After my husband died suddenly from a heart attack，my world crashed around me. My six children were all under 10，and I was burdened with the responsibilities of earning a living，and caring for the children. I was fortunate to find a wonderful housekeeper to care for the children during the week，but from Friday nights to Monday mornings，the children and I were alone.
One Friday evening I came home from work to find a big pretty German Shepherd（牧羊犬）on our doorstep. This dog seemed to intend to enter the house. The children liked “German” immediately and begged me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement. That night I slept peacefully for the first time in many weeks.
The following morning we made phone calls and checked lost-and-found ads for German’s owner，but with no results.
On Sunday I had planned to take the children on a picnic. Since I thought it best to leave German behind in case his owner came by，we drove off without him. When we stopped to get gas，we were amazed to see German racing to the gas station after us. No way was he going to be left behind.
Monday morning I let him out for a run. He didn’t come back and we were all disappointed. We were convinced that we would never see him again. We were wrong. The next Friday evening，German was back on our doorstep. Again he stayed until Monday morning，when our housekeeper arrived.
This pattern repeated itself every weekend for almost 10 months. We grew more and more fond of German. We took comfort in his strong，warm presence，and we felt safe with him near us. As German became part of the family，he considered it his duty to check every bedroom to be sure each child was cozy in bed.
Each week，between German’s visits，I grew a little stronger，a little braver and more able to handle; every weekend we were no longer alone and enjoyed his company. Then one Monday morning we patted him on the head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. We never saw German again.
56．The dog first came to the family when _______________.
A．it was needed most
B．the writer became strong enough
C．the writer was away on a business trip
D．the writer was busy on the weekday
57．The family planned to go on a picnic without the German Shepherd because ____.
A．it was too wild to control
B．it was too young to walk so far
C．the owner might come by to pick it up
D．it might spoil the trip
58．The writer was ____________ the German Shepherd.
A．afraid of B．grateful to
C．cruel to D．annoyed with
59．Which of the following can’t be used to describe the dog？
A．Loyal B．Helpful
C．Lovely D．Wild
Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test，it is not the fault of drama and music classes—they are failing because the “academic” classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons，and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete，well-rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art—there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge—certainly not a good preparation for the real world.Music and drama are not included in the high-school curriculum mainly because ________.
| A．the school committee pays no attention to them |
| B．the school is afraid of losing financial support |
| C．the students are not interested in both of them |
| D．the state standardized test is more important |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The sufficiency of the classes determines students' performance in the mastery test. |
| B．Quite a few students are discouraged from learning music and art in today's school system. |
| C．Students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons. |
| D．The school committee completely influences students' attitude towards the arts. |
We can learn that music and art can ________.
| A．motivate students in creativity and expression |
| B．make students round-shaped people in future |
| C．provide students with analytical thinking |
| D．prevent students graduation from high school |
The best title of the passage can be ________.
| A．“Who killed music and drama？” |
| B．“Can curriculum go without music？” |
| C．“Why is music so important？” |
| D．“How to prepare for the real world？” |
If Confucius(孔子）were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be many candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy（哲学）. Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ________.
| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students______.
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
The passage is likely to appear in ___________.
| A．a biography | B．a history paper |
| C．a newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
Welcome to Adventure land!
Everyone loves Adventure land! The Parks and Exhibitions were built for you to explore, enjoy, and admire their wonders. Every visit will be an unforgettable experience.
The Travel Pavilion
Explore places you have never been to before, and experience different ways of life.
Visit the Amazon jungle (丛林) village, the Turkish market, the Tai floating market, the Berber mountain house and others. Talk to the people there, who will tell you about their lives and things they make. You can try making a carpet, making nets, fishing…
The Future Tower
This exhibition shows how progress will touch our lives. It allows us to look into the future and explore the cities of the next century and the way we'll be living then. Spend some time in our space station and you can even take a "journey" to Mars!
The Nature Park
This is not really one park but several parks.
In the Safari Park you can drive among African animals and see lions, giraffes, elephants in the wild. Move on to the Ocean Park to watch the dolphins and whales.
