In today's world, almost everyone knows that air pollution（污染）and water pollution are harmful to people's health. However, not all the persons know that noise is also a kind of pollution, and that is harmful to human health, too.

People who work and live under noisy conditions usually become deaf（聋）. Today, however, scientists believe that 10 percent of workers in Britain are being deafened by the noise where they work. Many of the workers who print newspapers and books, and who weave（织）cloth become deaf. Quite a few people living near airports also become deaf. Recently it was discovered that many teenagers（几十岁的人）in America could hear no better than 65-year-old persons, for these young people like to listen to pop music and most of pop music is a kind of noise. Besides, noise produced by jet planes or machines will make people's life difficult and unpleasant, or even make people ill or even drive them mad.

It is said that a continuous noise of over 85 decibels（分贝）can make people deaf. Now The governments in many countries have made laws to control noise and make it less than 85 decibels. In China, the government is trying to solve not only air and water pollution problems but also noise pollution problems.

1.The text is mainly about    ____________ .

2.10 percent of the workers in Britain are being deafened because  _________.

3.About noise produced by jet planes or machines, which is wrong?

4. According to the text, a continuous noise of   _____  decibels can make people deaf.

5.The government of China is trying to solve    _______________ .

Do you like sitting on the edge of your seat? How about falling off it laughing? If so, "Rush Hour 1" is the perfect movie for you. Although it didn’t get the best reviews, it is perfect for those who like a good comedy.

Just as in the first "Rush Hour," Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) and LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) are partners. This time, they are on vacation in China and Carter is looking for a good time, but they are on the job again when a bombing at the American Embassy kills two customs agents. Lee and Carter go to look for a suspect named Ricky Tan. For Lee this is a serious case because Tan killed his father. Will Carter and Lee be able to capture Tan?

Another reason to see this movie perhaps is for the thrilling action, which includes karate fights with Jackie Chan. One of my favorite scenes shows Carter and Lee in a massage parlor (店堂) when everything goes crazy.

"Rush Hour 2" is, of course, really funny with Chris Tucker in the lead role. Chan and Tucker have many clever jokes and remarks. Some of the jokes aren’t enjoyed by the critics, but most will find them entertaining.

With no doubt, the movie was great. I was filled with anxiety about what was going to happen next. Many critics say that sequels (续集) are not as good as the original but this one is great. I especially enjoyed it because the special effects are minimal so everything looks as though it actually happened. The lighting effect is great as well as the sound.

So, if you are looking for a great action movie that leaves you at the edge of your seat and makes you laugh quite a bit, you should rush to see “Rush Hour 2.”

1.According to the author, "Rush Hour 2" is a perfect movie particularly ______.

A．full of special effects

B．with the best actors

C．full of humors

D．with great lights

2.In "Rush Hour 2”, the two leading roles are on duty again because ______.

A．their vocation in China is limited to a short term

B．inspector Lee doesn’t want to have a good time

C．the American Embassy in China was attacked

D．a suspect named Ricky Tan killed Lee’s father

3.In Rush Hour series, the following are usually included EXCEPT _____.

A．thrilling actions                         B．maximal special effects

C．karate fights                           D．clever jokes and remarks

4.If "Rush Hour 3" is shot, what kind of the movie will it be? ______.

A．Stage tragedy                          B．Action movie

C．Soap opera                            D．Situational comedy

Weekend one –day out

A walk along the Great Wall

Beijing Hikers is organizing a hike in a village along the Great Wall in Changping District, north of downtown Beijing. The walk will take around three hours covering a distance of 10 kilometres.

Time:8:30 a.m~4:30 p.m,Dec,4

Cost:200 yuan(US$25) per adult, 150 yuan ((US$18.5)for under~12s.

Meeting place:8:30 a.m. in front of Satarbucks at Lido Holiday Inn, Jiangtai Lu

To sign-up(one day before the hike)and more information ,contact Huijie at 139 100 5516.

Skiing and hot springs

Cycle China plans a day’s skiing fun at a resort around Beijing followed by an outdoor hot spring bath for your sore body.

Cost:.50 yuan (US$43.40)

Time :8:30 a.m~6:30p.m, Dec.4

Location: Meet at the office of Cycle China, opposite the east gate of Jinshan Park, Xicheng District.

For more information and reservation, email reserve@ cyclechina. Com or call 139 1188 6524.

Horse riding

This is a trip to a professional horse- riding club with well- trained bilingual instructors, offering lessons to people who love riding and those willing to learn more. The club is located in Hebei Province next to the Kangxi Grassland.

Time:1:30a.m~4:30p.m,Dec.4

Cost:3320 yuan (US$40.74)including one hour’s riding, transportation, guide ,lunch

To sign-up and more information, contact Lucy at 8580 5080 or 130 1117 1326.

1. This passage is written mainly for ______. 

A. tourists       B. holiday-makers      C. guides        D. sportsmen

2. If Mary, who is ten years old, wants to hike along the Great Wall with her parents, they will pay______dollars.

A. 400         B. 450         C. 68.50          D. 65

3. If you are interested in the knowledge about horse riding, you’ll contact______ .

A. 139 1188 6515                    B. 139 1188 6524     

C. 130 1117 1326                    D. 139 1002 5516

4. Cycle China is______

A. a website which offers traveling information     B. a traveling agency

C. a trainer for skiing                          D. a resort which offers hot spring bath

With only about 1,000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone (克隆) the animal and save the endangered species(物种). That's a move similar to what a Texas A&M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah's Ark”.

  Noah's Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎)，semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen（氮）. If certain species should become extinct , Dr. Duane Kraemar, a professor in Texas A&M University Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.

  It is estimated that as many as 2,000 species of mammals , birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years . The panda, native only to China , is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years .

  This week , Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit . They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.

  The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.

  “The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem，” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy(having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort, ”adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A & M, the first–ever attempt at cloning a dog.

  “They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”

The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to ________.

A. make efforts to clone the endangered pandas

B. save endangered animals from dying out

C. collect DNA of endangered animals to study

D. transfer the nuclear of one animal to another

Ａccording to Professor Kraemer , the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of _______.

A. available panda eggs           B. host animals

C. qualified researchers           D. enough money

The best title for the passage may be ______.

A. China’s Success in Panda Cloning

B. The First Cloned Panda in the World

C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas

D. China---the Native Place of Pandas Forever

If Confucius(孔子）were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be many candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.

  While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought.  It’s nothing personal.  Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.

  But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius.  In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.

  In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities.  More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries.  These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy（哲学）.  Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy.  Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese.  So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States.  Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers. 

  So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.

  Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.

  As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.

1.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ________.

A. provide some key facts about Confucius

B. attract the readers’ interest in the subject

C. show great respect for the ancient thinker

D. prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations

2.We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students______.

A. have a great interest in studying Chinese

B. take an active part in Chinese competitions

C. try to get high scores in Chinese exams

D. fight for a chance to learn Chinese

3.What is the best title for the passage?

A. Forgotten Wisdom in America

B. Huge Fans of the Chinese Language

C. Chinese Culture for Westerners

D. Old Thinker with a Big Future

4.The passage is likely to appear in ___________.

A. a biography        B. a history paper

C. a newspaper        D. a philosophy textbook