My father was Chief engineer of a merchant ship, which was sunk in Word War II. The book Night of the U-boats told the story.

Memories

    In September, 1940, my mother, sister and I went to Swansea, where my father’s ship was getting ready to sail. We brought him a family photograph to be kept with him at all times and keep him sale.

    Then I remember my mother lying lace down, sobbing. She had heard from a friend that the ship had been sunk by a torpedo(鱼雷).

    I can remember the arrival of the telegram(电报),Which in those days always brought had new. My grandmother opened it. It read, “Safe, Love Ted.”

    My most vivid memory Is being woken and brought down to sit o my father’s knee, his arm in a bandage.

    He was judged unfit to return to sea and took a shore job in Glasgow for the rest of the war. For as long as I can remember, he had a weak heart. Mother said it was caused by the torpedoes. He said it was because of the cigarettes. Whichever, he died suddenly in his early 50s.

    Ten years later I read Night of the U-bouts and was able to complete the story.

    Torpedo

    One torpedo struck the ship. Father was in the engine room, where the third engineer was killed. He shut down the engines to slow the ship making it easier for it to be abandoned.

    By the time he got on deck (甲板) he was alone. Every lifeboat was gone except one which had stuck fast. When he tried to cut it free it swung against the ship, injuring his hand and arm. He had no choice but to jump—still with the photograph in his pocket.

    Three days later, he and other survivors were safe in Glasgow. All 23 with him signed the back of the photograph.

    In my room is the book and the photograph. Often, glass in hand, I have wondered how I would have dealt with an explosion, a sinking ship, a jump into a vast ocean rind a wait for rescue? Lest(以免)we forget, I have some more whisky and toast the heroes of the war.

1.

 We can infer that the mother and children went to Swansea ________.

A. to meet a friend

B. to see the father off

C. to take a family photo

D. to enjoy the sailing of the ship

2.

 What did the author learn about the father from the telegram?

A. he was still alive.

B. His knee was broken.

C. His ship had been sunk.

D. He had arrived in Glasgow.

3.

The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 6 refers to the father’s ________.

A. weak heart

B. taking a shore job

C. failure to return to sea

D. injury caused by a torpedo

4.

 What can we know about the author’s father after his ship was attacked?

A. He lost his arm

B. He repaired the engines.

C. He managed to take a lifeboat.

D. He was the last to leave the ship.

5.

What is the passage mainly about?

A. A group of forgotten heroes

B. A book describing a terrifying battle.

C. A ship engineer’s wartime experience.

D. A merchant’s memories of a sea rescue.

 

BINGHAM REGIONAL COLLEGE

International Students’ Orientation Programme

What is it?

It is a course which will introduce you to the College and to Bingham. It takes place in the week before term starts, from 24th-28th September, but you should plan to arrive in Bingham on the 22nd or 23rd September.

Why do we think it is important?

We want you to have the best possible start to your studies and you need to find out about all the opportunities that college life offers. It will enable you to get to know the college, its facilities and services. You will also have a chance to meet staff and students.

How much will it cost?

* International students (non-European Union students)

For those students who do not come from European Union (EU) countries, and who are not used to European culture and customs, the progamme is very important and you are strongly advised to attend. Because of this, the cost of the programme, without accommodation, is built into your tuition fees.

* EU students

EU students are welcome to take part in this programme without accommodation for £195.

Accommodation costs (international and EU students)

The cost of accommodation for one week is £165

If you have booked accommodation for the year ahead (41 weeks) through the college, you do not have to pay extra for accommodation. You can ask us to pre-book accommodation for you one week only in a hotel with other International students.

What is included during the programme?

Meals: lunch and an evening meal are provided as part of the programme. Please note that breakfast is not available.

Information: including such topics as accommodation, health, religious matters, study skills, and other necessary information.

Social activities: including a welcome party and a half day trip round Bingham.

1.Who is encouraged to attend the course according to the ad?

A.Those who are less prepared for their examination

B.Those who want to improve their social lives

C.Those who are not familiar with their future college.

D.Those who want to make up their missed lessons.

2.It is better for Non-European Union students to take part in the programme because _______

A.they don’t have to pay for the course

B.it offers them opportunities to know more about European culture

C.they can save the cost of accommodation while they are studying

D.it is difficult for them to be accepted by the natives in Binghama

3.If a student plans to take the course, he has to arrive in Bingham at least ___________ days in advance before term starts.

A.2

B.4

C.5

D.6

4.Which of the following might NOT be included in the programme?

A.Learning how to study in the college

B.Looking for a part-time job in neighborhood.

C.Understanding some taboos(禁忌)in European society.

D.Travelling around Bingham.

 

Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills(读写能力). With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence, according to Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) in Salt Lake City. The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ).

The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea. “Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache.” said Lisa Myton, manager of the children’s department.

Last November the two groups started “Dog Day Afternoon” in the children’s department of the main library. About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a “pawgraphed” book at the last class.

The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April. According to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager.

1..What is mainly discussed in the text?

A.A special reading program.               B.Advantages of raising dogs.

C.Service in a public library.             D.Children’s reading difficulties.

