Dogs may help save the day in the Philippines, as they use their noses to smell out survivors buried by Friday’s mudslide(泥石流). The team of dogs arrived in the Philippines from Spain, and this Tuesday they were just beginning their work. Search officials told CNN they hope the recent rain will wash away the smell of rescue teams so the dogs can do their job more accurately.
The dogs were brought in after sound equipment found sounds coming from deep inside the ruins, at a place where a school stood before the mudslide covered it. The sounds could mean people are still alive under all the mud or it could just be the earth resettling.
On Monday, rescue workers worked at the school site until three in the morning, trying to locate survivors, and they will begin digging again as soon as the dogs think they find someone.
Human teams from the US, Malaysia, and Australia are all trying to help, too. But so far they have yet to locate any survivors. Rescue workers told CNN that an earlier report that 50 survivors had been found was false.
How did all that mud bury the village in the first place? On Friday, 2,400-foot Mt Kanabag turned into a mudslide after two weeks of constant rain weakened it. The mountain crumbled and the mud fell onto the village Guinsaugon, burying the 1,800 people who lived there . Out of the 300 houses in the village, only 3 were not covered by the mud . The village is on a southern Philippine Island called Levte. Rescue efforts have been difficult because the village takes six hours to reach from the nearest airport. Hopefully, the dogs can help their human friends find survivors.According to the search officials’ words in the first paragraph, we can learn that_________
A.the smell of rescue teams can disturb the dogs |
B.the dogs can follow the smell of rescue teams |
C.the gods can’t smell the rescue teams |
D.the dogs can tell the differences between people and rescue teams |
The main purpose of this passage is probably_______.
A.to show the way to rescue the victims in the ruins |
B.to introduce the instruments to save victims in a disaster |
C.to tell readers that dogs can smell out victims buried in the ruins |
D.to show how to train dogs to save victims in a mudslide |
How many survivors were found by the dogs?
A.50. | B.Only a few. | C.1,800. | D.None. |
The reason why the rescue work wasn’t going smoothly was probably that_______.
A.the rain was heavy |
B.so many people were buried |
C.it was difficult to reach the village |
D.these is little chance to save the survivors |
The underlined word “crumbled” in the last paragraph can be replaced by______.
A.broke | B.shook | C.fell | D.moved |
Ted Turner, achieved high goals and great success by the time he was 43. Best known for his CNN, Ted Turner launched a second nationwide all-news network, Headline News, purchased the Atlanta Braves baseball team, and became the world's best yachtsman at the America's Cup in 1977. In 1982 Ted Turner was named by Forbes one of the 400 richest people in the US. He was named Time magazine's "Man of the Year" in 1992. How did Ted Turner accomplish all of this at such a young age?
Ted Turner's father, Ed, was a self-made millionaire who demanded that his only son try to achieve similar success. He instilled in the boy a strong belief that hard work was good. Besides reading a new book every two days, Ted Turner was also charged rent at home during summer vacations from boarding school. Ed Turner was a strong influence in his son's life.
As a child, Ted Turner lived a very lonely life, often separated from his family. He was enrolled in a military academy in the fifth grade and eventually went to Brown University. He attended college off and on, became involved in sailboat racing, and became a member of the U.S. Coast Guard. In his early twenties, Ted Turner became general manager of one of his father's branch offices in Georgia.
Two years later after his father’s suicide, Ted Turner took over the company. He soon discovered that he was more skilled than his father in managing the business. During the next twenty years, Ted Turner worked hard to accumulate enough power and money to fulfill his father's dream.
Reflecting on his father's death, however, Ted Turner realized that it was dangerous to put too much emphasis on material possessions. He decided to use his hard-earned influence to serve the public. Concerned about the environment, Ted Turner established the Better World Society in 1985. The purpose of this organization was to produce documentaries to educate people about pollution, hunger, and the danger of building weapons of mass destruction. In 1986 Turner began sponsoring the Goodwill Games to promote world peace. The Turner Tomorrow Awards were created to encourage writers and thinkers to focus their attention on solving world problems. The Turner Family Foundation was established in 1992. What is CNN according to the passage?
A.It’s a broadcast-news company. | B.It’s a basketball team agency. |
C.It’s a charity organization. | D.It’s a publishing house. |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?
A.The creation of CNN encouraged broadcasters to be more successful. |
B.Towering goals and hard work led to fame and prosperity. |
C.Ted Turner was expert at sailboat racing and playing basketball. |
D.Ted Turner became very successful at an early age. |
As a student in a military academy, Turner ______.
