Great Britain

“Great Britain” has several different names. Some people say “Britain”, or “the United Kingdom”, or just “UK”. There are four different countries in the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Everyone from Britain is British, but only people from England are English. People from Scotland are Scottish, people from Wales are Welsh, and people from Northern Ireland are Irish. Don't call a Scottish or Welsh person English. He won’t like it!
Altogether more than 56 million people live in Britain, many of them in big industrial cities like London, Liverpool and Manchester, but people are often surprised by how much of Britain is open country, with lovely hills and woods, quiet rivers, lakes and farmlands.
Everyone in Britain speaks English. But in some parts of Scotland and Wales people speak an older language as well. The Welsh are especially proud of their language, and you can see road signs in Welsh all over Wales.
Everyone speaks English, but they do not all speak it in the same way. A Scottish person has to listen carefully if he wants to understand a Londoner. And when a Welsh person speaks, everyone knows at once where he comes from!
Many people think that the weather is cold and wet in Britain all the year round. But it isn't! True, it sometimes rains and even snows for days and days, but every year there are weeks of beautiful sunny weather when the British put on their bikinis and go out to sunbathe.
Britain is only a small country, but every part is different. Scotland is a land of mountains, lakes and romantic castles. The winters are cold, with plenty of snow, but the summers are often warm and sunny. Most farmers keep sheep, and there are many small factories which make fine sweaters from their wool. In some parts of Scotland, there are very few people. Deer live in the hills, and the rivers are full of fish. But Glasgow and Edinburgh are both large and busy, with all that is good (and bad) in modern cities.
Northern Ireland has its problems, but it has beauty too. In the warm, wet climate, the grass grows a brilliant green, and much of the land is farming country. Belfast is a large industrial city with many fine buildings and a big port from which ships come and go to Scotland and England. But Belfast has had many difficult years, and it is not the busy place it once was.
In the north of England there are many old industrial towns. Now, a great number of factories have closed and thousands of people have no work. Some have moved to the new towns, built in the 1960s and 1970s, where the industries are more modern. Outside the towns, much of this part of England is beautiful countryside, with green hills, lakes and sandy beaches. Fishing is an important industry in the North East, and every night (except Sunday) the fishing boats go out to sea.
The centre of England (the “Midlands”) is also an important industrial area, especially near the huge cities of Coventry and Birmingham, the centre of the car industry. But everywhere, even in the heart of a modern city, there are buildings from an older Britain — cathedrals, castles, and houses built hundreds of years ago.
Wales is a special place, a country of high mountains and pretty valleys. But Wales has plenty of industry too, with many factories and coal mines. The people of Wales are very musical. Every year they have a festival of Welsh music and poetry called an “Eisteddfod”.
The west of England is rich farming country. It produces milk, cream, butter, cheese and apples, which go to make cider, a popular drink. In the villages, country people often grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Some areas of Britain are very crowded. Around Manchester, in northwest England, and Glasgow, in Scotland, are large city areas of houses and factories. The southeast of England, too, has many towns and cities, including London, the giant capital. But quite near London there are still some quiet villages and peaceful farms.
Britain is an island, of course, and you are never far from the sea. Some of the coast, especially in the west, is wild and rocky, with small, sandy beaches, and romantic old harbours. Other parts are industrial. The east coast of Scotland, for example, is busy with oilrigs and fishing boats. The most popular beaches are near the many holiday towns on the south coast, where the weather is usually warmer. It is here that Londoners come to relax.
London London has been a capital city for nearly a thousand years, and many of its ancient buildings still stand. The most famous of these are the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral, but most visitors also want to see the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace (the Queen's London home) and the many magnificent museums.
Once, London was a small Roman town on the north bank of the Thames, but slowly it grew into one of the world's major cities with more than nine million people. Fewer people live in the centre now, but the suburbs are still growing.
Places now in the heart of London, like Westminster, once stood in the middle of green fields. Many small villages, like Hampstead, Chelsea and Mayfair, became part of London, but they still keep some of their old atmosphere. Different areas of London seem like different cities. The West End is a rich man's world of shops, offices and theatres. The East End is the old working people's district, where there are many small flats and houses, some old, some new.
London is always changing. New buildings go up and old ones come down. Poorer areas become fashionable and people with more money move into them.
A hundred years ago, the river was crowded with ships, leaving for Java and Japan, New Zealand and New York, but now the port is nearly empty. People travel by air, and London's main airport, Heathrow, is one of the busiest in the world.
Like all big cities, London has streets and concrete buildings, but it also has many big parks, full of trees, flowers and grass. Sit on the grass (you're allowed to!) in the middle of Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens, and you will think that you are in the country miles away.
Many people live outside the centre of London in the suburbs, and they travel to work by train, bus or underground. Every day, nearly half a million office workers travel into the “City”, the business centre of London, a small area full of banks and offices. Some people come from far out of London, even from the coast, and spend up to four hours travelling every day.
Working hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From 8 until 10 every morning, and 4.30 to 6.30 every evening, the trains are crowded with people, and after the morning “rush hour” the shoppers come.
By day the whole of London is busy. At night, the City is quiet and empty, but the West End stays alive, because this is where Londoners come to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses here, several concert halls and many theatres, as well as cinemas, and the pubs, restaurants and night clubs are busy half the night.
Many people think that London is all grey, but in fact red is London's favorite colour. The buses are red, the letter boxes are red, and the mail vans are all bright, bright red. London is at its best when people are celebrating. Then the flags, the soldiers' uniforms, the cheering crowds and the carriages and horses all sparkle in the sunshine —if it's not raining, of course! 
Edinburgh Edinburgh is Scotland's capital, and one of the most beautiful cities in Britain. The heart of Edinburgh is the thousand-year-old castle, where the kings of Scotland lived for centuries.
From Edinburgh castle you can see for miles, north over the beautiful old streets, an arm of the sea that pushes inland. Far away are the mountains of central Scotland, often covered with snow.
Edinburgh has a busy cultural life. Every year, in September the International Festival takes place. Musicians, actors and singers come from all over the world and thousands of visitors fill the city. In the evening, the opera house, the theatres and the concert halls are full. In cafes and pubs, small groups sing, act and read poetry.
The castle is at its best in festival time. Every night there is a magnificent military “Tattoo”. Highland soldiers wearing “kilts” play the bagpipes, and march to the music.
Tartans, the patterns of the kilts, have an interesting history. Since the fifteenth century, each Scottish family has worn its own tartan as a kind of badge. It was a useful way of recognizing people, especially in times of war. Many tartans date only from the nineteenth century, but some of the old patterns still exist. “Dress” tartans, worn on special occasions, have light, bright colours. ”Hunting” tartans are usually green, blue or brown.
Oxford What is so special about Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest universities in England? Why do so many students want to study there?
Both of these university towns are very beautiful. They have some of the finest architecture in Britain. Some of their colleges and libraries are three, four and even five hundred years old, and are full of valuable books and precious paintings. Both towns have many lovely gardens, where the students can read and relax in the summer months.
Oxford is the older university of the two. The first of its colleges was founded in 1249. The university now has thirty-four colleges and about twelve thousand students, many of them from other countries. There were no women students at Oxford until 1878, when the first women's college, Lady Margaret Hall, opened. Now, women study at most colleges.
Oxford is, of course, famous for its first class education as well as its beautiful buildings. Some of the most intelligent men and women in the country live and work here. Oxford gives them what they need: a quiet atmosphere, friendly colleagues, and the four-hundred-year-old Bodleian library, which has about five million books.
It is not easy to get a place at Oxford University to study for a degree. But outside the university there are many smaller private colleges which offer less difficult courses and where it is easy to enroll. Most students in these private schools take business, secretarial or English language courses

