SYDNEY 2005-01-01 08:30—Mother of two, Jillian Searle, had to choose between her children when she made a life—or—death decision.
Swept up by mountainous tsunami waves at a Thai resort, she could not hold on to both her young sons and survive. Fighting to stay above the waters, she had to choose which one would have to take his chances in the swirling torrent.
“I knew I had to let go of one of them and I just thought I’d better let go of the one that’s the older,” she told Sky News television in a report broadcast on Thursday. She said she was accompanied by the two, Lachie, 5, and two—year—old Blake, and their father, Brad, who had watched the drama helplessly from their first-floor hotel room, when the waves struck.” And I was screaming, trying to find him, and we thought he was dead.”she told reporters on arrival back in Australia.
Lachie was found alive about 2 hours later clinging to a door and looked uninjured as his mother spoke to reporters.
British surfer Martin Markwell is also a lucky man. He had always dreamed of catching that perfect wave—but when it finally came along, it was a nightmare. He was on his surfboard when he was swept up by a tsunami wave.
“It was really terrible because I was surfing, I was really surfing on a wave I wasn’t supposed to be on,”he said. “As an experienced surfer, when I saw the wave come I realized something was wrong, but I couldn’t escape because my surfboard was tied to my ankle.”
His wife, Vicki and son Jake looked on in horror from a hotel balcony as he crashed towards the shore. Luckily, he stayed atop his board until he reached the hotel, jumped off and got to safety as the ocean rolled back to feed a much larger tsunami wave on its way. The family regrouped and ran to safety just minute before a giant tsunami wave 10 meters high.When the waves struck ,the father Brad________.
| A．reported the disaster to Sky News television |
| B．was watching a drama on TV in the hotel |
| C．tried to find his son lost in the waters |
| D．watched things going on, unable to do anything |
The underlined word”him” refers to ______
| A．an old man | B．Lachie | C．Brad | D．Blake |
Which is not true about Lachie and Martin?
| A．They and their family were at the resort when the disaster happened. |
| B．They both survived from the high waves when tsunami struck. |
| C．They were both travelers from Europe on holiday in Thailand. |
| D．They were both alive owing to their proper judgment and determination. |
Which of the following is the best title?
| A．Narrow Escape | B．Disaster Caused by Tsunami |
| C．Exciting Surfing Experience | D．Struggle Against Tsunami |
When Armida Armato’s daughter, Alexia, came home from school one day last year keen to go on a school trip to Ecuador, she wasn’t too sure how to feel. She was happy that her daughter could experience something she never did as a teen but was fearful of letting her travel to such a remote part of the world.
Alexia was 16 at the time, a student at Westwood High School. The school sponsored a humanitarian trip for 26 students and two teachers to spend 18 days living in a mountain village to build a one-room school. Even though Armato trusted her daughter, the other students and the teachers, she was worried about the side effects from the travel vaccines, possible accidents, and medical care.
Now that Alexia was home, Armato said she saw her daughter’s new maturity, greater confidence and independence. “This is the best thing I ever did,” Alexia said. “The experience was so eye-opening and life-changing. You’re with people who are not as lucky as you are. They live in very poor conditions but they’re so happy and outgoing. You say, ‘My God. I’m taking everything for granted back home.’”
She said they built a one-room school from scratch with no mechanical cement mixers. They used their hands, shovels and basic tools. She and another student lived with a local family in a small village about eight hours outside the capital, Quito. Despite the initial strangeness and knowing only basic Spanish, she said they grew very close and felt like a family.
Every year, groups of students at Montreal High School like Alexia pack their bags and fly off with classmates and teachers to developing countries where they volunteer for a variety of projects.
“Armato’s worries are very common among parents,” says Bill Nevin, a teacher at St. George’s High School. He organizes a humanitarian rip to India to the Sheela Bal Bhavan orphanage and says the three biggest fears families have are health, security and contact.When hearing the news that her daughter would go on a school trip to Ecuador, Armato was _______.
| A．proud and happy | B．supportive but concerned |
| C．fearful and nervous | D．excited but puzzled |
The underlined phrase “from scratch” in Paragraph 4 probably means “______”.
| A．having great help | B．using high technology |
| C．ending up in failure | D．starting from the beginning |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Volunteering helps students grow and develop. |
| B．School trips make parents worried about their children. |
| C．Ecuador is the most attractive travel destination in the world. |
| D．Brave Alexia dreams to work in Ecuador one day. |
There are many commonly held beliefs about eye glasses and eyesight that are not proven facts. For instance, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weakens the eyes. But there is no evidence to show that the structure of eyes is changed by wearing glasses at a young age. Wearing the wrong glasses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that for adults there is no danger, but children can develop loss of vision if they have glasses inappropriate for their eyes.
