Thick dust rose and a large building collapsed. This was the scene in Zhu Zhou，Hunan Province on May 17. Nine people were killed and 16 injured.
Things were similar in the Sichuan earthquake. Thousands of people were buried in the ruins and lost their lives. What if we could have warned them?
People are always racking their wits to find a way of preventing buildings’ collapse. Better materials and technology help，but they are not a solution.
Just like humans，a building has its own life cycle from “birth” to “death”．If we know when a building is going to collapse，we can repair it in advance or get out of it before it falls. Now，scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a material that turns red before it breaks. The invention could be used in things like climbing ropes or bridge supports. The research was led by Nancy Sottos，a professor at the university’s Beckman Institute，and Douglas Davis，a graduate research assistant.
The secret behind the color—changing material is a type of molecule (分子)．A molecule is a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds. Imagine you and your friends standing in a circle，holding hands. Each person stands for one atom，your hands represent the bonds，and the entire circle represents a molecule. If one person lets go of his or her hands，the molecule changes color. The research team put the molecule into a soft material. When the researchers stretched the material，it turned bright red for a few seconds before it broke into two pieces. When they repeatedly stretched and relaxed the material，without breaking it，it only turned a little red.
The major problem is that light can get rid of the red color. When the team shone bright light on the molecule，the broken bond was fixed，and the color disappeared. Scientists have yet to do more research before the color—changing molecules can be used outside the lab.What does the passage mainly introduce?
| A．The collapse of a large building in Zhu Zhou, Hunan Province. |
| B．A type of molecule that can be put into a soft material |
| C．A material that turns red before it breaks. |
| D．A way of preventing building from collapsing. |
The underlined words “racking their wits” in the third paragraph mean ________.
| A．suffering a lot | B．collecting beyond imagination |
| C．losing a lot | D．thinking very hard |
Which of the following is a WRONG statement?
| A．Thousands of people died from the collapse of buildings in the Sichuan earthquake because they hadn’t been warned. |
| B．There is no building that will never collapse. |
| C．A new material has been applied to buildings to warn people of collapse. |
| D．A color—changing material can turn red before it breaks. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The color—changing molecules are certain to be used outside the lab. |
| B．There will be less collapse with the help of the color—changing material. |
| C．The bright light may make the material’s warning system useless. |
| D．The problem caused by bright light will be solved by scientists soon. |
It feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly, my mother will push the conversation into World War III. She’ll talk about my lack of a bright future because I don’t plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don’t want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major(主修) in English and communications, she nearly had a heart attack.
“Why can’t you be like my co-worker’s son?” she bemoans all the time. Her co-worker’s son received a four-year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don’t know what to answer except that I simply can’t be like Mr. Perfect as I’ve called the unnamed co-worker’s son. I can’t be like him. I’m the type of person who loves to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve a career because I love it, not because of fame (名声) or salary.
I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I’ve seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 630 am and usually comes home around 5 pm or even 6 pm. However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn’t mean I’ll be successful. I’d rather follow my dreams and create my own future.Which of the following topics do the writer and his mother often talk about?
| A．The writer’s studies. | B．The writer’s future job |
| C．Dinner plans | D．Wars around the world |
We can infer from Paragraph 1 that the writer’s mother ______.
| A．doesn’t want the writer to major in English |
| B．doesn’t think the writer should be a doctor |
| C．gets along very well with the writer |
| D．doesn’t think working in the science field is a good idea |
The underlined word “bemoans” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _____.
| A．agrees | B．shouts |
| C．Complains | D．smiles |
Which of following statements is probable TRUE about the writer?
| A．He wants to be like his mother’s co-worker’s son. |
| B．He wants to find a job in his community in the future. |
| C．He doesn’t think his mother’s co-worker’s son is perfect. |
| D．He wants to do something he really likes in the future. |
There are stock markets (股票市场) in large cities in many countries. Stock markets in Paris,
London, Tokyo, Shanghai and New York are among the largest and most well-known. The stock, also called stock exchange, is a place where people can buy or sell shares of a factory or company. And each share means certain ownership(所有权) of a factory or company.
Different people go to stock markets. Some are rich, who want to get more money than they
have. Others are not very rich, who buy stocks to try to become rich. Still others buy stocks as
part of their plan to save money.
Of course, investing (投资) money in the stock market is not the safest way to make money.
No one can tell exactly whether the shares will be doing well. The factory or company may
do badly. Then the stocks will go down, and the investors will lose money. The stock may go up or down for a number of untold reasons. Everyone wants the stock to go up, but sometimes even if a factory or company does a good job, the stock may still go down.
Going to the stock market is often like gambling (赌博). All want to make money by
“gambling’ in the stock market. Factories and companies that need money are pleased that so many people are ready to “gamble”. Indeed, the stock market is an attractive(吸引人的) but complex part of the business world.If you are a good investor, ________ in the stock market.
| A．you can always make money |
| B．you can tell exactly when the stock goes up or down |
| C．you may sometimes lose money |
| D．your gambling is always safe |
The passage mainly wants to tell us________.
| A．how to buy or sell shares |
| B．the stock market is like gambling |
| C．a general idea of stock market |
| D．investing money in the stock market is not the safest way |
Factories and companies are pleased that so many people “gamble” because________.
| A．they can make them rich |
| B．they need their money to do business |
| C．they need more people to work for them |
| D．some people win and some lose |
The word “complex” in the last sentence probably means________.
| A．difficult | B．happy |
| C．complete | D．modern |
Gift No. I
Offer to be your mother's health friend. Promise to be there for any and all doctor's visits
whether a disease or a regular medical check-up. Most mothers always say "no need," another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor's visit. The best part ? This one is free.
