Wu Zetian, the only woman emperor to rule ancient China, is considered 1. one of the most powerful women in Chinese history.
She was born into a(n) 2. (wealth) family with great beauty and intelligence. This beautiful girl, unlike others in ancient China, 3. (be) in favour of reading and often travelled around the country with her father when she was young, 4. increased her knowledge and developed her talents. When she was about fourteen, she 5.(send) to the palace and married to the Emperor. After many difficulties and hardships, she 6.(successful) made herself queen. A few years after Emperor Gaozong died, Wu Zetian changed the name of the dynasty Tang to Zhou, and became Empress. 7. seemed like a hard task for women to be rulers in ancient times, but Wu Zetian succeeded. When she ruled the country, she supported economic and cultural 8. (develop) and improved people’s living quality. She also encouraged girls to go to school 9. (study). Before then, girls were not allowed to go to school.
Wu Zetian died at the age of 82, 10. (leave) a gravestone without any words on it. Although the Zhou dynasty only lasted for one generation, it marked an important period in Chinese history.
I first discovered Cafe Gratitude several months ago. My friend Heather invited me to __ her for lunch. Heather had __ moved to Los Angeles, and we would discuss the project we were doing. As we sat down and were __ the delicious vegetarian menu, the server who came to take our, __ asked us the question of the day. What are you grateful for? I felt a familiar stir(震动) in my chest, and my eyes began to water. __ a pause, Heather __ her hand to me and said that it was with me. I expressed my gratitude to be with her __, enjoying this moment of our shared __ and her new start in Los Angeles. After a delicious lunch. I decided to stay a while longer __the question had inspired me to meet the co-owner, Ryland. Pauses or __ in life are a very good time to listen to what’s __ inside of our hearts.
When Ryland came over to my __ with his big smile, his title of Chief Inspiration Officer seemed very. __ for his personality. He gave me his __ attention as he opened his heart to listen. I told him how I wanted to help him open
more __ so there could be more places to eat and help spread this __ of “being generous and grateful every day.” Since that __, Café Gratitude is my favorite place to eat.
What a rewarding and meaningful experience! And I’ve since learned that Café Gratitude __ business through what they call Sacred Commerce where they provide “inspired service and express __ for the richness of our lives.”A simple question that day __ me down new paths and gave me new friendships.
1.A. attend B. accompany C. involve D. join in
2.A. even B. ever C. seldom D. just
3.A. looking B. testing C. planning D. studying
4.A. space B. time C. order D. place
5.A. Without B. Despite C. In terms of D. Regardless of
6.A. reached B. shook C. clapped D. stuck
7.A. either B. as well as C. also D. too
8.A. project B. seat C. friendship D. honesty
9.A. for B. as C. if D. before
10.A. actions B. dreams C. hurries D. delays
11.A. looking on B. insisting on C. going on D. agreeing on
12.A. company B. table C. house D. car
13.A. suitable B. ready C. eager D. longing
14.A. simple B. full C. urgent D. regular
15.A. hotels B. schools C. clubs D. restaurants
16.A. lesson B. note C. message D. lecture
17.A. meeting B. performance C. act D. vacation
18.A. practice B. reviews C. trains D. concludes
19.A. explanation B. appreciation C. consideration D. application
20.A. surprised B. returned C. led D. held
The universe has never failed to catch human’s attention. The ancient humans came up with stories to explain the presence of the suns and other planets. As time went by, humans set their sights on exploring the vastness of space. In 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon’s surface. 1.
·It allows people to know more about the universe.
Undoubtedly, space exploration has answered the question of whether the earth is round or not and proved the earth does circle around the sun and not the other way around. 2. It gives people a deeper understanding about the universe and provides them with more information about the world they live in.
·It paves the way to advanced technology.
Scientists are always developing new technology for space programs, but the good news is that these new innovations(创新) aren’t just useful for astronauts and space programs. 3. In fact they have already led to the development of modern products and devices that many people use such as the GPS systems, and breast cancer test imaging, to name a few.
·4.
Space exploration doesn’t just involve scientists and astronauts; it also requires the skills and labor of many engineers, research assistants, technicians, mechanics, and other professionals. If space exploration would be stopped today, these people would become jobless, and they wouldn’t have the means to support themselves and their families.
It can offer a solution to many problems.
Aside from collecting information about the outer space, many space exploration programs are used to solve some of the problems with our modern society. Some programs, for example, help scientists learn more about the earth’s atmosphere and know how to better predict weather and natural disasters. 5. This may be the solution to the earth’s growing population.
Space exploration is one of the biggest achievements of humans as a whole, and it has paved the way to greater scientific understanding and technological advancement over the years. I can see no reason why we should stop our exploration.
A. It creates many jobs.
B. But it does much more than that.
C. It was a big step in space exploration.
D. They can also be used in other industries.
E. They also help scientists know more about the earth.
F. Others focus on looking for planets that can support human life.
G. Since then, space exploration has been going on and brought many benefits.
It is widely acknowledged that cities with some kind of functioning ecosystems make for better place for humans to live. More plants and animals in cities make for happier, healthier people.
A study conducted on green spaces in Sheffield, England, for instance, revealed that the greater the biodiversity(生物多样性), the greater the psychological well-being(健康) of the city’s citizens. In Paris, researchers found that getting citizens to take part in day-long activities involving urban wildlife opened their eyes to the natural world for a time, at least.
Few cities have been associated with urban ecology for as long as Berlin. “Slow economic recovery after the Second World War meant that reconstruction would take a long time. This provide local ecologist with the ideal conditions to develop an ambitious ecological research program in the bombed-out wastelands of West Berlin,” said Jens Lachmund, a sociologist at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.
