One summer I was driving from my hometown of Tahoe City，Calif.，to New Orleans.In the middle of the desert, I came upon a young man standing by the roadside. He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his other hand. I drove right by him.There was a time in the country when you'd be considered a jerk if you passed by somebody in need. Now you are a fool for helping. With gangs, drug addicts, murderers, rapists, thieves lurking everywhere, “I don't want to get involved” has become a national motto.
Several states later I was still thinking about the hitchhiker.Leaving him stranded in the desert did not bother me so much.What bothered me was how easily I had reached the decision.I never even lifted my foot off the accelerator.
Does anyone stop any more? I wondered.I recalled Blanche DuBois's famous line：“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”. Could anyone rely on the kindness of strangers these days? One way to test this would be for a person to journey from coast to coast without any money, relying solely on the goodwill of his fellow Americans.What kind of Americans would he find? Who would feed him, shelter him，carry him down the road?
The idea intrigued me.
The week I turned 37，I realized that I had never taken a gamble in my life.So I decided to travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic without a penny.It would be a cashless journey through the land of the almighty dollar.I would only accept offers of rides, food and a place to rest my head.My final destination would be Cape Fear in North Carolina，a symbol of all the fears I'd have to conquer during the trip.
I rose early on September 6, 1994, and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge with a 50pound pack on my back and a sign displaying my destination to passing vehicles：“America”．
For six weeks I hitched 82 rides and covered 4,223 miles across 14 states.As I traveled, folks were always warning me about someplace else.In Montana they told me to watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming; in Nebraska they said people would not be as nice in Iowa. Yet I was treated with kindness everywhere I went.I was amazed by people's readiness to help a stranger, even when it seemed to run contrary to their own best interests.Why did the author drive past the young man in the desert without stopping?
| A．Because he failed to notice this man. |
| B．Because he was driving too fast. |
| C．Because he thought the young man didn't need help. |
| D．Because he was afraid of being tricked. |
What was it that made the author upset?
| A．Leaving the young man alone in the desert. |
| B．Being considered a fool. |
| C．Making the decision of not offering help so easily. |
| D．Keeping thinking about the young man. |
The author decided to travel without a penny in order to ________.
| A．find out how long he could survive without help |
| B．go through the great difficulty in surviving unexpected environment |
| C．find out whether strangers would offer help to him |
| D．figure out how strangers thought of his plan |
In the passage，the author described his journey as a gamble because ________.
| A．he was not so sure of the outlook of the journey |
| B．he had no money to give to strangers |
| C．he was sure of the coming sufferings |
| D．he wasn't sure whether to make the journey |
The following part might probably ________.
| A．describe how he fooled strangers |
| B．describe how strangers went out of their way to help him |
| C．explain why people refused to help strangers |
| D．explain how he overcame his difficulties on the way |
Barditch High School decided to hold an All-School Reunion．Over 450 people came to the event．There were tours of the old school building and a picnic at Confederate Park．Several former teachers were on hands to tell stories about the old days．Ms．Mabel Yates, the English teacher for fifty years, was wheeled to the Park．
Some eyes rolled and there were a few low groans(嘟囔声)when Ms．Yates was about to speak．Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined．
Then Ms．Yates started to speak:
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be here．I haven’t seen many of you since your graduation, but I have followed your careers and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies．I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students．Although I haven’t appeared in person, I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the birth of your children, in my imagination．”
Ms．Yates paused and started crying a bit．Then she continued:
“It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me．Regardless of our motives, I can see that you have all been successful in you chosen path．”
“There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work．You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart．”
There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping．The clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar(呼喊)．Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown．What activity was organized for the school reunion?
| A．Telling stories about past events． |
| B．A picnic on the school playground． |
| C．Sightseeing in the park． |
| D．Graduates’ reports in the old building． |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?
| A．Some graduates were too busy to listen to Ms．Yates’ speech． |
| B．Some people got tired from the reunion activities． |
| C．Many graduates disliked Ms．Yates’ ways of teaching． |
| D．Most people had little interest in the reunion． |
We can learn from Ms．Yates’ speech that she _____________．
| A．attended her students’ college graduations |
| B．gave her students advice on their careers |
| C．kept track of her students’ progress |
| D．went to her students’ wedding ceremonies |
What was Ms．Yates’ belief in teaching teenagers?
| A．Hard-pushed students are more likely to succeed． |
| B．Pressure on students from teachers should be reduced． |
| C．Teachers’ knowledge is the key to students’achievements． |
| D．Students’ respect is the best reward for teachers． |
Which of the following can best describe Ms．Yates?__________．
| A．Reliable and devoted． |
| B．Strict but caring． |
| C．Proud but patient． |
| D．Tough and generous． |
A. An Acrobatic (杂技) Soul
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the China Acrobatic Troupe will present "The Soul of China", where the seemingly impossible is made real. Chills will run down your spine as you watch breathlessly as performers take their art and their bodies to the edge.
