Things similar continuously happened in Haiti and Chile．Thousands of people were
buried in the earthquake and lost their fives．What if we could have warned them? People are always trying hard to find a way of pr
eventing building collapsing(坍塌)．Better materials and technology help，but are not a solution．Just like humans，a building has its own life circle from “birth” to “death”．If we know when a building is going to collapse，we can repair it in advance or get out before it falls．
Now, scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a material that turns red before it breaks．The invention could be used in things like climbing ropes，or bridge supports．The secret behind the color-changing material is a type of molecule(分子)．A molecule is a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds(化学键)．Imagine you and your friends standing in a circle，holding hands．Each person stands for one atom，your hands represent the bonds，and the entire circle represents a molecule．If one person lets go of his or her hands，the molecule changes color．The research team put the molecule into a soft material．When the researchers stretched(拉长) the material：it turned bright red a few seconds before it broke into two pieces．
When they repeatedly stretched and relaxed the material，without breaking it，it only turned a little red．
The major problem is，light can get rid of the red color．When the team shone a bright light on the molecule，the broken bond was fixed，and the color disappeared．If bright fight keeps the red color from appearing，the material’s warning system will be useless．Scientists still have a lot of work to do before the color-changing molecule can be used outside the lab． The passage mainly about
| A．a way of preventing building from breaking down |
| B．a series of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile |
| C．a way of warning before buildings collapse |
| D．a newly-discovered structure of a molecule |
According to the passage，we can conclude that
| A．there are problems to solve before putting the new material to use |
| B．scientists have found the life circle of buildings from “birth” to “death” |
| C．bright fight makes the red color visible to human eyes |
| D．the new material is unlikely to be used in building bridges |
The color-changing molecule can
| A．make building materials much stronger |
| B．help building materials get stretched if necessary |
| C．prevent the earthquake from killing people |
| D．remind people to leave buildings before they fall |
The warning system is based on the fact that
| A．red color won’t show up when it meets bright fight |
| B．a material with a certain type of molecule Can turn red when stretched etched |
| C．a building has its own life circle of “birth” to “death” |
| D．the broken bond will fix itself when a molecule meets bright fight |
Lightning flashed through the darkness over Donald Lubeck’s bedroom skylight. The 80-year-old retired worker was shaken by a blast of thunder. It was 11 p.m. The storm had moved directly over his two-story wood home in the rural town of Belchertown, Massachusetts. Then he heard the smoke alarm beeping. Lubeck padded down the stairs barefoot and opened the door to the basement, and flames exploded out.
Lubeck fled back upstairs to call 911 from his bedroom, but the phone didn’t work. Lubeck realized he was trapped. “I started panicking(恐慌),” he says.
His daughter and young granddaughters, who lived with him, were away for the night. “No one will even know I’m home, ” he thought. His house was three miles off the main road and so well hidden by pines that Lubeck knew calling for help would be fruitless.
Up a hill about a third of a mile away lived Lubeck’s closest neighbors, Jeremie Wentworth and his wife. Wentworth had been lying down, listening to the radio when it occurred to him that the sound was more like a smoke detector. He jumped out of bed, grabbed a cordless phone and a flashlight, and headed down the hillside toward the noise.
He dialed 911 “Is anyone there?” he called out as he approached the house. Wentworth knew that Lubeck lived in the house.
Then he heard, “Help me! I’m trapped!” coming from the balcony off Lubeck’s bedroom.
“I ran in and yelled, ‘Don, where are you?’ Then I had to run outside to catch my breath.”
After one more attempt inside the house, he gave up and circled around back. But there was no way to get to him. “I shone the flashlight into the woods next to an old shed and noticed a ladder,” says Wentworth. He dragged it over to the balcony and pulled Lubeck down just as the second floor of the house collapsed.
Wentworth and Lubeck don’t run into each other regularly, but Lubeck now knows that if he ever needs help, Wentworth will be there.
Lubeck still chokes up when he tells the story. “I was alone,” he says. “Then I heard the most beautiful sound in my life. It was Jeremie.”According to the text, Lubeck .
| A．stayed calm in the fire |
| B．couldn’t find a safe way out |
| C．lived on the first floor |
| D．called for help in the fire |
How did Wentworth help Lubeck escape?
| A．He called 911. |
| B．He went upstairs and took Lubeck out. |
| C．He put out the fire. |
| D．He used a ladder and pulled Lubeck down. |
Which of the following factors was not mentioned in the text that almost caused Lubeck’s life?
| A．He was living in his wood home alone that night. |
| B．The storm was too heavy and the fire was too fierce. |
| C．He lived far from the main road and was surrounded by pines. |
| D．He was too frightened to escape from the danger. |
What does the text mainly talk about?
| A．A near neighbor is better than a distant cousin. |
| B．A good way to get a narrow escape. |
| C．God helps those who help themselves. |
| D．Blood is thicker than water. |
Ten years ago I used to be very fit. I rode a bike to work and I got a lot of exercise at weekends. I used to play tennis a lot and go for long walks. In those days I didn’t earn very much. I had a job in an office. It wasn’t a
very good job but I had a lot of time to do the things I enjoyed.
Then, about eight years ago, I got a much better job. The pay was better, but the hours were a lot longer. I bought a car and drove to work every day. I began to take people out to lunch. And I began to put on weight, too. I stopped playing tennis and going for long walks at weekends because I just didn’t have any time for things like those any more.
There’s a lot of stress in my job. Perhaps that’s why I started drinking more than I used to. For example, I used to have only half a glass of whisky when I got home, but then I started filling my glass to the top, and instead of having one glass, I would have several. I started smoking a lot, too. I never used to smoke at all.
