Why would an animal kill itself? It seems a strange question, and yet it is one that has made some scientists curious for a long time. For there is a kind of animal called lemming(旅鼠), that periodically killed themselves together, and no one knows just why!

The small creatures which live in the Scandinavian mountains, feed on a diet of roots and special insects and live in nests they dig underground. When their food supply is large, the lemmings live a normal and undisturbed life. 

However, when the lemmings’ food supply becomes too low to support the population, a singular migration(迁徙)begins. The lemmings leave their nests in groups. Great numbers of them begin to travel across the Scandinavian plains, a journey that may last weeks. The lemmings eat everything in their path, continuing their long march until they reach the sea. 

The reason for what follows remains unbelievable to naturalists. Upon reaching the coast, the lemmings do not stop but swim by the thousands into the sea. Most stay afloat only a short time before they tire, sink and drown. 

A common theory for this mass self-killing is that the lemmings do not realize that the ocean is such a huge body of water in their cross-country journey, the animals must cross many smaller bodies of water, such as rivers and small lakes. They may think that the sea is just another such swimmable path to go through. But no final answer has been found to the strange happening. 

1.The passage is mainly about______.

A. how lemmings find food

B. why animals kill themselves

C. the lemmings’ self-killing

D. the food supply in the Scandinavian mountains

2.A reason for the lemmings’ self-killing might be that they______.

A. go mad from a lack of food

B. hope to find fish for food

C. decide to reduce the population

D. think they can cross the sea

3.Why are scientists curious about the lemmings’ behavior?

A. Because they are the only animals that live in Scandinavia.

B. Because it is very unusual for animals to kill themselves.

C. Because of the amount of food they can eat on their march to the sea.

D. Because they can gather together in such huge numbers.

4.The underlined word “singular” means______.

A. unusual       B. single       C. wonderful      D. common

 

subways

The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines

Features: The Tokyo Metro and Toei lines that make up of Tokyo’s huge subway system carry almost 8 million people each day, making it the busiest system in the world. The system is famous for its oshiya- literally, “pusher”- who push passengers into crowded subway cars so the doors can close. And you think your ride is hell.

The Moscow Metro

Features: The Moscow Metro has some of the most beautiful stations in the world. The best of them were built during the Stalinist era and feature chandeliers(枝行吊灯),marble moldings and elaborate murals(精美壁画). With more than 7 million riders a day , keeping all that marble clean has got to be a burden.

The Hong Kong MTR

Features: The Hong Kong MTR has the distinction of being one of the few subway systems in the world that actually turns a profit. It’s privately owned and uses real estate development along its tracks to increase income and ridership. It also introduced “Octopus cards” that allow people to not only pay their fares electronically, but buy stuff at convenience stores ,supermarkets, restaurants and even parking meters. It’s estimated that 95% of all adults in Hong Kong own an Octopus card.

Shanghai Metro

Features: Shanghai is the third city in China to build a metro system, and it has become the country’s largest in the 12 years since it opened. Shanghai Metro has 142 miles of track and plans to add another 180 miles within five years. By that point, it would be three times larger than Chicago “L”. The system carries about 2.18 million people a day.

The London Metro

Features: Londoners call their subway the Underground, even though 55 percent of it lies above ground. No matter when you’ve got the oldest mass-transit system in the world, you can call it anything you like. Trains started in 1863 and they’ve been running ever since. Some 3 million people ride each day, every one of them remembering to “Mind the gap”

1.Which one can provide the riders with some wonderful decorations at the stations?

A. The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines                                B. The Moscow Metro

C. The London Metro                                                                 D. The Hong Kong MTR

2. ___________ is done with the purpose of making money.

A . The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines                               B. The Moscow Metro

C. Shanghai Metro                                                 D. The Hong Kong MTR

3.We can learn from the passage that Shanghai Metro ___________.

A. carries the most people each day

B. is the world’s largest

C. may be larger than the Chicago “L” in the future

D. is the busiest in the world

4.How many subways carry more than 5 million people per day?

A. 2                              B. 3                                        C. 4                                        D. 5

5.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Shanghai is the third to build a metro system in China, which has become the largest in the world.

B. You’ll feel sick when you travel on the Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines.

C. Londoners call their subway the Underground because 55 percent of it lies above ground.

D. It is estimated that 95% of the population in Hong Kong own an Octopus card.

 

Visiting London can be an expensive trip, so establishing a budget and finding bargains when you arrive will help you get around London on the cheap. The following steps can help you find cheaper alternatives for transport for your London trip.

l Familiarize yourself with the city’s boroughs and specifically the area where you will be staying. You can use a street map, or an online map search engine, to establish where in the city you will be staying and the distance you are from the major tourist attractions you want to visit.

l Find a local provider of Transport for London tickets or travel cards, since your first bargain purchase will be an Oyster Card. Traveling around London with an Oyster Card will give you access to the cheapest option of transportation methods and the Oyster Card is accepted citywide on buses, boats and the London Underground, known by the locals as “the tube”.

l Seek out your nearest Tube Station. The Tube is the cheapest and most reliable form of transportation and runs from around 6 a.m. until around 1 a.m. ..., depending on the line or the station.

There are 287 tube stations in London that accept the Oyster Card, with a high concentration in central London. If you are staying anywhere in central London, there will be a tube station less than 10 minutes away.

The Transport for London website offers a tube station search facility to find the nearest subway station to any location in the city. When you find a tube station, you can easily locate the closest bus stop by using the comparison bus-tube maps at the station’s entrance.

l Follow the Transport for London Tube Guide to your destinations and always plan ahead. Making a plan for transport will save you unnecessary expenses, wasted trips on the tube and doubling back on your journey .

1.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A.To introduce the public transport system in London.

B.To show readers how to use the Oyster Card.

C.To prove the subway in London is easy to use.

D.To offer tips for saving transport costs in London.

2.Which of the following can help a traveler spend the least money on transport?

A.Trying different transportation methods.

B.Taking buses as much as possible.

C.Traveling with an Oyster Card.

D.Making a plan before your journey.

3.By visiting the Transport for London website, people can ________.

A.identify their own location                B.locate the nearest bus station

C.find the nearest subway station             D.use an online map to avoid getting lost

4.We can conclude from the passage that ________.

A.the subway is the cheapest means of transport in London.

B.only Tube stations in Central London accept Oyster Card.

C.subway lines in London run no less than 19 hours a day.

D.the transfer from subway to bus is very convenient.

 

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