“Don’t go down to that pond — it's dangerous!” Stephanie angrily shouted at her children. She’d overheard them talking about playing near the water on the golf course close to their apartment. It was a Saturday, and 8-year-old Jeremiah was heading outside with his 11-year-old sister, Tiara, and their 13-year-old cousin, Evon McDuffie. They often went to the George Wilson Community Center in Newark, Delaware, just three houses away from their apartment building.
The Wilson center was a good place of activity for the community, especially in warm weather. But January 20, 2006, was a rainy day with winds. It’s a good day to play inside the center. Unfortunately, the three children had other ideas.
Taking no notice of what Stephanie had said, Evon, Tiara and Jeremiah walked beyond the tree line at the back of the community center and headed toward the large pond. The kids climbed through a gap in the fence, then passed a No Entering sign posted on a metal gate nearby. As they reached the pond, they also walked by a No Skating sign.
Tiara and Evon first stepped on the surface ice, and when it held, the children went out on the pond. Evon shouted out to Jeremiah, “I bet you can't cross the whole thing.”
“I bet you I can,” Jeremiah replied, and he took off across the pond.
He made it to the other side, but as he came back, Jeremiah stepped on the thinner ice. The thin surface collapsed under his feet, and the boy sank into the cold water. Evon raced back to the apartment for help, while frightened Tiara tried to reach Jeremiah as he struggled to keep his head above water. But he kept slipping beneath the surface.
When firefighters arrived, all they could see was Jeremiah's coat floating on the water. As the unconscious child was rushed to the hospital, his life was saved, for now, but the effects of hypothermia (降低体温) and lack of oxygen left Jeremiah with serious brain damage.
1. Stephanie shouted at her children because_____________.
A. the children didn’t behave very well at home
B. they were too young to play outside
C. it was raining
D. the children secretly planned to go to the pond
2. It was __________ that made Jeremiah take courage to cross the ice.
A. Evon’s challenge B. the mother’s words
C. No Entering sign D. the view on the other bank
3. What does the underlined word “collapsed” probably mean?
A. changed suddenly B. broke into pieces
C. became thinner D. floated away
4. Which of the following is the right order of the events that happened to Jeremiah?
a. Firefighters came and rescued Jeremiah.
b. The kids climbed through the fence and to the pond.
c. Jeremiah walked across the ice.
d. The kids planned to play on the pond.
e. When Jeremiah made a way back, he sank.
A. b, d, c, e, a B. d, b, a, e, c C. d, b, c, e, a D. a, e, c, d, b
Australia has passed regulations that will enable more international students to further their education in the country.
The new measures were released by the Australian Department of Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations in September and will take effect in mid-2012.
As a result, the student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified, and the deposit (押金) required to study in Australia has been reduced. Language requirements for overseas students have also been eased.
Also, overseas students receiving a higher education in Australia will be granted a working visa lasting from two to four years after graduation, as long as they meet the basic IELTS requirement.
"This change will definitely make Australia a more attractive destination for Chinese students planning to study overseas," says Wang Lan, a consultant from Education International Cooperation Group (EIC), a Beijing-based company that provides services to students wishing to study overseas.
However, in the past few years, many of Wang's student clients (客户) could not start studies in Australia because they did not meet the language requirements, visa processing took a long time and deposit regulations were tough. The change in policy is good news for the parents of students wishing to study in Australia, Wang says.
A 22-year-old female student surnamed Li, in Beijing, who is planning to do her postgraduate studies in Australia, learned about the policy change several weeks ago.
"According to the previous deposit requirement for my student visa, my family was required to put down 550,000 yuan ($86,850). Now we only need to prepare 410,000 yuan. This is a relief for my parents," Li says.
She also says that the two to four years working visa makes her feel much clearer about her study plans.
"I believe several years of working experience abroad will strengthen my competitiveness when I return to China," she says.
Gaining a competitive advantage is the major reason for Chinese students to study abroad, according to the report by EIC.What's the main idea of the passage?
| A．Australia widens window of opportunity for international students. |
| B．Australia is a most attractive place for students in China. |
| C．Language requirement for overseas students have been eased in Australia. |
| D．More students will work in Australia after their graduation. |
Which of the following is NOT the content of the new regulations?
| A．The student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified. |
| B．Language requirements for overseas students have been more difficult. |
| C．The deposit required to study in Australia has been reduced. |
| D．After graduation, some overseas students can get a working visa in Australia. |
After the new regulations are passed, _______.
| A．more students will come to Australia to work |
| B．more Chinese students will choose to live in Australia. |
| C．more Chinese students will choose to further their education in Australia |
| D．the opportunities to work in Australia decrease for overseas students |
How much can Li's parents save according to the new regulations?
| A．550,000 yuan | B．86,850 yuan | C．410,000 yuan | D．140,000 yuan |
Why do many students want to work in Australia after their graduation?
| A．They can earn more money in Australia. |
| B．The working experience abroad will strengthen their competitiveness. |
| C．Their working experience can make them stay in Australia forever. |
| D．They have to do so according to the new regulations. |
As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”．The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.
| A．report on the findings of a study |
| B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table |
| C．show the relationship between parents and children |
| D．give information about family problems |
．Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ____________.
| A．they are busy serving food to their children |
| B．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family |
| C．they have to pay more attention to younger children |
| D．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table |
．By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children ______.
| A．have to help their parents to serve dinner |
| B．find it hard to keep up with other children |
| C．are often kept away from the dinner table |
| D．get the least attention from the family |
．Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question _________.
| A．why TV is important in family life |
| B．why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life |
| C．why children in small families seem to be quieter |
| D．why parents should keep good order |
．Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
| A．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently. |
| B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner. |
| C．It is important to have the right food for children. |
| D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner |
“Have a nice day” may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Maxie says “Have a nice day” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.
