Nick Hancock hopes to set a new record by living alone for 60 days on a small island in the Atlantic.
Tom McClean, an SAS soldier who holds the solo record for occupying(占领) Rockall for 40 days in 1985, told Hancock that being alone for two months was the greatest challenge Hancock would have to face.
“I’m fully expecting it to be tough,” Nick Hancock said. “I’m hoping that by doing my daily tasks fairly slowly, I’m going to be able to keep most of my time busy. I think the worst times will come if I’m boxed up for several days by bad weather.”
Hancock hopes to land on Rockall in early June and will carry out the last tests of his boat next week. He has a small wind turbine(风电机) and a solar panel for power, more than two months’ food, a satellite phone and a laptop loaded with e-books to keep him going. Hancock will update an adventure blog, texting messages out on Twitter and emailing his wife Pam and friends every day.
Rockall has been occupied before, most famously by McClean but also by three Greenpeace campaigners, who set the long-stay record of 42 days in 1997 by occupying the rock in protest at oil and gas exploration in the area.
The last human inhabitants Hancock knows of are a small group of Belgian amateur radio enthusiasts, who are interested in broadcasting from distant islands; they were on Rockall overnight in late 2010.
Hancock has no large support team behind him. Except for the coastguard（海岸警卫队）, his only lifeline will be the Orca III, the passenger boat which will take him to Rockall.
1.Nick Hancock’s main goal is to ______.
A. protest at oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic
B. show his ability to adapt himself to bad conditions
C. prove broadcasting from distant islands can be possible
D. challenge the previous record of living alone on Rockall
2.According to Tom McClean, the biggest challenge Hancock would meet was_____.
A. loneliness B. bad weather
C. lack of food D. communication
3.To keep his time busy on Rockall, Hancock will_____.
A. do his daily tasks slowly
B. write a book
C. think of his wife
D. surf online
4.How will Hancock get to Rockall?
A. On the coastguard’s boat
B. On a passenger boat
C. On his own plane
D. On a passenger plane
5.We can learn from the passage that_______.
A. Tom McClean was the first person to set foot on Rockall
B. Hancock will rely on his large support team
C. Rockall is not suitable for humans to settle on
D. Hancock was already a famous online writer before making the plan
A campaign(活动) is being launched to encourage children to surrender 30 minutes of screen time a day to head for the great outdoors.
The newly formed Wild Network—a collaboration of nearly 400 organizations—is attempting to attract youngsters away from television and computer screen and to fields, woods and parks. Members of the network include the National Trust, RSPB, Play England and the NHS. Organizers say it is the UK’s biggest ever campaign to reconnect children with nature and outdoor play, and claim it could help improve fitness, mental alertness(机敏) and general wellbeing.
A documentary film, Project Wild Thing, will forecast the launch at more than 50 cinemas across the UK from Friday. It looks at the increasing link between children and nature.
Andy Simpson, chairman of the Wild Network, said, “The tragic truth is that kids have lost touch with nature and the outdoors in just one generation. Time spent outdoors is down, roaming(漫步) ranges have fallen largely, activity levels are declining and the ability to identify common species has been lost.”
Suggestions of how to get more time in nature include collecting conkers(七叶树果), camping or snail racing, and observing autumn colour on trees.
From January, the network will aim to make suggestions to politicians on how government can do more to get children muddy and bright-eyed.
This is not the first time the message of less screen, more play has been brought up. Children in the 1980s were requested to do the same by the BBC TV series Why Don’t You, which somewhat confusingly called on its viewers to “switch off your TV set and go to do something less boring instead”.
1.What does the underlined word “surrender” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. Give up B. Get around
C. Take up D. Run away
2.For what purpose is the Wild Network organized?
A. To make children read more books.
B. To help children distinguish(辨别) the natural world.
C. To encourage children to participate in outdoor activities.
D. To get children out of too much homework from school.
3.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. The outdoors can be beneficial to children’s wellbeing.
B. The Network advocates(提倡) keeping children’s distance from TV.
C. It is the first time for less screen, more play to be brought up.
D. The government should do more to get children to go outdoors.
4.Which of the following shows that kids have lost touch with nature and the outdoors?
A. Time spent outdoors is less and activity levels are down.
B. Chances of travelling abroad are fewer and fewer.
C. Time spent on the study is decreasing.
D. The ability to identify common species has been improved.
5.Which is confusing according to the passage?
