Summer Rain
The worst days of any summer are the rainy ones. We spend all year looking forward to nice weather and long, hot days. All of winter, with its cloudy days and bitter cold, we dream of those endless days at the beach, lying on the sand and enjoying the bright and burning sun. And then, summer comes, and it rains.
As a child, I would wake up to rainy summer days and come close to crying. It wasn’t fair. We suffered through months of school and experienced bad weather for those short ten weeks of freedom and pleasant weather.
On those rainy summer days, I had nothing fun to do and could only sit inside, staring out at the rain like a bird in a cage. I was an only child, so there was no one else to play with. My father worked from home, so I was not truly alone, but he could not actively play with me since he was at work. It was those days that I would watch whatever was on television or read any books that I could find lying around. I’d drag through the day and pray each night that the rain would not be there the next day.
As an adult, though, my opinion of summer rain has changed. When you have to work every day, summer is not as exciting. Everything seems dull. Such a mindset makes you cheer for anything new or different. I spend the winter dreaming of summer and the summer dreaming of winter. When summer comes, I hate how hot it is. And then I look forward to the rain, because the rain brings with it a cold front, which makes me comfortable. Rainy days are still the worst days of the summer, but summer rain today means positively beautiful — and considerably cooler — weather tomorrow.When the author was a child, he ______.
| A．hated rainy days |
| B．liked staying indoors |
| C．preferred cooler weather |
| D．dreamed on summer days |
We can learn from the passage that the author ______.
| A．was often left alone at home |
| B．had no brothers or sisters |
| C．preferred reading to playing outside |
| D．could enjoy the brilliant sun in winter |
As an adult, the author views summer rain differently because ______.
| A．he knows it won’t last long |
| B．his summer holiday is very short |
| C．rain makes the weather cooler |
| D．he can better deal with his holiday |
Why 2012 was the best year ever
It may not feel like it, but 2012 has been the greatest year in the history of the world. Never has there been less hunger, less disease or more prosperity (繁荣). The West remains in the economic depression, but most developing countries are charging ahead, and people are being lifted out of poverty at the fastest rate ever recorded. The number of deaths caused by war and natural disasters is also mercifully low. We are living in a golden age.
Take global poverty as an example. In 1990, the UN announced Millennium Development Goals, the first of which was to halve the number of people in extreme poverty by 2015. It turned out this year that the target was met in 2008.
The doom-mongers (末世论者) will tell you that we cannot maintain worldwide economic growth without ruining our environment. But while the rich world’s economies grew by 6 per cent over the last seven years, fossil fuel (矿物燃料) consumption in those countries fell by 4 per cent. This remarkable achievement has nothing to do with green taxes or wind-farms. It is down to consumer demand for more efficient cars.
Advances in medicine and technology mean that people across the world are living longer. The average life span in Africa reached 55 this year. Ten years ago, it was 50. The number of people dying from Aids has been in decline for the last eight years. Deaths from malaria have fallen by a fifth in half a decade.
War has historically been human’s biggest killer. But in most of the world today, a generation is growing up that knows little of it. The Peace Research Institute in Oslo says there have been fewer war deaths in the last decade than any time in the last century.
Fifty years ago, the world was breathing a sigh of relief after the Cuban missile crisis. Young couples would discuss whether it was responsible to have children when the future seemed so dark. But now, it’s worth remembering that, in spite of all our problems, the forces of peace, progress and prosperity are prevailing (占优势).What has caused the decrease in the fossil fuel consumption?
| A．People have to pay heavier taxes on fossil fuel. |
| B．There are more and more renewable resources now. |
| C．There is a sharp decline in the number of cars. |
| D．People are purchasing more energy-saving cars. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．People don’t suffer from malaria any more. |
| B．There were many more war deaths in the last century. |
| C．The young generation shows little interest in war. |
| D．The number of Aids-affected people is declining. |
Which one does NOT help prove that 2012 was the best year ever?
| A．Fewer natural disasters occurred. | B．Global poverty relieved. |
| C．Cuban missile crisis ended. | D．Technology and medicine advanced. |
The author tries to inform people that _______.
| A．2012 witnessed more advances in developed countries |
| B．2012 brought us less starvation and more prosperity |
| C．2012 saw economic growth as well as environmental destruction |
| D．2012 provided us with a peaceful world free from conflicts |
The argument over a Philadelphia school district accused of secretly spying on pupils through laptop cameras became fiercer today after it acknowledged obtaining more than 56,000 images of its students, many of them in their homes.
