Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17,1706 in Boston，America. In his life he built a successful printing and publishing business in Philadelphia；he conducted scientific studies of electricity and made several important discoveries；he was a diplomat (外交官) and statesman；he helped establish Pennsylvania’s first university and America’s first city hospital；he also organized the country’s first subscription library (收费图书馆)．
Franklin was also unequaled in America as an inventor until Thomas Edison. Ben had poor eyesight and needed glasses to read. He got tired of always taking them off and putting them back on，so he decided to figure out a way to make his glasses let him see both near and far. He had two pairs of glasses cut in half and put half of them together. Today，we call them bifocals (双光眼镜)．Another invention of his，an iron stove，allowed people to warm their homes.
He loved to learn about new things. He also thought it was important to make life better with the things that he invented. Electricity was one of the things he experimented with when he retired from his business. Ben discovered that lightning (闪电) and electricity were the same thing. The lightning rod was an important invention that we still use today to protect buildings and ships from lightning damage.
Franklin preferred to have his inventions used freely for the comfort and convenience of everyone. Thomas Jefferson，the third president of America，called Benjamin Franklin “the greatest man of the age and country in which he lived”．To Benjamin Franklin there was no greater purpose in life than to “live usefully”．Benjamin Franklin was NOT a________.
| A．diplomat | B．scientist |
| C．businessman | D．president |
The underlined word “unequaled” in Paragraph 2 means________.
| A．better than any other | B．worse than any other |
| C．the same as others | D．confident as others |
Which of the following is NOT Benjamin’s invention?
| A．Bifocals. | B．The iron stove. |
| C．Printing. | D．The lightning rod. |
What was Benjamin Franklin’s purpose in life?
| A．To live comfortably every day. |
| B．To be useful to others. |
| C．To be a famous person in the world. |
| D．To earn a lot by inventing things. |
For the people living in the Nile Basin，the river is their life. This 6,825 km waterway，whose watershed (流域) covers three million square kilometers，flows through mountains，woodlands，lakes and deserts. Its potential for fishing，tourism and shipping is great－but so are its challenges.
Water shortage，already serious in Egypt and Sudan，will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well. Today，about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living. Within the next 25 years，the district’s population is expected to double，adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture. The frequent drought adds to the urgency.
Water quality is also a problem. Precious soil is washed out to sea. Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution. Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils. Water-borne diseases remain unchecked. In areas where it’s hot and damp，hyacinths grow so fast that they choke off lakes，dams and other sections of the river，making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward.
Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day. They’ve seen the river change course，and their only source of water thickened with mud. They’re very poor and have few choices.
But a new program，the Nile Basin Initiative(NBI)，is offering very practical assistance. The program is more than just a water-management project. It’s a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them.
These are whole ecosystem problems，calling for united solutions (解决办法)．Half the Nile Basin’s countries are among the world’s poorest nations; yet，somehow，they must find the resources，skills and political will to overcome these challenges.What are the great challenges the Nile Basin faces?
| A．The development of shipping industry and over-fishing of native people. |
| B．Overfishing of native people and increasing population. |
| C．Water shortage and water quality. |
| D．Increasing population and tourism. |
The underlined word “hyacinths” in Paragraph 3 most probably refers to ________.
| A．plants | B．fish |
| C．rocks | D．salts |
The program NBI is mainly aimed at ________.
| A．preventing water pollution |
| B．changing the river course |
| C．improving living conditions of the poor |
| D．preventing land from becoming desert |
What would be the best title of this passage?
| A．People’s life in Egypt and Sudan |
| B．Frequent drought in Egypt and Sudan |
| C．The poorest countries in the Nile Basin |
| D．The ecosystem problems in the Nile Basin |
It looks like a scene from the thriller movie Jaws，but these photos of a huge shark swimming with swimmers were in fact taken in Britain. The amazing pictures，which showed that the basking shark (姥鲨) was swimming friendly with swimmers，were taken at Porthcurno beach，Cornwall，where the basking shark was swimming just yards off shore.
