Outside our hotel, a seemingly ancient woman waited beside the door with her hand outstretched(张开的). Every day as our eyes met, she never to return my smile and my greeting.
On the last day of our , I was hesitating to cross the busy street alone from our hotel when I felt a hand on my elbow and looked to see the smile of my small beggar friend looking up at me. She nodded her head toward the street, that she would take me across.
Then we moved on the sidewalk, where she kissed me on cheeks and then left, still smiling and waving back to me.
Traveling in poorer nations, I have witnessed (目睹) various ways to deal with beggars. The most common response of tourists the poverty-stricken is to them and focus their eyes elsewhere. I have seen people an outstretched hand in angry annoyance. A few may drop a few coins into the hand in a hurry, that other beggars won’t immediately appear on the scene.
For many reasons, giving money is not the best to an outstretched hand. Many travelers have discovered that the greatest gift they can give is their time and . Everyone needs recognition, to feel and loved. And I believe that everyone is worthy and worth knowing.
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Today about 70 countries use Daylight Saving Time (DST). Daylight Saving was first introduced during World War I in Australia. During the world wars, DST was used for the late summers beginning January 1917 and 1942, and the full summers beginning September 1942 and 1943.
In 1967, Tasmania experienced a drought（干旱）. The State Government introduced one hour of daylight saving that summer as a way of saving power and water. Tasmanians liked the idea of daylight saving and the Tasmanian Government has declared daylight saving each summer since 1968. Persuaded by the Tasmanian G
overnment, all states except two passed a law in 1971, for a test use of daylight saving. In 1972, New South Wales, South Australia and Vi
ctoria joined Tasmania for regular daylight saving, but Queensland did not do so until 1989.
Tasmania, Queensland and South Australia have had irregular plans, often changing their dates due to politics or festivals（节日）. For example, in 1992, Tasmania extended（延长）daylight saving by an extra month while South Australia began extending daylight saving by two weeks for the Adelaide Festival. Special daylight saving plans were made during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
The differences in daylight saving in Australia continue to cause serious problems in transport and many other social activities. It also reduces the number of hours in the working day that are common to all centers in the country. In particular, time differences along the east coast cause major differences, especially for the broadcasters of national radio and television.. Daylight Saving Time was introduced in Tasmania _______________.
| A．to stop the drought in 1967 | B．to support government officials |
| C．to pass a special law in the state | D．to save water and electricity |
.. What can we learn about DST in some Australian states?
| A．It doesn’t have fixed dates. | B．It is not used in festivals. |
| C．Its plan was changed in 2000. | D．It lasts for two weeks |
.. What do we know about the use of DST from the last paragraph?
| A．There exists some undesirable effects. | B．It helps little to save energy. |
| C．It brings about longer working days. | D．Radio and TV programs become different |
Explore the State of California
California is one of the most interesting states of America that offers a lot of wonderful sceneries and fun attractions. It is also the most populated state and the third largest in land area. Anyone who has been to California would agree that it is indeed a place that offers a lot to tourists of all ages. Here are some top picks of the best places to visit in California State.
San Francisco Bay Area - Witness the famous San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge which is one of the city's landmarks; and enjoy the beauty of Fisherman's Wharf that offers a lot of seafood restaurants. You should not miss the city's world-famous Cable Car System which is by far the only manually operated cable car system in the whole world.
Yosemite National Park - This is one of the very first wilderness parks in the whole of America. It is known for
its natural beauty and breathtaking sceneries. It offers a breath of fresh air away from the city life. Major places to visit include the Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Dome, El Capitan, Mariposa Grove and Glacier Point among many others.
Los Angeles - Explore the home of the L.A. Lakers and do not fail to visit the Disneyl
and which is one of the major attractions of the city. The warm weather in Los Angeles makes it possible to do a lot of outdoor activities especially during the summer months. It is a family-friendly place that offers a wonderful shopping and dining experience. For those who particularly love the city and night life, L.A. can offer the best of almost everything.
Napa Valley - With over a million visitors every year, Napa Valley is indeed a place you s
hould not 
miss if you are in California. It is California's most popular wine growing region. You can also experience the Wine Train and hot air balloon ride over the valley. From the first paragraph, we know that_____.
A．the State of California has the largest population in the US |
| B．California offers a lot to tourists of young people |
| C．California is also the largest in land area |
| D．California is the most interesting state of America |
. According to the passage, if you want to breathe the fresh air, you’ll go to _____.
| A．San Francisco Bay Area |
| B．Yosemite National Park |
| C．Los Angeles |
| D．Napa Valley |
. The underlined word “region” in the last paragraph may probably mean _____.
| A．company | B．valley | C．factory | D．area |
. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Napa Valley will bring us a wonderful shopping and dining experience. |
| B．San Francisco Bay Area is California's most popular wine growing region. |
| C．Los Angeles allows us to visit the Disneyland and enjoy almost everything. |
| D．In Yosemite National Park, we can see the Yosemite Falls, Golden Gate Bridge. |
London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At that time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that 
it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people h
ad a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system, was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engin
e soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot, as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in the first year
..