Time: 7:30pm, September 13-19
Place: the Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujingdajie Street, Dongcheng District
B. Exhibitions Joint Show
A group ink painting exhibition is running at the ltuangshicheng Art Gallery in Beijing. About 50 works by 25 young artists including Ge Yun and Yu Yang are on display.
Time: 9am-5pm until September 10
Place: Huangshicheng Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Road, Dongcheng District
C. Oil Paintings
The Wanfang Art Galley will host a joint show of oil paintings by 10 young and middle-aged artists. On display are more than 30 of their latest works, which capture the wonderful variety of life in unique styles.
Time: 9am-4pm until September 15
Place: 136 Nanchizi Street, Dongcheng District
D. Literature Museum
The National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature offers a study of the evolution of Chinese contemporary literature from 1919 to 1949.
Time: 9am-4pm, daily
Place: 45 Anyuandonglu Road, Chaoyang District (Shaoyaoju area)
E. Concerts
Beijing rocks: "The Fashion Night of Chinese Rock" is set to bring rock fans out next month. Nine Chinese rock bands will perform at the concert, including older generation bands, middle generation and some recent arrivals. Audiences will be given a chance to decide what songs they want to hear, which is sure to bring a crowd.
Time: September 16
Place: The Olympic Center
F. Belgium Orchestra
La Petite Band, the Baroque Orchestra of Belgium, will perform in Beijing at Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities as part of activities across the world to commemorate(纪念) the 250th anniversary of Bach's death.
Time: 7:30pm, September 11-14
Place: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities
阅读下面待选人的信息，然后匹配他／她所选的活动：Wang Lin: Wang Lin is a university student who studies music. He hopes to hear some live examples of foreign music from a western band.
Simon: Simon is interested in Chinese literature, so he came to China with his parents. During his stay in Beijing, he wants to learn more about Chinese contemporary Literature.
Li Hua: Li Hua is an eighteen-year-old boy. He is studying in a high school. After many months of hard studying, he is tired of his lessons. He would like to experience something adventurous.
Alice: Alice is an American girl who studies art at Beijing University. She has no classes on September 14. She hopes to enjoy some wonderful oil paintings.
Victoria: Victoria is fond of Chinese music. She hopes to listen to various songs performed by different bands. She doesn't care what kinds of songs they are.
The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added -- a communications blackout caused by solar storms.
After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. "A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is the greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.
Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
Professor Richard Harrison, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advanced warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem," he said. The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to____________ during the 2012 Olympics.
| A．the extinguishing of the Olympic torch |
| B．the collapse of broadcasting systems |
| C．the transportation breakdown in London |
| D．the destruction of weather satellites |
According to the passage, scientists are convinced that __________.
| A．the sun’s activities have little to do with the earth |
| B．the London Olympic broadcasting will be possibly influenced by the 2012 peak of sunspots |
| C．the 2012 Olympic Games are during the solar maximum of throwing out greatest number of sunspots |
| D．solar explosion will cause strong storms on the earth |
What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?
| A．The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth. |
| B．The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle. |
| C．It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth. |
| D．The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections. |
According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.
| A．take images of the solar system |
| B．provide early warning of thunderstorms |
| C．keep track of solar activities |
| D．improve the communications on Earth |
Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
| A．Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer |
| B．Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger |
| C．Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race |
| D．Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled |
The UN Environment Programme says that rising temperatures could mean the end for some migrating animals.
Migrating or mobile animals move through several environments as they travel away from the cold of winter to warmer areas. Birds may fly from one part of the world to another, perhaps stopping at feeding grounds on the way. Whales and turtles (海龟) cover vast areas of ocean. The report says that changes in any one of the places which these animals use can cause serious harm. "Obviously these animals have developed their travelling patterns over thousands of years. But climate change is almost certain to be extreme over the next 25 to 50 years and it is extremely unlikely that these animals can change their habits fast enough," said the report author Dr Robert Hepworth.
Hardest hit by rising temperatures are turtles. Scientists have found that at higher temperatures, turtles produce far more female eggs than male ones. In parts of Malaysia, turtle birthing sites are producing only females, the report says. It also provides evidence that some turtles are more likely to develop cancer as the waters get warmer.
With birds, the main problem is climate-related damage to important areas at either end of the travels or at resting places along the way. About one-fifth of migrating birds are now in danger because of climate-related changes including rising sea levels, land loss and more violent storms, the report concludes.