The single 14foot giant was feeding in the shallow waters off the scenic area，and quickly became curious about the swimmers and surfers sharing the water. Though it came within touching distance，the swimmers and surfers were in no danger. The large sharks are plankton (浮游生物) feeders－unlike the man－eating Great White from Jaws.
Beach-goer Rachel Hosken，who took the pictures，said that several basking sharks had been seen in the area.“It is one of the few I have ever seen around this year and it was great to see，” she said excitedly.“There are usually more of them by now，but for some reason there are fewer around than normal at this time of year. I think more have been spotted in deeper waters，but the particular one in the pictures seems to have taken a liking to this spot. I have seen it a few times.”
Known as the gentle giant of the sea，the basking shark is the second largest fish in the sea，only weighing lighter than the whale shark. They can grow to over 36 feet (11 meters) and weigh up to seven tons (7,000 kilograms) and feed on a diet of plankton and small fish. Basking sharks normally begin to appear in May and June.In the pictures taken by Rachel Hosken，we can infer that ________.
| A．swimmers and surfers were escaping |
| B．surfers were trying to frighten the basking shark |
| C．the basking shark was swimming far from swimmers |
| D．swimmers were not frightened by the basking shark |
Why didn’t the basking shark attack the swimmers or surfers?
| A．Because it was not hungry. |
| B．Because it was too far from them. |
| C．Because it isn’t a man-eating shark. |
| D．Because it enjoyed swimming with them. |
From what Rachel Hosken said we know that ________.
| A．most basking sharks swim deep in the sea |
| B．this basking shark has often appeared in that area |
| C．many basking sharks have been killed in that area |
| D．the basking shark doesn’t like being with other basking sharks |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．A giant basking shark appeared in Cornwall，Britain. |
| B．A giant basking shark tried to please the British people. |
| C．Swimmers and surfers were frightened by a giant basking shark. |
| D．Brave swimmers swam together with a giant basking shark. |
Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.
By putting thoughts into words，you are telling yourself the logic(逻辑)behind what you think，feel，or only partly understand. Often，explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words，you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power”．
Try this experiment. Explain how you’ll increase your brain power，even if you have no idea how right now. Just start with anything，and create an explanation. For example，start with “I’ll learn chess，” or “I’ll read an article on the mind every week.” Explain how that will help. You’ll be surprised how often this becomes a workable plan，and if you actually do this，you’ll have a better understanding of your brain twenty minutes from now.
Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many，if not most，highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head，but if you keep a journal of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project，you’ll probably have more success.
Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example，but if you are learning something new，write a letter to a friend about it，and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem，why you want to solve it，and why it is worth solving，and you’re half-way there.
Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often，they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.What would be the best title for the text?
| A．A Way on How to Write |
| B．Increase Your Brain Power Through Writing |
| C．Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing |
| D．How to Start Your Writing |
According to the text，writing can help you a lot in the following ways EXCEPT ________.
| A．the increase of your brain power |
| B．the ability to remember |
| C．the development of your interest in study |
| D．the better understanding of a topic |
The underlined sentence “you’re half-way there” in Paragraph 5 implies that ________.
| A．you are already successful |
| B．you still need to work hard |
| C．writing can help you walk half way |
| D．writing is important to solve problems |
What’s the main purpose of the writer writing the text?
| A．To advise readers to start their writing. |
| B．To explain the importance of writing. |
| C．To persuade readers to become writers. |
| D．To increase readers’ brain power. |
I had been rather proud of myself when my friends and family got the ticket，whether it was for speeding，parking or stop sign violations (违反)．It was something that happened to others. But last Friday I joined the club.
I was asked to do a new project last week. On Friday morning on my way to work，I suddenly remembered that I had spent the past six weeks without considering that I had a week’s vacation planned during that time. I was very disappointed with myself for not remembering it.
