A single cigarette sold on a street comer may not cost a lot; however, the total costs of smoking are huge.
1.. The World Health Organization says about 10 people die of a tobacco-linked disease every minute. That rate adds up to almost six million people dying from such diseases every year. Most of these preventable deaths happen in low-income and middle-income countries. The World Bank says each of these countries has a total national income of less than $ 12,746.2.. The number is expected to rise to 8 million by 2030 unless immediate action is taken.
3.. For most people, stopping smoking is hard. Many began smoking as teenagers. They are used to it. Also, tobacco contains the powerful drug nicotine. Studies show people who want to stop smoking can do so with different treatments. Some get help from electronic cigarettes or medicine that reduce one’s desire for the drug. Dr. Nancy Rigotti works at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States. She says she finds that medicine and services together work best of all.
4.. It can influence the health of an entire country. The World Health Organization says low-income countries depend heavily on taxes from cigarettes. They use the money, in part, to pay the costs of health care for tobacco-related diseases.
The World Health Organization is pushing United Nations member states to sign an agreement to end the illegal trade in tobacco products.5.. But the agreement of 32 other countries is needed for it to become international law.
A. Stopping smoking
B. It isn’t necessary to take action
C. Consider the cost of human life
D. Other countries also sign the agreement
E. Eight countries have agreed with the agreement
F. But smoking costs more than the life of a person
G. The World Health Organization says tobacco kills 6 million people yearly
Have you ever wondered why people drive on a different side of the road? It might seem bizarre that U. K. drivers stay on the left, but they’re not the only ones. Around 35 percent of the world population do the same, including people in Ireland, Japan, and some Caribbean islands.
Originally, almost everybody traveled on the left side of the road. However their way of transport was quite different from today: Think about four legs instead of four wheels. For Medieval swordsmen on horseback, it made sense to keep to the left to have their right arms closer to their enemies. Getting on or off was also easier from the left side of the horse, and safer done by the side of the road than in the center.
So why did people stop traveling on the left? Things changed in the late 1700s when large wagons (货车) pulled by several pairs of horses were used to transport farm products in France and the United States. The wagon driver sat behind the left horse, with his right arm free to use his whip to keep the horses moving. Since he was sitting on the left position, he wanted other wagons to pass on his left, so he kept to the right side of the road.
The British Government refused to give up their left-hand driving ways, and in 1773 introduced the General Highways Act, which encouraged driving on the left. This was later made law thanks to The Highway Act of 1835.
When Henry Ford showed his Model T in 1908, the driver’s seat was on the left, meaning that cars would have to drive on the right hand side of the road to allow front and back passengers to exit the car onto the roadside. However, British drivers remain on the left, and this is highly unlikely to change.
1.What does the underlined word “bizarre” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. Funny. B. Strange.
C. Wrong. D. Difficult
2.Why did people riding the horse travel on the left in history?
A. It was safer to keep on the left
B. It was easier to carry goods.
C. It was easier for them to fight
D. It was necessary to control the horse.
3.What made drivers of large wagons travel on the right?
A. Their sitting position.
B. The road conditions.
C. The number of horses.
D. The products in the wagons.
4.Which of the following may be the best title for the text?
A. UK Drivers Still Go On The Left
B. Why People Like Sitting On The Left Side
C. The History Of Transportation Means
D. The Reasons For Different Driving Sides
Professional athletes in most sports start to slow down after the age of 35. Some retire (退役). Jamaican Olympic runner Usain Bolt has talked about retiring, for example. He is only 30 years old. But on Thursday, Serena Williams earned a spot in the Australian Open finals. She will face her older sister, Venus, who won her semifinal (半决赛) match a day earlier. It is the first time that the Williams sisters will play in a Grand Slam final since 2009. Venus is 36. Serena is 35. One of them will win the championship (冠军) at last.
One older champion will play in the men’s final, too. Roger Federer qualified for the final by defeating Stan Wawrinka. Federer, like Serena Williams, is 35 years old It will be one of the sport’s oldest finals in a long time.
Ken Rosewall of Australia is the oldest winner of a Grand Slam. He was 37 when he won the Australian Open in 1972.
Serena Williams is already the oldest winner of a women’s Grand Slam match. She won Wimbledon last year at the age of 34.
Many people are impressed that three of the finalists are 35 or older. All of the players have recently had injuries (受伤). Federer missed six months due to back and knee injuries.
He told the crowd that he did not think he would be able to make it back to a Grand Slam final.
The Williams sisters have had difficulties, too. Earlier this month, Venus won a match in New Zealand but withdrew (退出) from the final after hurting her arm. She also learned in 2011 she had the immune system disorder. The disorder kept her from practicing and staying in good physical condition for a number of years.
Serena took time off to recover from knee and shoulder injuries after losing in the semifinals of the U. S. Open last September. It is the ninth time that the sisters will face each other in a major final. Serena has defeated her sister six of those times. If she wins, Serena will beat Steffi Graff’s record for the most Grand Slam titles ever in women’s tennis.
