注意事项（保持安静等）；
3．和英国人交往的注意事项(尊重隐私等)。
注意：
1．词数：80左右，信的格式、开头和结尾已写好，不计入总词数；
2．可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Li Hua,
It is a great chance to visit England. _______________________________________
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Have a good time.
Yours sincerely,
Sandy Smith
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Nowadays, it is common that more and more high school students open their own micro-blogs on the Internet. For one thing, it can provide a colorful platform to show their talent. For 1. , it is a useful way to release their pressure. And all these make it more and more popular with high school students. 2. , many parents and teachers hold a different view. They think that managing one’s micro blog will take a lot of time and energy, 3. should be used to study.
In my view, I am greatly in favor 【小4】 this activity. Today the Internet is playing 4. important and essential role in our life. Therefore as high school students, we need to learn to make use of this 5. (value) tool to communicate and display ourselves. What’s more, opening microblogs need various abilities such 6. writing, designing , being skillful at computer and so on. Only if we master those abilities can we make a successful micro blog. As a result, we will improve ourselves while 7. (organize) our microblogs.
In fact, microblog 8. (oneself) is of little harm. It is your attitude towards it 9. matters. We should take the advantages and avoid some bad effects.
