高中英语新闻报道阅读阅读理解

Bus crash kills four Taiwanese, injures 15
(People’s Daily Online)
14:38, August 16, 2011
A tourist bus crashed on the highway in Jilin province leaving four Taiwanese tourists dead at the scene and 15 injured.
According to the Jilin Publicity Department, the bus overturned after colliding with a car on the Hunchun-Ulanhot expressway in Jilin province around 440 kilometers away from Changchun. Four Taiwanese tourists were killed instantly, including one man and three women, and of the 15 injured, 14 were Taiwanese tourists.
The tour leader provided a list of the dead: The three women killed were Lv Huiyu, 42; Zhao Zhuo, 62; Liao Xiuyun, 42, and the man was Wang Mingwei, 24. Moreover, the injured tourists were mostly elderly. The oldest injured tourist is around 80 years old and the youngest victim was about 50 years old. Five of them were hurt seriously, but their injuries are not life threatening.
According to the local public security bureau, the bus had a capacity(载客量) of 39 people and carried a real load of 21 people. It belongs to the Heilongjiang Juntai Transport Co., Ltd.
The departments of public security, fire control, the Taiwan Affairs Office have actively operated scene rescue, accident investigation and follow-up care for victims after the tragedy(悲剧). The Jilin provincial party committee secretary Sun Zhengcai issued instructions immediately requiring proper handling of the aftermath and genuine care in helping the victims. The vice-governor Chen Weigen visited the injured in the First Hospital of Jilin University.
The responsible person of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office is heading for Changchun.
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．All the people injured on the bus were Taiwanese tourists.

B．The accident happened on the expressway near Changchun.

C．Most of the injured were elderly.

D．Most of the injured were seriously hurt and several of them were dying.

Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined word “colliding” in the passage?

A．碰撞；相撞	B．拐弯
C．翻转	D．坠毁

What is the writer’s attitude in writing this passage?

A．Sad.	B．Objective.
C．Disappointed	D．Doubtful.

The slavery drama “12 Years a Slave” won the Academy Award for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first movie from a black director to win the film industry’s highest honor in 86 years of the Oscars. British director Steve McQueen’s brave portrayal of pre-Civil War American slavery won two other Oscars, including best supporting actress for newcomer Lupita Nyong’o and best adapted screenplay based on the memoir of Solomon Northup, a free man tricked and sold into slavery in Louisiana. “Everyone deserves not just to survive but to live. This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup,” said McQueen in his acceptance speech.
“12 Years a Slave” was better over space thriller “Gravity” from Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, which nevertheless got the most Oscars of the night with seven, including the best director honor for Cuaron, a first for a Latin American director.The film starring Sandra Bullock as an astronaut lost in space swept the technical awards like visual effects and cinematography, a reward for its groundbreaking work on conveying space and weightlessness. Referring to the “transformative” experience he and others undertook in the four-plus years spent making “Gravity”, Cuaron, whose hair is graying, said, “For a lot of these people, that transformation was wisdom. For me, it was just the color of my hair.”
In one of the strongest years for film in recent memory, the 6,000-plus voters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scattered golden Oscar statuettes among the many acclaimed movies in contention.
It was a good night for the scrappy, low-budget film “Dallas Buyers Club”, directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, a biopic of an early AIDS activist two decades in the making that won three Oscars, including the two male acting awards.
Matthew McConaughey, in a validation of a remarkable career turnaround, won best actor for his portrayal of the homophobe who turned AIDS victim and then turned treatment crusader Ron Woodroof, a role for which he lost 50 pounds (23 kg). His co-star, Jared Leto, won best supporting actor for his role as Woodroof’s unlikely business partner, the transgender woman Rayon, for which he also slimmed down drastically.
Australia’s Cate Blanchett won the best actress Oscar for her acclaimed role as the socialite unhinged by her husband’s financial crimes in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.” “As random and subjective as this award is, it means a great deal in a year of, yet again, extraordinary performances by women,” said Blanchett, who beat out previous Oscar winners Bullock, Amy Adams, Judi Dench and Meryl Streep.
The film which won the largest number of Oscar awards this year is ______.

A．12 Years a Slave	B．Gravity
C．Dallas Buyers Club	D．Blue Jasmine

Which director spent the least money in making the film?

A．Steve McQueen.	B．Alfonso Cuaron.
C．Jean-Marc Vallee.	D．Woody Allen.

How many Oscar best actresses are mentioned in this passage?

A．One.

B．Three.

C．Five.

D．Six.

Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．“12 Years a Slave” won two Oscar awards altogether.

B．The director of “Gravity” is from Latin America.

C．The character Rayon is played by Jared Leto.

D．The woman film star Cate Blanchett comes from Oceania.

