If, for some reason, you had 2,010 empty plastic bottles, what would you do? You’d probably sell them cheaply, right? But Xia Yu collected 2,010bottles and built a boat with them, As you read this, Xia is, in fact, on a river somewhere in Anhuai, slowly going towards his destination: the Expo Garden in Shanghai.2,010 plastic bottles was to celebrate Expo (世博会) 2010 Shanghai.On the opening day of the Expo, Xia, together with five friends, went on a 1,500 – km journey from Xiangtan to the Expo Garden, in spite of the doubt whether they’ll make it.After all, the boat they are on can hardly be called a boat.It cost only 2,000 yuan to build in a month.
What’s keeping Xia going is a major cause behind the trip.“We are examining water pollution through our journey and trying to promote a low – carbon (低碳) lifestyle.Before we started, no one believed we could sail the boat to the Dongting Lake.But we made it.” But as they expected, the journey has not always been smooth.Of the six from Xiangtan, four gave up.As of the press time (到发稿时), only Xia and his friend Huang Ying were on the boat.Huang suffered from a disease when they reached Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, Xia said, “There are so many things that can stop up from making it to Shanghai, like the weather, health, and sometimes swift rive water.”
“The boat was produced in a factory according to our design, and perhaps it’s not in a very good condition.But,” Xia said, “we are wearing life jackets”.“Some boats passing by offered help.” What is more of a reward for Xia and Huang is that the Yangtze Rive truned out much cleaner than they had expected.Although Xia and Huang are uncertain about the journedy ahead, they are “quite happy” with what they have already achieved.“After all, it’s not the destination that counts.It’s always the course that matters the most.”
【小题1】Xia Yu doubts the success of the journey because of        .

A.such a 1ong journey on the river
B.the poor boat and the bad weather
C.few people taking part in the journey
D.the seriously polluted river in some parts
【小题2】Which of the following is NOT the purpose of the journey?
A.To examine water pollution.
B.To celebrate Expo 2010 Shanghai.
C.To win a race on the water.
D.To promote a low-carbon lifestyle.
【小题3】From the text we know that      .
A.They stay on the boat at night.
B.Three people gave up due to their bad health.
C.Xia Yu and his mate have arrived in Shanghai
D.Huang suffered from a disease on the journey.
【小题4】The last paragraph tells us Xia Yu and Huang Ying         .
A.pay more attention to the process.
B.are sure to arrive at the destination.
C.helped turn the Yangtze River cleaner.
D.are happy because of their final success.

Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a  relationship.
Different cultures emphasize (强调) the importance of relationship building to a greater or less degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in “small talk”,usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countires--- like the UK or France--- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected may speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realised that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural diffeerences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment (多元文化环境)will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.
【小题1】In some countires, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to ___________.

A.develop closer relationsB.share the same culture
C.get to know each otherD.keep each other company
【小题2】The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that ______.
A.the English prefer to make long speeches
B.too many words are of no use
C.people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature
D.even talk and silence can be culturally different
【小题3】According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
A.By sharing different ways of life
B.By accepting different habits.
C.By recognizing different values
D.By speaking each other’s language.
【小题4】What would be the best title for the text?
A.Multicultural Environment
B.Cross-Cultural Differences
C.How to Understand Each Other
D.How to Build Up a Relationship

Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden change in pronunciation started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact(联系) with people from around the world. This means that many new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Spelling and grammar became fixed and the dialect (方言)of London became the standard. In 1604, the first English dictionary was published.
The numbers of words in Early Modern English and Late Modern English differ. Late Modern English has a lot more words because of two main factors(因素): firstly, the Industrial Revolution created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire covered one quarter of the earth’s surface, and the English language took in foreign words from many countries.
From around 1600, the English colonization(殖民地化)of North America resulted in the creation of American English. Some English pronunciation and words froze when they reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English. Some expressions that the British call “ Americanisms” are in fact original (原先的)British expressions that were preserved (保存) in the colonies but were lost in Britain. Spanish also had an influence on American English, with words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that entered English. French words and West African words also influenced American English.
Today, American English is the most influential(有影响力的). But there are many other kinds of English around the world, including Australian English, New Zealand English, Canadian English, South African English , Indian English and Caribbean English. They have differences.
【小题1】What can we know from Paragraph 1?

A.The dialect of London became the standard in the year 1604.
B.Vowels were pronounced longer towards the end of Middle English
C.The first English dictionary was published in the early 17th century.
D.Many new words entered English because many people moved to Britain.
【小题2】From Paragraph 2, we know that the Industrial Revolution __________.
A.required spelling and grammar to be fixed
B.required a greater number of English words
C.caused many old English words to be useless
D.led to the English colonization of North America.
【小题3】The underlined word “froze” in Paragraph 3 shows that some English words in America___________.
A.became longer
B.greatly changed
C.a little changed
D.stayed as they were
【小题4】What will the paragraph following this passage most probably discuss?
A.The development of Modern English
B.How the English vocabulary became larger
C.Differences among the different kinds of English
D.Differences between Middle English and Modern English

Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn’t matter where you live—in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village—the chances that you will be disturbed by jet aero planes, transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc. are almost everywhere.We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they are working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be very frightening experience for human beings. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓).The noise level in some disco is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(专心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really affects their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise, which doesn’t change too much (music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.
【小题1】The best title for this passage is __________.

A.Noisy LifeB.Background NoiseC.Disturbed ConcentrationD.Changeable Noise
【小题2】From this passage, the pollution of noise __________.
A.doesn’t matter muchB.has become worse everywhere
C.has become better in big citiesD.has become better in villages
【小题3】 “Background music” in the passage means __________.
A.music played in the concertB.a kind of noise coming into your ears
C.music helps people to concentrateD.music played while people are working
【小题4】 Some people may have their hearing hurt __________.
A.while they are in completely silenceB.while they are dancing violently
C.while they are listening to pop musicD.while they are listening to soft music
【小题5】 Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating is ______.
A.any kind of noiseB.great changes in level of noise
C.background noiseD.various background music

Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses(球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
【小题1】Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?

A.Cycling around a lake.B.Motor racing in the desert.
C.Playing basketball in a gym.  D.Swimming in a sports center.
【小题2】What do we know about golf from the passage?
A.It is popular in Portugal and Spain.
B.It causes water shortages in some areas.
C.It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes.
D.It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green.
【小题3】 The author writes the passage to_______.
A.show us the function of major sports
B.introduce different types of environment-friendly sports
C.discuss the major influence of popular sports
D.encourage us to go in for green sports

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