Robert Ballard was born in 1942. From an early age, he loved the sea. Ballard grew up in Southern California. He spent his free time at the beach near his home. He enjoyed fishing and swimming. He even learned to dive. 
When Ballard wasn’t at the ocean, he loved reading about it. At age 10, he read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a book which describes the undersea adventures of Captain Nemo. Ballard decided he wanted to be like Captain Nemo when he grew up. His parents helped him follow his dream.
Ballard was a hardworking student. He spent many years learning all he could about the ocean. By the age of 28, he was an expert. In 1970, he took a job as a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. There he studied underwater mountains of the Atlantic Ocean. He came up with ways to predict（预知）volcanoes under the oceans. Working with other scientists, Ballard also found previously（以前）unknown sea animals. These animals lived far below the ocean’s surface, where scientists had believed no animals could live.
By the 1980s, Ballard’s interests changed. He developed unmanned（无人的）vehicles to explore the ocean bottom. His first find, the well-known ship Titanic, made Ballard famous. He was not happy with just one big find, however. He looked for — and found — other well-known ships. One was the German battleship Bismarck. Another was the U.S.S. Yorktown, an aircraft carrier (航空母舰) that sank during World War II.
Today Robert Ballard is still an underwater explorer. He also heads an organization that encourages students to learn about science. Ballard hopes that some of the students will follow in his footsteps. After all, the world’s huge oceans are mostly unknown. Who knows what remains to be discovered under the sea?What was Ballard’s dream when he was young?
| A．To be a science teacher. | B．To be an underwater explorer. |
| C．To be an animal expert. | D．To be a famous writer. |
When Ballard worked at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, he _____.
| A．explored the undersea world by ship |
| B．thought of ideas to predict underwater volcanoes |
| C．found some unknown sea animals alone |
| D．set up an organization to teach students science |
Which is the correct order of the events mentioned in the text about Ballard?
a. He found the German battleship Bismarck.
b. He read a book about Captain Nemo.
c. He found the famous ship Titanic.
d. He became an expert in science.
| A．b-c-d-a | B．d-b-c-a | C．b-d-c-a | D．d-c-a-b |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Ballard’s parents felt disappointed at his undersea adventures. |
| B．Ballard didn’t like fishing and swimming in his childhood. |
| C．Ballard was greatly influenced by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. |
| D．Human beings have explored more than half of the sea. |
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes (糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin (胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones — a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone."
Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity（慈善机构）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people —225 to date— who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000 — in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now." Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?
| A．He needs to go to the doctor every day. |
| B．He studies the leading cause of diabetes |
| C．He has a positive attitude to this disease. |
| D．He encourages diabetics by writing articles. |
Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.
| A．diabetics to communicate | B．volunteers to find jobs |
| C．children to amuse themselves | D．rock stars to share resources. |
According to the text, Kody ______.
| A．feel lonely because of his illness |
| B．benefits from diabeticrockstar.com |
| C．helps create the online kid’s forums |
| D．writes children’s stories online |
What can we learn about Fight It?
| A．It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties. |
| B．It organizes parties for volunteer once a year. |
| C．It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics. |
| D．It owns a well-known medical website. |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.
| A．works full-time in a diabetes charity |
| B．employs 22 people for his website |
| C．helps diabetics in his own way |
| D．ties to find a cure for diabetes |
There were smiling children all the way. Charily they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave hack.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug (拥抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.The author expected the train trip to be ________.
| A．adventurous | B．pleasant | C．exciting | D．dull |
What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?
| A．The friendly country people. | B．The mountains along the way. |
| C．The crowds of people in the streets. | D．The simple lunch served on the train. |
Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “relish” in the second paragraph?
| A．choose | B．enjoy | C．prepare for | D．carry on |
Where was the writer going?
| A．Johore Baru. | B．The Causeway. | C．Butterworth. | D．Singapore. |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Comfort in traveling by train. | B．Pleasure of living in the country. |
| C．Reading gives people delight. | D．Smiles brighten people up. |
I stepped into my hotel room to a pleasant surprise. Lots of room surrounded an inviting king-size bed, with armchairs nearby resting against sliding glass doors that opened onto a private yard. A small dining table sat next to a kitchen with a refrigerator and coffee machine. "Wow," I thought to myself. "Nice place."
I love hotels. I love to enter a clean room, hang my clothes and gaze out the window, walk out in the morning and when I return, someone else will have made the bed. I like in-room dining and the way they greet you so professionally. "Nice to have you with us again, Mr. Goldsborough." Very cool.
The problem is that unless Alison travels with me, I never sleep well in hotels. I miss my family, even though Linus and Camille, at ages 4 and almost 2, find a way to interrupt even the best night's sleep at home.
I'm deeply troubled by the number of parents who wake up too late with the realization:
"My children grew up too fast. In the busy career and corporate rat race（剧烈竞争）, I missed their childhood.” What they fail to say but too often think causes me even more pain: "...and I barely even know them."
