To swim across the English Channel takes at least nine hours. It's hard work and it makes you short of breath. To fly over the channel takes only twenty minutes as long as you're not held up at the airport, but it's an expensive way to travel. You can travel by hovercraft if you don't mind the noise and that takes forty minutes. Otherwise, you can go by boat, if you remember your sea-sickness pills. All these means of transport have their problems, and the weary traveler often dreams of being able to drive to France in his own car. "Not possible, you say. Well, wait a minute. People are once again considering the idea of a channel tunnel or bridge." This time, the great London Council is looking into the possibility of building a channel link straight to London. A bridge would cost far more than a tunnel, but you would be able to make a journey by rail or by car on a bridge, yet a tunnel would provide a rail link only. Why is this idea being discussed again? Is Britain realizing the need for links with Europe as a result of joining EEC?Well, perhaps, the main reason, though, is that a tunnel or bridge would reach the twenty square kilometers of London's discussed dockland . A link from London to the continent would stimulate trade and revitalize the port, and would make London a main trading center in Europe. With a link over the Channel, you could buy your fish and chips in England and be able to eat them in France while they are still warm! The main idea of the passage is _ . A) how to develop the trade of London B) when to cross the Channel C) how to get to Europe from London more conveniently D) what to do in the developing of traveling
C
(Question)
When the sand began kicking up and hitting our faces, I started to worry that maybe we had made a mistake. That afternoon, my dad had stood on the deck of our home and laughed as our neighbors packed up their cars and headed inland. They left to spend the night in motels or at friends' homes that were out of range of approaching summer storm. Challenging the weather that threatened to damping our spirits, we lit a fire on the beach. Dad told jokes and we had a good time. When it was 6:30 p.m., all laughter disappeared. Our eyes were drawn to the sky. A tornado was headed straight for us! In a flash, we were all on our feet. The wind started screaming and now we were running to the cottage. My mom stopped next to the front door. "Where can we go?" She shouted at my dad. Most cottages on this part of Lake Michigan had been built without basements. Ours was no exception. The huge windows and the cottage itself wouldn't offer safety from high wind. "Follow me!" my dad yelled. We crawled beneath the deck, pressing ourselves against the foundation of the cottage. Between the deck supports, we watched the approaching storm in silent terror. My dad shouted, "Hold on!" and something else I couldn't hear over the screaming wind. I think he was praying. By the time it reached our cottage, it was nothing more than a strong wind. The rest of the storm lasted for an hour and then simply blew away. "Next time, we'll stay inland at Grandma's. Okay?" my dad said. Where did the family stay in the storm? A) Inside the car. B) In a basement. C) Under a deck. D) Behind a door.
(Answer)
C
Ques: Two things I really believe in --- saving money and saving the planet, and it's even better when I can do something that accomplishes both at the same time. Rainwater harvesting is just such a thing. In the near future, rainwater harvesting will be as common as twelve-year-old girls carrying cell phones. Many countries already rely heavily on rainwater. Every building in these countries collects the rainwater from its roof and stores it for later use. However, America is just slightly slow to take action. There are many ways to harvest rainwater and most of them are easy and inexpensive. For example, use rain barrels to collect the water that would run off your roof. You'd be surprised at how fast a fifty-gallon barrel will be filled with free, usable water. New building construction offers some good ways to gather rainwater, and the cost of set-up is usually made up by reduced usage very quickly. Rainwater can be conveyed by roof pipes into underground containers, where a pump can draw water up as needed. The rainwater can even be treated to make it drinkable. If that rainwater were not collected, but allowed to run over your lawn , into the street and eventually to a storm water treatment facility, it would pick up all sorts of pollutants on its journey --- chemical compositions and agricultural poisons from the grass, motor oil, waste water and such from the roads, and who knows what else. That is to say, the shorter distance it covers the more drinkable it will be. Depending on where you live, the rainwater may be piped to a treatment plant or it may run in natural channels to allow nature to remove the pollutants. Either way, the treatment of rainwater is high priced. If you reduce the amount of rainwater run-off from your home or office, you reduce the need for treatment. Water is rapidly becoming one of our most precious resources and it is not as abundant as you may think. In the year 2015, the United States used generally 479 billion gallons of fresh water per day. According to the passage, harvesting rainwater can _ . A) help us save money and be good for the environment B) help us realize the importance of water C) promote the development of economy and peace D) make us live a better life in the near future
Ans: A
Ques:Duke Ellington is known as one of the most important composers of his time, and his work has been enjoyed for more than 80 years by music lovers all over the world. During his lifetime Ellington turned musical sounds into many compositions, mostly in the style known as jazz. The Early Years Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington, D. C. It wasn't until Ellington was a teenager that his interest in music grew. He taught himself to play the piano by listening to local piano players. Sometime around 1916 Ellington began playing the piano at high school parties. Ellington realized that he enjoyed entertaining people with his music. He soon became a very popular musician, playing at parties and other events in the Washington area. Young adults seemed especially delighted by the modern pieces he composed. Success in New York In 1923, when Ellington was almost 24 years old, he joined The Washingtonians, a five-piece group of musicians in Washington, and became the group's leader in early 1924. In 1927 Ellington and his orchestra won an engagement at Harlem's famous Cotton Club. For the next three years, his orchestra played at the Cotton Club nearly every night. The Influence of the Cotton Club Working at the Cotton Club encouraged Ellington's creativity. Since the shows changed every six months, he was challenged by the need to continually develop new material. He had to compose a wide variety of music to accompany the various acts in the Cotton Club shows and to adapt that music to the strengths and weaknesses of the players in his orchestra. By 1928 the popular nightspot began radio broadcasts. From the broadcasts Ellington and his orchestra gained a national reputation. On the Road As Ellington's popularity increased, he realized that his orchestra could do well on concert tours. They left the Cotton Club in 1931 and toured America and Europe almost continually for the next 43 years. In addition to touring, Ellington made recordings and continued to compose music. Duke Ellington played the... We may infer from the passage that _ . A) Ellington's career took off overnight B) Ellington loves touring around the world C) Ellington could compose a wide variety of songs D) Ellington had a great effect on the world of music

Ans:
D