Two months ago I had a heart attack. At first I just couldn’t believe it. Luckily it wasn’t very serious. The doctor advised me to stop smoking and to eat less. He also advised me to work less and get more exercise. But I just haven’t any time! My job takes everything out of me!
Sometimes I wonder if I should get another job. Perhaps I could do something as I used to. But if I do that, I won’t earn as much. I have a family to support. I have to think of them, too. I just don’t know what I should do. What do you think?According to the passage, when the author got the better job, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．He got higher pay. |
| B．His working hours weren’t long. |
| C．He found it very stressful. |
| D．He had little free time at weekends. |
After the author had a heart attack, the doctor advised him .
| A．not to work any longer |
| B．to take a long vacation abroad |
| C．to stop smoking and take exercise |
| D．not to eat out any more |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．The author is not sure what he should do now. |
| B．The author has taken the doctor’s advice already. |
| C．The author has got another new job. |
| D．The author feels much better now. |
The Man Who Never Put a Foot Wrong
Some people do not like anything to be out of place: they are never late for work, they return their books to the library on time, they remember people’s birthdays, and they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Dodds is such a person.
Mr. Dodds works in a bank, and lives on his own. The only family he has is in the next town: his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Mark. Mr. Dodds does not see his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Mark’s birthdays.
Last week Mr. Dodds had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast. He parked his car where he always parked it, out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Straight away, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Dodds opened the door to find a policeman standing on the door-step.
“What have I done wrong?” Mr. Dodds asked himself. “Have I driven on the wrong side of the road? Has there been some trouble at the bank? Have I forgotten to pay an important bill?”
“Hello, Uncle,” said the policeman. “My name is Mark.”From the passage we know that his sister .
| A．lives in the next town with her husband and son |
| B．is the only member of the family that he knows |
| C．never writes back to him |
| D．has a small family: a son and Mark, her husband |
“He has not forgotten one of Mark’s birthdays” means .
| A．he has forgotten Mark’s birthdays |
| B．he didn’t send Mark anything on his birthdays |
| C．he always sent Christmas cards on Mark’s birthdays |
| D．he always sent Mark something on his birthdays |
There was a knock at the door when Mr. Dodds was .
| A．driving home from the bank |
| B．parking his car |
| C．ready to make his evening meal |
| D．just about to shut the front door |
The policeman was there .
| A．to ask Mr. Dodds to go to see his uncle |
| B．to ask Mr. Dodds to park his car not too near to other cars |
| C．to meet Mr. Dodds, his uncle |
| D．to see Mr. Dodds about some trouble at the bank |
We often hear people talking about a generation gap (代沟)． The name is new, but the idea is old． Young people and th eir parents don’t understand each other． The world has always kept changing． During the second century after Christ a wise man said, “Bury me on my face because in a little while everything will be turned upside down．”
There has always been a gap between generations, but more people talk about it now． Old Mr． Ellis thinks he understands what has happened．
“When I was a boy, I thought the world was a beautiful place． My life was very pleasant． But when I was older, I learned about people who were treated badly, people who didn’t have enough to eat． I wanted to help them, and I married a girl who wanted to help them, too． We went to meetings and talked a lot, but it didn’t seem to make much difference． ”
“Our children grew up in a world at war． They didn’t know when the fighting would stop． They wanted their children to have nice clothes and toys． They didn’t want to think about the future． They thought nothing could be done about it．”
“Now I have grandchildren, and they have their own ideas． They are trying to make the world better． They are trying to help other people． They’re making people listen to them． I am proud of their generation．”The wise man mentioned in the text told people to bury him on his face so that when everything is turned upside down he will _____．
| A．lie on his stomach |
| B．lie on his back |
| C．stand quietly |
| D．sit in peace |
Which generation did NOT want to do anything to make the world a better one?
| A．Mr． Ellis’ generation |
| B．His children’s generation |
| C．His grandchildren’s generation |
| D．None of the above． |
Which generation is/was more efficient in making the world better one?
| A．Mr． Ellis’ generation． |
| B．His children’s generation． |
| C．His grandchildren’s generation． |
| D．None of the above． |
What is the writer’s attitude towards the generation gap?
| A．Unacceptable． |
| B．Awful． |
| C．Funny． |
| D．Common． |
Once there was a poor farmer and his farm belonged to(属于) a rich man． One day he brought a basket of apples to the rich man’s house． On the doorsteps, he met two monkeys dressed like children． They jumped onto the basket to eat the apples and threw some on the grounD． The farmer politely took off his hat and asked the monkeys to get off． They obeyed(服从) and the farmer went into the house． He asked to see the rich man． A servant took him to the room where the rich man was sitting．
"I have brought you the basket of apples you asked for," he saiD．
"But why have you brought a half-empty basket?" the rich man askeD．
"I met your children outside, and they stole(偷) some of the apples．"Why did the farmer bring apples to the rich man? Because
| A．he was poor |
| B．he liked the rich man |
| C．his farm belonged to the rich man |
| D．the rich man’s children liked apples |
What did the monkeys do when the farmer was on the doorsteps?
A． They jumped and jumpe
B． They playeD．
C． They ran away．
D． They ate some of the apples．The monkeys left the basket because
| A．they had thrown apples on the ground |
| B．the farmer had politely asked them to get off |
| C．they were afraid of the hat |
| D．the farmer wa s angry wit h them |
How did the rich man feel when he saw the basket? He felt 。
| A．pleased |
| B．unhappy |
| C．excited |
| D．moved |