Do you think there is too much noise in our city? If you live near an airport，you will be unhappy because of a plane often make a loud noise．The sound of planes or heavy vehicles is likely to cause deafness if heard continuously（不断地）．

However, most people in our city do not seem to mind noise. They like to enjoy music when they are doing uninteresting jobs．It is a new danger because pop music，when played through powerful amplifiers（放大器），can reach 120 decibels（120分贝的）at a distance of five feet．A continuous noise of over 85 decibels can cause deafness．It was discovered that many young people in America could hear no better than 65-year-old people．

In the past we used to think that only workers in very noisy places would become deaf．For example，when newspapers and books are being printed，the noise level is over 85 decibels，and some of the workers become deaf．Today，however，scientists believe that 10 percent of the workers in Britain are being deafened by the noise．

Sometimes noise of less than 85 decibels can make some people tired and stressed．We all know that too much noise makes life difficult and unpleasant．It can do great harm to people's health and prevent people from working well．Workers in noisy offices are not as efficient（效率高的）as those in quiet offices．Noise makes people less efficient．Can anything be done to reduce or control noise?

In Britain the government has made several laws to reduce noise．Though the government has spent a lot of money in making airports and main roads quieter，many people think that there are still not enough laws．For example，there are no laws to control the noise of machines．In Japan，America and Norway there are such laws．As a result，workers can be given compensation（赔偿）if they become deaf．

1.Some workers become deaf because of ________．

A．hard work              B．a continuous noise of over 85 decibels

C. powerful amplifiers    D．uninteresting jobs

2.In Britain there are laws to ________．

A．stop workers from becoming deaf       B．control the noise of machines

C．keep down noise                       D．help deaf workers in need

3.Who can be given compensation if they become deaf?

A．American workers．

B．British workers．

C．Both American workers and British workers．

D．None of the above answers．

 

When Ron Clark began teaching in 1995, his teacher gave him this advice, “If you can  1  the life of one child, you’ll be a success.” Up to now, Ron still doesn’t agree with that advice. When Ron entered a class, he decided to change every student’s life for the better.

Ron never planned on being a teacher. After  2 , he travelled around the world, living a life  3  of adventures(冒险), but after getting terribly sick, he went back to his hometown, North Carolina. Then he got  4  again and taught at a school there. “From then on it was like magic — I fell in love with teaching.” said Ron. After five years of teaching, he heard that some schools in East Harlem, New York were failing because there were  6  good teachers. “At that moment I had a(n)  6— it was like a calling,” he said. “And so I said, ‘I’m going to do it.”

Before school started, Ron went to every single student’s home to  7  with their families. He gave his students his home phone number, so if they had any  8  with their homework, they could call him. To connect with his students, Ron knew he should use special  9  of teaching. He learned to play funny games with them, gave them  10  lessons, and spent his time showing students  11  New York’s tourist attractions. His students studied harder and behaved better in  12 .

Because of his  13  in North Carolina and Harlem, Ron Clark has become one of the most successful teachers in America. And his book called The Essential 55, more than  14  else, has become very popular in the world.

Sold in over 25  15 , The Essential 55 has encouraged teachers around the world to influence the lives of all of their students. Ron Clark is now starting a new school in Atlanta, Georgia — probably his biggest adventure!

1.                A．live            B．influence       C．make D．choose

 

2.                A．school         B．work           C．class D．college

 

3.                A．filled           B．fond           C．proud    D．full

 

4.                A．terrible         B．well            C．sick  D．pleased

 

5.                A．some          B．few            C．many D．more

 

6.                A．feeling         B．idea           C．view D．mind

 

7.                A．play           B．study           C．deal D．meet

 

8.                A．information     B．advice          C．task  D．trouble

 

9.                A．ways           B．goals           C．rules D．aims

 

10.               A．friendly        B．nicely          C．lively D．lovely

 

11.               A．across         B．along          C．around    D．at

 

12.               A．subject         B．lesson          C．return D．score

 

13.               A．effects         B．affects         C．works D．efforts

 

14.               A．anywhere       B．anyone         C．anything   D．nothing

 

15.               A．towns          B．cities          C．countries  D．universities

 

 

When we can see well, we do not think about our eyes often: It is only when we cannot see perfectly that we come to see how important our eyes are.

    People who are nearsighted（近视的） can only see things that are very close to their eyes. Many people who do a lot of close work, such as writing and reading, become nearsighted. Then they have to wear glasses in order to see distant things clearly.

