His name is James，but people call him Rocky.The name fits.He’s big，over six feet tall，and he’s tough when he needs to be.James “Rocky” Robinson lives and works in New York City’s BedfordStuyvesant district，one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in the United States.Yet it is here in BedStuy that he is saving lives and reviving a community.
In 1966，when Rocky was twentysix years old，his sevenyearold niece was struck by a car on the street of BedStuy.Had someone at the scene known first aid or CPR，she might have lived.But by the time she reached a hospital，she was dead.
His niece’s unnecessary death was one reason why Rocky became a paramedic (护理人员)．Working for the Emergency Medical Service of New York City，he realized that more than half the city’s emergency calls came from highcrime areas.According to Rocky，residents of crimeplagued minority neighborhoods like BedStuy sometimes had to wait as long as 26 minutes after calling 911 for an ambulance while calls in richer white communities were answered in_a_fraction_of_the_time.
Rocky decided to find out more about the problem.His research showed that the richer communities had organized their own ambulance corps (特殊部队) to improve city services because the city was overwhelmed with calls.“If that’s the key to success，”he told his friend and EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) colleague，Joe Perez，“we’ll start our own corps in BedStuy！”
In 1988，Rocky had no idea that he and Joe would be attempting to establish the first minorityrun ambulance service in the country，or just how creative he would have to be to overcome the difficulty.The pair’s first challenge was to find a location for the headquarters.They took over an abandoned building that was commonly used by drug dealers.Because there was no electricity or running water (except for the leaks in the roof)，the two men worked during daylight hours.They used a twoway radio to receive emergency calls.
Although they could make do with their new headquarters，Rocky and Joe still lacked the most important component of an ambulance service：an ambulance.An old Chevrolet (雪佛兰) got them to the scenes of accidents，fires，shootings，and stabbings.But the car didn’t always start.At times，they were forced to strap (用带捆绑) their trauma kits and oxygen tanks to their backs and run on foot to the emergencies.Everyone laughed，except the victims who were still alive when Rocky and Joe arrived.The author believes the name “Rocky” fits James because________.
| A．he is a tall and tough man |
| B．he is tall and does something big |
| C．he is living in a tough community |
| D．he leads a tough community |
James’ sevenyearold niece would have been saved if________.
| A．she had been sent to a better hospital |
| B．she had got first aid and arrived in hospital earlier |
| C．James had been at the spot |
| D．emergency calls had been available in the area |
The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 means________.
| A．in a short time |
| B．over a long time |
| C．in the near future |
| D．from time to time |
We can infer from Paragraph 4 that________.
| A．ambulance corps were only allowed in rich white communities |
| B．James found white communities made more emergency calls |
| C．city services were not enough to meet people’s need |
| D．it was easy to establish the minorityrun ambulance service |
Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks at play each time we reach out for that particular brand(品牌) of product on the shelf.
Coloring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packaged(包装)in green, yellow or brown because we think of these as healthy colors. Ice cream packets are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver.
When some kind of pain killer was brought out recently, researchers found that the colors turned the customers off because they made the product look weak and ineffective. Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package because we think of it as safe, and white as calm.
The size of a product can attract a shopper. But quite often a bottle doesn’t contain as much as it appears to.
It is believed that the better-known companies spend, on average, 70 percent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging!
The most successful producers know that it’s not enough to have a good product. The founder of Pears soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to promote(推销) their goods, came to the conclusion: “Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius(天才)to sell it.”Which of the following may trick a shopper into buying a product according to the text?
| A．The cost of its package. |
| B．The price of the product. |
| C．The color of its package. |
| D．The brand name of the product. |
The underlined part “the colors turned the customers off”(in Para.3) means that the colors ____.
| A．attracted the customers strongly |
| B．had weak effects on the customers |
| C．tricked the customers into shopping |
| D．caused the customers to lose interest |
Which of the following is the key to the success in product sales?
| A．The way to promote goods. |
| B．The discovery of a genius. |
| C．The team to produce a good product. |
| D．The brand name used by successful producers. |
Which of the following would be the best title for this text?
| A．Choice of Good Products |
| B．Disadvantages of Products |
| C．Effect of Packaging on Shopping |
| D．Brand Name and Shopping Tricks |
When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your anger. But forgiveness is possible—and it can be surprisingly helpful to your physical and mental health. Indeed, research has shown that people who forgive report more energy, better appetite(胃口) and better sleep patterns. “People who forgive show less anger and more hopeful,” says Dr. Frederic Luskin, who wrote the book Forgive for Good. “So it can help save on the wear and tear on our system and allow people to feel more energetic.”
So when someone has hurt you, calm yourself first. Take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, someone you love. Don’t wait for an apology. “Many times the person who hurt you may never be thinking of apologizing,” says Dr. Luskin. “They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. So if you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting a very long time.” Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean accepting the action of the person who upset you. Mentally going over your hurt gives power to the person who brought you pain. Instead, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Finally, try to see things from the other person’s perspective(视角). You may realize that he or she was acting out of ignorance(无知)，fear—even love. To gain perspective, you may want to write a letter to yourself from that person’s point of view.The text is mainly written to explain ___.
| A．how to keep yourself from being hurt | B．how to stay mentally healthy |
| C．how and when to remain calm | D．why and how to pardon others |
According to the writer, what is the right way to calm down after being hurt?
| A．Try to figure out why you get hurt. |
| B．Write a letter to the person who hurts you. |
| C．Persuade yourself to accept what others have done to you. |
| D．Think about pleasant things and forget about the hurt. |
Dr. Luskin advised us not to wait for an apology after being hurt because___.
| A．we are not patient enough | B．we’d feel worse accepting other’s apology |
| C．people seldom want to apologize | D．people don’t mean it when they apologize |
If the world were a village of 1,000 people, it would include:
★ 584 Asians
★ 124 Africans
★ 95 Eastern and Western Europeans
★ 84 Latin America
★ 55 former Soviets (including Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, and other national groups)
★ 52 North Americans
★ 6 Australians and New Zealand
The people of the village would speak:
★ 165 Mandarin
★ 86 English
★ 83 Hindu/Urdu
★ 64 Spanish
★ 58 Russian
★ 37 Arabic
The above list covers the mother tongues of only half the village.
