Several parents and children escaped the summer heat and enjoyed a refreshing “Leap Into a Good Book”．About 30 children and parents gathered as volunteers for both agencies.
After the readings，refreshments (点心) were offered and children and parents were given books，a gift bag and a bookmark with information on adult literacy (读写能力) programs.
Learn to Read of Northwest Florida Inc.and Even Start coordinated the event with hopes that combining their programs will help target functionally illiterate adults and their families.A functionally illiterate adult is one who has reading skills below a seventhgrade level.That often means they have difficulty filling out job applications，understanding a lease，reading medication labels or to their children.
Merelin Hernandez,9，a fourthgrader at Warrington Elementary School，understands the importance of reading.She also says it makes her happy when she is bored.“Reading helps me go to another grade，”she says.“I feel proud when I get a B because then I know I am reading well.”Monae Walker,7，a student at Oakcrest Elementary School，says reading teaches her and makes her happy.
Learn to Read of Northwest Florida Inc.provides oneonone tutoring for basic reading and writing skills to adults 16 and older who are not in school.Tutors go through a 12hour workshop and tutor their students 3 hours per week.The program currently has 150 active tutors.
Even Start is a family education program at McMillan Learning Center，which offers adult education classes and infant，toddler and prekindergarten services at no cost to families.Linda Harris，a teacher in charge of the Escambia Even Start program，says the program equips parents so they can help their children.The event “Leap Into a Good Book”________．
| A．was mainly held by Learn to Read |
| B．targeted functionally literate parents |
| C．was attended by about 30 volunteers |
| D．was held to enjoy reading in summer |
According to the passage，a functionally illiterate adult________.
| A．has skills below a seventhgrade level |
| B．has never got school education |
| C．has no ability to recognize English words |
| D．can’t fill out a job application |
According to the passage，Monae Walker________.
| A．was attending the oneonone tutoring |
| B．was a schoolleaver |
| C．was having a good time there |
| D．read books with her parents |
According to the passage，Even Start can________.
| A．make parents able to help their children |
| B．educate children how to use words |
| C．offer some services for families in life |
| D．offer a good place for children |
People unhappy with the rich: Poll
There is growing dissatisfaction toward rich people, according to a new online poll. The poll by the China Youth Daily in collaboration(与…合作) with Sina.com has highlighted the apparent discontent (不满)over the country’s widening income gap. Nearly 8,000 people filled in online questionnaires last week, and when asked to use three words to describe society’s rich, the top responses were "extravagant"(奢侈的), "greedy" and "corrupt".About 57 percent of those polled said that "extravagant" was the best word to describe the rich, followed closely by "greedy".Ironically, despite their dissatisfaction, 93 percent of those polled wished they could be rich too, and that richer people should be "socially responsible".Some 33 percent of respondents also praised rich people for being "smart".Nearly 90 percent of respondents agreed that most people in society, including themselves, were willing to speak up for the poor but were reluctant to take action and actually do something for them.The survey comes on the heels of a heated debate over comments made by renowned economist Mao Yushi, who said he was "speaking for the rich and working for the poor".A report released by the Asian Development Bank last Wednesday revealed that China’s Gini coefficient - an indicator of the wealth divide - rose from 0.407 in 1993 to 0.473 in 2004.
An earlier CASS report said that the richest 10 percent of Chinese families now own more than 40 percent of all private assets, while the poorest 10 percent share less than 2 percent of the total wealth.The country’s income disparity(悬殊) is close to that of Latin America, the report which came out in January, said.
| Theme |
People unhappy with the rich |
| The poll by China Daily |
Nearly 8,000 people filled in（36）_____ on the （37）_____last week. There is an（38） _____ dissatisfaction tendency toward rich people. Ironically, in （39）_____ of their dissatisfaction, 93 percent of the polled wished they could be rich too, and rich people should take “（40）______ responsibility”. （41）______ ,Mao Yushi, said he was “speaking for the rich and working for the poor.” |
| A report （42）______ by the Asian Development Bank |
The richest 10 percent of Chinese families now own more than 40 percent of all （43）_____ assets, while the poorest 10 percent （44）_____ for less than 2 percent of the total wealth. The country’s income disparity is close to that of Latin America, the report came out in （45）______. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项。
A
Imagine landing in a foreign country where you cannot speak the language, understand the culture and don’t know anybody. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a friend who could help you out?
