We feel sad that 22 primary school stu-dents in Central China's Henan province were wounded by a villager with mental health problems wielding a knife on Friday, the same day as 20 children and seven adults in the United States were shot dead by a gunman in Connecticut. While the school shooting in the US brings forth the topic of gun control, the tragedy in China points to the necessity of tightening security in schools, those in rural areas in particular.

This tragedy took place in a rural primary school in Guangshan county and the preliminary investigation shows that the culprit with a knife in his hand entered the school without anyone stopping him, and then he hacked his way from the first floor of the school building to the third floor.

It would have been extremely difficult to stop the gunman who shot the students in Connecticut, but it should have been possible to stop the man from attacking the school children in Guangshan.

The culprit might not have been able to enter the school had there been security guards, who were responsible

enough to stop him and ask his identity. But unfortunately there was not even a janitor, never mind security guards, at the school gate at the time, according to reports.

It might have been possible to subdue the culprit had teachers come to the defense of the students. It was reported that some boys blocked the door of their classroom and the attacker failed to cause any harm to students in that classroom. But where were all the teachers?

The ministries of education and public security required that local governments must arrange security guards at nurseries and primary schools two years ago when a series of similar tragedies occurred at kindergartens.

Now there are security guards in most urban schools. But apparently this rural village school had no one to guard the students from intruders. Neither was there any preventive measure in place, say a janitor or an alarm system, in case any intruder broke into the school.

The school principal and even the county leader will receive disciplinary punishments. But will all the rural school principals and local government leaders be made to discuss all the safety hazards children may face at school and then adopt preventive measures in advance? We shouldn't wait until another tragedy occurs.

71. Why does the writer mention the criminal cases both in China and in the US?

A. Because the two criminals belong to the same organization.

B. Because the two criminal cases are both shocking

C. Because the writer can prove that it ’ s more dangerous to live in the US

D. Because the writer may show it ’ s common for children to be killed by criminals.

72. The underlined word “ subdue ” in Paragraph 5 is probably closest to “ ________ ”

A. control the actions of B. make gentle in effect

C. keep safe from harm D. stay away from

73. According to the last paragraph, the writer will probably agree to _________.

A. punish the county leader B. discuss safety hazards with children.

C. set up preventive measures. D. see and wait for another tragedy

74. Which of the following could be the best title for the passage ?

A. Improve School Security B. Control Guns and knives

C. Stop Killing Children, Criminals D. Please Protect Our Children

75. After similar tragedies occurred at kindergartens two years ago, ________.

A. most urban schools began to have security guards

B. ministries of education and public security sent security guards to schools

C. security guards left rural village school for urban schools

D. gunmen in Connecticut of the US were insp

It is important to get the right boiler for the size of our house.  

Having a large boiler in a small house is a waste, but if you have a large house with a small boiler you’ll be left lacking warmth.  

British Gas has developed a new boiler, the 330+domestic（家用的） central heating boiler, which could provide the perfect way for you to change situation.

       An experienced engineer can adjust the 330+’s output from 9kW to 30kW. This means the amount of heat the boiler is producing can be adjusted in line with the size of your house.  

So, while you still have just two bedrooms, you could keep it on a fairly low setting, having this increased as you make your house larger to four （or even more） bedrooms, Whatever your future needs, the 330+ can keep up with you, preventing you from having to deal with the trouble and cost of having a new, larger boiler fixed at a later date.  

In addition, the 330+ is very easy to keep in good condition and fix. Its digital indicator provides advanced and accurate diagnoses（诊断） of any problems. This information will enable you to have any problems speedily settled.  

If you also find it difficult to work out exactly how much gas you are consuming on a daily basis, the 330+ can help you see immediately if you are consuming a low, medium or high amount of gas.  

An independent research has shown that this level of customer awareness can reduce energy consumption by as much as 10%, so you’ll be doing your bit for the environment as well. And as the 330+ is produced in Britain, transportation is least possible, providing even greater savings for the environment.  

For further information visit britishgas. co. uk/chi  

What do you think? Have your say at guardian. co. uk/britishgasgreenerliving  

68．The greatest advantage of the new product is that      .  

A．it can prevent you from buying a new, larger boiler  

B．it can be used both at home and in big companies  

C．it can be adjusted according to the size of your house  

D．anyone can adjust the amount of the heat it produces  

69．According to the passage, the digital indicator can         .  

A．be repaired quite easily B．be kept in good condition  

C．detect the problems of the boiler                   D．help you settle problems by yourself  

70．What can we learn from the passage?  

A．If you use 330+ heating boiler, you may save 20% of gas.  

B．The cost of transportation may be reduced if you have 330+.  

C．An experienced engineer will keep the boiler on a low setting.  

D．The 330+ boiler can tell you the amount of gas used every day.  

71．Some of the readers will probably         .  

A．know the amount of gas they are using every day  

B．reduce energy consumption to protect the environment  

C．get further information from guardian. co. uk/britishgasgreenerliving  

D．try the newly-developed 330+ domestic central heating boiler  

Going Zero Waste means more than just managing the rubbish we create．It means reducing it too．While it might seem like a difficult thing to do, it's well worth it．And what better time to start than Christmas?