1. 1.

   Providing that you want to visit a most beautiful city and see “kilts” worn by men, you are supposed to go to ________

   1. A.
      Edinburgh
   2. B.
      London
   3. C.
      Manchester
   4. D.
      Birmingham
2. 2.

   Oxford is one of the oldest universities in Britain, which is special because ________

   1. A.
      it has a big and modern library
   2. B.
      it has a quiet and friendly atmosphere
   3. C.
      tremendous of the most intelligent people in the country live and work there
   4. D.
      all of the above

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) —Superstorm Sandy has killed more than 40 lives by Tuesday in the United States ，including 18 in New York City, after causing series of destruction from the Caribbean through U.S. east coast to Canada.

The hurricane left cities in ruins, streets flooded, homes damaged ，millions of households without power. According to IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm, the superstorm will end up causing about 50 billion U.S. dollars in business losses.

Local media reports show that the storm has caused power fails affecting some 7 million homes, shut down 70 percent of East Coast oil refineries (炼油厂）and caused worse-than-expected damage in the New York subway area, which produces about 10 percent of U.S. economic output.

More than 18,000 flight cancellations have been reported across the United States in the consequence of the hurricane. Hundreds of thousands of travelers have been stranded across the country and around the world as airports from Washington to Boston are still closed.

Three nuclear power reactors, one in New Jersey and the other two in New York, remained shut down among worries over any possible damage to their transmission (传送）networks as well as their cooling systems, but authorities said there were no risks to the public.

