If you didn't look at them, they weren't there, right? On seeing those in rags on the corner, I only wanted the light to turn green fast enough so that I wouldn't have to keep pretending not to see them.
Then, one day, as I was holding the hand of my best friend Jane who was young but dying of breast cancer, she told me that she made every moment count by slowing down and by seeing everything . I held her hand for five years and then she passed away. She did teach me something. It took a while for her words to really sink in. I can be a slow learner.
I started by seeing everything, and focused on their presence. One day I saw a Vietnam veteran(老兵). I asked him what would make his day.
"A hot cup of coffee," he told me.
I bought him a cup of coffee, a stack of pancakes, some eggs, and so on. After our meal together, I asked him if there was anything else that would make his life a bit easier.
"A new pair of socks, "he said.
Socks, really? I actually happened to be wearing a nice pair of wool hiking socks at that very moment. I told him that I wanted to give him the pair I was wearing if he would accept it. Finally he agreed. We sat down on a bench, and he started to first take off his boots, and then remove the black socks that had once been white off his feet. I think a layer or two of skin might have come off with them. Taking his new pair of socks, he held the socks up to his cheeks and said they were warm and smelled as good as me, pools of tears in his eyes.
Such a simple luxury (奢侈品) I used to take for granted. Now I always have an extra pair with me in my car. They are always my best pair, just waiting to be given away. On seeing the homeless, the author used to_______.
| A．act as if they were not there | B．show mercy to them |
| C．hide in the corner | D．make fun of them |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 2?
| A．He was slow in learning things. |
| B．His best friend was once a teacher. |
| C．He was sad that his friend was dying. |
| D．He didn't understand Jane's words at first. |
Why does the author always have an extra pair of socks in his car?
| A．To decorate his car. |
| B．To sell it to others. |
| C．To keep it for a change. |
| D．To donate it to a needy person. |
What does the author want to convey to us?
| A．All men are born equal. |
| B．Don't miss doing any good thing. |
| C．A beggar's purse is bottomless. |
| D．Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you. |
World Expo 2010 Shanghai China is to be staged in Shanghai from May 1 to October 31, 2010. If you plan to visit the Shanghai Expo this summer, China Pavilion(馆)is a must - see area for you.
China Pavilion, which is called Oriental Crown, is located at the center of the Expo site. Standing 63 meters tall, the China Pavilion takes the shape of an emperor's crown, with the upper layers larger than the lower ones. Covering 160,000 square meters in floor space, the pavilion is made up of a national hall and a regional(宗教的 ) hall. Buildings on the China Pavilion began on Dec. 18, 2007. The design of the China Pavilion was picked from a total of 344 designs put forward by Chinese from around the world. The pavilion has both traditional and modern features, which helps develop the theme of the 2010 Expo; "Better City, Better Life. For example, it is red in appearance, which covers the traditional Chinese culture, and it is green indoors, with the use of energy - saving techniques. The Shanghai World Expo is expected to attract 70 million visitors from across the globe. It is estimated that 400,000 people will visit the Expo and its 140 pavilions every day during the period, but the China Pavilion is only able to receive about one tenth of the total. How to hold so many people in the pavilion remains a tough task. Luckily, the China Pavilion is built as a permanent(长久的) landmark.
During the Expo, the main structure(结构 ) will be used for an exhibition based on the theme of “ Chinese wisdom in urban （城市）development” by explaining the values of harmony（和谐）, nature and spirit. The three - story pavilion has three sections. The top floor's “Footprint of the East” will show some of the changes in Chinese cities. There, you can see a film which shows how Chinese cities have changed, especially in the past 30 years. According to Lu Chuan, director of the film, the scenery is like something from Lord of the Rings. On the second floor, “Journey of Wisdom” will explain China's four great inventions. And the ground's “ Blossoming” City will display scenes from cities of the future. Which of the following words can be used to describe the China Pavilion?
| A．Tiny. | B．Imagination | C．Foreign | D． Environment - friendly. |
The China Pavilion can receive________visitors at most per day.
| A．20,000 | B．40,000 | C． 100,000 | D．400,000 |
We can infer(推断 )that________.
