What looks like an angry old man and lives at the bottom of the ocean? It’s the world’s ugliest animal---the blobfish(水滴鱼).
Its strange skin is shaped by its habitat. It lives 800 meters below the ocean’s surface, a depth where very few other creatures can survive.
Most fishes have a swim bladder(鱼鳔), which is filled with gas and helps them stay afloat. At the depth that the blobfish live, water pressure is 80 times higher than that at higher sea levels and any swim bladder wouldn’t be able to serve its purpose.
The blobfish don’t have a swim bladder because their skin works the same way. It helps them stay afloat without having to use any energy.
The blobfish have a pretty relaxed attitude towards eating. All they do is stay and wait for crabs or lobsters to come by.
Since the blobfish like to eat crabs and lobsters, they often get caught in nets that are used to catch lobsters or crabs and end up dying or being killed. They are not suitable for eating so they are useless for fishermen.
There’s a purpose behind the blobfish’s new title; it has become the new mascot for the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, an organization whose purpose is to preserve endangered ugly animals.
“We’ve needed an ugly face for endangered ugly animals for a long time and I’ve been amazed by the public reaction,” said the Society’s Simon Watt. “For too long cute animals have taken the limelight(风头) but now the blobfish will be a voice for those who always get forgotten.”They hope this new face will help the world know that we need to help preserve the populations of ugly animals too.The biggest difference between the blobfish and most other fishes is that the blobfish_____ .
| A．cannot be eaten by people |
| B．don’t have a swim bladder |
| C．only live at high sea levels |
| D．aren’t active in catching food |
What makes the blobfish stay afloat?
| A．Their skin. | B．Their tail. |
| C．Their mouth. | D．Their swim bladder. |
We can learn from what Simon Watt said that _____ .
| A．most ugly animals are in danger |
| B．the population of the blobfish is increasing |
| C．the blobfish have attracted the public’s attention |
| D．people knew nothing about the blobfish in the past |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To discuss the importance of preserving animals. |
| B．To give the reason for starting an organization. |
| C．To present the results of a survey. |
| D．To introduce a special animal. |
Starting next year, Ford Motor Co. will allow parents to limit the speed at which their teenage children drive their car.
The company will make a new feature on many models that can limit teen drivers to 80 mph(130 kph), using a computer chip(芯片) in the key.
Parents in the United States, where most teens can get their driving license at 16, also have the option of programming the car key to limit the audio system volume(音量), and to sound continuous alarm if the driver doesn’t wear a seat belt.
More than half of parents surveyed worry that their teenage children are driving at unsafe speeds, talking on hand-held cell phones or texting while driving, or otherwise driving without due care and attention. More than a third of parents also are concerned that their teens do not always fasten their safety belts when driving.
“Our message to parents is, hey, we are proving you some conditions to give your new drivers that may allow you to feel a little more comfortable in giving them the car more often,” said Jim Buczkowski, Ford’s director of electronic and electrical systems engineering.
More than 5,000 US teens die each year in car crashes. The rate of crashes, fatal(致命的) and nonfatal, per mile driven for 16-year-old drivers is almost 10 times the rate for drivers aged 30 to 59, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The new feature, called “MyKey”, will be standard on an unspecified number of Ford models when the new models come out late next summer. The feature will spread to the entire Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Lineup as models are updated, spokesman Wes Sherwood said.
The company already uses computer chips in its keys to prevent thefts. The car won’t start unless it recognizes the chip in the key.
“It’s making use of existing technology, and through the magic of software, we’re able to build features on top of the features we already have,” Buczkowski said.
According to the passage, MyKey can ______.
| A．limit speed and prevent thefts |
| B．adjust the audio system’s volume |
| C．remind drivers to answer the phone |
| D．help drivers wear a seat belt |
According to Jim Buczkowski, MyKey ______.
| A．helps parents feel more comfortable in their cars |
| B．provides parents more chances to get along with children |
| C．helps parents feel less worried when giving cars to children |
| D．discourages parents from giving cars to their children more often |
From the passage, we can learn that ______.
| A．teens often drive 10 times faster than adults |
| B．many parents think their children drive too fast |
| C．Ford will take over Lincoln and Mercury Lineup |
| D．MyKey has nothing to do with existing technology |
Ford Motor Company’s new car key may be most welcomed by ______.
