My parents were in a huge argument, and 1 was really upset about it. I didn't know who I should talk with about how I was feeling. So I asked Mom to allow me to stay the night at my best friend's house. Though I knew I wouldn't tell her about my parents’ situation, I was looking forward to gelling out of the house. I was in the middle of packing up my things when suddenly the power went out in the neighborhood. Mom came to tell me that I should stay with my grandpa until the power came back on.
I was really disappointed because I felt that we did not have much to talk about. But I knew he would be frightened alone in the dark. I went to his room and told him that I'd stay with him until the power was restored. He was quite happy and said, "Great opportunity."
"What is?" I asked.
"To talk, you and I" he said. "To hold a private little meeting about what we’re going to do with your mom and dad, and what we're going to do with ourselves now that we're in the situation we are in."
"But we can't do anything about it. Grandpa," I said, surprised that here was someone with whom I could share my feelings and someone who was in the same "boat" as I was.
And that's how the most unbelievable friendship between my grandfather and me started. Sitting Acre in the dark, we talked about our feelings and fears of life — from how fast things change, to how they sometimes don't change fast enough. That night, because the power went out, I found a new friend, with whom I could safely talk about all my fears and pains, whatever they may be — suddenly, the lights all came hack on. "Well," he said, "I guess that means you'll want to go now. I really like our talk. I hope the power will go out every few nights!"
56.1 wished to get out of the house because ____
A. I was angry about my parents’ quarrel B. I found nobody to share my feelings with
C. I wanted to escape from the dark house D. I planned to tell my friend about my trouble
57. Grandpa was happy to see me because _____.
A. he could discuss the problem with me B. he had not seen me for a long lime
C. he was afraid of darkness D. he felt quite lonely
58. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The grandchild was eager to leave. B. They would have more chats.
C. The lights would go out again. D. It would no longer be dark.
Although the New Year is already here, the great moments of the past year are still in the memory. Let’s look back at some of them.
United States
One of the world’s largest New Year’s Eve parties was held in Times Square, New York. The festival attracted hundreds of thousands of people to watch a brightly-lit ball drop on a landmark building at the stroke (击、打) of midnight.
A great amount of confetti (五彩纸屑) was released from the sky at zero o’clock.
Britain
Painted in shinning colors, blowing whistles, 50，000 party-goers arrived in London’s Millennium Dome to dance in the New Year. The Millennium Dome came to life at midnight as 50 DJs started up, competing on five separate dance floors to warm the crowd into the party mood.
Russia
New Year is the biggest holiday in Russia. It is traditional to put up a tree for celebrations with family and friends.
On the very last day of last year, Russians with a taste for a very cold swim braved freezing temperatures to plant traditional, festival trees on the bed of the Northern Ocean and at the bottom of Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake.
Malaysia
Brave skydivers threw themselves off the world’s tallest building near midnight and floated towards the New Year.
The jump from the 452-metre Petronas Twin Tower was called a real leap from one year to the next since the group took off in the last second of the old year and landed a minute later in the New Year. “That was really cool,” said Roland Simpson, “over crowds of onlookers to the landing spot.”In New York the brightly-lit ball dropped ____________.
| A．form the sky onto the Times Square |
| B．into the hundreds of thousands of watchers |
| C．to welcome the arrival of Christmas |
| D．at the point between the old and the New Year |
Which of the following is NOT traditional to welcome a new year?
| A．Sharing the happiness and excitement together. |
| B．Setting up a tree for celebrations. |
| C．Planting trees on the bed of a lake. |
| D．50 DJs’ competing on five separate floors. |
People jumping from the tallest buildings _________.
| A．spent two different years in the air. |
| B．stayed in the sky for two minutes. |
| C．landed over people’s heads. |
| D．floated away to the new land |
The passage mainly shows that ________.
| A．New Year has been the starting point for people to have dreams. |
| B．people in different countries welcomed New Year in different ways. |
| C．people’s ways of celebrations are exciting. |
| D．the New Year is better than the old year. |
There are many rights to make sure that people will be treated fairly when they are suspected or accused of a crime. Sometimes these rights are called "due process of law". In using these rights, a person should have the help of a lawyer.
