A couple of years ago, those who forecast that oil price would reach $ 100 a barrel were seen as doomsters. However, now some are predicting $ 200 a barrel.
Had economists been told that oil price would barely pause at $ 100 before reaching the recent peak of nearly $ 127, they would no doubt have forecast terrible economic consequences. But the global economy, though interrupted by the high price of energy, is still chugging along. Meanwhile, inflation has picked up, but the headline rates of inflation (通货膨胀率) in most developed countries are nowhere near the levels seen in the 1970s and 1980s.
There are three explanations for the oil price’s unclear impact. The first is that nowadays developed economies are more efficient in their use of energy, thanks partly to the increased importance of service industries and the diminished role of manufacturing(制造业). According to the Energy Information Administration, the energy intensity of America’s GDP fell by 42% between 1980 and 2007.
A second theory is that the oil-price rise has been steady, not sudden, giving the economy time to adjust. Giovanni Serio of Goldman Sachs points out that in 1973 there was a severe supply shock because of the oil embargo(石油禁运), when the world had to cope with 10%-15% less crude almost overnight. Not this time.
The third explanation turns the argument on its head; rather than oil harming the global economy, it is global expansion that is driving up the price of oil.
The most important factor is the shift in favor of the developing economies. America has responded to high price in familiar fashion: UBS forecasts that demand will drop by 1.1% this year and will be no higher in 2010 than it was in 2004. But the demand from China and other emerging markets is more than offsetting(抵消) this shortfall.What is the passage mainly talking about?
| A．The prediction of economists. | B．The situation of economy |
| C．The increase of oil price | D．The American response to high price |
How many explanations for the oil price’s impact are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
What can we conclude from the passage?
| A．In USA, the demand for oil in 2010 will be very high. |
| B．In USA, the demand for oil in 2010 will be higher than it was in 2004. |
| C．In USA, the demand for oil in 2010 will be as high as it was in 2004. |
| D．In USA, the demand for oil in 2010 will be as low as it was in 2004. |
OSLO — Excited with pride, Norwegians sang in the streets of Oslo on Sunday, celebrating Norway’s National Day and the country’s Eurovision Song Contest victory.
Hundreds of Norwegians sang along to Alexander Rybak’s winning song Fairytale as they walked in the country’s traditional National Day parade (游行) celebrating the Norwegian constitution.
Alexander Rybak — called “Alexander the Great” by the Norwegian media — won a great victory in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) by gaining the most votes in its 53-year history in Moscow on Saturday.
Alexander has played violin and piano since he was five years old, and he also composes his own music and sings. In 2006 he won the Norwegian talent show Kjempesjansen with his own song Foolin. Alexander has performed with one of the world’s most celebrated violinists, Pinchas Zukerman, won the Anders Jahres Culture Price and has been the concertmaster for Norway’s largest symphony orchestra (交响乐队) for youths, Ung Symfoni.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said there was clearly something special about the 23-year-old and his folk music. “This is a phenomenal performance by a young and talented musician,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.
Rybak is expected to draw a large crowd of fans to Oslo’s Gardermoen airport when he arrives next Sunday, after having invited all his countrymen from the stage in Moscow.
With Rybak’s win, Norway will host next year’s Eurovision finals, a show that reaches a television audience of over 100 million people. Norway’s Minister of Culture, Trond Giske, promised that Norway would put on a splendid show next year but without spending as much as Moscow, which spent 24 million euros this year. “I don’t think that is necessary,” he told national broadcaster NRK.
The win was Norway’s third. The Nordic country also won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1985 and 1995. What do Norwegians usually do on the country’s National Day?
A. Sing Fairytale. B. Have a parade. C. Hold a song test. D. Watch the ESC. Which of the following statements about Rybak is TRUE?
