Breathe, wave and smile. Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement.
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in purple cap and gown.
Our principal, Mr. Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(效忠宣誓).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core (核心) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.What’s the article mainly about?
| A．An American graduation ceremony. |
| B．The opening ceremony of a sports meeting. |
| C．A presentation of college diplomas. |
| D．A US college’s farewell party. |
According to the text, which of the following statements about the author is TRUE?
| A．Hollywood superstars went to attend the ceremony. |
| B．Every single senior became a superstar at the ceremony. |
| C．When each graduate got his or her diploma, there were cheers. |
| D．All graduates would treasure the diploma for the rest of their lives. |
The right order of the following events is________.
a. Diplomas were presented to graduates.
b. Students gave farewell speeches.
c. The US national anthem was played.
d. The principal gave a short, warm speech.
e. Seniors went into the stadium.
| A．b-c-a-d-e | B．b-d-c-e-a | C．e-d-b-a-c | D．e-d-c-b-a |
From the text, we can infer that_______.
| A．foreign exchange students could get a diploma |
| B．a diploma guarantees a bright future |
| C．the ceremony symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life |
| D．everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma |
People used to think that wetlands were wasted land. Developers would drain them with ditches（水沟），fill them in with tons of soil，and build houses，schools，and parking areas on them.Then scientists began to realize the important role wetlands played in the environment.
Wetlands act like giant sponges（海绵） during storms.They soak up extra storm water and afterward release it slowly back into the water cycle.This helps prevent flooding. Towns where people have drained wetlands have found that in a big storm，their streets and homes are often flooded because there are no wetlands to soak up the excess water.
Wetlands also act as giant filters where pollutants are absorbed and dissolved over time.Though wetlands can become polluted from dumping，wastewater，and fertilizer runoff from farm fields，they are able to process some pollutants over time because of all the microorganisms and plants living there.
Wetlands are especially important for providing homes and breeding grounds to millions of birds，fish，and amphibians worldwide. Many wetlands have become national wildlife refuges（避难所），where you can go to take pictures and look at birds and animals.
The Everglades are a huge wetland that once covered more than four million acres of southern Florida. Sometimes called the “river of grass”，the Everglades are a shallow sheet of water that slowly flowed across a grassy plain. In the late 1800s people began draining parts of the Everglades for development. Roads were built and towns sprang up.The Everglades shrank to half its original size. Cities like Miami grew up where once there was a thriving wetland. Sewage and waste from the cities were pumped into the remaining wetlands. Over time scientists began to see the importance of the Everglades. Even with its smaller size，the Everglades filtered the pollutants coming from the cities，absorbing the worst of it like a sewage treatment plant. During storms the Everglades protected the cities from storm surge flooding. They also are just a great place to visit and see wildlife.The first paragraph is intended to tell us________.
| A．wasted land used to be wetlands |
| B．people didn’t know the importance of wetlands before |
| C．wetlands used to be left undisturbed |
| D．wetlands can be used for building |
Why can wetlands be compared to giant sponges?
| A．They absorb extra water from storms. |
| B．They become large or small in size. |
| C．They absorb pollutants and dissolve them. |
| D．They are made of soft soil. |
As for the importance of wetlands，how many aspects are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
The example of the Everglades is given in the last paragraph to show________.
| A．the threat to wetlands |
| B．the protection of wetlands |
| C．the development of wetlands |
| D．the importance of wetlands |
We can infer from the passage that________.
| A．some wetlands can be used to build cities or towns |
| B．wetlands in the world are disappearing fast |
| C．wetlands play an important role in the ecosystem |
| D．wetlands are especially important to wildlife |
ChiChi weighs only 13 pounds. “He’s so tiny，I can carry him with one hand，” says Mary Lane.“Most people see him and think he’s useless.”
But last October，ChiChi proved to be more than just a pretty face. Mary and her husband，Rick，were relaxing on the beach one afternoon while on vacation in North Carolina’s Outer Banks.As usual，ChiChi was lying on his blanket in his own little beach chair.
“We had our noses buried in books，”recalls Rick，“when suddenly the dog became extremely uneasy. His bark was different from anything we had heard before.And he would not let us ignore him.”