We have all heard some of the common myths about how eyesight gets bad. Most people believe that reading in dim light causes poor eyesight, but that is untrue. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained. Eyestrain also results from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. However, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not permanently damage eyesight.
Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced, or transferred from one person to another. They are close to one million nerve fibers(纤维) that connect the eyeball to the brain, so it is impossible to attach them all in a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, some day a full transplant may be possible.If a child wears appropriate glasses, __________________________.
| A．he will lose sight |
| B．the structure of his eyes will be changed |
| C．it is harmful |
| D．the structure of his eyes will keep the same as before |
If an adult wears inappropriate glasses, __________________.
A. it will make no difference to his eyes
B he will suffer a lot from the loss of vision
C. his eyes will be weakened
D. the structure of his eyes will be changedWith the technology we now have, doctors _______________.
| A．still can’t do eye transplant even certain parts of the eye |
| B．can transplant the whole eye in a new person |
| C．can transfer certain parts of the eye in a new person |
| D．know almost nothing about eyes |
The author of the passage tends to _________________.
| A．explain wearing glasses is no harm to children |
| B．correct people’s wrong beliefs about eyes |
| C．explain the importance of protecting our eyes |
| D．imagine what doctors can do with the eye in the future |
Needa solid excuse to dust off your running shoes? Joggers have been found to live an average of six years longer than those who don't jog.
However, you’ll have to run for at least one hour a week for benefit, according to a new study in Denmark.
Researchers found that jogging was associated with a 44 per cent reduction in the relative risk of death for those over 35 years compared with deaths among those who did not run.
The same benefit applied to both men and women.
The 44 per cent reduction translates to an ‘age-adjusted survival benefit’ of 6.2 years in men and 5.6 years in women, according to Dr. Peter Schnohr, chief cardiologist from the Copenhagen City Heart study.
Furthermore, the jogger’s lives are not only longer but happier too as those who ran reported an overall sense of well-being, said Schnohr.
The results of our research allow us to definitively answer the question of whether jogging is good for your health,' Schnohr said in a statement.
'We can say with certainty that regular jogging increases longevity. The good news is that you don't actually need to do that much to reap the benefits,' he continued.
The study also found that the optimum benefit of jogging was for those who jogged at a slow-to-average pace for between an hour and two and a half hours spread over two or three weekly sessions.
Researchers then compared deaths among the joggers among the non-joggers in the main study pool of almost 20,000.
Over 35 years, 122 joggers died compared with 10,158 non-joggers.
All the participants involved with the Copenhagen City Heart Studyhad their cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, and BMI, measured and they were questioned about smoking, alcohol consumption, education, and income.In order to do good to health, the joggers should run ______.
| A．for at least one hour daily |
| B．for at least one hour weekly |
| C．for at least one hour monthly |
| D．for at least one hour yearly |
Why do joggers live more happily?
| A．Because they taste part sense of happiness. |
| B．Because they taste overall sense of hardship. |
| C．Because they taste whole sense of happiness. |
| D．Because they taste part sense of success. |
Which of the following is true according to the article?
| A．Regular jogging decreases longevity. |
| B．The more jogging you do the longer you live. |
| C．The less jogging you do the longer you live. |
| D．Regular jogging makes people live longer. |
It can be inferred that the study of jogging benefit is ______.
| A．complete and reliable |
| B．partial and unbelievable |
| C．incomplete but reasonable |
| D．reasonable but undependable |
BBC Sports program Sunday.
We are currently planning our Volunteer Program, which will ensure volunteers are trained and ready to go for 2012.Up to 70,000 volunteers will be needed to help put on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our program will aim to encourage a wide range of people to join in. We will provide the training to make sure our volunteers' skills are of the highest standard. London 2012 is an opportunity to inspire everyone to develop their interests and volunteer—in sport and also more widely within their community.
