An old man in a faded yellow shirt sat in a windowless room on a raised concrete form. The only source of heat came from somewhere beneath the plastic mattress and the rough blanket the blank-faced police woman had handed him after taking his thumb prints. He heard voices and metallic clang as the cell door swung open.
At the front desk a tired looking policeman handed the old man back his belongings, his worn-out cap and the Seiko watch that had stopped working the day his beloved Evelyn left. The policeman dramatically held the blue plastic bag at an arm’s length to the old man who took it and made sure its contents were undamaged: the goat meat, palm oil, leaves and spices. He ignored the confused expression on the officer’s face and signed the document declaring he had been returned the possessions they had taken off him the night before.
No one spoke to him as he walked slowly towards the exit.
“Mr. Easy-nwa?” He stopped and prayed to the God who now took care of Evelyn to please take him far away from this unhappy place of expressionless faces, clipped accents and people who did not even attempt to pronounce his name right.
“Ezenwa,” He said and looked at a woman with tangerine lips, her name tag said Jessica Harlow, Social Services. “A bit far from home，she said as she drove fast and with confidence the way Evelyn used to. He wondered if she meant the 50 miles from Liverpool or the 50,000 miles from Enugu，a city in Nigeria. He did not bother replying as this woman had plenty to say about the weather, bad drivers, her daughter’s school play...
At last she drew up outside the block of flats where he lived.
“Got here in the end”，said she seriously, “Really Mr. Easy-nwa, if you keep getting lost, we will have to consider moving you into a home”.
“No need, I was not lost，he answered. He carefully rolled up the sleeves of the oversize bomber jacket he wore and turned on the tap to wash his hands, relieved the pipes were not frozen. In a clean pan he placed the chopped pieces of goat meat. The herbs and spices that had taken him three months to track down, the uziza seeds had taken him into the heart of Granby Market in Liverpool, his uchanwu leaves down a shady back alley in Manchester, and yesterday, among other food items, the finest goat meat from a Sierra Leonean Butcher in Birmingham. That had taken some time, so much he missed the last train and when the police found him shivering outside the locked up station, so cold he couldn’t answer loudly enough the pink-faced big copper who yelled in his face, “What’s your name sir?” spraying his face with spittle (吐沫）as he did so, leaving them with no choice but to search an exhausted, frozen old black man and finding him in possession of mysterious condiments (调味品）including a bag of dried bitter-leaf which could of course be mistaken for anything that resulted in him getting read his rights and charged with ...possession???
He lifted the lid of the bubbling soup, the room was filled with the rich and spicy scent of his culinary (烹饪的）effort. He served two bowls, taking the chipped one and placing the other opposite where Evelyn would have sat. He would tell her about his adventure, it was their anniversary and this was the perfect pepper soup to celebrate.
Ken Onyia, UK (Nigeria) Commonwealth Sport Short Story PrizeWhy was Mr. Ezenwa taken to the prison for a night?
| A．He was too weak to move. |
| B．He couldn’t find his way back home. |
| C．He then had nowhere else to go. |
| D．He was suspected of possessing drugs. |
When Mr. Ezenwa was to leave the prison, •
| A．his thumb print was taken immediately |
| B．the policeman was confused about what he had |
| C．a social worker was assigned to drive him back home |
| D．the policeman was so kind as not to damage his belongings |
What did Mr. Ezenwa do for his wedding anniversary?
| A．He collected all sorts of valuables as presents. |
| B．He cooked native food as a surprise for his wife. |
| C．He prepared a special Nigerian pepper soup carefully. |
| D．He travelled a lot, attempting to get his wife back. |
What words can be used to describe Mr. Ezenwa?
| A．Hopeless and pessimistic.. |
| B．Mysterious and troublesome. |
| C．Affectionate and persistent. |
| D．Energetic and sympathetic. |
What theme does the author want to express through the story?
| A．Racial prejudice. |
| B．Hard life of the elderly. |
| C．Struggle for freedom. |
| D．Preservation of tradition. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
At the middle school level，there are many academic clubs in which students can participate. Students can choose clubs that focus on an area of interest.
