“A lot of learning comes through play,” says Mardy McGarry, 52, who has been a special education teacher for 28 years. But her students were too often left out. She had seen the wood chips and sand of traditional playgrounds stop wheelchairs dead in their tracks. When she wanted to build a playground for children with special needs，she knew it wouldn’t take long to develop interest in it around the small fishing village. But she never expected that 2,800 people — a third of the town—would all be willing to make a great effort to bring her vision to life.

McGarry started doing some research into play equipment and contacting design companies and she also found a piece of land available. When the city council(市议会) agreed to set aside an area for a playground, she also asked physical and professional therapists(治疗专家) for their investment. And she turned to her friend, Sue, for help. “Neither of us is good at maths, which is why $450,000 didn’t sound like a lot of money,” McGarry says of the initial estimate.

Her Kiwanis Club came through with $7,000，and that’s when the grassroots movement really got started. One woman gave $25,000 and had her company match it. Soon, smaller businesses were joining in. There was a silent effort to collect money. The local Pieper Family Foundation offered to donate half of the remaining $170,000. All McGarry needed was 500 volunteers to work six 12-hour days.

On September 16, 2008, the first day of construction, they came. Two women heard about the project on the way to work and took the day off to help. A couple in their 80s operated their tractors. Ten-year-olds cleared up the mess. “None of them was paid. It was truly an amazing week,” says McGarry. Only three building managers were paid. Volunteers with “building experience” became coordinators(协调人); those who could operate power tools formed a separate group. One team served meals donated from local restaurants and churches, and another organized activities for the children of volunteers.

Today, Possibility Playground is one of the most popular destinations in Ozaukee County. All children, including the ones with special needs, play shoulder to shoulder. “Some playgrounds have special equipment in a different section. Here, you see all the kids in the same playground, all having fun.”

It’s exactly what McGarry imagined. “People used to ask, ‘Why do you want to build a playground just for children with disabilities?” She says, “It’s only when you build a playground for children with disabilities that you build one for all children.”

It didn’t occur to Mardy McGarry that __________.

A. her plan would soon draw the interest of people in the small village

B. so many people would volunteer to help her realize her dream

C. she would meet with so many difficulties in raising funds

D. the playground would be the most popular destination in Ozaukee County

We can learn from the fourth paragraph that __________.

A. the playground was finished in September 2008

B. everything was well prepared, apart from the volunteers

C. everyone worked unpaid, except for three building managers

D. the playground is so popular that it is overcrowded all the time

It can be inferred from the text that __________.

A. Mardy McGarry is a famous architect in the small town

B. Sue was forced to join in the project because of her son

C. people always ignore the real needs of disabled children

D. Mardy McGarry’s vision has been successfully accomplished at last

What would be the best title for this text?

A. Mardy McGarry: A Woman with Great Determination.

B. Cooperation: The Greatest Power in Overcoming Any Difficulty.

C. Show Real Concern for Poor Disabled Children.

D. Make it Matter to Build a Playground for Disabled Children.

Nine out of 10 people have run up unsecured debt and many fear they will never be able to pay back what they owe, a survey has claimed.

       Around 89% of people aged between l|8 and 35 said they owed money on a credit card, loan or overdraft, the research showed．

       A third of people admitted they did not think- they would ever be debt-free, 54% of whom said they would always need to borrow money in order to fund the lifestyle they wanted．

       One in five of these people also claimed they were not worried about the possibility of their debts being passed on to their next of kin if they died before they were repaid．

       Just over half who owed money said they did not feel in control of their debt, with 8% admitting they had needed to ask for help with repayments from a friend or family member．Eight out of 10 people also told the research for discount website MyVoucherCodes．co．uk that they thought it was too easy to borrow money through their bank or on credit cards．

       Farhad Farhadi, MyVoucherCodes．co．uk’s personal finance expert, said: "The majority of British adults owe money m some way, shape or form, but to see that almost a third think they'll never be free c ^ from debt is quite alarming．

       "When borrowing money from any source, how you are going to repay it should always be in the back of your mind．

       "A lot of people don't-really think about 'die consequences of borrowing money and it can be easy to get complacent, but keeping it all under control should be a priority from the off．Only borrow what you really think you can afford to pay back．"

The best title for this passage is_________．

       A．I'll die in debt, say one in three     B．Desperate British

       C．The beginning of the end          D．Borrowing money from any source

Which of the following is NOT true?    

       A．Most British adults are in debt in some v/ay．

       B．It is hard for the British to borrow money through their bank．

       C．Lots of people do not take repaying money seriously．

       D．This passage is a warning for the British．

What does the underlined phrase mean?  

       A．end with                B．from the start  

      C．ever since              D．fore ever

What does Farhad mean by saying "the majority of British adults owe money in some way, shape or form"? 

