WILD WEATHERMAN

       Name: Sam Champion

       Hot job: TV Weatherman

       Where: WABC-TV, New York City

       When you were a child, did you plan to forecast wind, rain, and snow on TV?

I wanted to be a foreign journalist. I took courses in weather science at Eastern Kentucky University, but I majored in broadcasting news.

How did you finally become a weatherman?

My first job in the early 80’s was at the local TV station in Paducah, Kentucky. I did everything from turning on the lights in the morning to writing and delivering morning news. I put together weather forecasts, and became interested in them.

Back then, how did you forecast weather?

Independent companies collected computer information that showed, for example, how a single weather system might split into snow or snow mixed with rain. The information was often opposite and the job of a weatherman was to study the information and make the best educated guess about the storm.

Has weather forecasting changed much with new technology?

Advanced computers, satellites, and Doppler radar (sound waves used to track storms) have made forecasting more exact. But we still know very little about how weather is shaped. So far, we just have theories.

Any advice for children who’d like to become weather scientists?

To me, weather is the most exciting field in the world. There are still so many more questions about weather than answers. After all, if we can’t foresee floods or hurricanes, how safe a society are we? Weather forecasting is wide open for scientists who love to solve puzzling problems. The next generation of meteorologists (weather scientists) will unlock many of Earth’s weather secrets. So get a general knowledge of Earth science, and study meteorology (weather science) in college.

Thanks, Sam.                                   

49. Judging from the writing style, the text is ________.

A. a diary                       B. an interview          C. a news story        D.an announcement

50. As a child, ABC-TV’s Sam Champion wanted to be a ________.

A. space scientist      B. weatherman          C. news reporter       D. meteorologist

51. Present weather forecasting technology ________.

A. has made weather report more exact than ever        B. is still not perfect

C. hasn’t changed much in the last 50 years                D. both A and B

52. The study of weather science is called ________.

A meteorology                     B forecasting                C geography            D earth science

World Footballer of the Year 2009

Football experts from the world have chosen Steven Gerrard, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Samuel Eto'o as the top footballers in the world. Now it's up to you to vote for the player you think is the king of World Football.

THE CANDIDATES

Vote Now

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

＊Why I'd vote for Gerrard

“Gerrard is clearly in his prime and quite rightly rated one of the finest midfield players of his generation.” says Steve Bates, chairman of the FWA.

＊Why I'd vote for Cristiano Ronaldo

Johan Cruyff points out Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United.

＊Why I'd vote for Samuel Eto'o

Piers Edwards thinks the title of World footballer should go to Samuel Eto'o.

＊Why I'd vote for Messi

Messi’s individual brilliance and year-long persistence has impressed Diego Maradona.

49. The passage is mainly intended to __________.

A. invite readers to vote for the World Footballer of 2009

B. predict the results of the vote of the World Footballer of 2009

C. tell the outstanding performance of the candidates of the World Footballer of 2009

D. share with readers the experts’ opinions on the candidates of World Footballer of 2009

50.Which of the following descriptions about the footballers is RIGHT?

A. Ronaldo has primarily played as a second attacker.

B. Eto'o scored 42 goals in the 2008-2009 season altogether.

C. Diego Maradona believed that Messi could never match him in playing style.

D. Gerrard plays an important role in Liverpool’s challenge to Premier League leaders.

51. We can learn from the passage that Ballon d'Or is __________.

A. an activity about football              B. an organization of football

C. a title for excellent footballers          D. a team name of football

52. Diego Maradona is more likely to vote___________ to be the World Footballer of the Year.

A. Lionel Messi                        B. Cristiano Ronaldo

C. Samuel Eto'o                        D. Steven Gerrard

COPENHAGEN—The world is gathered in Copenhagen for the U.N. climate summit, but Denmark’s bicycle-friendly capital has also given its name to a movement of cities trying to find a kinder way to travel to and from work.

Nearly 40 percent of Copenhagen’s population cycle to work or school on ubiquitous（無處不在的） paved cycle paths. Many residents take to their bikes year-round, braving rain and snow through the winter in a city where the bicycles outnumber the people.

