My bookshelves are full of dust — and with good reason. When it comes to cleaning that part of my home, I suffer from the most serious case of avoidance (回避反应症).
The thing is this: when I do set out to clean and re-organize my books, which seldom happens, I place myself into a really bad situation. No sooner do I take a title from the shelf, blow off the dust, and wipe down the cover than I find myself sitting on the floor with legs crossed and my back against the wall. Pretty soon books get piled up on my legs as I am reunited with old friends.
It is as if these books have voices, and each wants to say its piece. “Remember me? I was given to you when you went into the Navy, so that you would never lack for companionship,” one whispers. Another says, “I was your first book of poems, given to you before you learned to love poetry.” And a third, “I was the book that made history so attractive to you.”
Perhaps the greatest pleasure of re-organizing my books are the surprises — or better said, reunions — that occur. During my latest book-cleaning adventure, I found one that had fallen behind the shelf: “Tales of Edgar Allan Poe.” Not an unusual title, but the words written on the first page made it very special: “With Love from Mom and Dad, Christmas 1965.” What’s this? A book on the physics of lasers（激光）. It is filled with mathematical statements, and I had bought it at a library sale when I was 12, not long after the laser had been invented. I couldn’t understand a bit of it, but I did learn what “laser” meant.
What I end up with when I empty my bookshelves is a cross-section (横剖面) of my personal history. It’s like a road cut where one sees all the layers of rock going back through time to the beginning of the simplest life forms. The books I’ve read — and kept — are not just old friends. They are my résumé.What could be said about the author?
| A．He is too busy to tidy up his bookshelves. |
| B．He considers his books treasured possessions. |
| C．He has made a lot of notes in his books. |
| D．He is a lover of science books. |
By saying that his books have voices, the author means ________ .
| A．they bring back happy memories |
| B．they are recorded in human voice |
| C．they say a lot about human history |
| D．they offer good topics for discussion |
What does the author enjoy most from re-organizing his books?
| A．Finding some missing books. |
| B．Putting books in good order. |
| C．Learning something new from the books. |
| D．Rediscovering interesting stories behind some books. |
The underlined word “résumé” in the last paragraph probably means ______.
| A．personal history | B．precious notes | C．good companion | D．simple life forms |
It was your birthday, and you just opened your biggest gift — a smooth silver laptop. You can’t wait to instant-message your friends with the news, but first you have to get rid of your old desktop computer. Do you just throw away the monitor and keyboard in the trash? Not anymore!
Three states, that is, California, Maine, and Maryland, recently passed laws prohibiting people from throwing away electronic waste, or e-waste, includes televisions, computers, and cell phones. Although they don’t make you sick when you use them, they do when they are destroyed, for they contain heavy metals that can be harmful to human bodies. For example, cell phone batteries contain a kind of chemical causing damage to kidneys and deserted computer monitors can damage brains. And flat TV screens may cause injury to the nervous system. Those metals can leak into the ground or give off pollutants when burned.
It is required that e-waste be placed at special sites rather than usual landfills. Several other states are considering similar laws and California is also pushing for a law banning the application of such dangerous substances.
Government officials are not the only people taking aim at e-waste; environmentalists are also urging people to recycle their outdated equipment.
“It is just a waste … to not recycle,” Patrick, an associate professor of occupational and environmental health at university of Iowa, told The Daily Iowan, “Allowing dangerous chemicals to leak into the environment for decades seems irresponsible.”
What Can You Do?
Reduce. Be a responsible shopper, and take care of your electronics so they will last longer.
Re-use. Donate or sell your old high-tech equipment.
Recycle. To find a responsible recycler, contact a local or state environmental group.What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．E-waste is being made good use of. |
| B．E-waste, a big threat to us. |
| C．E-waste is dangerous to us all the while. |
| D．Goodbye, e-waste. |
Why is e-waste harmful and dangerous to human beings?
| A．Because they can go off at times and threaten us. |
| B．Because they can make people sick, as long as people use them. |
| C．Because they contain poisonous chemical substances. |
| D．Because they take too much space when placed in trashes. |
What can we know from Patrick’s words?
| A．Waste can’t be recycled. |
| B．Waste can be made use of by recycling |
| C．We have to recycle e-waste to protect the environment. |
| D．Protecting the environment is important. |
Which of the following is NOT given as a piece of advice to help with e-wastes?
| A．Taking care of your electronics so they will last longer. |
| B．Donating or selling your old high-tech equipment. |
| C．Contacting a local or state environmental group. |
| D．Asking fewer people to use electric products. |
The early 1900s were very different from today, when toys were still the delight of children everywhere.
Theodore Roosevelt's Presidency marks the beginning of the “Teddy Bear”. In the year 1902，toy bears were named “Teddy” after the president's nickname. The Teddy Bear became known worldwide and it was only a few years later that the Teddy Bears were mass produced.
In 1913，an item called the Erector Set was invented. It was a steel，motorized toy that children could use to build models of anything. Its creator was A．C.Gilbert，a medical doctor.
Charles Pajeau created a similar wooden set called Tinker Toys in the year 1914.Tinker Toys were made for younger children.
Raggedy Ann dolls first came on the scene after newspaper cartoonist Johnny Gruelle reproduced the doll he made for his daughter. That was in 1915.
The following year，an architect's son named John Lloyd Wright，invented Lincoln Logs，which were interlocked to make structures.
Two years after Mickey Mouse was created，stuffed(填塞)Mickey Mouse dolls were made by Charlotte Clark. This was the start of Disney merchandise.
The yoyo became popular in the United States after Donald Duncan bought a yoyo company in 1929.