A. He has a lot of fans all over the world.
B. He is the first Norwegian to win the ESC.
C. He is called “Alexander the Great” when he was born.
D. He showed a great talent for music before this ESC.The underlined word “phenomenal” in Para. 5 means “____”.
| A．very unusual and impressive | B．too special to be understood |
| C．with an educational purpose | D．able to draw a large audience |
What’s Trond Giske’s opinion?
| A．Norway will host next year’s Eurovision finals. |
| B．It doesn’t require too much money to win the finals. |
| C．Norway is determined to win next year’s Eurovision finals. |
| D．It doesn’t require a lot of money to make the finals splendid. |
The main idea of the text is that ______________________________.
| A．the Eurovision Song Contest belongs to the world |
| B．National Day is being celebrated in Norway |
| C．Crazy fans expect to meet their idol at the airport in Norway |
| D．Norway celebrates a Eurovision win on National Day. |
Saturday, October 7th, was a marathon of sad tasks for Anna Politkovskaya. Two weeks earlier, her father, a retired official in the department of foreign affairs, had died of a heart attack as he emerged from the Moscow Metro while on his way to visit Politkovskaya’s mother, Raisa Mazepa, in the hospital. She had just been diagnosed(诊断) with cancer and was too weak even to attend her husband’s funeral. “Your father will forgive me, because he knows that I have always loved him,” she told Anna and her sister, Elena Kudimova, the day he was buried. A week later, she had an operation and since then Anna and Elena had been taking turns helping her deal with her grief.
Politkovskaya was supposed to spend the day at the hospital, but her twenty-six-year-old daughter, who was pregnant, had just moved into Politkovskaya’s apartment, on Lesnaya Street, while her own place was being prepared for the baby. “Anna had so much on her mind,” Elena Kudimova told me when we met in London, before Christmas. “And she was trying to finish her article.” Politkovskaya was a special reporter for the small newspaper Novaya Gazeta, and, like most of her work, the piece focused on the terror that can be seen all over the southern republic of Chechnya. This time, she had been trying to report repeated cruel acts done by people faithful to the Prime Minister, Ramzan Kadyrov, who are in favour of Russia. In the past seven years, Politkovskaya had written dozens of accounts of life during wartime; many had been collected in her book “A Small Corner of Hell: reports from Chechnya.” Politkovskaya was far more likely to spend time in a hospital than on a battlefield, and her writing bore frequent witness to robbery, and the uncontrolled cruelty of life in a place that few other Russians—and almost no other reporters—cared to think about. Politkovskaya’s father died of ______.
| A．tiredness | B．a disease | C．an attack | D．an accident |
From the text we know that Raisa Mazepa ______.
| A．didn’t love her husband |
| B．didn’t attend her husband’s funeral |
| C．was having an operation the day her husband was buried |
| D．was too sad to attend her husband’s funeral |
The underlined word “emerged” most likely means ______.
| A．came out | B．went into | C．looked into | D．left for |
How many family members of Anna are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
Which of the following words can best describe Politkovskaya’s character?
| A．curious | B．easy-going | C．careless | D．responsible |
February 28th, 2009 2:54 am GMT
I have to say that am shocked at just how bad the new music is. This cannot be the same band that produced great albums such as HTDAAB and ATYCLB! This is awful! They either do not care anymore, or have completely lost it. I never thought U2 would become irrelevant, but they have officially become one of those bands that you will now say, “Remember when they were great?”
----- Posted by Ronald Harris
February 28th, 2009 8:29 pm GMT
Total drivel, Mr Harris. The new album is great, far better than the safe, cynical HTDAAB and ATYCLB. U2 have become inventive again, like they were in the 1990s. thank goodness!
----- Posted by Dan
March 3rd, 2009 12:09 pm GMT
Agree, Dan. The new album is the best since Actung Baby. Magnificent is an anthem in the waiting, Breathe is unbelievable, and Stand Up Comedy is absolutely outstanding----- to name just three! Loving the new sound, pure class as usual.
----- Posted by Martin
March 4th, 2009 7:43 pm GMT
Totally agree with you guys. This album is unbelievable. Breathe is definitely a great song, same with Moment of Surrender. I bet their upcoming tour will be amazing. If you haven’t bought the CD yet, you should. I bought mine on Amozon.com for $3.99. I couldn’t believe it.