Amsterdam and Beijing too are known for their bicycles, but the Danish capital is where urban planners from around the world have been looking for ways to get their people out of cars and up onto bikes, an effort known as Copenhagenisation.

Klaus Bondam, Copenhagen’s technical and environmental chief, calls himself a “mega cyclist” and says the bike’s popularity stems partly from high taxes on cars which meant working-class Danes could not afford to drive in the 1930s and 1940s. “Today you’ll meet everybody on the bicycle lanes — women and men, rich and poor, old and young.” Bondam said.

The local government has during the last three years invested more than 250 million crowns ($49.42 million) in bicycle lanes and to make the traffic safer for bicyclists. Today around a third of the population drive cars to work or study, another third take public transport, while 37 percent cycle -- a figure the city aims to increase to 50 percent by 2015.

There are many benefits when citizens choose bicycles over cars: pollution and noise decline, public health improves, and more people on bikes or walking creates a sense of safety in the city. Fewer parked cars leaves more space for playgrounds, parks, shopping areas and other useful public places.

53. According to the first paragraph, Copenhagen is better known as ___________.

   A. a city without cars                B. a bicycle-friendly city

C. Denmark’s capital                D. the U.N. climate summit

54. We can learn from the second and the third paragraph, __________.

A. there is no path for cars during rainy and snowy days

B. citizens are limited to have only one bike for each person

C. two-thirds of people in Copenhagen cycle to work or school[

D. city planners try their best to encourage more citizens to ride bikes

55. Bikes are popular in Copenhagen partly because ___________.

   A. the citizens are unable to afford to buy a car

B. the rich tend to keep fit by cycling to work

   C. young people regard cycling a fashion to follow

   D. high taxes were paid for cars in the 1930s and 1940s

56. We can learn from the passage that __________.

A. cars are forbidden to park in Copenhagen

B. more citizens tend to choose cars in Copenhagen

   C. Copenhagen becomes a model for cities’ traffic

   D. living standards in Copenhagen are greatly declining

Crashing a state dinner at the White House without any invitation apparently takes a security breakdown as well as some kind of courage.

The Washington Post first reported that a couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, not on the official guest list, managed to slip into the state dinner at the White House on Nov. 24, 2009. The dinner was held to honor Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. According to the Post, the uninvited guests had stayed in the same place with the Obamas and other important figures.

The U. S. Secret Service learned about the security breach (破壞) on Wednesday only after the couple boasted online about having attended the state dinner. One of the many photos from the dinner posted on her blog shows the couple with the smiling Vice President Joe Biden.

The White House has asked the Secret Service for a full review of what happened. “ The Secret Service is looking into its security procedures after determining that. ” Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said. “ An initial (初步的) finding has identified that one of our checkpoints did not follow proper procedures to ensure that the two individuals were on the invited guests list,” Donovan said. But he also said President Obama was never in any danger as well as the others at the dinner, because all the party attenders went through the security screening for weapons as there were more than three hundred people invited. “ But we do not rely on just magnetometers (檢測儀) or the level of screenings, ” he added. “ That’s why we have the guards with our protectees at all times ”.

The following are more reactions to this incident:

* One senator thought authorities ought to pursue criminal charges against the couple and such behavior should be strongly discouraged.

* “ There is no need of legal help for the couple, as they just went to a party. They didn’t do anything wrong,” a lawyer expressed his opinion on this eye-catching security breach.

* Evan Botny, a current affair commentator, on Sunday said his concern was about the long-term effect on U.S. security, so it should be regarded more than a laughing matter.

* Meanwhile, a TV executive added that the couple’s attempt might be focused on money, as they

were offering interviews to networks on their experience.

