Woman Uses Daughter's Key to "Steal" Car
Charlie Vansant, a college student of Athens, Ohio who reported that his car was stolen, got a surprise when he learned a woman had mistaken it for her daughter's car and taken it--using her key.
Kate Anderson became an accidental car thief when picking up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson spotted the Toyota Camry（丰田凯美瑞）and used her daughter's key to unlock the car, start the engine and drive home-without realizing that the car wasn't her daughter's.
When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car had been towed, but when the police couldn't find a record of it, they took a theft report.
The morning after Anderson took the car, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant's name on paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the website of the university.
When Anderson told Charlie the car was in her driveway, "It sounded real suspicious at first, as she wanted to hold the thing for ransom（赎金）,” said Vansant. He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to the police report, the case was closed "because of mistaken car identity", Anderson wasn't charged.
Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the "thief". "Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition（点火装置） as well-so high-five for Toyota. I guess." he said.What does the underlined word "towed" mean in paragraph 3?
| A．removed. | B．damaged. |
| C．stolen. | D．sold. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Mrs. Anderson's daughter discovered the car her mother drove was not hers. |
| B．Mrs. Anderson stole Charlie's car at the request of her daughter. |
| C．Charlie had thought he had to give Anderson money to get his car back. |
| D．Mrs. Anderson used her daughter's key to unlock Charlie's car and drive home. |
What does Charlie mean by "high-five for Toyota"?
| A．He is blaming Toyota for the poor quality of car keys. |
| B．He should thank Toyota for returning his car. |
| C．He wants to celebrate with Toyota for getting his car back. |
| D．He thinks highly of Toyota for producing large quantities of cars. |
What is likely to happen next according to the passage?
| A．Mrs. Anderson was charged with stealing a car. |
| B．Charlie blamed Mrs. Anderson for mistakenly taking his car. |
| C．Charlie would ask the Toyota Company to give him an explanation. |
| D．The Toyota Company would give Charlie a new car as compensation. |
The end of the World Cup does not mean the end of international competition, in Brazil this year. A major football event will happen in the South American country later this month, but with teams of robots playing the game, which is known as soccer in the United States. The robot teams are guided by teams of humans from around the world. The event is known as RoboCup.
Technology students at the University of Pennsylvania are trying for their fourth victory at the competition, which is held this year in the coastal city Joao Pessoa. The students have won the last three RoboCup competitions.
Watching robots play football is similar to watching children play the game. The kicks are not good, there's a lot of falling down, and people are there to guide and support the team members. Jian Qiao Li is one of the leaders of the University of Pennsylvania team.
He says one goal he has for the robot team is to make sure the machines can find the goal and the ball. He also wants the robots to be able to know where they are on the playing field. And he wants the team to be able to better control the walking and kicking abilities of the robots.
Qin He is another leader of the robot team. She says the abilities of the robots increase every year. Ms. He says the US team is meeting its goals. The robots know the differences between the colors green and red, and they can decide where to go and where the ball is on the playing field. She says if there are three robot players on the field at the same time, they will communicate with each other to decide the different responsibilities for each robot.
U. S. Team member Christopher Akatusuka hopes for another victory in Brazil. The team has won the RoboCup the past three years in the Netherlands, Mexico and Turkey.
“They have every good team player right now. As long as their detection is good, I think they'll be very competitive; we just hope to compete against the real good German teams eventually, because the Germans always do very well, ” says Akatsuka.
Mr Akatsuka says RoboCup is an exciting technology competition.
“Each team develops their own software; basically it's a competition of who has the best software, who has the best decision—making at a given point... it’s really exciting, ” says Akatsuka.
The event begins July 19th and ends July 25th. Some RoboCup participants hope to develop a team of robots that can play against humans by 2050.According to the first paragraph, Robocup _____.
| A．is held every four years |
| B．is played by robots |
| C．is a symbol of World Cup's ending |
| D．is a celebration of World Cup |
The robots' performance of playing the game is _______ .
| A．marvelous | B．awkward |
| C．flexible | D．awesome |
The same goal for the robots that Jian Qiao Li and Qin He mention is _______ .
| A．to locate the ball | B．to communicate with each other |
| C．to play at will | D．to distinguish colors |
Akatsuka's final hope for his robot team is ______ .
| A．to invent the best software |
| B．to win the championship in Brazil |
| C．to make the best decision |
| D．to compete with humans |
Passage 1
As one of China’s most popular and widely known legend, the story of Monkey King is set to return to screens with 3D effects. It may feature many of the same leading actors from the earliest 1986 TV series Journey to the West. According to the producer, which can be got easily in the market. The TV drama, with a total investment of 150 million yuan, will be aired on Sichuan TV. Almost 90 million yuan has been put into 3D effects with each 45-minute episode containing eight minutes of 3D. “The 3D effects not only cost us a lot of money but also a lot of time,” director Kan Weiping said. “We had to put off its broadcasting time, which was set at first this summer.”