Mathcounts Club
Mathcounts tries to increase excitement towards mathematic achievement. It hopes to provide students with the foundation for success in science，technology，engineering and mathematics careers. Schools select individuals and teams to participate in competitions. Local competitions are held in February with winners progressing to state competitions and then on to the national level. Mathcounts works to challenge students' math skills，develop selfconfidence and give rewards for their achievements.
Envirothon
The Envirothon program focuses on natural resources knowledge and exposes students to diverse environmental issues，and ecosystems(生态学)．The ecology field competition for fivemember middle school teams offers competitions in wildlife，soil，forestry，and current environmental issues. Students work and learn in middle school clubs and can compete at the local and state level.
Future Problem Solvers
Future Problem Solvers is an academic club that uses a sixstep process to solve problems that may happen in the future. Students who are in the talented and gifted program，who like to “think out of the box”，or who enjoy thinking about futuristic problems may like this club. Teams made up of four students read future scenes and write up solutions in a booklet using the sixstep process. Teams that score high enough can go to the state competition and then to the international competition.
Builders Club
Builders Club is open to any middle school student who wishes to perform community service. Each Builders Club is cosponsored by a Kiwanis club and a middle school. The members learn by doing，and they learn organization，teamwork，and leadership. Builders Clubs can sponsor a “Teacher of the Year” program，provide a recycling collection point，organize canned food and clothing to support local shelters.
Middle school academic clubs offer students a place to explore interests or talents. The clubs they join in middle school can help guide choices in high school and beyond.Students choosing Mathcounts Club could ________.
| A．get help in science careers |
| B．enjoy solving future problems |
| C．perform community service |
| D．study wildlife and soil |
If you enjoy thinking about futuristic problems，________ is a good choice for you.
| A．Mathcounts Club |
| B．Builders Club |
| C．Future Problem Solvers |
| D．Envirothon |
The students who are not interested in competitions would like to choose ________.
| A．Mathcounts Club |
| B．Builders Club |
| C．Future Problem Solvers |
| D．Envirothon |
What is the common feature of the four clubs?
| A．Competitions. |
| B．Leadership. |
| C．Scientific researches. |
| D．Exploration of talents. |
BEIJING(01－20－2012)－Zhao Benshan，one of the most famous Chinese comics (喜剧演员)，announced on Thursday that he has decided to be absent from the Spring Festival Evening Party，mainland's most-viewed show，which is organized by China Central Television (CCTV) and staged on the eve of Spring Festival.
Every year since 1990，the 55yearold Liaoning native，has taken part in the show. But according to a statement released by CCTV on its microblog on Thursday，Zhao will not appear because of his fatigue.
Zhao has fully prepared for his part in the show and has participated in several rehearsals (彩排) though he has been ill，according to the statement，but he finally decided to leave the show because “he felt exhausted and excessively tired”．
“Zhao's leave will not affect our schedule for the show，”said Ma Xin，who works for CCTV. However，Ma refused to give more details about Zhao's sudden decision to leave .On Thursday afternoon，more than 9 million users on Sina weibo，China's most popular microblogging service，have expressed their opinions on this news item.
A Beijing micro-blogger who uses the name Mengguniang said she felt disappointed and shocked after learning Zhao will not be featured in this year's show. “I look forward to watching Zhao's funny performance every year，”she said.
Some people say they do not believe that Zhao quits because of his illness and think the real reason is that he lacks the ability to put on a good show after all these years.
Some audience in the south are not very interested in his shows because of regional cultural gaps and their intolerance of Zhao's northeastern accent.What's the main idea of the passage?
| A．Something about the Spring Festival Evening Party. |
| B．A popular comic won't appear at the Spring Festival Evening Party. |
| C．Zhao Benshan is exhausted and tired. |
| D．Most people are sad about Zhao's decision. |
Zhao Benshan began to take part in the Spring Festival Evening Party when he was ________ years old.
| A．23 |
| B．26 |
| C．33 |
| D．36 |
The underlined word in the second paragraph means that Zhao is ________.
