Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease．He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship(奖学金)to study medicine－but Coach(教练)John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea．Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States．But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others．He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo．A friend has said of this good-hearted man：“Mutombo believes that God has given him this chance to do great things．”
Success and kindness
After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child．So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children's videos(录像)in her own house．The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than ＄20 million in sales．And she is using her success to help others－producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children．Julie says of her new program：“I believe it's the most important thing that I have ever done．I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe．”
Bravery and courage
A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train．With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails(铁轨), and held him as the train passed right above their heads．He insists he's not a hero．He says：“We have got to show each other some love．”
(1)
What was Mutombo praised for?
[ ]
A．
Being a star in the NBA．
B．
Being a student of medicine．
C．
His work in the church．
D．
His willingness to help the needy．
(2)
Mutombo believes that building the new hospital is ________．
[ ]
A．
helpful to his personal development
B．
something he should do for his homeland
C．
a chance for his friends to share his money
D．
a way of showing his respect to the NBA
(3)
What did the Baby Einstein Company do at its beginning?
[ ]
A．
Produce safety equipment for children．
B．
Make videos to help protect children．
C．
Sell children's music and artwork．
D．
Look for missing and exploited children．
(4)
Why was Wesley Autrey praised as a hero?
[ ]
A．
He helped a man get across the rails．
B．
He stopped a man from destroying the rails．
C．
He protected two little girls from getting hurt．
D．
He saved a person without considering his own safety．
阅读理解
I travel a lot, and I find out different“styles”(风格)of directions every time I ask“How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused(困惑)in Japan because most streets there don't have names; in Japan, people use landmarks(地标)in their directions instead of street names．For example, the Japanese will say to travelers,“Go straight down to the corner．Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market．The post office is across from the bus stop．”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks．There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles．Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances．In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say,”Go north two miles．Turn east, and then go another mile．”
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles．“How far away is the post office?”you ask．“Oh,”they answer,“it's about five minutes from here．”You say,“Yes, but how many miles away is it?”They don't know．
It's true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes．What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say,“Sorry, I have no idea．”But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers“I don't know．”People in Yucatan believe that“I don't know”is impolite．They usually give an answer, often a wrong one．A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
(1)
When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually ________．
[ ]
A．
describe the place carefully
B．
show him a map of the place
C．
tell him the names of the streets
D．
refer to recognizable buildings and places
(2)
What is the place where people measure distance in time?
[ ]
A．
New York．
B．
Los Angeles．
C．
Kansas．
D．
Iowa．
(3)
People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________．
[ ]
A．
in order to save time
B．
as a test．
C．
so as to be polite
D．
for fun
(4)
What can we infer from the text?
[ ]
A．
It's important for travelers to understand cultural differences．
B．
It's useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly．
C．
People have similar understandings of politeness．
D．
New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors．
阅读理解
A new plan for getting children to and from school is being started by a local government in Eastern England．This could end the worries of many parents fearful for their children's safety on the roads．
Until now the local government has only been prepared to provide bus services for children living more than three miles from their school, or sometimes less if special reasons existed．Now it has been decided that if a group of parents ask for help in organizing transport they will be prepared to go ahead, as long as the arrangement will not lose money and children taking part will be attending their nearest school．
The new plan is to be tried out this term for children living at Milton who attend Impington School．The children live just within the three-mile limit and the local government has said in the past that they will not undertake to provide free transport to the school．But now they have agreed to offer a sum of money for a bus service from Milton to Impington and back, a plan which has the support of the school's headmaster．
Between 50 and 60 parents have said they would like their children to take part．Final calculations have still to be carried out, but a government official has said the cost to parents should be less than ￡20 a term．
They have been able to arrange the service at a low cost because there is already an agreement with the bus company for a bus to take children who live further away to Impington．The same bus would now just make one more journey to pick up the Milton children．The official said they would get in touch with other groups of parents who in the past had asked if transport could be provided for their children, to see if they would like to take part in the new plan．
(1)
What is the aim of the plan?
[ ]
A．
To save time for the parents and students．
B．
To relieve the traffic pressure．
C．
To prevent the students' road accidents．
D．
To help the parents save money．
(2)
How can the local government arrange the new bus service at a low cost?