The Pyramid
This is the center of Adventure land. Need some postcards, stamps or even toys? For all these things and many more, visit our underground shopping center.The Travel Pavilion is built to help visitors _____.
| A．realize the importance of travelling |
| B．become familiar with mountain countries |
| C．learn how to make things such as fishing nets |
| D．learn something about different places in the world |
If you are interested in knowing about what people’s life will be, you may visit _____.
| A．the Travel Pavilion |
| B．the Future Tower |
| C．the Safari Park |
| D．the Pyramid |
If you want to get a toy lion to take home, where will you most likely go?
| A．The Pyramid. |
| B．The Nature Park. |
| C．The Future Tower. |
| D．The Travel Pavilion. |
Being safe in your everyday life needs knowledge(知识)．If you remember the following information，your life will be much safer．
Always notice the environment around you．You shouldn’t walk alone outside．Make sure where the public phones are．If anything dangerous happens，you can find them easily．
Your bag should be carried towards the front of your body instead of putting it on your back．When a bus is full of people, it is easy enough for a thief to take away the things in the bag on your back．
If you are followed by someone whom you don’t know, cross the street and go to the other way，let the person understand that you know he or she is after you．Next，don’t go home at once．You are safer in the street than you are alone in your home or in a lift(电梯)．
If you have to take a bus to a place far away, try to get to the stop a few minutes earlier before the bus leaves．This stops other people from studying you．On the bus，don’t sit alone．Sit behind the driver or with other people．Don’t sleep．Which of the following is NOT safe when you are out?
| A．Go home alone late at night． |
| B．Make sure where the public phones are． |
| C．Don’t get to the bus stop too early． |
| D．Always notice the environment around you． |
When you are followed by someone on your way home，you should to make yourself safe．
| A．run home |
| B．find a lift and go in |
| C．turn back and walk towards him or her at once |
| D．cross the street and go to the other way |
What can you learn from the text?
| A．How to notice the environment around you. |
| B．How to be safe in your everyday life. |
| C．How to cross the street. |
| D．How to use the public phones. |
BEIJING—As China scrambles to respond to the choking smog that has blanketed Beijing in recent weeks, authorities in several major cities are experimenting with carbon trading platforms. The schemes are one effort to get control over greenhouse gases in an economy still hungry for cheap energy.
It has been a persistent concern in recent years, but the spiking pollution levels in January are sparking a public outcry.
Emissions from coal-fired electricity plants and busy factories are part of the problem that officials hope to get control over through carbon trading platforms. Seven cities are expected to open carbon markets later this year, including Tianjin.
“The government has decided to start with programs because the carbon trading is something new to China,” said David Tang, secretary of the board of the Tianjin Carbon Exchange. “So we want to have a number of programs to explore the use of the market.” said Tang.
China wants to launch a national carbon trading program by 2016. If it is successful, analysts say, the program would be one of the largest in the world and would help the country meet its target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 45 percent within seven years.
The platforms allow companies to earn credits for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, which can then be traded. If it works, it would encourage for-profit businesses to invest in green technology.
As public concern builds pressure for the government to find a solution, Wu Changhua, greater China director of the Climate Group, says there is a broad shift under way in how Chinese weigh their quality of life.
China has long put economic growth ahead of environmental concerns, making it the world’s biggest polluter. Carbon trading supporters hope that the markets could be one way to curb pollution and keep the economy growing.Which of the following is TRUE about carbon trading platforms?
| A．They are used to trade various resources. |
| B．They caused the choking smog in China. |
| C．They have been in existence for many years in China. |
| D．The choking smog may promote their development. |
The underlined word in Paragraph 1 means “ ______”.
| A．to make blanket | B．to cover something | C．to make something empty | D．to be like a blanket |
Tang’s attitude towards carbon markets is ______.
| A．unknown | B．indifferent | C．optimistic | D．pessimistic |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．China will have built a national carbon trading program by 2016. |
| B．Chinese have lived a life of high quality in all aspects. |
| C．The markets could slow the development of economy. |
| D．Standards of life will be changed in China. |
What's the main idea of this passage?
| A．The choking smoke in China. | B．The urge for carbon trading platforms. |
| C．Greenhouse gases. | D．The world’s biggest polluter. |
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