Claude and Louris are “giraffes”. So are police officers Hankins and Pearson. These men and women don’t look like giraffes; they look like you and me. Then, why do people call them “giraffes”?
A giraffe, they say, is an animal that sticks its neck out, can see places far away and has a large heart. It lives a quiet life and moves about in an easy and beautiful way. In the same way, a “giraffe” can be a person who likes to “stick his or her neck out” for other people, always watches for future happenings, has a warm heart for people around, and at the same time lives a quiet and beautiful life himself or herself.
“The Giraffe Project” is a 10-year-old group which finds and honors “giraffes” in the US and in the world. The group wants to teach people to do something to build a better world. The group members believe that a person shouldn’t draw his or her head back; instead, they tell people to “stick their neck out” and help others. Claude and Louris, Hankins and Pearson are only a few of the nearly 1,000 “giraffes” that the group found and honored.
Claude and Louris were getting old and they left their work with some money that they saved for future use. One day, however, they saw a homeless man looking for a place to keep warm and they decided that they should “stick their neck out” and give him some help. Today, they lived in Friends’ House, where they invite twelve homeless people to stay every night.
Police officers Hankins and Pearson work in a large city. They see crimes every day and their work is sometimes dangerous. They work hard for their money. However, these two men put their savings together and even borrowed money to start an educational center to teach young people in a poor part of the city. Hankins and Pearson are certainly “giraffes”.
56. Which of the following is true?
A. Some of the people around us look like giraffes.
B. Giraffes are the most beautiful animal in the world.
C. “Giraffes” is a beautiful name for those who are ready to help other people.
D. A “giraffe” is someone who can stick his neck out and see the future.
57. “The Giraffe Project” is a group _____.
A. of police officers B. which appeared ten years ago
C. of ten-year-old children D. which takes care of children
58. People call Claude and Hankins “giraffes” because they _____.
A. do what is needed for a good world B. are not afraid of dangerous work
C. found a home for some homeless people D. made money only for other people
59. The passage mainly tries to tell us _____.
A. what giraffes are like
B. what the Giraffe Project is
C. why Claude, Louris, Hankins and Pearson are called “giraffes”
D. what we should do for a better world
Since many of you are planning to study at a college or university in this country, you may be curious to know what you usually do in a typical week, how you can get along with your fellow students, and so on. These are the questions I want to discuss with you today. 
First, let’s talk about what your weekly schedule will look like. No matter what your major may be, you can expect to spend between four and six hours a week for each class attending lectures. Lectures are usually in very large rooms because some courses such as introduction to sociology or economics often have as many as two or three hundred students, especially at large universities. In lectures, it’s very important for you to take notes on what the professor says because the information in a lecture is often different from the information in your textbooks. Also, you can expect to have exam questions based on the lectures. So it isn’t enough to just read your textbooks; you have to attend lectures as well. In a typical week you will also have a couple of hours of discussion for every class you take. The discussion section is a small group meeting usually with fewer than thirty students where you can ask questions about the lectures, the reading, and the homework. In large universities, graduate students, called teaching assistants, usually direct discussion sections. If your major is chemistry, or physics, or another science, you’ll also have to spend several hours a week in the lab, or laboratory, doing experiments. This means that science majors spend more time in the classroom than non science majors do. On the other hand, people who major in subjects like literature or history usually have to read and write more than science majors do. The main purpose of this text is.
| A．to help the students to learn about university life |
B．to persuade the students to attend lectures |
C．to encourage the students to take part in discussions |
D．to advise the students to choose proper majors |
We can learn from the passage that university professors.
| A．spend over 6 hours on lectures each week |
B．must join the students in the discussion sections |
C．prefer to use textbooks in their lectures |
D．require the students to read beyond the textbooks |
A discussion section does NOT include.
| A．working under the guidance of university professors |
B．talking over what the students ha ve read about the courses |
C．discussing the problems related to the students’ homework |
D．raising questions about what a professor has said in a lecture |
According to
the author, science majors.
| A．have to work harder than non science majors |
B．spend less time on their studies than non science majors |
C．consider experiments more important than discussions |
D．read and write less than non science majors |
Growing up the daughter of an outstanding educator, Andrea Peterson knew at a young age that
she wanted to serve others. It was with this mindset that she started to take a degree in medicine. However ,while visiting her brothers who were away at college studying music education, she realized that she too was drawn to teach music.
In her ten years at Granite Falls, she has revitalized（复兴） the music programs at both the
elementary and high school levels, to the extent that an additional music teacher was hired by the district to assist with the workload. The growth of the music program in Granite Falls School District has encouraged students to participate in county ,state ,and national music competitions, and won a lot of prizes for the district.
Teaching music is only part of Peterson's instruction—it serves as a vehicle to other areas .
"Music is an amazing tool to unlock students' potential. The most visible benefit from their success in music is their increased confidence and self-esteem," Peterson said. "However, I don't believe it is the only benefit, nor the most powerful. It is truly exciting to see how my music teaching can transfer back to other classrooms." With this philosophy, Peterson introduced a cross-curriculum program ,where she takes lessons taught in other classes, such as English and math ,and expands upon them in an eight-week unit.
One of the most popular projects in Peterson's classes is the creation and performance of a musical, In the activity students create a play from one of the books they have read in another class. Students work together to choose the music that best fits with the overall feel of the play and then perform it for the greater community. "Through Andrea's efforts these kids have helped to put Granite Falls, Washington, on the map for musical talents. Parents, staff, and community members continue to be in awe of what she is able to bring forth from the children," said Debra Rose Howell, a colleague of Peterson's at Monte Cristo Elementary School.At the beginning, Andrea Peterson planned to work as a (n).
| A．teacher | B．doctor | C．educator | D．musician |
The 2nd paragraph mainly tells about.
