阅读理解，阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Chrysanthemums(菊花)are to the fall what tulips are to the spring．

　　In ancient China, chrysanthemums(or 'mums’ for short)were first planted thousands of years ago．People chose the chrysanthemum as their Flower for October, a symbol of the rest and ease that followed the season's final harvest．Then they symbolized a scholar in retirement(隐居)and were one of the four noble plants, along with bamboo, the plum flower, and orchid．

　　The Japanese hold the chrysanthemum as a symbol of the sun．They consider the orderly unfolding of its petals to be a symbol of perfection．They also think that a single chrysanthemum petal placed in the bottom of a wine glass encourages a long and healthy life．The Japanese even have a National Chrysanthemum Day on September 9, known as the Festival of Happiness．

　　In the United States during colonial times, its popularity grew such that mums now reign as “Queen of the Fall Flowers．” Mums remain the most widely grown pot plant in the country and the largest commercially produced flowers．Chrysanthemums generally represent cheerfulness and rest．So they are welcomed throughout the British Isles and North America for any occasion, such as football games and parties．In other countries such as Italy, Belgium and Austria, however, their association with the dead makes chrysanthemums acceptable only for funerals and graves．

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阅读理解，阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

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　　In James Cameron's fantasy films, such as Avatar and The Abyss, the unexplored is decorated in color and filled with alien danger．But on his dive to the deepest place on Earth, which took place on a Sunday last month, reality proved far different：white, deserted, and dull．

　　“I felt like I literally had gone to another planet and come back,” Cameron said after returning from the cold, dark place in the western Pacific Ocean, nearly 7 miles(11km)below the surface．“It was a very fantastic day．” Cameron is the first person to explore the deepest valley in the ocean since two men made a 20-minute trip there in 1960．

　　He spent about three hours gliding through the icy darkness, brightened only by lights on the one-man sub(潜水艇)．This deepest section of the Mariana Trench is so untouched that at first it appeared dull．But there's something strangely interesting about the first pieces of video that Cameron shot－a sense of aloneness．

　　“It's really the sense of isolation, realizing how tiny you are down in this big, black and unexplored place,” the Titanic director said．The wordless minute-long video, released by sponsor National Geographic, shows Cameron's sub gliding across what he calls “the very soft, almost gelatinous(胶状的)flat plain．”

　　To Cameron, the main thing was to appreciate being there．“There had to be a moment where I just stopped, and took it in, and said, ‘This is where I am; I'm at the bottom of the ocean, the deepest place on Earth．What does that mean?'” Cameron told reporters during a conference call．The trip was only about half as long as planned because Cameron's battery ran low．He said he would return and film it in 3D for later viewing．

　　“I see this as the beginning,” Cameron said．“It's not a one-time deal and then moving on．This is the beginning of opening up this new frontier．”

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　　Located along California's San Andreas Fault, the city of San Francisco is likely to take precautions(预防，防备)in the event of the next big earthquake．

　　According to a New York Times report, emergency planners in San Francisco are not only thinking of human evacuation(撤离，疏散)plans in the event of an earthquake, but also of how to care for pets during a natural disaster．Ideally, the planners will be able to train pet-disaster responders who work to evacuate dogs, cats and other household pets from the disaster site to one of the 125 temporary animal shelters that will be set up or, if the pet is injured, it will be brought to an emergency animal medical unit where there will be people on hand to tend to the pet's injury．The city's “no-pets-left-behind” policy results from the great number of pet deaths during the destruction of Hurricane Katrina．

　　As emergency responders arrived to rescue people isolated in their homes during Katrina, hurricane victims were told that they could not take their pets along with them when evacuating; thus, many pet owners were forced to make the heart-breaking decision to save themselves while leaving their pets behind to perhaps meet their deaths．

　　Since then, the U．S．has passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006, allocating federal funds for animal disaster planning projects．Yet, not all counties are as progressive as San Francisco has been in the effort to protect pets in the event of a natural disaster．Pets are after all, a large part of San Francisco's population－overnumbering the number of school age children in the city．

　　Over the last three years, San Francisco has received ＄350,000 in federal funds designated to animal disaster preparedness efforts in order to protect animals in the case of a disaster such as an earthquake．The city is still working on obtaining ＄300,000 to pay for an emergency animal unit．Until then, animal lovers in San Francisco will continue to work to ensure that pets are never an afterthought when it comes to rescues during earthquakes or other life threatening situations．

