It is reported that a record-breaking high-speed rail will connect Inner Mongolia in the north to Hainan in the south. According to the Shaanxi Development and Reform Commission，the proposed line will operate at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour（217 mph）．
Beginning in Inner Mongolia's Baotou city and running through southern Shaanxi， Hubei， Hunan， Guangxi and Guangdong， its final stop would be in Haikou city on Hainan Island，China's southernmost province．
Though the exact length of the proposed route has not been released，it will likely become the world's longest high-speed rail line as the journey by road between Baotou and Haikou is approximately 3，000 kilometers（1，864 miles） long． Currently， the world's longest high-speed rail line is almost 2，300 kilometers long （1，429 miles）， running from Beijing to Guangzhou．
The proposed rail is part of China's aim to create another "Silk Road of the 21st Century" and improve the country's transportation network while driving land development and urbanization（城市化） in some provincial areas．
Many of the provinces through which the high-speed trains will travel are near major bodies of water，such as the Yellow River in Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi province，the Yangtzi River in Hubei and the South China Sea， where the line would end． It will also take passengers to popular tourist attractions including Zhangjiajie，Xi'an，Guilin and minority areas in western Hunan and Hubei．
"The country is now shifting its focus and investing in the western regions and economically underdeveloped areas，making up for China's long debt to these areas，" Tan yuzhi，professor of the School of Economics and Management at Hubei University for Nationalities， told local media． " The project will significantly narrow regional disparities（差异） and solve minority issues．"
However，Deng Hongbing，director of China University of Geosciences' Center for Regional Economic and Investment Center，said that if the north-to-south railway is to go ahead，there needs to be a sound ecological program in place to ensure the protection of these underdeveloped and ecologically sensitive areas．
1.What is the passage mainly talking about？ ______
A.China has decided to invest in the western areas．
B.Another high-speed train line is being planned．
C.The train will speed up to 350 kilometers per hour．
D.China has produced the best high-speed train line．
2.How many provinces will the proposed line cross？ ______.
A.9 B.8
C.7 D.6
3.Once the high-speed rain line is built，______ ．
A.It will be the most convenient high-speed rail line in China
B.It will benefit the underdeveloped areas a lot in the west
C.It will transport goods faster from north to south
D.It will do good to the environment alongside the line
4.What is Tan Yuzhi's attitude towards the proposed project？ ______.
A.Ironical B.Doubtful
C.Puzzled D.Supportive
Ever walked to the shops only to find, once there, you’ve completely forgotten what you went for? Or struggled to remember the name of an old friend? For years we’ve accepted that a forgetful brain is as much a part of aging as wrinkles and gray hair. But now a new book suggests that we’ve got it all wrong.
According to The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain, by science writer Barbara Strauch, when it comes to the important things, our brains actually get better with age. In fact, she argues that some studies have found that our brain hits its peak between our 40s and 60s — much later than previously thought.
Furthermore, rather than losing many brain cells as we age, we keep them, and even produce new ones well into middle age. For years it’s been assumed that brain, much like the body, declines with age. But the longest, largest study into what happens to people as they age suggests otherwise.
This continuing research has followed 6,000 people since 1956, testing them every seven years. It has found that on average, participants performed better on cognitive (认知的) tests in their 40s and 50s than they had done in their 20s. Specifically, older people did better on tests of vocabulary, verbal memory (how many words you can remember) and problem solving. Where they performed less well was number ability and perceptual speed — how fast you can push a button when ordered. However, with more complex tasks such as problem-solving and language, we are at our best at middle age and beyond. In short, researchers are now coming up with scientific proof that we do get wiser with age.
Neuroscientists are also finding that we are happier with aging. A recent US study found older people were much better at controlling and balancing their emotions. It is thought that when we’re younger we need to focus more on the negative aspects of life in order to learn about the possible dangers in the world, but as we get older we’ve learned our lessons and are aware that we have less time left in life: therefore, it becomes more important for us to be happy.
1.Barbara Strauch probably agrees that ______.
A.the young are better at handling important things
B.wrinkles and gray hair are the only symbols of aging
C.aging leads to the decline of the function of the brain
D.people’s brains work best between their 40s and 60s
2.The continuing research has found older people perform better on ______.
A.vocabulary tests B.number ability
C.perceptual speed D.body balance
3.People are happier with aging because ______.
A.they know how to share feelings B.they learn to value the time left
C.they cannot focus on negative aspects D.they do not realize the possible dangers
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.People get happier with age. B.People get more forgetful with age.
C.People get wiser with age. D.People get more self-aware with age.
Only about 30 percent of people in the US know how to perform CPR (心肺复苏术). Recently, a 9-year-old boy showed a Georgia woman how to perform CPR on her newborn baby.
Susanna Rohm said she had experienced a parent’s worst nightmare (噩梦) — her 2-month-old son, Isiah, was not breathing. “I noticed he looked pale. I looked at his arms and his legs and they were limp (无力的),” Rohm told a local newspaper. “Then I noticed that he looked like he wasn’t alive.” Indismay, she dropped and broke her cellphone. Rohm had to run into the street, screaming for help.
“I had him in my arms and screamed over and over. Then I ran outside. I saw two boys playing across the street, and I yelled, ‘Go and ask your parents to call 911,’” Rohm said. But the two boys were able to do more than that. Nine-year-old Ethan Wilson took action, showing Rohm how to perform CPR on little Isiah while ten-year-old Rocky Hurt helped as well.