45. The U. S. Secret Service got to know the incident because of _______.

   A. the news from the Washington Post             

B. the announcement of some important figures

   C. the couple’s boasting on the internet         

D. the report of the Secret Service spokesman

46. In paragraph 4, the spokesman thinks _______.

A. the security procedures are very efficient                     

B. such incidents could be very easily avoided   

C. the secret service needn’t be improved at all

D. the incident came as a surprise with no harm

47. According to the passage, the couple did so in order to _______.

A. enjoy a state dinner                  B. take some photos

C. become famous                     D. visit the White House

48. From the reactions, who believes the Secret Service rather than the couple is to blame?

A. A senator                                    B. A news commentator

C. A lawyer                                    D. A TV executive

A special education teacher and former police officer was honored by President Barack Obama at the White House as the 2009 National Teacher of the Year for his innovative（創(chuàng)新的） approach, community focus, and teamwork with other teachers. “In a global economy where the greatest job qualification isn’t what you can do, but what you know, our teachers are the key to our nation’s success,”President Obama stated.

    Mullen, a ninth-through twelfth-grade special education teacher at the ARCH School in

Connecticut,is the 59th National Teacher of the Year. Mullen's goal is to provide passion, professionalism(職業(yè)特質(zhì)) ,and perseverance as an educator. “A teacher can receive no greater reward than the knowledge that he or she helped recover a lost student,” Mullen remarked. He will travel for one year as a full-time national and international spokesperson for education beginning June1,2009.

    The National Teacher of the Year Program focuses public attention on teaching excellence and is the oldest and most famous national honors program for teachers. ‘ACEI is a proud participant in the selection process for the National Teacher of the Year, and we are pleased to see Anthony Mullen selected. Mr. Mullen is a dedicated individual who possesses a wealth of talents and skills as a teacher. His devotion to young people, however, reaches beyond the call of duty. Mr.Mullen extends himself to adviser and guides children who need to know that they are not forgotten and that they, too, are unique and special,” stated ACEI Executive Director Diane Whitehead.

     ACEI is one of 15 national education organizations that select the National Teacher of the Year from among the state teachers of the year, including those representing the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity,and five U. S. extra state departments.

49. What is the passage mainly about?

   A. A White House ceremony.

   B. An innovative teaching approach.

   C. The 2009 National Teacher of the Year.

   D. The national education organizations.

50、We can learn from the first paragraph Obama stresses __________.

   A. teachers’ role                      B. community lives

C. teachers’ teamwork                 D. innovative approach

51、According to Mullen, his success as an educator lies in__________.

   A. being a full-time national and international spokesperson

   B. providing passion, perseverance and professionalism

   C. helping those who can’t find their way home

   D. helping the students achieve high scores

52、 It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

   A. the National Teacher of the Year Program hasn't been well-known

   B. ACEI is the only organization in charge of selecting excellent teachers

   C. Mullen is devoted to teaching the students for the call of duty

   D. Mullen's success may be due to his previous work experience

The angry locals of an English village blocked the driver of a Google Street View car who was

filming the neighborhood, saying they feared he world encourage thieves, a report said Friday.

    One local, Paul Jacobs, told the BBC he had warned his neighbors after spotting the car from

his window in Broughton, Buckinghamshire, southern England, on Wednesday.

    “I don’t have a problem with Google wanting to promote villages. What I have a problem with

is the invasion （侵犯）of privacy, taking pictures directly into the home,” Jacobs said.

    “We’ve already had three homes broken into locally in the past six weeks. If our houses are

made noticeable all over Google, it’s an invitation for more criminals to strike. I was determined to

make a stand, so I called the police.”

After his call, a police car arrived in Broughton in response to an argument between a crowd of people and a Google Street View contractor.

“They felt his presence was a threat to their privacy. When police arrived at the scene, the car had moved on,” explained a spokeswoman for Thames Valley Police.

The Google Street View project, set up last month in Britain, aims to provide detailed 360-degree views online of streets all over Britain.

The project has already been strongly criticized by associations like Privacy International, a pressure group which has launched legal action against the IT company.

Google is confident that their new mapping project is within the law.

“Before launching Street View we sought the guidance and approval of the Information Commissioner’s Office. The ICO has repeatedly made clear that it believes that Street View includes the safeguards necessary to protect people’s privacy,” a Google spokesman said.

“The Metropolitan Police （in London） told us they saw no significant security risk, that thieves are likely to make use of the opportunities, and that mapping products can be useful in solving and mapping crime in an area.”