----- Posted by Josh BriggsAccording to Ronald Harris, U2’s new album is _________.
| A．pretty good | B．so bad | C．the same as before | D．completely fresh |
whose comment is contrary to the others?
| A．Martin’s | B．Dan’s | C．Josh Briggs’ | D．Ronald Harris’ |
Martin and Josh Briggs both like the song _________.
| A．Magnificent | B．Moment of Surrender | C．Breathe | D．Stand Up Comedy |
Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?
| A．Most fans felt disappointed at the new album. |
| B．The new album is available on the Internet. |
| C．The people who made comments are fans of U2. |
| D．U2’s upcoming tour may be a great success. |
The passage is most probably from ________.
| A．a concert poster | B．a TV review | C．a newspaper | D．the Internet |
New York: When the first plane struck 1 World Trade Center at 8:48 am on Tuesday, the people in 2 World Trade Center who saw the instant (瞬间的) damage to the other tower realized clearly what they, too, must do: get out fast.
Katherine Ilachinsiki, who had been knocked off her chair by the blast (一阵)of heat exploding from the neighboring tower, was one of those. Despite her 70 years of age, Mrs Ilachinsiki, an architect working on the 91st floor of 2 World Trade Center, the south tower, went for the stairs. Twelve floors above her, Judy Wein, an executive (经理), cried sharply and set off too.
But others up and down the 110 floors, many without seeing the damage across the way and thus unclear about what was happening, were not so sure. And the 18 minutes before the next plane would hit were ticking off.
Most people had no idea about what was the best thing to do, formal announcements inside the south tower asked people to stay put, assuring them that the building was sound and the threat was limited to the other tower.
Some left, others stayed. Some began to climb down and, when met with more announcements and other cautions (警告) to stop or return, went back up. The decisions made in those instants proved to be of great importance, because many who chose to stay were killed completely when the second plane crashed into the south tower.
One of those caught in indecision (犹豫不决) was the executive at Fuji Bank USA.
Richard Jacobs of Fuji Bank left the 79th floor with the other office workers, but on the 48th floor they heard the announcement that the situation was under control. Several got in the lifts and went back up, two minutes or so before the plane crashed into their floor.
“I just don’t know what happened to them,” Mr Jacobs said. From the passage, we know that the south tower was hit by the plane ________.
| A．at 8:30 | B．18 minutes earlier than the north tower |
| C．at around 9:06 | D．at 8:48 |
The underlined words “stay put” means ________.
| A．stay in the building | B．leave at once |
| C．put everything back and then leave | D．keep silent |
Which floor was hit by the second plane?
| A．The 91st floor | B．The 103rd floor | C．The 60th floor | D．The 79th floor |
Fewer people would have died if .
| A．more announcements had been made | B．people hadn’t used the lifts |
| C．the attack had happened on a weekend | D．the people had obeyed the office rules |
IQUIQUE, Chile (Reuters) — Rescue workers at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile had reason to sing this week. A small hole drilled into the earth became a passage to freedom for 33 trapped miners, who spent 69 days underground. “Never have people been trapped for so long so deeply,” says a doctor at NASA, the American space agency, which helped in the rescue.
But the chief medical officer for the miners said most are in good enough health to leave the hospital within a day or so. The first three recovered and went home Thursday night.
For much of the day the miners relaxed with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. The 32 Chileans and 1 Bolivian still wore special sunglasses to protect their eyes.
A partial mine collapse on 5th August trapped them more than half a kilometer underground. They had to stretch a two-day food supply. For two weeks no one knew if they were alive or dead. Later, they received supplies.
The first miner rescued on Wednesday was Florencio Avalos. The second was Mario Sepulveda, who talked about how the experience tested his faith. The last miner up was Luis Urzua, who was the shift leader when his crew became trapped.
Rescuers used a metal cage to pull the miners to safety in less than 24 hours — faster than expected. The rescue capsule was a half-meter wide and known as the Phoenix, an imaginary bird from ancient stories. It bursts into flames but is continually reborn and rises from the ashes.
Chile’s Navy built the capsule with advice from mining experts and NASA engineers. It worked like an elevator, traveling up and down on a cable through a shaft（竖井）drilled 622 meters into the rocks.
