When did you last see a polar bear? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group. This is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system（循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says. "When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that ___.
| A．they must reach the age of 60 |
| B．they should be easy to make friends with |
| C．they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months |
| D．they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February |
Doctors __________.
| A．encourage people to take part in cold-water swimming actively |
| B．point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming |
| C．believe swimming is helpful both in winter and in summer |
| D．have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming |
The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round, for __________.
| A．they can remain young |
| B．it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter |
| C．they find it enjoyable and interesting |
| D．they might meet fewer troubles in life |
The passage is mainly about __________.
| A．a group of cold-water swimming lovers |
| B．the polar bears' life |
| C．doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming |
| D．the requirements of the Polar Bear Club |
If you are planning on traveling, there are few simple rules about how to make life easier both before and after your journey.
First of all, always check and double-check departure (出发) time. It is surprising how few people really do this carefully. Once I arrived at he airport a few minutes after ten. My secretary had got the ticket for me and I thought she had said that the plane left at 10:50. When I arrived at the airport, the person at the departure desk told me that my flight was closed. Therefore, I had to wait three hours for the next one and missed an important meeting.
The second rule is to remember that even in this age of credit cards (信用卡), it is still important to have some local money in cash (现金). Once I arrived at a place at midnight and the bank at the airport was closed. The only way to get to my hotel was by taxi but because I had no dollars, I offered to pay in pounds instead. “Listen! I only take real money!” the driver said angrily. You can imagine how terrible I felt at that moment.
The third and the last rule is to find out as much as you can about the weather at your destination(目的地) before you leave. I feel sorry for some of my workmates who travel in heavy suits and raincoats in May, when it is still fairly cool in London or Manchester, to places like Athens, Rome of Madrid, where it is already beginning to get quite warm during the day.Where is the writer most probably from?
| A．Britain | B．The USA | C．Italy | D．Greece |
When the writer found he had no dollars to pay the taxi driver, he .
| A．asked the driver to give him a free ride |
| B．offered to pay in pounds |
| C．gave the driver some fake(假) money |
| D．tried to pay by credit card |
Generally, in May the weather in London is .
| A．warm and dry | B．cold and dry |
| C．hot and wet | D．cool and rainy |
The writer mainly tells us .
| A．how to make life easier |
| B．how to be well prepared for a trip |
| C．how to enjoy ourselves on trip |
| D．how to schedule our trip |
Sarah Williams went to a boarding school. Here is one of the
letters she wrote to her parents from the school.
Wentworth Girls' School
Beachside
July 20th
Dearest Mom and Dad,
I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you. I have been very naughty and the school principal is very angry with me. She is going to write to you. You must come and take me away from here. She does not want me in the school any longer.
The trouble started last night when I was smoking in bed. This is against the rules, of course. We are not supposed to smoke at all.
As I was smoking, I heard footsteps coming towards the room. I did not want a teacher to catch me smoking, so I threw the cigarette away.
Unfortunately, the cigarette fell into the waste-paper basket, which caught fire.
There was a curtain near the waste-paper basket which caught fire, too. Soon the whole room was burning.
The principal phoned for the fire department. The school is a long way from the town and by the time the fire department arrived, the whole school was in flames. Many of the girls are in the hospital.
The principal says that the fire was all my fault and you must pay for the damage. She will send you a bill for about a million dollars.
I’m very sorry about this.
Much love,
Sarah
P. S. None of the above is true, but I have failed my exams. I just want you to know how bad things could have been!Why did Sarah write home?
| A．To tell her parents about the fire. |
| B．To ask for a lot of money. |
| C．To tell her parents she had failed her exams. |
| D．To tell her parents she had to leave school. |
Why did Sarah tell her parents the story about the fire?
| A．She wanted to worry them. |
| B．She wanted to make them laugh. |
| C．She wanted to make them less angry at the real news. |
| D．She wanted to warn them about what the principal was going to do. |
The letter before the. P. S. was .
| A．mostly true | B．partly true |
| C．completely true | D．completely untrue |
Mr. and Mrs. Wu were fed up with their neighbor. He was always borrowing things from them.
