The number of buses, taxis and other vehicles on Kenya’s roads is growing every day. Now, the country’s first electric-powered motorbikes are coming onto the market. The bike is designed to cut down on pollution and aimed at low-income communities. Most motorbikes used in Kenya depend on gasoline, but not this new motorbike.
Three university students developed the new ecotran bike. It catches the sun’s energy, stores it in batteries and uses it to charge (充电) the electric motor. Robert Achoge is one of the student inventors. “Our hope is that by the fifth year, we will be able to cover the whole of Kenya with the electric motorcycle so as to protect the environment and provide affordable transport.”
The students have set up a charging station for the motorbikes in Nairobi. The small battery can run for 70 kilometers when fully charged. Once the power is used up, the motorbike has to return to the station while another charged battery is connected to the bike. The U.S. African Development Foundation (ADF) is helping set up two solar-powered charging stations in the port of Kisumu.
Each ecotran bike costs about $700. One taxi operator says the new motorbike costs less to operate than that running on traditional gasoline. “When it comes to buying gasoline, there’s no need. It’s basically good for various things. As long as you won’t take quite a heavy load (装载), you can go with it anywhere. Otherwise, it may break down halfway. But now people still have a preference to the gas-powered bikes.”
A Nairobi businessman Kennedy Kusimba is selling the ecotran bikes. He hopes they will become popular. “We also know they are more reliable compared to the gas-powered bikes. They are more efficient (效率高的) and they will last longer.”
1.What has happened to the vehicles in Kenya?
A. Motorbikes are not allowed on the road.
B. A new kind of motorbike is hitting the road.
C. There are fewer buses and taxis in the street.
D. Traditional motorbikes don’t need gasoline any more.
2.What do we know about the ecotran bike?
A. It was developed by the ADF.
B. It can charge itself while running.
C. Its energy comes from the sunlight.
D. It does more harm to the environment.
3.What do people think of the ecotran bike?
A. It’s better not to use it to carry too much.
B. It is a good choice for the long-distance journey.
C. It will take the place of gas-powered bikes soon.
D. It is much more expensive than a traditional motorbike.
4.Where does the text probably come from?
A. A research plan. B. An advertisement.
C. A business report. D. A science magazine.
Megan McDonald is the writer of the popular Judy Moody and Stink books. McDonald, the youngest of five girls, grew up in a suburb outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I talked with her for our magazine recently. Here are some questions I asked and her answers to them.
Q: What was the inspiration for your characters Judy Moody and Stink?
A: My original inspiration came from growing up with so many sisters.
We grew up in a family of readers and storytellers. I had all these funny stories about my sisters that I wanted to tell. The first Judy Moody book probably has the most stories that came from my childhood. After that, Judy and Stink really took on a life of their own. Everyone knows a “Judy Moody” in his/her life.
Q: Who are some of your favorite authors and what are some of your favorite books?
A: Beverly Cleary with the Ramona books. Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh was also a really important book for me growing up. And now, I would say that one of my most favorite authors is Katherine Paterson. I love her book called The Great Gilly Hopkins. Gilly is so individual, strong-minded and willful. She’s not always perfect. Judy Moody was sort of inspired by that character. I love that book.
Q: What advice do you have for kids who want to write books?
A: It’s really simple. I think the best thing anybody — a kid or an adult — can do if he/she wants to write is to read. I feel really strongly about that because I think reading is not only what inspires us, but it’s a way that we learn languages, and it’s a way that we learn how stories work with beginnings, middles, and ends. For me, it all begins with reading.
1.According to Megan McDonald, growing up with so many sisters .
A. kept her from reading
B. wasn’t a very good experience
C. helped her write books in later life
D. made her different from other girls
2.The underlined sentence means Judy and Stink .
A. became popular with readers
B. wanted to become independent
C. were just ordinary people in our lives
D. developed no longer based on McDonald’s childhood
3.McDonald’s last answer mainly shows reading is .
A. simple B. important
C. private D. basic
4.Who talked with Megan McDonald in the text?
A. A teacher. B. A TV reporter.
C. A fan. D. A journalist
We’ve got two dogs, Roxie and Cosita. My childhood memories are full of the cats we’ve loved, from my dad’s cat, Bandit, to our beloved white cat Cecelia, whose gray fur formed a perfect heart shape across her stomach. But since our last cat friend, Sunny the orange cat, died too young, we’ve been cat-less. The sudden loss of Sunny was hard to move on from, especially for my mom.
