Whenever there's a terrible storm, there are plenty of sad stories. Many people lost their houses, their cars and their pets. But sometimes these stories have happy endings too.
A family in New Jersey, US, had a cat named Vivien. She is very smart. She could even draw with her wet paws on the floor. They all love her very much. When hurricane (飓风) Sandy hit America in October, they moved to a safer place-13km away from home. Sadly Vivien went missing. The whole family were worried about her. They put up posters on the Internet to look for her. All the nine family members searched wherever they thought she could stay, but they didn't find it. The family thought Vivien was gone forever.
But six months later, Vivien showed up at their house, according to Yahoo News. They considered her return as a wonder. No one can be sure where Vivien was for all that time.
Many animals are good at finding their way home. People usually say that dogs and cats find their way home through using their sense of smell.
But that doesn't explain how Vivien found her way back. Hurricane Sandy blew away the normal smells of home.
"I wish she could talk," said her owner.From the passage we know Sandy is a
| A．pet | B．house |
| C．girl | D．hurricane |
The cat was missing for
| A．4 months | B．6 months |
| C．9 months | D．13 months |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Vivien could even draw. |
| B．The family tried hard to look for the pet. |
| C．The owner knew how the cat found her way home. |
| D．Many people lost their houses, their cars and their pets because of the hurricane. |
What can be the best title (标题) for the passage?
| A．A Terrible Storm | B． A Clever Pet |
| C．A Smart Owner | D．A sad story |
Chris Jones recently completed a very unusual journey. Our reporter Mary Owen met him at his home in the south of London and be told her all about the trip.
Reporter: What gave you the idea to make a trip around India on an elephant, Chris?
Chris: Well, it all started the idea two years ago when I was planning a trip to India. I visited a photo exhibition of elephants and I realized that the only enjoyable way to make a trip around India was on an elephant.
Reporter: What did you do next?
Chris: I flew to New Delhi and started looking for an elephant, I needed an elephant trained to carry people. I didn’t know anything about elephants, so I asked an expert(专家) for help. He taught me how to ride an elephant. He also helped me find an elephant.
Reporter: How long did it take you to find a suitable elephant?
Chris: Not too long. I bought a famale elephant called Tara for about 6.000 dollars.
Reporter: Can you tell me about the journey?
Chris: Tara and I set off from New Delhi a week later. We were going to Sonepur in northern India. There is a big elephant market there and I could sell Tara easily. And what a ride! Elephants can travel at about 6 miles an hour and Sonepur is more than 1,200 km away. It took us 64 days to complete the journey.
Reporter: Did you have any problems on your journey?
Chris: Yes, a few. But nothing serious. On the third day. Tara hurt her foot. But that got better quickly. Also, there was a lot of heavy rain during the first week and we got very wet!
Reporter: What happened when you reached Sonepur?
Chris: My plan was to sell Tara. But I was very fond of her. I couldn’t take her back to Britain and I didn’t want to sell her at the market. I happened to meet some people who wanted an elephant for their national park in southern India. I knew that Tara would be safe with them, so I gave her to them. I was very sad to say goodbye.Chris got the idea to make a trip around India on an elephant from ______
| A．a visit to a zoo |
| B．an elephant expert from India |
| C．the photos of elephant |
| D．an old friend who lived in India |
The elephant expert told Chris ______
| A．when to buy an elephant |
| B．how to feed an elephant |
| C．where to sell his elephant |
| D．how to ride an elephant |
Chris decided to go to Sonepur because ________
| A．it is a very interesting place |
| B．he would be able to sell Tara there easily |
| C．elephants cannot be sold anywhere else |
| D．it would take only a short time to get there |
When Chris arrived at the market in Sonepur,__________
| A．he realized that he did not really want to sell Tara |
| B．he visited some shopkeepers |
| C．he sold Tara to a national park |
| D．he decided to take Tara home with him. |
Canberra is the capital of Australia. It is a modern and lively city with a population of over 345,000.
How far is Canberra from Sydney?
| A．25 km | B．238 km | C．345 km | D．507 km |
The word “Canberra”means__________.
| A．the largest city |
| B．beautiful man-made lake |
| C．the old capital city |
| D．a place for friends to get together. |
Canberra Flower Festival is a festival to ________
| A．ride bikes | B．visit universities |
| C．welcome the spring | D．walk around the lake |
A) 根据所读内容，在文章后第62—71小题的空格里填入恰当的单词。每个空格只填1个单词。
Venice, a city in the northeast of Italy, is famous throughout the world for its buildings and romantic canals (运河). But in February every year, people come to Venice for another reason. The city carnival fills the place with excitement and fun. This year, the celebration runs from February 4 to 21.
Colorful costumes have always played a very important role in the Venetian carnival. The carnival happens at the start of the Christian fasting (斋戒) period of Lent. It was traditionally a time to go a bit crazy with eating, drinking, dancing and dressing up before the fast began. People used masks to hide their social identity so that the nobility(贵族) would look no different from the commoners.
Today the carnival is largely for the tourists. “Venetians don’t dress up for Carnival after the age of 10.” Giuseppina Giudice, who has lived in the city all her life, told the Guardian. “All we see of Carnival is a river of strangers who flow into town to feel ‘Venetian’. They fill it, buy a cheap mask and leave with nothing but photographs of St Mark’s Square.”