Passage 2
The Solar Roadway is an intelligent road that provides clean renewable energy using power from the sun, while providing safer driving conditions along with power. American inventors of the Solar Road said that it will power itself, and reduce the country’s carbon marks. Many panels are fixed on the Solar Road. The top of the Solar Road panels is made of glass and the inventors are working together with top glass researchers to develop super strong glass that would offer vehicles pulling power they need. The Solar Roadway creates and carries clean renewable electricity and, therefore, electric vehicles can be recharged at any rest stop, or at any business that uses solar road panels in their parking lots. Such parking lots will be safer at night with the light provided by LED within the road panels. The inventors say their solar roadway has many applications and advantages from main roads to driveways, parking lots, bike paths and runways.What’s Passage 1 mainly about?
| A．The origin of the story about Monkey King. |
| B．Monkey king will return to screens with 3D effects. |
| C．The brief introduction to the TV series Journey to the West. |
| D．The amount of money invested on the 3D TV series Journey to the West. |
About the 3D TV series Journey to the West we can learn that________.
| A．it contains 45 episodes in total |
| B．it will feature new actors completely |
| C．we could watch it on TV after the summer |
| D．we can enjoy it at home just with normal glasses |
What can be inferred about the Solar Roadway from Passage 2?
| A．It will have a bright future. |
| B．It can’t work without electricity. |
| C．There won’t work without electricity. |
| D．The electric vehicles can’t be recharged on it. |
Passage 2 is most probably taken from________.
| A．a science fiction | B．a research paper |
| C．a product brochure | D．a technology report |
In the past ten years, many scientists have studied the differences between men and women. And they all got the same answer: The sexes(性别) are different, because their brains are different. And this, the scientists say, makes men and women see the world in different ways.
Boys, for example, generally are better than girls at mathematical ideas. Boys also generally are better than girls at the kind of hand and eye movements necessary for ball sports. Girls, on the other hand generally start speaking earlier than boys. And they generally(通常) see better in the dark than boys and are better at learning foreign languages.
What makes men and women better at one thing or another? The answer is the brain. The brain has two sides connected by nerve(神经) tracks. The left side generally is used for mathematics, speech and writing. The right side is used for artistic creation(创造) and the expression for emotions(情感). In men and women, different areas in each side of the brain develop differently. In boys, for example, it’s the area used for mathematics. In girls, it is the area used for language skills. Another interesting difference is that the two sides of a man’s brain are connected by a smaller nerves than the two sides of a woman’s brain are. Which of the following is best to outline(概括) the article?
| A．Research on the brain. |
| B．Differences between men and women |
| C．People’s different brains. |
| D．Who Are Better, Boys or Girls |
________men and women think differently.
| A．Sex makes. |
| B．The different brains make |
| C．The different experiences make. |
| D．The influences of society make. |
According to the article, girls are generally better than boys at __ in your school.
| A．mathematics | B．physics |
| C．English | D．Chemistry |
Which of the following is true?
| A．The right side of brain in boys generally develops better than that in girls. |
| B．The left side of brain in girls generally develops better than that in boys. |
| C．Men are better than women in all things. |
| D．The area in girls’ brain used for language skills develops better. |
LONDON, Feb. 18，2014（Xinhua News agency）—Britain will send experts to East China's Shanghai to learn from the city's experience in maths teaching in an attempt to raise the teaching standards.
British Education Minister Elizabeth Truss is to lead a delegation of experts on a fact-finding mission to Shanghai's schools next week to see how children there have become the best in the world at maths, to get a first-hand look at maths classes and teaching methods there, and particularly to investigate why the performance of almost all children in Shanghai is high, regardless of gender or income.
Britain was last year placed 50th out of 148 countries and regions in the World Economic Forum's competitiveness ranking in quality of maths and science education. Two years ago, Shanghai topped the 2012 international PISA tables for maths, while England was ranked in 26th place. The top five were all in Southeast Asia, with 15-year-olds in Shanghai judged to be three years ahead of their peers in maths.
