“Don’t go down to that pond — it's dangerous!” Stephanie angrily shouted at her children. She’d overheard them talking about playing near the water on the golf course close to their apartment. It was a Saturday, and 8-year-old Jeremiah was heading outside with his 11-year-old sister, Tiara, and their 13-year-old cousin, Evon McDuffie. They often went to the George Wilson Community Center in Newark, Delaware, just three houses away from their apartment building.
The Wilson center was a good place of activity for the community, especially in warm weather. But January 20, 2006, was a rainy day with winds. It’s a good day to play inside the center. Unfortunately, the three children had other ideas.
Taking no notice of what Stephanie had said, Evon, Tiara and Jeremiah walked beyond the tree line at the back of the community center and headed toward the large pond. The kids climbed through a gap in the fence, then passed a No Entering sign posted on a metal gate nearby. As they reached the pond, they also walked by a No Skating sign.
Tiara and Evon first stepped on the surface ice, and when it held, the children went out on the pond. Evon shouted out to Jeremiah, “I bet you can't cross the whole thing.”
“I bet you I can,” Jeremiah replied, and he took off across the pond.
He made it to the other side, but as he came back, Jeremiah stepped on the thinner ice. The thin surface collapsed under his feet, and the boy sank into the cold water. Evon raced back to the apartment for help, while frightened Tiara tried to reach Jeremiah as he struggled to keep his head above water. But he kept slipping beneath the surface.
When firefighters arrived, all they could see was Jeremiah's coat floating on the water. As the unconscious child was rushed to the hospital, his life was saved, for now, but the effects of hypothermia (降低体温) and lack of oxygen left Jeremiah with serious brain damage.
1. Stephanie shouted at her children because_____________.
A. the children didn’t behave very well at home
B. they were too young to play outside
C. it was raining
D. the children secretly planned to go to the pond
2. It was __________ that made Jeremiah take courage to cross the ice.
A. Evon’s challenge B. the mother’s words
C. No Entering sign D. the view on the other bank
3. What does the underlined word “collapsed” probably mean?
A. changed suddenly B. broke into pieces
C. became thinner D. floated away
4. Which of the following is the right order of the events that happened to Jeremiah?
a. Firefighters came and rescued Jeremiah.
b. The kids climbed through the fence and to the pond.
c. Jeremiah walked across the ice.
d. The kids planned to play on the pond.
e. When Jeremiah made a way back, he sank.
A. b, d, c, e, a B. d, b, a, e, c C. d, b, c, e, a D. a, e, c, d, b
The year is 2094．It has been announced that a comet (彗星) is heading towards the Earth．Most of it will miss our planet , but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth．
On 17 July , a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere (大气层) with a massive explosion．About half of the piece is destroyed , but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound．The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed．Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole．The wall of water , a kilometer high , rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour．Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people re drowned．
Before the waves reach South America , the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina．Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains．The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean．The cities of Los Angeles , San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes．Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won’t escape for long．Because of the explosions , the sun is hidden by clouds of dust , temperatures around the world fall to almost zero．Crops are ruined．The sun won’t be seen again for many years．Wars break out as countries fight for food．A year later , no more than 10 million people remain alive．
Could it really happen ? In fact , it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth．The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years．Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared．Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space．The dinosaurs couldn’t live through the cold climate that followed and they died out．Will we meet the same and ?What is mainly described in the passage ?
| A．A historic discovery． | B．An event of imagination |
| C．A research on space． | D．A scientific adventure． |
When the first piece hits the South Atlantic , it causes ．
| A．an earthquake | B．damages to cities |
| C．an Earth explosion | D．huge waves |
Why can’t the northern half of the earth escape for long ?
