阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
I am a single working mother and going to college for a better life for my three-year-old child and myself．I am taking a nurse course called “Urban Community（社区）”．We were asked to do a major project on problems in urban communities．I chose the topic “Homeless”．
Each day I would walk down the streets of the homeless and offer them something to drink and to eat．I know it’s tough to survive on the streets．Last night I ran into a group of 30 kids who were living on the streets in New York．My heart went out to them and I just wanted to cry．But I had to be strong．
I asked about their families and if they contacted them to let them know they were alive．Most of them said, “NO!” They all looked like a happy family and they took care of one another．I tried to persuade them to get help and to contact their families but they did not want to．I did not want to make them to do it as they had their own reasons．
All these kids were very respectful．None of them was high on drugs nor were they drinking．Some of them enjoyed reading and writing．Some of them enjoyed skateboarding, dancing and playing music．
One girl asked me if I could give her a hug and I did so．She started to cry and said, “Thank you for not treating us as freaks（怪人）like everyone else does．People don’t realize that we all have our own problems and some are worse than others．” She told me that her stepfather （继父） was extremely mean to her and her mother did not believe her．She ran away．Her street name was Little Mary．
They were good kids just trying to make ends meet．I told them that I didn’t have much to offer because I was a single mother just making ends meet．I had offered them sandwiches and drinks．They were so happy to have something to eat and told me that I couldn’t change the world but at least there was someone who really cared．The author is _______．
| A．a homeless mother with a three-year-old kid |
| B．a single mother who attends college in New York |
| C．a teacher who teaches the “Urban Community” course |
| D．a full-time housewife with a three-year-old kid |
What does “My heart went out to them” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．My heart was taken away by them． |
| B．I wanted to hug them |
| C．I felt sympathy for them |
| D．I fell in love with them |
What kind of feeling did the author show when she failed to persuade the children to contact their families?
| A．Sorrow | B．Anxiety |
| C．Anger | D．Understanding |
Little Mary left home and became a wanderer because ________．
| A．her stepfather didn’t want to live with her |
| B．her stepfather treated her so badly that she was injured |
| C．her mother treated her so badly that she felt hurt |
| D．her mother didn’t believe her and her stepfather treated her badly． |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．A Story of a Single Mother |
| B．Care for the Homeless Kids |
| C．An Urban Community |
| D．How to Survive on the Streets |
It’s been seven days since a 7. 0-magnitude strong earthquake hit Ya’an, in Sichuan Province. How the earthquake has affected one of Sichuan Province’s special residents—pandas. How are the animals coping? And do they have enough food to eat?
There are more than 80 pandas living here at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Base. 7 baby pandas have just left their mothers and have begun to learn how to fend for themselves.
The quake was felt strongly in Chengdu. Fortunately, all of the pandas here were out on the grounds when the earthquake hit, so they were very safe. Although no deaths or injuries have been reported among the Baoxing panda population so far, they’ve been badly frightened by the earthquake. Several days has passed and the earthquake seems to have made no discernible(可辨别的)negative impact on the pandas. These two baby pandas Chengshuang and Chengdui are play fighting with each other and climbing trees. When they climbed too high, the breeders have to rescue them from the trees.
The visitors are amused by the scenes and think it’s like a fantastic acrobatics show.
The quake zone is not only the home of these pandas, it’s also the source of their food. Fortunately, enough bamboo has been stored away in five bamboo storehouses for the pandas, so there are no worries with regard to food supplies.
Wu Kongju, Breeder, Chengdu Panda Breeding Base, said, “When the Wenchuan earthquake happened in 2008, we were unprepared and had a shortage of bamboo. But we’ve been able to handle this earthquake event more smoothly. There are no problems with the food supply. ”Apart from the pandas’ favorite Baijia Bamboo, breeders also give them bamboo shoots, which are very rich in nutrients.
