Norm Pethrick, a 36-year-old man in Australia’s northern city Darwin, was praised on Thursday for jumping onto a crocodile’s back to save his wife Wendy at Litchfield National Park, a popular tourist spot southwest of Darwin, a local newspaper reported.
Ms Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged (扑), locking its jaws on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked (戳) the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds (伤口) in her right leg, a puncture wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
“This could have been a fatal and tragic situation,” said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms Pethrick was saved by her husband’s “quick and diligent actions”.
Dr Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria (细菌) on the teeth of the crocodile.This passage is most likely to be found in _____.
| A．a travel guide | B．a newspaper |
| C．a textbook | D．a novel |
The crocodile attacked Ms Pethrick when she was ______.
| A．swimming in the river |
| B．standing on the river bank |
| C．watching the crocodile |
| D．fishing in the water |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Ms Pethrick?
| A．Her eyes were badly poked. |
| B．She had eight wounds altogether. |
| C．One of her fingers also got hurt. |
| D．One of the crocodile’s teeth was found in her leg. |
According to the passage, Norm Pethrick can be described as following EXCEPT ______.
| A．brave | B．diligent |
| C．quick | D．humorous |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．The husband should save the wife |
| B．A man saves wife’s life from crocodile’s jaws |
| C．A crocodile is not so dangerous as people imagine |
| D．Human beings can beat crocodiles sometimes |
“Everybody loves a bargain.” Is a well-known saying. One person’s useless, ugly, or broken object can be another person’s bargain. That is why so many Americans do not throw things away. They put them outside their house. They put on a "For Sale" sign. And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale.
The sellers put a paid announcement in a local newspaper. It tells when and where the yard sale will take place. These sales are very popular during weekends in spring, summer, and autumn.
Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house. Then they sit all day in the sunlight -- like tired guests at a party -- waiting for someone to take them home.
Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale. Sometimes, there are more clothes than anything else. Cooking equipment is also popular. So are old toys, tools, books, tables, and chairs. Then there are objects called "white elephants." A white elephant is something you think is extremely ugly or useless. It may be an electric light shaped like a fish. You feel a sharp pain whenever you look at it. To someone else, however, it might be a thing of beauty and joy.
Some people go to yard sales to find a special thing that they collect. It may be old toy trains, for example, or paintings of dogs. Experts say more Americans are collecting old things now than ever before. Most people who go to yard sales, however, are not looking for anything special. They might buy an object simply because it costs so little. They enjoy negotiating over prices, even if they really do not need the object. Later, they may hold their own yard sale to sell all the things they have bought.What kind of things will go to a yard sale?
| A．Cheap and ugly things． | B．Things people no longer use． |
| C．Things out of season． | D．Things of great value． |
A white elephant refers to ______ ．
| A．something that can cause n feeling of pain |
| B．something disliked by the owners while appreciated by others |
| C．something sold at the lowest price |
| D．a toy shaped like a fish |
Most people go to yard sales to ______ ．
| A．find Valuable paintings | B．look for something special |
| C．find a bargain | D．kill their time |
Which of the following is NOT true about a yard sale?
| A．It may not be held when the weather is very cold． |
| B．It can last for a whole day． |
| C．It is usually held with a party． |
| D．It is held outdoors． |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ______ ．
| A．people may find something of great value on a yard sale |
| B．yard sales only attract those who have a low income |
| C．things on a yard sale can cost people a lot |
| D．most people who go to yard sales want to make money |
If your cellphone suddenly stops working, don’t blame the service provider．The malfunction（故障） might well have been caused by something bigger -- a solar storm．Experts expect that Earth will see more solar activity in the near future．The malfunction of electronic devices will just one of the effects．
Sunspots（太阳黑子） serve as an indicator of the sun’s activity．For the past two years, sunspots have mostly been missing．Their absence, the most prolonged in nearly 100 years, has taken even seasoned sun watchers by surprise．
When the number of sunspots drops at the end of each 11-year cycle, solar storms die down and all become much calmer. This “solar minimum” doesn’t last long. Within a year, sunspots and solar storms begin to build toward a new crescendo, the next solar maximum.
What’s special about this latest cycle is that the sun is having trouble starting the next solar cycle. The sun began to calm down in late 2007, so no one expected many sunspots in 2008. They should return in 2010. Scientists have predicted that the next solar cycle could be the most active on record: more sunspots and more solar storms. However, sunspots are mostly missing now.
Since the earth is in close contact with the sun, strong solar activities can bring trouble to our life. People of the 21st century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. Air travel and radio communications can be affected by strong solar activities. A big solar storm could cause 20 times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.