This year, Mom finally thought she was ready for a new kitten. It was all she wanted for her birthday on June 16. “Roxie and Cosita need a new friend!” she said. In the week leading up to her birthday, something happened. She started to hear a kitten’s meow (喵叫声) in the garage. Every time she went in and out of the garage, she could hear the soft cries but couldn’t tell the exact position of the sound. She asked my dad if he heard it too. He only shrugged (耸肩). At last, Mom’s birthday was arriving. She kept her fingers crossed, hoping for a kitten.
Over the past week, my dad had heard the kitten’s meow every time he walked past my mom’s car. One day he opened the hood (车盖) of the car, and a yellow kitten stared back at him. How in the world did she get there? And where did she come from? Dad didn’t know, but he fed the kitten every day, waiting for the day he’d give her to Mom.
The little kitten was such a perfect birthday gift, and Dad even didn’t need to leave the house to find her for my mom’s happy birthday! When it came time to name our new furry friend, we took inspiration from a song famously performed by Wilson Pickett and called her “Sally”.
1.What was difficult for Mom to forget?
A. The young orange cat’s death.
B. The moving of one of her friends.
C. The sudden death of the cat Bandit.
D. The heart shape across Cecelia’s stomach.
2.What gift did Mom hope for?
A. A new car. B. A little cat.
C. A little dog. D. A new cassette.
3.What can we learn about Sally?
A. Dad hid her in Mom’s car.
B. Sally was bought for Mom.
C. Sally was named after a song.
D. Mom received her ahead of the birthday.
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. A new home for Sally B. My pet friends in memory
C. My mom’s happy birthday D. An unexpected birthday gift
Zoos give people a chance to get close to animals from every continent in the world. But zoos that offer more than just a chance to see animals are worth visiting. Singapore Zoo
At Singapore Zoo, enjoy breakfast while a family of orangutans (猩猩) sits nearby enjoying theirs. A zookeeper tells the breakfast crowd about each member of the family. Or join the Wild Discoverer tour for a detailed look at some of the animals.
Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo in New York City houses 6,000 animals. Those who want to sleep with zebras (斑马) have a chance at this zoo. Special overnight journeys allow families to camp out on the zoo grounds and meet some amazing animal guests.
Taronga Zoo
The Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia offers special animal contact. Visitors can see a koala up close, feed a giraffe or hold a reptile. For those who want to learn what it’s like to work at a zoo, Taronga offers a “Keeper for A Day” program for anyone over 18 years old.
San Diego Zoo
At Southern California’s San Diego Zoo, animals live in natural-looking areas. Wildlife photography (摄影) lovers can take a class to learn the secrets of photographing animals. The zoo offers people opportunities to meet a lion or feed a rhino. The zookeepers also teach people how to talk to the animals so they will talk back.
1.Where can you breakfast with orangutans?
A. At Bronx Zoo. B. At Taronga Zoo.
C. At Singapore Zoo. D. At San Diego Zoo.
2.The “Keeper for A Day” program is intended for .
A. animal protectors B. wildlife researchers
C. adults working with keepers D. adults interested in keepers’ life
3.At San Diego Zoo, you can .
A. sleep with lions or rhinos
B. join the Wild Discoverer tour
C. camp out overnight on the zoo grounds
D. have a better communication with animals
假定你是李华，上周应留学生朋友Leslie的邀请，你去听了一场钢琴音乐会，你打算教他认识中国汉字以示感谢。就此请你用英语给他写一封信件，内容包括：
1.对受邀表示感谢；
2.简要回忆音乐会及感受；
3.提出教他汉字作为回报。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Leslie,
How is everything getting along with you recently?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
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Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在该漏字符号下写上该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线( \ )划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该横线下写上修改后的词。
注意:1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
I have been fond of playing chess for many years and I have made a rapid progress, for which I am proud. However, I came across the chess player on the Internet several days ago. While played, I was so eager to win. But because of my carelessness, I failed in the end, what got me crazy. I burst into tear. My parents looked at me in silence. Only when I calmed down they tell me that it was no use get angry when we met with failures. What we should do is learn to control our emotions or try to do better next time. I was ashamed of what I did. “Never will I lose my temper again.”I told me.
