A clever cat has been called a hero after he prevented his owners’ home from burning down. Five-year-old Pepper has learned to open windows and lets himself out every night by using his paws to turn the latch. So when a fire broke out while his owners were at Christmas shopping, the quick-thinking cat leapt into action and opened the window to allow the poisonous smoke to escape.
Owner Sharon White said, “He can climb back in through the window, so he really does come and go as he pleases. Pepper is still a bit afraid but is still managing to eat plenty of food.” Sharon and her husband Phil were handed Pepper over four years ago after a neighbor could no longer look after it.
The fire started at 4 pm on Saturday after the couple went to the shops and left their microwave on a ten minute timer, which then caught fire. Sharon said, “We put something in the microwave for ten minutes and then went out to do our Christmas shopping in the local town. I discovered on the way that I had left my purse at home but decided not to turn around. It was my relative who lives next door that rang us and told us that we’d better get home as there was quite a lot of smoke coming out of our house and the firefighters were here.”
Firefighters rushed to their £350,000 house and put out the fire before it could spread and the kitchen suffered only smoke damage. Phil added, “Pepper managed to get out and smoke must have been pouring out the window which attracted the attention of the neighbors. He’s got a real mind of his own. Without him, the fire could have been so much worse.”
What is this passage mainly about?
| A．A quick-thinking cat thanked his owners. |
| B．A quick-thinking cat saved a house from a fire. |
| C．A quick-thinking cat saved himself from a fire. |
| D．A quick-thinking cat showed how clever he was. |
How did Pepper help avoid the danger of the fire?
| A．By ringing a neighbor’s bell. |
| B．By running into a neighbor’s room. |
| C．By standing in the way of some fire fighters. |
| D．By opening the window and letting out smoke. |
From Paragraph 2 we know that Pepper ____.
| A．didn’t belong to Sharon at first |
| B．was not frightened by the fire at all |
| C．has been taught to open the window |
| D．was found by its owners on the street |
What can we learn from what Sharon said in Paragraph 3?
| A．She and her husband were terribly frightened. |
| B．She and her husband didn’t call the firefighters. |
| C．It was that [LU2] relative who first noticed the smoke. |
| D．She and her husband knew there would be no damage. |
We can infer that Sharon and her husband Phil ____.
| A．are very careful |
| B．lived a very poor life |
| C．are very thankful to Pepper |
| D．didn’t like Pepper before the fire |
Traveling to Europe to see its famous monuments like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Colosseum (古罗马竞技场) in Rome, is not exactly the ideal vacation for kids. Fortunately, Europe has more to offer than lots of old churches and ancient history. You can enjoy some fun in the sun at some of the famous beaches of the continent.
Mykonos, Greece
The closer you get to the equator, the longer the beach season and Greece is wonderful for that. You can enjoy beautiful green water, public chairs and lovely umbrellas at the beaches in Mykonos.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
There’s nothing more attractive than the beautiful beaches bordering Dubrovnik, Croatia’s most beautiful city. It’s surrounded by stone walls like a castle. It almost makes you feel like you’re suntanning (晒黑皮肤) at Hogwarts, where the hero Harry Porter of the story is trained!
Sicily, Italy
Rabbit beach on the island of Sicily offers shallow, crystal clear waters making it a perfect beach for families with young children. And if you want to add interest to your experience, try snorkeling (使用水下呼吸管潜游)!
Nice, France
Lined with palm trees and first-class hotels, the city of Nice, located on the French Riviera, offers a whole coastline of Mediterranean beaches. Because they’re in the heart of the city, these beaches attract a large crowd. So if you’re looking for something more private, you’ll have to travel a few miles outside of the city center.
Ribadeo, Spain
At low tide, Playa de las Catedrales in Ribadeo, Spain is the perfect beach to take in the natural wonders without urban amusements like restaurants, bars or huge crowds. It boasts beautiful wildflowers and unique rock formations making it truly picture worthy.
