Dozens of scientists and tourists who spent over a week aboard a vessel trapped in Antarctic ice were rescued Thursday in an international effort that followed multiple attempts thwarted by the region's harsh climate.
The 52 were safely rescued by a transport helicopter from a Chinese icebreaker that landed on a makeshift helipad of ice near their stricken Russian research vessel. In multiple flights, it transferred about 12 at a time to an Australian vessel, where they will begin their journeys home, said authorities involved in the operation.
'Great relief!' scientific expedition leader Chris Turney said in a Twitter TWTR +6.05% message.
The airlift operation was confirmed by China's official Xinhua news agency, which has a reporter aboard the Chinese icebreaker, the Xue Long, or Snow Dragon. A statement from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, in charge of coordinating the operation, indicated passengers were safely transferred by early evening to the Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis.
Trapped in a particularly thick ice floe just before Christmas on its way toward Antarctica, the Russian research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy remains immobile. Its 22-member crew is staying aboard. While the passengers weren't in imminent danger, they expressed frustration as holidays passed but also maintained their spirits, including by stamping out the makeshift helipad with their feet on New Year's Day.
Thursday's rescue marked only the latest attempt to get close to the blue-hulled Russian vessel since it first called for help on Christmas Day. Over the past few days, ice-breaking vessels from China, Australia and France have made separate unsuccessful bids to cut through thick layers of ice to reach it.
After the rescue got under way Thursday afternoon under bright blue skies, video footage showed the twin-blade helicopter touching down gingerly on the makeshift helipad. Passengers wearing identical red life jackets walked in single file on the ice toward the helicopter.
Just hours before Thursday's rescue, Australian maritime authorities had announced natural conditions would cause them to abandon the mission yet again. Illustrating the caution, China's State Oceanic Administration, which runs the Xue Long, posted a statement on its website quoting its captain, Wang Jianzhong, as saying he was working continuously to ensure the icebreaker itself wouldn't get trapped in the thick ice.
In outlining the plan ahead of the flights, authorities said Chinese rescuers would fly 12 passengers at a time initially to the Xue Long, which was waiting 12 nautical miles away from the Russian craft in more open water, and then the Aurora Australis, waiting a further two nautical miles away.
Mr. Turney, a professor of climate change at the University of New South Wales, offered in his Twitter messages a 'huge thanks' to the Chinese and Australian authorities for ensuring all are 'safe and sound.'
The incident has highlighted the dangers of Antarctic travel even during the southern-summer months. Usually at this time of year, international attention on the frozen continent is typically limited to clashes between Japan's research whaling fleet and antiwhaling activists.
'All the world is making a fuss,' some passengers sang in an impromptu New Year's message recorded at a party in a common room on board the Russian ship by a journalist from Britain's Guardian newspaper. The group cheered and clapped to count down the last moments of 2013. Both passengers and crew have spent their time tweeting messages and videos of their experience.What does the underlined word thwarted mean in the first paragraph？
| A．prevent someone from doing sth | B．try one’s best to do sth |
| C．frighten by something | D．destroy |
According to the passage， the vessel trapped trapped in a thick ice is__________.
| A．an Australian vessel | B．a Russian vessel |
| C．a China vessel | D．a Franch vessel |
How many crew memembers were trapped in the vessel?
| A．22 | B．12 | C．52 | D．24 |
According to the passage，which of the following statements is true?
| A．Because of the thick ice, the vessel rescue attempts failed several times. |
| B．the Chinese icebreaker, Snow Dragon, transported the people trapped in the vessel home. |
| C．The 52 were safely rescued by a transport helicopter from a Chinese icebreaker at a time. |
| D．The Antarctic travel is dangerous even during the southern-summer months. |
Where does this text probably come from ?
| A．Children’s literature | B．Science fiction |
| C．An advertisement | D．A news report |
B
An adopted American girl who was dying from bone marrow(骨髓)failure has survived a successful, transplant thanks to her Chinese donor(捐献者). She has come to China, with her family, to meet her donor at a ceremony held in Beijing.
Who would have thought that such a lovely girl had just survived such a deadly disease?
A big hug is the only way to express feelings at the moment, as Kailee Wells is embraced by her donor Dr Wang Lin. Kailee Wells said, ”Xie Xie Ni, Dr Wang Lin, for giving a part of your 1ife to me.”
Dr Wang cannot control his emotions after seeing 10-year-old Kailee's miraculous recovery. Dr Wang Lin. Said, “To see this beautiful and spirited little girl standing before me today, I feel so relieved, so happy.”
Born in the central province of Hunan, Kailee was found abandoned in Changde. She spent a year in an orphanage before being adopted by the Wells family in New Mexico.
