Imagine the situation. You are driving along a desert or on a mountain. You have no idea where you are. You passed the last house two hours ago. Then your car breaks down. It is night and it is cold. You have no mobile phone. What do you do? Well, next time take a GPS with you. This invention may be able to help you. It is a device which uses satellites to find the user’s position. It can find your position to within 20 metres. A GPS cannot start your car, but at least you will know where you are. 
GPS, which means Global Positioning System, is a small radio receiver. It looks like a mobile phone. You can hold it in your hand, or put in your pocket. It is sometimes put into a watch or a telephone. We also find GPS devices in cars, planes, or boats. Some of these devices have electronic maps, so you know where you are. For example, in a city they can tell you the name of the street.
There are three parts to the Global Positioning System. The first part is the receiver. You can hold it in your hand, or have it fixed into your car, plane, etc. The second part is a group of satellites orbiting the Earth. The receiver contacts at least four of the satellites and calculates (计算) its position. The third part of the system is a network of ground stations. They are all over the world. They control the satellites and make sure they are working well.
Some people think that in the future the GPS will be as common as the mobile. They are becoming cheaper and more and more accurate (精确的). There are also new uses for the GPS. Perhaps they will become like watches. Everyone will have one and you will never be lost again.According to the passage, with the help of the GPS, people ______.
| A．can’t be lost in a new city |
| B．can’t find their way in different countries |
| C．can learn about the culture of an unknown place |
| D．can spend the least time getting to another place |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
| A．there are three parts to the GPS |
| B．a GPS can’t be put into a watch |
| C．a GPS can help you start your car |
| D．the GPS are becoming more and more expensive |
The underlined word “They” in paragraph 3 means “______”.
| A．Receivers | B．GPS devices | C．Satellites | D．Ground stations |
The passage is mainly about ______.
| A．the history of the GPS | B．the introduction of the GPS |
| C．the shape of the GPS | D．the three parts of the GPS |
What can we infer(推断) from the passage? ______
| A．All GPS devices have electronic maps. |
| B．People in many countries will use the GPS for free. |
| C．The receiver of the GPS contacts at least five of the satellites. |
| D．The GPS will become more and more common in everyday life. |
Do you know star anise? It has a Chinese name “bajiao”(八角). You can find this spice(调味料) in almost all Chinese kitchens. Suddenly people around the world need the small fruit from which the spice is made, because of bird flu(禽流感). 
Bird flu has made tens of millions of birds die and killed at least 60 people in Asia. Scientists say if flu changes to spread from person to person, it could kill millions!
A medicine called Tamiflu(达菲) is supposed to fight bird flu in humans. Roche, a Swiss company, developed it. But Roche says it hasn’t enough raw material(原料) to make lots of Tamiflu. The material is the Chinese spice star anise.
About 90% of the world’s star anise is produced in South China. The fruit is harvested(丰收) between March and May. Besides spice, people also use it as medicine.
People afraid of bird flu have begun to buy star anise and cook chicken and other meat with it more. But so far, no scientists say the spice could give protection(保护). Some scientists say that eating the fruit itself won’t help against bird flu.Most world’s star anise is produced in .
| A．Swiss | B．Africa | C．Asia | D．South China |
According to the passage, the underlined word “supposed” probably means .
| A．thought | B．should | C．felt | D．ought |
Star anise is harvested .
| A．for one month | B．for half a year |
| C．for almost three months | D．All year round |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．The introduction of star anise. |
| B．The influence of bird flu. |
| C．The introduction of Tamiflu. |
| D．Star anise is used to make medicine to help fight bird flu. |
Which one is NOT right according to the passage?
| A．Star anise is a kind of spice. |
| B．Most star anise is produced in China. |
| C．Bird flu is dangerous for people. |
| D．Scientists say spice can help against bird flu. |
Good afternoon, everyone. My talk for today is “Early Money”. I’m going to tell you something about money used in the early days. To tell you the truth, we know little about how early people came to use money, but we do know some of the things which have been used as money. In early times in some European countries, salt was very difficult to get, so it was used as money. In some places of Asia, tea was used as money. The American Indians used nuts and other things. Perhaps the most common money of all was an animal of some kind. In some places today, cows are still used as a kind of money. So you see, things highly valued by everyday may serve as money. The Chinese were the first people to use coins as money. Oh, here are some coins of past. You can come over and have a look. 