Dubrovnik is special in that ________.
| A．it is surrounded by stone walls |
| B．it has the longest coastline |
| C．it has the longest beach season |
| D．it is the training center of Harry Porter |
If you plan to go to a beach which is in the city, you should go to ________.
| A．Mykonos | B．Sicily |
| C．Nice | D．Ribadeo |
Which of the following is TRUE about Ribadeo?
| A．It offers visitors first-class hotels. |
| B．It has restaurants, bars and huge crowds. |
| C．Visitors can try snorkeling there. |
| D．Visitors can enjoy unique rock formations there. |
All the beaches mentioned in the passage _________.
| A．have beautiful wildflowers |
| B．are famous European beaches |
| C．are world-known fur their green water |
| D．provide visitors with urban amusements |
Where is this passage probably taken from?
| A．A travel guide. | B．A geography textbook. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A news report. |
Do you love music? I’d like to introduce you to a band today. The Lumineers is a band based in Denver, Colorado. The group released its first album The Lumineers in April, 2012. Recently, the record went gold, meaning 500, 000 copies had been sold. That is really a large number. Critics have mostly praised the album The Lumineers. Some have called the album’s sound “expansive”, and its songs “creative”.
The most popular song from the album is Ho, Hey. It is Number One on three Billboard singles charts: rock, adult Pop and alternative. A lot of people think of Ho, Hey as a love song. And The Lumineers say it is. But lead singer and guitarist (吉它手) Wesley Schultz says it is also about his personal struggles when he was living and working in New York City.
The three members of The Lumineers were excited when asked to perform at the Grammy nominations (提名) concert. But they were also very surprised when they were named as Grammy nominees. The band is up for（被提名) Grammy awards as Best New Artist and Best Americana Album. Drummer Jeremiah Fraites told reporters, “We had no idea. ”
Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz grew up in New Jersey and have been playing music together for about eight years. They found cellist (大提琴手) Neyla Pekarek, a native of Denver, after they moved to that city. Neyla Pekarek told one reporter that the band’s style developed naturally. She said it came from a lot of writing, experimenting and making changes to let the lyrics tell the stories they were meant to tell.
We leave you with one of those stories. This is Stubborn Love from the album The Lumineers. Hope you’ll enjoy their staging.
What do we know about the album The Lumineers from Paragraph 1?
| A．It includes some old songs. |
| B．It didn’t sell well at first. |
| C．It was released recently. |
| D．It is a great success. |
By listening to Ho, Hey, we can learn something about ________.
| A．Wesley Schultz’s struggles in New York City |
| B．the happy times of Wesley Schultz as a singer |
| C．three Billboard singles charts in New York City |
| D．a touching love story that happened in New York City |
What is implied about The Lumineers in Paragraph 3?
| A．They didn’t expect they would be nominated Grammy awards. |
| B．They didn’t want to perform at the Grammy nominations concert. |
| C．They were very calm when told they were nominated Grammy awards. |
| D．They were surely to win the Grammy award for Best Americana Album. |
What is this passage mainly about?
| A．People’s opinions on the album The Lumineers. |
| B．The struggles of a band named The Lumineers. |
| C．A song from a famous band in the United States. |
| D．A band that has been nominated Grammy awards. |
Where is this passage probably taken from?
| A．A newspaper. | B．A radio program. |
| C．A magazine. | D．A textbook |
When I was ten my dad helped me buy my first ten-speed bicycle from Allen. I put up $60 of my grass cutting and snow shoveling (铲) money and my dad put up the other half I would pay him back over the next six months. Although it was not in the latest style, it was my ticket to the adult world.
I spent that summer and autumn riding happily. My sister Liz, a prisoner(囚犯，俘虏) of her five-speed bicycle, never had a chance to keep up. Just before the Christmas deadline to pay my dad back, we were hit with several snowstorms. This allowed me to shovel enough driveways (车道) to pay off my debt. I was now officially a bike owner; it was a feeling unlike any other.
On that Christmas morning, my dad gave me a used portable (便携式的) record player. I was excited. However, my joy was short-lived after my dad called my sister to the kitchen. “We have one more gift for you. ” he said as he opened the door that led to the garage. There, on the steps, stood a new ten-speed bicycle.
“It’s not fair,” I complained. “I worked so hard for my bike, and it’s not even new. Then Liz gets a new bike. She didn’t have to do anything for it. ” My dad smiled. “She didn’t have to do anything for it because it’s not really for her,” he said. What did that mean? I didn’t want her bike.
By spring Liz and I were tiding all over town together now that she could keep up. As we grew, Liz and I became true friends.
Still I wasn’t smart enough to figure out what my dad meant until years later. That new bike was not a gift for Liz — it was a gift for me. He’d given me the gift of my sister’s company, the ability to stay together rather than drift apart (逐渐疏远) in the face of my ability to travel. He gave me my best friend.
