For the people living in the Nile Basin, the river is their life．This 6,825 km waterway, whose watershed（流域）covers three million square kilometers, flows through mountains ,woodlands, lakes and deserts．Its potential for fishing, tourism and shipping is great—but so are its challenges.
Water shortage , already serious in Egypt and Sudan , will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well．Today, about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living．Within the next 25 yeas ,the district's population is expected to double, adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture．The frequent drought（干旱）adds to the urgency.
Water quality is also a problem．Precious soil is washed out to sea．Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution．Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils．Water-borne diseases continue unchecked．In areas where it's hot and damp, water hyacinths choke off（阻止） lakes, dams and other sections of the river, making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward.
Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day．They’ve seen the river change course, and their only source（来源） of water thickened with mud．They’re very poor and have few choices.
But a new program, the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), is offering very practical assistance．The program is more than just a water-management project．It’s a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them.
These are whole ecosystem problems, calling for united solutions．Half the Nile Basin's countries are among the world's poorest nations；yet, somehow, they must find the resources, skills and political will to overcome these challenges.What are the great challenges the Nile Basin faces？
| A．The development of shipping industry. |
| B．Over fishing of native people. |
| C．Water shortage and water quality. |
| D．Increasing population and tourism. |
The underlined word “hyacinths” （in Paragraph 3） refer to “ ”.
| A．plants | B．animals | C．rocks | D．salts |
The program NBI is mainly aimed at .
| A．preventing water pollution |
| B．improving living condition of the poor |
| C．changing the river course |
| D．preventing land from becoming desert |
| A．People’s Life in Egypt and Sudan |
| B．Frequent Drought in Egypt and Sudan |
| C．The Poorest Countries in the Nile Basin |
| D．The Ecosystem Problems in the Nile Basin |
In New Britain, Connecticut, a new official in charge of schools named Kelt Cooper wants to end high truancy (逃学) rates among public school students, and he’s suggesting financial punishments to get job done. A plan to fine students up to $75 for each day they skip school is now being considered by New Britain authorities.
The concept of fining kids for skipping school may come as a shock, but it’s not new. In Ohio, the parents responsible for a student guilty of habitual truancy can be fined up to $500 and/or be required to perform up to 70 hours of community service. Until recently, students in Los Angeles could be hit with a $250 punishment for each count of truancy; in early 2012 the law was changed and the heavy fines were removed, though a $20 punishment may still be handed out if a student truants for the third time.
Fines for truancy are also in effect overseas. In the UK, The Guardian reports, parents can be fined ￡50 (about $80) per skipped school day. The punishment doubles if it’s not paid within 28 days.
The question is: Do fines like this work? The vast majority of authorities in the UK said that, indeed, they do. The fines were believed either “very successful” or “fairly successful” by 79% in reducing truancy, according to a survey.
If the plan is passed in Connecticut, it’s unclear how effective the law might be, how to make parents and students obey the law and what might happen if they refuse to pay. However, local officials seem to be willing to give it a shot. According to the Hartford Courant:
“The mayor agrees that truancy is a real issue in New Britain schools, and what’s been done in the past hasn’t been working to reduce truancy.” said Phil Sherwood, assistant to Mayor Timothy O’ Brien.
And what do the students think? In the New Britain Herald, one 17-year-old entering her senior year called the plan “ridiculous” and predicted that the punishments will bring about negative effects on the court system. Besides, “I don’t see the point,” she said. “Kids will just try harder not to get caught.” The passage mainly discusses whether __________.
| A．schools have the right to punish students |
| B．authorities should consider protecting kids |
| C．students should be fined for skipping school |
| D．parents are responsible for children’s truancy |
If a British kid skips two school days and fails to pay fines in a month, the punishment will be __________.
| A．two hundred pounds | B．fifty pounds |
| C．eighty pounds | D．a hundred pounds |
We can learn from the passage that ___________.
| A．truancy is a serious problem in New Britain |
| B．Cooper’s plan has been passed in Connecticut |
| C．fining kids for truancy is a new idea in America |
| D．little has been done to reduce truancy in New Britain |
The underlined part “give it a shot” most probably means _____________.
| A．get used to it | B．help improve it |
| C．try to carry it out | D．fight against it |
Medalists of the 1948 London Olympic Games look back on their summer of victory.
SAMMY Lee, 91, U.S.
GOLD AND BRONZE, DIVING
I first had my Olympic dream at 12, when they held the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. My father and I were at a grocery store, and I asked, “What are all the flags doing here?” He said, “We are having the Olympic Games. That’s where they honor the greatest athletes in the world.” I said, “Papa, someday I’m going to be an Olympic champ.”
Walking up the 10-meter platform, I thought to myself, “I’ve waited 16 years for this moment. Am I going to win?” So I prayed to God that I was most deserving of winning the Games.
DAVID BOND, 90, BRITAIN
GOLD, SAILING
During the war, I spent six years in Royal Air Force. I think in general, the 1948 Olympics meant very little to most people. We were too busy after the war to be worried about sport very much anyway.
Our team had about six weeks before the Olympics down at Torquay and we went out sailing every day.
Winning gold was quite something. It was nice to stand on the platform with lots of people cheering. We celebrated by going to a big dance.
MICHAEL LAPAGE, 88, BRITAIN
SILVER, ROWING
I started rowing when I was 14. I joined the navy in 1942. In 1945 the war came to an end and I started rowing again.
In 1948 we were still on rations (配给供应): 4 oz. of red meat a week. But the United States had all the meat they wanted. They were the favorites to win.