Millions of people around the world watched the rescue. More than one thousand journalists traveled to the mine in the Atacama Desert to report on the rescue. They joined family members of the miners and rescue crews housed in an area of tents known as Camp Hope.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Rescued miners speak out |
| B．Miners’ life deep underground |
| C．A rebirth for 33 rescued miners in Chile |
| D．Chilean president honors rescued miners |
How many rescued miners are still in hospital?
| A．3. | B．30. | C．33. | D．69. |
We can infer from the passage that ______.
| A．all the trapped miners are Chileans |
| B．the Chileans rescued the miners alone |
| C．the rescue caught the world’s attention |
| D．the trapped miners lived easily underground |
Which of the following is true of the Phoenix?
| A．It was a wooden cage like a capsule. |
| B．It worked efficiently in the rescue. |
| C．It was named after a real Chilean bird. |
| D．It was built by NASA engineers. |
The rescue is great for the reason that ______.
| A．33 trapped miners were saved |
| B．the American space agency took part |
| C．Chilean President was on the rescuing spot |
| D．it lasted so long and the miners were trapped so deep |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A line of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes marched across the South on Friday, peeling away roofs, overturning cars and killing at least 11 people in Tennessee, officials said.
It was the second wave of violent weather to hit the state in less than a week. Last weekend, tornadoes killed 24 people in the western part of the state and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and buildings.
The storms crossed an area from northern Mississippi to northern Virginia as they moved to the northeast late Friday after developing from a low-pressure system in the central Plains.
The Nashville suburbs were the hardest hit, with at least eight deaths happening northeast of the city. Three more people were killed in a rural area about 65 miles southeast of Nashville.
Tornadoes were also reported in some other places. The storms pulled up trees, knocked down power lines and damaged buildings. What’s worse, phone lines and most businesses were out of service. Hospitals admitted at least 60 people with storm-related injuries and transferred at least nine badly injured patients to Nashville hospitals.
In southern Indiana, the storms damaged some areas with golf ball-sized hail. High winds blew the roof off a country club and overthrew a semitrailer（拖车）. As the storms moved farther east, parts of West Virginia were lashed with heavy rain and winds, great damages caused.
The number of tornadoes in the US has jumped through the first part of 2006 compared with the past few years. Through the end of March, an estimated 286 tornadoes had hit the US, compared with an average of 70 for the same three-month period in each of the past three years.
The number of tornado-related deaths was 38 before Friday's storms. The average number of deaths from 2003 to 2005 was 45 a year, the prediction center said. How many deaths have the thunderstorms and tornadoes on Friday caused?
| A．Three. | B．Eight. | C．Eleven. | D．Twenty-two. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Tennessee was hit twice by tornadoes within a week. |
| B．The latest tornado might start in northern Mississippi. |
| C．At least four states were hit by the tornado. |
| D．In the tornadoes of the first 3 months 38 people were killed. |
In the first 3 months of last 3 years, about ____ tornadoes happened each month in the US.
| A．About 23. | B．About 70. | C．About 98. | D．About 210. |
We can infer from the report more deaths and injuries were caused because ____.
| A．the phone lines were destroyed | B．there were enough hospitals |
| C．the people hid in their houses | D．there was also a hail in Tennessee |
Consult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 65～68.
What does the phrase “green shoots” mean in “Green shoots have begun to appear in different markets”?
| A．Signs of recovery. | B．High prices. |
| C．Environmental protection. | D．Change in policy. |
Fill in the blank in the sentence “I can’t believe this is Joshua—he’s ______ since we last met!”
| A．shot out | B．shot through | C．shot up | D．shot down |
When you are talking about unimportant things, we say you are ______.
| A．shooting yourself in the foot | B．shooting the breeze |
| C．shooting your mouth off | D．shooting questions at somebody |
Choose a word to complete the sentence “The ______, which killed a policeman and wounded a passer-by, was reported to have lasted only 13 seconds.”
| A．shooter | B．shoot | C．shot | D．shooting |
Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories, destroying (摧毁) fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged (破坏) that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.
A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.
“I was eating with my wife and children,” he said, “When we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him,
safe but very frightened.”
Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.
“There was no time to take anything,” she said, “A few minutes later, the roof came down.”
Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded (水淹的) area and the welfare department (福利机构) brought them food, clothes and shelter. How many homes altogether (总共) were damaged in the storm?
| A．Fourteen | B．Twenty-one |
| C．Twenty-nine | D．Thirty-six |
Where was Mr. Tan when the storm first began?
| A．He was in bed. | B．He was inside the house. |
| C．He was outside the house. | D．He was on the roof. |
Mrs. Woo and her family didn’t get hurt because _________.
| A．her husband knew there would be a storm |
| B．they were all outside the house when the storm became worse |
| C．she felt the house was moving |
| D．the welfare department helped her |
The underlined word “shelter” in this passage means ______.
| A．something to eat | B．something to wear |
| C．somewhere to study | D．somewhere to stay |
Which of he following may be the best title for this passage?
| A．A Terrible Storm | B．A Lucky Woman |
| C．Good Soldiers | D．Clever People |
XI’AN---Seven people died in a fire early on Wednesday morning in Xi’an, capital of Shanxi Province. A restaurant with a karaoke hall in the southern suburbs caught fire around 2 a. m. and seven waitresses who were sleeping on the second floor of the restaurant were killed. The restaurant was completely destroyed and the waitresses, the local police said, were killed by toxic smoke from burning decorations.
MANILA---Four people were killed yesterday in the central Philippine island of Tacloban when a bomb they had dug up exploded, local police were quoted as saying. The four people were digging to set up a septic（poisonous）tank in their house when they dug up the bomb. It went off, killing all four people, local police were quoted by radio station DZBB as saying. The police did not say where the bomb came from. Unexploded bombs from World War II are still discovered around the Philippines once in a while.
TEL AVIV---An Israeli couple kissed for 30 hours and 45 minutes which, a spokeswoman said yesterday, was a world record. The couple, both in their twenties, started kissing on Monday at 8:30 p.m. along with 250 other couples in a contest. “For nearly 31 hours they didn’t eat, drink, talk or even go to the bathroom. And the whole time, they were standing up”, said Arielle Goldman, who handled public relations for the event. She said a representative of the Guinness Book of World Records was on hang to witness the event, recorded on video. The previous record was 29 hour and 37 minutes, Goldman said. The winning couple received two round-the-world plane tickets and $2,500. (277 words)Which of the following statements is right?
| A．The news report didn’t mention the loss caused by the fire. |
| B．After reading the report we know how the fire broke out. |
| C．The reporter tended to think the bomb had something to do with World War II |
| D．The police refused to admit the bomb had anything to do with World War II. |
The underlined word “toxic” means _____.
| A．poisonous | B．dangerous | C．hot | D．thick |
The Israeli couple kissed for nearly 31 hours_____.
| A．to test their endurance | B．to set a new world record |
| C．to show their special love | D．to prove they are very healthy |
Why did so many couples take part in the contest?
| A．Because it was a good chance to enjoy themselves. |
| B．Because they were poor and wanted to gain the 2,500 dollars. |
| C．Because they wanted to attract people’s attention. |
| D．Because they aimed at the honor and prize. |
Wong Fuk-wing(黄福荣), a Hong Kong volunteer（志愿者）at an orphanage（孤儿院）in Yushu, was killed in the earthquake when he was trying to save others on April 14, 2010.
Wong managed to run safely out of the building with some children when the first quake happened at 7:50 am on April 14, but he went back inside to rescue three other children and three teachers inside, although he knew the danger of aftershocks（余震）.
At 10 am, all the children and one of the teachers were saved. However, Wong was buried under the fallen building and died. The other two teachers were still waiting to be rescued.
46-year-old Wong was a truck driver, who often said he could only give his efforts to charity（慈善）instead of money, as he did not earn a lot. His tragic（悲剧的）end touched the hearts of many people both in Hong Kong and on the mainland.
Wong began volunteering in 2002. In 2003, Wong was told by the doctor he got serious illness, which gave him a great blow. However, the illness did not deter the warm-hearted man. When the earthquake struck Wenchuan is Sichuan Province in 2008, Wong rushed to the disaster area of Shifang to offer his help though his family did not want him to go.
In fact, Qinghai is a place Wong had often visited since 2006. As a volunteer, he gave out medicine and clothing to the orphanage there. No one could expect that Wong would die helping others.
