Jake O' Brien，one of the central characters in Sterling R．Walker's science fiction novel The Orphan Ship，has just received some bad news. The medical school he has been going to is closing down because of financial(财务的)problems；and to make matters worse，the only other medical program in the world also happens to be on another planet. Thus，in order to become a doctor，Jake packs his suitcase and jumps on board the passenger ship Atlanta to go to Mars!
When Jake and his cousin Lorina Murphy journey to Mars Station in search of educational opportunities，they never guess they will turn into life savers. But because of the extreme poverty and child exploitation(剥削)happening on Mars，these two cousins are forced to accept their true destiny(命运)．However，they are not alone in their efforts to save the poor “street kids”．Early in the story these two heroes are joined by the crew(船员)of the Ishmael，which in the course of the story，becomes a rescue ship and a safe place for over one hundred homeless children.
In this novel，there are different themes. While fighting the cruel people who sell the “street kids” of Mars Station，the colorful characters of The Orphan Ship also manage to fall in love，find wealth，and form lasting friendships.
The real power of the story comes from the characters' expression of fellow feeling—a feeling of understanding others because you have shared similar experiences. The characters in The Orphan Ship have a sense of social duty and spiritual commitment. For example，at one point in the story，shocked by the way the homeless children have been treated，Lorina notices “a pair of black children sitting under a streetlight begging food from passersby”．Yet “no one gave the children a second look.” Fortunately，however，Lorina and her newfound friends—the crew of the Ishmael，which soon becomes the “Orphan Ship”—do indeed care for the children of Mars Station，as they join forces to provide them safe passage to earth and also a home. In this way the theme of compassion is the centerpiece of the entire novel.Jake decides to go to Mars because ______.
| A．studying medicine is cheaper on Mars than on earth |
| B．the medical school on Mars is better than that on earth |
| C．Mars is the only place where he can realize his dream |
| D．his cousin encourages him to become a doctor on Mars |
What's Jake and his cousin's destiny?
| A．To save other people's lives. |
| B．To become the crew of the Ishmael. |
| C．To fail to get an education on Mars. |
| D．To make friends with homeless children. |
All the following are themes of the novel EXCEPT ______.
| A．friendship | B．spreading knowledge |
| C．finding wealth | D．love |
The underlined word “them” in the last paragraph refers to ______.
| A．passersby | B．Lorina's newfound friends |
| C．homeless children | D．the black |
Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris? The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370 under Charles V. By the seventeenth century, it had stopped to be important for defense. Cardinal Richelieu turned it into a prison. It was not an ordinary prison to punish common crimes. Its huge doors closed only on enemies of the King. The Bastille's workings were secret. Prisoners were taken to it in closed vehicles. Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall. No talking was allowed. Worst of all, a prisoner never knew if he would be there a day, a week, a year, or forever. Only the King's letter could set him free.
Over the years, the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer. By the time of its fall, most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptions(贪污腐败) of the government. Voltaire, the famous French writer, spent a year there in 1717-1718, and another 12 days in 1726.
For those who believed in free speech and free thinking, the Bastille stood for everything evil. The day it was captured, only seven prisoners were found inside. Still, the Bastille was hated by the people. It was a symbol of the King's complete power. The Bastille had been a prison ______.
| A．since the time of Charles V |
| B．since 1370 |
| C．since the time of Cardinal Richelieu |
| D．before the seventeenth century |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．Voltaire was twice put in the Bastille. |
| B．The Bastille was only for those who were opposed to the King. |
| C．Things done in the Bastille were hardly known to people outside. |
| D．Anyone who did something wrong could find himself suddenly in the Bastille. |
At the time of its fall, the Bastille housed ______.
| A．only a few prisoners |
| B．a lot of writers who had been against the government |
| C．a large number of prisoners |
| D．some dozens of people who believed in free speech and free thinking |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．All prisoners in the Bastille had to stay there for life. |
| B．Over the years the number of prisoners in the Bastille was getting more and more. |
| C．The King could put people in, or let them go out, as he wanted. |
| D．At the time it was captured, there were so few prisoners in it that it meant little to the people. |
For some minutes, all was quiet in the street. Then, from across the street, someone came walking at a slow pace.
It looked like a man of middle height, dressed in a big raincoat, a soft hat and rubber soled boots or shoes, and making little sound while walking: at most a soft, sliding sound. No one was in sight. It was a street with two rows of about fifty small houses, and there were three lamps on either side. The lamp nearest the child’s house could be seen clearly, but the others were almost hidden by the smoky air. A car passed the end of the street and its lights showed faintly, but clearly enough the wrinkled skin of a woman’s small face. The car disappeared as the woman, wrapped up in her coat, reached the doorway of the child’s house.
She put a key into the lock quickly, pushed the door open and stepped inside, then close the door without looking round. She began to breathe hard.
