Dorothea Shaw is 71 years old and nearly blind, and she chose to live alone far away from people. She lives in Belize — a county the size of Wales with a population only that of Swansea. Her home is at Gales Point, a tiny village which can be reached only by sea or air; after a 10-mile walk into the hills one finally reaches a piece of land and two small houses so hidden in the thick over-grown forest that only a handful of people know Dorothea is there.
She lives happily and totally alone – growing her vegetables, looking after her trees and dogs, cats and chickens. Once a month or so an old friend passes by with her food supplies and letters-usually including a letter from her sister in Scunthorpe and some bits of clothing from friends in Canada. Sometimes a local man will come and cut wood for her and a group of British soldiers will come across her and be greeted with the offer of a cup of coffee.
At night she lies in her tiny sleeping room with the dogs on the floor, the cats on the table near the typewriter and one of the hens settled down in a corner of the bookshelf, and listens for hours to any Spanish, English, German or French broadcasts she can find on her radio. Sometimes she gets lonely but most of the time the animals and the radio are company enough.
But recently the very things that she had tried to get free from so well have begun to catch up with her. The peace of the forest has been destroyed by the noise of earth-moving machines not many miles away. What she once only heard of distantly on the radio is now on her doorstep. Things began to change three years ago. The new main north-south road in Belize was cut through the forest only four or five miles away. “Now more people know I’m here.” She says. “I feel more and more uneasy each day.”Dorothea’s small houses ________.
| A．are entirely surrounded by trees |
| B．have always been her home |
| C．were built for just a few people |
| D．are in a county with the same population as Wales |
Dorothea lives in the tiny village because ________.
| A．she doesn’t like living near people | B．she is too old to move |
| C．machines destroyed her home | D．there’s nowhere else for her to live |
Dorothea doesn’t get lonely since she has _______ with her.
| A．her sister | B．some animals | C．friends from Canada | D．a postman |
Dorothea spends a lot of time __________.
| A．growing all the food she needs | B．cutting down trees |
| C．listening to the radio | D．studying languages |
The United States will introduce a new exam system for students who want to study in the USA and other English-speaking countries, Xinhua News Agency reported from New York.
The exam, which means a great change from the current English level test, was introduced by Theresa Jen, associate director of the International Service of the USA College Board, America's leading educational organization.
"The Advanced Placement International English Language （APIEL） will be offered for the first time all over the world on May 10, 2012," said Jen.
However, the APIEL is a strange title to most Chinese students, and it is unlikely to soon gain the similarity(相似点) of other already existing exams, such as the TOEFL （Test of English as a Foreign Language）, the GRE （Graduate Record Examination）, or the IELTS （International English Language Testing System）.
"I have never heard of such a test and I would prefer the IELTS if I need another exam," said Xu Jingyan, a graduating student from Beijing University, who wants to study in England and has already taken the TOEFL.
Most of Xu's classmates have never heard of the APIEL. "The APIEL is made for international students who wish to get university studies in English-speaking countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia. " Jen said.
"The APIEL will be used," said Jen, "because the TOEFL can no longer perfectly show the students' abilities of using English. " Xinhua reported that a large number of foreign students who had high scores in TOEFL exam turned out to be very ordinary educational performers after being admitted.
"Compared with the TOEFL, the APIEL measures a student's ability to read, write, speak and understand 'English through testing his or her skills in listening comprehension, speaking with fluency, and writing in an organized way. " Jen said.The underlined word "current" in the second paragraph means .
| A．high | B．present | C．low | D．formal |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．the TOEFL is more popular with the Chinese than the IELTS |
| B．it will take quite a period of time for people to accept the APIEL |
| C．Chinese students will prefer the IELTS rather than the APIEL even in the future |
| D．a student will have to take the APIEL if he/ she wants to study in English-speaking countries from 2012 |
The APIEL is designed for students who want to study in English-speaking countries, such as .
| A．the United States and Canada | B．Canada and Ireland |
| C．Australia and India | D．Britain and France |
According to the passage, the United States will introduce a new exam because .
| A．it will bring the US government quite a lot of money |
| B．more and more students want to get further education in the USA |
| C．the existing exam systems can no longer perfectly show the students' abilities |
| D．the Chinese pay special attention to English studies with China's entry into the WTO |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．A New Exam Designed for Students |
| B．The Four Skills in Learning English |
| C．The Key to English-speaking Countries |
| D．TOEFL, IELTS and GRE to Be out of Date |
Diary of a Do – It – Yourself Book
This book based on Greg Hefley’s own “diary” lets kids express themselves in an exciting way. In the book, kids will be asked: What was the best dream you have ever had? The worst thing you have ever eaten? The best secret you have ever heard? This Do – It – Yourself Book is unique and special because it has blank pages for readers to write their own stories and keep their own diaries.
Author: Jeff Kinney
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Train to Somewhere
Marianne, heading west with fourteen other children on a train, is sure her mother will show up at one of the stations along the way. Stop after stop goes by, and there is no sign of her mother in the crowds that come to look over the children. No one shows any interest in adopting shy Marianne, either. But that is all right. She has to be free for her mother to claim her. Then the train stopped at its final stop, a town called Somewhere…
Author: Eve Bunting
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Chinese Children's Favorite Stories
This volume of beloved Chinese stories contains a delightful(令人高兴的) selection from the rich store of Chinese legend. Discover many delightful animal characters as well as Chang’e and Guan Yin. Retold for an international audience, the stories with beautiful pictures will give children aged six to ten in other countries a chance to learn about both the tradition and culture of China.
