高中英语新闻报道阅读阅读理解

QINGDAO—Water and power supplies have been restored in the East Chinese city of Qingdao, the site of an oil pipeline explosion on Friday, the local government said on Monday.
Crude oil began leaking(泄漏)from the pipeline at 3：00 a．m. Friday in Qingdao in Shandong province. The valves(阀门)of the Huangdao oil warehouse were shut about 15 minutes later.The oil spill(泄漏的石油)then flowed into the city's rainwater pipe network, which empties into Jiaozhou Bay. Explosions occurred at two locations around 10：30 a．m. Friday when workers were clearing the spill.
According to the local government, about 85 percent of public heating and 90 percent of the gas supply were also brought back to normal as of Monday.
Residents who have been taken to the temporary settlements are receiving bottled water and bread.
Many schools and kindergartens have reopened classes after Friday's oil pipeline explosion. No injuries and deaths of students or teachers have been reported following the explosions at an underground pipeline operated by Sinopec. The school buildings of one middle school in the district were seriously damaged during the explosions. Education authorities have arranged psychological help for students and teaching staff. All other 18 schools and kindergartens in the district reopened classes on Monday.
As of Monday noon, the death toll from the explosion had risen to 55, with 9 people still missing and 136 hospitalized. According to local police, 49 bodies have been identified so far, and 42 of them were male victims. As of Monday morning, the blood supply in Qingdao was enough for the injured after more than 950 people in the city donated more than 340,000 ml of blood in the wake of the incident.
The underlined word “restored” in the first paragraph probably means “________”．

A．cut	B．recovered
C．destroyed	D．repaired

We can learn that by Monday noon the deaths in the explosion reached at least ________.

A．64	B．49
C．42	D．55

We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．everything was brought back to normal right after the explosion

B．no measures were taken to help the suffering people out of trouble

C．all the 19 schools in the district were affected by the explosion

D．no more dead body was found after Monday noon

A 8.2-magnitude（震级）earthquake struck off the coast of northern Chile late on Tuesday, cutting power and leading to small landslides and a tsunami (海啸). Four men and one woman died —two who suffered heart attacks and three who were crushed（压死). About 300 prisoners escaped from the northern port city of Iquique in the immediate aftershock (余震).
The quake struck at about 8:46 p.m. local time, some 60 miles northwest of Iquique. It had a depth of 12.5 miles. Chile’s National Emergency Office asked coastal residents to leave for safe places. “The fact is, we will know the extent of the damage as time goes by and when we inspect the areas in the light of day,” Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet said early on Wednesday. “The country has faced these first emergency hours very well.”
Residents in the port city of Antofagasta walked calmly through the streets to higher ground as traffic became heavy in some places. “Many people are fearful after experiencing the powerful earthquake in 2010, so they immediately rushed to higher ground when they heard the tsunami warning,” said a government official.”There have been lots of aftershocks and communications have been cut off in many of the affected areas. So people are waiting in the dark hills, not knowing what is to come, and hoping they will be able to return to their homes safely.”
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center sent our several tsunami warnings, but called off all of them by early Wednesday.
Tsunami waves of more than six feet caused by the earthquake washed ashore on the coast of Pisagua. Iquique, with a population of more than 200,000, saw seven-foot waves.
The earthquake resulted in _____.

A．300 prisoners being trapped

B．five people being crushed

C．many cars being damaged

D．some other natural disasters happening

How did the whole country respond to the earthquake when it happened?

A．They were so fearful that they were in a panic.

B．They went into the streets immediately.

C．They acted very calmly.

D．They drove to higher ground after hearing the warning.

What difficulty did people in the hills face?

A．The weather was terrible.

B．The communications were cut off.

C．They got lost in the hills.

D．Their houses were destroyed.

Which of the following statements is NOT true, according to the passage?

A．The government had estimated（估计）the damage of the earthquake by early Wednesday.

B．The tsunami waves in Pisagua were more than six feet high.

C．Several tsunami warnings had been called off by early Wednesday.

