The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about a serious problem with one of the main computers.

He dialed the employee’s home phone number and was greeted with a child’s whisper, “Hello?” The boss asked, “Is your daddy at home?” “Yes,” whispered the small voice. “May I talk with him?” The man asked.

To the surprise of the boss, the small voice whispered, “No.” Wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, “Is your mommy there?” “Yes,” came the answer. “May I talk with her?” Again the small voice whispered, “No.”

Knowing that it was impossible that a young child would be left home alone, the boss decided he would just leave a message with the person who should be there watching over the child. “Is there anyone there besides you?” The boss asked the child. “Yes,” whispered the child, “a policeman.”

Wondering what a policeman would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked, “May I speak with the policeman?”

“No, he’s busy,” whispered the child. “Busy doing what?” asked the boss. “Talking to daddy and mommy and the fireman,” came the whispered answer.

Growing concerned and even worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter(直升机)through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, “What is the noise?” “A helicopter.” answered the whispered voice. “What is going on there?” asked the boss, now alarmed.

In a serious whispering voice the child answered, “The search team just landed the helicopter.” Alarmed and concerned and more than just a little disappointed, the boss asked, “Why are they there?” Still whispering, the young voice replied along with an unclear giggly(窃笑), “They are looking for me.”

1.Why did the boss call the employee?

A. He wanted to talk to the child B. He wanted to join in the game

C. A main computer had broken down D. He always cared about his employees

2.Who was not in the employee’s home?

A. The child B. The boss

C. A policeman D. A fireman

3.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “alarmed” in Paragraph?

A. Frightened B. Interested

C. Warm-hearted D. Inspired

4.According to the passage, what was happening in fact?

A. The child was playing a trick B. The boss was offering help

C. The employee was in danger D. The child was missing

Far out in the lake was a large wooden platform on which stood an improbably high diving board—a kind of wooden Eiffel Tower.It was,I’m sure,the county’s tallest wooden structure and no one had ever been known to jump from it.

So it was quite a shock when our teacher,Mr Milton,announced that he would dive off the high board that very afternoon.

Word of his questionable plan was already spreading through town as Mr Milton swam out to the platform.He was just a tiny,stick figure when he got there but even from such a distance the high board seemed almost to touch the clouds.Once at the top,he paced the enormously long board,then took some deep breaths and finally stood at edge.He was going to do it.

Several hundred people had gathered at the shore to watch.Mr Milton stood for quite a long time,then he raised his arms,took one massive bounce and launched himself into a perfect dive.It was beautiful.He fell with perfect style for what seemed minutes.The crowd fell silent.The only sound to be heard was the faint whistle of his body tearing through the air toward the water far,far below.

But about three quarters of the way down he seemed to have second thoughts and began suddenly to panic,waving his arms and legs like someone having a bad dream.When he was perhaps thirty feet above the water,he gave up on waving and spread his arms and legs wide,apparently hoping that it would somehow slow his fall.

It didn’t.

He hit the water at over six hundred miles an hour.The impact was so loud that it made birds fly out of their trees three miles away.I don’t think he entered the water at all.He just bounced off it,about fifteen feet back into the air.After that,he lay still on the surface,spinning like an autumn leaf.

He was brought to shore by two passing fishermen in a rowboat and placed on an old blanket where he spent the rest of the afternoon.Occasionally he accepted small sips of water,but otherwise was too shocked to speak.From head to toe,he was covered with deep red bruises.

...It was the best day of my life.

1.What did the writer think of Mr Milton’s plan to jump from the diving board?

A. Crazy. B. Disappointing.

C. Heroic. D. Confused.

2.In Paragraph 3,Mr Milton is described as “a tiny,stick figure” because he was .

A. tired after swimming

B. very small and thin

C. very far away

D. sure to be broken

3.Why did Mr Milton suddenly start swinging his arms and legs during the dive?

A. He thought it was the best way to slow his fall.

B. He lost his confidence and started to panic.

C. He was signalling the crowd for help.

D. He wanted to show his courage.

4.Which of the following sentences from the passage is an example of a fact?

