My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly.
Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, “Dad! The bear is right behind us!”An aggressive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back—the sign (迹象) of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger.
I held my camera tripod (三脚架) in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long.
Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear.
The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break.
Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five to six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling (扭打) with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back toward the forest, before returning for another attack— the first time I felt panic.
Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I’m proud that my family remained clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome.The brown bear approached the family in order to _______________.
| A．catch shore birds |
| B．start an attack |
| C．protect the children |
| D．set up a barrier for itself |
The bear finally went away after it _______________.
| A．felt safe | B．got injured |
| C．found some food | D．took away the camera |
The writer and his family survived mainly due to their _______________.
| A．pride | B．patience |
| C．calmness | D．cautiousness |
Public schools in Washington, D.C. provide students with musical instruments for free. When something goes wrong with an instrument, Charles West and Larry Jernigan do the repairs. Both men approach their work with a passion(激情). For them, it’s important that students have a joyful experience with music.
The two have worked together for almost 20 years. This year alone, they’ve fixed about 450 instruments. Both men are musicians and music lovers, so learning to do repairs came naturally.
“I have been a musician all my life.” says West. “I played in an orchestra here in the city. I majored in music in college. I played in an army band.”
Jernigan’s musical interests are varied. “I was formerly trained in the piano and guitar. The alto sax, and the flute, I picked up while working here.”
In addition to fixing instruments, the two also go to schools to instruct teachers and students on how to make minor repairs on their own.
West believes if children start early and stay concerned with music, it enriches other areas of their lives. “I see that in other kids. I see it in myself. I have seen it hundreds of times and it works,” he says. “They learn teamwork. They learn patience and respect.”
But West has concerns about the future of music in the electronic age.
“This instant age has taken away from the sit-down, the patience. And to learn to play an instrument, it takes patience, it takes diligence, it takes time.”
Being able to enjoy music on the job is one of the benefits of the job. Both men agree their best rewards are the students’ performances. What’s the job of West and Jernigan at school?
| A．Teaching music. | B．Writing music. |
| C．Making musical instruments. | D．Repairing musical instruments. |
They love the job because they can .
| A．earn more money | B．learn repair skills |
| C．enjoy music | D．watch performances |
Which of the following is true of the two men?
| A．They have fixed 450 instruments in the past 20 years. |
| B．They can play and repair musical instruments. |
| C．Jernigan used to play in an army band. |
| D．West was trained to play the piano. |
According to West, what can people learn from music?
| A．Teamwork and patience. | B．The value of time. |
| C．The truth of society. | D．Diligence and confidence. |
What is mainly talked about in the text?
| A．How to repair musical instruments. |
| B．Learning experiences of two repairmen. |
| C．How to prepare a musical performance. |
| D．The enjoyable job of two music lovers. |
International students in Christine Rhodes’ English class in Australia share their favorite places they have visited in Australia.
Canberra, the nicest city in Australia.
Siggi Siebold from Germany
I went for a short holiday to Canberra because my son lives there. It’s the nicest city in Australia, a little bit similar to Cairns. There’re lots of big rivers and trees around the city. The small city of Mount Isa
Indra Ekanayake from Malaysia
I came to Mount Isa six months ago. It’s a long way from Brisbane-about 2,000 km .It’s a small city, with a population of 21,000, but it has all the basic facilities(设施)such as a hospital, six schools and supermarkets. It’s a mining city. It’s hot and gets little rain. There’re two big lakes to keep the rainwater for drinking for the city.Lake Moondarra and a mine
Ida Robb from Indonesia
In Mount Isa, there’s a dam called Lake Moondarra. On the weekend you can go there with your friends. People go fishing and even catch a crocodile. There’s a big mine in Mount Isa. Many people come to work in the mine and earn much money. It isn’t a beautiful green place, but many people love it.My impression(印象)of Sydney
Namfon Pitaxsin from Thailand
The fist time I came to Australia, I was happy. I traveled to Sydney. Four million people live there ,and many are Asians. I saw the harbor (港口)，Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House and I went to see the koalas and kangaroos in Taronga Park Zoo. After that I went to the Thai restaurants. There is a revolving (旋转的) restaurant, so you can eat and see the city.Why did Siggi Siebold go to Canberra?
| A．Because it’s the nicest city in Australia. |
| B．Because her son lives there |
| C．Because it is similar to her hometown |
| D．Because there’re lots of rivers |
According to Indra Ekanayake, Mount Isa______
| A．is a famous harbor in Ausralia |
| B．has a large population |
| C．probably doesn’t have enough drinking water |
| D．doesn’t have enough basic facilities |
Where is Lake Moondarra?
| A．In Canberra. | B．In Mount Isa. | C．In Brisbane. | D．In Sydney |
The first time Namfon Pitaxsin went to Australia, she________
| A．saw some special Australian animals |
| B．met more Americans than Asians |
| C．ate in a revolving restaurant |
| D．enjoyed the music in the Opera House |
How many cities does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four. | D．Five |
Two years ago my grandmother was going to turn 75. My family discussed what the best way to celebrate was. Should we throw her a party? Should we take her on a trip? We remembered that she had touched so many people's lives, and there were so many people for her to consider. Then someone got the idea that we should include everyone in the celebration by turning it into a tribute(献礼) to my grandmother.
We secretly sent out letters to the people in Grandmother's address book and asked them to send a letter with a memory that they had shared with her. People sent us letters with poems, stories and pictures. The deep feeling that was shared through the response (回应) surprised us. We compiled(编辑)these letters into a memory book and amazed her with it on the morning of her birthday.
The unusual thing about my grandmother's friends was not the number that she had, but the connection they shared. In many ways this book of friendship was the greatest achievement of my grandmother's life.
