Train-spotting

Many people around the world have seen Danny Boyle’s movie Train spotting starring Ewan McGregor, but how many of us really know what train-spotting is all about? Now this is not considered cool in town and the word “train-spotter” in Britain is related to “geek” or “nerd” (someone who seems very ridiculous). But is this reputation really deserved?

First of all, let’s see what train-spotting is. It is said that there are some 100,000 train spotters in the UK. Exactly as the title suggests, they spot trains, that is, they stand in train stations, look at the number of each train that leaves and arrives and write it down. The eventual aim is to have seen every train in the country.

    Being crazy about railways and trains is not modern and it dates back to 1804. As the number of trains grew and they got faster and faster, so did the interest in them grow? Is this any stranger than people who love cars?

    So, what do you need to be a train-spotter? Well, all you really need is a pen or pencil and a notebook to write down the train numbers. Other equipment(装备) includes hot tea in a thermos, a camera and some sandwiches for those long afternoons spent on train platforms when you don’t want to risk the delights of railway station food.

    It’s interesting to note that despite the “bad name” of train-spotting, there have been famous railway lovers in history, such as Alfred Hitchcock, who filmed them regularly, especially The 39 Steps. There is evidence, too, that being a train-spotter is not necessarily a strange phenomenon（现象）in Britain.

    One glance at the US train stations should be enough to convince you that train-spotters there are alive and well. In America, they try to call rail lovers “train-fans” and talk of “train-fanning”. Don’t let this fool you—these people are train spotters and there are a lot of them. Each month, two million pages are visited on the website TrainWeb.org.                      

340words

1.What is train-spotting according to the passage?

A. A kind of hobby.             B. A type of sport.

C. A strange phenomenon.        D. A special job.

2.Which of the following about train-spotters is true according to the passage?

A. They number each train they see.

B. They keep a careful path of every train.

C. They count the trains passing in front of them.

D. They produce films about trains with video cameras.

3.The writer writes the passage to        .

A. introduce some famous train-spotters

B. encourage readers to do more train-spotting

C. try to present a true picture of train-spotting

D. describe the necessary equipment in train-spotting

4. What do we learn from the passage?

A. Train-spotters in the UK want to fool people.

B. Train-spotting is more acceptable in America.

C. Train-spotters are much stranger than car lovers.

D. Train-spotting relates to（与…有关）a dangerous lifestyle.

 

Train-spotting
Many people around the world have seen Danny Boyle’s movie Train spotting starring Ewan McGregor, but how many of us really know what train-spotting is all about? Now this is not considered cool in town and the word “train-spotter” in Britain is related to “geek” or “nerd” (someone who seems very ridiculous). But is this reputation really deserved?
First of all, let’s see what train-spotting is. It is said that there are some 100,000 train spotters in the UK. Exactly as the title suggests, they spot trains, that is, they stand in train stations, look at the number of each train that leaves and arrives and write it down. The eventual aim is to have seen every train in the country.
Being crazy about railways and trains is not modern and it dates back to 1804. As the number of trains grew and they got faster and faster, so did the interest in them grow? Is this any stranger than people who love cars?
So, what do you need to be a train-spotter? Well, all you really need is a pen or pencil and a notebook to write down the train numbers. Other equipment(装备) includes hot tea in a thermos, a camera and some sandwiches for those long afternoons spent on train platforms when you don’t want to risk the delights of railway station food.
It’s interesting to note that despite the “bad name” of train-spotting, there have been famous railway lovers in history, such as Alfred Hitchcock, who filmed them regularly, especially The 39 Steps. There is evidence, too, that being a train-spotter is not necessarily a strange phenomenon（现象）in Britain.
One glance at the US train stations should be enough to convince you that train-spotters there are alive and well. In America, they try to call rail lovers “train-fans” and talk of “train-fanning”. Don’t let this fool you—these people are train spotters and there are a lot of them. Each month, two million pages are visited on the website TrainWeb.org.                     
340words
【小题1】What is train-spotting according to the passage?

A．A kind of hobby.	B．A type of sport.
C．A strange phenomenon.	D．A special job.

【小题2】Which of the following about train-spotters is true according to the passage?

A．They number each train they see.

B．They keep a careful path of every train.

C．They count the trains passing in front of them.

D．They produce films about trains with video cameras.

【小题3】The writer writes the passage to        .

A．introduce some famous train-spotters

B．encourage readers to do more train-spotting

C．try to present a true picture of train-spotting

D．describe the necessary equipment in train-spotting

【小题4】 What do we learn from the passage?

A．Train-spotters in the UK want to fool people.

B．Train-spotting is more acceptable in America.

C．Train-spotters are much stranger than car lovers.

D．Train-spotting relates to（与…有关）a dangerous lifestyle.