The superstorm has not caused serious injuries to big companies such as chemical makers BASF and DuPont. The former reported that its East Coast facilities (设施)had suffered minor damage, while the latter, many of which are not in the direct path of Sandy, has reopened its two facilities，one in Connecticut and one in Massachusetts.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday declared “a major disaster" in the states of New Jersey and New York, ordering federal aid to help with state and local recovery from Sandy.

Obarria and his Republican rival (对手)Mitt Romney canceled a second day of campaign events to focus on Sandy's victims.

72.    Which statement about the consequence of Superstorm Sandy is true?

A. Power fails affected about 70,000,000 homes.

B. 70 percent of East Coast oil refineries were badly damaged.

C. Damage in the New York subway area was worse than expected.

D. Sandy had caused about 50 billion U.S. dollars in business losses by Oct. 30.

73.The underlined word "stranded" in the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to_____

A. spread                  B. trapped                 C. prevented              D. separated

74.    What was the general condition of the nuclear power reactors and chemical makers, according to paragraphs 5 and 6?

A. Fairly safe.                                           B. Still at risk.

C. Totally shut down.                                D. Seriously damaged.

75.    What can be inferred from the news report?

A. Obama showed great concern over Sandy's victims.

B. The presidential election of the U.S. was stopped.

C. Obama and his rival canceled all their campaign events.

D.       Romney ordered federal aid to help with the recovery from Sandy.

Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia （痴呆） in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones （荷尔蒙） , U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s （早老痴呆症）. University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.
“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy are protecting the brain, including estrogen （雌激素）, which we know has many neuroprotective （保护神经的） effects,” Kinsley said.
“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”
Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.
“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.
“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations （改变） to the brain.”
【小题1】 How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?

Directions: Complete the following passage by filling in each blank with one word that best fits the context.

Last week I visited Plattsburgh State University (PSU). People had told me that it was a good college, but it was even  1.  than I had expected.

Located in the small city of Plattsburgh, PSU is  2.  nice-looking school. Inside, the buildings have signs to point you in the right direction if you don’t know  3.  you are going.

The average class has 24 students. One thing I found interesting was that  4. you are a good note-taker, the professor will pay you to photocopy (复印) your notes for the rest of the class.

PSU offers a lot of majors, including art, history, science  5.  nursing. All of these programs are especially designed  6.  students to meet their future work needs. The school also has many academic programs, including an honors program .

PSU has many clubs, ranging 7.  dance clubs to sports clubs. This school has a great reputation and offers a lot to  8.  students. I think that PSU is certainly a college to consider.

阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。

       首先请阅读以下一些青少年杂志的简要介绍：

Teens Now is a successful music magazine for teenagers that lists who is playing, where and when and how to get tickets. Interviews with well-known singers and groups as well as biographies are included. It also gives its young readers the chance to send their own articles.

NS Teens magazine is well-known for its wildlife and environmental content but it also has articles on the history and culture of people from all over the world. Some of the articles are long and detailed but the magazine is also famous for its fantastic photo-journalism. There are letters from readers as well as maps and facts sheets.

Top Teens is easy to read and full of color photographs. There are a range of different sections including those offering fashion and beauty advice. But the majority of its pages are devoted to interviews with the popular, well-known fashion models and stars of cinema, music and sports.

Young WB is the only environmental magazine written by teenagers for teenagers. Readers are invited to send their articles and photographs to the magazine’s office and materials are chosen for the next issue. As well as articles about the natural world, the magazine also has many special offers and competitions.

Teenplus is very different from the average teen magazine that simply offers articles on pop stars and fashion. This exciting new magazine informs readers about what is happening in the world through its in-depth articles on current affairs, politics and science. It also provides a variety of reviews on recent books, films and music CDs.

Teen Voice is a magazine which no journalists write for and depends completely on articles sent in by its teenage readers. It gives young people the opportunity to publish their creative works such as poems or short works of fiction or to voice their opinion on important issues. They can also write comments on the latest music CDs.

以下介绍了一些青少年的兴趣爱好。请将他们与上述杂志匹配起来。

Oliver would like to read stories that people of his own age have written. He is also keen on music and would like some recommendations on the best bands.

Bessie wants to know more about famous people who frequently appear in the newspapers. She is also interested in clothing and would like some recommendations on what style to wear.

Johnson is interested in learning more about the latest international events and affairs. Besides, he is also keen on the cinema and would like to read different opinions on what movies to see.

Jennifer is fond of geography and the natural world. She would also like to read articles that tell her about the lives of people from other countries.

Chris enjoys going to concerts very much and hope to find out more about people in his favourite bands. He is also fond of reading things written by other teenagers.