| A．old |
| B．fat |
| C．unhappy |
| D．tired |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．All Chinese like to watch Zhao's shows. |
| B．Zhao didn't prepare for the Spring Festival Evening Party. |
| C．Mengguniang was sad about Zhao's decision. |
| D．Over ten million users on Sina weibo were concerned about the news. |
Some audience in the south are not very interested in Zhao's shows because ________.
| A．Zhao's shows are in low level |
| B．of regional cultural gaps and Zhao's northeastern accent |
| C．Zhao lacks the ability to put on a good show |
| D．Zhao looks like a farmer in a small countryside |
Two Chinese farmers who became an overnight sensation(轰动) when their heartrending version of a famous pop song appeared on the Internet took to the stage in front of thousands of fans in Shanghai last Saturday.
Wang Xu,44，and Liu Gang,29，sang “In the Spring” alongside the song's star composer Wang Feng，in front of about 80,000 people at the Shanghai Stadium.
The audience buzzed with excitement and let out deafening cheers，the moment as they were introduced on the stage and then when Liu started the first sentence of their parts of the song.
The two migrant workers became stars after singing the tearjerker(催人泪下) song during an evening drinking session in a 6squaremeter rented room in a late August evening. A friend recorded the performance on a cell phone and posted it on the Internet.
“If someday I am dead，please bury me in the spring，” they sing. Wang's penetrating chorus，delivered with his eyes closed，has moved thousands to tears.
Wang and Liu consider the song a true portrait of lower-class groups like themselves.
“With no credit card，no girlfriend，or a home with hot water，but only a guitar，I am singing happily，on streets，under bridges or in the wild country，though nobody pays attention to the music，” they sing.
To support his wife and two sons，Wang came to Beijing in 2000 from the countryside and has worked as a boiler man，and street peddler，before becoming a medical warehouse keeper，with a monthly pay of around 1,500 yuan. Little is left after he pays 600 yuan for rent and buys food.
Liu came to Beijing in 2002.“I want to try my luck in the big city，” he said. He had worked as a guard，roadside peddler，and porter，but never had a stable job. Street performing was his main income，even after he married and became a father three years ago.
Wang and Liu are still uncertain where their fame will lead. Wang has started learning to use a computer. They even have a microblog(微博) account to communicate with fans.Wang Xu and Liu Gang first became nationally known after ______.
| A．they sang the song “In the Spring” with a star composer Wang Feng |
| B．the video of them singing “In the Spring” was posted on the Internet |
| C．they sang on streets and under bridges |
| D．they started their microblog |
People like Wang and Liu's version of “In the Spring” because ______.
| A．they sang the song better than other singers |
| B．they were introduced to the public by the song writer himself |
| C．it was specially composed for them two |
| D．it is a heartfelt expression of the two singers as migrant workers |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．migrant workers' conditions will be improved soon |
| B．they will learn to write songs on computers |
| C．a song showing people's real life and feelings is more likely to be accepted |
| D．singers from migrant workers are more likely to become popular |
The best possible title for the passage is ________.
| A．Internet Farmer Stars Make Stage Appearance |
| B．“In the Spring”-A Touching Song |
| C．A Successful Internet Performance |
| D．No Pains，No Gains |
You know eating fruit and vegetables does good. But do you know it can also make you look good? People who increased their intake over just six weeks developed a healthy glow and appeared more attractive, researchers found. Scientists at St Andrews University found eating them slightly increased yellow and red pigments in the volunteers' skin. They monitored the food intake of 35 people and took pictures of their faces, arms and hands using a sensitive camera at the start, and after three and six weeks. Increasing their intake of greens by 2.9 portions a day was found to make the person look healthier and an extra 3.3 portion could enhance their attractiveness, when their photographs were rated by others.
Fruit and vegetables are rich in carotenoids (类胡萝卜素)，which are known to protect against cell damage from pollution and UV rays, and can also prevent age-related diseases including heart disease and cancer. But while it was known eating extreme amounts of certain vegetables such as carrots could turn skin orange ，it was not known a small increase was perceptible(被觉察）to others - and was seen as appealing.
