Set in a future in which human has been in conflict with an alien race, the novel follows the progress of 6 year old Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, a gifted child who was the result of a government program to develop new commanders to help in the fight against the alien. In the School Ender quickly shows himself to be at the top of his class through his clever use of intelligence during a zero-gravity war game. While Ender’s success makes him a target for older, envious(嫉妒的) commanders, he keeps moving up and is finally promoted(提拨) to Command School where he gets further training from the famous commander Mazer Rackham. In Command School, Ender’s tests and games become increasingly exhausting until he is finally forced to make a frightening decision that has destroying results.
Ender’s Game centers around a group of children who seem to grow into full adults whose emotions and actions seem inconsistent with their actual ages. The youth of these characters added weight to the sadness I felt for these kids who had been raised to be cold and trained since birth to view life as a conflict to be won or lost.The fact that these “Innocents” are competing against each other to kill a faceless enemy for the better of mankind is seen as an unavoidable result of the fear that was stuck in humanity. And while obvious similarities to our own present state of war can be made, the book doesn’t focus as much on the alien threat as it does on Ender’s struggles and the results of his actions.
My main regret with this book was that I didn’t read it when I was younger. I think that I probably would have had an even greater reaction to the story and the struggles of Ender if I’d been closer to his age when I experienced it. Oh well, better late than never I guess.Ender studies in Command school because of__________.
| A．the conflict with other countries |
| B．a government program |
| C．his further training |
| D．exhausting tests and games |
How did the writer feel about the children in Ender’s Game?
| A．Fearful. | B．Sad. | C．Proud. | D．Envious. |
This passage is probably one part of _________.
| A．a science novel | B．a news story |
| C．a school introduction | D．a book review |
Father Maurice Chase used a special way to celebrate his 90th birthday．The Catholic priest took $ 15,000 in cash to Los Angeles’ gutter and gave it away．Twenty wheelchair–bound people received $100 bills, while the rest received $1to $ 3 each．
“I come out here to tell them that God loves them and I love them and that someone is concerned about them,” Chase said．
Chase has given away cash and blessings every Sunday at the same corner for 24 years．Several hundred people wait for him every week．
He makes a point of coming on Thanksgiving and Christmas, too, but this is the first year he spent his birthday in the downtown neighborhood where people live mainly in shelters and on dirty sidewalks．
“It’s the place that makes me the happiest．I just love it,” said Chase．“I look forward to coming here．”
The money comes from donations he receives from rich and famous people he met during his work as assistant to the president of Loyola Marymount University．
The crowd broke into choruses of “Happy Birthday” several times．Some people presented him birthday cards, to his delight．
Travis Kemp, a 51–year–old disabled man with long black hair, was one of the lucky 20 to receive $ 100．He said he had no special plans for spending the money．“He has a lot of respect from me,” Kemp said．“I know I couldn’t do it．”Which of the following makes Chase feel the happiest?
| A．Celebrating his birthday with his neighbours． |
| B．Working in Loyola Marymount University． |
| C．Celebrating Christmas with the people he has helped． |
| D．Going to Los Angeles’ gutter to help people there． |
What’s the source of the money Chase used to help people?
| A．All his savings． |
| B．His earnings as a Catholic pries． |
| C．Donations from the wealthy and celebrities． |
| D．Donations from Loyola Marymount University． |
Travis Kemp is mentioned in the text to show _______．
| A．he was the luckiest person on that day． |
| B．the disabled need to be taken care of． |
| C．Chase is greatly appreciated by the needy． |
| D．even old people came to celebrate Chase’s birthday． |
Which statement is CORRECT according to the passage?
| A．Every recipient could get $100 in cash from Father Maurice Chase． |
| B．Father Maurice Chase gave the cash away not only on his birthday but also on other occasions． |
| C．Although Father Maurice Chase gave the cash away on his birthday, he didn’t receive anything in return． |
| D．Father Maurice Chase earned a lot of money as assistant to the president of Loyola Marymount University． |
Scholarship Application Tips in 2014 for college students
Before you apply
1．Work hard to get good grades．Don’t sweat about one bad grade, but always strive（力求）to do your best．
2．Get involved, and stay involved, in extracurricular（课外的）activities．Sports, clubs, drama, bands and orchestras－these often count toward a student’s overall scholarship application evaluation．The same goes for paid （or unpaid） work experience．
3．Begin your scholarship research early－by your sophomore（大学二年级）or junior year of high school, if possible．Make special note of application deadlines, as they can vary from late summer to late spring．
4．Apply for as many scholarships as you are eligible（符合条件的）for－several smaller scholarships can add up to a lot of money．
During the application process
1．Read the supplementary materials that come with scholarship application forms to better understand the program’s focus （community service, subject interest）．Try to answer the questions with the focus area in mind．
2．Answer questions as they are asked．Don’t go off the topic．
3．If there is a financial component to the application, make sure you get accurate and complete information from all appropriate sources to ensure your eligibility．
4．Take your time．Write down everything you can think of for each question, then set the application aside for a day so you can look everything over again before you send it off．
5．Don’t wait until the last minute to complete your application, especially if you are applying online．Computer systems can get clogged（阻塞的）with the large volume of applicants hoping to submit their qualifications during the last few days and hours before a deadline．
6．If a third party has to complete part of your application, such as providing a letter of recommendation, make sure you ask them early on and remind them as often as necessary to ensure they provide you with the necessary materials．
7．Last but not least, review your application with your parents to make sure you haven’t left out any important details．
Good luck to the students applying for the 2014 scholarship programs!Before you apply for a scholarship, it’s best to ．
| A．pay more attention to grades than to extracurricular activities． |
| B．focus on only one scholarship application． |
| C．get as much work experience as possible． |
| D．begin your preparation as early as possible． |
When answering questions on the application form, you should．
| A．focus on the subject you are interested in． |
| B．answer to the point． |
| C．list your advantages． |
| D．prove your abilities． |
The author suggests that applicants should．
| A．submit the application in the few days． |
