1．Events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, and tornadoes are all natural disasters. They are mostly related to the weather. Some are predictable ----like a hurricane. Some, like an earthquake, surprise us. It is necessary for us to learn about them, so we can be prepared!Flooding happens during heavy rains, when rivers overflow, when ocean waves come onshore, when snow melts too fast or when dams or banks break. Flooding is the most common of all natural disasters.Hurricanes are severe tropical storms that form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the Pacific Ocean. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power.Hurricanes have winds at least 74 miles per hour. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and heavy waves can damage buildings, trees and cars.Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. To rnadoes must always be taken seriously. Tornadoes can be very dangerous ---- sometimes even deadly. They come from powerful thunderstorms and appear as moving. Tornado winds can reach 300 miles per hour. They cause damage when they land the ground. They can damage an area one mile wide and 50 miles long.While thunder won't hurt you ----lightning will! So it's important to pay attention when you hear thunder. Thunderstorms happen mostly in summer and every thunderstorm has lightning. Lightning can strike people and buildings, which is very dangerous.Thunderstorms affect small areas when compared with hurricanes and winter storms. The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes.A volcano is a mountain with a large opening at the top through which melting rock, steam, gases escape from time to time with violent force from inside the earth. When pressure increases, eruptions occur. Gases and rock shoot up through the opening fill the air with small pieces. Eruptions can cause lava flows, hot ash flows, mudslides, falling ash and floods, which is likely to knock down entire forests, cause floods and earthquakes. Fresh volcanic ash can cause damage to the lungs of older people, babies and people with respiratory problems.Terrible Natural Disasters76. Natural disasters 77. Hurricanes 78. Volcanic eruptions 79. Ocean waves 80. Heavy rain 81. Dangerous, even deadly 82. Trees and cars 83. A large area 84. People and buildings 85. Entire forests2．Different countries and different people have different manners . We must find out their customs , so that they will not think us ill-manners . Here are examples of the things that a well- educated person does or does not do .If you visit a Chinese family you should knock at the door first . When the door opens , you will not move before the host says “Come in, please .” After you enter the room , you should not sit down until the host asks you to take a seat . When a cup of tea is put on a tea table before you or sent to your hand , you will say , “Thank you .” And receive it with two hands , not one hand , or they will think you are ill-mannered . Before entering a house in Japan , it is good manners to take off your shoes . In European countries , even though shoes sometimes become very dirty , this is not done . In a Malay house , a guest never finishes the food on the table . He leaves a little to show that he has had enough . In England , a guest always finishes a drink or the food to show that he had enjoyed it . This will make the host , especially the hostess pleasant .76. China 77. with two hands 78. with one hand79. Japan 80. take off 81. take off shoes82. Malaysia 83. leave a little 84. not leave /not 85. England3．In towns ,there were few bus shelters until about thirty years ago .Since then they haveappeared everywhere ,probably because most people no longer wear the kinds of clothes that protect them from the wind ,cold and rain .Country bus shelters have been with us for a good deal longer .Before the Second world War, many of them were paid for by rich local people ,often in memory of a member of their family .Some were well built and very attractive ,to fit in with the surroundings.By the 1870s public lavatories（厕所）were being installed （设置）all over Britain. Many of them , for gentlemen only ,were made of iron ,highly decorated and often in the shape of Indian or Greek temples .A little later ,in the 1880s ,more solid structures of brick or stone were being built ,with rooms for ladies and gentlemen. Some of these looked like cottages or medieval（中世纪）castles.Public drinking fountains are to be found everywhere . Most of them were built in the nineteenth century and some are very grand .The old type of drinking fountain was not very hygienic（卫生的）.It usually had an iron drinking cup ,fixed to a chain ,and everyone used it .Firstly ,they provided people with pure water to drink ,at a time when much of the drinking water available ,especially from wells and pumps ,was dangerous to health .Secondly ,they were memorials to local residents .Finally ,they were intended to persuade people to drink water ,instead of beer or spirits.76．Questions 77．Look like? 78．Bus shelters 79．from bad weather 80．Attractive 81．in the 1870s 82．iron, brick, stone 83．Drinking fountains 84．nineteenth century 85．very grand4．