“This one’s for you,” Sergeant (警官) Barstow shouted and left quickly through the back door. I was a little puzzled. I looked out a window of the Ashfordly Police Station and saw an elderly woman come into the building.
“Good morning, Madam,” I said.
“Good morning,” she said pleasantly. “You’re new, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Madam.”
“It’s about that man who’s been annoying me,” she said. “I’ve been here about him before.”
“Could I have your name and address, please?”
“Miss Fraser. Josephine Fraser. I live at 43 Prince Terrace. Now, can you please do something about Jackson?”
“What’s he done, Miss Fraser?”
“Done? He’s thrown garbage all over my stairs again. He must be stopped.”
“Where does he live?”
“Next door, Number 41,” she said.
“I’ll go and see later and warn him off, Miss Fraser.”
“I would be most grateful.” With that she left.
Half an hour later, I reached Prince Terrace. NO. 41 was in a bad state of repair. I knocked. No reply. I entered. The place was deserted. I wondered if the Jackson was a tramp (流浪者). Anyway, it seemed he had left, possibly because of Miss Fraser’s threatening police action. I decided to visit her.
I knocked on her door and it was opened almost immediately. “Ah!” she said gladly. “You’re just in time for coffee.” I followed her inside. Miss Fraser told me more about her battle with Jackson. But when I asked specific questions, it clearly showed that she had never seen Jackson. Finally, I managed to leave.
Sergeant Barstow smiled kindly as I returned. “Nick, did you kick(踢出) Jackson out of that house?”
“Jackson!” I cried. “Who is he?”
“There is no Jackson,” he said. “Miss Fraser is lonely and she likes company. We always let the new young men deal with Miss Fraser. It gives her deep satisfaction. That’s what we are here for, isn’t it — to satisfy the public?”Why did Sergeant Barstow leave quickly when Miss Fraser came?
| A．Because he wanted to let Nick deal with her alone. |
| B．Because he had to go and catch Jackson at once. |
| C．Because he was tired of the elderly woman. |
| D．Because he knew she would tell a lie. |
Miss Fraser told Nick that _____.
| A．her neighbor had often caused her trouble |
| B．it was her first visit to the police station |
| C．she was looking for Sergeant Barstow |
| D．someone had broken into her house |
Miss Fraser made up the story of Jackson because _____.
| A．she liked to play jokes on the policemen |
| B．she wanted to have someone to talk with |
| C．she loved to show others her nice coffee |
| D．she hated Jackson very much |
March 22, 20II---Most restaurants in the United States offer their customers a glass of tap water at no charge with their meal, but this week many restaurants are asking dinners to pay a dollar, or more, for a glass of water. Cards on their tables explain that this small amount helps bring clean water to children around the world. It’s called the UNICEF Tap Project.
“UNICEF’s Tap Project is really all about bringing attention to the fact that over 900 million people around the globe do not have access to good, clean, healthy drinking water,” says Cary Stem, who heads the US Fund for UNICEF. She adds that water-borne illness is the second-highest cause of preventable childhood death in the world.
“Each and every day approximately 4,100 children die just because they don’t have that access - 4,100 every single day.”
The public service campaign encourages people to help change that statistic with a simple, affordable action: paying a dollar to get a glass of tap water at a restaurant.
“One dollar buys enough good, clean water for a child for 40 days,” Stem says.
“The tap project has expanded since it began five years ago with 300 restaurants in New York City. This year, Stem says, about 3,000 restaurants across the country are participating in the campaign. We raised about $2.5 million over the last five years of this campaign,” says Stem. “Last year, we raised over $1 million for the first time. This year we’re hoping to top that.”
Stem credits the continued success of the campaign to an army of volunteers who support the tap project and raise money in their communities.
The UNICEF Tap Project is promoting its efforts with a simple motto: when you take water, give water. Currently, UNICEF works in more than 100 countries around the world to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities.
Stem hopes that, by participating in the project, more Americans will realize that what they often take for granted is a precious and scarce resource in many other parts of the world.Restaurants began to charge for tap water to _______.
| A．increase their profit |
| B．urge customers to save water |
| C．raise people’s awareness of the world water problem |
| D．collect money for those without access to safe water |
We can learn from the text that the Tap Project ________.
| A．began in New York City |
| B．was started by volunteers |
| C．is hoping to collect $2.5 million this year |
| D．provides help for 1,000 countries in the world |
It can be learned that _______.
| A．the Tap Project began in 2006 |
| B．America suffers a serious problem |
| C．4,100 children die of water pollution every year |
| D．water-borne illnesses are the biggest killer of children |
How does Cary Stem feel about the work of the Tap Project?
| A．Concerned | B．Hopeful | C．Disappointed | D．Angry |
The summer vacation is the time to consolidate（巩固）your learning and prepare for the year ahead. In July and August Oxford Study Courses will once again hold its Mid-IB Summer School for students half way through their IB Diploma（国际预科证书）.