D．The earthquake happened in the evening and it had a depth of 12.5 miles.

What is the best title for the passage?

A．Chile Deals with Emergency Well.

B．Tsunamis Caused by Aftershocks in Chile.

C．A Powerful Earthquake Strikes off the Coast of Chile.

D．Tsunami Warnings Work Well in Chile..

First lady Michelle Obama has some advice for some Tennessee High School graduates: Strike your own path in college and life and work to overcome(克服) difficulties with determination and courage.
The first lady told the 170 graduates that she spent too much of her own time in college focusing on academic achievements. While her success in college and law school led to a good job, she said, she ended up leaving to focus on public service.
“My message to all of you today is this: Do not waste a minute living someone else’s dream.” she said. “It takes a lot of real work to discover what brings you joy… and you won’t find what you love simply by checking boxes or padding your GPA(夸大成绩).”
She said the school reminded her of her own high school experience in Chicago. “My No. 1 goal was to go to a high school that would push me and challenge me.” she said. “I wanted to go somewhere that would celebrate achievement, a place where academic success wouldn’t make me a target(目标) of laughing at or bullying, but instead would be a badge of honour(荣誉的象征).” But Mrs. Obama said pitifully that not all students have the same opportunities. “Unfortunately, schools like this don’t exist for every kid,” she said. “You are lucky.”
The first lady told graduates that failure may be a part of their college lives and careers, and that how they respond to any difficulties will define them. “That’s when you find out what you’re really made of in those hard times.” she said. “But you only do that if you’re willing to put yourself in a position where you might fall.”
Overcoming difficulties has been the hallmark(特征) of many great people, she said. “There’s this guy Barack Obama… he lost his first race for Congress, and now he gets to call himself my husband.” The first lady joked: “I could spend a whole afternoon talking about his failures.”

What’s the purpose(目的) of Michelle’s visit to Tennessee High School?

A．To give a speech to the graduates.	B．To help Obama win respect.
C．To welcome new students.	D．To give the graduates some advice.

According to Michelle, _________.

A．it’s enough for the students to study well at school

B．she was a target of laughing at or bullying when studying at school

C．it’s lucky for the students to study at Tennessee High School

D．most great people met with difficulties on their way to success including Obama

Why did Michelle mention Obama in the last paragraph?

A．To make the students know more about Obama.

B．To offer an example of overcoming difficulties.

C．To give advice on how to be a great man.

D．To talk about his failures.

The majority of astronauts from America have been men. At the start of the space program there was strong resistance from some people against having women in space. However, some women were very keen to become astronauts and in the end they were successful. In 1978, NASA began the first training program for women astronauts.
Judy Resnick and Christa McAuliffe were both astronauts and they were both women, but in many other ways they were very different. Both of them were on Flight STS-5L-L. Judy Resnick was born in 1949 and studied engineering at university and went on to obtain a PhD in 1977. She was a member of the first group of women selected for astronaut training in 1978, and in 1984, she became the second woman in space. During that flight, she helped to launch three new satellites and she carried out a program of research. She was, in many ways, a professional astronaut whose whole life was devoted to space travel.
Christa McAuliffe was born in 1948 and she was an astronaut almost by accident. In 1984, NASA decided to find a teacher who could accompany astronauts into space. They hoped that she would be able to communicate with students from space and encourage every one of them to be interested in space travel. Christa was a secondary teacher in history and social studies. She was a gifted teacher and she was selected from over 11,000 applicants to go on flight STS-51-L. She was also a very good communicator and she immediately established a very good relationship with the news media(radio, television and newspapers）. It was partly because of this that there was a great deal of interest and excitement about the flight. Thousands of students in schools and universities all around the country were looking forward to communicating with Christa in space. Millions of people were watching her flight with great interest. It is partly because of the excitement over McAuliffe's place in the flight that the disaster in 1986 had such an effect on people.
We can learn from the first two paragraphs that ___________.

