This past month saw one of the most devastating storms in history brings death and destruction on the Philippines. The number of lives lost is still being calculated, but it is already sitting above five thousand. In the flurryof news about the storm and its after－math, the cries of “I told you so” from environmentalists rang out loud and clear.

　　These scientists were especially vocal during the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which just wrapped up in Warsaw, Poland. The timing of the conference and Typhoon Haiyan was an eerie coincidence, but perhaps the concurrence offered a wakeup call for all.

　　Christiana Figures, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said, “We are witnessing ever more frequent extreme weather events, and the poor and vulnerable are already paying the price.”

　　Scientists claim that storms like Typhoon Haiyan are an inevitable result of the effect greenhouse gases are having on our environment. Environmental analysts claim that rising temperatures around the globe and changing weather patterns are all part of the same problem.

　　This isn’t breaking news. We’ve heard the warnings for years. The UN has been hosting the Climate Change Conference since1995.But the changes that need to be made are huge. Added to this, the developed nations and developing countries have competing interests that are difficult to settle. The issue of who takes responsibility becomes difficult to resolve.

　　We may feel far away from Poland and resolving conflicts between countries, but we mustn’t feel far away from the issue. When we watch neighboring countries suffer in severe weather, when we hear reports of increasing global temperatures, when we walk outside and find it difficult to breathe the Shanghai air, we know we have a very real problem. So what are we going to do about it? Are we making every-day choices that can have a positive impact? Are we reducing our carbon footprint? Are we choosing to walk, ride a bicycle or take public transportation instead of a car? Are we recycling? Are we turning off the lights and electronics whenever possible?

　　The problem is complex, but saving our earth starts with each of us taking simple steps.

1.What is the most terrible typhoon in 2013? It is _________.

A. Haiyan??? ???? B. Bebinca????????? C. Danas?? ???????? D.Cimaron

2.Warsaw isn’t in Poland，is it?

A. Yes, it is?????? B. No, it isn’t????? ? C. Yes, it isn’t ????? D. No, it is

3.How many years have we heard the warnings? For nearly ______years.

A. 21????? ?????? B. 18???? ???????? C. 19?????? ??????? D. 20

4.Which of the following is NOT FALSE?

A. The environment is worse and worse and we have no ideas about it.

B. The environment is worse and we needn’t do anything about it.

C. Saving our environment is not so complex.

D. The environment is a big problem and we must take simple steps

    Why do people like yoga? There’s a short answer and a long answer to that question. The short answer is that yoga makes you feel better. Practising, breathing exercises and thinking make you healthier in body, mind and spirit.

    For many people, that's enough of an answer, but there's more if you are interested.

    Yoga began in India about 5,000 years ago. At that time, people wanted to be free, healthy and live a long life, so this kind of exercise was born. The early yoga was part of a religion (宗教). It was usually taught one to one—one teacher with one student. Yoga is an Indian word that means “to join together”. There are three parts of yoga altogether: exercise, breathing and meditation (沉思). In the past, people paid more attention to the spirit. The idea be­hind the exercise was to join the mind, body and spirit as one. Yoga can give you peace, help you feel relaxed, and have fewer worries and illnesses.   204

1.What is yoga?

A. An old Indian sport.                                            B. A European game.                  

C. A popular idea.                                                    D. An enjoyment.

2.Which of the following is true?

A. Yoga has four parts altogether.                         B. Anyone can practise yoga.

C. Yoga was taught in classes.                                 D. Yoga can bring the world peace.

3.Why do people like yoga?

A. Because it brings happiness and relax.          

B. Because it helps you work more quickly.

C. Because it is part of the real religion.             

D. Because it is good for your health.

A

1. The cruise(海上航游) will begin__________.

A. at seven in the morning B. at seven in he evening

C. at ten in the morning D. at ten at night

2. The cruise will take__________.

A. 30 minutes B. 3 minutes C. 3 hours D. 3 o’clock

3. Mr. King will see______ during the cruise.

A. trees B. buildings C. bridges D. fantastic city lights

4. People can buy tickets________.

A. on the ferry B. at Kowloon Public Pier

C. at Star Ferry Pier D. at 123 Canton Road

5. Helen wants to have dinner on the ferry with her son, 14 and her daughter, 10, they should pay______.

A. HK $ 810 B. HK$204 C. HK$324 D. HK$510

B

When you are reading something in English, you may often meet with a new word. What’s the best way to know it?

