| Dobson Ranch Housing Association 1000 Sidewinder Road Mesa，AZ 85202 October 15 Mr and Mrs Fred Deacon 1442 Saddleback Road Mesa，AX 85205 Dear Mr and Mrs Fred Deacon， I am writing this letter to congratulate you on your new purchase of a house in the Dobson Ranch area. We feel that this is one of the best neighborhoods of high quality in the city of Mesa，and we are happy to be able to call you neighbors. For your information，there are a few things we would like to tell you. One is that there are certain duties that go with living in Dobson Ranch. In order to keep property (房地产） values at the highest possible levels，we insist that everyone who lives in Dobson Ranch take care of their property. This means that the grass needs to be cut regularly，branches of the trees and bushes should be cut off，and there should be no unattractive additions to houses， nor should houses be painted in colors like red or blue. If you want to make any additions to your house，you need our permission first. The people of Dobson Ranch also have monthly meetings to discuss various issues of concern in our community. You are welcome to attend. We typically hold meetings on the first Saturday of every month at 7 ： 00 PM at the Dobson Ranch Community Center. You will receive a notice via e-mail a few days before every meeting as a reminder. We hope that you will join us as much as you see fit. Again，welcome to the neighborhood，and I look forward to meeting you soon. Sincerely Juan Sanchez President Dobson Ranch Housing Association October 20 Dear Mr Sanchez, Thank you very much for your letter welcoming us to the neighborhood. My wife and I appreciate your concern, and we also appreciate you letting us know about the various rules that apply to this neighborhood. Please do not worry about us. No matter where we live，we always try to be neighbors taking care to do our work properly. We too are well aware of property values. To be honest，we are actually pleased that there are regulations that must be obeyed. In the past，we have had neighbors who have not taken care of their homes and yards； at least we know that we will not have to worry about that here. As for the meetings， thank you for your kind invitation，but I’m afraid that you probably won’t see us too often. My work takes me out of town，so when I，m not traveling，I prefer to stay home. Similarly，my wife works long hours at the hospital and prefers to spend her days off relaxing at home. However，if we have the time，we will try to make it to a meeting. Again，thank you for welcoming us. Sincerely Fred Deacon |
Why do people who live in Dobson Ranch need to take care of their homes?
| A．To ensure that no one complains about how the area looks. |
| B．To make the neighborhood look as good as possible. |
| C．To keep the property worth as much as possible . |
| D．To be good neighbors. |
What does Fred Deacon think about the rules at Dobson Ranch?
| A．He agrees to them. |
| B．He thinks they require too much. |
| C．He would like to discuss them later. |
| D．He feels that they are not severe enough. |
For the invitation to the monthly meetings，Fred Deacon responds that .
| A．he will attend regularly |
| B．he will attend with his wife |
| C．his wife will attend alone |
| D．neither he nor his wife will attend very often |
2012 TEEN TRIP TO THE LELAND HIGH SNOW PLAY
For Teens Currently in 6th to 12th Grades
LELAND HIGH SNOW PLAY —Class # 8389
Saturday, November 12, 2012
8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Meet at THE UNDERGROUND
(Veteran’s Building—2203 Central Avenue)
Cost per person: $50 ($60 after October 22, 2012)— Includes Lunch, Admission and Transportation With a 4,000sq. Ft. day-use lodge, the Leland High Snow Play has a huge supply of tubes to choose from, along with awesome tows(拖车) that will tow you up to the top of the hill! Our varied terrains(地形) have something for everyone, while the lodge provides a snack bar, video games, pool tables, five indoor rest rooms, a warm fire, and a sun deck with plenty of tables and chairs overlooking the play area outside.
ADDITIONAL LIABILITY FORM REQUIRED FOR THIS TRIP.
Be sure to bring warm clothing and prepare for the cold, but dress in layers in case it warms up. Wear dry boots, socks, and sunscreen. If possible, bring a mobile phone in case of emergency, as well as money for snacks and a light dinner; or bring your own food and drinks. Meet at The Underground (Veteran’s Building—2203 Central Avenue)—don’t be late!
Do not bring electronic or fragile items during the trip. The ARPD is not responsible for your personal belongings or money. REFUNDS ARE ISSUED ONLY IF THE ARPD CANCELS THIS TRIP DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Click here to download “2011 Leland High Snow Play” flyers and the registration form(PDF, 261KB)
Click here to download “Leland High Snow Play Liability Form”(PDF, 14KB)
1. You may register in person, or mail the completed form to Leland High Snow Play, Inc. Send the liability form and payment to the ARPD Office, 2226 Santa Clara Avenue, Alameda, 94501.
