In the second half of each year, many powerful storms are born in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean seas. Of these, only about a half a dozen generate the strong, circling winds of 75 miles per hour or more that give them hurricane status, and several usually make their way to the coast. There they cause millions of dollars of damage, and bring death to large numbers of people.
The great storms that hit the coast start as innocent circling disturbances (气旋) hundreds — even thousands — of miles out to sea. As they travel aimlessly over water warmed by the summer sun, they are carried westward by the trade winds. When conditions are just right, warm, moist (潮湿的) air flows in at the bottom of such a disturbance, moves upward through it and comes out at the top. In the process, the moisture in this warm air produces rain, and with it the heat that is switched to energy in the form of strong winds. As the heat increases, the young hurricane begins to turn around in a counter-clockwise motion (反时针方向).
The average life of a hurricane is only about nine days, but it contains almost more power than we can imagine. The energy in the heat released (释放) by a hurricane’s rainfall in a single day would satisfy the entire electrical needs of the United States for more than six months.
Water, rather than wind, is the main source of death and destroying in a hurricane. A typical hurricane brings 6-to-12-inch downpours resulting in sudden floods. Worst of all is the powerful movement of the sea — the mountains of water moving toward the low-pressure hurricane center. The water level rises as much as 15 feet above normal as it moves toward shore.An ordinary tropical storm is called a hurricane when ______.
| A．it occurs in the Caribbean seas |
| B．its winds reach 75 miles per hour |
| C．it makes its way to the coastline |
| D．its winds begin to circle on the sea |
What is the worst thing about hurricane?
| A．The rough water. | B．The violent winds. |
| C．The heat it gives out. | D．The length of its life. |
What does the third paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．The hurricane is extraordinarily powerful. |
| B．The hurricane is used to generate electricity. |
| C．The hurricane can otherwise offer an unusual sight. |
| D．The hurricane can give people an unforgettable experience. |
The counter-clockwise movement of the hurricane is caused by ______.
| A．the low-pressure area in the center of the storm |
| B．the force of waves of water |
| C．the increasing heat |
| D．the trade winds |
A MENTORING(导师制) program is giving life changing opportunities to Banbury youth.
Young Inspirations was founded two years ago to provide mentoring sessions for students and unemployed young adults aged 11 to 21.
Alex Goldberg，the program's founder，said：“We set up Young Inspirations because we wanted to give young people experiences which will potentially be life changing and broaden their outlook.”
“We try to create work experience opportunities that will really make a difference to our youth.For example，we've secured internships(实习) with worldfamous firms such as Honda.”
“At a time of funding cutbacks where schools are finding it more and more difficult to offer this kind of mentoring，it is extremely important that these opportunities are available both to help youth with their school work and grades and to give them opportunities which may help shape their futures.” Kieran Hepburn,14，is one of a group of Banbury youth who has benefited from the program so far.In October the Banbury School pupil was accompanied by Young Inspirations staff to Paris where he was an observer at the United Nations Educational，Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) International Youth Forum(论坛)．
The event was held for young people from around the world，to seek their views on how the future of youth and education should look.Kieran joined several hundred observers mostly in their 20s and was the only UK school pupil to attend the event.Kieran thinks the trip was a life changing experience.“Before we left I didn't quite know what to make of it but when we got there we didn't stop，it was amazing，” he said，“We went to three or four hours of debates each day and then did something cultural each afternoon.”
The main theme of the forum was how youth can drive change in political and public life.It dealt with issues(问题) such as drug abuse，violence and unemployment.
Kieran said：“It has really helped me to improve my confidence and social skills as well as my school grades and I was voted most improved pupil at school in August.”
The Young Inspirations mentoring sessions take place each Friday in Banbury.For details visit www.younginspirations.com.The Young Inspirations mentoring program aims to ______.
| A．train staff for worldfamous firms |
| B．offer job opportunities to young adults |
| C．provide youth with unique experiences |
| D．equip the unemployed with different skills |
According to Alex Goldberg，it is difficult for schools to offer the mentoring due to ________.
| A．the lack of support from firms |
| B．the cultural differences |
| C．the effect of unemployment |
| D．the shortage of money |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．the visit to the United Kingdom was amazing |
| B．Kieran has made great progress in many aspects |
| C．the youth have found a way to solve their problems |
| D．the mentoring sessions are held every day except Friday |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Alex Goldberg，Founder of Young Inspirations |
| B．Young People Find a World of Opportunity |
| C．Kieran，Banbury School Pupil to Paris |
| D．Debates Help Youth with Their Grades |
Some people will do just about anything to save money.And I am one of them.Take my family's last vacation.It was my six－year－old son's winter break from school，and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip.The flight was overbooked，and Delta，the airline，offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day.I had meetings in New York，so I had to get back.But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay.I took my nine－month－old and took off for home.
