Every year there are hundreds of earthquakes in different parts of the world. In September, 1923, Tokyo and Yokohama were both destroyed by an earthquake and the fires that followed it. They had to be completely rebuilt. One of the most serious earthquakes was in China’s Shanxi province in 1556. It killed almost one million people.

We measure an earthquake’s strength on the Richter Scale. The Richter Scale was introduced in 1935 in Southern California in the USA. It measures earthquakes on a scale of one to ten. Any earthquake measuring five or more is usually serious.

The Earth’s crust(地壳) is made up of rock called plates. As these plates move, they sometimes crash against each other, causing the crust to quake. In cities such as Tokyo, where small quakes happen quite often, many modern buildings are designed to be flexible so when the Earth moves, they move with it.

Earthquakes can also break up gas and oil pipes. This can cause fires to break out, which can do as much damage as the earthquake itself.

Another effect of earthquakes is tsunamis. These are huge waves created by earthquakes beneath the sea. They can be many meters high and cause great damage to coastal towns and cities, China, Japan, Russia and the USA have the highest occurrence(发生) of earthquakes in the world.

The passage is mainly about       .

    A. scientists who study earthquakes     B. the way of measuring earthquakes

C. a usual natural disaster             D. what people should do in the earthquake

The earthquake in Shanxi Province       , which in NOT true?

    A. happened in 1556                 B. killed one million people

C. was the only earthquake in China     D. caused a lot of damage

Earthquakes        

    A. don’t cause much damage             B. are not serious

C. most possibly happen in Japan            D. happen all over the world

According to the passage we know that tsunamis        .

    A. can cause earthquakes           

B. are caused by earthquakes

C. only happen on land             

D. are a way of measuring earthquakes

A newly-published study has shown that loneliness can spread from one person to another, like a disease.

Researchers used information from the Framingham Study, which began in 1948. The Framingham Study gathers information about physical and mental health, personal behavior and diet. At first, the study involved about 5,000 people in the American state of Massachusetts. Now, more than 12,000 individuals are taking part.

Information from the Framingham Study showed earlier that happiness can spread from person to person. So can behaviors like littering and the ability to stop smoking.

University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo led the recent study. He and other researchers attempted to show how often people felt lonely. They found that the feeling of loneliness spread through social groups.

Having a social connection with a lonely person increased the chances that another individual would feel lonely. In fact, a friend of a lonely person was 52% more likely to develop feelings of loneliness. A friend of that person was 25% more likely. The researchers say this shows that a person could indirectly be affected by someone’s loneliness.

The effect was strongest among friends. Neighbors were the second most affected group. The effect was weaker on husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters. The researchers also found that loneliness spread more easily among women than men.

The New York Times newspaper reports that, on average, people experience feelings of loneliness about 48 days a year. It also found that every additional friend can decrease loneliness by about five percent, or two and a half fewer lonely days.

Loneliness has been linked to health problems like depression and sleeping difficulties. The researchers believe that knowing the causes of loneliness could help in reducing it.

The study suggests that people can take steps to stop the spread of loneliness. They can do this by helping individuals they know who may be experiencing loneliness. The result can be helpful to the whole social group.

What is true about the Framingham Study?

A. It was only conducted in 1948.        B. It involves more than 12,000 participants.

C. It was led by John Cacioppo          D. It showed that any behavior could spread.

From the passage, we can learn that            .

A. the habit of littering doesn’t spread

B. a lonely person won’t have friends

C. everyone may be affected by others’ loneliness

D. lonely people don’t know the cause of their loneliness

Which statement about the spread of loneliness is true?

A. The spreading effect was the second strongest among friends.

B. No spreading effect was found on husbands and wives.

C. Women are more likely to be affected than men.

D. Brothers are more easily affected than neighbors.

If you make 10 more friends in a year, the days of your feeling loneliness will be reduced by            .

A. 48 days          B. 25 days      C. 20 days      D. 15 days

What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Actions should be taken to help lonely people.  B. People feel lonely for many reasons.

C. Ways to fight against loneliness.             D. Lonely people can affect others.

D

Holidays

What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?

   A. Choose the holiday in Devon.               B. Go to the Snowdonia Centre.

   C. Join the World Sea Trip of 2008.       D. Visit Acapulco and Hawaii.

In what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?

   A. It provides chances of family gatherings.   B. It provides customers with good food.

   C. It offers a sports lesson.                 D. It offers comfortable rooms.

What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?

   A. You can have free meals on deck every day.

B. You can sleep on a ship and tour many places.

   C. You will have chances to watch and act in a play.

   D. You have to do your own packing and unpacking.

Every evening, 15-year-old Rashida returns home from school, changes out of her uniform, and rushes to a neighboring farm to help her mother harvest vegetables. Her father is disabled, so the modest profit the two of them earn must cover food, clothing and other necessities for all seven children and their parents. Despite having precious little time to study, Rashida is one of the top students at her junior secondary school. But with so much responsibility on her small shoulders, she admits that it is sometimes hard for her to imagine a more promising future.

Last year, Rashida was invited to join 155 other girls at Camfed Ghana’s first Girls’ Career Camp, a program designed to inspire girls growing up in the country’s Northern Region to dream big, and to support them to pursue those dreams. “We organized this camp because we wanted to let girls know that even if they are struggling with poverty, their lives will not be defined by limitations,” says Dolores Dickson, Camfed Ghana’s Executive Director.