Most Americans have a city they like best. Over the years, American songwriters have described these feelings in music. More songs have been written about America's biggest city, New York, than about any other city. Many others dream about leaving their small towns to go there. They want to become rich and famous. Frank Sinatra sings about this dream in the most popular song written about New York.Almost three-million people live in the middle western city of Chicago, Illinois. It is now America's third largest city. It used to be the second largest city. So, of course, it needed its ownsong. Judy Garland sings the song, "Chicago, Chicago. "One of America's most exciting cities is Las Vegas, Nevada. In nineteen-sixty-four, Elvis Presley starred in a movie called "Viva Las Vegas." Here is the song from that movie. It is sung by the group Z-Z Top.As we all know, one of the most beautiful cities in America is San Francisco, California. The most popular song about the city is called "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Tony Bennett recorded it in nineteen-sixty-two. It sold more than three-million records.Many people love Los Angeles, California. It is now America's second largest city. Los Angeles is popular because the weather is warm and the sun shines almost all the time. Randy Newman sings about his feelings for the city in the song, "I Love L.A." Not everyone, however, loves Los Angeles. Some people do not like all the big roads around the city. They like living in a smaller place. A place like San Jose, California. Dionne Warwick sings about going back to this city. The song is, "Do You Know The Way To San Jose."76. Cities 77. California 78. Frank Sinatra 79. third largest. 80. Los Angeles81. "I Love L.A”82. beautiful 83. Tony Bennett 84. San Jose 85. Z-Z Top5．“Trick or treat, trick or treat! Give me something good to eat!” It is Halloween! Kids dressed in costumes, neighbors giving out candy! It is just an amazing holiday! This year I decided to be a black cat.The black cat is a sign of bad luck, but is also a sign of Halloween. Halloween began in the Mediaeval-years. A festival was celebrated in Rome and people walked in parades with masks and costumes. The people carved faces into pumpkins and lit them with a candle inside. These were thought of as to ward off all the evil and bad spirits. That is why people sell pumpkins everywhere during the Halloween season. Soon after the name of this festival evolved into what we call present day-Halloween!Every year in New York City, there is a huge parade, there are floats and people walk around in costumes. Some are animal featured, some are scary and spooky like the skeleton and some are funny like the clown. It is very fun!!!Some people have Halloween parties. Stores sell a variety of costumes; the most popular costumes are the witch, the ghost, many from the old movies. Many stores sell decorating accessories(附属品) like fake spider webs, real pumpkins and plastic ghosts. So, if you are a Halloween lover, you can turn your home into a haunted house! That is absolutely cool!76. Black cat 77. Making-ups 78.Ways of perform 79. Halloween parties80. celebrated in Rome 81. a huge parade82. some funny clowns 83.carved pumpkins84. selling pumpkins 85. selling decorating accessories6．New Year traditions all around the world“Happy New Year!” Everyone will greet each other with these words as they meet each other over the next couple of weeks. But it wasn’t always January 1 that marked the New Year.At least 4,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians marked the changing of the year. In Egypt, the year started when the Nile River flooded, enriching farmers’ fields. This happened at the end of September.The Babylonians held a festival in the spring, on March 23, to kick off the next farming cycle. The Babylonian celebration lasted for 11 days.The date January 1 was picked by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar as the change of the year when he established his own calendar in 46 BC. The month of January originates from the Roman god, Janus. He is pictured with two heads. One head looks forward and the other back. They represent a break between the old and new. The new calendar was in time with the sun and it has been used until the present day.In Vietnam, the New Year holiday happens in February. They buy fresh flowers and a peach blossom to put in their house, following the Vietnamese custom.Thailand has its specific New Year’s date; it’s different from the normal calendar. The Thai New Year is celebrated on April 13. On this day, Thai people play with water, throwing it on each other. It is intended to bring good luck during the New Year ahead.In China, the more favorable New Year is usually celebrated in February according to lunar calendar (阴历). On New Year’s Eve, all family members sit together at table, enjoying lots of auspicious foods such as dumplings, chicken to bring good luck.76. Egypt 77. Rome 78. Vietnam 79. Dates 80. March 23 81. April 13 82. holding a festival 83. enjoying auspicious food84. enrich farmers’ fields 85. represent a break7．ApolloFor lovers of the arts, Apollo is a truly necessary magazine. Covering the ages and the great civilizations of the world, Apollo brings you well-illustrated yet academic articles by internationally famous scholars, as well as information on exhibitions and sales. Experience five monthly issues for as little as ￡5 each.The Guardian WeeklyThe Guardian Weekly gives you a global view with articles from four of the world’s most respected newspapers. Read the news from different views and draw your own conclusions on the stories shaping our world. Try it for 3 months for just ￡15.55. Plus get a free copy of the Guardian Year 2003.New InternationalistFull of excellent writing and photography, the NI covers one key subject each month, from Terrorism to Poverty to Climate Change. Reporters from around the globe provide you with a comprehensive world view. PLUS: masses of fresh reports and stories to keep you up-to-date on world affairs. 3 months free and free World Map.The WeekThe Week is the only weekly summary giving you the best of the British and foreign newspapers in just 35 pages. Designed to be read in just 1 hour, it provides you with everything you need and want to know. Try The Week now with 13 issues for just ￡13.75. If you decide it’s not for you, just tell us within the first 6 weeks and you can get your money back.London WeeklyLondon Weekly is about the news happening in London this week. It can offer you the latest news. Try it for 3 months just for ￡12.5.76. Subjects 77.arts 78. The Guardian Weekly 79. news 80. weekly summery81. Not mentioned 82. The Week 83.