Tsunami warning system is tested
If he, the founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, were alive, Thomas Jaggar would be proud of the U.S. tsunami warning system after Friday’s devastating earthquake in Japan sent a surge (大浪，汹涌) of ocean water dashing toward the West Coast.
● WASHINGTON — So many people surged to the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center website that it slowed to a crawl early Friday, unable to provide critical information to the public about the coastal impact in the U.S. of a massive earthquake in Japan.
McClatchy Washington Bureau — Mar 11 06:09 p.m.
● CHICAGO — A tsunami warning has been issued for the central and northern California coast and Oregon, the National Weather Service announced early Friday.
Chicago Tribune— Mar 11 06:07 a.m.
● HONOLULU — A tsunami warning was issued late on Thursday for Hawaii after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific near Japan, prompting state civil defense officials to order all coastal areas evacuated（把…撤出…）by 2 a.m. local time. Tsunami sirens (警报) began sounding at 9:59 p.m. on Thursday. They have sounded every hour since 11:15 p.m.
Alaska Tsunami Warning Center also issued a warning for much of the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California.
Reuters via Yahoo! News — Mar 11 01:22 a.m.
● LOMPOC — Tsunami warning ‘a wake-up call’
A tsunami warning that led to evacuations for coastal 
communities and campgrounds in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties Friday served as a successful trial for a more serious emergency, officials said after the danger passed.
The Lompoc Record — Mar 11 11:29 p.m.
● WELLINGTON — The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a warning after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific near Japan, and it said the sea level readings confirm that a tsunami has been generated and was in effect for some Pacific islands — Hawaii, China’s Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia etc.
New Straits Times — Mar 11 07:48 a.m.
— Reproduced by Yahoo Greenwich Meantime.
. A tsunami warning was issued for all the following states in the U.S. except for _____.
| A．Ohio | B．California | C．Oregon | D．Alaska |
.
The underlined word “prompting” (in the fourth paragraph) most probably means _____.
| A．promoting | B．advocating | C．urging | D．appealing |
.
According to the passage, the Pacific Tsunami warning was first reported by _____.
| A．New Straits Times | B．Reuters via Yahoo! News |
| C．McClatchy Washington Bureau | D．Chicago Tribune |
.
In which city did the news agency issue a tsunami affecting for some other places apart from Japan and Hawaii?
A. LOMPOC. B. WASHINGTON. C. HONOLULU. D. WELLINGTON.
Your schooldays should be some of the best and happiest days of your life. How can you gain the most from them, and ensure you do not waste this wonderful opportunity to learn?
Be positive about school. Don’t say things are difficult or boring. Be interested in school-life and your school subjects. Join lots of activities. Be quick to put your hand up. Go round the school with a big smile.
Expect to work. School is not a holiday camp. If you are not working, you are not learning, and you are wasting your time at school. Teachers cannot make everything enjoyable.
Keep fit. If you do not eat a good breakfast, you will be thinking about food in class. If you go to bed late and do not have enough sleep, you will be sleepy in class. Play some sports to keep your body strong.
Do today’s work today. Do not say you will do things tomorrow. If you get behind the class, it is very difficult to get back in front. You cannot finish a race if you rest all the time.
Don’t be too disappointed if things sometimes go badly. Everyone fails some tests, loses some matches and has bad days. Friends are not always perfect, and they sometimes say and do unpleasant things. Don’t let small problems seem very big and important.
Talk about problems. Sometimes they are only the result of misunderstanding. Don’t be too embarrasssed to ask for help. You are young. No one thinks you can do everything.
Plan your time. Don’t waste life lying in bed on Saturday morning. Go and play a sport, learn the piano, work on a project, read a book, practise English, or help someone with problems. There are always a lot of things to do.
Set targets. If your last grade was a D, work for a C. try to make progress bit by bit. Think of small targets: “I will speak in class four times this week”, “I will finish my project on Wednesday” or “I will get two more marks this week”.