The next day，my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight.Yes，I encouraged—okay，ordered—them to wait it out at the airport to “earn” more Delta Dollars.Our total take：$1,600.Not bad，huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either.But as a big－time bargain hunter，I know the value of a dollar.And these days，a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made a living looking for the best deals and exposing(揭露) the worst tricks.I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade.I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade：A Consumer Survival Guide.And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money's worth.I'm also tightfisted when it comes to shoes，clothes for my children，and expensive restaurants.But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut.It keeps its shape longer，and it's the first thing people notice.And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture.Quality lasts.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
| A．They took a later flight. |
| B．They had early bookings. |
| C．Their flight had been delayed. |
| D．Their flight had been cancelled. |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．She rarely misses a good deal. |
| B．She seldom makes a compromise. |
| C．She is very strict with her children. |
| D．She is interested in cheap products. |
What does the author do?
| A．She's a teacher. |
| B．She's a housewife. |
| C．She's a media person. |
| D．She's a businesswoman. |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．How to expose bad tricks. |
| B．How to reserve airline seats. |
| C．How to spend money wisely. |
| D．How to make a business deal. |
Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they take effect.But in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax more than doubled－to $1.01 per pack－smokers have jammed telephone “quit lines” across the country seeking to kick the habit.
This is not a surprise to public health advocates.They've studied the effect of state tax increases for years，finding that smokers，especially teens，are price sensitive.Nor is it a shock to the industry，which fiercely fights every tax increase.
The only wonder is that so many states insist on closing their ears to the message.Tobacco taxes improve public health，they raise money and most particularly，they deter people from taking up the habit as teens，which is when nearly all smokers are addicted.Yet the rate of taxation varies widely.
In Manhattan，for instance，which has the highest tax in the nation，a pack of Marlboro Light Kings，cost $10.06 at one drugstore Wednesday.In Charleston，S.C.，where the 7 cent a pack tax is the lowest in the nation，the price was $4.78.
The influence is obvious.
In New York，high school smoking hit a new low in the latest surveys－13.8%，far below the national average.By comparison,26% of high school students smoke in Kentucky.Other low tax states have similarly depressing teen smoking records.
Hal Rogers，Representative from Kentucky，like those who are against high tobacco taxes，argues that the burden of the tax falls on lowincome Americans “who choose to smoke.”
That's true.But there is more reason in keeping future generations of lowincome workers from getting hooked in the first place.As for today's adults，if the new tax drives them to quit，they will have more to spend on their families，cut their risk of cancer and heart disease and feel better.The text is mainly about ________.
| A．the price of cigarettes |
| B．the rate of teen smoking |
| C．the effect of tobacco tax increase |
| D．the differences in tobacco tax rate |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．The new tax will be beneficial in the long run. |
| B．Lowincome Americans are more likely to fall ill. |
| C．Future generations will be hooked on smoking. |
| D．Adults will depend more on their families. |
Rogers' attitude towards the lowincome smokers might be that of ________.
| A．tolerance | B．unconcern |
| C．doubt | D．sympathy |
What does the author think is a surprise?
| A．Teen smokers are price sensitive. |
| B．Some states still keep the tobacco tax low. |
| C．Tobacco taxes improve public health. |
| D．Tobacco industry fiercely fights the tax rise. |
Some years ago, writing in my diary used to be a usual activity.I would return from school and spend the expected half hour recording the day's events, feelings, and impressions in my little blue diary.I did not really need to express my emotions by way of words, but I gained a certain satisfaction from seeing my experiences forever recorded on paper.After all, isn't accumulating memories a way of preserving the past?