Wu Kongju said, “Bamboo shoots contain more protein than ordinary bamboo, and they’re also very succulent because they contain more water. ”
The passage mainly tells us that .
| A．a 7. 0-magnitude strong earthquake hit Ya’an |
| B．food supply to pandas is enough |
| C．impact of Ya’an earthquake on China’s pandas |
| D．two baby pandas Chengshuang and Chengdui are in good condition |
When the earthquake hit Ya’an, which of the following statements about the pandas is WRONG?
| A．All of the pandas here were out on the grounds. |
| B．Some pandas are injured but no deaths are made. |
| C．They’ve been badly frightened by the earthquake. |
| D．The earthquake seems to have made no discernible negative impact on the pandas. |
During Ya’an earthquake, there is no need to worry about pandas’ food because .
| A．the pandas eat less food because of frightening |
| B．the Panda Breeding Base was slightly hit by this earthquake |
| C．the Panda Breeding Base received the food supply from foreign countries |
| D．the Panda Breeding Base has stored away enough bamboo in advance |
The underlined word“succulent”in the last paragraph means .
| A．多汁的 | B．高蛋白的 | C．多糖的 | D．有营养的 |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the reaction of Chengdu Panda Breeding Base?
| A．Supportive. | B．Disappointed. | C．Indifferent. | D．Objective. |
A full-time nanny is employed by the parents to provide high quality childcare for their children and to undertake all tasks related to the providing of that care. Nannies provide childcare in the family’s private home.
Full-time nannies with parents meet the physical, social, emotional and intellectual needs of the children. They typically do the children’s laundry, keep the children’s areas neat and clean, and prepare meals and snacks for the children. Depending on the age of the child and the family’s needs, the nanny may be responsible for bathing the child, transporting the child to activities and assisting the child with homework.
Since nannies work in the private home and serve as caretakers, and educators, nannies must be trustworthy. Nannies are often hired so that parents can fulfill their personal and professional tasks. For this reason, nannies must be dependable and reliable.
Full-time nannies work on average 40 to 60 hours per week and may live with the family as live-in nannies. For parents who hire a live-in nanny, at minimum they should provide a separate bedroom and bathroom and all meals and snacks. One of the benefits of nanny care is that the parents set the nannies weekly schedule. Nannies are typically required to have some scheduling flexibility.
Nanny employers must pay what is commonly referred to as the nanny tax, which includes social security taxes and medicare taxes, total about 7. 65% of the nanny’s wages. The other federal tax is referred to as FUTA. It is the Federal Unemployment Tax. State unemployment taxes may also apply and vary from state to state.
In addition to nanny employer taxes the nanny is responsible for her share of the FICA taxes. Nannies are responsible for paying their own income tax payments, however many employers agree to manage the payments for them.
Typical nanny benefits include 2 weeks of paid vacation, paid sick days and paid personal days and full contributions to health insurance. Nanny employers may also wish to contribute to a retirement savings plan for their nanny.What does a full-time nanny usually do?
| A．She should do all the tasks connected with childcare. |
| B．She must be able to communicate well with parents. |
| C．She should provide excellent care for the family. |
| D．She must avoid dealing with her private secrets. |
We can learn from the second paragraph that .
| A．the nanny should stop the kid from eating snacks |
| B．the parents must prepare every meal for the nanny |
| C．the nanny should be a person with education |
| D．the parents must take responsibility for the nanny |
If you applied to be a full-time nanny .
| A．you would work at most 8 hours a day | B．you would get your private space |
| C．you would work seven days a week | D．you would have no time of your own |
What do you know about the nanny tax?
| A．The nanny must pay such a tax according to her wages. |
| B．The tax almost covers one-fifth of the nanny’s wages. |
| C．The employers should pay the nanny tax for nannies. |
| D．The tax is said to be the highest of all walks of life. |
Which one is NOT the benefit of the typical nanny?
| A．Having a 2-week holiday with payment. |
| B．Getting paid for sick leave. |
| C．Having full contributions to health insurance. |
| D．Having personal days but without pay. |
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to the patients at the clinic.
One evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful-looking man. He’s hardly taller than my eight-year-old son. “Good evening. I’ve come to see if you’ve a room. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus till morning.” He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with no success. “I guess it’s my face…I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…” For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could sleep in this chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.”
I told him we would find him a bed. When I had finished the dishes, I talked with him. He told me he fished for a living to support his five children, and his wife, who was hopelessly crippled (残疾的) from a back injury. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint. Next morning, just before he left, as if asking a great favor, he said, “Could I come back and stay the next time?” He added, “Your children made me feel at home.”
