Danielle Steel, America's sweetheart, is one of the hardest working women in the book business. Unlike other productive authors who write one book at a time, she can work on up to five. Her research time before writing takes at least three years. Once she has fully studied her subjects, ready to dive into a book, she can spend twenty hours nonstop at her desk.
Danielle Steel comes from New York and was sent to France for her education. After graduation, she worked in the public relations and advertising industries. Later she started a job as a writer which she was best fit for. Her achievements are unbelievable：390 million copies of books in print, nearly fifty New York Times bestselling novels, and a series of “Max and Martha” picture books for children to help them deal with the real life problems of death, new hobbies and new schools. Her 1998 book about the death of her son shot to the top of the New York Times bestselling list as soon as it came out. Twenty-eight of her books have been made into films. She is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for one of her books being the Times bestseller for 381 weeks straight.
Not content with a big house, a loving family, and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Danielle Steel considers her readers to be the most important resource(资源)and has kept in touch with them by email. While she is often compared to the heroines(女主人公)of her own invention, her life is undoubtedly much quieter. But, if she does have anything in common with them, it is her strength of will and her inimitable(独特的)style. There is only one Danielle Steel.Danielle Steel is different from other writer in that________.
| A．she can write several books at the same time |
| B．she often does some research before writing the book |
| C．she is one of the most popular American women writers |
| D．she can keep writing for quite a long time without a break |
Children who have read “Max and Martha” picture books may know______.
| A．how to deal with affairs at school |
| B．what to do if Max and Martha die |
| C．what to do when new babies are born into their families |
| D．how to solve the difficult problems in their writing classes |
One of Danielle Steel's achievements is that________.
| A．some TV plays were based on her books |
| B．her picture books attracted a lot of young men |
| C．one of her books became a bestseller in 1998 |
| D．she wrote the Guiness Book of World Records |
We can learn from the passage that Danielle Steel________.
| A．lives an exciting life |
| B．values her readers a lot |
| C．writers about quiet women |
| D．is pleased with her achievements |
Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together.Others say that the opposite is true；that international contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred.There is probably some truth in both arguments，but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourage international brotherhood. Not only was there the incident of tragedy involving murder of athletes，but the Games were also ruined by less incidents caused principally by minor national contests.
One country received its secondplace medals with visible anger after the hockey final.There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey(曲棍球) match，the losers objecting to the final decisions.They were convinced that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents’（对手） victory was unfair. Their manager was in a rage when he said，“This isn’t hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished.” The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension（中止） of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not yield first place to Russia，after a disputable end to their contest.The game had ended in disorder.It was thought at first that the United States had won by a single point，but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play.A Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other，and another player popped it into the basket. It was the first time the US had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury(评审委员会)debated the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals or in nonnational teams，might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism(爱国主义)．The author thinks that in recent years Olympic Games have________.
| A．showed little international friendship |
| B．greatly encouraged international brotherhood |
| C．created goodwill between the nations |
| D．created only misunderstanding and hatred |
What did the manager mean by saying “This isn’t hockey.Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished.” in Paragraph 2?
| A．This is not a standard hockey match. |
| B．The federation would not exist any longer after this match was over. |
| C．His team would not enter the game in three years. |
| D．The unfair decision ruined both hockey and the Federation. |
The basketball match showed that________.
| A．aggressive patriotism was shown in the incident |
| B．the Russian team should not have taken advantage of the last three seconds |
| C．the appeal jury was too inefficient in making a decision |
| D．the American team should have taken the first place |
The author gives two examples in the 2nd and the 3rd paragraphs in order to show that________.
| A．contests often end in disorder |
| B．no contests are fair in the Olympic Games |
| C．competition discourages international friendship |
| D．unfair decisions are common in sports |
Which statement best summarizes this passage?
| A．Athletes should compete as individuals. |
| B．The organization of the Olympic Games must be improved. |
| C．Any team that has disrespectful behavior should be suspended. |
| D．Different teams often have disputes when fighting for the first place. |
People used to think that wetlands were wasted land. Developers would drain them with ditches（水沟），fill them in with tons of soil，and build houses，schools，and parking areas on them.Then scientists began to realize the important role wetlands played in the environment.
Wetlands act like giant sponges（海绵） during storms.They soak up extra storm water and afterward release it slowly back into the water cycle.This helps prevent flooding. Towns where people have drained wetlands have found that in a big storm，their streets and homes are often flooded because there are no wetlands to soak up the excess water.
