Father Maurice Chase used a special way to celebrate his 90th birthday. The Catholic priest took $ 15,000 in cash to Los Angeles’ gutter(贫民区) and gave it away. Twenty wheelchair–bound people received $100 bills, while the rest received $1to $ 3 each．
“I come out here to tell them that God loves them and I love them and that someone is concerned about them,” Chase said．
Chase has given away cash and blessings every Sunday at the same corner for 24 years. Several hundred people wait for him every week．
He makes a point of coming on Thanksgiving and Christmas, too, but this is the first year he spent his birthday in the downtown neighborhood where people live mainly in shelters and on dirty sidewalks．
“It’s the place that makes me the happiest．I just love it,” said Chase. “I look forward to coming here.”
The money comes from donations he receives from rich and famous people he met during his work as assistant to the president of Loyola Marymount University．
The crowd broke into choruses of “Happy Birthday” several times. Some people presented him birthday cards, to his delight．
Travis Kemp, a 51–year–old disabled man with long black hair, was one of the lucky 20 to receive $ 100. He said he had no special plans for spending the money. “He has a lot of respect from me,” Kemp said. “I know I couldn’t do it.”Which of the following makes Chase feel the happiest?
| A．Celebrating his birthday with his neighbours. |
| B．Working in Loyola Marymount University. |
| C．Celebrating Christmas with the people he has helped. |
| D．Going to Los Angeles’ gutter to help people there. |
What’s the source of the money Chase used to help people?
| A．All his savings. |
| B．His earnings as a Catholic priest. |
| C．Donations from the wealthy and celebrities. |
| D．Donations from Loyola Marymount University. |
Travis Kemp is mentioned in the text to show _______.
| A．he was the luckiest person on that day. |
| B．the disabled need to be taken care of. |
| C．Chase is greatly appreciated by the needy. |
| D．even old people came to celebrate Chase’s birthday. |
Which statement is CORRECT according to the passage?
| A．Every recipient could get $100 in cash from Father Maurice Chase. |
| B．Father Maurice Chase gave the cash away not only on his birthday but also on other occasions. |
| C．Although Father Maurice Chase gave the cash away on his birthday, he didn’t receive anything in return. |
| D．Father Maurice Chase earned a lot of money as assistant to the president of Loyola Marymount University. |
Most American students go to traditional public schools．There are about 88, 000 public schools, all over the US．Some students attend about 3000 independent public schools called charter schools．
Charter schools are self-governing．Private companies operate some charter schools．They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools．They receive tax money just as other public schools do．Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning．These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate．
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools．Local, state, or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach．Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them．Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools．
The Bush Administration strongly supports charter schools as a way to re-organize public schools that are failing to educate students．But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools．One teachers' union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools．
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government's delay in releasing the results of the study, which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress．Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse on math and reading tests than students in regular public schools．
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools．Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand improved student progress．If a private company wants to operate a charter school, it must______．
| A．try new methods of teaching |
| B．prove its management ability |
| C．obey the local and state laws |
| D．get the government's permission |
Charter schools are independent because_____．
| A．they make greater progress |
| B．their class size is smaller |
| C．they enjoy more freedom |
| D．they oppose traditional ways |
What's the government's attitude toward charter schools?
| A．Doubtful | B．Supportive. | C．Subjective． | D．Optimistic． |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．More students choose to attend charter schools． |
| B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools． |
| C．Students in charter schools are well educated． |
| D．People have different opinions about charter schools． |
It can be interred from the text that ___.
| A．charter schools are part of the public education system |
| B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students |
| C．the number of charter schools will be limited |
| D．charter schools are all privately financed |
Baby girls make their way directly for dolls as soon as they can crawl, while boys will head for the toy cars, a study has shown. The findings, the first to show differences in very young babies, suggest there is a biological basis to their preferences.
Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90 infants aged nine months to 36 months. The babies were allowed to choose from seven toys. Some were stereotypically boys' toys - a car, a digger, a ball and a blue teddy. The rest were girls’ toys: a pink teddy, a doll and a cooking set. They were placed a meter away from the toys, and could pick whichever toy they liked. Their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded.
Of the youngest children (nine to 14 months), girls spent significantly longer playing with the doll than boys, and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did. Among the two-and three-year-olds, girls spent 50 percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched it. The boys spent almost 90 percent of their time playing with cars, which the girls barely touched. There was no link between the parents’ view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or girls, and the children’s choice.
