We were driving from Los Angeles to Dallas，running low on gas somewhere in New Mexico and figured we’d see a gas station soon enough to fill up．
But that didn’t happen and we realized we wouldn’t make it to the next town．So my daughter made up a sign that read“Low on gas．Can u help?” and held it outside her window in the hopes that a driver in the next lane would notice it and stop．
There weren’t too many vehicles passing us either at the time．It was a lonely stretch of road and about 3：30 pm on a weekday．A suburban was driving along happily in the neighboring lane ahead of us．We caught up with it in the hopes the driver would notice the sign．After a brief expression of confusion on his face，he seemed to have noticed the sign and slowed down to pull over．We pulled over right behind him．
He was friendly and was eager to help us．At first he thought we didn’t have enough money to buy gas，so he offered to buy us gas at the next town Roswell that was about 10 miles away!
When we explained our predicament of not having enough gas to get to Roswell，he said his farm was about 1 0 minutes away and they had a gas pump there，so if we could give him 20 minutes，he would head back there，get a can of gas and fill up our tank for us．
We could not believe our good fortune ! There not being any cell phone reception for either of us in the area, we had just hoped that whoever stopped to help would be kind enough to call AAA when they got to Roswell and we would just wait it out for them to help us．
We were filled with gratefulness for the kindness of strangers such as this person as we waited for him to return．Sure enough，he was back with the can and quickly filled our tank．He refused to take payment for the gas．Tears flowed，as did our endless appreciation．What is the author’s final destination?
| A．Roswell． | B．Dallas． |
| C．New Mexico． | D．Los Angeles． |
From the text we know _______________.
| A．the street was crowded with cars |
| B．something was wrong with the car |
| C．the gas of the author's car ran out |
| D．there was no signal for the mobile phone |
The underline word“predicament”in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to _______________.
| A．instruction | B．assistance |
| C．trouble | D．courage |
Which of the following best describes the old man?
| A．Warm-hearted and generous． |
| B．Honest and confused． |
| C．Kind and productive． |
| D．Enthusiastic and serious． |
Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organization for children that works to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Our founder Eglantyne Jebb drafted the “Declaration of the Rights of the Child” in 1922 which was adopted by the League of Nations in 1924.
Save the Children works to bring about a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.
Our Approach:
Save the Children actively works with the communities, the State governments and the national government to bring lasting changes for children by:
Providing them with immunisation (免疫) and nutrition.
Ensuring that they have a chance to join formal school.
Exposing and preventing exploitative child labour practices and running prevention programs.
During emergencies, we provide emergency supplies as well to ensure that children are protected in safe places as well to continue schooling.
We cannot do this without your support. Please contribute by choosing an amount below.
Rs. 20,000 can provide Child Friendly Space for 50 children ensuring that they receive Psycho-Social and Educational support.
Rs. 10,000 can provide hygiene kits and house-hold cooking utensils (厨房用具) for 4 families affected by emergencies.
Rs. 5,000 can provide education kits and uniforms for 5 under-privileged (贫困的) children who have lost belongings in an emergency.
Rs. 2,500 can provide a hygiene kits and house-hold cooking utensils for a family during an emergency.
You will receive your Tax Exemption Certificate (免税证明) within 12 days of making a donation.What is the main purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To introduce the organization to readers. |
| B．To raise awareness of children’s living conditions. |
| C．To draw public attention to educating children. |
| D．To persuade more people to donate to the organization. |
Save the Children is an organization ______.
| A．founded in 1922 by Eglantyne Jebb |
| B．joining the League of Nations in 1924 |
| C．only cooperating with the local government |
| D．concerning children’s physical and mental health |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Save the Children will provide cooking utensils for 4 families with a 2500 RS donation. |
| B．Providing help during emergencies is a most important part of the work of Save the Children. |
| C．Save the Children will reply to donors within 12 days of making their donation. |
| D．Child Friendly Space is a formal school for children to receive social and psychological education. |
Researchers have found more evidence that suggests a relationship between races and rates of lung cancer among smokers. A new study shows that black people and Native Hawaiians are more likely to develop lung cancer from smoking. It compared their risk to whites, Japanese-Americans and Latinos.
Researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of Hawaii did the new study. The New England Journal of Medicine published the findings. The eight-year research studied more than 180,000 people. They included present and former smokers and people who never smoked. Almost 2,000 people in the study developed lung cancer.
Researchers say genetics might help explain the racial and ethnic differences. There could be differences in how people's bodies react to smoke. But environmental influences, including the way people smoke, could also make a difference.
African-Americans and Latinos in the study are reported smoking the fewest cigarettes per day. Whites are the heaviest smokers. But the scientists point out that blacks have been reported to breathe cigarette smoke more deeply than white smokers. This could fill their lungs with more of the chemicals in tobacco that cause cancer.
Scientists know that some diseases effect different groups differently. And some drug companies have begun to develop racially targeted medicines. Last June, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a drug designed to treat heart failure in black patients. The name is BiDil. The agency called it "a step toward the promise of personalized medicine." Which of the following orders is from higher to lower risk of having lung cancer?
| A．Whites—Native Hawaiians |
| B．Africans—Americans—Latinos |
| C．Asians—Native Hawaiians |
| D．Africans—Americans—Native Hawaiians |
Researchers agree that it is _____ that may probably determine black people’s risk of lung cancer.
| A．the larger amount of smoking than white people |
| B．the living style or habit of the blacks |
| C．the depth of cigarette smoke into their lungs |
| D．the physical strength to react to cigarette smoke |
People in the new study are made up of _____.
| A．heavy smokers in America | B．the black and white people |
| C．the Asians and Hawaiians | D．smokers and non-smokers |
The production of BiDil referred to in the last paragraph is to _____.
| A．explain different races react to some diseases differently |
| B．tell the readers that racial differences exist in smokers |
| C．show a big step people have taken in the medicine area |
| D．support the idea that it is easy for blacks to have cancers |
Community theatre is a theatre that is run by a local district with the efforts of volunteers. They offer many different kinds of productions, such as musical theatre, dance theatre and children’s theatre. Usually, performers are amateurs who receive no pay, but at other times professionals get involved, and they are paid. Community theatres of today are a little different from the old “little theatres”, as most simply run by colleges and their theatre Community theatres are a great way to get involved with local actors. Now, most theatres that put on shows that will entertain or benefit the community.
In the 1880s, “little theatre’’ was started in Europe so that poor people could see theatrical productions without having to travel far or pay a lot. In 1910, this idea traveled to the United States. In the early years, community theatres were even funded by the government, but when shows became too political, government funding was stopped.
Community theatres of today are a little different from the old “little theatres”, as mist simply want to infuse(注入)little culture into the lives of the local citizens. In many cases, these theatres are run by colleges and their theatre departments. These productions are often free of charge, or charge very little money to pay for costumes and other incidental expenses. Many also encourage the participation of children and other young people to let them develop theatrical skills, as well as to keep them busy so that they do not do choose to get into trouble. Additionally, for those who desire strongly to become professional actors and to one day get a chance to act in a national theatre production, it is an exciting place to learn and develop theatrical skills.Why was “little theatre” started in Europe?
| A．To put on shows for children. |
| B．To collect money for poor people. |
| C．To entertain poor people. |
| D．To get people interested in theatrical productions. |
From the passage we know that community theatres can _____.
| A．help young people ,make more money |
| B．prevent young people getting into trouble |
| C．help young people enter the colleges |
| D．encourage young people to become more responsible |
Which of the following is TRUE about community theatre?
| A．It is usually funded by the government. |
| B．It is intended to train professional actors. |
| C．It benefits the community in many ways. |
| D．It is quite different from the old “little theatres”. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that _____.
| A．some professional actors may come from the community theatres |
| B．community theatres only charge for incidental expenses |
| C．community theatres have lost their attraction today |
| D．people can live by acting in the community theatres |
Hiking
If you like to hike during the warm months, you’ll probably like to hike in the winter. The landscape changes completely from summer to fall to winter, and the snow can make for some really beautiful photos. Be sure to bring your camera with you to capture all the awesome scenery. Because it’s cold out, you also have the added benefit of not sweating too much through your clothes, and it’s a great excuse to grab some hot chocolate when you finish your hike.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is great exercise and a great way to see the winter scenery at the same time. If you’ve never done cross-country skiing before, be sure to check with an expert before trying it yourself. Knowing what to expect can keep you safe and prevent an injury.
