Little Robby, our neighbour’s nephew, carefully drew some water into a bowl and started for the door. How I hated this water rationing (定量供应). We were forced to bathe in the deep little pond we shared with Jessie, our cow. Wells were dry, and crops transformed to dust.
I watched Robby sitting down onto the steps to my house. Bees buzzed circling his hair, and he buzzed with them. I remembered his aunt’s words: I don’t know what I was thinking when I took him in. The crash killed my sister, and he wasn’t hurt, but he can’t talk. He’s in a world of all his own.
Why couldn’t she see the wonderful gifts this boy possessed? He was blessed with a loving nature and a deep admiration for all living things, and I knew he could talk to animals. My heart ached for Robby, who was to stay with us for the summer, and had already been the dearest part of our world, eagerly tending the garden with me and my husband, Tom.
On a string around Robby’s neck hung a whistle, in case he was ever lost or in danger. After all, he could not call out for help. But he knew perfectly well that the whistle was not a toy. Blowing on it would bring us both running. I had told him the story of the boy who cried wolf, and I knew he understood me.
I sighed as I cleared up the last supper dish. Every ounce of recycled water was saved for a tiny vegetable garden Robby had planted. Tom turned to me. “You know, honey, I’ve been thinking about...”
Before he could continue, a scream from the yard made us jump. My God! It’s Robby’s whistle! When we reached him, he was pointing excitedly to the sky. Looking up, we saw the most magnificent sight: Rain Clouds! “Robby! Quick! We need all the pots and pans!”
Robby raced with me to the house. A drop of water fell on my pot and then another. Soon the yard was enveloped in soaking, glorious rain. We all stood with faces held upward to feel the comfort of it. Tom picked up Robby and danced about the pots, shouting and whooping, “Rain for Robby!” Tom swung about to show me Robby’s face: he was laughing right out loud, “W-W-Wobby’s!” “Wobby’s … wain … Mom,” giggling（咯咯地笑）, and stretching out one tiny hand in the shape of a cup to catch the rain.
I hugged them both, tears of joy mixing with the rain.The underlined phrase “the wonderful gifts” in the 3rd paragraph refers to Robby’s ______.
| A．love for nature and all living things |
| B．kindness to help others around |
| C．independence since his childhood |
| D．readiness to accept what happened to him |
It was because ______ that the author and her husband would run on hearing the whistle.
| A．it was going to rain |
| B．Robby often surprised us with his whistle |
| C．something bad might happen to Robby. |
| D．Robby might find something special |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Robby was old enough, but still couldn’t speak. |
| B．Robby’s aunt regretted bringing Robby home. |
| C．Robby didn’t accept the author and Tom as his parents. |
| D．Robby happened to find the rain cloud and was terrified. |
It can be concluded from the passage that ______.
| A．we should show mercy for the disabled children |
| B．every child has his own talent however young he is |
| C．children from poor families take responsibilities earlier |
| D．children’s sensitive hearts are worthy to be taken care of |
The illegal ivory trade has been a major problem in Africa for decades. Poachers(偷猎者) and hunters have killed off hundreds of thousands of elephants to obtain this precious material. Now, affected areas are taking action. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced on Wednesday that key states where poaching takes place have promised to stop the ivory trade and protect Africa’s elephants.
In the 1980s, as many as 1 million elephants across Africa were killed for their ivory tusks. This continued until 1989, when the Convention on International Trade in Species (CITES) voted to ban all trade in ivory. With trade choked off, demand for ivory fell. Elephant populations slowly began to increase. However, this progress was short-lived.
According to the IUCN, 2011 saw the highest levels of poaching and illegal ivory trading in at least 16 years. Around 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa that year. Preliminary data from the IUCN shows even higher levels of illegal trade may have been reached in 2013. “With about 22,000 elephants illegally killed in 2012, we continue to face a critical situation,” said John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. “Current elephant poaching in Africa remains far too high, and could soon lead to local extinctions if the present killing rate continues.”
At the African Elephant Summit, key African states where elephants make their home agreed to develop a “zero-tolerance attitude” towards poaching. The deal calls for maximum sentences for poachers and hunters, and increased cooperation between affected states. Officials are determined to classifying wildlife trading as a serious crime — and to making sure that the people who commit it are punished. All participants at the conference agreed to sign the deal. With these states coming together, there may yet be hope for elephants. (293 words)What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．New Hope for Elephants. | B． Elephants are dying. |
| C．Elephants are valuable. | D． How to protect elephants |
The underlined phrase “choked off” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “________”.