You have a right to protect against unreasonable searches and seizures. The police generally may not search you or your home, or take things you own, without a "warrant". A warrant is a paper which states, very exactly, the place to be searched and the things to be taken. Sometimes, however, the police will not need a warrant to search you or your property. If an officer sees you committing a crime, or if he has a good reason to believe you have committed a serious crime, he may arrest you and search you and the area right around you without a warrant.
If you invite a police without a warrant to come into your house and he finds proof of crime, the evidence may be used against you in court. If you do not want an officer to search you or your home and he does not have a warrant, tell him that you do not give him the right to search. However, if the officer will not listen, do not try to stop him. It is dangerous to resist and it may be illegal to do so. Any evidence which a policeman gets during an unlawful search and seizure cannot be used against you.
Police officers must act reasonably and fairly at all times. They should use physical force only when it is needed to arrest someone to enforce a law. They may not use physical violence to "teach someone a lesson".According to the passage, a "warrant" is______.
| A．an identification card | B．an official written order |
| C．a special license | D．an access card |
The police can use physical force only when _______.
| A．they want to teach the habitual thief a lesson |
| B．the criminal resists arrest |
| C．they catch the criminal on the spot |
| D．the suspect talks back |
The passage centers around _______.
| A．the rights of citizens | B．the importance of warrants |
| C．the duty of the police | D．criminal cases |
Travelling around the world with children is difficult enough, but attempting it without using motorized transport is even more of challenge. But Dario Schworer, a 42-year-old climatologist and mountain guide, and his 33-year-old wife Sabine are on a journey to do just that.
The Swiss couple want to travel across the world’s oceans and climb the highest mountain on every continent to promote Earth-friendly ways of life.
“We are collecting good examples of dealing with climate change and living in harmony with nature and we want to spread such ideas,” Schworer said. “We want to help people affected by global warming and to inspire children for the future.”
Recently after having spent three months teaching children in the Everest region, the couple want to show it is possible to travel through as the world’s climate zones using just human-power and forces of nature.
In the 47 countries they have visited so far they have collected 22 tons of trash, taught people in Ecuador how the sun’s rays can be used to clean water and inspired a person in Chile to build a house on water with recycled plastic bottles as a foundation. They have also collected trash in the mountains of Nepal with school children.
So far they have communicated with 45,000 children from South America, Australia and Asia, giving presentations about the importance of recycling and using alternative energy like solar and wind power.
“We need to motivate children,” said Sabine.
When they began their adventure in 2003 they had no children of their own. But since then two has become five: daughter Sabine is now five years old, Andri was born in Chile and baby Noe was born in Australia.
Initially the couple thought they would complete their travels in four years, but now, seven years later, they believe it could take seven more.
“Since our belief is the need to respect nature, we travel only when conditions are good,” Schworer said.Why do the Swiss couple travel around the world?
| A．To inspire their children for the future. |
| B．To prove a travel without motorized transport. |
| C．To explore the secret of global warming. |
| D．To promote Earth-friendly ways of life. |
They did a lot during the travel except ________.
| A．build a house with recycled plastic bottles |
| B．collect rubbish and waste |
| C．communicate with local children |
| D．show people how to use energy |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “Initially”?
| A．In the end | B．In a way | C．At the beginning | D．On the whole |
The best title of the passage can be ________.
| A．A Swiss family’ journey across the world |
| B．An eco-friendly adventure across the world |
| C．We have a long way to make a good travel |
| D．Nature needs respecting and protecting |
B
| 1. Six Hours Free Parking If you spend $ 100 or more in our stores you will receive six hours of free parking. When you have spent $100 or more, just take this coupon and your receipt to the customer service desk on level 4. They will stamp your parking ticket to allow 6 hours of free parking. Offer here until November 14. |
| 2. Win a $1000 CD Collection Win your choice of $1000 worth of CDs from JB Music Store. Just buy any two CDs and your name will go into the competition. Select your own prize from our wide variety of rock, pop, jazz and classical music. Competition ends November 14. Prize drawn on November 21. Check store for more information. |
| 3. Buy One, Get One Free Buy one shirt or tie at Daniel’s Menswear, and get another shirt or tie of the same value free. Choose from any of our dress shirts and we will give you another one at no cost. Hurry! Offer ends November 14. Offer limited to one per customer. |
| 4. 10% Off Present this coupon at The Book Store to get a 10% discount on any books you buy. We have lots of books to choose from, including children’s books, novels, travel guides, and science works. You are sure to find something that you will enjoy. Shop now for Christmas, we have a large quantity of toys as gifts for you and avoid the rush! Offer here until November 14. |
| 5. Half-price Movie Tickets Buy any full-price movie ticket on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and you can buy a second ticket for a friend for only half price. The latest movies are here, being shown in one of our five theaters at Bayfield Shopping Center. Offer here through December 1, Limit on per customer. |
| 6. Free Soft Drink Buy any meal for at least $6 at Mike’s Café, and receive a free soft drink. We serve the best food in the Shopping Center. Come in and try our delicious meals and our excellent service. You won’t be disappointed! Free soft drink offer ends November 14. |
What are these ads for?
