When Christie Andrews was born, she weighed less that half of one kilogram. Her heart was the size of a large coin. Her mother said Christie was so small that she could hold her in the palm of one hand.
Christie couldn’t breathe without a machine to give her oxygen. If she had been born 20 years earlier, she would probably have died at once. She needed two operations, but she survived without serious damage.
Twenty years ago , 90% of all premature(早产) babies died. Today, doctors manage to save four out of every five, because they have better machines for breathing and better ways to feed the babies.
But saving Christie’s life cost more than $ 400,000. In some cases, doctors spend 1 million dollars saving a single child. The parents usually don’t have enough money to pay. The government, an insurance company or the hospital picks up the bill. Even after a baby goes home from the hospital, it may require medical care.
Some people think it makes more sense to spend money saving 10 adults who have cancer or other diseases than saving one small baby. But nobody wants to be the doctor who has to tell parents to their faces, “Sorry, I won’t save your new child.”
Parents don’t pay their babies’ hospital bills because .
| A．they don’t have enough money |
| B．they would rather save cancer patients |
| C．doctors don’t care if the babies die |
| D．it makes more sense to have a bigger baby |
The true cost of saving a baby may be even more than 1 million because .
| A．oxygen machine are expensive |
| B．the baby may require medical care after it leaves the hospital |
| C．doctors always charge more than they should |
| D．four out of five premature babies can now be saved |
From the story we know that saving a cancer patient .
| A．is easier than saving a baby |
| B．is harder than saving a baby |
| C．is cheaper than saving a baby |
| D．is more common than saving a baby |
The main idea of the article is .
| A．doctors must never decide whether to save babies or cancer patients |
| B．doctors are able to save premature babies, but the cost is very high |
| C．having a premature baby was cheaper and safer 20 years ago |
| D．Christie survived because the hospital paid her bills |
Alfred Nobel, the great Swedish inventor and industrialist, was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833, but moved to Russia with his parents in 1842, where his father, Immanuel, made a strong position for himself in the engineering industry. Immanuel Nobel invented landmine (地雷) and made a lot of money from the government during the Crimean War, but went bankrupt (破产) soon after. Then, the family returned to Sweden in 1859, where Alfred began his own study of explosives in his father’s lab. He had never been to school or university but had taught himself, and by the time he was twenty, he became a skillful chemist and excellent linguist, speaking Swedish, Russian, German, French and English.
He built up over 80 companies in 20 different countries. He wasalways searching for a meaning to life. He spent much time and money working on how to end the wars, and the peace between nations, until his death in Italy in 1896. His famous last will, in which he left money to provide prizes for outstanding work in physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature and peace, is a memorial to his interests and ideas. And so, the man is remembered and respected long after his death.Where was Alfred Nobel born？
_____________________________________________________.What did Immanuel Nobel invent during the Crimean War？
_____________________________________________________.Why did Alfred Nobel return to Sweden？
_____________________________________________________.How many companies did Alfred Nobel build up in different countries?
_____________________________________________________.What did Alfred Nobel leave money for？
_____________________________________________________.
With more and more cars on the road, traffic jams (堵车) areinevitable. Traffic jams can lead to increased accidents as there are more cars, with more people trying to get to their destination, all the while getting worse. Although it’s impossible to avoid traffic jams altogether, there are some tips you can follow to reduce the amount of time on the road.
Check for traffic jams before you leave. You can listen to the radio for traffic news, or check on the Internet to get up-to-minute information on traffic. If the route you want to take is heavy with traffic, you can choose another.
Look for a different route all the time. Most traffic jams happen on busy roads. Using country roads could avoid a lot of traffic. Although the distance you may have to travel is further, it can work out quicker.
Set your car radio to receive traffic bulletins. Many new car stereo systems (汽车音响系统) are equipped with a radio system by which you can hear the traffic channel. This way you can get the latest traffic information and change your journey if necessary.
__________ Most traffic jams usually occur(发生) during rush hour, so try to avoid this time period if possible. Some jobs offer flexible working hours so that you can travel to work outside of rush hour. Some jobs even allow you to work at home so as to avoid moving altogether. Ask your manager to see what you can do if traffic is a problem for you.
Use public transport instead. The easiest way to avoid traffic jams is to take buses or the underground instead of driving your own car. Not only will you avoid traffic jams but you will most likely be saving money.The underlined word “inevitable” in Paragraph 1 probably means _____.
| A．hard to accept | B．impossible to avoid |
| C．getting less serious | D．seen everywhere |
The writer wrote the text in order to ______.
| A．explain why there are traffic jams |
| B．tell us how to save time on the road |
| C．tell us what we can do on the road |
| D．tell us the negative(消极的) effects of traffic jams |
To get the latest traffic information, you could do the following EXCEPT ______.
| A．surfing the Internet |
| B．listening to the radio for traffic news |
| C．listening to the traffic channel |
| D．turning to other drivers for information |
Which of the following can be put in the blank(空白处) in the text?
| A．Choose a job that has flexible working hours |
| B．Make friends with your manager |
| C．Try traveling at different time |
| D．Work from home |
According to the writer, we should use public transport because __________.
| A．it is cheaper and can avoid traffic jams |
| B．it is useful to us |
| C．it is environmentally-friendly |
| D．it is completely free from traffic jams |
Do you believe that you aren’t smarter than 3-year-old Alexis Martin, one of the youngest members of the high IQ club Mensa?Preschooler (学龄前的) Alexis’s IQ is 159, which is only one point lower than Stephen Hawking’s. Doctors say the average IQ of a person is about 100.