The education department said: "England's performance in maths has lagged behind while other countries have improved and overtaken us, including Poland and Germany." Actually, it is the latest step in the government's drive to raise standards in maths, looking at what has made schools in the far East the most successful in the world in teaching the subject.
"Shanghai is the top-performing part of the world for maths—their children are streets ahead. Shanghai and Singapore have teaching practices and a positive mind that make the difference. They have a belief that diligence makes up for lack of ability," Truss said. "Our new curriculum has borrowed from theirs because we know it works—early learning of key arithmetic, and a focus on times tables and long division（长除法）, for instance."
She was determined to change the situation as performance in maths is weakening the country's skills base and threatening the productivity and growth. The government is emphasizing maths because of the importance of good grades in the subject to young people competing for good jobs in a global labor market and to the economy more generally.
An education and skills survey released by the Confederation of British Industry last year showed that 30 percent of employers reported dissatisfaction with the standard of school and college leavers' numeracy. More than two-thirds of employers said they wanted both maths and science promoted more in schools.Why does the British government send a delegation of experts to Shanghai?
| A．To see how children from rich families have become the best at maths. |
| B．To investigate why the performance of almost all children in China is high. |
| C．To get a first-hand look at science classes and teaching methods there. |
| D．To raise the teaching standards in maths in Britain. |
Which of the following statements is true according to the two international competition results?
| A．British students performed better in 2013 than in 2012. |
| B．British students did better than the students from Poland in 2013. |
| C．The students from Singapore did better than the students from Germany. |
| D．The students from Germany did better than the students from Poland. |
What has made schools in Shanghai the most successful in teaching maths in the eye of Truss?
| A．Curriculum and teaching methods. |
| B．Teaching practices and a positive mind. |
| C．Early learning of key arithmetic and times tables. |
| D．A focus on times tables and long division. |
How will students’ poor performance in maths affect the country?
| A．By threatening the country's competitiveness of economy. |
| B．By weakening the country's political system. |
| C．By losing international competitions in education. |
| D．By failing to find jobs in a global labor market. |
What can we infer from the news?
| A．The students in Britain don’t work hard at Maths. |
| B．The students in shanghai are the smartest in the world. |
| C．The education of science in Britain is no better than that of maths. |
| D．Most British citizens are dissatisfied with teachers’ work. |
CHICAGO(Reuters)-Smoking not only can wrinkle(皱纹)the face and turn it yellow—it can do the same to the whole body，researchers reported on Monday．
The study，published in the Archives of Dermatology，shows that smoking affects the skin all over the body-even skin protected from the sun．
“We examined non-facial skin that was protected from the sun，and found that the total number of packs，of cigarette smoked per day and the total years a person has smoked were linked with the amount of skin damage a person experienced，”Dr．Yolanda，who led the study，said in a statement.
“In participants older than 65 years，smokers had significantly more fine wrinkling than nonsmokers．Similar fmdings were seen in participants aged 45 to 65 years．” Yolanda’s team added in their report．
The researchers tested 82 people，smokers and nonsmokers，taking pictures of the inner right arms．They ranged，in age from 22 to 91 and half were smokers．In dependent judges decided how wrinkled each person’s skin was.
When skin is exposed to sunlight，especially the face，it becomes coarse(粗糙的)．Wrinkled and discolored with a pale yellow tint，Yolanda's team wrote．
Several previous studies have found that cigarette smoking led to premature(过早的)skin aging asmeasured by facial wrinkles，the study said，but little has been done to measure the aging of skin not exposed to light．
The report did not discuss die mechanism involved but previous research has found that cigarette smoke，among other things，causes blood vessels(血管)beneath the skin to constrict(紧缩)，reducing blood supply to the skin．
Smoking can also damage the connective tissue(组织)that supports both die skin and the internal organs.The best title for this passage would be ______________．
| A．The danger of smoking | B．Smoking causes skin aging |
| C．Quit smoking for health | D．A survey of smokers |
It can be inferred from the study _____________．
| A．smoking won’t affect skin protected from the sun |
| B．smoking will do damage to skin rather than other organs |
| C．smokers over 65 usually won’t worry about their skin |
| D．the age of smokers is not connected，with the result of the test |
When your skin is exposed to sunlight long，it becomes all of the following but _________.
