Imagine, one day, getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours, and then, after a full day of work, going back home to Beijing and having dinner there.
Sounds unusual, doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic, with the development of China’s high-speed railway system. And that’s not all. China has an even greater high-speed railway plan— to connect the country with Southeast Asia, and eventually Eastern Europe.
China is negotiating to extend its own high-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years, eventually reaching London and Singapore.
China has proposed three such projects. The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia. Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and possibly to Germany. The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe.
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward, people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days.
The new system would still follow China’s high-speed railway standard. And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour, almost as fast as some airplanes.
China’s bullet train (高速客车), the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou, already has the world’s fastest average speed. It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours.
Of course, there are some technical challenges to overcome. There are so many issues that need to be settled, such as safety, rail gauge (轨距), maintenance of railway tracks. So, it’s important to pay attention to every detail.
But the key issue is really money. China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic railway expansion.
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment. Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development.
It’ll be a win-win project. For other countries, the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business, tourism and so on, not to mention the better communication among those countries.
For China, such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources, but would also help develop China’s far west. We foresee that in the coming decades, millions of people will migrate to the western regions, where the land is empty and resources unused. With high-speed trains, people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for all. And they’ll trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries.
【小题1】China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because _______.

A.China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions
B.China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways
C.China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries
D.the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation, business and tourism
【小题2】According to the passage, the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is _______.
A.technical issuesB.safety of the system
C.financial problemsD.maintenance of railway tracks
【小题3】Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed railway plan?
A.Critical.B.Reserved.C.DoubtfulD.Positive.

In 1995, Susan Boyle went to Glasgow to audition (试演) for My Kind of people, a televised talent show popular in the UK. She was immediately rejected. She was nervous during the audition, and felt she didn't perform well, but her brother said that she was rejected because of her plain looks. Boyle was not discouraged and continued to sing at church and at the karaoke nights in a local pub.
Boyle suffered a personal loss in 1997, when her father passed away. After his death. Boyle put her big dreams on hold to care for her sick mother Bridget Boyle. The mother and daughter often talked of Susan's possible fame. Bridget Boyle encouraged her daughter to take part in singing competitions. “She was the one who said I should enter Britain's Got Talent. We used to watch it together.” Susan later told reporters. “She thought I would win.”
In 1999, Boyle used all of her savings to pay for a professional demo (样本唱片) tape. which she sent to record companies. In 2002, Boyle began taking singing lessons from voice coach Fred O'Neil.
In 2007, Boyle's mother passed away at the age of 91. A neighbor reported that when Bridget Boyle died, her daughter “wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone.” She lived alone with her cat, Pebbles. For over a year, she refused to sing. But in August of 2008, O'Neil urged her to try out for Britain's Got Talent. Convinced that the performance would be an honor to her mother, Boyle auditioned in Glasgow, Scotland. She sang I Dreamed A Dream in the first round of the show, which was aired on 11 April 2009.
The 47-year-old Scottish woman's plain looks provided a sharp contrast (对比) to her powerfully beautiful voice. The performance astonished the audience and the judges. Online videos of her performance totaled over 40 million views within a week. Although she failed to win the final of Britain's Got Talent, Susan Boyle became globally popular. Her first album I Dreamed A Dream has sold over five million copies.
【小题1】Bridget Boyle's attitude towards her daughter's musical talent can be described as      .

A.critical B.doubtfulC.indifferent D.optimistic
【小题2】From Para. 4 we learn that Boyle      .
A.was slightly discouraged by her voice coach
B.entered Britain's Got Talent to prove her ability
C.decided to give up her singing career
D.was deeply affected by her mother's death
【小题3】Which of the following is TRUE about Susan Boyle?
A.Her international fame grew rapidly in 2008.
B.Her audition for My Kind of People failed.
C.She has never stopped singing since 1995.
D.She was the winner of Britain's Got Talent.
【小题4】In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to      .
A.tell us how Boyle's dream came true
B.let us know more about Boyle's personal life
C.show how Boyle was influenced by her family
D.explain how to enter and win a talent show