A．Andrea Peterson’s life at Granite Falls |
| B．county, state and national music competitions |
| C．the growth of the music program in Granite Falls School District |
| D．Andrea Peterson’s contributions to Granite Falls’ music programs |
Which of the following is NOT a benefit the students get from Andrea Peterson’s class?
| A．Music talent development. | B．Increased self-confidence. |
| C．Ability in learning other subjects. | D．Prizes for English and maths. |
The following sentences tell what the students have to do about their musical project. Which is the right order of the events?
a．They chose proper music for their play.
b．They adapt the story into a play.
c．They put on the play for the whole school or the whole community.
d．They practice performing the play.
e．They choose a story they have read in another class.
| A．e→b→a→d→c | B．e→b→c→a→d |
| C．a→e→b→d→c | D．a→b→e→d→c |
Researchers are placing robotic dogs（机器狗）in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated（应急的） ,”Edwards points out. “The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady, “When I’m watching TV, he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled(行动不便的) and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes（免除） exercise and feeding concerns.
“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry.” Beck says，“But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”
“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people’s minds.” The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to .
| A．understand human-animal relationship |
| B．find the causes of old people’s loneliness |
| C．make lonely old people’s life better |
| D．promote the animal-assisted research |
In the research, the old people are asked to .
| A．note the activities of AIBOs | B．record their feelings and activity |
| C．keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks | D．analyze the collected information |
What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?
| A．It is easier to keep at home. | B．It responds to all the human orders. |
| C．It can help the disabled people. | D．It can watch TV with its owner. |
Searching for love is no longer just a favorite subject for songs. It has also become a huge industry. Researchers say the online dating industry in the US earned 649 million dollars in 2006. They expect this number to increase to more than 9 million dollars by 2011.
Experts say that the industry has grown because traditional social ties have weakened. Many young people leave behind a close community of friends and family to find work in bigger cities. People work longer hours, so they have less time to meet new people.
This helps explain the popularity of online dating. Some estimates say120 thousand marriages a year result from matches made on the Internet.
The dating industry has also been expanding in new ways. Many companies offer personalized services for finding the perfect mate. These companies are answering a large demand by single people. They are willing to invest their time and money to find love with carefully planned methods, instead of leaving love to chance.
AskRomeo is a company in Virginia. It provides single people with advice on how to meet a person for the first time.
Also in Virginia, the company True Life Partners provides a more costly and detailed dating service. The company hires a team of professional persons who help couples meet. But this level of service comes at a high price. Men pay thousands of dollars for the service. But women get to take part at no cost.
There are lots of other costs linked to dating. And we wonder how the economic recession(衰退) has affected dating in the US.What can we infer from the first paragraph?
| A．Songs were only written to express love in the past. |
| B．Many people will take part in the industry in two thousand eleven. |
| C．The industry will increase the interest by nine hundred million dollars. |
| D．Love is not only the soul of some songs but also the heart of an industry now. |
According to the passage, we can know ______.
| A．most of the marriages result from the Internet. |
| B．the dating industry is popular now |
| C．women won’t spend money when dating |
| D．single people like love at the first sight now |
The author took AskRomeo and True Life Partners for examples to ______.
| A．emphasize the important role of the companies |
| B．praise the two companies’ good work |
| C．show how the companies help expand the dating industry |
| D．show the companies are the base of the industry |
What will the author talk about in the following paragraph?
| A．The situation of dating now in the economic recession |
| B．How to deal with the economic recession |
| C．What the economic recession is. |
| D．Whether the cost of dating is decreasing now in the US. |
Nanjing and Hangzhou summer camps offered
We are looking for hard-working and open-minded English teachers to join the Nanjing (Jiangsu Province) and Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) summer camps!
Both of the summer camps will run from the beginning of July to the end of August. You will be expected to teach spoken English to Chinese students of different ages. We encourage you to bring your own culture to the classes to make things more interesting.
The information of the Nanjing camp:
● Working hours: 40 hours per week, 5 working days per week.
● Salary: about 7,000 RMB per month.
● Accommodation : free (single room).
The information of the Hangzhou camp:
● Working hours: 5 hours per day (=" 50" min. / class × 6 classes), one day rest per week.
● Salary: 20,160 RMB in total (420 RMB per day =" 70" RMB / class × 6 classes).
● Accommodation: free (shared room).
The requirements of the summer camps:
● Native English speakers (US, England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand).
● A university degree.
● Teaching experience.
Please send us your resume (简历), copies of certificates and passport if you are interested in the camps.
E-mail: teacher1324@sina.com.cn
For more information you can visit our website at http://www.Englishsummercamps.com.cn
Look forward to hearing from you soon!What kind of people is the passage mainly written for?
| A．English-learning students. | B．Foreign English teachers. |
| C．Chinese-speaking students. | D．Chinese English teachers. |
How long will a teacher work for the summer camps?
| A．Less than one month. | B．About five weeks. |
| C．About eight weeks. | D．More than two months. |
Which of the following people might be accepted as a teacher at the summer camps?
A. Wang Li, an excellent teacher from China.
B. Robert, a high school student from the USA.
C. Jerry, a university student from Australia.
D. Linda, an experienced university teacher from Canada.Compared with the Nanjing camp, the Hangzhou camp ______.
| A．has longer working hours | B．has fewer students to teach |
| C．pays a higher salary | D．provides better accommodation |