A group of swimmers has described how a group of dolphins protected them from a group of white sharks （食人鲨）off the coast of New Zealand. The lifeguards were on a training swim when they came across a group of great white sharks before the dolphins raced in to help.
The swimmers were surrounded by the dolphins for forty minutes before they were able to make them safety back to the beach. It was an uncomfortable experience as they were circled by a group of white sharks, which came within a couple of meters of them. Lifeguard Rob Howes was in the water with a colleague and his teenage daughter. He said around half a dozen dolphins suddenly appeared and forced them to gather together. The mammals swam in tight circles to create a protective wall between the white sharks and the lifeguards as the great white sharks were under the surface.
The swimmers said the dolphins were extremely upset and repeatedly slapped (拍打) the water with their tails as if to try to prevent the white sharks from attacking them. It’s a day they’ll never forget, especially for one who was on her first day as a volunteer. They have no doubt that the dolphins acted on purpose to protect them. Researchers have said that they’re not surprised. A marine biologist insisted that dolphins, which are considered to be one of the most intelligent mammals, “like to help the helpless.”How many swimmers are attacked by the white sharks?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
It seemed that the dolphins slapped the water with their tails to ____.
| A．attack the white sharks and the lifeguards |
| B．play with water together for pleasure |
| C．stop the lifeguards being harmed by the sharks |
| D．attract the white sharks to kill the lifeguards |
The underlined words “a volunteer” refers to____.
| A．a lifeguard | B．Rob Howes’s workmate |
| C．Rob Howes | D．Rob Howes’s daughter |
Which of the following can be the best title?
| A．Dolphins Protect Swimmers from Sharks |
| B．Sharks Protect Swimmers from Dolphins |
| C．Lifeguards Protect Dolphins from Sharks |
| D．Lifeguards Protect Sharks from Dolphins |
It can’t be truer that when in Rome do as the Romans do. So it’s necessary for you to know what you can talk with the local people in France, Australia and Switzerland, and different customs of these countries.
In France
You’ll find that conversations often turn into heated debates. Give opinions only on subjects that you are knowledgeable about. There is rarely a moment of silence, except when the topic under discussion has been exhausted, and nothing new has been introduced.
Food, art, music and current events or history are welcome topics. French believe in freedom, and you can criticize anyone, but not Napoleon, who is a symbol of French spirit and never use the standard. U.S. conversation opener “What do you do”.
In Australia
Australians tend to be enthusiastic debaters. A wide range of topics may be open to discussion, including religion and politics. The best policy, however, is to wait for Australian companions to bring up these two subjects; be prepared to hear their arguments.
Sport is a common topic of conversation in Australia and Australians tend to use sporting comparisons. Australians like to criticize themselves, but they can’t stand criticism from others. Don’t talk big；instead Australians prefer to judge your competence and abilities through your actions. People who show off their education in conversation may be subject to teasing.
In Switzerland
The Swiss may seem cold. Once you get close to them, however, you’ll find that they are honest, responsible people, who will be loyal to your interests.
They are good listeners and will remember practically everything you say to them. Sometimes they will even go so far as to take notes while you speak. The Swiss are a very private people, so you should avoid asking personal questions. They can be rather serious, so it is advisable to avoid making jokes on them.Which of the following statements is TURE according to the passage?
| A．There is no moment of silence when you talk with French. |
| B．French don’t like others asking their careers. |
| C．The Swiss may seem cold but humorous sometimes. |
| D．Australians tend to judge you by your words. |
It is suggested during talking that ______
| A．you should tell the Australians what education you have received. |
| B．you should not use too much sporting comparisons with Australians. |
| C．you should not ask personal questions from people of the three countries. |
| D．you should have the Australians bring up subjects first. |
We can infer from the passage that ______
| A．Australians don’t like to show off their success before others. |
| B．Australians like to criticize themselves and others. |
| C．you can talk with French about anything even if you know little. |
| D．you can criticize anyone in France because you have the right. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Talking in western countries |
| B．How to argue with foreigners |
| C．Things that can’t be talked with foreigners |
| D．How to adapt to the life in western countries |
What will the author talk about in the following paragraphs?
| A．How to talk efficiently with foreigners. |
| B．Customs of the three countries. |
| C．How to choose topics in the western countries. |
| D．How to be a good listener. |
As a substitute teacher, my daily routine involves driving to a new school almost every day so I’m usually unable to anticipate the day’s events, good or bad!
On one particular day, I was teaching in a very difficult classroom. I was managing behavior all morning and by lunch time, I knew I needed coffee to even consider surviving the afternoon. So on my lunch break, I drove to a nearby plaza（购物中心）to get a cup of coffee. Upon returning to the car I realized I had locked my keys and my phone inside! I had about 15 minutes to get back to the school which was a good 4 or 5-minute drive away. I contemplated (思考）sprinting（冲刺）back, but it being winter, I thought a nasty fall on ice would only make the situation much worse.
