May : Happenings from the past
May 5,1884
Isaac Murphy , son of a slave and perhaps the greatest horse rider in American history , rides Buchanan to win his first Kentucky Derby . He becomes the first rider ever to win the race three times .
May 9 , 1754
Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette produces perhaps the first American political cartoon (漫画), showing a snake cut in pieces, with the words “ Join or Die” printed under the picture.
May 11,1934
The first great dust storm of the Great Plains Dust Bowl , the result of years of drought,blows topsoil all the way to New York City and Washington , D.C. .
May 19, 1994
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis , former first lady and one of the most famous people of the 1960s , died of cancer in New York City at the age of 64 .
May 24, 1844
Samuel F.B. Morsr taps out the first message , “ What Hath God Wrought ,” over the experimental long-distance telegraph line which runs from Washington, D.C. , to Baltimeore , Md .We know from the text that Buchanan is_____________.
A.Isaac”s father |
B.a winning horse |
C.a slave taking care if horses |
D.the first racing horse in Kentucky |
What is the title of the first American political cartoon ?
A.Join or Die | B.Pennsylvania Gazette |
C.What Hath God Wrought | D.Kentucky Derby |
In which year did the former first lady Jacqueline die ?
A.1934 | B.1960 |
C.1964 | D.1994 |
Which of the following places has to do with the first telegram in history ?
A. Washington , D. C. B. New York City
C. Kentucky. D. Pennsylvania
Treatment for HIV has become more widespread, especially in poorer countries. It’s also become cheaper, as medicine companies have lowered their prices for life-saving anti-retroviral drugs(抗逆转录病毒药物). But these drugs are still expensive and many countries are looking to create the biggest impact with limited resources. That’s where World Health Organization guidelines come in, says Rochelle Walensky, a disease researcher from Harvard.
Walensky and her colleagues used computer programs to model the most cost-effective disease interventions(干预), as well as collected data from clinics in Africa and India about what works best. They found that among the choices of what to do first, earlier anti-retroviral therapy (疗法)improved five-year survival dramatically and resulted in the longer life expectancy. But cost-effective doesn’t always mean affordable, especially for governments in poor countries. Countries still have to make difficult choices about how much treatment they can afford.
People in Nairobi, Kenya on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010, protest a potential free trade area agreement between the EU and India that could see cheap anti-AIDS drugs phased out(逐步淘汰). However, Walensky notes that first-line anti-retrovirals—those medicine given to newly diagnosed patients that can keep away from symptoms for years - are much cheaper than they were a decade ago. "Second-line therapy have come down quite a bit but not to the level of first-line and countries are having a hard time affording them and increasingly over time, people are going to fail first-line therapy and they’re going second-line therapy and then, eventually, they’re going to need third-line therapy, some of them."
According to Walensky, history has shown that drug prices can come down when international pressure is applied to drug makers. But for now, she says, countries should focus on treating as many people as they can, as early as possible
Her paper is published in the online journal PLoS Medicine. Which is the best title for the passage?
A.HIV Has Spread in Poorer Countries |
B.Rochelle Walensky’s Life |
C.International Pressure to Drug Makers |
D.Early HIV Treatment Saves Lives |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Anti-retroviral drugs have become cheap now. |
B.The cost-effective treatment may be a heavy expense. |
C.Cheap anti-AIDS drugs have been phased out . |
D.First-line therapy deals with the most severe disease. |
The research is done by.
A.using computer programs and collecting data from clinics |
B.giving medicine to newly diagnosed patients with AIDS |
C.urging countries to focus on treating more patients earlier |
D.publishing her paper in the online journal PLoS Medicine |
The passage serves as a(n)___________ to Rochelle Walensky ’s study.
A.assessment | B.comment | C.introduction | D.background |
A severe heatwave sweeping India, with temperatures of almost 44ºC, the highest in 52 years, has killed at least 80 people this month, officials said on Sunday. The hot weather, which officials say would continue over northern, north-western and central India in the next 48 hours, also may have some impact on wheat production, exporters and flour-mill associations said.
New Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7ºC on Saturday, indicating a hot summer in the next two months in the nation’s capital and other parts of northern and eastern India. The highest temperature in the past 24 hours was 47ºC at Ganganagar city, in Rajasthan state. Summer temperatures have been 4ºC-6ºC above normal over most parts of northern and central India since March, weather officials said.
In the eastern state of Orissa, authorities have decided to shut down schools from next Tuesday, advancing the annual summer holiday. Authorities said they were investigating reports of 53 deaths from various parts of the state.
