It’s cool, and it’s hot, and everyone is doing it. People talk about it often, and friends tell other friends how good they look. Sound like a fashion? It’s actually another trend(倾向): “blog”. What’s a blog? A blog is a personal online diary. The word “blogger” means a person who writes diaries online.

Many bloggers are teens who’ve been logging(进入) onto sites to discuss anything in their lives. Many of today’s teenagers are not afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives. Teens complain(抱怨) about parents and homework. They share diaries, post songs from the latest bands and show pictures of theirs. They write their own poems, say something about their girlfriends or boyfriends and complain to each other or offer support. But mostly they just write down what they do every day.

However, many parents are afraid of these young bloggers. Parents see the kids talking about how they got drunk last weekend and how they don’t like studying. They are using language that is surprising to their parents. Besides hearing from their friends, teen bloggers also get message from strangers. Most of the time, it’s older men asking to meet teenage girls. “These strange men are dangerous for my kids. They sometimes teach my kids bad words, “ said Cara Cabral, a mother of two.

Many teens and young adults know it’s not safe to use blogs on the Internet. They know they are putting information about themselves in a place they can be seen by anyone. But teens are unlikely to give up these new communication tools that have becomes a way of life for many of them.

Are you a bloggers? What do you think of the blog?

1. What does the underlined word “it” mean in the first paragraph?

A．the blog	B．talking online
C．the Internet	D．the website

2.A blogger is a person ___________.

A．who teaches kids bad words

B．who posts songs from the latest bands

C．who got drunk last weekend

D．who writes diaries online

3.According to this passage, teen bloggers mostly __________.

A．complain about parents and homework

B．write down what they do every day

C．offer support to each other

D．share diaries and show pictures of theirs

4.Parents think it’s dangerous for their kids to use blogs because ________.

A．their kids use a surprising language

B．their kids talk about how they don’t like studying

C．teen bloggers got messages from strangers

D．their kids talk about their girlfriends or boyfriends

5. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Many teens know it’s not safe to use the blog on the Internet.

B．Most of today’s teenagers aren’t afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives.

C．A blogger’s information about himself can be seen by anyone on the Internet.

D．It’s easy for teenagers to give up blogging.

 

So you thought the hamburger was the world’s most popular fast food? After all, McDonald’s Golden Arches span（跨越）the globe（全球）. But no, there is another truly universal fast food, the ultimate（极好的）fast food. It’s easy to make, easy to serve, much more varied than the hamburger, can be eaten with the hands and it’s delivered to your front door or served in fancy restaurants. It’s been one of America’s favourite foods for over 50 years. It is, of course, the pizza.

It’s kind of silly to talk about the moment when pizza was “invented”. It changed over the years, but one thing’s for certain—it’s been around for a very long time. The idea of using pieces of flat, round bread as plates came from the Greeks. They called them “plakuntos” and ate them with various simple toppings（配料）such as oil, garlic（大蒜）, onions and herbs. The Romans enjoyed eating something similar and called it “picea”. By about 1000 AD in the city of Naples, “picea” had become “pizza” and people were experimenting with more toppings: cheese, ham, anchovies and finally the tomato, brought to Italy from Mexico and Peru in the sixteenth century. Naples became the pizza capital of the world. In 1889, King UmbertoⅠand Queen Margherita heard about pizza and asked to try it. They invited pizza maker, Raffele Esposito, to make it for them. He decided to make the pizza like the Italian flag, so he used red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese and green basil leaves. The Queen loved it and the new pizza was named “Pizza Margherita” in her honour.

Pizza went to America with the Italians at the end of the nineteenth century. The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in 1905 at 53 Spring Street, New York City, by Gennaro Lombardi. But the popularity of pizza really exploded when American soldiers returned from Italy after World WarⅡ and raved about(夸赞) “that great Italian dish”. Americans are now the greatest producers and consumers of pizza in the world.

1.Which is the correct order of the changes of pizza?

A．Plakuntos→pizza→picea                  B．Pizza→plakuntos→picea

C．Picea→plakuntos→pizza                  D．Plakuntos→picea→pizza

2.Why are Mexico and Peru important in the development of pizza?

A．Because pizza first became popular in these countries.

B．Because pizza was invented in these countries.

C．Because one topping was brought to Italy from these countries.

D．Because people there are the greatest consumers of pizza.

3.What do the Italian flag and a Pizza Margherita have in common?

A．There is a picture of a Pizza Margherita.      B．They have the same colours.

C．Both of them represent Italy.               D．They are both popular in Italy.

4.When did pizza become really popular in the United States?

A. After 1945.      B. In 1889.     C. In 1905.         D. By 1000AD.

5.What’s the best title of the passage?

A．McDonald’s and Pizza                   B．Global Pizza

C．Pizza in the United States                  D．How to Make Pizza

 

Can you imagine being savagely attacked by a dog? What if the attack was so severe that your nose, lips and chin were completely destroyed? How would you feel about yourself? Would you be able to look at yourself in the mirror? And how do you think other people would treat you?

    Isabelle Dinoire is someone who can answer all of these questions honestly and openly.

Last November Isabelle was attacked and mauled by her own dog. The attack was so severe that her lower face was damaged; it seemed, almost beyond repair. She was rushed to hospital and became the first person ever to have a face transplant.

With such severe injuries doctors offered Isabelle little hope that they would be able to repair the damage to her face using conventional surgery.

Shortly after being admitted, she came to the attention of Dr Bernard Devauchelle who, unlike other surgeons, believed there was an alternative: "We found ourselves saying, yes, it's clear this woman needs a transplant," he said.

Two days after the operation she saw her face in the mirror for the first time. She said "I was scared to look at myself, but when I did it was already marvelous and I couldn't believe it. I thought it would be blue and swollen but it was already beautiful."

