Singing had always been an important part of Gloria Estefan’s life. “ Since I was three years old, I sang. I sang everything,” Gloria said. “Gubans,” she added, “are a musical people.”
Gloria was born in Cuba in 1957. Her family left the country just before Fidel Castro came to power. In Miami, where the family settled, many people did not accept Cuban immigrants. In first grade, she spoke little English, but she worked hard to learn the language. Six months after she entered school, she won an award for reading in English!
When Gloria was ten , her father returned from the Vietnam War. Soon, the family realized he wasn’t well. They soon found out that he was badly ill. Her mother went back to teaching at school to support the family. Gloria cared for her father and her younger sister.
She still made the honor roll, and she still had her music, but Gloria was lonely. However, when the band leader Emilio Estefan came to speak at her high school, Gloria sang for him. He asked her to join his band. It was the beginning of the Miami Sound Machine. Within a few months, the Miami Sound Machine was the top band in Miami. In 1978, Gloria and Emilio married.
At first, the Miami Sound Machine was known only in Miami. Then the band signed with CBS Records. Estefan and his band became stars.
Since then, the Miami Sound Machine has sold millions of records. Estefan has done more than just singing when Hurricane Andrew hit central Florida in 1992. She used only two weeks to organize an all-star concert that raised $ 2 million for the people who suffered in the hurricane. “We needed a party after that disaster,” she said.
Estefan said, “You have to stay true to the music you really love to do. There will always be people who will tell you, ‘that won’t work.’ You’ve got to be firm in spite of difficulties. Stick to it——that’s the main thing.”Estefan’s father was ill ______.
| A．after he returned from Vietnam War |
| B．before they left their home country |
| C．when they settled down in Miami |
| D．as soon as she finished high school |
According to the passage, probably Estefan did the following except________.
| A．organizing an all-star concert for Hurricane victims |
| B．teaching at school to support the family |
| C．winning an award for reading in English |
| D．taking care of her father and sister |
The underlined word “disaster” in this passage refers to _______.
| A．the concert | B．the celebration | C．the hurricane | D．the victims |
This passage mainly tells about Estefan’s ______.
| A．Cuban background | B．happy marriage | C．music style | D．life story |
Mainland couples who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined forbreaking the family planning policy a senior official has warned． As more women flock to Hong Kong to give birth to their second child，Zhang Feng，family planning department director of Guangdong Province，stressed that this violated Chinaspolicies． “And those who are government employees will even be dismissed from their posts．”he said．
''It doesn't matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland or in other countries and regions, they have violated the country's policies and the province's regulations''.
He said that some families had been punished in the past few months after having a second child in Hong Kong, but gave no details.
Zhang made his remarks when a Hong Kong newspaper carried a controversial notice claiming residents' medical services had been affected by the growing number of mainland women who arrive in the city to give birth and gain right of abode (居住) there.
According to statistics revealed by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, about 88,000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010, but more than 41,000 or 47 percent, were to mainland couples, including a large number from Guangdong.
Hong Kong has limited the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in the city at 34,000 this year.
The issue also has caused calls for an amendment to Hong Kong's Basic Law so that babies born to mainland women are no longer granted permanent right of abode.
''I support Hong Kong government's decision to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong.'' Zhang said.
China introduced its family planning policy in 1979 to limit births in the world's most populous nation, although the rules have been relaxed in recent years.Which of the following is true?
| A．Zhang Feng is family planning department director of Guangdong Province. |
| B．Many government employees have been dismissed from their posts. |
| C．Those who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined. |
| D．It doesn’t matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland. |
What does the word ''violated'' mean in the second paragraph?
| A．was obeyed | B．went against | C．was for | D．was dismissed |
Zhang Feng said that______.
| A．few families had been punished after having a second child in China |
| B．about 88,000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010 |
| C．he agreed to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong |
| D．the residents' medical services in Hong Kong had been affected |
From the passage we can infer______.
| A．in 2010 most of the babies born in Hong Kong belonged to mainland couples |
| B．babies born to mainland women in Hong Kong can't get permanent right of abode now |
| C．the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in Hong Kong has been reduced |
| D．the family planning policy in China is as strict as before |
Which is NOT the reason why some people want to give birth to a second child in Hong Kong?
| A．They want to gain right of abode there for their babies. |
| B．They want to escape being punished for breaking the family planning policy. |
| C．They want their babies to enjoy the good medical services in Hong Kong. |
| D．They want to cause calls for an amendment to Hong Kong's Basic Law. |
Scientists around the world have been studying the warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean known as El Nino （厄尔尼诺）. The appearance of El Nino is known to affect the weather around the world. Scientists still do not completely understand it. Yet they now find they can use it to tell about the future in different areas of the world.
