A 13-year-old American boy on Saturday became the youngest climber to conquer Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain.
Jordan Romero from Big Bear, California, climbed up the 8,850-meter summit   from the Tibetan side. On the same day, a Nepali   man, Apa Sherpa, broke his own world record of climbing Everest when he reached the summit for the twentieth time. Apa Shepa's team set off from Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, last month, heading for the base camp on the Chinese side of the mountain.
"The team has just called in and believe that they are standing on top of Mt. Everest," Romero's blog said. "Their dreams have now come true. Everyone is happy."
The climbing has put Romero one step closer to reaching his goal of climbing the highest mountains on all seven continents  . "It is just a goal." Romero said. He had already climbed five peaks  , and needs to climb only Vinson Massif, the highest peak in Antarctica, to hit his goal.
The youngest person before to climb Everest was 16-year-old Temba Tsheri Sherpa of Nepal. Romero climbed together with a team including his father Paul and three local guides. He wanted to pick a small piece of rock from the top of the world and wear it in a necklace. While Nepal insists that anyone planning to climb Mount Everest must be at least 16, China does not have any age restrictions  . Some mountain climbers haven't agreed with the Romero family for letting him try it but his father said the climbing from the Chinese side is less dangerous.

Question: Jordan Romero climbed up Mount Everest mainly to   _  .

Choices:
- meet Apa Sherpa
- build his body
- break the world record
- realize part of his goal

Question: To stand on the highest mountains on all seven continents, Jordan Romero plans to climb the peak in   _  .

Choices:
- Asia
- Antarctica
- Europe
- Africa

Question: Why did Jordan Romero choose to climb from the Chinese side of Mount Everest?

Choices:
- China allows climbers of any age to climb Mt. Everest.
- It wasn't far from Jordan's base camp on the Chinese side.
- There were more challenges on the Chinese side.
- There were more local guides on the Chinese side.

Question: We can learn from the passage that Romero   _  .

Choices:
- is the first teenager to conquer Mr. Everest
- climbed Mr. Everest without the help of local guides
- still has two peaks to conquer in order to hit his goal
- is supported by his father

Question: What would be the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- The great dream of picking rocks from top of Mt. Everest
- The number of successful Mt. Everest climbs.
- California teen becomes youngest to climb Mt. Everest.
- Mt. Everest climbing becomes more popular.


I want to tell you a story that changed my life many years ago. We were living in College Station, Texas and my wife and I were on our way home from Houston, Texas one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local restaurant to get something to eat since we had enough time. When we finished, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a homeless man standing in front of the building. His clothes were worn and it looked as though he didn't have any money. It was cold and I was sure he wanted something warm to drink; however, it was not this that I remember, because that is not what "moved" me. A dog was also walking up to the front of the building. Being a dog owner, I knew that the dog was a mother, and that she had just had some pups  . She was hungry and weak and I felt bad for her. I knew if she didn't eat soon, she and her pups would not live. People walking by didn't even notice her. She was not as pretty and clean as most dogs, but she still deserved   better. We still did not do anything, but someone else did. The homeless man, who I thought could not afford anything to eat, went into the store and bought dog food with all the money he had.

Question: Where did the story happen?

Choices:
- In front of the local restaurant.
- In front of a building.
- In the car parking lot.
- Near the author's house.

Question: What do we know about the dog?

Choices:
- The author wanted to help the dog, but he was un-able to.
- The dog and her pups were in danger of dying from hunger.
- The dog was not cute enough to be loved.
- The author didn't like dogs.

Question: Which of the following moved the author?

Choices:
- The homeless man had no money to buy food for himself.
- The homeless man wore worn clothes on cold days.
- The homeless man bought food for a dog with all his money.
- Most people walking by the dog didn't notice her.

Question: What can we conclude  from the passage?

Choices:
- The author was so hungry that he went into the local restaurant to eat.
- The author didn't understand what the homeless man did.
- The dog shouldn't be taken care of carefully because it looked ugly.
- Things are not always what they seem.

Question: Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- My Memory
- A Poor Dog
- The Homeless Person
- A Mother Dog


Earth Day events are arranged all over the world, but for New Yorkers in the Catskill region, there are plenty of options.s6t----
Earth Day Celebrations6t----
Place: Frost Valley; Time: Friday, April 8 - Saturday, April 9 (Check-in at 5:00 pm on Friday). Activities include recycled arts and crafts projects, classes on composting   and recycling, nature hikes, and a greenhouse planting project. All ages are welcomed. $15.00 per person (includes lunch). Kids 5 and under free. Call (845) 985-2291 for more details and to register.s6t----
Earth Festivals6t----
Place: Milford Central School; Time: Saturday, April 9 (11:00 am - 3:00 pm). Enjoy exhibits, activities and entertainment. Bring along your recyclables to be collected. You'll go green! Fashion Show will be held at the end of the day. Admission to the Festival is free, and tickets for the fashion show are $10 per person (or $60 for a table of 8). Call (607) 286-7721 for tickets to the fashion show or (607) 547-4488 for details about the Festival.s6t----
Clean Sweeps6t----
Place: Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site; Time: Sunday, April 17 (9:00 am - 12:00 pm). Help clean up the park with bush cutting and trash pick-up. You'll be joining volunteers from the Montgomery County Water Quality Committee. Please bring your own equipment (lunch will be provided). Call (518) 829-7516 for more details.s6t----
Trail Work Days6t----
It is in Grafton Lakes State Park on Saturday, April 16 (9:00 am - 12:00 pm). Enjoy the outdoors and take a hike while helping park volunteers to clear and inspect the trails. Sign up on Markwehnau@aol.com or call (518) 279-1155. This event may be rescheduled if weather is not permitting. s6t----

Question: This passage was written mainly for   _  .s6t----

Choices:
- students who study at Milford Central School, New Yorks6t----
- people who want to attend Earth Day events in the Catskill regions6t----
- adults who protect the environment in New Yorks6t----
- people who celebrate Earth Day all over the worlds6t----

Question: If a couple with a five-year-old child go to Frost Valley, they should pay   _  .s6t----

Choices:
- 15 dollars
- 20 dollars
- 30 dollars
- 35 dollarss6t----

Question: If you want to get tickets to the fashion show, you should call   _  .s6t----

Choices:
- (845) 985-2291
- (518) 829-7516
- (607) 286-7721s6t----
- (607) 547-4488

Question: Where will you go if you only have time on Sunday?s6t----

Choices:
- Frost Valley.s6t----
- Milford Central School.
- Grafton Lakes State Park.
- Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site.s6t----


Thank-you cards -- heartfelt expressions of gratitude for gifts, services and general kindness -- seem to be rare in an age when the Internet continues to reduce human touch.
Although our society has changed greatly over the past century, the  _ of thank-you notes has not.
While most people would agree that thank-you notes under these conditions are a necessity, there are still those who forever delay or are forgetful for unknown reasons.
And at no time of the year are thank-you notes more visible (or lacking) than June, the month of graduations, and the beginning of summer parties.
" It' s a must-do thing. A real ' thank you' does not come by e-mail. It comes in the mail in an envelope. And what comes out of an envelope is a beautiful thing to touch and to handle and to pass around for everyone to read, "said etiquette expert Letitia Baldrige.
Don't think for a second that Baldrige is old-fashioned. Handwritten thank-you notes -- any handwritten letter, for that matter -- have taken on an air of extra importance in this e-hyper   world.
Baldrige remains hopeful that the art may be enjoying a renaissance .
More than simply obeying rules of etiquette, thank-you cards are a sign of caring.
"They are more important now than ever,"expert Peter Post says. "You are building a relationship. And part of building that relationship is that you recognize it when someone has done something nice for you."
"The payoff, "Post says, "can be huge. The more we do it, the more it comes back to us, and it's a benefit to us all. It makes our world a little bit nicer place to live in."

Question: Nowadays thank-you cards seem to be rare mainly because   _  .

Choices:
- People think that they are out of fashion
- It is cheaper to say thanks by e-mail
- The Internet has reduced our chances of getting together
- People are too busy to remember these things

Question: The author implies in this article that   _  .

Choices:
- old-fashioned people don't use e-mails
- the changing society is making people impolite and lazy
- modern technology is driving people apart
- the e-hyper world is not a nice place to live in

Question: What is the author's main purpose of writing this article?

Choices:
- To remind people to express heartfelt thanks.
- To criticize people's forgetfulness.
- To suggest building a new relationship.
- To emphasize the importance of e-mail.


September is an exciting month in every college freshman's life. For many, it's the first time that they've left home to live in a new environment. But after the hustle and bustle of a few weeks, excitement gives way to a less enjoyable emotion-- homesickness.
Homesickness manifests itself in many ways. You may miss mum's cooking, your pets, or even your old bed. All this becomes a fond memory of the past. Homesickness can be a bitter feeling for many students, especially when faced with the challenges of settling into an unfamiliar environment.
But remember, you're not alone. According to a recent BBC article, 70 percent of British college students experience homesickness. In this increasingly globalized world in which people migrate to faraway places for a relationship, education or work, homesickness is a feeling shared by many adults.
Homesickness can have similar symptoms to depression and in extreme cases it can develop into a panic attack. As for the term, homesickness or nostalgia wasn't invented until the 17th century. It was considered a disorder by a Swiss physician, who attributed soldiers' mental and physical discomfort to their longing to return home, "nostos" from Greek, and the accompanying pain, "algos".
Studies in recent years, however, have shown that nostalgia may have some benefits to our mental health. After a decade of surveys and researches, Constantine Sedikides, a US social psychologist, found that nostalgia is what makes us human. He explains that nostalgia can resist loneliness, boredom and anxiety. Therefore, it's necessary for college students to learn some ways to overcome the uncomfortable feeling.

Question: According to the passage, we can know that   _  .