We’ll be back giving another generation of IB students a unique opportunity to sample a way of life enjoyed by students at famous universities.
Students who have completed the first year of their IB Diploma can join us and we can help them prepare for their important second year.
Students can choose how many subjects they study. Each subject is studied for one week. You can attend up to 5 weeks.
The Mid-IB Summer School is held at Cambridge University in the UK （between June 20th and August 1 st） and at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology （MIT）in Boston, USA （between July 6th and July 25th）.
Student comments
◆ “The classes have shown me new approaches to learning. I have also learned how to approach exam questions and now feel confident in doing so.”
◆ “It was cool creating tight and close relationships with other students from around the world, realizing we all had a connection to each other.”
◆ “I really enjoyed the level of independence, although I felt like people were watching out for us. I also felt like an Oxford student!”
◆ “I have enjoyed the learning style and the course work has been extremely beneficial（有益处的）academically.”
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Enjoy the summer
Our Summer School gives you an action-packed social scene with visits to the fun places in the area, organized sports and social events, and advice on how to enjoy your free time in these amazing cities with your new friends. Welcome to contact us at ose@ose-ib.com or on +44（0）1865 521802!The Mid-IB Summer School is intended for the students who ________.
A. have finished their first year of college
B. intend to apply for Oxford University
C. don’t know how to spend their summer vacation
D, have completed the first year of their IB DiplomaWhat can be inferred from the text?
| A．Students will visit many fun places around the world. |
| B．A student can at most choose 5 subjects. |
| C．Only students from England and America have access to the school. |
| D．Students can obtain their IB Diploma when they finish their studies. |
Which of the following about the Mid-IB Summer School is true?
| A．It begins in July. |
| B．It provides only academic courses. |
| C．It is held in three universities. |
| D．Students attending will study for 5 weeks. |
Do you long for lasting camp memories? Sure we can guarantee it.
Shadow Ridge Summer Camps offer so many exciting things for campers to do. Unlike other camp programs that include horses as a small part of their program, at Shadow Ridge horses ARE the program ! We are 100% horse from stable（马厩）management, nature walks, and track rides to bedroom furnishings.
Horses help us achieve many of our aims. Girls can learn to develop responsibility, self-confidence and personal connections in their lives while having fun. Using horses as a wonderful tool for education, our camps offer an interesting place for growth and learning:
Imagine each girl having her very own horse to spend time with and a best friend to love and take care of. Each camper is responsible for a horse for the week. Our riding program provides a lot of riding and lesson time. Campers will learn how to take care of the horse and the tack（马具）, as well as how to ride. Days are filled with horse-related activities to strengthen the connection between each girl and horse, as the girls learn to work safely around the horses.
At Shadow Ridge we try to create a loving, caring family atmosphere for our campers. We have “The Bunkhouse”（4 girls）, the “Wranglers Roost”（4 girls）, and “The Hideout”（2 girls）in our comfortable 177-year-old farm house. All meals are home cooked, offering delicious and healthy food for the hungry rider.
Our excellent activities create personalized memories of your child’s vacation. Each child will receive a camp T-shirt and a photo album （usually 300-500 pictures） of their stay at camp.
Our camps are offered during June, July and August 2013, for small groups of girls aged
13-16 years, not only from Canada but also other parts of the world.
We will send you full program descriptions at your request.What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To attract people to the camps. |
| B．To talk about camping experiences |
| C．To describe the programs of the camps. |
| D．To explain the aims of the camps. |
What do we know about the camp programs at Shadow Ridge?
| A．Campers are required to wear camp T-shirts. |
| B．Horses play a central role in the activities. |
| C．Campers learn to cook food for themselves. |
| D．Horse lessons are offered all the year round. |
The programs at Shadow Ridge mainly aim to help people ________.
| A．understand horses better |
| B．enjoy a family atmosphere |
| C．have fun above other things |
| D．achieve an educational purpose |
The passage is written mainly for ________.
| A．horse riders | B．teenage girls | C．Canadian parents | D．international travelers |
Is there a limit to the number of years that a person can expect to live? Can changes in life-style add years to one’s life? Throughout history people have sought answers to these questions and others.
Various myths offer the hope of great longevity. In the imaginary land of Shangri-La, for example, people are said to lead a charmed existence for a thousand years. The Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was convinced that he would find the Foundation of Youth in what is now the state of Florida. According to the Bible, Methuselah lived to be more than 900 years old.
The subject of longevity is fascinating, and scientists study individuals such as Jeanne Calment to learn about the aging process. Calment died in 1997 in Arles, France, at the age of 122. She never married, and she lived in her own apartment until moving to a retirement community when she was 109.