John Smith, an English explorer who landed in America in 1607, found the best friend ever. She was a Native American named Pocahontas (1595-1617). And she did more than teach Smith the language: she saved his life, twice.
Smith was captured by members of Pocahontas’s tribe (部落) and was going to be killed. But for some reason, the Chief’s daughter, Pocahontas, felt sorry for Smith (who was probably the first white man she had ever seen) and threw her body over his to protect him. Smith returned safely to the small village he was living in.
During the winter the English settlers did not know how to get food from nature. Pocahontas often brought food for Smith and his friends.
A year later Pocahontas’s father tried to kill Smith again because the Native Americans were very scared the English would try to take over their land. Pocahontas warned him and he was able to escape.
Later she became a Christian and eventually married an Englishman named John Rolfe.
She spent the last year of her life in London.
Pocahontas has become an American legend (传奇). Her life story has been re-created in many books and films, including Disney’s 1995 film, Pocahontas.
One of the reasons she is so popular is that many Europeans look at Pocahontas as an excellent example of how a minority can adjust into the majority. Pocahontas is also respected because of her selfless love. She proved that people can be kind and loving even to people of a different race or culture. John Smith was very different from Pocahontas but she could see he was a good man and that was all that mattered. No race or country owns goodness, love and loyalty.
1.What difficulties might early European settlers meet in America EXCEPT ______?
A. the fierce conflict with Native Americans
B. bad-tempered natives who enjoyed killing
C. unfamiliarity with a foreign land
D. lack of food in winter
2.Pocahontas saved John Smith twice because ______.
A. he was the first white man she had ever seen in her life
B. she wanted to become a Christian and marry an Englishman
C. she believed in general kindness even to people of a different race
D. she was on the settlers’ side and against her cruel father
3.Which is NOT an element to make Pocahontas a legend?
A. Her tribal background and her marriage to a white settler.
B. Her selfless help to people regarded as enemy of her tribe.
C. Her complicated life story different from common people’s.
D. The recreation of her life story in the 1995 Disney film.
4.According to the text, Europeans think Pocahontas _____.
A. was brave to break away from her own tribe
B. set a good example for other natives to accept the white settlers
C. was a selfless Christian who can love her enemy
D. was open to a more advanced culture
5.What can we infer from the passage?
A. The battles between early settlers and Native Americans resulted from their fighting for land.
B. The Europeans think the early settlers should have learned to adjust to the local cultures.
C. The creation of America is based on the settlers’ victory over the Native Americans.
D. People from different cultures can never really get along well with each other.
B
Chinese students aren’t the only ones who have a sleep loss problem. In Australia, teenagers are also missing out on, on average, one hour’s sleep every night during the school week.
Organized activities and homework push bedtimes later, the first large-scale Australian study of children’s sleeping habits has revealed (显示). Their sleep deprivation (剥夺) is enough to cause “serious drop-offs in school performance, attention and memory”, and governments should consider later or flexible school start times, said the study’s leader, Tim Olds.
His survey, of more than 4,000 children aged 9 to 18, found those who slept least did not watch more television but spent their time socializing (相处) with family or friends or listening to music.
“Almost all children get up at 7 or 7:15 — they have to get to school on time,” said Olds. He favors a later start over an earlier finish because he believes organized sports and activities would still consume the latter end of the day.
Olds’research also establishes lack of sleep as a cause of weight gain in children, and a possible source of future problems with depression, anxiety and increased susceptibility (易感性) to illness.
It was already known that overweight children sleep less, but Professor Olds found sleep duration (时长) was strongly linked to weight across the full range of body sizes. The thinnest children sleep 20 minutes more than the obese. This showed being overweight had no specific effect on sleep patterns, and it was more likely that shorter sleep times stimulate (刺激) appetite and make kids hungry.
The US National Sleep Foundation says teenagers aged 13 to 18 need eight to nine hours’ sleep a night. Younger school-aged kids need 9 to 11 hours.