A．Judy was against the idea of having women in space at first

B．Judy was the first woman selected for astronaut training

C．Judy helped to launch three new satellites at the age of 35

D．Judy carried out a program during her second space travel

Christa McAuliffe was chosen for training because _______.

A．she was popular with the news media

B．she expected to give history lessons in space

C．she was an excellent teacher and communicator

D．she made the students in space very excited

The reason why there was great interest in Flight STS-51-L is that ________.

A．both Christa and Judy got PhD degrees in the same year

B．a young secondary school teacher was on the flight

C．students were going to learn more about space travel

D．it was the first time for women to travel in space

What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Two Astronauts	B．Flight STS-51-L
C．Travelling in Space	D．The Training Program

When elephants retire, many head for the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn. They arrive one by one, but they tend to live out their lives two-by-two. "Every elephant that comes here searches out someone that she then spends most all of her time with," says sanctuary co-founder Carol Buckley. It's likely having a best girlfriend, Buckley says - "Somebody they can relate to, they have something in common with."
Debbie has Ronnie. Misty can't live without Dulary. Those are pachyderm-pachyderm pairs. But perhaps the closest friends of all are Tarra and Bella. Tarra, an 8,700 pound Asian elephant; Bella, a stray dog, are closest friends.
Bella is one of more than a dozen stray dogs that have found a home at the sanctuary. Most want nothing to do with the elephants and vice versa. But not this odd couple. "Bella knows she's not an elephant. Tarra knows she's not a dog," Buckley adds. "But that's not a problem for them." "When it's time to eat they both eat together. They drink together. They sleep together. They play together," Buckley says.
Tarra and Bella have been close for years — but no one really knew how close they were until recently. A few months ago Bella suffered a spinal cord injury. She couldn't move her legs, couldn't even wag her tail. For three weeks the dog lay motionless up in the sanctuary office. And for three weeks the elephant held vigil: 2,700 acres to roam free, and Tarra just stood in the corner, beside a gate, right outside that sanctuary office. "She just stood outside the balcony - just stood there and waited," says Buckley. "She was concerned about her friend." Then one day, sanctuary co-founder Scott Blais carried Bella onto the balcony so she and Tarra could at least see each other.
"Bella's tail started wagging. And we had no choice but to bring Bella down to see Tarra," Blais says.
They visited like that every day until Bella could walk. Today, their love — and trust — is stronger than ever. Bella even lets Tarra pet her tummy - with the bottom of her enormous foot. They harbor no fears, no secrets, no prejudices. Just two living creatures who somehow managed to look past their immense differences.
Take a good look at this couple, human beings. Take a good look at the world. If they can do it — what's our excuse?
The underlined part “Those are pachyderm-pachyderm pairs.” in Para. 2 means ______.

A．both of the pairs are elephants.

B．both of the pairs look strange.

C．animals there have different kinds of friends.

D．they are friends of the same kind.

The last paragraph infers that _____________.

A．different animals can become closest friends.

B．people should learn something from each other.

C．people all over the world should cooperate.

D．People all over the world should become the closest friends.

Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Unlikely friends.	B．Lasting friendship.
C．Unselfish love.	D．Magic nature.

Gunman Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 children in two classes of Grade One in Sandy Hook Elementary School. The only survivor(幸存者) is a six-year-old girl. She escaped by lying on the floor pretending to be killed.
After the accident , she ran out of the school building covered from head to feet with blood (血). The first thing she said to her mother was, “ Mommy, I was OK, but all my friends were dead,” Pasrtor(牧师) Jim Solomon told the ABC news’s Lara Spencer this weekend , “I thought it was impossible for her to escape from being killed without others’ help. She could behave so calmly in such a dangerous and frightening situation. She has wisdom beyond her age, for sure.”
The girl, whose name is not being written out for special reasons, was the first student to run out of the accident place at Sandy Hook, Solomon said. He said the young girl described the gunman to her mother in a way that only a young child could. “Well, she saw someone who she felt was angry, and someone who she felt was mad,” Solomon said. “Somehow, at that moment, thank God, she was able to act as if she were already dead and saved herself. And that is very unusual and admirable (令人钦佩的) for so young a girl.” she said.
There were 20 students killed on Friday in Sandy Hook Elementary School, eight boys and 12 girls. Six teachers were also killed. “Her parents told me that they couldn’t stand the feeling of a survivor’s guilt（ 负罪）, because so many of their friends no longer have their children but they have theirs.” Solomon said.
“I think you can understand their feelings as well,” he said how the girl’s mother and father were feeling about the disaster. “I don’t know whether I would have the kind of feeling that they have if the same thing happened to me.”
How did the six-year-old girl escape from being killed?

