1、Timothy Smith（2014）MacclesfieldForest Cheshire,EnglandI was back in my home town of Macclesfield to take some winter images. Walking up a path through the forest towards Shutlingsloe. a local high point, I came across a small clearing and immediately noticed the dead yellow grasses set against the f
2、resh snow. The small pine added to the interest and I placed it centrally to take the view from the foreground right through into the forest.1. Who would most probably enter for Take a view?A. Writers. B. Photographers. C. Painters. D. Tourists.2. What do the works by Shepherd and Smith have in comm
3、on?A. They are winter images.B. They are in black and white.C. They show mountainous scenes.D. They focus on snowcovered forests.3. Where can the text be found?A. In a history book. B. In a novel. C. In an art magazine. D. In a biography.答案1-3 BAC 2Port Lympne Reserve, which runs a breeding（繁育）progr
4、amme, has welcomed the arrival of a rare black rhino calf（犀牛幼息）.When the tiny creature arrived on January 31. she became the 40th black rhino to be born at the reserve. And officials at Port Lympne were delighted with the new arrival, especially as black rhinos are known for being difficult to breed
5、 in captivity（圈养）.Paul Beer, head of rhino section at Port Lympne, said: “Obviously were all absolutely delighted to welcome another calf to our black rhino family. Shes healthy, strong and already eager to play and explore. Her mother, Solio, is a firsttime mum and she is doing a fantastic job. Its
6、 still a little too cold for them to go out into the open, but as soon as the weather warms up. I have no doubt that the little one will be out and about exploring and playing every day.”The adorable female calf is the second black rhino born this year at the reserve, but it is too early to tell if
7、the calves will make good candidates to be returned to protected areas of the wild. The first rhino to be born at Port Lympne arrived on January 5 to firsttime mother Kisima and weighed about 32 kg. His mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all born at the reserve and still live there.Accor
8、ding to the World Wildlife Fund, the global black rhino population has dropped as low as 5500, giving the rhinos a “critically endangered” status.4. Which of the following best describes the breeding programme? A. Costly. B. Controversial. C. Ambitious. D. Successful.5. What does Paul Beer say about
9、 the newborn rhino?A. She loves staying with her mother. B. She dislikes outdoor activities.C. She is in good condition D. She is sensitive to heat.6. What similar experience do Solio and Kisima have?A. They had their first born in January. B .They enjoyed exploring new places C. They lived with the
10、ir grandmothers. D. They were brought to the reserve young7. What can be inferred about PornLympne Reserve?A. The rhino section will be open to the public. B. It aims to control the number of the animals.C. It will continue to work with the World Wildlife Fund.D. Some of its rhinos may be sent to th
11、e protected wild areas.答案4-7 DCAD 3When I was 9, we packed up our home in Los Angeles and arrived at Heathrow, London on a gray January morning. Everyone in the family settled quickly into the city except me. Without my beloved beaches and endless bluesky days, I felt at a loss and out of place. Unt
12、il I made a discovery.Southbank, at an eastern bend in the Thames, is the center of British skateboarding, where the continuous crashing of skateboards left your head ringing .I loved it. I soon made friends with the local skaters. We spoke our own language. And my favorite: Safe. Safe meant cool. I
13、t meant hello. It meant dont worry about it. Once, when trying a certain trick on the beam（横杆）, I fell onto the stones, damaging a nerve in my hand, and Toby came over, helping me up: Safe, man. Safe. A few minutes later, when I landed the trick, my friends beat their boards loud, shouting: “ Safe!
14、Safe!” And thats what matteredlanding tricks, being a good skater.When I was 15, my family moved to Washington. I tried skateboarding there, but the locals were far less welcoming. Within a couple of years, Id given it up.When I returned to London in 2004, I found myself wandering down to Southbank,
15、 spending hours there. Ive traveled back several times since, most recently this past spring. The day was cold but clear: tourists and Londoners stopped to watch the skaters. Weaving（穿梭）among the kids who rushed by on their boards, I found my way to the beam. Then a railthin teenager, in a baggy whi
16、te Tshirt, skidded（滑）up to the beam. He sat next to me. He seemed not to notice the man next to him. But soon I caught a few of his glances. “I was a local here 20 years ago,” I told him. Then, slowly, he began to nod his head. “Safe, man. Safe.”“Yeah,” I said. “Safe.”8. What can we learn about the
17、author soon after he moved to London?A. He felt disappointed. B. He gave up his hobby.C. He liked the weather there. D. He had disagreements with his family.9. What do the underlined words “Safe!” probably mean?A. Be careful! B. Well done! C. No way! D. Dont worry!10. Why did the author like to spen
18、d time in Southbank when he returned to London?A. To join the skateboarding. B. To make new friends.C. To learn more tricks. D. To relive his childhood days11. What message does the author seem to convey in the text?A. Children should learn a second language. B. Sport is necessary for childrens heal
19、th.C. Children need a sense of belonging D. Seeing the world is a must for children.答案8-11 ABDC 4Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.Lets state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond o
20、ne man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. Its said that h
21、istory is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the clubwomen, or people of a different color or beliefthey were unacknowledged and rejected by others.A study recently published by Science found
22、that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender（性别）are “really, really smart.” Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart.” Can our planet
23、afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesnt take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.Heres the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, were all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we
24、will see that social factors（因素）like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance（毅力）, and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world.12. What does the author think of vict
25、ors standards for joining the genius club?A. Theyre unfair. B. Theyre conservative.C. Theyre objective. D. Theyre strict.13. What can we infer about girls from the study in Science?A. They think themselves smart. B. They look up to great thinkers. C. They see gender differences earlier than boys. D.
26、 They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs14. Why are more geniuses known to the public?A. Improved global communication. B. Less discrimination against women. C. Acceptance of victors concepts. D. Changes in peoples social positions. 15. What is the best title for the text?A. Geniuses Thin
27、k Alike B. Genius Takes Many FormsC. Genius and Intelligence D. Genius and Luck答案12-15 ADAB 5The Biggest Stadiums in the WorldPeople have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 8 A.Q., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the worlds best known stadium are con
28、tinues to inform contemporary design. Romes Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the citys Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.These days, safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fans desir
29、e for a good view and a comfortable seat-tend to keep stadium capacities（容量）slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permane