| A．Food you can order for delivery. | B．Places to go on vacation. |
| C．Things on sale in a big store. | D．Special offers at a shopping center. |
Which of the following is true according to the ads?
| A．Spending $50 means 3 hours of free parking. |
| B．One person can buy 5 tickets for the price of three. |
| C．At Mike’s Café, people can get a free drink after spending $6. |
| D．After buying two CDs, you can get another two CDs for free. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned at this mall?
| A．Toy store. | B．Music store. | C．Restaurant. | D．Clothes store. |
We can know from this passage ________.
| A．you won’t get a free soft drink unless you spend more than 10 dollars on the meal. |
| B．if you buy a book there, you may pay less than half the price. |
| C．you may get a free one if you buy a shirt, or a tie, or a pair of shoes. |
| D．there is more than one theater in the center. |
A gentle breeze blew through Jennifer’s hair. The golden red sun was setting. She was on the beach, looking up at the fiery （火红的） ball. She was amazed by its color, deep red in the middle, softly fading into yellow. She could hear nothing but the waves and the seagulls flying up above in the sky.
The atmosphere relaxed her. After all she had been through, this was what she needed. “It’s getting late,” she thought, “I must go home. My parents will be wondering where I am.”
She wondered how her parents would react, when she got home after the three days she was missing. She kept on walking, directing herself where she spent every summer holiday. The road was deserted. She walked slowly and silently. Just in a few hundred meters she would have been safe in her house.
It was really getting dark now. The sun had set a few minutes before and it was getting cold, too. She wished she had her favorite sweater on— it kept her really warm. She imagined having it with her. This thought disappeared when she finally saw her front door. It seemed different. Nobody had taken care of the outside garden for a few days. She was shocked: her father was usually so strict about keeping everything clean and tidy, and now... It all seemed deserted. She couldn’t understand what was going on.
She entered the house. First, she went into the kitchen where she saw a note written by her father. It said, “Ellen, there is some coffee ready. I went looking.” Ellen was her mother but — where was she? On the right side of the hallway was her parents’ room. She went in. Then she saw her. Her mother, lying on the bed, was sleeping. Her face looked so tired, as if she hadn’t slept for days. She was really pale. Jennifer would have wanted to wake her up but she looked too tired. So Jennifer just fell asleep beside her. When Jennifer woke up, something was different... she wasn’t in her mother’s room and she wasn’t wearing the old clothes she ran away in. She was in her snug bed in her pajamas （睡衣）.
It felt so good being back home. Suddenly she heard a voice, “Are you feeling better now? You know you got us very, very scared.”What does “This thought” in the fourth paragraph refer to?
| A．The feeling of being warm in her favorite sweater. |
| B．Her worry about her parents. |
| C．The idea of going back home. |
| D．The feeling of getting back home safely. |
Her father didn’t take care of the garden because _______.
| A．he had to look after his wife |
| B．he was busy looking for her |
| C．he was not strict in his job |
| D．he no longer enjoyed working there |
How did Jennifer probably feel when she came back home?
a. worriedb. crazyc. tired d. disappointed e. shocked f. excited
| A．a, c, e | B．a, b, c | C．b, c, e | D．d, e, f |
What can we conclude from this passage?
| A．In fact Jennifer’s mother had been sick for days. |
| B．As Jennifer walked towards home, she became increasingly scared. |
| C．Having experienced a lot outside, Jennifer felt home was really warm and safe for her. |
| D．When she found the garden deserted, she realized she got cross. |