题目内容
But it is no need to worry if you have never skied before.
My uncle’s house in the downtown area is much smaller than ours , but it is twice____ expensive .
A. as B. so C. too D. very
Your Car Is Ready for Take-off
The flying car has been talked about for many years，but now it appears that the idea is about to become a reality.
An international company has built a two-seater plane that, at the touch of a button ，transforms into a car perfectly suitable for driving on public roads. It has been designed so that the wings fold up automatically； and it takes just 15 seconds to switch between flying and driving. With its wings fully open and the propeller(螺旋桨）spinning, it can take off from any airfield.
Flying cars are quicker than traditional ones for travelling from city to city，and they can run on ordinary fuel. Another big advantage is that they are cool ，like something you would see in an action film. At the moment 9 however, the flying car’s wheels are illegal to leave the ground. That is not because of technical reasons or problems with the design. It is because the various road and aircraft authorities simply cannot agree on whether it is a car or a plane.
“The government and the authorities have never thought seriously about a flying car, says Alan Price ，the president of the company that has developed it. “I wanted a car that could fly and drive ，but it is difficult to find an organization prepared to insure the vehicle against accidents.
Nevertheless ? the company hopes to produce and deliver its first flying car soon. The company already has orders for 40 of them. The majority the potential customers are older and some are retired。There have even been orders from some people who have no pilot's license.
The flying car will cost around $ 200.000. “For an airplane ， that’s a very reasonable price， but for a car, It's quite expensive，” explains Alan. “But it just is not possible to make a $ 10，000 flying car yet. ”
This latest means of transport will not become a mass-market item in the near future，but in the long term it has the potential to change the way you travel. It will become no more expensive than driving your car on the motorway. Travel time could be reduced by more than half.
So the next time you are told to fasten your seat belt, it may be to prepare for take-off.
1.We know from the passage that the flying car______
A．has to run on special fuel B．will replace traditional planes
C．is popular with the rich D．can shift between two forms
2.The flying car is presently forbidden to take off because______.
A．many people think driving it not very safe
B．it’s hard to decide whether it's a car or a plane
C．the government and the authorities don’t accept it
D．there are still some technical problems to be solved
3.We can learn from the passage that______.
A．few people will be able to afford a flying car
B．flying cars may share the market in the future
C．traffic jams will disappear because of flying cars
D．driving a flying car doesn’t require a pilot’s license
A Faithful Father
My husband ,kissed me goodbye ，stroked, the baby’s cheek and then rushed out of the door ，into his busy day. With the cold of the morning fading, I fed my baby and it fell fast asleep. Usually I would place it in bed and quickly have the house somewhat in 36______ ,
This morning ，however, I stayed seated ,just 37_____,with the baby in my arms ,The thoughts ran into 38______ of the mornings with my husband, a father rushing out of the door to meet the obligations of life. It was only a small jump to thoughts of my own 39______
My mother passed away when I was ten, and as I looked 40 ______I could see how much of a family man my dad was. He went to work every morning and 41______ to his family every evening. He 42______ food, clothing, warmth ，and protection. He was a faithful father.
Setting the baby down ,I dialed the 43 ______ number. I had just realized the 44 ______ of the ordinary—the daily life going on around us that we often took for granted, and that it needed to be 45______
“Hi ，Dad. ” I said, 46______ back tears.
“Hey, Bud- How are you? ” 47______ was in his voice.:
“ Fine, Fm just calling to say. ,, thank you. ” I got it out before my throat 48______ too much for me to speak.
"What for?”
— For getting up and going to work every morning of ray life. Now that I have my' own 49______ and I see my husband doing the same ，I just wanted to thank you for being 50______ ”
There was 51______ for a moment as my dad composed himself ，and with a small . .52______ in his voice he said, “You’re welcome, Bud. ”
I don’t remember much of the rest of the call, 53______ that moment of revelation (显露） about my father, I will never forget. There are those who are known for their heroic 54 ______，and also those who are known for their fortunes and fame ，but it is the 55 ______everyday fathers who are the true heroes. I’m thankful that my father was one of them.
