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There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care. To water his flowers, he used two buckers. One was a shiny and new bucket. The other was a very old and dilapidated one, which had seen many years of service, but was now past its best.
Every morning, the gardener would fill up the two buckets. Then he would carry them along the path, one on each side, to the flowerbeds. The new bucket was very proud of itself. It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled (溢出). The old bucket felt very ashamed because of its holes: before it reached the flowerbeds, much water had leaked along the path.
Sometimes the new bucket would say, “See how capable I am! How good it is that the gardener has me to water the flowers every day! I don't know why he still bothers with you. What a waste of space you are!”
And all that the old bucket could say was, “I know I’m not very useful, but I can only do my best. I’m happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me, at least.”
One day, the gardener heard that kind or conversation. After watering the flowers as usual, he said, “You both have done your work very well. Now I am going to carry you back. I want you to look carefully along the path.”
Then the two buckets did so. All along the path, they noticed, on the side where the new bucket was carried, there was just bare (光秃秃的)earth; on the other side where the old bucket was carried, there was a joyous row of wild flowers, leading all the way to the garden.
1.What does the underlined word “dilapidated” probably mean?
A. Dirty B. Dark
C. Worn-out D. Plain-looking.
2. What was the old bucket ashamed of?
A. His past. B. His aging.
C. His manner. D. His leaking.
3. The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to________
A. laugh at the old one
B. take pity on the old one
C. show off its beautiful looks
D. praise the gardener’s kindness
4.Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?
A. Because it was used to keep a balance
B. Because it stayed in its best condition
C. Because it was taken as a treasure
D. Because it had its own function
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Mapping Your World
Different forms of maps are appearing. They allow independent travelers to get local knowledge of places they are visiting, from the official to the unusual. Meanwhile, hi-tech developments are creating new ways for us to map the world. Here are two of our favorites;
Green Maps
Green Maps allows people to share with the world their knowledge of environmentally friendly places and attractions in the local areas. Users add information with a set of icons (图标), making it easy to read any map, whatever the nationalities of those who produce it. At present there are over five hundred
Map projects being developed in 54 countries Green Maps’ advertised idea is “think global, map local”. It is a wonderful way of gaining all sorts of a place, ranging from community garden to good places of bird watching.
Green Maps is not specifically intended for travelers. Not all of its maps are online, so it may be necessary for some users to communicate with producers through the Green Maps website.
Maps Mashups
Many people use online maps developed by Google, but not many know about the mashups of them. Working in a similar way to Green Maps, Maps Mashups allows people to add icons of their own to existing maps to express a certain topic. The mashups is so called because it combines all the knowledge you could ever need. It ranges from the extremely useful, such as where all the World Heritage Site are, to the most bizarre (古怪的)，such as where America’s drunkest cities are. With the mashups added to the basic Google Maps, a multi-layered (多层的) map can be created.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is a characteristic of Green Maps?
A. Aiming at environmental protection.
B. Introducing local attractions with icons.
C. Offering advice to independent travelers.
D. Collecting icons worldwide for local maps.
2. Which of the following icons is most probably NOT used in Green MapsA. B.
C. D.
3.Map Mashups is named with the word “mashups”because________
A. it is produced by users all over the world
B. it gathers various kinds of information
C. it shares icons with Green Maps
D. it is a branch of Google Maps
4.What do Green Maps and Map Mashups have in common?
A. They are created by local people.
B. They are environmentally friendly.
C. Users can edit maps on the Internet.
D. Users need to communicate with produces.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea; clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫学家)，encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
1. The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because ________.
A. they lived healthily in a dirty environment.
B. they thought bath houses were to dirty to stay in
C. they believed disease could be spread in public baths
D. they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease
2. Which of the following best describes Henry IV’s attitude to bathing?
A. Afraid. B. Curious.
C. Approving. D. Uninterested.
3.How does the passage mainly develop?
A. By providing examples.
B. By making comparisons.
C. By following the order of time.
D. By following the order of importance.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A. To stress the role of dirt.
B. To introduce the history of dirt.
C. To call attention to the danger of dirt.
D. To present the change of views on dirt.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony (和睦) that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered “little of childhood but its pain”. In fact, he inherited (继承) excellent taste in art from his family—both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama (戏剧) and poetry.
Yeats had strong faith in coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at the beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would who probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet Auden wrote, among others, the following liners:
Earth, receive an honored guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie
Emptied of its poetry.
1. Which of the following can describe Yeats’s family?
A. It filled Yeats’s childhood with laughter.
B. It was shocked by Yeats’s choice.
C. It was a typically wealthy family.
D. It had an artistic atmosphere.
2. According to the passage, what do we know about Yeats’s life?
A. Yeats founded the first Irish theater.
B. Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry.
C. Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s.
D. Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize.
3.What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden’s lines?
A. Envy. B. Sympathy.
C. Emptiness. D. Admiration.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Yeats’ literary achievements.
B. Yeats’ historical influence.
C. Yeats’ artistic ambition.
D. Yeats’ national honor.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Skeptics are a strange lot. Some of them refuse to admit the serious threat of human activities to the environment, and they are tired of people who disagree with them. Those people, say skeptics, spread nothing but bad news about the environment. The “eco-guilt” brought on by the discouraging news about our planet gives rise to the popularity of skeptics as people search for more comforting worldviews.
Perhaps that explain why a new book by Bjorn Lomborg received so much publicity. That book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, declares that it measures the “real state of the world” as fine. Of course, another explanation is the deep pockets some big businesses with special interests. Indeed, Mr. Lomborg’s views are similar to those of some Industry-funded organizations, which start huge activities though the media to confuse the public about issues like global warming.
So it was strange to see Mr. Lomborg’s book go largely unchallenged in the media though his beliefs were contrary to most scientific opinions. One national newspaper in Canada ran a number of articles and reviews full of words of praise, even with the conclusion that “After Lomborg, the environmental movement will begin to die down.”
Such one-sided views should have immediately been challenged. But only a different review appeared in Nature, a respected science magazine with specific readership. The review remarked that Mr. Lomborg’s “preference for unexamined materials is incredible (不可信的)”。
A critical (批判的) eye is valuable, and the media should present information in such a way that could allow people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, that is often inaccessible as blocked by the desire to be shocking or to defend some special interests. People might become half-blind before a world partially exhibited by the media. That’s a shame, because matters concerning the health of the planet are far too important to be treated lightly.
1. According to the passage, which of the following may be regarded as “skeptics”?
A. People who agree on the popularity of “eco-guilt”.
B. People who disbelieve the serious situation of our planet.
C. People who dislike the harmful effect of human activities.
D. People who spread comforting news to protect our environment.
2.Which of the following can be a reason for the popularity of Lomborg’s books?
A. Some big businesses intend to protect their own interests.
B. The book challenges views about the fine state of the world.
C. The author convinces people to seek comforting worldviews.
D. Industry–funded media present confusing information.
3.The author mentioned the review in Nature in order to_____.
A. voice a different opinion
B. find fault with Lomborg’s book
C. challenge the authority of the media
D. point out the value of scientific views.
4.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?
A. To encourage the skeptics to have a critical eye.
B. To warn the public of the danger of half–blindness with reviews.
C. To blame the media’s lack of responsibility in presenting information.
D. To show the importance of presenting overall information by the media.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析