1、ADo you enjoy seeing the stars twinkling at night ? Or do you love the ocean and sea, diving and racing with lovely dolphins? With heavy burdens on their shoulders, teenagers find it hard to pull out. Even if they are free, they prefer to occupy themselves with computer games or watching TV. How to
2、get children away from screens is a great concern for parents. Now there is some good news for those concerned parents and teachers.A campaign 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 collabora
3、tion of nearly 400 organizations is attempting to attract youngsters away from television and computer screen and into fields, woods and parks.Organizers say it is the UKs biggest ever campaign to reconnect children with nature and outdoor play, and claim it could help improve fitness, mental alertn
4、ess and general wellbeing.A documentary film, Project Wild Thing, will herald the launch at more than 50 cinemas across the UK from Friday. It looks at the increasingly fragile link between children and nature.Members of the network include the National Trust, RSPB, Play England and the NHS sustaina
5、ble development unit.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 ranges have fallen drastically, activity levels are declining and the ability to identify comm
6、on species has been lost.Suggestions of how to get more time in nature include collecting conkers（板栗）, 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-ey
7、ed.This is not the first time the message of less screen, more play has been brought up. Children in the 1980s were entreated to do the same by the BBC TV series Why Dont You, which somewhat confusingly called on its viewers to switch off your TV set, and go do something less boring instead.51. What
8、 is the main purpose of the campaign in UK?A. To save 30 minutes for watching TV programme each day.B. To encourage children to play outdoors.C. To see the documentary film, Project Wild Thing.D. To teach students how to learn more efficiently in schools.52. According to the organizers of Wild Netwo
9、rk, there will be many advantages from the campaign except _.A. improving health conditionsB. keeping touch with natureC. learning more about wildlifeD. teaching children how to make full use of their spare time53. The underlined part “ to get children muddy and bright-eyed ” means “_ ”.A. to make c
10、hildren covered with mudB. to urge politicians to do more things for childrenC. to encourage children to take part in outdoors activitiesD. to help children identify common species54. Which of the following could be the best title for the passage? A. A new campaign.B. Less screen, more play outdoors
11、.C. A newly formed Wild Network. D. Children get to know wild things.B Many years ago in a small German town, a Jewish businessman had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the businessmans beautiful daughter. So he proposed a
12、 bargain.The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylenders wife and he would forgo her fathers debt. If she picked the white pebb
13、le, she need not marry him and her fathers debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.They were standing on a pebble-strewn path. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. The sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had pic
14、ked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag. No doubt she was caught in a dilemma.What would you have done if you were the girl? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities: 1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.2. The girl sho
15、uld know that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference be
16、tween lateral (横向的)and logical thinking. Read onThe girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn pathwhere it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles. “Oh, how clumsy of me!” she said. “But never mind
17、, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.” Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situat
18、ion into an extremely advantageous one.55. The underlined word “forgo” in paragraph 2 may mean _.A. pay offB. run outC. take over D. give up56. Which of the following indicates lateral thinking?A. The girl refused to take a pebble and fled at once.B. The girl exposed the cheat and found another way.
