Now we’re always hearing about road accident, and when we’re in a car we try to drive carefully, but how many of us take the same degree of care in our homes? Any large hospital will tell you the number of the accidents that happen in the home is almost the same as those on the road.
One of the commonest and most dangerous causes of home accidents is wrong and careless use of electrical equipment. People will continue to use a loose plug or pull out a plug without first turning off the power. In spite of warnings, one will carry an electric heater into the bathroom when he is going to have a bath. Sometimes one forgets to cut off the power before mending a lamp or something else. All this will cause accidents. So the rule about anything that work by electricity is：Switch off before you touch anything and don’t pretend you know when you actually don’t.
If you’ve got children in the house, it's always best to keep medicines of any kind out of their reach. Otherwise, they may be taken for candies or a new kind of drink. When there are older people living with you, you have to take particular care in a number of ways in order to make them safe and happy.
Fire, of course, is always a risk. So, remember not to dry clothes in front of fires, or leave stoves in the middle of rooms where they can easily be knocked over. And don’t forget to keep the children away from fire. Smoking, too, may cause fire. So you’d better give it up. Safety first may mean a little more time and care, but it may save you a lot of trouble.

1. 1.

   According to the writer, we try to drive carefully in a car while __________.

   1. A.
      we take the same degree of care in our homes
   2. B.
      We don’t care much about the accidents in large hospitals
   3. C.
      We don’t pay enough attention to home accidents
   4. D.
      We seldom think a lot about the road accidents
2. 2.

   We can learn from the text that __________.

   1. A.
      people should never be allowed to carry an electric heater into the bathroom
   2. B.
      the improper use of the electrical equipment is the most dangerous cause of home accidents
   3. C.
      people should cut off the power first before using the electrical equipment
   4. D.
      both the children and the older people should be taken special care of at home
3. 3.

   It can be inferred in the text that our life at home will be much safer if __________.

   1. A.
      we know more about the accidents that happen in the home
   2. B.
      all of us give up smoking as soon as possible
   3. C.
      we take more time and care in our life
   4. D.
      we keep the stoves at the corner of the rooms
4. 4.

   The main purpose of writing the text is __________.

   1. A.
      to tell how and why home accidents happen
   2. B.
      to persuade people to get rid of bad habits
   3. C.
      to explain how to use electrical equipment
   4. D.
      to instruct people how to prevent home accidents

As the new term starts, freshmen around the world are asking the same question: how can I make the best of four years at college? The New York Times received suggestions recently from PhD students and seniors at some of the top universities . Here is their advice.

“Many young people today are raised in a protective cocoon(茧)”, wrote Tim Novikoff, a PhD student at Comell. “College is a time to explore the world beyond and a chance to learn new things about yourself. Take classes in different subjects. Try lots of different clubs and activities.”

Remember also to take some time away from campus, suggested Willie Lin, a student at Washington University. “If you spend all of your time in school, then it becomes too easy to let criticism from an unkind professor or a conflict with a roommate take up large proportions.”

Try to find work assisting a researcher or a professor---this is the advice from Aman Singh Gill, a PhD student at Stony Brook University. And he also said, “With a window into the world of research, you will find yourself thinking more critically, accepting fewer states at face value and perhaps developing a brave sense of what you can accomplish.”

Many young people can’t imagine even a single day without devices such as computers and cell phones. But try to keep yourself off them, cautioned Christine Smallwood, a PhD student at Columbia University.

Start by scheduling a few Internet-free hours each day, with your phone turned off. It’s the only way you’ll be able to read anything serious. “This will also have the benefit of making you harder to reach, and thus more mysterious and fascinating to new friends and acquaintances(熟人),” she suggested.

1.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 means we should _________.

A．spend more time at school                B．take some time out of school

C．listen to criticism more                   D．not argue with roommates

2.Who thinks it is important to consider something critically?

A．Aman Singh Gill                         B．Christine Smallwood

C．Tim Novikoff                           D．Willlie Lin

3.As for modern information devices, the last two paragraphs mean to tell us ________.

A．to keep ourselves off them forever not to use them

B．to turn them off

C．to make a schedule to use them

D．not to use them

4.This passage is mainly about _________.

A．tips from some students for college life

B．ways to read something serious regularly

C．days without cell-phones and computers

D．chances to go to university you really like

阅读理解

　　Elderly people respond best to a calm and unhurried environment. This is not always easy to provide as their behaviour call sometimes be irritating(恼人的). If they get excited or upset, then they may become more confused and more difficult to look after. Although sometimes it can be extremely difficult, it is best to be patient and not to get upset yourself. You should always encourage old people to do as much as possible for themselves but be ready to lend a helping hand when necessary. At the same time it is also important that you don't make them feel like children.

　　Failing memory makes it very difficult for the person to recall all the basic kinds of information we take for granted. The obvious way to help in this situation is to supply the information that is missing and help them make sense of what is going on. The information has to be constantly repeated to make up for the poor memory. You must use every opportunity to provide information but remember to keep it simple and straightforward(易懂的).

　　Confused old people need aids all the time to compensate for their poor memory. Encourage them to use and refer to reminder boards or diaries for important forthcoming events and label the contents of different cupboards and drawers.

1．Elderly people will be most cooperative when _____.

[　　]

A．they are in good health

B．they are encouraged

C．they are taken best care of

D．they are not excited or upset

2．According to the passage, elderly people are difficult to look after for _____.

[　　]

A．their behaviour sometimes easy be irritating

B．you should always encourage them as much as possible

C．they need a environment which is calm and unhurried

D．they don't like to be treated as children

3．One can help memory failing old people by _____.

[　　]

A．providing plain and straightforward information

B．continuously repeating until they remember

C．supplying detailed information

D．making things sensible

4．Visual aids can help elderly people by _____.

[　　]

A．clearing up their confused mind

B．improving their understanding of the basic things in life

C．making up for their poor memory

D．making things easier for them to see

Doing community service work, I spent three or four hours handing out warm dinner to the homeless out in the streets. After that I went to a   16  shelter not far from the Bay Bridge.

I was in high school and at the time my sister was too young to   17  . She wanted to help,    18  she made four or five dozen chocolate chip cookies for me to    19   and hand out to people. When getting to the homeless shelter I passed out the remaining meals. I had the containers with my   20  cookies in them and began to   21  , offering them to anyone near me.

I    22   an old gentleman and said, “Sir, would you like a cookie?” He stopped and turned around, looked at me    23  in the eye and said, “What did you say? Did you call me sir?” I told him I had, and his eyes    24   a little bit and he said, “No one has    25   called me sir.” He was completely taken aback.

It struck me. 

I explained I had been raised that    26   color and social status, everyone deserved     27   . It made me    28   to think that just because he was homeless, no one    29  him the honor. It broke my   30  , and I couldn’t help   31  cry. I just didn’t understand    32  no one ever called him sir? I had never thought that anyone was below me because I wasn’t raised that way. Every    33  person deserves to be treated with dignity. Years later, I still carry that memory and the    34  it taught me. Sometimes, what we take for granted can    35  make a difference in someone’s life.

How have you made a difference to others? How have others made a difference to you?