Passage 4
“Life is speeding up(加速). Everyone is getting unwell. ”
This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an unknown person who lived in ancient Rome wrote it.
We all love new inventions. They are exciting, amazing and can change our lives. 1.
For example, you're rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings. 2.Suddenly the computer goes bad and you lose all your work. Now you have to stay up all night to get it done. How calm and happy do you feel?
Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave us feeling worried and tired. Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have no telephones, no cars, not even any electricity often seem to be happier?3.
One family in the UK went"back in time" to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today. The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10 and Thomas, 7, spent nine weeks in a 1940s house. They had no washing machine, microwave(微波炉),computer or mobile phones.
The grandmother Lyn said, “4.” The boys said they fought less. Probably, they said, because there was less to fight over, such as their computer. Also Lyn changed from being a fashionable (时尚的), beer-drinking granny, to one who cooked things.
A. Perhaps it's because they live simpler lives.
B. Living in a different time will be lots of fun for us.
C. A QQ message from your friend appears on the screen.
D. But have all these developments really improved our lives?
E. The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes.
F. We have achieved so much with the developments of technology.
Passage 3
① Rebecca is a wildlife camerawoman from the United Kingdom. She was filming a documentary(纪录片)for the BBC in the Pacific Ocean (太平洋) when she saw something that made her cry: hundreds of dead birds. They died because they accidentally (偶然地) ate some of the plastic that is thrown into the sea each year. The beaches on the Pacific islands should have been some of the most beautiful places in the world. But they were covered with plastic toys, bottles, pens, cigarette lighters(打火机)—every plastic thing you can think of.
②Rebecca decided she had to do something In her hometown of Modbury in southwest England, she asked local shopkeepers if they could do something to help. She asked them to stop using plastic bags in their shops.
③Plastic bags are used everywhere in Britain. The numbers are amazing. Britain uses nearly 17 billion plastic bags each year. And the bags can take hundreds of years to break down(分解) because they are made of chemicals (化学物质). Each year, the sea and the environment become more and more polluted.
④To Rebecca's surprise, the shopkeepers agreed and Modbury became the first plastic bag-free town in Britain. Instead, shops offer reusable cotton bags or biodegradable(可生物降解的)bags. Other towns followed Modbury's example and more towns around Britain and around the world are becoming plastic bag-free.
⑤Now the bag for life is part of the national culture, and the task of reducing the use of plastic bags has become law(法律): since October 2015, all shops in the UK must charge(承担) five pence for each plastic bag used by each shopper, no matter how generous(大量的)their spending is! It's not enough, but it's a start.
1.While filming in the Pacific Ocean, Rebecca________.
A.enioyed the beautiful beaches B.saw hundreds of dead birds
C.watched wildlife through her camera D.collected lots of plastic waste
2.What Rebecca did in her hometown was the basic step to________.
A.reduce the usage of plastic B.offer help to shopkeepers
C.make full use of the plastic bags D.raise money for her filming
3.In Paragraph ③, the writer mainly wants to tell us________.
A.what the plastic is made of B.how serious the plastic pollution is
C.how badly the sea is polluted D.where the plastic bags are often used
4.What's the result of Rebecca's efforts in Britain?
A.Shoppers mustn't use plastic bags any more
B.All the towns have become plastic bag-free
C.The task of protecting wildlife has become law
D.The government has begun caring about the plastic use
5.What's the main idea of the passage?
A.The reason for the death of birds B.The pollution of plastic bags
C.Rebecca's ways to stop plastic waste D.Rebecca's documentary of wildlife.
Passage 2
Did you know that about 55% of communication is not using languages, so in fact, our bodies are actually saying more than our words. I find that the key to a successful conversation in any language is to speak to people not only in their spoken language but also with the body language they know best.
Britain is considered as a"non-touch"country, so personal space is very important. In a formal (正式的)situation, they would often greet each other by shaking hands. Informally, British friends would greet with a hug but hardly ever would greet with a kiss on the cheek(面颊)!
But in the south of Italy, and in many different parts of the world, people usually greet with two kisses on the cheek, use a lot of hand signs and often touch each other. In other words, little personal space is left between people when communicating. Sometimes you may find yourself not knowing what hand signs to use when expressing (表达) yourself. However, what you do know for sure is that using body language would make yourself get more chances to be loved by Italians and fully immerse yourself in their culture. To communicate very well, here are some body language tips in Italy.