At 5, her bone marrow stopped producing red and white blood cells. But her family never gave up hope of finding a perfect match, and after two unsuccessful plants, Kailee finally had a third，which was successful．
Kailee’s mother Linda Wells said, “well last Christmas，we were a11 very worried about Kailee，and we were not sure at that time whether she would be here this year with us now-and here we ware in China, in Beijing with this wonderful celebration and meeting Dr Wang Lin. It’s a true blessing.
China’s bone marrow donor registry has grow to more than 700 000，thanks to increased awareness of the procedure by Chinese citizens.
Hong Junling, director of Red Cross Society, China said, “In the past, if a patient became sick，we had to turn to donor programs overseas or in Taiwan to apply. Nowadays, for the most part，our patients know that if they become sick they can first try the China Red Cross database.”
The Wells family will stay in China until next week，during which they will help recruit more bone marrow donors.
60、Which would be the best title for the passage?
A、US girl saved by Chinese donor, B、US girl is to meet her donor．
C、A lucky adopted US girl． D、US girl fights with deadly disease．
61、Which of the following is TRUE about Kailee?
A、She was abandoned outside an orphanage in New Mexico.
B、She has suffered the hone marrow failure for about 5 years.
C、She had never been to China before the ceremony.
D、She is an American born Chinese adopted by a US couple.
62、The Wells family paid a visit to China．
A、for Kailee’s third transplant B、to donate bone marrow
C、to meet a special person D、to help abandoned children
63、What can we infer from the passage?
A、Kailee is willing to help bone-marrow—failure patients in the hospital.
B、There are more than 700 000 patients of bone marrow failure.
C、Kailee’s family will donate money for patients of bone marrow failure.
D、Kailee’s American parents loved her and never gave her up.
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40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。
A
Universal Orlando Resort in Florida is opening a Harry Potter theme park that will let fans visit many of the iconic(标志性的) locations in the Harry Potter books and movies.
“The Wizarding(魔法) World of Harry Potter” is set to open at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in late 2009, complete with the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade village.
“一The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don’t think fans of the books or films will be disappointed,” said author J.K.Rowling, who has been working with a creative team to make sure the park resembles the books and films.
“More than a dozen artists lead by Stuart Craig, the world best to ensure that level of authenticity(真实性),” she said.
The park will let visitors view the famed locations in Rowling’s magical world, like Dumbledore’s office in Hogwarts and the shops in Hogsmeade. Some locations may be in upcoming books, Trowbridge said.
Many tourists outside the theme park said the experience would boost its appeal to a younger audience.
Brandon Wilson, a 15-year-old from Pleasant Hill, said he can’t get enough of Harry Potter．he has read every book and watched every movie.
“I hope we will be able to fly like Harry Potter,” Wilson said.
56、What’s the best title of the passage?
A、The Introduction to Universal Orlando Resort.
B、Harry Potter Theme Park Headed to Florida.
C、The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry.
D、Hogsmeade Village.．
57、What’s the meaning of the underlined word "resemble” in Paragraph 3?
A、Look like.B、Look out.C、Look at.D、Look into.
58、Which of the following is TRUE?
A、Harry Potter theme park has been built in Universal Orlando Resort.
B、The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the name of theme park.
C、J.K.Rowling is the chief director of the theme park.
D、The Harry Potter theme park will attract all the audience.
59、which of the following spots can NOT be seen in the future Harry Potter theme park?
A、The Forbidden Forest. B、Hogsmeade Village.
C、Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. D、Dumbledore’s bedroom.
第II卷（满分50分）
第一节：任务型阅读（共5小题，每小题2分，满分10分）
在第76至80题中，Celia, Enoch, Martina, Brian和Derek准备选择一所大学就读。阅读下面六所大学的介绍（选项A、B、C、D、E和F），选出符合各人需求的最佳选项，选项中有一项是多余选项。
1Celia’s mother is a nice kindergarten nurse and when she was very young she was in close touch with children. With time passing by, she has got interested in early children education and has made up her mind to follow her mother.
2Enoch is from Texas of US whose grandparents were black slaves who worked on a south plantation(大种植园). He has learned some about his ancestors’ miserable past and wants to study the Black People in US. Also, he hopes the university will offer the dormitory equipped with the Internet so that he can have a good connection with his friends.
3Martina’ mother, as well as many of her relatives, is an active member of the Women’s Right Movement. Influenced by them, Martina thinks highly of their work and takes part in their activities from time to time. She has decided to do more studies about the Women’s Right Movements after she graduates from school.
4Brian expects to head for an exciting and challenging major which makes humans live better and longer when he enters university. What’s more, he is energetic and eager for an environment which is convenient for outdoor activities such as hiking , rafting so that he can enjoy a long life.
5With the coming of IT age, Derek is determined to find a college or university where he can have cost-effective life-long learning with high quality so as so meet the needs of a changing and developing world. Then, can you guess what his head-for major may be?