| A．Because the land is covered with water |
| B．Because the light and heat from the sun can not reach the earth． |
| C．Because people there can not live at the temperature of zero． |
| D．Because wars break out among countries． |
By giving the example of dinosaurs , the author tries to prove ．
| A．animals could not live in the cold climate |
| B．what happened 65 million years ago was an invented story |
| C．the human beings will die out in 2094 |
| D．the Earth could be hit by other objects in space |
How would you like an easy way to earn 2,500 dollars? All you have to do is to sit around and wait for your meals．There’s catch, however．You have to stay in a chicken cage with a stranger for a whole week．There are no books or television or radio for amusement．You can’t leave until the week is up．And a camera will be recording your every move．
Two people actually took the job．The idea came from Rob Thompson, a video artist．He wanted to make a film about the way animals are treated．His goal was to raise people’s awareness of the living conditions of animals that are raised for food．He decided to pay $ 5000 out of his own savings to two people who were willing to lie like chicken for a week．
To Rob’s surprise, quite a few people answered his advertisement．He had interviews and selected Eric, a 24-year-old restaurant worker, and Pam, a 27-year-old chemist．The plan was for them to spend seven days together in a chicken cage that was six feet long and three feet wide．A camera would record their experience, which would take place in an art museum．
The week was long and difficult．They slept on a hard wooden floor．They couldn’t stand up without banging（重击）their heads．They ate vegetarian mash（土豆泥）and drank water from a garden hosepipe（水龙头软管）．Their only privacy was a toilet surrounded by a curtain．There were no sinks, mirrors, or toothbrushes in the cage．Their only inspiration was the two framed checks that hung on the wall outside the cage．Visitors who came here were warned, “Do not food the humans．”
Finally it was over, Pam and Eric emerged from their cage．They had survived the week, and they each had a $2,500 check in their hands．When Rob Thompson opened the cage, Eric came out, changed into clean clothes, and ate a chocolate bar right away．“It’s great to be able to stand up,” he said．Pam just changed her clothes and left．After a week of visitors and reporters watching her, she didn’t want to talk to anyone．What kind of person is Rob Thompson?
| A．He is curious about people’s personal life． |
| B．He is kind-hearted to animals． |
| C．He hates people around． |
| D．He likes to help poor people． |
What made it most difficult for the two to stay in the cage?
| A．They didn’t know each other． |
| B．They couldn’t lie down to sleep in the cage． |
| C．They didn’t have meat to eat． |
| D．They had to do almost everything under others’ eyes． |
Rob offered the money because he wanted________．
| A．to see if there were any people who would like to live in a cage |
| B．to show the public how bitter animals’ life could be |
| C．to make more money by publishing the recorded video tapes |
| D．to improve housing conditions of working people like Eric |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Easy Way to Earn $ 2 500． | B．Do Not Feed the Humans． |
| C．Living Like a Chicken． | D．Getting Along Well Anyway． |
A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of （证明有……罪）shoplifting for the second time in six months．
Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops．
Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road ,Cambridge ,admitted stealing clothes worth ￡9．95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street ,London ,on March 9．
Phillip Lemoyne ,prosecuting（起诉）,said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store．When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected ,having taken off the anti-theft security alarms（防盗警报装置）．
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying ,Mr Lemoyne said．
He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions．
Luz,28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October ,but Morag Duff, defending ,said she had never been in trouble with the police before that．
“She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this ,” Miss Duff said．“She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store．She is at a loss to explain it．She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady．She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this．”
Judge David Azan fined Luz ￡ 50, and warned : “You’ve got a criminal record．If you carry on like this ,you will end up in prison ,which will ruin your bright future you may have．”
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain ,went on to a famous university in Berlin , Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University ,UK．What is Ana Luz’s nationality?
| A．American． | B．British． | C．Spanish． | D．German． |
What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean?
| A．In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things． |
| B．She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops． |
| C．She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops． |
| D．Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions． |
Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “shoplifting” used in the passage?
| A．Carrying goods in a lift for a shop． |
| B．Taking goods to the ladies’ toilet． |
| C．Selecting some goods from a display． |
| D．Taking goods from a shop without paying． |
From the passage we can learn that ．
| A．Ana Luz is already got her PhD at Cambridge University ,UK |
| B．Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so |
| C．the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more |
| D．Phillip Lemoyne is the “respectable and intelligent” woman’s defense lawyer |
You either have it , or you don’t –a sense of direction ,that is．But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map ,while others can lose themselves in the next street?