| A． appreciated | B． prevented | C． admitted | D． explored |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The CITES has helped to improve elephants’ situation ever since 1989. |
| B．Around one million elephants across Africa were killed for their ivory tusks in the 1980s. |
| C．The poaching and illegal ivory trading in 2011 were very serious. |
| D．The situation of elephants in 2012 was still terrible. |
All of the following measures will be taken to protect elephants EXCEPT ________.
| A．to identify wildlife trading a serious crime |
| B．to punish those who buy or sell wildlife belongings |
| C．to sentence all wildlife poachers and hunters to death |
| D．to work together to fight against wildlife hunting |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．The illegal ivory trade has been a major problem in Africa. |
| B．Elephants in Africa may die out because of the illegal poaching. |
| C．Hunting elephants will be recognized as a very serious crime. |
| D．A new agreement aims to develop a “zero-tolerance attitude” towards poaching. |
Artie Shaw was born in New York City in 1910. His name was Arthur Arshawsky. His parents were poor immigrants who had come to the United States from Eastern Europe. His family later moved to New Haven, Connecticut.
At the age of fourteen, he began to play the saxophone and then the clarinet. From a very young age, Artie Shaw wanted to play his clarinet better than anyone. He wanted his sound and music to be perfect. He worked at this task much of his life.
He began working as a professional musician when he was fifteen. He left home and began playing in bands across the United States.
In 1928, young Artie Shaw traveled to Chicago, Illinois to hear the great trumpet player, Louis Armstrong. He immediately understood that Armstrong's great jazz sound was the beginning of something new and exciting. Artie left Chicago with a growing interest in jazz music. Soon after, he moved to New York City.
He got work playing the clarinet for the Columbia Broadcast System radio network. In 1936, he was given a chance to form a small group and play at New York's famous Imperial Theater on Broadway. His group was not the top band in the show. But the crowd loved his music. This proved to be a major step in his career.
Artie Shaw was always trying something new, something different. He heard a young black woman sing and hired her for his band. This was the first time that a black woman sang with white musicians. Racial separation was the rule in many states. Artie Shaw did not care.
Artie Shaw wrote several books in his later years. He wrote stories for magazines. He spoke about music at colleges and universities. But he had very little to do with the world of recording or music. During those years however, he received many awards and honors for his music. These included a Hall of Fame award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.When he was very young, Artie Shaw was ________.
| A．born to a wealthy family |
| B．a famous singer |
| C．a man with a great dream |
| D．was in love with music when he was a baby |
To achieve his music dream, Artie Shaw ________.
| A．first began to play the clarinet |
| B．wanted to be the most famous musician around the world |
| C．began playing in bands across the United States |
| D．became a famous musician when he was fifteen |
When Artie Shaw became an adult, ________.
| A．he showed a growing interest in jazz music |
| B．he worked for Columbia Broadcast System radio network as a singer |
| C．he formed a small band when he was twenty three |
| D．he thought that racial separation should be the rule of the society |
In his later years, Artie Shaw ________.
| A．almost stopped playing music |
| B．worked for a magazine as an professional writer |
| C．he made many speeches about his life at colleges |
| D．he received many awards and honors for his books |
Which one can be the title of the passage?
| A．Artie Shaw’s Life Stories | B．Artie Shaw — A Crazy Musician |
| C．Artie Shaw — A Great Writer | D．Artie Shaw’s Music Life |
Eat nuts, live longer. Researchers have found that those who eat a handful of peanuts every day significantly decrease their risk of dying from all causes compared to those who do not eat nuts. A newstudyconcludes that all types of nuts seem to be protective.
Researcher Ying Bao is with the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. She and her colleagues looked at the impact of nut consumption by analyzing two huge studies that began in 1980 - the Nurses’ Health Study, which tracks the well-being of more than 76,000 women, and 42,000 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
Among the questions asked at the beginning of the studies was, 'how frequently do you eat nuts?' The information was updated every two to four years. Bao says the participants were followed for three decades.
“What we observed is that people who eat more nuts are less likely to die over the next 30 years," said Bao. "So, for example, if a person eat(s) nuts once per day, that person has a 20 percent lower risk of dying.”
Bao says eating a handful of nuts five or more times per week was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of dying from heart disease and an 11 percent lower risk of cancer death. A serving size is 28 grams.
Nuts contain nutrients, including high quality proteins, vitamins and minerals, all of which have anti-cancer effects and may help protect the heart.
Bao says researchers are planning studies to find out how nuts are beneficial to human health.