| A．teens | B．passengers | C．parents | D．policemen |
B
 Blindsided |
In many ways, Natalie O’Reilly is a typical 14-year-old girl. But Natalie will lose her sight within a few short months. Natalie is sent to school for the blind to learn skills such as Braille(盲文). Outwardly, she does as she’s told; inwardly, she hopes for a miracle(奇迹) that will free her from a fearful life of blindness. But the miracle does not come. Will she go home to live scared? Or will she master the skills she needs to make it in a world without sight? |
 Crossing the Tracks |
At 15, Iris seems to have no home, no family, no direction. After her mother’s early death, Iris’s father focuses on big plans for his new shoes stores and his latest girlfriend, and has no time for his daughter. Unknown to her, he hires Iris out as housekeeper and companion for a country doctor’s elderly mother. Iris is buoyed by the warmth and understanding the doctor and his mother show her, but just as she starts to break out of her trouble, a disaster strikes. Iris must find the courage to discover if she is really as helpless — or as hopeless — as she once believed. |
 The Education of Bet |
Will and Bet were brother and sister. Being a girl, Bet’s world is contained within the walls of their grand home. Will is allowed — forced — to go to school. So Bet comes up with a plan: They’ll switch places. She’ll go to school as Will. Will can then live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined. |
 X-Isle |
Ever since the floods came and washed the world away, survivors have been desperate to win a place on X-Isle, the island where life is believed to be easier. Only young boys stand a chance of getting in, the smaller and lighter the better. Baz and Ray are two of the lucky few to be chosen, but they soon discover that X-Isle is a far cry from paradise(天堂). It’s a violent, unpredictable place, where terrible things can happen at any moment. |
From the book Blindsided, we can learn that Natalie ______.
| A．is longing to stay away from blindness |
| B．has been blind for several months |
| C．has to quit school because of her blindness |
| D．is unconfident in learning Braille |
The underlined word “buoyed” probably means “______”.
| A．spoiled | B．thrilled | C．annoyed | D．encouraged |
X-Isle turns out to be ______.
| A．easier for life | B．no paradise |
| C．chosen for lucky men | D．a romantic place |
The main characters of the four books ______.
| A．live a happy life |
| B．get out of trouble eventually |
| C．struggle for a better life |
| D．dream about better education |
Yuan Guiren, Minister of Education, announced some measures to reform the NCEE, known as Gaokao, for this year in a media conference.
The first measure is to balance the recruiting quota(招生配额) around the nation, with particular emphasis on recruiting more students in central and western provinces.
In addition to this, Yuan said that 200,000 places would be available in the universities in eastern China for students from western China.
The third measure is to cancel some policies that allow students with special talents to receive extra points on their final result of the NCEE. “All national-level bonus marks for Gaokao will be cancelled in 2015, while over 60 percent of the province-level bonuses will be cut. Ten provinces have already canceled the policies while other provinces have cut down 63 percent of the policies,” said Yuan. The policy was originally introduced to be aimed at making Gaokao fairer because some students have special abilities but fail to get high scores in the national exams. Yet, it has been abused by corrupt officials to get the bonus marks for their children. This is a good example of corruption ruining a good policy.
Additionally, all students can recommend themselves for independent recruitment in some education institutions without any restrictions. Schools can also recommend their students to some universities.
The date for independent recruitment is scheduled for after the NCEE in 2015, and universities will be required to publicize their recruiting requirements, processes and results.
The last measure mentioned by Yuan is to gradually unify the NCEE around the nation. Students in three more provinces will sit for the same exams in 2015. Seven more provinces, totaling 25 provinces, will use the same exam format(版式) in 2016.The passage is most probably taken from a(n) ______.
| A．opening address | B．historical book |
| C．news report | D．science report |
How many measures are mentioned for the Gaokao reform in the passage?
| A．Four. | B．Five. | C．Six. | D．Seven. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．More students in eastern China can enter western universities. |
| B．Independent recruitment will take place after Gaokao in 2015. |
| C．The policy of bonus marks were designed for corrupt officials. |
| D．25 provinces will use the same NCEE format in 2015. |
The best title for the passage could be “______”.
| A．Extra points to be Cancelled |
| B．The NCEE to be Unified |
| C．Chances to Favour Western Students |
| D．China to Reform NCEE |
Moby-Dick (1851) is a novel by Herman Melville, considered an outstanding work of Romanticism and the American Renaissance. Ishmael narrates the crazy quest of Ahab, captain of the whaler Pequod, for revenge(报仇) on Moby Dick, a white whale which on a previous voyage destroyed Ahab's ship and severed his leg at the knee.
Our narrator, Ishmael, signs up as sailor on a whaling voyage to cure depression. On board the Pequod, Ishmael meets the mate −honest Starbuck. Captain Ahab remains in his cabin and never shows himself to the crew.
Just when Ishmael’s curiosity about Ahab has reached a fever pitch, Ahab starts appearing on deck – and we find out that he’s missing one leg. When Starbuck asks if it was Moby Dick, the famous White Whale, that took off his leg, Ahab admits that it was and forces the entire crew to swear that they will help him hunt Moby Dick to the ends of the earth and take revenge for his injury.
Despite first mate Starbuck’s worries and a variety of bad omens (e.g., all the navigational instruments break, a typhoon tries to push the ship backwards, and the Pequod encounters other ships that have lost crewmembers because of Moby Dick), Ahab insists on continuing to pursue the whale.
