阅读理解

　　Thank you, Mr．Morley, for your kind introduction．It was very nice of you to speak of me like that．While I was listening, I had trouble believing that I was the man you were talking about．

　　My thanks go out to all of you for being here at this dinner．I look around and say to myself,"These people are my friends．" And you know how good it is to be among friends．

　　Seven years ago, I became the tennis coach at this school．I can remember arriving here as if it were yesterday．When I started coaching, we only had a small team then, just three boys and two girls, and only one tennis court．So my first job was to increase the team．At the end of the first year, we had ten boys and six girls．And it seems like the team keeps getting stronger every year．

　　I've been lucky to have some really good players to coach．Coaches love good players．Some great players from our school over the past years include Herbert Bradbury, Christopher Stanton and Emma Austen, all champions during the years they played．

　　Among the players on our team now is Arthur Burney, perhaps the best of them all．I'm sure you all join with me in wishing him good luck as he leaves for Capetown next week．He's our first student to enter the Capetown Junior International Tennis Tournament(锦标赛), where he will play against some of the best young tennis players in the world．Good luck, Ace!

　　The time has come for me, however, to make a change．Recent health problems have made it difficult for me to continue coaching．

　　I must say, I'm looking forward to my retirement with mixed feelings．I'm certainly ready for a long rest, but I'm a bit worried about what I'll do with all my spare time．You might find me coming down to watch the games from time to time．If you can still remember me, you might say hello．

　　Thank you everyone．I'll miss you all．

阅读理解

　　Imagine that the genome(基因组)is a book．The book consists of 23 chapters with thousands of stories made up of paragraphs, words and letters on different levels．There are one billion words in the book, which makes it longer than 5,000 volumes the size of this book．Or as long as 800 Bibles, If I read the genome out to you at the rate of one word per second for eight hours a day, it would take me a century．If I wrote out the human genome, one letter per millimeter, my text would be as long as the River Danube．This is an enormous document．A huge volume, a cook book of great length, and it all fits inside the extremely small nucleus(核)of a tiny cell that fits easily upon the head of a pin．

　　The idea of the genome as a book is not, strictly speaking, even a metaphor(比喻), It is true to a great extent．A book is a piece of digital information, written in one-directional form and defined by a code that translates a small alphabet of signs into a large dictionary of meanings through the order of their groupings．So is a genome．The only complication(困难)is that all English books read from left to right, while some parts of the genome read from left to right, while some parts of the genome read from left to right, and some from right to left, though never both at the same time．

　　While English books are written in words of different lengths using twenty-six letters, Genomes are written entirely in three-letter words, using only four letters, And instead of being written on flat pages, they are written on long chains of DNA molecules(分子), The genome is a very clever book, because in the right conditions it can both photocopy itself and read itself．

阅读理解

　　Thousands of us long to master the English language; many of us also dream of shining on the stage as actors or actresses．How about combining the two－to play drama in English?

　　On the evening of May 25, a Drama Night show was given in Beijing Foreign Studies University as a part of the university's Festival of English Language and Culture．

　　Six teams from different departments took part in the competition, each bringing the audience a magnificent play of about 25 minutes, including “The Twelfth Night” written by Shakespeare, “The Cop and The Anthem” by O'Henry and the well-known fairy tale “The Giant and the Garden．”

　　The first prize winner was “Alibaba and the Four Gangsters,” performed by the School of International Business．Adapted from the original story in “Thousand and One Nights,” the play was performed somewhat like a comical cartoon, arousing the laughter of the audience from beginning to end．“Forrest Gump” given by the School of English Language Communication, was an experimental piece．Bringing the Hollywood movie to the stage, it used pictures from the movie as a background and imitates its lines．

　　In this university with a traditional interest in playing drama in foreign languages, students felt it was both a challenge and an improvement for their language skills．“Every sentence in our play was written by ourselves,” said Duan Kunlun, director of “Alibaba and the Four Gangsters．” We referred to dictionaries, discussed among ourselves and inquired the teachers to produce correct and beautiful lines．This is a greatly beneficial experience．As players' pronunciation and intonation took 30 per cent in judges' scores, Shi Dite, who played Forrest Gump, said they watched the original movie dozens of times to imitate the pronunciation and intonation．

　　“We encourage students to play English dramas,” said Wang Weifang, a teacher in the English Department at BFSU．“By this, students not only display their ability, but also learn and practice English with great fun．”

阅读理解

　　The first tape recorder didn't use tape．It used long thin wire．It was invented in 1900 by Valdermar Poulsen．In 1930, German scientists invented the tape we use today．Back then the tape was on big rolls．In 1964 the Philips company in Holland invented the cassette．It's pretty much a holder for the tape．People use cassettes all over the world．If you don't have a cassette recorder, borrow one．

