If, for some reason, you had 2,010 empty plastic bottles, what would you do? You’d probably sell them cheaply, right? But Xia Yu collected 2,010 bottles and built a boat with them. As you read this, Xia is, in fact, on a river somewhere in Anhui, slowly going towards his destination: the Expo Garden in Shanghai. 2,010 plastic bottles were to celebrate Expo (世博会) 2010 Shanghai. On the opening day of the Expo, Xia, together with five friends, went on a 1, 500km journey from Xiangtan to the Expo Garden, in spite of the doubt whether they’ll make it. After all, the boat they are on can hardly be called a boat. It cost only 2,000 yuan to build in a month.
What’s keeping Xia going is a major cause behind the trip. “We are examining water pollution through our journey and trying to promote a low-carbon (低碳) lifestyle. Before we started, no one believed we could sail the boat to the Dongting Lake. But we made it.” But as they expected, the journey has not always been smooth. Of the six from Xiangtan, four gave up. As of the press time (到发稿时), only Xia and his friend Huang Ying were on the boat. Huang suffered from a disease when they reached Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, Xia said, “There are so many things that can stop us from making it to Shanghai, like the weather, health, and sometimes swift river water”.
The boat was produced in a factory according to our design, and perhaps it’s not in a very good condition. But, Xia said, “we are wearing life jackets. Some boats passing by offered help”. What is more of a reward for Xia and Huang is that the Yangtze River turned out much cleaner than they had expected. Although Xia and Huang are uncertain about the journey ahead, they are quite happy with what they have already achieved. After all, it’s not the destination that counts. It’s always the course that matters the most.
1.Xia Yu doubts the success of the journey because of .
A.such a long journey on the river
B.the poor boat and the bad weather
C.few people taking part in the journey
D.the seriously polluted river in some parts
2.Which of the following is NOT the purpose of the journey?
A.To examine water pollution.
B.To celebrate Expo 2010 Shanghai.
C.To win a race on the water.
D.To promote a low-carbon lifestyle.
3.From the text we know that .
A.they stay on the boat at night
B.three people gave up due to their bad health
C.Xia Yu and his mate have arrived in Shanghai
D.Huang suffered from a disease on the journey
For years, business people in Western Europe were worried. They knew they could not compete against business from the U.S. The United States is much larger and had many more resources than any Western European countries.
Some European people realized that the European nations need to join together to help each other. If they could forget their language differences and the differences in customs, they might become strong competition against other countries.
In 1958, six of the European countries — Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany and Italy got together and decided to cooperate. They called their group the European Economic Community, or the Common Market. These countries agreed to join their resources together.
Within a few years, the European Economic Community had worked so well that its members were more prosperous than many other European nations. Soon, other nations began to realize the advantage of the Common Market. Today the Common Market includes most of the important countries in Western Europe. It is helping Western Europe to again take its place as a leader among the industrial nations of the world.
1.From the passage we know the U.S. is much richer than ________ in resources.
A.any other Western European countries B.any other country in Western Europe
C.any country in Western Europe D.every country in Europe
2.The members of the European Economic Community have developed fast because they ___.
A.share their resources and become more prosperous
B.can again take the place as a leader in the world
C.forget the differences in their languages and customs
D.have become strong competition against the U.S.
3.Which statement is true?
A.The Common Market is only a political association.
B.The Common Market is an economic and political association.
C.The Common Market is only an economic association.
D.The Common Market is neither an economic association nor a political one.
4.In order to ______ the Western European countries decided to cooperate.
A.join together to found a united country
B.help each other to smooth away the differences in customs
C.work and act together for common purpose
D.work together and fight against the U.S.
BORDER
CROSSINGS
While there are no restrictions on the amount of money that you can bring across the border, you must report to both the US and Canadian border services amounts equal to or greater than $10,000.
PERSONAL EXEMPTIONS (免税) oN PURCHASES
AMERICANS RETURNING TO THE US
Less than 48 hours: $ 200 US
48 hours or more: $ 800 US duty-free personal exemption.
Next $1,000 US at 3%
Including up to 100 cigars and 100 cigarettes.
CANADIANS RETURNING TO CANADA
Less than 24 hours: $50 CAN
48 hours or more: $400 CAN
Including up to 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes.
7 days or more: $750 CAN
Including up to 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes.
DOCUMENTATION NEEDED FOR
BORDER CROSSING
LAND OR SEA TO THE US (INCLUDING FERRIES)
A valid passport or passport card, or a NEXUS card.
(A NEXUS card is a Trusted Traveler Program that provides quick travel for pre-approved, low risk travelers through special lanes. )
A recent Washington State, New York or BC drivers license.
Note: Children 15 years of age and younger require only a birth certificate or copy. (Certified copies are not required but are advised. )
AIR TRAVEL TO THE US
A valid passport, an Air NEXUS card, or a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant
Marine Document.
For more information, click here.
1.If a Canadian who is on a 7-day trip to New York buys 800 CAN worth of goods, how much should he pay tax on when returning home?
A.$800 CAN B.$750 CAN C.$400 CAN D.$50 CAN
2.For an American citizen on a 2-day tour of Canada, how much tax does he have to pay on 1, 600 US worth of purchases when returning to the US?
A.$24 US B.$48 US C.$52 US D.$200 US
3.What documentation should a couple with a 7-year-old child carry when they drive a car from Canada to America?
