A ferry carrying more than 900 people sank in the southern Philippines on Sunday. Most of the passengers have been rescued, but some people are still missing and at least nine have died.
The Philippine Coast Guard says it received a call for help from Superferry 9 early Sunday morning local time, when the ship started listing(倾斜) to its starboard side. The captain ordered passengers and crew to abandon ship about an hour later. The ship sank around 10 am local time, off Siocon Bay in Zamboanga del Norte province. The ship left General Santos City in the southern island of Mindanao Saturday morning heading for Iloilo City in the central Philippines. It was carrying 847 passengers and 117 crew members.
The Philippine Coast Guard said passing ships and the Philippine Navy rescued more than 800 people. Philippines Navy spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Edgard Arevalo said, "Most of them when rescued from the water were having difficulty breathing and most of them were weak. There was an immediate need for doctors and nurses to attend to their needs, as well as for drinking water."
Coast guard officials said it is still not clear what caused the ferry to list and said an investigation will be done as soon as rescue operations are over. The weather in the area was reported as being clear at that time, although a storm was attacking the northern Philippines.
Many Filipinos rely on ferries to travel between islands in the Philippines, but accidents are common especially during the rainy season. Last year, some 800 people died when a ferry sank
1. What does the underlined word “abandon” in paragraph 2 mean ?
A. Watch B. Leave C. Protect D. Keep
2. Which of the following statements about the accident is TRUE ?
A. It took the ferry an hour to sink.
B. The ship was going to General Santos City when it sank.
C. Most passengers got immediate nursing care after they were rescued
D. So far, only a few passengers have found dead in the accident.
3. We can infer from the passage that_____
A. the reason why the ferry sank will be found out soon.
B. ferries are important in many people’s lives in the Philippines
C. people in the Philippines seldom take a ferry during the rainy season
D. a worse accident has never happened on the seas in the Philippines before
Children in the United States eat too much pizza that some researchers now argue the food should join the ranks of sugary drinks and fast food for the harm they do to health．
In a new study, the researchers found that pizza is a large source of calories, saturated fat(饱和脂肪)and salt in children’s diets．Children should not eat more than two slices of pizza for a meal，and should pair that with salad, rather than with another high-calorie food，the researchers concluded．
“Parents should aim to control pizza consumption(消费), particularly as a snack where it was shown to have a very adverse impact on children, and they should put their pizza dollars toward healthier brands．”Said Lisa Powel, director of the Illinois Prevention Research Center．
Pizza has become a matter of focus in recent years for researchers who look at the meals children eat, rather than the nutrients within them．Studies have found pizza is among the greatest sources of calories for children．
“Since pizza remains a common part of children’s diet, we need to make ‘healthy’ pizza．”Powel said．To make pizza healthier, food producers should reduce its saturated fat and salt, and increase its whole grain content,” she said．
Whether or not pizza is harmful enough to be picked out as an unhealthy food, the study attracts attention to a larger issue with the modern American lifestyle, said Alexis Tindall, who was not involved in the flow research. “Many foods are eaten too frequently and in large sizes,” said Tindall．To solve the problem, people don’t have to give up eating pizza, but instead, they can eat smaller and healthier pizza，”she said．
“Make it at home, instead of ordering it out where you don’t have any control over how it’s made.” Tindall said. “When we make it at home, we can choose healthier ingredients，increase the vegetables, reduce fat, and put in less cheese．Pizza doesn’t have to be just pepperoni(意大利辣香肠)and cheese．”
According to the research, children shouldn’t eat ．
| A．more than two slices of pizza in a day |
| B．two slices of pizza for a meal |
| C．pizza along with salad |
| D．more pizza with French fries |
Powel suggests healthier pizza should be made ．
| A．with more ingredients | B．with less salt |
| C．in smaller sizes | D．at home |
The last sentence of the passage implies that pepperoni and cheese ．
| A．are necessary ingredients of pizza |
| B．are not the only healthy ingredients of pizza |
| C．should all be replaced with healthier ingredient． |
| D．should be reduced by adding healthier ingredients． |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Pizza—a real junk food! |
| B．How to prepare better meals for your kids? |
| C．Discover the harm of eating pizza |
| D．Bring in healthier pizza for Americans |
Many people write to newspaper and magazines to express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the information is not necessary for publication. This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that writers are held responsible for what they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the name of the game.