ChiChi ran back and forth in front of his chair as if to run down the beach.The Lanes sat up to see two elderly women in the ocean，about 100 yards down the beach and 10 feet off shore.One was on her back，her head under the waves.The other was struggling hard to keep her friend’s head above the surface.
The Lanes rushed across the sand and into the surf. Rick went to the woman in danger of drowning，while Mary held fast on to the other one and pulled her up on the beach.“Then I went back to help Rick，” Mary says.“The sand dropped off steeply，and a riptide(激流)was beating the woman under. She was completely helpless.”
Not getting well from recent knee surgery，the woman had been unable to turn over or push herself up.“Her friend had been in danger too，” Mary says.“The waves were pushing her around. There’s no way she could have held on much longer.”
The women hadn’t called out for help. “They were struggling so hard that there was no time for screaming，” Mary recalls.“But ChiChi had sensed their danger.”
Duty done，ChiChi was back in his chair，asleep，by the time the two women were on dry ground and the Lanes had returned to their blankets.Luckily，the women were fine，though shaken.They thanked the Lanes for saving their lives.
Back home in Greensboro，North Carolina，the Lanes ordered a special collar with the words “Hero Dog” on it.How does ChiChi impress the people around it?
| A．It is lovable. | B．It is of no use. |
| C．It is very ugly. | D．It is too small. |
When the two women were struggling in the ocean，what were the Lanes doing?
| A．They were sleeping soundly. |
| B．They were absorbed in reading. |
| C．They were wiping their noses. |
| D．They were bathing in the sun. |
Why did ChiChi run back and forth in front of his chair?
| A．It sensed that a danger was upon them. |
| B．It smelled there was a storm on the way. |
| C．It was trying to draw its master’s attention. |
| D．There was something wrong with its master. |
Why couldn’t the woman get out of the water?
| A．She was bitten by a shark. |
| B．Her friend didn’t offer help. |
| C．She was too weak to stay awake. |
| D．There was something wrong with her knee. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．How ChiChi became a “Hero Dog”． |
| B．A pet dog was saved by two women. |
| C．What is the best place to go on holiday? |
| D．The Lanes helped two strangers out of trouble. |
Researchers at the University of Kansas say that people can accurately judge 90 percent of a stranger's personality simply by looking at the person’s shoes．“Shoes convey useful information about their wearers，’’the authors wrote in the new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality．
Lead researcher Omri Gillath said the judgments were based on the style，cost，color and condition of someone’s shoes．In the study，63 University of Kansas researchers looked at pictures showing 208 different pairs of shoes worn by the study’s participants．Volunteers in the study were photographed in their most commonly worn shoes，and then filled out a personality questionnaire．
Some of the results were expected：People with higher incomes most commonly wore expensive shoes，and flashier shoes were typically worn by outgoing people．However，some of the more specific results are strange enough．For example，“practical and functional’’ shoes were generally worn by more “pleasant" people，while ankle boots were more linked with ‘‘aggressive’’ personalities．The strangest of all may be that those who wore ‘‘uncomfortable looking” shoes tend to have “calm” personalities．And if you have several pairs of new shoes or take extreme care of them，you may suffer from “attachment anxiety"，spending lots of time worrying about what other people think of your appearance．There was even a political calculation in the mix with more liberal(主张变革的)types wearing “shabbier and less expensive” shoes．
The researchers noted that some people will choose shoe styles to mask their actual personalities，but researchers noted that volunteers were also likely to be unaware that their footwear choices were showing the deep side of their personalities．What does this text mainly tell us?
| A．The richer you are , the more expensive shoes you will wear. |
| B．Shoes convey false information about the wearer． |
| C．People’s personalities can be judged by their shoes． |
| D．People know little about their personalities． |
Which of the results is beyond people’s expectations?