“Have a nice day. Next!” The version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words came out in the same tone ( 腔调 ) with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say. “Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.How does the author understand Maxie’s words?
| A．Maxie shows her anxiety to the author. |
| B．Maxie really worries about the author’s security |
| C．Maxie encourages the author to stay happy. |
| D．Maxie really wishes the author a good day. |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．The salesgirl says the words as a routine. |
| B．The salesgirl is bored. |
| C．The salesgirl cares about me. |
| D．The salesgirl is rude. |
By saying “Have a nice day”, a stranger may _____.
| A．give his blessing to you |
| B．express respect to you |
| C．try to be polite to you |
| D．share his pleasure with you |
According to the last paragraph, people say “Have a nice day”_______.
A. sincerely B as a habit C. as thanks D. encouraginglyWhat is the best title of the passage?
| A．Have a Nice Day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation |
| B．Have a Nice Day—a Pleasant Gesture |
| C．Have a Nice Day—a Heart-warming Greeting |
| D．Have a Nice Day—a Social Custom |
On the island of New Zealand, there is a grasshopper-like species of insect that is found nowhere else on earth. New Zealanders have given it the nickname weta, which is a native Maori word meaning “god of bad looks”. It’s easy to see why anyone would call this insect a bad-looking bug. Most people feel disgusted at the sight of these bulky(笨重的)，slow-moving creatures.
Wetas are natural creatures; they come out of their caves and holes only after dark. A gaint weta can grow to over three inches long and weigh as much as 1.5 ounces. Giant wetas can hop up to two feet at a time. Some of them live in trees, and others live in caves. They are very long-lived for insects, and some adult wetas can live as long as two years. Just like their cousins grasshoppers and crickets, wetas are able to “sing” by rubbing their leg parts together, or against their lower bodies.
Most people probably don’t feel sympathy for these endangered creatures, but they do need protecting. The slow and clumsy wetas have been around on the island since the times of the dinosaurs, and have evolved and survived in an environment where they had no enemies until rats came to the island with European immigrants. Since rats love to hunt and eat wetas, the rat population on the island has grown into a real problem for many of the native species that are unaccustomed to its presence, and poses a serious threat to the native weta population..According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
The weta is a newly discovered insect species.
The Maoris nicknamed themselves “Wetas”.
The Europeans brought wetas to New Zealand.
Wetas are unpleasant to the eye. .The strange thing about wetas is that they can produce pleasant sounds by ________.
| A．rubbing their body parts |
| B．moving slowly on the ground |
| C．hopping up to two feel at a time |
| D．coming out only at night |
Which of the following descriptions of wetas is accurate?
| A．They are quick in movement. |
| B．They are decreasing in number. |
| C．They are very active in the daytime. |
| D．They have a short lifespan for insects. |
The underlined word “its” in the last paragraph is the closest in meaning to “_________”.
| A．The dinosaur’s | B．The weta’s | C．The island’s | D．The rat’s |
From which of the following is the passage LEAST likely to be taken?
| A．A science magazine. | B．A travel guide. |
| C．A business journal. | D．biology textbook. |
We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it．
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity（机会）and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils．The standards may be changed - no examination is perfect - but to have no external( 外部的 )tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards．There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in external examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers．This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency（实力）,the ideal and the purpose of each teacher．
Without external examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them - a form of favoritism will replace equality．At the moment, the bright child from an ill - respected school can show certificates（证书）to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of a certificate shows the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well - respected school．This defence of excellence and opportunity would disappear if external examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school's fame（名誉）,unable to compete for employment with the child from the favoured school．
The opponents（对手）of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils．According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class．They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection．The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer．
These people are not just against school organisation, but are at war with the whole idea of modem competitive society and they are using children in schools for their destructive（破坏性的）purposes．There is no reason why we should allow such people to determine the way our schools are organised when it is to the obvious disadvantage of the pupils, of the schools and of our society as a whole．According to the passage, the writer thinks that ________．
| A．changing the standards could mean the end of equality |
| B．standards must keep changing in order to achieve equality |
| C．there would be no standards without external examinations |
| D．we cannot have standards because examinations are not perfect |
In the writer's opinion, what would happen if external examinations were taken away?
| A．There would be no more opportunities and no more excellence． |
| B．Children from poor families would not be able to change schools． |
| C．Going to a favoured school should be the only way to get a good job． |
| D．Schools for bright children would lose their fame． |
The situation at the moment is that ________．
| A．many children who are suitable for a job have no proof of their suitability |
| B．a school's fame is not important, as long as a child has a certificate． |
| C．children attending well - respected schools need not get certificates． |
| D．a bright child doesn't need a certificate a t all to get a good job． |
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