It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影响）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
56. Why was the bike so important to the couple?
A. The man’s job was bike racing. B. It was their only possession.
C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed. D. They used it for work and daily life.
57. We can infer from the text that ____________.
A. the couple worked 60 hours a week. B. people were busy before Christmas
C. the stranger brought over the bike D. life was hard for the young family.
58. How did people get to know the couple’s problem?
A. From radio broadcasts. B. From a newspaper.
C. From TV news. D. From a stranger.
59. What do the couple learn from their experience?
A. Strangers are usually of little help. B. One should take care of their bike.
C. News reports make people famous. D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.
Tuvalu is located in the South Pacific. It is tiny and has only nine islands with a population of just 11,000. In 1999, it was the third- poorest country in the world. The islanders earned just $1,000 each year.
But then something unusual happened. Tuvalu received an internet domain (领土) name—the letters “tv”. These letters were very interesting for many companies around the world. A communication company from California offered to buy the domain name “tv” for $40 m. For the Tuvalans this was a very large amount of money. The islanders became very rich.
Because of global warming, and because the islands are only 3m above sea level, Tuvalu will probably become the first country in the world that will disappear under the sea.
You can already see signs of the rising sea on Tuvalu. Some beaches are disappearing and you can see tree roots by the ocean. Cyclones（旋风）used to be very rare but they now appear a few times a year, and the rains that come with the cyclones cause flooding. Despite these problems, the Tuvalans had their new money. They could use it to buy themselves a future. Or at least they could use it to buy some time. Paul Lindsay, a documentary film-maker, took these questions with him all the way to Tuvalu, and came back with an incredible (难于置信的)story. As the water rises, the Tuvalans are using the money to develop the land. They are building new houses, planning nightclubs, restaurants and hotels and new cars are driving around on new roads. The residents do not think this is strange: “Just because we are sinking, it doesn’t mean we don’t want to raise our standards of living.” Sam Teo, Tuvalu’s minister for natural resources told Lindsay.Which of the following information about Tuvalu is WRONG?
| A．It only has a population of 11,000 people. |
| B．The average income of the Tuvalans is $1000 in 1999. |
| C．Tuvalu is only 3m high above sea level. |
| D．The Tuvalans received $40 million when they sold the domain name. |
The biggest problem for the Tuvalans is _________.
| A．poverty | B．global warming |
| C．The small population | D．cyclones |
Which of the following match the beginnings with the endings is correct?
①The Tuvalans became rich…
②By the end of the century…
③The Tuvalans are spending their money
④When the sea rises…
a.on roads, cars and new buildings
b.the sea will cover the islands completely.
c.the Tuvalans will have to leave their islands
d.when they sold their internet domain name.
| A．①-d, ②-b, ③-a, ④-c | B．①-c, ②-d, ③-b, ④-a |
| C．①-c, ②-b, ③-a, ④-d | D．①-d, ②-c, ③-a, ④-b |
Why did Paul Lindsay come to Tuvalu?
| A．To make a documentary film to record the life of the Tuvalans. |
| B．To understand the living condition of the Tuvalans. |
| C．To know how the Tuvalans survive despite all of their problems. |
| D．To discover the reason for the Tuvalans not to improve their living standards. |
Today tell you a series of information about how students in other countries can attend colleges and universities in the United States.
Two years ago we broadcast our Foreign Student Series. Since then we have got more requests for information about how to attend American schools. So we will offer new reports in our series with the most current information.
Each week, we will discuss a part of the process of becoming an international student in the United States. Each report will also appear on the Internet at www. Tingroom.com. Currently you can find the programs from the last time our series aired.
Foreign students who want to study in the United States have many questions. How do I find out about American colleges? How do I choose the right one for me? What tests must I take? What kinds of documents will I need? How much will it cost? Ｗe will answer these and other questions in our reports.
We will discuss the American system of higher education. We will tell about financial aid and rules about working in jobs while a student. We will discuss required tests and explain English language requirements. And we will tell where to find help in other countries.
Our reports will also describe a few of the three thousand colleges and universities in the United States. We will discuss programs of study as well as living situations at American schools. For students without the ability to come to the United States, we will tell how to take classes by computer. We will also examine how the threat of terrorism has changed some of the rules for study in the United States.
In researching our series, we talked not only to officials in education and government, but also to some foreign students. Most students say planning ahead helped make their educational experience successful. That is the purpose of this series—to help you plan.
We would like to hear from anyone who has a question about studying in the United States. We will try to answer as many questions as possible as part of our series in the coming weeks. Send your questions to special @ voanews.com.The series of report probably comes from________.
| A．TV | B．Internet |
| C．radio | D．newspaper |
The report intends to ___________.
| A．introduce education in America |
| B．help foreign students learn more about education in America |
| C．advertise for American colleges and universities |
| D．attract more foreign students to study in America |
How many ways of getting the information about studying in America are mentioned?
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
The contents of the program include the following EXCEPT_________.
| A．discussion about the educational system in America |
| B．description about some colleges and universities in America |
| C．help foreign students to plan |
| D．teach how to use computer |
Have you visit the flowing famous museums? Many famous museums throughout the world can offer you good chances to admire art. Florida International University(FIU) in Miami also shows art for people to see, but it does so without a building, or even a wall for its drawings and paintings.
