Have you ever been to the world's smallest bookstore?

The World's Smallest Bookstore,whose official name is just these three words,sits quietly about 100 miles northeast of Toronto.

The bookstore is about 10 feet by 10 feet,so it is easy to imagine how tiny it really is.The bookstore is open 24 hours a day.Inside the bookstore are various books,especially literary books and classic authors' works.So if you are looking for something less popular,you may get a bit disappointed there.

Another special feature of this bookstore is that each book only costs three dollars.All the expenses are paid on the honor system,which means buyers should make a note of what they've bought and leave their money by themselves.So the tools of the trade in this bookstore are quite simple: pens,papers,light bulbs and a label-maker.

In order to catch passers-by's attention,the billboards(广告牌)of the bookstore are several times bigger than the store itself.With these large eye-catchers,many people are willing to stop by and have a visit.

1.What's the passage mainly about?___

A. The world's smallest bookstore.

B. A strange way of selling books.

C. The popular books nowadays.

D. The popular bookstores in the world.

2.When can you buy a book in the store?___

A. In the morning.

B. In the afternoon.

C. At night.

D. At any time of the day.

3.Which of the following books might you most probably get in the store?___

A. Books on popular science.

B. Literary books.

C. The year book of a university.

D. Books on economic control.

4.How does the store attract readers' attention?___

A. By putting up a huge billboard.

B. By making ads on TV.

C. By broadcasting loud music.

D. By handing out ads in the street.

There is a lot to learn about the creations of Beatrix Potter—not only is she the author and illustrator of one of the world's most famous children's books,The Tale of Peter Rabbit,but also a pioneering conservationist with the spirit of a scientist.

"Potter grew up as the daughter of a wealthy Victorian family,but along with her brother who filled an entire floor of their large house in London with all sorts of animals,"said Anne Lundin,a retired professor for the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies.

"As an adult,she was a frustrated botanical illustrator and scientist.That field was not open to her because she was female,"Lundin said.Potter was urged to tum the charming illustrations and stories she wrote in letters to children into books.She wrote 23 books in all—a body of work that has inspired plays,ballets,films and an astonishing amount of merchandise.

"The Tale of Peter Rabbit is probably the most famous children's book in the world,which was published in 1902 and has really stood the test of time.It's been translated into 36 languages.The parents and grandparents will share it with the next generation,"said Lundin.

Potter also made a mark on the world through her land conservation."In many ways,she was like Peter Rabbit, venturing into a world of adventure and risk.She withdrew from London as soon as she started making some money on her books to the Lake District and became an extremely important farmer and conservationist.She preserved and passed on 15 farms and over 4,000 acres,which were given back to the country as gifts in the 20th century,"said Lundin.

Even though she was born 150 years ago,she was amazingly modern—her embracing of the natural world, commented Jennifer Blatchley Smith,an artistic director of the show Peter Rabbit Tales to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Potter's birth.

1.What helped Beatrix Potter to write The Tale of Peter Rabbit successfully ?

A. Her life and work experiences.

B. Her specialty in animated(动画)pictures.

C. Her success in becoming a botanical scientist.

D. Her interest in animals in childhood alone.

2.What does the word "frustrated" in the third paragraph mean?

A. Disappointed. B. Devoted.

C. Motivated. D. Inspired.

3.What is Beatrix Potter?

A. A botanist and artist.

B. An extremely important farmer and successful scientist.

C. A writer,conservationist and farmer.

D. An artistic director.

4.Why does the author write the article?

A. In celebration of Potter's 150th birthday.

B. In honour of Potter's new contributions.

C. In praise of Potter's spirit of selflessness.

D. In support of Potter's book promotions.

Thousands of persons in Peru are suffering from the disease cholera. Medical experts say it is the first time in their century that cholera has reached the western part of the world. The United States Centers for disease control says the kind of cholera has been spreading throughout the world since 1961. It was discovered that year in Indonesia. Since the first case in Peru, more than sixteen thousand people have been affected and about one hundred have died.