A. Most exciting and full of opportunity, challenges and self-discovery, this university combines urban cultural lifestyle with small town safety. It has a mild climate and is ideal for outdoor activities such as hiking, rafting. Its main majors are Education, Engineering, Physical / Life Sciences and so on.
B. It is a community college located next to a famous resort town offering technical programs for students. Its task is to provide a comprehensive, student-centered college education and use a variety of teaching methods in the classroom. It owns the following majors: Music, Early Childhood Education, Economics and so on.
C. Our college is to achieve and maintain recognized excellence in education, service and leadership within a changing world. It is cost-effective life-long learning and prepares students for great careers. Its majors are Information Technology, Professional and Career Development Programs, Social Sciences and some others.
D. As a state-assisted private university, it was founded in 1929. The campus has grown significantly in size and scope. Residence halls are equipped with Internet access. The university offers 117 different majors including Art, Environmental Sciences, Black Affairs Studies Program, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and so on.
E. This University has earned a reputation for providing quality education to meet the needs of students preparing for new careers of tomorrow. It is close to the city of Detroit , with a safe environment. The following majors are offered: Philosophy, Psychology, Women’s Studies Program, Social Work, etc.
F. In our university, students are treated as individuals, and are helped to be good at academics, art, music. Personalized instruction in a small classroom setting is possible. Students interact one-on-one with highly qualified professors. Our main majors are: Math / Computer Sciences, Social Sciences / Humanities and so on.
E
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance. The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly.
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance.
The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics. Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life.
Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance. A savings account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest.
Compounding works by paying interest on interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on. That may not seem like a lot. But over time it adds up.
77.For children who receive allowances, they’d better not ________.
A. waste money to buy gifts for their parents or friends
B. buy their favorite clothing or electronics for themselves
C. save money like their parents or other adults
D. ask for the next allowance before the decided date.
78．Many parents give children an allowance regularly to ______.
A. meet children’s basic need for life
B. give control over their children
C. see whether they have financial mistakes
D. help children learn how to manage money
79.If children are required to save their allowance, they ______.
A. can experience three things related to money
B. can understand the relation between goals and sacrifice
C. will do more work around the house
D. help themselves found the basis for their future life
80. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Be Generous to Pay Your Children
B. Be Wise to Avoid Financial Mistakes
C. Saving Allowances Does Good to Children
D. Allowances Help Children Learn about Money
D
Sandeep Mukerji was on his first visit to Thailand but would leave the “Land of Smiles” with a frown and an empty pocket.
A stone’s throw from the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the 26-year-old Canadian ran into a monk in a robe. The monk told him that the attraction he was hoping to visit had been closed.
The monk then introduced Mukerji to a jewellery store instead. On the way there, three different people told him that it was the last day of a once-a-year, tax-free jewellery promotion to encourage tourism.
They said that tourists can make a lot of money by buying gems（宝石）in Thailand and selling them once at home.
Two hours later, Mukerji had spent US $ 1, 250 on a set of almost worthless jewellery in the jewellery store.
“The whole process took me by surprise. They take advantage of your greed,” he said.
In fact, Mukerji is just one of a huge number of tourists who are cheated by the promise of making a fortune. The scam（诡计）brings Thailand more than US $ 10 million each year.
Although tourist police stations have displayed posters to warn of the scam, many fresh-faced tourists still fall prey to the trick.
The police say they receive 5～10 complaints a day. Many more may not realize they have been cheated until they go back home.
That authorities say that the jewellery scam is harmful to Thailand’s image, but getting rid of the cheats is hard.
Sanit Miphan, head of the police, said the scam has been running for about 15 years but not one jewellery shop owner has been arrested.
The shops usually open for two weeks and then close. They reopen and register under a new name. What’s more, overcharging（要价过高）itself is not breaking the law.
Yet, to keep the tourism business alive, the police said they would take action against any shop receiving more than 10 complaints.
73. Sandeep Mukerji was cheated probably because of all the following EXCEPT that_______.
A. he was young
B. he believed that the monk wouldn’t cheat others
C. he had more or less the wish to try his fortune
D. the cheat scam was too skillful to be found out
74. How many people cheated Sandeen Mukerji?
A. TwoB. Three C. FourD. Five
75. Suppose everyone who was cheated lost as much as Mukerji did, how many visitors to Bankok would be cheated each year?
A. About 6, 000 B. About 8, 000 C. About 10, 000. D. About12, 000.
76. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Thai tourist police are carrying out their task very efficiently.
B. The management of Thai tourist market is very strict.
C. Any shop receiving complaints will be punished as seriously as possible.
D. It is hard for the police to crack down（制裁） the cheats efficiently partly because many cheats’ deeds seem not to break the law.