Choices:
- homesickness may cause mental diseases
- homesickness is a feeling only shared by adults
- homesickness won't do any good to our health
- homesickness is also called nostalgia in Switzerland

Question: The attitude of Sedikides towards homesickness is   _  .

Choices:
- negative
- supportive
- skeptical
- critical

Question: What is the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- Let's embrace homesickness
- How to fit into the college life
- A harmful emotion--homesickness
- The disadvantages of homesickness


Being young is great. Most of the parts of your body still work great, you have a full head of hair, you're energetic, and you have a world of opportunity in front of you. However, there's going to come a time when you start to get older. And as you get older, you'll have new responsibilities, complete independence, and perhaps most importantly, less time to recover from mistakes.
You see, we all make mistakes in life. Maybe you spent more money than you should have on a car, you passed up on a great job opportunity, or you didn't try as hard as you could have in school. It's a part of life and we learn from it. But there are certain mistakes that are much better made while you're still young and have plenty of time to recover.
I'm definitely not telling you that you should purposely go out and make these mistakes (because they're a pain to recover from). But these are all mistakes that are much better made when you're younger so that you can learn from them and not have them ruin your entire life.
Starting the wrong career
Wouldn't you hate to be 45 years old and discover that you absolutely hate what you do for a living? It's a reality that a lot of people face and it can be difficult to fix. You see, when you're 23 and find out you don't like the career path you've chosen, you can easily explore new career options.
We no longer live in an age when people are expected to stay with one company until they retire. You can bounce around a little bit and find out what you want to do. When you get older, just switching careers whenever you want isn't as simple.
You have to consider your family, retirement, the difficulties you might run into with starting from the bottom in a new industry, and plenty of other issues that someone in their early 20's just doesn't have to deal with.
Dating the wrong person
The divorce rate in the U.S is extremely high. Other parts of the world aren't doing too much better either. While everyone gets divorced for their own reasons, I think we can all agree that it's better to find out that the person you're with is wrong for you sooner rather than later.
Hopefully you find out whether or not the person you're with is right for you before you tie the knot, because around 50% of first marriages end in divorce.
Messing up your credit
Ruining your credit is never a good idea. Even if you ruin it while you're young, it could affect you in the future. The upside of having bad credit while you're young instead of older is that you have time to build it back up.
It can take 7-10 years to rebuild your credit if you have a history of late payments, loan defaults, foreclosures, or bankruptcy. During those 7-10 years, you'll have a hard time financing anything unless you have a cosigner or put down a substantial down payment.
Most people tend to make most of the bigger purchases in life when they get older such as a house or their dream car. If you have bad credit, you can kiss all of that goodbye.
Making bad investments
If you're investing money for your retirement, making bad decisions can mean you'll be working your entire life. Whether you choose to pay someone to do the investing for you or handle it all yourself, it's a lot better to take risks when you're younger.
If you invest in stock or even real estate while you're young and the market takes a hit, you're not ruined. Investing is a long-term venture, so the younger you start, the more fluctuation you can withstand and still come out with a positive return.
Blowing your money
What would you do if you went broke at 60 years old? You would be working your behind off when you really should be relaxing and getting ready to retire soon.
But if you're 25 and broke, you still have plenty of time to earn more money. Also, nobody will judge you because it's not unusual for people in their 20's to not have money these days. You might have blown your money on a nice car or have an obsession with all the newest gadgets.
When you get older, you'll be able to look back and realize how dumb you were for spending $20,000 on a brand new car when you were only 20 years old. But when you're older and waste your money, you'll REALLY have nothing to show for it.

Question: The following are all the advantages of being young EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- you have more time to recover from mistakes
- most of the parts of your body still work great
- you have many responsibilities and complete independence
- you have a world of opportunity in front of you

Question: You can bounce around a little bit and find out what you want to do. "Bounce" in this sentence is most similar in meaning to   _  .

Choices:
- My father would burst into the kitchen bouncing a football.
- The wind was bouncing the branches of the big oak trees.
- I was an army brat, I always bounced a lot when I was young
- The ex-boxer's job is to bounce people who want to enter this private club.

Question: What does the author really mean by saying "it's a lot better to take risks when you're younger"?

Choices:
- You should purposely go out and make these mistakes so that you can learn from them and not have them ruin your entire life.
- There are certain mistakes that are much better made while you're still young and have plenty of time to recover.
- When you get older, you'll have rich experiences to share with your friends and families however dumb you were
- The younger you start, the fewer risks you can withstand and still come out with a positive return.

Question: We can infer from the passage that   _  .

Choices:
- about 50% of first marriages end in divorce in the U.S, much higher than other parts of the world
- never tie the knot before you make sure he or she will not divorce you
- it usually takes 7-10 years to rebuild one's credit if it is broken for any reason
- it's unusual for people in their 20's to have money these days

Question: The author wrote this article mainly to tell the young   _  .

Choices:
- if you are to take risks, the earlier, the better
- it's better for the young to take any risk than the older
- that they should make big purchases such as a house when they get older
- if you don't take risks when young, your youth will be dumb


Experts have put forward detailed plans for a tunnel to connect Taiwan with the Chinese mainland.
    The shortest proposed route would be 126 kilometers more than twice the length of the English Channel Tunnel. And the longest proposed route would be 207 kilometers.
    A recent conference in Xiamen, Fujian Province brought together more than 70 experts. The event was co-sponsored   by universities from Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.
    Fujian is the province where both proposed routes would begin. There is direct passenger access between the mainland and Taiwan by air and sea at the moment. Experts say that it is better to start research sooner rather than later, although there is a lack of government funding . There are no technical problems to build a Taiwan tunnel. But it will require an improved political relationship across the Straits .
    A professor of Tsinghua University said, "A special feature of huge projects is that the period of preparation is longer than the period of construction."
    For example, he said, the English Channel Tunnel took 14 years of planning and had been discussed for two centuries. And preparations for the huge Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River began in the 1950s.
    The Xiamen conference focused on the longest southern route, which would pass Jinmen and Penghu.
    The first stage of the new project could be a bridge to cross the five kilometers between Xiamen and Jinmen. This would mean that travelling from Xiamen to Jinmen by car would only take five minutes.
    The longest tunnel now being planned anywhere in the world is the 54-kilometer land tunnel to link Lyon in France with Turin in Italy. The tunnel will not be completed until 2015-2020.

Question: Which is the longest tunnel in the world at present?

Choices:
- The tunnel between Lyon and Turin.
- The English Channel Tunnel.
- The Taiwan Straits tunnel.
- The passage doesn't mention it.

Question: Which of the following is NOT true?

Choices:
- Universities both at home and abroad have sponsored   the plan.
- If the project is completed, the world's longest tunnel will appear.
- You can reach Taiwan from the mainland directly at present.
- The starting point of the proposed tunnel is in Fujian.

Question: The example of English Channel Tunnel shows   _  .

Choices:
- it's not easy to complete a huge project
- there are many problems to be solved before doing something
- discussions among countries usually take a lot of time
- the preparation takes longer time than the construction

Question: What is the major difficulty in carrying out the plan?

Choices:
- Improving the relationship between Taiwan and the mainland.
- The lack of money for the project from the government.
- The detailed plans for the tunnel.
- The technical problems with the tunnel.


One rainy night , Mark decided to end his life . Having undergone a lot of sufferings and frustrations , he walked the streets , feeling desperate .
On that same night , I was sitting in my room when I heard the doorbell rang . My mom opened the door , finding herself face-to-face with a very disheveled-looking man , Mark , with tears running down his face . My mom , overcome by pity , invited him inside .
Curious , I went downstairs to get a better look . The sight of the man , holding his head in his hands and crying , made my chest ache . I raced back upstairs to my room , pulled out my only half-dollar coin from my money jar and ran back downstairs .
When I reached the door of the living room , I walked right in and quickly made my way over to the stranger . I put the half-dollar in his hand and told him that I wanted him to have it . Then I gave him a hug and turned and ran as fast as I could out of the room and back up the stairs .
Downstairs , tears streamed down Mark's face as he tightly held that coin . Finally he said , " It's just that I thought nobody cared . For the last twenty years , I have been so alone . That was the first hug I have gotten . It's hard to believe that somebody cares . "
Before Mark left , my parents asked him why he had knocked on our door , Mark said that as he was walking the streets that rainy night , hope. less and ready to die , he noticed a bumper sticker on our car reading SOMEBODY LOVES YOU .
It's hard to imagine that a bumper sticker and fifty cents could change a person's life . Mark's life did change that night . When he left our house , he was ready to live instead of die .

Question: Mom let Mark inside our house because she   _   .

Choices:
- was hospitable to anyone
- was ready to help others
- wanted to educate me
- felt sorry for him

Question: Why did Mark cry when he tightly held the coin ?

Choices:
- Because he realized he was not abandoned by the world .
- Because he was worried about whether he could pay it back .
- Because he finally got money when he was in great need of it .
- Because he felt ashamed that he should get money from a child .

Question: Which of the following can best describe the author ?

Choices:
- Curious and desperate.
- Sympathetic and nice.
- Miserable and kind.
- Brave and thoughtful.

Question: What can be the best title for the passage ?

