Can you remember the day when you spoke your first word? If you can, you are unusual. Try to imagine what first few months of your life were like. I am sure you just spent most of your time eating, sleeping and crying. As you grow older, you were awake more of the time. It took your parents more time to play with you and talk to you. You watched and listened curiously. You began to know that people made certain sounds to go with certain things.
Then you began to try making the sounds you heard. And step by step you were able to make the right sound for one thing.On that day you came to understand the secret of language. The secret is that a certain sound means a certain thing. One sound might be as good as another. But it is no good as a word unless everybody agrees on its meaning. Only when a group of people use the same set of sounds of things, can they understand each other. Then, and only then do these people have a LANGUAGE.
After you found the secret of language, you learned words. Some of the words meant things, such as BOOKS, CHAIRS and SHOES. Some words meant doing things, such as GO and SWIM. And other words describe things, such as GOOD and DIRTY. Soon you learned to put words together to express one’s idea, such as “I want to go out and play with my friends.” This is language. By means of language people can communicate. So we say languages are means of communication. When you were a little baby, you_________.
| A．made sounds to let people know that you wanted to eat |
| B．spent most of your time playing with your parents |
| C．could not hear any sound around you |
| D．spent most of your time eating, playing and crying |
The secret of language is that___________.
| A．one sound might be as good as another |
| B．people can understand each other |
| C．a certain sound is for a certain thing |
| D．there is a special sound for each person |
You could learn words__________.
| A．before you knew what the language was |
| B．after you knew what the language was |
| C．if you knew the secret of the language |
| D．when you were a baby |
The aim in using language is___________.
| A．to get everying one wants from others |
| B．to say what one wants to know |
| C．to share ideas, opinions, news, etc with one another |
| D．to make oneself understood by others |
Federal regulators Wednesday approved (批准a plan to create a nationwide emergence alert（警报）system using text messages delivered to cell phones.
Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people. The wireless industry's trade association, CTIA, estimates（估计）more than 48billion text messages are sent each month.
The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires improvements to the nation's emergency alert system. The act tasked the Federal Communications Commission（FCC）with coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies.
"The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during, disasters and other emergencies," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan.
Participation in the alert system by carriers -telecommunications companies is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry.
The program would be optional for cell phone users. They also may not be charged for receiving alerts.
There would be three different types of messages, according to the rules.
The first would be a national alert from the president, likely involving a terrorist attack or natural disaster. The second would involve "approaching threats," which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings. The third would be reserved for child abduction（绑架）emergencies, or so-called Amber Alerts.
The service could be in place by 2010.What is the purpose of the approved plan?
| A．To warn people of emergencies via messages. |
| B．To popularize the use of cell phones. |
| C．To estimate the monthly number of messages. |
| D．To promote the wireless industry. |
The improvement to the present system is in the charge of________.
A．CTIA B the Warning Alert and Response Network
C．FCC D．federal regulatorsAn alert message will NOT be sent if________.
| A．a child loses his way |
| B．a university shooting happens |
| C．a natural disaster happens |
| D．a terrorist attack occurs |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Cell Phone Alerts Protecting Students |
| B．Cell Phone Alerts by Wireless Industry |
| C．Cell Phone Alerts of National Disasters |
| D．Cell Phone Alerts Coming Soon |
“Dad! He took a book without paying!” I yelled .
My father looked surprised. Before the boy could say anything, his mother grabbed his arm and shook it. “Is it true? You stole? Tell me!”
Everyone was quiet. The boy began to cry, and he nodded his head. He pulled out the comic book (漫画书) from under his shirt.
“Oh, Mr. Kim. I am sorry! My Ted made a big mistake!” Mrs. Diaz told my father. She tried to take the comic book, but Ted wouldn’t let go.
“It’s OK. He can keep it,” my father said with a smile.
“Oh no,” Mrs. Diaz said. “Let me pay right now ...” She dug in her purse. “How much?”
“Three seventy-five.”
Mrs. Diaz’s eyes widened, and she dug deeper. I saw her mouth make a small line. “Three seventy-five?” she asked.
