In 2003, Bethany Hamilton,13, lost her left arm to a shark attack while surfing off Kauai, Hawaii. A new film ,Soul Surfer, is based on the story of how she overcame that to achieve her dream of becoming a professional athlete.
Growing up on the “garden isle” of Kauai, Hamilton spent every minute she could riding the waves. She was on the verge of (即将) becoming a top competitor in professional surfing. But while she was practicing at an isolated cove (小湾)，a four-meter-long tiger shark ripped off her left arm. Though her life was saved, nobody could imagine she would ever get back on a surfboard again.
In a true test of her faith and by tremendous will power, Bethany did get back up on a surfboard only a month after the attack. Six months later, she was competing again. Bethany Hamilton won her first amateur surfing championship just two years after she lost her arm. She also established the “Friends of Bethany,” a non---profit foundation dedicated to supporting sharks attack victims.
It’s a story told in her autobiography, which is the basis for the film that stars teenager Anna Sophia Robb. “I knew Bethany’s story, of course, but I thought ‘What an incredible role’ ,”explains Robb. “I was so fascinated by all of the challenges. What would it be like to have your arm taken and what would go through your head and how would your faith be challenged?”
The filmmakers used special effects to digitally remove Robb’ s arm .However ,no tricks were necessary for the surfing scenes because Hamilton herself did the breathtaking wave riding.
Now 21, Hamilton says she hopes audiences find inspiration in the description of the sport she loves.
“Not a lot of people know that much about surfing, so I hope they’re educated about it,” Hamilton says. “And most of all if people are going through a hard time, they could be encouraged and find inspiration to push through those hard times and see that, in my case ,so much good has come out of it.”According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?.
| A．Hamilton was severely injured when surfing. |
| B．Nobody thought Hamilton could overcome the troubles. |
| C．Rob did the breathtaking wave riding in the film Soul Surfer. |
| D．Hamilton established the “Friends of Bethany” to help shark attack victims. |
Which of the following can best take the place of the underlined word “tremendous” in the third paragraph?
| A．Free. | B．Easy | C．Smart. | D．Strong. |
What can we learn from Anna Sophia Robb’s words?
| A．She was absorbed in the story. |
| B．she wasn’t sure she could play the role well. |
| C．She wants to challenge her faith. |
| D．She doesn’t believe Bethany’s story. |
How does Hamilton hope people will be affected by her story?
| A．she hopes more people will take up surfing. |
| B．she hopes people will be inspired and encouraged |
| C．She hopes more people will keep off the sharks. |
| D．She hopes people will donate something to her charity. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．A lot of people are fond of surfing. |
| B．Good things will happen to the disabled in the end. |
| C．Faith and will power will help people go through hard times. |
| D．People can always overcome every difficulty in life. |
MOOCs, short for “massive open online courses,” mark an important, possibly revolutionary, development in education. These courses are on line, free of charge, and open to anyone in the world who has a laptop and an Internet connection. Moreover, they are mainly offered by great universities like Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard and Columbia.
The courses are arranged according to how difficult they are, enabling students to progress from beginners to the advanced. The courses cover not only a broad range of science subjects such as math and computer science, but also courses in social sciences and humanities. Though MOOCs are not offered for credit and degree, many students enroll(加入) in the courses for real skills or knowledge which they can put to some practical use.
The format(形式) seems better than the traditional school class. The average quality of the lecturers is much higher. Besides, students can learn back and forward－that is, they can go at their own learning speed, which they can’t do in a live lecture. And, more importantly, they don’t have to travel anywhere to attend an online lecture. There is a problem of asking questions of the lecturer in a class of ten thousand students, but some MOOCs have solved it by allowing students to post questions on line for a vote, and only the most popular questions are put to the lecturer.
In a knowledge age, lifelong learning is not confined to a traditional classroom. Students taking MOOCS are usually very clever, have work experience, and in many cases, have already developed a set of practical skills. Moreover, they also offer unique international perspectives(远景) that would be the envy of any school classroom.Which of the following statements is NOT true about MOOCs?
| A．The word “MOOCs” is short for “ massive open online campuses”. |
| B．Anyone who has a computer and an Internet connection can take MOOCs. |
| C．MOOCs are usually offered by first-class universities in the world. |
| D．MOOCs may be a breakthrough in the development of education. |
MOOCs seem to have an advantage over traditional school classes in that ________.
| A．there is a problem of asking questions in traditional classes |
| B．students enrolling in MOOCs can get credit and degree easily |
| C．students can learn at their own study pace |
| D．students can travel to many places when taking MOOCs |
The meaning of the underlined word “confined” means ________.
| A．extended | B．developed |
| C．limited | D．advanced |
The behaviour of a building’s users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC). The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions (排放）by 80 percent by 2050, part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable building design on its own — though extremely important — is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behaviour of the people using the building has to change too.
