They leap from helicopters or speeding boats, bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy’s popular beaches.
For these dog lifeguards, the doggie paddle （狗刨式游法）does just fine.
These “lifedogs” tow a buoy(救生衣) that victims can grab, or a raft they can sit on to be towed back to
shore, and unlike their human counterparts(与对方地位相当的人), they can easily jump from helicopters and speeding boats to reach swimmers in trouble.
With millions flocking(人群) to Italy’s crowded beaches each summer, the Italian Coast Guard says it rescues about 3,000 people every year — and their dog helpers are credited with saving several lives.
It takes three years for the canines to reach expert rescue status, and currently 300 dogs are fully trained for duty, said Roberto Gasbarri, who co-ordinates the Italian School of Canine Lifeguards program at a centre outside of Rome in the seaside town of Civitavecchia.
“Dogs are useful in containing the physical fatigue（疲劳） of the lifeguard, to increase the speed at which casualties（遇难者） are retrieved（找到并衔回）, to increase the security of both the casualty and of the lifeguard,” Gasbarri said.
The Civitavecchia centre is one of a dozen around the country for the school founded more than 20 years ago in the northern province of Bergamo by Ferruccio Pilenga, whose first trainee was his own Newfoundland.
The school will train any breed（品种）, as long as they weigh at least 30 kilograms, but Labradors, Newfoundlands and golden retrievers are most commonly used because of their natural instinct for swimming. Each dog works in tandem with（同 ……合作） a human lifeguard, who also acts as the animal’s trainer.Which of the following can act as the best title fo the passage?
| A．Dogs to the Rescue | B．Dogs Are Good at Doggie Paddle |
| C．The Wonderful Performance of Dogs | D．Dogs: Our Loyal Friends |
What advantage do these life-dogs have over human lifeguards in a rescue?
| A．Dog can swim very fast | B．Dogs can finish rescue work with ease. |
| C．Dogs can finish the great work free of charge. | D．Dogs can easily be trained |
Which of the following is TRUE about the Civitavecchia center according to the text?
| A．Any breed can be trained there. |
| B．The ones who have the gift for swimming are welcomed. |
| C．After a better training, the dogs can work alone. |
| D．It is the only place for training dog lifeguards in the school. |
What does the writer want to tell us in the 4th paragraph?
| A．Without the dog lifeguards, 3,000 people would lose their lives every year. |
| B．The buautiful beaches attract millions of people every year. |
| C．Dog lifeguards play an important part in a rescue. |
| D．Italy is a famous place of interest. |
One day while shopping in a small town in southern California, it was my misfortune to be approached by a clerk．He seemed most unfriendly and not at all concerned about my intended purchase．I bought nothing, and marched angrily out of the store．
On the outside was a dark-skinned young man in his early twenties．His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, bright smile covered his face．I gave in immediately．The power of that broad smile dissolved all bitterness within me, and I felt the muscles in my own face happily responding．
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" I remarked, passing．Then I turned back．"I really owe you a debt of thanks," I said softly．
His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer．A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby．The woman stepped forward and volunteered, "Sir, but he doesn't speak English．Do you want me to tell him something?" In that moment I felt transformed．The young man's smile had made a big person of me．My friendliness and good will toward all mankind stand ten feet tall．
“Yes,” my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, “tell him I said, ‘Thank you!’”
“Thank you?” The woman seemed slightly puzzled．
I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave．"Just tell him that," I insisted．"He'll understand．I am sure!"
Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man again, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning．From that day on, I became smile-conscious, and I practice the art diligently anywhere and everywhere, with everybody．Why did the author leave the store angrily?
| A．He couldn't buy what he wanted. |
| B．The clerk treated him unkindly． |
| C．The clerk didn't speak English． |
| D．The store's goods were too dear． |
By saying "I felt the muscles in my own face happily responding"(in Para. 2), the author means _ __________..
| A．he smiled back at the young man | B．he did not want to smile |
| C．he would thank the young man | D．he was still in a bad mood |
The author asked the woman to say "Thank you!" to the young man because the young man .
| A．had helped the author before |
| B．taught the author how to smile |
| C．taught the author a valuable lesson |
| D．was a kind employee of the store |
In the passage, the author seems to suggest that we should __ ___.
| A．be generous to strangers | B．practice smiling every day |
| C．help people in trouble | D．smile at other people |
A man lost his legs in a tragic accident. After the accident, only two fingers 36 on his right hand.
However, he was bright, creative and educated. He had gained much experience while traveling throughout the world. Yet, he became very 37 after the accident. He was afraid he would spend his life 38 and would no longer be able to live a life in a(n) 39 way.
One day, he remembered how he had 40 loved getting letters. He realized that he still had partial 41 of his right hand and could write with difficulty. Then, he had an idea. “Why not write to other people who need 42 ?”
Who to write to? He thought of people in prison. Many of them hoped to 43 their freedom. Others would keep feeling sad and remain locked away for the rest of their lives. He decided that he must try to 44 them.
He wrote to a prison officer about sending letters to prisoners. The prison officer replied that writing to the prisoners would be 45 . However, it would be 46 prison rules for them to write back.
Filled with the 47 of carrying out his idea, the man knew he had to write. He began sending one-way 48 of love, hope, strength and encouragement.
He 49 twice a week, testing his strength and ability to the limit. He poured his heart and soul into his words, 50 his experience and optimism.
It was difficult to write those letters, especially without hope of a 51 . Frequently, he felt discouraged. He often wondered if anyone 52 read his letters. However, he determined to 53 as long as he could help others.
One day he received a letter from the prison officer. It was a short note from the officer who monitored and 54 the prison mails.
The letter said, “Please write on the best paper you can 55 . Your letters are passed from cell (牢房) to cell until they fall to pieces!”
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After the examination, the doctor told my parents my sight would get worse and that I would lose my sight finally. On the way home from hospital, no one said a word. One day, would I only imagine the scenery beyond the glass rather than see it?
That September, I entered middle school. Most nights I had homework that included an armful of books to read. To keep up with other children, I took great trouble to finish the task. With my nose a couple of inches from the page, I was tired easily. What’s worse, after I had read several pages on my own, the words slipped off the page into inky pools.
However, then I did not have audio books and electronic devices like kids do now. Instead, Mom volunteered to read out loud. Mom worked part-time, cleaned the house, cooked and spent time with Grandma. In spite of being so busy, she showed up in my room like clockwork. She put on her reading glasses. Mom always thought those glasses made her look old. To me, she looked like a teacher.
In my room, Mom’s voice competed with the ticking of the clock. Being forced to focus on listening, I found a way to keep my marks up and compete with the other kids. When the teacher asked a question, I raised my hand with confidence. Teachers praised me for having a good memory. Reading removed my fear for my failing sight, reading also made me curious about other people’s challenges and how they managed. Though I could not use my eyes to fix on each passage, my mind lit up with every new book.
True to what the doctor said, the worst came, but thanks to Mom, my sense of hearing now allows me to “see”. This was the most precious (珍贵的) gift from a mother to her child.Why did the author and his parents keep silent on their way back home from hospital?
| A．They all wanted to have a good rest. |
| B．The author didn’t do well in the exam. |
| C．What the doctor said made them worried. |
| D．They focused on the scenery along the road |
How did the author manage to get high marks?
| A．By being confident |
| B．By listening carefully. |
| C．By getting help from his classmates. |
| D．By reading as many books as possible. |
We can learn from the text that .
| A．the author’s sight recovered finally |
| B．reading made the author more sensitive |
| C．the author’s mother didn’t work to look after him |
| D．reading made the author not worry about his sight |
Which of the following could be the title of the text?
| A．My eyesight trouble | B．An unforgettable experience |
| C．With ears wide open | D．About Mother’s love |
In recent years, the black bear population in the US has risen. Forests once cleared for farming have started to grow back and black bears have returned to them. But the bears are finding that their forest habitat has changed. Instead of thick forests covering thousands of acres, bears now have neighbors nearby. Roads, homes, schools, and shopping centers have been built at the edge of their forest home. And with humans and bears trying to share the same space, problems arise.