Cholera is caused by polluted food and water. People become infected (传染) when they eat the polluted food or drink the polluted water. If untreated immediately, they may die within hours. Most victims however, can be saved. Treatment includes drugs and replacement of body fluids (液体) directly into the blood.

Medical researchers have developed a vaccine (菌苗) medicines to protect against cholera. But the vaccine is only about 50% effective. And it protects against cholera for only about six months. Medical experts say the best way to fight cholera is to prevent it. They also say people should not eat uncooked food or food that has not been cooked long enough. People who live in areas where cholera has been found should wash their hands before eating and cooking. They should drink only water that has been boiled or made pure with chemicals.

1.The underlined word “Cholera” in the first paragraph means ________.

A. a certain place in Peru

B. a kind of illness which may make people die

C. a certain place in Indonesia

D. a certain medicine to deal with diseases

2.Cholera results from (由于……结果) ________.

A. Peru and Indonesia

B. the different peoples in the world

C. the different areas in the world

D. polluted water and polluted food

3.How to treat the people who have been caught by cholera?

A. By medicines and blood improvement.

B. By eating unpolluted food.

C. By drinking unpolluted water.

D. By taking them to a separated place.

4.The most effective way of avoiding cholera is ________.

A. seeing doctors as soon as possible

B. fighting against it

C. paying attention to the eating and drinking

D. taking vaccine immediately

More people are dying from hepatitis(肝炎) than AIDS and tuberculosis, warns World Health Organization. The World Health Organization(WHO) has urged for action to wipe out hepatitis as ongoing illness worsens.

In its first global report on the infection, it said the number of people dying from treatable forms of the disease, often caused by alcohol and drug abuse, is rising. Viral hepatitis is believed to have killed 1.34 million people in 2015, and amount similar to that of tuberculosis.

But while those are both falling, hepatitis deaths are on the rise—increasing by 22 per cent since the turn of the century.

However, most of the 325 million people infected are completely unaware they have the virus and some lack life-saving medicines. As a result, millions of people are at risk of a slow progression to chronic liver disease, cancer and even death, the WHO warned, Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO, said: “Viral hepatitis is now a major public health challenge that requires an urgent response.”

The two most common forms, which are responsible for 96 per cent of deaths from the disease, are hepatitis B(HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV)

HBV can be passed on through unprotected sex and bodily fluids(液体). It requires life-long treatment with a drug commonly used to battle HIV. New infections of this type of the disease are falling, thanks to a vaccine given to 84 per cent of newborns across the world. However, just nine per cent of sufferers know they are infected, meaning many go under the radar and miss out on treatment.

HCV, usually spread through blood-to-blood contact with an infected person, can be cured relatively swiftly, but many patients across the world are unable to afford the medication. Around 1.75 million people were newly infected with HCV in 2015, bringing the global total to 71 million, figures suggests. But four fifths of those infected with this type of the disease are unaware they are suffering, the WHO warned.

Experts looking at the cases have identified unsafe healthcare procedure and injection drug use as the top causes. Gottfried Hirnschall, director of WHO’s Department of HIV and the Global Hepatitis Programme, said the WHO was working with governments, drugmakers and diagnostics companies to improve access.

He added: More countries are making hepatitis services available for people in need—a diagnostic test cost less than $1 (78p) and the cure for hepatitis C can be below $ 200 (£156). But the data clearly highlight the urgency with which we must address the remaining gaps in testing and treatment.

Charles Gore, president of the World Hepatitis Alliance, said: “For the first time in the history of viral hepatitis, we have an understanding of the true impact of the disease.”

1.Who are likely to die from the treatable hepatitis?

A. Those taking medicines. B. Those suffering from cancer.

C. Those caring their illnesses. D. Those being heavy drinkers.

2.What can we learn about hepatitis B?

A. Patients need to take drugs for the rest of their lives.

B. People will not get the new infections due to a vaccine.

C. Patients can be cured effectively at a costly price.

D. People will get infected through blood accidentally.

3.According to the statistics in 2015, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Hepatitis C is responsible for 96 per cent of deaths.