On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and the largest oysters (牡蛎) I had ever seen. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us and there was never a time that he did not bring us vegetables from his garden. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned how to accept the bad without complaint when facing the misfortune.Why did the author agree to let the man spend the night in his house at last?
| A．Because the man said others refused to accommodate him. |
| B．Because the man said he would not cause much inconvenience. |
| C．Because the man said he had come from the eastern shore. |
| D．Because the man said he had been hunting for a room since noon. |
How long would it take the man to travel from his home to Baltimore by bus?
| A．About 1 hour. | B．About 2 hours. |
| C．About 3 hours. | D．About 4 hours. |
From the text we can know that __________.
| A．the author’s children were kind and friendly to the man |
| B．the man was fed up with his hard-work and his family |
| C．John Hopkins Hospital provided rooms for the patients to live in |
| D．the author and his family were thought highly of by his neighbors |
The author’s family were grateful to know the man because __________.
| A．he often brought them fish and vegetables from his garden |
| B．he paid them money for his staying |
| C．he taught them how to accept the bad without complaint |
| D．he stayed only overnight with the writer’s family |
Peter, a high school student, was pretty busy with school, and he was on the soccer team. High school was hard, because everyone wanted to have nice clothes, hang out, drive cars, and all these cost money. Peter’s father was the sort of guy that believed you had to earn whatever you got, so he wasn’t just about to hand over lots of money for Peter to use to have fun. So, he had to get a job.
During his freshman year summer vacation, his classmate got him a job working on a hay (干草) farm. He threw hay up into wagons as the tractor drove around fields, and then they stacked (剁起) it in the hot barn. It was a hot, lowpaying job.
He once worked a few nights a week at a grocery store. He put things on the shelf. It was a lot of lifting and carrying, and his arms were strong from this and the previous job. It was dull and didn’t pay much.
He took some time off when soccer got serious, but the following summer he tried working at a lumber yard. It was hot outside, but he got a lot of exercise lifting and carrying things like boards and drywall. He also learned a lot about building supplies. It still didn’t pay well.
From there, he spent a year doing some tutoring for a friend of the family, but that was piecemeal. His first real job came the last year at school, when he fixed registers and worked on computers at a big box store. It was his favorite job yet, but it still didn’t pay well.
What Peter realized with all of these jobs was that he needed a better paying job! The only way to get that was to get trained or educated. He could go to school and get a 2year degree in an office or technical position. His other choices were going to a 4year college or joining the army. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do yet, but he knew he had to do something. Jobs were a lot of work, money was hard to earn, but he liked staying busy and being able to buy things. Peter wanted the most out of life, and that meant education.
How many jobs had Peter taken?
| A．Three | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
All the jobs Peter had taken had one thing in common：________.
| A．They didn’t pay well |
| B．They were dull and tiresome |
| C．They needed hard labour |
| D．They were done during his vacation |
________was the most important for Peter if he wanted a good job.
| A．Confidence | B．Education |
| C．Opportunity | D．Wisdom |
We can learn from the text that________.
| A．Peter knew what to do for his future |
| B．Peter’s father didn’t care about him |
| C．it was very hard for Peter to make his choices |
| D．Peter was determined to do whatever he liked |
Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made. In my early 20s, I hardly went to bed before midnight, and I would always get up late the next morning.
But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high relationship between success and rising early. On those rare occasions where I did get up early, I noticed that my productivity (效率) was always higher. So I set out to become a habitual early riser. But whenever my alarm went off, my first thought was always to stop that noise and go back to sleep. Eventually some sleep research showed that my strategy was wrong.
The most common wrong strategy is this: supposing you’re going to get up earlier, you’d better go to bed earlier. It sounds very reasonable, but will usually fail.
There are two main schools (流派) of thought on sleep patterns. One is that you should go to bed and get up at the same time every day. The second school says you should go to bed when you’re tired and get up when you naturally wake up. However, I have found both are wrong if you care about productivity. If you sleep at fixed hours, you’ll sometimes go to bed when you aren’t sleepy enough. You’re wasting time lying in bed awake.
My solution is to combine both methods. I go to bed when I’m sleepy and get up with an alarm clock at a fixed time. So I always get up at the same time (in my case 5 a.m.), but I go to bed at different times every night.