Choices:
- Love is Selfless
- Kindness is Rewarding
- Love Saves All
- Be Kind to Strangers


SYDNEY--Australia's economic boom is encouraging a steady stream of unexpected visitors looking for work: Americans.
U.S. citizens are heading to Australia in small but growing numbers as near-10% unemployment at home drives more to look for jobs Down Under, where China's thirst for iron ore   and energy is transforming the Pacific nation into an economic powerhouse.
A bricklaying student from Silver Trowel, a leading provider of quality education and training in the building and construction industry, apprentices   on a building project in Western Australia, where workers are in short supply.
Daniel Davila, a 23-year-old floorer from Camarillo, California made the 14-hour move across the Pacific two years ago. He had been forced to take a job stocking shelves at a local grocery store for $8.90 an hour when he couldn't get work fixing floors.
On a good day in Australia, he now makes as much as 50 Australian dollars (US$50.21) an hour--about twice the amount for a typical flooring job in the U.S. He plans to start his own flooring business.
"I can make what I did in a week in the U.S. in less than a day here," said Mr. Davila, who lives near a mining boom town in Western Australia.
Australian government figures show just under 7,000 Americans currently working on long-term visas, an 80% jump over the past five years. U.S. citizens are now the third-largest group applying for so-called 457 work visas, after British and Indian nationals. Americans with degrees in areas such as accounting or mine engineering, as well as other skilled workers, can obtain a nonrenewable  permit for as much as a three-year stay. After that, they can apply for the renewable 457, which allows up to a four-year stay.
The need for workers is particularly pressing in Western Australia. The mining state's unemployment rate was 4.5% in November, below the national average of 5.2%. Drivers of heavy trucks can pull in six-figure salaries while experienced crane   operators can earn hundreds of thousands a year. Attracting skilled workers is a shift for Australia, which historically sent many of its most highly educated to the U.S. and Europe, according to migration data.

Question: _  , a growing number of Americans go to work in Australia.

Choices:
- As a result of the encouragement of Australia
- As a result of high unemployment in the U.S.
- Out of their ambition of finding valuable resources
- Out of their determination to realize their dreams

Question: It can be inferred from the passage that 457 work visasare  _  .

Choices:
- for skilled workers in some fields
- for students on the building project
- especially for American workers
- especially for those out of work

Question: It is implied in the passage that   _  .

Choices:
- foreigners have to give up their original professional jobs when working in Australia
- it is possible for foreigners to earn more money in Australia than in their own countries
- there are more U.S. citizens hoping to work in Australia than from other countries
- Australians think it fair to exchange their talent with American skilled workers


Table manners are very different in every country. For example, when you are in England you must not lift your soup plate to your mouth. This is very impolite. But when you are in Japan this is completely normal. Lifting your plate to your mouth in Japan is a traditional way of drinking your soup. And also in Japan you don't have to worry about making a noise when you drink it. It just shows that you really like the food! But it is not the same in Britain, so you shouldn't make a noise when eating there.
In Britain, people don't put their hands or arms on the table during the meal. But in Mexico, guests keep their hands on the table all the time. In fact, you should watch what your hands do very carefully. In Arab countries, it is impolite when you eat with your left hand, so don't do it!
In all the cultures it is impolite to speak when you are eating.
In Ukraine you should not start eating first; you should wait for all the others to start eating with you. You also have to say "please" and "thank you" every time you ask for and get something. If you don't like some food, don't make faces and don't say: "Yuk! I hate that!"
The best way to avoid making mistakes in other countries is to watch the host and try to do as he does.

Question: It is impolite to lift the soup plate to your mouth in   _  .

Choices:
- .Japan
- England
- . Ukraine
- . Mexico

Question: When you are ea ting in Japan, making a noise means that   _  .

Choices:
- you feel ill
- you dislike the fo od
- you like the food
- you are very hungry

Question: Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

Choices:
- Keeping your hands on the table is polite in Britain but impolite in Mexico.
- In Arab countries you should eat with your right hand.
- Speaking when you're eating is impolite just in some cultures.
- In Ukraine, it's a tradition that the guest eats first.

Question: How does the text mainly develop?

Choices:
- By giving examples.
- By explaining reasons.
- By following the order of time.
- By following the order of importance.


Depressed people can be very difficult to be around,and yet they need more than the usual amount of support and understanding from their friends and family.
The anger and lack of concern that a depressed person may have for people close to him or her can be very disturbing to someone who's trying to help.At such times,the sincerity of a friend or a family member is questioned when the depressed person doesn't feel worthy of someone's friendship.Withdrawal from others can make it nearly impossible to encourage a depressed person to enter into activities that may help pull him or her out of the depression.
It is frequently difficult for a depressed person to carry on a conversation.Attempts to help may be met with defensiveness and verbal attacks.While being supportive and understanding,the friend of a family member must be careful not to do too many things for the depressed person.There is a very thin line between being supportive and being overly protective.Too much"doing for" can be a disservice .
You can best help a friend or relative who is depressed by considering the following points:
*Do not moralize.Don't pressure him or her to "put on a happy face," or to "snap out of it." Often the person will feel even worse after hearing such words.
*When you are alone with your depressed friend,you might say something like,"I've noticed lately that you seem down.I care about you and would like to listen to what you're thinking about." Then be a good listener.
*Don't say,"I know exactly how you feel." You probably don't.But if you've had similar experiences,sharing those may help.Say things like,"This happened to me.It might help you." Or "I know some of what you must be feeling."
*Urge him or her to get professional help if necessary.Offer to accompany your friend on the first visit if it will be easier for the person.

Question: .The above passage is mainly intended for   _  .

Choices:
- a doctor who works with a depressed person
- a depressed person
- one who lives with a depressed person
- an expert who gives advice to a depressed person

Question: Too much "doing for" can   _  .

Choices:
- cause more severe depression
- give the depressed person courage
- result in defensiveness from the depressed person
- be of no help to the depressed person

Question: What are you advised to say to a depressed person?

Choices:
- Try to look happy and you'll be better.
- I know exactly how you feel.
- I had a similar experience.And it might help you.
- Cheer up and get rid of your depression.


Treetops, the hotel in the trees, are famous in the world. People know little about Kenya, but they know of Treetops. When King George VI died, Princess Elizabeth was staying on the Treetops, and when she came down from there, "She _ him as the queen of the country".
The hotel is in the middle of the forest, and it shows the pleasure of Africa. When you visit it, you will be sent into the heart of the forest by hotel buses, and then a guide, with a gun to protect you against big game, will go with you to the Treetops. Before and after dinner, for the whole night if you wish, you can sit on the corridor , watching animals come to the water pool. The earliest hotel Treetops was built round a large tree on the opposite side of the water, but that was destroyed by fire and the new hotel Treetops, which is built round several trees, is much bigger.
The dining room at Treetops is small, and the waiters cannot walk round to serve guests, so a clever " _ " has been invented. Guests take their food as it passes slowly in front of them, along a line in the center of the table.
There are many animals around the Treetops. When you visit them, you can see:
---Animals and their babies are waiting to greet the guests.
---Animals, enjoying the Treetops pool in the daylight.
---A long bodied, long ring tailed very active cat-like animal is a special one coming out at night. He hunts and eats anything he can catch and is very destructive. He lives in the trees at Treetops. He comes for his food every evening. Do not get too near to him, as his teeth and claws can do you harm. These animals can be trained and become lovely pets.

Question: Which of the following statements about "the cat-like animal" is WRONG?

Choices:
- It comes for food only at night.
- It lives in the trees at Treetops.
- Its teeth and claws can do people harm.
- It can catch any other animal in the forest.

Question: We can learn from the text that the guests   _  .

Choices:
- will be protected by a guide in the forest
- can play with the cat-like animals
- can have parties in the dinning room
- could not sit on the corridor at night


A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below l6degC. Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover,these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere, warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns,potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.
In the past hundred years,humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources : land for crops,wood for paper and other products,land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example,a lot of carbon dioxide in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.
There are two main reasons for _ . Firstly,when people cut down trees,generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly,cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now,but in the long run it actually reduces the world's wood supply.
Rainforests are often called the world's drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However,fewer than l%of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world's shrinking   rainforests.

Question: Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they  _  .

Choices:
- reflect more heat into the atmosphere
- bring about high rainfall throughout the world
- rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than l6degC
- reduce the effect of heat from the sun on the earth

Question: It can be inferred from the text that   _  .

Choices:
- we can get enough resources without rainforests
- there is great medicine potential in rainforests
- we will grow fewer kinds of crops in the gained land
- the level of annual rainfall affects wind patterns

Question: What might be the best title for the text?

Choices:
- How to Save Rainforests
- How to Protect Nature
- Rainforests and the Environment
- Rainforests and Medical Development


MONTAGNE: In the summer of 2011, the world first heard of a small island in Norway under the most terrible of circumstances. Utoya Island was a youth camp run by Norway's Labor Party. One day in July, a heavily armed, right-wing extremist stepped onto the island and began shooting at random. Sixty-nine people died, over 100 were wounded; almost all, young people. This month, artist Jonas Dahlberg was appointed to create a memorial. He described to us the experience he imagines for those who come to the island.
DAHLBERG: You start your walk through a forest of evergreens on a wooden pathway. After a while, this pathway starts to go down into the landscape.
MONTAGNE: Down into the landscape, and into a short tunnel. When you come out, you are unable to go any farther. You can't get to the tip of the island because it has been cut off. So all you can do is look across a narrow channel of water at what is now a wall of polished stone, carved with the names of the dead.
DAHLBERG: It becomes almost like a gravestone. You cannot reach it. It's close enough to be able to read, but it's forever lost for your possibility to reach.
MONTAGNE: It's being called _ . Exactly what do you mean by that?
DAHLBERG: During my first site visit, the experience of seeing those gunshots--and you can see it was like being in an open wound. And it took me to a stage of deep sadness where it was hard to breathe. So I didn't want to illustrate loss; I wanted to make actual loss. It's just a cut through the island.
MONTAGNE: On the day of the massacre, just hours before launching his shooting on the island, the killer set off a bomb in downtown Oslo, leaving eight people dead. As those events were unfolding, artist Jonas Dahlberg had been out with his brother, and stopped in at a seaside village.
DAHLBERG: In the harbor, it was silent, and this is the higher end of summer. So, it's normally a very lively place. And it was total silence there; and it was a very, very strange feeling in the whole small village. And it's totally impossible to grasp what is going on. And then it just kept on. It's still almost impossible to understand it. It's also one of the reasons why it's so important with memorials for these kind of things. It's to maybe help a little bit to understand what was happening. So it's not just about remembering. It's also about trying to just understand.
MONTAGNE: Artist Jonas Dahlberg designed the memorial for the 69 who died at a youth camp on Utoya Island. The attack was the deadliest in Norway since World War II. That memorial will open in 2015. And to see a virtual version of what it will look like, go to our website, at npr.org. This is Renee Montagne at NPR news.