       A．It is natural to owe money m Britain so there in no need to worry．

       B．It is natural to owe money in Britain as long as you are in control．

     C．It does not matter to owe money in Britain if you are rich enough．

       D．It seems that the British enjoy owing money in some way．

A lot of us lose life’s tough battles by starting a frontal(正面的) attack—when a touch of humor might well enable us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who hit a traffic jam on his way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum(最后通牒) about being late on the job. Although there was a good reason for Sam’s a being late—serious illness at home—he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn’t work any longer. His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech.

Yes, the boss was, Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room(更衣室); everyone was hard at work. Sam’s supervisor came up to him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand. “How do you do!” he said. “I’m Sam Maynard. I’m applying for a job. Which, I understand, became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?”

The room exploded in laughter. The supervisor clamped off a smile and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard had saved his job—with the only tool that could win, a laugh.

Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected(忽略), means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying “no”, criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it’s the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians(喜剧演员) on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance(忍受力) than people in any other forum.

Why was Sam late for his job?

A. Because he was ill.

B. Because he got up late.

C. Because he was caught in a traffic jam.

D. He was busy applying for a new job.

The main idea of this passage is ________.

A. Sam Maynard saved his job with humor

B. humor is important in our lives

C. early bird gets the worm

D. humor can solve racial discriminations

The phrase “clamped off” in Paragraph 3 means ________.

A. tried to hold back    B. tried to set    C. charged   D. gave out

Which of the following statements can we infer from the passage?

A. Many lose life’s battles for they are lacking in a sense of humor.

B. It wasn’t the first time that Sam came late for his work.

C. Sam was supposed to come to his office at 8:30.

D. Humor is the most effective way of solving problems.

A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of （证明有……罪）shoplifting for the second time in six months.

       Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops.

       Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road, Cambridge, admitted stealing clothes worth ￡9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street, London, on March 9.

       Phillip Lemoyne, prosecuting（起诉）,said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store .When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected, having taken off the anti-theft security alarms（防盗警报装置）.

       She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying, Mr. Lemoyne said.

       He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions.

       Luz, 28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October, but Morag Duff, defending, said she had never been in trouble with the police before that.

       “She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this,” Miss Duff said. “She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store. She is at a loss to explain it. She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady. She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this.”

       Judge David Azan fined Luz ￡ 50,  and warned : “You’ve got a criminal record .If you carry on like this ,you will end up in prison ,which will ruin your bright future you may have.”

       Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain, went on to a famous university in Berlin, Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University, UK.

What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean?

A. In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things.

B. She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops.

C. She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops.

D. Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions.

Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “shoplifting” used in the passage?

A. Carrying goods in a lift for a shop.      B. Taking goods to the ladies’ toilet.

C. Selecting some goods from a display.      D. Taking goods from a shop without paying.

From the passage we can learn that           .

A. Ana Luz is already got her PhD at Cambridge University, UK

B. Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so

C. the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more

D. Phillip Lemoyne is the “respectable and intelligent” woman’s defense lawyer

A recent study conducted by the Pine Street Foundation showed that a dog’s nose may have the ability to detect cancer. A dog’s nose, which was the “medical device” used as part of the research, is believed to be among the world’s most powerful olfactory(嗅觉的) sensors. The study was conducted with 169 subjects 55 of which had been diagnosed as having lung cancer, 31 have breast cancer and 83 control subjects——people without cancer. During the study, five professionally trained scent dogs were used to distinguish between the breath samples of cancer patients and those who were healthy. With an average of 90% accuracy, the research was deemed a success.

The Pine Street Foundation conducted its research on the belief that cancer cells give off a different type of metabolic(新陈代谢) waste product than normal cells. According to the study, the difference is so great that it can be detected by a dog’s sense of smell, including both early and late stages of the disease.

In the conclusion of the study the Pine Street Foundation said that even ordinary dogs may be trained to identify the presence of cancer with only a breath sample. The organization also said that dogs can recognize the disease with astonishing amount accuracy and, finally, that the dog’s detection was not hindered(妨碍) by the presence of age, smoking or stage of cancer.

The Pine Street Foundation plans to continue their research and is currently seeking funding to launch new studies.

If we want to add several different detecting examples to the passage, we should write them

        __________.

       A．between paragraph 1 and paragraph 2    B．between paragraph 2 and paragraph 3

       C．between paragraph 3 and paragraph 4    D．before paragraph 1 or after paragraph 4

The best title for this passage might be ______.

       A．Dogs may smell cancer   B．Why dogs can smell cancer

       C．A Study on dogs’ special ability     D．A study on breast cancer

Dogs can smell cancer because ____________.

       A．they can detect faster than man      B．their sense of smell is very sensitive

       C．dogs metabolize the food slowly     D．patients give off bad smell

People can know from the passage _________.

       A．all dogs can be used to smell cancer

       B．it’s not easy to find out cancer in the early stage

       C．most of the research experiments are successful

       D．dogs detect cancer by breathing and feeling