It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影响）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.Why was the bike so important to the couple?
| A．They used it for work and daily life. |
| B．It was their only possession. |
| C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed. |
| D．The man’s job was bike racing. |
We can infer from the text that ____________.
| A．the couple worked 60 hours a week. |
| B．people were busy before Christmas |
| C．the stranger brought over the bike |
| D．life was hard for the young family. |
What do the couple learn from their experience?
| A．Strangers are usually of little help |
| B．One should take care of their bike. |
| C．News reports make people famous. |
| D．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
HANGZHOU－As a major province neighboring Shanghai, Zhejiang is set to benefit from the Expo in the city this year in more ways than one.
According to a survey from the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, 80 percent of the respondents (回答者) going to the Expo have plans to travel and 75 percent of them will go to nearby places, such as Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing and Wuxi are the most popular sites, where tourism will be the best winner.
It is estimated (估计) that 70 million visitors will come to the Expo. During the peak time, as many as 700,000 people will visit Shanghai every day.
When all services such as hotels, meeting rooms, and transportation in Shanghai are full, it is possible for other activities to be held in nearby cities. And this is the golden opportunity for developing local tourism. The local hotel industry will benefit directly from the event.
Due to the Shanghai World Expo, Zhejiang will attract 20 million visitors within half a year. It will encourage local industries, such as catering, tourism, entertainment and shopping. More than 50 travel routines (线路) connecting Shanghai and other tourism spots, such as the West Lake in Hangzhou, gardens in Suzhou, and the waterscape in Shaoxing, will be introduced to the world. So far, local travel bureaus in Hangzhou, Ningbo, Huzhou, Shaoxing, Zhoushan, and Wenzhou have already sent special work teams to Shanghai to present their special tourism attractions to visitors.
The sharing and the connections of tourism resources as well as customer and service systems will also promote the areas in the Yangtze River Delta, which will in turn help to shape sustainable (可持续的), healthy tourism for the future.What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Hangzhou－the Heaven on earth |
| B．The Expo Shanghai 2010－a great success |
| C．Being at right place, right time for traveling |
| D．A good chance to develop tourism and others |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．There will be more than 50 travel routines in Shanghai. |
| B．75% of the people in Zhejiang will go to visit the Expo. |
| C．The local tourism will benefit a lot due to the Expo. |
| D．Hangzhou will benefit the most from the Expo. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．More cities in neighboring provinces will be better known to the world. |
| B．Work teams have been sent to Shanghai to present the attractions to visitors. |
| C．As many as 700,000 people will visit Shanghai every day. |
| D．The Shanghai World Expo will promote all industries. |
Which section of a newspaper may the article be taken from?
| A．opinion | B．advertisement | C．news | D．sports |
“It’s our tradition to help each other”, added Tenpa, a medical official in neighbouring Madoi County, who said Yushu has always been quick to help other areas in times of trouble. “We have suffered many dangers and each time people in Yushu have sent food and clothes. We are always thankful to them and hopefully we proved it by being the first rescue team to arrive in Yushu after the earthquake.”
The Madoi medical team arrived just hours after the violent 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Yushu. In two weeks, they have treated at least 1,800 people, while the county has donated 400,000 yuan.
The biggest fear in the earthquake area is the outbreak of diseases. Tenpa said, “Keeping things clean in the shelter is very hard. Even hand washing is almost impossible because of lack of water. Our team is spraying disinfectant (喷洒消毒剂) and we hope that will work.”
After driving for 13 hours with his medical team, Tian Jiancan said he immediately found a 40-year-old who was seriously injured after being trapped in a toppled house. Tian had to operate on the man in his emergency medical van. “If we had been one hour later, he would probably be dead. It’s good to see him out of danger now.” Tian’s medical team has treated over 3,200 people, including a 15-day-old baby and a 105-year-old man. They also helped to put up tents against winds, where patients are protected well.
One local man said although most doctors cannot speak Tibetan, they have shown their care and love through their actions.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．This is the first time that Tibetans have faced great dangers. |
| B．People in Yushu have always been ready to help each other. |
| C．Madoi was also hit by the 7.1-magnitude earthquake. |
| D．Tian’s team is the second rescue team to arrive Yushu. |
What is the closest meaning to the underlined words in paragraph 7?
| A．a house on the top floor | B．a house which had no roofs |
| C．a house which fell down | D．a house which was poorly built |
How many people have been rescued by the medical teams according to the passage?
| A．About 1,800. | B．3,200. | C．At least 5,000. | D．4000,000. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．People in Yushu are encouraged by the medical team workers. |
| B．The doctors went along quite well in spite of the language trouble. |
| C．The Madoi medical team was the first to arrive at the earthquake-hit area. |
| D．The medical workers made great efforts to help the people suffering from the earthquake. |
Few people realize that there is a big difference between formal English and informal English. Formal English is used for most writing, and often in public speaking and formal meetings. It pays close attention to grammar rules, because if we use proper grammar, our meaning is often more precise. Also, on important occasions, we do not want to appear uneducated or to offend (冒犯) others, so we are very careful about how we speak. Informal English is used in speaking or writing to our friends and family. It often does not pay such close attention to grammar rules, because when we speak or write to them, we want our words to flow quickly. Also, with our friends and family, we are usually not so worried about appearing uneducated or about offending them by how we write or speak.