She learned to read at the age of 2. She reads at a fifth grade level and has taught herself Spanish on her parents’ iPad!Now, she is a member of the Mensa Club, which only accepts people with an IQ within the top two per cent of people in the world!
Alexis’ father, Ian Martin, said he first realized Alexis was special when she was 12 months old. She could recite (背诵) bedtime stories. “We’d be driving around in the car and she would recite her bedtime stories from the night before. She didn’t just recite them, and she recited them exactly.”Alexis’ father would try to trick her and say that her story went a different way, but she always corrected him.Most 12-month-old children take their first steps on their own and most 18-month-olds can only name a small number of objects and body parts, and follow simple two-step questions.
Even though Alexis is a genius (天才), her parents are faced with lots of challenges like how to teach her to make friends of her own age.
“Will she go into kindergarten early? We are kind of hesitant (迟疑的) because we do want her to get to that social world,” Ian said.Alexis Martin is a girl who _____________.
| A．has many hobbies | B．has a high IQ |
| C．is good at telling stories | D．likes reading |
According to the report, Stephen Hawking’s IQ is as high as ___________.
| A．158 | B．159 | C．160 | D．101 |
Alexis Martin could recite bedtime stories at ____________.
| A．the age of 2 | B．the age of 1 |
| C．one and a half years old | D．the age of 3 |
What would Alexis do when her father said her bedtime stories went a different way?
| A．She would refuse to listen. |
| B．She would try to recite it. |
| C．She would correct him. |
| D．She would laugh at it. |
Which of the following statements about Alexis is NOT true?
| A．She is accepted by the Mensa Club. |
| B．She has made a lot of friends. |
| C．She learned to read at the age of 2. |
| D．She learned a foreign language by herself. |
| J&M Music Store • Rock, pop and country music • Buy CDs new or used • Listen before you buy • Guitar lessons offered |
Peth Market • Fresh fruit and vegetables • Open Friday to Sunday mornings • Free ice cream for children under 12 |
| Times Coffee Shop • The best coffee in town • Sandwiches, cakes, pies •Open 10:00a.m—11:00 p.m.daily •Jazz music( Wednesday to Sunday) |
Macon's B&B • Feel like home • We have different kinds of rooms • Delicious homemade breakfast |
You can________ at J&M Music Store.
| A．receive guitar lessons |
| B．borrow new or used CDs |
| C．learn pop music history |
| D．buy all kinds of music books |
You can go to Times Coffee Shop to have coffee and pies at_______.
| A．8:30 a.m. | B．9:30 a.m. |
| C．10:30 p.m. | D．11:30 p.m. |
If your friend is coming for a visit, where will he stay for a night?
A. In J&M Music Store.B. In Peth Market
C. At Times Coffee Shop.D. At Macon's B&B.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. There is no breakfast at Macon's B&B.
B. You can't listen to the CD before you buy it.
C. Times Coffee Shop offers Jazz music every day.
D. Kids under 12 can get free ice cream in Peth Market.Where is the passage probably from?
| A．A dictionary. | B．A newspaper. |
| C．A story book. | D．A science report. |
School Activities for Kids and Teens
July is a month of funfilled activities for kids and teens as long as you know where to find them.When you want some fun activities for July, consider these ideas happening in this month.
 Secret of the Dragon Time Monday, July 1,2013,10：30 a．m. Cost Adult: $7.40 Children (under 15 years): half Bookings Phone the booking office: 3403 2578 Address Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note Secret of the Dragon is a magical story about two children who are taken on a dragon ride to explore the universe. |
 The Search for Life: Are We Alone? Time Thursday, July 4, 2013, 2：00 p．m. Cost Adult: $14.50 Children (under 15 years): $8.70 Bookings Phone the booking office: 3403 7689 Address Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note Are we truly alone in space? Is there any life out there? These are the questions asked in this show. |
 Magic Class Time Friday, July 12, 2013, 10：00 a．m. Cost Free Bookings Please call 3403 8470 to book your place. Address Centenary Community hub, 171 Dandenong Rd Note Would you like to be a magician? Then join David, the magician, to learn about real magic with playing cards, coins, ring ropes and DIY projects and be able to become the life of the party. |
 Science with Me: Making Your Own Guitar Time Saturday, July 20，2013, 3：00 p．m. Cost Free Bookings Please phone 3403 1226 to book your place. Address 10, Egginton Close Note Do you want to make a guitar with Katy and her mom? Science with Me is going to be with you.Please remember to bring a piece of wood, a hammer, some rubber bands and some nails with you. |
注：universe宇宙；magic魔术
| A．Magic Class | B．Science with Me |
| C．Secret of the Dragon | D．The Search for Life |
| A．$7.40 | B．$11.10 | C．$14.80 | D．$23.20 |
| A．real magic | B．making coins |
| C．magic stories | D．holding parties |
| A．a piece of wood | B．a hammer |
| C．some nails | D．ring ropes |
| A．They are all free. |
| B．They happen in the same place. |
| C．They are all weekend activities. |
| D．They can all be booked by phone. |