“It’s not right.” Mr. Wu said to his wife one evening. “At some time or another that man has borrowed nearly everything we have. Almost every day he comes over to borrow something.”
“You are quite right,” his wife replied, “and most of the things he’s never returned.”
“What I want to know,” her husband said, “is why he can’t buy the things he needs like everyone else.”
“Because people like us are foolish enough to lend him what he needs.” she replied. “As long as we are willing to lend, he’ll keep on borrowing.”
“Then we’ll never lend him anything again.” Mr. Wu said. “The next time he asks to borrow something, I’ll say no.”
“We must have a good reason for saying no,” his wire said, “and we must always try to be polite to him. We don’t want to make an enemy of the man.”
It was not long before their decision not to lend their neighbor anything ever again was put to the test.
The next morning there was a knock on the door.
Mr. Wu went to answer it.
Their neighbor was standing there. Mr. Wu knew he was going to ask to borrow something, and was ready to refuse him politely.
“Good morning,” their neighbor said, “I’m sorry to trouble you, but I wonder if I could borrow your garden scissors.”
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Wu said, “but I’m afraid my wife and I will be using them today. We’ll be spending all day working in the garden.”
“Oh, ! see.” the neighbor said, “In that case, may I borrow your golf clubs? You won’t be needing them if you are working in the garden all day, will you?”What did the neighbor do with most of the things he had borrowed?
| A．He hid them. |
| B．He never returned them. |
| C．He lent them to others. |
| D．He broke them. |
Mr. and Mrs. Wu’s decision to treat their neighbor was
| A．not to lend anything more |
| B．to be impolite to him in order to show their dislike |
| C．to give him anything he would ask |
| D．to keep on lending |
When did the neighbor want to borrow again?
| A．The next day. |
| B．A week later. |
| C．The morning after the following month. |
| D．A few days later. |
How did the neighbor manage to get what he really wanted?
| A．He first asked for something else. |
| B．He asked for it earnestly (诚挚地). |
| C．He worked for them. |
| D．He spoke highly of Mr. Wu. |
Norm Pethrick, a 36-year-old man in Australia’s northern city Darwin, was praised on Thursday for jumping onto a crocodile’s back to save his wife Wendy at Litchfield National Park, a popular tourist spot southwest of Darwin, a local newspaper reported.
Ms Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged (扑), locking its jaws on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked (戳) the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds (伤口) in her right leg, a puncture wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
“This could have been a fatal and tragic situation,” said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms Pethrick was saved by her husband’s “quick and diligent actions”.
Dr Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria (细菌) on the teeth of the crocodile.This passage is most likely to be found in _____.
| A．a travel guide | B．a newspaper | C．a textbook | D．a novel |
The crocodile attacked Ms Pethrick when she was ______.
| A．standing on the river bank |
| B．swimming in the river |
| C．watching the crocodile |
| D．fishing in the water |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Ms Pethrick?
| A．Her eyes were badly poked. |
| B．She had eight wounds altogether. |
| C．One of her fingers also got hurt. |
| D．One of the crocodile’s teeth was found in her leg. |
According to the passage, Norm Pethrick can be described as following EXCEPT _______.
| A．brave | B．diligent | C．quick | D．humorous |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．A man saves wife’s life from crocodile’s jaws |
| B．The husband should save the wife |
| C．A crocodile is not so dangerous as people imagine |
| D．Human beings can beat crocodiles sometimes |
Plants are very important living things. Life could not go if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. So animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.
If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants.
Flowering plants can make seeds. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit.
Most non-flowering plants don’t grow from seeds. They grow from spores(孢子). Spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as the seeds. When these spores fall on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants.The main idea of the passage is that __________.
| A．plants are important for life |
| B．plants cannot grow without air |
| C．there are many plants around us |
| D．we cannot live without water |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
| A．Plants can be divided into main types: flowering plants and non-flowering plants. |
| B．All fruits have seeds in them |
| C．Seeds are protected by the fruits. |
| D．Some plants grow from spores. |
The word “non-flowering ” in this passage means __________.
| A．开花的 | B．有花的 | C．多花的 | D．不开花的 |
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