Wetlands also act as giant filters where pollutants are absorbed and dissolved over time.Though wetlands can become polluted from dumping，wastewater，and fertilizer runoff from farm fields，they are able to process some pollutants over time because of all the microorganisms and plants living there.
Wetlands are especially important for providing homes and breeding grounds to millions of birds，fish，and amphibians worldwide. Many wetlands have become national wildlife refuges（避难所），where you can go to take pictures and look at birds and animals.
The Everglades are a huge wetland that once covered more than four million acres of southern Florida. Sometimes called the “river of grass”，the Everglades are a shallow sheet of water that slowly flowed across a grassy plain. In the late 1800s people began draining parts of the Everglades for development. Roads were built and towns sprang up.The Everglades shrank to half its original size. Cities like Miami grew up where once there was a thriving wetland. Sewage and waste from the cities were pumped into the remaining wetlands. Over time scientists began to see the importance of the Everglades. Even with its smaller size，the Everglades filtered the pollutants coming from the cities，absorbing the worst of it like a sewage treatment plant. During storms the Everglades protected the cities from storm surge flooding. They also are just a great place to visit and see wildlife.The first paragraph is intended to tell us________.
| A．wasted land used to be wetlands |
| B．people didn’t know the importance of wetlands before |
| C．wetlands used to be left undisturbed |
| D．wetlands can be used for building |
Why can wetlands be compared to giant sponges?
| A．They absorb extra water from storms. |
| B．They become large or small in size. |
| C．They absorb pollutants and dissolve them. |
| D．They are made of soft soil. |
As for the importance of wetlands，how many aspects are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
The example of the Everglades is given in the last paragraph to show________.
| A．the threat to wetlands |
| B．the protection of wetlands |
| C．the development of wetlands |
| D．the importance of wetlands |
We can infer from the passage that________.
| A．some wetlands can be used to build cities or towns |
| B．wetlands in the world are disappearing fast |
| C．wetlands play an important role in the ecosystem |
| D．wetlands are especially important to wildlife |
ChiChi weighs only 13 pounds. “He’s so tiny，I can carry him with one hand，” says Mary Lane.“Most people see him and think he’s useless.”
But last October，ChiChi proved to be more than just a pretty face. Mary and her husband，Rick，were relaxing on the beach one afternoon while on vacation in North Carolina’s Outer Banks.As usual，ChiChi was lying on his blanket in his own little beach chair.
“We had our noses buried in books，”recalls Rick，“when suddenly the dog became extremely uneasy. His bark was different from anything we had heard before.And he would not let us ignore him.”
ChiChi ran back and forth in front of his chair as if to run down the beach.The Lanes sat up to see two elderly women in the ocean，about 100 yards down the beach and 10 feet off shore.One was on her back，her head under the waves.The other was struggling hard to keep her friend’s head above the surface.
The Lanes rushed across the sand and into the surf. Rick went to the woman in danger of drowning，while Mary held fast on to the other one and pulled her up on the beach.“Then I went back to help Rick，” Mary says.“The sand dropped off steeply，and a riptide(激流)was beating the woman under. She was completely helpless.”
Not getting well from recent knee surgery，the woman had been unable to turn over or push herself up.“Her friend had been in danger too，” Mary says.“The waves were pushing her around. There’s no way she could have held on much longer.”
The women hadn’t called out for help. “They were struggling so hard that there was no time for screaming，” Mary recalls.“But ChiChi had sensed their danger.”
Duty done，ChiChi was back in his chair，asleep，by the time the two women were on dry ground and the Lanes had returned to their blankets.Luckily，the women were fine，though shaken.They thanked the Lanes for saving their lives.
Back home in Greensboro，North Carolina，the Lanes ordered a special collar with the words “Hero Dog” on it.How does ChiChi impress the people around it?
| A．It is lovable. | B．It is of no use. |
| C．It is very ugly. | D．It is too small. |
When the two women were struggling in the ocean，what were the Lanes doing?
| A．They were sleeping soundly. |
| B．They were absorbed in reading. |
| C．They were wiping their noses. |
| D．They were bathing in the sun. |
Why did ChiChi run back and forth in front of his chair?
| A．It sensed that a danger was upon them. |
| B．It smelled there was a storm on the way. |
| C．It was trying to draw its master’s attention. |
| D．There was something wrong with its master. |
Why couldn’t the woman get out of the water?