Author: Mingmei Yip
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The Way Science Works
The perfect introduction to show how science explains the world around us! Eye-opening experiments and extraordinary photography bring science to life. Discover science in action from the principles that explain everyday facts to the theories behind the technology in today’s fast-moving world. Full of facts about famous scientists, technology news and more.
Author: Robin Kerrod
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You save: $8.50（34%） Diary of a Do–It–Yourself Book is different from other books because you can .
| A．ask the author questions |
| B．write your own stories in the book |
| C．have a chance to see beautiful photos |
| D．read many interesting stories about the author |
Amazon. com gives no discount on .
| A．Diary of a Do-It-Yourself Book |
| B．Train to Somewhere |
| C．Chinese Children’s Favorite Stories |
| D．The Way Science Works |
Based on Train to Somewhere, how many children head west on the train.
| A．15. | B．14. | C．13. | D．16. |
Chinese Children's Favorite Stories is written for .
| A．Chinese children aged 6 to 10 |
| B．teenagers in other countries |
| C．junior students in other countries |
| D．foreign children aged 6 to 10 |
Whose book would you like to read if you are interested in science and technology?
| A．Jeff Kinney’s. | B．Eve Bunting's. |
| C．Mingmei Yip’s. | D．Robin Kerrod’s. |
Bend over, take a deep breath and drink some water! This is just one of hundreds of tips you might get if you have the hiccups(打嗝). Hiccups are so mysterious. We really don’t know why they start and why they stop.
Everyone has a favorite cure(治愈方法) for a case of the hiccups. Some people think that a good scare(惊恐) is necessary to get well. Others eat a teaspoon of sugar. Still others drink a glass of water with a knife in it.
An American man named Jack O’Leary said he had hiccupped 160 million times over a period of eight years. He tried 60,000 cures, but none of them worked. At last he prayed to Saint Jude, the saint of Hopeless cases, and his hiccupping stopped immediately.
It took a British plumber eight months to cure his hiccups. People from all over the world wrote him letters with suggestions for getting well. He tried them all, but the hiccups continued. Finally, he drank a “secret” mixture someone had sent him. By that evening his hiccups were gone.
Why did these cures work for these two men? No one really know. But people who have studied many cases of hiccups have an idea – hiccups usually go away if you believe in the cure.. How did Jack O’Leary stop his hiccups?
| A．He took a deep breath. | B．He prayed to Saint Jude |
| C．He ate a teaspoon of sugar. | D．He drank a “secret” mixture. |
. The British plumber spent in stopping his hiccups.
| A．4 hours | B．2 days |
| C．8 months | D．8 years |
. might be the best cure for hiccups according to the passage.
| A．Cold water | B．A spoonful of salt |
| C．Special pills | D．What you believe in |
. From this passage, we can learn .
| A．Saint Jude is an expert in curing the hiccups |
| B．the reason why the hiccups start and why the hiccups stop |
| C．some people think that a good scare is a cure for a case of hiccups |
| D．the British plumber drank a “secret” mixture given by an experienced doctor and then became well |
. What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Different ways to stop hiccups. |
| B．What makes hiccups happen. |
| C．How to get hiccups. |
| D．Jack O’Leary’s hiccups. |
There are many ways to find a job. It can be as easy as walking into a neighborhood store to look at its announcement board. Local stores often have areas where people can put small signs telling what kind of service they need or can provide. Such services include caring for children or cleaning houses.
Or, job searchers can look in the newspaper. Local newspapers have employment announcements placed by companies seeking workers.
Another popular tool for finding jobs is the Internet. For example, people in four hundred and fifty cities around the world can use the Craigslist Web site to buy objects, meet people or find a job. Craigslist says that it receives two million new job listings each month.
Another useful way to find a job is through a college or university. For example, students at the University of Texas in Austin can go to the Career Exploration Center to get help in finding a job. Of course, looking for a job requires knowing what kind of work you want to do. For example, there is a book called “What Color is Your Parachute (降落伞)?” by Richard Bolles. This book has been helping people choose a career (职业) since it was first published in nineteen seventy.
Some experts also help people find jobs. Susan W. Miller owns a company called California Career Services in Los Angeles. She says her company helps people find jobs by first helping them understand their strengths, goals and interests. Then she provides them with methods and resources to help them find the right job.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Finding a job. |
| B．College students’ part-time jobs. |
| C．Craigslist Web site. |
| D．The relation between study and work. |
“What Color is Your Parachute?” is a book which gives tips to those who want to _____.
| A．work on the airplane | B．buy a parachute |
| C．publish a book | D．find a suitable job |
It can be learned from the passage that ______.
| A．companies often put job information in local shops |
| B．the Internet is the most popular tool for job hunters in the USA |
| C．Susan W. Miller’s company is helping people choose careers |
| D．California Career Services mainly serves university students |
How many ways of finding a job are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. |
| C．Five. | D．Six. |
Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York., in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品 ) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said five cents each. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store., selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly form the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always ran his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ The customer is always right.” Frank took a short business course in order to ____________.
| A．earn more money for his family |
| B．learn something from a salesman |
| C．get away from the farm |
| D．get enough to eat. |
. The price of the knives was cut down by half because ______________.
| A．the factory workers worked 24 hours a day. |
| B．knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory. |
| C．the knives were made in Germany, where labour (劳动力) was cheap. |
| D．the knives were produced in one factory. |
_____________ make Woolworth a world-famous man.
| A．His business skills and his wealth. |
| B．The low price of the goods he sold. |
| C．His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives. |
| D．His natural skill for showing things. |
The belief that : “ The customer is always right” suggests that _______________.
| A．whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right. |
| B．If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way. |
| C．stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money. |
| D．stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful. |