A. Government took measures to get children muddy and bright-eyed.
B. A BBC TV series called on its viewers to shut off their TV sets.
C. More children went out to keep in touch with nature.
D. Wild Network launched a campaign to encourage children to go outdoors.
People visit other countries for many reasons．Some travel on business；others travel to visit interesting places that are only found in other countries，such as the Taj Mahal (泰姬陵)in India．
Wherever you go, and for whatever reason，it is important to be safe．While the majority of people you will meet when traveling are sure to be friendly and welcoming, there are dangers—theft being the most common．Just as in your home country, do not expect everyone you meet to be friendly and helpful．It is important to prepare for your trip in advance, and to take precautions (预防措施)while you are traveling．
As you prepare for your trip, make sure you have the right paperwork．You don't want to get to your destination only to find you have the wrong visa，or worse，that your passport is about to expire．Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance, so that if you are sick during your travels，you will be able to get treatment．If you want to drive while you are abroad，make sure you have an international driver's license．
Buy a guidebook and read about the local customs of the country you are going to．Also, try to learn a few basic words and phrases。
When you get to your destination, use official transport．Always go to bus and taxi stands; don't accept rides from strangers who offer you a lift．If there is no meter(计时器) in the taxi, agree on a price before you get in．If you prefer to stay in cheap hotels while traveling，make sure you can lock the door of your room from the inside．If you are traveling with valuables such as jewelry, or a lot of cash, you should ask about a safe for storing them in．Finally, remember to smile．Smiling is the friendliest and most sincere form of communication, and is sure to be understood in any part of the world!
1.Who is the passage intended for?
A. Students who study abroad
B. High school English teachers
C. Exchange students
D. Tourists who plan to travel abroad
2.Which of the following will expire?
A. Hotel B. Luggage
C. ID card D. Name
3.Which of the following details about the passage is true?
A. People mainly travel to other countries for business reasons.
B. It is important to be prepared , as well as cautious, when you travel.
C. You should carry your insurance with you so that you can rent a car.
D. You should store your valuables in the front desk of a hotel.
4.Choose the best title for the passage.
A. Some precautions when traveling abroad.
B. The two main reasons for people traveling.
C. The official documents a traveler needs.
D. Advice on using local transportation.
5.Where can you read this kind of passage?
A. Economy B. Education
C. Sports D. Tourism
When my family moved to America in 2010 from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by taking exercise, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
1.Jack brought the couple their food very fast because _______.
A. the manager asked him to do so
B. he respected the elderly
C. the couple wanted him to do so
D. he wanted more money
2.When Jack called the couple “elderly”, they became _______.
A. nervous B. satisfied
C. unhappy D. excited
3.In Jack’s hometown, _______.
A. people dislike being called “old”
B. young people can learn from old people’s experience
C. many people reach the age of seventy or eighty
D. the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants
4.After this experience, Jack _______.
A. lost his job in the restaurant
B. made friends with the couple
C. no longer respected the elderly
D. changed his way with old people
5.Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got.
B. Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience.
C. The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple.
D. From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture.
I arrived late one night, on a business trip, and had dinner in a restaurant. As I was finishing my meal, an old couple came in to dine. They were holding hands and had smiles on their faces. Shortly after I ended a 20-year , I still had pain in my heart and I was at the love they show for one another. As a result, when I paid my bill I gave the waiter another $50 to pay the couple’s bill and then left without them.
The next day my business meeting two hours before the flight back to Houston. So I had enough time left to enter the restaurant to dine . After I had been , the waiter, from the night before, came up to my table . She can’t wait to tell me what happened after I last night: when the old couple were that another guest had paid for them, they asked whom it was. The waiter said that she had never me before, and told them what I told her, “I just wanted to repay for the true love that they were showing.” Feeling surprised , they , and paid the bills for another two young couples saying “Love begets (产生) love”. I with delight and said “ That’s nice”. Then I read the menu and my meal.
When my dinner was and I intended to pay, my waiter was to be found. I had to walk over to the Hostess Stand and that I needed to pay for my meal and hurry to the . She said that my had paid for me just to repay the joy that I brought to the faces of the elderly couple and the amazement of the two young couples.
1.A. bitterB. lovelyC. standardD. stressful
2.A. jobB. dateC. marriageD. journey
3.A. amazedB. angryC. confusedD. sad
4.A. comparingB. encounteringC. recognizingD. greeting
5.A. lastedB. startedC. endedD. held
6.A. againB. eitherC. insteadD. altogether
7.A. seatedB. servedC. dressedD. focused
8.A. anxiouslyB. crazilyC. hopefullyD. quickly
9.A. arrivedB. leftC. sleptD. escaped
10.A. comfortedB. remindedC. warnedD. told
11.A. chargedB. appreciatedC. seenD. helped
12.A. youB. meC. herD. them
13.A. looked aroundB. turned upC. went overD. dressed up
14.A. believedB. admittedC. smiledD. shook
15.A. bookedB. orderedC. paidD. finished
16.A. fullB. overC. coldD. available
17.A. somewhereB. anywhereC. nowhereD. everywhere
18.A. protestedB. explainedC. declaredD. remarked
19.A. hotelB. officeC. airportD. station
20.A. waiterB. bossC. hostessD. friend
Their use was limited by laws, the first of which ______ the 14th century.
A. dates back to B. dated fro
C. dates back D. dating back to