The slavery drama “12 Years a Slave” won the Academy Award for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first movie from a black director to win the film industry’s highest honor in 86 years of the Oscars. British director Steve McQueen’s brave portrayal of pre-Civil War American slavery won two other Oscars, including best supporting actress for newcomer Lupita Nyong’o and best adapted screenplay based on the memoir of Solomon Northup, a free man tricked and sold into slavery in Louisiana. “Everyone deserves not just to survive but to live. This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup,” said McQueen in his acceptance speech.
“12 Years a Slave” was better over space thriller “Gravity” from Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, which nevertheless got the most Oscars of the night with seven, including the best director honor for Cuaron, a first for a Latin American director.The film starring Sandra Bullock as an astronaut lost in space swept the technical awards like visual effects and cinematography, a reward for its groundbreaking work on conveying space and weightlessness. Referring to the “transformative” experience he and others undertook in the four-plus years spent making “Gravity”, Cuaron, whose hair is graying, said, “For a lot of these people, that transformation was wisdom. For me, it was just the color of my hair.”
In one of the strongest years for film in recent memory, the 6,000-plus voters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scattered golden Oscar statuettes among the many acclaimed movies in contention.
It was a good night for the scrappy, low-budget film “Dallas Buyers Club”, directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, a biopic of an early AIDS activist two decades in the making that won three Oscars, including the two male acting awards.
Matthew McConaughey, in a validation of a remarkable career turnaround, won best actor for his portrayal of the homophobe who turned AIDS victim and then turned treatment crusader Ron Woodroof, a role for which he lost 50 pounds (23 kg). His co-star, Jared Leto, won best supporting actor for his role as Woodroof’s unlikely business partner, the transgender woman Rayon, for which he also slimmed down drastically.
Australia’s Cate Blanchett won the best actress Oscar for her acclaimed role as the socialite unhinged by her husband’s financial crimes in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.” “As random and subjective as this award is, it means a great deal in a year of, yet again, extraordinary performances by women,” said Blanchett, who beat out previous Oscar winners Bullock, Amy Adams, Judi Dench and Meryl Streep.
The film which won the largest number of Oscar awards this year is ______.

A．12 Years a Slave	B．Gravity
C．Dallas Buyers Club	D．Blue Jasmine

Which director spent the least money in making the film?

A．Steve McQueen.	B．Alfonso Cuaron.
C．Jean-Marc Vallee.	D．Woody Allen.

How many Oscar best actresses are mentioned in this passage?

A．One.

B．Three.

C．Five.

D．Six.

Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．“12 Years a Slave” won two Oscar awards altogether.

B．The director of “Gravity” is from Latin America.

C．The character Rayon is played by Jared Leto.

D．The woman film star Cate Blanchett comes from Oceania.

When Mary Barra took the wheel at General Motors in January she inherited a company in good shape. Five years after bankruptcy(破产), its profits were beyond expectations and its share price was rising. But the new boss's to-do list was long: fixing GM's loss-making European arm, keeping up momentum(势头) in China amid signs of a slowdown and giving new life to the product line. The former CEO, Dan Akerson, warned her that she would also face unexpected challenges. The first has arrived sooner than she might have expected.
What appeared to be a routine recall(召回) of about 800,000 older models, linked to a faulty ignition(点火) switch, has turned out to be anything but. The number of cars recalled has leapt to more than 2.6 million. The company's clumsy handling of a safety problem that first became apparent a decade ago is now linked to the deaths of at least 13 motorists.
Called before Congress to answer for GM's failings Ms Barra said she was “deeply sorry” but insisted that the post-bankruptcy “new GM” was not like the “old GM”, which had failed to deal with the ignition switches for years. Politicians and the public alike want to know how such a problem could have remained unaddressed for so long.
Cars are becoming ever more complex machines, with thousands of mechanical and electronic parts. Last year it happened to 22 million vehicles in America, compared with 18 million in 2012. In fact, GM was one of only three brands that recalled fewer vehicles than it sold. Minor problems, like squeaks(吱吱响) or rattles(卡嗒响), that do not affect safety are more common still. They may be fixed at a routine service; the owner may never know. The growing number of recalls is proof to an improving system for picking up faults.
But it is very complicated. Dealers must record replacements of parts under warranty(保修). The carmaker needs to spot the trend, recognize it as a problem and then determine whether or not it is a design fault that requires an extensive replacement. It relies on accurate recording of every warranty replacement in every region. This system appears to have broken down at “old GM”. Ms Barra needs to find out why.
The core problem is a widely used ignition switch that has a tendency to slip from the “on” position to “off” if a driver uses a heavy key-chain or bounces down a rough road. An improvement was made in 2008 to prevent the problem, which can lead to the engine shutting off, disabling the airbags. But despite a growing list of crashes and deaths, GM failed to order a recall for a component that would have cost a few dollars at most.
This is odd. Most carmakers want to identify and fix problems speedily despite having to bear the cost of buying and fitting a new component. A small part can do great harm, if bad publicity leads to reputational collapse, lost sales and law suits, including heavy penalties. Appearing to put profits before safety is an invitation to battering a firm's shares, as GM has discovered.
So far Ms Barra has handled the situation well. She seems to have acted as soon as she found out something was wrong. GM has appointed a worldwide safety president to cut through the process that may have delayed investigation and action. And in a sweeping housecleaning, GM has recalled another 2 million vehicles in America alone. GM looks set to accept moral, if not legal, responsibility. The terms of its exit from bankruptcy give immunity to lawsuits for injuries arising beforehand. But GM is likely to compensate survivors’ and victims' families anyway.
It is not yet clear how much of a hammering GM will take. But hours before Ms Barra's meeting with Congress, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued a greatly desired “Top Safety Pick” for the new Chevrolet Malibu, one of a growing number of well-received cars from GM.
When Mary Barra took office, there was plenty more room for GM's improvement in that ________.
a. the development of Chinese market appears to be slowing down
b. former bosses have failed to fix GM's loss-making European arm
c. some car models lack appeal in the market
d. Mr. Akerson has left some challenges for her to handle
e. GM’s management teams are made up mainly of men