A．By fighting against the killer

B．By pretending to be killed

C．By running away quickly

D．By getting protection from teachers

According to the passage, which word can best show the quality of the girl?

A．Strong	B．Friendly
C．Wise	D．Curious

From the passage, we can know that___________________.

A．all students in Sandy Hook were killed

B．Solomon didn’t remember the name of the girl

C．eight other children escaped the accident

D．people didn’t know the six-year-old girl’s name

Why did the girl’s parents feel guilty?

A．Because they had some relationship with the gunman.

B．Because they didn’t tell the skills of escaping to other children.

C．Because their daughter survived while their friends didn’t.

D．Because they didn’t report the terrible accident ahead of time.

What happens inside the skull of a soccer player who repeatedly heads a soccer ball? That question motivated a challenging new study of the brains of experienced players that has caused discussion and debate among soccer players, and some anxiety among those of us with soccer-playing children.
For the study, researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York selected 34 adults, men and women. All of the volunteers had played soccer since childhood and now competed year-round in adult soccer leagues. Each filled out a detailed questionnaire developed especially for this study to determine how many times they had headed a soccer ball in the previous year, as well as whether they had experienced any known concussions (脑震荡) in the past.
Then the players completed computerized tests of their memory and other learning skills and had their brains scanned, using a complicated new M.R.I. technique which can find structural changes in the brain that can’t be seen during most scans.
According to the data they presented at a Radiological Society of North America meeting last month, the researchers found that the players who had headed the ball more than about 1,100 times in the previous 12 months showed significant loss of white matter in parts of their brains involved with memory, attention and the processing of visual information, compared with players who had headed the ball fewer times.
This pattern of white matter loss is “similar to those seen in traumatic (外伤的) brain injury”, like that after a serious concussion, the researchers reported, even though only one of these players was reported to have ever experienced a concussion.
The players who had headed the ball about 1,100 times or more in the past year were also generally worse at recalling lists of words read to them, forgetting or fumbling the words far more often than players who had headed the ball less.
The passage is most probably a______.

A．news report

B．research report

C．story for soccer players

D．text for doctors

In which way can we find the structural changes in the brain?

A．Computerized test.	B．Questionnaire..
C．Scanning.	D．M.R.I. technique.

From the passage we can conclude that frequent heading may have_____.

A．significant effect on brain

B．little effect on one’s brain

C．nothing to do with the brain injury

D．one’s memory improved

The underlined word "fumbling" is closest in meaning to______.

A．remembering	B．misunderstanding
C．recalling	D．missing

LONDON－Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet from overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets (彗星) in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed too. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.
This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of U. S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet－effectively doubling its working life.
The plan put forward by Dr. Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams, needs carefully directing a comet or asteroid so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth.
“Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun,” Laughlin said.
Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated.
In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The Sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so “seriously compromise” our biosphere (生物圈) －by cooking us.
That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth.
The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation (误算) in orbit could fire it straight at Earth--with deadly consequences.
There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position, it is “most likely the Moon would be stripped away from Earth”. This would greatly change our planet’s climate.

What makes the scientists plan to move Earth?

A．A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth.

B．Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon.

C．Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive.

D．The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth.

If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of         years.

A．12 billion	B．6 billion
C．18 billion	D．24 billion

What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage?

A．The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the Moon.

B．Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death.

C．The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth.

D．Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened.

What does the underlined word “compromise” mean?

