Puerto Rico may be part of the USA but its music and dance is a mixture of both Spanish and African rhythms. The country, as a result, is a mixture of very new and very old. It exhibits the open American way of yet retains the more formal Spanish influences. This is reflected in the architecture, not just the contrast between the colonial and the modern in urban areas but also in the countryside, where older buildings sit side by side with concrete schools and buildings.
However, if you do not wander beyond the tourist areas on the coast, you will not experience the real Puerto Rico. Old volcanic mountains, long inactive, occupy a large part of the interior（内陆）, with the highest peak, Cerro de Punta, at 1,338m in the Cordillera Central. North of the Cordillera is the karst （岩溶）country where the limestone（石灰石）has been acted upon by water to produce a series of small steep hills and deep holes. The mountains are surrounded by a coastal plain with the Atlantic shore beaches cooled all the year round by trade winds.
The population is 3.8 million, of which about 1.5 million live in San Juan, although about another two million Puerto Ricans live in the USA Average life expectancy is 73.8 years and GDP per capita is US $12,212, the highest in Latin America, although not up to the level of mainland USA. Most Puerto Ricans do not speak English and less than 30% speak it fluently. Second generation Puerto Ricans who were born in New York but who have returned to the island, are called Nuyoricans. The people are very friendly and hospitable but there is crime, liked to drugs and unemployment.
【小题1】What are the disadvantages of Puerto Rico?

A．Too many Puerto Ricans live in the USA

B．Few people in Puerto Rico can speak English

C．Puerto Rico’s GDP is lower than that of the USA

D．Social problem connected with drugs and lack of jobs.

【小题2】We can learn from the passage that Puerto Rico _________.

A．is a state of the United States	B．used to be ruled by Spain
C．is an agricultural country	D．is gently affected by Africa

【小题3】Nuyorican is a person who _______.

A．has been living in New York

B．is living in New York

C．was born in New York but has returned to Puerto Rico

D．has got the citizenship of America

【小题4】What does the underlined word “retains” mean?

A．loses

B．keeps

C．enjoys

D．returns

 Is there a limit to the number of years that a person can expect to live? Can changes in life-style add years to one’s life? Throughout history people have sought answers to these questions and others.

Various myths offer the hope of great longevity. In the imaginary land of Shangri-La, for example, people are said to lead a charmed existence for a thousand years. The Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was convinced that he would find the Foundation of Youth in what is now the state of Florida. According to the Bible, Methuselah lived to be more than 900 years old.

The subject of longevity is fascinating, and scientists study individuals such as Jeanne Calment to learn about the aging process. Calment died in 1997 in Arles, France, at the age of 122. She never married, and she lived in her own apartment until moving to a retirement community when she was 109.

Most scientists agree that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years. This potential has changed little since modern human beings appeared more than 100 thousand years age. Recent improvements in medicine and the environment have extended life expectancy, especially for those from poorer parts of the world. It is not clear, however, whether such improvements will lengthen life expectancy beyond a certain point.

Life expectancy is the number of years an infant can be expected to live, given the conditions into which it is born. Life expectancy, therefore, is affected by nutrition, medical care, and social and political circumstances. An individual’s genetic makeup is also an important factor. Children from long-lived families can hope to enjoy long lives themselves. According to recent data, the average life expectancy worldwide in 1998 was 67 years. This can be compared with an average life expectancy of 77 in the United States.

In 1970 the average life expectancy worldwide was 61 years, or 6 years less than it was in 1998. This same period saw a drop in infant mortality -— the death of a child before the first birthday-—from 80 births out of 1,000 to 54 births out of 1,000. According to some researchers, the rise in the average life expectancy is due primarily to the drop in infant mortality. It is not so much that adults are living to an older age. It is, rather, that more people are living into adulthood because more children are surviving beyond their first birthdays.

1.Infant mortality is defined as ________ .

A. the number of children born alive

B. the kinds of behavior typical of very young children

C. the number of children, out of 1,000 births, who die before their first birthday

D. the typical and obvious thoughts of very young children

2.Although it may be possible to improve the life expectancy of a particular group of people, ________ .

A. it is more difficult to affect the rate of infant mortality

B. it is unlikely that one will be able to extend the potential life span of human beings in general

C. the process of evolution is extending the potential life span beyond 125 years

D. the potential that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years has changed much since modern human beings appeared

3.One can infer that people have at times imagined that ________ .

A. people live longer in the state of Florida

B. a long life is a burden rather than a blessing

C. it is possible to find a way to live for centuries

D. life expectancy is affected by a couple of factors

4.One can conclude that  ________ .

A. the aging process can be stopped.

B. the aging process is inevitable.

C. life expectancy in the United States will soon reach 125 years.

D. the average life expectancy worldwide is decreasing

 

National parks in the UK are a wonder to see, run by the National Trust, a non-profit charity which maintains Great Britain's historical and natural landscapes. Britain's park Authority has made planning restrictions to protect these wilderness areas in housing and commercial activities.

Mainland England and Wales have the largest number of protected parks. The first established area was the l,438 kilometer Peak District. The first national park lies in northern and central England. The Peak District with vast beauty is thought to be the world's most visited national park after Japan's Mount Fuji.

In the northwest area of Wales lies Snowdonia National Park. This attractive, mysterious ancient landscape is home to steep mountains. Walking trails to Mount Snowdon is only one of several exciting activities for hikers.

