Dolphins and sharks are showing up in surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast．Mullets，crabs，rays and small fish gather by the thousands off an Alabama pier．Birds covered in oil are crawling（爬）deep into marshes（沼泽），never to be seen again．
Marine scientists studying the effects of the BP disaster（英国石油公司漏油事件）are seeing some strange phenomena．Fish and other wildlife seem to be fleeing the oil out in the Gulf and gathering in cleaner waters along the coast in a trend that some researchers see as a potentially troubling sign．The animals.presence close to shore means their usual habitat is badly polluted，and the crowding could result in mass die-offs as fish run out of oxygen．Also，the animals could easily be captured by their enemies．
The nearly two-month-old spill（漏油）has created an environmental disaster in US history as tens of millions of gallons have flown into the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem．Scienfists are seeing some unusual things as they try to understand the effects on thousands of species of marine life．For nearly four hours Monday，a three-person crew with Greenpeace cruised（巡航）past delicate islands and mangrove-dotted inlets in Barataria Bay off southern Louisiana．They saw dolphins by the dozen frolicking（嬉戏）in the oily sheen（光泽）and oil-tinged pelicans feeding their young．But they spotted no dead animals．
“I think part of the reason why we’re not seeing more yet is that the impacts of this crisis are really just beginning，”Greenpeace marine biologist John Hocevar said．
The counting of dead wildlife in the Gulf is more than an academic exercise；the deaths will help determine how much BP pays in damages．What do the marine life react to the BP disaster？
| A．Dolphins and sharks show up in deep water． |
| B．Tens of thousands of marine animals are found dead． |
| C．Sea creatures flee from oil spill，gathering near seashore． |
| D．Birds crawl（爬）deep into caves． |
The environmental disaster was caused by ．
| A．the lack of environmental sense of BP |
| B．the nearly two-mouth-old oil spill |
| C．the crowding marine life |
| D．the damage of Mexico Gulf ecosystem |
What is John Hocevar’s attitude towards the disaster？
| A．Disappointed | B．Depressed | C．Neutral | D．Worried |
From the passage，we can infer that ．
| A．marine scientists have seen some strange phenomena． |
| B．the disaster has little influence on dolphins． |
| C．a three-person crew reached no conclusion． |
| D．BP will pay much money according to the number of dead wildlife there． |
“Itis a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas,” said Clorinda, with the mournful sigh of seventeen years.
AuntEmmy smiled. Aunt Emmy was sixty, and spent the hours she didn't spend in a bed, on a sofa or in a wheel chair; but Aunt Emmy was never heard to sigh.
“Thegifts which money can purchase are not the only ones we can give,” said Aunt Emmy gently, “nor the best, either.”
“Oh,I know it’s nicer to give something of your own work,” agreed Clorinda, “but materials for fancy work cost too. That kind of gift is just as much out of the question for me as any other.”
“Thatwas not what I meant,” said Aunt Emmy.
“Whatdid you mean, then?” asked Clorinda, looking puzzled.
AuntEmmy smiled.
“Supposeyou think out my meaning for yourself,” she said. “That would be better than if I explained it. Besides, I don’t think Icouldexplain it. Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: ‘The gift without the giver is bare’.”
“I’dput it the other way and say, ‘The giver without the gift is bare’,” said Clorinda. “That is my predicament(窘境) exactly. Well, I hope by next Christmas I’ll not be quite bankrupt. I'm going into Mr. Callender’s store down at Murraybridge in February. He has offered me the place, you know.”
“Won’tyour aunt miss you terribly?” said Aunt Emmy gravely. “Ithink she would rather have your companionship than a part of your salary, Clorinda,” said Aunt Emmy. “But of course you must decide for yourself, dear.”
“Well,I must say bye-bye and run home.” Clorindalived just across the road from Aunt Emmy in a tiny white house behind some huge willows. But Aunt Mary lived there too--the only relative Clorinda had, for Aunt Emmy wasn’t really her aunt at all. Clorinda had always lived with Aunt Mary ever since she could remember.