A．Provide.	B．Recover
C．Share.	D．Endanger.

Hello, Listeners. Welcome to Henton Hospital Radio. Before our music programme at four, I’m going to repeat some of our hospital rules.
The hospital can sleep 800 patients. There’re 8 beds in each ward (病房). The visiting hours are in the afternoon from 2:30 to 3:30 and in the evening from 7:00 to 8:00. But remember only two people can see you at the same time. Sorry about that, but you can see what would happen if we didn’t have these rules.
The other rules are about our hours. We start quite early---you might not be used to that. We wake you at 6 o’clock, and breakfast is at 8 o’clock, lunch is at noon.
There’s tea at 3:30 and supper is at 6 o’clock.
You can see the non-smoking sign---we don’t allow smoking in the wards. I’m sure you understand why. However, if you do need to smoke, there are some smoking rooms where it is allowed.
You will find the radio switch on the wall near your bed, with your own headphones, if you want to listen. It’s our own hospital radio wishing you a quick recovery.
Who do you think the listeners might be?

A．Patients.	B．Visitors.
C．Doctors	D．Nurses

Which is Not allowed in the hospital?

A．Listening to the hospital radio.

B．Visiting patients in the morning.

C．Smoking in smoking-rooms.

D．Getting up early in the morning.

What programme will follow this radio talk?

A．Hospital rules.	B．A weather report.
C．A free talk.	D．A music programme.

Over 500 dogs being delivered to a butcher house were saved by a Chinese animal protection organization.
The incident then triggered debate among Chinese netizens about the necessity of pouring so much money and efforts into saving dogs.
On Friday, a truck loaded with over 500 dogs were stopped by volunteers from animal protection organization on Jingha Expressway Beijing section.
Beijing Times reported these dogs were being delivered to slaughter houses in the city of Changchun, northeast Jilin Province and would be eventually served on dinner tables.
After negotiations with the truck driver, pet service provider Leepet Holding Corp. and a philanthropic foundation, Shang shan Foundation purchased these dogs, each paying 50,000 yuan. Dogs were then delivered to the eadquarter of China Small Animal Protection Association (CSAPA), being taken care of and waiting for adoption.
After the “dog saving mission” was reported, Chinese net users debate over whether saving dogs worth so much efforts and money while there are still many poor and needy people in China lacking assistance.
Some net users argue the “dog saving mission” is placing overt attention to animals while lots of needy people are still left unattended.
A microblogger “Xiaowulaitajie” said on China's twitter like website, weibo.com, “Dogs are saved, adopted and they attracted media spotlight. We'd better spend such money and take such efforts in helping the needy people.”
Another microblogger, Liluping, said “We poured such huge sum of money into saving dogs. I would rather the money be spent on disaster relief.”
Some applaud volunteers' actions and show eagerness of offering their helping hands to those saved dogs.
Still many disapprove those “saving dogs” critics, but they argue that such act nonetheless promotes social progress.
A microblogger named “broken bridge” said, saving dogs does not run counter to taking care of people. Such enthusiasm in public affairs will help raise social awareness in helping the needy.
I think people and animals are created equal. Attention should be paid to people as well as animals.
Where did the article come from?

A．A storybook.	B．A novel.
C．Internet.	D．A magazine.

Which one has the similar meaning to the underlined phrase “run counter to” in the last but one paragraph?

A．meet with	B．go against
C．agree with	D．come across

Whose opinion is closest to the writer's?

A．Some net users'.	B．Broken bridge's.
C．Liluping's.	D．Xiaowulaitajie's.

The following statements are TRUE except _______.

A．All the people don't think it right to save these dogs with so much money.

B．More than 25,000,000 yuan was given to the truck driver to purchase these dogs.

C．These dogs were finally saved and sent back to their owners.

D．Some people think it better to spend the money in helping the needy people.