The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency，which instead focus on architectural and technological developments.
‘Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything,’ explains Katy Janda, a UKERC senior researcher, ‘consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design.’ In other words, old habits die hard, even in the best-designed eco-home.
Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill-payers don’t have the knowledge they need to change their energy-use habits. Without specific information, it’s hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback (反馈） facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors，could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters.
Social science research has added a further dimension (方面），suggesting that individuals’ behaviour in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted —whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat (恒温器) , for example.
Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused programme to teach people about buildings and their own behaviour in them.As to energy use, the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of________.
| A．zero-carbon homes |
| B．the behaviour of building users |
| C．sustainable building design |
| D．the reduction of carbon emissions |
The underlined word “which” in Paragraph 2 refers to “________.”
| A．the ways | B．their homes |
| C．developments | D．existing efforts |
What are Katy Janda’s words mainly about?
| A．The importance of changing building users’ habits. |
| B．The necessity of making a careful building design. |
| C．The variety of consumption patterns of building users. |
| D．The role of technology in improving energy efficiency. |
The information gap in energy use _______.
| A．can be bridged by feedback facilities |
| B．affects the study on energy monitors |
| C．brings about problems for smart meters |
| D．will be caused by building users’ old habits |
What does the dimension added by social science research suggest?
| A．The social science research is to be furthered. |
| B．The education programme is under discussion. |
| C．The behaviour of building users is unpredictable. |
| D．The behaviour preference of building users is similar. |
CHICAGO ---- For working parents and heavily scheduled school kids, family mealtime is out of fashion. But supermarkets are trying to attract families back to the dinner table.
There is a cost if family members have meals apart: research shows that teenagers who don’t eat with their parents face a greater risk of drug and alcohol problems.
“The more often kids have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs,” said Joseph Califano Jr., head of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, which did the research.
Stores are familiar with the idea and will start telling shoppers about the findings and encouraging them to share meals together at home, instead of separately or at restaurants.
The food marketing Institute will give $25,000 to the center and help stores promote the center’s Family Day in September.
Many stores have grab-and-go dinners and recipe cards. Some have kiosks where people can taste a main dish, then pick out side dishes.
“Our members have worked hard to try to have easily prepared food either ready to eat or ready to take home,” said Tim Hammonds, the institute’s president and chief executive.
Los Angeles-based Contessa Premium Foods makes frozen delicious meals, which a family can heat in 10 minutes to 12 minutes. “That’s nearly as fast as a TV dinner,” said president and chief executive John Z. Blazevich, “but is healthier and makes people feel like they actually cooked.”
“The preparation is the hardest part, so we try to combine a variety of tastes and flavours from around the world and make it fast and easy,” he said.
“Eating at home helps keep meals healthy and teaches kids how to eat right. If we can get people back to having family dinners, parents back to being engaged with their kids, it will have a surprising impact,” he said.The reasons why family mealtime is out of fashion are the following EXCEPT __________.
| A．the parents are busy with work |
| B．the children have a little spare time |
| C．the children are not fond of family meal |
| D．it will take much time to cook and eat at home |
The underlined word “cost” in paragraph 2 can be explained as ___________.
| A．gains | B．a sum of money |
| C．advantage | D．something you lose |
According to the passage, stores are trying to attract families back to the dinner table by the following ways EXCEPT ________.
| A．telling the parents the disadvantages of having dinner separately. |
| B．offering various prepared food to make family cooking fast and easy. |
| C．taking part in Family Day activities in September. |
| D．helping housewives prepare their meals at home. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The efforts that are being made to get people back to having family dinners |
| B．The benefits of having family dinners together. |
| C．The changes in American family dinners. |
| D．A research done by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Family Mealtime is out of Fashion |
| B．Family Day is Promoted in September |
| C．Parents should Cook Meals for Kids |
| D．Supermarkets Urges Families to Dinner Table |
首先请阅读下列警方通报查找人员的信息：
 A. Name: Ziggy Nizott Height: 1.82 m Weight: 90kg Age: 35 Details: Long history of violent crime including robbery, assault and car theft. |
 B. Name: Dennis Tsokas Height: 1.95 m Weight: 70 kg Age: 28 Details: Well known to local police having been arrested several times for pick-pocketing. |
 C. Name: Michael Clarke Height: 1.7 m Weight: 65 kg Age: 20 Details: Arrested as a youth for car theft and the selling of stolen goods. |
 D. Name: Mark Hughes Height: 1.6 m Weight: 60kg Age: 29 Details: Is wanted by police for several armed robbery of grocery stores, banks and post offices. |
 E. Name: Herb Elliot Height: 1.6 m Weight: 90kg Age: 22 Details: Recently released from prison where he served 2 years for selling stolen goods. |
 F. Name: William Daniels Height: 1.6 m Weight: 90kg Age: 32 Details: Arrested 4 times for the selling of drugs and car theft. |
以下是相关事件及人物的描述，请把描述与相关插图及提示性文字匹配起来。A valuable dog was taken while being walked by its owner in City Park yesterday afternoon. Police wish to talk to a man seen nearby at the time, described by witnesses as short and fat with short light hair and clear glasses.