He added: “Engaged in new projects, we sometimes meet unexpected challenges, and Street View has been no exception.”

41．When the police car arrived at the village,           .

       A．the villagers were angrily arguing with the Google car driver.

       B．the map car was stopped from leaving the village.

       C．The map car had stopped its working and gone on its way.

       D．The map car was surrounded by the angry villagers.

42．The underlined phrase “make a stand” in Paragraph 4 means       .

       A．stand there all the time whole waiting for the police

       B．show full support to Google’s filming the neighborhood

       C．a(chǎn)ttempt to defend locals by stopping Google’s filming the neighborhood

       D．stand in the way to stop the car moving on

43．Which of the following sentences is TRUE?

       A．Google’s mapping project has not been officially approved.

       B．Three homes had been visited by thieves with the help of Google pictures.

       C．The police rushed to stop a fight between locals and Google contractors.

       D．It was not the first time that the Google map project had been criticized.

44．What’s the best title for the passage?

       A．Google’s Mapping Project Promotes the Neighobrohood.

       B．Angry British Villagers Stop Google Maps Car.

       C．Google Goes On With its Plan to Film the Streets.

       D．New Project Meets Challenges Again.

Below is a web page from http://www.tvguide.com/.

45. Edna is crazy about pop stars, so she will most likely choose __________ to enjoy.

46. From the passage, we can learn that Dunder Mifflin is __________.

47. According to the passage, Surviving Survivor is most probably __________.

48.The above programs __________.

Just days after the January 4 premiere (首映) of Hollywood blockbuster Avatar in China, the box offices across the country had gone beyond 100 million yuan (around $14.7 million), thanks to the enthusiasm of huge number of Chinese movie fans. China Film Group Corp. Estimates are that the total box office may finally reach 500 million yuan.
    Though almost every movie theater in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai gives Avatar top billing（最優(yōu)先的檔期）, with as many as 20 show times a day, Chinese audience still find it tough to get a ticket. In Beijing, the Wanda Movie Theater in Shijingshan, the first IMAX theater in Asia, is the first choice for Avatar moviegoers. The theater shows the 3D IMAX version of Avatar five times a day, and tickets are generally sold out a day in advance.

In Shanghai, to get an IMAX ticket for Avatar can mean waiting in freezing weather all night for a show three days later. Shanghai local media reported that on Friday, around 500 people were queuing for tickets at 8 a.m. in front of the downtown Peace Cinema, including some who had waited for 12 hours. Movie fans came equipped with quilts, wooden stools and snacks, in a scene reminding of that at train ticket windows before the New Year, when huge numbers of Chinese travel to be with family.

For the 3D version of Avatar, ticket prices varied for different theaters and time slots(場次), ranging from 60 yuan to 120 yuan. Meanwhile, illegal tickets traders asked as much as 600 yuan for the IMAX version in Shanghai. The Peace Cinema is planning to raise the ticket price for the IMAX version to as much as 200 yuan from the current 150 yuan from Jan. 14 for some time slots.
    A report by the People's Daily owes the difficulty in getting tickets partly to the lack of 3D screens in China. There are only 11 IMAX commercial theaters in nine cities across China. Because of this, people are traveling long distances to see the movie. In southern China, the IMAX-equipped Dongguan Wanda theater has seen a huge coming of people from Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Wednesday afternoon, due to a technical breakdown of the system, the movie was stopped for an hour, and the sound didn't come together with the picture. In the end, the general manager of the theater had to beg forgiveness on his knees twice to lessen the angry audience who drove a long way to see the movie. The theater had to pay back each audience member the full ticket price as well as 200 yuan for traffic expenses.
    The world-wide gross（總收入） for "Avatar" is now at $1.335 billion, second only to the $1.843 billion pulled in by "Titanic," another film directed by Cameron. But how long will 'Avatar' manage to hold its death grip around the number one spot?

57. The behavior of movie fans in Shanghai shows that __________.

58. Chinese audience still find it difficult to get a ticket for Avatar because __________.

59. From“how long will 'Avatar' manage to hold its death grip around the number one spot?”in the last Paragraph, we learn that the writer __________.