19、C. The girl picked one pebbles and made it disappear.D. The girl picked a black pebble and accepted the result.57. It can be inferred from the passage that _. A. The girl dropped the pebble onto the path on purposeB. The girl dropped the pebble onto the path by accidentC. The girl didnt know there w
20、ere two black pebbles in the bagD. The girl replaced a black pebble in the bag58. What lesson can we learn from the story? A. Keeping calm when facing a difficult situation.B. Thinking about a complicated problem in another way.C. Thinking twice before making a final choice.D. Coming up with a cleve
21、r answer is easy.CPublic caught up in argument over safety of genetically modified or simply GM products, report Zhang Lei and Zhong Nan in.More than 300 people gathered to enjoy a bowl of porridge made from genetically modified food on Saturday, an attempt to quell public fears about the safety of
22、the product.The first China Golden Rice Tasting Event was held at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, Hubei province, sparking another round in the nationwide debate about the safety of GM crops, often called Frankenfood by opponents.Similar events have been held in more than 28 cities since
23、May, the university said.Both the pro and anti camps have posted conflicting comments on the Internet, with each providing evidence to back up their beliefs, but the exchanges are becoming increasingly bitter.Jiang Tao, a senior engineer at the Center for Agricultural Resources Research at the Chine
24、se Academy of Sciences, who is in favor of GM foods, was annoyed about what he called amateurs spreading rumors.Just look at the people who are opposed to GM foods; can you find anyone from a related field in the scientific community? he asked. Jiang also accused the anti-GM lobby of repeatedly usin
25、g outdated or inaccurate data to support an incorrect stance.Chen Yunfa, an independent researcher into the Yangtze River Delta economy, recently wrote a commentary on the Internet news portal Eastday in which he criticized the actions of the 61 scientists, saying they had gone beyond their proper d
26、uty. He suggested that large multinational corporations might be behind the letter and similar incidents, prompted by a desire to freeze Chinas patent hybrid rice technology out of the market.To support his contentions, Chen said that GM rice, first produced by scientists in the US, still hasnt gain
27、ed official approval from the US government. However, the US authorities have actually granted licenses to six varieties of GM rice. The commercial planting of two varieties - anti-herbicide (BAR) transgenic rice LL RICE 06 and LL RICE 62 - produced by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventi
28、s, was approved in 1999 and a license for cultivation for edible use was granted in 2000.The public outcry for GM labeling and boycotting has hindered the advancement of the technology. Concern about GM foods has been fueled by studies like the one published by French professor Gilles-Eric Sralini i
29、n September 2012. Sralini claimed that his research involving rats proved that the GM corn fed to them caused tumor growth. Furthermore, there is growing concern that the pesticides(杀虫剂) used on GMOs（转基因作物）are contributing to the decline of the worlds honey bee population, leading to honey bee death
30、s by infecting the brains of the insects with toxins. Therefore, some experts recommend the labeling of non-GM foods so that consumers can make that decision without a regulatory burden being placed on GMOs.However, we should be cautious about anything that may risk humans life. Only time will tell.
31、59. Why did more than 300 people enjoy porridge made from genetically modified food? A. To show evidence that GM products are dangerous.B. To support that the first China Golden Rice Tasting is safe.C. To rid public of fears and worries about the safety of GM foods. D. To draw publics attention to n
32、ationwide planting of GM products.60. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A. Those who are for GM products and those who are against keep arguing fiercely by holding conferences.B. People are failing to show evidence to support their pros and cons, although they hold a
33、 firm belief of their own.C. Some people think those against GM foods have a good knowledge of GM technology and are spreading rumors.D. GM food may be just a way for some multinational corporations to drive Chinas patent hybrid rice out of the market. 61. What can we infer from the second paragraph
34、 from bottom?A. The public advocated that GM products should be labeled clearly.B. Sralini claimed that his research proved the GM corn caused rats to grow faster.C. Many honey bees have died because they were fed with GM corn. D. There should be some restrictions on GM products selling.62. What is
35、the writers attitude towards GM products?A. Supportive. B. Suspicious. C. Indifferent. D. Critical.DMany skilled young people are being forced into part-time and unskilled work, the report says. It warns of a crisis with more than six million people so disillusioned they have given up looking for wo
36、rk. The ILO（International Labor Organization）wants governments to make job creation a priority. It wants more training schemes, and also tax breaks for employers. The youth unemployment crisis can be beaten but only if job creation for young people becomes a key priority in policymaking and private
37、sector investment picks up significantly, said Jose Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, executive director of the ILOs employment sector.Since 2007, the number of young people without jobs has risen by four million - up from less than 12%, says. Almost 13% of people aged between 15 and 24 - or almost 75 milli