| A．flexible | B．coarse |
| C．rough | D．discolored |
According to the passage，how wrinkled a person’s skin is doesn’t relate to ___________．
| A．the number of cigarettes a person smokes |
| B．the kind and characteristics of skin |
| C．how long a person smokes |
| D．how long skin is under sunlight |
From the passage smoking results in skin aging mainly because ____________．
| A．it will lower blood supply to skin |
| B．it can make you feel tired |
| C．it can make skin come off |
| D．it can make blood run faster |
The main purpose of the passage is to ____________．
| A．inform people about the study of skin． |
| B．advise people how to protect skin |
| C．warn people not to smoke again |
| D．introduce a new way of avoid skin aging |
The shocking disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has captured the attention of millions around the world as the search for the airplane and its passengers and crew continues. What happened to the flight’s 239 passengers and crew after the plane left Kuala Lumpur on Saturday? It is becoming an increasingly desperate question as the days pass.
But it’s hardly the first mystery of its kind. Here are some half-solved and unsolved airline mysteries that kept investigators clueless for years.
Air France Flight 447: An Airbus A330 flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris plunged into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, killing all 228 passengers and crew on board. But it took a full five days for search and rescue teams to find the wreck（残骸）and another three years for investigators to report that ice crystals had caused the autopilot (自动驾驶仪) to disconnect. The bodies of 74 passengers remain unrecovered.
Amelia Earhart: Ace (王牌) pilot Amelia Earhart disappeared in her twin-engine monoplane Electra over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. No trace of her plane was ever found even after a multi-million dollar search effort, and Earhart was officially declared dead in 1939.
Flying Tiger Line Flight 739: A U.S. military flight left Guam in 1962 with more 90 personnel headed for the Philippines, but it never arrived. The pilots never issued a distress call, and 1,300 people involved in the U.S. military search never found any trace of wreckage.
British South American Airways: It took more than 50 years to find any trace of the 11 people aboard a 1947 flight that disappeared in the Andes Mountains. A pair of Argentineans rock climbers discovered engine wreckage in the Andes in 1998, and an army expedition later found human remains as well.
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571: A flight headed to Santiago, Chile carrying 45 passengers and crew crashed into the Andes Mountains in poor weather in 1972, killing twelve people. In the meantime, eight were killed in an avalanche (雪崩) that hit the plane’s wreckage where they were taking shelter, and the rest stayed alive by eating the flesh of the dead before they were finally found more than two months after disappearing out of the sky.The underlined word “plunged” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _____.
| A．jumped | B．broke |
| C．flew | D．dived |
What can we learn from Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571? _____.
| A．12 people were lost until now. |
| B．25 people were rescued instantly. |
| C．The rest who stayed alive killed 8 people. |
| D．8 were killed by a fall of a large mass of snow down a mountainside. |
From the passage, what could have led to British South American Airways crash? _____.
| A．The bad weather. | B．Not mentioned. |
| C．The ice crystals. | D．The lightening. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? _____.
| A．Earhart was declared dead by the authorities two years later. |
| B．The bodies of Flight 447 had all been found after three years. |
| C．Two Argentineans rock climbers discovered the dead in the Andes. |
| D．Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 was regarded as the largest air crash. |
The passage has been written to _____.
| A．introduce the loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 |
| B．explain how to avoid airplane disappearances as a pilot |
| C．tell readers mysterious airplane disappearances in Aviation History |
| D．call on people to protect themselves |
Five boys are suspected of starting a fire that destroyed their school on the eve of the new term. Police said yesterday that five boys — one aged 11, two 12-year-olds, one aged 13 and one 15 — arrested on suspicion of starting the fire had been released until later this month. Parents said the five pupils all attended St Mary’s.
Pupils witnessed their schoolwork being destroyed in the fire at Leyland St Mary’s Catholic Technology College in Lancashire. The 1950s science block was reduced to the ground in Sunday’s fire, which created clouds of smoke visible for miles. It is reported that the library and sports hall were also destroyed beyond repair. Strong winds and a shortage of water prevented 125 firemen trying to bring it under control. Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene until late this afternoon. Staffs were due to attend the school yesterday for an inset(培训)day, and pupils pupils were to return for lessons after the holidays today.
