San Francisco,unofficially regarded as one of the homeless capitals of the US,counts nearly 6,500 homeless people, with 4,300 living on the street.
Among the many problems that the homeless face is little or no access to showers.San Francisco only has about 16 to 20 shower stations to accommodate them.But Doniece Sandoval has made it her task to change that.
“Homelessness is something you can’t really miss,”the 51-year-old woman said.She started Lava Mae,a sort of showers on wheels, a new project that aims to turn old city buses into shower stations for the homeless.
“One day I passed a woman in the street and she was very dirty and basically crying,and I heard her say that she would never be clean.But I was wondering what her opportunities were to actually get clean,” Sandoval said.
Sandoval was inspired to start Lava Mae. The project has already been welcomed with open arms in the city.The Transportation Agency has donated one bus for the cause and is willing to donate three more if the project succeeds.Sandoval hopes the first bus will be able to hit the road in May this year.The Public Commission has also agreed to let the buses plug into fire hydrants(消防龙头)around the city if Lava Mae pays for the water.
One of Lava Mae’s biggest supporters is Bevan Dufty, the director of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships & Engagement under the mayor of San Francisco.“For people who are unhoused,access to showers is very difficult.Shower buses are something that could potentially be deployed (部署)in response to an emergency,so it is relevant to all San Franciscans," Dufty said.“Doniece has done an incredible job as a citizen who cares about helping the poor.We are very excited to see Lava Mae become real soon.”
Each bus will have two shower stations and Sandoval expects that by 2015,they’ll be able to provide 2000 showers a week.What problem does San Francisco face according to the text?
A.The city has the most homeless people in the USA.
B.There are no shower stations for the homeless in the city.
C.It’s hard for homeless people in the city to take showers.
D.Few citizens in the city care about the homeless.What does the underlined word ''them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.City problems. | B.Shower stations. | C.Old buses. | D.The homeless. |
Which of the following best describes Doniece Sandoval?
A.Brave and independent. | B.Caring and responsible. |
C.Honest and determined. | D.Friendly and humorous. |
What can we learn from Dufty’s words?
A.All San Franciscans are excited to use Lava Mae. |
B.Emergencies in San Francisco will be prevented by Lava Mae. |
C.Dufty thinks highly of Doniece's way of helping the poor. |
D.The mayor of San Francisco will support Doniece financially. |
What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.A newly invented way of shower |
B.Showers on Wheels for the Homeless |
C.The health problem of the homeless |
D.Lave Mae-a new name for old city buses |
.Suppose you want to bring home a new cat and are looking for a way to really make it feel at home. Actually, all you need to do is buy some nice cat furniture and have it in place by the time you bring it into your home.
The first thing that you should prepare is a cat house. Two to three feet off the ground is the best height. If you don’t have enough room for a cat house, a cat bed is also a nice choice.
Once you have a nice spot where your cat can go to feel safe, then it’s time to get cat furniture that offers your pet a nice place to play. One nice choice is cat trees. Scratching posts (猫抓板) are another great idea if you are short on space, but still want to give your cat a nice place where it can claw (抓) at instead of your own furniture.
If you’re looking for a great way to shop for cat furniture, simply turn on your computer and do some online shopping. In no time will you be able to browse (浏览) all the offerings from many online stores. What’s great is that you can easily compare products and their prices, so you can get what you want at the best possible price. And, probably the nicest thing about online shopping is that your purchases may be shipped right to you, so you don’t have to waste time making a trip to the store.
So, if you have brought a new cat into your home, make sure that home is an inviting one by buying some new cat furniture. Without it, your cat might feel lost and unsafe, which you definitely do not want to happen.
63. What should you do first before you bring a cat home?
A. Buy a cat house and some cat furniture.
B. Find a proper place for the cat to sleep.
C. Learn how to take care of the cat.
D. Know how to buy cat furniture online.
64. According to the author, the first concern for a cat house is __________.
A. its height B. its size C. its price D. safety
65. What is the best choice for your cat to play with if you have little room?
A. The cat bed. B. Scratching posts.
C. Your own furniture. D. Cat trees.
66. What is the author’s advice on shopping for cat furniture?
A. Compare products and their prices and get the cheapest ones.
B. Try to save time and money when you buy cat furniture.
C. Do some online shopping and get products with reasonable prices.
D. Buy furniture that can be shipped to you as quickly as possible.
.