A.A BC drivers license, an Air NEXUS card, and a birth certificate.
B.An Air NEXUS card, a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document, and a birth certificate.
C.Two valid passport cards and a certified copy of a birth certificate.
D.A NEXUS card, a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document, and a certified copy of a birth certificate.
4.Where can you read the material?
A.In a magazine. B.On the Internet. C.In newspaper. D.In a novel.
PLAYA GRANDE, COSTA RICA? This resort town was long known for Leatherback Sea Turtle (棱皮龟) national Park, nightly turtle beach tours and even a sea turtle museum. However, on a beach where dozens of turtles used to nest on a given night, scientists spied only 32 leatherbacks all of last year.
With leatherbacks threatened with extinction (灭绝), Playa Grande’s turtle museum was abandoned three years ago and now sits among a sea of weeds. And the beachside ticket office for turtle tours was washed away by a high tide in September. “We do not promote that as a turtle tourism destination any more because we realize there are far too few turtles to please,” said Alvaro Fonseca, a park ranger (管理员).
Even before scientists found temperatures going up over the past decade, sea turtles were threatened by beach development, drift net fishing and Costa Ricans interest in eating turtle eggs. But climate change may cause the most serious harm to an animal that has lived in the Pacific for 150 million years.
Sea turtles are sensitive to numerous effects of warming. They feed on reefs, which are dying in hotter seas. They lay eggs on beaches that are being covered by rising seas and more violent waves.
More uniquely their gender (性别) is determined, not by genes but by the egg’s temperature during development. Small rises in beach temperatures can result in ail-female populations, obviously problematic for survival. If the sand around the eggs hits 30 degrees Celsius, the gender balance shits to females: at about 32 degrees they are all female. Above 34, you get boiled eggs.
On some nesting beaches, scientists are artificially cooling nests with shade or irrigation and trying to protect broader areas of coastal property from development to ensure that turtles have a place to nest as the seas rise.
1.Why does the resort town stop promoting it’s turtle tourism?
A.It decides not to disturb the turtles’ normal life.
B.Tourists have lost interest in watching turtles.
C.There are only very few turtles now.
D.The turtle museum was destroyed by a high tide.
2.Which of the following is the major factor in the turtles endangerment?
A.The locals eating habit.
B.Drift net fishing.
C.Beach development.
D.Global warming.
3.We learn from the last paragraph that scientists .
A.are doing research on the sea rise
B.are moving turtles to new homes
C.are protecting turtles’ nests
D.are getting rid of sea weeds
4.The passage intends to .
A.introduce a special kind of sea turtle
B.explain the mystery of turtles’ eggs
C.show the dangers a certain kind of turtle is facing
D.attract more visitors to a sea turtle museum
In 1970, a cyclone(旋风)hit the southern coast of Bangladesh(孟加拉国). So severe and deadly were its effects that it’s______listed as the world’s worst-ever reported natural disaster. The______had a big impact on two Swedish men from Mission Aviation Fellowship(MAF). They traveled ______to Bangladesh for the purpose of seeing what they could do to______. They journeyed south by boat for several days, throughout the country’s vast _____ network to reach the worst-affected area and began to envision(预想)MAF using an aircraft that would _____direct access to large areas of the country that were almost out of_______.
Throughout the 1980s, MAF Australia, along with other MAF groups, sent staff to_______assistance and their patience and dedication _____since they built trust in the countries that had been ____.
In 1997, MAF could______start a flight program within Bangladesh. At that time, besides transporting doctors to hospitals located in _____parts of the country, MAF also _____an on-call emergency medevac(前线急救直升机)service in Bangladesh.
On November 15, 2007, Cyclone Sidr hit southern Bangladesh. MAF’s________response and emergency procedures were seriously_______as the office received over 200 phone calls in one day from aid agency personnel in urgent need of _____to and from the disaster zone. For the next two months, MAF______solidly, seven days a week. The float plane became known by______locals as “The Sea Angel(天使)”---the only aircraft in the country of its type having such a(n) ______.
In 2009, “The Sea Angel” was sent again for rapid assistance_______Cyclone Alla struck. Today, in Bangladesh, MAF makes over 750 flights and transports around 2,500 passengers annually.
1.A. just B. still C. soon D. often
2.A. history B. failure C. burden D. event
3.A. separately B. occasionally C. immediately D. fortunately
4.A. help B. limit C. research D. avoid
5.A. air B. bus C. river D. rail
6.A. reduce B. prevent C. change D. enable
7.A. focus B. danger C. order D. reach
8.A. seek B. provide C. promise D. receive
9.A. ran out B. came back C. paid off D. kept on
10.A. noticed B. untied C. assisted D. traveled
11.A. properly B. secretly C. suddenly D. finally
12.A. secure B. crowded C. remote D. coastal
13.A. request B. began C. restore D. continue
14.A. rapid B. natural C. appropriate D. unexpected
15.A. followed B. tested C. forecasted D. established
16.A. transport B. message C. funding D. encouragement
17.A. accelerated B. flew C. appealed D. searched
18.A. reasonable B. grateful C. outgoing D. respectable
19.A. destination B. application C. decoration D. reputation
20.A. once B. if C. when D. until
－Ｃan I come and have a look at your new house?
－.Yes,_______!
A.with pleasure B.I like it C.I quite agree D.by all means