St Mary’s head teacher Kathy McNicholas fought back the tears as she watched her school go up in flames last night. She said, “This is so upsetting to watch. It’s heartbreaking. It’s very distressing for the staff and the children. Everyone had been looking forward to coming back for the new school year.” Finding somewhere around 730 children won’t be easy. A few of the staff have turned up to see if there is anything they can do and they have all been shocked and saddened by what has happened. “It’s tragic because we have only just had a lot of refreshment work done to the school during the summer break. It was a big investment. The community around here very much looks after its school.”
Plans were being drawn up to provide alternative classrooms for 730 children, with parents warned to keep them at home for at least the rest of the week. Which part of St Mary’s Catholic Technology College was burned to the ground in the fire?
| A．The library. | B．Sports hall. |
| C．The science block. | D．The passage doesn’t tell us. |
The underlined word “distressing” in the third paragraph can be replaced by “ ”.
| A．excited | B．surprised |
| C．annoyed | D．embarrassed |
From the whole passage, we can know that .
| A．the education of England is worse |
| B．St Mary’s Catholic Technology College had no trouble finding enough classrooms |
| C．a shortage of money prevented more than 100 firemen controlling the big fire |
| D．the pupils had to stay at home before the alternative classrooms were found |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Five boys started a fire that destroyed their school. |
| B．The firemen failed in controlling the fire. |
| C．The staff and the children were upset. |
| D．The school planned to take measures to solve the problem. |
BEIJING, March 9—The central government will require an additional three years of use for official vehicles for ministers and governors to reduce the costs of purchasing new cars, media have reported.
The new rule has been applied among all Party and government departments nationwide, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday. The new rule has not yet been made public, said Li, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee.
Under the old rules, the cars used by minister-level officials could be replaced as often as every five years, Li said. These officials will also retain the same cars when they assume new posts, he added.
The new rule also reiterated（重申） that officials ranking below minister-or governor-levels should not be allocated(分配) cars. The cars possessed by their departments should be used on demand.
“It violates（违反） the rules for lower-ranking-even county-level-officials to be allocated cars, “Li said.
Purchases of vehicles for official use have been heavily investigated, as they account for a large expenditure of public funds every year.
A survey on the Web news www. ifeng. com found 64 percent of respondents believed the new rule will be difficult to implement（执行实施） because it is related to officials’ interests.
“Local government departments had halted approvals for requests for such vehicles and had started to work on new quotas under the new rules.” Li said.
“The future reform of official vehicle use will introduce market mechanisms and monetization.”
Premier Wen Jiabao said in the annual government work report on Saturday that expenditures on such vehicles will not increase in 2011 compared with a year ago.
Beijing’s standing deputy mayor Ji Lin last week said the municipal government will release the number of vehicles for official use in the capital as early as at the end of this month.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Finance had published a rule regulating the budgets for such vehicles.What is the purpose of the new rule allocating vehicles among officials?
| A．To promote a low-carbon lifestyle. |
| B．To cut down the present huge expenditures of purchasing cars. |
| C．To make good use of the budgets for official cars. |
| D．To solve the problem of severe traffic jam. |
How often could the care used by minister-level officials be replaced according to the new rule?
| A．Every 3 years. | B．Every 5 years. |
| C．Every 8 years. | D．Every 10 years. |
What about the officials ranking below minister-or governor-levels in terms of official vehicles?
| A．They can still possess special cars. |
| B．They can use their own private cars. |
| C．They can use cars whenever officially necessary. |
| D．They can be allocated second-hand cars. |
What is the public’s attitude toward the new rule’s fulfillment?
| A．Skeptical. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Passive. |
More and more birds are flying to settle at Qinghai Lake, one of the highest inland lakes in China, thanks to the protection efforts of local governments. Covering an area of over 4,000 square kilometers, Qinghai Lake is also the country’s biggest salt-water lake.
Located in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province, the lake is famous for the two islands at its northwest point--Cormorant Island and Egg Island.
The two islands have plenty of floating grass and various schools of fish, offering rich food sources for birds. The islands have become a paradise for different kinds of groups of birds and have been called ‘Bird Islands’.
Each March and April, when ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau starts to melt, over 20 kinds of birds fly to the Bird Islands to lay eggs.
During the months, flocks of birds cover the whole sky over the islands and birds eggs can be found everywhere. Visitors can hear the singing of birds from miles away. These have become a world famous symbol of the lake.
To protect this paradise for birds and support calls for ecological protection, China set up the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone at the end of 1997. Meanwhile, the State has pointed out the Bird Islands and Spring Bay of the Qinghai Lake as central protection zones.