The pioneering work in Berlin bad several consequences, especially the formation of significant natural spaces within the city, such as the Sudgelande Nature. “Berlin has indeed benefited a lot from being a case study in urban ecology,” said Lachmund.
The recent research conducted by Mark Goddard, a biologist at the University of Leeds, and his colleagues confirmed the importance of natural space within an urban setting. Goddard and his team conducted a striking global analysis of bird and plant diversity, quantifying the influence of urbanization on levels of biodiversity around the world. “Functioning urban ecosystems will be extremely important to human health and well-being,” said Goddard.
Cities take up just 3% of the land surface area, yet according to the most recent figure from the United Nations, some 3. 6 billion people (just over 50% of the global population) now live in urban areas. By 2050, this figure is expected to rise to 6.3 billion. Without animals and plants to keep us company, it is a dark future.
1.The findings in Paragraph 2 are mentioned to explain the link between .
A. Citizens and their well-being
B. green spaces and urban wildlife
C. urban ecology and citizens’ well-being
D. functioning ecosystems and the natural word
2.What would be Goddard’s attitude towards Berlins work?
A. Cautious.
B. Admiring.
C. Uncaring.
D. Negative.
3.The author uses figures in the last paragraph to show .
A. the negative effect of over population.
B. the importance of urban ecosystems.
C. the serious problems of city life.
D. the rapid growth of urban areas.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Should cities be for animals and plants too?
B. Should Berlin have more natural spaces?
C. Should more people live in urban areas?
D. Should the global population be controlled now?
Yasuda is 95 years old. Looking for easier ways to search the Web and send email, he bought Apple’s iPad. The company has sold 3.27 million iPads since they entered the market in April. Although it’s impossible to know with certainty how many seniors (老年人) are buying them, evidence suggests that it’s a hit with seniors.
The iPad’s intuitive interface (直观界面) makes it attractive to seniors around the world, says Takahiro Miura, a researcher at the University of Tokyou. “The iPad is a good tool for seniors because it’s very easy to use,” he says. Unlike the PC, it doesn’t require former knowledge.”
James Cordwell, a researcher in London, says the iPad’s popularity with seniors is helping Apple reach beyond its traditional base of young customers. “The world’s population, especially in developed markets, is getting older. It’s probably a market where Apple has least entered,” Cordwell says. Senior users are a key source of growth for them in the future.
Seniors make. up about 22 percent of the population in Japan. They may prove that seniors are willing to accept the iPad. Besides the customer group under 30, they spend more than any other group in the country, according to a report. Motoo Kitamura, 78, a former gas salesman, bought an iPad to help him communicate with his 2-year-old grandson and prevent him from experiencing some of the mental problems that sometimes come with getting older. “Trying new things like that is good mental exercise,” he says.
1.The underlined part “a hit” in Paragraph 1 probably means .
A. a sudden attack
B. a heavy burden
C. very familiar
D. quite popular
2.Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the iPad?
A. It has intuitive interface.
B. It is easy to operate.
C. People can use it as a way to do mental exercise.
D. Beginners can use it without similar experiences.
3.What can we learn from the text?
A. The traditional customers of Apples products are usually the young.
B. People above thirty are Apples largest customer group in Japan.
C. Seniors will soon grow into Apples largest customer group.
D. Seniors in Japan are fond of buying latest hi-tech products.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. iPad influencing the customer group.
B. iPad leading Apple to seniors.
C. iPad’s arrival causing Japanese to think.
D. iPad beating the traditional PC.
Tennis great Billie Jean King is a great athlete and a pioneer in sport and she won four singles titles at the US Open between 1967 and 1974. Now, the same tennis officials with whom she often battled have paid her a special honor. US Open organizers named their venue(会场) the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at the beginning of this year’s championship. The decision came as a surprise to the star.
Billie Jean King had her first tennis lesson at the age of 11, and became interested in it. Six years later she made herself known winning the first of 20 titles at Wimbledon in the doubles championship. King went on to become the first female athlete to earn $100,000 in a year. But her greatest achievements may have been off the game. She devoted herself to fighting for equal status for women and women in sports that went far beyond tennis.
A unique opportunity arrived and it proved a perfect way for King to further change the place of women in sports in 1973. She was challenged to play a man-tennis great Bobby Riggs. The men organizing the event expected it would provide great entertainment and the event was reported by sportscaster(体育评论员) Howard Cosell. But King found he focused on her appearance, never mentioning her athletic achievements. King saw it as a crossroad in her battle for women’s equality in sports. She did win, further opening opportunities for girls in sports.
But some young female athletes now don’t take these opportunities seriously. When asked what they knew about King, they looked puzzled. “They’ve got many chances to play and it’s a good thing. However, we still have a long way to go for girls and women in sports and that’s what I want—I want the dream to be equal” She said.
1.Billie Jean King fought with tennis officials for .
A. better pay for herself
B. more chances to compete
C. the equality for women in sports
D. a special honor from them
2.Billie King first won her fame through .
A. her competition with Bobby Riggs in 1973
B. being the first athlete to get a yearly income of $100, 000
C. the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
D. her victory in the doubles championship
3.Why was the event with Bobby Riggs organized in 1973?
A. To attract more audience for the interests of the organizer.
B. To increase Billie King’s fame in the sports field.
C. To make the sport tennis popular:
D. To further open chances for women in sports.
4.From the passage, we can learn that Billie King .
A. has always been respected and honored in sports from the start
B. thinks that the status women have got in sports is high enough
C. is disappointed at not being recognized by young female athletes
D. thinks inequality between men and women in sports still exists.
