When Xia Min started drinking alcohol with her classmates at a friend’s birthday, she didn’t realize what would happen to her. She drank a lot and fell into a coma (昏迷). The 15year-old girl from Chongqing never recovered.

Xia’s death is warning to other students. A new rule went into effect on January 1, 2006. Teens are not allowed to buy or drink alcohol. Shops are not allowed to sell it to them.

A 1999 Chinese law forbade (禁止) shops to sell alcohol to youths under 18. But it is not taken seriously by shopkeepers because it doesn’t have specific rules. People hope the new rule will work.

“I tasted alcohol when having the dinner of the last New Year’s Eve,” said Lian Yuqi, a 16-year-old girl in Xiamen. She believes that the new rule will stop teens from drinking and help them grow in a healthy way.

“Although it may be a little disappointing not to have beer at parties, I think we can have soft drinks instead,” she said.

1.Xia Min died from alcohol at the age of ______.

A. 15       B. 16       C. 17       D. 18

2. The underlined word “it” means ________.

A. a warning sing           B. a shopkeeper 

C. the new rule         D. a 1999 Chinese law

3.We can know that ________.

A. it is against the new rule for youths under 18 to drink alcohol

B. shops can sell alcohol to a 16 years old youth.

C. without an ID card, young people can’t buy alcohol

D. it seems that the young girl, Liang Yuqi, likes to drink alcohol

4.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. The new rule has worked very well.

B. Shopkeepers can sell alcohol to teens above 18.

C. China’s legal drinking age is clearly under18.

D. Many teens drink alcohol to show they’ve grown up.

5.This passage is mainly about _______.

A. the harm of drinking alcohol

B. the legal age for drinking alcohol

C. a new rule to stop teens drinking

D. student’s ideas about drinking alcohol

TIJUANA, Mexico – A powerful earthquake swayed (摇动) buildings from Los Angeles to Tijuana, killing two people in Mexico, blacking out cities and forcing the evacuation (疏散) of hospitals and nursing homes. One California city closed off its downtown due to unstable buildings.

The 7.2-magnitude quake centered just south of the US border near Mexicali was one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in decades.

"It sounds like it's felt by at least 20 million people," USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said. "Most of Southern California felt this earthquake."

Sunday afternoon's earthquake hit hardest in Mexicali, a commerce center along Mexico's border with California, where authorities said the quake was followed by at least 20 smaller aftershocks, including ones of magnitudes 5.1, 4.5 and 4.3.

"It has not stopped trembling in Mexicali," said Baja California state Civil Protection Director Alfredo Escobedo on Monday.

Escobedo said one man was killed when his home collapsed just outside of Mexicali and another died when he rushed into the street in panic and was struck by a car. At least 100 people were injured in the city, most of them struck by falling objects. Power was out in virtually the entire city.

Susan Warmbier was putting away groceries in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista when her husband asked, "Is the house moving?"

Elsewhere in San Diego, there were reports of shattered windows, broken pipes and water main breaks in private buildings, but no reports of injuries, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque said. Coronado Bridge over San Diego Bay was briefly closed as a precaution.

Across the border in Tijuana, Mexico, the quake caused buildings to sway and knocked out power in some areas. No tsunami warning was issued, but hundreds of people on Tijuana's crowded beach feared the worst and fled when they felt the ground shake.  

1.What's the best title of the passage?  

A. A strong quake in Mexico, but no tsunami

B. A strong quake kills 2 in Mexico, frightens US states

C. A strong quake, downtowns closed off

D. A strong quake, buildings collapses

2.The 7.2-magnitude quake         .

A. centered just south of the Mexico

B. was felt by 20 million people in Mexico

C. was felt by most of Southern California

D. was the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in centuries

3. Which is NOT true according to the passage?  

A. Some cities had power failure after the quake.

B. One of the cities closed off its downtown because of the swaying buildings.

C. Many smaller quakes happened after the 7.2-magnitude one.

D. Hundreds of people on the beach died because of the tsunami.

4.People got injured mostly         . 

A. because they were in panic

B. because the power was out in the whole city

C. because of the falling objects

D. because they were buried under the falling objects

5.Coronado Bridge over San Diego Bay was briefly closed         . 