A.wasn’t as lonely as he looked because his many friends at school. |
B.missed his family very much despite having friends at school. |
C.served as a member of the US Coast Guard for a while. |
D.showed little interest in studying but other affairs. |
The author seems to believe that Ted Turner is ______.
A.slow moving | B.incompetent | C.goal-oriented | D.modest |
Which of the following best describes an important change in Ted Turner’s life?
A.He became more determined and was feared by this workmates. |
B.He developed respect and admiration for his employees. |
C.H e revised his view of the world and his responsibility in it. |
D.He demanded the same level of success as he father. |
For Chinese wanting to work as nurses in the United Sates, the arrival of the test of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) may be a welcome move.
The CGFNS has a certification programme for people wanting to work as registered nurses in the US. The first CGFNS test in China is to be held in Beijing in July. Registrations is open till April 9. According to US labour law, nurses have to pass the National Council License Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) before they can practise. However, the NCLEX-RN is only useful in the US, making it difficult for people from other countries to get in. But, the US expects a shortage of 50,000 nurses by 2010. So, the CGFNS has not replaced the NCLEX-RN, which is still needed for work as a registered nurse in the US.
So what exactly does CGFNS do?
First of all, it helps international nurses qualify for a work visa for the US. Nurses educated abroad who do not have a US license by the NCLEX-RN, must get the CGFNS certificate. “But not everyone who gets a CGFNS certificate can get a work visa. There are many requirements for a visa, and the CGFNS is just one,” said John Ratigan, immigration officer for the CGFNS.
The certificate helps applicants meet requirements for the NCLEX-RN. Forty-two states require a CGFNS certificate from nurses educated abroad before taking the NCLEX-RN examination.
About 85 percent of those who passed the CGFNS have passed the NCLEX-RN. According to Barbara Michols, chief executive officer of CGFNS, “the CGFNS is cost-efficient for the Chinese. If they can’t pass the CGFNS here in China, their chances of passing the NCLEX-RN for the US are tiny. This saves time and money on visa applications and the long trip. ” In a word, to get a CGFNS certificate, a person must have: a credentials review, the CGFNS qualifying exam of nursing knowledge and an English language proficiency exam. We can infer from the text that to people hoping to work as registered nurses in the US, CGFNS tests can be taken _____.
A.nowhere but in the US | B.somewhere outside the US |
C.in every country but the US | D.both in China and the US |
According to American labour law, people cannot work as nurses until they pass _____.
A.NCLEX-RN | B.CGFNS |
C.CGFNS and NCLEX-RN | D.CGFNS or NCLEX-RN |
We can learn from the text that _____.
A.if you get a CGFNS certificate, you can pass the NCLEX-RN in the US and get visa applications |
B.if you pass the NCLEX-RN in the U![]() applications |
C.if you can't pass the NCLEX-RN in the US, you will not be able to pass the CGFNS examination |
D.if you get a CGFNS certificate, you will be more likely to pass the NCLEX-RN examination |
The sentence "CGFNS holders have a higher rate of success on the NCLEX-RN examination" can be arranged at the beginning of Paragraph _____.
A.Two | B.Four | C.Five | D.Six |
What is probably the best title of this passage?
A.The CGFNS helps international nurses |
B.The first CGFNS test in China |
C.The CGFNS and the NCLEX-RN |
D.Working as registered nurses in the US |
In the last years of the Warring States period, the State of Qin attacked the State of Wei on a large scale repeatedly and occupied large areas of land, for the State of Wei was too weak to defend itself. In 273 B.C., the Qin army launched a more serious attack upon the State of Wei than ever. The king of the State of Wei gathered his officials, and asked with a worried look if anyone could propose a way to defeat the Qin army. After years of chaos caused by the wars, the officials trembled when fighting was mentioned, and no one dared to speak of resistance.
At the critical moment when a large enemy force was bearing down upon the border, most of the officials persuaded the king to sue for peace, at the cost of giving away to the State of Qin the large area of land north of the Huanghe River and south of the Taihang Mountain. However Su Dai, a counselor, did not agree. He hurried up to the king and said: "Your Majesty, they don't think about the interests of the country at all. It is just because they are afraid of death that they ask you to sue for peace by betraying the country. Of course you can temporarily satisfy the ambition of Qin, but it will never stop attacking us until our land is totally given away."
