For hundreds of years, Japan has been hit, from time to time, by tsunamis（海啸）, which are caused by earthquakes or underwater volcanoes. The story of the boy Yuuki is the story of such a disaster.
Yuuki lived with his family in a seaside village, below a small mountain. One day, as he played on top of the mountain, Yuuki felt a small earthquake but it was not strong enough to frighten anybody. Soon after, however, Yuuki noticed the sea darken and begin running away from the shore very fast, leaving behind wide areas of beach that had never been seen before.
Yuuki remembered reading that just before a terrible tsunami, the sea suddenly and quickly rolls backward. He ran to the beach, warning the villagers who had gathered to admire the new beach land.
But no one listened. They laughed at him and continued playing in the new sand.
Desperate, Yuuki could think of only one thing to do. He lit a tree branch, raced to the rice fields and began burning the harvested rice. Then he called out, “Fire! Fire! Everyone run to the mountain! Now!”
When everyone reached the mountain top, a villager cried out, “Yuuki is mad! I saw him set the fire.” Yuuki hung his head in shame, but said nothing as the villagers screamed at him.
Just then, someone shouted, “Look!”
In the distance a huge dark wave of water was speeding towards the shore. When it hit the shore, it destroyed everything.
On the mountain everyone stared at the village ruins in terror.
“I'm sorry I burned the fields,” said Yuuki, his voice trembling.
“Yuuki,” the village chief answered. “You saved us all.”
The villagers cheered and raised Yuuki into the air. “We were going to celebrate our rice harvest tonight,” said one, “but now we’ll celebrate that we’re all still alive!” Where was Yuuki when the earthquake struck?
| A．On the beach. | B．On the mountain. |
| C．In the rice fields. | D．At home. |
In what order did the following events take place?
a.Yuuki ran to the rice fields.
b.The villagers paid no attention to Yuuki’s word.
c.Yuuki went to warn the villagers.
d.The village was in ruins.
e.The people were screaming at Yuuki.
| A．c, b, d, a, e | B．a, c, d, b, e | C．c, b, a, e, d | D．a, c, d, e, b |
How did Yuuki save the villagers from the disaster?
| A．He told them about the earthquake. |
| B．He explained why the sea was flowing out. |
| C．He told the village chief to warn the people. |
| D．He set fire to the rice field. |
What were the people planning to do before the tsunami struck their village?
| A．Burn the rice crop. | B．Play on the beach. |
| C．Climb the mountain. | D．Celebrate the rice harvest. |
The personal computer has overtaken the family dog as man's best friend．according to a study．
Researchers found that just 6 per cent of us believe that“ most people rely more on their dog than they do on their PC”，while 67 per cent think the opposite to be true．
Even 38 per cent of dog owners admitted to relying more on their PC than on their dog, although 36 per cent disagreed.
And 71 per cent of 18 to 24-year-old dog owners said they relied more on their computer．
Paul Allen，editor of Computeractive magazine said：“These days you can even you’re your PC for fl walk，provided you have a laptop or tablet.”
“It's only a matter of time until the first PC that fetches your slippers．”
Researchers questioned 2，000 British adults to find out the change modern technology has brought to their home life．
They found that male dog owners are almost twice as likely as female owners to rely on their computer than a canine companion.
Mr．Allen said：“With broadband bringing them global news and newspaper sales falling，the family dog even misses out on the pleasure of taking the paper to his owner．”
But it's not all bad news for obedient dogs．
“The family PC has given dog owners access to a wealth of resources and information that can help with the long-term care that a dog needs，”Mr．Allen said．Who are most likely to rely on computers?
| A．Teens． |
| B．People in their early twenties． |
| C．People in their early thirties． |
| D．People in their early forties． |
What is the general idea of the passage?
| A．The personal computer has replaced the dog as man's best friends． |
| B．The computer and the dog as man's best friends． |
| C．Modern technology has brought changes to people's home life． |
| D．The dog as a pet will disappear completely from people's life． |
The advantage of dogs as pets over the personal computer now is that
| A．the dog can go out for a walk with people |
| B．the dog can help people fetch something |
| C．the dog can bring people more pleasure |
| D．the dog is more likely to follow its owner's orders |
The underlined word“canine”in Paragraph 8 probably means
| A．human | B．pet | C．family | D．dog |
According to Mr. Allen，the personal computer
| A．won't have effect on newspaper sales |
| B．can't help people take better care of the dog |
| C．will drive the dog as a pet out completely |
| D．will be able to help people fetch something |
George, when your big brother and your little dog and I walked you up to school today, you had no idea how I was feeling.