Inspection officials and management employees often patrol the lake, improving local residents’ knowledge of related laws and spreading knowledge about animal protection to visitors. They are making great efforts to call on people to love and protect the birds.
At the same time, they have built special fences around the island area, to prevent wolves, foxes and other carnivorous animals, as well as illegal hunters from breaking up the birds’ nest-building, egg-laying and breeding. As a result, more and more birds are coming to the islands for sheltering and breeding.Why are more and more birds coming to the biggest salt-water lake in the Great Northwest?
| A．Because it is getting warmer and warmer. |
| B．Because it is being reformed |
| C．Because environments there are getting more and more agreeable for them to live in. |
| D．Because the people there are becoming richer and richer |
The birds feed on _______according to the passage.
| A．floating fish and various grasses |
| B．grass moving on the water surface and different kinds of fish |
| C．salt water and plenty of grains |
| D．corn from the local farmers |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau doesn’t change into water, unless more than 20 kinds of birds come to the Bird Islands |
| B．Flocks of birds fly up to the whole sky over islands to lay eggs |
| C．Visitors can listen to the singing of birds from miles away, but they couldn’t see any of the birds |
| D．“The ice on the Plateau begins to change into water” means spring is coming |
The officials go around the lake mainly to _________
| A．let the farmers there know the animal protection law |
| B．tell the farmers there some knowledge about animal protection. |
| C．call on people to love and protect the birds |
| D．all of the above |
In recent years, temperatures in the polar areas are rising faster than anywhere else on Earth. As a result, the ice and the snow are melting at record-setting rates. One result is that sea levels are rising around the world, putting animals and people at risk.
A sheet of ice acts like a huge mirror, reflecting the sun’s energy. But ocean water, which is darker than ice, absorbs a lot of it. This causes the ocean to warm, which in turn speeds up ice melting and which leads to even more open waters. The cycle continues until all the ice is gone.
“As the ice melts, water flows into the oceans, making them less salty. That, along with warmer water temperatures, can harm the creatures that live in, under, and near the ice,” says zoologist Michael Stoddard. “Cold-adapted animals — including polar bears, foxes, hares, and seals — also need ice for travel and survival.”
“Most species of fish, sea spiders, and many other animals and plants that live in the waters of Antarctica don’t live anywhere else,” Stoddard says. “Many of them have special proteins in their bodies keeping them from freezing to death and have other adaptation to the cold that has yet to be explored.”
Therefore, experts are urging us to reconsider the way we live. The fuels that we burn in cars, power stations, and factories are largely to blame for the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are trapping overmuch heat in our atmosphere. If we can produce fewer of these gases, we can help save the polar ice. “Even small things would make a difference, if everyone did them.” Michael Stoddard says, “That’s what we have to figure out in the near future to help save the polar ice and thus protect the oceans and us.”The passage is mainly written to _____.
| A．introduce the present situation of the polar areas |
| B．warn people against extreme weather |
| C．call on people to protect the oceans and humans |
| D．advertise for volunteers to protect the environment |
Paragraph 2 mainly tells us about _______.
| A．the ice’s functions |
| B．ocean’s quick growing |
| C．the cause of sea level rising |
| D．the ways of more waters |
From the passage, we can know that _______.
| A．most polar animals prefer to live in less salty water |
| B．some of the cold-adapted animals mainly feed on ice |
| C．many polar creatures have special proteins to keep alive |
| D．scientists still don’t know how polar creatures have adapted to the cold |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Polar bears are expanding at a high speed. |
| B．Experts advise people not to use fuels at all. |
| C．Wildlife worldwide is in the process of dying out. |
| D．Global warm is putting animals and humans at risk. |
Owning a smart phone may not be as smart as you think. They may let you surf the Internet, listen to music and snap photos wherever you are… but they also turn you into a workaholic, it seems.
A study suggests that, by giving you access to emails at all times, the all-singing, all-dancing mobile phone adds as much as two hours to your working day. Researchers found that Britons work an additional 460 hours a year on average as they are able to respond to emails on their mobiles.