What the sun will do next is beyond our ability to predict. Most astronomers think that the solar cycle will go on but at low level. However, there is also evidence that the sun is losing its ability to produce sunspots. By 2015, they could be gone altogether.The sun watcher feel surprised at .
| A．the longest sunspots’ absence | B．the largest sunspot number |
| C．the malfunction of electronic devices | D．the serious damage by sunspots |
What does the underlined word “crescendo” in paragraph 3 most probably mean?
| A．small number | B．high level |
| C．usual cycle | D．fresh start |
We can infer that in the past two years .
| A．solar activities have brought much trouble to our life |
| B．the number of sunspots has increased to a large extent |
| C．the solar minimum took the place of the solar maximum |
| D．our cellphones have seldom been interrupted by the solar storm |
Which statement does the text lead you to believe?
| A．Solar activities do no harm to our daily life. |
| B．Hurricane Katrina is also a type of solar storms. |
| C．It’s difficult to predict sunspots. |
| D．From now on there’ re no sunspots. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The earth is in close contact with the sun. |
| B．Sunspots can cause trouble to our life. |
| C．Introduction of sunspots. |
| D．Introduction of the solar storm． |
When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob（烤肉串）hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything else．
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack．
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming．
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking．
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, and reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plate piled with food．
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large．Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well．
The food especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill （烤肉架）．
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat．
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grilled chicken pieces served with either rice or bread．Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, a kabob consisting of grilled beef．
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious．It is a place that should not be overlooked．When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it ________．
| A．is splendidly decorated | B．has pleasant smells of kabobs |
| C．is crowded with dining tables | D．looks like a common restaurant |
What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?
| A．Watching news events on TV． | B．Drinking a kind of black coffee． |
| C．Reading local English newspapers． | D．Discussing world topics in low voices． |
The food of the restaurant ________．
| A．is served in small amounts | B．is rather expensive |
| C．is rich in variety | D．is very healthy |
What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?
| A．Rice | B．Chicken | C．Bread | D．Beef |
It can be inferred from the passage that the restaurant ________．
| A．occupies a large space | B．owns a favorable location |
| C．is popular for its special food | D．has a quiet environment inside |
Five years ago, Wang Baoqiang was a nobody to most Chinese people. However, he is now a household film star in China.
Wang is the youngest child of a poor family in Hebei province . Dreaming of becoming an actor, he left home at the age of 8 to study kung fu at Shaolin Temple, since kung-fu actors seemed to appear most often on the big screen.
At 14, he moved to Beijing for his acting career for the first time, with little money in his pocket. He worked at a construction site（建筑工地）for 20 to 25 yuan per day, and spent his free time standing in front of the Beijing Film Studio, eager to be chosen as temporary（临时的）actors.
This was the most difficult time for the boy. His opportunity finally came one day after he went for a role in the movie “Blind Shaft”. He was chosen to play a young coal miner. The movie won him three prizes in Thailand, France and Taiwan. But his success didn’t make any difference to his life.
That year, he went home for the Spring Festival. He gave his family his earnings from the movie, around US$250 and then returned to Beijing with 500 yuan, the same amount he had when he first set foot in the city. His life was as simple as before.
Thanks to his natural performance in “Blind Shaft,” he was invited by the famous director Feng Xiaogang to act in the film “A World Without Thieves” in 2004, which made him famous
immediately. People called him “Shagen,” the name of his character in the movie.
Wang’s latest work, “Soldiers’ Sortie” has made him the most popular actor on the Chinese mainland . For the actor, it’s a dream coming true.
“Dreams come true. I think my life is exactly a course of pursuing（追求）dreams. No matter how tough one thing is, I can make it as long as I put great effort into it,” he said. Why does Wang Baoqiang leave for Shaolin Temple at his early age ?
| A．To study kungfu to build up his strength . |
| B．He has seen through the human society . |
| C．To realize his childhood dream to be an actor . |
| D．To make money in support of his family . |
Which of the following films made him win three prizes ?
| A．A World Without Thieves | B．Soldiers’ Sortie . |
| C．Plot Against | D．Blind Shaft |
What would be the best title for this passage ?
| A．The Movies about Wang Baoqiang | B．Pursuing Dreams |
| C．How to Become Famous | D．Overnight Well-known |
Goals can help you do，be and experience everything you want in life．Instead of just letting life happen to you，goals allow you to make your life happen．
Successful and happy people have an idea of how their life should be and they set lots of goals to help them succeed．By setting goals you are taking control of your life．It’ s like having a map to show you where you want to go．Think of it this way．There are two drivers．One has a destination in mind which is laid out for her on a map．She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns．The other driver has no goal or destination or map．She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver，but she drives without an aim around，never getting anywhere，just using up gas and oil．Which driver do you want to be？
Winners in life set goals and follow through on them．Winners decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals．Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident．Goals aren’t difficult to set―and they aren’t difficult to reach．It’s up to you to find out what your goals and ideals（理想）really are．
Research tells us that when we write a goal down，we are more likely to achieve．Written goals can be reviewed regularly，and have more power．Like a contract with yourself，they are harder to neglect（忽视）or forget．Also when you write your goals in a particular way，you are able to make yourself continuously alert（警觉）to situations that will further your goals．The writer gave the example of two drivers to show__________．
| A．how stupid the first driver was |
| B．the importance of having a map and right direction |
| C．how stupid the second driver was |
| D．the importance of setting goals |
According to the passage，successful people are different from unsuccessful ones because
_________．
| A．the successful people set goals for everything and can get help from others |
| B．the unsuccessful people always set unrealistic plans for themselves |
| C．the successful people set goals in their lives and make plans to carry it out |
| D．the unsuccessful people make plans for everything but can not work hard |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？
| A．Goals can make you gain everything you want in life. |
| B．Only successful people can be happy. |
| C．If you want to succeed，you need to set long-term goals instead of short-term Goals. |
| D．When we put our goal down on papers，we are more likely to succeed. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Goals help you succeed | B．How to succeed |
| C．Why we always fail | D．A research on setting goals |