Question: Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Choices:
- Utoya Island was the only bloody shooting spot planned by the killer.
- Utoya Island used to be a youth camp site and now has been reduced to total silence.
- Dahlberg and his brother witnessed the shooting on Utoya Island.
- Visitors to Utoya Island can touch the names of the victims carved on the polished stone.


Polynesian Cultural Center
The Polynesian Cultural Center (P.C.C.) offers the best value for your vacation dollar. There is so much to see and do for the entire family. They offer a unique and authentic view not only of the Hawaiian culture, but also offer a taste of their Polynesian cuisines  .
The Gateway Buffet Package
A fun activity for all ages, experience the beauty of true Polynesia with The Polynesian Cultural Center's newest package. Experience the 7 Polynesian Islands as they share with you their culture through song and dance. Enjoy Prime Rib & Seafood Dinner at the Gateway Restaurant, finishing the evening with the Horizons Night Show.
Adult Price: $68.00
Child Price: $51.00
The Twilight Package--Ambassador's Fine Dining
This activity is an excellent choice for those who want a shorter visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center. You will be guided through the two villages, and you can choose from Hawaiian Luau or Prime Rib & Seafood Dinner. You will then attend the Horizons Night Show and receive a souvenir video, program and a "Pineapple Delight" dessert.
Adult Price: $103.00
Child Price: $69.00
The Ambassador Luau Package
Enjoy your experience at the Polynesian Cultural Center with luxury   services and places of entertainment as you are guided through our seven villages by your personal tour guide. Enjoy the delicious Ali'i Luau Feast and front row seats at the Horizons Night Show.
Adult Price: $118.00
Child Price: $83.00
The Super Ambassador Luau Package
You will discover for yourself why the Polynesian people are known as the most hospitable   in the world. Enjoy all the luxuries and places of entertainment of the Polynesian Cultural Center as you tour our seven islands with your personal tour guide. You can choose from delicious Prime Rib & Seafood Dinner or Ali'i Luau Feast. Enjoy front row seats at the Horizons Night Show.
Adult Price: $215.00
Child Price: $165.00

Question: The four packages are most suitable for   _  .

Choices:
- a family who plan a holiday
- a group of cultural researchers
- a group of school students
- a group of busy businessmen

Question: Which of the following provides tourists with a souvenir?

Choices:
- The Gateway Buffet Package
- The Twilight Package--Ambassador's Fine Dining
- The Ambassador Luau Package
- The Super Ambassador Luau Package

Question: Tourists can experience the Polynesian culture mainly through   _  .

Choices:
- the local people's dresses
- luxury services and places of entertainment
- songs and dances
- cuisines

Question: What can we learn from the above four packages?

Choices:
- The Twilight Package--Ambassador's Fine Dining is the cheapest one.
- The 7 Polynesian Islands are included in all the packages.
- The Horizons Night Show may be of special interest to tourists.
- You can enjoy Ali'i Luau Feast if you choose The Gateway Buffet Package.

Question: How many kinds of cuisines are mentioned in the passage?

Choices:
- One.
- Two.
- Three.
- Four.


My father always told me never to ever reveal my true opinions towards other people unless such opinions are positive. He said this is the "Chu Shi Zhe Xue", the philosophy of dealing with social network.
  It seems that everybody here just follows this philosophy very, very well.
 I would say that if I were given true friendship I would definitely treasure it with my greatest care. If I really regard someone as my close friend, I would never leave her alone whenever she's in need, either financially or mentally. And I always believe, as long as I treat people with whole-hearted honesty, I would have some rewards--at least, just ONE true friend of the same gender.
 Sometimes I just miss my friends in China. Perhaps when we became friends, we were still young, too young to have been polluted by any dirt in the society. But here, it is simply different. It seems that all of us have learned how to survive in a foreign land and such an experience actually makes us learn how to get the most benefits from the surroundings in order to survive.
 All are friends around me. I've looked through all the dark sides of their personalities and yet I have to pretend that I know nothing. I say to myself:They are good and we are friends". And then I can make myself comfortable enough to talk to people I hate the most. And of course, they don't say any words truly from their hearts. Neither do I.
However, sometimes I just feel unwilling to talk to these people. Sometimes, I just want to be alone, quietly, without being forced to listen to their gossip or other useless words.
"Standing on a mountain high
Looking at the moon through a clear blue sky
I should go and see some friends
But they don't really comprehend"
    The singer expresses my feelings, too.

Question: What do we know about the writer's father according to this passage?

Choices:
- He is really a good philosopher.
- He can get on well with others.
- He told the writer to reveal her true opinions.
- The passage doesn't mention it.

Question: Why does the writer mention the song twice in the passage?

Choices:
- She likes the song very much.
- The singer is one of her friends.
- The song expresses her feelings.
- She uses it to perfects her article.

Question: Which of the following statements about the writer is not TRUE?

Choices:
- She is now living abroad but doesn't enjoy the life there.
- She sometimes doubts her father's philosophy.
- She shows a positive attitude to her relationship with others.
- She doesn't think highly of her friends by saying "They are good".

Question: The writer mostly expresses that she feels   _   in this passage.

Choices:
- happy
- homesick
- lonely
- alone


I recall a moment that I experienced with my dad when I was twenty-one. I was going to college and living with a couple of friends in Chicago.
When the car I was using died, my dad, realizing that I needed transportation to get to work and to school, was good enough to lend me the money for a used car. Shortly after I bought it, my parents drove down to San Diego for the winter. Before they left, my dad gave me some of his bank deposit slips   with clear and detailed instructions to put one hundred dollars of my earnings, every payday, into their savings account while they were gone.
At that time of my life, I was not yet clear about what were the most important problems that I had to attend to first. I dismissed our agreement as nothing important and continued to spend my money as fast as I was making it, in pubs, on dates, and so on. Instead of honoring our agreement, I made payments that were less than the agreed-upon amounts, and on more than one occasion I made no payment at all.
When my parents arrived home in late March, I got a call from my dad, who said, "Don't go anywhere. I'm coming over." My dad was (and still is) a physical presence and had been a truck driver for thirty-five years. I felt ashamed and guilty, knowing that Dad had discovered that I hadn't held up my end of our bargain.
After he came in, he told me to sit down because he had a few things to tell me. There was no shouting, no red face with a vein about to burst on his forehead, and no bad language at all. His first words were, "When your mother and I got back into town yesterday, I called the bank. I can't say I was surprised to discover that you hadn't made all the payments. My first thought was to come here and take the car from you, but I want to tell you some things while I'm here. Maybe you'll understand, and maybe you won't."
He went on to tell me, very calmly, about what it means to keep your word. He explained that when he was growing up after the Depression, a man's handshake and his word meant everything. He also told me that because I was twenty-one, he didn't feel angry so much as sad and disappointed. He closed by saying that our words and actions have a real effect on others, and that my words and actions were what others would measure me by. He added that if I hadn't yet formed some core or basic values and principles, this might be a good time to start thinking about those things.
For the first time, I saw real disappointment on Dad's face.
He gave me a second chance to make our deal right, and even gave me more deposit slips, saying, "I will take those keys if you miss a single payment or, at the very least, if you don't let me know in advance that you'll have trouble making a payment.  _ ."
He spoke for about forty-five minutes, and I listened. He didn't expect me to say much, and I knew enough to keep quiet. I just nodded or shook my head at the right time and continued to listen.
That time we spent together changed me forever. Then and there, I made a promise to myself that I'd never again be the cause of that look of sadness and disappointment on Dad's face. After that defining afternoon, our relationship got better and better. I'm now married with two sons of my own, and they're already learning about the importance of honor, trust, and honesty.

Question: The writer bought a second-hand car because   _  .

Choices:
- he was going to college
- he was living with some friends
- he was working while studying
- his parents wanted to go to San Diego

Question: Which of the following do you think is the real cause of Dad's disappointment?

Choices:
- The writer had not formed his fundamental values and principles.
- The writer had not thought clearly about his future.
- The writer had not made all the payments.
- The writer had spent too much money drinking in pubs.

Question: When dealing with the writer's failure to keep his word, his father was   _  .

Choices:
- mild but unfair
- angry but considerate
- firm but forgiving
- cruel but reasonable

Question: The writer mentions his own marriage and children at the end of the story in order to show   _  .

Choices:
- his love for his own children
- his father's long-lasting influence
- his own happy family life
- his memory of his father


When people talk about Golden Age in Leadville, Horace Austin Warner Tabor and his second wife, Elizabeth McCourt must be included. Their story is becoming one of the legends of the Old West. H.A.W.Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. With his first wife and two children he left Vermont in 1855 to settle in Kansas. Perhaps he was attracted by rumors of fortunes to be made in Colorado mines. A few years later he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. "Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here."he said.
As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville's fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store selling everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco. He often "grubstook" miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or"grub", while they looked for more. In return he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered. He did this for several years,but nobody he helped ever found anything of value.
Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two miners came               in               and asked for "grub".Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. They were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them, " Oh help yourself. One more time won't make any difference," He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich amount of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the "Pittsburgh Mine,"made $300 000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment.
Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barren hillside just outside the town for $117 000. This turned out to be even more successful than the Pittsburgh, earning $35 000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew. Tabor became its first mayor.

Question: According to the passage, why was Tabor able to achieve great success in Leadville?

