A Look at the Festival This Summer

The Firegathering

18－20 May

The Firegathering festival returns to an unidentified place somewhere in the Sussex countryside this May.The ticket price is a very agreeable ￡40，an amount that the organisers promise covers only the costs of staging the event.As well as the night­club singers and dancers and circus performers，you can expect live performances from local stars.If this looks like it might be right for you，you’d be well advised to book your ticket soon；the event has sold out every year since its beginning four years ago.

Sheep Music

20－22 July

Sheep Music started life as a garden party and has developed into a full­-scale(全面的) community event.Even though the advertising has always been limited to word of mouth，the huge number of people two years ago left organizers worried that the large crowds could ruin the festival’s family feel.Luckily July sees the return of this brilliant party.The climax(高潮) comes in the shape of Saturday night’s full­-scale parade(游行) that you just would not expect to happen in the otherwise sleepy Welsh borders.

The Big Chill

3－5 August

Ten years on and The Big Chill could very well be close to becoming a big pop festival like Glastonbury.That said，the many thousands in attendance are still able to relax in the beautiful Eastnor deer park and listen to plenty of music that would otherwise pass them by.Families have always been given a warm welcome and it’s fair to say that The Big Chill is probably the most child-­friendly of all the medium­-sized festivals.If you’ve never been，you should certainly go.

Summer Sundae

10－12 August

Although only a year old this summer，Summer Sundae has quickly inspired the imaginations of Leicesteks music lovers.Last year’s event was a success，noted by more than a few mentions at the UK Festival Awards.It is set in the impressive grounds of De Montfort Hall.Although the performers are still to be confirmed，the cabins are sure to be there.These small buildings are made from wood and carpets，storage space，and can fit a family for the night.

21.What can we learn about The Firegathering?

A．The festival will take place in a park.

B．No profits will be made from the festival.

C．The audience will be bigger than expected.

D．A lot of national stars will perform at the festival.

22.What is the most exciting part of Sheep Music?

A．The garden party.         B．The advertisement.

C．The family feel.           D．The parade.

23.If you want to take your children to a festival, which one is the best choice?

A．The Firegathering.        B．Sheep Music.     

C．The Big Chill.           D．Summer Sundae.

24.What is the similarity of these festivals?

A．They entertain attendants with music.   

B．They have a long history.

C．They need advance booking.   

D．They can be compared with Glastonbury.

A very close friend phoned me this weekend and asked a specific question about earning a few extra dollars each month online. For the benefit of keeping her name and details secret, I will call her Annie in this article. You see Annie suffers from a severe form of inaction syndrome; she is full of great ideas that never materialize into cash and she is having a problem finding the link that will achieve this.

Somebody once said that knowledge is power, yet we constantly find from readers of our website that they have knowledge to burn and still do not have power. Just look at the academics in universities all around the world; they have so much knowledge that they should control the wealth of the world. In truth they work for peanuts and very few of them ever achieve the power of independence. So knowledge certainly isn’t power. Therefore, we should change that “wise” statement to:“Power is the ability to use knowledge to your own benefit.”

That paragraph was inserted because Annie is a typical academic—strong on talk and plans but a little weaker on actions. In the period of a twenty-minute conversation, she expounded（阐述）a whole list of plans and ideas to make the extra few hundred dollars each month she was seeking. Any one of her many ideas was a potential money maker, but she had taken action on none of them. At one time she said, “I’m lost as to what to do next.”

That was my cue（提示）to get involved. “Take action,” I advised.

All that is wrong is that Annie was inactive without knowing it. In five minutes we drew up a plan of action and agreed to talk again in a month to review progress. When we finished the conversation, she sounded much happier and more motivated than when we started. Annie just needs a little nudge into beneficial action.

25. What’s the problem with Annie?

A.She has too many great ideas.      B.She never puts her ideas into practice.

C.She suffers from a strange illness.

D.She knows little about making money online.

26.What is the most important according to the author?

A. The ability to use one’s knowledge.    B. The ability to acquire knowledge.

C. A great deal of knowledge.           D. A good understanding of oneself.

27. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A. Annie will succeed in later life.       B. Annie is going towards success.

    C. Annie doesn’t realize her problems.    D. Annie talks too much in daily life.

28. The underlined word “nudge” in the last paragraph probably means________.

A. push        B. advice        C. training       D. Power

The girl was hanging by her hands from the railings of a balcony(阳台的栏杆). The balcony was on the twelfth floor of the high-rise block next to his. His flat was on the ninth floor and he had to look up to see her. It was half-past six in the morning. He had been awakened by the sound of an aircraft flying dangerously low overhead, and had got out of bed to look. His sleepy eyes, moved from the blue sky which was empty of cloud, empty of anything but the bright disappearing arrow of the aircraft, and then rested on the hanging figure.

He really thought he must be dreaming, for this sunrise time was the hour for dreams. Then, when he knew he wasn’t, he decided it must be a scene in a film. There were cameramen down there, a whole film unit, and all the correct safety precautions had been taken. Probably the girl wasn’t even a real girl, but a dummy(假人). He opened the window and looked down. The car park, paved courts, grass spaces between the blocks, all were deserted. On the balcony rail one of the dummy’s hands moved, desperately. He had to believe then what was obviously happening. The girl was trying to kill herself. She had lost her courage and now was trying to stay alive. All these thoughts and conclusions of his occupied about thirty seconds. Then he acted. He picked up the phone and dialed the emergency number for the police.