| A．She was bitten by a shark. |
| B．Her friend didn’t offer help. |
| C．She was too weak to stay awake. |
| D．There was something wrong with her knee. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．How ChiChi became a “Hero Dog”． |
| B．A pet dog was saved by two women. |
| C．What is the best place to go on holiday? |
| D．The Lanes helped two strangers out of trouble. |
Researchers at the University of Kansas say that people can accurately judge 90 percent of a stranger's personality simply by looking at the person’s shoes．“Shoes convey useful information about their wearers，’’the authors wrote in the new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality．
Lead researcher Omri Gillath said the judgments were based on the style，cost，color and condition of someone’s shoes．In the study，63 University of Kansas researchers looked at pictures showing 208 different pairs of shoes worn by the study’s participants．Volunteers in the study were photographed in their most commonly worn shoes，and then filled out a personality questionnaire．
Some of the results were expected：People with higher incomes most commonly wore expensive shoes，and flashier shoes were typically worn by outgoing people．However，some of the more specific results are strange enough．For example，“practical and functional’’ shoes were generally worn by more “pleasant" people，while ankle boots were more linked with ‘‘aggressive’’ personalities．The strangest of all may be that those who wore ‘‘uncomfortable looking” shoes tend to have “calm” personalities．And if you have several pairs of new shoes or take extreme care of them，you may suffer from “attachment anxiety"，spending lots of time worrying about what other people think of your appearance．There was even a political calculation in the mix with more liberal(主张变革的)types wearing “shabbier and less expensive” shoes．
The researchers noted that some people will choose shoe styles to mask their actual personalities，but researchers noted that volunteers were also likely to be unaware that their footwear choices were showing the deep side of their personalities．What does this text mainly tell us?
| A．The richer you are , the more expensive shoes you will wear. |
| B．Shoes convey false information about the wearer． |
| C．People’s personalities can be judged by their shoes． |
| D．People know little about their personalities． |
Which of the results is beyond people’s expectations?
| A．Wealthy people often wear expensive shoes． |
| B．Pleasant people like wearing uncomfortable shoes． |
| C．Aggressive people are likely to wear ankle boots． |
| D．Flashier shoes are typically worn by outgoing people． |
People suffering from“attachment anxiety” tend to
| A．wear strange shoes |
| B．worry about their appearance |
| C．have a calm character |
| D．become a political leader |
The author wrote the text in order to
| A．inform us of a new study |
| B．introduce a research method |
| C．teach how to choose shoes |
| D．describe different personalities |
When traveling, it's important to learn about the customs and etiquette （礼节）of the global village, What we consider polite behavior at home isn't always accepted outside our borders．Don't be regarded rude or disrespectful on your travels．
Gift giving should be a happy, positive experience．When selecting a present for someone in the Netherlands, don't purchase fancy kitchen knives or scissors．Giving sharp, pointy objects as gifts is considered unlucky．Be careful when presenting flowers to a friend or business partner in Russia．Yellow blooms suggest cheat or a relationship break-up． Traditionally, red carnations are placed on the tombs of the dead．Writing cards or notes while visiting South Korea, be mindful of your pen's ink color．Writing a person's name in red ink traditionally suggests that the person has passed away－an important point to remember when giving a birthday card．
Being early or on time is viewed as being rude, too eager or even greedy in Venezuela．If you are invited over to someone's home for a meal, it's recommended that you arrive 10 to 15 minutes later than the requested time．When having a meal in Egypt, don't use the saltshaker（调味瓶）． It's insulting to your host to spread salt on your food, which means that you find the meal terrible．Japan is a very polite nation, and their fondness for etiquette extends to the mealtime use of chopsticks．According to Japanese custom, it's considered ill-mannered to point, play with, or stab（戳） food with chopsticks．If you’re in the middle of eating, use the opposite end of your chopsticks to secure food from a shared plate．Using the end that touches your mouth is extremely offensive （冒犯的）, not to mention unhygienic（不卫生的）．When sending a gift to your friend in Netherlands, you should avoid．
| A．sharp knives | B．red carnations |
| C．yellow flowers | D．long chopsticks |
In South Korea, writing a person's name in red is not accepted because．
| A．red often stands for violence |
| B．it shows that you're not friendly |
| C．it means that the person is dead |
| D．red is not a favorite color there |
What does the underlined word "insulting" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Admirable． | B．Challenging． |
| C．Rude． | D．Respectful． |
Where does this passage probably come from?
| A．a news report． | B．a tourist guide． |
| C．a museum guide． | D．a science book． |