One-third of the people in the village are children, and only 60 are over the age of 65. Just under half of the married women in the village have access to modern equipments.
This year 28 babies will be born. Ten people will die, 3 of them for lack of food, 1 from cancer. Two of the deaths will be of babies born within the year. With the 28 births and 10 deaths, the population of the village next year will be 1018.
In this village of 1,000 persons,200 people receive 75 percent of the income: another 200 receive only 2 percent of the income.
About one third have access to clean, safe drinking water.
Of the 670 adults in the village, half can not read nor write.
The village has a total yearly budget(预算), public and private, of over $ 3 million--$ 3,000 per person if it is distributed evenly. Of the total $ 3 million:
★ 181,000 goes to weapons and warfare
★ 159,000 to education
★ 132,000 to health care
These weapons are under the control of just 100 of the people. The other 900 are watching them with deep anxiety, wondering whether they can learn to get along together. Which of the following is true about Mandarin according to the text?
| A．Nearly one third of Asian people speak Mandarin in the village. |
| B．About 25 percent of the people speak Mandarin in the village. |
| C．About 16.5 percent of the people speak Mandarin in the village. |
| D．Nearly all the Mandarin-speaking people are from Asia in the village. |
Which of the following problems is NOT mentioned in the text?
| A．Poverty | B．Education. | C．Environment. | D．Marriage. |
The underlined part “have access to”(in Para. 4) means____.
| A．use | B．buy | C．produce | D．try |
The last sentence in the text implies that most of the people long for ___.
| A．a peaceful world | B．good education | C．better health care | D．a life without anxiety |
If you are a recent social science graduate who has had to listen to jokes about unemployment from your computer major classmates, you may have had the last laugh. There are many advantages for the social science major because this high-tech “Information Age” demands people who are flexible(灵活的) and who have good communication skills.
There are many social science majors in large companies who fill important positions. For example, a number of research studies found that social science majors had achieved greater managerial success than those who had technical training or pre-professional courses. Studies show that social science majors are most suited for change, which is the leading feature(特点) of the kind of high-speed, high-pressure, high-tech world we now live in.
Social science majors are not only experiencing success in their long-term company jobs, but they are also finding jobs more easily. A study showed that many companies had filled a large percentage of their entry-level positions with social science graduates. The study also showed that the most sought-after quality in a person who was looking for a job was communication skills, noted as “very important”, by 92 percent of the companies. Social science majors have these skills, often without knowing how important they are. It is probably due to these skills that they have been offered a wide variety of positions.
Finally, although some social science majors may still find it more difficult than their technically trained classmates to land the first job, recent graduates report that they don’t regret their choice of study.By saying that “you may have had the last laugh” in the first paragraph, the author means that you may have____.
| A．shared the jokes with computer majors | B．earned as much as computer majors |
| C．found jobs more easily than computer majors | D．stopped joking about computer majors |
Compared with graduates of other subjects, social science graduates ___.
| A．are ready to change when situations change | B．are better able to deal with difficulties |
| C．are equally good at computer skills | D．are likely to give others pressure |
The underlined word “land” in the last paragraph probably means ___.
| A．keep for some time | B．successfully get | C．immediately start | D．lose regretfully |
According to the text, what has made it easy for social science graduates to find jobs?
| A．Willingness to take low-paid jobs. | B．Readiness to gain high-tech knowledge. |
| C．Skills in expressing themselves. | D．Part-time work experience. |
Before a new type airplane goes service, every part of it is tested again and again. But there are two tests that are more of into important than the others.
The first is called the “tank test”. A modern airplane must fly very high in the sky. Air must be pumped into the plane so that the passengers can breathe. The metal structure of the plane has to be very strong for this reason. When the plane is filled with air, the air presses against the skin of the plane inside. The pressure(压力)on a small window is like a huge foot that is trying to get out. If a small part of the plane were to fail, the plane would explode in the sky. To test the structure of the plane, the plane is lowered into a huge tank or container of water. Then it is filled with air. The pressure inside the plane is greater than it ever will be when it is high up in the air. Finally, there is an explosion. This does not cause so much damage inside the water tank as it would anywhere else. Engineers can discover which part of the plane has broken. Then that part is made stronger.
The most dangerous test happens when the new plane is going through test flights in the air. The test must find out exactly what happens when the engines(发动机) are all shut off at once. The plane begins to fall like a stone. It is the pilot’s job to find out how he can get control of the plane again. These two tests are examples of how planes are made safe before they ever carry passengers.By doing the “tank test”, the engineers can find out ____.
| A．the amount of air in the plane | B．the strength of the plane structure |
| C．the pressure inside and outside the plane | D．the power of the airplane engines |
What will happen to the plane under the “tank test”?
| A．It will be broken | B．It will be made stronger. |
| C．It will be filled with water. | D．It will be tested by pilots. |
According to the text, why are test flights most dangerous?
| A．The plane may explode in the air | B．The pilot may lose control of the plane. |
| C．The engines may be damaged. | D．Too much air may get into the plane. |
What might be the most suitable title for the text?
| A．Two Important Tests on Airplane | B．The Importance of Flying Safety |
| C．The Danger of Testing Airplanes | D．How Airplanes Are made and Tested |