Snowball fighting
Everyone remembers going outside, building a snow fort(城堡),and having snowball fights when they were kids. The fun doesn’t have to stop when you’re an adult! Go outside with your friends, build a fort and start throwing snowballs at each other. If you have kids, get them in on the action. Throwing snowballs is a great way to use some extra energy and can be really fun for the whole family.
Bird-watching
Lots of birds migrate during the winter months, and these quiet, cold hours can be a great time to see them like never before. Eagles, for example, migrate through central Illinois in February, and watching them fly through Starved Rock State Park is a breathtaking sight. Check your local parks to find out what birds you can see in your area and get out there to see them.What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Outdoor winter activities |
| B．Popular winter sports around the world |
| C．Fun winter activities for children |
| D．Best ways to enjoy winter scenery. |
As for cross-country skiing, the author suggests people_______.
| A．try to do it on their own |
| B．ask an expert for advice |
| C．take a camera with them |
| D．take a rest whenever possible |
Which of the following does the author suggest for those with kids?
| A．Hiking | B．Cross-country skiing |
| C．Snowball fighting | D．Bird-watching |
What can we know about Starved Rock State Park from the passage?
| A．It’s the largest natural park in Illinois. |
| B．It’s a good place for bird-watching. |
| C．It’s well-known for its strange animals. |
| D．It is home to a lot of birds. |
Cities need to put efforts to deal with pollution and clear the air.
Chinese cities will need to put efforts to clear up the sky when a new department to improve regional air quality is set up by 2015，according to the latest plan released by the State Council.
Besides the existing pollution control program for CO2，regional emission caps(区域排放上限) for other certain chemicals will be established in the three key air polluting areas—the Yangtze River Delta，Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin- Hebei region. Coal-consumption caps will also be tried out in some areas，according to the plan.
The plan is aimed at dealing with regional air pollution—such as acid rain and smog—which have become increasingly obvious in China in recent years and caused a severe threat to people’s health，Zhang Lijun，viceminister of environmental protection，said in an interview on Monday.
The air quality in a city affects the areas nearby because pollutants can travel in the sky，said Chai Fahe，vice-director of Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.
“So efforts to reduce air pollution in a single city，targeting a certain pollutant(污染物) will not be enough，” Chai said.
Zhang said the country’s major industrial districts—the Yangtze River Delta，Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region—have recorded more than 100 misty days annually in recent years.
These three regions，home to at least 200 million people，occupy only 6.3 percent of the country’s area but consume 40 percent of the country’s coal and produce half of its steel，according to official figures.
Studies also show that the visibility(能见度) in eastern regions of China has dropped by 7 to 15 km compared to that in the early 1960s，as a result of air pollution.
Liaoning province，the Shandong Peninsula，Wuhan in Hubei province and its surrounding area，the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan region in Hunan province，the Chengdu-Chongqing region，and the western coast of the Taiwan Straits are also listed as areas to carry out such regional air pollution control programs，according to the plan.
The new plan also requires an improved air quality system，which will measure the pollution levels. “The current system，which only measures some major pollutants，cannot reflect the_truepicture.” said Chai.It will not be enough to reduce air pollution in a single city because ________.
| A．air pollution has been becoming more and more serious in recent years |
| B．air pollution like acid rain and smog is threatening people’s health |
| C．air pollutants in a city can travel in the sky and affect nearby areas |
| D．air pollutants stay in fixed places over the cities |
Suppose the visibility in eastern regions of China was 130 km in the early 1960s，the visibility there nowadays is ________.
| A．123 to 115 km | B．137 to 145 km |
| C．123 to 145 km | D．115 to 137 km |
The main purpose of the passage is ________.
| A．to inform readers of the damage caused by air pollution |
| B．to introduce the new plan to control air pollution |
| C．to provide official figures of air pollution levels |
| D．to point out the regions affected by air pollution |
What does the underlined phrase “the true picture” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．The major pollutants. |
| B．The key polluted areas. |
| C．The major polluted cities. |
| D．The pollution levels. |