Today, the world’s diversity (多样性) of food crops is quickly decreasing. But scientists around the world are taking action. They are building seed banks. At seed banks, scientists store the seeds of many different crops.

There are now 1,400 seed banks around the world. However, some banks are in warm countries. If the electricity fails, the seeds will get too hot and die. Other seed banks are in countries troubled by war. Sometimes people damage the seed banks. If this happens, valuable seeds can be lost forever!

The organization Global Crop Diversity Trust decided they wanted to deal with this problem. So, they decided to build a global seed bank. This seed bank would contain a back-up, or extra copy, of all the world’s seeds. Smaller seed banks would still collect and keep local seeds. But they would also send copies of their seeds to the global bank.

Scientists from the Global Crop Diversity Trust chose the cold, snowy mountains of Svalbard, Norway to build the global seed bank — the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (斯瓦尔巴全球种子库). Organizations, farmers, or local seed banks store their extra seeds there. And the people who place their seeds in the vault are the only people who can take them out. They pay to ship their seeds to Norway, but it does not cost them any money to store their seeds. The Global Crop Diversity Trust pays for this.

Cary Fowler is a scientist who heads the Global Crop Diversity Trust. He said, “If the Seed Vault simply supplies seed banks with copies of seeds that those banks lost by accident, the Seed Vault will be worth more than it cost.”

1.Seed banks are built to ______.

A. research on seeds B. produce new seeds

C. protect crop diversity D. increase the number of seeds

2.Compared with other seed banks, the global seed bank ______.

A. was built by the government

B. is more welcomed by farmers

C. is mainly used by great scientists

D. can provide a good environment for seeds

3.What can we learn about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault?

A. It helps to pay the shipping cost.

B. No one can take seeds out of there.

C. There are no fees to store seeds there.

D. It mainly receives seeds from farmers.

4.What is Cary Fowler’s attitude towards the Seed Vault?

A. He feels it is very important. B. He is surprised at it.

C. He thinks it costs too much. D. He is uncertain about it.

In the 4th century, there was a man called Saint Nicholas in Myra. He was very rich and ______ to help others. He also cared for the ______ very much. He often ______ many kinds of gifts, money and other ______ things to the houses of the poor. He did this at night ______ so that no one knew, because he wanted no ______ . He just wanted to help others. At that time, there were three poor ______ in his town. Both of their parents died. They could hardly ______ enough money to make a living. Nicholas felt sorry for them and ______ to do something to ______ them. On Christmas Eve, when everyone was ______ , Nicholas walked through the streets to the house where the three sisters lived. Quietly, he ______ onto the roof and dropped three bags of ______ into the chimney. It so happened that the three sisters had ______ their stockings before they went to bed. The stockings had been ______ by the fire to dry. When Nicholas dropped the gold, each bag fell into a stocking. The three sisters were surprised and ______ to find the three bags of gold in their stockings the next morning. Now they didn’t have to worry about their ______ as they could use the gold to get food. Soon, the story began to get around. Other ______ began to hang up stockings on Christmas Eve ______ finding bags of gold when they woke up the next morning.

Over the years, Saint Nicholas became associated (有联系的)with Christmas. The ______ of hanging stockings up by the chimney on Christmas Eve is known all over the world. And Santa Claus, famous for the red cape (斗篷)and the white beard, became the most popular guest to children on Christmas.

1.A. hated B. refused C. failed D. liked

2.A. old B. sick C. poor D. young

3.A. lent B. brought C. posted D. moved

4.A. expensive B. simple C. beautiful D. useful

5.A. slowly B. secretly C. freely D. fairly

6.A. praise B. money C. surprise D. pay

7.A. sisters B. brothers C. workers D. farmers

8.A. beg B. find C. make D. borrow

9.A. needed B. agreed C. decided D. promised

10.A. save B. help C. raise D. teach

11.A. quiet B. busy C. happy D. asleep

12.A. landed B. climbed C. jumped D. fell

13.A. gold B. food C. toys D. clothes

14.A. changed B. bought C. repaired D. washed

15.A. shown B. thrown C. hung D. stored

16.A. puzzled B. excited C. worried D. sad

17.A. meals B. study C. house D. stockings

18.A. students B. men C. women D. children

19.A. in the hope of B. in need of C. in case of D. in return for

20.A. rule B. habit C. custom D. manner

The first time she saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time he saw Juli Baker, he ran. For six years of living close by, they had played the same game of cat-and-mouse (Juli was the cat; Bryce was the unfortunate mouse).