National parks in the UK can also boast of having Britain's largest protected wetland "The Broad", just outside the village of Homing. An ideal spot for families, this 200-mile area combines waterways with an interesting intersection(交叉) of windmills, castles and an ancient Normal church.

Spreading across 885 miles of truly impressive rocky land is Lake District National Park. England's largest park attraction is spread between Edinburgh to the north and Manchester to the south. Although the land itself seems wild, almost 40,000 people live within the park. Within this district's vast borders we can find over 6,000 archaeological(考古的) sites and monuments dating back to prehistory.

The United Kingdom has taken great care to preserve its wilderness areas for the future generations, and all the parks are adventures waiting to De found which can be enjoyed by both natives and visitors.

1.Who is in charge of the National parks in the UK? (no more than 3 words)

2. According to the passage, which is thought to be the world's most visited national park? (no more than 5 words)

3.If you want to see ancient monuments, where would you go? (no more than 4 words)

4.For whom are the wild areas preserved in the UK? (no more than 4 words)

5.What's the text mainly about? (no more than 6 words)

 

Tickets for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil have gone on sale, with fans able to apply on FIFA’s website. FIFA is expecting a similar demand to that in Germany 2006, when there were about seven applicants for every ticket of the 64 matches. And now around 3.3 million tickets will be available for the matches in 2014.

    Tickets will range in price from ￡58 for first-round matches to ￡632 for the final at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian citizens over 60, local students and members of some social programs can purchase tickets for ￡15.

The Price of Football - World Cup 2014

Items	Prices	Items	Prices
Ticket	￡58-￡112	Final ticket	￡281-￡632
Sun cream	￡9.50	T-shirt	￡13
McDonald’s meal	￡11	Water	￡1.28
Imported beer	￡3.83	Domestic beer	￡1.91
Coffee	￡2.55	Average dinner	￡29

“It’s always difficult to predict,” said FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil. “But I truly believe that it will be more similar to what happened in Germany than in South Africa in 2010.”According to FIFA, the 2006 World Cup was attended by more than 3.3 million fans. Almost two million tickets were sold to the general public in South Africa, although the number of applications during the first ticketing phase was significantly lower.

    All applications made before 10th October 2013 will enter a random selection draw if there are not enough tickets available to fulfill all requests. The sales of the leftover tickets will begin on 5th November on a first-come, first-served basis. Another phase will begin on 8th December after the draw is made. The tournament begins on 12th June, with Brazil playing the opener in Sao Paulo.

    A study on the price of World Cup 2014 looked at the ticket prices and the cost of travelling to Brazil and found that our English fans face hotel costs of between ￡46 and ￡797 a night, while packages range from ￡2,999 to ￡14,999.

1.How much should a Brazilian student pay for the opening match?  

A.￡15         B.￡58        C.￡112        D.￡632

2. From the passage we know that Thierry Weil_______.

A. feels proud of what they achieved in South Africa 2010

B. feels worried about the sales of the tickets for Brazil 2014

C. holds the belief that Brazil 2014 will be the greatest world cup

D. believes that more fans will attend Brazil 2014 than South Africa 2010

3.What will FIFA do if there are not enough tickets available for requests before Oct.10, 2013?

A. They will sell the spare tickets to the applicants.

B. They will sell on a first-come, first-served basis.

C. They will choose the applicants based on a random selection draw.

D. They will sell them the tickets to be sold on Dec.8.

 

There is one language that is used in every country in the world. The people who use it are young and old, short and tall, thin and fat. It is everybody’s second language. It is easy to understand, although you can’t hear it. It is sign language.

    When you wave to a friend who is across the street, you are using sign language. When you smile at someone, you are saying, “I want to be friendly”, but you are not using speech. You are using sign language. When you raise your hand in class, you are saying, “Please ask me. I think I know the correct answer.”

    Babies who can’t talk can point at things. They are using sign language. A policeman who wants to stop traffic holds up his hands. He is using sign language.

    Many years ago, a French priest（神父）, Charles Michel de Epee, became interested in education for deaf people. He invented a finger alphabet (字母表). It is still in use. People can make the sign for letters and spell words with their hands, and deaf people can read and understand them. Soon there were schools for the deaf in many countries. The only university for the deaf is Gallaudet College in Washington, D.C.

    Today, in the United States, there are special TV news programs for deaf people. The newsreader tells the news in sign language. At the same time, the words appear on the TV screen.

    The actors in the Theatre of Deaf don’t spell every word. Sometimes they use hand signs. When they put two hands together, it means sandwich. They can make a roof with their hands when they want to show a house. One finger in front of an actor’s mouth can mean quiet. You can talk to people who are behind windows that are closed. And when you go swimming with your friends, you can have conversations under water.

    How many hand signs do you use every day?

1.. Which of the following about sign language is TRUE?

A. It is a special language used in a few countries in the world.

B. It is a way to express one’s ideas without words.

C. It is only used by the deaf.     

D. It can be heard.

2.. If you want to express the idea that “I am very friendly” to someone, you will ______.

A. raise your hand                   B. put one hand onto the other

C. smile to the person                   D. make a roof with your hands

3.. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Hand signs instead of finger signs are used everyday.

B. There are schools, colleges and universities for the deaf in the USA.

C. The French priest Charles invented sign language.

D. Even babies are using sign language.

4..The passage is mainly about ______.

A. an introduction to sign language      B. the importance of sign language

C. a famous priest in France        D. how to use sign language