One example is the work of two scientists at Columbia University in New York, Mark Cane and Gordon Eshel. A scientist of Zimbabwe（津巴布韦）, Roger Buckland worked with them. They have found that when El Nino appears, Zimbabwe has little or no rain. This means corn crops in Zimbabwe are poor. The last El Nino was in 1991 to 1993. That was when southeastern Africa suffered a serious lack of rain.
The scientists wrote about their recent work in the publication（出版物）Nature. Their computer program can tell when an El Nino will develop up to a year before it does. They suggest that this could provide an effective early warning system for southern Africa, and could prevent many people from starving.El Nino is known as ___.
| A．the changing of the weather in southern Africa |
| B．the warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean |
| C．the weather which brings drought（旱灾）to Africa |
| D．the weather phenomenon（现象）that brings heavy rains to Africa |
Scientists study El Nino in order that ___.
| A．they can provide a kind of early warning to the place that will suffer from drought |
| B．they can tell why Zimbabwe has little or no rain |
| C．they can do some research work in this field. |
| D．they can put all this information into their computers. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Scientists come to understand how El Nino appears. |
| B．Three scientists from the USA work on this subject. |
| C．Southern Africa suffered a serious drought and many people died from hunger. |
| D．El Nino has something to do with Zimbabwe’s poor crops. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?
| A．The computer is used in this research work. |
| B．Scientists know when an El Nino appears by means of the computer program. |
| C．The scientists published their results of the research work. |
| D．Nature is the name of the article written recently by the scientists. |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Appearance of El Nino is Predictable（可预测的） |
| B．Drought in Zimbabwe |
| C．Early Warning System |
| D．Weather in Africa |
The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies like computers and smartphones, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic(怀旧的)skill. However, while today’s educators are using more and more technology in their teaching,many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful-----both in school and in life.
Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it’s important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand.
Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks----both on a computer and by hand. The study, published in 2009, found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete sentences and had a faster word production rate.
In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student’s writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to how well they can write. “Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active which helps us access our vocabulary, word meaning and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas.” Berninger said.
Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe (转换) “those words in the mind written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen,” the study said. Seeing the words in the “mind’s eye” helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, says Berninger, but also to spot(发现) spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct them over time.
“In our computer age, some people believe that we don’t have to teach spelling because we have spell checks,” she said. “But until a child has a functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won’t have the knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer.”Whatmakeswritingbyhandathingofthepast?
| A．Theabsenceofblackboardsinclassrooms. |
| B．Theuseofnewtechnologiesinteaching. |
| C．Thelackofpracticeinhandwriting. |
| D．Thepopularuseofsmartphones. |
Berninger’sstudypublishedin2009___________.
| A．focusedonthedifferencebetweenwritingbyhandandonacomputer. |
| B．indicatedthatstudentsprefertowritewithapenandpaper. |
| C．foundthatgoodessaysaremadeupoflongsentences. |
| D．discussedtheimportanceofwritingspeed. |
Whichofthefollowingbestshowstheroleofspelling?
| A．Spellingimprovesone’smemoryofwords. |
| B．Spellingabilityiscloselyrelatedtowritingability. |
| C．Spellingbenefitsthetranslationfromwordsintoideas. |
| D．Spellingslowsdownfindingexactwordstoexpressideas. |
Whatdoes“mind’seye”inparagraph5mean?