What do we know about the author’s bike?
| A．It was worth $120. |
| B．Allen bought it for him. |
| C．It was very fashionable. |
| D．He didn’t like it actually. |
Why did the author think he was officially a bike owner?
| A．He had paid off his debt. |
| B．He had learned to ride a bike. |
| C．He could also own Liz’s bike. |
| D．He could sell his bike to Liz. |
Why was the author’s Christmas joy short-lived?
| A．His sister got a new record player. |
| B．His father didn’t care about him. |
| C．The record player wasn’t new. |
| D．His sister got a better gift. |
Hearing his father say “it’s not really for her (Paragraph 4)”, the author probably felt ________.
| A．moved | B．satisfied |
| C．puzzled | D．disappointed |
The author finally realized that ________.
| A．the new bike actually belonged to him |
| B．the new bike wasn’t bought by his father |
| C．his father actually gave him a more valuable gift |
| D．his father loved his sister more as a matter of fact |
You may have seen a lot of frogs, but if you haven't, you must have heard about frogs. However, have you heard about a frog that can kill a person?
These smallbrightly colored amphibians (两栖动物)live in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America. They are best known for their ability to kill persons even though they are no more than 2 inches long. If we touch their poisonous skin without proper protection (such as gloves), we may die! For animals of this size that can be so deadly, they are certainly one of the world's most poisonous animals! Who are they? They are poison arrow frogs or, simply, poison frogs.
Poison frogs acquired their name from the Indians. The Indians catch and kill many of these frogs before hanging them upside down over a campfire. As the frogs get hot, the poison drips out of their skin. The Indians collect the poisonous liquid in a bottle and dip(蘸) the tips of their arrows into the bottle. Once the tips are dried, they are ready to be used for their arrows for hunting.
There are about 170 different types of poison arrow frogs in the world. Though most species have bright markings, either in stripes or patches, on their black bodies, some just wear noticeable single-colored coats. Their shocking skin colors-usually in yellow, red, green, blue or orange-serve as a warning sign to other animals. The sign simply says,” Stay away or pay with your life!” Theycertainly do not bluff.We can infer that the Indians may kill poison frogs in order to______.
| A．treat diseases | B．avoid being bitten |
| C．hunt animals | D．eat their meat |
According to the passage, poison frogs______.
A can grow to several meters long
B. like to change colors on the back
C. have bright-colored skin or markings
D. are on the edge of dying outWhich of the following best explains the last sentence of the passage?
| A．Poison frogs don't want to kill others. |
| B．Poison frogs do not just scare others. |
| C．Poison frogs want to stop others from coming near. |
| D．Poison frogs just pretend to be dangerous animals. |
Like lots of small-business owners, Lola Gonzalez had to decide to cut down her company’s nine-person staff (员工) when the economic recovery began to fail last spring. Unlike other companies, she picked an unlikely employee to lay off (解雇): herself.
Her business began to have problems in 2008 after going through her books (账簿)
One day, her husband, Marcos, told her she had to reduce her payroll（薪金总额）by one person. Gonzalez said at a meeting, “I want you all to know that I have to lay somebody off and it’s been a very difficult decision. And that person is me.” Employees first froze in amazement and then burst into laughter until they realized she was serious. Gonzalez ’s employees said they were grateful for her kindness.
Her reason was simple. Although she ran the business and her employees did the legwork (跑腿), she thought she could find work more easily than her staff. Sure enough, she soon got a job as a social worker for a non-profit organization called Devereux Kids. She enjoys her social-worker job now, but the salary (薪水) cut has required some lifestyle changes. She and Marcos no longer eat out daily; they no longer pay for their son’s car and mobile phone, and they changed their car to a smaller one to save $300 a month.
Her business has picked up a bit recently and Marcos has begun to work part-time at Gonzalez’s company. Gonzalez says she has no plan to return to work at her company until the economic situation becomes better, perhaps in a year. Her employees, however, will get Christmas bonuses (奖金) this year.How many workers are there in Gonzalez’s company at present?
| A．8. | B．9. | C．10. | D．11. |
How did her employees feel at first when they heard Gonzalez’s decision?
| A．Happy. | B．Grateful. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Unbelievable. |
After leaving her company, _____________.
| A．Gonzalez sold her car and went to work by bus |
| B．Gonzalez always had meals in a restaurant |
| C．Gonzalez’s son helped her a lot |
| D．Gonzalez changed her lifestyle a lot |
From the text, we can learn that ___________.
| A．Gonzalez will not return to her company in future |
| B．Gonzalez’s business has improved a little lately |
| C．Gonzalez got her social-worker job with great difficulty |
| D．Marcos lost his job and had to work at Gonzalez’s company |