Gift No. 2
Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and
medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what times she takes them. "Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother's life," Dr. Marie Savard said.
Gift No. 3
Enough sleep is connected to general health conditions. "Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep," Savard said. "We know that good sleep is very important to our health."
Gift No. 4
Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother's Day by picking gifts in which 10 percent of the price you pay goes to a charity (慈善机构) Gift
givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things -many of which are "green" - and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift, she will be told that she has helped the chosen charity.What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor's visits?
| A．Take notes. | B．Be with her. |
| C．Buy medicine. | D．Give her gifts. |
Where can you find a gift idea to improve your mother’s sleep?
| A．In Gift No. 1. | B．In Gift No. 2. |
| C．In Gift No. 3. | D．In Gift No. 4. |
Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose allows mothers to
| A．enjoy good sleep | B．be well-organized |
| C．bet extra support | D．give others help |
Ellen Parker was worried about her health. She could not walk very quickly and it was
difficult for her to climb stairs. She was soon out of breath.
“I suppose I had better go to the doctor,” she thought.
She went to the doctor and told him her problem.
“I’m not at all surprised, ”he said. “It’s clear what your problem is.”
He examined her and then gave her some advice.
“If you don’t do what I say, Mrs. Parker,” he said, “you will have a heart attack. It could
kill you.”
Ellen was very worried as she left the doctor’s. She knew that she had to take his advice but
that it would not be easy and it would take time.
The next day she went shopping. The first shop she went into was a butcher’s shop（肉铺）.
“I’d like ten pounds of steak（牛排）, please,” she said.
“Certainly, madam,” the butcher replied and went into the cold room and found a large
piece of steak. He brought the huge piece of meat back into the shop and placed it on the scale
（天平）.
“That’s just under ten pounds,” he said.
“That’s big enough,” Mrs. Parker said.
The butcher worked out the price.
“At ＄4. 99 a pound that will＄49. 50, please. Would you like me to cut it up into
smaller pieces for you?”
“Oh, I don’t want to buy the meat,” Mrs. Parker said.
“If you don’t want to buy it,” the butcher replied angrily, “why did you ask me to get it for
you?”
“My doctor told me that I am overweight and have to lose ten pounds. I wanted to see what
ten pounds of flesh looked like.”The reason why Ellen Parker visited the doctor is that________.
| A．she had had a heart attack. |
| B．she had a problem with her health. |
| C．she was unhappy about her weight. |
| D．she could not sleep well. |
Parker asked for ten pounds of steak because ________.
| A．she wanted to buy some for dinner. |
| B．she wanted to lose weight. |
| C．her doctor had told her to eat steak. |
| D．she wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like. |
What was Ellen Parker’s real problem？
| A．She ate too much steak. |
| B．She weighed too much. |
| C．The doctor did not know. |
| D．She could not walk very quickly. |
What did the doctor think might happen to Ellen？
| A．She might put on more weight. |
| B．She might stop eating too much. |
| C．She might have a heart attack. |
| D．She might go to another doctor. |
A young boy was sitting in the back seat of the car eating an apple. He asked his father, “Why does my apple turn brown?” His father answered, “When the skin is removed, air reaches the flesh of the apple causes oxidation. This changes the apple’s molecular structure and results in a brownish color.”The boy asked,“Dad，what are you talking about?”
I know how that boy feels. Sometimes I want answers to some of those confusing questions that we all meet with, such as how to get through difficult times or what to do in a tough situation. I just want to get it right.
The problem is that I don’t always have the answer I need. Nobody else seems to have them, either. So I go on making mistakes and think that I’ll never get it right.
Often I didn’t know what to do. I often made poor choices, but I gradually improved. Then I realized that I don’t HAVE TO always get it right. I don’t have to always know what to do all the time. All I really need to do is try my best, learn from my mistakes and go on.
Dr. Leo Buscaglia once said, “No one gets out of this world alive, so the time to live, learn, care, share, celebrate and love is now. That would be pretty hard to do when you’re waiting for all the answers first.”
So you got it wrong. You made a mistake. So what should you do next? Forgive yourself and try again. You may not get out of this world alive, but you can get plenty of life out of this world if you are not too worried about always getting it right.In the beginning, the author tells the story of a boy and his father to ____.
| A．show that the father is very knowledgeable |
| B．say something interesting about apples |
| C．show that children nowadays ask more questions |
| D．introduce the topic of the passage |
How did the boy feel when he heard his father’s explanation?
| A．He admired his father very much. |
| B．He knew what his father meant. |
| C．He felt it was difficult to understand. |
| D．He thought that he had learned a lot from his father. |
What do Dr. Leo Buscaglia’s words mean?
| A．We can search the answers when enjoying life itself. |
| B．We must make right choices as often as possible. |
| C．People have many desires when they enter the world. |
| D．It is hard to lead a happy and satisfying life. |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．We should try to learn and understand the answers to questions. |
| B．We should learn from our mistakes and try again. |
| C．It is very important to try to avoid (避免) mistakes. |
| D．It is our duty to make the world a better place. |
What is the style of the passage?
| A．novel | B．news | C．poem | D．essay |