If you had a strange sound in your ear, what would you do? One man in Wales who thought he had a fly in his ear called 999, the emergency services number in Britain. And so did a woman who was worried about her green potatoes. Could she make chips with them? Were they poisonous? She didn’t hesitate about calling the local ambulance service to ask. According to a recent report, more than 31,000 non-urgent calls were made to the Welsh Ambulance Service in the last year.
Inappropriate calls are a headache for health professionals everywhere. In the US, prank calls to 911 happen on a daily basis. Many callers use apps which hide their identity. But those who try to be funny shouldn’t be surprised if the police have the last laugh. One man from Colorado was arrested for making more than 1,200 prank calls, according to a report on the US television station KOAA—TV.
People who take these calls are trained to stay calm and keep a straight face, no matter how strange the call sounds. “There’s no way for us to know whether the call is real, accidental or a prank call,” said a public safety worker interviewed by the American TV channel.
The Head of Clinical Services at the Welsh Ambulance Service, Richard Lee, has a warning for prank callers. He says:“ When people misuse the service it means our precious time is being taken away from someone who really does need our help.” Indeed, these hotlines are supposed to help the seriously ill or those with a life-threatening injury. You never know, one day, the person who needs assistance could be you or someone in your family.How does the author introduce the topic of the text?
| A．By giving examples. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing figures. | D．By making a comparison. |
According to the text, prank calls are usually________.
| A．meant to be helpful | B．dealt with in time |
| C．thought highly of | D．made to play tricks |
What does the underlined phrase “have the last laugh” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．win at last. | B．never find them. |
| C．laugh at them. | D．know nothing. |
What does the author intend to suggest in the text?
| A．Prank calls are usually easy to identify. |
| B．Operators feel annoyed by strange callers. |
| C．Prank calls may cause serious results. |
| D．Prank callers should be punished by law. |
From birth to death, the word kick has been given an important part in expressing human experience. The proud and happy mother feels the first signs of life kicking inside her body. And that same life------many years later------ comes to its end in a widely-used expression, to kick the bucket( 吊桶) . The expression to kick the bucket is almost 200 years old. One belief is that it started when an English stableman(马夫) killed himself by hanging while standing on a bucket. He put a rope around his neck and tied it to a beam(梁柱) in the ceiling, and then kicked the bucket away from under him.
Another old expression that comes from England is to kick over the traces. Traces were the chains（链子） that held at horse or mule to a wagon(货运马车)or plow. Sometimes, an animal refused to obey and kicked over the traces.
Kick around is an expression that is heard often in American English. A person who is kicked around is someone who is treated badly. Usually he is not really being kicked by somebody's foot. He is just not being treated with the respect that all of us want. A person who has kicked around for most of his life is someone who has spent his life moving from place to place. In this case, kicking around means moving often from one place to another. Kick around has another meaning when you use it with the word idea. When you kick around an idea, you are giving that idea some thought.
There is no physical action when you kick a person upstairs, although the pain can be as strong .You kick a person upstairs by removing him from an important job and giving him a job that sounds more important, but really is not.
Still another meaning of the word kick is to free oneself of a bad habit, such as smoking cigarettes. Health campaigns urge smokers to kick the habit.It is clear that the author wants to help readers _____________.
| A．know English has a long history |
| B．understand the development of English |
| C．enjoy the interest of English idioms（习语） |
| D．learn English expressions with Kick |
What does the idiom "kick over the traces" in "All kids seem to want to kick over the traces and do what they like to" means ____________.
| A．disobey the commands | B．obey the traditions |
| C． ride a horse or mule | D．punish animals strictly |
Mr. Smith always kicked his sons around with no excuse, in other words, his sons___________
| A．expressed their ideas freely | B．were looked after well |
| C．moved their family often | D．were treated badly |
How many different kinds of meanings are talked about on;'kick around' in the text?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
Though Tom got raised to a better position by his boss, he had no power, we can say __________
| A．the boss kicked Tom upstairs | B．Tom kicked the bucket |
| C．Tom kicked the bad habit | D．Tom kicked around an idea |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Ways to fight the flu
The flu is annoying enough on its own. In order to keep yourself from it, follow these tips.
★Get the flu vaccine(疫苗). It’s the best way to protect yourself against the flu.1It also helps the people around you because there’s less chance you will catch the flu and pass it on.
★Wash your hands often. Hand washing is an important way to protect against germs(细菌) like flu viruses. 2So get in the habit of washing your hands when you come home from school, the mall, or anywhere else where you are around a lot of people.
★3Flu viruses travel through the air, so try to stay away from people who look sick. It’s also a good idea to avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth –three places flu viruses can easily enter the body.
★Cough or sneeze into a tissue(手巾纸) –not into your hands. That way, you’re not spreading the virus when you touch surfaces that other people may touch too.
★4 You don’t want to pass your germs to someone else. And staying home is a great excuse to watch your favorite movie, play video games, or read to have a good rest. 5
You also can fight the flu by getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, and getting regular exercise.
Don’t let the flu ruin your fall and winter fun. Fight back!
| A．Stay home if you have the flu. |
| B．Keep your distance if someone is sick. |
| C．Rest can help the body recover faster. |
| D．Take some medicine as soon as you have the flu. |
E. It also helps protect against other germs and illnesses.
F. Getting vaccinated doesn’t just protect your own health.
G. Don’t let the flu fall at one of the most exciting times of the year.
Zhang Lili, a 29-year-old middle school teacher at the No 19 middle school in the city of Jiamusi in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province was crossing the road just outside the school’s gate when a school bus suddenly came rushing toward nearby students at 8:38 pm on May 8, 2012.