Other animals picked out as particularly in danger include:
· the North Atlantic Right Whale, whose main food (tiny shrimp) is disturbed by the change in ocean flows and
· the White-Nose Dolphin, which is out-competed by other kinds of dolphins in warmer waters.
The report is not all bad news. Even with major climatic changes, protecting the environment can still help mobile animals to recover. "We need governments to start taking action at the national and international lever. “The clock is running.” said Dr Hepworth. And some animals are already adapting, with the report mentioning whales that are changing their feeding behaviour, finding new feeding grounds and new foods to eat.What is the main topic of the text?
| A．The effect of climate change on migrating animals. |
| B．How animals are adapting to changes in temperature. |
| C．The actions required to save migrating animals. |
| D．The need for government policies to prevent global warming. |
By saying "the clock is running" in the last paragraph, Dr Hepworth means that “_______”.
| A．it may be too late to save some animals |
| B．it is time to start protecting the animals |
| C．there is not much time to solve the problem |
| D．it takes time to complete the actions |
According to the report, how will global warming affect turtles in the future?
| A．They will only produce female babies. |
| B．Their food supply will gradually disappear. |
| C．Some will suffer from higher rates of cancer. |
| D．They will be in greater danger because of more violent storms. |
Which of the following is mentioned as a consequence of rising temperatures?
| A．More storms will affect the ability of whales to find their feeding grounds. |
| B．20 percent of all birds are likely to die out because of land loss. |
| C．Migrating animals are likely to start adapting to the changes more quickly. |
| D．Warmer oceans will increase the competition between different kinds of dolphins. |
What can be inferred (推断) about turtles from the text?
| A．They are the only animals besides humans that suffer from cancer. |
| B．They have traditionally lived longer than other ocean-based animals. |
| C．Those born nearer a hotter area are more likely to be female. |
| D．Most kinds of turtles are likely to die out within 50 years. |
FOR many young people, having to attend school with a parent would be their worst nightmare. However, Senior 1 student Li Qinmei is happy taking her father with her as long as she can go to classes. He is disabled and unable to take care of himself.
The 16-year-old country girl in Zhucheng, Shandong Province has experienced one disaster after another in her short life. Li lost her mother at three. Four years later, her father became paralyzed after a tractor accident. At 12, her misfortune returned with the death of her grandma. Since then she has been forced to shoulder all the responsibility for her broken family.
Li learnt to cook and managed to live a life with an allowance of only 24 yuan per month. The most difficult thing she had to deal with was helping her father bathe, dress and use the toilet as he could hardly move.
"I felt embarrassed, and so did my dad. It was really hard at the beginning," she recalled.
During most of her junior school years, Li went to classes only once a month as her father was seriously ill at the time.
"I taught myself at home and asked teachers for help on my school days," she explained.
Li's hard work paid off this fall. She was admitted by Zhucheng No 1 High School, a local key school, based on her good performance in the entrance exams.
The school offered Li and her father a room on campus to live in so she could look after him during breaks.
Once in a while, Li felt sad when she saw her classmates going shopping or hanging out with friends.
"I envy them sometimes because they have both mum and dad to look after them. However, I soon feel relieved as I still have my dad with me," she said.
Li admitted that the difficulties in life had taught her to be strong.
"I believe I will go on and continue my studies at a good university," she said, in a confident tone.
Her teacher Mr. Wang has the same belief. Li made great progress in the recent monthly exams. "She works hard and is always eager to excel (好强的). It's not easy for her never to be late for school, but she has managed to make it work," Wang said.Li Qinmei has to shoulder the family because ________.
| A．her father was badly injured in a car accident |
| B．her mother passed away when she was 3 |
| C．her grandma died when she was 12 |
| D．misfortune in her life forced her to do so |
From the passage we can infer that _________.
| A．Li Qinmei doesn’t like others talking about her father |
| B．many young students hate going to school with their parents |
| C．Li Qinmei has made great progress in her study |
| D．Li Qinmei has lost three relatives and has to take care of her father |
What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “hanging out” in the passage?_________.
| A．playing outside | B．working hard | C．exchanging ideas | D．talking happily |
According to the passage, which statement is Not True? __________.
| A．Li Qinmei was admitted to a local key school because of his good scores in the exams |
| B．Li Qinmei is not very embarrassed when she helps her father bathe |
| C．Li Qinmei often goes to attend her father after class |
| D．Li Qinmei is able to go to class on time though she has to attend her father |
What’s the best title of the story?________.
| A．Difficulties make strong |
| B．A touching story |
| C．A strong-minded girl-Li Qinmei |
| D．Li Qinmei’s successful study life |