In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened America, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. A father rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake.
After the shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: “No matter what happened, I’ll always be there for you!” And tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his promise to his son.
Remembering his son’s classroom would be in the back right corner of the building, he rushed there and started digging.
Other parents tried to pull him off the ruins, saying: “It’s too late! They’re all dead! You can’t help!” He replied, “Are you going to help me now?” The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school’s ruins saying, “Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. You’re in danger. We’ll take care of it. Go home.” This loving, caring American father asked, “Are you going to help me now?”
The police came and said, “You’re, anxious and it’s over. Go home. We’ll handle it!” He replied, “Are you going to help me now?” No one helped.
Courageously he went on alone. He dug for eight hours...12 hours...24 hours...36 hours...then, in the 38th hour, he heard his son’s voice. He screamed his son’s name, “ARMAND!” He heard back, “Dad! It’s me, Dad! You promised no matter what happened, you would always be there for me! You did it, Dad!” “What’s going on in there? How is it?” the father asked.
“There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. ”
“Come out, boy!”
“No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you’ll get me! No matter what happens, I know you’ll always be there for me!”Why did the father keep digging?
| A．Because he promised his wife he would take care of their son. |
| B．Because others persuaded him to do so. |
| C．Because he promised his son that he would be with him whatever happened. |
| D．Because his son was his only child. |
Many people came up and tried to persuade the father to stop digging except ______.
| A．the police | B．the fire chief |
| C．some kind parents | D．the medical officer |
Which of the following best describes the son?
| A．Calm, hopeful and strong-minded. |
| B．Careful, helpful and absent-minded. |
| C．Frightened, hopeless and thankful. |
| D．Cold-hearted, honest and faithful. |
What does the underlined word “they” in the fourth paragraph refer to?
| A．those parents | B． the students |
| C．the teachers | D．The fire officers |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
| A．sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand |
| B．you cannot go on well in life until you forget your past failures |
| C．love can set us free from all fear and overcome the difficulties |
| D．we have enough happiness to make us sweet and enough sorrow to keep us human |
As late as 1800, women’s only place was in the home. The idea of woman in the business world was unthinkable. Men were certain that no woman could do a good job outside her home. This was such a widely accepted idea that when the well-known Bronte sisters began writing books in 1864, they had to sign their books with men’s names instead.
Teaching was the first profession open to women soon after 1800. But even that was not an easy profession for women to enter because most schools and colleges were open only to men. Oberlin College in Ohio was the first college in America to accept women.
Hospital nursing became respectable work for women only after Nightingale became famous. Seeing that she was not only a nurse but also a rich and well-educated woman, people began to believe it was possible for women to nurse the sick and still be “ladies”. Miss Nightingale opened England’s first training school for nurse in 1860.
The invention of the typewriter in 1867 helped to bring women out of the home and into the business world. By 1900, thousands of women were working at real jobs in schools, hospitals and offices in both England and America. Some women even managed to become doctors or lawyers. The idea that women could work in the business world had been accepted. Why couldn’t women become teachers easily? Because___________
| A．the first profession open to them was writing. |
| B．most schools and colleges were open only to men. |
| C．they wanted to be nurses instead. |
| D．they had to work in the business world. |
The article is mainly about __________.
| A．women are in the business world |
| B．the famous Bronte sisters |
| C．schools and colleges in America |
| D．rights for American women |
Which fact does the article lead you to believe?
| A．The Bronte sisters thought that they were men. |
| B．England’s first training school for nurses was in Ohio. |
| C．There are more men than women in professional jobs. |
| D．Women find it necessary to work harder than before. |
Hundreds of people lined up at Grand Central Terminal yesterday, but they weren’t there to catch a train. They came to New York City’s famous railroad station to trade in old dollar bills for the new George Washington Presidential $ 1 coin.
The gold-colored coin is the first in a new series by the U.S. Mint（造币厂）that honors former U.S. Presidents. The Mint will issue four Presidential $ 1 coins a year through 2016. Like the popular 50 State Quarters(纪念币) program, which issues coins in the order in which each state joined the Union, Presidential $ 1 coins will come out in the order in which each President served. The George Washington coin is the first to be released. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison coins will come out later this year.