Black bears usually prefer to avoid people, but their nose may lead them into trouble. Their normal diet includes nuts, insects, and plants. But given the opportunity, they will gladly help themselves to whatever they can find.
With the great sense of smell, the bears can sniff out a tasty treat 2 or 3 miles away. Food left out in a park or backyard is an invitation to dinner. And while raiding (劫掠) a cooler, bird feeder (喂鸟器), trash can, car, or even a home, they can do a lot of damage. When that happens, people get angry. If another solution doesn’t immediately appear, they often want the bears killed.
Bear Aware, Bear Wise, and Bear Smart are trying to keep that from happening. They want people to respect bears, not fear them, and are suggesting ways to reduce the chances of bears stopping by for a snack. They’re convincing (使相信) people that by following some simple steps, it’s possible to live peacefully with our wild neighbors.More black bears have appeared in the US because__________.
| A．farmers have grown more food |
| B．forests have increased in the US |
| C．people stopped killing black bears |
| D．roads were built nearer to the forests |
We learn from the text that black bears _________.
| A．hate insects in forests | B．eat different foods |
| C．usually live in big groups | D．like to share space with humans |
The underlined words “sniff out” in Paragraph 3 probably means “________”.
| A．to express a low opinion | B．to find something by chance |
| C．to refuse something in a proud way | D．to discover something by its smell |
It’s good to make mistakes, and here is why．
First of all, mistakes are a clear sign that you are trying new things． It’s always good to try new things because when you are trying new things you are growing． If you never try anything new, how can you improve? How can you expand? The simple answer is “You can’t”． Look around you． With very few exceptions, either everything you see in your physical world or every single detail of every single thing is the result of someone trying something new．
Another good thing about mistakes is this: When you are making mistakes, you are learning． Consider this: Edison failed 10,000 times before he perfected the light bulb． When asked how it felt to fail that many times, he said that he hadn’t failed 10,000 times, but rather had learned 10,000 things that didn’t work．
Finally, when you make a mistake you are much closer to success． Why?
Because when all is said and done, you will have tried some number of things before you succeeded． Every time you make a mistake you eliminate one of those things and are one step closer．
But this all doesn’t mean that you should go ahead without considering the consequences of a mistake． Quite the contrary, when you try something new you have to be willing to set some reasonable limits so that in the event that it doesn’t work out the way you want it to, you will be in a position to try again．
We all have limited resources in the form of time and money so don’t blow them all on one approach to a problem． Realize that it probably won’t be perfect the first time and allocate （分配） these resources appropriately so you can learn, make corrections, and try it again． Only by accepting and using your mistakes in this way can you make significant advances in your business and your career．
There is an old saying that goes, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough．”
So go forth and make mistakes． And learn． And grow． And prosper（成功）．From the second paragraph, we can conclude that _______．
| A．mistakes are unnecessary for development |
| B．we are afraid of trying new things |
| C．it’s common for people to make mistakes |
| D．mistakes are better than not trying |
The underlined word “eliminate” means _______．
| A．avoid | B．remove | C．accept | D．solve |
According to the article, one thing you should pay attention to about making mistakes is ．
| A．avoiding making the same mistakes |
| B．accepting the punishment willingly |
| C．taking consequences into account |
| D．trying things out one by one |
What would the writer probably suggest we say to ourselves when we make a mistake?
| A．Never mind, I can always try again． |
| B．I’d better stay out of trouble． |
| C．Ok! Now I can learn something． |
| D．Look at this mess． Anyone would be upset． |
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