However, going to bed only when I’m sleepy, and getting up at a fixed time every morning are my ways. If you want to become an early riser, you can try your own.Why did the author want to become a habitual early riser?
| A．Because he / she found that the productivity was higher. |
| B．Because he / she wanted to do morning exercise. |
| C．Because he / she wanted to test which school is better. |
| D．Because he / she wanted to have more sleep time. |
The author experienced all the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．going to bed after midnight |
| B．asking scholars for advice on sleeping habits |
| C．getting up early occasionally |
| D．pressing off the alarm to go on sleeping |
What’s the author’s sleep pattern?
| A．Going to bed early and getting up early. |
| B．Going to bed late and getting up late. |
| C．Going to bed when sleepy and getting up at a fixed early time. |
| D．Going to bed early and getting up late. |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．main schools of thought on sleep patterns |
| B．how to have a good sleep |
| C．wrong strategies for getting up early |
| D．how to become an early riser |
Mrs. Bertha Flowers was the aristocrat of Black Stamps. She had the grace of control to appear warm in the coldest weather, and on the Arkansas summer days it seemed she had a private breeze which swirled around, cooling her.
One summer afternoon, she stopped at the store to buy supplies. Another Negro woman of her health and age would have been expected to carry the paper sacks home in one hand, but Momma said, “Sister Flowers, I’ll send Bailey up to your house with these things.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Henderson. I’d prefer Marguerite, though.” My name sounded so beautiful when she said it. “I’ve been meaning to talk to her, anyway.” They gave each other age group looks.
There was a little path beside the rocky road, and Mrs. Flowers walked in front swinging her arms and picking her way over the stones.
Without turning her head, she spoke to me, “I hear you’re working very good school work, Marguerite, but that it’s all written. The teachers report that they have trouble getting you to talk in class.” We passed the triangular farm on our left and the path widened to allow us to walk together.
“Now no one is going to make you talk—possibly no one can. But bear in mind, language is man’s way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone which separates him from the lower animals.” That was a totally new idea to me, and I would need time to think about it.
“Your grandmother says you read a lot. Every chance you get. That’s good, but not good enough. Words mean more than what is set down on paper.”
She said she was going to give me some books and that I not only must read them, I must read them aloud. She suggested that I try to make a sentence sound in as many different ways as possible.
“I’ll accept no excuse if you return a book to me that has been badly handled.” My imagination boggled(退缩) at the punishment I would deserve if in fact I did abuse a book of Mrs. Flowers’.
The odors in the house surprised me. The sweet scent of vanilla(香草) had met us as she opened the door.
“Have a seat, Marguerite. You see, I had planned to invite you for cookies and lemonade so we could have this little chat.” She carried a plate covered with a tea towel.
As I ate she began the first of what we later called “My lesson in living.” She said that I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and even more intelligent than college professors. She encouraged me to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit. That in those homely sayings was couched the collective wisdom of generations.
When I finished the cookies she brought a thick, small book from the bookcase. I had read A Tale of Two Cities and found it up to my standards as a romantic novel. She opened the first page and I heard poetry for the first time in my life.
“It was the best of times and worst of times...”
Her voice slid in and curved down through and over the words. She was nearly singing. I wanted to look at the pages. Were they the same that I had read? Or were there notes, music, lined on the pages? Her sounds began cascading(瀑布般落下) gently. I knew that she was nearing the end of her reading.
“How do you like that?”
It occurred to me that she expected a response. The sweet vanilla flavor was still on my tongue and her reading was a magic to my ears. I had to speak.
I said, “Yes, ma’am.” It was the least I could do, but it was the most also.
“There’s one more thing. Take this book of poems and memorize one for me. Next time you pay me a visit, I want to recite.”
I have often tried hard to search for the enchantment(着迷) I so easily found in those gifts. To be allowed, no, invited, into the private lives of strangers, to share their joys and fears, was a chance to exchange the Southern bitter wormwood(苦艾) for a cup of mead(蜂蜜酒) with Beowulf or a hot cup of tea and milk with Oliver Twist. When I said aloud, “It is a far, far better thing than anything I have ever done...” tears of love filled my eyes at my selflessness.