| A． Window. | B．Soul | C．Picture. | D．Imagination. |
Whatconclusioncouldbedrawnfromthepassage
| A．Computerscanhelppeoplewiththeirchoiceofwords. |
| B．Spellcheckscantaketheplaceofspellingteaching. |
| C．Handwritingstillhasaplaceintoday’sclassrooms. |
| D．Functionalspellingabilitydevelopsfastinthefifthgrade. |
| WELCOME Welcome to Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Windsor is one of the official residences(住所) of the Queen, who sometimes stays here. Audio tours Free audio tours are available on leaving the Admission Centre at the start of your visit. There is a descriptive audio tour for blind and poor-sighted visitors. Guided tours Visitors can explore the history of the Castle through a tour of the Precincts with an expert guide. Tours depart（出发，起程）at regular intervals（每隔一定时间/距离）throughout the day from the Courtyard and finish at the entrance to the State Apartments. Visitors with children For those visiting with children, a special family tour and various activities are offered during school holidays and at weekends. Please note that, for safety reasons, pushchairs are notpermitted in the State Apartments. However, baby carriers are available to borrow. St George's Chapel Visitors arriving at the Castle after 15:00 from march to October are advised to visit St George's Chapel first, before it closes. |
Shopping Shops offer a wide range of souvenirs designed for the Royal Collection, including books, postcards, china, jewellery, and children's toys. Please ask at the Middle Ward shop about our home delivery service（送货服务）. Refreshments Bottled water can be purchased from the Courtyard and Middle Ward shops. From April to September ice cream is also available. Visitors wishing to leave the Castle for refreshments in the town may obtain re-entry permits from the castle shops. Eating and drinking are not permitted in the State Apartments or St George's Chapel. Photography and mobile phones Non-commercial photography and filming are welcomed in the Castle. Photography, video recording and filming are not permitted inside the State Apartments or St George's Chapel. Mobile phones must be switched off inside the State Apartments and St George's Chapel in consideration of other visitors. Security As Winter Castle is a working royal palace, visitors and their belongings should get through airport-style security checks. For safety and security reasons a one-way system operates along the visitor route. |
A visitor can apply for a free audio tour___________.
| A．in the Courtyard | B．in the State Apartments |
| C．at the Admission Center | D．at St George's Chapel |
What is specially offered to visitors with kids?
| A．A security guard | B．A pushchair | C．A free toy | D．A baby carrier |
Who can get re-entry permits?
| A．Visitors wishing to eat outside the Castle |
| B．Visitors buying gifts in the castle shops |
| C．Visitors buying water from the Courtyard |
| D．Visitors eating outside St George's Chapel |
Why are visitors required to turn off their mobile phones?
| A．To ensure the safety of others |
| B．To ensure the security of the Castle |
| C．To prevent them from disturbing others |
| D．To prevent the use of the built-in cameras |
In the last part, a "working royal palace" refers to one_____.
| A．still being constructed | B．still used by the royal family |
| C．where the Queen usually works | D．where works of art are on show |
BicycleSafety
Operation Always ride your bike in a safe, controlled manner on campus (校园). Obey rules and regulations. Watch out for walkers and other bicyclists, and always use your lights in dark conditions.
Theft Prevention Always securely lock your bicycle to a bicycle rack -- even if you are only away for a minute. Register your bike with the University Department of Public Safety. It's fast, easy, and free. Registration permanently records your serial number, which is useful in the possible recovery of the bike stolen.
Equipment
* Brakes Make sure that they are in good working order and adjusted properly.
* Helmet A necessity, make sure your helmet meets current safety standards and fits
properly.
* Lights Always have a front headlight -- visible at least 500 feet in front of the bike.
A taillight is a good idea.
Rules of the Road
Riding on Campus As a bicycle rider, you have a responsibility to ride only on streets and posted bicycle paths. Riding on sidewalks or other walkways can lead to a fine. The speed limit for bicycles on campus is 15 mph, unless otherwise posted. Always give the right of ways to walkers. If you are involved in an accident, you are required to offer appropriate aid, call the Department of Public Safety and remain at the scene until the officer lets you go.
Bicycle Parking Only park in areas reserved for bikes. Trees, handrails, hallways, and sign posts are not for bicycle parking, and parking in such posts can result in a fine.
If Things Go Wrong
If you break the rules, you will be fined. Besides violating rules while riding bicycles on campus, you could be fined for:
* No bicycle registration --------------------------$25
* Bicycle parking banned ---------------------------$30
* Blocking path with bicycle ----------------------$40
* Violation of bicycle equipment requirement ------$35Registration of your bicycle may help you ________.
| A．find your stolen bicycle | B．get your serial number |
| C．receive free repair services | D．settle conflicts with walkers |
According to the passage, what bike equipment is a free choice for bicycle riders?
| A．Brakes. | B．A helmet. | C．A headlight. | D．A taillight. |
When you ride a bicycle on the campus, ________.
| A．ride on posted bicycle paths and sidewalks |
| B．cycle at a speed of over 15 mph |
| C．put the walkers' right of way first |
| D．call the police before leaving in case of accident |
If you lock your bicycle to a tree on the campus, you could be fined _________.
| A．$25 | B．$30 | C．$35 | D．$40 |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A guide for safe bicycling on campus. |
| B．Directions for bicycle tour on campus. |
| C．Regulations of bicycle race on campus. |
| D．Rules for riding motor vehicles on campus. |