Hong Kong Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen said he had “the highest respect” for the hero who gave his life for others. “What he did has shown the Hong Kong spirit.” The citizens of Hong Kong called him “ the pride of Hong Kong’s people” and people on the mainland have also praised him as “ a true hero”.Wong died in the earthquake .
| A．after he sent medicine and clothing to the orphanage |
| B．when he returned to save the teachers and students |
| C．because he suffered from his serious illness again |
| D．as the first earthquake happened |
The underlined word “ deter” in Para. 5 refers to “ ”.
| A．prevent | B．refuse | C．beat | D．encourage |
What can we know about Wong from the passage?
| A．He never visited Qinghai before 2010. |
| B．He was supported by his family being a volunteer. |
| C．He was thought highly of by the Chinese. |
| D．He was a taxi driver before he died. |
Why are so many people deeply moved by the story of Wong?
| A．He always offered money to the orphanage. | B．He fought against his illness bravely. |
| C．He helped the orphanage though being poor. | D．He put other people’s lives above own. |
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案。
This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers(young people aged from13~19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”This year ________teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.
| A．twenty-three hundred |
| B．thirteen hundred |
| C．over three thousand |
| D．less than two thousand |
The whole exchange programme is mainly to__________.
| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
| B．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| C．let students learn something about other countries |
| D．have teenagers learn new languages |
Fred and Mike agree that__________.
| A．America food tasted better than German food |
| B．German schools were harder than American schools |
| C．Americans and Germans were both friendly |
| D．There were more cars on the streets in America |
What is particular in American schools is that________.
| A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings |
| B．there are a lot of after-school activities |
| C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all |
| D．students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car |
MIANYANG—At a corner of the city’s Jiuzhou Stadium, one of the biggest camps set up for those left homeless in the earthquake, 62-year-old Liu Yaorong was leaning against a window on Thursday.
Pointing to a quilt and clothes he received from the local government, he said: “These are all I have. My home collapsed in the quake, and everything in the town was flooded.”
He used to live in Xuanping town of Beichuan county which was destroyed by the quake. Adding to his misery, rivers blocked by landslides(山崩) led to flooding in the town.
But Liu said he was lucky because he was healthy, otherwise he would not have the energy to walk 10 hours on damaged and dangerous mountainous roads to escape the flood on Monday. He said the trip used to take him about 90 minutes when the roads were in good condition.
The journey was difficult and “rocks kept falling,” he said, showing injured legs and black, split toenails.
Liu said his three sons were working in eastern cities as migrant workers.
“I’ve been living alone in the mountains for more than 20 years. My wife died 30 years ago,” he said in a low voice.
During his journey to Mianyang, Liu said he saw many elderly people who chose to stay.
“Soldiers were persuading them to leave for fear of floods,” he said.
Talking about his home before the quake struck, Liu’s mood lifted. “I raised pigs and chickens, and grew vegetables. I could have rice, meat and greens almost every day,” he said.
“But now, I have only biscuits and instant noodles.”
Liu said one of his sons returned home from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, after the quake, but left because the father refused to go with him.
“I don’t want to leave home. And I know it is difficult for them out there. How could I add to their burden?” he asked, his eyes red.
“I still want to go back to my home. Given a small piece of land, I could live by myself.”
It is learnt that resettlement plans for displaced people have not been finalized.
However, not every elderly person is as strong-willed as Liu.
Psychologists said the elderly need as much comfort as children. Lu Jianguo, a psychologist from Chengdu Medical College, said “We will first let them cry and tell their stories, and then help them regain confidence.”Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Liu Yaorong spent 8.5 hours more than usual covering the roads in escaping the flood. |
| B．The flood was followed by an earthquake in Xuanping in the same day. |
| C．Liu Yaorong was in time to escape the quake without being hurt. |
| D．Being healthy, Liu Yaorong was the only old man to escape the flood. |
The underlined word “ misery ”in the third paragraph most probably means “ ”.
| A．happiness | B．fortune | C．puzzle | D．suffering |
What’s Liu Yaorong’s attitude towards self-relief after the earthquake?
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Aggressive. | D．Dependent. |
What would be the best title for the news report?
| A．Elderly react more quickly to flood disaster |
| B．Elderly try hard to deal with quake disaster |
| C．Elderly prefer to stay at their own home |
| D．Elderly are well cared for by government |
Dogs can be worried and pessimistic just like people, researchers report in a new study in Current Biology. And they aren’t talking about basset hounds (短脚猎狗): those dogs just look as if they expect the worst.
