When you purchase fresh-cut flowers, do you think about where they came from? It might make sense to think they were grown somewhere nearby. The reality, though, is that the cut flower trade is increasingly international. Today, thanks to airplanes and high-tech cooling systems, even the most delicate flower can be exported, and sold in a florist thousands of kilometers away from where it was grown.
The country that dominates the world cut flower trade is the Netherlands. It handles about 60 percent of the world’s cut flowers. The Netherlands is also a world leader in developing new flower varieties. Dutch companies and the government invest a considerable amount of money in flower research. Their scientists look for ways to lengthen a flower’s vase life, to strengthen flowers to prevent them from being damaged while traveling, and also to strengthen the natural fragrance of the flowers.
Despite the Netherlands’ dominance of the flower market, there are many places with a better climate for growing flowers, and the climate of Ecuador is almost perfect. Mauricio Davalos is the man responsible for starting Ecuador’s flower industry. “Our biggest edge is nature,” he claims. “Our roses are the best in the world.” Every year, Ecuador sells about 500 million flowers to the U.S. alone. The industry has brought employment op portunities and a stronger economy to regions of the country. “My family has TV now. There are radios,” says Yolanda Quishpe, 20, who picked roses for four years.
To others, the increasingly international nature of the flower trade is very bad news. In recent years, local growers in the U.S. faced huge competition from international flower companies, and many lost their businesses, Lina Hale, an independent rose grower in California, said her father had predicted the situation. “I see a freight train coming down the track,” he warned her, “and it’s coming straight towards us.”
1.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A.Cut flowers can survive a long trip. B.You should buy flowers from local florists.
C.Flowers you buy come from far away places. D.Few thinks about where they buy your flowers.
2.Which of the following are mentioned as large investors in flower research?
A.Dutch companies and the government B.airplane and high-tech cooling companies
C.Ecuador’s local flower growers and pickers D.American businessmen and their government
3.The underlined word in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _________.
A.end B.advantage
C.challenge D.difference
4.What did Lina Hale’s father mean when he said, “I see a freight train coming down the track and it’s coming straight toward us.”?
A.He could predict a train was soon to arrive.
B.He knew his business would be threatened.
C.He thought customers wouldn’t want roses.
D.He thought trains were the new way to move flowers.
We know it’s good to learn another language. It opens doors, makes you more employable, helps you make new friends, and it’s fun too. But to improve our language skills, many of us have to endure hours of school lessons or evening classes, with our heads buried in textbooks. It’s no wonder that technology appears to be providing a better and more accessible way of learning.
There is certainly a huge demand for language learning, and having a smart phone means you can have a virtual teacher with you wherever you go. Many app developers are keen to earn money on the demand, and there are numerous learning apps available.
Some educational apps offer languages not popular enough to be taught at evening classes, or at most universities. And others offer “invented” language courses in Esperanto, Elvish and Star Trek’s Klingon –– lessons you might not find in a traditional classroom. Whatever you want to learn, apps allow you to go at your own pace and fit learning around other commitments. But they’re not perfect –– you might not get your head round the grammar and will lack the partner support you could get in a classroom environment.
So, does technology imply the end of traditional classrooms and teachers? Guy Baron, head of modern languages at Aberystwyth University, thinks not. He thought that apps should be used alongside classroom methods, not to the exclude traditional teaching. And he adds: “The apps are not formal... they’re not designed for degrees, but they could be additional resources.”
Certainly, technology is going to help in and outside the classroom. But attending a real lesson, facing a real teacher, probably forces you to be more devoted. Motivation can be a problem when using an app. But if you have a genuine and practical reason to learn another language, you will no doubt stick with it.
1.All the following are the benefits of learning another language except _______________.
A.saving you more money
B.giving you much pleasure
C.helping you in making new friends
D.making you more competitive in finding jobs
2.It can be learned from paragraph 3 that _______________.
A.apps permit you to learn at your own pace
B.languages taught on apps are common ones
C.you can learn any language on educational apps
D.you don’t need partner support while learning on apps
3.According to the author, using an app _______________.
A.can make you stick with it
B.shouldn’t be considered at all
C.fails to make you more devoted
D.will offer you a strong motivation
In 1945, there was a young boy of 14 in a concentration camp (集中营). He was tall, thin but had a bright smile. Every day, a young girl came by on the other side of the fence. She noticed the boy and asked him if he spoke Polish, and he said yes. She said he’d looked hungry, and he said he was. She then reached in her pocket and gave him her apple. He thanked her and she went on her way. The next day, she came by again, bringing with her another apple which she gave him. Each day, she walked by the outside of the fence, hoping to see him, and when she did, she happily handed him an apple in exchange for conversation.
One day, he told her not to come by anymore. He told her he was being shipped to another concentration camp. As he walked away with tears streaming down his face, he wondered if he’d ever see her again. She was the only kind soul he’d seen acro ss the fence.
He made it out of the concentration camp, and immigrated to America. In 1957, his friends had fixed him up on a blind date . He had no idea who the woman was. He picked her up, and during dinner began talking of Poland and the concentration camp. She said she was in Poland at that tim e. She said she used to talk to a boy and gave him apples daily. He asked if this boy was tall, skinny and if he had told her that she shouldn’t come back because he was leaving. She said yes.
It was her, the young girl who came by every day to give him apples. After 12 years, after the war and in another country, they had met again. What are the odds? He proposed to her on that very night and told her he’d never again let her go. They are still happily married today.
1.Why did the girl give the boy her apples?
A.Because the boy asked for it.
B.Because the boy was hungry.
C.Because both of them were Polish.
D.Because the girl wanted to talk with the boy.
2.Which of the following word can be used to describe the young girl best?
A.Far-sighted B.Simple-minded
C.Kind D.Generous
3.What is the best title for the passage?
A.A special marriage
B.An unexpected gift
C.A pleasant memory
D.A lovely coincidence
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What does the speaker say about popular restaurants?
A.They are open 24 hours a day.
B.They accept checks for payment.
C.They may not accept reservations.
2.What’s the drinking age in America?
A.21. B.20. C.15.
3.How much should you tip for superior service?
A.Less than 15% of the total bill.
B.About 20% of the total bill.
C.Over 25% of the total bill.
4.What can we learn from the monologue?
A.Americans smoke less than Europeans.
B.Asians smoke less than Europeans.
C.The legal smoking age in America is 16.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What will the girl do tonight?
A.Go over her lessons. B.See a movie. C.Attend an exam.
2.What do we know about Miss Smith?
A.She talks quickly and seldom repeats things.
B.She is the girl’s favorite teacher.
C.She teaches English.
3.Who doesn’t like history?
A.The girl. B.Jim. C.The boy.
4.How often does the girl’s class have a history test?
A.Once a month. B.Twice a month. C.Once a week.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How does the man like learning Chinese?
A.It’s easier and easier.
B.He’s more and more interested in it.
C.It’s as difficult as learning European languages.
2.What are the woman’s difficulties in learning English?
A.Writing and listening.
B.Spelling and writing.
C.Spelling and pronunciation.
3.What does the man say about the woman’s spoken English?
A.Good. B.Strange. C.Poor.