“People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate because they refuse to accept responsibility for the relationship,” said social worker Ken Yip, “and this is what is causing a lot of family problems.” When we sign a paper, for example, a business contract or a bank document, the signature is a seal of consent, an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations will not process written complaints if they do not bear the writer’s signature. The absence of a signature, they explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply.
There are people who wish to remain anonymous(匿名的) for various reasons. Multi-billionaire Mr. King donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the publicity his donations may bring, and he does not want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of revealing their identity. Crime witnesses may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime.
Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have a name. It is a matter of responsibility to use it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want to honor our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our own name that we honor what we say.What does the writer mean by saying “Responsibility is the name of the game”?
| A．Writers need to provide their personal information in the game. |
| B．Publication must bear the writer’s full name, address and phone number. |
| C．Writers should be responsible for their names. |
| D．Names are required to indicate writers’ responsibility for what they say. |
The second paragraph suggests that a paper without a signature may _______.
| A．not get a reply |
| B．help to end a relationship |
| C．be accepted all the same |
| D．become a family problem |
Some people don’t want their names known because they are ________.
| A．hesitant to make a donation |
| B．unwilling to draw public attention |
| C．afraid of an accusation |
| D．ready for involvement |
The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．honor and writers |
| B．identity and signature |
| C．signature and responsibility |
| D．anonymity and signature |
There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms．The idea may seem disagreeable at first，but considering all the positive effects coming from wearing uniforms you would be more likely to enjoy them．
Teachers love school uniforms because it helps provide an orderly learning environment．Having students dressed in uniforms may teach them how to present themselves in a neat and professional manner．It gives students the opportunity to learn how to dress like young ladies and gentleman．And they can focus their attention on academics rather than style．
Purchasing school uniforms is easy and needs less hesitation and consideration．No matter what the school's policy is，there are only specific essential pieces to the wardrobe(服装) that are necessary，so it won’t break the bank．A few wardrobe items can last a long time．Parents could also enjoy an easy morning，as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day．
Students wearing uniforms will feel less pressure about what to wear or not to wear when their classmates are dressed similarly．Getting dressed before school becomes less of a chore when students are limited in their choices，so there shouldn’t be any trouble about choosing an outfit the day and getting ready quickly．Some students may not like the lack of individuality with a uniform，but some school dress code policies may offer them the opportunities to show their unique styles．
Uniforms today are also becoming trendier and can be seen in many areas of pop culture．Celebrities(名人)and fashion designers are using uniforms as inspiration for new looks which also appeal to students．Teachers think that wearing school uniforms __________．
| A．helps students put more effort into their studies |
| B．makes students feel less pressure in study |
| C．is just a tradition that students should follow |
| D．makes students lose their independence and identity |
The underlined part “it won't break the bank” in Paragraph 3 probably means “______”.
| A．a school uniform should be worn every day |
| B．parents will have to go to the bank many times |
| C．a school uniform doesn’t cost a lot of money |
| D．parents who work in a bank can afford the uniform |
We can infer from the text that school uniform __________．
| A．will be more fashionable in the future |
| B．are not popular with fashion designers |
| C．were not accepted by parents in the past |
| D．will be designed by students themselves |
Electric cars are dirty. In fact, not only are they dirty, but they might even be more dirty than their gasoline-powered cousins.
People in California love to talk about “zero-emissions (排放) vehicles”, but people in California seem to be clueless about where electricity comes from. Power plants mostly use fire to make it. Apart from the few people who have their roofs covered with solar cells, we get our electricity from generators (发电机). Generators are fueled by something----usually coal, oil, but also by heat generated in nuclear power plants. There are a few wind farms and geothermal (地热) plants as well, but by far we get electricity mainly by burning something.