A. He hit the water at over six hundred miles an hour.

B. The impact was so loud that it made birds fly out of their trees three miles away.

C. He just bounced off it,about fifteen feet back into the air.

D. He was brought to shore by two passing fishermen in a rowboat.

Despite the vital role they play in many ecosystems, animals considered to be “ugly” are being ignored by scientists. A study had found uglier animals attract less attention and less funding when it comes to conservation efforts and research. This could mean the ugliest animal population could be under threat.

The study was conducted by wildlife biologists Trish Fleming and Bill Bateman in Perth, Australia. They looked at research publications concerning 331 Australian mammal species that broadly fell into categories they labeled as “the good, the bad and the ugly”. It turned out that studies into “the good group” and “the bad group” were carried out while the “ugly group” was ignored.

Ugly animals, such as the fruit bat and the tree bat, are being ignored by conservationists. And some animals are even becoming endangered because of how they look. The Madagascan lemur(狐猴)called the aye---aye is so ugly that the natives have long seen them as a bad sign, or a sign of death, so they kill them whenever they see them. Other ugly animals under threat include the dugong(儒艮)and the proboscis monkey(长鼻猴).

Despite making up 45% of the 331 species studied, the ugly animals have attracted little attention from scientists. “We know so little about the biology of many of these species,” said Trish Fleming. “For many, we have catalogued their existence, but when it comes to understanding what they eat, their habitat needs, or how we could improve their chance of how we could improve their chance of survival, we are still in the dark.”

With Bill Bateman, Trish Fleming has called for improved funding for the lesser known mammals. “It would be ‘tragic’ if humans ended up causing the extinction of more species without even knowing anything about them,” they said.

1.Based on the text, the “ugly” animals _________

A. are increasing in number

B. get more conservation funds

C. play an important role in the ecosystem

D. cost quite a great deal of money in research

2.Which of the following is true according to the text?

A. People see the dugong as a sign of death

B. More attention has been paid to “the ugly animals”

C. There was not enough study about “the ugly animals”

D. Trish and Bill did research on 331 Australian mammals

3.The main reason for some animals’ being endangered may lie in _________.

A. their unpleasant looks B. their broad categories

C. their economic values D. their lovely appearances

4.The best title for the text would be _________.

A. The Ugliest Animal in the World

B. The Ugly Species Are under Threat

C. The Living Habits of the Ugly Species

D. The Proboscis Monkey Is Endangered

In 1972, a social worker named Sanjit "Bunker " Roy founded Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan. Today the college trains women from villages for six months to build and maintain solar panels and other instruments. Barefoot College also offers education to the younger generation both during the day and at its solar bridge schools that meet by lamp light at night.

The philosophy of the Barefoot College is largely inspired by the principles of Gandhi, starting with quality beyond social classes, sex or religion. As a matter of fact, women are favorably regarded as an underserved population that is necessary to bringing villages together. Another central principle of the college is self-reliance, teaching students to support and think for themselves.

After the colleges female students have completed their half a year of training, they return to their villages villages, where they wait for solar panel parts to arrive from the college. Once they have all the pieces they need ,they construct the panels and begin collecting solar energy. For each village, the college also provides solar lamps. Villagers can, in addition, order parts for other solar-powered devices, such as water heaters and cooking stoves. Once assembled(组装), they and the lamps are powered by the solar panels.

The effect on the villages is huge. Before the solar panels and lamps arrived, villagers had only candles to light their homes. This prevented adults from doing serious work at night, and it made studying difficult for children as well. As for physicians, they have difficulty treating patients and performing operations at night because they had to rely on flashlights.

Now there is power for not only the electrical appliances that the college provides but also devices like televisions, radios and computers. For the first time, the villagers can even connect to the world through the Internet.

1.What does this article explain about an organization?

A. How it accomplishes its goals B. How its global efforts are funded

C. How its founder hires employees D. How it works with the government

2.According to this article, what does the organization believe in?

A. Supporting the arts. B. Preserving history.

C. Respecting animals. D. Improving society.

3.Which idea is communicated by the organization to women?

A. They should be more involved in politics.

B. They don't have to depend on others.

C. They aren't educating their daughters enough.

D. They focus too much on their communities.

4.In the past, what was hard to provide in villages after dark?

A. Dry shelter. B. Clean water.

C. Medical care. D. Food supplies.

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