B
A young British sailor was missing at sea yesterday in similar circumstances(情况)to the way his father died five years ago．
The dinghy(救生橡皮船)，used to take Richard Smith，21，to his yacht(快艇)，was discovered empty, floating in seas off the Caribbean island．An air and sea search was carried out but he has still not been discovered．
Richard’s mother, Bicknell，said from her home in Hampshire，“It’s so much coincidence．Richard always carried a photograph of his father attached to a poem，which included the date of his disappearance．”
“Now, it’s very strange because all they have found is Richard’s dinghy．We need to know this time what has happened one way or another．If you know at least you can go through the grieving process(悲痛的过程)．”
In November 1996，Mr. Smith’s father, Charlie，was sailing in the Tasmen sea between the Australian mainland and the island of Tasmen with his new wife．They lost radio contact with the shore and they, together with their yacht were never seen again，and their disappearance remains a mystery．
Richard is described a talented(有才能的)and experienced sailor who has crewed for the champion ocean racer．He had sailed to the。Caribbean in November to crew ocean racing yachts for entertainment．He ended the evening drinking in the Abracbabra bar but left after local police closed it for being too noisy．
About 2 am the following day Richard headed back for his dinghy．He started its outboard motor before giving all elderly woman a lift to her yacht after her dinghy had gone missing．It was the last time he was seen．
61．Riehard Smith was___________in 2000．
A．ten B．fifteen C．twenty D．eighteen
62．People searched for Richard using_____．
A．ship only B．ship and radio C．ship and plane D．yacht and car
63．According to the passage，we know Richard died because____．
A．he was a green hand in sailing
B．some unknown animal attacked him
C．that was a maze in the area he was sailing
D．of something we don’t know
64．Which statement is NOT true according to this passage?
A．Young Smith had lost radio contact with the shore before he died．
B．Richard’s father had married two women at least．
C．Richard didn’t drink on the evening before he was lost because the policeman closed the bar．
D．Richard was seen at about 2 am the day he disappeared．
65．The writer tells us__________．
A．a story about two heroes B．a piece of news about a merchant ship
C．a coincidence D．the dying process of Richard
Many years ago, Norman Cousins was seriously ill. He was given six months to live. His chance for recovery was 1 in 500.
He could see the worry, depression and anger in his life contributed to his disease. He wondered, If illness can be caused by negativity (消极性), can health be created by positivity (积极性)?” He decided to make an experiment of himself.
Laughing was one of the most positive activities he knew. He watched all the funny movies he could find. He read funny stories. He asked his friends to call him whenever they said, heard or did something interesting.
His pain was so great that he could not sleep. Laughing for 10 solid minutes, he found, relieved the pain for several hours so he could sleep. He fully recovered from his illness and lived another 20 happy and healthy years.
Laughing is necessary to our health. If were not well, laughing helps us get well; if we are well, laughing helps us stay that way. So, if you like laughing, do it as often as you can.
Use whatever makes you laughmovies, books, jokes or friends. The people around you may think youre strange, but sooner or later theyll join in even if they dont know what youre laughing about.Cousins decided to try to laugh a lot ______.
| A．in order to be happy |
| B．in order to cure his disease |
| C．because he could not live for long |
| D．because his disease couldnt be cured |
The text mainly tells us ______.
| A．how to be happy |
| B．laughing is good for our health |
| C．about Cousins miserable life |
| D．funny stories make our life different |
Which of the following is TRUE about his illness?
| A．There was little possibility to cure his disease. |
| B．He had been happy before he was ill. |
| C．His disease resulted from his hard work. |
| D．His disease made him sleepy all the time. |
From Cousins story, we can know that ______.
| A．doctors believed that his disease could be cured by laughing |
| B．he was sure that positivity could cure his disease |
| C．laughing regularly contributed to his disease |
| D．his life was changed after he was ill |
Im a real book lover. Every time my friends visit me, my nose is buried in a book. Wherever I go, I always have a book with me. Novels, history books, stories about people, journals and news—I read them all and I’ve learnt a lot, too. For example, many things in life happen for the best even if we don’t like or understand them.
Why is reading such an enjoyable pastime for me? I probably first learned about it from my parents. My mother read to me at night in my childhood and bought me picture books. The greatest gift she has given me is a love for reading. And it will be a life-long habit.
No one ever asked me why I liked to read. They just saw me and asked, “Oh? Is that for school work?” And I just shook my head, “No. It’s just for fun.” While reading a good book, I can totally forget myself and fly to another world. It’s like exploring through someone’s eyes, which is just as exciting as watching a movie.
Reading is also necessary in order to learn about writing, to improve my use of words and phrases and broaden my knowledge. What a pity to see our imagination disappear, for we don’t exercise it often. Reading can even be good for one’s health, I think. Everyone should read sad stories that make us cry and also books with humor that make us laugh out loud!Among the gifts my parents have given me, which is the most valuable one?
| A．A love for reading. | B．Picture books. |
| C．Good health. | D．A lovable pastime. |
In the fourth paragraph, the author thinks reading can ____.
| A．make his parents happy |
| B．finish his school work |
| C．improve writing and broaden knowledge |
| D．help him understand some movies |
If we dont use our imagination often, ____.
