Many French teachers and parents complain that their kids are less bright than they were. They say young people visit museums less often and spend too much time on the Internet. They only read comics and listen to music, and like American culture more than their own. But is this true?  A recent survey shows that many French kids spend their time as other kids always have.
Most French teens love music, with 86% putting it as their top hobby, above the cinema, sport and television. French kids read a lot and like different things, from Japanese cartoons to American novels. Many French people worry that their children watch too many American films and listen to too much American music. But the results of this survey show that French young people like their own culture.
As Silvia Berlin, a student from Paris, says, "I love watching American TV, but I watch more French programmes. I love being French!"
【小题1】Many French teachers and parents        

A．think their kids are as clever as they were

B．don' t think their kids are as clever as they were

C．think their kids are more clever than they were

D．don' t think their kids are clever at all

【小题2】Most French teens' top hobby is       

A．going to the movies	B．doing sport
C．watching TV	D．listening to music

【小题3】The French kids like all of the following except _________ .

A．Japanese history	B．Japanese cartoons
C．American films	D．American music

【小题4】This passage is mainly about a survey of______.

A．French parents' complaint

B．French kids' study

C．French kids' interests

D．French teachers' complaint

Everybody hates rats. But in the earthquake capitals of the world—Japan, Los Angeles, Turkey—rats will soon be man’s new best friends.
What happens after an earthquake? We sent in rescue dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.
How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal (信号). This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. The rat has smelled that person.
Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornell University, New York, says, “‘Robots ’noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity(电)!
The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to and a rat would get out of it if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will be happy to see a rat in a building (but only after an earthquake, of course).
【小题1】In the world earthquake capitals, rats will become man’s best friends because they can    .

A．take the place of man’s rescue jobs

B．find the position of people alive who are trapped in buildings

C．serve as food for people alive who are trapped in buildings.

D．get into small spaces

【小题2】In doing rescue jobs,        .

A．rats smell better than dogs

B．dogs don’t need to be trained to smell people

C．robots’ sense of smell can be affected by other smells around

D．rats can see in the dark and smaller than robots

【小题3】Rats have all the following advantages EXCEPT that       .

A．they are more fantastic than other animals

B．they are less expensive to train than dogs

C．they don’t need electricity

D．they are small and can get into small places

【小题4】After reading the passage we can know       .

A．at present rats have taken the place of dogs in searching for people

B．the “rat project” has been completed

C．people are now happy to see a rat in a building

D．now people still use dogs and robots in performing rescues

A winter wonderland on the outskirts of Quebec City has become one of Canada's hottest attractions and most sought out accommodations. Guests stay close for warmth in sleeping bags on beds of ice, hats pulled over their ears to prevent frostbite, while sipping cocktails (鸡尾酒) in glasses also made of ice.
A cool place to host a memorable wedding or for a romantic getaway, the Quebec Ice Hotel has attracted 600,000 curious tourists, including 30,000 who stayed overnight, since opening seasonally 11 years ago. Like Victoria and Jeremy Martin, dozens of couples will exchange vows (誓约) this winter in a temporary church next to the hotel, made entirely from blocks of ice with seats covered in furs.
Average temperatures fall below minus 20 degrees C (minus four F) in winter, but inside the hotel's 36 rooms it is relatively comfortable. Thick walls of packed snow and ice act as an insulator, trapping body heat inside. Each room is uniquely decorated, using designs created by Quebec architecture students. Two hotel bars also sell special cocktails in ice glasses.
First-time guests of the hotel, however, are recommended to stay only one night as sleeping in sub-zero temperatures is not very refreshing. This year for the first time the ice hotel has teamed up with a brick and concrete Quebec City hotel to offer packages(全套服务) for one-night accommodations at each. Prices for one night only at the ice hotel start at 200 US dollars per person.
The 3,000-square-metre (32,300-square-feet) buildings take six weeks starting in December to build, using 15,000 tons of snow and 500 tons of ice, at a cost of some 750,000 US dollars. Eleven weeks after its seasonal grand opening, the hotel will close on March 27 and then melt away with the arrival of spring.
【小题1】What is true with the ice hotel?

A．630,000 people have visited it.

B．Its rooms all look alike.

C．It stays open for two months each year.

D．Wedding ceremonies are often held there.

【小题2】The underlined word “insulator” in Paragraph 3 possibly refers to something that ______.

A．stops heat passing through it	B．collects and reflects light and heat
C．makes things become very cold	D．works like an air-conditioner

【小题3】First-time guests are advised to stay there only one night because _______.

A．they may not be able to stand the cold

B．their other night is with an ordinary hotel

C．new guests have no advantages over old ones

D．they may find the beds made of ice too hard to sleep on.

