题目内容

To most people, noise pollution is a jet flying over their head. For one Spanish woman, it is a neighbor playing the piano. The woman has taken her neighbor to court. Now she wants to send her neighbor to prison for over seven years on the charges of psychological damage and noise pollution.

In a country known for its noisiness, the case has raised eyebrows. Neighbors often complain about street noise in Spain, but people seeking prison time for someone practicing the piano is unheard of. At the trial, Sonia Bosom says she has been suffering noise pollution up to now due to the practice sessions of Laia Martin, who lives below her. Martin, 27, didn’t admit that she played at home that often, saying she took regular classes in other towns and mostly practiced at home on the weekends.

On the first day of the trial, the newspaper reported that Bosom told the court she now hated pianos so much that she couldn’t even stand seeing them in a film.

Bosom says years of hearing constant playing has caused her “psychological injury”. Medical reports show she has suffered from a variety of problems, including insomnia (失眠), anxiety, and panic attacks.

She says tests by local authorities have found that the sound levels made by the piano are up to 10 decibels (分贝) higher than the limit. City authorities(权威)have asked the family several times to either stop the piano playing or soundproof (隔音) the room. The family told the court they carried out soundproofing work twice but the complaints continued.

The court hasn’t made a final decision. A spokeswoman says the trial will end before May.

1.Bosom wants to send Martin to prison because ________.

A. Martin’s playing the piano damaged her health

B. Bosom suffered from heart attack

C. Martin refused to take regular classes in other towns

D. Martin flew a jet over her head

2.How did Laia Martin respond to the complaints?

A. She stopped playing the piano.

B. She soundproofed the room.

C. She didn’t admit she played at home.

D. She took her neighbor to court.

3.Which of the following may probably be the best title for the passage?

A. A 7-year Sentence Caused by the Piano

B. Pianist Charged with Noise Pollution

C. Health Problems of a Spanish Woman

D. Actions Against Noise by Local Authority

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The booking notes of the play “the Age of Innocence”:

Price: $10

BOOKING

There are four easy ways to book seats for performance:

------ in person

The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a. m. -8 p. m.

------ by telephone

Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card

(Visa, MasterCard and Amex accepted)

------ by post

Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office.

------ on line

Complete the on-line booking form at www. Satanfiedtheatre. com

DICOUNTS:

Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday. Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students.

Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show.

Standby: best available seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible(suitable)for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers.

Group Bookings:

There is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more.

School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free.

Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

1.If you want to book a ticket, you CANNOT ________.

A. use the Internet

B. ring the booking number and pay for the tickets by credit card

C. complete a booking form and post it to the Box Office

D. go to the Box Office on Sundays

2.If you make a group booking for a group of 14 adults, how much should you pay?

A. $126.B.$150.C. $140.D. $120.

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. There are only 8 wheelchair spaces in the theater.

B. A school party of 15 students should pay 90 for the standby tickets.

C. A group of 12 persons can get 10 percent discount.

D. The audience can’t refund money if the performance is on show.

4.What kind of tickets are the cheapest?

A. The tickets for Saver discount.

B. The tickets for group booking.

C. The standby tickets.

D. The standby tickets for school parties of ten or more.

You get anxious if there’s no wi-fi in the hotel or mobile phone signal up the mountain. You feel upset if your phone is getting low on power, and you secretly worry things will go wrong at work if you’re not there. All these can be called “always on” stress caused by smart phone addiction.

For some people, smart phones have liberated them from the nine-to-five work. Flexible working has given them more autonomy(自主权) in their working lives and enabled them to spend more time with their friends and families. For many others though, smart phones have become tyrants (暴君) in their pockets, never allowing them to turn them off, relax and recharge their batteries.

Pittsburgh-based developer Kevin Holesh was worried about how much he was ignoring his family and friends in favour of his iPhone. So he developed an app — Moment — to monitor his usage. The app enables users to see how much time They’re spending on the device and set up warnings if the usage limits are breached (突破). “Moment’s goal is to promote balance in your life,” his website explains. “Some time on your phone, some time off it enjoying your loving family and friends around you.”

Dr Christine Grant, an occupational psychologist at Coventry University, said, “The effects of this ‘always on’ culture are that your mind is never resting, and you’re not giving your body time to recover, so you’re always stressed. And the more tired and stressed we get, the more mistakes we make. Physical and mental health can suffer.”

And as the number of connected smart phones is increasing, so is the amount of data. This is leading to a sort of decision paralysis (瘫痪) and is creating more stress in the workplace because people have to receive a broader range of data and communications which are often difficult to manage. “It actually makes it more difficult to make decisions and many do less because they’re controlled by it all and feel they can never escape the office,” said Dr Christine Grant.