Choices:
- His wise decisions helped him achieve goals.
- He knew miners there were poor.
- He succeeded quite by accident.
- His second wife helped him a lot.

Question: Tabor renamed the city Leadville when he became its first mayor because   _  .

Choices:
- it was the mayor's duty to do so
- a great storage of lead was found there
- the city had brought great fortune to Tabor
- miners were eager to search for lead

Question: What maybe talked about in the following part of the story?

Choices:
- Tabor's children.
- Tabor's second wife.
- Tabor's first wife.
- Miners in Leadville.


It's fun to receive presents. It also feels good to give presents to others. So what's the best way to budget your money, shop wisely and spend smartly this holiday season? Time for kids asked for advice from Susan Beacham of Money Savvy Generation, a company that teaches money-management skills to kids.
" My first tip is to make a list and check it twice," says Beacham. She suggests that kids talk with their families about whom to include in their gift giving and how much to spend. Start by writing down names, Beacham says. Then put a dollar amount next to each name and add it up. Do you have enough money? If not, make changes. And don't forget---- not everyone needs a store-bought gift. Beacham points out that some of the best presents are free. Add to your list the names of people you want to give gifts of time and talent.
Do the match
Take the list with you to the store and "make sure that you do the math," says Beacham " If you've spent $ 30 on someone you were going to spent $25 on, you're going to have to spend $5 less on somebody else." The key to budgeting is staying within the boundaries you've set for yourself.
Gifts from the heart
The best gifts don't cost a thing. Here are some of Beacham's top gifts ideas.
*For parents, make coupons  that can be trade for your services, such as doing dishes.
*For grandma, write a note telling her how special she is to you.
*For a friend, create a work of art, like a poem, a drawing or a necklace.
*For teachers, bake a delicious cake.

Question: What's the most important thing in budgeting for presents according to Beacham?

Choices:
- Spending money within the limit you have set.
- Working out how much money to spend in total.
- Deciding how much money to spend on each person.
- Checking the name list of people you will give presents

Question: Which of the following is Beacham's gift idea for friends?

Choices:
- Writing a note telling them you love them.
- Offering to help them with their studies.
- Bringing them delicious food.
- Drawing pictures for them

Question: What's the text mainly about?

Choices:
- How to teach kids money-management skills.
- How to make plans for giving presents.
- How to do the math while shopping.
- How to make gifts from the heart.


Melissa Poe was 9 years old when she began a campaign for a cleaner environment by writing a letter to the then President Bush. Through her on efforts, her letter was reproduced on over 250 donated billboards  across the country.
The response to her request for help was so huge that Poe established Kids For A Cleaner Environment (Kids F.A.C.E.) in 1989. There are now 300,000 members of Kids F.A.C.E. worldwide and it is the world's largest youth environmental organization.
Poe has also asked the National Park Service to carry out a "Children's Forest" project in every national park. In 1992, she was invited one of only six children in the world to speak at the Earth Summit in prefix = st1 /Brazilas part of the Voices of the future Program. In 1993, she was given a Caring Award for her efforts by the Caring Institute.
Since the organization started, Kids F.A.C.E. members have distributed and planted over 1 million trees! Ongoing tree-planting projects include Kids' Yards -- the creation of backyard wildlife habitats   and now Kids F.A.C.E. is involved in the exciting Odyssey, which is a great way to start helping.
 "We try to tell kids that it's not OK to be lazy," she explains, "You need to start being a response, environmentally friendly person now, right now, before you become a resource-sucking adult."

Question: Kids F.A.C.E. is   _  .

Choices:
- a program to help students with writing
- a project of litter recycling
- a campaign launched by President Bush
- a club of environmental protection

Question: What can we learn about Poe?

Choices:
- She was awarded a prize in Brazil.
- She donated billboards across the country.
- She got positive responses for her efforts.
- She joined the National Park Service.

Question: Kid's Yards is   _  .

Choices:
- established in national park
- started to protect wildlife
- a wildlife-raising project
- an environment park for kids


The man from the west stopped and drew back his arm. "You're not Jimmy Wells," he said in a quick and angry way, "Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man' nose from a Roman to pug." "It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one," said the tall man, "you've been under arrest for ten minutes. Silky Bob. prefix = st1 /Chicagothinks you may have dropped over our way and phones us she wants to have a word with you. Going quietly, are you? That's sensible. Now before we go to the station here's a note I was asked to hand you. You may read it here at the window. It's from Patrolman Wells.?" The man from the West opened the little piece of paper handed him. His hand was steady when he began to read, but it trembled a little by the time he finished. The note was rather short. Bob: I was at the right place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face wanted in Chicago. Somehow I couldn't do it myself, so I went around and got a plain clothes man   to do the job.

Question: The man from the West must have broken the law   _  .

Choices:
- in Chicago
- inNew York
- in his hometown
- somewhere else

Question: The man from the West recognized the tall man not to be the one he had been waiting for because the tall man   _  .

Choices:
- had a different accent from his
- had a different nose from his friend's
- was his another old friend
- said "Chicagowants to talk with you?"

Question: The two men may have walked   _  .

Choices:
- for ten minutes
- arm in arm
- face to face
- both A and B

Question: We can suppose Jim   _  .

Choices:
- was afraid of the man from the West
- got another man to help him when necessary
- had an appointment with Bob 20 years ago
- had something else to do and couldn't come himself


Teen Dating can be fun if you are aware of its pros and cons and are also aware of the ways to protect yourself. There are a couple of suggestions you would like to know before you are out for dating.
Do not go out for dating with somebody whom you have seen only a few times and does not know much about him or her.
Before leaving on a date, know the exact plans for the evening and make sure a parent or friend knows these plans and what time to expect you home. Let your date know that you are expected to call or tell that person when you get in.
Similarly, if you leave a party with someone you do not know well, make sure you tell another person you are leaving and with whom. Ask a friend to call and make sure you arrive home safely.
No matter how good the person appears to you, trust your inner instincts . If a situation makes you uncomfortable, try to stay calm and think of a way to remove yourself from the situation without letting your date realize what is going on in your mind.
Be aware of your decreased ability to react under the influence of alcohol or drugs and keep yourself in control when out for a date.
Always stay firm, straightforward and clear in your relationships, thoughts, decisions and judgments. Never let a doubt come to your mind or face when out
for dating. If you are firm and clear in your communication, your date will always be careful in dealing with you.
You should think ahead about ways to be safe if you are in a dangerous or potentially dangerous relationship. Adults, like parents, teachers, counselors, can be trusted in such cases.

Question: Which of the following is forbidden when dating according to the passage?

Choices:
- Going out for dating with a stranger.
- Knowing the plan for the evening.
- Telling your parents about the date.
- Telling the person you date that your parents know about the date.

Question: If you feel uncomfortable, you should NOT  _

Choices:
- leave as soon as possible
- tell your date what you are thinking
- stay calm
- trust yourself

Question: The best title for this passage might be  _  .

Choices:
- Be careful with your friends
- Never go out dating
- Safety measures for teen dating
- Dating out is always dangerous


A brother and sister have been reunited after more than 60 years, thanks to a letter in the Welwyn and Hatfield Times.
For years John Hannant Kept a photograph of his long-lost sister, hoping they would meet again. Margery, the eldest of the three children, had signed up to the Royal Air Force as part of the war effort, when John was still a baby. The family lost touch and as the decade s passed only a single letter gave a clue to her whereabouts. The clue was enough for a WHT reader to recognize  Margery and put the family back in touch..
John, 67, had been searching for a long time and a friend suggested writing to the paper.
"That's the one that made it, the letter to the paper a few months age," he said. "It's like a dream come true. The last time we ever heard from Margery was in 1953 after the floods. She wrote home to know if we were all right. My sister Dorothy wrote back, But Margery had moved again and never got the letter."
Having retired from his job as a gardener at Park House, Mr. Hannat decided to take action once and for all. He and his wife Doreen, travelled to Margery's home in Chelwood Avenue, Hatfield , which she shares with her husband Jack Cooke.
Now 88, she was recovering after several months in hospital, but immediately recognized her brother. John said, "It's something that I never thought was going to happen, but I always hoped it would." As well as finding his sister, John has also discovered he now has a nephew, niece and six grandnieces and grandnephews.

Question: When she wrote to John last time ,Margery was   _

Choices:
- 34 years old
- 40 years old
- 44years old
- 54 years old

Question: What do we know about Jack Cooke's family?

Choices:
- Jack now has a son and a daughter.
- Jack and his wife live with their children now
- Jack's wife is in good health all the time.
- Jack lost touch with his family a long time ago.

Question: It can be inferred from the passage that  _

Choices:
- since 1953 Margery has come back home only once.
- Margery received only one letter from John.
- Margery does not care about her family.
- WHT refers to a newspaper.


108 cities in China took part in World Car Free Day on Saturday to promote environmentally-friendly transport and ease increasingly grid-locked city streets.It's a highlight of a nationwide urban public transport week.People were urged to take public transport,ride bikes or walk.
To help out,more than 200 new buses took to the streets.And the Beijing Subway laid on 10 more trains for rush hour.
A Beijing resident said, "Today is Car Free Day,and I do find the traffic much better and the bus can go much faster."
Another resident said,"I spent only half an hour to go to work.It took me twice as long before. And  I can find seat on the bus today."
But in some areas not signed up for traffic control,endless lines of cars can still be seen.
Some people say they just can't do without their cars.
Another Beijing resident said,"Some people are willing to give up driving,but on certain days when I have to take my child to school or weekend classes,the public transport is so bad that I can't do it without a car."
But the concept of"green"traffic is catching on .People say they believe it's the first and honest step in facing the serious traffic and environmental problems.
A driver said,"The Car Free Day has a very important symbolic meaning.It does not mean that we must give up cars.It is to promote a concept,to encourage more people to contribute to the protection of the environment."
The Ministry of Construction calculates"Car Free Day"will cut 3000 tons of emissions  and save 33 million liters of gasoline.And it's planning more frequent activities to raise public consciousness of energy conservation and environmental protection.