| A．it is bad for our health |
| B．we will soon learn how to write |
| C．it will help us to have a good rest |
| D．it will soon disappear |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Why do I have few friends? |
| B．What are my life habits? |
| C．Why do I love reading? |
| D．Why do things happen for the best? |
Part-time jobs for 15 and 16 years olds
| Waiter / Waitress A job as a waiter or waitress is a good choice for 16-year-olds. Not only can one earn $9-$12 an hour, but they can also get the tips (小费). Most people that visit a restaurant don’t just have good food. They come here to relax and have a good time. Besides serving food quickly, a young waiter who talks to them politely with a smile on his face will make the diners enjoy their time at the restaurant. |
| Work in a library If one is fond of books, working in a library is another suitable choice. Besides the pay is good, it offers a lot of free time when students can actually sit down and finish their homework. So on returning home, they would have time to hang around with friends or just relax. So working in a library is an excellent part-time job for teens, especially for school students. |
| Internet jobs There are many ways of making money through online jobs like clicking on advertisements, visiting sites and signing up with them. However, such online jobs don’t pay well. A better Internet job for teens is to complete online surveys. These are quite simple surveys that usually ask one about his/ her opinions and ideas. Many companies use these ideas to make products designed for teenagers. |
A student who is busy with his research paper will probably choose to work ______.
| A．in a restaurant | B．in a library |
| C．on the Internet | D．in an IT company |
The writer wrote this text to ______.
| A．tell us the importance of doing part-time jobs |
| B．advise teenagers how to choose a part-time job |
| C．teach young people how to make lots of money |
| D．introduce his/her experience of doing part-time jobs |
Why do some companies ask the teens to do surveys?
| A．The teens have more free time. |
| B．They can pay less to the teens. |
| C．They need advice to make products for teens. |
| D．The teens usually express their true opinions. |
In the past hundred years, the world’s attitude toward whales has changed a lot. The animals are no longer seen as frightening creatures and worldwide protection efforts have reduced whale hunting. Through careful observation, scientists have shown that whales are generally peaceful, playful creatures, and that they have a high level of intelligence.
But even now, some behaviour of whales is still a mystery. A lot of information gathered by whale researchers has raised new puzzles about the animals. Whales’ communication is particularly difficult to understand. Male humpbacks (also known as bulls) give off a sequence (一连串) of low moans（呻吟）, high screams and clicking noises. These noises are sometimes combined in songs that last as long as 30 minutes. And in a particular region, every male will sing the same song, making small changes every once in a while so that it evolves (逐渐形成) into a completely different song over time.
This behavior seems to be related to reproduction. During the mating (交配) season, a male humpback starts the long song sequence, stopping only to join a passing female whale (also known as a cow). Eventually, the bull and the cow may dive deep into the ocean, probably to mate. Male humpbacks’ songs are similar to what birds display to attract mates (配偶), except that the sound carries over many miles, attracting some other male humpbacks in the area. It’s very odd that a male would call his own competition to him, unless he actually wanted to test his strength against others. Some whale researchers believe that the songs are actually acoustic (听觉的) contests of strength.What can we infer from the first paragraph?
| A．We used to have wrong ideas about whales. |
| B．Whales are in danger of dying out today. |
| C．Whales have always been considered as fierce creatures. |
| D．Whales are only protected in some parts of the world. |
We can learn from the second paragraph that .
| A．male whales and female whales both sing songs |
| B．people can’t fully understand whales’ communication |
| C．people only understand the songs of male whales |
| D．the songs of male whales never change |
The last paragraph suggests that male humpbacks sing songs most probably to .
| A．find their own family members |
| B．work together with others to hunt |
| C．compete against other male humpbacks |
| D．frighten away other male humpbacks |
Robots that can chat, find misplaced glasses, draw airplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society.
Robots, such as the sound-sensitive Chapit, answer simple questions and even joke with people to help the solitary fight loneliness and stay alert (机警的) in old age. “Many old people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to,” said Kazuya Kitamura, a representative of the expo organizer. “Communication robots stay together with old people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again.”
While Chapit, a relatively simple robot, managed to attract a partner, many researchers, such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto, a professor at the University of Tokyo, struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects.
Matsumoto’s “Personal Mobility Robot”, equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user’s centre of gravity, is designed to help the elderly move around without pressing buttons as in traditional wheelchairs.
The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by recognizing them with a sensor. “We have developed a robot that can assist many people, but because of the high cost, we still haven’t found a sponsor,” said Matsumoto, who added that the cost of the machine, if produced in large quantities, would be comparable to that of a small car. “In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest (投资) in such a costly project,” he said.
Other robots, such as the award-winning “DiGRO”, can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children. The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures, looking after children while parents work.
Japan is one of the world’s fastest-aging countries and the government predicts that by 2050 the population of people over 65 will reach 40 percent.What can Chapit do according to the text?
| A．It can find misplaced objects for the elderly. |
| B．It can help the elderly to move around freely. |
| C．It can communicate with people. |
| D．It can tell the same story over and over again. |
What is the problem with Matsumoto’s “Personal Mobility Robot”?
| A．It is too expensive. |
| B．It is not practical. |
| C．It is just like traditional wheelchairs. |
| D．It is not quite convenient for the elderly to use. |
“DiGRO” is designed to .
| A．keep children busy |
| B．create simple images |
| C．keep children company |
| D．help children learn how to draw |
What does the underlined word “solitary” in the second paragraph mean?
| A．Poor. | B．Lonely. | C．Unemployed. | D．Disabled. |