Clorindapuzzled over Aunt Emmy’s meaning for days. Then all at once it came to her. OnChristmas Day, Clorinda went over to Aunt Emmy’s. Aunt Emmy was lying on the sofa before the fire, and Clorinda sat down beside her.
“I’vecome to tell you all about it,” she said. “AuntEmmy, I thought for days over your meaning ... And then one evening it just came to me. At first I didn’t think Icouldgive some of them, and then I thought how selfish I was. I would have been willing to pay any amount of money for gifts if I had had it, but I wasn't willing to pay what I had. I got over that, though, Aunt Emmy. Now I'm going to tell you what I did give.”
“First,there was old Aunt Kitty. You know she was my nurse when I was a baby. She is always glad when I go to see her, but I’ve never gone except when I couldn’t help it. She is very deaf, and rather dull and stupid, you know. Well, I gave her a whole day. I took my knitting yesterday, and sat with her the whole time and just talked and talked. She was so pleased and proud; she told me when I came away that she hadn’t had such a nice time for years. ”
“Thenthere was ... Florence. You know, Aunt Emmy, we were always intimate friends until last year. Then Florence once told Rose Watson something I had told her in confidence. I found it out and I was so hurt. I couldn’t forgive Florence, and I told her plainly I could never be a real friend to her again. Florence felt badly, because she really did love me, and she asked me to forgive her, but it seemed as if I couldn’t. Well, Aunt Emmy, that was my Christmas gift to her ... my forgiveness.”
“Igave Aunt Mary her gift this morning. I told her I wasn’t going to Murraybridge, that I just meant to stay home with her. She was so glad--and I'm glad, too, now that I’ve decided so.”
“Yourgifts have been real gifts, Clorinda,” said Aunt Emmy. “Something of you--the best of you--went into each of them.”
“Ididn’t forget you, Aunt Emmy,” she said, as she unpinned the paper.
Therewas a rosebush. AuntEmmy loved flowers. She put her finger under one of the roses and kissed it.
“It’sas sweet as yourself, dear child,” she said tenderly. “And it will be a joy to me all through the lonely winter days. You’ve found out the best meaning of Christmas giving, haven’t you, dear?”
“Yes,thanks to you, Aunt Emmy,” said Clorinda softly.Clorinda felt anxious before Christmas because ___________.
| A．She had to leave Aunt Mary |
| B．She didn’t know what kind of Christmas gifts she should buy |
| C．She had not enough money to buy Christmas gifts |
| D．She had no time to make a proper decision |
Which of the following sentences can best explain the line “The gift without the giver is bare.”?
| A．A gift is valued by the mind of the giver. |
| B．Forgiveness is a gift for the giver and the receiver. |
| C．You cannot buy love or respect with expensive gifts. |
| D．Think twice before you give gifts to somebody |
What is the gift that Clorinda gave to old Aunt Kitty?
| A．Passion | B．Sympathy | C．Kindness | D．Company |
What does the underlined phrase “in confidence” mean?
| A．respectfully | B．confidently |
| C．secretly | D．willingly |
Which two words can best describe Aunt Emmy?
| A．cute and joyful | B．kind-hearted and emotional |
| C．optimistic and wise | D．gentle and reserved |
Which of the following is the best title?
| A．A Special Christmas | B．Clorinda’s Gifts |
| C．Aunt Emmy | D．Clorinda’s Choice |
A high school history teacher once told us, “If you make one close friend in school, you will be most fortunate. A true friend is someone who stays with you for life.” Experience teaches that he was right. Good friendships are just not easily formed. Why?
One reason is that it is easy to move around in our society. Mr. Darrell Sifford, a news reporter for the Washington Daily, has been studying and talking about friendships for a number of years. He reports what one woman thought about the effect of ease of movement on friendship:
“I was nine, and we’d just moved from South Carolina to New Jersey, and I didn’t know anybody. My mother had a way of getting to the root of things and she said to me, ‘Amelia, I know you’re feeling bad because you don’t have any friends. But you can fix that. Just walk across the street — I know there’s a girl about your age over there — and knock on the door and ask her to be your friend.’”