Over the course of five days, the camp led the junior and secondary school students through a range of experiences and career opportunities that were entirely new to them.  Dr. Agnes Apusiga, a lecturer from the University of Development Studies, ran the workshop on goal-setting and career choices, describing the universities and training colleges in Ghana that could help them achieve their dreams. Participants then visited the University for Development Studies, where they toured the medical school and science labs. Another highlight was a workshop at the computer lab at Tamale Secondary School. Many of the girls had studied information technology from a book but had never before seen a computer.

“When the girls arrived at camp, they were not ambitious, because they didn’t have any idea what the world held for them,” says Eugenia Ayagiba, Project Officer with Camfed Ghana. “Many had scarcely traveled beyond their own villages.”

“I think the most important thing that happened at the camp is that we opened a window of hope for a group of girls coming from backgrounds of poverty,” says Eugenia. For Rashida, who has been laughed at in the past by her schoolmates because of her father’s disability, the experience was important. “She told one of the camp mentors(辅导员) that when she is at school, she often feels like a misfit, and she prefers to keep to herself,” says Eugenia. “But at the camp, it was different. She made friends with girls who have similar struggles. She took part in every single activity, every single game. On the last day, she said to her mentor, ‘The camp has challenged me to study hard. Now I see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.’

How many are there in Rashida’s family?

A．Seven   B．Eight      C．Nine       D．Ten

According to the passage, Camfed Ghana’s first Girls’ Career Camp is         ．

       A．a program to help poor girls to have ambition

       B．a program to help poor girl students to get university education

       C．a program to help poor girls to study hard

       D．a program to help the poor families

Why did the camp lead the students to visit universities and training colleges?

       A．To show they are better than their schools

       B．To encourage them to get good education．

       C．To show them what they are like

       D．To get them to touch the advanced equipment there

What can we infer from the passage?

       A．Rashida has become friends with her mentors

       B．Rashida’s mentors has encouraged her a lot．

       C．Rashida was sad because of her father’s disability．

       D．Rashida has had her new dream since the camp

The best title of the passage is ___________．

       A．Poor Girls in Ghana B．Girls’ Career Camp

       C．Camfed Ghana        D．Students in Ghana Dream Big

Every evening, 15-year-old Rashida returns home from school, changes out of her uniform, and rushes to a neighboring farm to help her mother harvest vegetables. Her father is disabled, so the modest profit the two of them earn must cover food, clothing and other necessities for all seven children and their parents. Despite having precious little time to study, Rashida is one of the top students at her junior secondary school. But with so much responsibility on her small shoulders, she admits that it is sometimes hard for her to imagine a more promising future.

Last year, Rashida was invited to join 155 other girls at Camfed Ghana’s first Girls’ Career Camp, a program designed to inspire girls growing up in the country’s Northern Region to dream big, and to support them to pursue those dreams. “We organized this camp because we wanted to let girls know that even if they are struggling with poverty, their lives will not be defined by limitations,” says Dolores Dickson, Camfed Ghana’s Executive Director.

Over the course of five days, the camp led the junior and secondary school students through a range of experiences and career opportunities that were entirely new to them.  Dr. Agnes Apusiga, a lecturer from the University of Development Studies, ran the workshop on goal-setting and career choices, describing the universities and training colleges in Ghana that could help them achieve their dreams. Participants then visited the University for Development Studies, where they toured the medical school and science labs. Another highlight was a workshop at the computer lab at Tamale Secondary School. Many of the girls had studied information technology from a book but had never before seen a computer.

“When the girls arrived at camp, they were not ambitious, because they didn’t have any idea what the world held for them,” says Eugenia Ayagiba, Project Officer with Camfed Ghana. “Many had scarcely traveled beyond their own villages.”

“I think the most important thing that happened at the camp is that we opened a window of hope for a group of girls coming from backgrounds of poverty,” says Eugenia. For Rashida, who has been laughed at in the past by her schoolmates because of her father’s disability, the experience was important. “She told one of the camp mentors(辅导员) that when she is at school, she often feels like a misfit, and she prefers to keep to herself,” says Eugenia. “But at the camp, it was different. She made friends with girls who have similar struggles. She took part in every single activity, every single game. On the last day, she said to her mentor, ‘The camp has challenged me to study hard. Now I see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.’

How many are there in Rashida’s family?

A．Seven   B．Eight      C．Nine       D．Ten

According to the passage, Camfed Ghana’s first Girls’ Career Camp is         ．

       A．a program to help poor girls to have ambition

       B．a program to help poor girl students to get university education

       C．a program to help poor girls to study hard

       D．a program to help the poor families

Why did the camp lead the students to visit universities and training colleges?

       A．To show they are better than their schools

       B．To encourage them to get good education．

       C．To show them what they are like

       D．To get them to touch the advanced equipment there

What can we infer from the passage?

       A．Rashida has become friends with her mentors

       B．Rashida’s mentors has encouraged her a lot．

       C．Rashida was sad because of her father’s disability．

       D．Rashida has had her new dream since the camp

The best title of the passage is ___________．

       A．Poor Girls in Ghana B．Girls’ Career Camp

       C．Camfed Ghana        D．Students in Ghana Dream Big