Accidents happen, but when they destroy the delicate balance of nature and cause the whole world to suffer, they become disasters, and we should do all we can to prevent them from happening again.
Bhopal chemical leak, December 1984, Bhopal, India
An explosion in the Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, India, released a deadly gas called methyl (甲基) isocyanate(异氰盐酸), which is used to make pesticides. The gas formed a cloud that killed 2500 people; another 50000- 100000 people became ill. Trees and plants in the area became yellow and brittle. The explosion was caused by a mechanical failure that was not noticed in time to stop it.
Exxon Valdez oil spill, March 1989, Alaska, U.S.
On March 24, 1989, 11 million gallons of crude oil spilled into Prince William Sound from the tanker Exxon Valdez when its hull hit a reef and tore open. The oil, which is not yet cleaned up after billions of dollars have been spent and the millions of birds, fish, and other wildlife have died, was caused by human error and could have been avoided.
Chernobyl, April 1986, USSR
At 1:23 A.M. on Saturday, April 26, 1986, the reactor blew at nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, ripping open the core, blowing the roof off the building, starting more than 30 fires, and allowing radioactive material to leak into the air. Some 31 people were killed and 200 people were treated for radiation poisoning. Still at risk are 135000 people from the 179 villages within 20 miles, of the plant who were exposed to the radiation before being evacuated. Glaring violations of safety rules were at the bottom of this tragic event.
Love Canal, 1953, New York, U.S.
Love Canal, a small town in upstate New York near Niagara Falls, was destroyed by waste from chemical plants. Beginning in 1947, chemical companies could legally dump their waste products into the canal. The area developed a foul smell, trees lost their bark, and leaves fell throughout the year. A health survey found that the drinking water contained excessive levels of 82 industrial chemicals, 7 of which were thought to cause cancer. The people of Love Canal had an unusually high rate of cancer and birth defects. Eventually, many of the houses had to be abandoned. Today, the town has been partly cleaned up and some families have moved back to the area.
Three Mile Island, 1979, Pennsylvania, U.S.
On March 28, 1979, the worst accident in U.S. nuclear reactor history occurred at the Three Mile Island power station, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. No one was killed, and very little radioactivity was released into the air when coolant (the fluid that keeps a machine cool) escaped from the reactor core due to a combination of mechanical failure and human error. After 10 years and $ 1 billion in cleanup costs, the lower extremes of the reactor are still so radioactive that workers must use remote - control equipment to remove the remaining fragment of fuel core.This passage mainly discusses_______.
| A．accidents that affected many living things |
| B．air pollution |
| C．water pollution |
| D．what people are doing to prevent environmental disasters |
You can infer from the passage that the Bhopal Chemical leak_______.
| A．happen at night | B．was the worst accident in the history of India |
| C．caused more deaths than sicknesses | D．could have been avoided |
It can be inferred from the passage that the people in Love Canal_______.
| A．didn’t know that chemical companies were dumping waste products into the canal |
| B．didn’t know that their water was becoming dangerous to drink |
| C．tried to stop companies from dumping their waste products into the canal |
| D．didn’t mind that chemical companies were dumping waste products into the canal |
The best title for the article is ________. A. Accidents in Some Countries B. Disasters in Some Countries
C. Our Earth Is Out of Control D How to Prevent Accidents from Happening Again
Volunteers, as an essential part of a successful world exposition, are a major channel for the public to participate in, serve and share the world exposition and a means to showcase the image of the host country and city. The following information is about the volunteer for the World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China．
I．Requirements for Volunteers
● Be willing to participate in voluntary services of Expo 2010;
● Age limit: Expo Site volunteers must be born before April 30, 1992 and Expo City Voluntary Service Station volunteers before April 30, 1994;
● Obey the laws and regulations of the PRC;
● Be able to participate in training and relevant activities before the opening of Expo 2010 on May 1st;
● Possess necessary knowledge and skills needed by the position, one foreign language at least;
● Be in good health to meet the requirements of corresponding voluntary positions．
● Have previous experience of voluntary work.