Train-spotting
Many people around the world have seen Danny Boyle’s movie Train spotting starring Ewan McGregor, but how many of us really know what train-spotting is all about? Now this is not considered cool in town and the word “train-spotter” in Britain is related to “geek” or “nerd” (someone who seems very ridiculous). But is this reputation really deserved?
First of all, let’s see what train-spotting is. It is said that there are some 100,000 train spotters in the UK. Exactly as the title suggests, they spot trains, that is, they stand in train stations, look at the number of each train that leaves and arrives and write it down. The eventual aim is to have seen every train in the country.
Being crazy about railways and trains is not modern and it dates back to 1804. As the number of trains grew and they got faster and faster, so did the interest in them grow? Is this any stranger than people who love cars?
So, what do you need to be a train-spotter? Well, all you really need is a pen or pencil and a notebook to write down the train numbers. Other equipment(装备) includes hot tea in a thermos, a camera and some sandwiches for those long afternoons spent on train platforms when you don’t want to risk the delights of railway station food.
It’s interesting to note that despite the “bad name” of train-spotting, there have been famous railway lovers in history, such as Alfred Hitchcock, who filmed them regularly, especially The 39 Steps. There is evidence, too, that being a train-spotter is not necessarily a strange phenomenon（现象）in Britain.
One glance at the US train stations should be enough to convince you that train-spotters there are alive and well. In America, they try to call rail lovers “train-fans” and talk of “train-fanning”. Don’t let this fool you—these people are train spotters and there are a lot of them. Each month, two million pages are visited on the website TrainWeb.org.                     
340words
【小题1】What is train-spotting according to the passage?

A．A kind of hobby.	B．A type of sport.
C．A strange phenomenon.	D．A special job.

【小题2】Which of the following about train-spotters is true according to the passage?

A．They number each train they see.

B．They keep a careful path of every train.

C．They count the trains passing in front of them.

D．They produce films about trains with video cameras.

【小题3】The writer writes the passage to        .

A．introduce some famous train-spotters

B．encourage readers to do more train-spotting

C．try to present a true picture of train-spotting

D．describe the necessary equipment in train-spotting

【小题4】 What do we learn from the passage?

A．Train-spotters in the UK want to fool people.

B．Train-spotting is more acceptable in America.

C．Train-spotters are much stranger than car lovers.

D．Train-spotting relates to（与…有关）a dangerous lifestyle.

 

Panda Journey

任务型阅读

Many teenagers in Taiwan are anxiously counting down the days to the arrival of two giant pandas from the other side of the Straits.

A group of 17 animal experts came to Wolong Nature Reserve (卧龙自然保护区) in Sichuan Province. They picked their ideal animals and learned more about artificial breeding ( 人工繁殖 ), disease prevention and daily care last week.

'I cannot wait any longer to see the lovely animals. I've seen them many times on TV. Maybe 1 will even feed them bamboo shoots with my own hands! Isn't that exciting said Lin Heqian, a Senior student from Private Chunghsin School in Taiwan.

Chen Runsheng is the secretary — general of the China Wildlife Protection Association. He told the experts that it is a long—term wish of the mainland to be able to present a panda to

the people of Taiwan. Mainland pandas' resettlement (重新安置) and growth in Taiwan will surely bring the people happiness and fun. Chen added.

The selection of giant pandas t, be sent to Taiwan started at the end of August at the Wolong Nature Reserve.

Several zoos are still fighting to become the new home of the two pandas in Taiwan. And the pandas" home had not yet been picked. Taipei Zoo are talking about building them a home there.

The mainland announced its presentation of a pair of pandas to the island in May. But it Kerns that teenagers in Taiwan will still have to wait for half a year. That is because the new enclosure (围栏) for giant pandas in Taipei Zoo will not finished until the end of this year, according to Chen Baozhong, president of the zoo.

If everything else goes smoothly, the panda will be on the island next March.

根据短文内容回答下列问题。请将答案填写到第Ⅱ卷答题区相应位置。

1、What's the Chinese meaning here for “counting down”?

2、What did the 17 experts come to Wolong Nature Reserve for?

3、.Hasn't the pandas' home been picked?

4、What's the long-term wish of the mainland?

5、How many pandas are presented to the people of Taiwan?

MLOSANGELES----“Mission（作战任务） Rehearsal Exercise” is one of the several high-tech video games designed to train US soldiers in the war----without ever leaving the classroom．

A series of scenarios projected on a 150- degree movie screen with floor-shaking surround sound mimic （模拟）the sound and feel of a variety of war situations, natural disasters and peacekeeping missions．Situations can be adjusted with the click of a mouse to give military personal practice in handling(处理) unexpected problems．

The game’s creators, the Institute of Creative Technologies, University of Southern California academics and Hollywood filmmakers, say the game is particularly necessary now in light of the September 11 attacks to quickly train soldiers facing war in Afghanistan．“ Soldiers are dealing with foreign countries．They have got to quickly learn and understand difference of local culture----what taboos(禁忌)there are and what types of dilemmas(进退两难之境)they might face,” said William Swartout, director of technology for the Institute．

The game can be made different to present a player with a variety of problems to deal with．The Institute says that it has entered a partnership to develop two of these games to be released(发行) over the next two years．

1．To train yourself in the war situations, _________．

A．you must go to war

B．there is no need for you to leave the classroom

C．you should buy some high-tech games

D．you should play the game “Mission Rehearsal Exercise”

2．Playing the game, you can feel all of the following except _________．

A．war situations                    B．natural disasters

C．peacekeeping missions             D．the attack of mice

3．Why is the game particularly necessary now?

A．Because of the September 11 attacks

B．Because soldiers are facing war in Afghanistan

C．Because the U．S wants to make war on foreign countries

D．Both A and B

4．The best title of the passage should be__________．

A．A new high-tech video game            B．Games to train soldiers in the war

C．Military Rehearsal Exercise            D．Military personnel practice