According to a report by the United Nations,54 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas and it predicts that by 2050,this figure will have increased to around 70 percent.But as more and more people migrate from the countryside to the city to get better opportunities,they can end up with nowhere to live.
This is true in places such as Rio de Janeiro,where migrants can’t rent or buy a home,and they end up building their own communities and houses on unoccupied land.These are called shanty towns—poor communities where the houses are built out of cheap materials—and often don’t have any electricity or water supply.
These are,of course,not the megacities(大城市)of the future we want to see. Some serious urban planning is needed to make our cities of the future good,safe and modern places to live in. This involves improving the infrastructure(基础设施),the housing conditions and also the opportunities for education and employment.
Something urban planners are looking at now is the creation of “smart cities”. According to John Rossant,founder and chairman of the non-profit organization New Cities Foundation ,technology is the way forward.He thinks that it’s generally accepted that“cloud computing, ubiquitous internet,robust 5G networks,etc,will transform our cities.” He says technology is really “a game changer” in urbanisation. It would collect large amounts of data about how a city is performing and may improve how a city functions.
This may sound like a utopian(乌托邦似的)view. For now,some big cities around the world are trying out more low—tech schemes to try and make them desirable places to live and work in. Building shared—ownership housing and improving public transport are some ways. And encouraging cycling and building bike lanes can keep the population healthy and cut down on smog. What would make your city a better place to live in?
1.What’s the text mainly about?
A.The city of the future. B.The increase of the population.
C.Urban construction. D.The function of smart cities.
2.Why does the author mention Rio de Janeiro in Paragraph 2?
A.To show the growth of the world population.
B.To show the problems in urbanization.
C.To show poor living conditions of the city.
D.To show financial trouble of the city.
3.What plays an important role in the creation of smart cities?
A.Technology. B.Urban planning.
C.The infrastructure of the city. D.Opportunities for education.
4.What can we know from the last paragraph?
A.High-tech plans can be easily realized.
B.Public transport is well developed in cities.
C.Shared-ownership houses make no sense.
D.Ways of low-tech are available at present.
It’s been said that life turns on small things. Sometimes it’s hard to see how small choices can change your life. But when put together over time, the little things can make the biggest difference.
The theme of Success for Teens is “Little Things Matter”. The book helps teens identify small,positive choices they can make in their lives to help them reach their goals. Lots of teens don’t realize how the little choices in their lives can have lasting effects. Often they focus on the bigger events, such as a major exam, a big game or competition, or choosing a college. The little things, however, can go unnoticed unless your teen understands how important they can be.
The little things that lead to success are mostly easy to do. Help your teen identify a few areas in everyday life where he or she can make small, positive choices. It might be as simple as getting up on time, prioritizing(按重要性排列) their schoolwork, putting in an extra 10 minutes of practice or using some spare time to help someone else.
Nineteen-year-old Kyle Freas used to be on his school baseball team and would play every day after school. When the season was over, he had an empty three hours a day, so he started spending one third of such extra time daily looking for ways to help other kids. Over the past few years, his project has raised thousands of dollars to help abused, homeless and sick children. Kyle spent just a little time each day doing something that ended up benefiting a lot of kids. The important thing to understand is that Kyle made the small and positive decisions necessary for success. Make sure your child understands that even though the results of the positive choices may not be seen right away, they are building on each other and taking him or her on a path that will lead to success.
1.What does the underlined part “turns on” in the first paragraph mean?
A.takes away B.depends on
C.sets aside D.puts out
2.We can learn from Paragraph 2 that .
A.dealing with big events is the most important in one’s life
B.little choices seldom have lasting effects on one’s life
C.teens should try to focus their attention on big choices
D.many teens fail to realize the importance of little choices
3.Which of the following words can be used to describe Kyle Freas?
A.Kind-hearted. B.Creative.
C.Naughty. D.Self-confident.
4.The writer mainly discussed the relationship between .
A.little choices and big choices B.teens’ goals and their actions
C.positive and negative decisions D.small positive choices and success
5.The text is most probably written for .
A.teenagers B.parents
C.pupils D.teachers
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阅读下面材料,根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段,使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
Located halfway up the Italy’s Apennine Mountain,about 1 00 miles northeast of Rome,the Hotel Rigopiano has never been easy to reach. But its isolation(隔绝)only adds to its appeal,attracting a great number of tourists.
Snow began to fall across the Apennines in January and lasted for days. From his home in the Rome suburbs,Matrone watched the weather with concern. He and his wife,Cicioni,had planned an overnight getaway to the hotel. But now he wondered whether they should go. After phoning the hotel,they decided to make the trip. By the time they neared the hotel six hours later,they were battling a snowstorm. When they finally arrived,they were both cold and exhausted. They checked into their room and went to bed early.
As they awoke the next day,they discovered that their difficulty had worsened overnight. The cars in the parking lot were invisible. The phone and power lines were down. They were having breakfast when the hotel began to shake. An earthquake with a magnitude(震级)of 5. 7 had struck the mountain. “Get out of here!”Matrone shouted to his wife. They headed quickly to the parking lot,where others were digging their cars. Fifteen minutes after the first earthquake,another quake hit,this one measuring 5. 6.
With a dozen vehicles freed by noon,the guests set off down the driveway. But when they reached the main road,the path was blocked by a six-foot-high wall of snow. Matrone climbed out of his car and investigated it. There was no road in sight,“We’re trapped!”he told his wife. So they had no choice but to make their way back to the hotel.
As it was getting dark,they managed to be back. That was when the snow on the mountain began to slide. They heard the avalanche(雪崩)before they saw it. The avalanche gathered speed and size,grabbing rocks and trees and anything else in its way down the mountain,tearing the hotel from its foundation. When the avalanche came to a stop,those caught inside the hotel were left buried in the icy rocks and ruins.
Para1, When Matrone came to himself,he was stuck in the darkness.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Para 2 It was not until the next morning that the rescuers finally arrived.
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假定你是李华,在你校学习的英国交换生Tim发邮件说他下学期要选修一门艺术课, 学校共开设两门课程:中国书法(Chinese Calligraphy)和中国绘画(Chinese Painting),希望 你能向他推荐其中一门课程。请你给他回一封邮件,内容包括:
1.推荐的课程;
2.推荐的理由;
3.你的祝愿。
注意:1.词数80左右;
2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Tim,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。将答案填写 在答题卡的相应位置。
We communicate with more than just spoken and 1. (write) words. We see examples of unconscious body language very often, yet there is also "learned" body language, 2.varies from culture to culture.
So far, every culture 3. (develop) a formal way to greet strangers, to show them we are not aggressive. 4. (traditional), Europeans and Americans shake hands with the right hand. They also shake hands when they make 5. deal. Greetings in Asian countries do not involve 6.(touch) the other person. In China, when we greet someone, we put the right hand over the left and bow slightly. Muslims give a “salaam", 7. they touch their heart, mouth and forehead. Hindus join their hands and bow their heads 8. respect. Today American 9.(youth) often greet each other with the expression," Give 10. (I) five! ” Body language is fascinating for anyone to study. People give away much more by their gestures than by their words.