Follow our advice, and have a happy school-life!If Johnny wants to read comic(漫画) books, not textbooks, he needs to read ________.
| A．Expect to work. |
| B．Do today’s work today. |
| C．Plan your time. |
| D．Don’t be too disappointed if things sometimes go badly. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is Not true?
| A．If you are not interested in things at school, you are likely to feel bored. |
| B．It’s not a shame to have problems and need help sometimes. |
| C．You won’t make good progress unless you set big targets |
| D．Having enough food and sleep will help us study better. |
Why do you think the writer thinks it is good to put up your hand in class?
| A．Because you will impress your teacher most this way. |
| B．Because other students will admire you. |
| C．Because it means that you will enjoy school and learn more. |
| D．Because your parents will feel happy if you do so. |
After a while, Tommy’s parents, who had recently separated, would arrive for a meeting on his failing schoolwork and bad behavior. Neither parent knew that I had called the other.
Tommy, an only child, had always been a happy, cooperative and top student. How could I make his father and mother believe that his recent failing grades meant a broken-hearted child’s reaction to his parents’ separation and divorce (离婚)?
Tommy’s mother entered and took one of the chairs. Soon the father arrived. Good! At least they were enough to be here in time. They ignored each other.
As I gave a detailed introduction of Tommy’s behavior and schoolwork, I waited for the right words to bring these two together to help them see what they were doing to their son. But somehow the words wouldn’t come. Perhaps if they saw one of his dirty, carelessly done papers?
I found a sheet in the back of his desk. Writing covered both sides: not the exercises, but a single sentence scribbled (胡写乱画) over and over.
Silently I gave it to Tommy’s mother. She read it and then handed it to her husband. Then his face softened.
At last he folded (折叠) the paper carefully, placed it in his pocket, and reached for his wife’s hand. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled up at him. He helped with her coat and they left together.
In his own way God had given me the words to reunite that family. He had guided me to the sheet of yellow copy paper covered with the pain outpouring of a small boy’s troubled heart.
The words are “Dear Mom… Dear Daddy… I love…”How did Tommy’s parents feel after seeing the words?
| A．Glad. | B．Worried. |
| C．Moved. | D．Happy. |
The author called Tommy’s parents in order to _______.
| A．blame Tommy for his failing grades |
| B．ask them the reason for their divorce |
| C．help them realize their influence on Tommy |
| D．solve the couple’s problem of separation |
Why did Tommy fail his recent grades?
| A．Because he was greatly influenced by his parents. |
| B．Because he was punished by his teacher. |
| C．Because he wrote to his parents very often. |
| D．Because he did one of his dirty, careless papers. |
This passage is most probably written by _______.
| A．a reporter | B．a teacher |
| C．a lawyer | D．a doctor |
Lily was a young French Canadian girl who grew up in the farming community. At the age of 16, her father thought that she had enough schooling and forced her to drop out of school to contribute to the family income. In 1922, with limited education and skills, the future didn't look bright for Lily. Her father demanded that Lily find a job as soon as possible, but she didn't have the confidence to ask for a job.
One day, Lily gathered her courage and knocked on her very first door. She was met by Margaret Costello, the office manager. In her broken English, Lily told her she was interested in the secretarial position. Margaret decided to give her a chance.
Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, “Lily, let's see how good you really are.” She directed Lily to type a single letter, and then left. Lily looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:40 a.m. Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon. She thought she should at least attempt the letter.
On her first try, she got through one line but made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now read 11:45. “At noon,” she said to herself, “I'll move out with the crowd, and they will never see me again.”
On her second attempt, things didn't get any better. Again the started over and finally completed the letter, full of mistakes, though. She looked at the clock: 11:55 —five minutes to freedom.
Just then, Margaret walked in. She came directly over to Lily, and put one hand on the desk and the other on the girl's shoulder. She read the letter and paused. Then she said, “Lily, you're doing good work!”
