Tom Becker has won the 2007 Waterstone's children's book prize with his first novel, Darkside, receiving a cheque for £1,000 and the promise of display in branches of the book store across the country.
The 25-year-old author described winning as an "unbelievable feeling". "I didn't think my book would be on the shortlist and stood a chance of winning, and it's amazing to receive such an important award at the beginning of my writing career. Needless to say I am absolutely made up." he said.
The novel, inspired by film noir（黑色电影）, fantasy（幻想）and a fascination（迷恋）with the dark side of the 19th century, is for children between the ages of nine and 12. It tells the story of a boy, Jonathan Stirling, who discovers a similar world filled with vampires（吸血鬼）and werewolves（狼人）. This alternative reality has a clearly Victorian air, and is ruled by a descendant（后裔）of Jack the Ripper. Soon hunters from the other side begin searching for Jonathan, who finds himself driven into their world.
Waterstone's head children's buyer, Wayne Winstone, thought highly of Becker's "huge" achievement. He said: "Tom Becker's writing style attracts you in the same way that Darren Shan's does with his mix of adventure and the supernatural.
"I have a feeling that Tom has real potential（潜能）and could be one of the big names in children's writing in the future."
This year's shortlist also included Michael Broad's Jake Cake, Philip Caveney's Sebastian Darke and Siobhan Dowd's A Swift Pure Cry. Last year's prize was won by Julia Golding with The Diamond of Drury Lane.
How did Tom Becker feel at the news that he had won the prize?
| A．He was proud of his ability of making up stories. |
| B．He was shocked and didn’t believe it was true. |
| C．He was very surprised and delighted. |
| D．He had expected he would win the prize. |
Why was Tom Becker’s novel successful according to Wayne Winstone?
| A．Because his novel was inspired by film noir, fantasy and a fascination. |
| B．Because the novel was about the dark side of the 19th century. |
| C．Because his novel was intended for teenagers between the ages of nine and 12. |
| D．Because his writing style is attracting with the mix of adventure and the supernatural |
Which of the following is WRONG according to passage?
| A．The novel Darkside is Tom Becker’s first novel. |
| B．The novel Darkside will be on display all over the country. |
| C．Philip Caveney also won the prize in 2007. |
| D．Jonathan is a major character in the novel Darkside. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Tom Becker is likely to be a most promising novelist in children’s writing in the future. |
| B．Darren Shan’s novels are all very popular with children between the ages of 9 and 12. |
| C．The Waterstone’s children’s book prize is an important prize for young novelists. |
| D．The novels of Michael Broad, Philip Caveney and Siobhan Dowd will be on the shortlist next year. |
The best title for the passage is probably_______.
| A．Tom Becker— a great writer for children |
| B．First-time author wins children’s fiction prize |
| C．An imaginary big prize |
| D．Tom Becker's writing style |
三、阅读理解（共15 小题，30分）
I like friends who share my happiness and sorrow,and who possess wings of their own and fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate(照亮)me and help me to express my love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and “too serious” about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say,“Let’s start with a train whistle today.” We would sit quietly together and write poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend. He was in despair(失望) and I was in despair, but our friendship was based on the idea that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we felt awful at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and visited many wonderful places. We walked until our despair disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters to each other in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other’s dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: “Yes, I must tell…” We have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist(心理学家), who will only fill up the healing(愈合的) silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.
1. In the eighth grade, what did the author do while her classmates started developing proper social behavior?
A. Become serious about her studies. B. Went to her friend’s house regularly.
C. Learned from her claamates at school. D. Wrote poems and stories with her friend.
2. In Paragraph 3, “We gave London to each other” probably means “______”.
A. our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us
B. we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London
C. our unpleasant feelings about London disappeared
D. we parted with each other in London
3. According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend .
A. call each other regularly B. have similar personalities
C. write stories D. sometimes dream about each other
4. In the darkest moments, the author wants to .
A. seek professional helpB. be left alone
C. stay with her best friendD. break the silence
5. What is a good title for the passage?
A. Unforgettable ExperiencesB. Remarkable Imagination
C. Lifelong Friendships D. Noble Companions
Few people would question the value of taking part in sports for young people. With proper training, supervision, protective equipment and techniques, and a proper emphasis on winning, sports can develop a healthy body and spirit and a life-long interest in being active and fit. Without such measures, childhood sports can lead to injuries and even paralysis or death.
Even in the best conditions, no activity can be risk-free. But most serious hazards are preventable. Cyclists and football players can reduce their risks by wearing helmets, hockey players by wearing masks; basketball and tennis players by wearing eye guards; baseball players by wearing batting helmets. Besides, risks to individual players can often be found, and thus prevented, through a properly performed medical exam before a child plays. For accidents that may not be preventable, having an emergency plan and first-aid equipment, and someone trained to use the equipment, can be lifesaving.
Still, each year, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, more than 775, 000 children under 14 are treated in emergency rooms for sports injuries, nearly half of them preventable. An estimated 300,000 athletes experience exercise-related head illnesses each year, and almost all of them should have been avoided.