The study on the health benefits of nuts was funded by the International Tree Nut Council Research and Education Foundation.People who often eat nuts ________.
| A．are more likely to live longer than people who often eat fruits |
| B．don’t need to go to hospital |
| C．may live longer than people who don’t eat nuts |
| D．don’t have to do sports |
The underlined word “well-being” in Paragraph 2 shares the same meaning as “________”.
| A．illness | B．health | C．diet | D．habit |
About Bao’s research, which statement is true?
| A．She has done the research by herself. |
| B．Her research was based on two studies. |
| C．Her research lasted about three years. |
| D．People should eat all kinds of nuts every day. |
Eating nuts may help us stay away from ________.
| A．cancer | B．fever | C．flu | D．headache |
The passage is most probably from a journal of ___________ .
| A．entertainment | B．diet | C．sports | D．science |
The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world's supply of water. With 97% of the world's water too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture. Although the idea of a water shortage(短缺)seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, many of the world's agricultural industries experience constant water shortages.
Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water redistribution(重新分配)are very high. Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered. Where valleys(山谷)are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed. Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other. Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements.
This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation (灌溉). In Texas, farmers' overuse of irrigation water has resulted in a 25% reduction of the water stores. In the Central Valley area of southwestern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much of the water use has been poorly managed.
Saudi Arabia's attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumping of huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves. Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry.From the first two paragraphs we learn that________.
| A．much of the world's water is available for use |
| B．people in high rainfall countries feel lucky |
| C．water can be easily carried through pipes across the world |
| D．the costs of water redistribution should be considered |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The water stores in Texas have been reduced by 75%. |
| B．Most industries in the world suffer from water shortages. |
| C．The underground water in Saudi Arabia might run out in 50 years. |
| D．Good management of water use resulted from the project in the Central Valley. |
What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
| A．Steps to improving water use management. |
| B．Ways to reduce the costs of building dams. |
| C．Measures to deal with worldwide water shortages. |
| D．Approaches to handling the pressure on water supply. |
The text is mainly about________.
| A．water supply and increasing population |
| B．water use management and agriculture |
| C．water redistribution and wildlife protection |
| D．water shortages and environmental protection |
Babies are born yogis. Once we were all able to pull our toes up by our ears and laugh about it. Then we aged, got injured, and began carrying stress in our shoulders and back. In short, we lost our balance.
Yoga（瑜伽） is an ancient practice that helps create a sense of union in body, mind, and spirit. It brings us balance. I was seriously out of balance when I started practicing yoga in 1999. I had plantar fascitis in both feet, and my doctor had warned me against all the things I loved to do: walking, hiking, and playing tennis. I was desperate for exercise. Yoga became my salvation and even enhanced my other fitness activities. I practice yoga at least twice a week, but I consider yoga to be part of my daily life because after a while you no longer just practice yoga—you love it.
Yoga becomes part of your physical life. Your body grows stronger, more toned, and more flexible as you move from one pose to the other. I spent a week in Mexico at a yoga retreat, and it was the first vacation on which I lost weight. “Rather than building muscle, yoga builds muscle tone,” says Shakta Kaur Khalsa, author of the K.I.S.S. Guide to Yoga. “Because yoga helps maintain a balanced metabolism (新陈代谢), it also helps to regulate weight. Additionally, yoga stretches muscles lengthwise, causing fat to be removed around the cells.” I do yoga poses throughout the day. After hours at my computer, I stretch my stiff shoulders and arms. When I need a boost of energy, I do energizing poses. When I am feeling exhausted at the end of the day, I do restorative poses.
Yoga becomes part of your mental life. Yoga teaches you to focus on breathing while you hold the poses. This attention to breath is calming; it dissolves stress and anxiety. I use yogic breathing on the tennis courts, in the dentist’s chair, and in traffic jams. You should always leave a yoga practice feeling energized, not tired. If you feel tired after yoga, it means you spent the time “fighting” yourself, trying to force yourself into poses. In yoga, you “surrender” to the pose by letting go of the tension.
Yoga becomes part of your spiritual life. Yoga is practiced by people from all religions; it is not restricted to any religious group. Yoga teaches “right” living in how we deal with ourselves and others. As I work on a difficult pose, I learn patience, forgiveness, and the value of gentleness. Yoga advocates proper eating, but you don’t have to be a vegetarian to practice yoga.What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．What’s Yoga? | B．The Benefits of Yoga |
| C．How I Do Yoga Poses | D．The Varieties of Yoga |
According to the third paragraph, yoga can help people __________.
| A．grow taller | B．lose weight |
| C．become flexible in thinking | D．make more friends |
People feel tired after yoga because __________.
| A．they spend too much time on yoga |
| B．they respond well to yoga poses |
| C．they force themselves into yoga poses |
| D．they consume energy in practicing yoga |
If this passage continues, what will the writer most probably write about in the next paragraph?
| A．Yoga as a means to keep fit. |
| B．Different yoga poses. |
| C．Popularity of yoga all over the world. |
| D．Encouraging people to do yoga. |