Now, less than a year after her 15 hour operation, she’s trying to rebuild her life and there is no doubt how she feels about her new face: "I have been saved. Lots of people write saying that I need to go on, that it's wonderful. It's a miracle somehow."

    Although there were ethical questions raised about their decision to carry out the procedure, the doctors who operated on Isabelle are quick to defend their decision.

One of them said "Was it possible for her to live without a face? It's easy to say we shouldn't have done the operation, but her life has changed, she goes shopping, goes on holiday, she lives again."

What would be the best title of the passage?

A. The first face transplant                   B. A successful face operation

C. The most severe damaged face             D. The breakthrough of surgery

The writer uses the five questions at the beginning of the passage to ___________________.

A. tell the story about Isabelle Dinoire           B. show a severe face damage event

C. draw the readers’ attention to the topic         D. invite the readers to answer them

It can be concluded from Isabelle Dinoire’s remarks that___________________.

A. she was too shocked to see herself in the mirror

B. she was satisfied with the result of the operation

C. she thought her damaged face couldn’t be repaired

D.she looked more beautiful than before

According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. It seemed that it was impossible to recover Isabelle’s face using face transplant

B. After operation Isabelle thought she looked beautiful and rebuilt her life again

C. Some doctors had no better idea to repair the damage to Isabelle’s face

D. It was Dr Bernard Devauchelle who came up with the idea of face transplant

Tokyo: The world’s oldest man, retired Japanese silkworm breeder Yukichi Chuganji, died in his home at the age of 114, on Monday. Family members found him dead on his mattress. Born on March 23, 1889, Chuganji worked as a silkworm breeder and bank employee after leaving school. He also served as a community welfare(福利) officer. He had been in god health, talking daily with his family members.

Washington: Every American dislikes people who talk on cell phones while driving, even those who do that kind of act. In the State of New Jersey, 84 percent of 968 cell phone owners said in recent telephone survey that they would support a state ban(禁令) on the use of cell phones while driving. However, 42 percent of cell phone owners also said they used the devices “very often” or “sometimes” while driving. Although most agree that the banning is good, only 38 percent believed such a ban would be easy to enforce(实施).

New York: A woman in the US who was being attacked by a dog said she was saved from further harm when her 13-year-old daughter distracted the dog by screaming “You want a piece of me?” and kicked it repeatedly in the head. Jane Howell said she and her daughter, Elizabeth, were taking a walk around the neighborhood on Saturday evening when they came across he big dog, unchained.

1. The main idea of the second news is _____.

A．most Americans don’t like cell phone

B．a ban on the use of cell phones has been made

C．few people use cell phones while driving

D．using cell phones while driving will be banned because most Americans don’t like it

2. The woman in the US ____.

A．was not harmed by the dog

B．raised the dog, which attacked her later

C．was protected from being seriously hurt by her daughter

D．had escaped when her daughter was kicking the dog

3. From the news we can infer ____.

A．Chuganji was living alone when he died

B．the woman’s 13-year-old daughter was very brave

C．cell phones are not good devices

D．it’s easy to enforce the ban the use of cell phones while driving

 

Dogs and millionaires have a lot in common. They are absolute opportunists (especially when it comes to rewards). They defend their territory(地盘). And in general, they don’t like cats. Perhaps that explains a new survey showing that millionaires are far more dog-friendly than the rest of Americans.

According to a study by Spectrem Group, 58% of millionaire pet owners have a dog. Only 37% own a cat. Only 3% keep fish, 2% birds and 2% have a horse. Similarly, 39% of U. S. households own a dog, compared to 33% of households owning a cat, released by the Humane Society.

Jennifer Cona, a trust and estates attorney(信托和资产律师) and partner with Genser Subow Genser & Cona in New York, does a lot of work on pet trusts. She said of all the pet trusts she’s worked on, 90% are for dogs and only 10% are for cats. 

She said dogs provide one thing especially important for the wealthy: unconditional love.

“You don’t get that from a cat,” she said, “Dogs are like children for some families, except that they don’t mess up in college or run off with money. Sometimes it’s easy to see why dogs are the favorite children.”

Millionaires show their love for their dogs in part by their spending. One quarter of millionaire pet owners spend more than $1, 000 a year on their pets, the Spectrem study said, while more than half spend more than $500 a year.

Many would say those numbers are understated, given all the diamond-dog collars, dog foods and booming dog spas in evidence these days, not to mention the medical bills.

The survey showed 34% of pet owners spend money on decorating, while 6% spend on “sweaters, outfits and costumes.”

More than half of millionaire pet owners spend money on teeth cleaning for their pets. More than 16%, meanwhile, said they would spend money on reconstructive surgeries and “anti-anxiety, anti-depression” medication for their pets.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A．Millionaires like dogs more than other Americans.

B．Keeping dogs as pets is quite popular among Americans.

C．Pet dogs help relieve their owners’ anxiety and depression.

D．Millionaires spend much money on teeth cleaning for their pets.

2.From the survey by Spectrem Group, we can learn ___________.

A．about one third of American households own a cat

B．more than half of millionaire pet owners have a dog

C．millionaire pet owners spend $1, 000 on their pets daily

D．34% of pet owners spend money on dog clothing

3.What’s the main reason why millionaires show great love for their dogs?

A．They can afford the high expense to raise pet dogs.

B．Pet dogs have never made a mess of things around.

C．Millionaires feel more secure in company of dogs.

D．Pet dogs show unconditional love for their owners.

4.What does Jennifer Cona probably think of millionaires owning pet dogs ?

A．Ridiculous.        B．Acceptable.        C．Negative.          D．Indifferent.