FIU has opened the first computer art museum in the United States. You don’t have to visit the University to see the art. What you need is just a computer linked to a telephone. That’s enough.
You can call the telephone number of a University computer and connect your own computer to it. All of the art is stored in the school computer. It is computer art, produced electronically by artists on their own computers. In only a few minutes, your computer can receive and copy all the pictures and drawings.
Robert Shostak is director of the new computer museum. He says he started the museum because computer artists had no place to show their work.
A computer artist could only record his pictures electronically and send the records, or floppy discs, to others to see on their computers. He could also put his pictures on paper. But to print good pictures on paper, the computer artist will have to need a very expensive laser printer.
Robert Shostak says the electronic museum is mostly for art or computer students at schools and universities. Many of the pictures in the museum are made by students. Mr Shostak said the FIU museum will make computer art more fun for computer artists because more people can see it. He says artists enjoy their work much more if they have an audience. And the great number of home computers in America could mean a huge audience for the electronic museum.
The main purpose of this text is to give information about____________.
| A．famous museums throughout the world |
| B．an electronic art museum in Miami, U.S.A |
| C．art exhibitions in Florida International University |
| D．the latest development in computer art in the USA |
To see the art in FIU museum, which of the following should you have at first?
| A．some records or floppy discs |
| B．a computer and a printer |
| C．your own pictures and drawings |
| D．a computer connected by telephone line |
The museum was started when ___________.
| A．FIU wanted to encourage computer scientists |
| B．Robert Shostak decided to help computer artists |
| C．art students needed a place to show their works |
| D．computer scientists wanted to do something about art |
The words “an audience” in the last paragraph refers to ___________.
| A．art students |
| B．computer owners |
| C．exhibits in the museum |
| D．those who will enjoy art |
Something strange was unbelievable. Take Robert for example. After the terrible car accident, his whole world had been completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing made him try many times to put end to his life.
His family especially his wife did their best to tend and comfort him. By and by he finally regained the courage to live on.
On a hot summer afternoon he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started suddenly. He stood under a large tree in order not to get himself wet. Unfortunately he was struck down to the ground by a lightning. The witnesses thought him dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water below the tree. He felt that he was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes ,he didn’t dare to believe that he saw a plough（ 犁子 ）lying near the wall. When Mrs Edwards came running up to him, she shouted their neighbours for help. And he saw her and heard her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert’s regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread in his area. And many doctors came to prove the truth of the news. Most of them said that he gained sight and hearing again obviously from the knock of lightning; none of them could give convincing reasons, however. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Edwards lost his sight and hearing as a result of sudden shock in a terrible accident, perhaps the only way for them to regain was by another sudden shock.What did Edwards see first after being struck down by a lightning?
| A．His wife | B．The large tree |
| C．A plough | D．The lightning itself |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Edwards had been deaf and blind for nearly ten years |
| B．Edwards lost all his senses for about 20 minutes after the lightning had struck him down |
| C．Doctor held the belief that Edwards was never really blind and deaf. |
| D．Edwards woke up with face in mud. |
What was Edwards doing when he was struck by the lightning?
| A．Hiding from the rain under a tree. |
| B．Driving a car. |
| C．Taking a walk |
| D．lying on the ground |
How did Edwards get his sight and hearing once more according to the doctor?
| A．He regained them from head injury when he fell from a tree. |
| B．His wife’s first visit after almost ten years made him so happy that he regained them. |
| C．The lightning took the feeling from his legs and gave the senses of sight and hearing to his head. |
| D．The blow that caused him blind and deaf was very severe, so it took another severe blow to regain them. |
Nowadays they are giving homework even during the holidays and I hate that very much. But I think there is a reason for it. Homework is given so that we can remember whatever we have learnt. Regular drilling and repetition make perfect. But teachers have started to give too much homework. Anything in excess (过度) is bad.
Jane
What’s the use of just homework without allowing children to get an insight (洞察) into the subject? It just makes them bookworms but nothing else. Homework such as writing some things 5 times at home will just make them memorize things but not put them into use. I regret to say that teachers find it easy to bundle (归拢) the children with homework rather than making them get interested to understand what they learn. The same trend continues even in college. I find that most of the so-called high scorers are unable to answer simple things in an interview.
Sally
It is OK to give homework. But it should be given less. We are spending most of our time in school and at least we must be free in our home. If you give homework, we will be very tired and we wouldn’t be able to pay attention to extra-curricular activities, which in turn may affect our physical and mental health. So please give less homework to us.
Johnson
It is part of our work to give students homework. There will be some punishments if we won’t do our work. So I have to do that though I know such a teacher is not liked by students.Who thinks that too much homework may do harm to students’ physical and mental health?
| A．Sunny. | B．Jane. |
| C．Sally. | D．Johnson. |
Who thinks homework should help students learn something practical?
| A．Sunny. | B．Jane. |
| C．Sally. | D．Johnson. |
What problem do the speakers talk about?
| A．Whether students should be punished without doing homework. |
| B．What kind of homework should be given to students. |
| C．What role homework plays in helping students to learn. |
| D．Whether teachers should give homework to students. |