He added,“Once there was a man whose house was on fire. People told him to put out the fire with water, but he would not listen. Instead, he carried a faggot to put out the fire, only to make the fire fiercer. Isn't it similar to carrying faggots to put out a fire if you agree to sue for peace at the cost of the land of the State of Wei?”
Though Su Dai's argument was very convincing, the king accepted the suggestion of those officials and gave away to the State of Qin a large area of the land of the State of Wei. As might be expected, the Qin army attacked the State of Wei in 225 B.C. again, surrounding the capital city Daliang and flooding it by digging open the dykes (堤防) of the Huanghe River. The State of Wei was finally destroyed. When asked how to defeat the Qin army, most officials _______.
A.were scared and at a loss what to do |
B.looked worried and turned to Su Dai for help |
C.asked a large enemy force to bear down upon the border |
D.were extremely frightened and decided to give up fighting back |
The underlined phrase“sue for”in Paragraph 2 probably means _______.
A.demand | B.beg for | C.search for | D.negotiate for |
Su Dai used the example of“carrying faggots to put out a fire”to show _______.
A.the ambition of the State of Qin |
B.the serious results of giving in |
C.the loss of the land of the State of Wei |
D.the trembling consequences of defense |
The story is mainly developed by _______.
A.time | B.logic | C.ma![]() |
D.cause and effect |
The attitude of the writer towards Su Dai is _______.
A.approval | B.praise | C.neutral | D.disapproval |
Some futurologists have assumed that the vast increase of women in the workforce may portend(预示)an increase in divorce. The opposite of this concern is that the outlook of becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. The earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner.
The increase in divorce rates follows to the increase in women working outside the home. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The effect of a wife’s work on divorce is no less cloudy than its effect on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally reasonable. Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. By raising a family’s standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family’s financial and emotional stability.
Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.
A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Meanwhile, an attractive woman who finds her value in work may play an important role in a stable marriage. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities. If women find fulfillment through work outside the home, _________.
A.they are more likely to control their marriage partners |
B.their husbands are expected to do more housework |
C.their marriage ties can be strengthened |
D.they tend to put their career before marriage |
One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that ________.
A.they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom |
B.they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands |
C.they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations |
D.they tend to suspect their husbands loyalty to their marriage |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
Which of the following statements can best summarize the author’s view in the passage?
A.The stability of marriage and the divorce rate may reflect the economic social position of women. |
B.Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in marriage. |
C.In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain independent. |
D.The effect of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case. |
As I was thinking about language learning the other day, the image of baking bread came into my mind. I compared some of the exercises and drills that we put ourselves through in order to learn a language to the various ingredients (原料) that go into baking a loaf of fresh bread.
Real language learning takes place in human relationships. No one sits down and eats a cup of flour, even if he is hungry and in a hurry. You don' t become bilingual (双语的) by learning lists of vocabulary. You don' t become a speaker of a language by memorizing grammatical rules. You become bilingual by entering a community that uses that other language as its basic means of communication.
I am not suggesting that we can make bread without ingredients. Flour is necessary, as are yeast (酵母), salt, water and other ingredients. Vocabulary is part of any language and will have to be learned. Grammatical rules exist in every language and cannot be ignored. But merely combining the appropriate ingredients in the recommended proportions does not result in bread. At best, you only end up with a ball of dough (面团).
In order to get bread, you have to apply heat to the dough. And in language learning, that heat comes from the community. Anyone who has learned a second language has experienced that heat. It creeps up your neck when you ask the babysitter, “Have you already been eaten?” when you meant to say, ‘‘Have you already eaten?” When you try to say something quite innocent and the whole room bursts into laughter, you are experiencing the heat that turns raw dough into good bread.
Remember the old saying, “If you can’ t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen". This is where language learning often breaks down because we find the heat uncomfortable and we stop the baking process. In other words, we can' t stand the heat, so we get out of the kitchen.
However, the language learner who stays in the kitchen—in the heat—until the combined
ingredients are thoroughly transformed will enjoy the richness of a quality loaf of bread. He is glad that he did not "get out of the kitchen” at the important moment when the oven seemed too hot.
Now the baker enjoys good bread, seated at the table with family members and guests. However, he does not focus on "bread" but rather on enjoying the whole feast: fine salads, pastas, fresh vegetables, rich desserts and so on. And the language learner has arrived when he no longer needs to focus on language. Language merely becomes one element in the "feast" of membership in his chosen community.