Switzerland is famous for its watches. However, this country didn’t invent the watch. It was the British who did it. Here is a story of how the watch was brought to Switzerland.
Many years ago, an Englishman was traveling to Italy, on his way he stopped in a small town in south Switzerland. This Englishman traveled in a carriage inside which there was a carriage watch. This was the earliest kind of watch. A native shop assistant happened to see the watch. He wondered what it was and asked the Englishman about it, “it is a carriage watch,” said the man. “This machine tells the time but now it isn’t working.”
At once the shop assistant offered to try to repair it. So the traveler handed him the watch. The assistant was a very wise man. So it was not very surprising that he managed to repair it. He even remembered how it was made. As soon as the traveler had gone on his journey, he made a watch exactly the same type.
Thus the watch-making was started in Switzerland. Today Swiss watches are sold in stores all over the world.Switzerland is famous for______.
| A．making watches. | B．selling watches. |
| C．inventing watches. | D．the carriage watch |
The earliest watches were made in_______.
| A．Switzerland | B．England | C．Italy | D．a small town |
The first Swiss watch was made by_______.
| A．an Italian shop assistant. |
| B．an English shop assistant. |
| C．a shop assistant in Switzerland. |
| D．a man who was traveling to Italy. |
The carriage watch was a machine which________.
| A．was put in the carriage | B．wasn’t working |
| C．told people time | D．had to be repaired |
Suppose you want to go abroad and learn about the foreign exchange in culture in different countries．Here is some information you may need．
| Name：Susan Lane Age：22 Place：Reykjavik, Iceland, 1994. Cost：$7,000 Organization：AFS Experience：“I think it was a turning point in my life．I began to understand more about my own culture by experiencing another culture and seeing how other people live.” |
| Name：Sara Small Age：23 Place：Crivitz, Germany, 1996. Cost：$8,000 Organization：EF Foundation Experience：“I love the traveling and I made a lot of friends．I found the European school system to be hard but I am fluent now in German so it was worth it．I did miss my family and friends in Australia but I would love to do it again.” |
| Name：David Links Age：16 Place：Stuttgart, Germany, 1996. Cost：$6,000 Organization：Southern Cross Cultural Exchange Experience：“I wanted to try something that was very different in culture．In Germany everything was different but I soon got settled．The family I was with was great and I really feel as though I have a second family.” |
| Name：Tom Jennings Age：21 Place：Conflans, France, 1995.. Cost：$7,000 Organization：Southern Cross cultural Exchange Experience：“There were times when it was difficult but I liked it, experiencing a different culture．You just have to play each situation as it comes．If there is one thing you learn when you are on a student-exchange program it is how to take care of yourself.” |
| Name：Linda Marks Age：19 Place：Chonburi Province, Thailand, 1994. Cost：$3,500 Organization：Rotary International Experience：“There are lots of ups and downs, but you always come back for more．I had a few problems but there was always someone to turn to and that was great.” |
According to the information, taking part in a foreign exchange program can cost _______．
| A．from $6,000 to $8,000 | B．from $3,500 to $8,000 |
| C．anything from $3,500 | D．no more than $7,000 |
Most of the students had their trips organized by ________．
| A．EF Foundation | B．AFS |
| C．Rotary International | D．SCCE |
The students who refer to both the good and bad times as an exchange student include ______．
| A．Susan Lane and Sara Small | B．Linda Marks and David Links |
| C．Tom Jennings and Linda Marks | D．Susan Lane and Tom Jennings |
UNICEF is appealing for more than one billion dollars in aid for women and children around the world．The United Nations Children's Fund has released its " Humanitarian Action Report" for two thousand ten． The report lists twenty -eight countries and territories with some of the world's most pressing crisis affecting women and children．
Haiti was considered to be in crisis long before the earthquake in January．The deputy executive director of UNICEF, Hilde Johnson, says the quake has only made the need for aid more immediate．But she says children all over the world have the right to the same assistance as children everywhere else．
The "Humanitarian Action Report" discusses several issues that UNICEF says increasingly threaten the basic rights of women and children．It says climate change has caused droughts and' food insecurity in many areas．High food prices and the global financial crisis of two thousand eight - two thousand nine have only added to poverty and malnutrition （营养不良）．And armed conflict continues to threaten the lives of millions．
Hilde Johnson says children are always the most affected by conflicts and disasters．They face an increased risk of abuse, including sexual violence and other serious rights violations （侵犯）．
UNICEF deals with about t
wo hundred emergencies around the world every year．The greatest need last year was in sub - Saharan Africa．The report says drought, food insecurity and civil unrest affected about twenty - four million people．
Violence and displacements（驱逐）of people were especially bad in Sudan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic．
In Asia, UNICEF expects its financial assistance needs to more than double this year．This is partly the result of adding Pakistan and the Philippines to the latest report．In Pakistan, it says, more than two million people have been forced from their homes by the conflict in the．Swat Valley and other areas of the northwest．And in the Philippines, more than two hundred thousand people are st
ill living in shelters after severe storms last year．
This years UNICEF report talks about the value of public and private partnerships in helping children and families in emergencies．
And thats the VOA Special English Development Report, written by June Simms．For a link to the UNICEF report listing the twenty - eight countries and territories in crisis, go to www.unsv.com．I'm Steve Ember．According to Hilde Johnson, the most easily affected persons suffering from conflicts and disasters are __________．
| A．women | B．children | C．the old | D．the disabled |
From this passage we know that the most serious problems in Asia are __________．
| A．earthquakes and malnutrition |
| B．displacements and storms |
| C．sexual violence and other rights violations |
| D．droughts and food insecurity |
Which of the following might serve as a suitable title for this passage?
| A．Haiti was in crisis due to the earthquake in January |
| B．Violence in the twenty -eight countries and territories |
| C．UNICEF Appeals for Aid for Women and Children |
| D．the value of public and private partnerships in helping |
Here’ s an unusual story: a diamond ring
was recently found in an egg. The
magician, Liu Qian, discovered it, in front
of an audience of millions at CCTV’ s Spring
Festival Gala. Liu’ s magic tricks have made the centuries-old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the U
nited States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’ s love for magic.