When I was thirteen years old, I went on a long journey on foot in a great valley, well－equipped with pens, a diary, and a camera.During the trip, I was busy recording every incident, name and place I came across.I felt proud to be spending my time productively, dutifully preserving for future generations a detailed description of my travels.On my last night there, I wandered out of my tent, diary in hand.The sky was clear and lit by the glare of the moon, and the walls of the valley looked threatening behind their screen of shadows.I automatically took out my pen...
At that point, I understood that nothing I wrote could ever match or replace the few seconds I allowed myself to experience the dramatic beauty of the valley.All I remembered of the previous few days were the dull characterizations I had set down in my diary.
Now, I only write in my diary when I need to write down a special thought or feeling.I still love to record ideas and quotations that strike me in books, or observations that are particularly meaningful.I take pictures, but not very often—only of objects I find really beautiful.I'm no longer blindly satisfied with having something to remember when I grow old.I realize that life will simply pass me by if I stay behind the camera, busy preserving the present so as to live it in the future.
I don't want to wake up one day and have nothing but a pile of pictures and notes.Maybe I won't have as many exact representations of people and places; maybe I'll forget certain facts, but at least the experiences will always remain inside me.I don't live to make memories—I just live, and the memories form themselves.Before the age of thirteen, the author regarded keeping a diary as a way of________.
| A．observing her school routine |
| B．expressing her satisfaction |
| C．impressing her classmates |
| D．preserving her history |
What caused a change in the author's understanding of keeping a diary?
| A．A dull night on the journey. |
| B．The beauty of the great valley. |
| C．A striking quotation from a book. |
| D．Her concerns for future generations. |
What does the author put in her diary now?
| A．Notes and beautiful pictures. |
| B．Special thoughts and feelings. |
| C．Detailed accounts of daily activities. |
| D．Descriptions of unforgettable events. |
The author comes to realize that to live a meaningful life is________.
| A．to experience it |
| B．to live the present in the future |
| C．to make memories |
| D．to give accurate representations of it |
You know how wonderful you are，and you know that others know how wonderful you are，but what do you do when admiration crosses over the line into jealousy？For most teens there will come a day when you realize that one of your friends is jealous and that this jealousy is hurting your friendship.When this happens it can seem like there is nothing that you can do，but the good news is that there is.Don't let jealousy spoil your relationships.Tackle it head on and you might be back to normal much sooner than you think. 
It can be hard to walk up to a friend and ask them what the problem is，but if you want to save your friendship you'll have to do just that.Don't approach them and ask why they are jealous of you (unless of course you want to appear totally conceited)，just take some time alone with them and let them know that you've been feeling like there's been something coming between you.If they refuse to respond，then use the opportunity to explain how you have been feeling.Chances are that something you say will strike a nerve and your friend will open up as well.
When you figure out what is annoying your friend，ask him or her what (s)he thinks would make the situation better.If，for example，(s)he says that (s)he feels like (s)he doesn't get to spend any time with you because of your being off with your new friends from the swim team then maybe you could invite her along the next time or block off one day a week for just the two of you.Remember，though，that whatever solution you decide on should be a compromise.Don't limit your own talents or opportunities simply because your friend is unhappy.Try instead to include him or her in your new life and see how that works out.
Even the best of friendships can be tinged by jealousy.This destructive emotion is rarely productive and can turn best friends into worst enemies.Before taking extreme action，chat with your jealous friend to see if the two of you can work out a compromise.If you can't，be prepared to know exactly how far you will go to keep your friend and how far you won't.According to the author，the jealousy emotion is ________.
| A．normal | B．productive |
| C．destructive | D．extreme |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to confront your friend when jealousy happens?
| A．Walking up to him/her and asking him/her why he/she is jealous of you. |
| B．Walking up to him/her and asking him/her what the problem is. |
| C．Spending some time with him/her and letting him/her know how you feel. |
| D．Spending some time with him/her and letting him/her know you think there's something coming between you. |
The purpose of the passage is ________.
| A．to explain what causes jealousy |
| B．to offer some advice on making friends |
| C．to introduce the way to cope with a jealous friend |
| D．to explain how destructive the jealous emotion is |
What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?
| A．There's always a solution to solve the problem of jealousy. |
| B．Jealousy can turn best friends into worst enemies. |
| C．You may lose a friend to keep your own gifts，chances or selfdevelopment. |
| D．You should go a long way with your friend to work out a solution |
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