San Francisco(People's Daily Online)-- Apple Inc. Tuesday introduced its mobile payment service Apple Pay alongside the company's iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California.
What apple does is to replace consumers' wallet with its cell phone. Apple said it hopes to speed up the checkout process, make credit-card payments more secure and ultimately, to replace physical wallets.
With the near-field communication technology, Apple's gadgets like iPhone and Apple watch can transmit a radio signal between the device and a receiver when the two are in an inch apart. "To pay, just hold your iPhone near the contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID. You don’t even have to look at the screen to know your payment information was successfully sent," Apple says on its official website.
Apple said that each transaction (交易)would be authorized(授权) with a one-time, unique number, creating a security code that it said is more secure than the one on the back of your credit card because cashiers won’t see your name, card number or security code. The service will work with the three major payment networks — American Express, MasterCard and Visa — and Apple said that there are 220,000 merchant locations that accept these contactless payments.
When some applaud this disrupted service that will compete with Paypal and endanger other online payment companies, some others concern about its safety, especially when another retailer Home Depot confirmed a data opening yesterday and iCloud was reported exposing nude (裸体)pictures of celebrities (名人) a week ago.
Leo Zheng, a technology reporter in Silicon Valley said: "When Apple attracts consumers to put all their cards into one iPhone and promised the security, Jennifer Lawrence should say something."
Which can be the best title for the passage?

A．Apple announces mobile payment service to replace consumers' wallet.

B．Consumers can pay in cash through mobile phones.

C．Apple Inc. will introduce new models to the market.

D．Mobile payment will be popular soon.

After reading the third paragraph, we know   .

A．Apple’s new products are popular

B．Apple can be used as an ID

C．Apple's gadgets can receive message easily

D．how Apple's gadgets work

The attitude of the writer towards the mobile payment is        .

A．indifferent (冷漠的)	B．objective
C．skeptical	D．positive

What could have happened to Jennifer Lawrence?

A．She made great contributions to Apple.

B．She put all her cards into her iPhone.

C．Her nude pictures were spread online.

D．Her iPhone often broke down.

A Bite of China, featuring delicious Chinese food, has attracted countless viewers, and moved many to tears.
A Bite of China is a serious documentary providing a unique view of Chinese as well as the relations between people and food and between people and society from the view of food. The touching documentary reminds some people of their mother, and makes some realize that every grain comes from hard and laborious work. Some people see patriotism(爱国精神) in the documentary, and some consider it a great cultural export.
How did this documentary achieve a great influence beyond its subject matter in such a short time?
“It is not empty propaganda(宣传) about China’s splendid food culture. Instead, it shows the techniques used in making food and their production process as well as the lives of ordinary people, thus striking a chord(共鸣) with the audience,” an Internet user said. The success of the documentary should be owed to sincerity and reality. Nowadays, many works of art that have high investment, high technology, and magnificent scenes lack nothing but sincerity and reality.
A Bite of China shows that a commercial documentary promoting patriotism can be full of touching details, that the emotions of ordinary Chinese people should be exhibited even in publicizing(宣传) China overseas, and that even a completely commercial program can achieve both artistic and commercial success.
“We made this documentary with our respect and love for food,” said director Chen Xiaoqing. Being sincere is the most important thing for artists because they cannot move others unless they themselves are first moved, and cannot convince others unless they themselves are first convinced. Sincerity is the “secret” for making this documentary so popular, and every cultural creator should learn from its success.
According to the passage, A Bite of China is _______.

A．a book	B．a film
C．a newspaper	D．a TV program

What can you find in A Bite of China?

A．Relations between people and food.

B．Real lives of all Chinese people.

C．Patriotic stories of Chinese people.

D．processes of preparing food.

From the passage, it can be inferred that ________.

A．The documentary is so successful that no one can surpass (超越) it.

B．Different people can get different messages from the documentary.

C．The documentary should have shown China’s splendid food culture.

D．Many art works fail to reflect (反映) reality and high technology.

The main idea of the last paragraph is that ________.

A．Director’s respect and love for food.

B．The secret of the documentary’s success.

C．The influence of the documentary.

D．The popularity of the documentary.