A big difference between formal and informal English is the use of contractions. A contraction is where we make a word shorter or where we put two words together and take away some of the letters. For example, instead of saying “do not”, many people say “don’t”. Using contractions in our speech is fine because it sounds natural, especially when we speak to our friends. In formal writing, however, contractions are usually avoided because people might think that you have made a mistake, or that you do not know proper grammar.
In the same way we might make words shorter, in informal English we often make sentences shorter as well. For example, if someone asks you your name, you will likely answer with one word: your first name. However, in formal English we usually use complete sentences. For example, we might write “My name is John”. In most speaking, we may not need to use every word in a sentence because the person we are speaking to will probably still understand us. In most writing, however, every word in a sentence must be written out in order to make sure that we can be understood. When we use formal English, _______.
| A．we will offend others |
| B．we will appear educated on important occasions |
| C．we needn’t pay more attention to grammar rules |
| D．we can express ourselves more directly and more quickly |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “precise”?
| A．simple | B．direct | C．puzzling | D．clear |
Contractions are best used when we are _______.
| A．speaking at a formal meeting | B．speaking to our friends |
| C．speaking in public | D．writing an application (申请) letter |
In speaking, we do not always use complete sentences because ______.
| A．we do not care about grammar | B．we do not want to sound stupid |
| C．we can still be understood | D．we don’t want to waste time |
It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and went. I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib (肋骨) might have pierced (穿透) a lung....”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled (愤慨地说出) those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy... I am so sorry....”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay.”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said, “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though.” He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.The author was in bad mood that morning because ________.
| A．his father had a terrible accident |
| B．he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends |
| C．his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema |
| D．his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends |
Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?
| A．Because he didn’t go along with his father. |
| B．Because he was rude to his father that morning. |
| C．Because he failed to come earlier after the accident. |
| D．Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital. |
The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that ________.
| A．he had a poor memory |
| B．he didn’t want to forgive his son |
| C．he just wanted to comfort his son |
| D．he lost his memory after the accident |
What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?
| A．Don’t treat your parents badly. |
| B．Don’t hurt others with rude words. |
| C．Don’t move the injured in an accident. |
| D．Don’t be angry with friends at small things. |
Books for Children
 Fleabag and the Ring's End Beth WebbMore stories of Fleabag, the talking cat—star of this wonderful set of 3 books. Ages 8—13, 208 pages, paper-back07459 44116, ￡3.99 |
The little White HouseElizabeth GoudgeA fairy tale and winner of the Carnegie Medal.Ages 8—12, 240 pages, paper-back07459 45783, ￡4.99 |
| My Very First Christmas BookLois Rock and Alec AyliffeA big, bright book, which presents the story simply, and delightfully for very young children.Ages 0—3, 12 pages, 200mmx200mm, board07459 40560, ￡4.99 |
First Festival: ChristmasLois RockAn all-in-one book to help grown-ups and children prepare their Christmas celebration together. Presents, activities and customs.Ages 5—8, 48 pages, 290mmx250mm, hardback07459 39074, ￡8.99 |
| Star of WonderPat AlexanderA wonderful collection of Christmas stories and poems. Full of lively pages to read and enjoy.Ages 7—12, 224 pages, paperback07459 39323, ￡4.99 |
The Not-So-Wise Man Alan MacDonald and Andrew Rowland We all know about the 3 Wise Men who traveled to Bethlehem（伯利恒）and discovered the baby Jesus Christ. This is the tale of another one, who always missed the point. Ages 5—9, 32 pages, 270mm×210mm, hardback.07459 38922, ￡8.99 |
If you want to make a Christmas plan together with your children, which book do you prefer？
| A．Star of Wonder | B．The Not-So-Wise Man |
| C．First Festival: Christmas | D．My Very First Christmas Book |
Which number would you dial if you want to order a book for your 2-year-old child?
| A．07459 40560. | B．07459 38922. |
C．07459 45783. | D．07459 44116. |
If your child wants to read stories of animals, whose book will be your choice?
| A．Pat Alexander. | B．Beth Webb. |
| C．Lois Rock. | D．Elizabeth Goudge. |