You may look it up in the English-Chinese dictionary. It will tell you a lot about the word: the pronunciation, the Chinese meaning and how to use the word. But how can you know where the word is thousands of English words? How to find it in the dictionary both quickly and correctly?

First, all the English words are arranged(安排) in the letter order. In the dictionary you can first see the words beginning with letter A, then B, C, D…. That means, if there are two words “desert” and “pull”, “desert” will be certainly before “pull”. Then if there are two words both beginning with the same letter, you may look at the second letter. Then the third, the fourth… For example, “pardon” is before “plough”, “judge” before “just”, etc.

Do you understand how to look up in the dictionary?

The dictionary will be your good friend. I hope you’ll use it as often as possible in your English study.

6  This passage is about______.

A. new words in writing B. different dictionaries

C. the best way of reading D. using an English-Chinese dictionary

7  In the dictionary you may not find_______.

A. how to pronounce the word B. the spelling of the word

C. who used the word first D. how to use the word

8  In an English-Chinese dictionary, the last word______.

A. begins with Z B. begins with A C. is a short one D. is not often used

9  Which group of words is in the right order in an English-Chinese dictionary?

A. perhaps, produce, plenty B. straight, subject, surprise

C. century, center, business D. foreign, entrance, headache

10  In the passage the writer tries to tell us that_______.

A. we have to use a dictionary when we read something in English

B. an English-Chinese dictionary can tell us everything about a word

C. an English-Chinese dictionary can help us a lot in our English study

D. all English-Chinese dictionary are the same

Shanghai’s Maglev Train(磁懸浮列車) runs from Longyang to Pudong International Airport(國際機(jī)場). The whole trip takes about 8 minutes.
Time

First train	Longyang Road station	6:45
Airport Station	7:02
Last train	Longyang Road Station	21:40
Airport Station	21:42

Tickets

	Economy Class(普通座)	VIP
Single Trip(單程旅行)	50 yuan	100 yuan
Round Trip(往返旅行)	80 yuan	160 yuan

Children at or under 120 cm tall don’t need to buy tickets to take the train, but they cannot take the train by themselves. Children above 124 cm must buy a full-price ticket.
If you buy a round ticket, you can get on the train at Longyang Road Station or Pudong Airport Station, and get off at the other station. The return part of the ticket must be used on the same day

1. 1.

   How long does it take to travel from Longyang Road Station to Pudong International Airport by Shanghai Maglev Train?

   1. A.
      About five minutes
   2. B.
      About six minutes
   3. C.
      About eight minutes
   4. D.
      About nine minutes
2. 2.

   Mr Wang will buy an Economy class ticket to Pudong International Airport with his 120 cm tall son. He should pay___________ for the trip

   1. A.
      50 yuan
   2. B.
      100 yuan
   3. C.
      150 yuan
   4. D.
      200 yuan
3. 3.

   The first train from Airport Station to Longyang Road Station leaves__________

   1. A.
      6:30
   2. B.
      6: 45
   3. C.
      7:02
   4. D.
      7:20
4. 4.

   A passage( 乘客) who buys a round trip ticket__________

   1. A.
      can take the train three times
   2. B.
      must take the train back on the same day
   3. C.
      can only get on the train at Longyang Road Station
   4. D.
      can only get off the train at Pudong Airport Station
5. 5.

   A boy who is 130 cm tall__________

   1. A.
      can take Shanghai Maglev Train by himself
   2. B.
      doesn’t need a ticket to take the train
   3. C.
      has to take the train with his parents
   4. D.
      can take the train with a half-price ticket