On that basis, Professor Olds said, half of Australian children are under-sleeping on weekdays and a quarter on weekends.
6. The Australian students surveyed don’t sleep enough because they spend more time on the following EXCEPT _____.
A. organized activities and homework
B. communication with friends and family
C. watching television programs
D. enjoying music
7. What effects does lack of sleep directly have on the students according to the survey?
A. They become overweight but begin to eat less than before.
B. They feel more depressed and anxious about their school work.
C. They are more likely to be affected with illness in the future.
D. They pay less attention in class and their memory declines.
8. Which of the following suggestions did Mr. Olds raise?
A. The students should go to bed earlier to have longer sleeping time.
B. The students should participate less in organized activities.
C. The school should put off the start time in the morning.
D. The school should finish earlier in the afternoon.
9. What does "obese" in the sixth paragraph mean?
A. average B. fat C. sleepless D. overeating
10. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Australian students usually take part in activities in the afternoon.
B. More students are short of sleep on weekends than on weekdays.
C. Being overweight has an effect on the length of the sleeping time.
D. The survey suggests that teenagers need 8-9 hours’ sleep a night.
C
By day he is just a normal cat but when the lights go out, he glows (发光) in the dark.
Scientists have genetically modified (更改) a cat as part of an experiment that could lead to treatments for diseases.
Named Mr. Green Genes, he looks like a six-month-old cat but, under ultraviolet (紫外线的) light, his eyes, gums (牙龈) and tongue glow green. That is the result of a genetic experiment at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans, US.
Mr. Green Genes is the first fluorescent (荧光的) cat in the US and probably the world, said Betsy Dresser, the center's director.
The researchers made him so they could learn whether a gene could be introduced harmlessly into a cat's genetic sequence (次序).
If so, it would be the first step in a process that could lead to the development of ways to treat diseases via gene therapy (治疗).
The gene, which was added to Mr. Green Genes' DNA, has no effect on his health, Ms Dresser said.
Cats are ideal for this project because their genetic makeup is similar to that of humans, said Dr Martha Gomez, a scientist at the center.
To show that the gene went where it was supposed to go, the researchers settled on one that would glow.
The gene "is just a marker"，said Leslie Lyons, an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis. Lyons is familiar with the center's work.
"The glowing part is the fun part," she said.
Glowing creatures made international news earlier this month when the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists who had discovered the gene through their work with jellyfish (水母).
11.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. A Glowing Cat B. Mr. Green Genes
C. One Cat’s Life D. An experiment on cats
12. What can we conclude from the passage?
A. Fortunately, scientists have found ways to treat diseases via gene therapy.
B. Scientists think cats’ genetic makeup is the same as that of human beings.
C. Three scientists who had discovered the gene were given Nobel Prize in Physics.
D. Scientists have managed to introduce a gene into a cat’s genetic sequence.
13. What does “settled on” most probably mean in Paragraph 9?
A. chose B. killed C. took D. raised
14. From the passage we can see that ____.
A. Mr. Green Genes was made by researchers to treat diseases
B. the cat named Mr. Green Genes can glow when it is dark
C. Mr. Green Genes is the first fluorescent cat in the world
D. Mr. Green Genes is a cat of seven months old up to now
15. Which of the following is WRONG according to the text?
A. The gene added to Mr. Green Genes’ DNA doesn’t affect its health at all.
B. The scientists came up with the idea of the glowing genes totally for fun.
C. Earlier this month glowing creatures became news all through the world.
D. Scientists had discovered the gene from the jellyfish they worked with.
It is sometimes reported that strange flying objects have been seen high up in the sky. People call these strange objects Unidentified(不明的)Flying Objects(UFOs). These UFOs caused a lot of interest. Some of the reports about them are difficult to believe.Some have been explained in scientific ways. Others have never been explained.
Here is an account of UFOs from a report.
Dennis Bardens,who wrote an article,tells us that he once saw a UFO himself.He was having dinner one night with a friend near Tripoli(的黎波里),Libya(利比亚),and after dinner the two men walked across a yard to his room to look at some papers.Bardens noticed that the moon looked strange that night.
“It wasn't the moon,”was the reply.