The arrival of the police cars and the rescue of the girl became the focus of talk for the people of the two blocks. Someone found out that it was he who had called the police and he became an unwilling hero. He was a modest, quiet young man, and was in relief when the talk began to die away. Again he was able to enter and leave his flat without being pointed at as a kind of St George and sometimes even congratulated.

About a fortnight after that morning, he was getting ready to go to the theatre, just putting on his overcoat, when the doorbell rang. He didn’t recognize the girl who stood outside. He had never seen her face. She said, “I’m Lydia Simpson. You saved my life. I’ve come to thank you.”

29. What did the man do first after he got up?

A. He looked down from the window.  B. He went to see the noisy aircraft.

C. He called the police to save the girl.  D. He hurried to check who was outside.

30. The moment the man saw the girl hanging there, he felt it was _________.

A.  scaring              B.unbelievable     C. desperate       D. dangerous

31. We can learn from the passage that __________.

A. the man disliked to be talked about

B. the girl was unwilling to be rescued

C. the police arrived quickly on the scene

D. the girl was actually an actress in a film

    The virus “Ebola”is named after the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That’s where the virus was discovered in 1976. A person can only get Ebola through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, for example, sweat or spit. Additionally, the virus can get into your body through your eyes and mouth if those areas come into contact with something that contains the bodily fluids of an infected person. That’s why health care workers are supposed to keep themselves completely covered while treating patients.
    The deadliest Ebola outbreak is spreading fast in Western Africa, taking over 900 lives so far. The health systems in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are severely lacking in resources, and health care workers may not have access to adequate protective clothing when working in rural clinics, where the proper protections are lacking. Since Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia share a border; it’s easier for people to move from one country to another, increasing the risk for disease spread. The virus has a 2-to-21-day incubation (潜伏) period. It is systemic and can move to and affect every part of the body, causing direct damage to organs and internal bleeding. This causes shock, dropping a person’s blood pressure and causing multi-system organ failure.
    For now, all doctors can do is to treat the symptoms and provide supportive care like monitoring heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing while making sure the patients’ fluids are supplied. Sometimes patients are given antibiotics (抗生素) to treat other possible infections. The hope is to make the patient pull through the infection so their immune system can eventually clear the virus. The people who survive Ebola have created enough antibodies to kill it. This is harder to achieve in rural health systems in West Africa that are tasked with treating thousands of patients with poor resources.
    There are several promising drugs and vaccines in development, but since Ebola is less common—and research about it is not well funded — there is no drug or vaccine that has been approved for use in humans. Many of the other drugs and vaccines have not yet been tested in humans. The WHO (World Health Organization) is meeting next week to discuss whether experimental treatments should be used during this outbreak.
32. According to the passage, Ebola only spreads through _____.
   A. polluted air              B. bodily fluids     C. flying birds           D. river water
33. Which is not the possible reason why Ebola spreads in West Africa quickly?
   A. The health resources are poor.                 B. Infected people are kept together.
   C. The protective clothing is adequate.   

   D. Three western countries share a border.
34. Why have there been no cures used for Ebola in humans so far?
   A. The drugs for Ebola are being developed now.
   B. Ebola is rare and its research money is lacking.
   C. Ebola does far more harm to patients than AIDS.
   D. The WHO hasn’t decided whether to use them.
35. Which of the following can be the best title?
   A. Help the poorest West Africa.            B. No cure for the virus “Ebola”.
   C. How to treat Ebola patients.               D. Introduction to the virus “Ebola”.

Mountain biking is a great way to explore the outdoors, stay in shape, or just have fun.  36  Even though it’s dangerous, if you ride with caution, it can be enjoyed by the entire family.

Mountain biking can best be characterized into three different styles - downhill, free riding, and cross country. Even though the different styles are similar in some ways, they still require different skills. 37  

You can find groups that have mountain bike rides and competitions. You can look on the Internet or even in a local paper and see exactly what’s available in your area. 38  Like all other sports, it takes time and practice. Those just beginning will have to get past the bumps and bruises from falling off the bike.

    The bike you select is more of a personal choice, and a big determining factor on the type of riding you will be doing. Bikes come in all styles, shapes, and prices, which will make selecting one for yourself very difficult indeed.   39  A great mountain biker will become one with his or her own bike. When buying, make sure you check for comfort, how it fits.

40  Anytime you are riding, you should wear a helmet, along with knee and elbow pads. If you are following a group or riding in the woods you should strongly consider a pair of goggles(护目镜) as well. Safety should be your top priority and never taken lightly anytime you are mountain biking.

A. You may be able to find groups for the more advanced riders as well as beginners.

B. Racing down the side of a mountain is a lot of fun indeed, although it can also be quite dangerous.

C. Mountain bike riding on unpaved roads can be very dangerous, as mentioned earlier.

D. To buy a bike for mountain biking, you should mainly consider how much the bike costs you.

E. It takes practice to succeed for a great mountain biker.

F. Before you buy a bike, always ask to try it out first.

G. The style that you pick will determine the type of bike you get.