A. to avoid further dangers

B. by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department  

C. as a reminding of the quake

D. to prevent the bridge from destroying

Every day we experience one of the wonders of the world around us without even realizing it．It is not the amazing complexity of television, nor the impressive technology of transport．The universal wonder we share and experience is our ability to make noise without mouths, and so transmit ideas and thoughts to each other’s minds．This ability comes so naturally that we tend to forget what a miracle （奇迹） it is．

       Obviously, the ability to talk is something that marks humans off from animal．Of course, some animals have powers just as amazing, Birds can fly thousands miles by observing positions of the stars in the sky in relation to the time of day and year．In Nature’s talent show, humans are a species of animal that have developed their own special act．If we reduce it to basic terms, it’s an ability for communicating information to others, by varying sounds we make as we breathe out．

       Not that we don’t have other powers of communication．Our facial expressions convey our emotions, such as anger, or joy, or disappointment．The way we hold our heads can indicate to others whether we are happy or sad．This is so-called “body language”．Bristling （直立的） fur is an unmistakable warning of attack among many animals．Similarly, the bowed head or drooping tail shows a readiness to take second place in any animal gathering．

       Such a means of communication is a basic mechanism that animals, including human beings, instinctively acquire and display．Is the ability to speak just another sort of instinct? If so, how did human beings acquire this amazing skills ? Biologist can readily indicate that particular area of our brain where speech mechanisms function, but this doesn’t tell us how that part of our bodies originated in our biological history．

1.According to the passage, the wonder we take for granted is         ．

       A．our ability to use language

       B．the miracle of technology

       C．the amazing power of nature

       D．our ability to make noises with mouth

2.What feature of “body language” mentioned in the passage is common to both human an animals?

       A．Lifting heads when sad．

       B．Keeping long faces when angry．

       C．Bristling hair when ready to attack．

       D．Bowing heads when willing to obey．

3.What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

       A．Body language is unique to humans．

       B．Humans are no different from animals to some degree．

       C．Humans have other powers of communication．

       D．Animals express emotions just as humans do．

4.This passage is mainly about           ．

       A．the development of body language．

       B．the special role humans play in nature

       C．the power to convey information to others

       D．the difference between humans and animals in language use

There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.

People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things．Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend（hurt） many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this term of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing（批评）and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation（模仿）.It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.

Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact（接触）with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.

1.People who are unhappy _______．

    A．always consider things differently from others 

B．usually are affected by the results of certain things

    C．usually misunderstand what others think or say

    D．always discover the unpleasant side of certain things

2.We can conclude from the passage that _______．

    A．we should pity all such unhappy people  

B．such unhappy people are dangerous to social life

    C．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness

    D．unhappy people can not understand happy persons

3. If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should ____．

    A．prevent any communication with them                B．show no respect and politeness to them

    C．persuade them to recognize the bad effects  D．quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes

4. In this passage, the writer mainly _______．

    A．describes two types of people   

B．laughs at the unhappy people

C．suggests the unhappy people should get rid of the habits of unhappiness

    D．tells people how to be happy in life

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

Temperature is part of my married romance. Coming to New York from Baltimore--where there is just one small snowstorm each year---I was 36 by a fireplace in my new home, with fires 37 all day, just as what ancient people did at a wedding.

My husband, Peter, comes from northern Ontario, where winter 38 from September to May and cold wind is 39. “When Canadians have 30 below, they 40 it.” He says. “Cold wind is for crybabies.”

So to marry this man I had to learn to 41 for serious cold. To get me from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to Albany’s frozen Hudson, Peter piled me 42 jackets and sweaters, scarves and gloves, even a hat with earflaps. The gift of Sorel boots—comfortably warm at Canada’s 30 below, was a 43 we were getting serious

That first winter together, living in upstate New York, I thought I’d 44. My boots were good below freezing, but my fingers could 45 tie them. Physical adaptation is real, but it came slowly. And there is also emotional 46 to cold. Some days I tell myself that I have enough beach memories to stick to on 47 days and other days I am reminded that living cold does indeed build 48.

49, having a warm house is important. After my first marriage ended, for years I 50 went on a second date with a man whose response to my “I’m cold.” was, “Put on a sweater.” Now I’m married to a man who 51 that cold hands do not mean a warm heart, and that a big oil bill is better than roses. But surprisingly, I’ve grown, too. I am 52, in this new life and climate, to go and look for that cost-saving sweater.

The word comfortable did not 53 refer to being contented. Its Latin root, comfortare, means to strengthen. The Holy Spirit is Comforter: not to make us comfortable, but to make us 54. We 55 not be warm but we are indeed comforted.