　　Think of a book your parents read out loud to you．That might be a great book to read out loud to your mom or dad in their car．Put a cassette in the recorder, open the book, hit the record button and start reading out loud．

　　Remember there is no such a thing as a wrong way to do this．You might think you've made a mistake, but this gift is part of you, and nothing about that can be a mistake．It's impossible．

　　You get to be all artistic and creative here．You might want to play music in the background．Do whatever you want．The gift is you, so you decide．Remember to say “I love you”at the end of your reading．That's like the prize at the end of the book．

阅读理解

　　He was once a barefooted rice-planter in a village in Hunan．He had never heard even the names, let alone the music, of Beethoven or Mozart until he was 19．But when he went back to his hometown last month, 27 years later, he was an internationally recognized musician who has won the highest honours the music industry can give．

　　Tan Dun staged his latest work, “The Map：Saving Disappearing Music Traditions”, for free before an audience of 3000 Hunan people．Most of them were local Miao and Tujia minorities．

　　The piece was the product of his 1999 inspirational tour to the western part of Hunan Province, where many minorities live．It was performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra(波士顿交响乐团)earlier this year with the composer himself conducting．

　　As a musician who has spent 20 years expressing multiculturalism through music, he has made a great impact(影响)on the world's music scene．He mixes classical and non-classical, east and west, traditional styles and new techniques．For his efforts, he has won an Oscar and a Grammy award and been named Musical America's “Composer of the Year”．

　　One of Tan's most famous works is “Symphony 1997：Heaven Earth Mankind”．The orchestral work was performed live to mark the official handover of Hong Kong to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997．He has also composed music for films including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” in 2001 and “Hero” in 2002．

　　“Music is a way of expressing internal feelings and my music is completely based on Chinese culture,” said Tan．

　　When he arrived in New York in 1986, he wanted to be a standard western composer．But, after working with many leading western musicians, he realized that he couldn't turn his back on his roots．“Chinese culture gave me a golden key that has opened many different musical gates,” he said．

阅读理解

　　Metro Card：The visitor's guide to New York City．

　　When you buy a Metro Card, you get to all the famous places in the whole city, With a One–Day Unlimited Ride Card, you can get on and off New York City transit subways and local buses as many times as you like all day long, It's the fastest ,least expensive way to see it．

　　You can choose from a variety of Metro Cards, including our 4-Day Fun pass ,or if you're staying longer ,our7-Day Unlimited Ride for＄17．

　　You can buy Metro Card at many hotels, the Time Square Visitors Center ,the New York Convention ＆ Visitors Bureau(8107th Avenue at 53rd Street),You can also buy it at subway station vending machines(自动售货机)and online at www．metrocard．citysearch．com, using your credit card．

　　For more information call(800)METROCARD(800-638-7622); in NYC, call(212)METROCARD, And let us be your guide．

阅读理解

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　One of Britain's most popular reality TV programmes has returned to our screens for a fifth series．The Apprentice sees 16 ambitious individuals competing for a job with electronics tycoon(巨头)Sir Alan Sugar．

　　The Apprentice is a BAFTA award-winning British reality television series in which fl group of aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to win a￡100,000-a-year job as“apprentice”to the British business tycoon Alan Sugar, The Baron Sugar．Winners have gone on to work at Amstrad, an electronics manufacturing company founded by Sir Alan(but since sold to BSkyB), or one of Sugar's other companies, Viglen, Amsprop or Amshold．The Apprentice, billed as a“job interview from hell”, is similar in format to the American series of the same name, which stars entrepreneur Donald Trump．

　　With endless talk of financial crisis, redundancies(过剩)and cut-backs, it may come as no surprise that thousands of brave hopefuls applied for the show．The chosen 16 will compete in a series of business tasks and do their best to escape elimination．Not one of them wants to hear the fateful words：you're fired．

　　It should also be noted that this year's apprentices are not going, to be allowed to forget the terrible economic climate quite so easily．At the launch of this year's TV show, Sir Alan announced that some episodes have been“specifically made towards recognition of what difficult times we are in”．

　　The tasks will as usual be tough tests of business wisdom。team-working and leadership skill．They will also make for some funny viewing．British viewers will be shaking their heads in disbelief at the crazy decisions of the wanna be apprentices．But perhaps the most entertaining feature of the show will be watching the hopefuls squirm(局促不安)and quarrel in the。boardroom．It is here they will have to explain just why they have failed each task so badly．

　　What drives people to take part in the show is difficult to say．Some are clearly motivated by the promise of a six-figure salary and some claim they want the experience of working with a successful businessman such as Sir Alan．One thing is for sure．the contestants will all gain some level of celebrity．The show is a regular ratings winner．