Question: The best title of the passage is possibly"_".

Choices:
- Private cars are banned in cities
- Car Free Day pushes"green"transport
- Residents can't do without cars
- Residents should ride bikes on Car Free Day

Question: Car Free Day will bring the following benefits except_.

Choices:
- saving quite a lot of energy
- environmental protection
- improving road traffic
- facing more serious traffic problems

Question: What do you think is possibly the author's attitude towards the Car Free Day?

Choices:
- Positive.
- Negative.
- Passive
- Critical.


BERLIN(AP)--A tiger escaped its enclosure at Cologne Zoo in western Germany on Saturday and killed a female keeper before being shot dead by the zoo's director,police said.
The tiger slipped through a passage between the enclosure and a neighboring storage building,where it fatally attacked the 43yearold keeper,said police spokesman Stefan Kirchner.
"It appears the gate wasn't properly shut," Kirchner told the Associated Press.
The zoo was evacuated and a SWAT  team was called in,police said.But before it arrived the zoo's director managed to kill the tiger by climbing onto the storage building and shooting it through a skylight using a rifle.
Kirchner said it was unlikely that members of the public had witnessed the incident."This is the darkest day of my life," the zoo's director,Theo Pagel,was quoted as saying by Cologne newspaper Express.
The paper said on its website that the Siberian tiger was a 4yearold male called Tltai that came to Cologne Zoo from an animal park in England.In November it fathered three cubs with a 7yearold Siberian tiger called Hanya,according to the zoo's website.
Police said the zoo reopened after Saturday's incident,which occurred around noon.However,a planned latenight opening of the zoo has been canceled.
Cologne Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in Germany.It was founded in 1860 and houses some 10,000 animals comprising more than 700 different species.

Question: Which of the following can be the best title of the news text?

Choices:
- Tiger Escaped,Killed a Keeper in German Zoo
- Tiger Escaped in German Zoo,Shot Dead
- German Zoo Keeper Shot Escaped Tiger
- People Killed in One of the Oldest Zoos in Germany

Question: According to the police,what was the direct reason for the incident?

Choices:
- The zoo keeper was a new hand.
- A gate was not closed appropriately.
- The zoo had neglected the secret passage.
- It was very dark when the incident happened.

Question: What did the zoo do after the incident?

Choices:
- They honored the killed person in a way.
- They paid SWAT for their timely help.
- They returned the tiger's three cubs to England.
- They called off the latenight opening.

Question: What can we learn about the Cologne Zoo?

Choices:
- It keeps a large variety of species.
- It is one of the largest zoos in Germany.
- It has a history of more than 700 years.
- No such incident has happened before.


Mary Master man, a senior at West Moore High School in prefix = st1 /Oklahoma City, was named the winner Tuesday of the annual Intel Science Talent Search.
     More than 1,700 high school seniors across the nation entered the competition, which is in its 66th year.
      Spectrographs, which measure  wave lengths, are used in research such as astronomy and medicine and in industry. For example, they can be used as a sensing equipment to look for explosives or drugs or to help determine how old an art work is through its powders.
      They can cost as much as $100,000, but Masterman's invention--made of lenses, a laser, aluminum tubing and a camera--cost less than $1,000, Intel said.
      Masterman received the honor from Intel Corp. Chairman Craig Barrett during a banquet Tuesday night inWashington.
      "It was a complete surprise," Masterman said. "I wasn't expecting it."
      Masterman said she has been interested in science ever since she was little. She couldn't remember ever not being interested. _
      She said she has not decided where she will attend college but would eventually like to become a physicist or chemist.
      Among the former winners of the competitions top award are six Nobel Laureates , three National Medal of Science winners, 10 MacArthur Foundation Fellows and two Fields Medalists.
      "You're not only dealing with the top young person in the science field in the country in Mary, but you're dealing with 40 finalists who are doing breaking--edge research in total," said Brenda Musilli, Intel's director of education. "It's really something that's hard to imagine, how a young person like Mary could even achieve this level of capability at such a young age."

Question: What is probably the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- Senior challenges Nobel prize.
- Masterman invents a sensing equipment.
- Teen wins $100,000 science scholarship.
- Spectrograph recognizes the "fingerprints".

Question: According to the passage, Masterman received the honor because

Choices:
- the spectrograph she invents can be used to look for drugs
- Masterman's invention is made of lenses, a laser, and a camera
- Masterman has shown great interest in science since she was young.
- the spectrograph she invents costs much less as well as its high quality

Question: Which of the following statements is NOT true?

Choices:
- The competition attracts national talents to attend
- Masterman was sure to win before the contest.
- Intel Science Talent Search is held every year.
- Spectrographs can be widely used in many fields.


Students usually have two long holidays a year, but have you heard elephants have holidays?
The Indian elephants from a temple are sent on a north-long holiday with massages  and baths to relax. The 64 elephants will be fed with a lot of food, enough for them to put on 700~800 pounds.
A temple veterinarian said that those Indian elephants would be treated after spending a month walking on roads, living on leaves and bananas and giving shows during lots of temple festivals. Their daily diet includes special rice and other special food, which are very _ and can make them healthy and strong. All of these are made by professional people.
This treatment will also calm them down ahead of a busy work schedule in upcoming events later in the year where they are the main attractions. The special holiday has cost the temple aboutPS12,500, but extra money is ready for being used to treat the animals.
Indians believe that doing something good to elephants can help them get wisdom and power. Having elephants is a traditional symbol of honor for temples across southern India. All temples, however, never buy their elephants. The elephants were donated by people.

Question: The Indian elephants can have a   _   holiday.

Choices:
- day's
- week's
- month's
- year's

Question: The elephants can do the following during their holiday EXCEPT  _  .

Choices:
- eating delicious food
- giving performances
- taking a shower
- having a massage

Question: People give these elephants a special holiday in order to   _  .

Choices:
- save a lot of money
- make friends with them
- make their temples famous
- make them get ready for the coming work.


If you want to live longer and lower the risk of heart disease, a move to the mountains may help. Research by scientists in Greece shows that living in the mountains is good for the heart and longevity . People living at higher altitude  have lower possibility of dying from heart disease than those closer to sea level, even if they have factors that could increase their risk. "Residence in mountainous areas seems to have a 'protective effect' from heart disease," said Dr Nikos Baibas of the University of Athens. He and his colleagues suspect that the increased exercise from walking up mountainous area gives the heart a good workout and enables it to cope with lower levels of oxygen.
Researchers studied the health records and death rates of 1,150 Greeks who lived in three villages near Athens over 15 years. One village was 1,000 meters above sea level and the other two were in low-lying areas. Although men and women living in the mountainous village had higher blood pressure rates and other risk factors than people in the other villages, they had a lower rate of death from heart disease and other causes after a fifteen year follow-up." The contrast was more evident among men than among women," Baibas added in a report in theJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Heart disease is one of the world's top killers. Smoking, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol levels, being overweight and a family history of the illness increase the possibility of developing the disease.

Question: The first sentence in the passage is used to   _  .

Choices:
- give a very good guessing
- tell readers what the passage focuses on
- warn people of the risk of heart disease
- name a new unknown illness

Question: According to the passage, a person   _   may have less possibility of having heart attack.

Choices:
- from higher altitude
- with a better living habit
- with more money
- in a happier mood

Question: How long does the research of the Greeks last?

Choices:
- At most 10 years.
- Not mentioned.
- More than 20 years.
- About 15 years.

Question: Apart from altitude, how many factors raise the chance of developing heart disease?

Choices:
- three
- four
- five
- six


The ancient whistled language of the small island of La Gomera, off the coast of Africa, is about to disappear because of new technology and globalization. Now, a web company has taken on the task of saving the language by marrying history with technology.
Silbo Gomero, a language used only on La Gomera Island, sounds to the untrained ear like few other known languages. The sounds that make up this language are made by whistling, rather than by speaking.
The language was brought to the island by African setters many centuries ago. To communicate among the  _ populated inland hills and valleys, shepherds   had to use the whistled language, which could be heard and understood over distances of up to eight kilometers, compared to about 200 meters for a spoken word.
With the development of new technologies like the cellphone, the number of Silbo Gomero whistlers has declined to around 1,000. Many of the older generation of islanders fear the language, which they consider to be a cultural symbol, may become extinct.
To save Silbo Gomero, Busuu.com, a website based in Madrid, has launched a movement to teach Internet users worldwide to communicate using the language's unique whistles. "We really like the whole story of Silbo Gomero because it is really a fun language, " said Bernard Niesner, the company's co-founder.
 Niesner says one of the founding principles of the website was to promote learning languages in danger of extinction. "If Busuu.com really works out like we think, it would be an amazing tool for language learning all over the world," Niesner said. "The name of our website itself comes from Busuu, a language that is spoken by only eight people."

Question: Compared to other languages, Silbo Gomero is special because it   _  .

Choices:
- has a very long story.
- was once very popular in Africa.
- doesn't use sounds
- is spoken by whistling

Question: In order to protect Silbo Gomero, Busuu.com   _

Choices:
- teaches it on the Internet
- attracts people to visit La Gomero Island
- raises money to support students from La Gomero Island
- translates stories about it into other languages.

Question: What would be the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- Africa suffers from new technology.
- Niesner and his website.
- Web company helps to save an ancient language.
- Silbo Gomero, a fun language.