A． a, b, and e

B． b, c, and d

C． a, b, and c

D．a, c and d

What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A．Problems like squeaks or rattles are frequent reasons for recalls.

B．Recalls are not uncommon in the auto industry.

C．Car companies welcome recalls to demonstrate improved products and services.

D．Minor problems may be fixed at a routine service without the owners’ knowledge.

Mary Barra has carried out the following strategies to manage the crisis and quiet the critics EXCEPT that ________.

A．as soon as she learned about the problem, she acted without hesitation

B．she faced facts and apologized sincerely

C．she took the legal responsibilities for their previous mistakes

D．she appointed a new president for global safety for GM

What does the underlined word “battering” in paragraph7 probably mean?

A．Benefiting.

B．Regulating.

C．Purchasing.

D．Damaging.

What can we infer from GM's new Malibu being awarded “Top Safety Pick”?

A．GM's new model Malibu is specially designed to solve ignition problems.

B．GM products are gaining more and more popularity around the world.

C．GM seems to be on the road to saving itself from mistakes.

D．GM has worked out a solution to the broken-down recall system.

MONTAGNE: In the summer of 2011, the world first heard of a small island in Norway under the most terrible of circumstances. Utoya Island was a youth camp run by Norway's Labor Party. One day in July, a heavily armed, right-wing extremist stepped onto the island and began shooting at random. Sixty-nine people died, over 100 were wounded; almost all, young people. This month, artist Jonas Dahlberg was appointed to create a memorial. He described to us the experience he imagines for those who come to the island.
DAHLBERG: You start your walk through a forest of evergreens on a wooden pathway. After a while, this pathway starts to go down into the landscape.
MONTAGNE: Down into the landscape, and into a short tunnel. When you come out, you are unable to go any farther. You can't get to the tip of the island because it has been cut off. So all you can do is look across a narrow channel of water at what is now a wall of polished stone, carved with the names of the dead.
DAHLBERG: It becomes almost like a gravestone. You cannot reach it. It's close enough to be able to read, but it's forever lost for your possibility to reach.
MONTAGNE: It's being called a memory wound. Exactly what do you mean by that?
DAHLBERG: During my first site visit, the experience of seeing those gunshots—and you can see it was like being in an open wound. And it took me to a stage of deep sadness where it was hard to breathe. So I didn't want to illustrate loss; I wanted to make actual loss. It's just a cut through the island.
MONTAGNE: On the day of the massacre, just hours before launching his shooting on the island, the killer set off a bomb in downtown Oslo, leaving eight people dead. As those events were unfolding, artist Jonas Dahlberg had been out with his brother, and stopped in at a seaside village.
DAHLBERG: In the harbor, it was silent, and this is the higher end of summer. So, it's normally a very lively place. And it was total silence there; and it was a very, very strange feeling in the whole small village. And it's totally impossible to grasp what is going on. And then it just kept on. It's still almost impossible to understand it. It's also one of the reasons why it's so important with memorials for these kind of things. It's to maybe help a little bit to understand what was happening. So it's not just about remembering. It's also about trying to just understand.
MONTAGNE: Artist Jonas Dahlberg designed the memorial for the 69 who died at a youth camp on Utoya Island. The attack was the deadliest in Norway since World War II. That memorial will open in 2015. And to see a virtual version of what it will look like, go to our website, at npr.org. This is Renee Montagne at NPR news.
Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Utoya Island was the only bloody shooting spot planned by the killer.

B．Utoya Island used to be a youth camp site and now has been reduced to total silence.

C．Dahlberg and his brother witnessed the shooting on Utoya Island.

