阅读理解

　　An expensive car speeding down the main street of a small town was soon caught up with by a young motorcycle policeman．As he started to make out the ticket, the woman behind the wheel said proudly, “Before you go any further, young man, I think you should know that the mayor of this city is a good friend of mine．” The officer did not say a word, but kept writing．“I am also a friend of chief of police Barens,” continued the woman, getting more angry each moment, Still he kept on writing．“Young man,” she persisted, “I know Judge Lawson and State Senator(参议员)Patton．” Handing the ticket to the woman, the officer asked pleasantly, “Tell me, do you know Bill Bronson．”

　　“Why, no,” she answered．

　　“Well, that is the man you should have known,” he said, heading back to his motorcycle, “I am Bill Bronson．”

阅读理解

　　I was puzzled! Why was this old woman making such a fuss about an old copse which was of no use to anybody? She had written letters to the local paper, even to a national, protesting about a projected by-pass to her village, and, looking at a map, the route was nowhere near where she lived and it wasn’t as if the area was attractive．I was more than puzzled, I was curious．

　　The enquiry into the route of the new by-pass to the village was due to take place shortly, and I wanted to know what it was that motivated her．So it was that I found myself knocking on a cottage door, being received by Mary Smith and then being taken for a walk to the woods．

　　“I’ve always loved this place,” she said, “it has a lot of memories for me, and for others．We all used it．They called it ‘Lovers lane’．It’s not much of a lane, and it doesn’t go anywhere important, but that’s why we all came here．To be away from people, to be by ourselves．” she added．

　　It was indeed pleasant that day and the songs of many birds could be heard．Squirrels watched from the branches, quite bold in their movements, obviously few people passed this way and they had nothing to fear．I could imagine the noise of vehicles passing through these peaceful woods when the by-pass was built, so I felt that she probably had something there but as I hold strong opinions about the needs of the community over-riding the opinions of private individuals, I said nothing．The village was quite a dangerous place because of the traffic especially for old people and children, their safety was more important to me than an old woman’s strange ideas．

　　“Take this tree,” she said pausing after a short while．“To you it is just that, a tree．Not unlike many others here．” She gently touched the bark, “Look here, under this branch, what can you see?”

　　“It looks as if someone has done a bit of carving with a knife．” I said after a cursory inspection．

　　“Yes, that’s what it is!” she said softly．

　　She went on, “He had a penknife with a spike for getting stones from a horse's hoof, and I helped him to carve them．We were very much in love, but he was going away, and could not tell me what he was involved in the army．I had guessed of course．It was the last evening we ever spent together, because he went away the next day, back to his Unit．”

　　Mary Smith was quiet for a while, then she sobbed．“His mother showed me the telegram．‘Sergeant R Holmes…Killed in action in the invasion of France．’…”

　　“I had hoped that you and Robin would one day get married．” she said, “He was my only child, and I would have loved to be a Granny, they would have been such lovely babies’- she was like that!”

　　“Two years later she too was dead．‘Pneumonia(肺炎), following a chill on the chest’ was what the doctor said, but I think it was an old fashioned broken heart．A child would have helped both of us．”

　　There was a further pause．Mary Smith gently caressed the wounded tree, just as she would have caressed him．“And now they want to take our tree away from me．” Another quiet sob, then she turned to me．“I was young and pretty then, I could have had anybody, I wasn’t always the old woman you see here now．I had everything I wanted in life, a lovely man, health and a future to look forward to．”

　　She paused again and looked around．The breeze gently moved through the leaves with a sighing sound．“There were others, of course, but no one can match my Robin!” she said strongly．“And now I have nothing - except the memories this tree holds．If only I could get my hands on that awful man who writes in the paper about the value of the road they are going to build where we are standing now, I would tell him．Has he never loved, has he never lived, does he not know anything about memories? We were not the only ones, you know, I still meet some who came here as Robin and I did．Yes, I would tell him!”

　　I turned away, sick at heart．

阅读理解

　　SAN FRANCISCO－Rising sea levels from climate change could wash away some of California’s most iconic beaches by the end of the century, along with hundreds of millions of dollars in property, according to a new study．

　　“If beaches disappear, shrink and erode(受到侵蚀), we are going to have less tourism,” said Phillip King, an associate professor of economics at San Francisco State University．“We took the best available science, and it’s possible the(estimated)costs are still too low．”

　　Economists at the university spent two years projecting economic losses from climate change at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach and the communities of Carpinteria, Malibu, Venice and Torrey Pines State Reserve near San Diego．

　　Based on forecasts calling for sea levels to rise between 1 and 2 meters by the year 2100, the researchers invented models predicting which properties, infrastructure(基础设施), wildlife habitats and open spaces will be flooded or eroded, and the value of those losses．

