Four million children are caught up in the war in Syria. Thirteen-year-old Rabia is one of them. Tall and thin, she sits shaking in a yellow T-shirt at the Al Marj settlement, close to the Lebanese-Syrian border. 
Home for Rabia was once a two-story house near Damascus. Now it is a tent shared with her nine family members.
Rabia’s face is covered with dirt, and she is tired and cold. She has just finished work, picking up potatoes that fell from a truck. Her typical day starts at 4 a.m., and she works a double shift that lasts about 16 hours, putting potatoes into bags. The only choice for her is that she can choose the first eight hours or the second eight hours. For this, she gets paid about $8 a day.
Working means Rabia misses school. Back in her village, she was the best in her class and good at everything. Her favorite subjects were Arabic literature and math. But, like many children now living in the settlements—there are no official refugee （难民）camps in Lebanon —that was Rabia’s old life. Life before war, before her family moved five times to escape the bombs, before leaving behind her bedroom, her toys and her friends without packing a bag, before “half the people I know”were dead.
The old life was full of laughter with her sister, Wala. But Wala, 14, got married two days ago to an 18-year-old Lebanese. Rabia is happy for her sister. Life in the settlement is tough— the children have nowhere to play, the bathing is poor and sexual abuse is out of control. You can’t blame parents —often confused, illiterate （不识字的）and poor—who want to marry off their daughters. They fear for their safety.
Increasing numbers of Rabia’s girlfriends are getting married. Once in rural Syria, a girl got married at 16. According to UNICEF, the age is now dropping to 12 or 13. It is no secret that Lebanese men want to marry Syrian refugee girls, who work hard and don’t ask for anything. Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?
| A．A news report. | B．A book review. |
| C．A history book. | D．A travel magazine. |
The underlined word “shift”in Para. 3 probably refers to _____.
| A．the extra task | B．the low pay |
| C．the potato factory. | D．the working period |
The writer's purpose for writing Para. 4 is to ________.
| A．present the dream of Rabia | B．show the damage of the war |
| C．predict the future of Syrian girls | D．compare the life before war and now |
Why are so many young Syrian girls getting married?
| A．They have no good friends to play with. |
| B．They want money from the husband family. |
| C．Their parents are worried about their safety. |
| D．Their parents are confused，illiterate and poor. |
When I was seven, my parents gave me a doll, a doll’s house and a book. The Arabian Nights, came wrapped in red paper. I was just ready to read when my mother walked into my room．
“Isn’t your doll just beautiful?” my mother asked. I looked at the doll, with fair hair in a pink dress----I’ll have to call her “she” because I never gave her a name. I folded my lips and raised my eyebrows, not really knowing how to let my mother down easily.
“This doll is different.” My mother explained, trying to talk me into playing with it.
Thinking the doll needed love, I hugged her tightly for a long time. Useless, I said to myself. Finally, I decided to play with the doll’s house. But since rearranging the tiny furniture seemed to be the only active possible, I lost interest. I caught sight again of the third of my gifts The Arabian Nights, and I began to read it. From that moment, the book was my constant companion.
Every day I climbed our garden tree, nestled among its branches, I read the stories in The Arabian Nights to my heart’s content. My mother became concerned as she noticed I wasn’t playing with either the doll or the little house. She insisted that I take the doll up the tree with me.
Trying to read on a branch 15 feet off the ground while holding on to the silly doll was not easy. After nearly falling off twice, I tied one end of a long vine around the doll’s neck and the opposite one around the branch, letting the doll hang in mid air while I read. I always looked out for my mother, though. I sensed that my playing with the doll was of great importance to her. So every time I heard her coming, I lifted the doll up and hugged her. The smile in my mother’s eyes told me my plan worked.
The inevitable(不可避免的) happened one afternoon. Totally absorbed in the reading, I didn’t hear my mother calling me. When I looked down, I saw my mother staring at the hanging doll. Fearing the worst of scolding, I climbed down in a flash, reaching the ground just as my mother was untying the doll. To my surprise, she didn’t scold. She kept on staring at the doll．
The next day, my father came home early and suggested he and I play with the doll’s house. Soon I was bored, but my father seemed to be having so much fun, I didn’t have the heart to tell him. Quietly I slipped out, picking up my book on my way to the yard. So absorbed was he in arranging and rearranging the tiny furniture that he didn’t notice my quick exit.