　　To date, there has been one big winner and that is the show's creator, Mark Burnett．Originating in the US, The Apprentice's winning format has been copied all over the world and with the hype(炒作)surrounding this latest series, it looks as though the show will have success for many years to come．

阅读理解

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Healthy people who catch A(H1N1)flu do not need antivirals like Tamiflu, but the young, the old and the pregnant(怀孕的)surely do, the World Health Organization declared Friday in new advice to doctors．

　　The UN health agency said people who are otherwise healthy with mild to moderate cases of A(H1N1)flu don't need the popular drug．But people thought to be at risk for complications(并发症)from A(H1N1)flu－children less than five years old, pregnant women, people over age 65 and those with other health problems like heart disease or HIV－should definitely get the drug．

　　The WHO also recommended that all patients, including children, who have severe or worsening cases of A(H1N1)flu, with breathing difficulties。chest pain or severe weakness, should get Tamiflu immediately．

　　The advice contradicts(与……矛盾)some current government policies, such as those in England, whose health agency liberally hands out Tamiflu to healthy people with A(H1Nl)flu．Since the British set up fl national flu service in July to deal with the increase of A(H1N1)flu cases, Tamiflu has been available to anyone suspected of having the disease, including healthy people．

　　At its summer peak, there were about 110,000 new cases of A(H1N1)flu, also known as swine flu．every week in Britain．Boasting that Britain had the world's largest supply of Tamiflu, enough to cover 80 percent of its nearly 61 million people, Andy Burnham promised the drug would be available to anyone who needed it．Britons who call the national flu line can get Tamiflu without ever seeing fl doctor--it is given out by call center operators who have no medical training．

　　Some experts have criticized that approach, warning that blanketing the population with Tamiflu increases the chances of resistant strains emerging．Flu expert Hugh Pennington of the University of Aberdeen called the strategy “a very big experiment” and said England's approach was out of step with the rest of the world．WHO said most patients infected with A(H1N1)flu worldwide recover within fl week without any medical treatment．

阅读理解

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Taking charge of your energy use not only saves you money, it helps to protect our environment by lowering emissions(排放)and conserving resources．There are many things you can do to save energy without affecting your comfort or convenience．

　　The household is a great place to start and a place each one of us can make a big difference．So if you're looking for ways to lower your energy bill, start taking charge right here．It's easier than you think!

　　Decrease energy use

　　◆Turn off your water heater when you go on vacation for fl week or longer．

　　◆Take a short shower instead of a bath．

　　◆Keep your refrigerator and freezer full．

　　◆shut down computers at night and when not in use．

　　◆When your family is replacing appliances(家电), choose ones with an ENERGY STAR label．

　　◆On hot summer days, close all of your blinds, curtains, windows and doors to keep out of the heat．

　　◆Turn off the air conditioner overnight and when you are out during the day．

　　◆Use fans to create nice cool breezes(微风)．

　　◆Turn off lights when you leave a room

　　◆Try to open curtains and use natural light when possible．

　　◆Replace regular light bulbs with energy efficient ones．

　　◆Make sure your washing machine and dryer are full when you use them．

　　◆Wash your clothes in cold water when you can．

　　◆Dry your clothes on a clothesline whenever possible－this uses no electricity at all．

　　________

　　◆Cook as many dishes as possible at a time．

　　◆Only boil the water you need．

　　◆If possible, use smaller appliances instead of larger ones when cooking small portions(份额)－it also helps keep your house cool．

　　◆Remember to use the thermometer or timer on your oven to avoid over-cooking

阅读理解

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Chinese high school students have the longest study hours compared to their peers(同龄人)in Japan, the US and the Republic of Korea, a survey conducted by the four countries said．

　　The survey, released by the China Youth and Children Research Center(CYCRC)on Monday, was jointly conducted with institutions in the four countries in September～October of 2008．It covers nearly 4,000 students in senior high schools and vocational high schools in the four countries

　　About 78.3 percent of Chinese students said they spend more than eight hours at school and 56.7 percent said they study at least two more hours each day at home．By contrast, only 24.7 percent of their peers in the US, 20.5 percent in Japan and 15.4 percent in Korea study more than two hours after school

　　Around 60 percent of all students surveyed said their burden for studies was the heaviest：however, the Japanese felt their burden was the worst with respondents(应答者)reaching 79.2 percent．

　　Among the five biggest headaches for young people in the four countries were over-scheduling ranked first, followed by fl boring leisure lire, unsatisfied appearance, little time for exercise and making friends, and no spare money．

　　“Moderate(适度的)study pressure can better drive students to develop, however, too much will squeeze(挤)their development space, and can even cause harm to their physical and psychological health,” the survey Said．

　　“Balancing their studies and all-round development is a very important task．”it said．