| B．double-check their application with their parents． |
| C．complete and submit the application in one day． |
| D．avoid submitting the application online． |
World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948．Each year a theme is selected for World Health Day that highlights a priority area of public health concern in the world．
The theme for 2013 is high blood pressure．
High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes（中风）．If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can also cause blindness, irregularities of the heartbeat and heart failure．The risk of developing these complications is higher in the presence of other risk factors such as diabetes（糖尿病）．One in three adults worldwide has high blood pressure and this increases with age, from 1 in 10 people in their 20s and 30s to 5 in 10 people in their 50s．High blood pressure is most common in some low-income countries in Africa, with over 40% of adults in many African countries thought to be affected．
However, high blood pressure is both preventable and treatable．In some developed countries, prevention and treatment of it has brought about a reduction in deaths from heart disease．The risk of developing high blood pressure can be reduced by: reducing salt intake; eating a balanced diet; avoiding harmful use of alcohol; taking regular physical activity; keeping a healthy body weight; and avoiding tobacco use．
The final and most important goal of World Health Day 2013 is to reduce heart attacks and strokes, which includes as follows:
1．to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of high blood pressure;
2．to provide information on how to prevent high blood pressure
3．to encourage adults to check their blood pressure and to follow the advice of health-care professionals．High blood pressure can cause medical problems like_____．
| A．heart diseases, strokes and blindness． |
| B．strokes, heart failure and diabetes． |
| C．heart attacks, blindness and diabetes． |
| D．heart troubles, strokes and cancers． |
Who are most likely to be affected by high blood pressure?
| A．Those who are in their 20s． |
| B．Those who are in their 30s． |
| C．Those who are in their 40s． |
| D．Those who are in their 50s． |
Which of the following can NOT reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure?
| A．Less salt intake． | B．Putting on weight． |
| C．Regular exercise． | D．No smoking． |
The text is mainly about______．
| A．the theme for World Health Day 2013． |
| B．the causes of high blood pressure． |
| C．the treatment of heart attacks and strokes． |
| D．how to reduce the risk of high blood pressure． |
Researchers from the University of Newcastle are leading a worldfirst study which builds on earlier unpublished research that children are most likely to be guided by their father's eating and exercise habits.
The new study “Healthy Dads，Healthy Kids”，led by Associate Professor Philip Morgan from the University's Faculty of Education and Arts，is designed to help fathers promote and demonstrate to their children positive behaviors related to physical activity and healthy eating.
“The earlier findings showed that children are more likely to follow the example set by their father than their mother when it comes to eating and exercise，”said Morgan.Morgan saw striking results in a previous trial involving 165 overweight children．He found children who lost the most weight had fathers who were engaged in the new eating and exercise plan.
“We might think mothers are the main influence on children's diet and health，but the reality may be different，”said Morgan．“The roles of fathers are changing．More families have two parents working and more fathers are involved with food preparation and food shopping than in the past.”
“Fathers influence the food and physical activity habits in the home through their behaviours，attitudes and approach to food and eating，and act as a role model to their children，”said Morgan.
Researchers are inviting fathers who would like to reduce their weight to join the “Healthy Dads，Healthy Kids” program．Participation involves attending eight sessions （讲习班） at the University of Newcastle over six months where the men will receive information，have weightrelated measurements recorded and complete questionnaires.
Cooking healthy food with the kids and creating a backyard fitness circuit （循环训练场） are among the assignments （课外作业） for fathers taking part in the study.What do we learn about the “Healthy Dads，Healthy Kids” program？
| A．It aims to build close family relationships. |
| B．It involves fathers who want to lose weight. |
| C．It will last more than eight months. |
| D．It offers free online courses for parents. |
Morgan finds a link between children's weight loss and.
| A．their parents' efforts |
| B．their father's influence |
| C．balanced diets |
| D．regular sports training |
Which of the following facts causes the change of fathers' roles？
| A．That kids have more time to spend with family. |
| B．That more kids need their father's help in learning. |
| C．That there are more working mothers than before. |
| D．That fathers become much busier than before. |
That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco．There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theater．With opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines．I was having trouble with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time．As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco．City life had become too much for me．
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold．I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away any possible robbers．Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment, I heard a sound behind me．I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun．The street was empty．All I saw was a shining streetlight．Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster．Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been．It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore．I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise．Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck（垃圾车） pull up to the sidewalk next to me.When a voice called from the inside, “Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming．How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eyes．“Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 a.m．by the time I got into bed．I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had got my wallet back．I also had got back some enjoyment of city life．I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?
| A．Disappointed and helpless | B．Lucky and hopeful |
| C．Satisfied and cheerful | D．Cold and sick |
On her way home the writer_____.
| A．lost her wallet unknowingly |
| B．was stopped by a garbage truck driver |
| C．was robbed of her wallet by a man with a knife |
| D．found some homeless people following her |
In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming?
| A．Someone offered to take her back home. |
| B．A red-haired man came to see her. |
| C．She heard someone call her name. |
| D．Her wallet was found in a garbage truck. |
From the text, we can infer that the writer_____.
| A．would stop working at night |
| B．would stay on in San Francisco |
| C．would make friends with cleaners. |
| D．would give up her job at the bank |