2. Faxed registration and liability forms accepted with MasterCard/VISA, (510) 747-7566.
3. Online registrations available at www.arpdeplay.com. Make sure you bring your completed liability form on the trip. The purpose of the text is to _____.
| A．explain the details of a school activity |
| B．introduce a famous tour agency |
| C．urge teenagers to climb a snowy mountain |
| D．advertise a trip to the Leland High Snow Play |
People who want to take part in the activity need to _____.
| A．pay for dinner themselves |
| B．climb the hill themselves |
| C．wear hats to protect themselves from the sun |
| D．pay for tows individually |
From the text we can infer that _____.
| A．the weather at the hill is changeable |
| B．the activity is very dangerous |
| C．12-year-old children are not allowed on the trip |
| D．the trip will involve outdoor activities only. |
Among other items, what do the participants need to take?
| A．Their filled-in liability forms. |
| B．ID cards and a small amount of cash. |
| C．Their agreements with the tour agency. |
| D．Their registration forms downloaded from the Internet. |
Perhaps you have heard a lot about the Internet, but what is it, do you know? The Internet is a network. It uses the telephone to join millions of computers together around the world.
Maybe that doesn’t sound very interesting. But when you’re joined to the Internet, there are lots and lots of things you can do. You can send e-mails to your friends, and they can get them in a few seconds. You can also do with all kinds of information on the World Wide Web (WWW).
There are many different kinds of computers now. They can all be joined to the Internet. Most of them are small machines sitting on people’s desks at home, but there are still many others in schools, offices or large companies(公司). These computers are owned by people and companies, but no one really owns the Internet itself.
There are lots of places for you to go into the Internet. For example, your school may have the Internet. You can use it during lessons or free time. Libraries often have computers joined to the Internet. You are welcome to use it at any time.
Thanks to the Internet, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. It is possible for you to work at home with a computer in front, getting and sending the information you need. You can buy or sell whatever you want by the Internet. But do you know 98% of the information on the Internet is in English? So what will English be like tomorrow? What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Internet. | B．Information. |
| C．Computers. | D．E-mails. |
Which is the quickest and cheapest way to send messages to your friends?
| A．By post. | B．By e-mail. |
| C．By telephone. | D．By satellite. |
Which may be the most possible place for people to work in tomorrow?
| A．In the office. | B．At school. |
| C．At home. | D．In the company. |
Who is the owner of the Internet?
| A．The headmaster. | B．The officer. |
| C．The user. | D．No one. |
Local businessmen are increasingly facing competition from online retailers. Larry Pollock, owner of Camera Co/Op on South Congress, said he has been dealing with this kind of problem for years, even before the Internet. The struggle began with mail-order catalogues(目录), which are similar to online retailers in that they have few employees to pay, no sales tax fees and no business venue to lease and manage.
“Their overhead is lower, but they don’t offer a service like we do,” Pollock said.
Pollock, however, said providing a valuable service to customers does not always guarantee continued sales.
“We spend 30 minutes to an hour with somebody and they go home and buy it on line,” he said.
According to the state comptroller’s office, online shopping is developing at a more rapid rate than traditional businesses.
In spite of how fair or unfair online shopping may be to the local businessmen, consumers will continue to turn to the Internet for its variety and accessibility, said Mitch Wilson, an online shopper. “You have a larger selection and it's easier to compare prices.”
Wilson said he built his personal computer and paid a third of the price by shopping on line.
“Before the Internet, I would have had to go and buy an assembled computer from somebody like Dell,” he said. “Before I started shopping on line I could never find all the pieces I wanted. No single store had everything needed, so shopping on line saved me from having to buy from Dell.”
Janny Brazeal, a psychology freshman, said online shopping is too impersonal.
“’d rather see it in person, touch it, know that I’m getting it,” she said.
Brazeal also said she would not give out her credit card number or other personal information on line no matter how safe the site claims it is.Larry Pollock has been facing the problem _____.
| A．before long |
| B．after the Internet |
| C．since there were mail-order catalogues |
| D．since he worked as a businessman |
According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?
| A．Traditional business can provide valuable ser- vices to customers. |
| B．People can get cheaper goods from traditional business. |
| C．More and more people will turn to the Internet for their needs. |
| D．There are still many people who don’t like on- line shopping. |
Mitch Wilson prefers to build his personal compu- ter by shopping on line because _____.
| A．he can easily get what he needs at a lower price |
| B．he can not get the price at traditional businessman |
| C．he is not satisfied with the service of local busi- nessman |
| D．the quality of Dell is not satisfying |
One of India’s top engineering schools has restricted Internet access in its boarding houses, saying addiction to surfing, gaming and blogging was affecting students' performance, making them lonely and even suicidal.