So I ran into a McDonald’s which was in the same plaza and asked the man at the counter who happened to be the manager to please call me a cab. I briefly explained my situation to him, and I could tell by the look in his eyes, that he empathized. He hurried to the back to use the phone while I paced in the restaurant. I had less than 10 minutes to get back to my school at this point.
The manager returned only to tell me that the cab company had put him on hold and then the line got disconnected, and that he was now on hold again, but had not yet been able to request the cab yet. My expression, I assume, began to resemble some combination of hopelessness and fear.
Without a thought, he grabbed his coat and offered to drive me to the school. Without hesitation, I followed him into his car and made it back into my classroom with 2 minutes to spare before the bell!
Upon arriving at the school, I thanked this man endlessly. His calm demeanor（举止）and kind nature made me think he was probably a wonderful manager to work for, and also a wonderful human being to have on this earth. This experience makes me realize that out of every seemingly hopeless situation, there is the opportunity for acts of kindness to transpire（发生）, which can have an unimaginable impact on those who receive them.Why did the author go to get a coffee?
| A．Because he needed to eat something as lunch. |
| B．Because he was very thirsty. |
| C．Because he had to refresh himself for the classes in the afternoon. |
| D．Because he wanted something hot to drink. |
What happened to the author after he got a cup of coffee?
| A．He fell on the icy road. |
| B．He realized his keys and phone were locked inside the car. |
| C．His car was broken. |
| D．He lost his keys and phone. |
How long probably had the author stayed in the McDonald’s?
| A．For about 15 minutes. | B．For about 10 minutes. |
| C．For about 8 to 9 minutes. | D．For only 2 minutes. |
What kind of person is the manager?
| A．Kind-hearted. | B．Active. | C．Good-mannered. | D．Thoughtful. |
Students who date (约会）in middle school have significantly worse study skills, are four times more likely to drop out of school and report twice as much alcohol and tobacco use than their single classmates, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
"Romantic relationships are a trademark of adolescence，but very few studies have examined how adolescents differ in the development of these relationships," said Pamela Orpinas，study author and professor in the College of Public Health and head of the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior.
Orpinas followed a group of 624 students over a seven-year period from 6th to 12th grade.
Each year, the group of students completed a survey indicating whether they had dated and reported the frequency of different behaviors, including the use of drugs and alcohol. Their teachers completed questionnaires (调查表）about the students* academic efforts. He found some students never or hardly ever reported dating from middle to high school, and these students had consistently the best study skills according to their teachers. Other students dated infrequently in middle school but increased the frequency of dating in high school.
"At all points in time, teachers rated the students who reported the lowest frequency of dating as having the best study skills and the students with the highest dating as having the worst study skills,'1 according to the journal article. Study skills refer to behaviors that lead to academic success such as doing work for extra credit being well organized, finishing homework, working hard and reading assigned chapters.
"Dating a classmate may have the same emotional complications of dating a co-worker," Orpinas said, "when the couple break up. they have to continue to see each other in class and perhaps witness the ex-partner dating someone else. It is reasonable to think this could be linked to depression and divert (转移）attention from studying.”
4tDating should not be considered a ceremony of growth in middle school，”Orpinas concluded.According to the passage, students who date in middle school may_____
| A．have poorer academic performances |
| B．be more likely to hurl others |
| C． enjoy better school lives |
| D．are less likely to use alcohol and tobacco |
When doing his study, Orpinas_____.
| A． followed a group of students of 6th and 12th grade |
| B． completed a survey and a report each year |
| C． completed questionnaires about the students’ academic efforts |
| D． found that the students’ study skills have connection with their frequency of dating |
Study skills may include the following behaviors and qualities Except_____
| A．being diligent | B．bcing well organized |
| C． being kind and helpful | D．finishing assigned schoolwork |
What can possibly happen to the school couples after they break up?
| A． They don’t want to see each other any longer. |
| B． Their attention to studying will be affected. |
| C． They will miss their ex-partners sometimes |
| D． They will think it，s reasonable Io get depressed. |
Orpinas’ attitude towards dating in middle school is_____
| A．supportive | B．positive | C．negative | D．indifferent |
Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty 200 years ago. At any other time and place, this lowly origin would have dictated his future, but in Lincoln’s case, his self-determination and force of will made it possible for him to secure his seat in his country's history. He has become a role model in the self-made America.
