Larry was on another of his underwater expeditions(探险)but this time, it was different. He decided to take his daughter along with him. She was only ten years old. This would be her first trip with her father on what he had always been famous for.
Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children at his age were not even allowed to dive.
After the first expedition, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures.
Larry’s first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them .Fortuna for him, a man offered to take him around the different spots for free. Larry didn’t even know what the time was, how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide range of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.
Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.In what way was this expedition different for Larry?
| A．His daughter had grown up. |
| B．He had become a famous diver. |
| C．His father would dive with him. |
| D．His daughter would dive with him. |
What can be inferred from Paragraph2?
| A．Larry had some privileges. |
| B．Larry liked the rented diving suits. |
| C．Divers had to buy diving equipment. |
| D．Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive. |
Why did Larry have to stay in a cage underwater sometimes?
| A．To protect himself from danger. |
| B．To dive into the deep water. |
| C．To admire the underwater view. |
| D．To take photo more conveniently. |
What can be learned from the underlined sentence?
| A．Larry didn’t wear a watch. |
| B．Larry was not good at math. |
| C．Larry had a poor memory. |
| D．Larry enjoyed the adventure. |
A lazy Susan is an addition to a table, which is designed to assist in moving food from one person to another while dining. This is accomplished through the use of a turntable(转盘), which usually moves the food in a circle when pushed by those at table. In this way, the food never has to be picked up and passed around the table. Instead, it remains in place as the lazy Susan is turned about.
A lazy Susan may also be a part of a kitchen cabinet. One may spin the lazy Susan in order to find certain goods stored in it. From the outside, a lazy Susan appears to be two cabinets. When one of these cabinets is pushed, however, both doors move an
d the lazy Susan is revealed inside.
Whether the lazy Susan is on a tabletop or within a cabinet, it can be made of a variety of materials. Most commonly, a lazy Susan is made of either plastic, wood or glass. Some people believe that Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan, though it was referred to as a dumb waiter(上菜升降架) at that time. It is said that Jefferson invented the lazy Susan because his daughter complained she was always served last at table and, as a result, never found herself full when leaving the table. Othe
rs believe that Thomas Edison was the inventor, as he is believed to have invented the turntable for his phonograph(留声机), which later developed into the lazy Susan.
Regardless of who invented it, it wasn’t until 1917 that the term lazy Susan was created in an advertisement for the invention. In Britain, however, the term dumb waiter is still used rather than the term lazy Susan. The reason for the name lazy Susan remains a mystery. One theory is that it was named after either Jefferson’s or Edison’s daughter, both of whom were named Susan. According to the passage, a lazy Susan _____.
| A．is a person who serves food at table |
| B．is a waitress who helps move dinner tables |
C．is an additiona l round table in a dining room |
| D．is a turntable that passes food around the table |
Which of the following is NOT true of the lazy Susan?
| A．On a tabletop, it is convenient for people to have dinner. |
| B．Within a cupboard, it is easy for people to see what is inside. |
| C．The turntable was invented in 1917. |
| D．It can be made of many kinds of materials. |
Why did Jefferson’s daughter complain she was served last when having meals?
| A．Because she was too lazy. |
| B．Because she was the youngest. |
| C．Because the table was too tall for her. |
| D．Because the table couldn’t move food for her. |
From the passage, we can know that _____.
| A．the lazy Susan was invented earlier than the phonograph |
| B．Susan was the name of Jefferson’s and Edison’s daughter |
| C．Jefferson and Edison invented the lazy Susan at the same time |
D．When people talk about a lazy waitress they u se the term “Susan” |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．What is a lazy Susan? |
| B．When was the lazy Susan created? |
| C．Why do inventions come from the daily life? |
| D．How was “dumb waiter” replaced by “lazy Susan”? |
After a year of preparing herself, Laura Dekker has been given permission to sail around the world. “I was so happy that I almost jumped into the river,” Laura said, after learning of the court’s verdict(判决).
The 14-year-ol
d was born on a ship in the South Pacific, and currently lives with her father on a boat. When child protection agencies heard about her plan to sail alone, they took the case to court and prevented her from making such a dangerous voyage.
Since the decision, though, Laura had been preparing with her father to convince the court that she was ready. Later on, she received the books and other materials she would need for school while she was at sea. She added safety equipment to a new, big ship. And she took her first aid course to learn several survival skills, like how to put out fires on the boat, take care of her own injuries and deal with lack of sleep. She also planned a safer course --- adding alternate routes(备用路径) to avoid pirate attacks, and planning a course that would have her on dry land as she moved from port to port across the globe.