Scientists say we’re all born with a sense of direction ,but it is not property understood how it works．One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it．Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don’t use it．we lose it．
“Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around．” says Jim Mart land．Research Director of the project．“However if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car ,they never develop the skills”
Jim Mart land also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction．He makes the following suggestions．
●If you are using a map ,turn it so it relates to the way you are facing．
●If you leave your bike in a strange place ,put it near something like a big stone or a tree．
Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike．When you return ,go back
along the same route
●Simplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town,
streams ,or walls in the countryside to guide you．Count your steps so that you know how
far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to
find out where you are．
Now you need never get lost again!Scientists believe that ．
| A．some babies are born with a sense of direction |
| B．people learn a sense of direction as they grow older |
| C．people never lose their sense of direction |
| D．everybody posses a sense of direction from birth |
What is true of seven-year-old children according to the passage?
| A．They never have a sense of direction without maps． |
| B．They should never be allowed out alone if they lack a sense of direction． |
| C．They have a sense of direction and can find their way around． |
| D．They can develop a good sense of direction if they are driven around in a car． |
If you leave your bike in a strange place ,you should ．
| A．tie it to a tree so as to prevent it from being stolen |
| B．draw a map of the route to help remember where it is |
| C．avoid taking the same route when you come back in it |
| D．remember something easily recognizable on the route |
According to the passage the best way to find your way around is to ．
| A．ask policemen for directions |
| B．use walls．streams , and streets to guide yourself． |
| C．remember your route by looking out for steps and stairs． |
| D．count the number of landmarks that you see． |
The days of elderly women doing nothing but cooking huge meals on holidays are gone．Enter the Red Hat Society －a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun．
“My grandmothers didn’t do anything but keep house and serve everybody．They were programmed to do that,” said Emily Cornett, head of a chapter of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society．
While men have long spent their time fishing and playing golf, women have sometimes seemed to become unnoticed as they age．But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers(生育高峰期出生的人), and the same people who refused their parents’ way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old．
If you take into consideration feminism(女权主义), a bit of spare money, and better health for most elderly, the Red Hat Society looks almost inevitable(必然的)．In this society, women over 50 wear red hats and purple(紫色的) clothes, while the women under 50 wear pink hats and light purple clothing．
“The organization took the idea from a poem by Jenny Joseph that begins: “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple．With a red hat which doesn’t go,” said Ellen Cooper, who founded the Red Hat Society in 1998．When the ladies started to wear the red hats, they attracted lots of attention．
“The point of this is that we need a rest from always doing something for someone else,” Cooper saiD．“Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves．” This is why chapters are discouraged from raising money or doing anything useful．“We’re a ladies’ play group．It couldn’t be more simple,” added Cooper’s assistant Joe Heywood．The underlined word “chapter” in paragraph 2 means __________．
| A．one branch of an organization | B．a written agreement of a club |
| C．one part of a collection of poems | D．a period in a society’s history |
From the text , we know that the “baby boomers” are a group of people who ．
| A．have gradually become more noticeable |
| B．are worried about getting old too quickly |
| C．are enjoying a good life with plenty of money to spend |
| D．tried living a different life from their parents when they were young |
It could be inferred from the text that members of the Red Hat Society are ．
| A．interested in raising money for social work |
| B．programmers who can plan well for their future |
| C．believers in equality between men and women |
| D．good at cooking big meals and taking care of others |
Who set up the Red Hat Society ?
| A．Emily Cornett． | B．Ellen Cooper． | C．Jenny Joseph． | D．Joe Heywood． |