[ ]
A．
By letting the bus run in the morning only．
B．
By linking the new bus service with the existing one．
C．
By obtaining the support from the headmaster．
D．
By limiting the number of the students．
(3)
This passage is most probably ________．
[ ]
A．
a personal letter
B．
a newspaper article
C．
a headmaster's report
D．
an advertisement
阅读理解
I was 9 years old when I found out my father was ill．It was 1994, but I can remember my mother's words as if it were yesterday：“Kerrel, I don't want you to take food from your father, because he has AIDS．Be very careful when you are around him．”
AIDS wasn't something we talked about in my country when I was growing up．From then on, I knew that this would be a family secret．My parents were not together anymore, and my dad lived alone．For a while, he could take care of himself．But when I was 12, his condition worsened．My father's other children lived far away, so it fell to me to look after him．
We couldn't afford all the necessary medication for him, and because Dad was unable to work, I had no money for school supplies and often couldn't even buy food for dinner．I would sit in class feeling completely lost, the teacher's words muffled as I tried to figure out how I was going to manage．
I did not share my burden(负担)with anyone．I had seen how people reacted to AIDS．Kids laughed at classmates who had parents with the disease．And even adults could be cruel．When my father was moved to the hospital, the nurses would leave his food on the bedside table even though he was too weak to feed himself．
I had known that he was going to die, but after so many years of keeping his condition a secret．I was completely unprepared when he reached his final days．Sad and hopeless, I called a woman at the nonprofit National AIDS Support．That day, she kept me on the phone for hours．I was so lucky to find someone who cared．She saved my life．
I was 15 when my father died．He took his secret away with him, having never spoken about AIDS to anyone, even me．He didn't want to call attention to AIDS．I do．
(1)
What does Kerrel tell us about her father?
[ ]
A．
He had stayed in the hospital since he fell ill．
B．
He depended on the nurses in his final days．
C．
He worked hard to pay for his medication．
D．
He told no one about his disease．
(2)
What can we learn from the underlined sentence?
[ ]
A．
Kerrel couldn't understand her teacher．
B．
Kerrel had special difficulty in hearing．
C．
Kerrel was too troubled to focus on the lesson．
D．
Kerrel was too tired to bear her teacher's words．
(3)
Why did Kerrel keep her father's disease a secret?
[ ]
A．
She was afraid of being looked down upon．
B．
She thought it was shameful to have AIDS．
C．
She found no one willing to listen to her．
D．
She wanted to obey her mother．
(4)
Why did Kerrel write the passage?
[ ]
A．
To tell people about the sufferings of her father．
B．
To show how little people knew about AIDS．
C．
To draw people's attention to AIDS．
D．
To remember her father．
阅读理解
When I was in the third grade, I was picked to be the princess(公主)in the school play．For weeks my mother had helped me practice my lines．But once on stage, every word disappeared from my head．Then my teacher told me she had written a narrator's(解说员)part for the play, and asked me to change roles．Though I didn't tell my mother what had happened that day, she sensed my unhappiness and asked if I wanted to take a walk in the yard．
It was a lovely spring day．We could see dandelions(蒲公英)popping through the grass in bunches, as if a painter had touched our landscape with bits of gold．I watched my mother carelessly bend down by one of the bunches．“I think I am going to dig up all these weeds．”she said．“From now on, we'll have only roses in this garden．”
“But I like dandelions,”I protested．“All flowers are beautiful－even dandelions!”
My mother looked at me seriously．“Yes, every flower gives pleasure in its own way, doesn't it?”she asked thoughtfully．I nodded．“and that is true of people, too．”She added．
When I realized that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry and told her the truth．“But you will be a beautiful narrator,”she said, reminding me of how much I loved to read stories aloud to her．
Over the next few weeks, with her continuous encouragement, I learned to take pride in the role．The day finally came．A few minutes before the play, my teacher came over to me．“Your mother asked me to give this to you．”she said, handing me a dandelion．After the play, I took home the flower, laughing that I was perhaps the only person who would keep such a weed．
(1)
What was the season when the story happened?
[ ]
A．
Summer．
B．
Autumn．
C．
Winter．
D．
Spring．
(2)
The girl did not play the role of the princess mainly because ________．
[ ]
A．
she felt nervous on the stage
B．
she lost her interest in that role
C．
she preferred the role of the narrator
D．
she had difficulty memorizing her words
(3)
Why did the mother suggest a walk in the garden?
[ ]
A．
To remove the dandelions．
B．
To enjoy the garden scene．
C．
To have a talk with her daughter．
D．
To help her daughter with the play．
(4)
What is the main idea of the story?