“There were three buses at the school gate ready to pick up students, but the one in the back suddenly crashed into the second bus and pushed it into the first one. There were several students standing between the first and the second buses and they were about to be crushed,” said Liu Ye, a student of No.19 middle school.
“We were waiting to board the bus when suddenly it began moving toward the teachers and students. Zhang Lili immediately pushed the students out of the way, but unfortunately she didn't escape. The bus crushed her legs.” added Liu.
Zhang Lili was sent to hospital at about 9 pm and she was critically injured and her blood pressure was low. The situation was quite serious when rushed to hospital.
After consulting specialists, the doctors decided that the only way to save her life was cut off both of her legs.
Upon learning about the accident, the deputy mayor of the city, Sun Zhe, asked the hospital to “save the young teacher regardless of the cost”
“If necessary, we will invite more specialists from the capital city, even from the whole nation,” said Sun.
Fortunately, after 58 hours of emergency medical attention after being transferred to the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Zhang finally regained consciousness on May 15.
“But it cannot be ruled out that her condition may worsen, and the doctors are still working full out to save the heroic teacher,” said Zhao Mingyan, ICU director at the hospital, where Zhang is now receiving treatment. “Her courage moved all of our staff, and we will try our best to help the brave teacher in her future life.” said Wang Jianwei, the director of center.
The Ministry of Education has also named her “National Outstanding Teacher” and called on the country’s educators to learn from her.What does the underlined word “it” in the third paragraph refers to ________.
| A．the bus in the back | B．the bus in the middle |
| C．the bus in the front | D．the third bus |
What can be inferred from the remark of the deputy Mayor Sun Zhe?
| A．Every possible means is being carried out to save the brave teacher. |
| B．It’s increasingly difficult to save the brave teacher. |
| C．The only way to save the brave teacher is to cut off her legs. |
| D．No more experts will be needed in the operation to save the brave teacher. |
What does the underlined sentence in the ninth paragraph attempt to tell us?
| A．The woman teacher’s condition will definitely get worse. |
| B．It is obvious that the woman teacher will recover shortly after. |
| C．There is little possibility that the woman teacher’s condition will improve. |
| D．It’s likely that the teacher will suffer from a worse medical condition. |
Which of the following might be the best title for this passage?
| A．National Outstanding Teacher | B．A Heroic Teacher |
| C．An Example of Top Teachers | D．An bus accident |
◆ Share Flats: Happy Valley big flat, 1 room ready for use immediately. Quiet and convenient, fully furnished, park view. $6,800 including bills with maid. Female nonsmoker. No pet. Sara 25720836 or 10077809.
◆ Moving Sale: 2 armchairs, red/brown at $400 each; coffee table, black, wood, $800; oil painting, big, $900; Tianjin carpet, green 3×7, $600; double bed, $500; mirror, big, square, $500; fridge, big, double-door, $1000; old pictures, $140 up, each; plants, big and small. Tel: Weekend, 25216011/Weekday, 25245867.
◆ Part-time Laboratory Assistant Wanted: Required by busy electronics (电子) company to help with development of computer. Should have an electronics degree and some practical experience of working in an electronics laboratory. Hours 9:30a.m.-1:0p.m. Mon.-Fri. Fourteen days paid leave. Salary ￥6598-10230 dependent on experience. Letter of application to: Mrs. G Chan, NOVA ELECTRONICS, 45 Gordon Rd, Hung Hom Kowloon. The one who put on the first ad probably wants to _________.
| A．rent a beautiful flat of her own in Happy Valley |
| B．find another lady to share the cost to rent a flat |
| C．share her room in a flat with whoever has no pet |
| D．take on a maid to look after herself and the flat |
According to the ads, you may _______.
| A．buy an old picture for $150 |
| B．call at 25245867 and see a beautiful park |
| C．buy two armchairs for $ 400 |
| D．hire a maid by paying $6,800 |
Once you can get a part-time job in NOVA ELECTRONICS, _______.
| A．you have to work at least 4 hours a day |
| B．you should write a letter to Mrs. G Chan |
| C．you will get no more than $6 598 each month |
| D．you will be given 14 days off each year besides weekends |
Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings.
The expression “to be in hot water" is one of them. It is a very old expression. “Hot water” was used 500 years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle.
That no longer happens. But we still get in “hot water”．When we are in “hot water”, we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble—serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother. if he walks in the house with dirty shoes.
Being in “deep water” is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown in water over his head.
You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. The problem is too deep. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks without knowing anything about the stock market.
“To keep your head above water” is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job.
“Water over the dam” is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again. Which of the following two expressions have almost the same meaning?
| A．To be in hot water；To be in deep water. |
| B．To be in hot water；To keep your head above water. |
| C．To be in deep water；Water over the dam. |
| D．Water over the dam；To be in hot water. |
If a person tries to keep his head out of water，we can say that .
| A．he is in danger of losing his life |
| B．he is trying to pay off his debt |
| C．he is trying to keep his promise |
| D．he is trying not to get into debt |
What can you infer from the passage?
| A．“To be in hot water” can only be used to mention serious trouble. |
| B．“Water over the dam” is an expression about a future event. |
| C．Water could be used in the war in the past. |
| D．All of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings. |
This passage is written mainly to tell us .
| A．the use of water |
| B．how to use some expressions about water |
| C．expressions about water and their meanings |
| D．expressions with negative meaning |