When the swim season began, my 11-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, and I cut a deal. She would go to practice three times a week, and I wouldn’t make her compete in swim meets.
Elizabeth does not like swim meets, she gets horribly nervous because she is afraid that she will do something wrong and let everyone down. she started to talk about quitting swimming, which broke my heart because she loves swimming. So I came up with the deal.
Recently, Elizabeth’s team announced a T-shirt relay, which works like this: One person from each relay team puts on a T-shirt and a pair of socks and swims 50 meters. She takes off the clothes and put them on the next person, who then swims 50 meters. This continues until everyone on the team has completed a lap.
It wasn’t exactly a meet, because it would involve only team members. But Elizabeth thought it was. I told Elizabeth I really wanted her to go. She fought back angrily but finally agreed.
When the day for the T-shirt relay arrived, Elizabeth was nervous. She was chosen to swim the anchor leg (最后一棒).By the last leg, Elizabeth’s team had built up a narrow lead. Then it was Elizabeth’s turn to swim.
Approaching the halfway mark, she was still in the lead. Then somebody noticed that one of Elizabeth’s socks had fallen off and was floating in the pool. “She has to get that sock on before the end of the race,” a swimming official told Elizabeth’s team,“ or you will be disqualified.”
Everybody on her team started shouting, “Elizabeth! Get the sock!” But she couldn’t hear them. Meanwhile, a girl in lane two was gaining on Elizabeth. Just then, a girl on my daughter’s team jumped in the pool, grabbed the sock, swam after Elizabeth and put the sock on Elizabeth.
With the sock finally on, Elizabeth swam her heart out for the last 15 meters and won! There was much celebration. And, for a few minutes, Elizabeth was the hero.
On the ride home, she relived her moment of glory again and again. She told me that if the T-shirt relay was an Olympic event, her team would win the gold medal, I told her that in my professional opinion, she Was absolutely right. What do we know about the T-shirt relay?
| A．Elizabeth was eager to attend it. |
| B．Elizabeth made full preparations for it. |
| C．Elizabeth thought she was sure to fail the relay. |
| D．Elizabeth agreed to attend it after a lot of persuasion. |
What happened to Elizabeth when she was swimming the anchor leg?
| A．The girl on the other team swam faster than her. |
| B．She was disqualified for breaking the rule. |
| C．She was too nervous to swim. |
| D．One of her socks fell off. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that Elizabeth_____.
| A．believed she was the best of her team. |
| B．Hoped to take part in the Olympics. |
| C．Overcame her fear of swim meets. |
| D．Was grateful for the girl’s help. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Born to be a swimmer | B．Swimming in socks |
| C．The swim season | D．Never give up! |
Did you ever think someone was scary (恐怖的)because they looked different or ate strange food? Well, they might think the same about you! One of the things we all need to do is to celebrate variety．We shouldn’t think badly of people from other cultures because they behave differently from us.
Sometimes we treat people from other countries unfairly, because one person from that culture did something bad．Well, has your class ever been punished just because a few kids were causing trouble? Has your whole family ever been blamed for something your little sister did? It doesn’t seem fair, does it? It’s just equally unfair to blame a whole culture for what two or three people have done.
So here are some things that you can do to help yourself understand other cultures:
①Find common ground!
Just remember that even though some people look different on the outside, that doesn’t change how they are on the inside．They still have the exact same feelings!
②________________
Because someone from another culture has been mean to you, you decide to avoid everyone from that culture．Well think about it．Why are you blaming them for something they didn’t have anything to do with? Put yourself in their shoes．How would you feel? Putting yourself inside someone else’s head can be a very powerful way to understand WHY they are acting the way they are.
③Try to make friends with people from other cultures!
You could ask them about their culture, or what it is like in their country, if they can remember, or if they have ever lived there．Try foods from their culture, or ask them about words in their language．You might be surprised at how interesting other cultures can be! You can join great discussion groups, participate in projects, and have lots of fun doing new things.
④Be aware that you’ve judged other people
If you know what you have done, it helps to make things better．Pay attention to what you think about other people．It helps.What is mainly discussed in this passage?
| A．Why there are differences between people |
| B．What to do to understand other cultures |
| C．How people feel when they meet people from other cultures |
| D．The differences between people from different cultures |
Which of the following can be put into the blank behind ②?
| A．Avoid everyone from that culture! |
| B．Put all responsibilities on others! |
| C．Consider oneself first! |
| D．Don’t blame all because of one! |
The underlined word “celebrate” most probably means “_______”.
| A．feel proud of | B．express ideas of |
| C．praise and enjoy | D．pay attention to |
The following can be the better way to treat foreigners except_______.
| A．join their discussion groups | B．try foods from their culture |
| C．avoid meeting them | D．find common ground |
Damage to Ozone Layer Gets Worse
In the middle of winter, when snow is falling in many parts of the United States, scientists have sounded a warning to people who plan to spend many hours in the sun this summer．The warning: The sun's summertime rays are more dangerous than once thought.