The Presidential $ 1 coins will be the same size and color as the Sacagawea Golden Dollar. However, there is an important difference. For the first time since the 1930s, there is an inscription（题字）on the edge of each coin. Each coin will show a different President on its face, or head side. It will also show the President’s name, the order in which he served and his years in office. The other side of the coin will show the Statue of Liberty and the inscriptions “United States of America” and “$ 1”.
There will be one Presidential $ 1 coin for each President, except Grover Cleveland. He will have two! Cleveland is the only U.S. President to have served two nonconsecutive（不连续的）terms.
The last President scheduled to get a coin is Gerald Ford because a President must have been dead for two years before he can be on a coin. Hundreds of people lined up at the railway station in order to ____________.
| A．exchange money | B．visit a coin show |
| C．book train tickets | D．do some shopping |
What may you find on the head side of the new US $ 1 coin?
| A．The Statue of Liberty | B．The name of a U.S. president |
| C．The year when the coin was made | D．The inscriptions “ United States of America” |
Why will Grover Cleveland have two coins ?
A. He is the only one who has served two terms
B. He is the most famous President in the U.S.
C. He served longer than any other President.From the passage we can infer that_________.
| A．the new presidential coin can buy more than the old coin. |
| B．the U.S. Mint has issued all the presidential coins by now. |
| C．no presidential coin has been released for president Obama |
| D．the coins are issued to honor the greatest presidents in America |
Herta Müller, the Romanian-born German writer, has won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature. Ms. Müller, 56, immigrated to Germany from Romania in 1987. She is the first German writer to win the Nobel in literature since Günter Grass in 1999 and the 13th winner writing in German since the prize was first given in 1901. She is the 12th woman to gain the literature prize. But unlike previous winners like Doris Lessing and V. S. Naipaul, Ms. Müller is unknown inside of literary circles in Germany.
“I am very surprised and still cannot believe it,” Ms. Muller said in a statement released by her publisher in Germany. “I can’t say anything more at the moment.”
She has written some 20 books, but just 5 have been translated into English, including the novels “The Land of Green Plums” and “The Appointment.”
At a news conference on Thursday at the German Publishers & Booksellers Association in Berlin, where she lives, Ms. Müller, wearing all black, appeared overwhelmed(不知所措) by all the cameras in her face.
When asked what it meant that her name would now be mentioned in the same breath as German greats like Thomas Mann and Heinrich Böll, Ms. Müller remained philosophical(达观的). “I am now nothing better and I’m nothing worse,” she said, adding: “My inner thing is writing. That’s what I can hold on to.”
Earlier in the day, at a news conference in Stockholm, Peter Englund, secretary of the Swedish Academy, said Ms. Müller was honored for her “very, very distinct special language” and because “she has really a story to tell about…and growing up as a stranger in your own family.
.we can learn from the passage that Ms. Muller is_______.
| A．the 1st writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature since 1999 |
| B．the 12th winner for the Nobel Prize in Literature since 1901 |
| C．the 13th woman writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature |
| D．a German citizen since she moved to German in 1987 |
Ms. Müller was surprised at the news about her winning the award because ____.
| A．she was born a Romanian person |
| B．she had failed many times in winning it |
| C．she had never wanted to win the prize |
| D．she was only an unknown writer |
The underlined expression “in the same breath” is the nearest in meaning to ____.
| A．instead of | B．at the same moment |
| C．in a breath | D．under the same roof |
We can infer according to the passage that ____.
| A．her honored works are based on her own experience |
| B．most of Ms. Müller’s novels are unsuccessful works |
| C．Ms. Müller is feeling much better after she becomes the award winner |
| D．Ms. Müller was honored because she’s described the Germans’ life vividly |
I first visited hutong as part of a tourist group several years ago. We rode on a trishaw（脚踏三轮车） with a guide explaining the history, architecture and lifestyle of the local inhabitants.
Having visited the "must-sees" of Beijing, like the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Drum Tower and the Summer Palace, going into the hutong home of some famous ancient families gave the “Beijing experience” a human element.
My curiosity has sharpened over the years from reading about them at every opportunity. During the preparation for the Olympics I was eager to learn that some siheyuan courtyards in hutong were turned into accommodations（食宿） for visitors. I wished to stay in one someday.
