Baroness Thatcher, Britain’s greatest post-war prime minister, died at the age of 87 after suffering a stroke (a disease related to blood vessels in the brain), her family announced on 8 April 2013. Her son, Sir Mark, and daughter Carol confirmed her death that morning. zxxk
Margaret Thatcher, daughter of a businessman and mayor of Grantham, was educated at the local grammar school, and at Oxford, where she got a degree in chemistry, and upon graduation she worked for four years as a research chemist. She then qualified as a lawyer in 1954.
As Miss Margaret Roberts, she stood twice in parliamentary (国会的) elections for the Conservative Party (保守党), before being elected (after her marriage) to the House of Commons in 1959.
When the Conservatives returned to office in June 1970, she was appointed secretary of state for education and science. After the Conservatives lost power in 1974, she was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet (内阁), and was elected leader of the Conservative Party in 1975.
Baroness Thatcher became prime minister on 4 May 1979 and went on to earn the nickname “the Iron Lady”, becoming known for her strong responses to the political and economic crisis, which Thatcher’s supporters think are good for Britain, while her opposers argue that her policies destroyed British manufacturing.
Lady Thatcher governed Britain from 1979 to 1990. She will go down in history not only as Britain’s first female prime minister, but as the woman who changed Britain’s economy in addition to being an awesome rival on the international stage. zxxk
Lady Thatcher was the only British prime minister to leave behind a set of ideas about the role of the state which other leaders and nations try to copy and apply

1. 1.

   How old was Lady Thatcher when she became prime minister?

   1. A.
      64
   2. B.
      53
   3. C.
      87
   4. D.
      45
2. 2.

   Why did Lady Thatcher get the nickname “the Iron Lady”?

   1. A.
      Because she was the first female prime minister in Britain
   2. B.
      Because she took strong measures to deal with the crisis
   3. C.
      Because she was strong enough to live a long life
   4. D.
      Because her supporters credited (归功于) her with developing the British economy
3. 3.

   Which of the following statements is NOT true about Lady Thatcher?

   1. A.
      She died of a heart attack on 8 April 2013
   2. B.
      She left behind many ideas about the role of the state
   3. C.
      Not all the people are in favor of her policies
   4. D.
      She governed Britain for 11 years
4. 4.

   Which is the correct order of what happened in Thatcher’s life?
   a. She became prime minister.
   b. She was appointed secretary of state for education and science.
   c. She was educated at a local grammar school.
   d. She was elected leader of the Conservative Party.
   e. She qualified as a lawyer

   1. A.
      e-c-b-d-a
   2. B.
      c-e-d-b-a
   3. C.
      b-c-e-d-a
   4. D.
      c-e-b-d-a

Researchers in Britain are driving the environmental movement to a new level. A team from the University of Warwick has built what it calls the world’s first completely environmentally friendly Formula Three racing car.

   The car is made mainly of renewable materials, like plants and vegetables. The structure around the car is made from natural plant fibers and potatoes. The steering wheel(方向盘) is made from root vegetables like carrots. The engine uses bio-fuel made from vegetable oil and waste chocolate.

   The new racing car is extremely fast. The car has a top speed of two hundred fifteen kilometers an hour. And it can go from zero to ninety-five kilometers an hour in just two and a half seconds. The racing car meets all of the Formula Three racing requirements except for its biodiesel(生物柴油) engine.

   Automobile racing is one of the most widely watched sports in the world. But it is also considered one of the least friendly sports to the environment. Racing cars burn a lot of fuel, and create a lot of air pollution. In recent years, the racing industry has taken steps to protect the environment. More racing companies are now producing cars that use less energy. These cars produce less pollution than cars that depend on traditional fuel, like gasoline.

   Last month, the new racing car was set to run in its first competitive race at the Formula Three Championship Final at Brands Hatch. It would have been the first biodiesel-powered car to race at Formula Three. Current Formula Three rules let only gasoline-powered car to compete. Officials needed permission from all of the Formula Three racers for the biodiesel-powered car to compete. They were unable to contact one of the drivers, so the new racing car didn’t appear in the event. In test runs, the new racing car was the fifth fastest among the Formula Three race cars. Supporters are hoping to have the fuel problem solved in time to compete in the next season.

1.. What’s the second paragraph mainly about?

A. What materials the new racing car is made of.

B. Why researchers built the new racing car.

C. The characteristics of the new racing car.

D. The process of the new racing car being designed.

2..According to the passage, the _________ of the new racing car doesn’t meet the Formula Three racing

requirements.

A. speed                  B. appearance      C. weight        D. engine

3.. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A. the new racing car is the first environmentally friendly car

B. automobile racing could be forbidden in the near future

C. many people like to watch automobile racing

D. the new racing car will be allowed to compete in the next season of Formula Three racing

4.. In recent years, racing companies are producing cars that __________.

A. burn more fuel                  B. go more quickly

C. produce less pollution            D. cost less money

5..Why didn’t the new racing car compete at the Formula Three Championship Final last month?

A. Because the new racing car still needs testing.

B. Because officials needed each racer’s permission but failed to contact one.

C. Because there’re some technical problems to be solved.

D. Because few drivers think it is fast enough.

A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.
On one side stand those who see clothes dryers(干衣机) as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the “what-I –can do environmentalism(环境保护主义).”
On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) access the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This had led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people’s right to use clotheslines.
So far, only three states have laws to protect clothesline. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be move.
Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious(有生态意识的) person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighlzir had telephoned them about him clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warming and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. “Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don’t take matters in their own hands,” says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.
North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can’t even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.
Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, “The clothesline is beautiful”. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.”
【小题1】One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying is that ____.