We need to copy the way Nature wastes nothing．Many things are created by human society that we know will soon become useless and be thrown out．How many plastic bottles or even PCs end up in the rubbish bin? Instead，we should design products that can be more easily repaired，reused and recycled．

Kamikatsu, a Japanese village，has already gone Zero Waste．The 2，000 villagers compost their leftovers，and recycle everything else．There are 34 different boxes at the re-cycling centre! Residents grumble about the inconvenience，but they also see the benefits．

People who live Zero Waste lives are careful about what they do．They never take more than they need．Reusing plastic bags at supermarkets is a great way to reduce waste．And those who plan before they shop avoid having to throw food out later．Also，it’s best not to go food shopping when you’re hungry：You’ll be sure to buy too much!

Let’s think about how to enjoy a Zero Waste Christmas．By sending recyclable cards，we can help our friends and family reduce waste．And what better way to enjoy the spirit of Christmas than with a real tree that can be replanted in the spring?

Going Zero Waste requires us to think more about what happens before and after we act．It takes ambition，and it's not always easy．But just think how good it would be，both for ourselves and for the environment, if we never had to waste anything．

1.When is this passage probably written?

2.What should we do to reduce waste according to the passage?

3.If we want to live Zero Waste lives we should do the following except        .

4.What’s the main purpose of this passage?

There are many fun, free activities that you can do as a family. All that is required is a bit of imagination and some time set aside for fun. And the best part is that these are the kind of memories a child will remember for a lifetime.

Family game night

Find out any of the games that are already around the house. Kids often get computer games for Christmas or birthdays, and would love to have a chance to play with their family. Or, make up some games of your own. “Charades” is a fun game to play that will challenge a child to use his/her imagination. Divide the family into teams and let each team come up with words that the other has to act out.

________________________

Pick some time for the family to sit down and come up with their own masterpiece. It doesn't need to be just a drawing -- take some old magazines sitting around the house, let the kids cut out pictures and paste them into their own montage. Or, use items from nature. Let them use leaves, pine cones, twigs and whatever else they can find to create something from their imaginations.

Family Picnic

Taking the family for a picnic is a great way for some fun that doesn't cost any money. If the weather is nice, take them to a park or playground and let the kids have a day of playing. Or, if it is the middle of winter and a foot of snow is on the ground, set up a picnic in the living room.

Family Field Trip

A family field trip doesn't have to cost a dime. Ask a nearby farm if it would be alright to bring your kids out for a tour and to see some of the animals. Or take them to a park and make a scavenger hunt where they need to find certain items from nature. Ask a local business if you could bring the family for a tour to see how things work -- you might be surprised at the number of people who would be thrilled to share what they do with others, and it could be an interesting lesson for the kids.

1.We can learn from the passage that “charades” ________.

A．is a computer game

B．is too difficult for children

C．involves acting out words

D．should be played by more than four people

2.What is the best title to be put in the blank of part two? ____________

A．Family art time                         B．Family gardening time

C．Family music time                       D．Family cleaning time

3.According to the passage, the family picnic____________.

A．should be held in the middle of winter

B．can be held inside your house

C．will be very meaningful if held in offices

D．will cost much money if held on a farm

4.Who might be most interested in this passage? _________.

A．Parents           B．Teachers          C．Farmers           D．Employers

5.The writer wrote this passage mainly to _____________.

A．encourage children to use imagination.

B．share precious family memories

C．discuss young children’s interests

D．suggest fun activities to families

There are many fun, free activities that you can do as a family. All that is required is a bit of imagination and some time set aside for fun. And the best part is that these are the kind of memories a child will remember for a lifetime.

Family game night

Find out any of the games that are already around the house. Kids often get computer games for Christmas or birthdays, and would love to have a chance to play with their family. Or, make up some games of your own. “Charades” is a fun game to play that will challenge a child to use his/her imagination. Divide the family into teams and let each team come up with words that the other has to act out.

________________________

Pick some time for the family to sit down and come up with their own masterpiece. It doesn't need to be just a drawing -- take some old magazines sitting around the house, let the kids cut out pictures and paste them into their own montage. Or, use items from nature. Let them use leaves, pine cones, twigs and whatever else they can find to create something from their imaginations.

Family Picnic

Taking the family for a picnic is a great way for some fun that doesn't cost any money. If the weather is nice, take them to a park or playground and let the kids have a day of playing. Or, if it is the middle of winter and a foot of snow is on the ground, set up a picnic in the living room.

Family Field Trip

A family field trip doesn't have to cost a dime. Ask a nearby farm if it would be alright to bring your kids out for a tour and to see some of the animals. Or take them to a park and make a scavenger hunt where they need to find certain items from nature. Ask a local business if you could bring the family for a tour to see how things work -- you might be surprised at the number of people who would be thrilled to share what they do with others, and it could be an interesting lesson for the kids.

1.We can learn from the passage that “charades” ________.

A. is a computer game           B. is too difficult for children  

C. involves acting out words   D. should be played by more than four people

2. What is the best title to be put in the blank of part two? ____________.

A. Family art time          B. Family gardening time  

C. Family music time        D. Family cleaning time

3.According to the passage, the family picnic____________.

A. should be held in the middle of winter

B. can be held inside your house

C. will be very meaningful if held in offices

D. will cost much money if held on a farm

4.Who might be most interested in this passage? _________.

A. Parents      B. Teachers     C. Farmers       D. Employers 

5.The writer wrote this passage mainly to _____________.

A. encourage children to use imagination.

B. share precious family memories

C. discuss young children’s interests

D. suggest fun activities to families