￡13.75 84. London Weekly 85. London news8．Many animal and plant species have become extinct (灭绝的) and many more are in critical danger.DodoThe Dodo is a classic example of how human caused damage to the earth biology. The flightless Dodo was native to the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The easily controlled bird became a source of food for sailors and was attacked by animals introduced to the island by human such as pigs, monkeys and rats. The population of Dodos rapidly decreased and the last one was killed in 1681.RhinosThe Rhino (犀牛) horn is a highly priced item for Asian medicine. This has led to the animal being hunted in its natural habitat. Once widespread in Africa and Eurasia, most Rhinos now live in protected natural parks and reserves (保护区). Their numbers have rapidly decreased in the last 50 years, and the animals remain under constant threat from poachers (偷猎者).The Giant PandaThe future of the Giant Panda is far from certain. As far as 1000 remain in the wild. The Chinese government has set up 33 panda reserves to protect these beautiful animals. However, the panda’s black and white patched coat fetches a high price on the black market and determined poachers still pose (造成) one of the most serious threats to the animal’s continued existence.WhalesDespite the fact that one-third the world’s oceans have been declared whale sanctuaries (保护区), 7 out of 13 whale species remain endangered. Hunted for their rich supply of oil, their numbers have decreased to just 300. Collisions (碰撞) with ships, poisonous pollution and being caught in fishing nets are other major causes of whale deaths.TigersThe last 100 years has seen a 95% reduction in the numbers of remaining tigers to between 5000 and 7000 and the Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers are already extinct. The South China tiger is close to disappearing, with only 20 to 30 still alive. Like the Rhino horn, tiger’s bones and organs are sought after for traditional medicines. These items are traded illegally along with tiger skins.76. The Giant Panda 77. Present situation 78. far from certain79. close to disappearing 80. endangered81. Reasons for/ Causes of decreasing 82. attacked by poachers83. threat from poachers 84. highly priced medicine 85. rich oil9．Each year there is an increasing number of cars as millions of new cars are produced in America. Americans will not live without cars! However, some have realized the serious problem of air pollution by cars. It is necessary to find ways to solve the problem of air pollution.One way to clean the air is to build a new kind of clean car. That’s what several of the large car factories are trying to do. But to build a clean car is easier said than done. Progress in this field has been slow.Another way is to take the place of the car engine by something else. Engineers are now working on it. Many makers believe that it will take years to develop a practical model that can please man.To prevent the world being polluted by cars, Americans have to make some changes in the way of their life. They have to cut down on the number of their cars and are encouraged to travel and go to work by bike. But this change does not close down—many workers may find themselves without jobs if a car factory closes down. And the problem of their pollution would become less important than that of unemployment.Americans may live a happy but sad life for a long time because of the car problem.76. Cars 77. Air pollution 78. car engine 79. Cutting down80. by bike 81. Disadvantage 82. slow 83.practical model84. Workers 85. happy but sad10．Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the US or Australia. They also want their children to take extra-courses activities where they will either learn a musical instrument or ballet, or other classes that will give them a head start in life. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is. So parents will spend unreasonable amount of money on education. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.However, what most parents fail to see is that the best education they can give their children is usually very cheap.Parents c an see that their children’s skills vary, skilled in some areas while poor in others. What most parents fail to realize though, is that today’s children lack self-respect and self-confidence.The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but parents are not teaching them the most important skills they need to be confident, happy and clever.Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking , sewing and doing other housework.Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in life. Cooking demands patience and time. It is an enjoyable but difficult experience. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually finish his jobsuccessfully. His result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and a lot of confidence.Some old machines, such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your child to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest. He will spend hours looking at them, trying to fix them; your child might become an engineer when he grows up. These activities are not only teaching a child to read a book, but rather to think, to use his mind. And that is more important.76. Educating/ Teaching/ Bring up/ Cultivating/ Promoting 77. Generous/ Serious/ Devoted 78. take extra-course activities 79. investment/ cost/ expense80. Varied/ Different/ Various skills 81. self-respect and self-confidence82. Reasons for/ Causes of 83. take (multiple-choice) tests84. settle/ solve/ work out 85. teaching practical skills11．