A team of scientists from 80 nations recently reported
to the United Nations that a layer of ozone（臭氧层）in the atmosphere, which protects humans from harmful levels of ultraviolet（紫外线）radiation, will be thinner over the United States this summer．The thinner layer allows more ultraviolet rays from the sun to reach Earth．The extra amount of ultraviolet radiation could cause an increase in the number of cases of skin cancer.
Scientists first became concerned about the layer in the mid-1980s when a hole was discovered in the layer above Antarctica during the winter．The hole was caused in chemicals used in refrigerators and air conditioners．When these chemicals are sent out into the atmosphere, they produce gases that destroy the ozone.
Concern about the protective ozone layer rose more recently when data from satellites and ground stations showed that ozone levels were dropping over areas other than Antarctica．Low ozone levels were recorded in the spring and summer over the United States and over other populated areas in the world.
Although many countries have already begun stopping the use of ozone-destroying chemicals, the new findings are expected to advance the timetable for a total ban of the chemicals.The scientists have observed the ozone layer ______．
| A．since 1980 | B．since last winter |
| C．for more than 20 years | D．for about one year |
The ozone layer in the atmosphere can ______.
| A．do a lot of good to human beings in many ways |
| B．protect humans from diseases caused by bad weather |
| C．do a lot of harm to human beings in the summer-time |
| D．protect humans from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation |
Scientists first found that there was a hole in the ozone layer ______.
| A．above Arctic during the winter in the mid-1980s |
| B．above Antarctica during the winter in the mid-1980s |
| C．over somewhere in the north of the equator in 1980 |
| D．over the USA in the summertime in the mid-1980s |
The damage to the ozone layer was caused by ______.
| A．the changeable weather | B．ozone-destroying chemicals |
| C．chemicals from refrigerators | D．chemicals from air conditioners |
How do apology languages work? Have you ever tried to apologize, only to be refused? It may be that you were offering a partial apology in a “language” , that was foreign to your listener．The five languages of apology include:
Apology Language 1: “I am sorry.”
List the hurtful effects of your action．Not “I am sorry if …”, but “I am sorry that…”．You might ask if they want to add any points that you have not recognized.
Apology Language 2:“I was wrong.”
Name your mistake and accept fault．Note that it is easier to say “You are right” than “ I am wrong”, but the latter carries more weight.
Apology Language 3: “ What can I do to make it right?”
How are you now? How shall I make amends(弥补) to you? How can I restore your confidence that I love you— even though I was so hurtful to you?
Apology Language 4: “I’ll try not to do that again.”
Engage in problem-solving．Don’t make excuses for yourself such as, “Well, my day was just so…” Instead, offer what you will change to prevent yourself from putting them in the same bad situation again．
Apology Language 5: “Will you please forgive me?”
Be patient in seeking forgiveness．They may need some time or greater clarification of your input from Apology Languages 1-4.
Finally, your apology may not be accepted, but at least you know that you 
have been faithful in offering a sincere olive branch of peace.The passage mainly talks about___________
| A．5 tips for apologies that work | B．5 ways of refusing apologies |
| C．the function of apology languages | D．the importance of apology languages |
According to Paragraph 1, your apology may be refused mainly because________
| A．your listeners can’t understand your dialect. |
| B．your listeners can’t hear what you said clearly. |
| C．your apology is not sincere. |
| D．your apology is not expressed well enough. |
When offering an apology, which of the following does the author prefer?
| A．“You are right” | B．“I am sorry if …” |
| C．“I was wrong.” | D．“Well, my day was just so…” |
In the last paragraph, the author tells us even if your apology may not be accepted, at
least ___________.
| A．It’s your fault any more | B．your mind will be at peace |
| C．your friend will make peace with you | D．your apology is true to your heart |
A research by the National Center for Health Statistics is seen as an important confirmation of the“Hispanic mortality paradox（西班牙裔死亡率悖论）.”
On average，Hispanics outlive whites by 2.5 years and blacks by 7.7 years. Their life expectancy at birth in 2006 was 80.6 years，compared with 78.1 for whites，72.9 for blacks and 77.7 years for the total population.