D．Visitors to Utoya Island can touch the names of the victims carved on the polished stone.

By the underlined phrase “a memory wound”, Dahlberg means all the following EXCEPT that ________.

A．the artist plans to slice through the end of an island to make actual loss

B．memorials are supposed to be not only about remembering but helping people to understand what was happening

C．this memorial shows the gunshots vividly to the visitors for them to understand what was happening

D．the space between is meant to symbolize how those who were killed are gone but are not forgotten

Which of the following pictures shows the design of the memorial?

A．	B．
C．	D．

In the early hours of March 8, a Boeing 777 took off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Its destination was Beijing. But for unknown reasons, it never arrived there.
There were 239 people on the Malaysia Airlines flight, including 154 Chinese. As of March 13, 12 different countries, including Malaysia, China, Vietnam and the US, were searching for the plane.
The disappearance is an “aviation (航空) mystery”, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, the head of Malaysia’s Civil Aviation Authority, said on March 10.There was no clear sign of a crash by March 13.
Between 1-2 hours after takeoff, the plane suddenly lost contact with people on the ground. The weather was clear, and the pilots didn’t make any calls . No evidence was found in the area where the flight last made contact. People are also talking about a possible hijacking (劫机).
International police agency Interpol confirmed on March 9 that at least two passengers on the flight had used stolen passports to get on board. “We are looking at all possibilities,” said Malaysian Transport Minister Hishamuddin Hussein. The incident is now being called simply a “plane disappearance”.
So, what are some possible causes of a plane disappearance? An AP story provided a summary.
1. A failure of the plane’s body or its engines. However, even if both engines stopped working, the plane could still glide (滑翔) for up to 20 minutes, giving pilots time to make an emergency call.
2. Bad weather. Planes are designed to fly through most severe storms. However, in June 2009, an Air France flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed during a bad storm over the Atlantic Ocean.
3. A bomb. Throughout history, several planes have been brought down by bombs.
4. An accidental shoot-down by some country’s military. In July 1988, the US Navy accidentally shot down an Iran Air flight. In September 1983, a Korean Air Lines flight was shot down by a Russian fighter jet.
No matter how unlikely a situation, it’s too early to determine what really happened to MH370. It could take months, if not years, to rule out any possibilities, say experts..
How many cities are mentioned in this passage?

A．Four cities.

B．five cities.

C．Six cities.

D．Seven cities.

What could the underlined phrase “rule out” in the last paragraph mean?

A．cross out

B．get rid of

C．take out

D．take the place of

What could be the best title of the passage?

A．An Air Crash	B．The Causes of the Disappearance
C．The Disappearance of MH 370	D．An Aviation Mystery

Here is some news of the future.
March 20. 2035
There was a lot of news around the life extension drugs that hit the market a decade ago. They didn't promise that you would live forever. but they gave you a chance to extend your life an extra five to ten years. Even though the life expectancy rate at birth has increased greatly. the life expectancy for seniors hasn't improved that much. Basically. you have a greater chance to become a senior, but you will not have a much longer lifespan, and this is where the anti-aging drugs intend to kick in. So ,do the anti-aging drugs work? Well.  it is too early to tell. But the sales so far are very good.
April 19, 2035
Of the total US population of 378 million, people over 65 years of age now make up 20% for the first time. The senior ratio was only 4.1% by year 1900. and l2.4% 30 years ago.
The number of people above 65 compared to those of what is considered working ages. between 15 and 64. is currently 33.7%. This is up from l85% since year 2005. which means that for every retired person there are now two workers. compared to four workers 30 years ago. The number of people above the age of 80 has grown t0 23.8 million; making them 6.3% of the total population compared t0 3.6% in 2005.
April 12. 2040
Although introduced in the market only five years ago, 10% of all hydrogen fuel now sold in the US is of the environmentally friendly Re-Hydro label, produced through. eletrolysis  (电解) based on a source of 1OO% renewable energy. Several producers have turned to producing Re-Hydro. mainly because of lower tax. which also keeps the price of. Re-Hydro on the same level as regular  hydrogen. Most analysts believe that Re-Hydro will be the .dominating fuel in the future
The sales of the life extension drugs so far clearly show that         .
A. people have no faith in them        
B people want to give them a try
C. they work very well for seniors      
D. they have no effect on people's health
What can we learn from News 2?

A．Many Americans will find it hard to find a job .

B．It's very hard for seniors to pass the age of 80.

C．The US population has been increasing rapidly since 2005.

D．The US population has been aging rapidly since 2005.

We can know from the passage that the fuel of the Re-Hydro label is______.
A. expensive           B cheap            C.green           D. dangerous
What can we infer from News 3?

A．Re-Hydro will be widely used in the future.

B．The government discourages the production of Re-Hydro.

C．Producers are not interested in producing Re-Hydro.

D．Re-Hydro is more expensive than regular hydrogen.