“As a 9-year-old, I could do that. I knocked on the door and said, ‘Hi, my name is Amelia, and I’d like for us to be friends.’ And to my surprise, she said that she would like that too—and we became friends.”
She added that going about it directly always worked when she was a child. But as she left childhood, she found that the simple direct approach was more and more difficult for her to follow. So, as an adult, Amelia longed to have friends but her hands were tied when it came to doing anything about it. The problem, according to her, is that society teaches us in a number of ways that direct action is not an acceptable way of doing things. We need to be less direct so that our feelings will not be hurt if our offer of friendship is refused.
Mr. Sifford goes on to describe his own ideas on the subject:
“To most of us, friendship is very important, but we need to have clear in our own minds the kinds of friendships we want. Are they to be very close or kept at arm’s length? Do we want to share ourselves or do we want to walk on the surface?”
“For some people, an ordinary friendship is enough — and that’s all right. But at some point we need to make sure that what we expect from the friendship is the same as what our friends expect from it. If one wants more from the friendship than the other, and if this is not talked about, one is likely eventually to feel that he’s not being given enough attention.
“The sharing of close secrets, including our fears as well as our dark dreams, is the surest way to deepen friendships. But the process must be gone through slowly and continued only if there are signs of interest and our efforts are answered.”
What are some of the problems in forming friendships? According to Mr. Sifford, the biggest problem is to expect too much too soon. Deep relationships take time. Another “big difficulty” is to think one “possesses” the other and that he should spend all his time only with you. Similarly, friendships require action from both sides. In short, you must give as much as you take. Finally there is a question of developing friendship. Unless you spend enough time together, talking on the phone, writing letters, doing things together, friendships will gradually fade away.
Why is it so difficult to form friendships? Perhaps it is possible, as Mr. Sifford states, that we simply do not stay in one place long enough for a true friendship to develop. However, we all agree that each of us should think carefully about the kind of friendships we want. As in all interpersonal relationships, success depends on the kind of friendship we expect to have, openness to others, and a willingness to experiment. By saying that “My mother had a way of getting to the root of things…” the author means that _____.
| A．her mother could always find friends for her |
| B．her mother had a way of making friends with people |
| C．her mother was able to find the cause of things |
| D．her mother was able to solve difficult problems |
In which of the following cases is it possible for you to develop true friendships?
| A．You stay in one place for long enough with your friend. |
| B．You spend all your time together with your friend. |
| C．You completely possess your friend’s time and attention. |
| D．You give your friend as much as you take from him. |
The author quoted many times what Mr. Darrell Sifford said in order to ________.
| A．show respect for him |
| B．share the same opinion with him |
| C．strengthen the authority of his opinion |
| D．make some comments about friendships |
The main point we learn from the passage is _____.
| A．willingness to experiment is the key to close friendship. |
| B．openness to others is important in interpersonal relationships |
| C．direct offers of friendship are not easily accepted |
| D．good friendships are not easily formed |
| ABOUT LIPITOR Lipitor(阿伐他汀钙片) is a prescription medicine. Along with diet and exercise, it lowers “bad” cholesterol(胆固醇) in your blood. It can also raise “good” cholesterol. Lipitor can lower the risk of heart attack in patients with several common risk factors, including family history of early heart disease, high blood pressure, age and smoking. |
| WHO IS LIPITOR FOR? Who can take LIPITOR： ●People who cannot lower their cholesterol enough with diet and exercise ●Adults and children over 10 Who should not take LIPITOR： ●Women who are pregnant, may be pregnant, or may become pregnant. Lipitor may harm your unborn baby. ●Women who are breast-feeding. Lipitor can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. ●People with liver problems |
| POSSIBIE SIDE EFFECTS OF LIPITOR Serious side effects in a small number of people： ●Muscle problems that can lead to kidney(肾脏) problems, including kidney failure ●liver problems. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start Lipitor and while you are taking it. Call your doctor right away if you have： ●Unexplained muscle pain or weakness, especially if you have a fever or feel very tired ●Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and / or throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing ●Stomach pain Some common side effects of LIPITOR are： ●Muscle pain ●Upset stomach ●Changes in some blood tests |
| HOW TO TAKE LIPITOR Dos： ●Take Lipitor as prescribed by your doctor, ●Try to eat heart healthy foods while you take Lipitor. ●Take Lipitor at any time of day, with or without food. ●If you miss a dose(一剂),take it as soon as you remember. But if it has been more than 12 hours since your missed dose, wait. Take the next dose at your regular time. Don’ts： ●Do not change or stop your dose before talking to your doctor. ●Do not start new medicines before talking to your doctor. |
What is a major function of Lipitor?