Most scientists agree that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years. This potential has changed little since modern human beings appeared more than 100 thousand years age. Recent improvements in medicine and the environment have extended life expectancy, especially for those from poorer parts of the world. It is not clear, however, whether such improvements will lengthen life expectancy beyond a certain point.
Life expectancy is the number of years an infant can be expected to live, given the conditions into which it is born. Life expectancy, therefore, is affected by nutrition, medical care, and social and political circumstances. An individual’s genetic makeup is also an important factor. Children from long-lived families can hope to enjoy long lives themselves. According to recent data, the average life expectancy worldwide in 1998 was 67 years. This can be compared with an average life expectancy of 77 in the United States.
In 1970 the average life expectancy worldwide was 61 years, or 6 years less than it was in 1998. This same period saw a drop in infant mortality -— the death of a child before the first birthday-—from 80 births out of 1,000 to 54 births out of 1,000. According to some researchers, the rise in the average life expectancy is due primarily to the drop in infant mortality. It is not so much that adults are living to an older age. It is, rather, that more people are living into adulthood because more children are surviving beyond their first birthdays.Infant mortality is defined as ________ .
| A．the number of children born alive |
| B．the kinds of behavior typical of very young children |
| C．the number of children, out of 1,000 births, who die before their first birthday |
| D．the typical and obvious thoughts of very young children |
Although it may be possible to improve the life expectancy of a particular group of people, ________ .
| A．it is more difficult to affect the rate of infant mortality |
| B．it is unlikely that one will be able to extend the potential life span of human beings in general |
| C．the process of evolution is extending the potential life span beyond 125 years |
| D．the potential that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years has changed much since modern human beings appeared |
One can infer that people have at times imagined that ________ .
| A．people live longer in the state of Florida |
| B．a long life is a burden rather than a blessing |
| C．it is possible to find a way to live for centuries |
| D．life expectancy is affected by a couple of factors |
One can conclude that ________ .
| A．the aging process can be stopped. |
| B．the aging process is inevitable. |
| C．life expectancy in the United States will soon reach 125 years. |
| D．the average life expectancy worldwide is decreasing |
Today is National Bike-to-Work Day. And on New York City’s jammed streets, people are cycling on hundreds of miles of new bike lanes. But New York’s widespread efforts to make streets safer for bikes have also left some locals complaining about the loss of parking spots and lanes for cars.
When the weather is good, Aaron Naparstek likes to pedal（用踏板踩）his two young kids to school on a special Dutch-made bicycle. Naparstek supports the new lane.
Aaron: The bike lane on Prospect Park West is really introducing a lot of new people to the idea that it’s possible to use a bike in New York City for transportation or to travel around. This is what 21st century New York City looks like.
Prospect Park West is still a one-way road, but where it used to have three lanes of car traffic, now it has two, plus a protected bike lane. Supporters say that makes the road safer for everyone, including pedestrians, by slowing down cars and taking bikes off the sidewalk. But some longtime residents disagree. Lois Carswell is president of a group called Seniors for Safety. She says the two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents who are used to one-way traffic.
Lois: We wanted a lane — the right kind of lane that would keep everybody safe, that would keep the bikers safe. But we want it to be done the right way. And it has not been done the right way.
Craig Palmer builds bars and restaurants in Manhattan. I was interviewing him for a different story when he brought up the bike lanes all on his own.
Craig: I think the biggest problem is that Bloomberg put all these bike lanes in. You took what used to be a full street and you’re shrinking it.
Then there are the Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who forced the city to remove a bike lane through their neighborhood. But polls show that the majority of New Yorkers support bike lanes by a margin of 56% to 39%. Bicycle advocate Caroline Samponaro of Transportation Alternatives calls that a mandate.
Caroline: If this was an election, we would have already had our victory. The public has spoken and they keep speaking. And I think, more importantly, the public is starting to vote with their pedals.What does Aaron mean by saying “This is what 21st century New York City looks like.”?
| A．There are hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in 21 st century New York City. |
| B．Drivers slow down their cars and bikes are taken off the sidewalk in New York. |
| C．Bikes are used as a means of transport in 21 st century New York City. |
| D．It’s possible to make the streets safe for pedestrians in New York. |
According to the passage, which of the following CANNOT support the opponents of these new bike lanes?
| A．Drivers lose parking spots and lanes for cars. |
| B．The two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents. |
| C．We took what used to be a full street so the road is broader than before. |
| D．The removal of one bike lane through a neighbourhood in Brooklyn was not supported by the majority of New Yorkers. |
“A mandate” in Paragraph 8 was referred to a demand or command from _______.
| A．the authority | B．the public | C．the supporters | D．the government |
What of the following might be the best title of the passage?
| A．Ride on National Bike-to-Work Day |
| B．A New Bike Lane Appears in New York |
| C．A Bike Lane Divides New Yorkers |
| D．Who Wins an Election |