　　They also surveyed existing reports to determine how costly it would be to protect or replace those coastal resources．

　　Venice Beach stands to be the hardest hit of the five shorelines studied, with a 2-meter rise in sea level over the next 90 years resulting in ＄96 million in losses, according to the report．A 1-meter increase over the same period would cause ＄31.6 million in losses there．

　　A more comprehensive 2009 study by the Pacific Institute, an environmental think tank, concluded that nearly 500,000 people and ＄100 billion worth of property along California’s entire coast were at risk of severe flooding from rising sea levels this century unless new safeguards were put in place．

　　The San Francisco State University researchers said their findings could guide policymakers when they consider future shorefront development．(Reuters)

阅读理解

　　From the health point of view we are living in an amazing age．We are free from many of the most dangerous diseases．A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modern medicine．It is almost certain that one day medicines will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases．The expectation of life has increased greatly．But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable killing of men, women and children on the roads．Man vs the motor-car．It is a never-ending battle which man is losing．Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen．

　　It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel(方向盘), his car becomes the extension of his personality．There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities．People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel．They say, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and completely selfish．All their hidden angers and disappointments seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving．

　　The surprising thing is that society smiles so gently on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior．Everything is done for his convenience．Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the deaths become nothing more than a number every year, to be easily forgotten．

　　It is high time a world rule was created to reduce this senseless waste of human life．With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are unbelievably lax(不严格)and even the strictest are not strict enough．A rule which was universally accepted could only have an obviously beneficial effect on the accident rate．Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done．The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict tests for safety each year．Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can damage a person's driving ability．Present drinking and driving laws(where they exist)should be made much stricter．Speed limits should be required on all roads．Governments should lay down safety specifications for car factories, as has been done in the USA．All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned．These measures may not sound good enough．But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the number of deaths．After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars．

阅读理解

　　The booking notes of the play “the Age of Innocence”：

　　Price：＄10

　　BOOKING

　　There are four easy ways to book seats for performance：

　　－in person

　　The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a. m.－8 p. m．

　　－by telephone

　　Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card(Visa, MasterCard and Amex accepted)

　　－by post

　　Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office．

　　－on line

　　Complete the on-line booking form at www．Satanfiedtheatre．com

　　DISCOUNTS：

　　Saver：＄2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday．Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students．

　　Supersaver：half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion．It is advisable to book in advance．There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show．

　　Standby：best available seats are on sale for ＄6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible(suitable)for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers．

　　Group Bookings：there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more．

　　School：school parties of ten or more can book ＄6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free．

　　Please note：we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances．

阅读理解

　　Reading is thought to be a kind of conversation between the reader and the text．The reader puts questions to the text and gets answers．In the light of these he puts further questions, etc．

　　For most of the time this “conversation” goes on below the level of consciousness．At times, however, we become aware of it．This is usually when we are running into difficulties, when mismatch is occurring between our expectations and meaning of the text．When successful matching is being experienced, our questioning of the text continues at the unconscious level．

　　Different people converse with the text differently．Some stay very close to the words on the pages; others take off imaginatively from the words, interpreting, criticizing, analyzing and examining．The former represents a kind of comprehension which is written in the text．The latter represents higher levels of comprehension．The balance between these is important, especially for the advanced readers．

　　There is another conversation which from our point of view is equally important, and that has nothing to do with what is read but with how it is read．We call this a “process” conversation as opposed to “content” conversation．It is concerned not with meaning but with the strategies we employ in reading．If we are advanced reader our ability to hold a content conversation with text is usually well developed but not so our ability to hold a process conversation．It is just this kind of conversation that is of importance when we are seeking to develop our reading to meet the new demands being placed upon us by studying at a higher level．

阅读理解

　　People around the world watched Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton get married．The royal wedding broke records for live streaming on the Internet．It also produced more than two million tweets on Twitter．

　　The ceremony took place Friday at Westminster Abbey in London．

　　Kate wore a flowing white gown designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen．William wore a red army uniform．

　　It was Britain’s biggest wedding since William and Harry’s parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, were married in nineteen eighty-one．

　　Nearly two thousand guests filled the church on Friday．Hundreds of thousands of people went to the streets and parks of London to watch the wedding on video screens．

　　Among the wedding guests were English football star David Beckham and his wife Victoria, British Prime Minister David Cameron, the king of Norway and singer Elton John．

　　Bahrain’s crown prince(皇储)was invited but decided not to attend because of unrest(骚乱)in his country．Britain took back an invitation to the ambassador(外交官)from Syria over violence against protesters there．

　　After the ceremony, the royal couple traveled to Buckingham Palace．Crowds cheered when the newlyweds appeared on a balcony greeting to them．

　　Later, William drove his wife out of Buckingham Palace in an open-top Aston Martin car．William and the newest member of the royal(皇家的)family will now be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge．