I believe that developing true friendships is one of the most important things that anyone can do in one's lifetime. It is not a matter of the number of friends one has, but the quality of the bonds. If one has had at least one true friendship before dying, then one can say one has lived a successful life. I have made many friends and I believe I have begun to develop the same types of friendships my grandmother kept up over her lifetime. I only hope that I will be as successful as she has been. How did the author's family celebrate Grandmother's birthday ?
| A．They took her on a trip across the country. |
| B．They gave her a memory book of friendship. |
| C．They invited all her friends to her birthday party. |
| D．They asked all her friends to send her cards. |
When receiving her birthday gift, the author's grandmother probably felt _____.
| A．disappointed and lonely | B．sorry and sad |
| C．surprised and pleased | D．nervous and excited |
The underlined word “bonds” in the last paragraph probably means________
| A．relationships | B．works | C．successes | D．celebrations |
According to the passage, the author probably agrees that _____.
| A．the more friends you have, the better |
| B．friends are more important than family |
| C．understanding leads to greater success |
| D．true friendship is very important to us |
Which of the following words can best describe the author's grandmother ?
| A．Famous | B．Great. | C．Polite | D．Pleasant |
If cars had wings, they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2012．The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its carplane, the Transition, to customers by the end of 2012．
“ It's the next ’wow’ vehicle,” said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh．“Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don't fly．”
The car plane has wings that unfold for flying－a process the company says takes one minute-and fold back up for driving． A runway is still required to take off and land．
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both．The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National High way Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations．
The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly．They say it saves you the trouble of trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you're good to go．When you land, you fold up the wings and hit the road．There are no expensive parking fees because you don't have to store it at an air port-you park it in the garage at home．
The carplane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet．It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers．Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under bad weather instead of flying into marginal（临界） conditions．
The Transition's price tag: $ 194,000．But there may be additional charges for options like a radio, transponder or GPS．Another option is a fullplane parachute．
“If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option,”Gersh said．
So far, the company has more than 70 0rders with deposits． “We're working very closely with them,
but there are still some remaining steps, ” Brown said．We can learn from the first paragraph that ．
| A．carplanes will be popular in 2012 |
| B．people might drive a carplane in 2012 |
| C．both Transition and Ferrari can take off and land |
| D．Richard Cersh is the vice president of Massachusetts |
It takes the carplane one minute to ．
| A．fold and- unfold its wings | B．unfold wings for flying |
| C．land in the airport | D．meet flying safety regulations |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A．The carplane needs a runway to take off and land．
B．To meet aircraft regulations, the company has been working with FAA．
C．The carplane may fly as high as normal planes．
D．People can park the carplane in the garage at their home．The underlined word "it" in the last but one paragraph refers to ．
| A．the radio | B．the transponder |
| C．the GPS | D．the fullplane parachute |
What's the best title for the passage?
| A．Cars With Wings May Be Just Around The Comer |
| B．Which To Choose: A Ferrari Or A CarPlane? |
| C．A More Convenient And Cheaper Way To Fly |
| D．Cars With Wings Can Fly As Fast As Plane |
According to a study by SallieMae, 84 percent of undergraduate students have credit cards, and by the time they are seniors, they have accumulated US $ 4,100 in debt, on top of whatever student loans they may have taken out．
Credit cards are the most convenient form of payment, and they are aggressively marketed to college students．Reportedly, a typical college student carries 4．6 credit cards and US $ 3,173 in credit card debt．
Credit cards seem to be a fact of life, not just student life． In the long term, using a credit card properly and paying off the balance can help establish a card history and increase your credit score, which will come in handy when you need an important loan, for a house or car, for example．Your credit score can affect even unrelated things like insurance rates．Credit cards also offer more protection for users than debit cards（借记卡）．Under federal law, the credit card holder is only responsible for the first US $ 50in fraudulent（欺诈的） purchases in cases of theft or loss．However, debit card users are responsible for the first US $ 500．
SallieMae found some good news in the fact that two thirds of students had discussed credit issues with their parents, but 84 percent said they needed more information．Those who didn't get any guidance were more likely to be surprised when they found out how much they owed．
While credit cards offer the easiest access to money, they make it easy to live outside your means．Less than a fifth of students surveyed paid off their balance every month, and carrying a balance brings finance charges, sometimes at a very high interest rates．
SallieMae found that almost 40 percent of students chose their first credit card based on direct mail, which is probably why students get credit card offers in the mail． But when the credit card offers flow in, be sure that you read the fine print．Offers of low or no interest rates can disappear, leaving you a debt that climbs beyond your ability to pay it off．What does the first paragraph imply?
| A．Most of the senior students are shocked to see how much they owed． |
| B．Students can only take out loans from credit cards． |
| C．Most of students' loans come from credit cards． |
| D．Credit cards have a bad effect on college students． |
The underlined part "come in handy" in the third paragraph probably means “ ”
| A．bring trouble | B．make mistakes |
| C．be important | D．be useful |
According to SallieMae, what is the possible reason why students get so many credit card offers in the mail?
| A．Many students' first credit card is based on direct mail． |
| B．it costs the banks little to mail out credit cards． |
| C．Students don't like to go to the bank to open a credit card account． |
| D．Banks have no other way to let students use their credit cards． |
What is the theme of the third paragraph?
| A．The advantages of using debit cards． |
| B．The similarities between credit cards and debit cards． |
| C．The advantages of using credit cards． |
| D．Credit cards are the most convenient form of payment． |
According to SallieMae, how many students had not discussed credit issues with their parents?
| A．l/3 | B．2/3 | C．l/4 | D．3/4 |
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