2.Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think ________.

    A.dogs are young children’s best friends 

    B.dogs can provide encouragement for shy children

    C.children can play with dogs while reading

    D.children and dogs understand each other

3.By saying “The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea,” the writer means the library ____________.

    A.accepts the idea put forward by ITA      B.uses dogs to attract children

    C.has opened a children’s department      D.has decided to train some dogs

4.A “pawgraphed” book is most probably _________.

    A.a book used in Saturday classes          B.a prize for the children    

C.a book written by the children           D.a gift from parents

 

Most of the people who appear most often and most gloriously in the history books are great conquerors (统治者) and generals and soldiers, while the people who really helped civilization forward are often never mentioned at all. We do not know who first set a broken leg, or launched a seaworthy boat, or calculated the length of the year, or manured (施肥)a field; but we know all about the killers and destroyers.

People think a great deal of them, so much that on all the highest pillars (纪念柱)in the great cities of the world you will find the figure of a conqueror or a general or a soldier. And I think most people believe that the greatest countries are those that have beaten in battle the greatest number of other countries and ruled over them as conquerors. It is just possible they are, but they are not the most civilized. Animals fight; so do savages(野蛮人); so to be good at fighting is to be good in the way in which an animal or a savage is good, but it is not to be civilized. Even being good at getting other people to fight for you and telling them how to do it most efficiently — this, after all, is what conquerors and generals have done — is not being civilized.  People fight to settle quarrels. Fighting means killing, and civilized peoples ought to be able to find some ways of settling their disputes other than by seeing which side can kill off greater number of the other side, and then saying that the side which has killed most has won. And not only has it won, but, because it has won, it has been in the right. For that is what going to war means; it means saying that power is right.

This is what the story of mankind has on the whole been like. Even our own age has fought the two greatest wars in history, in which millions of people were killed or mutilated (disabled). And while today it is true that people do not fight and kill each other in the streets — while, that is to say, we have got to the stage of keeping the rules and behaving properly to each other in daily life — nations and countries have not learnt to do this yet, and still behave like savages.

1.In the opening sentence, the author indicates that           .

       A.most history books were written by conquerors, generals and soldiers

       B.history book tell us far more about conquerors, generals and soldiers than actual creators of civilization

       C.those who rally helped human civilization forward is not mentioned in history books at all

       D.conquerors, generals and soldiers should be least mentioned in history books

2.According to the passage, most people believe that the greatest countries are those that     .

       A.built the highest pillars for their conquerors

       B.were ruled by the greatest number of conquerors

       C.won the greatest number of battles against other countries

       D.were beaten in battle by the greatest number of other countries

3.In the author’s opinion, the countries that conquered a large number of other countries are

                 .

       A.certainly both the most powerful and most civilized.

       B.neither the greatest nor the most civilized in any way.

       C.possibly either the most civilized or the most powerful in a way.

       D.likely the most powerful in some sense but not the most civilized.

4.The meaning of the last sentence in Paragraph 2 is that          .

  A.fighters believe that the winner is right and the loser wrong.

       B.only those who are powerful have the right to go to war.

       C.those who are right should fight against those who are wrong.

       D.only powerful nations might win the right to rule weak ones.

 

A weather map is an important tool for geographers.   A succession of three or four maps presents continuous picture of weather changes. Weather forecasters are able to determine the speed of air masses and fronts (气锋) to determine whether an individual pressure aroa is deepening or becoming shallow and whether a front is increasing or decreasing in intensity (强烈).They are also able to determine whether an air mass is retaining its original characteristics or taking on those of the surface over which it is moving. Thus, a most significant function of the map is to reveal a summary picture of conditions in the atmosphere at a given time.

     All students of geography should be able to interpret a weather map accurately.Weather maps contain an enormous amount of information about weather conditions existing at the time of observation over a large geographical area. They reveal in a few minutes what otherwise would take hours to describe. The United States  Weather Bureau issues information about approaching storms, floods, frosts and all climatic conditions in general. Twice a month it issues a 30-day"outlook" which is a rough guide to weather conditions likely to occur over broad areas of the United States. These 30-day outlooks are based upon an anaiysis of the upper air levels which often set the stage for development of air masses, fronts and storms.

     Considerable effort is being exerted today to achieve more accurate weather

predictions, with identifying and tracking storms over regions which have but few meteorological (气象)stations. Extensive experiments are also in progress for weathef modification studies.

1. One characteristic of weather maps NOT mentioned by the author in this passage is_______.

    A. floods        B. fronts        C. temperature changes      D. frosts

2. The thirty-day forecast is determined by examining________.

    A. daily weather maps                     B. upper air levels

    C. satellite reports                      D. changing fronts

3.The observation of weather conditions by satellites is helpful because it________

A.is modern                            

B. uses electronic instruments

    C. makes weather prediction easier

    D. shows things that would otherwise take hours to describe in a few minutes

4.A weather map is a summary because it_______

    A. sums up a great deal of information       B. appears daily

    C. shows changing fronts                     D. is a science book

5.You may possibly read this article in_________.

    A. a magazine    B. newspaper      C. a novel        D. a science book

 

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