II．Further Information for Volunteers
● Source
Residents of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese, and foreigners can all apply to be the volunteers．
● Signup methods
Applicants may log in onto the official websites for online signup．They may also consult or connect with the Expo Volunteer Stations．
● Time
May 1 - December 31, 2009
Ⅲ．Volunteer Training
Volunteer training includes general training, special training and position training．General training is carried out through internet, while special training and position training are provided through classroom lectures and field practice．
IV．Volunteer Types
● Expo Site volunteers refer to those offering voluntary services to visitors and the Organizer in the Expo Site, mainly including information, visitor flow management, reception, translation and interpretation(口译), assistance for the disabled, and assistance in media service, event and conference organization and．volunteer management．
● Information booth volunteers are stationed in the Expo's information booths at key transportation centers, commercial outlets, tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels and cultural event places outside the Expo Site．They offer services including information, translation, interpretation and even first aid．
1. According to the volunteer brochure, which of the following suits the position of Expo Site?
A．Li Hua, a retired Spanish teacher, still recovering from her leg operation.
B．Wang Ming, 19, a former voluntary interpreter of the United Nations.
C．Li Jing, a middle-aged researcher, who is to finish his field work at the end of April.
D．Hong Wei, 17, winner of an English speaking competition, looking for his first voluntary work.
2. Which of the training will be done on the Internet?
A．Position training． B．General training．
C．Classroom training． D．Special training．
3. Which of the following service is offered by information booth volunteers?
A．Visitor flow management． B．Helping the disabled
C．Assistance in media service． D．Emergency first aid．
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，共40分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的 A B C D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.
He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens. What he saw shocked and terrified him. A huge swarm of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and the buzzing mass seemed to be heading angrily towards him.
With no time to waste, Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding furiously—but without knowing how to escape the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping furiously, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings(蜇). The last sting had landed him in hospital—and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father’s words came to him. “When you are in a tight situation, don’t panic. Use your brain and think your way out of it. ”
On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house. ” Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground. Andy knew he could not reach the house in time. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a small dam used by Mr. Nelson to irrigate his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he lived, disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he struggled up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.
“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,” laughed his mother with relief. “Thank goodness you didn’t panic!” But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow.
1. Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?
A. He was riding to school. B. He was listening to a strange sound.
C. He was going fishing with his father.
D. He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip.
2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?
A. They crowded like a black cloud. B. They shocked and terrified Andy.
C. They tried to attack Andy in a mass.
D. They made Andy stay in hospital for two days.
3. How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?
A. He asked Mr. Nelson for help. B. He hid himself under the water.
C. He rushed into the Nelson house. D. He rode off in the opposite direction.
4. Which of the following can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?
A. No pains, no gains. B. Once bitten, twice shy.
C. Where there is a will, there is a way. D. In time of danger, one’s mind works fast.
While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had an experience which occurred merely two feet away from me.
Trying to locate my friend among the passengers coming through the jet way, I noticed a man walking toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family.
First he kissed his three children one by one and said, “It’s nice to see you. I missed you so much!” Then he hugged his wife, “I’ve saved the best for last!” giving her the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. They stared at each other’s eyes, smiling at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds（新婚夫妇）, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn’t possibly be.
Full of admiration, I asked, “Wow! How long have you two been married?” “Being together for fourteen years total, married twelve of those.” He replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife’s face. “Well, then, how long have you been away?” I asked. “Two whole days!” “Two days?” I was astonished. By the intensity (热烈) of the greeting, I had assumed he’d been gone for at least several weeks --- if not months. I knew my expression betrayed me, so I turned away my eyes and said quietly, “I hope my marriage is still that passionate after so long!”
The man suddenly stopped smiling and looked me straight in the eye. With forcefulness he told me something that left me a different person. “Don’t hope, friend…decide!” Then he smiled again, shook my hand and said, “God bless!”
With that, he and his family turned and walked away together.
I was still watching that man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, “What are you looking at?” Without hesitation, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, “My future!”
77. The best title of the passage may be __________.
A. Long Loving Hugs B. My Future
C. Don’t Hope. Decide D. Love Is Everywhere
78. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The man replied to the author, with his eyes still fixed on his wife’s face.
B. After being away for several weeks, the man missed his family very much.
C. It was fourteen years since the couple had got married.
D. Their three kids reminded the author of newlyweds.
79. By saying “my expression betrayed me” (in Paragraph 4), the author means that __________.
A. he failed to express his ideas to the man
B. the man sensed his real feelings from his expression
C. he didn’t believe in his expression any more
D. his expression was not faithful to him
80. From the passage, we can infer that __________.
A. the experience may be easily forgotten by the author
B. the author will live a passionate life from now on
C. the author will be away from his family and hug them passionately upon his return
D. Americans prefer to save the best for last
While drunken driving may be on the decline, traffic safety experts remain puzzled over how to deal with another alcohol related danger: drunken pedestrians(行人).