Preparing for a recent trip to the capital, I eagerly sought one out. On my limited teacher’s salary, I settled on an affordable option, though I looked longingly at the more upscale courtyard accommodations.
As usual, I ended up having something closer to a true experience. A real family still lives in the courtyard, which is closer to the original. The rooms all opened into the central courtyard. Flowers were blooming, beans and peas were climbing up the bamboo fence, and the cat was napping in the sun. Every day after exploring the city, I'd hurry back to the hutong, take a quick shower and join the cat – snoozing（小睡） in a bamboo-made chair with a book ready nearby.
As the other guests came back we’d greet one another. There was a mother and young daughter from France, a guy from Canada, a mother and teenage daughter from the Netherlands, a teacher from England and several guests from various parts of China.
Coming and going through the narrow alleys（小巷） of the hutong, the residents would smile and give cheery “ni hao” （hello）. Laughing children were playing under the watchful eyes of the neighbors. I felt right at home in this friendly neighborhood. The main idea of the passage is about ______________.
| A．hutong days realize my desires to live local life |
| B．Trishaw is the only way to visit the hutong |
| C．living in the hutong with other visitors |
| D．exploring the deeper of Beijing |
When did the author have the idea to visit Beijing hutong?
| A．As early as he was a little child |
| B．when he was reading the text books at school |
| C．during the preparation for the Olympics |
| D．the author doesn’t mention it specifically |
The underlined word “upscale” in the fourth paragraph means _________.
| A．inexpensive | B．high-class | C．appropriate | D．secondary |
What is the impression of the author about the people in hutong?
| A．They came from all over the world. |
| B．They all wanted to enjoy the old life of Beijing. |
| C．They are living together in harmony. |
| D．They are living in a heavenly peace life. |
Skiing only caught on for ordinary Chinese in the mid-1990s in the country’s north and northeast, but has since developed into a pastime that can be practiced nationwide. Here are four resorts(度假胜地) worthy of consideration.
Yabuli Ski Resort
The ski resort, built on Yabuli Sun Mountain, part of the Changbai Mountain Range, is located in China’s northernmost province, Heilongjiang.
It has the best snow quality, skiing trails and impressive views. Wild animals are often spotted on the site.
The resort serves as the primary training centre for China’s national teams. It also has a trail vertical drop from 200 meters to 1,200 meters with an average drop of 700 meters.
What’s cool: The largest ski resort in China.
Beijing Huaibei International Ski Resort
This is a great destination for snowboarders and skiers to escape the rush life of the city and is a large recreational spot that boasts excellent ski slopes, world-class facilities, beautiful natural scenery, as well as convenient accommodation and dining services.
Travelers are also able to take a bird’s eye view of the Great Wall by catching a cable car along 1,200 meters.
What’s cool: Close to the Great Wall and Beijing’s largest ski resort.
Shennongjia Ski Resort
Opened in 2004, the ski resort is located in the inland of Shennongjia. It covers an area of 100,000 square meters and is only 0.5 km from the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve.
There are ski tracks for beginners and more than 20 coaches for tourists. While experiencing the excitement of skiing, people can also admire Shennongjia’s distinctive scenery of countless different odd mountain valleys, unknown beautiful flowers and plants.
What’s cool: Largest winter sports complex for skiers from South and Central China.
Changbai Mountain Ski Resort
The ski resort is an ideal place for skiing and ice-skating because of its well-constructed ski tracks, comprehensive winter sports training facilities and breathtaking environment.
Enthusiasts can also choose other activities including motor skiing, sleigh skiing, shooting and hunting.
The area’s natural hot springs are another attraction of the resort.
What’s cool: The resort is located in the heart of Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve’s thick forest and has natural hot springs. The passage is intended to ______.
| A．encourage people to learn skiing during holidays |
| B．attract people to ski in these places |
| C．offer services of booking tickets for skiing |
| D．provide people with a better understanding of skiing |
In what way is Changbai Mountain Ski Resort different from the other three resorts?
| A．It has various training facilities. |
| B．It has coaches for tourists. |
| C．It has natural hot springs. |
| D．It has breathtaking natural scenery. |
China’s national teams are usually trained at_______.
| A．Yabuli Ski Resort | B．Shennongjia Ski Resort |
| C．Changbai Mountain Ski Resort | D．Beijing Huaibei International Ski Resort |
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