[ ]
A．
Everybody can find his or her own way to success．
B．
Everybody has his or her own value in the world．
C．
Everybody should learn to play different roles．
D．
Everybody has some unforgettable memory．
阅读理解
Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks' time．Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year．If it falls within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form．
Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down．Sand dunes are formed as winds move the sand across the desert．Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape．Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high．
There is, however, much more to a desert than sand．In the deserts of the southwestern United States, cliffs(悬崖)and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago．Over centuries, the water dried up．Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks．The faces of the desert mountains are always changing－very, very slowly－as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock．
Most deserts have a surprising variety of life．There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert．During the heat of the day, a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life．As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely．
(1)
Many plants may survive in deserts when ________．
[ ]
A．
the rain is spread out in a year
B．
the rain falls only in a few weeks
C．
there is little rain in a year
D．
it is dry all the year round
(2)
Sand dunes are formed when ________．
[ ]
A．
sand piles up gradually
B．
there is plenty of rain in a year
C．
the sea has dried up over the years
D．
pieces of rock get smaller
(3)
The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that in a desert there is ________．
[ ]
A．
too much sand
B．
more sand than before
C．
nothing except sand
D．
something else besides sand
(4)
It can be learned from the text that in a desert ________．
[ ]
A．
There is no rainfall throughout the year
B．
life exists in rough conditions
C．
all sand dunes are a few feet high
D．
rocks are worn away only by wind and heat
阅读理解
About 1 in 15 households drink bottled water today, spending about ＄ 4 billion a year on it．Although the reasons for the trend are many, bottled water's health benefits fall near the top of the list．Surveys have found that about 25 percent of bottled water drinkers choose the beverage for health and safety reasons; another quarter believe it is pure and free of contaminants(杂质)．
Regardless of its pristine image, bottled water is not necessarily any purer or more healthful than what flows right out of the tap．Consider that the Food and Drug Administration(FDA), the bottled water industry watchdog, does not require that bottled water meet higher standards for quality, such as the maximum level of contaminants, than public water supplies regulated by the EPA．For the most part, the FDA simply follows EPA's regulatory lead．Granted, bottled water is often filtered(过滤)to remove chemicals such as chlorine that may impart a certain taste．But that doesn't make it any safer．In fact, about 25 to 40 percent of bottled water comes from the same municipal water supplies as tap water．Furthermore, some bottled waters do not contain any or enough of the fluoride(氟化物)needed to fight cavities．The only way to determine whether a certain water contains the mineral is to check with the company that bottles it．
This is not to say that bottled water is necessarily any better or worse, from a health standpoint, than tap water．It's certainly preferable to tap water for those who like its taste．The problem is that many consumers pay 300 to 1,200 times more per gallon for bottled water than for tap water because they think bottled water is the more healthful of the two．Bottlers add to the confusion by sprinkling terms such as "pure", "crystal pure" and "premium" on labels illustrated with pictures of glaciers, mountain streams, and waterfalls, even when the water inside comes from a public reservoir．However, the FDA has set forth regulations requiring clear labeling of bottled waters．The mini glossary(词汇)of bottled waters explains what some of the terms used on bottles really mean．
(1)
What conclusion can we draw from the passage?
[ ]
A．
Most bottled water drinkers buy it for the taste．
B．
Labels on bottled water are used to mislead consumers．
C．
The FDA sets high standards for bottled water．
D．
Only wealthy people can afford bottled water．
(2)
According to the passage, removing chlorine from water ________
[ ]
A．
does not make the water safer
B．
is required by the FDA
C．
makes the water less expensive
D．
is necessary for good health
(3)
What’s the main idea of this passage?
[ ]
A．
Bottled water may be preferable to tap water in taste．
B．
Bottled water is always safer to drink than tap water．
C．
Consumers should consider carefully the reason for buying bottled water．
D．
The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for the bottled water．
阅读理解
My father and I were very close．I loved pleasing him, and he was always proud of my success．If I won a spelling contest at school, he was on top of the world．Later in life whenever I got a promotion, I’d call my father right away and he’d rush out to tell all his friends．In 1970, when I was named President of the Ford Motor Company, I don’t know which of us was more excited．Like many native Italians, my parents were very open with their feelings and their love－not only at home, but also in public．Most of my friends would never hug their fathers．But I hugged and kissed my dad at every opportunity－nothing could have felt more natural．He was a curious man who was always trying new things．He was the first person in Allentown to buy a motorcycle．Unfortunately, my father and his motorcycle didn’t get along too well．He fell off it so often that he got rid of it just a month after buying it．As a result, he never again trusted any vehicle with less than four wheels．Because of that motorcycle, I wasn’t allowed to have a bicycle when I was growing up．Whenever I wanted to ride a bike, I had to borrow one from a friend．On the other hand, my father let me drive a car as soon as I turned sixteen．
(1)
When I won a contest at school, my father would ________．
[ ]
A．
tell all his friends about it
B．
feel most happy over it
C．
get very surprised at it
D．
be more excited than I
(2)
Which of the following statements shows that my father was a curious man?