“It’s OK. You can pay later,” my father said.
“No,” Mrs. Diaz said. She kept looking in her purse. “I have money here.”
I felt bad for yelling, for I realized that Ted had tried to steal the comic book because he didn’t have the money. Maybe the boy could have a job, I thought.
I had an idea.
“What if he worked with me?” I asked. They turned to me.
I said, “He can work with me to pay for the comic book.”
“Good,” my father said smiling at me. Mrs. Diaz nodded. She turned to her son, “You hear? You will work and buy the comic book!”
“Yes, Mama,” Ted said, hanging his head.
As they left, Ted looked back, and though he still seemed sad, he stuck out (伸出) his tongue at me.
Ted has been working here for two weeks. He has paid for the comic book, but my father says he is such a good worker that he can work with me as long as he wants. We are friends now.Where did the story most probably take place?
| A．In a classroom. | B．In a supermarket. |
| C．At a bookstore. | D．At a library. |
By saying “but Ted wouldn’t let go” in Paragraph 4, the author means Ted ______.
| A．took the book by mistake | B．wanted to keep the book |
| C．didn’t want to go home | D．didn’t think he was wrong |
From the underlined sentences in the eighth paragraph, we may infer that Mrs. Diaz ______.
| A．didn’t think her son stole the book |
| B．had been out of work for a long time |
| C．forgot to take money with her that day |
| D．couldn’t afford to pay for the book |
In the last paragraph, what does the author mainly tell?
| A．His idea was successful. | B．Ted didn’t like the job. |
| C．He liked Ted very much. | D．Ted was a naughty boy. |
Little Brother
By Cory Doctorow, 382 pages, $19.95
In the very near future, Marcus Yallow is walking with his friends in San Francisco when a 9/11-sized terrorist attack occurs blocks away. Everyone around is secretly taken away by the Department of Homeland Security to see whether they're terrorists. However, during the investigation, one of his friends dies mysteriously. The friends try to find out the truth. If you read only one science-fiction novel this year, make it this one.
The Flying Troutmans
By Miriam Toews, 274 pages, $32
The heart of the book is a road journey in Canada made by Hattie，Thebes and Logan to find Cherkis, the kids' dad. It's rich in dialogue, sometimes funny, sometimes surprisingly sad, always character-true. Toews is an extraordinarily gifted writer, with tough-minded compassion (同情) for her characters.
Reading By Lightning
By Joan Thomas, 388 pages, $22.95
We're in 1930s Canada, where Lily's father arrived three decades earlier to be promised fertile agricultural land. But they had been cheated and thrown in the middle of Manitoba. Now William Piper and his wife farm their land and place little hope in this life.
What They Wanted
By Donna Morrissey, 325 pages, $32
A father has a heart attack; a brother and a sister leave Newfoundland and go to Alberta, Canada to work； a tragedy brings reconciliation (和解), but also terrible loss. Primarily a novel of character, it's also a novel of Canada, of two very specific and vividly drawn places. Donna Morrissey's characters are troubled, sensitive, quick to be moved to anger or pain, and just as quick to laughter and affection.If Jim only has 20 dollars, which book could he buy?
| A．The Flying Troutmans. | B．What They Wanted. |
| C．Little Brother. | D．Reading By Lightning. |
According to the text, we know that The Flying Troutmans is .
| A．full of dialogue | B．a sad story |
| C．about tourism | D．a real story |
In Reading By Lightning, why did William Piper arrive in Canada?
| A．To carry out his promise. | B．To` work in a big city. |
| C．To get work experience. | D．To seek his fortune. |
If you want to know about two different places of Canada, whose novel is the best choice?
| A．Cory Doctorow's. | B．Miriam Toews's. |
| C．Joan Thomas's. | D．Donna Morrissey's. |
When I recall my experiences of feeling heard and deeply understood by someone, I know how much the experiences helped me to cope With (对付) whatever I was dealing with at the time. Caring people who I have turned to in difficult times helped me the most by listening and asking about my feelings.