What led the British government to build the London Underground?
| A．Traffic jams and pollution |
| B．Population and pollution |
| C．Overcrowding and traffic jams |
D．The poverty and s ubway problems |
. The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “_____”.
| A．be troublesome | B．become popular and fashionable |
| C．keep up with | D．seize |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．To locate the workers’ homes outside London, the government built the subway |
| B．There were so many problems and delays that in the 18th century the first subway opened |
| C．The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic |
| D．There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened. |
. It seems that the writer is going to talk about _____.
| A．more problems with subways | B．subways around the world later on |
C．th e history and culture of London |
D．the Beijing subway |
Reading is very important to help you learn English. To learn as much as you can from reading, you need to
read different kinds of English. This book provides not only different kinds of English but also a good way to check your reading ability.
There are four parts in the book:
Part 1 is Messages: In this part somebody wants to wad(填塞) information in writing to somebody else. There is a test on timetables and a test on text messages.
Part 2 is People: In this part all the tests are about people. For example, there is an informal letter between friends. There is formal (正式的) English in biography (传记). There is a job application as a model to help with your writing, as well as testing your reading.
Part 3 is Places: In this part, too many different kinds of English are shown, some informal and some formal. There is informal English of a holiday postcard. There is also fo
rmal English in a letter of complaint.
Part 4 is Things: You will find some descriptive writing in this part. There are descriptions of clothes and of a computer.
You can do these tests in any order you like, or you can do all the tests with a formal or informal text. I enjoyed writing this book and I hope you 
enjoy using it. . We can find the introduction to a product in _____.
| A．Part 1 | B．Part 2 |
| C．Part 3 | D．Part 4 |
. Which of the following is most probably written in informal English?
| A．A letter of complaint. |
| B．A computer handbook. |
| C．A letter to a friend. |
| D．A story of a president. |
The passage is most probably written for_____.
| A．test designers | B．students |
| C．test-takers | D．teachers |
. What is the best title of the book?
| A．Test Your Reading |
| B．Help with Your Writing |
C．Learn Different Kinds of English |
D．Practise Englis h in Different Ways |
When Chato’s barking didn’t stir Jerrica Seals, the recently adopted dog tried nibbling on the teenager’s leg to get the girl out of the burning house.
“No one was hurt.” Fort Myers firefighters responded at about 7:00 a.m.
Five people lived in the Garcia’s home. That was neighbor Janice Hamilton’s main concern when she looked out of her window Friday and saw the flames. “I just threw my pants on to run outside and make sure they knew how many people lived there,” Hamilton said. “It was scary.”
“Seals called me screamingly,” said Leticia Vega, 36, the sister of Se
als’ boyfriend, Javier Garcia, 23, who owns the house. “She said the dog woke her up barking, jumped on the bed and bit her on the leg.”
It is said that Garcia’s brother brought Chato home several weeks ago after
the animal wandered onto a Lehigh Acres construction site. Since then, Vega said, Chato had been mostly quiet until it mattered. “He doesn’t usually bark.” Vega said. “He’s really friendly.”
According to deputy fire chief Steve Clyatt, possibly the fire started because of an improper extension cord(电缆) used on a window air conditioner. More than half of the house was burned down. There was extensive smoke and water damage in the remainder of the structure. Estimates （估计）for repair costs were unavailable. “I’d say it’s unlikely they will recover this, but I’ve been surprised before.” Clyatt said.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Janice Hamilton Helps Save Neighbors |
| B．Firefighters Put out House Fire |
| C．A Dog Saves the Whole Family from House Fire |
| D．Family Needs Help Due to House Fire |
The underlined word “they” in the third paragraph most probably refers to _______.
| A．other neighbors | B．Hamilton’s family members |
| C．Vega and her brother Garcia | D．the firefighters |
By saying “I’d say it’s unlikely they will recover this, but I’ve been surprised before.” in the
las
t paragraph, Clyatt means _______.
| A．it’s a wonder that Seals survived the fire | B．the house was badly damaged |
| C．such a big fire was seldom seen | D．Chato is a very clever dog |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned?
| A．The person who called the firefighters. |
| B．The possible cause of the accident. |
| C．The relationship between Seals and Garcia. |
| D．The owner of the house. |
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