I returned to Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, after graduation. I had been there before my mother became a minister.  Two weeks later, I told my mother I was bored. She said, “Here’re the car keys. Go and buy some fruit.” ____ 1____, I jumped into the car and speeded off.

Seeing me or rather my ___ 2____, a boy sprang up(跳起来),   3__ to sell his bananas and peanuts. “Banana 50 naira. Peanut 200 naira!” Looking at his black-striped bananas, I    4__ to 200 total for the fruit and nuts. He    5__ . I handed him a 500 naira note. He didn’t have    6__ , so I told him not to worry. He was    7__ and smiled a row of perfect teeth.

When, two weeks later, I    8__ this same boy, I was more aware of my position in Nigerian society. I should    9__ this country as the son of a    10___. But it was hare to find pleasure in a place where it was so    11___ to see a little boy who should have been in school selling fruit.

“What’s up?” I asked. He answered in    12___ English, “I … I no get money o buy book.” I took out two 500 naira notes. He looked around    13___ before sticking his hand into the car    14___ the bills. One thousand naira means a lot to a family that    15___ only 50,000 each year.

The next morning, security officers told me, “In this place, when you give a little, people think you’re a fountain of opportunity(机会).”    16__ it’s right, but this happens everywhere in the world. I wondered if my little friend had actually used the money for    17___. After six months’ work in northern Nigeria, I returned and saw him again standing on the road.  “Are you in school now?” He nodded. A silence fell as we looked at each other, then I    18___ what he wanted. I held out a 500 naira note. “Take this.”  He shook his head fiercely and stepped back    19__ hurt.  “It’s a gift.” I said. Shaking his head again, he handed me a basket of bananas and peanuts. “I’ve been waiting to     20___ these to you.”

A. Encouraged     B. Disappointed  C. Delighted   D. confused

A. car   B. mother   C. driver   D. keys

A. willing   B. afraid   C. eager   D. ashamed

A. got down  B. bargained down  C. put down  D. took down

A. explained   B. promised   C. agreed   D. admitted

A. change   B. notes   C. checks   D. bills

A. troubled  B. regretful  C. comfortable  D. grateful

A. ran after  B. ran into  C. ran over  D. ran to

A. protect  B. enjoy  C. help   D. support

A. minister  B. headmaster  C. manager  D. president

A. lucky  B. amazing  C. funny   D. common

A. old  B. broken   C. traditional  D. modern

A. proudly  B. madly   C. curiously  D. nervously

A. for   B. with   C. at   D. upon

A. spends   B. pays   C. makes   D. affords

A. possibly  B. actually  C. certainly  D. fortunately

A. joys   B. nuts   C. books   D. bananas

A. asked   B. imagined  C. reminded  D. realized

A. when   B. as if   C. even if   D. after

A. send   B. provide   C. sell    D. give

IQUIQUE, Chile (Reuters) — Rescue workers at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile had reason to sing this week. A small hole drilled into the earth became a passage to freedom for 33 trapped miners, who spent 69 days underground. “Never have people been trapped for so long so deeply,” says a doctor at NASA, the American space agency, which helped in the rescue.

But the chief medical officer for the miners said most are in good enough health to leave the hospital within a day or so. The first three recovered and went home Thursday night.

For much of the day the miners relaxed with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. The 32 Chileans and 1 Bolivian still wore special sunglasses to protect their eyes.

A partial mine collapse on 5th August trapped them more than half a kilometer underground. They had to stretch a two-day food supply. For two weeks no one knew if they were alive or dead. Later, they received supplies.

The first miner rescued on Wednesday was Florencio Avalos. The second was Mario Sepulveda, who talked about how the experience tested his faith. The last miner up was Luis Urzua, who was the shift leader when his crew became trapped.

Rescuers used a metal cage to pull the miners to safety in less than 24 hours — faster than expected. The rescue capsule was a half-meter wide and known as the Phoenix, an imaginary bird from ancient stories. It bursts into flames but is continually reborn and rises from the ashes.

Chile’s Navy built the capsule with advice from mining experts and NASA engineers. It worked like an elevator, traveling up and down on a cable through a shaft(竖井)drilled 622 meters into the rocks.

Millions of people around the world watched the rescue. More than one thousand journalists traveled to the mine in the Atacama Desert to report on the rescue. They joined family members of the miners and rescue crews housed in an area of tents known as Camp Hope.

What would be the best title for the passage?

   A. Rescued miners speak out

   B. Miners’ life deep underground

   C. A rebirth for 33 rescued miners in Chile

   D. Chilean president honors rescued miners

How many rescued miners are still in hospital?

   A. 3.                 B. 30.                     C. 33.             D. 69.

We can infer from the passage that ______.

   A. all the trapped miners are Chileans

   B. the Chileans rescued the miners alone

   C. the rescue caught the world’s attention

   D. the trapped miners lived easily underground

Which of the following is true of the Phoenix?

   A. It was a wooden cage like a capsule.

   B. It worked efficiently in the rescue.

   C. It was named after a real Chilean bird.

   D. It was built by NASA engineers.

The rescue is great for the reason that ______.

   A. 33 trapped miners were saved

   B. the American space agency took part

   C. Chilean President was on the rescuing spot

   D. it lasted so long and the miners were trapped so deep

Poor families in some countries spend as much as eighty percent of their money on food. Rising prices in recent months have created the worst food crisis(危机) in more than thirty years. The United Nations World Food Program says high food prices could push one hundred million people into hunger.

Nathan Childs is an expert on rice markets. He notes that the harvest for the latest growing season was the largest on record. But India, Vietnam and others have restricted exports(限制出口) to keep prices down at home and protect supplies.

Thailand’s agriculture minister says his country will never restrict rice exports. He told the Reuters news agency Thursday that Thailand has enough supplies to meet demand at home and for export.

Thailand is the world’s largest rice exporter. Recent signs of an increase in supplies have helped ease record prices for Thai rice. Prices rose last week above one thousand dollars a ton.

Vietnam, the second biggest exporter, has banned(禁止) exports until June. And Vietnamese officials have now warned that non-food traders who buy rice for speculation(投机活动)will be severely punished.

Some experts say speculation is a necessary part of market activity. But the head of the U.N. Environment Program blames it for the high food prices. “We have enough food on this planet today to feed everyone.” Achim Steiner told the Associated Press.

Earlier, a member of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission didn’t accept the idea that speculators are the main cause. Bart Chilton blamed reduced harvests and grain supplies and the falling value of the dollar.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called heads of major international agencies to a meeting this week in the Swiss capital, Bern. He says high food prices could harm world trade, economic growth, social progress and political security.

1.What is the main idea of the passage?

A.Vietnam has banned rice exports to other countries.

B.Thailand is the largest rice exporter in the world.

C.Some families are too poor to afford enough food.

D.Rising prices of food have led to the world food crisis.

2.Which country restricted food exports according to the passage?

A. Thailand.    B. Switzerland.    C. Vietnam.    D. The USA.

3.All of the following are the results of rising prices of food EXCEPT ____.

A.the worst food crisis

B.reduced harvests and grain supplies

C.people spending more money on food

D.pushing one hundred million people into hunger

4.What is the reason for the speculation according to the head of the U.N. Environment Program?

A.High food prices.

B.The falling value of the dollar.

C.Enough rice supplies in some countries.

D.Restricted food exports in some countries.

 

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