| A．Wealthy people often wear expensive shoes． |
| B．Pleasant people like wearing uncomfortable shoes． |
| C．Aggressive people are likely to wear ankle boots． |
| D．Flashier shoes are typically worn by outgoing people． |
People suffering from“attachment anxiety” tend to
| A．wear strange shoes |
| B．worry about their appearance |
| C．have a calm character |
| D．become a political leader |
The author wrote the text in order to
| A．inform us of a new study |
| B．introduce a research method |
| C．teach how to choose shoes |
| D．describe different personalities |
When traveling, it's important to learn about the customs and etiquette （礼节）of the global village, What we consider polite behavior at home isn't always accepted outside our borders．Don't be regarded rude or disrespectful on your travels．
Gift giving should be a happy, positive experience．When selecting a present for someone in the Netherlands, don't purchase fancy kitchen knives or scissors．Giving sharp, pointy objects as gifts is considered unlucky．Be careful when presenting flowers to a friend or business partner in Russia．Yellow blooms suggest cheat or a relationship break-up． Traditionally, red carnations are placed on the tombs of the dead．Writing cards or notes while visiting South Korea, be mindful of your pen's ink color．Writing a person's name in red ink traditionally suggests that the person has passed away－an important point to remember when giving a birthday card．
Being early or on time is viewed as being rude, too eager or even greedy in Venezuela．If you are invited over to someone's home for a meal, it's recommended that you arrive 10 to 15 minutes later than the requested time．When having a meal in Egypt, don't use the saltshaker（调味瓶）． It's insulting to your host to spread salt on your food, which means that you find the meal terrible．Japan is a very polite nation, and their fondness for etiquette extends to the mealtime use of chopsticks．According to Japanese custom, it's considered ill-mannered to point, play with, or stab（戳） food with chopsticks．If you’re in the middle of eating, use the opposite end of your chopsticks to secure food from a shared plate．Using the end that touches your mouth is extremely offensive （冒犯的）, not to mention unhygienic（不卫生的）．When sending a gift to your friend in Netherlands, you should avoid．
| A．sharp knives | B．red carnations |
| C．yellow flowers | D．long chopsticks |
In South Korea, writing a person's name in red is not accepted because．
| A．red often stands for violence |
| B．it shows that you're not friendly |
| C．it means that the person is dead |
| D．red is not a favorite color there |
What does the underlined word "insulting" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Admirable． | B．Challenging． |
| C．Rude． | D．Respectful． |
Where does this passage probably come from?
| A．a news report． | B．a tourist guide． |
| C．a museum guide． | D．a science book． |
Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin at the California Academy of Sciences．Due to his old age，he was going bald，which made him feel too cold to swim in the pool．Therefore，biologists at the academy had a wetsuit created for this penguin to help him get back in the swimming pool．
Unlike marine(海生的) mammals，which have a layer of blubber(鲸脂) to keep them warm，penguins depend on their waterproof feathers．Without them，Pierre was unwilling to jump into the swimming pool and ended up trembling on the side of the pool while his 19 peers played in the water．
“He was cold：he would shake，”said Pam Schaller，a senior biologist．Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm．Then she got another idea：if wetsuits keep humans warm in the cold Pacific，why not make one for Pierre?
Schaller designed the suit，which covered Pierre’s body and had small openings for his flippers．
“I would walk behind him and look at where there were any gaps．and cut and refit until it looked like it was extremely suitable．”she said．
One concern was that the other penguins would reject Pierre in his new suit，but in fact，they accepted his new look．He swam freely and got along with others well，although he was the only penguin with a black stomach．
Schaller couldn’t say for sure whether the wetsuit allowed Pierre to recover his fine feathers，but” certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable”．
Pierre will take off his suit after his new feathers grow back．Pierre felt too cold to swim in the pool because of____．
| A．not having a layer of blubber |
| B．having few feathers due to old age |
| C．having no wetsuit |
| D．others penguins rejecting him |
The idea of making a wetsuit for Pierre came from__________.
| A．total invention | B．the use of wetsuit on humans |
| C．the use of heat lamp | D．waterproof feathers． |
Schaller followed Pierre in order to see____________________．
| A．whether other penguins would reject him |
| B．if anywhere of wetsuit needed to be cut and refit |
| C．if the wetsuit kept warm |
| D．whether the wetsuit would keep the feathers from recovering |
The best title of the passage is____．
| A．Wetsuit for An old Penguin | B．Old Penguin Getting Bald |
| C．Unwilling to Swim | D．Strange Look of Pierre |