| A．Some foreign friends took part in the designs of the China Pavilion |
| B．You can continue to visit the Japanese Pavilion after the Expo is over |
| C．China Pavilion will be pulled down after the World Expo 2010 is over |
| D．China Pavilion will continue to be open to visitors after the Expo is over |
On the second floor, you can________.
| A．enjoy a film about the changes of cities in China |
| B．learn what Shanghai looked like in the 1920's |
| C．find out how paper was invented |
| D．see how Chinese cities will look like in the future |
“Birds are not as loyal to their partners as you might think, with divorce, child abandonment and remarriage a common part of birds’ life,” a new book has shown. Author and biology professor Bridge Stutchbury, dispels the love-bird belief that birds pair up for life. “In terms of the top 10 beliefs about birds, the lasting pair bonds that we think about, do occur in some birds, but in most of the little songbirds that we studied, no,” the professor from York University in Toronto said. The divorce rate among greater flamingos is 99 percent.
Stutchbury’s book, The Private Lives of Birds, based on 20 years of research from radio filming and DNA testing shows male Acadian flycatchers fertilize(使受孕) females far away from their home nests, “ The main discovery is that so many birds do divorce for what humans would describe as selfish reasons,” Professor Stutchbury said. She noted that females may seek out males that are more colorful and better singers, or look to “step up in the world” and move to areas that are safer and have more food. “Females are looking for the highest quality male so that their children will be of high quality,” she added.
Professor Stutchbury said shorter summers may drive females to leave their nests before their young are fully grown up so they can quickly find new mates（配偶） and lay more eggs, leaving the males to feed the hungry chicks on their own.
Males can double their success in producing children by fertilizing neighboring females, but only “mates” care for the young, and some are none the wiser. “ They can’t tell when the egg comes out and whether it’s theirs or not,” She said. “They have no way to know.”
Divorce is surprisingly common among birds, and most live with one partner for only a few months or years. Divorce rates range from 99 percent in the greater flamingo to zero in the wandering albatross(信天翁).What does the underline word “dispels” mean?
| A．States | B．Doubts | C．Confirms | D．Removes |
The book The Private Lives of Birds_____.
| A．shows the kind of male birds females seek out. |
| B．indicates the wandering albatross is the most faithful. |
| C．is based on Professor Stutchbury’s 20 years’ research. |
| D．suggests that female birds select males near their home. |
According to the passage, we can infer that________.
| A．young birds’ quality depends on their feather. |
| B．some male birds care for others’ young as their own. |
| C．female birds go to find males as soon as autumn comes. |
| D．female birds are responsible for feeding the hungry babies. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A book about love-birds. |
| B．Birds’ living habits and love life |
| C．The fact that birds don’t love their mates forever. |
| D．The factors that influence birds to look for another mate. |
A new report says sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected. American scientists say the ice is melting even faster than computer programs had estimated.
Scientists know that climate change has a major effect on the Arctic Ocean partly because sea ice is disappearing. They also know that areas of open seawater are expanding. Such areas are known to take in sunlight and increase temperatures. Scientists say this has helped to cause the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover.
For the study, the American scientists compared eighteen computer programs with observations made by satellites and other instruments. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change used the computer programs to prepare its 2007 estimates of climate change.
The computer programs gave estimates of the amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean in the month of September. September is when the Arctic has the least ice, after the warm, summer months. The computer estimates suggested an ice loss of two and a half percent for every ten-year period between 1953 and 2006.
Newer studies of the Arctic have used information gathered by aircraft, satellites and ships. This information showed a loss of September ice cover of almost eight percent for every ten-year period between 1953 and last year. This means the ice is disappearing about thirty years faster than the computer programs estimated.
