For Rachael and Leigh Badman, there is only one wish on their Christmas list this year__ that their sick daughter survives until December 25.
Fifteen –year-old Paige suffers from a rare brain condition. The disease affects as few as 12 people in the world, and can kill her any day without warning. And her condition has deteriorated in recent months. Each time she closes her eyes, she may never wake up. Rachael and Leigh Badman are worried that she couldn’t live through Christmas. They filled their house with Christmas decorations on November1, so she could enjoy her favorite day of the year in advance.
Paige was diagnosed with the condition four years ago. Mrs. Badman described the condition as “being on death row” as she never knows if she will wake up and still have a daughter. She said, “ Paige always loves Christmas and it’s heartbreaking to see her suffering like this.”
In the last months, Paige has been unable to eat and has never walked or spoken. But she loves music, and enjoys watching pop stars’ DVDs. And in May she also went on holiday to Florida with her parents and little brother, Kefton. The family , who have already organized parts of Paige’s funeral, also saw the teenager swimming with dolphins during the trip. Since then, however, her condition has worsened.
Mrs Badman, who is separated from her husband and works as Paige’s full-time carer, said, “Now she can’t eat or drink anymore, and her brain is shrinking.(萎缩) With all her problems, we just thought, ‘Let’s get the Christmas tree up as soon as possible.’ We’re praying she lives to see Christmas Day.”Paige’s parents got the Christmas tree up on November 1 to ____.
| A．let her enjoy the great time with visitors |
| B．let her understand her parents’ love |
| C．let her enjoy Christmas early before her death |
| D．let her receive more good wishes from others |
Mrs Badman described Paige as “ being on death row” because ______.
| A．Paige could die at any time without warning |
| B．she found Paige struggling painfully |
| C．she had organized Paige’s funeral |
| D．Paige lost the abilities to walk and speak |
The underlined word can be replaced by “_____”.
| A．proved satisfying | B．grown stronger | C．got improved | D．become worse |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Christmas is Paige’s favorite festival. |
| B．12% of children in the world suffer from the disease. |
| C．Paige enjoyed watching pop stars’ DVDs on a trip. |
| D．Paige travelled with her family before suffering the disease. |
（三）
A
I recently spent two years in the Arctic filming the series Blue Planet. I love being in an environment that hasn't changed for 20,000 years. Of course it's freezing, but it must be a healthy place because you never catch colds.
When I'm filming, I like to really feel how lonely the environment is. Filming underwater involves cutting through thick ice and diving in tied to a line. The person at the other end has to be ready to pull you out fast if necessary.
Originally I was a research diver for the British Antarctic Survey project, but for me science lacked excitement. I'd always enjoyed photography, and whenever camera teams passed through, they encouraged me to watch and learn. I was then able to move into filming in 1985 and have concentrated on Arctic and Antarctic wildlife ever since.
I prefer to be faced with the animals I'm filming. I haven't got in the water with killer whales yet, but I plan to. Of course, it's dangerous if you choose the wrong moment. They're big animals and can move fast, so I'd be stupid to film them searching for food!
I've never had problems with polar bears, although once I was frightened when one tried to get into my tent. Polar bears are bold, clever and dangerous. But I made this one see I wasn't about to attack it - I'm sure it realised I wouldn't hurt it.
When I come home back from my trips, I work in the mornings and spend the afternoons swimming to keep fit. Now I'm fifty, filming is harder. The challenge for me is to continue to deliver high-quality work.
56. In this text, the writer is describing __________.
A. the challenges of the environment he works in B. the beautiful scenery of the Arctic
C. the career opportunities in TV camera work. D. the difficulties of having to work alone
57. What does the writer say about his early career?
A. He was bored by working only in Antarctic.
B. It taught him how to become a skilled diver.
C. He wasted the years he spent as a scientist.
D. It provided him with a chance to learn about filming.
58. When talking about killer whales, the writer says that __________.
A. he has always been careful when diving with them
B. he tries to avoid any danger by facing them
C. he will only film them from a safe distance
D. he believes there are safe opportunities to film them
59. How does the writer describe his experience with a polar bear?
A. The writer realized he was wrong to trust polar bears.
B. The writer felt nervous that the bear might come back.
C. The bear seemed to know the writer wasn’t a danger.
D. The animal was much more afraid than the writer was.
D
We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles of your neck, or because an unexpected twist has made your neck ache and stiff. Your whole body feels tight. The slightest move makes you jump with pain. Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck.
That is why we use phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling. We have all met such people.
One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands—often at the wrong time—during a performance in the theater. He keeps you from hearing the actors.
Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and play begins. They come hurrying down to your row of seats. You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap. You must stand up to ;et them pass. You are proud of your self—control after they have settled into their seats…Well, what now…Good God, one of them is up again. He forgot to go to the men’s room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass. Now, that is “a pain in the neck.”
Another, well—known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies. His mouth is full of popcorn; he is chewing loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him. None of them remain still. Up and down, back and forth, they go—for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink.
Then, there is the main sitting next to you at a lunch counter smoking a smelly cigar. He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across you food into your mouth.
We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway car and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him. You are reading the newspaper and he leans over and stretches his rock so that he can read the paper with you. He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it.
We also call such a person a “rubber neck,” always stretching his neck to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors. They enjoy invading your privacy. People have a strong dislike for rubbernecks. They hate being spied upon.
68．Where can you find this passage?
A．Medicine dictionaries. B．Social science books,
C．Kids’ comic books. D．Science text books.
69．How do you feel when late comers walk back and forth in front of you in a cinema?
A．Ignored. B．Bored. C．Disturbed D．Relaxed.
70．A “rubber neck” often .
A．says bad words behind people.
B．quarrels face to face with neighbors.
C．bargains the price with sales women
D．asks about other people’s business
71．Which of the follow is a “pain on the neck”?
A．Someone who helps you find your seat in a movie theatre.
B．Someone who smokes in a smoking section on a train.
C．Someone who throws trash out of his car window on the highway.
D．Someone who goes to the doctor for his severe pain on the neck.