When the scandal (丑闻) first broke, it was believed that only a few pictures had been taken of one pupil, Blake Robbins. But court papers released this week showed that thousands of images were taken of Robbins and other students.
Robbins and his parents have filed an action against the school district. Court papers from the Robbins’s lawyers said that at first it was thought that the laptops’ technology had produced a few images but they found more than 400 of Robbins, including images “showing him partially undressed and sleeping”.
Robbins said he did not know why the spying device was activated (激活) as his laptop had not been reported stolen or missing. Other students whose pictures were taken said their laptops had not been reported stolen or missing either.
An administrator at the school, one of the few with authority to track the laptops, remained silent, refusing to answer questions.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that 38,500 of the images came from six laptops that had been reported missing from the Harriton gym in September 2008. These apparently helped the police catch a suspect. Another set of images were from cameras in laptops which employees responsible for tracking failed or forgot to turn off.
The court papers, filed by Robbins’ lawyers, said that the technology was activated between 20 October and 4 November last year, with most of the 400 shots of him while he was in his home, and included his family. “There were additional webcam pictures and screen shots taken of Blake Robbins which, up to now, have not been recovered because the evidence was deleted by the IT department,” the court papers say.
One of Robbins’ lawyers is trying to obtain access to the administrator’s home computer to confirm whether she downloaded any of the pictures. The court papers indicate she may be a voyeur (窥隐私者) though it has not been proved. We can learn from the passage that _________.
| A．Robbins’ parents remained calm over the scandal |
| B．Robbins had his laptop stolen before the scandal |
| C．the laptops’ technology produced some images |
| D．the private rights of the students were offended |
What did The Philadelphia Inquirer say about the case?
| A．The police had found some evidence. |
| B．Most of the laptops in Harriton gym were missing. |
| C．Employees in charge of tracking deliberately left the laptops on. |
| D．There was obviously more than one suspect related to the case. |
According to the court papers, the administrator _________.
| A．may have spied her students on purpose |
| B．may have broken into Robbin’s house |
| C．has downloaded many students’ pictures |
| D．has removed evidence from computers |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Modern technology has negative effects on our lives. |
| B．Students in Philadelphia are accustomed to being spied on secretly. |
| C．A Philadelphia school is charged with spying students through laptop cameras. |
| D．The American government should take measures to improve teachers’ qualities. |
| Answering the Community Needs of Our City The Silver City Council recognizes that citizens have certain needs. To better meet your needs, we have made several changes to community facilities in 2004. This chart shows how we have tried to make your life better. |
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| Transport |
☆Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgraded. |
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| ☆Three stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service. ☆20 new buses for the southern line were purchased in January. ☆50 percent of city bus-stops have been upgraded. ☆Buses to the eastern suburbs will run every 15 minutes. |
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| Education |
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| ☆Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2004 ! ☆Rental for private schools has been reduced. ☆Teachers report that the 'no hat - no play' rule has been successful. |
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| Communication |
Protection and Security |
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| ☆Broadband cable is now available to all parts of the city. ☆All of the new Government buildings are ' smart'-wired for better computer service! |
☆Extra police now patrol (巡逻 ) the tourist areas. ☆50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city area. |
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| Medical Facilities |
Entertainment / Recreation |
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| ☆The new state-of-the-art Nightingale Hospital was opened in June. ☆To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff at Dover Hospital, 10 doctors have been employed from overseas. |
☆The John Street basketball courts have been re-surfaced ! ☆The new Central Community Building opened in May. ☆5,000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library. |
The public notice is from _________.
| A．the community | B．the local government |
| C．the citizens | D．a travel agency |
The notice is mainly about _________.
| A．the work carried out by the people of Silver City |
| B．the facilities available in Silver City |
| C．some improvements in Silver City |
| D．information for interested tourists |
All the following are true EXCEPT that ___________.
| A．both residents and tourists can enjoy more security now |
| B．Station Street Hospital had out-dated facilities before 2004 |
| C．primary students had to pay for their textbooks in 2003 |
| D．Dover Hospital is still short of trained medical staff |
Which of the following changes would tourists to Silver City be most happy with?
| A．Travel books are provided in the new library. |
| B．Traveling by train is more convenient in Silver City. |
| C．Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital. |
| D．There are more police officers on duty now. |
At a few minutes past five, Dave noted that the blanket of darkness was lifting. He was just able to make out the heavier masses that eventually appeared as the familiar trees that lined the road at the base of the hill. The upper reaches of the sky showed lighter shades of gray.