When we look at the sky and see a bright light moving quickly across it or coming towards the earth, we talk about seeing a "shooting star" or a "falling star". These moving lights are not, in fact, stars at all. They are small pieces of matter from outer space, which burn up as they enter the Earth's atmosphere. The correct name of them is meteoroids. Any pieces that make it to the Earth's surface without completely burning up are known as meteorites. A meteor is actually the name given to the light we see when a meteoroid is burning up.
When a meteorite hits the Earth at speeds between 11 and 72 kilometers a second, it can do amazing damage. A very large meteorite could knock the earth out of its orbit. If this happened, all life on Earth would probably become extinct . The path we follow around the Sun would change and as a result the Earth would become either much hotter or much colder. This change in temperature would affect sea levels and the amount of water in rivers. There would either be huge floods, which would cover most of the land with water, or the oceans would dry up and there would be a drought, which means a long period of time without rain. Either way, nothing could survive. If a large meteorite landed in the sea it would almost certainly cause tsunamis, which would race towards the land, destroying everything in their paths.
Although it is unlikely the Earth will be struck by a meteorite large enough to do that kind of damage, there is evidence of fairly large meteorites hitting the Earth in the past. In 1908 a large area of forest in Tunguska, Siberia was destroyed by a meteorite that came apart just before it hit the ground. The moon, however, has about three billion craterscaused by meteorites impacting its surface. The reason more meteorites have reached the surface of the moon than the surface of the Earth is that the moon does not have enough atmosphere for the meteorites to burn up in. some of the meteorites that have reached the Earth's surface have done considerable damage. Some scientists believe it was a change of climate caused by meteorites hitting the Earth that resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs and other large prehistoric animals.
Scientists are especially interested in meteorites because they contain information about the solar system. It is widely believed by scientists that most meteorites are produced by collisions  between asteroids (small planets). These collisions probably happened many billions of years ago. This means the physical and chemical structure of a meteorite can give scientists information about the early days of the universe.

Question: The story is about   _  .

Choices:
- floods caused by meteors
- matter from outer space
- life on Earth millions of years ago
- meteorites that have damaged the moon

Question: The Earth has   _  .

Choices:
- three billion craters
- fewer craters than the moon
- more craters than the moon
- a thinner atmosphere than the moon

Question: Some scientists believe the dinosaurs became extinct because   _  .

Choices:
- they were hit by meteors
- meteorites landed on their nests
- meteorites landed and changed the climate
- they could no longer breathe the atmosphere

Question: Meteors are   _  .

Choices:
- small planets
- the same as asteroids
- from broken parts of asteroids
- the light we see when meteoroids hit our atmosphere


Jack Benny was one of the most famous names in show business.He was born in Chicago,Illinois,on February 14th,1894.His parents,Meyer and Emma Kubelsky,were religious Jews.They had moved to the United States from Eastern Europe.Benny was a quiet boy.For much of the time,his parents were busy working in his father's store.As a child,Benny learned to play the violin.After finishing his school,he joined the Navy.He continued using his violin to perform for sailors.In one show he was chosen more for his funny jokes than for his skill with the violin.That experience made him believe that his future job was a comedian.
Benny developed a show personality that had all the qualities people dislike.He was known for being so _ --he refused to spend any money unless forced to do so.On his shows Benny often spoke of his appearance,especially his baby blue eyes.As he grew older,he always claimed to be 39 years old.Benny rarely made jokes that hurt other people.Instead,he would let the other actors on the show tell jokes about him.
In real life,he was very giving and he was a person people liked having as their employer.Benny entered the new media of television in 1950.Five years later,he dropped his radio programme to spend more time developing his television show.At first his appearances on television were rare.By 1960 the Benny Show was a weekly television programme.It continued until 1965.Benny appeared in about twenty films during his life.A few became popular.But most were not.In 1963 Benny returned to Broadway for the first time since 1931.
Benny received many awards during his lifetime.Perhaps the one honour that pleased him most was that his hometown of Waukeegan named a school for him.This was a special honour for a man who had never finished high school.
Benny continued to perform.He died of cancer in 1974.At his funeral his friend Bob Hope said,"Jack Benny was stingy to the end.He gave us only eighty years."

Question: Benny was determined to be a comedian after he   _  .

Choices:
- left high school
- joined the Navy
- performed in a show for the sailors
- left the Navy for Broadway

Question: According to the text,on Benny's shows,he   _  .

Choices:
- developed a good personality
- played the violin skillfully
- often referred to his appearance
- said funny things that hurt others

Question: Which of the following statements is TRUE about Benny?

Choices:
- He did a good job in show business.
- His first appearance on TV was very successful.
- Most of his films became wellknown to Americans.
- He treated all his awards as nothing.


If you're among the millions of Americans packing their vacation bags for summer trips,don't forget,however, that as soon as you step off the plane,you're expected to follow that country's laws.We took a look at one of the top countries Americans are most likely to visit and what might happen if you got caught.
prefix = st1 /Mexico
Smoking marijuana:If police find you smoking a cigarette which contains marijuana,they will most likely  _ you overnight and you will get a fine.
Carrying a firearm:You might be able to walk around with a gun in Texas,but that isn't so in Mexico,so leave your gun behind.If you wish to go hunting in Mexico.you can apply for a gun permit but expect to be charged $5,000.If you are caught bringing a firearm,Mexican policeman may take away your car and arrest you.An arrested American may spend months in prison while his or her case is being looked into.
Driving 70 mph on the highway:Speed limits are on the lower side.Depending on what type of highway you're driving on,you shouldn't go faster than 62 mph.The police enforce the speed limit,but most local police don't have radars.The maximum fine for speeding is about $40.To scare tourists into paying the fine "on the spot",sometimes police will threaten to keep your driver's license.This is illegal, so call them on it.

Question: When the travelers are in Mexico,they should NOT_.

Choices:
- smoke the cigarettes
- hunt the animals without the permit
- carry a gun even if you have permit
- drive more than 50 mph on the highway

Question: Which of the following statements is NOT true?

Choices:
- The laws in America are different from the ones in Mexico.
- People will be fined if they smoke marijuana.
- People will be arrested if they are caught bringing a gun.
- The police in Mexicohave right to keep the drivers' license

Question: If the travelers want to drive in Mexico, they should_.

Choices:
- drive on the lower side of the street
- keep an eye out on the radars
- limit their car speed
- pay the fine on the spot

Question: What can we know from the passage?

Choices:
- Different countries have different regulations.
- Different countries have the same regulations.
- Americans like to visit other countries.
- Mexico police aren't friendly.


Ad.1
West High School Bake Sale
Come and support our band and buy some delicious baked goods!
Friday, September 20th, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
In the hall by the office after school
Cookies: 25 cents each or 5 for $1
Brownies: 50 cents each or 3 for $1.25
Cake by the slice: $1
Whole cakes: $8
Proceeds go toward sending our band to Nationals.
Ad.2
SHIPPING AND HANDLING CHARGES
Ups or U.S. Parcel Post are the standard methods for continental U.S. shipments.
ORDER TOTAL          GROUND          EXPEDITED GROUND
9-12 working days        4-5 working days
$0.00 to $30.00                $4.50                  $5.50
$30.01 to $60.00               $7.25                  $8.25
$60.01 to $100.00          $9.50                  $10.50
$100.01 to $200.00             $11.50                 $12.50
Add $7.00 to Ground Rates for 3 Days.

Question: How much money can you save   if you buy 3 brownies?

Choices:
- 50 cents.
- 1.25 dollars.
- 75 cents.
- 25 cents.

Question: Which of the following gives you the most for your money if you buy the baked goods?

Choices:
- 4 cookies.
- 5 cookies.
- 2 brownies
- One slice of cake.

Question: If you wish to receive an order totaling $90.00 within 3 days, how much would the shipping cost?

Choices:
- $10.50.
- $15.00.
- $16.50.
- $26.50.

Question: How much should you pay for an order totaling $50 for the expedited ground  ?

Choices:
- $1
- $7.25
- $8.25
- $15.5


Are you hard-working? Do you like to meet people? If your answer is "Yes", then we have a
job for you as a waiter.
Call AL Hotel at 556779!
    (2) SUMMER JOB
Do you like to talk with people? Do you like to write stories? If you want to work for our magazine as a reporter, please call Karen at 558366.
(3) HELP WANTED
 Do you like babies? Can you look after one baby for two days? If you are sure to take food
care of it, call us at 766588. $80 or more. Today! Hurry!
 (4)CLEANER WANTED
Can you make a large house clean and tidy?
If you hope to get the job paid at $20 once, call us this evening 18:00-20:00.   Tel:633800

Question: The above job ads  are probably from a   _  .

Choices:
- newspaper
- story book
- TV show
- radio program

Question: If you like children and have two days free, you can call at    _  for a job.

Choices:
- 766588
- 633800
- 556779
- 558366

Question: _  are needed in AL Hotel.

Choices:
- Cleaners
- Baby-sitters
- Reporters
- Waiters


Most people believe they don't have imagination. They are wrong. Everyone has imagination, but most of us,once we became adults, forget how to access it. Creativity isn't always connected with great works of art or ideas. People at work and in their free time routinely think of creative ways to solve problems. Maybe you have a goal to achieve,a tricky question to answer or you just want to expand your mind! Here are three techniques to help you.
This technique involves taking unrelated ideas and trying to find links between them. First,think about the problem you have to solve or the job you need to do. Then find an image,word,idea or object,for example,a candle. Write down all the ideas/words associated with candles:light,fire,matches, wax,night,silence,etc. Think of as many as you can. The next stage is to relate the ideas to the job you have to do. So imagine you want to buy a friend an original present; you could buy him tickets to a match or take him out for the night.
Imagine that normal limitations don't exist. You have as much time/space/money,etc. as you want. Think about your goal and the new possibilities. If,for example,your goal is to learn to ski, you can now practice skiing every day of your life (because you have the time and the money). Now adapt this to reality. Maybe you can practice skiing every day in December,or every Monday in January.
Look at the situation from a different point of view. Good negotiators use this technique in business,and so do writers. Fiction writers often imagine they are the characters in their books. They ask questions: what does this character want? Why can't she get it? What changes must she make to get what she wants? What does she dream about? If your goal involves other people, put yourself "in their shoes". The best fishermen think like fish!

