A mother isdevastated, crying, yelling all she can in that dark corner. There was nobody tohear her yell and not a soul to calm her, because outside her house is a long winding lonely road.The wind was at rest and the leaves didn't rustle, silence filling the air. Loneliness was alreadykilling her, but no one knows what made her cry?
Losing something you love with all your heart isn't really the pain you can ever overcome.Radha lost her baby, her only means to live. She saw her child getting killed and the accidentwas terrible. One lonely night, she was walking down the street to get a breath of fresh air withher child hugged tight in her arms.
The whole time she walked with her child in her arms, the only thing that worried her wasAryan's future. She was imagining and feeling every day of the child's growthand figuringwhat she would have in store for him. But who knows what's in store for us tomorrow, life canchange in a second.
On that deserted road, were a few streetlights barely enough? It was this one light that couldbe seen from a distance,but as it came closer it got brighter and brighter. That light changedRadha's life into darkness forever. A speeding car came down that road. The driver came with a full speed throwing beer bottles out of his half open window. He was definitely drunk,and the speed took, everything in its path. Just then, there was a loud cry, and silence set in again.
But the mother wasn't hurt. She opened her eyes, unable to focus her eyes, and didn't seeAryan. After a few minutes when her sight cleared up she looked all over in a panic for her baby,but alas! ... The child hadn't even seen life.
Simple, don't drink and drive.You could take a life, but kill a number of people.The word "devastated" in Paragraph 1 would probably mean .
| A．worried | B．scared | C．heart-broken | D．weather-beaten |
Which of the following statements is TRUE of Radha?
| A．She had expected much of Aryan. |
| B．She got her eyes injured in the accident. |
| C．She was hit by one bottle on the arm. |
| D．She had everything ready for Aryan's future. |
The last sentence underlined implies that .
| A．drunk driving is absolutely forbidden |
| B．drunk driving is certain to kill a lot of people |
| C．the driver killed Aryan and his mother |
| D．there is more than one victim in a car accident |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Death of a Miserable Child |
| B．A Sad Mother on a Windy Night |
| C．The Price for Another Man's Mistake |
| D．Overspeeding from Drunk Driving |
Women had a significant part to play during World War Ⅱ，which was the time when women also made their own contributions.Some women’s great efforts and their names have been recorded in history.Here’s a look at some of the strong figures of women in World War Ⅱ.
Tatiana Nikolaevna Baramzina was born in Glazov of Russia on December 12,1919.In 1943，she was sent to the Central Women’s Sniper Training School and upon her graduation in April，she was further sent to the front.She managed to kill around 16 enemies in the first three months！Unfortunately，she was captured(俘虏) by the enemies and was killed on the fifth of July in 1944.Today，the street where she grew up has been renamed in her memory.
Anne Frank was a Germanborn Jewish girl who was wellknown for the publication of her diary that described all her experiences when the Germans occupied Holland in World War Ⅱ.Anne was born on June 12,1929 and she，along with her family，went into hiding in July 1942.Two years later，her family was captured and seven months from her arrest，Anne Frank died of illness in early March 1945.
Margaret Ringenberg was born on 17 June,1921，in Indiana of America.She began her career during World War Ⅱ when she became a ferry pilot for the Women Airforce Service Pilots.After that she turned a flight instructor in 1945.She even wrote her own book named Girls Can’t Be Pilots.She passed away on 28 July,2008，after flying for 40,000 hours in the air.
Hannah Szenes was born on 17th July,1921 and was trained to parachute(用降落伞空投) by the British army into Yugoslavia during World War Ⅱ.This task was given in order to save the Jews of Hungary.Her secret mission was not revealed even when she was tortured(折磨) following her arrest at the Hungarian border.Hannah Szenes had to brave immense tortures，yet she did not lose heart.She bravely battled it out and tried to sing to keep her spirits high！She also kept a record of events in her diary till 7th November,1944，when she was finally killed.
These names are just a few of the women who played a significant part in World War Ⅱ.Their stories go a long way in showing the kind of lifestyles they led and their struggles and sacrifices.What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．Women were braver than men in World War Ⅱ. |
| B．Women and men made equal contributions in World War Ⅱ. |
| C．Women played a significant role in World War Ⅱ. |
| D．Women’s death rate was high in World War Ⅱ. |
Which of the four women heroes died the youngest?
| A．Tatiana Baramzina. |
| B．Anne Frank. |
| C．Margaret Ringenberg. |
| D．Hannah Szenes. |
Who were killed by the enemy in the war?
| A．Tatiana Baramzina and Anne Frank. |
| B．Hannah Szenes and Tatiana Baramzina. |
| C．Anne Frank and Margaret Ringenberg. |
| D．Margaret Ringenberg and Hannah Szenes. |
It can be learned from the text that ________.
| A．Tatiana Baramzina was once a flight instructor |
| B．Margaret Ringenberg was the best at writing about the war experiences |
| C．Anne Frank and her family were arrested by Germans in 1944 |
| D．Hannah Szenes was arrested by Germans because of her diary |
In today’s throwaway society，dealing with the city’s growing mountain of waste is an increasing challenge for the city council (市议会)．
Recently，Edinburgh is faced with the problem of disposing of (处理) about 250,000 million tons of waste a year.Despite different ways to dispose of much of it in a green manner—largely through encouraging recycling—its aging facilities such as the Powderhall landfill do not have the ability to deal with it.
