Joanna Cole, born on August 11，1944 in Newark, New Jersey, has been credited to be one of the most popular children’s authors of all time. She has written over 250 books and is famous for writing one of the most popular children’s book series. She knew as early as 5th grade that she was interested in writing and science. Cole has owed a large part of her passion to one of her elementary school teachers.
Joanna Cole continued her education by attending the University of Massachusetts and Indiana. She would eventually earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the City College of New York in 1967 After graduation, Cole decided to take some education courses to become a librarian at a Brooklyn elementary school in 1967. Eventually, she would take jobs working for Newsweek, Seesaw book club.
Cole’s passion for writing and science was still alive and well during this time. In 1971 she decided to write her first book, Cockroaches. She did some research and discovered there had never been a book written for children about cockroaches. So she thought she would be the first
Cole struck gold when she wrote the first Magic School Bus in 1985. The book would go on to be published the following year and quickly became book series and cartoon series due to its success.
Cole continued to write both nonfiction and fiction books for children. She writes in a way that will hopefully inspire children to think like a scientist. She does this by writing ideas instead of just facts. She also tries to ask questions in her books that require children to think and discover the answers as they read. This creates an engaging experience for children, so it is no wonder why younger readers are hooked on her books.
24. When Joanna Cole was young, she •
A. was very popular with children B. got inspired by one of her teachers
C. began her career of writing novels D. knew what she would do in the future
25. What does the underlined phrase probably mean?
A. made a fortune B. made a promise C. got ideas D. obtained help
26. What do we know about Joanna Cole?
A. She is the most famous woman writer in America.
B. She writes novels not only for kids but for adults.
C. She is an expert at getting science across to readers.
D. She has made great contributions to science.
27. What kind of person is Cole in the passage?
A. positive and brave B. popular and reliable
C. serious and honest D, talented and creative
C
As the effects of climate change set in, coastal cities such as the Italian city of Venice and the American city of New Orlean are slowly sinking. So is Bangkok. Officials in the city and scientists say they do not know how long people will be able to continue living in the Thai capital.
Thailand's military rulers are considering action. The National Reform Council wants the government to form a committee to deal with the warnings that Bangkok could be permanently underwater many years from now.
The Saen canal was built in Bangkok in the late 1830s. In a neighborhood near the waterway, walkways are breaking up. Walls on homes, small businesses and an Islamic center appear to be bending. The area is sinking about two centimeters a year, which is two times the average rate for the rest of Bangkok.
“I don’t know what to do.” says Vijitri Puangsiri who has lived in the neighborhood for 44 years. Her home needs to be repaired every year because of the sinking ground. The walkway in front of her century-old house where she operates a small restaurant must also be repeatedly repaired.
“If you travel on the canal boats, you can see how this is all hollow,” Somsak Kongeeng says, “The buildings are sinking because they were not built on solid foundations.” He joked that if we come back to see him again in 20 years, the water level will be almost as high as his head. But he is also partly serious. That might be only a small overstatement in a city that is, on average, just two meters above sea level.
Observers say two reasons for the sinking are a rising sea level and too much pumping of groundwater. Another reason, they say, is the decision by developers to build so many high-rises because they earn quantities of money by doing so. This kind of development worries those who are concerned with the rising water level.
28. What do we know from the passage?
A. Vijitri Puangsiri’s home needs repairing owing to the broken walkway.
B. The Saen canal was a supporting evidence of the sinking ground.
C. Somsak Kongeeng simply treats the sinking as a joke.
D. Bangkok is not suitable for people to live in any more.
29.To slow down the sinking of the city in a practical way, we suggest .
A. replacing the loose soil with concrete B. forbidding pumping groundwater
C. controlling the construction of high-rises D. stopping the rising of sea level
30.What is the writer's purpose of writing the passage?
A. To appeal to protect the city of Bangkok*
B. To explain the reasons for the sinking.
C. To stress the significance of Bangkok.
D. To inform us of the situation of Bangkok.
31. What is the best title of this passage?
A. The Saen Canal----Cause of the Sinking .B.A warning from Bangkok
C. Bangkok—a Coastal City at Risk D..Reasons for the Sinking Building
D
It is reported that a record-breaking high-speed rail will connect Inner Mongolia in the north to Hainan in the south. The proposed line will operate at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour( 217mph).
Beginning in Inner Mongolia's Baotou city and running through southern Shanxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi and Guangdong, its final stop would be Haikou city on Hainan Island, China's southern province. Though the exact length of the proposed route has not been released, it will likely become the world’s longest high-speed rail line as the journey by road between Baotou and Haikou approximately 3,000 kilometers long, running from Beijing to Guangzhou.
The proposed rail is part of China’s aim to create another “silk Road of the 21 Century and improve the country's transportation network while driving land development and urbanization (城市 化)in some provincial areas. Many of the provinces through which the high-speed trains will travel are near major bodies of water, such as the Yellow River in Inner Mongolia and Shanxi provinces, the Yangtze River in Hubei and the South China Sea, where the line would end. It will also take passengers to popular tourist destinations including Zhangjiajie, Xi'an, Guilin and minority areas in western Hunan and Hubei.
“The country is now shifting its focus and investing in the western regions and economically underdeveloped areas, making up for China’s long debt to those areas,” Tan Yuzhi, a professor of Hubei University for Nationalities, told local media. “The project will significantly narrow regional gaps and solve minority issues•”
However, Deng Hongbing, director of China University of Geosciences，Center, said that if the north-to-south railway is to go ahead, there needs to be a sound ecological program in place to ensure the protection of these underdeveloped and ecologically sensitive areas.
32.The passage informs us that the high-speed rail line .
A. will transport goods faster from north to south
B. will do good to the environment alongside the line
C. will benefit the underdeveloped areas a lot in the west
D will be the most convenient high-speed rail line in China
33.From Tan Yuzhi’s words we can infer •
A. the situation in western regions is hard to predict
B. the high-speed rail line will run across major cities
C. tourist destinations will be more popular along the rail line.
A. the transportation system should be improved in minority groups.
34. What is Deng Hongbing's attitude towards the proposed project?
A. Cautious. B. Doubtful. C. Puzzled. D. Ironic.
35.What is the passage mainly talking about?
A. China has decided to invest in the western areas.
B. Another high-speed train line is being planned.
C. The train will speed up to 350 kilometers per hour,
D. China has produced the best high-speed train line.
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