On the day of the final, we led the Americans at the start, but their stronger staying power took them through to win. There were no ribbons on the medals, so we just showed them round the family.
THOMAS GODWIN, 91, BRITAIN
BRONZE, CYCLING
At 14 I left school and got a job delivering groceries on a bicycle, which excited my interest in cycling. When the war broke out, I volunteered but was held back, so I continued riding.
After my team won our bronze medals, we went home just round the corner and had a sit-down and a chat and a laugh. It was a different world. Money was never, never thought about. According to the passage, Sammy Lee ___________.
| A．was 28 when he attended the 1948 Olympics |
| B．never thought he could win medals in diving |
| C．found that he has a talent for sports at age 12 |
| D．prepared for the 1948 Olympics for 16 years |
Michael Lapage blamed his team’s loss of the gold medal on their ___________.
| A．weak will | B．poor skill |
| C．poor nutrition | D．hurried preparation |
What did David Bond and Thomas Godwin have in common?
| A．They both took part in a team event. |
| B．A lot of money was awarded to them. |
| C．The 1948 Olympics meant little to them. |
| D．They both served in the army during World War II. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Long-lived medalists | B．The 1948 Olympics |
| C．Famous athletes | D．Great in 1948 |
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi was born in Budapest on September 16, 1893. In 1911 he entered his uncle’s laboratory where he studied until the outbreak of World War One, when he joined the army. He served on the Italian and Russian fronts, and he was permitted to leave the army in 1917 after being wounded in action. He completed his studies in Budapest before he went to Hamburg for a two-year course in physical chemistry. In 1920 he became an assistant at a university in Leiden, the Netherlands and from 1922 to 1926 he worked with H. J. Hamburger at the Physiology Institute, Groningen, the Netherlands.
In 1926, Szent-Gyorgyi was ready to end his own life after an embarrassing problem in his career. The scientist, thirty-two, had written a paper and handed it to his boss for approval to publish. His boss threw it in the dustbin. Concluding his life was a failure, the young researcher quit. Unable to support his wife and child, he sent them home to her parents. His final wish was to attend one last scientific meeting, to be among scientists, to have one last good time. So he went to the 1926 International Physiological Society Congress in Sweden.
Sitting in the audience, lost in self-pity, Szent-Gyorgyi listened to the president of the society, Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, refer to the fine work of a researcher: Szent-Gyorgyi! After the speech, collecting his courage, he introduced himself to Hopkins. The great man invited the young scientist to Cambridge to do further work.
Szent-Gyorgyi’s life changed. He discovered the oxidation-preventing (防氧化的) action of vitamin C. He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937. He accounted for his success by saying that discovery is seeing what everyone else has seen but thinking what nobody else has thought.Which of the following is the correct order of the events relevant to Szent-Gyorgyi?
a. finished his studies in Budapest
b. served during World War One
c. worked with Hopkins
d. studied in Hamburg
| A．b, c, a, d | B．b, a, d, c | C．a, c, d, b | D．a, b, d, c |
Why did Szent-Gyorgyi want to end his own life in 1926?
| A．His pride was hurt by his boss. |
| B．He was not satisfied with his paper. |
| C．He couldn’t support his family. |
| D．His boss stopped him attending a conference. |
The passage is organized in the pattern of _____________.
| A．cause and effect |
| B．comparison and contrast |
| C．time and events |
| D．definition and classification |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
How to Make Friends
Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leaves us without a friend 51 . But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.
Associate with others.
The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.
Start a conversation
Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends. You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.
Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together, Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.
Let it grow.
It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend. . The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.
Enjoy your friendship
The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves. Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.
| A． Be cheerful. |
| B． Do things together. |
| C． Do not wait to be spoken to. |
| D． Try not to find fault with your friends. |
E. Making new friends comes easy for some people.
F. For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.
G. So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.
We can offer you a place at one of the best universities in Britain. We’ll provide you with a choice of 150 first-class courses developed especially to enable you to study in your own time. All of these courses are backed by the Open University’s own special study method — OU Support Open Learning.
We’ll give you the support of a personal teacher, and the chance to meet your fellow students. You can study for a diploma, a degree or a postgraduate degree. Subjects available include: Computing, Business Management, Technology, Modern Languages, Social Sciences, English Law, Arts, Science, Mathematics, Education and Health & Social Welfare.
Whether you want to study to improve your career prospects or for your own personal interest, there’s almost certainly a course for you. If you haven’t studied for a while, we will help you get started. No previous training or degrees are required. All that is required is a willingness to learn. The OU is great value for money and you can pay monthly.
The OU leads the world in the use of new technology for learning, and a number of courses provide source material on CD-ROM. What else can the Open University offer you?
☆ The OU is in the top 15% of all UK universities for teaching quality.
☆ 25% of all British MBAs come from the OU.
☆ Over 30,000 employers have offered chances for their staff to study OU courses.
☆ 40,000 OU students study online from their home.
☆ There are 9-month courses and diplomas as well as degrees.
Send for your free instructions now.
Post to: The Open University, PO Box 625, Milton Keynes MK76 AA, U99LX.The purpose of writing this passage is to _________.
| A．introduce the best university inBritain |
| B．let the readers know the OU Support Open Learning |
| C．describe the new technology for learning in the Open University |
| D．attract students to the Open University |
If you want to study in the Open University, you need ________.
| A．a good study habit |
| B．some previous training |
| C．a willingness to learn |
| D．a degree from a good university |
The Open University can offer you all of the following EXCEPT ______.
| A．an MBA degree |
| B．high-quality teaching |
| C．a computer so you can study online from home |
| D．9-month courses and diplomas as well as degrees |
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