For years Juli dreamed of one thing: her first kiss from the boy. Nothing else seemed to matter. But when Juli’s favorite sycamore tree is threatened by developers, things begin to change. She begins to see things and places and people in a different light. Things, for years, she thought to be important, become things she can live without; and people she thought to be the center of her universe, become nothing more than a star in a faraway galaxy.

Things begin changing with Bryce also. It all begins with the eggs…which then cause a domino effect of changes with his relationships with his best friend, his father, the Bakers and, ultimately, Juli.

I had seen this book on the shelf at bookstores for years, but never bothered to pick it up because it looked to be another book from Jerry Spinelli (not exactly my favorite author in the world) and so, continually, I would walk past it without giving it a second glance. If by chance I had picked it up, I most likely would not have read it, since the summary on the back didn’t seem too appealing. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that I heard about Flipped the movie. I read an interview with Callan McAuliffe (the actor who portrays Bryce) and thought that Flipped was a romance right up my alley; cute, innocent and as far from Jane Austin as you could get. After reading the interview and a summary of the movie, I found the plot-line to be somewhat appealing and a definite breath of fresh air opposed to the dark material I have been recently reading and writing. I found the book a few days later in a Goodwill bookstore and finished it in three days.

The story isn’t what you would consider deep…it isn’t shallow and pointless either…I guess you could say it’s the perfect balance of life-lessons and innocence.

You read about Bryce and Juli (each from their own points of view) and how, throughout six years, their lives and views and opinions change and develop. Flipped is somewhat of a coming of age story about two kids learning to see life from the other’s point of view and learning that growing up isn’t about staying the same, but changing; changing likes and dislikes; changing friends and crushes and views on family.

Uniquely written, every other chapter showing the same scenes and events, only from the other’s point of view, you see how the saying, “Two sides to every story,” is true. You are able to see both Juli and Bryce’s reasons for doing what they do and saying what they say…not just what the other sees.

It will be interesting to see how this writing style comes into play in the movie. Overall I thought this story was incredibly cute and light-hearted, although it didn’t entirely meet my expectations. Especially the ending. I felt as though it ended quite abruptly and that there was more story that needed to be told.

But even with that, after having taken a step back and taken my mind off of Flipped, I find the story has stuck with me and stayed in the back of my mind, making me highly anticipate seeing this book turned to a film. I understand why it has been so popular for almost two decades and am looking forward to seeing Flipped on the big screen soon.

1.According to Paragraphs 1 and 2, what is the relationship between Juli Baker and Bryce Loski?

A. Lovers. B. Neighbors.

C. Daughter and father. D. Sister and brother.

2.What has happened to Juli after her favorite sycamore tree is endangered?

A. Bryce Loski has become an insignificant figure in her life.

B. Things and people around her have changed beyond recognition.

C. She has come to realize that she is the center of the universe.

D. The sycamore tree is nothing more than a star in faraway galaxy.

3.Which of the following sentences best expresses the essential information in the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4?

A. After reading the interview with Callan, the author confirmed his pervious attitude to Flipped.

B. After reading the interview with Callan, the author was deep impressed by his story of romance.

C. It was the interview with Callan that made the author realize that it was a book to his taste.

D. It was the performance of Callan that inspired the author to read the original work.

4.According to Paragraph 6, what is the theme of Flipped?

A. Generation gap. B. Growing pains.

C. Forever love. D. Changing lifestyles.

5.In the author’s opinion, Flipped doesn’t provide us readers with ________.

A. a happy ending for Juli and Bryce B. limited appeal for re-appreciation

C. much space for individual imagination D. a smooth ending to the whole story

6.The passage is mainly about ________.

A. a beautiful love story between Juli Baker and Bryce Loski

B. a cute and innocent love story that you shouldn’t miss

C. how an amazing movie was adapted from a love story

D. how a summary prevents readers from moving forward

Half a century ago, Japan built the world’s first high-speed rail network—a network that remains the gold standard in train travel today. Currently the country is now helping Texas build its own bullet train, a potential game-changer for transportation in the state.

When it launched on October 1, 1964, the world’s first high-speed rail network was known as the “super-express of dreams.” The first line in Japan’s now world-famous shinkansen network was built against all odds, in the face of fierce public opposition, technical difficulties and astronomical costs.