Question: According to the passage, when we become adults,   _   .

Choices:
- most of us are no longer creative
- we can still learn to be more creative
- we are not as imaginative as children
- we are unwilling to be creative

Question: The second technique suggests that you just imagine

Choices:
- setting a goal is as simple as skiing
- new possibilities will soon appear
- December and January are the best months for skiing.
- you have every resource to achieve your goal

Question: We learn from the third technique that a good salesman should ask himself "   _   ?".

Choices:
- what do I usually do
- what did my boss tell me to do
- what are my customers' needs
- how should I sell my products


Among professional basketball players,Jeremy Lin's background is not typical.He graduated from Harvard University,which sends few players to the NBA,and he is the only ChineseAmerican NBA player.But when you watch him on the court,there is no doubt that he belongs there.He moves with speed and grace  that show years of faithful practice,which is fueled by a love for basketball.
The Family Effect
Lin's enjoyment of basketball actually began in Taiwan,where his father started watching it.Lin's father moved to U.S.,and his interest in the sport only grew.He passed on this love of basketball to his son,introducing him to the game at the age of five.The young Lin spent much of his youth playing basketball for fun.After each game,his parents would discuss not only his score but also his conduct toward other players.This taught Lin that character was more important than playing well,a lesson he still remembers.
Rise of a Star
In high school,Lin dreamed of playing in the NBA but did not really expect to do so.When he applied for college,he was not offered a single sports scholarship.However,after his admission to Harvard,he was offered a place on its college basketball team.During Lin's time at Harvard,his basketball career began to take off.He scored 1,482 points,making him one of the highest scorers in Ivy League history.Eventually,the recognition he received led him to suspect that his NBA dream could come true.
When he first graduated,no professional teams offered Lin a contract ,but he was invited to play in the NBA Summer League.He played well and ended up eagerly signing a contract with the Golden State Warriors.
Life in the NBA
His journey in NBA did not go very well at first.He spent most of his time on the bench during the past two seasons.He constantly compared himself to other players and gave himself no time to rest up.For the first time in his life,he no longer enjoyed playing basketball.After a few very difficult months,he realized that much of his anxiety and stress came from selfcentered desires like wanting to be famous.So he transformed his attitude.He never stopped practicing and never gave up any slim chance.
Now he has become the NBA's latest phenomenon after leading the New York Knicks to seven straight wins.He _ and thinks that the credit for the winning goes to everyone in his team.Knicks fans developed nicknames for him,such as "Linsanity","Lincredible",and "Linderella".The Associated Press called Lin "the most surprising story in the NBA".

Question: What can we learn from Jeremy Lin?

Choices:
- Hard work brings success.
- We must have a father like Jeremy's.
- A good university can help us realize our dreams.
- Team honour is more important than our own success.

Question: What is the best title for the text?

Choices:
- What Is Next for Jeremy Lin?
- Jeremy Lin's Tips for Success
- Following Dreams and Finding Joy
- Six NBA Teams Eyeing Jeremy Lin


Claressa was getting ready for a fight. She had boxed many times before. But this time, the prizes were higher than ever. If she won this fight, Claressa would win a spot on the US Olympic Women's Boxing Team.
The fight was difficult. Claressa was up against a two-time US champion. "Her whole game plan was to hold me against the ropes so I wouldn't hit her,"says Claressa. Claressa didn't give up. She won the fight. And that wasn't all. She also won the title of outstanding fighter for the whole tournament!
Claressa, now 17, started boxing when she was just 11. She was inspired by her dad. He had been a fighter when he was younger. But when she first told her dad that she wanted to box, he didn't support her. "He told me, 'No! No! Boxing is a man's sport,'" Claressa remembers. "It made me so mad."
Claressa wouldn't back down. "I wanted to fight. I knew that whatever I put my heart and my work into, I was going to be successful at it," she says. Finally, her dad took her to the boxing gym to start training. She was the only girl. "Everybody was looking at me," she says.
Claressa didn't worry about fitting in. She just did her best. Claressa now has a boxing record of 23 wins and zero losses. "I think you're awesome," her dad told her not long ago. He's proud that she proved him wrong."I'm still proving people wrong," says Claressa.
Boxing can be dangerous. How does Claressa feel when she steps into the ring? "I'm not nervous," she says. "I'm determined and calm." She knows it's important to stay confident. "I've never gotten into the ring thinking that a girl can beat me," she adds. But Claressa takes the competition seriously. "I always tell myself it's going to be harder than I think," she says. "I fight them all like they are world champions. If I think it's going to be easy, I'm done!"
  We asked Claressa to imagine stepping into the ring at the Olympics. Would it feel any different from her other fights? "No," she says. "Just a fight. Just another girl in my way."

Question: Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

Choices:
- Claressa was sure to be like a boy in character.
- Claressa had some trouble persuading her father.
- Claressa's father did well in boxing competitions.
- Claressa's father loved her and was afraid to hurt her.

Question: The passage is mainly about   _  .

Choices:
- a valuable competition of Claressa
- the background of Claressa's career
- the process to Claressa's success
- Claressa's promising boxing career


My sister Grace Halloran spent most of her teen years in and out of the juvenile institutions  for minor offenses but, at 18 she was sent to prison for stealing a car. After three years behind the bars, she was released. Only a few years later, she was given a sentence far worse--she had an incurable and progressive disorder and would be totally blind. Meanwhile, Grace was also happily pregnant but terrified she would never see her child's face. She believed she would succeed as a mother, although "success" had never been in her vocabulary before. She managed well despite fading vision.
For years she kept consulting specialists about her eye problems, only to be told that her son would also be blind by the time he was a teenager. She swore to find something, anything, to prevent him from facing her fate. When conventional medicine offered no hope, Grace began a personal _ . She entered a local college. The office for disabled students had her reading assignments put on cassette tapes so that she could listen and learn. She began studying anatomy, physiology and other health sciences. Everyone knowing her was astonished at her persistence to educate herself, restore her vision and keep focused on raising a son who would have perfect eyesight.
Eventually Grace's own way worked and she earned the PhD. in Holistic Health for her successful work in improving serious eye disorder. Her eyesight slowly improved so much that she was able to qualify for a driving license. Even better, her son had perfect vision and was accepted into the Air Force.

Question: From the passage we can know that Grace used to be   _  .

Choices:
- aggressive
- troublesome
- ignorant
- competitive

Question: How did Grace regain her eyesight?

Choices:
- By following the treatment from specialists.
- By just trying what was taught in the local college.
- By practicing the principles sought by herself.
- By adopting the experience from other patients.


Mary went out at night. She never forgot the night when she met a robber many years ago.
That evening, she was invited to a birthday party which lasted until two o'clock in the morning. Without company Mary walked along the quiet street.
Suddenly from the shadow of a dark building a tall man with a sharp knife in his right hand ran out at her. "Good evening, lady," the man said in a low voice, "I don't think you wish to die here."
"What do you want?" Mary asked.
"Your earrings  .Take them off!" Slowly Mary's eyes looked down. She tried to cover her necklace with the collar of her overcoat while she used the other hand to take off both of her earrings, and then she quickly threw them on the ground.
"Take them and let me go." she said. The robber looked at her only feeling uncertain. He saw the girl didn't care for the earrings at all, only trying to protect the necklace. He realized the necklace would cost more. So he said, "Give me your necklace."
"Oh, sir. It's not worth much. Please let me keep it."
"Stop rubbish. Quick!"
With shaky hands, Mary took off her necklace. As soon as the robber disappeared, she picked up her earrings and ran as fast as she could to one of her friends.
The earrings cost 480 pounds and the necklace the robber had taken away cost only six pounds ten shillings.

Question: Mary never forgot that night because   _  .

Choices:
- she was robbed of her necklace
- she was robbed, but she fooled the robber
- she had a good time at the party
- she lost her earrings

Question: The party   _  .

Choices:
- didn't end at two
- ended before two
- lasted two hours
- was over at two

Question: She tried to protect the necklace because   _  .

Choices:
- she didn't want to lose it
- it was more important
- she liked it better than earrings
- she would rather have the necklace lost

Question: The story tells us that she was a   _  girl.

Choices:
- clever and brave
- clever and beautiful
- brave and careful
- clever and careful


My description of a hero is a person who  _ his all for others. A person who puts others before himself.A person who does ordinary things, not because they have to, but because they want to.
         So I got to think who are my heroes? Several people came to mind. But there was one that really stuck out in my mind. I guess I really thought about it, but this man really is my hero. This man is my dad.
         I know,we all think our dads are our heroes. But the truth is, I really can't ever remenber thinking of my dad really as a hero. I am sure that I have said that he was. But I an not sure if I ever really thought about in terms of what is a hero?I mean he never saved anyone's life. He never fought in a war. He never invented anything to make life easier for others. But as I thought of his qualities. I found myself saying yes, he is a hero.
         My dad is like other dads. He worked hard to provide for his family. He made sure that the bills were paid . He made sure that there was money to buy food, and clothes for his family.But that is what Daddys are supposed to do. So that doesn't really make him a hero. It just means that he is a man who wants the best for his family, even if that means he has to go without.
In my eyes what makes my dad a hero is his faith. My dad is a man who has a very deep belief in his faith. He has put a good life before us his children.

Question: The writer  believes his father is a hero because   _  .

Choices:
- his father saved people's lives
- he fought in a war bravely
- he invented something to make life easier for others
- he does ordinary things that he wants to do for families.

Question: We can infer from the text, heroes in the writer's eyes   _  .

Choices:
- must be great man
- can be ordinary people
- must be famous
- must be our fathers