1.What’s the first paragraph mainly about?

A. The popularity of smart phones.

B. The progress of modern technology.

C. The signs of “always on” stress.

D. The cause of smart phone addiction.

2.Kevin Holesh developed Moment to ________.

A. research how people use their mobile phones

B. help people control their use of mobile phones

C. make people better use mobile phones

D. increase the fun of using mobile phones

3.What’s Dr Christine Grant’s attitude towards “always on” culture?

A. Confused.B. Positive.C. Doubtful.D. Critical.

4.According to the last paragraph, a greater amount of data means ________.

A. we will become less productive

B. we can make a decision more quickly

C. we will be equipped with more knowledge

D. we can work more effectively

完形填空

阅读下列短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。)

I have forgotten the name of the old lady, who was a customer on my newspaper route. Yet it ___________in my memory that she taught me a lesson in ___________ that I shall never forget.

On a winter afternoon, a friend and I were __________ stones onto the roof of the old lady's house near her garden. The _________ was to observe how the stones changed to missiles(导弹) as they __________to the roof’ s edge and fell into the yard like comets(彗星) falling from the _________ . I found myself a perfectly smooth rock and threw it. The stone was too _________ , however, so it slipped from my hand as I let it go and headed straight for a small _________ . At the sound of broken glass, we knew we were in _________ . We ran faster than any of our stones flew off her roof.

I was too _________ about getting caught that first night to be _________ about the old lady with the broken window in winter. _________ , a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been discovered, I started to feel _________ for her trouble. She still greeted me with a smile each day when I gave her the newspaper, but I was no longer able to act _________ when seeing her.

I decided that I would save my paper delivery money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I thought would _________ the cost of her window and sent it to her in an envelope.

The next day, I _________ the old lady her paper. She thanked me for the paper and gave me a bag of biscuits she had made herself. I thanked her and ate the biscuits _________ I continued my route.

After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the _________ . When I opened the envelope, I was _________. Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that _________ ,“I'm proud of you.”

1.A. fails B. fades C. impresses D. remains

2.A. forgiveness B. value C. honesty D. gratefulness

3.A. collecting B. putting C. throwing D. placing

4.A. subject B. theme C. topic D. object

5.A. shot B. rolled C. got D. dropped

6.A. earth B. ocean C. sky D. universe

7.A. smooth B. square C. heavy D. beautiful

8.A. ceiling B. door C. chimney D. window

9.A. danger B. trouble C. surprise D. comfort

10.A. scared B. excited C. disappointed D. confused

11.A. frightened B. depressed C. puzzled D. concerned

12.A. However B. Therefore C. Besides D.Furthermore

13.A. honored B. guilty C. pleased D. pressed

14.A. proud B. active C. comfortable D. energetic

15.A. include B. increase C. cover D. mend

16.A. handed B. turned C. passed D. sent

17.A. because B. where C. since D. as

18.A. paper B. pocket C. bag D. wallet

19.A. annoyed B. surprised C. amused D. delighted

20.A. attached B. said C. told D. wrote

A recent housing project in Helsinki offers remarkably cheap apartments for those under the age of 25. They must commit to spending time with their older neighbors.

Helsinki offers 247-suqare-foot studio apartments with a bathroom, storage space, kitchen, and balcony for only $272 every month—about a third of the average price for a studio in the city. The apartment is inside homes for the elderly, and the young renter must spend between three to five hours with their elderly neighbors each week.

Like pretty much all other major cities in the world, Finland’s capital of Helsinki has faced rapid population growth in recent years. And with population growth, comes an inevitable rise in the cost of living, and of course, sharp increase in rent. Currently, Helsinki is ranked 14th on the list of the world’s most expensive cities. For those young and freshly independent, this causes terrible problems — even homelessness.

"It's a very expensive city to live in," Mr. Bostrom writes in an email to CNN’s Eoghan Macguire. "If you manage to get an apartment that the city owns, it can be quite affordable. The screening criteria included the ability to participate in a variety of activities, such as cooking or playing instruments, but the number of applicants for those apartments is so high that waiting list takes forever,” he says.

According to Helsinki’s Youth Housing Association, the city council aims to ensure that every young person will have a home by 2018. Miki Mielonen, a representative of the youth department, says this project, currently in its trial stages, will help out young people while offering social benefits to senior citizens. “I think there is quite a rigid opinion in Finland with many people thinking young of the old ideas that we are going to break down.”

1.Helsinki probably rents a cheap apartment to a young man who ________.

A. reaches the age of 25

B. has financial problems

C. promises to accompany the elderly

D. agrees to share it with his neighbor

2.Which is the root reason for the housing problems in Helsinki?