She leaned against the door for a moment, then straightened up as if with an effort, and walked towards the door of the front room, the passage leading to the kitchen, and the narrow staircase. She hesitated outside the door, and then went up the stairs, quickly but with hardly a sound. There was enough light from the narrow hall to show the four doors leading off a small landing. She pushed each door open in turn and shone a torch inside, and the light fell upon beds, walls, furniture, a bathroom band basin, a mirror which flashed brightness back; but this was not what the woman was looking for. She turned away and went downstairs and hesitated again at the foot of the stairs, then turned towards the kitchen. Clearly there was nothing there, or in the small wash-room, that she wanted. Two rooms remained; the front room and a smaller one next to it. She opened the front room door. After a moment, she saw the child’s bed and the child.The lights of the car passing the end of the street showed that _______.
| A．a woman was walking by herself up the street |
| B．a man was walking up the street |
| C．a man was driving by himself up the street |
| D．a woman was driving the car |
When she got into the house, the woman ______.
| A．went upstairs at once | B．seemed tired |
| C．started breathing again | D．felt excited |
What the woman was looking for was _______.
| A．furniture | B．a bathroom-basin |
| C．a room | D．a child |
From the description above we can see that the woman was _______.
| A．old and earnest | B． energetic and cold |
| C．young and powerful | D． weak and hopeless |
If there is one thing I am sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives－the big political stories，the coverage of the wars，earthquakes and other disasters，will continue much the same.I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though.It's already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic(基因)engineering. In the future，I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do－as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
It's quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted(传送)electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact, I am pretty sure that it will happen in the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu，making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read－sports and international news，etc.
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media(媒体)．They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers，but that hasn't happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen of sound in the air. And as for the Internet，it is never really pleasant to read something just on a screen.What will probably be on in the newspaper made by yourself?
| A．Sports and international news. |
| B．A menu of important news. |
| C．The most important news. |
| D．What you are interested in. |
From the text，we can infer that________.
| A．newspapers will win the competition among the different media |
| B． some media will die out |
| C．television will take the place of newspapers |
| D．newspapers will stay with us together with other media |
The underlined phrase “feed off” in the last paragraph means________.
| A．compete with | B．depend on |
| C．fight with | D．kill of |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．The Best Way to Get News |
| B．The Future of Newspapers |
| C．Make Your Own Newspaper |
| D．The Changes of Media |
Each time I see a balloon(气球), my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six-year-old girl. It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died. I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven. "Yes, honey. Of course." she said.
"Can we write him a letter?"
She paused, the longest pause of my short life, and answered, "Yes."
My heart jumped. "How? Does the mailman go there?" I asked.
"No, but I have an idea." Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon. I asked her what it was for.
"Just wait, honey. You'll see." Mom told me to write my letter. Eagerly, I got my favorite pen, and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink. I wrote about my day, what I learned at school, how Mom was doing, and even about what happened in a story I had read. For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive. I gave the letter to Mom. She read it over, and a smile crossed her face.
She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped the balloon string. We went outside and she gave me the balloon. It was still raining.
"Okay, on the count of three, let go. One, two, three."
The balloon, carrying my letter, darted upward against the rain. We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds.
Later I realized, like the balloon, that Dad had never let his sickness get him down. He was strong. No matter what he suffered, he'd persevere, dart up, and finally transcend this cold world and his sick body. He rose into sky and became something beautiful. I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was hereditary. I prayed to be a balloon.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．An unforgettable experience |
| B．A great father |
| C．Fly to paradise |
| D．The strong red balloon |
When the girl asked her mother if they could write to her father, her mother _________.
A．believed it easy to do so
B．thought her a creative girl
C felt it hard to answer
D．found it easy to lieWhen the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father, she _________.
| A．jumped with joy |
| B．became excited |
| C．started writing immediately |
| D．was worried that it couldn't be delivered |
In the eyes of the author, what was the rain like?
| A．An incurable disease. |
| B．An unforgettable memory. |
| C．The failures her father experienced |
| D．The hard time her father had. |
Free Fun Guides
Free Admission to Hundreds of Museums Sept. 25
What a weekend! This Saturday, Sept. 25, hundreds of U.S. museums are admission free for the Smithsonian’s yearly Museum Day.
Unlike previous Museum Day celebrations, you must sign up for a free ticket that admits two people to any of the participating museums. That means filling out a form and having the ticket emailed to you. Not bad for a free offer that will give you admission to museums such as the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and the Air & Space Museum in San Diego.
Free Books for Kids @ Barnes & Noble!
If your kids love to read — and we hope they do! — be sure to sign them up for Barnes & Noble’s summer reading programs so they can earn a free book!
It’s easy for kids ages 12 and under to participate. For Barnes & Noble’s Passport to Summer Reading program, just download and print out your passport. Read any eight books, make a list of them on the back of the passport and bring it to any Barnes & Noble by September 7. Choose your free book from the list.
FREE Night of Theater Across the U.S. in October
It’s the yearly run of the Free Night of Theater, when hundreds of theaters in 120 U.S. cities give away thousands of tickets to local productions.
While the kickoff date is October 15, many of the theaters start releasing their free tickets by Oct.1 or in waves during the month of October for performance dates throughout the month. Ticket seekers are limited to two tickets for one performance.
Find your city on the Free Night of Theater Website and check the listings for performances, their dates and their ticket giveaway times and locations.What is new about this year’s Museum Day?
| A．People must buy tickets for visiting a museum. |
| B．Two museums offer free admission. |
| C．People will get free tickets online. |
| D．People can visit museums online and get a small gift. |
Which of the following shows the similarity between Museum Day and Free Night of Theater?
| A．They take place once a year. |
| B．The same number of free tickets is given away. |
| C．The tickets can be used in any U.S. city. |
| D．They last for the same length of time. |
The main purpose of the passage is to___________.
| A．give guidance on how to have some fun |
| B．help people who are very poor |
| C．introduce ways to save money |
| D．provide information about free things to do |