Australia is famous for its beautiful beaches. And Australian people love swimming and going to the beach. But it wasn't always that way.
Different Climate, Different habits
When Europeans first invaded Australia, the only people here who were good at swimming were the Aboriginal people. The Europeans came from climates where it was too cold to swim. Also some people worried that they would get sick if they wet their whole body.
However the warm climate of Australia soon changed their attitude to swimming. At first, only men swam. They swam naked - there were no women to see them.
Cover up!
By the 1880’s and 90’s visiting the beach was very fashionable and a lot of people went there, especially in warm weather. They wore everyday street clothes - much more than people wear at the beach today.
In those days, people believed they should cover most of their body so it would not be seen by the opposite sex. Special bathing costumes were designed for women. These costumes used a lot of cloth and were very heavy when wet, making it difficult to swim.
Laws Made and Laws Changed
The government decided to stop men swimming naked．It passed a law which forbade bathing between 6am and 7pm. Many people objected to this law and wrote letters to the government asking it to change the laws. In 1903, the laws changed; people could swim in the daytime, but they had to wear neck-to-knee costumes.
The Shrinking Costume
As time passed, swimming costumes became smaller and more convenient.
At first men and women were covered from neck to knee. Then the arms became bare. Then more of the legs were uncovered．Each new change was regarded by many as shocking and rude and people wrote letters to the newspapers complaining about the new costumes. Nowadays some people go to special "nude (裸体) beaches" to swim naked．
However, most people cover their bodies more than they did ten years ago -- not because they think bare skin is shocking -- but to protect their skin from the harmful rays of the sun.The climate of Australia _____.
| A．made European setters think differently about swimming |
| B．change European setters’ swimming costume |
| C．made European setters hotter |
| D．made European setters swim naked |
During the late 19th century, swimmers should _____.
| A．hide when they see a person of the opposite sex |
| B．cover their bodies |
| C．wear many heavy clothes |
| D．take no notice of their clothes |
According to the law just before1903, people must _____.
| A．not swim in the main daylight hours |
| B．only swim between 6am and 7pm |
| C．have a bath at 6am and 7pm |
| D．swim with neck-to-knee costumes between 6am and 7pm |
The last paragraph of the passage states that _____.
| A．people worry about getting skin cancer from too much sun |
| B．people protect their ten-year-old sons from bare skin |
| C．people are shocked by the sun |
| D．people think it rude to swim with the smaller costumes |
Once in a busy street, a middle-aged businessman found his wallet missing. There was a lot of money in it. So he made a promise, "If someone finds my wallet and returns it to me, I'll give half the money to him."
The wallet was found by a dustman in a dustbin. He sent it back to the loser. But the businessman changed his mind.
"There was still a diamond ring in my wallet," said the loser, "I won't give half the money in my wallet to you until you return it to me!"
"I've never seen a diamond ring in the wallet," said the dustman.
They began to quarrel. The businessman refused to do what he had said. The dustman became angry and took him before a judge.
After the judge heard what had happened to them, he said to the businessman, "I'm sure you are an honest man. It's true that you have lost a wallet in which there was a diamond ring. But it's also clear that there is only a lot of money in this wallet. I don't think it's yours. Wait for some time. Perhaps someone will be able to return your wallet to you!"
Then the judge turned to the dustman and said, "Take the wallet home. If the loser doesn't go to get it back in three days, it will belong to you!"The wallet the businessman lost ________.
| A．was found in a shop |
| B．was sent to the judge |
| C．was found in a dustbin |
| D．was never to be found |
The businessman was eager to get back the wallet because _________.
| A．there was the address of an important judge in it |
| B．he put in it a diamond ring he had just bought |
| C．there was a lot of money in it |
| D．it was a very expensive one |
Having heard what had happened, the judge _________ .
| A．took the side of the businessman |
| B．did not know what to do |
| C．took pity on the loser |
| D．made a wise decision |
Last summer I went through a training program and became a literacy volunteer. The training I received, though excellent, didn't tell me how it was to work with a real student, however. When I began to discover what other people’s lives were like because they could not read, I realized the true importance of reading.