If you want to learn about somebody who didn’t quit, look no further. Abraham Lincoln had two business ventures failed, and the second one made him bankrupt, so he had to spend the next 17 years of his life paying for the debt. He also lost 8 different elections. It seemed that he had never done things right at the first time: the first time he ran for state legislature for Congress, for land officer, for Senate, all of these failed, and the first time he sought the vice-presidential nomination, he got less than 100 votes nationally. But he never found it too shameful to carry on his mission. Then later in 1860, on such a rough road, he made it to the White House. He lived up to his famous saying, “Always bear in mind that your own determination to success is more important than any other.”
He could have quit many times-—-but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit，he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of America. One important way Lincoln influences present society is that we look back on his lifeas a role model for future generations. Lincoln’s high character influences us because we compare present-day politicians to the example Lincoln set. A major influence Lincoln has on the united States today is simply through the good example he set when it came to honesty, persistence and leadership.According to the first paragraph, which of the following statements is true?
| A． Lincoln was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. |
| B． Like Lincoln, a poor origin leads to a bright future. |
| C． America is considered self-made because of Lincoln. |
| D． Self-determination and will contributed to Lincoln’s success. |
What is Paragraph Two mainly about?
| A． How Lincoln made his way to the White House. |
| B． Lincoln suffered various failures. |
| C． Lincoln was a man who never quit. |
| D． Lincoln once lost two business ventures. |
Which is the correct order of what happened to Lincoln?
a. He was paying off his debt. b. He failed in the run for land officer,
c. He got less than 100 votes nationally. d. he stuck to his mission, e. He went bankrupt.
| A．b-c-c-d-a | B．e-a-b-c-d | C．e-c-a-b-d | D．d-c-a-b-c |
What’s the function of Lincoln’s famous saying in Paragraph Two?
| A． To tell us that determination is the most important to success. |
| B． To attract readers1 attention. |
| C． To show why Lincoln was able to carry on in hard times. |
| D． To summarize Lincoln’s story. |
Why does the writer consider Lincoln as one of the greatest presidents in America?
| A． Because he still influences America as a role model. |
| B． Because he set a good example to the present politicians. |
| C． Because of his great personalities. |
| D． Because he went through diverse difficulties. |
Kilimanjaro Climb : a Rite of Passage for Father and Son
Climbing Kilimanjaro is a transformational experience for many people. The things that make the mountain hard are the very things that make it so powerful. In the case of my son Josh and I，the walk up Kilimanjaro proved a powerful symbol ofhis transition into manhood, and a great change in our relationship.
Day three on the mountain, Josh was hit with massive headaches. He told me every step felt like a nail driving into his head. And then, on the night we climbed the crater rim, less than 40 minutes from the summit, Josh fell. I was walking ahead, and did not even see it. He was so exhausted that he could not get up. He recalled our guides, debating whether or not they should take him straight down. Josh snapped out of it. He forced himself to his feet, shook the guides off. He set his face towards the peak and just kept marching. Near the summit he caught up with me and we reached the peak together.
“ I’ve never been in so much pain and so happy at the same time，，，he said, as we sat side by side on the frozen rock and looked down over Africa. “You know, in the past when we’d go on camping and rafting trips, you guided and took care of me through it all. But on Kilimanjaro it was different. From the bottom up, I climbed it. I never feltlike a kid, even when 1 was in pain. You never acted like a parent.”
“That’s not quite true，”I replied. “When you told me that on the summit you fell-and I did not even notice, my first thought was, ‘Oh my God! I’m such an awful parent!’ But then it hit me, ‘He got himself up. He walked to the peak on his own. He didn't need me to help.，”
I realized as I spoke that two people had died that night on Kilimanjaro. A child and a parent. It wasjust two friends who walked down the mountain together.What is NOT mentioned in the first paragraph?
| A． Kilimanjaro is powerful. |
| B． Kilimanjaro is hard to climb. |
| C． Many people, including Josh, have changed after climbing Kilimanjaro. |
| D． The writer has a distant relationship with his son after climbing Kilimanjaro. |
From the second paragraph we know that_____
| A． Josh had a slight headache. |
| B． Josh reached the top of the mountain with the help of the guides. |
| C． Josh overcame various difficulties on his way to the summit. |
| D． Climbing Kilimanjaro was too hard for such a child as Josh. |
What does the underlined phrase in the second paragraph mean?
| A． cheered up | B．gave up | C．burst out | D．ran out |
What can be inferred from the talk between the father and the son?
| A． Josh felt quite good about his independence. |
| B． Josh appreciated his parents ，company and care. |
| C． The father felt guilty all the time. |
| D． The father should have taken good care of Josh as usual. |
Why did the father feel that two people had died?
| A． Because two people had lost their lives while climbing Kilimanjaro. |
| B． Because the father and son had become friends. |
| C． Because they had witnessed an accidence of a father and son. |
| D． Because two friends had misled him. |