B. Around 1.75 million people were newly infected with hepatitis.

C. Most of those infected with HCV are aware they are suffering.

D. Tuberculosis is believed to have killed more than 1 million people.

4.The main purpose of writing the passage is _____.

A. to call on the public to fight with hepatitis

B. to request the public to care about the hepatitis patients

C. to warn the public to learn of the danger of the disease

D. to persuade the public to take regular examinations yearly

Smog in Europe and North America could be more than 25 times more deadly than the average air pollution found in Chinese cities, a new study suggests. In the largest ever study of its kind in the developing world, researchers tested the effects of air pollution on the health of people in 272 cities in China.

They found average annual exposure to fine particles, known as PM2.5, in those cities was more than five times higher than the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a paper in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

However they also discovered that it was much less likely to increase the death rate than PM2.5 in Europe and North America.

The researchers, led by Dr Maigeng Zhou, of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, suggested this was because China is affected by large amounts of natural dust blown by the wind from arid areas, while most pollution in the West comes from industry.

They found that for every increase of 10 micrograms of air pollution in a cubic meter of air, the mortality rate increased by 0.22 percent, discounting deaths from accidents.

Professor Frank Kelly, an expert in environmental health at King’s College London, who was not involved in the study but has studied air pollution in China, told The Independent: “Those relative risks are considerably less than those seen in Europe and the US. For mortality(死亡率) in Europe we are working on a six percent increase per 10 micrograms.” That suggests air pollution in Europe is about 27 times more toxic than average air pollution in China.

However, Professor Kelly said cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong were likely to suffer from Western-style air pollution. "The natural dust component there is not of the magnitude that it would dwarf the coal, biomass and fossil fuel signals,” he said, “That may be true in certain cities whose pollution is not dominated by local power generation or major traffic congestion.”

Natural dust particles can cause physical damage to the lungs and trigger an asthma attack. Particles of carbon produced when fossil fuels are burned can lead to similar problems but they are also coated with toxic heavy metals, chemicals and volatile organic compounds. These are able to pass from the lungs into the blood stream where it is thought they cause further damage to the body.

Areeba Hamid, an air pollution campaigner with environmental group Greenpeace, said: “Poisonous air causes damage to people’s health wherever in the world they live. We now know fumes from diesel(柴油机) vehicles are a lot more poisonous than car companies claimed and this is a big cause of air pollution in Europe and North America. These companies have a lot to answer for, but so far they’ve managed to avoid any real accountability.”

The study of cities in China found the average annual expose to PM2.5 was 56 micrograms per cubic meter, compared to the WHO guideline limit for safe air quality of 10 micrograms.

People who were older than 75, had less education or who lived in hotter places were more likely to die. It is thought people in warmer cities were more likely to spend time outside or leave their windows open, thereby breathing more polluted air, the researchers said. They also speculated that less well educated people might have poorer access to health care or experience poorer environmental health conditions.

1.Why PM2.5 in China is less deadly than that in Europe and North America?

A. China is free from any pollution about PM2.5.

B. Pollutants affecting China mainly come from arid areas.

C. Fewer people died from PM 2.5 in China than those in Europe and North America.

D. Europe and North America are polluted by natural dust.

2.What does the underlined part in Para 7 refer to?

A. The average mortality rate. B. The higher mortality rate.

C. The lower mortality rate. D. The normal mortality rate.

3.What’s the real cause of air pollution in Europe and North America according to Areeba Hamid?

A. Fumes from diesel vehicles are much more poisonous.

B. The environmental agencies can’t take on responsibilities.

C. The technology doesn’t meet the standards.

D. Car companies can’t evaluate the results.

4.The author’s purpose of writing the passage is to ________.

A. appeal to people to lay an emphasis on environmental protection

B. illustrate smog in Europe and North America is quite serious

C. demonstrate China is safest place in the world to live in

D. provide some good ways to address the smog

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