The study by technology retailer Pixmania reveals the average UK working day is between 9 and 10 hours, but a further two hours is spent responding to or sending work emails, or making work calls. More than 90 percent of office workers have an email-enabled phone, with a third accessing them more than 20 times a day. Almost one in ten admits spending up to three hours outside their normal working day checking work emails. Some workers confess they are on call almost 24 hours a day, with nine out of ten saying they take work emails and calls outside their normal working hours. The average time for first checking emails is between 6 am and 7 am, with more than a third checking their first email in this period, and a quarter checking them between 11 pm and midnight.
Ghadi Hobeika, marketing director of Pixmania, said, “The ability to access literally millions of apps, keep in contact via social networks and take photos and video as well as text and call has made smart phones invaluable for many people. However, there are drawbacks. Many companies expect their employees to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and smart phones mean that people literally cannot get away from work. The more constantly in contact we become, the more is expected of us in a work capacity.”What can we conclude from the text?
| A．All that glitters is not gold. |
| B．Every coin has two sides. |
| C．It never rains but pours. |
| D．It’s no good crying over spilt milk. |
The underlined word “accessing” in the third paragraph can be replaced by .
| A．calling | B．reaching |
| C．getting | D．using |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．The average UK working day is between nine and twelve hours. |
| B．Nine-tenths spend over three hours checking work emails. |
| C．One fourth check their first mails between 11 pm and midnight. |
| D．The average time for first checking emails is between 6 am and 8 am. |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Workaholics like smart phones. |
| B．Smart phones bring about extra work. |
| C．Smart phones make our live easier. |
| D．Employers don’t like smart phones. |
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC)一A Santa Monica High School teacher who was put on
leave after using physical force to control a student who was selling marijuana（大麻）in his classroom has received surprising support on Facebook. The incident was captured on video and has caused a sudden reaction from parents, teachers, students and even graduates. They are showing their support for Black. A Facebook page supporting "Coach Black" has over 4,700 likes. And many want him back in the classroom.
Student witnesses say Mark Black, who is also the wrestling coach, tried to confiscate（没收）a bag of marijuana and was then injured by the student with a pencil. The cellphone video shows Black locking the student's legs and pinning the student to the ground. "He just wanted him to stop and he was trying to be a teacher and help, and I don't think it was his fault." said student Kylan Townsend.
School Board member Oscar De La Tone says Mr. Black is one of his teachers at Santa Monica High School. "I know him very well. I know him to be a fair person, a good person, someone who cares deeply about his students," said De La Torre. He says that the video does not tell the whole story and that the incident brings to light the issue of drug use, something the district needs to address.
But in an email to parents, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent Sandra Lyon says the teacher's behavior is "absolutely alarming." She put Black on leave during an independent investigation.
Lyon has come under fire from parents for initially saying the kind of physical action used by the teacher was unacceptable. On Saturday, Lyon released the following statement to Eyewitness News: "I want to stress that teachers are at times confronted with difficult, even threatening situations, and they must make judgment calls to protect safety. I want to emphasize that putting the teacher who was involved in this incident on leave until completion of an independent investigation is a matter of standard policy and practice; it in no way prejudices the outcome of the investigation."
Students hope the situation will have a quick and just resolution. An online petition（请原书) pas also peen createu by one of Black's former students. The petition has already gained thousands of signatures.Black did not respond to a request for comment.What does the cellphone video on Facebook disclose?