A hundred years from now, no one will remember the size of your bank account, the car you drove or the size of your house. The world might differ greatly however, based on your impact in the life of a small child. If you pay attention to your significant others, make the choice to put them first.
Think of one specific action that you can take, and take it. Then think of another one and take that, too. Challenge yourself to find new ways to express your appreciation and love on a daily basis. It will pay off ten-fold（十倍）at home.We can infer from the passage that the author ____.
| A．often goes out on business | B．didn’t get along well with his/her family |
| C．has not grown into an adult | D．comes from a rich family |
According to the author, what is the most important for us is that ____.
| A．we should often miss our family | B．we should do what we can to benefit our family |
| C．we should often stay with our family | D．we must always be ready to face the rat race |
Through para.4 and para.5 what the author really means is that ____.
| A．he hates his parents’ constantly blaming him/her |
| B．his parents don’t care much about his/her growth |
| C．many parents worry about their children’s future |
| D．many parents can’t realize their children not preparing for the fierce social rat race |
Which of the fowling is the best title for this passage?
| A．East, west, home is the best | B．Different generations, different views |
| C．Value of a person at home | D．Nothing Beats Family |
For most students, school is over and summer fun is here. Even kids who are going to summer school don't need to be cooped up indoors during these bright sunny days. Why? Thanks to technology, many kids now have the option of attending "virtual" summer schools online.
These "virtual" classes are not new. Many colleges and universities offer online courses where the students never meet; they correspond with their teachers and classmates on the web. Even some traditional schools add to daily classes with internet-based assignments and feedback.
There are a lot of benefits to online schooling, and that's why public schools have started participating in this non-traditional type of education. Instead of students riding the bus, going to class, eating lunch at school, and going home in the early afternoon, they can now log on（登录）at any time of day or night and learn. This flexible online option requires just as much work and participation as normal summer school. However, the timing is different.
Online summer school is not for all students, just like it isn’t for all adults. The student needs to be an excellent reader in order to obtain as much information as possible from the lectures. In addition, students must understand computers and be self motivated（激发）in order to complete the class successfully.
If the students meet these requirements, then online summer school has many advantages. Written lectures can be read and reread until the student understands them. The students can email each other and the teacher if they need help. Students who participate in online summer school often earn higher grades because the teachers can answer more questions without slowing down the entire class progress. And because of this new technology, summer school students can still go to the beach, travel around the world, and take family vacations!Online schooling has the following advantages and benefits EXCEPT ____.
| A．Students needn’t have as much work or participation as in traditional schools. |
| B．Students don’t have to go to school in crowded buses. |
| C．Students can have more time to understand the lessons. |
| D．Teachers and students have more time to arrange their own things flexibly. |
What does the underlined word “option” probably mean?
| A．chance of expressing opinion | B．chance of expressing wishes |
| C．right of demanding | D．right of choosing |
Online summer school is not suitable for ____.
| A．adults or children who are too old |
| B．students who are poor in reading |
| C．those who don’t master good computer technology |
| D．students who can’t finish homework on their own |
Which of the following people is most supposed to choose online schooling?
| A．A child in the kindergarten. | B．A primary school student. |
| C．A government office clerk. | D．A child whose parents are working. |
Child labor — the employment of children in industry, often against their will — has been a problem for many years. Over a hundred years ago, Charles Dickens shocked many of his readers when he described the conditions under which young children worked in British factories. The conditions Dickens described continue almost unchanged today in many parts of the world. The only difference is that today employment of children is confined（limited）to small industries and family businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and particularly farms, rather than to large factories.
Girls suffer more from child labor practices than boys. Many of them are forced to start work when they are only ten years old. Although the work they are given to do is often light, it is often harmful to the health. Recently, children as young as six years were found to be working in Asian factories, and the children were working from eight to fourteen hours a day in overcrowded and unhealthy working conditions. Sometimes a whole family group is employed, with the payment going to a parent or older relative. The children not only receive nothing or very little for their long hours of work, but also they are prevented from attending school. Therefore, when they become older they are unable to do any other kind of work.
The solution to the problem of child labor is clearly better laws to protect young children, greater supervision（监督）of industry and heavier fines for those who break the laws. Only in this way can young boys and girls be allowed to enjoy the most valuable time of their lives—childhood.Which’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．Children are often willing to work in large factories. |
| B．Most children are working in British factories. |
| C．The poor working conditions of child labor in Dickens’ novel. |
| D．The working conditions for children are similar to those a hundred years ago. |
Girls’ work is ____.
| A．not harmful to the health though it is heavy |
| B．not harmful to the health because it is light |
| C．harmful to the health though it is light. |
| D．harmful to the health because it is heavy |
Young children go to work ____.
| A．because they are forced to | B．in order to be skillful in a certain kind of work |
| C．in order to be paid well | D．in order to earn money for education |
To solve the problem of child labor, the writer suggests the following BUT ____.
| A．looking over factories more closely |
| B．raising their payment and improving the system of education |
| C．improving laws of protecting children’s interests |
| D．punishing lawbreakers with severer fines |