Mainland couples who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined for breaking the family planning policy，a senior official has warned．
As more women flock to Hong Kong to give birth to their second child，Zhang Feng，family planning department director of Guangdong Province，stressed that this violated China's policies．“And those who are government employees will even be dismissed from their posts．”he said．
“ It doesn’t matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland or in other countries and regions, they have violated the country’s policies and the province’s regulations”.
He said that some families had been punished in the past few months after having a second child in Hong Kong, but gave no details.
Zhang made his remarks when a Hong Kong newspaper carried a controversial ( 有争议的 ) notice claiming residents’ medical services had been affected by the growing number of mainland women who arrive in the city to give birth and gain fight of abode ( 居住) there.
According to statistics revealed by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government，about 88，000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010，but more than 41，000 or 47 percent，were to mainland couples，including a large number from Guangdong．
Hong Kong has limited the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in the city at 34，000 this year．
The issue also has caused calls for an amendment（修正）to Hong Kong's Basic Law so that babies born to mainland women are no longer granted permanent fight of abode．
“I support Hong Kong government's decision to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong．”Zhang said．
China introduced its family planning policy in 1979 to limit births in the world's most populous nation，although the rules have been relaxed in recent years．
Which of the following is true?

A．Those who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined．

B．Many government employees have been dismissed from their posts．

C．Zhang Feng is family planning department director of Guangdong Province．

D．It doesn't matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland．

What does the word “violated” mean in the second paragraph?

A．went against

B．was obeyed

C．was for

D．was dismissed

Zhang Feng said that           .

A．few families had been punished after having a second child in China

B．about 88，000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010

C．the residents' medical services in Hong Kong had been affected

D．he agreed to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong

From the passage we can infer       .

A．in 2010 most of the babies born in Hong Kong belonged to mainland couples

B．the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in Hong Kong has been reduced

C．babies born to mainland women in Hong Kong can't get permanent right of abode now

D．the family planning policy in China is as strict as before

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

Twenty-three-year old Rio Safiyanto sells face masks, or coverings, for about 30 cents each in central Jakarta, Indonesia. He makes enough money to buy a cell phone that permits him to visit websites. He says every average person has a cellphone. He likes having one because he can talk to his family when he is away from home. And, he is especially pleased that he can use it to listen to music. It is known as a feature phone 。That is because it is cheaper and cannot perform as many actions as more advanced phones like the Apple iPhone.
These devices make up the majority of cell phones sold around the world. They have proven more successful in places like Indonesia, where some smartphones cost 700 dollars or more. Although many lower-income users are new to smartphones, they are quickly learning to use the technology.
Cell manufacturer Nokia offers a service called Life Tools. For a small monthly payment, the company sends text messages to farmers. The messages tell of weather conditions, crop prices, agricultural news and give other advice.
Local businessman Aldi Haryopratomo has developed a way for small store owners to sell things like prepaid cellphone minutes and life insurance through text messages. Ruma is the company that developed the technology. The company is working on a system that will notify people about jobs in their area.
At a recent digital technology show in Jakarta, banks offered no-interest financing for credit card purchases. Marina Luthfiani manages a mobile shop in the area. She said almost everyone can buy a smartphone because of competitive financing and credit choices. She says Indonesians like to buy the latest devices.
A report last June by Semiocast, a French internet research company, said Jakarta was the world's top tweeting（发微博）city, ahead of Tokyo and London.
Why are feature phones popular in Indonesia?

A．It has fewer functions.

B．It can be used to enjoy music.

C．It is less expensive.

D．It is more attractive.

What is true of the service Life Tools?

A．It can sell agricultural products

B．It provides useful information to farmers

C．It is free of charge mainly for farmers.

D．It helps farmers to make production plan.

What does the underlined word “notify’ in Paragraph 4 mean?

A． Inform

B．Ask

C．Direct.

D．Help.

What is the main idea of the text?

A．Indonesians like services on the Internet

B．The Internet is widely used in Indonesia.

C．Feature phones are the only choices in Indonesia.

D．More and more Indonesians use smartphones.

(NEW YORK) A French tourist highly praised for rescuing a two-year-old girl in Manhattan said he didn’t think twice before diving into the freezing East River.
Tuesday’s Daily News said 29-year-old Julien Duret from France was the man who left the spot quickly after the rescue last Saturday.
He lifted the little girl out of the water after she fell off the bank at the South Street Seaport museum. He handed the girl to her father, David Anderson, who had dived in after him.
“I didn’t think at all,” Duret told the Daily News. “It happened very fast. I reacted very fast.”
Duret, an engineer on vacation, was walking with his girlfriend along the pier(码头) when he saw something falling into the water. He thought it was a doll, but realized it was a child when he approached the river. Immediately, he took off his coat and jumped into the water.
When he reached the girl, she appeared lifeless, he said. Fortunately, when she was out of the water, she opened her eyes.
Anderson said his daughter slipped off the bank when he was adjusting his camera. An ambulance came later for her, said Duret, who was handed dry clothes from onlookers. Duret caught a taxi with his girlfriend shortly after.
The rescue happened on the day before he left for France. Duret said he didn’t realize his story of heroism had greatly moved New York until he was leaving the city the next morning.
“I don’t really think I’m a hero,” said Duret. “Anyone would do the same thing.”
Why was Duret in New York?