[ ]
A．
I wasn’t allowed to have a car when I was growing up．
B．
He was the first person in town to buy a motorcycle．
C．
He was always proud of my success in everything．
D．
He was very open with his feelings and his love．
(3)
My father trusted no vehicle with less than four wheels because ________．
[ ]
A．
he did not like the way I borrowed bicycles from friends
B．
he thought that cars were faster than motorcycles
C．
he liked every new model made by my company
D．
he once had trouble in riding his motorcycle
(4)
Which of the following statements is wrong?
[ ]
A．
It was quite natural for the author to kiss and hug his father．
B．
When the author reached 16 he was allowed to drive a car．
C．
Both of the author’s parents were not open with their feelings．
D．
Anytime the author got a promotion, he would inform his father．
阅读理解
Mark Twain left school when he was twelve．He had little school education．In spite of this, he became the most famous writer of his time．He made millions of dollars by writing．His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but he is better known all over the world as Mark Twain, his penname．
Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby．In fact, he was not expected to live through the first winter．But with his mother's tender care, he managed to survive．As a boy, he caused much trouble for his parents．He used to play jokes on all of his friends and neighbors．He didn't like to go to school, and he constantly ran away from home．He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi．He was nearly drowned nine times．
After his father's death in 1847, Mark twain began to work for a printer, who only provided him with food and clothing．Then, he worked as a printer, a river-boat pilot and later joined the army．But shortly after that he became a miner．During this period, he started to write short stories．Afterwards he became a full-time writer．
In 1870, Mark Twain got married．In the years that followed he wrote many books including Tom Sawyer in 1876, and Huckleberry Finn in 1884, which made him famous, and brought him a great fortune．
Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts in bad investments(投资)and he had to write large numbers of stories to pay these debts．In 1904, his wife died, and then three of their children passed away．
At the age of 70, his hair was completely white．He bought many white suits and neckties．He wore nothing but white from head to foot until his death on April 21, 1910．
(1)
Mark Twain left school at 12 to ________．
[ ]
A．
work as a printer
B．
write stories
C．
join the army
D．
make a living
(2)
Which of the following about Mark Twain is not true?
[ ]
A．
He was not a healthy boy．
B．
He caused much trouble for his parents．
C．
He gained lots of money by writing
D．
He had a happy childhood but a sad later life．
(3)
Arrange the following facts about Mark Twain’s life in order of time．
a．working as a printer
b．working as a river-boat pilot
c．working as a miner
d．joining the army
e．working as a full-time writer
[ ]
A．
a, b, c, d, e
B．
a, b, d, c, e
C．
a, c, b, d, e
D．
c, a, b, d, e
(4)
Which of the following would be the best title ________．
[ ]
A．
Mark Twain’s works
B．
Mark Twain’s life
C．
Mark Twain’s Fame
D．
Mark Twain’s Success
阅读理解
I am a good mother to three children．I have tried never to let my profession stand in the way of being a good parent．
I no longer consider myself the center of the universe．I show up．I listen．I try to laugh．I am a good friend to my husband．I have tried to make marriage vows(誓约)mean what they say．I am a good friend to my friends, and they to me．Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today．
So here’s what I wanted to tell you today：Get a life．A real life, not a desire of the next promotion(提升), the bigger paycheck, the larger house．
Get a life in which you are not alone．Find people you love, and who love you．And remember that love is not leisure(休闲), it is work．Pick up the phone．Send an e-mail．Write a letter．And realize that life is the best thing and that you have no business taking it for granted．
It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes．It is so easy to exist instead of to live．I learned to live many years ago．Something really, really bad happened to me, something that changed my life in ways that, if I had my choice, it would never have been changed at all．And what I learned from it is what, today, seems to be the hardest lesson of all：
I learned to love the journey, not the destination．I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and totally．And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned．
By telling them this：Read in the backyard with the sun on your face．Learn to be happy．And think of life as a deadly illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion(激情)as it ought to be lived．
(1)
The best title of this passage probably is ________．
[ ]
A．
Love your friends
B．
Live a real life
C．
Don’t waste time
D．
Be a good mother and wife
(2)
How did the author form her view of life?
[ ]
A．
Through social experience．
B．
By learning from her friends．
C．
Through an unfortunate experience．
D．
From her children and husband．
(3)
By the underlined sentence “It is so easy to exist instead of to live” in the fifth paragraph, the author really means that people tend to ________．