A camera measured changes to the skin's redness, yellowness and lightness, and found it significantly changed in people who naturally increased their intake. These changes were not evident in three weeks. Using light sensors, the researchers showed these red and yellow hues were linked with the levels of carotenoids in their skin. There are hundreds of carotenoids but those thought to have the most dramatic effect are lycopene(番茄红素)-which gives tomatoes and red peppers their red colour - and beta-carotene found in carrots as well as broccoli, squash, and spinach. Skin colour is also affected by chemicals called polyphenols（多元酚)，found in apples, blueberries and cherries, which cause blood rush to the skin surface.What do we know from the research?
| A．If you take in a little more fruit and vegetables, you will obviously look more attractive in three weeks. |
| B．The researchers took the pictures of the 35 people in the research at different stages. |
| C．Increasing your intake of greens by 2.9 portions a day can greatly improve your health. |
| D．People who increased their intake of greens by 3.3 portions a day were found the most attractive after six weeks. |
Which of the following is NOT the function of carotenoids？
| A．They can protect against cell damage from pollution and UV rays. |
| B．They can prevent heart disease and cancer. |
| C．They can prevent age-related diseases. |
| D．They can keep you in good health. |
Which of the statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．We've already known eating extreme amounts of carrots can turn skin orange. |
| B．We knew in the past that eating a few more carrots could make us look appealing. |
| C．The research showed the improvement in skin is linked with the levels of carotenoids in it |
| D．Among hundreds of carotenoids, lycopene is thought to have the most dramatic effect on the skin. |
We can infer from the passage that _____
| A．Skin's redness, yellowness and lightness make a person look more healthy and attractive. |
| B．Carotenoids have the same effect as lycopene. |
| C．It is carotenoids that give tomatoes and red peppers their red colour. |
| D．Both beta-carotene and polyphenols affect skin colour by causing blood rush to the skin surface. |
Which can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Eating fruit and vegetables does good . |
| B．Fruit and vegetables are rich in carotenoids. |
| C．How to become attractive. |
| D．Eating fruit and vegetables makes you look good |
Driving to a friend's house on a recent evening, I was attracted by the sight of the full moon rising just above my friend’s rooftops. I stopped to watch it for a few moments, thinking about what a pity it was that most city people, myself included usually miss sights like this because we spend most of our lives indoors.
My friend had also seen it. He grew up living in a forest in Europe, and the moon meant a lot to him then. It had touched much of his life.
I know the feeling. Last December I took my seven-year-old daughter to the mountainous jungle of northern India with some friends. We stayed in a forest rest-house with no electricity or running hot water. Our group had campfires outside every night, and indoors when it was too cold outside. The moon grew to its fullest during our trip. Between me and the high mountains lay three or four valleys. Not a light shone in them and not a sound could be heard. It was one of the quietest places I have ever known, a bottomless well of silence. And above me was the full moon, which struck me deeply.
Today our lives are filled with glass, metal, plastic and fiber-glass. We have televisions, cell phones, pagers, electricity, heaters and ovens and air-conditioners, cars, computers.
Struggling through traffic that evening at the end of a tiring day, most of it spent indoors, I thought: before long, I would like to live in a small cottage. There I will grow vegetables and read books and walk in the mountains And perhaps write, but not in anger. I may become an old man there, and wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled and measure out my life in coffee spoons. But I will be able to walk outside on a cold silent night and touch the moon.The best title for the passage would be______.
| A．Touched by the moon |
| B．The pleasures of modern life |
| C．A bottomless well of silence |
| D．Break away from modern life |
The writer felt sorry for himself because________.
| A．there was too much pollution |
| B．he failed to see the fullest moon |
| C．he didn’t adapt to modern inventions |
| D．there were too accidents on the road |
What impressed the writer most in the mountainous jungle of northern India?
| A．No modern equipment | B．Complete silence. |
| C．The nice moonlight | D．The high mountains |
Modern things (Paragraph 4) are mentioned mainly to______.
| A．show that the writer likes city life very much |
| B．tell us that people greatly benefit from modern life |
| C．explain that people have fewer chances to enjoy nature |
| D．show that we can also enjoy nature at home through them |
The author wrote the passage to_______.
A.A. express the feeling of returning to nature
B. show the love for the moonlight
C. advise modern people to learn to live
D. want to communicate longing for modern life