On March 28th, the New York Times will begin charging all but the most infrequent users to read articles online.
In a letter to readers, Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., the publisher of the paper, laid out the details of the paywall, which he said will go into effect immediately in Canada and on March 28th for the rest of the world. He called the move “an important step that we hope you will see as an investment in the Times, one that will strengthen our ability to provide high-quality journalism to readers around the world and on any platform.”
Sulzberger said that readers will be able to read 20 articles per month at no charge. Once they click on the 21st piece, however, they’ll be presented with three payment options: $ 15 for four weeks of online and mobile application access, $ 20 for access to the site and the iPad application, or $ 35 for access to everything. People who already receive the printed paper through home delivery will enjoy free and unlimited access to the Times on all platforms.
These details largely agree with earlier reports on how the paywall would work. The Times had made it clear that it did not want to imitate the total paywalls put into effect by papers such as The Times of London and Newsday, which block access to all contents unless the reader pays.
The paper also signaled that it wants to stay relevant in the social media world. According to Sulzberger's announcement, people who come to the Times site from Facebook, Twitter or from blogs will be able to read those articles even if they have gone over their monthly limit.
However, Sulzberger said that a limit will be placed on “some search engines”, meaning that after readers have accessed a certain number of articles from search engines, any further articles they access from there will be added to their monthly count. It was reported that the only search engine that will be affected this way is Google, where there will be a five-article limit. This marks a clear attempt by the Times to close what could be a giant loophole （漏洞）, since so much online traffic is directed through Google. But it also presents a risk for the Times for the same reason.
Sulzberger seems well aware of the risk. “The challenge now is to put a price on our work without walling ourselves off from the global network,” he said, adding that the Times must “continue to engage with the widest possible audience.”
【小题1】The author’s main purpose in the text is to _______.

A．describe research findings	B．report a piece of news
C．make advertisements	D．suggest a solution

【小题2】Why will the Times charge their online readers?

A．It wants to stay relevant in the social media world.

B．It has too many readers coming from the other sites.

C．It is seeking new financial sources for its development.

D．It is trying a way to offer better service to its readers.

【小题3】Who will be limited to the New York Times articles?

A．Those subscribing to the printed newspapers

B．Readers clicking through from Facebook.

C．Those using Google research engine

D．Readers paying $ 35 a month.

【小题4】What challenge may the paywall bring to the New York Times?

A．It may bring the Times more competition with the other media

B．It may stop the Times connecting to the global network

C．It may block the readers from the other websites

D．It may result in huge drops in papers' online readership

The news that China bans time-travel TV dramas and movies got a lot of attention on the internet. Yet, time travel in China is a bit different from time travel in common sense．It is anything but science fiction and always goes backwards in time．There is minimum imagination involved--no ever-ending circles that mess up present and future, no advanced technology, no new social orders or new human forms from the twenty--whatever century, everything is a known historical fact when you travel through in China．
It is not even called time travel; rather the Chinese people refer it as time crossover．Time crossover has been an extremely popular theme for online novels for years(in fact , it is an indispensible part of China’s online culture), and didn’t get picked up by TV and the big screen until recent two years．Most of time-travel dramas and movies are adapted from popular online novels and like in other cases adaptations are never better than the original books．
The main plot of time-travel novels or TV dramas can be very well summarized in one sentence: from nobody to somebody．Time travel in China is more about escaping from the reality than about realizing wild dreams．
In China , there is no need of time machine either．People travel backwards in time via the possession of antiques presence at historical places of interest encounter of life-threatening accidents or simple a look into the mirror．Some time-travel novels even start with “I wanted to go back to history so much that one morning when I opened my eyes I was back．” Technology is not relevant at all．
Though China is not short of histories to go back to, people have their own preferences and it is pretty much a gender （性别）thing．If the main character is male then he usually goes back to special times in history when he is able to help build up or tear up a dynasty．A typical example is A Step Into the Past(寻秦记), the first time-travel TV drama in China, which tells the story of how a SWAT member helps to unite China and build up Qin Dynasty ．
On the other hand , female characters primarily go back to Qing Dynasty partly because Qing Dynasty has the most number of princes to fall in love with．Yongzheng Emperor is the favorite．As can be seen in Startling by Each Step（步步惊心）, a Qing time crossover classic, a girl goes back to Qing Dynasty and falls in love with Yongzheng Emperor and his brothers．
【小题1】As for time travel in China, which of the following ideas does the writer agree to ?

A．it is complicated and can be classified into science fiction.

B．it is often based on the familiar story in history.

C．it sometimes messes up the times and social orders.

D．it always occurs in any times but the time before.