My first student Marie was a 44-year-old single mother of three children. In the first lesson, I found out she walked two miles to the nearest supermarket twice a week because she didn't know which bus to take. When I told her I would get her a bus schedule, she told me it would not help because she couldn't read it. She said she also had difficulty once she got to the supermarket because she couldn't always remember what she needed. Also, she could only recognize items by sight, so if the product had a different label, she would not recognize it as the product she wanted.
As we worked together, learning how to read built Marie’s self-confidence. She began to make rapid progress and was even able to take the bus to the supermarket. After this successful trip, she reported how self-confident she felt. At the end of the program, she began helping her youngest son, Tony, a shy first grader, with his reading. I found that helping Marie to build her self-confidence was more rewarding than anything I had ever done before.
As a literacy volunteer, I learned a great deal about teaching and helping others. In fact, I may have learned more from the experience than Marie did.What did the writer do last summer?
| A．She worked in the supermarket. |
| B．She helped someone to learn to read. |
| C．She helped some single mothers. |
| D．She was trained by a literacy volunteer. |
Why didn't Marie go to the supermarket by bus at first?
| A．Because she liked to walk to the supermarket. |
| B．Because she didn't have a bus schedule. |
| C．Because she couldn't afford the bus ticket. |
| D．Because she couldn't find the right bus. |
How did Marie use to find the goods she wanted in the supermarket?
| A．She knew where the goods were in the supermarket. |
| B．She asked others to take her to the right place. |
| C．She managed to find the goods by their looks. |
| D．She remembered the names of the goods. |
Which of the statements is TRUE about Marie?
| A．She could do many things she had not been able to before. |
| B．She was able to read stories with the help of her son. |
| C．She decided to continue her studies in school. |
| D．She helped to build up my self-confidence. |
When my sister Gina was born, she had a problem with her heart. Her heart was pretty bad in the beginning and she stayed in the hospital for a month. The first few years were very difficult because she was very sick. She had five operations before she was three years old. She had trouble walking, playing with other children, and going to school.
Although Gina couldn’t laugh and talk, we all knew that she just needed love and care. Our parents wanted to take Gina to a special place in Florida. There she could swim with dolphins. Gina was afraid of swimming with them because she had never been around dolphins before. We had also never traveled that far as a family. When we got to Florida, we saw where the dolphins lived. It was a place where kids with special needs like Gina could come and spend time. I thought it was going to be a vacation, but it wasn’t. Gina had to work hard every day for a week.
The trip was amazing. Gina laughed and clapped when she saw the dolphin. The dolphin splashed（溅起水花） when it saw Gina. They swam together all day. Gina was able to move her body more than she normally did at home. Mom and Dad were proud of Gina. I was , too.We know from the text that Gina_________.
| A．experienced five operations in a month |
| B．got along well with other children |
| C．stayed in the hospital before three |
| D．was born with a heart disease |
The author’s family went to Florida to _______.
| A．treat Gina for her illness. |
| B．have a family trip |
| C．see the dolphins |
| D．learn to swim |
How did Gina feel about swimming with dolphins at first?
| A．Excited | B．Frightened | C．Angry | D．Proud |
The text is written to tell us that ________.
| A．Learning to walk is hard work |
| B．dolphins can treat many illnesses |
| C．families should travel together often |
| D．help sometimes comes in unusual forms |
For as long as they can remember Jynne Martin and April Surgent had both dreamed of going to Antarctica．This winter，they each made it to the icy continent as guests of the National Science Foundation(NSF)．Bm they didn’t go as scientists．Martin is a poet and Surgent is an artist．They went to Antarctica as participants．in the NSF’s Artists and Writers program．The NSF is thegovernment agency that funds scientific research in Antarctica．But it also makes it possible for artists，including filmmakers and musicians，to experience Antarctica and contribute their own points of view to our understanding of the continent.