The European Union (EU) has issued a new policy，regulating how such mountains of waste are to be disposed of.The five councils (Edinburgh，East Lothian，West Lothian，Midlothian and Borders) face fines around ￡18 million a year from 2013 if they don’t increase recycling levels and rely less on landfill.With this in mind，the councils got together with the idea of building a large incinerator plant (垃圾焚烧厂) to burn half of the waste produced in their districts.But this plan fell apart after the change of target levels by a new UK government waste policy which required that no more than 25% of the city’s waste should be disposed of in this way by 2025.
After the plan was abandoned，a private company which already transported millions of tons of the city’s waste by train to a landfill site near Dunbar，offered an
alternative solution when it suggested opening a huge waste site near Portobello.
Since Powderhall is supposed to close in 2015，it seemed necessary for the members of the Edinburgh Council to accept the suggestion.But soon they turned it down—after 700 local objections reached them—because it would have meant hundreds of lorries a day making loud noise through heavily populated areas.
That still leaves the council with a problem.By 2013，only 50% of 1995 levels of waste will be allowed to be sent to landfill.Even if recycling targets are met，there will still be a large amount of rubbish to be burnt up.Due to this，Edinburgh and Midlothian councils have now decided to work together to build an incinerator plant as time to find a solution is fast running out.(2011·湖北，C)The main way of handling waste in a green manner in Edinburgh is ________.
| A．recycling | B．restoring |
| C．burying | D．burning |
The five councils worked out a plan to build an incinerator plant to ________.
| A．reduce the cost of burying waste |
| B．meet the EU requirements |
| C．speed up waste recycling |
| D．replace landfill sites |
The city council of Edinburgh rejected the suggestion to open a huge landfill site near Portobello because ________.
| A．it came from a private company |
| B．the council was not interested in it |
| C．it was not supported by EU |
| D．the local people were against it |
What is the final decision of Edinburgh and Midlothian councils?
| A．To open a new landfill nearby. |
| B．To close the Powderhall landfill in 2015. |
| C．To set up a plant for burning waste. |
| D．To persuade people to reduce their waste. |
As a nation we are becoming more aware of the food we and our children are eating.The recent campaign to improve school dinners by celebrity(名人) chef Jamie Oliver has helped raise awareness of our fast food lifestyles.While we may be trying to eat more healthily，it seems we still have some bad habits.
•Healthy eaters or just trendy?
Are there certain things that you do and don’t eat and why？With so many food programmes and books telling you what you should and shouldn’t eat to be healthy，it’s hard to make choices.
Some people are vegetarians for moral reasons，some don’t like the taste of meat and there are one or two people who do it because it’s trendy.Likewise，it can be trendy to follow the latest celebrity’s diet because it’s what the famous are doing.
•Eating out
People are eating out more often now，not just on special occasions as in the past.The choice of restaurants has also diversified.Italian，Chinese and Indian restaurants have been around for years but have now been joined by Mongolian，Japanese，Mexican and so on.Bars and pubs are still popular for food and often promote English cuisine made with local produce.
“We enjoy eating out a couple of times every month whether with friends or just as a couple.We like trying new things so we go to different restaurants.” said Craig,25，County Durham.
•Eating on the go
From chocolate bars to sandwiches more people are eating on the go—on the street，in cars or on buses and trains.While our parents and grandparents may frown at this behaviour，considering it to be bad manners，people eat on the go because they are rushing from one place to another.And in the home the number of people sitting down at a dining table for their evening meal is on the decrease as meal times become more informal.