They watched the light and saw that it was moving.It seemed to be an object rather like a big plate.In some ways it looked like smoke with a light on it,but it wasn't smoke because it didn't change its shape.It was moving in a regular way.That is to say,it didn't go suddenly faster or more slowly,and it didn't go higher or lower.So the two men decided that there must be men in it.
When it came nearer to Libya,Bardens said that he felt eyes looking at him.He was being watched in the darkness.
When it was nearer,they noticed that the bottom parts were brighter than the top.The bottom was yellow and the top was red.Then the object suddenly turned away and left Libya,moving very fast.
On a later day Bardens talked to other people about it,and he found some who had seen it.They all described(描述)it in the same way.Could they all the mistaken?
60.The UFOs are______.
A.flying high up in the sky B.strange flying objects
C.difficult to believe D.very interested
61.A UFO was seen one night______.
A.when they were walking across a yard to Bardens' room
B.while they were looking at the light
C.when Bardens noticed the moon appearing strange
D.while they were having dinner
62.The UFO looked like______.
A.smoke B.light
C.a moving object D.a large plate
63.When the UFO came nearer to Libya,______.
A.it disappeared all at once
B.it suddenly turned away and left
C.it was watched in the darkness
D.Bardens was looking at it
Life is difficult.
It is a great truth because once we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult.
Most do not fully see this truth. Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that difficulties represent(代表) a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or else upon their families, their class, or even their nation.
What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their nature, cause in us sadness or loneliness or regret or anger or fear. These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy.
Yet, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning.
Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure. When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we encourage the human ability(能力) to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Those things that hurt, instruct.” It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems.
56. From the passage, it can be inferred that ______.
A. everybody has problems
B. we become stronger by facing and solving the problems of life
C. life is difficult because our problems bring us pain
D. people like to complain about their problems
57.The writer probably used just one short sentence in the first paragraph to ______.
A. save space B. persuade readers
C. make readers laugh D. get reader's attention
58. The main idea of paragraph 3 is that ______.
A. most people feel life is easy
B. the writer feels life is easy
C. the writer likes to complain about his problems
D. most people complain about how hard their lives are
59. According to the passage, we give school children difficult problems to solve in order to ______.
A. encourage them to learn
B. teach them to fear the pain of solving problems
C. help them learn to deal with pain
D. teach them how to respect for problems
阅读下面短文，根据第73至第75小题的具体要求，简要回答问题。
Every January， Breckenridge hosts the International Show Sculpture Championships. Fourteen teams travel from all over the world to
Switzerland to compete. Teams sculpt for sixty-five hours over five days. Each team hopes that when the time is up， its sculpture will be judged the best
As the championship begins， the fourteen teams are faced with huge blocks of snow that weigh twenty tons each. The sculptors bring out their
vorite tools that work best on the hard iced snow， but they are not allowed to employ tools that use electricity.
Most teams are inspired by what they have seen in daily life. For example， one team carved a teapot with tea pouring out. Another team sculpted a little cat on its hind feed（后脚） reaching into a fish bowl complete with water ripples（涟漪） and a crab（螃蟹） trying to attack the cat. In 2006， Team USA sculpted a golden dog looking at its image reflected in a mirror. To create the effect that the little dog saw its reflection in the glass， the artists carved two dogs facing each other with their paws （脚爪） touching.
As the final hours of the competition tick by， exhausted team members add last-minute details. They use small brooms to brush off snow caught in tiny holes. One team member counts down the last five minutes while others are busy cleaning up the tools. If they leave any tools behind， they will be out. When the whistle blows， everyone must step away from the sculpture. The judges then vote on creativity， technical skill， and visual impact（视觉效果） of the designs
In 2006， Team USA took firs place for their golden dog sculpture titled “Discovery”。 But the competition is not just about medals and ribbon. “It‘s not about the prize，” said Rob Neyland， Team USA’s captain. “It‘s about touching the audience.”
Every year， as the championship ends， each team is already dreaming of the next masterpiece it will design.What kind of tools are the sculptures NOT permitted to use？（回答词数不超过6个）
What gives the sculptors ideas for their creative work？（回答词数不超过9个）
Why did Team USA win the competition in 2006？（回答词数不超过15个）
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