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　　Careercast．com is out with its list of best and worst jobs of 2012．It's bad news for the writer of this story, but much brighter for the folks who program the code that keeps this website busy．

　　Using a method that looked at physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook, career Website Careercast．com, ranked the top 200 jobs．They also ranked the jobs with the most stress．Not surprisingly, none of the most stressful jobs show up on the best jobs list．

　　At the top is software engineer and at the bottom is the lumberjack．Cutting trees failed to skate above the bottom 10 percent in all ranking categories, except income．“Unemployment for lumberjacks is very high, and the demand for their services is expected to continue to fall through 2016．And while working outside all day may seem like a great job perk(有额外津贴的工作), being a lumberjack not only is considered the worst job, but also one of the world's most dangerous,” according to Careercast．com．And, for that most dangerous job, a lumberjack earns a little more than ＄32,000 a year．That's about ＄56,000 less than the easy job of a software engineer, which has the average salary at ＄88,000 a year, according to Careercast．

　　Here's a complete look at the best and worst jobs．And, take a look at the most stressful jobs．You may be surprised．

Software Engineer　　　　　Lumberjack　　　　　　Enlisted Soldier

Actuary　　　　　　　　　Dairy Farmer　　　　　　Firefighter

Human Resources Manager　Enlisted Military Soldier　　Airline Pilot

Dental Hygienist　　　　　Oil Rig Worker　　　　　　Military General

Financial Planner　　　　　Reporter(Newspaper)　　　Police Officer

Audiologist　　　　　　　Waiter/Waitress　　　　　Event Coordinator

Occupational Therapist　　Meter Reader　　　　　Public Relations Executive

Online Advertising Manager　Dishwasher　　　　　Corporate Executive Computer Systems Analyst

Butcher　　　　　　　　　Photojournalist　　　　Mathematician

Broadcaster　　　　　　　Taxi Driver　　　　　　

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　　China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety．In Panama, it is said that medicine made with a poisonous chemical sickened some people．A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol([化]乙二醇), a low – cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze(防冻剂)．

　　Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol．China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe．Another industrial chemical, melamine, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America．Thousands of dogs and cats became sick．

　　The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance．And questions have been raised about other products, including children's toys covered with lead paint．

　　Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods．

　　Meglena Kuneva, commissioner(理事)for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise．

　　China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare．And it dismissed the former head of its food and drug administration．He was found guilty of corruption(腐败)for approving unsafe drugs．This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety．The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities．

　　But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China．They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes．Next Week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation．

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　　A company planning to open the first hotel in space says it is on target to accept its first paying guests in 2012 despite critics questioning the investment and the length of time for the multibillion-dollar project．

　　The Barcelona-based architects of the Galactic Suite Space Resort say it will cost ＄4.4 million for a three-night stay at the hotel．This price also includes an eight-week training course on an island．During their stay, guests would see the sunrise 15 times a day and travel around the world every 80 minutes

　　Galactic Suite Ltd's CEO Xavier Claramunt says the project will put his company in a leading position of a new industry with a huge future ahead of it, and forecasts space travel will become common in the future．“It's very normal to think that your children, possibly within 15 years, could spend a weekend in space” he told Reuters Television．

　　A promising space tourism industry is beginning to take shape with construction in progress in New Mexico of Spaceport America, the world's first facility built specifically for passengers．British industrialist Richard Branson's space tours firm, Virgin Galactic, will use the facility to send tourists to space at a cost of ＄200,000 a ride．

　　Galactic Suite Ltd, set up in 2007, hopes to start its project with a single pod(分离舱)in orbit 280 miles above the earth．“It will take a day and a half to reach the pod, and the passengers will join it for three days,” Claramunt said．More than 200 people have expressed an interest in traveling to the space hotel and at least 43 people have already reserved it．

　　The numbers are similar for Virgin Galactic with 300 people already paid or signed up for the trip, but unlike Branson, Galactic Suite says they will use Russian rockets to transport their guests into space from a spaceport to be built on an island in the Caribbean．But critics have questioned the project, saying the length of time that will be used is unreasonable and also where the money is coming from to support the project．