【小题2】The writing purpose of this passage is to           .

A．analyze why the time -travel TV dramas are banned in China

B．introduce the characteristics of the time-travel TV dramas in China

C．show the difference between time travel in China and in other cultures

D．advise people to watch the time-travel TV dramas in China

【小题3】It can be inferred from the passage that          .

A．China now has banned any forms of productions about time travel

B．adapted from online novels, time-travel TV and movie productions enjoy more praise

C．the main character always follows a set pattern in the time-travel TV dramas in China

D．all the time-travel productions are about heroes and their success

【小题4】The news mentioned in the very beginning is intended to         .

A．prove author’s view	B．introduce the topic
C．give an example	D．work as a topic sentence

JINTAN, JIANGSU: The 20 students — 18 boys and 2 girls —had a thousand reasons to be proud of themselves. They had just climbed their way to the top rung（阶梯）out of 4 million students taking part in the Fifth National Hua Luogeng Gold Cup Mathematics Contest（竞赛）on Tuesday evening. The 20 gold medal winners are all primary and middle school students under the age of 14. ‘Many of the problems are of college level and these pupils can figure them out. It is just unbelievable!’said a teacher from Guangdong province. Named after China's most famous mathematician, Hua Luogeng, the contest started in 1986,one year after his death. In less than 10 years, it has been recognized by the State Education Commission（国家教委） as the country's biggest and best contest of its kind.
【小题1】This news story is mainly about________ .

A．when the contest started

B．how the contest got its name

C．the 20 pupils who have won gold medals in the contest

D．the 5th National Hua Luogeng Gold Cup Mathematics Contest

【小题2】This news story most probably appeared in a newspaper in ________.

A．1986

B．1987

C．1995

D．1997

【小题3】It can be inferred from the text that the teacher from Guangdong province ________.

A．felt proud of the gold medal winners

B．wondered if the students were honest

C．thought that the problems were too difficult for the students

D．believed that the twenty winners could go to study at university

【小题4】The underlined phrase ‘figure out’ in the text means_________.

A．work out

B．add up

C．guess

D．study

For their nick-of-time acts, Toby, a 2-year-old dog, and Winnie, a cute cat, were named Dog and Cat of the Year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
As Amy Paul choked(哽住) on a piece of apple at her home, her dog jumped up, landing hard on her chest and forcing the piece in her throat out. When the Keesling family of Indiana was about to be killed by carbon monoxide, their cat clawed at the wife Cathy’s hair until she woke up and called for help.
No one could explain their timely heroics.
Both pets were rescued by their owners in infancy---Toby as a 4-week-old thrown into a garbage bin to die, and Winnie as a week-old orphan hiding under a barn, so helpless that Cathy’s husband, Eric, had to feed her milk with an eyedropper.
As the Keeslings recalled it, a gas-driven pump being used broke down, spreading carbon monoxide through the house. By the time Winnie went to rescue, the couple’s 14-year-old son was already unconscious. “Winnie jumped on the bed and was clawing at me, with a kind of angry sound,” Cathy Keesling said. The state police responding to her 911 call said the family was only minutes from death, judging by the amount of poisonous gas in the house.
Amy Paul’s husband was at his job when she took a midday break from making jewelry and bit into an apple. “Normally I peel them, but I read in Good Housekeeping Magazine that the skin has all the nutrients, so I ate the skin, and that’s what caused me to choke,” she recalled. “I couldn’t breathe and I was in panic when Toby jumped on me. He never does that, but he did, and saved my life.”
Both Toby and Winnie accompanied their owners to the awards luncheon.
【小题1】Why did Amy Paul choke on a piece of apple?

A．She was too young to care for herself.

B．She had a big bite.

C．The apple was too hard.

D．She didn’t peel the skin as usual.

【小题2】Winnie saved the lives of its owner’s whole family in an accident by __________.

A．jumping onto its owner	B．calling for help
C．clawing at Cathy’s hair	D．making some strange noises

【小题3】Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined word “infancy” in Paragraph 4?

A．middle age

B．youth

C．babyhood

D．agedness

【小题4】What caused the carbon monoxide spreading through the house?

A．A pump breaking down.	B．A driver breaking into the house.
C．The burning gas.	D．The poisonous gas.

【小题5】What would be the suitable title for the passage?