　　Kate is twenty-nine years old．William will be twenty-nine in June．His grandmother is Queen Elizabeth．His father, Prince Charles, is first in line to become king．William, as the older son, is second in line．Kate would not become queen, however, since she is not in the royal blood line．There was a big celebration at the University of St．Andrews in Scotland．That was where William and Kate first met as art history students in two thousand one．

阅读理解

　　A new factory that turns used wine bottles into green sand could revolutionize(彻底改革)the recycling industry and help to filter(过滤)the nation's drinking water．

　　For the last 100 years special high grade white sand quarried(开采)at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire has been used to filter tap water to remove bacteria and impurities(杂质)－but this may no longer be necessary．

　　The green sand has already been successfully tested by water companies and is being used in 50 swimming pools in Scotland to keep the water clean．

　　Backed by one million pounds from the European Union and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a company based in Scotland is building a factory to turn drinking bottles back into the sand from which they were made．

　　The idea is not only to avoid using up increasingly scarce sand in Scotland and avoid any further quarrying but also to solve a crisis in the recycles only 750 000 tones of it．

　　Howard Dryden, the scientist and managing director of the company has spent six years working on what he calls Active Filtration Meadia, or AFM, the recycled glass．He says he needs bottles that have already contained drinkable liquids to be sure that drinking water would not be polluted．

　　"The fact is that tests show that AFM does the job better than glass, it is easier to clean and reuse and has all sorts of properties that make it ideal for other applications, "he claimed．He also thinks the market will be able to take 250 000 tones of green sand a year．The plan is to build five or six factories in cites in UK where the bottles come from to cut down on transport．

　　The factory will be completed this month and is expected to go into full production on January 14 next year．Once it is providing a "regular" product, the government's drinking water inspectorate will be asked to perform tests and approve it for general use by water companies．

阅读理解

Tuesday－Saturday

　　Located on the beach of the Sea Gardens Beach Resort, there are fun things to rent for the whole family．They offer rentals for kayaks, jetskis, and even parasails! Enjoy the water upclose or from a bird's eye view! No matter what activity you're enjoying, be sure to protect yourself and your family from the sun's powerful rays and apply plenty of sun block!

Monday－Saturday

　　15th Street Boat Company offers rental boats of all kinds．They're sure to have what you are looking for, whether it's a small boat for a quick and simple outing or an extravagant(奢侈的)boat with comfortable seats with a stereo(立体声)and high tech navigation(导航)．You can rent a boat for half a day, a couple days, or even weeks at a time．If you want it, they've got it．It's fun for everyone!

9 a. m.－5 p. m．Monday through Sunday

　　Coconuts Water Sports is open 7 days a week for your convenience and offers tons of water fun for the whole family．Jet ski activities last 30 minutes or 1 hour and can make stops along the way．You must be at least 14 years of age to ride alone and can be as young as 3 to ride along with an adult．Everybody is required to wear a life jacket and a license is required to operate the jet ski．Bathing suits and shorts are recommended．

Thursday-Sunday 10 a. m.－7p. m．

　　Jet Ski Tours of Miami includes onsite parking, indoor restrooms, lockers, and life jackets for participants．You may choose a one or two hour tour and each jet ski can hold up to 3 people．You must be at least 18 years old in order to ride．As long as you are accompanied by an adult, there is no age limitation for any passenger．There is a restaurant nearby to eat at．The tour visits 6 different islands and passes by Bayside and Hard Rock．You may even catch a glimpse of dolphins playing or a manatee resting in these fabulous Florida waters．

阅读理解

　　By the growing national Occupy Wall Street movement, hundreds of protesters moved through midtown Manhattan on Tuesday．They called this “Millionaires March”．

　　They marched two by two up the sidewalk, planning to pass the homes of some of New York City’s wealthiest people．They said they didn’t have a permit and didn’t want to lead the traffic jam．

　　“No Billionaire Left Behind,” said on a card that was written by Arlene Geiger, who teaches economics at Manhattan’s John Hay College of Criminal Justice．

　　New York’s 2 percent “millionaires’ tax” will last till this December．Protesters expressed they cared about how much less the wealthy would pay and who would get less money then．Protesters have been camped out for weeks in lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park, near Wall Street．They say they’re fighting for the “99 percent” of Americans who do not fall into the wealthiest 1 percent of population．

　　Their causes range from bringing down Wall Street to fighting global warning．The movement gained traction through social media, and has taken place in several other cities．

　　In Boston, hundreds of college students marched through downtown Boston on Monday and gathered on Boston Common, holding signs that read “Fund education, not corporations”．The protesters were angry with the education system．They said it was like “irresponsible, unaccountable, and unethical(不道德的)financial practices” of Wall Street．

　　And now, a lot more movements have taken places in some European countries．