※ Different signs: Try to use your head, arms and hands more.
※ Facial expressions: Always smile at people! Smiling is the most powerful way to show friendliness.
※ Eye contact(交流): Eyes are the windows to the heart.
※ Personal space: Keeping the distance is considered as being unfriendly.
1.In a formal situation, the British people usually greet each other with_________.
A.a handshake B.a polite bow C.a kiss on the cheek D.a warm hug
2.The writer uses Britain and Italy as examples to show________
A.people all over the world greet in the same way
B.Italians are more friendly than the British people
C.keeping personal space is important in any country
D.people in different countries use different body languages
3.The underlined part"fully immerse yourself" probably means “________”.
A.feel amazed B.enter deeply
C.satisfy yourself D.learn by yourself
4.Which is the best title of the passage?
A.What body language means B.When in Rome, do as Romans do
C.How to start a friendly talk D.Body language makes a better communication
Passage 1
The Spring Festival is celebrated not only in China but also in other parts of the world. The traditional holiday is the most important to Chinese both at home and abroad.
United Kingdom Celebrations for the Spring Festival in the UK started in 1980, with the first evening party held in 2002. Every new year, people get together and have a lot of activities. They sing songs, dance to music, share photos with friends or enjoy films in a cinema. |
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United States The Spring Festival has become a key time for Chinese living or working in the US,They welcome the traditional new year by attending an evening party. It's a good a chance for people to make new friends and share the same culture and values. |
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Australia The Chinese new year will be welcomed with three weeks of celebrations across Australia. Many people come to Sydney's Chinatown or Little Bourke in Melbourne They enjoy fireworks, lion dances and dragon boat races. The celebrations are also a bridge towards better understanding between Chinese and non-Chinese. |
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1.Celebrations for the Spring Festival in the UK started in_________.
A.1980 B.1988 C.2002 D.2012
2.At the Spring Festival, Chinese in the US attend an evening party to
A.know more about Americans
B.share different cultures and values
C.say hello to the traditional new year
D.discuss their future living and working
3.Which activity is NOT mentioned for Chinese in Australia at the Spring Festival?
A.Firework B.Beijing Opera C.Lion dances D.Dragon boat races
4.From the passage, we can know that_________
A.all parts of the world celebrate the Spring Festival.
B.celebrations for the Spring Festival last a few days in foreign countries.
C.Chinese abroad welcome the Spring Festival in Chinatown with families.
D.Chinese across the world have a strong feeling to keep their own tradition.
Police officer Mark Borsboom from Toronto is famous on the Internet, but he doesn't understand what the________is.
And his opinion of helping others hasn’t________, though a photo of him has been liked and shared on the Internet by many people.
The photo shows that the police officer is doing a (an)________, good thing—tying an old man' s shoelace(鞋带)
The thing________when Mark was on duty, helping cars leave the parking garage(车库). ________he was standing near the exit, an old man walked close to him. His hands had no________because of a health problem. He had to walk a long way to meet his son, but his shoelace was undone(松开的)
He asked Mark if he would________tying the shoelace for him. "I didn’t think anything of it. I agreed happily and tied his shoelace. I didn't know someone had photographed it. ”
The photographer was Jason Cassidy, who happened to be walking by when he saw the act of__________
Jason sent the photo on the Internet and it________became popular.
________there are many more interesting and dangerous things that Mark has done for his work. His normal (正常的) job is ________ bad men. He describes it as a million times harder than helping someone tie the shoelace. ”
That’s why he's a bit________that his small and simple act has caught people's attention.
1.A.plan B.reason C.problem D.advice
2.A.missed B.found C.prepared D.changed
3.A.big B.hard C.simple D.public
4.A.happened B.recorded C.appeared D.reached
5.A.While B.Until C.Before D.Whenever
6.A.money B.phone C.pen D.feeling
7.A.keep B.mind C.avoid D.continue
8.A.courage B.bravery C.kindness D.confidence
9.A.suddenly B.probably C.usually D.quickly
10.A.In fact B.For example C.By the way D.As a result
11.A.acting B.catching C.teaching D.watching
12.A.excited B.proud C.happy D.surprised
—The sun shines brightly. Why not go out for a walk in the garden?
—___________
A.Thank you B.It doesn't matter. C.Not at all D.That's a good idea