Dave got out of bed quietly and dressed quickly. He mixed a spoonful of instant chocolate into a glass of cold water, and his impatience forced him to finish the drink in gulps.
As he walked down toward the lake, Dave paused to reach for the fishing pole and gear box on the bench where he had left them the night before.
By the time where he reached the small boat, a thick white mist（雾气）had spread over the surface of the water. He stepped into the boat, sat down, and rowed out of the weed beds that lined the edge of the shore.
The outer fringe（边缘）of the lake disappeared as the boat moved forward noiselessly. All he could see was the enveloping whiteness. He could not tell where the boat and the surrounding air met the surface of the lake.
Dave rowed steadily ahead, relying on a mental picture of the surroundings. Then the mist began to rise, slowly. It soon rested inches above the still surface of the lake. The heavy silence was now being broken by the fish breaking through the surface as they leaped out of the water for low-flying insects.
The magic time had arrived. Dave raised his pole. Dawn was broken. He was excited with expectancy.Dave got up early in the morning to .
| A．enjoy the scene of the lake | B．seek adventure at the lake |
| C．go fishing in the lake | D．take a walk by the lake |
According to the story, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Dave broke the quietness of the lake. |
| B．Dave was familiar with the surroundings. |
| C．Dave took a picture of the lake with him. |
| D．Dave forgot the fishing pole at the beginning. |
The underlined word “It” in Paragraph 6 refers to .
| A．fish | B．boat | C．silence | D．mist |
What can we learn from the end of the story?
| A．Dave was hopeful of catching a lot of fish. |
| B．Dave wished the weather would be better. |
| C．Dave was happy that dawn was broken. |
| D．Dave expected someone else would come. |
Bad behavior is something that most people don’t want to tolerate. However, we have had to tolerate it more and more with each passing year. There seems to be no concern for other people’s feelings; nor do we seem to care about other people’s property. We live in an age where saying what is on our minds has priority over any harm that it might do.
There are ways to deal with bad behavior in modern times, though. Too many of us let bad behavior go because we don’t want to rock the boat. This is the time that you should rock the boat and rock it hard. Let people know that you expect it to change. That is the key to dealing with bad behavior. If it continues, take the proper action for the situation you are in. If you have developed the habit of bad behavior, take a hard look at it and then change it. You can’t expect others to behave well if you aren’t willing to look at your own bad behavior and change it.
If you don’t have control over anything in a situation, just walk away from it and move on to something that you do have control over. You needn’t feel ashamed of that. Besides, you must stand firm in what you believe. You can’t control what other people do, but you can control what you do about it. You can’t go wrong if you stand firm in what you believe. Understanding your responsibility is also important. Don’t try to take on the responsibility for other people’s behavior. Take care of what you have to and do it in the way you know it should be done. The rest will take care of itself.
Bad behavior is on the rise with more and more people behaving badly without having to pay any consequences. Worry about how you behave rather than how others behave. Pretty soon, it just may catch on.It can be inferred from Paragraph 1 that _____________.
| A．bad behavior is common today |
| B．bad behavior is sure to hurt people deeply |
| C．people behave badly because of carelessness |
| D．people are more understanding than before |
When dealing with people’s bad behavior, you are advised to ____________.
| A．fight it bravely whenever it happens |
| B．ignore it if it is beyond your control |
| C．let it go to avoid trouble |
| D．make people feel ashamed of their bad behavior |
Why do many people behave badly according to the passage?
| A．Because bad behavior is often ignored. |
| B．Because people are often influenced by others. |
| C．Because people aren’t punished for their bad behavior. |
| D．Because people haven’t realized its consequences. |
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