In other words, those “zero-emissions” cars are likely coal-burning cars. Because the coal is burned somewhere else, it looks clean. It is not true. It's as if the California Greens are covering their eyes----“If I can't see it, it's not happening.” Gasoline is an incredibly (极其) efficient way to power a vehicle; a gallon of gas has a lot of energy in it. But when you take that gas (or another fuel) and first use it to make electricity, you waste a nice part of that energy, mostly in the form of wasted heat--at the generator, through the transmission lines, etc.
A gallon of gas may drive your car 25 miles. But the electricity you get from that gallon of gas won't get you nearly as far---so electric cars burn more fuel than gasoline-powered ones. If our electricity came mostly from wind or geothermal, or solar, then an electric car truly would be clean. But for political, technical, and economic reasons, we don't use much of those energy sources.
In addition, electric cars' batteries which are poisonous for a long time will eventually end up in a landfill (垃圾填埋场). And finally, when cars are the polluters, the pollution is spread across all the roads. When it's a power plant, though, all the junk is in one place. Nature is very good at cleaning up when things are not too concentrated, but it takes a lot longer when all the garbage is in one spot.Which of the following words can replace “be clueless about” in Paragraph 2?
| A．be familiar with. | B．fail to understand. |
| C．be curious about. | D．show their interest in. |
The electricity we get from a gallon of gas may make our car run _________.
| A．at least 25 miles | B．more than 25 miles |
| C．less than 25 miles | D．as far as 25 miles |
In the author’s opinion, compared with cars using gas, electric cars are more __________.
| A．harmful | B．expensive |
| C．efficient | D．environmentally-friendly |
It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
| A．electric cars’ batteries are no longer poisonous in the landfill |
| B．electric cars are not clean since we get electricity mainly by burning something |
| C．zero-emissions vehicles should be chosen to protect our environment |
| D．now electric cars are used more than their gasoline-powered cousins |
Being lonely in the crowd might seem ridiculous. But according to a recent survey, the situation is all too common. Loneliness and other anxiety problems – worrying about life’s pressures – can even lead to self-murder.
An article in China Daily gave no reason for this other than the usual blaming of the post-80s generation. According to a high level official, young people suffering from discouragement are mostly “spoiled and have not been taught to be independent, responsible and express ‘thank-you’.” Well, how do you like that? First, I don’t think China’s youth are exactly spoiled. They certainly have more things than their parents did, but a lot of the money spent on them is for their education including various extra classes.
Discouragement and anxiety are now the fastest growing challenges in modern societies. We sense a lack of close friends who can talk to honestly and openly. In 1985, a US study found that one in ten people did not have such a friend. In 2006, it was one in four. It’s easy to see the connection between loneliness and discouragement. But what actually causes this increasing loneliness?
Surely, with Internet social networking sites such as Kaixin, we have more friends than ever. A new study has shown that the more time teenagers spend in front of computers, the less close they are to friends and family. Kaixin or QQ may be fun but it lacks meaning, compared to personal connections in the real world.
And then there are those endless online games popular with young Chinese but increasingly there are more interesting choices. For example, new sports such as skateboarding are starting to catch on（流行） in bigger cities, as is playing music in a band. These creative hobbies are done in a group and thus friendship can be stronger. Hopefully young people will also be drawn out of the Internet cafes and interactive computer games that in fact fail to recreate a real and interactive experience.According to the high level official, it is easy for teenagers lacking independence and responsibility to _______.
| A．become spoiled |
| B．play endless online games |
| C．suffer from loneliness and anxiety |
| D．refuse to express gratitude |
What does the writer think of the Internet social networking site Kaixin?
| A．Open but ridiculous. |
| B．Honest and responsible. |
| C．Real and fun. |
| D．Interesting but meaningless. |
It can be inferred in Paragraph 3 that _______.
| A．it’s now more difficult for people to find close friends to have an honest chat with |
| B．parents focus mostly on children’s education rather than the personality building |
| C．young people have no idea of expressing appreciation because of being spoiled |
| D．teenagers will recreate a real and interactive experience to strengthen friendship |
According to the text, which of the following can help us avoid being lonely in the crowd?
| A．To stay long in Internet cafes. |
| B．To focus on extra courses. |
| C．To give up our own hobbies. |
| D．To play music in a band. |
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