1.Who will win the championship in the Grand Slam final this time according to Paragraph 1?
A. Usain Bolt.
B. Stan Wawrinka.
C. One of the Williams sisters.
D. Steffi Graff.
2.What do the final players have in common?
A. Their sports skills are falling.
B. They all have physical problems.
C. They are all considering retiring.
D. Their old ages influence their retiring.
3.What do you know about Serena from the last paragraph?
A. She will set a record if she wins this time.
B. She was beaten by her sister in most cases.
C. She needs time to recover from her injuries.
D. Her knee and shoulder injuries made her lose to her sister.
This is a photo of a similar car I own. It’s a photo of a Skoda Fabia, I drive one too. A young guy also got out of a similar car as I was getting close to mine. I laughed and was prepared to leave. The young guy continued to have a conversation with me.
He asked me how I found the car. It turned out that it was his first day to drive the car and it was new and it was a gift from his parents and he’d just passed his driving test today! What a coincidence (巧合)!
Well, this was a special moment for Nicholas. Who gets a new car the day they learn to drive and then drives into a garage and has a talk with a woman who’s driving the same model of car? Yes, beautiful synchronicity (同步性) in full view.
I wanted to make this moment special for Nicholas, and I wanted to gift him something. Thinking on my feet, I thought I’d buy him a lottery ticket (彩票) but it wasn’t special enough.
I got into my car and removed my Guardian Angel key ring which I had attached to my front mirror. It was there to keep me safe. My birthday is on Guardian Angel’s Day too, so this is very special to me. I gave it to Nicholas and he was happy to receive it. Nicholas gave me a big hug.
Nicholas was not an overconfident guy. He also told me his mum was only out of hospital and now he’d be able to help her get about.
I’ll order myself another Guardian Angel key ring for my car for fear that my Guardian Angel will not be protecting me without the key ring. As for Nicholas, well, I wish he and his passengers a lifetime of safe driving.
1.What caused the conversation between the author and the young guy?
A. A similar car.
B. The author’s curiosity.
C. The young guy’s excitement.
D. The photo of a Skoda Fabia.
2.What did the author think of the guy’s experience?
A. It was doubtful.
B. It was a coincidence.
C. It was unlucky for him.
D. It was untrue.
3.What did the author do for the guy?
A. She drove him home.
B. She bought him a ticket.
C. She offered him a birthday gift.
D. She gave him a special present.
4.What was the author going to do next after meeting the guy?
A. Give him more confidence.
B. See his mother in hospital.
C. Buy a key ring for her car.
D. Tell him to drive quickly.
Authors (作者)
Alexandru Micu: Author
ZME Science author profile | e-mail: alex@zmescience.com
Main focus: technology, biology
Curiosity (好奇心) is what drives Alex forward-his interest in learning more about the planet being matched only by his ability to discuss things with a light heart. Alex tries to make others more interested in special science and technology. He does things in his own way.
Dragos Mitrica: Author
ZME Science author profile | e-mail: dragos@zmescience.com
Main focus: wheather
Dragos loves nature, and does everything he can to understand it. This interest led him to many unexpected places in his life, and now, he mainly studies and understands how ancient (古代的) weather changed, and what this means for the future.
Henry Conrad: Author
ZME Science author profile | e-mail: henrykconrad@gmail.com
Main focus: technology
Henry Conrad is a game developer from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Whenever he’s not working or reading the latest tech news, he enjoys writing about the latest inventions and technology, which benefits (有益) him a lot. It helps him find rich writing materials (材料).
Mihai Andrei: Editor-in-chief
ZME Science author profile | e-mail: andrei@zmescience.com
Main focus: geophysics, environment
Andrei has put a lot of sweat and tears into ZME Science ever since he was a student. He is always looking for the most interesting subjects, presenting them in a way that everybody can understand. He believes that education is the key towards a better future and he tries to persuade people to become better persons of the planet. His background is in Geology and Geophysics, but now, he focuses more on environmental studies.
1.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A. To do experiments.
B. To introduce science authors.
C. To satisfy readers, curiosity about nature.
D. To introduce the latest science and technology.
2.What does Dragos Mitrica mainly study now?
A. Nature.
B. Physics.
C. Ancient weather.
D. Unexpected places.
3.Which e-mail can you connect to for discussing environment?
A. alex@zmescience.com
B. dragos@zmescience.com
C. henrykconrad@gmail.com
D. andrei@zmescience.com
4.How can Henry Conrad benefit from his love of technology?
A. It provides him with rich writing materials.
B. It directs him to make more inventions.
C. It makes his life rich and meaningful.
D. It helps him to read stories better.
假如你是李华，你的美国好友Alice将近期来你所在的城市旅游。请给她写信，告诉她你愿意为她安排住宿及旅游行程。同时，委托她帮你买一个Coach牌子的小钱包，你打算将其作为生日礼物送给妈妈。
注意：1.词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Alice,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