Even with all of the added preparations, the trip still has its risks. In early June, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland, an American, had to abandon(放弃) her attempt to become the youngest sailor to travel around the world. Her ship’s mast(桅杆) broke due to rough waters in the Indian Ocean, and she was rescued by a French fishing ship.
Laura plans to take longer than Abby for her voyage, and is using a larger and more stable boat. If she finished successfully in less than two years, she will take the title from current record-holder Jessica Watson, of Australia, who was 16 when she completed the journey.Which of the following is TRUE of Laura?
| A．She prepared the voyage at the age of 12. |
| B．She lost her mother after she was born. |
| C．She was allowed to sail around the world finally. |
| D．She wanted to donate money made from the voyage. |
At first, child protection agencies were against Laura’s plan because ____.
| A．it was considered to be a dangerous trip |
| B．Laura had to finish her schooling first |
| C．it would cost Laura too much time and money |
| D．Laura wasn’t prepared for the sailing alone |
What is Mr. Dekker’s attitude towards Laura’s trip?
| A．Doubtful | B．Supportive | C．Uncertain | D．Neutral(中立的) |
Paragraph 3 mainly talks about ____.
| A．how Laura convinced the court |
| B．why Laura needed to study at sea |
| C．how Laura prepared for the voyage |
D．where Laura could avoid pirate attacks |
The person who keeps the record comes from ____.
| A．Holland | B．America | C．India | D．Australia |
I got married in 2008. My husband and I are very emotional and have loads of dreams in life. Now I want to share a hidden part of my life.
After one month of my marriage, I started working because I could not sit home. To accomplish our dreams, we are both working hard day and night in spite of belonging to a good family. Life is very strange. When any turn happens, one cannot know.
I started working because I was very ambitious. I used to wonder about people who worked to earn their bread but I never knew in my wildest dreams that I would be part of the crow who work to earn a livelihood.
I was blessed with a daughter in November, 2009. She was just three months and 15 days old when I rejoined my job. My husband supported me and my family supported me but I never wanted to work again because I belonged to a family where a mother should give her full attention to her child.
Keeping all the values aside that I learnt from my parents, I went back to work and will work till my last breath.
I missed my daughter every second. She has started recognizing and throwing expressions for likes and dislikes. I cannot share my feelings with anyone, as I do not want anyone to know that I am broken completely from inside.
My husband and my daughter are my greatest strength but I ignore them just to earn money and fulfill my dreams that I have.
If one day, my daughter complains to someone about her mom, please tell her that she is my reason for survival and happiness and she is 
the only one who brings smile to my face.The author began to wo
rk after her marriage mainly because ____.
A．She expected t o prevent herself from doing housework |
| B．She hoped to achieve her dream |
| C．She wanted to support her husband |
| D．She wanted to make her own bread |
After her daughter’s birth, the author thought ____ in the beginning.
| A．she should work harder |
| B．she should continue her career as she used to |
| C．she should stop working and care for her child |
| D．she should become a more ambitious mother |
From the passage, we can know that the author’s daughter ____.
| A．lives together with her mom now |
| B．hasn’t begun to learn to speak so far |
| C．always makes her mom heartbroken |
| D．has given much comfort to her mom |
The author wrote this passage in order to ____.
| A．complain about her present life |
B．show her love for her daughter |
| C．keep a diary of her daughter’s growth |
| D．present the hardships of a working mother |
What is the best title of this passage?
| A．The secret of a working mother |
| B．A working family is continuing |
| C．A husband’s support for his wife’s career |
| D．The comparison between the family and career for a mother |
During the years after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, structural engineers have been trying hard to solve a question that would otherwise have been completely unthinkable: Can building be designed to stand catastrophic blasts (攻击；爆破) by terrorists?
Soon after the terrorist attacks on the twin towers, structural engineers from the University at Buffalo and the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) traveled to ground zero as part of a project
funded by the National Science Foundation. They spent two days beginning the task of formulating (构思) ideas about how to design such structures and to search for clues on how to do so in buildings that were damaged, but still are standing.
“Our objective in visiting ground zero was to go and look at the buildings surrounding the World Trade Center, those buildings that are still standing, but that sustained damage,” said Mr. Bruneau, Ph.D. “Our immediate hope is that we can develop a better understanding as to why those buildings remain standing, while our long-term goal is to see whether earthquake engineering technologies can be married to existing technologies to achieve enhanced performance of buildings in the event of terrorist attacks,” he added.