A．To meet his girlfriend.	B．To spend his holiday.
C．To work as an engineer.	D．To visit the Andersons.

What did Duret do shortly after the ambulance came?

A．He was interviewed by a newspaper.

B．He went to the hospital in the ambulance.

C．He disappeared from the spot quickly.

D．He asked his girlfriend for his dry clothes.

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Duret thought twice before he jumped into the cold water.

B．Duret dived into the water before the girl’s father.

C．The rescue happened on the day Duret left for France.

D．Duret didn’t think he was brave enough to be a hero.

What is probably the headline of this news report?

A．A Careless Father	B．A Poor Girl
C．Warm-hearted Onlookers	D．Brave Frenchman Found

Dozens of scientists and tourists who spent over a week aboard a vessel trapped in Antarctic ice were rescued Thursday in an international effort that followed multiple attempts thwarted by the region's harsh climate.
The 52 were safely rescued by a transport helicopter from a Chinese icebreaker that landed on a makeshift helipad of ice near their stricken Russian research vessel. In multiple flights, it transferred about 12 at a time to an Australian vessel, where they will begin their journeys home, said authorities involved in the operation.
'Great relief!' scientific expedition leader Chris Turney said in a Twitter TWTR +6.05% message.
The airlift operation was confirmed by China's official Xinhua news agency, which has a reporter aboard the Chinese icebreaker, the Xue Long, or Snow Dragon. A statement from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, in charge of coordinating the operation, indicated passengers were safely transferred by early evening to the Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis.
Trapped in a particularly thick ice floe just before Christmas on its way toward Antarctica, the Russian research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy remains immobile. Its 22-member crew is staying aboard. While the passengers weren't in imminent danger, they expressed frustration as holidays passed but also maintained their spirits, including by stamping out the makeshift helipad with their feet on New Year's Day.
Thursday's rescue marked only the latest attempt to get close to the blue-hulled Russian vessel since it first called for help on Christmas Day. Over the past few days, ice-breaking vessels from China, Australia and France have made separate unsuccessful bids to cut through thick layers of ice to reach it.
After the rescue got under way Thursday afternoon under bright blue skies, video footage showed the twin-blade helicopter touching down gingerly on the makeshift helipad. Passengers wearing identical red life jackets walked in single file on the ice toward the helicopter.
Just hours before Thursday's rescue, Australian maritime authorities had announced natural conditions would cause them to abandon the mission yet again. Illustrating the caution, China's State Oceanic Administration, which runs the Xue Long, posted a statement on its website quoting its captain, Wang Jianzhong, as saying he was working continuously to ensure the icebreaker itself wouldn't get trapped in the thick ice.
In outlining the plan ahead of the flights, authorities said Chinese rescuers would fly 12 passengers at a time initially to the Xue Long, which was waiting 12 nautical miles away from the Russian craft in more open water, and then the Aurora Australis, waiting a further two nautical miles away.
Mr. Turney, a professor of climate change at the University of New South Wales, offered in his Twitter messages a 'huge thanks' to the Chinese and Australian authorities for ensuring all are 'safe and sound.'
The incident has highlighted the dangers of Antarctic travel even during the southern-summer months. Usually at this time of year, international attention on the frozen continent is typically limited to clashes between Japan's research whaling fleet and antiwhaling activists.
'All the world is making a fuss,' some passengers sang in an impromptu New Year's message recorded at a party in a common room on board the Russian ship by a journalist from Britain's Guardian newspaper. The group cheered and clapped to count down the last moments of 2013. Both passengers and crew have spent their time tweeting messages and videos of their experience.
What does the underlined word thwarted mean in the first paragraph？

A．prevent someone from doing sth	B．try one’s best to do sth
C．frighten by something	D．destroy

According to the passage， the vessel trapped trapped in a thick ice is__________.

A．an Australian vessel	B．a Russian vessel
C．a China vessel	D．a Franch vessel

How many crew memembers were trapped in the vessel?

A．22

B．12

C．52

D．24

According to the passage，which of the following statements is true?

A．Because of the thick ice, the vessel rescue attempts failed several times.

B．the Chinese icebreaker, Snow Dragon, transported the people trapped in the vessel home.

C．The 52 were safely rescued by a transport helicopter from a Chinese icebreaker at a time.