"District collectors have been asked to investigate and submit reports on other deaths," Bhimsen Gochhayat, a government official said. Other deaths were reported from northern state of Uttar Pradesh and central Madhya Pradesh states.
India is expected to produce about 82 million tons of wheat in 2009-2010, but there could be a shortage of 1-1.5 million tons due to the heatwave, said Veena Sharma, Secretary General of the Roller Flour Millers Federation of India. "Most of the harvesting is over, but there definitely will be a slight shortage of 1-1.5 million tons due to the extreme weather conditions," she told Reuters.
India is relying on an abundant wheat crop to make up for a 14.2% drop in rice output, the major summer-sown food grain, marred by the worst monsoon (季风)in 37 years last year. Weather officials say with summer temperatures in India set to remain above average, there were hopes of heavy rains at the start of the monsoon season that will help early sowing of rice, soybeans and lentils. The purpose of the passage is ____________.
A.to tell a piece of news of a heatwave |
B.to record the highest temperature in India |
C.to report the deaths in the heatwave |
D.to inform people of a drop of rice output |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The highest temperature in the history of India was 44ºC.
B. Schools were closed because of the hot weather throughout India.
C. India is expected to produce about 82 million tons of rice in 2009-2010.
D. India has a good harvest of wheat while the rice output is decreasing. The underlined word “marred” in the last paragraph probably means “___________”.
A.reduced | B.damaged | C.blown | D.followed |
What is the main idea of the passage?
A.A severe heatwave would continue over India. |
B.At least 80% people were killed in the disaster this month. |
C.A severe heatwave swept India with a great loss. |
D.A slight shortage of 1-1.5 million tons is due to the heatwave. |
The King’s School, Canterbury is an independent, co-educational secondary school. There are currently 791 pupils on the school roll(名单). The School has a long and distinguished history, and it is also one of the oldest charities in the country, providing scholarships to pupils and organizing a Charity of the Term.
The curriculum(课程)at King’sis based onstrong academic roots. It emphasizes and relies upon what is best in traditional independent school education: scholarly excellence supported by a caring and tutorial system, and a wide-ranging co-curricular programme. However, it is continually adapting and reacting to the changing demands of modern education: new subjects are added, new teaching techniques adopted, and there is an increasing awareness of the need to provide programmes of study that match individual needs and skills.
The curriculum is divided into three units: the Lower School (Year 9), an introductory year; the Middle School (Years 10 and 11), working to GCSEs;and the Sixth Form ( Years 12 and 13), taking AS and A levels.
Full detailscan be foundin:Shell Guide and Handbook; MiddleSchool Academic Guide 2009-11;Middle School Academic Guide2010-12;Sixth Form Guide 2009-11and Sixth Form Guide 2010-12.
Formal and structured educational support, for those who need it, is available at all levels. The well-stocked Libraryis open 7 days and 6 evenings per week. ICT facilities (including the Internet)are available for alland the whole school (studies within the Houses as well asclassrooms) is extensively networked.
Pupils are offered extensive careers advice throughout their time at King’s.Almost all go to university, either immediately or following a GAP year. The most popular university destinations are Cambridge, Bristol, Nottingham, Durham, Leeds, Oxford, Edinburgh, Manchester, and University College, London.
Director of Studies: Geoff Cocksworth: grc@kings-school.co.uk
Examinations Officer: Elaine McDowell: eam@kings-school.co.ukThe passage serves as a brief introduction to __________.
A.the King’s School | B.the curriculum |
C.the teaching plan | D.British education |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage ?
A.The King’s School, Canterbury is a famous high school in Britain. |
B.The curriculum at King’sis best in traditional and modern education. |
C.All pupils of the school go to university immediately after they graduate. |
D.pupils’ dormitories as well as classrooms are provided with network |
The following can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT that __________.
A.The King’s School focuses on pupils’ individual development |
B.pupils in the King’s School who pass GCSEs will go to university |
C.pupils in the King’s School have an easy access to the school library |
D.pupils in the King’s School receive good education |
The passage is probably taken from a ___________.
A.handbook | B.website | C.guide | D.teaching plan |
Steinbeck, John, 1902-68, American writer, born in Salinas, Calif., studied at Stanford. He is probably best remembered for his strong sociological novel The Grapes of Wrath, considered one of the great American novels of the 20th century. Steinbeck's early novels-Cup of Gold (1929), The Pastures of Heaven (1932), and To a God Unknown (1933)-attracted little critical attention, but Tortilla Flat (1935), an affectionate(亲切的)yet realistic novel about the lovely, Spanish-speaking poor of Monterey, was enthusiastically received.