Two influential thinkers of the twentieth century have died. John Kenneth Galbraith, the economist, died on April twenty-ninth at the age of 97. Jane Jacobs, a defender of cities, died April twenty-fifth at the age of 89.Jane Jacobs believed cities should be densely populated and full of different people and activity. She believed in the value of natural growth. She opposed the kind of city planning thatinvolves big development and renewal projects that tear down old communities.She is best known for her book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," published in nineteen sixty-one. Another book was "The Nature of Economies." Yet she never finished college. Jane Jacobs was an activist in New York City. Her work defeated a road plan to build a big highway through the Greenwich Village area.She was also against the war in Vietnam. She had sons almost old enough to be called for duty. In nineteen sixty-eight the family moved to Canada. But she remained a community activist. Soon she was fighting a road plan in Toronto.Jane Jacobs was born in the United States but lived and died in Canada. John Kenneth Galbraith was born in Canada but lived and died in the United States.Among his best-known books is "The Affluent Society," from nineteen fifty-eight. He wrote that American society had too many goods but not enough social services that show people care about each other. He warned about widening divisions between the very rich and the very poor. John Kenneth Galbraith believed in the power of government to improve lives. He believed in a system of progressive taxes, and in public support for the arts and government involvement in education. He also supported the idea of public ownership of housing and medical services. Experts say John Kenneth Galbraith and Jane Jacobs led many to question not only how and where they want to live and work. It also led them to wonder what kind of society they wanted to leave for their children.Title: The death of 76 _______________76. Two influential thinkers 77. Names 78. April twenty-ninth 79.Status80. Best-known books 81. The Affluent Society 82.road plan83. about widening divisions 84. the government’s power 85. Comments12．C ountries also use animals as symbols. From eagles to lions, manycountries use an animal to show its national spirit and character.The image of an eagle is on the US President's flag, and on the one-dollar bill. The bald eagle is a large, powerful, brown bird with a white head and tail.The US declared that the eagle was its national bird in 1782. It was chosen because of "its long life, great strength, and noble looks".But, one of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin didn't agree with the choice. "The bald eagle...is a bird of bad moral character; like those among men who live by robbing" he argued. Franklin wanted the turkey as the country's national bird.If Americans chose their national symbol deliberately(人为地), the symbol of England arose out of history.King Henry I (1068-1135) was a brave warrior but also wise. He was the first English King to use a lion as a royal symbol, which is popularly known as the "king of the jungle". By the year Richard I, known as "The Lion Heart" for his bravery, came to the throne in 1189, the famous Three Lions badge had been formed. Now it can be seen on the shirts of England's sports teams.Everyone knows about the Australian kangaroo. Legend has it that the kangaroo gets its name from an early meeting between local aborigines and white settlers. When asked by the Europeans what these strange-looking animals were, a native replied "kangaroo" meaning, "I don't understand you."The kangaroo is an individualistic animal. Although it does gather in groups, the kangaroo is not a herd animal. If a group is attacked, individuals run off in different directions. Australians think the kangaroo represents positive values, such as individual responsibility and pride.76. National Symbols 77. Lion 78. The US 79. Australia 80. Large 81. Brave 82. Its long life 83. Noble looks 84. Its long history 85. Representing positive values13．Have you ever been frustrated (沮丧的) when left talking to yourself after your mobile phone battery runs out in the middle of a call?If yes, then here comes some good news. Scientists are now perfecting a way to recharge (充电) electrical equipment while on the move.Researchers from the Netherlands, France and Portugal announced last week that they have developed very thin solar panels (太阳能板) that can be put on clothes. They can also be added to furniture and rooftops. They change light from the sun into electricity.In about three years, you'll be able to wear a jacket that will recharge your phone as you walk. For camping fans, the development could lead to a tent which charges batteries all day so you canhave light or music at night.The basic technology of wearable solar panels is the same as that used for conventional (传统的) solar panels. Pairs of sheets of semi-conducting silicon (半导体硅) are linked together to form the panel.But scientists made them much thinner by using different silicon. At one micro-metre, they are the same thickness as photographic film."This technology will make it easier for people to use clean energy sources," said Gerrit Kroesen, a physicist in the Netherlands who led the team of scientists.But the thin panels are not as efficient as the thicker ones. While some solar panels now operate at an efficiency of about 20 per cent, the new flexible (柔韧的) panels are only 7 per cent efficient. But the scientists believe that this is worth accepting for a stronger and more useful panel.But the thinner panel is cheaper. An A4 sized panel put onto the back of a jacket costs less than US$13. It could charge a cellphone during a summer walk in the countryside. As long as you stay within range of the transmitting masts (发射天线) that relay a call to the networks, phones will never again run out of power.76. Recharging solar battery 77. Function 78. Semi-conducting silicon 79. Thinner 80. Flexible 81. Advantages 82. Clothes 83. Furniture 84. Countries of researchers 85. The Netherlands。