Photographs taken by the investigators demonstrate the monumental damage to the World Trade Center towers and buildings nearby. One building a block away from the towers remains standing, but was badly damaged. “This building is many meters away from the World Trade Center and yet we see a column (柱子) there that used to be part of that building,” explained A. Whittaker, Ph.D. “The column became a missile that shot across the road, through the window and through the floor.”
The visit to the area also brought some surprises, according to the engineers. For example, the floor framing (框架) system in one of the buildings was quite strong , allowing floors that were pierced by tons of falling debris (残砾) to survive. “Good framing systems may provide a simple, but reliable strategy for blast resistance,” he added. Other strategies may include providing alternate paths for gravity loads in the event that a load-bearing column fails. “We also need a better understanding of the mechanism of collapse,” said A. Whittaker. “We need to find out what causes a building to collapse and how you can predict it.”
A. Reinhorn, Ph.D. noted that “earthquake shaking has led to the collapse of buildings in the past. Solutions developed for earthquake-resistant design may apply to blast engineering and terrorist-resistant design. Part of our mission now is to transfer these solutions and to develop new ones where none exist at present.”The question raised in the first paragraph is one _____ .
| A．that was asked by structural engineers a month ago |
| B．that is too difficult for structural engineers a month ago |
| C．that was never thought of before the terrorist attack |
| D．that terrorists are eager to find a solution to |
The column mentioned by Dr. Whittaker _____ .
| A．was part of the building close to the World Trade Center |
| B．was part of the World Trade Center |
| C．was shot through the window and the floor of the World Trade Center |
| D．damaged many buildings near the World Trade Center |
A surprising discovery made by the investigators during their visit to ground zero is that _____.
| A．floors in the faraway buildings remained undamaged |
| B．some floor framing systems demonstrate resistance to explosion |
| C．complex floor framing systems are more blast resistant |
| D．floors in one of the buildings were pierced by tons of debris |
What Dr. Reinhorn said in the last paragraph may imply all the following EXCEPT that _____.
| A．blast engineers should develop new solutions for terror-resistant design |
| B．blast engineering can borrow technologies developed for terror-resistant design |
| C．solutions developed for earthquake-resistant design may apply to terrorist-resistant design |
| D．blast engineering emerges as a totally new branch of science |
The word “conservation” has a thrifty meaning. To conserve is to save 
and protect, to leave what we ourselves enjoy in such a good condition that others may also share the enjoyment. Our forefathers had no idea that human population would increase faster than the supplies of raw materials: most of them, even until very recently, had the foolish idea that the treasures were “limitless” and could “last forever”. Most of the citizens of earlier generations knew little or nothing about the complicated and delicate system that runs all through nature, and which means that, as in a living body, an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to all the others.
Fifty years ago, nature study was not part of the school work; scientific forestry was a new idea; wood was still cheap because it could be brought in any quantity from distant woodlands; soil destruction and river floods were not national problems; nobody had yet studied long-term climatic cycles in relation to proper land use; even the word “conservation” had nothing of the meaning that it has for us today.
For the sake of ourselves and those who will come after us, we must now set about correcting the mistakes of our forefathers. Conservation should be made part of everybody’s daily life. To know about the water table in ground is just as important to us as a knowledge of the basic math formulas. We need to know why all watersheds (上游集水区) need the protection of plant life and why the running current of streams and rivers must be made to give their full benefit to the soil before they finally escape to the sea. We need to be taught the duty of planting trees as well as of cutting them. We need to know the importance of big, grown trees, because living space for most of man’s fellow creatures on this planet is figured not only in square measure of surface but also in cubic (立方体的) volume above the earth. In a word, it should be our goal to restore as much of the original beauty of nature as we can.The author’s attitude towards the use of natural resources is _________.
| A．positive | B．uninterested | C．optimistic | D．critical |
According to the author, the greatest mistake of our forefathers was that _________.
| A．they had no idea about scientific forestry |
| B．they had little or no sense of environmental protection |
| C．they were not aware of the importance of nature study |
| D．they had no idea of how to make good use of raw materials |
To avoid repeating the mistakes of our forefathers, the author suggests that ______
| A．we plant more trees |
| B．natural sciences be taught to everybody |
| C．environmental education be directed toward everyone |
| D．we return to nature |
How can you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?
| A．Our living space on the earth is getting smaller and smaller. |
| B．Our living space should be measured in cubic volume. |
| C．We need to take some measures to protect space. |
| D．We must preserve good living conditions for both birds and animals. |