    People who are farsighted face just the opposite problem. They can see things that are far away, but they have difficulty reading a book if they don't hold it at arm's length. If they want to do much reading, they must get glasses too.

    Other people do not see clearly because their eyes are not exactly the right shape. This, too, can be corrected by glasses. Some people's eyes become cloudy because of cataracts (白内障). Long ago these people often became blind. Now, however, it is possible to operate on the cataracts and remove them.

When night falls, colors become fainter（更模糊） to the eyes and finally disappear. After your eyes have grown used to the dark, you can see better if you use the side of your eyes rather than the centers. Sometimes, after dark, you see a small thing to one side of you. It seems to disappear if you turn your head in its direction. This is because when you turn your head, you are looking at the thing too directly. Men on guard duty sometimes think they see something moving to one side of them. When they turn to look straight at it, they cannot see it anymore, and they believe they were mistaken. However, this mistake happens because the center of the eye, which is very sensitive (敏感的) in daylight, is not as sensitive as the sides of the eye after dark,

1.According to the passage, a _______ is more likely to be nearsighted.

 A. guard                B. doctor                 C. writer                  D. painter

2.People who are farsighted _______.

A. cannot do a lot of close work without glasses

B. can only see things that are very close to their eyes

C. have the same problem as the nearsighted people

D. have difficulty reading a book if they hold it at arm's length

3.To see a small thing at night, we need to look _______.

A. with wide open eyes                             B. with half shut eyes

C. straight at it                                             D. in a slightly different direction

 

My interest in Chinese food started many years ago, when I had my first job. I was a young reporter for the Daily Journal in San Francisco. Our office wasn’t far from Chinatown. I usually managed to arrange my time so that I could go there at least two or three times a week for a good meal.

The first time I ever ate Chinese food I loved it. And since then, it just tastes better and better to me. The first thing I noticed was the fresh tastes of the meat and vegetable. When I learned more about the food, I began to understand why it has this special feature.

 About 5000 years ago, China lost much of its wood because of over population and poor management of its forest. This loss was very bad for the country, of course, but it turned out to be very good for the food. Wood became very expensive and hard to get, so the Chinese had to learn how to use it better.

 In order to use less wood in cooking, they started to cut their meat and vegetable into small pieces before they put them in the hot oil. That way, the food cooked faster and they saved their fuel. The food prepared in the manner kept its fresh flavor(风味)--- and its this flavor that attracts people to the art of Chinese cooking.

 I often wonder if the Chinese appreciated their solution to that ancient energy problem as much as I do now --- whenever I eat Chinese food.

1.This passage is mainly about ___________.

A. why Chinese food tastes fresh

B. what Chinese food tastes like

C. how Chinese food is cooked

D. what makes Chinese food special

2.The author got to know Chinese food _______________.

A. when he worked as a reporter in China

B. from a news story in the Daily Journal

C. after he got a taste of it in the Chinatown

D. before he got his first job in San Francisco

3.The author thought the Chinese cut meat and vegetable into small pieces in order to _____________.

A. keeping its fresh flavor

B. saving their hard –to-get wood

C. producing a different kind of food

D. attracting westerners to their food

4.The word “ fuel” in the 4th paragraph most probably means ____________.

A. fresh flavor              B. meat and vegetable

C. hot oil                  D. firewood

5.According to the passage, the special freshness of Chinese food is the result of _______________.

A. the wood used to make the cooking fire

B. the fast speed at which it is cooked

C. the high quality of Chinese meat and vegetable

D. the well –developed art of Chinese cooking

 

 

The Flying Hat By Shannon Blackman

“The most sidesplitting story I’ve ever read. I couldn’t help laughing after I finished it. Be ready to laugh your heart out.”

Willy King, Best Book winner

“It’s a story that makes you smile in your dreams. Blackman’s excellent writing cheers you up.”

The Tide, London

“One of the best-selling books of the year. More than two million copies have been sold.”

The Sunday Reader, New York

“This book has become the talk of the country. The story is making its way into movie theaters. I can’t wait to see it!”

Marian Miller, author of Ms. Lilly

根据以上书评内容，回答下列问题。

1.Who is the writer of The Flying Hat?

A. Marian Miller                                                                 B. Willy King

C. Shannon Blackman                                                        D. Ms. Lily

2.Which is said about The Flying Hat?

A. A movie about the story is coming out.

B. People can buy the book all over the world.

C. The writer started the book because of a mistake.

D. The story is about a boy with a magic book.

3.What does sidesplitting mean?

A. Simple.                    B. Funny.                               C. Serious.                            D. Difficult.