A. The population explosion.

B. The high living standard.

C. World’s priciest apartment rent.

D. Low employment of college graduates.

3.According to Mr Bostrom, the cheap apartments are ________.

A. well-decorated

B. difficult to afford

C. in short supply

D. popular with technicians

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. The young in Helsinki are mostly homeless.

B. Helsinki will overcome people’s prejudice.

C. The project will be experimental in future.

D. The project is more beneficial to the young.

“Mama, when I grow up, I’m going to be one of those!” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three. It was the first time that my ____________ took on a vivid form and acted as something important to start my training. As I grew older and was ____________ to more, my interests in the world of dance ___________ varied but that little girl’s dream of someday becoming a __________ in the company never left me. In the summer of 2005 when I was 18, I received the phone call which made that dream a ____________; I became a member of the company ___________ back to 1925.

As I look back on that day now, it surely ___________ any sense of reality. I believe I stayed in a state of pleasant disbelief ___________ I was halfway through rehearsals (排练) on my first day. I never actually ___________ to get the job. After being offered the position, I was completely ___________. I remember shaking with excitement.

Though I was absolutely thrilled with the change, it did not come without its fair share of __________. Through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week, I found it vital to ___________ up the material fast with every last bit of concentration. It is that extreme ___________ to detail (细节) and stress on practice that set us ___________ To then follow those high-energy rehearsals _____________ a busy show schedule of up to five performances a day, I discovered a new __________ of the words “hard work.” What I thought were my physical ___________ were pushed much further than I thought ___________. I learned to make each performance better than the last.

Today, when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great ____________ of being a part of, not only as a member, but as a dance captain, I see a __________that has inspired not only generations of little girls but a splendid company that continues to develop and grow-and inspires people every day to follow their dreams.

1.A. hobby B. plan C. dream D. word

2.A connected B. expanded C. exposed D. extended

3.A. rarely B. certainly C. probably D. consistently

4.A. director B. trainer C. leader D. dancer

5.A. symbol B. memory C. truth D. reality

6.A. bouncing B. dating C. turning D. tracking

7.A. lacks B. adds C. makes D. brings

8.A. while B. since C. until D. when

9.A. Cared B. Expected C. Asked D. Decided

10.A. motivated B. relaxed C. convinced D. astonished

11.A. challenges B. profits C. advantages D. adventures

12.A. put B. mix C. build D. pick

13.A. Attention B. association C. attraction D. adaptation

14.A. apart B. aside C. off D. back

15.A. over B. by C. with D. beyond

16.A. function B. meaning C. expression D. usage

17.A. boundaries B. problems C. barriers D. efforts

18.A. necessary B. perfect C. proper D. possible

19.A. talent B. honor C. potential D. responsibility

20.A. victory B. trend C. tradition D. Desire

In the United States and several other countries , 2.5 million children play baseball in an organization called Little League . They play on teams in their hometowns . Their parents and other adults in the community coach or instruct them and serve as umpires(裁判员)to make sure that everyone follows the rules . Local businesses give money for the ball fields and the uniforms . Local teams compete against each other and the winners get to play teams that are more distant . Eventually , the top teams go to the Little League World Series .

One hundred years after Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown , New York , in 1839 , Little League got started in Pennsylvania . Three men started the game for neighborhood boys with a smaller playing field and fewer innings(局)than adult baseball . Little League became popular after World War II when the game spread across the United States . By 1955 it was played throughout North America and within five years it had spread to Europe . Children’s baseball really caught on in Japan and Taiwan of China and teams from those areas won the World Series seven out of eight years . After this , the organization tried banning foreign teams from the World Series , but the ban came to an end after one year .

At first , Little League was only for boys aged nine to twelve . However , in 1974 , the parents of girl baseball players brought a law suit . The courts ruled that Little League had to include both boys and girls . Later Little League added on softball and other games for teenagers up to age eighteen . Occasionally , a Little Leaguer becomes a professional player . For example , Gary Carter went from Little League to play nineteen seasons in the Major Leagues , ten of them as an All-Star player . By and large , youngsters play baseball for fun , but their parents are pround of them .

1.The mothers and fathers of Little League players __________ .

A. travel with the children

B. help run the games

C. give the teams money

D. play in the World Series

2.When had Little League spread to Europe ?

A. By 1839 . B. By 1955 . C. By 1960 . D. By 1974 .

3. Most players take part in Little League __________ .

A. to enjoy the game

B. to become professionals

C. to play in All-Star games

D. to make their parents proud

4.What is TRUE about players today ?

A. Girl have to buy their suits .

B. Only boys can play in Little League .

C. Girls and boys can participate up to age 18 .

D. Foreign players are banned from the World Series .

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