The mixing of science and art in Antarctica isn’t new．Some of the earliest explorersbrought along painters and photographers．Edward Wilson was a British painter，doctor，and bird expert who journeyed with RobertFalcon Soott on two separate Antamtic expeditionsmore than 100 years ago．Herbert Ponting was a photographer who also accompanied Scott on one of those expeditions．In hundreds of photos，Pontingcaptured the beauty of the continentand recorded the daily lives and heroic struggles of the explorers．
Today’s scientists write articles forscientificjournals．Unlike theearly explorers’journals，scientific papers can now be very difficult for non-scientists to understand．Writers in Antarctica workto explain the research to the public．Peter Rejcek is editor，writer，and photographer for the Antarctic Sun，an onlinemagazine devoted to news about the U．S．Antarctic Program．Rejeck began his career in the Antarctic in 2003 by spending a year at the South Pole．He has returned everyyear since，interviewing，scientists about research at Palmer，McMurdo，and South Pole stations．
There are also scientists in Antarctica who work hardto explain their research to the public．Scientist Diane McKnight wrote The Lost Seal，a children’s book that explains the research she and others are doing in an unusual ice-free area in Antarctica called the Dry Valleys．
Antarctica is full of stories and wonders that are scientific，historic．and personal. People such as Martin，Surgent，Rejcek，and McKnight are devoted to bringing those storiesto asmany peopleare they can.“Some people are going to be scientists，some people are goingto be journalists，some people are going to be artists，but we can all work together，’saysSurgent,“tocelebrate，thisextraordinary place．”What do we know about the NSF?
| A．It is a government agency． |
| B．It only funds scientists in Antarctica． |
| C．It encourages the understanding of human nature． |
| D．It enables the mixing of science and art for the first time． |
Why didn’t some earliest explorers bring writers along?
| A．Writers were not funded at that time． |
| B．Writing can’t capture the beauty of the continent． |
| C．Writers were not interested in popularizing science． |
| D．Early explorers’journals can be easily understood by the public． |
By mentioning Diane McKnight，the author may try to suggest that_____．
| A．scientists should explain their research to children |
| B．writers are not necessary since scientists can tell stories as well |
| C．telling stories to children is more important than knowing the truth |
| D．no matter what role we play，we can work together to appreciate Antarctica |
What would be the best title for this article?
| A．Antarctica：A Land for All |
| B．The NSF：A Program for All |
| C．Antarctica：A Land of Beauty and Stories |
| D．The NSF：A Program for Artists and Scientists |
The stories we share with one another are important．They show wisdom，andprovide inspiration. They are important to our development. But sometimes people chose not to tell.
Consider the negative effects ofnot sharing a story in the news：People are wondering if public health officials are holding back too much information about the recent outbreak of Ebola．
There is a danger in holding back stories that ought to be told．Bobette Buster said it like this，“The fact is，history hasshown us that stories not toldan become like a dangerous genie(妖怪)leftina bottle．When they are finally uncorked，their power to destroy is set free。”
There are a number of reasons why we hide parts of our story：they often show our weaknesses or expose our disadvantages；they require courage and strength toshare；and of course，there are somestories that should be kept secret—especially those that embarrass someone else．
Most of us have two selves：the one we display on the outside and the one we actually are on the inside．And the better we get at hiding the stories that show our true selves，themore damage we may be causing to ourselves and to others．
Honesty and openness is important：It proves we are trustworthy. It displays we are human．We are not perfect or better．It highlights the importanceof hard work and personal development．Hard work may not allow us to overcome our disadvantages completely．But with hard wonk：we do not have to be restrictedto our mistakes．
Does this mean we admit every weakness，every disadvantage，and every secret regret to everybody we meet?No，of course not．There is a time and a placeand acertain level of relationship necessary for some stories tobe told in all appropriate manner．What’s the functionofthe example in Paragraph 2?
| A．It reflects that people are concerning about the spread of Ebola． |
| B．It shows the bad effect caused by sharing a story． |
| C．It proves not sharing a story cancause trouble． |
| D．It concludes that one should share a story at a proper time． |
One of the reasons why people are unwilling to share experiences is that______．
| A．story-sharing highlights the importance of hard work |
| B．people are used to exposing their weaknesses |
| C．people sometimes have no courage to share their stories |
| D．some stories make themselves feel sad |
Which is close in meaning to the underlined word“uncorked”in Paragraph 3?
| A．freed | B．broken | C．unfolded | D．untouched |
The writer aims to convince us to_____________．
| A．be open to people close to you by sharing some secrets |
| B．share stories appropriately for the good of others and ourselves |
| C．remove the dangers that can be caused by untold stories |
| D．realize the importance of being honest when making friends |