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　　Boxing is a fist fighting sport between two matched combatants(对手)wearing padded gloves．A boxer's primary aim is to land as many blows as possible to the head and torso(躯干)of the opponent, using strength and speed to dominate the contest．One of the oldest sports still practiced, boxing dates back to thousands of years ago．Today the sport is popular in many parts of the world and encompasses(包括)both amateur and professional matches．

　　For most of the 20th century boxing attracted huge fans and media attention in the United States．Some boxing champions became legendary, larger-than-life figures, such as Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Muhammad Ali．Criticized to varying degrees throughout its history for its violent nature and high injury rate, boxing has somehow always managed to survive——and even thrive——as a sport．

　　Modern boxing regulations are based upon the 12 rules set out by British boxing officials in the mid-19th century．These rules became known as the Marquess of Queensberry Rules, named after the 8th Marquess of Queensberry, John Sholto Douglas, who sponsored and published them．In addition to in-the-ring rules, modern boxing also has specific regulations regarding eligibility for the fighters themselves．

　　The modern rules for professional and amateur boxing differ, but both types of contests are divided into time periods called rounds．In professional boxing, each round lasts three minutes; in amateur boxing, two minutes．A one-minute rest period between rounds is standard．Amateur contests consist of three rounds; professional contests may consist of up to 12 rounds．A bell is usually sounded by a timekeeper to begin and end each round．

　　A key step in making boxing safer and more respectable was the introduction of gloves, ending brutal bare-knuckle competition．Boxing gloves are heavily padded to soften the impact of the blow and to protect the hands of the boxer．As an added protection, the hands are taped before being placed in the gloves, which are essentially huge mittens．Professional gloves usually weigh between 170 and 226g; amateur gloves average 226 to 340g．

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　　Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children．In spite of the hopeless condition, two of the children, Albrecht Durer and Albert, had a dream．They both wanted to pursue their talent for art．After many long discussions, the two boys finally worked out an agreement．They would toss a coin．The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother who attended the academy．Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy．

　　Tossing a coin, Albrecht Durer won and went off to Nuremberg．Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, supported his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation(轰动)．By the time he graduated, he had earned considerable fees for his outstanding works．

　　When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant(胜利的)homecoming．Albrecht drank a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled him to complete his dream．“And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn．Now you can go to Nuremberg to look for your dream, and I will take care of you．”

　　Tears streaming down his pale face, Albert sobbed, “No．．．no．．．It is too late for me．Look．．．look at what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been broken at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis(关节炎)so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less draw delicate lines with a pen or a brush．”

　　To show thanks to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's injured hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward．He called his powerful drawing simply “Hands”, but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed it “The Praying Hands”．The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, let it be your reminder－no one ever makes any success alone!

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阅读理解，阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　A2 and AS Level Revision at Easter 2012

　　Course Dates

　　Courses run from Monday to Friday each week．

　　One Week Courses

　　Monday 6 April-Friday 10 April

　　Monday 13 April- Friday 17 April

　　Two Week Courses

　　Monday 6 April-Friday 17 April

　　Students may arrive a day earlier(Sunday)and/or depart a day later(Saturday)at extra cost．

　　Number of Students per Class

　　The average number of students is usually between 1 and 4 per class．As the numbers increase in a class, the number of “contact hours” is suitably increased to allow extra time．Many students will find themselves in privately tutored(指导)classes giving them ultimate flexibility(灵活性)and attention of the Revision Tutor．

　　Fees

　　One Week Boarding Fees：1, 495 GB Sterling(5 days/4 nights)

　　Two Week Boarding Fees：2, 895 GB Sterling(12 days/11 nights)

　　One Week Day Fees：1, 095 GB Sterling(5 days)

　　Two Week Day Fees：2, 165 GB Sterling(10 days)

　　Optional Extra Elements

　　Extra Night's Accommodation(住宿)：70 GB Sterling(including meals)

　　Additional Private Tutoring：60 GB Sterling per hour

　　How to Apply

　　We provide you the majority of A2 and AS subjects．Before you apply, please contact us to tell us which subject areas you would like to cover．We will then be able to check whether a space is available．Once a space has been confirmed as available, you will need to apply online or via the PDF, and also compete the Additional Information PDF．After you apply, we will require you to fill in a detailed form explaining your requirements．If you have any question, don't hesitate to ask us．

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