Finally, just when we think the novel’s going to end without ever seeing this famous White Whale, Ahab sights him and the chase is on. For three days, Ahab pursues Moby Dick, sending whaling boat after whaling boat after him – only to see each one wrecked (使下沉)by the whale. Finally, at the end of the third day, the White Whale attacks the ship itself, and the Pequod goes down with all hands.
Even while his ship is sinking, Ahab, in his whaling boat, throws his harpoon at Moby Dick one last time. He misses, catching himself around the neck with the rope and causing his own drowning death.
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．Ishmael signs up as sailor for making a fortune. |
| B．The crew on board the Pequod was unwilling to help the captain to hunt Moby Dick |
| C．The captain was very kind to the crew on board the Pequod |
| D．The captain successfully captured Moby Dick and returned home. |
The underlined word “omens ”in paragraph 5 most probably means ________.
| A．troubles | B．accidents | C．stories | D．signs |
What does the author think of Captain Ahab?
| A．Selfish | B．Knowledgeable |
| C．Considerate | D．Bad-tempered |
In a newspaper, this passage is most probably in the section of ________.
| A．Lifestyle | B．Travel | C．Career | D．Entertainment |
Maya Angelou, the American poet and author, died at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Wednesday. She was 86. Her son, Guy B Johnson, confirmed the news in a statement. He said Angelou "passed away quietly in her home" sometime before 8 am on Wednesday.
Angelou’s failing health was reported as recently as Tuesday, when she canceled an appearance honoring her with a Beacon of Life Award for “health reasons”. The ceremony was part of the 2014 MLB Beacon Award Luncheon, in Houston, Texas, part of Major League Baseball’s Civil Rights Games. Last month, forced to cancel an appearance at a library in Arkansas, she wrote: "An unexpected condition put me into the hospital. I will be getting better and the time will come when I can receive another invitation from my state and you will recognize me for I shall be the tall Black lady smiling. "
Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson, in St Louis, Missouri, in 1928.She survived several personal trials: she was a child of the Depression, grew up in the segregated(种族隔离的) south, and gave birth as a teenager. She wrote seven autobiographies, including the 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and was a playwright, director and novelist.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was a condemnation(谴责) of the racial discrimination she experienced during her childhood. "If growing up is painful for the southern black girl," she wrote, "being aware of her displacement is the rust(铁锈) on the razor that threatens the throat. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” has had a wide appeal and continues to appear on school and university reading lists in the US and the UK.
In 1993, she read her poem On the Pulse of the Morning at President Clinton's first inauguration(就职演说), a performance that made the poem a bestseller. The poem celebrates the diversity of ethnic groups in the US, and calls on the nation to leave behind cynicism and look forward to a new pride in itself, and a new belief for the country. Clinton on Wednesday said he would "always be grateful for all the years of friendship that followed. America has lost a national treasure, and Hillary and I a beloved friend."
Angelou was a long-time Clinton supporter. One month before his inauguration, she told the New York Times: “Since the election, I have found it easier to wake up in the morning.” And her loyalty to Hillary Clinton has been steadfast, even as Barack Obama campaigned to be America's first black president.
The mayor of Winston-Salem, Allen Joines, said the town would probably remember Angelou best for her commitment to health and theatre. She supported the founder of the National Black Theater Festival, and eventually became its first chairperson in 1989. In 2012, the Maya Angelou Women’s Health and Wellness Center opened in the city. Despite her many accomplishments, the mayor said small moments seemed to touch the poet. In April 2008, the town threw Angelou an 80th birthday party. Despite entertainers and speakers present at the party, the mayor said, “The thing that seemed to touch her the most was a group of little kids.”
Maya Angelou was ________ .
| A．originally named Marguerite Annie Johnson and a black female poet. |
| B．first confirmed to be ill last month in Arkansas and put into hospital. |
| C．honored with Civil Rights Award in Major League Baseball Games. |
| D．described as the national treasure by the mayor of her hometown. |
We can NOT infer from the passage that ________.
| A．Angelou's unhappy experience as a black girl in the south inspired her writings. |
| B．I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and On the Pulse of the Morning were among her most famous works. |
| C．Angelou supported Barack Obama when he campaigned to be President |
| D．Angelou died peacefully in her home on a Wednesday morning in 2014. |
The underlined sentence "...being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat." implies that ________
| A．Her being away from her parents is like a sharp razor that brings much pain. |
| B．Her realization that she doesn't belong here makes her feel emotionally painful. |
| C．People who think she is different from others threaten to kill her with a razor. |
| D．People's refusal to accept her makes her want to cut her throat with a razor. |
Which one is true according to the passage?
| A．In America, Angelou's accomplishments in health and theatre were best remembered. |
| B．Angelou was the founder and chairperson of the National Black Theater Festival. |
| C．A group of children moved her the most on her 80th birthday party. |
| D．Clinton's performance of the poem On the Pulse of the Morning made it a bestseller. |