Books, software, and videos, no matter what you are looking for, if you turn on a computer and log (登录) on the Internet, you are sure to find something.
E-books are all over the Internet; some are free, and some are not. E-books are basically electronic books you can read without having to carry heavy books and look through all the pages. Now authors not only sell regular books in bookstores but also sell e-books on the Internet. Some e-books are sold on CDs, too.
You can get all types of software right from the Internet. After you download it, you have it. It is so convenient that you can get it even without leaving the house. These are the advantages we have in today’s high-tech world.
We can find videos of different people. There are so many websites with videos that it would take you some time to actually go through them all. The cool thing about videos is that some people have their own websites or their own spaces where they can upload videos of their families or of different events and allow other people to view them. It is amazing.
The Internet is an exciting place and it plays a big part in our lives today. You can even pay your bills on the Internet if that’s what you want to do. The marketing industry is also doing a lot better because of the Internet. Companies can communicate very quickly with each other over the Internet.
60. What can we know about the videos online according to the passage?
A. They are making human rights harder to protect.
B. They can include a lot of personal information.
C. They allow viewers to get to know each other more easily.
D. It’s a waste of time to watch videos online.
61. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A. people have to pay to download software
B. people usually pay their bills on the Internet these days
C. the Internet allows people to communicate more quickly
D. a lot of people still like paper books
62. The purpose of the passage is to______.
A. suggest that people start reading e-books on the Internet
B. advise people to form good computer habits
C. introduce many uses of the Internet
D. discuss problems people have online
.
第三部分:阅读理解 (共两节,满分40分)
第一节:(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One night about nine o’clock, Dr. Eyck, a surgeon, had a phone call from Dr. Haydon at the hospital in Clens Falls. The surgeon was asked to go there at once to operate on a very sick boy who shot himself while playing with a gun.
The doctor was soon on his way to Clens Falls. It was 60 miles away. And it was snowing heavily in the city. The surgeon thought he could get there before 12 o’clock.
A few minutes later, the doctor was stopped by a man in an old black coat. Gun in hand, the man ordered the doctor to get out. Then the man drove the car down the road, leaving the doctor in the falling snow.
It was after 2 o’clock in the morning when the doctor arrived at the hospital in Clens Falls. Dr. Haydon told him that the boy had died an hour before.
The two doctors walked by the door of the hospital waiting room. There sat the man in the old black coat with his head in his hands.
“Mr. Cuninghan,” said Dr. Haydon to the man, “This is Dr. Eyck. He is the surgeon who walked all the way from Albany to save your boy.”
56. Dr. Haydon asked Dr. Eyck to come to Clens Falls because _____.
A. Dr. Eyck knew the boy was wounded by a shot
B. The boy needed the help of a surgeon
C. Dr. Eyck was the boy’s father
D. Dr. Eyck was Haydon’s friend
57. The surgeon was late because ________.
A . his car was taken away B. the weather was rather terrible
C.Clens Falls was too far from Albany D. he was stopped by the police
58. Choose the right order of the following events given in the story. a. Dr. Eyck was asked to come to the hospital in Clens Falls.
b. Dr. Eyck arrived at the hospital.
c. The boy shot himself.
d. The boy died.
e. The man in an old coat reached the hospital.
f. Dr. Eyck was robbed of his car.
A. c, e, f, a, b, d B. a, c, f, d, b, e C. c, a, f, e, d, b D. a, c, f, e, d, b
59. The boy could have been saved if ______.
A. he had not been sent to the hospital B. his father hadn’t arrived in time
C. Dr.Eyck had arrived earlier than the man
D. Dr. Eyck had arrived there two hours earlier
.
The most popular way to welcome the new year in the United States is to have a big party. Some parties are at people’s homes. But in recent years, it has become more and more common
For Americans to go to a hotel or a club or a restaurant on the night of December the 31st. There they can have dinner, drink champagne ( a kind of wine), and dance.