Rocky said he had learned the CPR technique from a poster in a health class at their school, Sedalia Park Elementary. “I was thinking we’d better give her a helping hand instead of getting scared,” Ethan said. “I told her to push on the baby’s chest five to ten times a minute with only two fingers, tilt back the baby’s head, plug the baby’s nose and breathe into the baby’s mouth,” Ethan said in an interview.
At last, Isiah began crying and was breathing again. He spent two nights in a local hospital. “If the little boy hadn’t shown me what to do right there, my baby would probably not be alive right now,” Rohm said.
1.We can learn from Paragraph 1 that in the US, .
A.CPR is considered important by most people
B.most children are taught how to perform CPR
C.many parents don’t know how to perform CPR
D.kids must learn how to perform CPR on babies
2.What does the underlined word “dismay” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Panic. B.Anger.
C.Excitement. D.Joy.
3.What did Rohm do when she saw the two boys?
A.She asked them to call 911 as soon as possible.
B.She asked them to teach her how to perform CPR.
C.She asked them to ask their parents for help.
D.She asked them to help her perform CPR on her baby.
4.What Rohm said in the last paragraph shows that she was .
A.grateful B.regretful
C.surprised D.ashamed
Passenger Information
Carry-on Bag Rules
When travelling on China Southern planes, we ask our customers to follow our simple bag rules.
—Each passenger is allowed to bring one bag onto the plane.
…Weight limit: Each carry-on bag may weigh upto 10 kilos.
—Size limit: Each carry-on bag can be up to 110cm long, 60cm high and 30cm wide.
—Additional bags and oversized/overweight bags may be allowed on the plane if there is enough room. There will be a fee for such bags （see the table below）. Please note that if your bag breaks more than one rule then you must pay a fee for each rule broken.
Safety Rules
For the safety of our passengers, the following items must not be taken onto the plane:
—Bottles containing gas （e.g. cigarette lighter）
一Bottles containing any cream, oil or other liquid that are over 100ml.
Note:
If you have any liquid medicines over 100ml that you must use during your flight, please contact our customer service manager on 34533566 to make arrangements at least 24 hours before your departure. You will need to have a doctor's letter explaining why you need the medicine.
Bag Fees
| Rule | Fee |
Overweight* | Bags heavier than 10 kilos |
¥100 per kilo over limit |
Oversized** | Bags larger than 110cmX60cmX30cm |
¥250 per bag
|
Extra bags |
| ¥400 per extra bag |
*No bag over 15 kilos will be allowed on the plane. **No bag over 150cm long or 80cm high may be taken on the plane. Passengers must put such bags in the plane's storage.
1.What is not allowed to be taken onto the plane by a passenger?
A..A 100ml bottle of cream. B.A gas bottle
C.A bag that is 120cm long. D.Medical equipment
2.When must a passenger speak with the manager about taking over 100ml of liquid medicine onto their flight?
A..After they get on the plane. B.Six hours before their flight
C..When they arrive at the airport. D.At least one day before their flight
3.How much will a passenger pay for a carry-on bag that is 110cmX50cmX25cm in size and weighs 13 kilos?
A.¥300. B.¥250.
C.¥550. D.¥850
John’s parents acquired the washer when he was a small boy. It happened during World War Ⅱ. His family never _______ a washing machine and, since gasoline was expensive, they could not _______ trips to the laundry several miles away. Keeping clothes _______ became a problem for young John’s household.
A family friend joined the army, and his wife _______ to go with him. John’s family _______ to store their furniture while they were away. To the family’s _______, the friend suggested they use their Bendix. So this is how they _______ the washer.
Young John helped with the washing, and across the years he _______ a love for the old, green Bendix. But _______ the war ended. When the friends came to take it back, John grew terribly ________. His mother ________ him and said. “You must remember, that machine ________ belonged to us in the first place. That we ever got to use it at all was a gift. So, instead of being mad at it being taken ________, let’s use this ________ to be grateful that we had it at all.”
The lesson turned out ________. Years later, John watched his eight-year-old daughter die a slow and painful death of leukemia (白血病). Though he ________ for months with her death, John could not begin getting over from the ________ until he remembered the old Bendix.
His daughter was a ________. When he realized the simple fact, everything changed. He could now begin recovering from the death of his daughter. He started to see her as a marvelous gift that he was fortunate enough to ________ for a time. He felt ________. He found strength and recovery. He knew he could get through the valley of loss.
1.A. required B. repaired C. saw D. owned
2.A. afford B. take C. have D. ride
3.A. warm B. nice C. clean D. good
4.A. agreed B. prepared C. managed D. desired
5.A. decided B. offered C. expected D. promised
6.A. astonishment B. disappointment C. sadness D. regret
7.A. bought B. got C. borrowed D. used
8.A. achieved B. reduced C. produced D. developed
9.A. obviously B. finally C. immediately D. peacefully
10.A. upset B. frightened C. hopeless D. confused
11.A. explained B. encouraged C. comforted D. taught
12.A. once B. already C. never D. hardly
13.A. out B. down C. up D. away
14.A. success B. event C. treasure D. chance
15.A. invaluable B. important C. necessary D. reasonable
16.A. thought B. struggled C. missed D. forgot
17.A. lesson B. illness C. loss D. difficulty
18.A. gift B. washer C. death D. loser
19.A. spend B. live C. share D. earn
20.A. grateful B. energetic C. relaxed D. happy
------Mom, is Dad coming to pick us up?
------Yes, I am sure he _________ on the platform when we pull into the station.
A.stands B.stood
C.has stood D.will be standing