“If I’m running late for work I don’t think twice about eating toast in the car or on the bus but I know my mum wouldn’t approve，” said Stacey,24.What can we infer from the text?
| A．Our parents think highly of the eating habits mentioned in the text. |
| B．We should get rid of the bad habits and try to be healthier. |
| C．Japanese restaurants have been around for years. |
| D．It’s good for people to eat out more frequently. |
People find it difficult to decide what to eat to keep healthy because ________.
| A．different programmes and books have different ideas about healthy eating |
| B．there are many celebrities having different diet styles |
| C．what the famous are doing is different from ours |
| D．they have some bad eating habits |
The underlined word “diversified” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”．
| A．made a great change |
| B．made a big difference |
| C．had a rapid increase |
| D．had a wide variety |
Craig often goes to different restaurants because ________.
| A．he likes trying new things |
| B．he follows the latest celebrity diet |
| C．he enjoys the meal with his friends |
| D．he has more special occasions to celebrate |
President Abraham Lincoln’s first call for volunteers to fight in the Civil War was for whites only.The Civil War was a white man’s war，northern whites insisted.Its purpose was to preserve the Union.It was not being fought to end slavery.But by September of 1862，the sentiment toward black volunteers had changed.Lincoln had hoped that the war would be short，but it had already lasted for a year and a half.Union manpower had fallen dangerously.
Lincoln had a plan.He issued the Emancipation Proclamation.It stated that as of January 1,1863，all slaves living in the rebellious southern states would be forever free.And starting immediately，Union armies would accept black volunteers.
The southern rebels’response to Lincoln’s call for black troops was a deadly one.Captives (俘虏) of any Union regiment (团) with black troops were to be given “no quarter”．They were to be put to death immediately.
AfricanAmerican troops throughout the war distinguished themselves (表现突出) in battle at places like Milliken’s Bend，Fort Wagner，and the Crater at St.Petersburg.As to their conduct on the battlefield，Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson wrote，“Nobody knows anything about these men who has not seen them in battle.No officer in this regiment now doubts that the successful process of the war lies in the unlimited employment of black troops.” By the war’s end,186,000 black men had participated.They made up nearly 10 percent of Union forces.These black soldiers saw action in more than 250 battles.Black soldiers also gave their lives.By the war’s end，about 38,000 black soldiers had died.They died from disease，in battle，and after capture by rebel troops.This passage is mainly about________.
| A．cause of the Civil War |
| B．the Emancipation Proclamation |
| C．black soldiers in the Civil War |
| D．why Lincoln was a good president |
What does the underlined word “sentiment” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．Whites. |
| B．People who keep watch. |
| C．Rebels. |
| D．Thought and feeling. |
What can we conclude from the passage?
| A．Lincoln acted too late to free the slaves. |
| B．Blacks fought well for the Union cause. |
| C．The Civil War changed American history. |
| D．The southern rebels nearly won the Civil War. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The Civil War’s purpose was to drive the black away. |
| B．The Civil War ended just in one year with the help of the blacks. |
| C．All slaves were set free by September of 1862. |
| D．Black captives of any Union regiment were killed after Lincoln’s call. |
Why do human beings still risk their lives under ground and doing one of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs in the world？It’s an increasingly urgent question，given the recent highprofile(引人注目的) mining accidents in Sago，W.Va.and Huntington，Utah.A small group of engineers and robotics experts look forward to a day in the nottoodistant future when robots and other technology do most of the dangerous mining work.
Robotic technology，in particular，holds much promise，McAteer says，especially when it comes to mapping mines and rescuing trapped miners—the special operations of the mining industry.
One of the first mining robots was developed five years ago at CarnegieMellon University’s Robotics Institute.It was called Groundhog and it looked like a golf cart.It used lasers(激光器) to “see” in dark tunnels and map abandoned mines—some of the most dangerous work in the business.
The latest design is called Cave Crawler.It’s a bit smaller than Groundhog，and even more advanced.It can take photos and video and has sensors mounted(增加) that can detect the presence of dangerous gases.Incredibly，the robot has a real sense of logic.If it comes across an obstacle it gets confused.It has to think through the process and where to go next，and sometimes it throws_a_fit just like a real person.
The biggest obstacle，though，is cost.The original research project was federally funded，but that money has dried up，and it’s not clear where future funding will come from. Partly for that reason，and partly because of advances in safety，mining is not nearly as dangerous as it was in the past.Since 1990，fatalities(致命性) have declined by 67 percent and injuries by 51 percent，according to the National Mining Association.
Some experts predict that robots in mines will serve much of the same function that they do in the automotive industry.The robots do the most repetitive and dangerous jobs，but don’t eliminate(消除) the need for human workers.The underlined phrase “throws a fit” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”．
| A．gets angry | B．gets sick |
| C．becomes hungry | D．becomes cheerful |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.
| A．robots in mines will serve much in the automotive industry |
| B．there will be no need for human workers in mines |
| C．the mine robots will have a very bright future |
| D．robots in mines have a long way to go |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Mining robots do most of the mining work at present. |
| B．Groundhog can discover the presence of dangerous gases. |
| C．Experts are trying to make robots save miners in danger. |
| D．Robots cannot do dangerous work in dark areas. |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Mining Accidents in America |
| B．Could Robots Replace Humans in Mines? |
| C．Cave Crawler，the Latest Robot |
| D．The Development of Robots |