1. A．use B．line C．order D．fashion
2. A．thinking B．dreaming C．imagining D．praying
3. A．conversations B．struggles C．incidents D．memories
4. A．baby B．husband C．mother D．father
5. A．out B．away C．back D．around
6. A．moved B．returned C．escaped D．walked
7. A．provided B．collected C．sought D．bought
8. A．popular B．relative C．regular D．familiar
9. A．difference B．significance C．balance D．absence
10. A．recognized B．arranged C．reduced D．achieved
11. A．sending B．pushing C．holding D．putting
12. A．Sympathy B．Stress C．Doubt D．Concern
13. A．cleared B．hurt C．ached D．tightened
14. A．child B．duty C．plan D．career
15. A．inspiring B．faithful C．considerate D．admirable
16. A．peace B．calm C．silence D．rest
17. A．tremble B．hesitation C．passion D．sigh
18. A．and B．but C．or D．nor
19. A．ideas B．deeds C．remarks D．words
20. A．outstanding B．patient C．ordinary D．honest
Bamboo is one of the nature’s most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist recorded one bamboo plant that grew almost 1.5 meters in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo that grow around the world on both mountains and plains.
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Many Asian countries have been using bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for building new buildings. As a matter of fact, the cables(绳索) that hold up the hanging bridge across the Min River in Sichuan are made of bamboo. The bridge has been in use for more than 1,000 years, and is still holding strong.
In Africa, engineers are teaching poor farmers how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap ways to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. It seems that bamboo is one of the best things they can use. Bamboo pipes and drills(钻) can help to make the poor thirsty fields to be watered.
1.How is bamboo like grass?
A．It is thin and easy to cut. B．It grows everywhere.
C．It grows quickly after its cut short. D．It is short and green.
2.The underlined sentence “while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across.” means “Some other bamboo plants may grow to be very _______.”
A．short B．strong C．thick D．tall
3.From the text we know ______.
A．most people call bamboo plant trees
B．a bamboo plant may grow 4.5 meters in three days
C．the bamboo plant changes its colors when it grows
D．a bridge held by bamboo cable was built thousands of years ago
4.Why did the engineers teach the poor farmers in Africa to make use of bamboo?
A．Because it is cheap. B．Because it is colorful.
C．Because it drills fast. D．Because it is used by Asians.
5.Which of the following is NOT true?
A．There are many different kinds of bamboo with different colors.
B．Cables made of bamboo can last for over a thousand years.
C．Bamboo can be used for buildings, bridges and watering projects.
D．Bamboo plants are able to grow well in any part of the world.
It is "one of the few bright spots in the Chinese economy," says Zeng Ming． He is talking about e-commerce． Mr Zeng, the chief strategy officer for Alibaba, a giant Chinese Internet firm, predicts that digital transactions on his firm's platforms will top l trillion yuan （$159 billion） this year-more than Amazon's and eBay's combined． That is a bold claim, but consider what happened on Singles Sunday．
Invented a few years ago by students and seized upon by digital marketers, this festival for lonely hearts falls annually on the llth day of the llth month （since l is the loneliest number）．It is like St Valentine's Day, only worse． Singletons shower each other with tender gifts: a barrage of pearls; a storm of sweets．
This November llth they spent a surprising 19 billion yuan on Alibaba's online platforms-a fourfold increase on a year ago, and more than double what Americans spent online last Cyber Monday （the Monday after Thanksgiving, when retailers urge Americans to shop online）． About 100m purchases were logged, accounting for 80% of the packages shipped that day． Couriers（怏递员） were buried in parcels．
So life is good for China's e-tailers, then? Not exactly． The number of digital marketers is increasing and online sales are booming． Consumers are enjoying lower prices, better service and more variety． The problem? The pressure on profits in Chinese e-commerce is worse than in America, reckons Elinor Leung of CLSA, a broker． "Almost no one makes money," she says．
The fiercest battles are being fought between online retailers and their bricks-and-mortar（实体的） rivals．Dangdang, a firm． that resembles Amazon,．and 360buy, another online retailer, have cut prices fiercely． Tencent, a cash-rich online giant known for its instant-messaging software, is splashing out to win market share． 360buy has also just raised $400m from investors to do the same． But it is unclear how much longer such firms can burn through capital．
1.What's the best title of this passage?
A．The Ambition of Alibaba
B．Fierce Competition between Retailers
C．A Newly Sprung Festival for the Singles
D．Chinese Booming and Developing E-commerce
2.According to Zeng Ming, this year Alibaba will ．
A．outweigh Amazon and eBay in worldwide influence
B．rank top among all the Internet firms
C．have more than 159 billion dollars' sale
D．create another sales miracle just like the one on Singles Day
3.How many packages were shipped on November ll th from Alibaba's online platforms?
A．About 80 million． B．About 100 million．
C．About 125 million． D．About 180 million．
4.What's the author's attitude towards online retailers in China?
A．Optimistic． B．Concerned．
C．Sympathetic． D．Indifferent．