D．The Antarctic travel is dangerous even during the southern-summer months.

Where does this text probably come from ?

A．Children’s literature	B．Science fiction
C．An advertisement	D．A news report

A new study finds that more than 13 million deaths could be prevented in China over the next 40 years if the country had stronger anti-smoking measures. But the study's authors say China has not taken many steps to control the use of tobacco. The study was published in the British Medical Journal.
China signed the World Health Organization's international treaty on tobacco control in 2003. But it has not put in place many of the WHO ideas to help people stop smoking. Experts say following these ideas could cut smoking by 40 percent before the year 2050. Without stronger anti-smoking measures, there could be 50 million tobacco-related deaths in the country over that time.The authors of the study used a computer program called "SimSmoke" to make their predictions.
David Levy works at Georgetown University's Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, DC. He says China has one third of the world's cigarette smokers. More than half of the men in China smoke. Mr. Levy says people often begin smoking without knowing it will harm their health. He says people in some countries smoke because it makes them feel important.
"Smoking, you know, once it gets established and in many of the low- and middle income countries, you know there's a kind of a prestige initially to smoking."
The WHO plan calls for a ban on smoking in all public places. It also calls for countries to place health warnings on cigarette containers and offer programs to help people stop smoking. And, it says, there should be high taxes on tobacco.
Experts say a 75 percent increase in cigarette taxes could save about 3.5 million lives. They say an end to cigarette advertising could save two million lives. After signing the WHO agreement, China placed a 12 percent tax on cigarettes. But the government did not force Chinese smokers to pay the tax.
One of the authors of the new study is Teh-we Hu. He is a professor of public policy economics at the University of California Berkeley. Professor Hu says China's culture and society are changing. He says President Hu Jintao supports a ban on smoking in public. The president also wants people to stop giving cigarettes as gifts to officials and employers. Mr. Hu says the most effective anti-smoking measure in China would be a large increase in the cigarette tax. But he does not expect that to happen soon.
To prevent people from smoking，which is wrong about the WHO plan？

A．The WHO plan calls for a ban on smoking in all public places.

B．The WHO plan calls for countries to place health warnings on cigarette containers.

C．The WHO plan calls for offering programs to help people stop smoking.

D．The WHO plan calls for there should be low taxes on tobacco.

If China has stronger anti-smoking measures, about ________ lives could be saved over the next 40 years.

A．3.5 million

B．more than 13 million

C．50 million

D．40 million

What does the underlined phrase “put in place” mean in Chinese?

A．carry out

B．put something in the correct place

C．stop

D．begin

According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．After signing the WHO agreement, China placed a 75 percent tax on cigarettes.

B．Experts say a 12 percent increase in cigarette taxes could save about 3.5 million lives.

C．Experts say using stronger anti-smoking measures could cut smoking by 40 percent before the year 2050.

D．After signing the WHO agreement, China has taken many steps to control the use of tobacco.

The city of Taipei, Taiwan is offering its 2.6 million people a fast, low-cost way to travel around the city. City officials have launched a bicycle rental program called YouBike. Many Taiwanese are now using bicycles to go to work and other places. But the growing popularity of the program has led to new traffic problems.
Five years ago, motor scooters competed with taxis and buses for space on Taipei's narrow streets. Then the city supported a plan to start loaning bicycles to people who pay for their temporary use. Taipei followed the examples of places like Kyoto, Japan; the Chinese city of Hangzhou; and Daejeon in South Korea.
Since then, Taipei has loaned bicycles 11 million times, mostly during the past year. Bikers do not pay for the first half-hour of use. Each 30 minutes after that costs less than half of an American dollar.
Hsu Tsai-tung is a 37-year-old office worker. She rides a rented bicycle to parks, a university and her workplace.
She says one good thing about renting is that the first 30 minutes are free. And, she says biking is good because she does not move around much in her office job during the day. Waiting for a bus would mean spending time, which she saves by riding a bike. She calls biking a natural choice.
Ms. Hsu is not alone. Using the one-speed bicycles works well for many Taiwanese. The bikes can be left at any of more than 100 rental stations. The vehicles could also ease air pollution, which is a health problem in many Asian cities.
In China, for example, the city of Shanghai reported record pollution levels in December. The levels were nearly 20 times above the level considered safe by the World Health Organization.
Shen Shu-hung is with Taiwan's Environmental Protection Agency. He wants to know whether bikes have reduced Taipei's pollution. Bad air has been found to endanger commuters and people living on low building floors.
Mr. Shen says Taiwan is studying whether the rental program has reduced air pollution. He is not discussing its effectiveness at present, in case the study finds that bike renters walked or rode public transportation in the past.
And, it appears that the 5,350 bikes on the streets of Taipei today have begun to cause new problems for city traffic. People who bike through the streets have to worry about cars making illegal sudden stops and fast right turns.
Some bikers have stopped riding on the streets and started riding their bikes on sidewalks. But this has angered or frightened many walkers.
Huang Huang-chia works at the Taipei Department of Transportation. He says no one single kind of incident has happened repeatedly. But he says riders need to be better educated.
He says the city's way of dealing with such incidents will be to educate people about every kind of bicycle safety needed in Taipei.
Taipei plans to complete its program with a total of 162 rental stations by the end of this year.
The following cities applied a plan to start loaning bikes to people EXCEPT________.

