Starting a bank a child’s play? Absolutely, if you ask some enterprising youngsters in India, who have not only managed to establish one, but also, unlike many of the large International banks, run it successfully since 2001. What’s even more impressive is that the young bankers and their 90,004---clients(委托人) are all homeless!
The Children’s Development Khazana (treasure) opened its first branch in 2001 at a homeless shelter in New Deli as a way to help the street children protect their hard-earned money from thieves. Since then, the idea has caught on like wildfire.
Today, Khazana has 12 branches all across New Deli, with a total of Rupees 12lakh (about 22,000USD) in deposits. Not only that, there are now 77 branches in other parts of Asia, ranging from Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to the island of Sri Lanka, and even Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. While no deposit or balance is too small for the bank, they do have strict regulations about where the money is earned from. Funds obtained by begging or selling drugs are not welcomed at this bank !
Also, unlike the real banks, all employees are volunteers , which means that they go to school or a paying job during the day and work at the bank in the evening. To ensure that everybody gets a chance to participate in running the branch, two volunteer managers are elected from the clients base every six months.
Karan, the current manager is just 14-year-old. During the day he earns a living by helping out the cleaning workmates at wedding banquets and other big parties. In the evening, he handles the deposits（存款）and withdrawals（取款）in the bank. After the bank closes, he along with an adult volunteer from the shelter head over to a regular bank and deposit the funds collected into Khazana’s interest-bearing bank account and though it started with one single purpose. The Children’s Development Khazana is today a well-developed bank, one kids can not only deposit money which earns them 5% interest, but also, request loans for family emergencies, to start a business or even to pay for school.The initial aim of starting the Children’s Development Khazana is to______.
| A．provide for jobs for homeless children |
| B．help homeless families with emergencies |
| C．sponsor homeless children to go to school |
| D．safeguard homeless children’s hard-earned money |
The children’s Development Khazana is different from regular banks in that_______.
| A．all its workers are street children |
| B．it pays its customers no interest |
| C．customers can be made its managers |
| D．it opens in the evening six month a year |
According to the passage, the Children’s Development Khazana________.
| A．welcomes all money, however small it is |
| B．offers more and better service than before |
| C．is run by a 14-year-old boy, Karan alone |
| D．has more than 70 branches across India |
The city of Rome has passed a new law to prevent cruelty to animals. All goldfish bowls are no longer allowed and dog owners must walk their dogs.
This comes after a national law was passed to give prison sentences to people who desert cats or dogs.
“The civilization of a city can be measured by this,” said Monica Carina, the councilor behind the new law.
The newspaper reported that round bowls don’t give enough oxygen for fish and may make them go blind.
“Rome has tried to protect fish more than anywhere else in the world. It stands out for recognizing that fish are interesting animals that deserve over respect and pity every bit as much as dogs and cats and other animals,” said Karin Robertson, a director of the People for the Ethical treatment of Animals.
Lat year a law was passed in Italy that gives people who desert pets big fines and prison sentences. Since then local governments have added their own animal protection rules.
The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to give pet owners fines of up to $598 if they do not walk their dogs three times a day.
The new law in Rome also says that owners mustn’t leave their dogs in hot cars or cut their dogs’ tail to make them look lovelier. The law also gives legal recognition to the “cat ladies” who feed homeless cats. The cats live all over the city from ancient ruins to modern office car parks. The new law passed in Rome will _________.
| A．help improve fishing environment |
| B．guarantee better conditions for goldfish |
| C．stop people from catching goldfish |
| D．discourage keeping goldfish at home |
People in Rome believe that the civilization of a city can be judged by _________.
| A．exchanges with other cities |
| B．Protection of ancient ruins |
| C．awareness of animal protection |
| D．recognition of animal lovers |
People may break the law in Turin if they _____________.
| A．keep their dogs or cats in cars | B．feed homeless animals in car parks |
| C．raise their cats near ancient ruins | D．shut their dogs home all day long |
Free energy is everywhere around us. There are many ways to make and collect energy from various sources like sun, wind and water. People also realize that everyday stuff can be a source of energy too. For example, riding a bike, running or just walking, etc. We simply have to change our way of thinking if we want to change the world.
So comes the idea of solar roadways. Are they the road of future? Why use roads just for driving and collecting tolls (过路费)? Why don’t we use them for collecting energy?