You were so excited. You had packed and unpacked your pencils and safety scissors in your backpack a dozen times. I am really going to miss those lazy mornings when we waved your brother and sister off to school.
Because you are my youngest, I had learned a few things by the time you came along. I found out that the seemingly endless days of babyhood are gone like lightning. I blinked（眨眼）, and your siblings（兄弟姐妹） were setting off for school as eagerly as you did this morning, I was one of the lucky ones; I could choose whether to work or not. By the time it was your turn, the shining prizes of career advancement and a double income had lost their brightness. A splash（溅水）in the pool with you in your bright red boots or "just one more" rereading of your favorite book, Frog and Toad Are Friends, meant more. You didn't go to preschool and I hope that doesn't hold you back. You learned numbers by helping me count the soda cans we returned to the store.
I have to admit that in my mind’s eye, an image of myself while you're in school has developed, I see myself updating all the photo albums and starting that novel I always wanted to write. As the summer wound down and more frequent quarrels erupted（爆发） between you and your siblings, I was looking forward to today. And then this morning, I walked you up the steep hill to your classroom and you gave me one of your characteristically fierce, too-tight hugs. This time you were ready to let go before I was.
Maybe someday you will deliver a kindergartner to the first day of school. When you turn at the door to wave good-bye, he or she will be too deep in conversation with a new friend to notice. Even as you smile, you'll feel something warm on your cheek.What does the author mean by the underlined sentence in the 3rd paragraph?
| A．She gave up the job with a big salary and prizes. |
| B．She could only recall her good job at home now. |
| C．Many good jobs with better pay attracted her but she didn’t take them. |
| D．Compared with bringing up the baby, work seemed to fade to her. |
Which statement is NOT TRUE about George's family according to the letter?
| A．George's parents gave birth to three children. |
| B．The Georges is a double income family. |
| C．They recycled soda cans. |
| D．The children had more arguments during the summer. |
The passage tries to show us ________.
| A．how excited a child will be on his first day to school |
| B．how deeply a mother loves her child |
| C．how many efforts a mother has made to raise a child |
| D．how a mother plans her future life after her children go to school |
This is a time of year when we think about giving and receiving presents. Can you find a little extra to give? On this page we suggest a few organizations you might like to help.
Littleton Children’s Home
We DON’T want your money, but children’s toys, books and clothes IN GOOD CONDITION would be very welcome.
Also, we are looking for friendly families who would take our children into their homes for a few hours or days as guests. You have so much─will you share it?
Phone Sister Thomas on 55671
Children’s Hospice
We look after a small number of very sick children. This important work needs skill and love. We cannot continue without gifts or money to pay for more nursing staff. We also need storybooks and toys suitable for quiet games.
Please contact the Secretary, Little Children’s Hospice, Newby Road.
Street Food
In the winter weather, it’s no fun being homeless. It’s even worse if you’re hungry. We give hot food to at least fifty people every night. It’s hard work, but necessary. Can you come and help? If not, can you offer a little money? We use a very old kitchen, and we need some new saucepans(平底锅). Money for new ones would be most welcome indeed.
Contact Street Food, c/o Mary’s House, Elming Way. Littleton Phone 27713
Littleton Youth Club
Have you got an unwanted chair? ─ a record-player? ─ a pot of paint ? Because we can use them!
We want to get to work on our meeting room!
Please phone 66231 and we’ll be happy to collect anything you can give us.
Thank you!
The Night Shelter
We offer a warm bed for the night to anyone who has nowhere to go. We rent the former Commercial Hotel on Green Street. Although it is not expensive, we never seem to have quite enough money. Can you let us have a few pounds? Any amount, however small, will be such a help.
Send it to us at 15, Green St, Littleton. Please make check payable to Night Shelter.What kind of people are these organizations designed for?
| A．Homeless and sick children |
| B．Less fortunate members of our society |
| C．Hungry people who have no beds to sleep in |
| D．Friendly members of our society to help others |
If you like children and you could offer a happy family to a homeless child, you may contact ______.
| A．Street Food | B．The Night Shelter |
| C．Littleton Children’s Home | D．Children’s Hospice |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．There are too many social problems in this society. |
| B．People are very poor during the time of giving. |
| C．To offer help is just an excuse for these organizations to collect money. |
| D．There are many organizations trying to solve social problems. |
What kind of things would Littleton Youth Club like to collect?
| A．Old furniture and second-hand electrical equipment. |
| B．An apartment and some saucepans. |
| C．Hot food and storybooks. |
| D．A sum of money and children’s toys. |
Among various programs, TV talk shows have covered every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one is different in style(风格). But no two shows are more opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.
Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of “rubbish talk”. The contents on his show are as surprising as can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show titles of love, sex, cheating, and hate, to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is about the dark side of society, yet people are willing to eat up the troubles of other people’s lives.
Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its top. But Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show is mainly about the improvement of society and different quality(质量) of life. Contents are from teaching your children lessons, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.
Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being poured into society. Jerry ends every show with a “final word”. He makes a small speech about the entire idea of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
Clean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show’s main viewers are middleclass Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and ability to deal with life’s tough problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of a connection with the young adults of society. These are 18-to-21-year-olds whose main troubles in life include love, relationship, sex, money and drug. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned through the show’s exploitation.Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey are ______.
| A．more interesting. | B．very popular. |
| C．more detailed. | D．more formal. |
Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear unpleasant, people who watch the shows ______.
| A．remain interested in them. |
| B．are ready to face up to them. |
| C．remain cold to them. |
| D．are willing to get away from them. |
Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?
| A．A new type of robot. | B．Nation hatred(憎恨). |
| C．Family income planning. | D．Street accident. |
We can learn from the passage that the two talk shows ______.
| A．have become the only ones of its kind. |
| B．exploit the weaknesses in human nature. |
| C．appear at different times of the day. |
| D．attract different people. |
“REMOVE from friends.”
This is no ordinary button. One click and I have the power to erase a person from my life.
In late fall, I had around 400 friends on Facebook. Today, I have 134.
Click. Make that 133.
When Facebook first entered my life in 2005, I panicked（恐慌、担心） that my friend count was too low. If I wasn’t properly connected, how would anyone see my clever quote(引语)? Who would wish me a happy birthday? I accepted and sent out friend requests without a second thought and soon accumulated 391 friends.
There is an appeal to being able to communicate with someone or just “thumbs(拨动手指) up” a photo rather than make real conversation.
“It’s comforting and it’s easy,” said Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University, who studies the way people communicate online.” There’s a sense of belonging in it. It’s a sense of community in a generation where community has sort of (有点)disappeared.”
However, I don’t talk to half of these people in the online community. There are some I would avoid if I met them on the street.
Click. 132.
I decided to rid my account of any “friend” that…well, wasn’t. Sound easy? You try it.
Look at who you’re dealing with: family, friends, classmates, crushes(爱恋的对象), acquaintances…
With every click of the “Remove from friends” button, you risk burning a bridge, losing a contact and missing an opportunity. So every time I go to click the button, my heart hurts.
However, I’m not the only one who has experienced a Faceboook friend refreshing. The New Oxford American Dictionary announces its “Word of the Year” each year, and last year, “unfriend” made the cut (入围) (though I’ll still stick with “defriend”).
When I started my mission(任务), a few friends joined. Most were surprised by how easily they could cut hundreds of connections without thinking twice.
“Oh my God, I defriended like 600 people today. I feel so good!” my friend Sarah messaged.
Dana, a close friend from high school, and I battled it out to see who could get our counts lower. She wins at 123.
To some, it’s poor “netiquette(网络礼仪)” to defriend. But to me, it’s the stage of life when we hold onto the people who count, the people who impact you.According to the article, what happens when you click the “Remove form friends” button?
| A．A message is sent out to your online friends. |
| B．You accept someone as your online friend. |
| C．You send out a friend request to people. |
| D．The number of your online friends is reduced. |
The writer worried about her friend count in 2005 because ______.
| A．no one would wish her a happy birthday |
| B．it was the first time she had made friends online |
| C．she had only 391 online friends at that time |
| D．she was eager to make connections |
What is Larry Rosen’s opinion?
| A．People living in the same area are closely connected in everyday life. |
| B．Communication online helps people feel they are members of a group. |
| C．It’s easy for people to make and break new friendships online. |
| D．Today’s young people spend nearly all their time communicating online. |
Which of the following is the best description of the underlined sentence?
| A．I made new friends online while I removed some old ones. |
| B．Some friends cut the number of their online friends just like I did. |
| C．We competed to see who could remove the most online friends. |
| D．When someone removed me from a friends’ list, I removed him/her. |