A merciful understanding of the world's poor was to be Steinbeck's mark. The novel In Dubious Battle (1936) defends striking immigrant agricultural workers in the California fields. In the novel Of Mice and Men (1937; later made into a play), Steinbeck again presents immigrant workers, but this time in terms of human worth and integrity(完好)-a theme he also used in The Moon Is Down (1942; later made into a play), about Norwegian resistance to the Nazis. The Grapes of Wrath (1939; Pulitzer Prize), while treating the hard situation of dispossessed Dust Bowl farmers during the 1930s, presents a universal picture of victims of disaster. Steinbeck's description of the westward migration of the Joad family, and their following struggles in the agricultural industry of California, is realistic and moving, and he presents his inferior characters with nobility.
Steinbeck's other works are diverse, ranging from the literal account of a voyage, The Sea of Cortez (1941; written with the marine biologist E. F. Ricketts),to a moral story, The Pearl (1948); to a French folk piece, The Short Reign of Pippin IV (1957). Love of his native land shines through the delicately nostalgic story "The Red Pony" in The Long Valley (1938). The somewhat emotional attitude of Tortilla Flat appears again in Cannery Row (1945), The Wayward Bus (1947), and Sweet Thursday (1954). How many novels adapted into a play are mentioned in the passage ?_________.
A.Nine | B.Seven | C.Four | D.Two |
Accoding to the passage , which of the following is true?
A.The Grapes of Wrath, is considered one of the great novels of this century. |
B.Only in the novel In Dubious Battle Steinbeck referred to immigrant workers. |
C.In The Grapes of Wrath, farmers living in Dust Bowl possess almost nothing. |
D.All Steinbeck’s late works are related to his love of his native land. |
We can learn from the passage that Steinbeck .
A.did not draw much attention until Tortilla Flat was published |
B.wrote all his novels in terms of human worth and integrity |
C.presented poor but noble characters in all his novels |
D.showed his love for his native land in The Short Reign of Pippin IV |
The passage is mainly about Steinbeck’s .
A.works | B.life | C.fame | D.prize |
My dad was never the kind to offer many words of love or encouragement. But we knew he loved us... he just had his own way of showing it.
When I was a teen, we were seasonal campers at a family campground almost an hour outside the city where we lived. Each family had their own campsite with water and electric, and you basically parked your camper there from May through October. Most "Seasonals" visited them every weekend during those months, with the occasional weeklong stay. There were plenty of other kids who camped seasonally each weekend, and they came to be some of my closest friends. Of course, many of them were boys.
We kids paired up with our little boyfriends or girlfriends, and we'd hold hands as we'd walk around the campground. We'd play ping-pong, have some snacks, and play songs. Most weekends were pretty similar, but the couples would change. You'd see so-and-so with a different so-and-so than they were with the weekend before. You know how it is when you're a teen — a three-week relationship is a really long time.
So, needless to say, my teen years were spent with quite a few different boys. But every single one of them had something in common... they'd all received The Evil Eye.
The Evil Eye was a magical sort of thing. One simple look from my dad, and the boy immediately knew not to mess with me. It was as if he could send his warnings through invisible laser(激光)beams that shot directly from his eyes to the boys' brains.
"You will not put your hands on my daughter... You will not kiss my daughter... You will not even whisper sweet nothings into my daughter's ear."
I remember one night in particular, walking with a boy around the campground after dark. We came from one direction, and my dad from the other. The boy and my dad locked eyes for a brief second, then the boy dropped my hand like a hot potato and turned away, giving me a quick, "See ya later."
Yes, the Evil Eye. Best way ever to keep wandering teen boy hands away from your daughters.The Evil Eye in the passage implies that__________.
A.Dad gets angry easily |
B.Dad’s eyes are like evil’s |
C.Dad’s eyes are ugly-looking |
D.Dad’s eyes are protective to his daughter |
The underlined words “mess with” in paragraph 5 most probably means_________.
A.cause trouble | B.make untidy |
C.get married to | D.talk to |
A.As teenagers, we went camping every weekend. |
B.We made lots of friends during the seasonal camping. |
C.We had regular boyfriends or girlfriends and enjoyed ourselves. |
D.The boy dropped my hand and turned away because he loved The Evil Eye. |
It can be inferred from the passage that the author ___________.
A.is a teenage girl who loves her father |
B.is a teenage boy who hates his father |
C.is now an adult who has come to understand her father’s love |
D.used to be a naughty boy who changed girlfriends now and then |