Pedestrians struck and killed by cars often are extremely drunk. In fact, they are intoxicated more frequently, and with higher blood alcohol levels, than drunken drivers who are killed in accidents, various studies have shown. Forty percent of adult pedestrians involved in fatal crashes have a blood alcohol level of at least 0.10, which by law in most states signifies intoxication(醉酒), compared to only 25 percent of drivers in deadly accidents, according to recent federal data.
Some types of pedestrian accidents have been declining nationally, especially those involving children, but the number of adult pedestrians who are drunk when killed in traffic has remained relatively steady at 2,500 a year. The total number of pedestrians killed annually in U.S. traffic accidents is at least 7,000, or one of every seven highway accidents resulting in death.
“We’re dealing here, we think, with a very severe drinking problem that leads to a severe highway safety problem,” said Richard Bloomberg, president of Dunlap and Associates Inc, in Norwalk, Coon.
Bloomberg, whose consulting company found a very high rate of alcohol involvement in a controlled study of pedestrian accidents in New Orleans, was among several researchers who spoke on the topic at the annual meeting of the Research council’s Transportation Research Board(TRB) in Washington in January.
Pedestrian accidents have not received enough attention in the past, according to Kay Culprits, who chairs the board’s committee on pedestrians. Few methods exist to monitor walking habits, she said, and researchers have been confused about how to prevent disasters.
73. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Traffic Safety. B. Drunken Drivers.
C. Drunken Pedestrian Accidents. D. A Severe Highway Safety problem.
74. Among the causes of walkers’ accidents, the most serious problem is______ .
A. long delays in traffic signals that may make people cross streets without paying attention to traffic rules
B. alcohol
C. a lack of adult keeping eyes on many children involved in accidents
D. former drunken drivers whose licenses are not allowed to use for a time
75. According to recent federal data, drunken drivers with an over 0.10 blood alcohol level in deadly accidents______ .
A. make up one seventh of highway accidents
B. are 2,500 a year
C. are at least 7,000 in US traffic accidents
D. are 15 percent less than drunken adult walkers with the same level
76. According to the passage, what is Bloomberg?
A. A researcher. B. A specialist in traffic safety.
C. A clerk of a consulting company. D. A government official
I am wearing a small red ribbon this morning to remind myself and others around me that today is World AIDS Day.
The red ribbon, an international symbol of AIDS awareness, is gaining increasing public recognition as more Chinese, from top leaders to movie stars, wear it today.
Gone were the days when the topic of HIV/AIDS was a public and media taboo(禁忌). Over the past few years, we have watched, read and heard many stories from doctors, volunteers and public health officials at the forefront of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
Quite a few people with HIV/AIDS have come forward to share their experiences on TV or in the media.
The local and central governments have become more forthcoming (be helpful) with their new prevention and treatment programmes, and financial input. The latter rose from less than 1 million yuan (US$ 121,000) in 1986 to a pledge of 800 million yuan (US$98.8 million) in the year of 2006.
The change from silence to public and media campaigns with official promises has been remarkable, especially since China battled through the SARS crisis.
But have we got a full grip on HIV/AIDS? What do we know about the extent of HIV/AIDS in China?
The figures, ranging from confirmed cases to estimates, remain debated. After all, no more than a year has passed since the policy of free medical tests was made public. Unknown numbers from the high-risk groups: drug addicts and people working in sex- related places as well as farmers who once sold blood could still be reluctant to come forward.
69. What does the red ribbon stand for?
A. AIDS B. World AIDS Day
C. AIDS awareness D. AIDS prevention and treatment
70. Which of the following is Not true according to the text?
A. The topic of HIV/AIDS was a public and media taboo in the past.
B. The topic of HIV/AIDS is now still a public and media taboo.
C. Now a lot of people with HIV/AIDS have come forward to share their experiences on TV.
D. The writer wears a small red ribbon because today is World AIDS Day.
71. In paragraph 5 “the latter” refers to ____________________.
A. financial input B. new prevention programmes
C. new treatment programmes D. the central governments
72. We can learn from the text that high-risk groups of HIV/AIDS in China include the following EXCEPT __________________.
A. drug addicts B. people working in sex-related place
C. farmer who once sold blood D. people getting close to those affected with HIV/AIDS