Rome had the Forum (论坛). London has Speaker’s Corner. Now always-on-the-go New Yorkers have Liz and Bill.
Liz and Bill, two college graduates in their early 20s, have spent a whole year trying to have thousands of people talk to them in subway stations and on busy street comers. And just talk.     Using a 2-foot-tall sign that says, “ Talk to Me,” they attract conversationalists, who one evening included a mental patient, and men in business suits.
They don’t collect money. They don’t push religion (宗教). So what’s the point?
“To see what happens,” said Liz. “ We simply enjoy life with open talk.”
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, they decided to walk from New York City to Washington, a 270-mile trip. They found they loved talking to people along the way and wanted to continue talking with strangers after their return. “ It started as a crazy idea.” Liz said. “ We were so curious about all the 10 strangers walking by with their life stories. People will talk to us about anything: their job, their clothes, their childhood experiences, anything.” Denise wanted to talk about an exam she was about to take. She had stopped by for the second time in two days, to let the two listeners know how it went. Marcia had led her husband to a serious disease. “That was very heavy on my mind.” Marcia said. “ To be able to talk about it to total strangers was very good,” she explained.
To celebrate a year of talking, the two held a get-together in a city park for all the people they had met over the past year. A few hundred people appeared, as well as some television cameramen and reporters. They may plan more parties or try to attract more people to join their informal talks. Some publishers have expressed interest in a book, something the two say they’ll consider before making a decision.
What did Liz and Bill determined to do after the attack on September 11, 2001?

A．Telling stories to strangers.

B．Setting up street signs.

C．Talking with people

D．Organizing a speaker’s party.

Why are Denise and Marcia mentioned in the text?

A．They knew Liz and Bill very well.

B．They happened to meet the writer of the text.

C．They organized the get-together in the city park.

D．They are examples of those who talked to Liz and Bill.

What will Liz and Bill do in the future?

A．Go in for publishing

B．Do more television programs.

C．Continue what they are doing

D．Spend more time reading books.

How do they like the idea of writing a book?

A．They have decided to wait a year or two.

B．They will think about it carefully

C．They agreed immediately

D．They find it hard to do that.

The English test will be removed from China’s college entrance exam by 2020, according to the Ministry of Education. The national college entrance exam, known as the “Gaokao” has been used to evaluate Chinese students for three decades. The Ministry of Education has worked out a plan for reforming exams and enrollment. Tests will be held several times a year to allow students to choose when and how often they sit the exam so as to reduce study pressure and change China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system.
The decision has aroused a heated discussion among Shanghai educators and parents who doubted the reform would reduce the burden of learning English or if the substitute test could reflect a student’s English skills and help students learn English better.
“As far as I see, the reform doesn’t mean English is no longer important for Chinese students after it will be excluded from the unified college entrance exam,” Yu said. “In a way, English is even more important than before since the test would only serve as reference, while every college and university, even every major, can have different requirements of a student’s English skills under a diverse evaluation system. ”
Yu said some students will have their study pressure reduced if the major they choose doesn’t need excellent English while others still need to study hard if they want to be among the best students.
The education ministry said the reform would not affect students attending the college entrance exam over the next three years.
What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．English will become less and less important in the stage of compulsory education.

B．It has been 30 years since English became one subject of national college entrance exam.

C．China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system is unacceptable at all.

D．The system that tests are held several times does more good than once-in-a-lifetime exam system.

According to the passage, Shanghai educators and parents argue that _____.

A．the new exam and admission system will make no difference

B．English shouldn’t be removed from China’s college entrance exam

C．the reform may accomplish the very opposite

D．Western educational system does not apply to China

What does the passage try to express in the underlined sentence?

A．Students needn’t lay a good foundation during the period of high school.

B．Whether students should study English hard may depend on their major.

C．Students can constantly strive for perfection only in their major.

D．English must be close to full mark.

What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To advise students not to devote themselves to English.

B．To call on Education Department to remove English from “Gaokao”.

C．To support the act of Ministry of Education.

D．To encourage students to do as they have planned.

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.