Authorities at the best Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai said students had stopped socializing and many were late for morning classes or slept through them. “Now, a student doesn’t even know who lives two doors away from him because he is so busy on the Internet,” said Prakash Gopalan, dean of student affairs. “The old dormitory culture of companionship and socializing among students is gone. This is not healthy in our opinion.”
IIT-Mumbai, with about 5,000 students, is one of seven IITs across India which are considered to be among the finest engineering schools in the world. They are also a talent pool for global technology giants. But their hard courses, tough competition and lonely campus lifestyle have taken an effect on students. Depressive and dysfunctional(不正常的) lifestyles are known to be common among IIT students, and at least nine have committed suicide in the past five years. Students have unlimited free Internet access in their boarding houses to help them in their studies, but many also use it to surf, chat, download movies and music, blog and for gaming.
Starting Monday, Internet access will be banned between 11 p.m. and 12.30 p.m. at IIT-Mumbai’s 13 boarding buildings to encourage students to sleep early and to try and force them out of their “shells”, Gopalan said. But the move has not gone down well with students who say they hate their lives being regulated. “Now they will say we need to listen to a lullaby(摇篮曲) to go to sleep,” said Rajiv, an electronics student. What measure has been taken in IIT- Mumbai?
| A．Students have unlimited free Internet access in their dormitories. |
| B．Students are forbidden to surf the Internet. |
| C．Internet access is unavailable in deep night. |
| D．Students must go to bed before 11 p.m. |
In the passage the students are told to _____.
| A．sleep through their lessons |
| B．break away from the Internet |
| C．go to sleep along with music |
| D．stop surfing, make friends |
We may infer from the last paragraph that _____.
| A．the banning order causes some complaints among the students |
| B．all electronics students hate the banning order |
| C．more students prefer listening to music to surf- ing the Internet |
| D．there is no Internet access on the IIT campus even |
Have you seen a yellow-and-black salamander (火蜥蜴)? How about a scarlet frog? Scientists haven’t spotted either species in more than 20 years. What happened to them? Are the creatures still out there, or are they extinct?
Those are questions that scientists hope to answer. They recently set out around the world in search of those and other long-missing amphibians. An amphibian is an animal that spends part of its life in water and part on land. Frog, toads(蟾蜍), and salamanders are amphibians.
The experts are looking for about 100 species. They are searching at least 14 countries on five continents. They will look for the salamander in North America. They hope to find the scarlet frog in South America. They’re also looking for species in Africa, Asia and Australia.
Scientists are hopeful that they’ll find the amphibians—and soon! If the creatures are out there, they may need help. Many amphibians are endangered. The animals face many dangers including pollution and diseases. People cut down the forests where they live.
“If researchers can find the missing creatures, they might be able to figure out how to save them,” explains expert Robin Moore. He began searching for the amphibians earlier this month.
“This search will tell us a lot about how amphibians are doing,” Moore told WR News. “I don’t know what we will find, but that makes the search even more exciting.”
Lost in the Wild
Scientists’ hunt for missing amphibians is under way. Read about some of the species they hope to find.
Turkestanian salamander
This salamander is a mystery to scientists. Experts found a few of them more than 100 years ago, but none have been seen ever since.
Gastric brooding frog
Experts first discovered this frog in 1914 in eastern Australia. It may be extinct because of disease and habitat loss.
Rio Pescado stubfoot toad
Last sighting: 1995, in South America
Scientists hope to find this spotted toad in rivers and rainforests in Ecuador. The animal faces threats including pollution and disease. Which of the following animals hasn’t been seen for over a century?
| A．Rio Pescado stubfoot toad. |
| B．Gastric brooding frog. |
| C．Turkestanian salamander. |
| D．Scarlet frog. |
It can be learned from the passage that _____.
| A．the scarlet frog used to live in Africa |
| B．researchers have no way to save amphibians |
| C．the scientists will search 14 countries at most |
| D．Robin Moore has begun his search for amphibians |
Why do the scientists want to find the missing amphibians?
| A．Because they want to rescue the missing amphibians. |
| B．Because they want to set up a scientific program. |
| C．Because they want to do a scientific research on the missing amphibians. |
| D．Because they want to publish a report about the missing amphibians on WR News. |
What does Moore think of the search for endangered amphibians?
| A．It’s hopeful. | B．It’s interesting. |
| C．It’s tiring. | D．It’s dangerous. |
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