60. The best title of the passage should be __________.

TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TEENSGIVING?

TEENSGIVING is an exciting event where hundreds of New York City teens gather together annually for a remarkable day of community service. This year, TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 participants will once again better New York City and impact thousands of lives!

When is TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010?

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010

Where is TEENSGIVING?

All over New York City. Everyone will meet at the 92nd Street Y (92nd and Lexington) at 9:00 AM for the event kick-off. Then, all TEENSGIVING volunteers will disperse across the city to work with our partnering agencies where they will make a HUGE difference (and have fun!).  

Who participates in TEENSGIVING?

Hundreds of teenagers from around the city. Teens come from the 92nd Street Y, various city schools, youth groups, and organizations in the area. In addition, many adult volunteers (ages 21 and older) will donate their time to TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010.

What projects do participants do at the agencies?

Sample projects include painting park benches, planting gardens, visiting and playing with underprivileged children, assembling craft kits for children in hospitals, assisting at animal shelters, working at soup kitchens, delivering meals and celebrating with families at homeless shelters.

Do I get anything for participating in TEENSGIVING?

Yes! Everybody benefits! Teen volunteers will receive *6 hours* of community service credit, good towards honor society, high school graduation and college application requirements. Adult volunteers will be “thanked” with a light breakfast, a gift certificate for their troubles, and the satisfaction of helping our city’s youth contribute to their community. In addition, all teen and adult volunteers will receive a cool TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 T-shirt.

This sounds awesome! How do I register for TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010?

Interested teens and/or adults should e-mail the TEENSGIVING Coordinator Josh Hyman at jhyman@92Y.org (subject: TEENSGIVING) to receive more information and to register for this fantastic event!   

**Teens can also contact their school’s Community Service Advisor**

TEENSGIVING is sponsored by the 92nd Street Y.

45. TEENSGIVING is an event held ____________.

46. Teenagers may do the following in the event EXCEPT ____________.

47. An adult volunteer may get ______ for his time devoted to TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010.

48. The writer’s purpose in writing the passage is to __________.

If Barack Obama's wife and kids thought they'd be getting his undivided attention during their long-awaited summer holiday, perhaps they should think again.

The US President kicked off his vacation by revealing that, in addition to endless games of tennis and golf, he plans to spend the week ploughing through five books, weighing in at an astonishing 2,300 pages. His summer reading list, unveiled(透露) by the White House, contains two heavyweight works of non–fiction and three novels.

On top of the president’s table is Hot, Flat and Crowded, by New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman. Subtitled "why we need a green revolution", it makes a leftish（左傾的） call to arms regarding the future of the planet.

Mr Obama's second choice is historian David McCullough's biography of John Adams, the often under-rated second US president, who was the subject of an award-winning HBO docu-drama（紀(jì)實�。﹍ast year.

The novels include two crime thrillers: Richard Price's Lush Life, and The Way Home, a novel by George Pelecanos set in Washington, DC – which, much like Obama's best-selling autobiography（自傳）, explores the relationship between a father and his son.

Completing the set is the novel Plainsong, by a little-known writer called Kent Haruf. Set in a small town on the Colorado plains, its existence on the reading list may reassure voters that Middle America has not been ignored by their commander-in-chief.

Publishers are keeping an eye on whether the famous "Obama bounce" – which has helped sales at the first family's favourite clothes stores, such as J Crew – will continue to apply to their troubled industry. The President's endorsement（認(rèn)可） is said to have lifted sales of Joseph O'Neill's novel Netherland about cricket in Holland and New York last year.

Given that President Obama has already spent a portion of his week so far playing golf, beating Michelle at tennis, and visiting friends, questions will inevitably(不可避免地) be asked about his ability to put any dent（挫傷） at all in the ambitious reading list.

To finish all five books, he would have to manage more than 300 pages every day – quite an "ask" when a small portion of his time must also be spent running the country.

57. What’s the function of the first paragraph?

58. Which of the following statements is NOT true?   

59. Which of the following was NOT a book the President planned to read?

60. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?