38、on - have no work, although this is slightly down on its peak in 2009.In the European Union, one in five young people are looking for work, the report claims. Some 27.9% of youths were unemployed in North Africa last year a rise of five percentage points on 2010. In the Middle East, the figure stood
39、 at 26.5% in the reports regional breakdown. Even in East Asia, perhaps the most economically active region, the unemployment rate was 2.8 times higher for young people than for adults, the report said.But, the ILO report reveals, the true picture of youth unemployment is even more pessimistic. Many
40、 young people are extending their time in higher education because they cannot find jobs. Others are taking part-time unskilled work because they cannot find work in the fields they trained for. The ILO says that more than six million young people worldwide have given up looking for work and are bec
41、omingly increasingly detached from society. By not using their skills they are losing them, the report says, and if there is no improvement in the jobs market soon, they may be not only unemployed, but unemployable.The ILO suggests offering tax breaks to businesses hiring young people and offering m
42、ore programmes to help kick-start careers.63. Which of the following is true according to Jose Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs?A. Since 2007, the number of young people out of job has risen to 4 million.B. Nearly 13% of the young people have no work.C. Job creation should be made a key priority in policyma
43、king.D. The youth unemployment rate can never go down.64. The various figures in paragraph 3 and 4 were used to show_.A. The employment situation is serious only in the European UnionB. The global youth employment situation is depressingC. East Asia enjoys a high youth employment rateD. Compared wit
44、h the situation in 2009, the youth employment in 2007 is slightly better65. According to ILO, the following are caused by high youth unemployment rate except_.A. The government calls on young people to take up whatever job is availableB. Many young people are making their time in higher education lo
45、ngerC. Some young people are taking part-time unskilled workD. Many young people have given up looking for work66. The ILO offered many solutions to the crisis of youth unemployment, including_.a. making job creations a priority b. more training schemes c. encouraging public investment d. tax breaks
46、 for employers e. offering more entrepreneurship programmes to help start careersA. a b c e B. b c d e C. a c d e D. a b d eEThe issue of privacy versus openness is a paradox, particularly when it comes to the American home. “Lots” or “yards” (gardens) can be large and many are not enclosed by the w
47、alls, fences or hedges so popular in other cultures. Similarly, “window treatments” frame the window. but the use of European-style net curtains to screen out nosy neighbors is rare. In the same style, first-time visitors to an American home may be proudly given the full tour; even walk-in closets a
48、nd en suite bathrooms are not considered off-limits. They may also be encouraged to help themselves to a soda from the fridge. All this gives an impression of openness. Yet Americans do value their personal space and privacy. A Brazilian expatriate (侨民) who dropped in on her usually friendly Connect
49、icut neighbors unannounced got the clear impression she should have called first. Similarly while a typical suburban home features large, shared areas, such as an open-plan kitchen and family room or “den”, ample private space is also allowed in the floor plan. A visit to a family home in the evenin
50、g would likely find the family members dispersed, each independently watching TV, on the phone, surfing the Internet, or otherwise recharging batteries in the privacy of their own bedroom. American individualism, expansiveness, and abundance are expressed in lifestyle. Despite the fact that the aver
51、age household size has declined over the past thirty years from3.1 people to 2.6 people per household, the average size of a new family home increased during the same period from 1,500 to 2,200 square feet. A common observation is just how outsized everything is. The beds are king-sized, the TVs hav
52、e giant screens, the burgers are “whoppers (庞然大物),” appliances are “industrial” size. The largest popcorn or soda at the movies can be “supersized.” Closets are “walk in,” and some cars are the size of a military vehicle.67. The passage suggests that Americans_.A. are rich enough to afford large siz
53、e houses and luxurious electricity appliancesB. are very shy when talking about keeping their privacy and their personal spaceC. would like to express their lifestyles in public to show them offD. enjoy openness as well as individualism although they seem to contradict each other68.Why can we say th
54、at American individualism, expansiveness, and abundance are expressed in their lifestyle?A. Because the average size of a new house has increased during the past thirty years.B. Because Americans often use European-style net curtains to screen out nosy neighbors.C. Because many houses are equipped w
55、ith walk-in closets.D. Because the house size, outsized household furniture and independent living habits have proved it.69. The underlined phrase in the passage means_.A. filling a battery with electrical power B. recovering your strength and energy by resting for a whileC. changing your batteries
56、againD. obtaining new batteries because old ones are running out70. According to the passage, if you drop in on an American family which is usually friendly to you in the evening, you_.A. will be deeply impressed by their family get-together sceneB. will be invited to a party which is well-preparedC. will find family members scattered, and enjoying themselves individuallyD. will be warmly welcomed even if they dont get informed of your visit earlier 51-54 BDCB 55-58DCAB 59-62 CDAB 63-66CBAD 67-70DDBC