PART THREE  READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
An Indian civil servant, SM Raju, has come up with a new way of providing employment for millions of poor people in Bihar. His campaign to encourage people to plant trees effectively addresses two burning issues of the world: global warming and shrinking job opportunities.
Mr Raju’s success could clearly be seen on 30 August, 2009 when he organized 300,000 villagers from over 7,500 villages in northern Bihar to engage in a mass tree planting ceremony.
Mr Raju has linked his “social forestry” program to the central government’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), which is also designed to provide employment for poor people. Under NREGA — started in February 2006 as the government’s most ambitious employment generation scheme for poor people — the authorities are bound by law to provide a minimum of 100 days of employment a year for members of families living below the poverty line. About 44% of Bihar’s population fall into this category.
Mr Raju says that Bihar — being the poorest and most lawless state of India — hasn’t been able to spend the allocated (分配的) NREGA funds. “This is because of a lack of awareness among officials about the scheme,” he said. “So the idea struck to my mind: why not involve families below the poverty line in social forestry and give them employment under this scheme for 100 days? Under the scheme, each family can earn a minimum of 10,200 rupees ($210).”
The civil servant immediately made a plan of his idea. In June, Mr Raju published a booklet of “dos and don’ts” and distributed it to village heads. His plan meant that NREGA funds were fully used — in the past this hasn’t always been the case.
“I told the villagers they would get 100 days employment in a year simply by planting trees and protecting them. The old and disabled would be given preference,” he explained.
Every village council has now been given a target of planting 50,000 saplings — a group of four families have to plant 200 trees and they must protect them for three years till the plants grow stronger.
“They would get the full payment if they can ensure the survival of 90% of the plants under their care. For a 75-80% survival rate, they’ll be paid only half the wage. For less than 75%, the families in the group will be replaced,” the guidelines say.
Significantly, his scheme has even stopped the migration of poor labourers from the area in search of employment elsewhere.
56. According to the passage, the main purpose of SM Raju’s “social forestry” program is to _____.
A. promote the practice of NREGA
B. make efforts to prevent global warming
C. increase the employment of poor people
D. prevent poor people from migrating elsewhere
57 According to the passage, the poor people in Bihar don’t make full use of NREGA funds because _____.
A. the local officials don’t realize the importance of NREGA
B. the local government doesn’t get enough support from the central government
C. the local poor people know little about NREGA
D. Bihar is the most lawless state in India
58. We can infer from the passage that _____.
A. most people in Bihar will benefit from NREGA
B. the old and disabled people are not involved in tree planting
C. families who can’t ensure 75% survival rate of the trees will not be paid
D. Raju’s new plan will reduce Bihar’s population below the poverty line
59. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. There’s a good way to deal with global warming
B. Tree planting provides employment for the poor
C. Tree planting solves the problem of unemployment
D. Raju’s “social forestry” program wins the support of NREGA
60. How can villagers get more NREGA funds?
A. Thinking better ways to stop global warming
B. Working hard for one hundred days
C. Planting more trees and ensuring the survival of plants
D. Stopping moving from the area to search employment elsewhere

“Well, what did I say?Buck’s a real fighter, all right,” said Francois the next morning when he discovered that Spitz had disappeared and that Buck was covered in blood.
“Spitz fought like a wolf,” said Perrault, as he looked at the bites all over Buck.
“And Buck fought like ten wolves,” answered Francois. “And we'll travel faster now. No more Spitz,no more trouble.”
Francois started to harness the dogs. He needed a new lead-dog, and decided that Solleks was the best dog that he had. But Buck jumped at Solleks and took his place.
“Look at Buck!” said Francois,laughing. “He's killed Spitz,and now he wants to be lead-dog.Go away, Buck!”
He pulled Buck away and tried to harness Solleks again.Solleks was unhappy too. He was frightened of Buck, and when Francois turned his back,Buck took Solleks’ place again. Now Francois was angry.
“I'll show you! ” he cried,and went to get a heavy club from the sledge.
Buck remembered the man in the red coat,and moved away. This time,when Solleks was harnessed as lead-dog,Buck did not try to move in.He kept a few meters away and circled around Francois carefully. But when Francois called him to his old place in front of Dave, Buck refused.He had won his fight with Spitz and he wanted to be lead-dog.
For an hour the two men tried to harness him.Buck did not run away,but he did not let them catch him.Finally,Francois sat down,and Perrault looked at his watch.It was getting late. The two men looked at one another and smiled. Francois walked up to Solleks,took off his harness, led him back and harnessed him in his old place.Then he called Buck. All the other dogs were harnessed and the only empty place was now the one at the front. But Buck did not move.
“Put down the club,” said Perrault.
Francois dropped the club, and immediately Buck came up to the front of the team.Francois harnessed him, and in a minute the sledge was moving.
Buck was an excellent leader. He moved and thought quickly and led the other dogs well. A new leader made no difference to Dave and Solleks; they continued to pull hard.But the other dogs had had an easy life when Spitz was leading.They were surprised when Buck made them work hard and punished them for their mistakes. Pike,the second dog,was usually lazy;but by the end of the first day he was pulling harder than he had ever pulled in his life. The first night in camp Buck fought Joe,another difficult dog,and after that there were no more problems with him.The team started to pull together,and to move faster and faster.
“I've never seen a dog like Buck!” cried Francois, “Never! He's worth a thousand dollars. What do you think, Perrault? ”
Perrault agreed.They were moving quickly,and covering more ground every day. The snow was good and hard,and no new snow fell.The temperature dropped to 45°C below zero, and didn't change.
This time there was more ice on the Thirty Mile River, and they crossed in a day.Some days they ran a hundred kilometers,or even more. They reached Skagway in fourteen days; the fastest time ever.
【小题1】The writer mentioned “the man in the red coat” in the passage to show that____.