The US Department of Transportation recently awarded $100,000 to Solar Roadways to build the first ever Solar Road Panel. So how do these future roads work?
The Solar Road Panels will contain embedded (嵌入的) LEDs which “paint” the road lines from beneath to provide safer nighttime driving as well as to give drivers instant instructions such as detour (绕行) ahead. The road will be able to sense wildlife on the road and can warn drivers to “slow down”. There will also be embedded heating elements in the surface to prevent snow and ice buildup, providing safer winter driving.
Replacing asphalt (沥青) roads and parking lots with Solar Roadway Panels will be a major step toward stopping climate change. Fully electric vehicles will be able to recharge along the roadway and in parking lots, finally making electric cars practical for long trips.
We just can’t wait to see more of these roads all over the world in the near future.The first paragraph serves as a(n)______.
| A．argument | B．comment | C．explanation | D．background |
Which of the following is NOT true of LEDs?
| A．They color the road lines. |
| B．They are embedded in the Solar Road Panels. |
| C．They are beneficial for nighttime driving. |
| D．They can provide instant instructions. |
When some animals are on the solar road, what will the road do?
| A．Guide them to a safer place. | B．Remind drivers to drive slowly. |
| C．Frighten them away from the road. | D．Advise drivers to choose another way. |
From the text, we can know that the Solar Road Panels can______.
| A．provide heat for drivers in winter |
| B．guide drivers who get lost on the highway |
| C．melt snow and ice soon in winter |
| D．help drivers see the road clearly in the sun |
Mom noticed that something was wrong when I started getting so thirsty, I’d have a lot to drink before bed, which was unusual for me. One time, I opened a big container of apple juice and kept refilling my glass. Before I knew it, I’d drunk the entire container! My mom call my doctor. I then had a few blood tests, and the results were certain ------ I had diabetes, which meant that the amount of sugar in my blood was very high. That can be dangerous, so I had to learn how to control my blood-sugar level.
My eating habits had to change in a big way. With diabetes, I can’t eat a lot of sugar or carbohydrates. I have to figure out exactly how much sugar I plan to eat, and then I get an injection of insulin before the meals to help my body process the food. Also, I test my blood-sugar level often. I’m always trying to keep my blood sugar at a healthy level. The level can drop when I exercise, but that doesn’t keep me out of gym class or off the basketball court ------ I just keep some juice boxes around to boost my blood sugar if I need to.
It’s a lot of work ------ and not a lot of fun ------ to keep track of everything, but I’ve gotten used to my new habits. I was a little scared at first because I wasn’t sure how my life would change. Once I knew what I needed to do, though, it wasn’t a big deal. My life is different now from what it was before, but it has become completely regular to me.The first paragraph is mainly about ______.
| A．who found the author had diabetes |
| B．the author’s life before having diabetes |
| C．how the author was found to have diabetes |
| D．the author’s eating habits before having diabetes |
The insulin injected into the body before the meals can ______.
| A．change people’s eating habit | B．help process the food |
| C．hasten the growth of organs | D．prevent high blood level |
What did the author do after knowing she had diabetes?
| A．She stopped playing basketball in the gym. |
| B．She controlled her blood-sugar level strictly. |
| C．She stopped eating food with natural sugar. |
| D．She tested her blood-sugar level before every meal. |
What does the underlined word “boost” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．Increase. | B．Control. | C．Absorb. | D．Test. |
What’s the author’s attitude towards her having diabetes now？
| A．Worried. | B．Frightened. | C．Pessimistic. | D．Positive. |
Kids Fishing Photo Contest
Welcome to catch the excitement of your child on film while fishing and enter his or her picture in the yearly Kids Fishing Photo Contest! The contest is sponsored（主办，赞助） by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) in celebration of National Fishing Week!
The winning pictures are those that best catch the theme （主题）“kids enjoying fishing”. Winners will receive different fishing-related prizes. Winning pictures will also be posted on the VDGIF website and may be used in all kinds of VDGIF publications. There is no need to be a professional photographer. Any photo will do.
Contest Rules
Children in the photographs must fall into one of the following age groups when the picture is taken: 1---5, 6---10.
Photos must not be more than 1 year old.