What the scientists say is that dogs that exhibit anxiety when left home alone by their owners may have bigger problems — they may be in a permanent bad mood.
This pessimistic outlook may not otherwise be easily apparent in a dog’s other characteristics, like running speed or learning ability, the study reports.
Dogs are similar to humans in the role that emotional state plays in decision making, said Michael Mendel, a veterinary scientist at the University of Bristol and the study’s lead author. The study’s researchers looked at 24 dogs in shelters in Britain.
They placed the dogs in isolated settings and observed their reactions — many barked, jumped on furniture and scratched at the door.
Then they placed bowls in two rooms. One bowl contained food, while another was empty. After training the dogs to understand that bowls can sometimes be empty, and sometimes full, they began to place bowls in ambiguous locations.
Dogs that quickly raced to the locations were more optimistic, and in search of food. Those that did not were deemed pessimistic.
The more separation anxiety a dog expressed while in isolation, the more likely the dog was to have a pessimistic reaction, the researchers found.
The study carries an important message for dog owners, Dr. Mendel said.
Dogs that express serious anxiety when alone may need treatment, as it could be a sign of unhappiness and instability.This passage can be classified as _________.
| A．an advertisement | B．a feature story |
| C．a news report | D．a book review |
In the study, many dogs barked, jumped and scratched because __________.
| A．they couldn’t find the bowl with food in it |
| B．they were left alone |
| C．they needed to be treated |
| D．they wanted to be active and optimistic |
According to Dr. Mendel, which statement is true?
| A．Like humans, dogs are good at decision making. |
| B．Dog owners should train dogs to find food. |
| C．Emotional state works sometimes when humans make decision. |
| D．Dogs can always find the bowl with food quickly. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Dogs will be optimistic as long as they are left alone. |
| B．Dogs must be in a permanent bad mood when their owners left. |
| C．Dogs that express anxiety don’t need treatment. |
| D．Dogs may easily show their pessimistic outlook in learning ability. |
A new report says sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected. American scientists say the ice is melting even faster than computer programs had estimated.
Scientists know that climate change has a major effect on the Arctic Ocean partly because sea ice is disappearing. They also know that areas of open seawater are expanding. Such areas are known to take in sunlight and increase temperatures. Scientists say this has helped to cause the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover.
For the study, the American scientists compared eighteen computer programs with observations made by satellites and other instruments. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change used the computer programs to prepare its 2007 estimates of climate change.
The computer programs gave estimates of the amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean in the month of September. September is when the Arctic has the least ice, after the warm, summer months. The computer estimates suggested an ice loss of two and a half percent for every ten-year period between 1953 and 2006.
Newer studies of the Arctic have used information gathered by aircraft, satellites and ships. This information showed a loss of September ice cover of almost eight percent for every ten-year period between 1953 and last year. This means the ice is disappearing about thirty years faster than the computer programs estimated.
The scientists say the programs might not have recognized the full effect of increased carbon dioxide and other gases in Earth’s atmosphere. They say their study suggests the gases may have more of an effect than had been thought.It is reported that sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected mainly because _________.
| A．climate change | B．sea ice’s disappearance |
| C．seawater’s expansion | D．the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover |
How did the scientists draw the conclusion that sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected?
| A．The scientists have been observing the Arctic Ocean for many years. |
| B．The scientists have compared the computer programs with observation made by satellites and other instruments. |
| C．The scientists have figured out many numbers with the help of computer. |
| D．The scientists have found that the seawater take in sunlight and increase temperatures. |
If the ice melts at the present speed, by the end of this century the ice loss in the Arctic Ocean will be _________ according to newer studies.
| A．22.5% | B．35% | C．72% | D．100% |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The figures of the computer estimates are wrong. |
| B．Scientists study climate change through studying sea level. |
| C．Newer studies show gases may have more effect on sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. |
| D．The ice is melting even faster than satellites have estimated. |
This report mainly warns human to _________.
| A．prevent the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean from melting any more |
| B．pay more attention to the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover |
| C．take necessary steps to protect the environment of our earth |
| D．stop summer sea ice in the Arctic from disappearing so fast |
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