Applications will open in the late 2011.We'll recruit(招募) volunteers from across the UK—from a range of communities and backgrounds. Our recruitment process will be open and fair. Our goal is to select applicants who meet our standards and who will bring passion, enthusiasm and energy to the Games. Previous volunteering experience is not necessary. We'll give each successful applicant a specific role, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to the Games. There will be two kinds of Games volunteer—specialist and generalist.
Specialist volunteers will have specific existing skills or qualifications that are needed for them to complete the role, for example, sport or medical training.
Generalist volunteers will not need any special skills or qualifications and will receive full training. They might be given roles in areas such as event services, uniform distribution (分发) and village operations. All volunteers will be expected to attend training events that will give them the knowledge they need to carry out their role.
There are lots of charities and sporting organizations that are looking for volunteers to help them. While you are waiting for applications for the London 2012 volunteer program to open in the late 2011, why not consider getting involved locally? You can find opportunities to volunteer in a range of activities in your local area by following the links on the right hand side of this page or make local enquiries about the needs in your community.Where will you probably find this article?
| A．In a newspaper. | B．On a webpage. |
| C．In a magazine. | D．In a textbook |
Who can apply to become a volunteer in the 2012 Olympics?
| A．People from some English-speaking countries. |
| B．People with volunteering experience. |
| C．People who meet the standards. |
| D．People with a knowledge of the Olympic history. |
Which of the following statements is WRONG?
| A．Two kinds of volunteers will be needed. |
| B．Specialist volunteers do not have to attend training events. |
| C．Applications will not be accepted until 20. |
| D．Generalist volunteers will be fully trained. |
What can you do in July, 2011?
| A．Do some volunteering work locally. |
| B．Apply to become a volunteer in the 2012 Olympics. |
| C．Get trained in the Volunteer Program. |
| D．Join in the Olympic Games. 64-67 BCBA |
It's not about how much money you make, and it's not about who your daddy is. And no, it's definitely not about whether you look like Tom Cruise or his wife Katie Holmes ... What it is about is these simple things, things that maybe even a person like Tom Cruise does not have.
We're talking about being attractive in general, whether it's on a job interview or just gaining the respect of your colleagues.
Ask lots of questions
In other words, be humble. If you come across as a know-it-all (even if you really do know it all!)， it really pushes people away. Rather, asking lots and lots of questions (even dumb ones) makes people feel like you care, you can be trusted, and you are... humble.
Stay busy
Do you really know the power of this? We're told to stay busy to prevent depression and feelings of anxiety. But did you know you should also stay busy to be really attractive? It's true. Always have something to do. Have you ever seen someone just sitting around, doing nothing? How unattractive. Always be busy with something, even if for some reason you have to make something up.
Show your pearly whites (or just smile)
Smile more, no matter how ugly your teeth are. I'm not kidding about this one. It's not all about the teeth. If you are smiling genuinely, you can draw everyone for 100 meters around to you.
Be interested in other men
Be interested in the other person. Again, ask them questions. Don't talk about yourself... remove attention from yourself. If you are truly interested in the person, it will come across. And if you want to talk about yourself, you'll find that putting the other person first actually opens him up to return the favor and ask you questions. See how fun this is?
So, yes it is possible to be the most attractive person in the world. If you've noticed the ring throughout the article, it has a lot to do with just being confident in who you are. Nobody needs to look like Tom Cruise or Will Smith or their wives, or anyone else for that matter. Every person, of every race, of every nationality, of every background, can be the most attractive person in the world.In the writer’s opinion, attractiveness is determined by a person’s ________.
| A．good looks | B．white teeth | C．confidence | D．race |
The underlined sentence means that __________.
| A．if you are a know-it-all, you are surely welcome |
| B．being a know-it-all may keep people away from you |
| C．a person should pretend to be a know-it-all when communicating with others |
| D．people admire a person who know it all |
In order to be attractive, you should do followings EXCEPT ________.
| A．Behave like Tom Cruise | B．ask questions | C．smile | D．keep busy |
The main idea of the article is to tell us _________.
| A．How to make friends | B．How to build your confidence |
| C．How to reduce depression | D．How to be attractive |