The truth is that I was not paying enough attention to my driving and I did not come to a complete stop at the stop sign in front of a school. I was so distracted (思想不集中的)that I didn’t even notice I had a policeman on my tail with his lights flashing. Finally I looked in my mirror and caught on.
The policeman was rude and took my papers. Fortunately，I had everything up to date and since I had never had a ticket before，there was nothing for him to do but write me a ticket. While I was sitting there in the seat of “shame”，I felt bad. If I had been that distracted and a child had run onto the road，perhaps I would have not reacted as well as I could have. It was a wake-up call.
People at work asked me if I tried to talk my way out of it. Frankly，it never occurred to me. I felt guilty. Now I no longer have a clean driving record. Please be careful out there，as a moment’s distraction can lead to tragedy.What is this passage mainly about?
| A．The writer’s most unforgettable experience. |
| B．How the writer got her first ticket. |
| C．An accident caused by the writer. |
| D．Why the writer is always so careful. |
。We can infer that the underlined part “the club” in Paragraph 1 here refers to ________.
| A．people who are crazy about driving cars |
| B．a club for drivers without much experience |
| C．people who get tickets for breaking traffic rules |
| D．a club for people to talk about their driving stories |
What made the writer unable to focus on her driving?
| A．Planning how to spend the vacation. |
| B．Thinking of the forgotten vacation. |
| C．Thinking about her work. |
| D．Missing her children. |
From the experience，the writer has probably learnt ________.
| A．what is really important to her |
| B．how to deal with policemen |
| C．to enjoy the small things in life |
| D．to be much more careful |
A trip to the library can change your life.That is the idea of the Get It Loud in Libraries project，which challenges the habit of speaking in a low voice.The sweet tones of singer Diana Vickers rang out recently，surrounded by books as well as fans，at Lancaster Library.Plan B，Adele，Florence and the Machine，Speech Debelle，and the Thrills have also performed for the project.
This fiveyear project aims to increase access(进入) to libraries while developing youth talent and has attracted more than 8,500 visitors,5,000 of whom are firsttime library users.
“I think it’s wonderful，”Vickers says.“I’ve been playing in front of big crowds and I’m excited about close environments where you can be close to your fans.”
As a child growing up in nearby Blackburn，she says that her school library was a “second home”to her.When she was young she loved PeterRabbit and Mr.Men books，and later her favorites included LittleWomen and TheLovelyBones.
Attracted by the stage，the young who would once never have been to a library have been returning to borrow books and CDs.The project’s founder，Stewart Parsons，has worked in libraries for 25 years.He feels that the concerts have made libraries something that the young want to be part of.A mother，Lauren Zawadzki，sent him a text message after a concert：“Your work is great！！！Both Izaak and Dom have been reading in the library for the last half hour...You should be proud.They would never have suggested that before the concerts.”
Parsons hopes that the activity is changing the way people view libraries.“My big worry is that libraries trail(拖拉)behind slightly；they shouldn’t.This is about bringing libraries up to date.The beautiful thing is that people are reconnecting with the library in a way they haven’t done before.”The Get It Loud in Libraries project aims to ________.
| A．collect money for libraries to buy books |
| B．attract more people to read in libraries |
| C．provide a performing place for music lovers |
| D．develop youth talent for singing |
According to the passage，Vickers’s attitude towards Libraries project is that of ________.
| A．praise | B．unconcern |
| C．doubt | D．worry |
What can we know about Diana Vickers from the passage?
| A．She once worked at a library. |
| B．She doesn’t like being close to her fans. |
| C．She liked reading in her childhood. |
| D．She complains about the noisy environment. |
According to the passage，Zawadzki ________.
| A．advised libraries to keep quiet |
| B．praised Parsons for helping her reading |
| C．found her children’s talent for singing |
| D．praised the Get It Loud in Libraries project |