Dr Brenda Todd said: “Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization. Boys may be given ‘toys that go’ while girls get toys they can care for, which may help shape their preference. But these findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys. There could be a biological basis for their choices. Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer moving objects, probably through hunting instincts（本能）, while girls prefer warmer colors such as pink, the color of a newborn baby.”Baby boys and girls have different toy preferences probably because.
| A．baby boys are much more active |
| B．baby girls like bright colors more |
| C．their parents treat them differently |
| D．there is a natural difference between them |
Both baby boys and baby girls like to play withaccording to the study.
| A．a ball | B．a teddy | C．a car | D．a doll |
What can we infer from Paragraph 3 ?
| A．Nine-month-old baby boys don’t play with dolls at all. |
| B．Two-year-old baby girls sometimes play with cars and balls. |
| C．The older the babies are, the more obvious their preference is. |
| D．Parents should teach their babies to share each other’s toys. |
What conclusion did Dr. Brenda Todd draw from the results of the study?
| A．Adults purposely influence their babies preference. |
| B．Babies’ preference isn’t affected by social surroundings. |
| C．Baby boys preferring to moving toys will be good at hunting. |
| D．Baby girls preferring warmer colors will be warm-hearted. |
We may read this article in asection of a newspaper.
| A．science | B．health | C．education | D．entertainment |
For centuries, the body's blood has been linked closely with the emotions．People who show no human emotions or feelings, are said to be cold-blooded killer．For example, the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer．He seems to kill for no reason, and no emotion, as if taking someone's life as nothing．
Cold can affect other parts of the body．The expression "get cold feet" has nothing to do with cold or your feet．The expression means being afraid to do something you have decided to do．For example, you agree to be president of an organization．But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned, and all the work of the organizations will be your responsibility．You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation．
The expression "give someone the cold shoulder" probably comes from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of speaking to him face to face．You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you．Or, to someone who has lied about you to others．
A cold fish is not a fish．It is a person．But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and shows no love or warmth．A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone．Someone who is a cold fish could be cold-hearted．Now a cold-hearted person is someone who has no sympathy．Several popular songs in recent years were about cold-hearted men or cold-hearted women who, without feelings, broke the hearts of their lovers．
"Out in the cold" means not getting something that everybody else got．A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise——he was left out in the cold．And it is not a pleasant place to be．There are _____ expressions related to cold that are mentioned in the passage．
| A．3 | B．4 | C．6 | D．7 |
When you refuse to speak to a man and treat him in a distant way, you may express by "_____"．
| A．I give him the cold shoulder |
| B．I think he is a cold-blooded man |
| C．I think he is a cold fish |
| D．I'm likely to get cold feet |
If Sue shows absolutely no reaction to those awful pictures of starving children in Africa, you will say ______．
| A．she is a cold-blooded killer |
| B．she gets cold feet |
| C．she is a cold fish |
| D．she is out in the cold |
We can use the expression "_____" to describe a man who abandons or hurts his lover without mercy．
| A．cold-blooded | B．cold shoulder | C．cold feet | D．cold-hearted |
The topic of this passage is about _____．
| A．the relationship between cold and our body |
| B．some expressions about friendship |
| C．some expressions connected with cold |
| D．how cold weather comes into being |
阅读下面短文回答问题，将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（注意题后的字数要求）。
In the United States, train transportation is unpopular compared with cars and airplanes. Most people like traveling by car or by air.
Officials of the United States Department of Transportation made a study in 2001. The study is about how many miles Americans traveled by different means of transportation. They only studied trips longer than 50 miles. The study showed that fifty-six percent of all miles were traveled in personal vehicle. Forty-one percent were traveled in an airplane. Two percent were traveled in a bus. And less than one percent of miles were traveled in a train.
Amtrak is the national provider of train transportation in the United States. In the past ten years, the number of its passengers has increased by eighteen percent. Although the number of passengers has increased, it is still very small now. In countries such as France, Germany, or Japan, more people use trains.
There are several reasons why many people __________________________.
Firstly, Americans love to drive their own cars. On highways, cars can travel as fast as trains. These highways connect all major cities in America．Secondly, many travelers like to be independent. When they use their own cars they can decide when to travel. Thirdly, many buses travel between major cities. Bus travel is less costly than train travel.
In a huge country like the United States, cities are far away from each other. In some cases, travel from one city to another by train may take more than a day. Airplanes can carry passengers over long distances much faster. People who do not want to spend long time traveling by train decide to fly. For these people saving time is the most important thing.What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words.)
Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?
It’s convenient for people to decide the start-off time when they travel in their own cars.Please fill in the blank in the fourth paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence.( Please answer within 10 words.)
What means of transportation do you like best when traveling, trains, cars, or planes? Why? (Please answer within 30 words)
Translate the underlined sentences in the last paragraph into Chinese.
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday. This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale（士气）. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because__________.
| A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
| B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance |
| C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time |
| D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because__________.
| A．they make him feel at ease when working |
| B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
| C．he looks handsome in casual clothes |
| D．he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code. |
| B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive. |
| C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees. |
| D．All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear. |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago. |
| B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
| C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
| D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except __________.
| A．saving employees’ money |
| B．making employees more attractive |
| C．improving employees’ motivation |
| D．making employees happier |