During one of my volunteer jobs at a local HIV and cancer clinic, I found the helpfulness of empathic (感情移入的) listening. As a volunteer I was providing emotional support for people with health related problems. Empathic listening really made a difference on how patients felt about their health problems. By sharing about their pain and suffering and my willingness to listen, they felt less alone.
We can make life easier for each other by becoming a better listener and encouraging each other to share our feelings. We can become a better listener by avoiding giving advice and trying to solve problems unless we are asked to do so. Pressuring others to solve their life problems—“our ways”— is not helpful. Most people intuitively (凭直觉地) know how to solve their own problems. As a listener it's important to be patient and not to interrupt the speaker. Let them know it's OK to talk about their feelings and support them in feeling their feelings.
When one neither shares nor reaches out for support, he or she can remain a lonely mystery. Life can feel lonely when one keeps everything inside. Feeling alone with life problems can be worse than the problem itself. When we let a caring person listen to our life struggle, we will no longer feel alone with our struggle. Don't be afraid to ask your loved ones to take time to hear you out .Sometimes you have to ask for it. People cannot read your mind. Confiding in others can have a positive effect on our mood. What made the author comfortable in difficult times?
| A．Persuading | B．Sharing | C．Apologizing | D．Complaining |
According to the second paragraph, we can know that .
| A．the patients enjoyed listening to the author |
| B．the author found empathic listening was helpless |
| C．the patients didn't get on well with the author |
| D．the author did a good job at a cancer clinic |
What does the underlined part“Confiding in others”in the last paragraph mean?
| A．Telling others your secrets. | B．Reading others' mind. |
| C．Listening to others. | D．Leaving others alone. |
What's the main idea of this passage?
| A．Listening and sharing can make you happier. |
| B．People know how to solve their own problems. |
| C．It is wrong to give advice to solve problems. |
| D．You should learn to believe in other people. |
Mike McClure walked into Sarasota Bay for a little fishing on a beautiful day last April. This afternoon, the water was shallow enough at low tide that McClure could easily walk 100 yards offshore and cast (投) his line in any direction.
Near sunset, still without a fish, he decided to turn back. Rather than turn to his earlier course, he chose a more direct path toward shore, thinking the bay wouldn't get deeper along the way. Instead, he was trapped. He tried to walk in different directions, but shallower water eluded (避开) him. Finally, he decided his safest choice was to head straight for land.
"Within about five steps, the water was coming in through the top of the waders (高筒防水胶靴)," says McClure.
He felt the deadweight（重物） of the flooding waders pulling him down and knew that if he didn't get out of them, he would drown. But he failed to kick his way out of the waders. Instead, they pulled him completely below the surface.
Back onshore, Eliza Cameron, 19, Loren Niurka Mora, 20, and Caitlin Petro, 20, had been watching McClure fish as they rested on the grass after a long week of classes. They saw McClure go under and then heard him cry, "Help!"
The three friends kicked off their shoes and ran into the bay. They were all good swimmers, but all hid a fear that he might pull them down too because they'd have to dive to save him.
When they reached him, he'd managed to kick himself out of the waders, but his eyes had partly rolled back. Cameron and Mora each hooked (钩住) an arm under his shoulders, while Petro supported his back and held his hand. Then the three friends tried their best to tug (拉) him towards shore. Finally, they all returned to the shore safely.Mike McClure didn't turn back by his earlier course because .
| A．he wanted to choose a short course |
| B．his earlier course was dangerous |
| C．he just wanted to take a risk |
| D．he knew where the water was deep |
What directly trapped Mike McClure in the bay?
| A．His wrong decision. |
| B．The coming high tide. |
| C．His waders' being flooded. |
| D．The depth of water. |
During the rescue, .
| A．the three women were afraid of being trapped in the water |
| B．Cameron and Petro helped catch Mike McClure's arms |
| C．the three women removed Mike McClure's waders |
| D．Mike McClure still wore his flooding waders |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．Enjoy fishing on a beautiful day. |
| B．Help others when they are in trouble. |
| C．A terrible experience during fishing. |
| D．How to rescue people when they’re drowning. |