| A．To help quit smoking. |
| B．To control blood pressure. |
| C．To improve unhealthy diet. |
| D．To lower “bad” cholesterol. |
If it has been over 12 hours since you missed a dose, you should___________.
| A．change the amount of your next dose |
| B．eat more when taking your next dose |
| C．have a dose as soon as you remember |
| D．take the next dose at your regular time |
Which of the following is a common side effect of taking Lipitor?
| A．Face swelling. | B．Upset stomach. |
| C．Kidney failure. | D．Muscle weakness |
It was the summer of 1965. DeLuca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked DeLuca about his plans for the future. “I’m going to college, but I need a way to pay for it,” DeLuca recalls, saying “Buck said, ‘You should open a sandwich shop.’”
That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $1000. DeLuca rented a storefront (店面) in Connecticut, and when they couldn’t cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1000.
But business didn’t go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, “After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn’t know how badly, because we didn’t have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.
DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They’d meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, ‘We are so successful, we are opening a second store.” And they did—in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.
But the partners’ learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers. “It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn’t necessary, but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out,” DeLuca says.
And having a goal was also important. “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal,” DeLuca adds.
DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain. They decided to open a second store probably because they __________.
| A．had enough money to do it. |
| B．had succeeded in their business |
| C．wished to meet the increasing demand of customers |
| D．wanted to make people believe that they were successful |
What contribute most to their success according to the author?
| A．Learning by trial and error. |
| B．Making friends with suppliers. |
| C．Finding a good partner. |
| D．Opening chain stores. |
How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms of food and 120 liters of water per day survive in a desert environment?
In the southwest African country of Namibia, and the Sahara lands of Mali further north, the desert elephant does just that.
Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant, the desert cousin differs in many ways. Their bodies are smaller, to absorb less heat, and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy surfaces. They are taller, to reach higher branches. They have shorter tusks (象牙), and most importantly, longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.
Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and waterholes, and have a larger group of families. They drink only every 3-4 days, and can store water in a “bag” at the back of their throat, which is only used when badly needed. Desert elephants are careful feeders---they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches, and thus maintain what little food sources are available. Young elephants may even eat the dung (粪便) of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage. During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase greatly. Desert elephants have sand baths, sometimes adding their own urine (尿液) to make them muddy!
As we continue to overheat our weak planet, it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means “_____”.
| A．remains in the African countries |
| B．drinks 120 liters of water a day |
| C．manages to live in desert areas |
| D．eats 150 kilograms of food daily |
Desert elephants are called careful feeders because they _____.
| A．rarely ruin trees |
| B．drink only every 3-4 days |
| C．search for food in large groups |
| D．protect food sources for their young |
The author answers the question raised in the first paragraph with _____.
| A．stories and explanation |
| B．facts and descriptions |
| C．examples and conclusion |
| D．evidence and argument |
What can be inferred from the last sentence in the passage?
| A．Overheating the earth can be stopped. |
| B．Not all animal species are so adaptable. |
| C．The planet will become hotter and hotter. |
| D．Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants. |