Almost 20 years passed before I found out why the hanging-doll incident had been so significant for my parents. By then I was a parent myself. After recalling the incident, my mother said all those years she had been afraid whether I would turn out to be a most loving and understanding mother to my son．
My mother often thanks God aloud for making me a good parent, pointing out that with education I might have been a rich dentist instead of a poor poet. I look back on that same childhood incident, recalling my third gift, the book in red-paper, and I take advantage of the experiences that have made me who and what I am. Sometimes I pause to wonder at life’s wonderful ironies （讽刺）.Why didn’t the author give the doll a name?
| A．Because the gift was given by her parents. |
| B．Because the girl didn’t care much for the doll. |
| C．Because her parents would give the doll a name. |
| D．Because the doll had little in common with her. |
The author’s account of a childhood incident shows that, as a young girl, she viewed her parents as people who.
| A．hoped to shape their children’s future |
| B．were unconcerned about their behavior |
| C．ruined their children’s dreams completely |
| D．might withdraw their love at any moment |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．The mother is now satisfied with her daughter’s career. |
| B．The daughter now regrets what she did when she was a girl. |
| C．The mother thinks the daughter’s achievements are unsatisfactory. |
| D．The daughter wishes that she had been allowed more freedom as a child. |
Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.
The report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster, population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising the global death rates from illnesses including malnutrition and heat-related health problems.
But even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk, who questioned its methods and conclusions. Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poor countries,were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number would double by 2030.
Roger Pielke Jr., a politicalscientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studies disaster trends, said the Forum’s report was “a methodological embarrassment” because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid（在...中间） the much larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development in vulnerable(易受伤害的) regions. Dr. Pielke said that “climate change is an important problem requiring our utmost attention.” But the report, he said, “will harm the cause for action on both climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed(有瑕疵的).”
However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners who supervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers were rough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a new international climate treaty.
In a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations to focus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerability to climate hazards while still controling the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% of the human and economic losses from climate change are occurring in poor countries, according to the report. What is the finding of the Global Humanitarian Forum?
| A．Rates of death from illnesses have risen due to global warming. |
| B．Global temperatures affect the rate of economic development. |
| C．Malnutrition has caused serious health problems in poor countries. |
| D．Economic trends have to do withpopulation and natural disasters. |
What do we learn about the Forum’s report from the passage?
| A．It caused a big stir in developing countries. |
| B．It was warmly received by environmentalists. |
| C．It caused a lot of interest in the scientific circles. |
| D．It was challenged by some climate and risk experts. |
What is Soren Andreasen’s view of the report?
| A．Its conclusions are based on carefully collected data. |
| B．It is vulnerable to criticism if the statistics are closely examined. |
| C．It will give rise to heated discussions at the Copenhagen conference. |
| D．Its rough estimates are meant to draw the attention of world leaders. |
What does Kofi Annan say should be the focus of the Copenhagen conference?
| A．How human and economic losses from climate change can be reduced. |
| B．How rich countries can better help poor regions reduce climate hazards. |
| C．How emissions of heat-trapping gases can be reduced on a global scale. |
| D．How rich and poor regionscan share responsibility in curbing global warming. |
Our grand China tour will show you a different China!
But you are required to present a US passport when entering China. For some important information on how to apply for a passport, see the following forms.
| YOU MUST SUBMIT FORM DS-11 IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ARE TRUE: ★You have never been issued（签发）a US passport or ★You are under aged 16 or ★You were under 16 when your previous passport was issued or ★Your most recent US passport was issued more than 15 years ago or ★Your most recent US passport was lost or stolen or ★Your name has changed since your previous US passport was issued. NOTE: If the above statements do not apply to you, you can apply for a US passport by mail! |
| STEPS TO SUBMITING FORM DS-11: Read and understand Steps 1 and 2 before leaving this page. STEP 1: Complete and Print Form DS-11 ★If completing Form DS-11 online, print the completed form using black ink on one-sided pages ★If completing Form DS-11 by hand, make sure that all the information is complete and correct. The form should be filled in black ink. Do so legibly(字迹清楚地) or the application processing time may be delayed. NOTE: Form DS-11 can be obtained from your local Passport Agency. STEP 2: Submit Completed Form in Person You must submit Form DS-11 and other required documents in person at a Passport Agency, Form DS-11 may not be submitted by mail. |
| NEED A US PASSPORT IMMEDIATELY? You should make an appointment to be seen at a Passport Agency only if: ★The US passport is needed in less than 2 weeks for international travel ★The US passport is needed within 4 weeks to obtain a foreign visa Call the National Passport Information Center to make an appointment or visit a Passport Agency. |
| If you are overseas and need to apply for or renew your US passport, please follow the instructions in Tips for Americans Traveling Abroad. |
What is most probably talked about before this passage?
| A．Matters needed to be dealt with before going to China. |
| B．The great changes happening in China. |
| C．An introduction to a journey to China. |
| D．International travel information. |
You can apply for a US passport by mail if you _________.
| A．have never had a US passport before |
| B．were 17 when you received your previous passport |
| C．got your most recent US passport 17 years ago |
| D．changed your name after getting your passport last time |
Before submitting Form DS-11, you should __________.
| A．fill the form in either black or blue ink |
| B．fill in all information on the form |
| C．connect the local agency by telephone first |
| D．print the form on both sides of the paper |
If you want to get the passport within half a month, you should _________.
| A．call the National Passport Information Center or visit a Passport Agency |
| B．be an adult of more than 18 years old |
| C．offer to present your foreign visa to a Passport Agency |
| D．not pay a visit to Passport Agency |
It was the afternoon of December 24, the day before Christmas; and as the newest doctor in our office, I had to work. The only thing that brightened my day was the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in our waiting room and a gift sent to me by a fellow I was dating — a dozen long-stemmed red roses.