The scientists say the programs might not have recognized the full effect of increased carbon dioxide and other gases in Earth’s atmosphere. They say their study suggests the gases may have more of an effect than had been thought.It is reported that sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected mainly because _________.
| A．climate change | B．sea ice’s disappearance |
| C．seawater’s expansion | D．the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover |
How did the scientists draw the conclusion that sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected?
| A．The scientists have been observing the Arctic Ocean for many years. |
| B．The scientists have compared the computer programs with observation made by satellites and other instruments. |
| C．The scientists have figured out many numbers with the help of computer. |
| D．The scientists have found that the seawater take in sunlight and increase temperatures. |
If the ice melts at the present speed, by the end of this century the ice loss in the Arctic Ocean will be _________ according to newer studies.
| A．22.5% | B．35% | C．72% | D．100% |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The figures of the computer estimates are wrong. |
| B．Scientists study climate change through studying sea level. |
| C．Newer studies show gases may have more effect on sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. |
| D．The ice is melting even faster than satellites have estimated. |
This report mainly warns human to _________.
| A．prevent the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean from melting any more |
| B．pay more attention to the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover |
| C．take necessary steps to protect the environment of our earth |
| D．stop summer sea ice in the Arctic from disappearing so fast |
It is only during the last few years that man has generally realized that in the world of nature a balance exists between all forms of life. No living thing can exist by itself: it is a part of a system (体系) in which all forms of 
life are joined together. If we change one part of the natural order, this will in its turn almost certainly bring about changes in some other part.
The cutting down of forests reduces the supply of oxygen. The killing of weeds and insects by chemicals leads to the wide spread poisoning of animals and birds. The throwing of waste products into the ocean harm to life in the sea, while waste gases change the chemical balance of the atmosphere.
And so we could go on, adding more examples, until in despair (绝望) we might feel like giving up the struggle to control and keep within limits these harmful human activities. Man is very clever at changing the world around him to satisfy his immediate needs, but not so clever at looking far ahead, or at thinking about what the future results of
his action might be.The first paragraph mainly tells us that __________.
| A．everything in nature can’t exist without the help of human beings |
| B．no living thing can exist naturally |
| C．all living things in nature depend on each other |
| D．man has well known the importance of the balance for a long time |
The examples given in the second paragraph are used to prove that __________.
| A．it is very important to protect forests |
| B．there are some living things which can exist all by themselves without change |
| C．all forms of life belong to a system in which all the part can be changed for one another |
D．we cannot change one form of life or matter without disturbing (扰乱) the balance of nature |
In the second paragraph the underlined word “atmosphere” means __________.
| A．the production of chemical factories | B．the gas in the outer space |
| C．the mixture of gases that surrounds the earth | D．the health of the human body |
The third paragraph suggests that __________.
| A．man shouldn’t think only about his immediate needs without enough thought on the future results |
| B．man is very clever in planning his distant future |
| C．man often feels that he has to give up in despair |
| D．man is always anxious to control and keep his actives within limits |
My husband and children think they are very lucky that they are living and that it’s Christmas again. They can’t see that we live on a dirty street in a dirty house among people who aren’t much good. But Johnny and children can’t see this. What a pity it is that our neighbours have to make happiness out of all this dirt. I decided that my children must get out of this. The money that we’ve saved isn’t nearly enough.
The McGaritys have money but they are so proud. They look down upon the poor. The McGarity girl just yesterday stood out there in the street eating from a bag of candy(糖果)while a ring of hungry children watched her. I saw those children looking at her and crying in their hearts; and when she couldn’t eat any more she threw the rest down the sewer(下水道). Why, is it only because they have money ? There is more to happiness than money in the world, isn’t there?
Miss Jackson who teaches at the Settlement House isn’t rich, but she knows things. She understands people. Her eyes look straight into yours when she talks with you. She can read your mind. I’d like to see the children be like Miss Jackson when they grow up. This passage mainly suggests that the writer _______.
| A．is easy to get along with | B．is unhappy with the life they are living |
| C．is good at observing and understanding | D．is never pleased with her neigbours |
What do you think of McGarity girl?
| A．She is proud and hungry. | B．She is selfish and cruel. |
| C．She is lonely and friendless. | D．She is unhappy and misunderstood. |
In this text, the writer tries to tell us that _______.
| A．money is the key to everything |
| B．the more money you have, the less happy you’ll be |
| C．there is something more important than money |
| D．when talking to people we should look into their eyes |
Pick out the one that does NOT describe the writer’s view on money.
| A．Why, is it only because they have money? | B．There is more to happiness than money. |
| C．Miss Jackson isn’t rich, but she knows things. | D．The money we saved isn’t nearly enough. |