Further, from half to three-fourths of sports-related concussions(脑震荡) are never even diagnosed; the injured are often sent back to play too soon and put at risk of another more serious brain-damaging concussion. To help reduce these risks, the National Center for Sports Safety, with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, offers a three-hour online safety course for coaches for $28 at www. SportsSafety. Org.
1 Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. All the accidents can be prevented. B. All the accidents cannot b e prevented.
C. Lives can be saved so long as there is proper equipment.
D. Lives cannot be saved even if there is proper equipment.
2. What does the underlined word “hazards” (in Paragraph 2)
A. Mistakes. B. Diseases. C. Dangers.D. Situations.
3. It is implied in the passage that _____________.
A. prevention of injuries is not paid enough attention to
B. children under 14 are more easily hurt in sports
C. most head illnesses are related with exercise
D. none of the head illnesses should have happened
4. What can coaches mainly learn from the online safety course?
A. How to cure brain-damaging concussion.B. How to diagnose brain-damaging concussion.
C. How to predict the possibility of brain damage.D. How to deal with the injured properly.
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 i n 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 （耳环）.Take them off!” Slowly Mary’s eyes looked down. She tried to cover her necklace with the collar（领子）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.
1. Mary never forgot that night because ___________.
A. she was robbed of her necklace B. she was robbed, but she fooled the robber
C. she had a good time at the party D. she lost her earrings
2. The party ___________.
A. didn’t end at two B. ended before two C. lasted two hours D. was over at two
3. She tried to protect the necklace because ___________.
A. she didn’t want to lose it B. it was more important
C. she liked it better than earringsD. she would rather have the necklace lost
4. The story tells us that she was a ___________girl.
A. clever and braveB. clever and beautifulC. brave and carefulD. clever and careful
三、阅读理解
Everyone should learn to apologize. Apology language do work. Have you ever tried to apologize, only to be refused? It may be that you were offering partial apology in a “language” that was foreign to your listener. The five languages of apology include:
Apology Language 1: “I am sorry.”
List the hurtful effects of your action. NOT “I am sorry if…”, but “I am sorry that…”. You might ask if they want to add any points that you have not recognized.
Apology Language 2: “I was wrong.”
Name your mistake and accept fault. Note that it is easier to say “You are right ” than “ I am wrong”, but the latter carries more weight.
Apology Language 3: “What can I do to make it right ?”
How are you now? How shall I make amends to you? How can I RESTORE YOUR CONFIDENC that I love you even I was so hurtful to you?
Apology Language 4: “I WILL TRY NOT TO DO THAT AGAIN.”
Engage in problem-solving. Do not make excuses for yourself such as: “Well my day just so …” Instead, offer what you will change to prevent yourself putting them in the same bad situation again.
Apology Language 5: “Will you please forgive me?”
Be patient in seeking forgiveness. They may need some time or greater clarification of your input from Apology Languages 1-4.
Finally, your apology may not be accepted, but at least you know that you have been faithful in offering a sincere olive branch of peace.
1. When offerring an apology, which of the following dose the author prefer?
A. “You are right .” B. “I am sorry if …”
C. “I am wrong.” D. “Well , my day was just so…”
2. In the last paragraph ,the author tells us even if your apology may not be accepted , at least __________ .
A .It is not your fault any more. B. Your mind will be at peace.
C. your friend will make peace with you.D. your apology is true to your heart.
3 .What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Five tips for apology that work.B. Five ways of refusing apology.
C. The function (功能) of apology language.D. The importance of apology language
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth’s surface. Earthquakes happen along "fault lines" in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted -- although scientists are working on it!
Most of the time, you will notice an earthquake by the gentle shaking of the ground. You may notice hanging plants swaying or objects wobbling on shelves. Sometimes you may hear a low rumbling noise or feel a sharp jolt. A survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco said the sensation was like riding a bicycle down a long flight of stairs.
The intensity of an earthquake can be measured. One measurement is called the Richter scale. Earthquakes below 4.0 on the Richter scale usually do not cause damage, and earthquakes below 2.0 usually can’t be felt. Earthquakes over 5.0 on the scale can cause damage. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake is considered strong and a magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake. The Northridge Earthquake, which hit Southern California in 1994, was magnitude 6.7.
Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes, shakers or seismic activity. The most important thing to remember during an earthquake is to DROP, COVER and HOLD ON. So remember to DROP to the floor and get under something for COVER and HOLD ON during the shaking.
1. Which statement about earthquakes is not correct?
A. Earthquakes are the result of the sudden shock of the earth’s surface.
B. Earthquakes usually can be felt because they can last for a long time.
C. There are usually some signs for people to notice an earthquake.
D. People can feel an earthquake over 6.0 because it is very strong.
2. According to the passage, when the earthquake happened, a survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco_______.
A. was riding a bicycleB. was just climbing the stairs
C. heard a low rumbling noiseD. felt like riding a bicycle
3. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Most of the time, people can not feel or predict the earthquakes.
B. Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes shakers or seismic activity.
C. The Northridge Earthquake in Southern California in 1994 caused severe damage.
D. When an earthquake happens, it is important to drop on the floor immediately.