The ViewMaster，a three dimensional viewer，was developed by a camera enthusiast named William Gruber. The toy became popular when Gruber licensed Disney characters to make still, 3D images from Disney movies and television programs.
Finally，in 1940，model airplanes were mass produced. They started out as a way for manufacturers to sell planes to the military，but later caught on as a toy.
The toys that we know and love today have had their roots from these ancient times. Thanks to all these creative man’s efforts, we know otherwise what we may never know.Why were toy bears named “Teddy”？
| A．To be suitable for mass production |
| B．To be easily pronounced by children. |
| C．To meet the advertisers' needs. |
| D．To memorize President Theodore Roosevelt |
In which aspect do the toys created by Gilbert differ from those by Charles?
| A．Shape | B．Material used | C．Themes | D．Price |
When did the ViewMaster become popular?
| A．After William Gruber was born |
| B．After Gruber licensed Disney characters |
| C．Two years after Mickey Mouse was created. |
| D．When Disney merchandise was started |
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a ‘territory’ is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢) season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language of their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually _____________.
| A．an expression of happiness | B．a way of warning |
| C．an expression of anger | D．a way of greeting |
What does the underlined word“territory”mean?
| A．A place where families of other species are not accepted. |
| B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice. |
| C．An area for which birds fight a against each other. |
| D．An area which a bird considers to be its own. |
Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?
| A．Because they want to invite more friends. |
| B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away. |
| C．Because they want to find outsiders around. |
| D．Because they want to express their happiness. |
| Looking for Teens Interested in Child Care This is a chance for teens to accompany a child through projects and activities, play with them indoors and outdoors, help with arts and crafts, deliver flyers to homes in the neighborhood，and so on. When: We welcome teen volunteers whenever they are available. How often: Our volunteers determine the amount of time they give and their schedule. Where: Wilder Child Development Center, 911 Lafond Ave. St. Paul |
| Library Intern （实习生） Part-time, Temporary $12.48一$13 .87 /per hour Program: Wilder Research Responsibilities: Help with moving to new buildings, record reports and other documents using a specialized library database, get items from area libraries, help library users, help with literature searches, other everyday library chores, and so on. Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree with some library experience or a current Master of Library and Information Science student. Strong attention to detail, good search skills and customer service skills. How to apply: Send resume to Wilder Research, 1295 Bandna Blvd, or send an e-mail to jobs@wilder.org. |
| Site Responder Part-time, Regular $9.46一$10.52/per hour Program: Jackson St. Village Responsibilities: Work at night to handle emergencies, provide services such as lawn care and snow removal, support the needs of residents and take care of the property and buildings. Qualifications: Must have good communication skills and must be able to solve the problems and concerns of the residents, their visitors, and staff. Individuals or teams are encouraged to apply. How to apply: Send resume to Wilder Foundation, 516 Humboldt Avenue, St.Paul, MN 55107 or a fax to （651） 223-7273, or an e-mail to jobs@wilder.org. |
As a volunteer in the child center, __________
| A．you should follow the schedule of the center strictly |
| B．you must keep the child you look after indoors |
| C．you will earn some money for what you have done |
| D．you yourself can decide how long to stay there |
What may NOT be needed if you apply to Wilder Research program?
A college degree and library experience.
B. Having knowledge of the Internet.
C. Being willing to help others
D. Being able to handle emergencies.From the third advertisement, we can learn that __________．
| A．only individuals can apply for the job |
| B．applicants should pay close attention to detail |
| C．applicants are required to do some physical work |
| D．applicants will deliver flyers homes in the neighborhood. |
The three advertisements _________．
| A．are not all for part-time opportunities |
| B．are not all chances to make some extra money |
| C．all can be communicated on the Internet |
| D．are offered by the same organization |
Everyone gets sick of hearing. “Put on your seat belt!”But it’s good advice. People who wear seat belts are 45 percent less likely to be killed while riding in the front seat of a car.
The US government wants more seat belt laws. It says children aged 4 to 15 are often killed in car accidents. In 2005, there were 1,627 children aged 4 to 15 killed in car accidents. More than 1,000 of those children were not wearing seat belts. If they had been wearing seat belts, 500 of those children could be alive today.
These children are too old to be in car seats, but they often sit in the back seat. Seat belt laws in many states, including Wisconsin, only require people in the front seat to wear seat belts. Children who aren’t wearing seat belts can be thrown from the car. The risk of dying in an accident is three times greater if the person is thrown from the car.
New laws could require children aged 4 to 8 to be in booster seats in the car. Booster seats help seat belts fit children properly. Right now, only 5 percent of children aged 4 to 8 are seated in booster seats.
While parents have the choice of whether wearing seat belts or not, children are too young to make that choice. Even if you decide not to wear a seat belt, make sure you children are in seat belts and car seats. It’s the law and it will save their lives.The underlined sentence “Everyone gets sick of hearing”in the first paragraph means“________”.
| A．there is something wrong with everyone’s ears |
| B．all people fall ill when they hear something |
| C．many people don’t pay attention to wearing seat belts |
| D．none of the people knows it is a piece of good advice |
More than two-third of 1,627 children were killed because ___________.
| A．they weren’t using seat belts |
| B．they were too careful when they walked on the road |
| C．they were not old enough to sit in the car |
| D．they wore seat belts |
You must get your children to put on seat belts in order to ________.
| A．keep them comfortable in the car seat | B．keep them safe |
| C．keep them awake in the car all the time | D．prevent all kinds of traffic accidents |
What would be the best title of this passage?
| A．Children Should Put on Seat Belts. |
| B．Too Many Traffic Accidents Happened Recently. |
| C．Traffic Laws Are Very Important. |
| D．Parents Are Important to Children. |