I was liked, and what a difference it made, I was respected not as Mr Henderson’s grandchild or Bailey’s sister but for just being Marguerite Johnson.What does Mrs. Flowers mean by saying “Words mean more than what is set down on paper” (paragraph 7)?
| A．Besides reading, Marguerite should talk more. |
| B．The content of books may have different meanings. |
| C．How one speaks adds extra meaning to words. |
| D．It is language that distinguishes humans from animals. |
Marguerite’s opinion of A Tale of Two Cities before and after Mrs. Flowers’ reading can be described as _______.
| A．poetic … musical | B．satisfactory … informative |
| C．romantic … dramatic | D．common … extraordinary |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．Mrs. Flowers was born in a noble family. |
| B．The meeting between Mrs. Flowers and Marguerite was probably an intentional arrangement. |
| C．Marguerite hadn’t read poetry before her visit to Mrs. Flowers’ home. |
| D．Mrs. Flowers would recite new poems on Marguerite’s later visits. |
Which can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Power of Language |
| B．A Lesson in Living |
| C．A Respectable Lady |
| D．My Initial Access to Charles Dickens |
Crash. Shatter. Boom. Crash. Shatter. Boom. Smattering of silly dialogue. Pretty girl screams: “Dad!” Crash. Shatter. Boom. Crash. Shatter. Boom. Silly dialogue. “Dad!!!” Crash. Shatter. Boom.
What? Oh, sorry. We were falling into a trance there.
Which is, dear moviegoer, what may happen to you during Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction, the fourth Transformers film and lasts 165 minutes, which is precariously (危险地) close to the three-hour mark that Bay undoubtedly will reach—by our sophisticated calculations, and at the current growth rate, with his sixth installment(集).
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Despite what you’ve just read, this film will likely be a massive hit because by now, if you’re buying a Transformers ticket, you surely know what you’re getting into, and you want more, more, more. And Bay is the Master of More.
Or just take it from the 11-year-old sitting next to me, who reserved any audible judgment—he, too was in a trance, though maybe from sugar intake—until the moment he saw a Transformer become a dinosaur. Overwhelmed by the pairing, he proclaimed, “That’s the sickest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” It was as if peanut butter and jelly had been tasted together for the first time.
This time, there’s a whole new human cast. Most important, Mark Wahlberg has replaced Shia LaBeouf as well, Main Human Guy.
A significant part of the movie also takes place in China—clearly a nod to the franchise’s huge market in the country.
In any case, we begin in Paris, Texas, where Cade Yeager (Wahlberg), a struggling inventor, is desperatlely seeking a big discovery. He’s also a widowed dad, and super-protective (as the movie constantly reminds us) of his high-school daughter, Tessa (Nicola Peltz, blond and pretty and ineffective, though the one-note script does her no favors).
One day, Cade buys a rusty old truck. Examining it back home, he soon discovers it’s none other than Optimus Prime, the Autobot hero, seriously damaged.
As Cade works on fixing him up, his assistant, witty surfer-dude Lucas, has the dumb idea of calling the authorities. What he doesn’t know is that the government is plotting to destroy all remaining Autobots in favor of a man-made army of Transformers.
So now, it’s evil humans that pitted against the trustworthy Autobots. So much for gratitude. There’s also a subplot involving Tessa and her secret boyfriend, Shane (Jack Reynor, underused), whose Irish accent leads Cade to dismissively call him “Lucky Charms”—at least until the two bond in battle.
The obvious question: Is it too much for its own good? Bay is vey talented at all things visual. The 3-D works well and the robots look great. But the final confrontation (冲突) alone lasts close to an hour. At some point, you may find yourself simply in a daze, unable to absorb any further action into your brain.
What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
| A．The girl can’t understand the movie she was seeing. |
| B．The girl felt scared about the movie she was seeing. |
| C．The movie the girl was seeing was very thrilling. |
| D．The girl couldn’t find her father. |
What did the author mean by saying “… and you want more, more, more. And Bay is the Master of More.” in paragraph 4?
| A．The audiences are hard to satisfy. |
| B．Bay is good at bring audience massive hit. |
| C．Only Bay knows how to produce massive hit. |
| D．By knows about the audience’s mind. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．The audiences don’t like the final confrontation. |
| B．The disadvantages of Transformers 4 are more obvious than advantages. |
| C．Putting into too much what the director is skilled at causes negative effect. |
| D．The director Bay only focuses on the 3-D works. |
The tone of the passage as a whole can be described as ________?