Most New Year’s parties have something in common. First of all, they are usually noisy. People sing and bands (乐队)play. And often, guests pull a cracker(爆竹) when the clock strikes twelve at midnight. People think that loud sounds would drive away the evil spirits of the old year before the new year begins.
For many people New Year’s Eve is the night when they can drink as much as they like. Some New Year’s celebrations have ended sadly for people who got drunk and had driving accidents. Radio’s and television’s announcements warn people of the danger of drunk driving. Some places offer free rides home for drunken people.
The biggest and noisiest New year’s party in the United States takes place at Times Square in New York City. Thousands of people gather there. Some of them ring bells or let off crackers. Others blow whistles or car horns. And at 12 o’cloIk, they begin to cheer as an electric sign in the shape of a red apple lights up on top of a tall building.
Americans keep up one other important tradition as the new year begins. They make decisions about how to improve themselves in the year ahead. Experts say that the most common New Year’s decisions in the United states are to eat less. But many Americans also promise themselves to stop smoking, or stop drinking wine, or to be nicer to their friends and families.
Experts find fewer than ten percent of Americans carry out their New Year’s decisions. Few want to give up this tradition. Almost everyone seems to enjoy looking back over the year that has just ended and looking forward to a nice beginning of a new year. ,
72. The article is about _____.
A. some important traditions in the USA
B. when and where Americans welcome the new year
C. New year’s celebrations in the USA
D. American ways of life and their interests
73. On New Year’s Eve _____ in America.
A. parties are held in different places
B. people are encouraged to drink as much as they like
C. some places offer free rides home for everyone
D. people begin to shout as soon as they see a red apple
74. . Most new year’s parties are usually noisy, because______.
A. people sing songs B. bands play music
C. guests pull crackers D. people want to get rid of bad luck of the old year
75. In order to prevent car accidents _____ on New Year’s Eve.
A. many Americans promise to stop drinking wine
B. drunken people are forbidden to drive, but can be driven home for free in some places
C. little wine is served at New year’s celebrations
D. people are warned of the danger of drinking too much
.
Weekend one-day out
A walk along the Great Wall
Beijing Hikers is organizing a hike in a village along the Great Wall in Changping District, north of downtown Beijing. The walk will take around three hours covering a distance of 10 kilometers.
Time: 8:30 a. m. ~ 4:30 p. m, Dec. 4
Cost: 200 yuan (US $ 25) per adult, 150 yuan (US $ 18. 50) for under-12s.
Meeting place: 8:30 a. m. in front of Starbucks at Lido Holiday Inn, Jiangtai Lu.
To sigh-up (one day before the hike) and more information, contact Huijie at 139 1002 5516.
Skiing and hot springs
Cycle China plans a day’s skiing fun at a resort around Beijing followed by an outdoor hot spring bath for your sore(酸痛的) body.
Cost: 350 yuan (US $ 43. 40)
Time: 8:30 a. m ~ 6:30p. m, Dec. 4
Location: Meet at the office of Cycle China, opposite the east gate of Jingshan Park, Xicheng District.
For more information and reservation, email reserve @ cyclechina. com or call 139 1188 6524.
Horse riding
This is a trip to a professional horse-riding club with well-trained bilingual instructors, offering lessons to people who love riding and those willing to learn more. The club is located in Hebei Province next to the Kangxi Grassland.
Time: 1:30a. m~ 4:30p. m, Dec. 4
Cost: 330 yuan (US$40. 74) including one hour’s riding, transportation, guide, lunch.
To sigh-up and more information, contact Lucy at 8580 5080 or 130 1117 1326.
68. This passage is written mainly for ________.
A. travel agencies B. holiday-makers C. guides D. sportsmen
69. If Mary, who is ten years old, wants to hike along the Great Wall with her parents, they will pay_____ dollars.
A. 400 B. 450 C. 68. 50 D. 65
70. If you are interested in the knowledge about horse-riding, you’ll contact_________.
A. 139 1188 6515 B. 139 1188 6524 C. 130 1117 1326 D. 139 1002 5516
71. Cycle China is ________.
A. a website which offers travelling information B. a traveling agency
C. a trainer for skiing D. a resort which offers hot spring bath