Half a century ago, the system was far humbler. In 1964, the first track was a 320-mile-long link between Tokyo and Osaka that reduced the trip from six-and-a-half hours (on conventional trains) to three hours and 10 minutes, traveling at a maximum speed of 200 miles per hour. For the first time, workers could get to meetings in one city during the day and be back home drinking a beer in the local pub that night.

Not only did the train expand mobility profoundly, but also businesses appeared around the major stops as a growing emphasis on productivity swept across Japan. Today, the shinkansen network has 1,487 miles of track, with more set to open in the coming years. It seems that everything the shinkansen touches turns to city, and regions that are off the beaten track, so to speak, benefit greatly from the economic jumpstart brought by the train. New shinkansen lines are often proceeded by aggressive marketing campaigns promoting tourism in those areas, a strategy that seems to work.

Despite its astronomical costs, it actually has saved more. Today, over 350,000 annual trips transport tens of millions of passengers all over Japan with efficiency—the average delay time is less than a minute. A research report titled 30 Years of High-Speed Railways: Features and Economic and Social Effects of The Shinkansen by Hiroshi Okada, estimates that the economic impact from the shinkansen train network, based on the time saved from faster travel, is approximately ¥500 billion ($4.8 billion USD) per year. Okada stresses that the cultural impact is also significant, a shinkansen offers people living far from urban centers “easy access to concerts, exhibitions, theaters, etc., enabling them to lead fuller lives.”

Japan has a plan, known as the One-Day Travel Initiative. Its goal: regardless of where you are in Japan, it should only take you three hours to get to the nearest major regional city (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo or Fukuoka). The planned impact of this hyper-mobility is to discourage the tide of migration toward urban centers, like Tokyo, and encourage decentralization.

1.The underlined phrase in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”.

A. opposed to traditional belief s B. despite some major barriers

C. based on impractical fantasies D. in spite of poor planning

2.According to Okada, what benefit does a shinkansen bring to people living far from urban centers?

A. Saving more travelling time. B. Creating massive employment.

C. Enjoying a more colorful life. D. Accumulating vast wealth.

3.What is the main purpose of the One-Day Travel Initiative?

A. To promote even distribution of population.

B. To advocate urban lifestyle among migrants.

C. To satisfy the increasing needs of urban centers.

D. To include more citizens in urban centers.

When I began planning to move to Auckland to study, my mother was worried about a lack of jobs and cultural differences. Ignoring these______, I got there in July 2010. ________I arrived, I realized the importance of getting a job __________my living costs. Deciding to do this _________, I spent several weeks going door-to-door for a job, but found _________response(回应).

One afternoon, I walked into a building to ask ________there were any job opportunities(机会). The people there advised me not to continue my job search in that _______. As I was about to__________, a man who had been listening approached me and asked me to wait outside _________. Nearly ten minutes later, he _________. He asked me about my plans and encouraged me to stay _________. Then he offered to take me to Royal Oak to __________ a job.

I was a little surprised, but had a ________feeling about him. Along the way, I realized that I had ________résumés(简历). Seeing this, the man ________at his business partner’s office to make me fifteen _______copies. He also gave me some _______on dressing and speaking. I handed out my résumés and went home feeling very _______. The following day, I received a ________from a store in Royal Oak offering me a job.

It seems that the world always _______to you when you need it. And this time, it was a complete stranger who turned out to be a real blessing.

1.A. doubts B. concerns C. instructions D. reasons

2.A. Even if B. Every time C. Now that D. Soon after

3.A. of B. at C. for D. with

4.A. on my own B. on my way C. by any chance D. by the day

5.A. any B. much C. some D. little

6.A. why B. wherever C. whether D. whenever

7.A. direction B. attitude C. language D. way

8.A. answer B. work C. leave D. refuse

9.A. for ever B. at any time C. as usual D. for a while

10.A. returned B. forgot C. passed D. regretted

11.A. silent B. busy C. positive D. comfortable

12.A. pick out B. search for C. take on D. give up

13.A. boring B. good C. risky D. general

14.A. made use of B. taken care of C. run out of D. become tired of

15.A. stopped B. knocked C. looked D. appeared

16.A. right B. more C. former D. different

17.A. pressures B. agreements C. impressions D. suggestions

18.A. lonely B. funny C. disappointed D. satisfied

19.A. call B. tip C. present D. report

20.A. turns off B. goes over C. gives back D. looks up

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