| A．serious | B．ironic | C．scholarly | D．light-hearted |
October sixteenth is World Food Day．This day is also the anniversary of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization(F．A．O．)．The UN agency leads international efforts to defeat world hunger．It was created in 1945．
The F．A．O．says more than one hundred fifty countries are to hold special events to celebrate World Food Day．At F．A．O．headquarters in Rome，for example，runners will compete in a five-kilometer race through the city’s historical area．Events in other countries include discussions among experts，press conferences and musical programs．
The message of this year’s World Food Day is “investing in agriculture for food security”．The F．A．O．says，“During the early 1990s，the foreign aid for agriculture was nine thousand million dollars each year．But now, it has declined to less than five thousand million dollars a year．”Yet, the F．A．O．estimates that more than eight hundred and fifty million people around the world do not get enough food．
The UN agency notes that seventy percent of the world’s hungry lies in the farmers who grow small amount of food．Many also face problems of feeding themselves．The F．A．O．says agricultural aid could help small farmers make a profit from their crops．Farmers would also be able to feed their families throughout the year and re-invest in their farms．They could buy better seeds，equipment and chemical fertilizers to help their crops grow．
Muhammad Yunis．the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to improve the lives of poor people，as well as his Bangladesh microfinance organization，the Grameen Bank，has lent small amount of money to poor people who are unable to get traditional loans，especially women．Minister Yunis says that he plans to give his share of the one million three hundred thousand dollars Nobel award to good causes．He says he wants to establish an eye hospital and start a project to produce low-cost food for the poor．To celebrate the World Food Day, how many kinds of activities are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Two． | B．Three． | C．Four． | D．Five． |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．The F．A．O．is established to invest in agriculture for food security．
B．The foreign aid for agriculture has reduced by nearly 50％in recent decades．
C．The Grameen Bank has provided large amount of loans for poor farmers．
D．Yunis will donate his entire Nobel award to help solve the hunger for the poor．With agricultural aid，farmers can_________________.
| A．promote the production of crops |
| B．produce low-cost food |
| C．invest money in other fields |
| D．buy better food |
The writer wrote the passage mainly to____________．
A．give an introduction of the F．A．O．
B．inform us of the situations of the world food
C．appeal for more investment in agriculture
D．show how to deal with the world’s hunger
If you are interested in animals, you probably heard about the tragedy at Seaworld Orlando. On February 24, Tillicum, a six-ton orca(虎鲸)，was performing with his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, who stood on a platform by his pool.
They had done the same show together many times before, without incident. This time, though, events took a terrible turn. Without warning, Tillicum leaped from the water, took hold of Branchcheau by her hair, and dragged her deep below the water’s surface. Before other trainers could react, Brancheau drowned.
Although known as killer whales, orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family. They are easy to train, and performances like Tillicum’s have been done safely thousands of times. Yet Dawn Brancheau’s death was a shocking reminder of what can happen when human being act together with wild animals. People began to ask, “Should orcas be kept in captivity(囚禁)”
Yes
Worldwide, only 42 orcas are being kept by humans. Scientists know very little about these huge sea animals, which are difficult to study in the wild. However, they do know that orcas are easily harmed by pollution. As our oceans become ever more damaged by human activity, observing orcas up close helps us understand them and do a better job of protecting them in nature.
“I think that some dangerous animals, such as killer whales, should be kept in captivity because it raises awareness about them and educates people about wild animals,” says Lauren, 12, a 6-grader from Colorado. “Keeping some in captivity will help protect their species.”
No
Enclosed habitats can be painful to wild animals, and make them act in unpredictable even harmful ways.
“It is wrong to keep these animals in captivity”, says Prathm, 12 The 7th grader from New Jersey, adds, “They should live in their own habitats, not be used as entertainment slaves.”
Richard Ellis, a marine conservationist in New York, agrees. “It is part of human nature to keep wild animals in small spaces and train them to do tricks,” he says. “I’m against it because I think it humiliates the animals.”Why does the author tell the tragedy of Dawn Brancheau ?
| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To express his sympathy. |
| C．To describe the human animal relationship. |
| D．To warn people of the danger of keeping animals. |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．It is hard to train orcas. |
| B．Orcas are rare sea animals. |
| C．Orcas’ habitat is being destroyed. |
| D．Many orcas are hunted each year. |
The underlined word ”humiliates” in the last paragraph most probably means “ _____”.