Yesterday morning at 9.30a.m. a man armed with a gun entered the National Bank and demanded money from the staff, before fleeing when confronted by bank security staff. Security cameras show the man as being short and thin with shoulder length blonde hair.
A tall, strong built man with blonde hair, a thick black moustache and wearing dark glasses knocked a woman to the ground and stole her purse on Main Street last Saturday afternoon. If you see this man, do not approach as he is considered extremely dangerous.
At the football match between Manchester United and Liverpool, several people had their wallets stolen while waiting in line to buy food. The victims did not see or notice the thief but bystanders describe him as very tall and thin, clean shaven with short light hair.
A car was stolen from the supermarket carpark on Friday, June 23 this year by a man described as very young, 1.7 metres tall with thin dark hair and carrying a blue backpack. A reward of $500 is offered for the car’s recovery.
Kincaid looked at his watch: eight-seventeen. The truck started on the second try, and he backed out, shifted gears, and moved slowly down the alley under hazy sun. Through the streets of Bellingham he went, heading south on Washington 11, running along the coast of Puget Sound for a few miles, then following the highway as it swung east a little before meeting U.S Route 20.
Turning into the sun, he began the long, winding drive through the Cascades. He liked this country and felt unpressed stopping now and then to make notes about interesting possibilities for future expeditions or to shoot what he called “memory snapshots.” The purpose of these causal photographs was to remind him of places he might want to visit again and approach more seriously. In later afternoon he turned north at Spokane, picking up U.S Route 2, which would take him halfway across the northern United States to Duluth, Minnesota.
He wished for the thousandth time in his life that he had a dog, a golden retriever, maybe, for travels like this and to keep him company at home. But he was frequently away; overseas much of the time and it would not be fair to the animal. Still, he thought about it anyway. In a few years he would be getting too old for the hard fieldwork. “I must get a dog then.” He said to himself.
Drives like this always put him into a sentimental mood. The dog was part of it. Robert Kincaid was alone as it’s possible to be – an only child, parents both dead, distant relatives who had lost track of him and he of them, no close friends.
He thought about Marian. She had left him nine years ago after five years of marriage. He was fifty–two now, that would make her just under forty. Marian had dreams of becoming a musician, a folksinger. She knew all of the Weavers’ songs and sang them pretty well in the coffeehouse of Seattle. When he was home in the old days, he drove her to the shows and sat in the audience while she sang.
His long absences – two or three months sometimes – were hard on the marriage. He knew that. She was aware of what he did when they decided to get married, and both of them had a vague (not clear) sense that it could all be handled somehow. It couldn’t when he came from photographing a story in Iceland and, she was gone. The note read, “Robert, it didn’t work out, I left you the Harmony guitar. Stay in touch.”
He didn’t stay in touch. Neither did she. He signed the divorce papers when they arrived a year later and caught a plane for Australia the next day. She had asked for nothing except her freedom.Which route is the right one taken by Kincaid?
| A．Bellingham – Washington 11 – Puget Sound – U.S Route 20 – U.S Route 2 – Duluth |
| B．U.S. Route 2 – Bellingham – Washington 11 – Puget Sound – U.S Route 20 – Duluth |
| C．U.S. Route 2 – U.S Route 20 – Duluth – Bellingham – Washington 11 |
| D．Bellingham – Washington 11 –U.S. Route 2 –U.S Route 20 –Duluth |
Which statement is true according to the passage?
| A．Kincaid’s parents were dead and he only kept in touch with some distant relatives. |
| B．Kincaid would have had a dog if he hadn’t been away from home too much. |
| C．Kincaid used to have a golden retriever. |
| D．Kincaid needed a dog in doing his hard fieldwork. |
Why did Kincaid stop to take photos while driving?
| A．To write “memory snapshots”. |
| B．To remind himself of places he might want to visit again. |
| C．To avoid forgetting the way back. |
| D．To shoot beautiful scenery along the road. |
What can you know about Marian?