The report shows that the Hispanic population has higher life expectancy at birth and at almost every age despite a socioeconomic status lower than that of whites.“Mortality is very correlated with income，education and health care access，”says Elizabeth Arias，author of the report.“You would expect the Hispanic population would have higher mortality，”in line with the black population.
The Hispanic paradox has been documented for more than two decades，but this is the first time the government has had enough data to issue national numbers. Researchers are struggling to explain why Hispanics live longer.
“We don’t know，”says David Hayes-Bautista，director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.“We thought it was a problem in the data，but we can pretty much say this is real.”
Potential factors:
·Culture and lifestyle. Support from extended family and lower rates of smoking and drinking.Latino groups in particular have very strong family and social ties.
·Migration. The“healthy migrant effect”argues that healthy people are more likely to emigrate. And when immigrants become ill，they might return home and die there.
Solving the puzzle may help the nation deal with health care issues because Hispanics use health services less—they make fewer doctors visits and spend less time in hospitals，Hayes-Bautista says.“It’s clearly something in the Latino culture，”he says.In 2006，Hispanics’life expectancy is years longer than the average of the total population.
| A．2.5 | B．7.7 | C．2.9 | D．80.6 |
What does the underlined word“outlive”in the second paragraph probably mean？
| A．To live longer than… | B．To live shorter than… |
| C．To die out. | D．To expect to live. |
What is the main idea of paragraph three？
| A．Hispanics were born better than whites. |
| B．Morality is closely related with health care access. |
| C．Whites should have longer life expectancy. |
| D．Even experts can’t explain the phenomenon. |
What is Mr.Hayes-Bautista’s opinion about the paradox？
| A．He supports there is a problem with the data. |
| B．He intends to trust the cultural factor. |
| C．He believes in the“healthy migrant effect”. |
| D．He thinks health care the most important factor. |
Which of the following inferences is true according to the passage？
| A．Black people suffer the lowest social status in America. |
| B．Hispanics might have healthier ways of life. |
| C．Only healthy people can immigrate into America. |
| D．White people don’t have strong family ties. |
NEW YORK—Microsoft on Monday made another effort to challenge Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android in the exploding smartphone market—launching a wireless operating system，Windows Phone 7.
Consumers will consider it“always delightful and thoroughly mine，”Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said at a launch event. Ballmer said last year that Microsoft had“screwed up”with its Windows Mobile operating system.For example，it failed to keep up with touch-screen innovations that make iPhones and Android phones easy to use.
Microsoft fell from third to fourth place in market share this year，behind BlackBerry，iPhone and Android. Only 10.8% of smartphone owners used Microsoft’s system in August，down from 18% last December.
But Windows Phone 7 is“a total departure from anything they’ve done”.Microsoft says it sought to simplify common activities. For example，you can instantly take a picture with a phone’s camera by pushing a button on the device. You don’t have to first awaken it from its sleep mode and launch the camera application. You also can program the phones to automatically upload photos to Facebook or other social network sites in a couple of seconds. Users can easily work with Microsoft Office contact and calendar information as well as documents created in Microsoft’s Word，Excel and PowerPoint.
The phones will not show videos built on Adobe’s Flash platform，widely used by services including YouTube and Hulu.
AT&T will offer the first Windows Phone 7 smartphone，the Samsung Focus，on Nov.8.Soon after，it will have the LG Quantum and HTC Surround. Each will cost S| 199.99 with a two-year service contract. T-Mobile will have two Windows Phone 7 models out for the holiday shopping season：the HTC HD7 and Dell Venue Pro. It did not say how much they’ll cost.What is the main idea of paragraph 4？
| A．Why Microsoft fell behind others. |
| B．How to use Windows Phone7. |
| C．Advantages of Windows phone7. |
| D．Speed of Windows phone7. |
What does the underlined phrase“screwed up”in the 2nd paragraph probably mean？
| A．To make a bad mistake. | B．To make big progress. |
| C．To achieve main goals. | D．To keep up with others. |
Which of the following phones will NOT use Windows Phone 7 operating system？
| A．Quantum. | B．Surround. | C．Android. | D．Focus. |
Why did Microsoft see a drop in market share last year？
| A．Because its operating system didn’t catch up with changes. |
| B．Because its phones can’t show videos from YouTube. |
| C．Because it was inconvenient to take photos using its phones. |
| D．Because its system was based only on Microsoft soft wares. |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage？
| A．Smartphone Market Welcomes New Giant |
| B．Microsoft to Fight Back on Smartphone |
| C．Mobile Phones Getting Smarter and Easier |
| D．Microsoft Proved a Failure in Smartphone |