A．So Smart Animals Are

B．Dog and Cat Honored for Saving Their Masters

C．Unforgettable Experiences

D．Great Honors for Cat and Dog

“Just take a deep breath.”“Don’t think about it.”“You’re more likely to die in a car wreck on the way to the airport than you are in a plane crash.” These are just some words given to people with a fear of flying. But as Tom Cruise, playing Lt. Daniel Kaffee in the movie A Few Good Men, said, “I get sick when I fly because I’m afraid of crashing into a large mountain. I don’t think Daniel will help.”
But there’s a new application that just may. Today, the VALK Foundation, a Dutch group that’s a partnership between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the University of Leiden, launches the app in the US. The VALK Foundation was one of the first centers for research and fear-of-flying treatment in the world and is the organizer of three world conferences on fear of flying.
The foundation said the app, called Flight App VALK, is the first scientifically-developed, web-based treatment for people who suffer from mild to moderate fear of flying.
“The fear of flying application we have created aims to transfer all of the knowledge we have developed through our program into a mobile application that will help ease travelers’ fears,” said Dr. Lucas van Gerwen, director of the VALK Foundation. Dr. van Gerwen is also a psychologist and professional pilot with more than 30 years experience.
The foundation said up to 30% of adults are fearful fliers. The Flight App is designed to help relax passengers before and during flights by educating users about flight safety and turbulence. It explains the sounds and sensations they can expect during departure, flight and landing. And, if a passenger’s flight stress reaches a panic level, they press a special panic button which provides audio and written information to help decrease stress levels. Most importantly, the Flight App can be used during the flight in the airplane mode. Once downloaded, the program does not require Internet connection in the air.
【小题1】By saying the words at the beginning of the passage, people are expected to ______.

A．decrease their fear of flying

B．get rid of their doubt about plane

C．have a good time on their flight journey

D．use some medicine to cure their fear of flying

【小题2】According to the passage, the VALK Foundation ______.

A．is a group focusing on psychology on the flight

B．was the first center to do research into fear of flying

C．organize the world conferences on fear of flying annually

D．focuses on researching and offering treatment on fear of flying

【小题3】Flight App VALK is aimed to ______.

A．help passengers experience the fear of flying

B．help relax passengers before and during flights

C．treat people who suffer from mild fear of flying

D．teach people the basic knowledge of taking flight

【小题4】What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Many adults are suffering from fear of flying

B．It’s convenient for people to use the Flight App

C．Many planes will be installed with the Flight App

D．The Flight App can decrease stress levels effectively

【小题5】In which column of a newspaper can we read this passage?

A．Culture	B．Entertainment
C．Technology	D．Education

London will stage its biggest political funeral in almost half a century on Wednesday when Britain's governing elite join the Queen and global leaders to bid farewell to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, better known as the “ Iron Lady".
In an event comparable to that of Winston Churchill's funeral in 1965, Thatcher's coffin will be carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage through streets lined with admirers from parliament to the city's most famous cathedral.
The bells of London's symbolic Big Ben clock tower will fall silent for the first time since Churchill's funeral and more than 700 men and women from Britain's armed forces will honor a woman who led them to victory in the 1982 Falklands War as foreign politicians from around 170 nations look on.
Surveys have shown that many are unhappy that the estimated l0-million($15 million)pound bill for the funeral is being picked up by the taxpayer, while some left-wing lawmakers say the luxurious funeral is too expensive.                                                                            
But her admirers, of whom there are many in her party and in southern England, argue that her historical profile deserves such a funeral. She was the country's first and only woman premier, was Britain's longest-serving prime minister of the 20th century, and won three general elections.
More than 2,300 mourners will attend including 11 serving prime ministers from around the world, the British government's entire cabinet, two heads of state and 17 foreign ministers.
But there will be notable absences. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev is too ill to attend and Nancy Reagan, the widow of Thatcher's great U·S. ally Ronald Reagan, is also unable to come.
Thatcher struck up a close relationship with Reagan during the Cold War, backed the first President  George Bush during the 1991 Gulf War, and was among the first to discover that Gorbachev was a man she could "do business with. ”
Covered in the red, white and blue British flag, Thatcher's coffin lay overnight in a 13th-century church in Britain's parliament, a forum she dominated for years.
【小题1】From the passage we know that Big Ben clock tower will fall silent to        .

A．get repaired for the first time

B．honour the passing away of the great woman

C．tell the specific time to the public

D．welcome the officials from all over the world

【小题2】Who that are still alive will be absent from the funeral?

A．Mikhail Gorbachev and Nancy Reagan.

B．Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan.

C．Nancy Reagan and Ronald Reagan.

D．George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev.

【小题3】From the passage we can learn that Margaret Thatcher was       .

A．strong and smart	B．weak and disappointing
C．aggressive and warlike	D．stubborn and luxurious

【小题4】Which of the following might serve as the best title of the passage?

A．The legend of Thatcher, the “Iron Lady".

B．Why Big Ben falls silent for the first time?

C．Who will pay for such a luxurious funeral?

D．London will witness its biggest political funeral.