“It’ s actually thinking rather than one’ s manipulation（操作）skills; that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting. ”Liu said. 
Liu Qian’ s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’ s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged 
by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur (业余的) magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields for passers-by, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds, ” Liu said. What does the underlined word “seasoned ” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．季节性的 | B．刚出道的 | C．老练的 | D．职业的 |
The story is about_____.
| A．how Liu Qian became China’ s hottest magician |
| B．why people love magic |
| C．what magic tricks are |
| D．how fashionable the magic is |
People love to watch magic because_____.
| A．they can’ t figure out the secret of magic |
| B．it arouses their curiosity |
| C．they love watching magicians make the impossible happen |
| D．it is a centuries-old art |
Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
| A．He was interested in magic when he was little. |
| B．He had won Taiwan’ s Youth Magic Contest. |
| C．He became an amateur magician in his spare time. |
| D．He couldn’ t find an acceptable job after graduation |
In my profession as an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected with the virus that causes AIDS．The relationships that I have had with these
special kids have been gifts in my life．They have taught me so many things, but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages． Let me tell you about Tyler．
Tyler was born infected with HIV: his mother was also infected．From the very beginning of his life, he was dependent on medications to enable him to survive．When he was five, he had a tube surgically inserted in a vein in his chest．This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back．M
edications were hooked up to this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream．At times, he also needed supplemented oxygen to support his breathing．
This dreaded（可怕的） disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo like Tyler．He grew quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his HIV - infected mother．When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death．She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven．
A few days before his death, Tyler beckoned me over to his hospital bed and whispered, " I might die soon．I’m not scared．When I die, please dress me in red．Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too．I’ll be playi
ng when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me．"
his HIV - infected mother．When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death．She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven．
A few days before his death, Tyler beckoned me over to his hospital bed and whispered, " I might die soon．I’m not scared．When I die, please dress me in red．Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too．I’ll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me．"What is the boy Tyler's attitude towards death?
| A．pessimistic（悲观的）． | B．optimistic． | C．sorrowful． | D．fearful． |
Tyler requested the writer to dress him in red when he died simply because___________．
| A．red is a lucky color | B．red might help to cure him |
| C．his mom could spot him easily | D．he could find more mates by wearing red |
Which of the following might serve as a possible title for this passage?
| A．My unusual profession． | B．A caring mother． |
| C．Mother and son． | D．Dying in red． |
The underlined word dynamo in the fourth paragraph here means_______．
| A．a promising and helpful youth |
| B．an extremely energetic person |
| C．a rare and beautiful flower |
| D．a magic and understanding superstar |
A dog sheltered a newborn baby abandoned by its 14-year-old mother in a field in rural Argentina until the boy was rescued, a doctor said on August 22 (Friday).
A resident of a rural area outside La Plata called police late Wednesday night to say that he had heard the baby crying in a field behind his house.
The man went outside and found the infant lying beside the dog and its six newborn puppies, Daniel Salcedo, chief of police of the Province of Buenos Aires, told CNN.
The temperature was a chilly（寒冷的） 37 degrees, Salcedo said.
The dog had apparently carried the baby some 50 meters from where his mother had abandoned him to where the puppies were huddled, police said.
“She took it like a puppy and rescued it,” Salcedo said. “The doctors told us if she ha
dn’t done this, he would have died.”
“The dog is a hero to us.”
Dr. Egidio Melia, director of the Melchor Romero Hospital in La Plata, told CNN that police showed up at the hospital at 11:30 pm Wednesday with the baby who doctors say was only a few hours old.
Though the infant had superficial scratches (抓痕) and bruises (伤痕) and was bleeding from his mouth, he was in good shape, Melia said.
The next morning, the child’s mother was driven by a neighbor to the hospital and told authorities the 8-pound, 13-ounce infant is hers, Melia said.
The teenager was immediately give psychological treatment and was hospitalized, he said. She has said little about the incident.
The child has been transferred to a children’s hospital in La Plata, 37 miles from Buenos Aires.What does the underlined word “sheltered” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．protected | B．fed | C．watched | D．gave |
According to the passage , which statement is true?
| A．It’s hard for the infant to recover soon. |
| B．The puppies were running here and there all the time |
| C．The temperature was very high at that time. |
D．But for the mother do g , the infant would have died. |
How was the baby when he was found?
| A．He was seriously ill. | B．He was dying. |
| C．He was in good shape. | D．He lost a lot of blood. |
What’s the text mainly about?
| A．A baby was rescued by a dog. |
| B．A baby was abandoned by its parents. |
| C．How an abandoned baby was saved by doctors. |
| D．Dogs are heroes to human beings. |