| A．makes somebody less intelligent |
| B．makes somebody feel ashamed |
| C．makes somebody physically weak |
| D．makes somebody feel threatened |
The text is mainly about_______.
| A．how to help animals live a better life |
| B．how to develop friendship with animals |
| C．whether killer whales should be protected |
| D．whether animals should be kept in captivity |
A few years ago, I felt like a true failure．I was doing Weight Watchers for the third time in order to lose weight but not making progress．
At that time, I spent hours every day working out to my videos and was still overweight．I decided that there was no point in fighting it．I thought I was meant to be fat forever．I needed a change of heart and mind．That change came in the most unexpected way．It came with running．
After dinner on Thanksgiving, I went out for a walk with my family．I had turned my little MP3 player on and was enjoying the music when my favorite song came on．I felt like dancing, but that was out of the question （I had two teenagers with me）．So I caught the speed a bit and started to run slowly．I was quite pleased with my burst of activity．
What was more surprising was that I got up the next morning and went out again．After running, I felt strong and calm at the same time．I recalled the good feelings I felt when I used to run 20 years ago and decided that I wanted more of that．I signed up for a spring race and practiced hard for it．
Even though my weight is still heavier than what I would like, I no longer care about it．I try to stay more focused on my life．Most importantly, my workouts are less than an hour per day and I take Sundays off completely．My goal is to keep exercising in my life but not let it take over my life．After all, I am so much more than my weight．
What was troubling the author according to the first two paragraphs?
| A．That she was considered to be a failure by others． |
| B．That she had too little time to work out． |
| C．That she couldn't enjoy the food she liked． |
| D．That she failed to lose weight． |
According to Paragraph 3, the author started running instead of dancing because .
| A．she thought running would help her more． |
| B．she didn't want to dance at that moment． |
| C．it was inconvenient for her to dance at that moment． |
| D．she considered it useless to dance． |
In Paragraph 4 the author mainly wants to tell us that ____．
| A．she was a good runner 20 years ago |
| B．she had strong will-power |
| C．she often surprised others |
| D．she really liked running |
What was the author's biggest change after she started running?
| A．That she changed her attitude towards losing weight． |
| B．That she no longer wanted to lose weight． |
| C．That she spent more time in working out． |
| D．That she lost more weight than expected． |
Hello, I'm Severn Suzuki speaking for E.C.O. — The Environmental Children's Organization.
Coming here today, I am fighting for my future. I am here to speak for all generations to come. I am here to speak on behalf of (代表) the starving children around the world whose cries go unheard. I am here to speak for the countless animals dying across this planet because they have nowhere left to go. I am afraid to go out in the sun now because of the holes in the ozone (臭氧层). I am afraid to breathe the air because I don't know what chemicals are in it.
You don't know how to fix the holes in our ozone layer. You don't know how to bring back an animal now extinct. And you can't bring back forests that once grew where there is now desert. If you don't know how to fix it, please stop breaking it!
Here, you may be delegates of your governments, business people, organizers, reporters or politicians— but really you are mothers and fathers, brothers and sister, aunts and uncles— and all of you are somebody's child.
At school, even in kindergarten, you teach us to behave in the world. You teach us: not to fight with others, to respect others, to clean up our mess, not to hurt other creatures, to share— not be greedy. Then why do you go out and do the things you tell us not to do?
Do not forget why you're attending these conferences, who you're doing this for— we are your own children. You are deciding what kind of world we will grow up in. But are we even on your list of priorities? My father always says "You are what you do, not what you say."
Well, what you do makes me cry at night. You grown-ups say you love us. I challenge you, please make your actions reflect your words. Thank you for listening.
What did the speaker mainly talk about?
| A．politics | B．environment |
| C．economy | D．war |
Where was the speech probably given?
| A．At a meeting held by school teachers. |
| B．At a party where many children played. |
| C．At a ceremony for the speaker’s achievement. |
| D．At a conference representatives of countries attended. |
The speech is meant to be given to the following people EXCEPT .
A. News reporters.
B. Children from E.C.O.
C. Decision makers of the governments.
D. Business men.
Why did the speaker mention what she was taught at school?
| A．To praise her teachers and her father. |
| B．To warn children of the importance of study. |
| C．To show her great achievements at school. |
| D．To prove the grown-ups’ words and actions were not consistent. |
Getting into university is hard enough at the best of times—but when your chosen institution is a work of fiction you’re really up against. And that’s why this young joker’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) application to Hogwarts University was unsuccessful.