A．Taipei

B．Kyoto

C．Daejeon

D．Shanghai

According to the passage，we know that__________.

A．If you borrow a bike less than 30 minutes, you needn’t pay for it.

B．Each day costs less than half of an American dollar.

C．Taipei has a total of 162 rental stations or so now.

D．You must return your bike where you borrowed it.

Which of the following problems is caused by bicycle riders?

A．Waiting for a bus would mean spending time.

B．The rental program has reduced air pollution.

C．Some bikers have started riding their bikes on sidewalks.

D．Bad air has been found to endanger commuters

What is the main idea of the passage？

A．Bicycles riding can reduce air pollution.

B．Bicycles solve some problems in Taipei but create others.

C．Rental stations appears in Taipei.

D．City officials have launched a bicycle rental program.

Where does this text probably come from ?

A．A news report	B．Science fiction
C．An advertisement	D．A health report

California Prisoners Fight Fires
The western state of California is known for wildfires. This year the fire season has been extremely active. California has some of the most experienced firefighters in the country because of its high risk of fire. Prisoners in California also take part in firefighting efforts. Mario Ritter tells us how and why.
Every morning prisoners in orange clothing go to their jobs as fire fighters. If there is no fire at the time, they carefully clean all the tools needed to make firebreaks. Firebreaks are barriers made of grass or land that slow or stop the spread of fire.
In California, prisoners who have no history of violent crime and are in good physical condition may train and work as firefighters. They may get their prison sentences reduced in exchange for their help fighting fires. But that is not the only appeal of the work program, says Louie Orozco, who was sentenced to prison for robbery.
"It's pretty exciting. It's an adrenaline rush, it's fun at the same time. You're expected to go out there and fight fires. Climb thousands of feet up hills, rocky terrain, and sometimes sandy terrain, with tools you got anywhere between30 and 50 pounds of gear on your back."
Prisoners in California have been working as firefighters for more than 60 years. They also serve the community in other ways, says Captain Mike Mahler of the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
"Our crews are used during floods, search and rescue operations. They put in about 2.5 million hours a year just in emergency response alone."
More than 4, 000 California prisoners work as firefighters. California is not the only state that uses prisoners this way. But, the state's program is seen as a national model.
The prisoners often work side-by-side with professional firefighters. Captain Kevin Krauss has been supervising prisoner firefighters for seven years.
"I treat them like firefighters. I demand they act like firefighters and I tell them if they want to be heroes, they can be out here, if they want to be zeroes they can go back and they can be incarcerated inside. It's their choice."
Captain Krauss says most of them choose to stay with the difficult and often dangerous job, instead of spending their days behind prison walls.
"They get baptized by the devil out on the line. It's hot, it's dry, it’s physically demanding. (There is) Sleep deprivation."
The prisoners receive a small wage. The program began as a way to reduce the cost of fighting fires. Now, however, the program helps rehabilitate prisoners, providing them with skills helpful in ways beyond firefighting.
Louie Orozco says this experience has helped him believe in himself.
"Mentally I see that I can do things I never thought possible. Climbing thousands and thousands of feet up a mountain with gear on your back."
The prisoner firefighter will turn 40 this year. He will be released from prison in six months. He says he is too old to keep fighting fires. But Mr. Orozco also has some graphic design skills he learned from another prison program. He plans to use that skill to start a new life.
And he will know that after fighting wildfires, he can face any problems that might come with life after prison.
What does the underlined word mean in the second paragraph？

A．灭火器

B．防火障

C．消防员

D．消火栓

In California, what kind of prisoners can be trained as firefighters？

A．prisoners who have history of violent crime and are in good physical condition.

B．prisoners who have no history of violent crime and are strong.

C．prisoners who was sentenced to prison for robbery and are not in good physical condition..

D．prisoners whose prison sentences reduced and who are in good physical condition.

According to the passage , we know about Louie Orozco EXCEPT__________.

A．Louie Orozco was sentenced to prison for robbery.

B．He has been released from prison for six months.

C．He will turn 40 this year.

D．He is too old to keep fighting fires.

From the passage，we can infer from the passage that__________.

A．The prisoners often work side-by-side with professional firefighters without being supervising.

B．The prisoners are forced to trained as firefighters.

C．More than one state in America uses prisoners as firefighters.

D．All the prisoners in California like to work as firefighters.