Some locals want to bring back the original (最初的) feel of Carnival. In 2009, two social networking groups started organizing their own carnival. Visitors were invited. But there were no expensive tickets or fancy ball dresses---- just an old-fashioned Italian street party. “Tourists are welcome to our party ---- the more we can show them about the real Venice rather than the postcard Venice, the better,” Matteo Secchi, one of the organizers, told the Guardian.
| Topic: Carnival in Venice |
|
| Location |
Venice lies |
| This year people |
|
| Traditions |
﹡It’s a time to go ﹡People always wear colorful costumes and |
| ﹡Today the festival is largely for every ﹡Some locals want to bring back the original ﹡In 2009, two social networking groups |
One bag, that’s it.
The importance of packing light cannot be overemphasized(过度强调). Limit yourself to 20 pounds in a carry-on bag. A 9’× 22’ ×14’ bag fits under most airplane seats. And after you enjoy that sweet mobility and freedom, you’ll never go any other way.
You’ll walk with your luggage(行李) more than you think you will. Before leaving home, give yourself a test. Pack up completely, and practice being a tourist for an hour. Fully loaded, you should enjoy window-shopping. If you can’t, go home and thin things out.
Packing light isn’t just about the trip over and back—it’s about your traveling lifestyle. Too much luggage marks you as a typical tourist. It slams the back door shut. Changing locations becomes an important operation. With only one bag, you’re mobile and in control. Take this piece of advice seriously. Pack light, and pack smart. These days, you can’t bring anything possibly dangerous—such as knives, lighters or large amounts of liquid (液体)—in your bag.
What to bring?
How do you fit a whole trip’s worth of luggage into a small backpack or suitcase(衣箱)? The answer is simple: bring very little.
Bring out everything you think you might need on the floor. Pick up one item(件) at a time and check it. Ask yourself—not “Will I use it?”, but—“Will I use it enough to feel good about carrying it all the way? The world is getting really small—you can buy Colgate toothpaste, Nivea cream and Gillette razors in almost every country.
Think about what you can do without—not what will be convenient on your trip. When in doubt, leave it out.What do the last two paragraphs mainly talk about?
| A．Packing light is a kind of travelling lifestyle. |
| B．Packing light can give you mobility and freedom. |
| C．How to find out what to take and what not to take on a trip. |
| D．How to find out if your luggage is too heavy. |
You are allowed to take _______with you when you travel according to the passage.
| A．Colgate toothpaste | B．Lighters | C．Knives | D．a great deal of liquid |
The underlined part “thin things out” possibly means________.
| A．make things thin to bring |
| B．make your luggage lighter |
| C．take out dangerous things |
| D．throw useless things away |
The author seems to believe that _________.
| A．people had better bring nothing when they travel |
| B．people can use Nivea cream only in their home town |
| C．the importance of packing light is overemphasized now |
| D．you will be easily seen as a tourist with a lot of luggage |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Dying for a trip |
| B．Things to take on a trip |
| C．Pack light and pack right |
| D．Travelling: a typical way of life |
A thief entered the bedroom of the 30th President of the United States, who met him and helped him escape punishment.
The event happened in the early morning hours on one of the first days when Calvin Coolidge came into power, late in August,1923. He and his family were living in the same third-floor suite (套房) at the Willard Hotel in Washington that they had moved in several years before. The former President’s wife was still living in the White House.
Coolidge woke up to see a stranger go through his clothes, remove a wallet and a watch chain.
Coolidge spoke, “I wish you wouldn’t take that.”
The thief, gaining his voice, said, “Why?”
“I don’t mean the watch and chain, only the charm (表坠). Take it near the window and read the words on its back, ” the president said.
The thief read, “Presented to Calvin Coolidge.”
“Are you President Coolidge?” he asked.
The president answered, “ Yes, and the House of Representatives（众议院）gave me the watch charm. I’m fond of it. It would do you no good. You want money. Let’s talk this over.”
Holding up the wallet, the young man said in a low voice, “I’ll take this and leave everything else.”
Coolidge, knowing there was 80 dollars in it, asked the young man to sit down and talk. He told the President he and his college roommate had overspent during their holiday and did not have enough money to pay their hotel bill.
Coolidge added up the roommate two rail tickets back to the college. Then he counted out 32 dollars and said it was a loan (借款).
He then told the young man, “There is a guard in the corridor(走廊).” The young man nodded and left through the same window as he had entered.What caused the thief to meet the President?
| A．He knew the president had lots of money. |
| B．He knew the president lived in the suite. |
| C．He wanted to be a rich businessman. |
| D．He wanted to steal some money. |
Why did Calvin Coolidge live at the Willard Hotel in those days?
| A．Because the former president was still in the White House. |
| B．Because the former First Lady hadn’t left the White House. |
| C．Because the hotel was suitable for the First Family to live. |
| D．Because the First lady liked to live there. |
Coolidge counted out 32 dollars______.
| A．in order to be out of danger |
| B．to make more money from the loan |
| C．in order not to be killed by the thief |
| D．so that the student could overcome his difficulty |
The young man’s roommate went back to college _____.
| A．by bus | B．by water | C．by train | D．by air |
Which of the following might happen afterwards?
| A．The thief was put into prison. |
| B．The young man repaid the 32 dollars. |
| C．The President told many reporters the thief’s name. |
| D．The President ordered the young man to repay the money. |