Lily was surprised. She looked at the letter, then up at Margaret. With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape disappeared and her confidence began to grow. She thought, “Well, if she thinks it's good, then it must be good. I think I'll stay!”
Lily did stay at Carhartt Overall Company…for 51 years, through two world wars and 11 presidents—all because someone had the insight to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-confidence when she knocked on the door.Why did Lily leave school at an early age?
| A．To learn English well. |
| B．To get self-confidence. |
| C．To become a typist. |
| D．To earn money for her family |
When Lily applied for(申请) the job, she ________.
| A．didn't know much about typing |
| B．could speak good English |
| C．knew Margaret very well |
| D．never wrote any letter |
Who does the underlined word “someone” in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．Margaret | B．Lily's father. |
| C．Lily herself | D．A president. . |
What can we learn from Lily's story?
| A．Honesty is the best policy. |
| B．Money is not everything. |
| C．Encouragement makes a difference |
| D．Time waits for no man. |
China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true. There are millions of cars. However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors---silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It’s fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks(人行道). Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide.
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather accompanied my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn’t want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.The author decided to buy a bicycle because he intended ______________.
| A．to ride it for fun |
| B．to experience local skills |
| C．to use it for transport |
| D．to improve his riding skills |
How did the author feel about his street crossing?
| A．It was boring. | B．It was wonderful. |
| C．It was lively. | D．It was difficult. |
Which of the following best describes the author’s biking experience?
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills. |
| B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding. |
| C．The author took great pleasure in biking. |
| D．The author was praised by the other bikers. |
According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?
| A．Because they are convenient and inexpensive. |
| B．Because they are traditional and safe. |
| C．Because they are colorful and available. |
| D．Because they are fast and environment friendly. |
Nick Hancock hopes to set a new record by living alone for 60 days on a small island in the Atlantic.
Tom McClean, an SAS soldier who holds the solo record for occupying(占领) Rockall for 40 days in 1985, told Hancock that being alone for two months was the greatest challenge Hancock would have to face.
“I’m fully expecting it to be tough,” Nick Hancock said. “I’m hoping that by doing my daily tasks fairly slowly, I’m going to be able to keep most of my time busy. I think the worst times will come if I’m boxed up for several days by bad weather.”
Hancock hopes to land on Rockall in early June and will carry out the last tests of his boat next week. He has a small wind turbine(风电机) and a solar panel for power, more than two months’ food, a satellite phone and a laptop loaded with e-books to keep him going. Hancock will update an adventure blog, texting messages out on Twitter and emailing his wife Pam and friends every day.
Rockall has been occupied before, most famously by McClean but also by three Greenpeace campaigners, who set the long-stay record of 42 days in 1997 by occupying the rock in protest at oil and gas exploration in the area.
The last human inhabitants Hancock knows of are a small group of Belgian amateur radio enthusiasts, who are interested in broadcasting from distant islands; they were on Rockall overnight in late 2010.
Hancock has no large support team behind him. Except for the coastguard（海岸警卫队）, his only lifeline will be the Orca III, the passenger boat which will take him to Rockall.Nick Hancock’s main goal is to ______.
| A．protest at oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic |
| B．show his ability to adapt himself to bad conditions |
| C．prove broadcasting from distant islands can be possible |
| D．challenge the previous record of living alone on Rockall |
According to Tom McClean, the biggest challenge Hancock would meet was_____.
| A．loneliness | B．bad weather |
| C．lack of food | D．communication |
To keep his time busy on Rockall, Hancock will_____.
| A．do his daily tasks slowly |
| B．write a book |
| C．think of his wife |
| D．surf online |
How will Hancock get to Rockall?
| A．On the coastguard’s boat |
| B．On a passenger boat |
| C．On his own plane |
| D．On a passenger plane |
We can learn from the passage that_______.
| A．Tom McClean was the first person to set foot on Rockall |
| B．Hancock will rely on his large support team |
| C．Rockall is not suitable for humans to settle on |
| D．Hancock was already a famous online writer before making the plan |
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