A.the man in the red coat once beat Buck severely with a club.
B.Buck remembered Francois was the man in the red coat.
C.the man in the red was quite friendly to Buck in his memory.
D.Buck remembered Francois was a friend of the man in the red coat.
【小题2】Why did Buck fight Joe the first night in camp?
A.He wanted to get rid of Joe.
B.He wanted to make some trouble.
C.He was interested in fighting with others.
D.He wanted to teach Joe a lesson.
【小题3】According to the passage, which of the following is true about the other dogs?
A.Dave stood in the second position in the team.
B.Joe was always quite lazy in the team.
C.Pike was a trouble-maker in the team.
D.Solleks was hard-working in the team.
【小题4】What did Francois think of Buck at the end of the passage?
A.annoying B.admirable C.aggressive D.average
【小题5】Which of the following best shows that Buck was an excellent leader?
A.He killed Spitz at the beginning of the story.
B.He punished them for their mistakes.
C.He fought Joe the first night in camp.
D.They reached Skagway in the fastest time ever.
【小题6】Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.The Fight with Dogs B.The New Lead-dog
C.A Dog Called Buck D.A Real Fighter

What does it mean to say that we live in a world of persuasion? It means that we live among competing interests. Your roommate’s need to study for an exam may take priority(优先)over pizza. Your instructor may have good reasons not to change your grade. And the object of your romantic interest may have other choices.
  In such a world, persuasion is the art of getting others to give fair and favorable consideration to our point of view. When we persuade, we want to influence how others believe and behave. We may not always prevail— other points of view may be more persuasive, depending on the listener, the situation, and the merits of the case. But when we practice the art of persuasion, we try to ensure that our position receives the attention it deserves.
  Some people, however, object to the very idea of persuasion. They may regard it as an unwelcome interruption into their lives. Just the opposite, we believe that persuasion is unavoidable — to live is to persuade. Persuasion may be ethical(合乎道义的)or unethical, selfless or selfish, inspiring or degrading. Persuaders may enlighten our minds or catch our vulnerability(弱点). Ethical persuasion, however, calls on sound reasoning and is sensitive to the feelings and needs of listeners. Such persuasion can help us apply the wisdom of the past to the decisions we now must make. Therefore, the most basic part of education is learning to resist the one kind of persuasion and to encourage and practice the other.
  Beyond its personal importance to us, persuasion is necessary to society. The right to persuade and be persuaded is the bedrock of the American political system, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution(美国宪法).
【小题1】According to the passage, persuasion means ________.

A.changing others’ point of view
B.exercising power over other people
C.getting other people to consider your point of view
D.getting people to agree with you and do what you want
【小题2】The underlined word in the second paragraph “prevail” means“________”.
A.winB.failC.speakD.listen
【小题3】The passage states that some people object to persuasion because they think it is ________.
A.a danger to societyB.difficult to do well
C.unwelcome behaviorD.never successful
【小题4】The passage mainly discusses ________.
A.people’s different opinions towards persuasion
B.the reasons why people persuade
C.that persuasion is both good and bad
D.that persuasion is important and it is all around us

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网