But the admissions services’ response to the young man is still funny.
The unnamed A-Level student wrote a handwritten note to UCAS asking for a place studying ‘Wandology’ at the Harry Potter school.
In the application, he was proud of his skills in “wearing a pointy hat” and “Watching Paul Daniels TV Specials”.
UCAS replied, “We regret to inform you that your application to the stated university cannot be processed at this time for the fact that it does not exist.
“After consultation with our mystic (神秘学的) advisors we have also determined that even if it did exist, the course ‘Wandology’ would be highly in demand and thus require at least two As and a B in any of the following subjects:
Advanced Spellcrafting
Mystimatics
Defence Against the Dark Arts
History of the Mysticism
Shaft Design
“Your handwritten grade sheet claiming top marks in ‘Waving a stick about’, ‘Wearing a pointy hat’ and ‘Watching Paul Daniels TV Specials’ sadly is not suitable for admission, however, by applying through clearing you may be suitable for a selection of Liberal Arts courses.”
“Or, you may wish to resubmit next year by tying your letter to an owl (猫头鹰) and hoping for the best.
“On behalf of UCAS I wish you every success.”What do we know about the underlined word “Wandology” according to the passage?
| A．It is a course that is highly in demand in universities. |
| B．It is a course that does not exist now in real life. |
| C．It is a course that can be applied by anyone. |
| D．It is a course that is forbidden by UCAS. |
What can be inferred in the UCAS’s reply?
| A．Applying for a university is the hardest thing even in the best times. |
| B．The young student will probably start to raise an owl for the next year. |
| C．UCAS may approve the young student’s application for Liberal Arts courses. |
| D．In the end the young student succeeded in applying for Hogwarts University. |
Where may this passage be found?
| A．In a magic magazine. | B．In a history book. |
| C．In a science fiction. | D．In a newspaper. |
Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self-respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized (归类) as “honor” help you create this life of good feelings.
Here’s an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk’s mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case, where we don’t tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot lie trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk’s attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased. Whenever we take honorable action, we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it’s easy to think and act honorably again when we’re happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it’s started, it’s easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our ________.
| A．self-respect | B．financial rewards |
| C．advertising ability | D．friendly relationship |
The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to ________.
| A．lying | B．stealing |
| C．cheating | D．advertising |
The phrase bringing the error to the clerks attention (in Para.5) means ________.
| A．telling the truth to the clerk |
| B．offering advice to the clerk |
| C．asking the clerk to be more attentive |
| D．reminding the clerk of the charged item |
Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?
| A．How to Live Truthfully |
| B．Importance of Peacefulness |
| C．Ways of Gaining Self-respect |
| D．Happiness through Honorable Action |
The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies like computers and smart phone, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic(怀旧的) skill. However, while today’s educators are using more and more technologies in their teaching, many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful ---both in school and in life. Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it’s important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand.
Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks---both on a computer and by hand. The study, published in 2009, found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete senten3ces and had a faster word production rate.
In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student’s writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to how well they can write. “Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active, which helps us access our vocabulary, word meanings and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas. Berninger said.
Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe (转换) “those words in the mind written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen,” the study said. Seeing the words in the “mind’s eye” helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, says Berninger, but also to spot spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct them over time.
“In our computer age, some people believe that we don’t have to teach spelling because we have spell checks,” she said. “But until a child has a functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won’t have the knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer.”What makes writing by hand a thing of the past?
| A．The absence of blackboard in classroom. |
| B．The use of new technologies in teaching. |
| C．The lack of practice in handwriting. |
| D．The popular use of smart phones. |
Which of the following best shows the role of spelling?
| A．Spelling improves ones memory of words. |
| B．Spelling ability is closely related to writing ability. |
| C．Spelling benefits the translation from words into ideas. |
| D．Spelling slows down finding exact words to express ideas. |
What does minds eye in paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Window | B．Soul | C．Picture | D．Imagination |
What conclusion could be drawn from the passage?
| A．Computers can help people with their choice of words. |
| B．Spell checks can take the place of spelling teaching. |
| C．Handwriting still has a place in todays classrooms. |
| D．Functional spelling ability develops fast in the fifth grade. |
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