We know about the development of “Early Money”.
| A．much | B．little | C．few | D．a bit |
Which is NOT referred to in the passage that was probably used in the past?
| A．cows | B．nuts | C．tea | D．silk |
Why was salt used in Europe?
| A．It was used every day. | B．It was cheap. |
| C．It was common. | D．It was difficult to get. |
Which one is still used as money nowadays?
| A．nuts | B．salt | C．cows | D．tea |
This passage may be a .
| A．news | B．message | C．speech | D．notice |
Nelson Mandela, the first black President of South Africa, passed away at his home. He is one of the greatest people in the 20th century. The whole world mourned the father of new South Africa. His life is full of stories.
| Nelson Mandela’s Life |
|
| Time |
Events |
| July18, 1918 |
Was born in a rich family in South Africa |
| 1944 |
Became a member of ANC |
| October15,1962 |
Was put into prison for opposing the white only government |
| February10, 1990 |
Was set free---got out of the prison |
| 1992 |
Visited China for the first time |
| 1993 |
Won the Nobel Prize for Peace |
| May9, 1994 |
Became the first black president of South Africa |
| December5, 2013 |
Died at his home |
Nelson is the first president of South Africa.
| A．white | B．Asian | C．woman | D．black |
Nelson was born in a family.
| A．poor | B．rich | C．kind | D．white |
How long was Nelson in prison?
| A．nearly 28 years | B．18 years | C．over 30 years | D．20 years |
Nelson won the Nobel Prize for in 1993.
| A．Physics | B．Medicine | C．Chemistry | D．Peace |
Nelson has been dead for about .
| A．one year | B．5 months | C．4 months | D．7 months |
These days when you go on vacation, you spend most of your money just getting there. Travel is expensive, but don't stay home only because you are short of money! Here is some advice:
* Travel during off-season if possible. Flights and hotels are very cheaper when tourism is low.
* Choose a hotel that's a little farther from popular attractions. If you're staying several days,
check out prices on vacation homes — it can end up being cheaper than a hotel.
* Take public traffic, such as buses or subway, instead of taking a taxi.
* Plan your meals, and eat like locals. Don't waste money at expensive hotel restaurants or
fast-food chains. Depending on where you stay, it may be cheaper to make food on your own.
* Check online for special discount （折扣） — if you're a student, the old or the parents
traveling with children, you could get discounts! A little research could save you a lot of money.
Whether you're backpacking alone or going on a family vacation, your trip doesn't have to break the bank. The key is to plan ahead and write down what you spend. Then put the money you save toward your next trip!Is travel expensive now?
How many suggestions are given to save money?
Which is cheaper, staying at a hotel or a vacation home?
Who could get discounts?
What is the passage mainly about?
Working Christmas Day
It was unusually quiet in the emergency room （急诊室） on December25.
I didn't think there would be any patients, complaining about having to work on. Just then five people showed up at my desk, a pale woman and four small children.
"Are you all sick?" I asked doubtfully.
"Yes," she said weakly and lowered her head.
But when it came to descriptions of their problems, things got a little unclear. Two of the children had headaches, but I couldn't find any normal body language of holding the head or trying to keep it still. Two children had earaches, but only one could tell me which ear was hurting. The mother complained of a cough but seemed to work to produce it.
Something was wrong, but I didn't say anything but explained that it might be a little while before a doctor saw her. She replied, "Take your time; it's warm in here."
I checked the form after the admitting clerk had finished her work with the family. No address — they were homeless. The waiting room was warm.
I looked out at the family standing by the Christmas tree. The youngest one was pointing at the television and shouting something to her mother. The oldest one was looking at the colorful Christmas tree.
I went back to the nurses' station and mentioned we had a homeless family in the waiting room. The nurses, complaining about working Christmas, turned to pity for a family just trying to get warm on Christmas. The team went into action, much as we do when there's a medical emergency. But this one was a Christmas emergency.
We were all offered a free meal in the hospital dining hall on Christmas Day, so we prepared a big one for our Christmas guests. We needed presents, too. We put together oranges and apples in a basket. We collected from different departments candies, crayons and other things that could be presents. As seriously as we met the physical needs of the patients that came to us that day, our team worked to meet the needs, and beyond the expectations, of a family who just wanted to be warm on Christmas Day.
Later, as the family walked to the door to leave, the four-year-old came running back, gave me a hug and whispered, "Thanks for being our angels today."Why did the family come to the hospital?
| A．They were sick. | B．They were cold and hungry. |
| C．They wanted to visit friends. | D．They got all their money lost. |
How did the writer and her workmates help the family?
| A．They offered a free meal to them. |
| B．They bought some presents for them. |
| C．They sent for a doctor for them. |
| D．They asked them to stay overnight in the hospital. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The mother was seriously ill. |
| B．The family were driven out of the hospital. |
| C．The writer and her workmates always liked to work on Christmas. |
| D．The family thanked the writer and her workmates for their kindness. |