| A．Mark Black injured a student with a pencil. |
| B．Mark Black wrestled with a student in his class. |
| C．Mark Black confiscated a bag and locked a student. |
| D．Mark Black controlled a student with physical force. |
In the fifth paragraph, the underlined word "it" refers to＿＿．
| A．making judgment calls to protect safety |
| B．putting the teacher involved on leave |
| C．completion of an independent investigation |
| D．a matter of standard policy and practice |
From the passage, we can infer that＿＿
| A．the people involved in the matter support Mark Black |
| B．Mark Black will be eventually fired by the School Board |
| C．Sandra Lyon won some support from parents initially |
| D．no decision has been made from the investigation yet |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Teacher Put on Leave Receives Support |
| B．Thousands Come and Sign the Petition |
| C．School Teacher Wrestled with Student |
| D．Cellphone Video on the Facebook Page |
Australians have evidently realized the fact that water means life and we need to he more thoughtful in our use of this rather precious resource．Since the year 2000, Australians have managed to reduce their use of water by 14% ． In the most populous city, Sydney, they've managed to use less water in 2007 than in 1974, even though the city grew by l． 2 million souls in this period．
Across the country nearly 20% of all households have water tanks．That would probably be due, in large part, to the various state governments offering generous rebates． In NSW, for example, where 24,000 households have taken up the offer, you can get $1,500 AUD back if you fix a 7,000 + litre tank and have it attached into your toilet and washing machine．
Creywater use has taken off too． The Australian Bureau of Statistics suggest that it's now the second most common source of water in Australia, with over half of the country's homes reusing water from their washing machines, showers and baths． The state of Victoria leads with 70% using greywater, and Queensland, coming close behind with 63%．
Up in the northern state of．Queensland, some of their dams have been below 20%． Sydney's main dam is only at 56% of its potential capacity．
The country's ongoing drought（干旱） has seen more than 95% of the length of the Murray- Darling Basin （ the two major river systems that supply the nation's 'food basket' ） regarded as ' degraded', Supply of water has become such an issue that hydro-electric power（水力发电） output has dropped 7% in a recent 9 year period for the states of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania．Not good for promoting our uptake understanding of renewable energy in these climate changing times．But at least the message is getting through about making every drop count．The underlined word "rebate" in paragraph 2 probably means ．
| A．discount or allowance | B．water tanks for free |
| C．agreements or payment | D．washing machine of high quality |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The state of Victoria is playing a leading role in greywater use． |
| B．More water has been used in Australia with the growing population． |
| C．The state of Queensland gets its water mostly from the north of its state． |
| D．Some of the dams in Queensland are too weak to hold potential water． |
We can learn from the last paragraph that ．
| A．the country's water shortage is partly due to continuous drought |
| B．large quantities of water are being used to produce electricity |
| C．the author hopes water resource could be used to the fullest |
| D．the author disagrees with the use of renewable energy |
The passage is likely to appear in ．
| A．a scientist's diary | B．a history paper |
| C．a travel guidebook | D．a newspaper |
Sydney—A shark savaged a schoolboy's leg while he was surfing with his father at a beach in Sydney on February 23．It was the third shark attack along the coast of Australia's largest city in a month．
The 15-year-old boy and his father were in the water off Avalon, on Sydney's northern beaches, around dawn when he was attacked．The city's beaches are packed with locals and tourists during the summer months．
"The father heard a scream and turned to see his son trashing （扭动） about in the water," police said．"Fortunately, the shark swam away and the boy was helped to shore by his father．
Lifesaving Club spokesman Nick Miller: "It got him around the top of his left leg and the father came and dragged him out of water．" He said the boy was bleeding heavily when he was brought to shore．"There was a lot of pain, as you can imagine"．The teenager was airlifted to hospital for treatment for leg injuries．
Police said the bites" cut through to the bone" , but the boy did not appear to have sustained any fractures （骨折）．He was in a stable condition now．
Several beaches were closed after the attack．Water police and lifeguards were searching for the shark, while police hoped to identify its species by the shape of the bite marks．But they said it was too early to say what type of shark attacked the boy．"I don't even know if he saw it," Miller said．
Many shark species live in the waters off Sydney's beaches, but attacks on humans are still relatively rare．However, there were two attacks on successive days earlier this month, one on a navy diver in Sydney harbor, not far from the famous Opera House, and the other on a surfer at the city's world-famous Bondi beach．
Fishermen say shark numbers are on the rise．There is a ban on commercial fishing in the harbor, which has increased fish stocks．Marine experts also claim environmental protection has created a cleaner environment, attracting sharks closer to shore as they chase fish．Many shark species, including the Great White—the man-eater made famous in Steven Spielberg's Jaws—are protected in Australian waters．The report mainly tells us _______．
| A．shark attacks on humans are on the rise |
| B．sharks attacked humans three times in one month |
| C．a boy was attacked by a shark at a Sydney beach |
| D．shark numbers are increasing in the waters off Sydney's beaches |
The underlined word" savaged "in the first paragraph probably means _______．
| A．attracted | B．dragged |
| C．bit | D．packed |
What do we know about the city of Sydney from the passage?
| A．It is one of the largest cities in Australia． |
| B．Sydney harbor is not far from the famous Opera House． |
| C．There are many locals and tourists on its coast all year round． |
| D．There are few shark species in the waters off Sydney's beaches． |
All the followings are the causes of Australia's sharks increasing EXCEPT that_______．
| A．environmental protection has created a cleaner environment |
| B．a ban on commercial fishing has increased fish numbers |
| C．many shark species are protected in Australia waters |
| D．the film Jaws made the Great White famous |
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