Photos must be taken in Virginia.
Children in a boat must be wearing a life jacket.
Only one photo submission（提交） per child.
Submit photo on photograph quality paper, no CD’s accepted.
Photos must not be bigger than “4*6” size.
Please stick a piece of paper to the back of the photo including: name, age, address, phone number and location where the photograph was taken.
Photos must be postmarked on or before June 19, 2011.
Judging will take place in July and winners will be posted on the VDGIF website.
Prizes will be sent directly to the winning children.
This contest isn’t open to immediate family of VDGIF employees and sponsors. Immediate family members refer to children, relatives or others living in the same household with a VDGIF employee or sponsor.
To Enter:
Send your photo, with the child’s name, age, phone number and address to:
2011 Kids Fishing Photo Contest
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
P.O. Box 11104
Richmond, VA 23230 – 1104The purpose of the contest is to ______.
A encourage people to take more pictures
B help people realize the importance of fishing
C celebrate a national fishing-related activity
D encourage people to go fishing with kidsWhich of the following photos can enter the contest?
A A photo which was taken in Boston in 2009.
B A large photo which was postmarked on July 11, 2011.
C A photo which was taken in Virginia on Sept. 23, 2010.
D A photo on which there is a 12-year-old girl.What can be known about the prize of the contest?
A Winners will get a great deal of money.
B Winners will be allowed to travel in Virginia for free.
C Winners’ works will be seen on any website.
D Winners’ works may appear on the covers of VDGIF publications.According to the contest rules, ______.
A the result of the contest will be unknown before July, 2011
B all Americans have the right to take part in the contest
C photos can be sent to the sponsors in the form of email
D the Smiths with only one child can enter the contest with two photos
Sons who have fond childhood memories of their fathers are more likely to be emotionally stable（稳定的） in the face of day-to-day stresses, according to psychologists（心理学家） who studied hundreds of adults of all ages.
“As our study shows, fathers do play a unique（独特的） and important role in the mental health of their children much later in life,” Psychology professor Melanie Mallers of California State University said.
For this study, 912 adult men and women between the ages of 25 and 74 completed short daily telephone interviews about that day’s experiences over an eight-day period. The interviews focused on the participants’ psychological and emotional distress (i.e., whether they were nervous, sad, etc.) and if they had experienced any stressful events that day.
The participants were also required to answer questions such as, “How would you rate your relationship with your mother during the years when you were growing up?” and “How much time and attention did your mother give you when you needed it?” The same questions were asked about fathers.
People who reported they had a good mother-child relationship reported three percent less psychological distress（忧虑） compared to those who reported a poor relationship, according to Mallers.
Men who reported having a good relationship with their father during childhood were more likely to be less emotional when reacting to stressful events in their current daily lives than those who had a poor relationship, according to her findings.
Also, the quality of mother and father relationships was significantly associated（有关） with how many stressful events the participants faced on a daily basis. In other words, if they had a poor childhood relationship with both parents, they reported more stressful incidents over the eight-day study when compared to those who had a good relationship with their parents.
Mallers theorized why healthy or unhealthy relationships may have an effect on how people handle stress as adults. “Perhaps having caring parents equips children with the experiences and skills necessary to more successfully navigate（导航） their relationships with other people throughout childhood and into adulthood.” She said.What can we know about the recent study from the passage?
A It was led by Melanie Mallers.
B 912 adults who were over twenty-five joined in it.
C It lasted as long as eight days.
D It was funded just by California State University.Which of the following may the participants be asked about in telephone interviews?
A Their physical condition. B Their parenting（育儿） skills.
C Their emotional distress and stressful events.
D Their childhood relationships with teachers.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A Many people with good parent-child relationships still can’t keep emotionally stable in stressful incidents.
B Men with a good mother-child relationship were more likely to be emotionally stable when reacting to stressful events.
C Women were better at getting along with their parents than men when they were young.
D People with good childhood relationships with parents suffered（遭受） fewer stressful incidents.What can be concluded from the findings of the study?
A Childhood memories of parents have a lasting effect on one’s ability to handle stress.
B Adults with good childhood relationships with parents will live happily and successfully.
C The mother-child relationship is more important than the father-child relationship.
D The quality of parent-child relationships determines（决定） how people handle stress as adults.
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