As I was cleaning my office, I was told a lady urgently needed to speak with me. As I stepped out, I noticed a young, tired-looking woman with a baby in her arms. Nervously, she explained that her husband — a prisoner in a nearby prison — was my next patient. She told me she wasn’t allowed to visit her husband in prison and that he had never seen his son. Her request was for me to let the boy’s father sit in the waiting room with her as long as possible before I called him for his appointment. Since my schedule wasn’t full, I agreed. After all, it was Christmas Eve.
A short time later, her husband arrived — with chains on his feet and hands, and two armed guards as bodyguards. The woman’s tired face lit up like our little Christmas tree when her husband took a seat beside her. I kept glancing out to watch them laugh, cry and share their child. After almost an hour, I called the prisoner back to my office. The patient seemed like a gentle and modest man. I wondered what he possibly could have done to be held under such conditions. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible.
At the end of the appointment, I wished him a Merry Christmas----a difficult thing to say to a man headed back to prison. He smiled and thanked me. He also said he felt saddened by the fact he hadn’t been able to get his wife anything for Christmas. On hearing this, I was inspired with a wonderful idea.
I’ll never forget the look on both their faces as the prisoner gave his wife the beautiful, long-stemmed roses. I’m not sure who experienced the most joy — the husband in giving, the wife in receiving, or myself in having the opportunity to share in this special moment.What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
| A．The writer was a newcomer to her office. |
| B．A fellow sent her a dozen red roses as Christmas present. |
| C．She was in low spirits because she had to work before Christmas. |
| D．She was at work with a light heart. |
The young woman came to the writer’s office for the purpose of __________.
| A．having her baby examined |
| B．giving her husband a chance to make his escape |
| C．having her husband examined |
| D．getting a chance for her family to get together |
The underlined part in paragraph 3 most probably means “__________”.
| A．to be sent to hospital | B．to be separated from his family |
| C．to be comfortable | D．to become a prisoner |
What does the writer learn from the story?
| A．The wife experienced the most joy in receiving. |
| B．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
| C．The prisoner was treated with mercy. |
| D．Whoever breaks the law should be punished. |
Work your brain!
Between 2 and 3 pounds of wonder, it controls everything we say, do or think, who we are and what we care about. The way we walk or laugh or figure out things. What we like and the talents we possess. How we see and talk and run and jump and process our food.
The brain uses 20 percent of our body’s oxygen and 20 percent of its blood. Somewhere within its protein, fat, 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion nerve cells, it helps us remember where we put our gym shoes. Change our temperature so we don’t die because of the heat or cold. Speed us up or slow us down. Help us choose between orange juice or orangeflavored drinks.
Its complexity are stunning, far beyond anything most of us can imagine. To keep this work of art as polished as possible we need to eat right, exercise and keep mentally stimulated. Good nutrition helps brain cells communicate with each other. Exercise stimulates a hormone in our brain that improves memory. Mental stimulation keeps you sharp even as you age.
“It’s very important that we tell people to be physically active and mentally active,” said neurologist Malcolm Stewart.“People cannot stop aging, but you’re able to reduce the damage; you’re able to keep the function up.”
Following are Dr. Stewart’s advice for improving brain health：
| Nutrition |
Avoid fast food. Follow the old adage(格言): For breakfast, eat like a king; for lunch, like a queen; for supper, like a beggar. |
| Exercise |
Do a combination of stretching aerobic and muscle strengthening every day. |
| Mental games |
Try to have a sense of hope about the future. Do puzzles. Listen to music. Reach out to others to make their lives better. |
The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to ______.
| A．inform us how the brain works |
| B．give us advice on how to keep the brain healthy |
| C．tell us that the brain plays an important role in our lives |
| D．show how special the brain is to us |
The underlined word “stunning” means ______.
| A．interesting | B．strange | C．significant | D．amazing |
According to the text，more exercise ______.
| A．keeps our mind sharp |
| B．helps improve our memory |
| C．gives our brain a rest |
| D．is good for brain cells communicating with each other |
In order to keep brain healthy，we should avoid ______.
| A．eating a good lunch | B．doing puzzles |
| C．eating a large supper | D．taking aerobic exercise |