Wesla Whitfield, a famous jazz singer, has a unique style and life story, so I decided to see one of her
performances and interview her for my newspaper.
     I went to a nightclub in New York and watched the stage lights go up. After the band played an
introduction, Wesla Whitfield wheeled herself onstage in a wheelchair. As she sang, Whitfield's voice was
so powerful and soulful that everyone in the room forgot the wheelchair was even there.
     At 57, Whitfield is small and pretty, humorous and modest. Raised in California, Whirfield began
performing in public at age 18, when she took a job as a singing waitress at a pizza shop. After studying
classical music in college, she moved to San Francisco and went on to sing with the San Francisco
Opera Chorus.
Walking home from rehearsal (排练) at age 29, she was caught in a random shooting that left her unable
to move her body from the waist down. I asked how she dealt with the realization that she'd never walk
again, and she admitted that at the beginning she didn't want to face it. After a year of depression she
tried to kill herself. She was then admitted to a hospital for treatment, where she was able to recover.
     Whitfield said she came to understand that the only thing she had lost in this misfortunate event was
the ability to walk. She still possessed her most valuable asset--her mind. Pointing to her head, she said,
"Everything important is in here. The only real disability in life is losing your mind. "When I asked if she
was angry about what she had lost, she admitted to being annoyed from time to time, "Especially when
everybody's dancing, because I love to dance.
But when that happens I just remove myself so I can focus instead on what I can do. "

1. In which of the following places did Wesla Whitfield once work?

A. A college,      
B. A hospital.          
C. A pizza shop.    
D. A news agency.

2. Which of the following statements is TURE about Wesla Whitfield's physical disability?

A. It was caused by a traffic accident.
B. It made her sad and depressed at first.
C. It seriously affected her singing career.
D. It happened when she was a college student.

3. What do the underlined words "when that happens" mean in the last paragraph?

A. When Wesla is losing her mind.
B. When Wesla is singing on the stage.
C. When Wesla goes out in her wheelchair.
D. When Wesla sees other people dancing.

4. What advice would Wesla most likely give other disabled people?

A. Ignore what you have lost and make the best use of what you have.
B. Be modest and hard-working to earn respect from other people.
C. Acquire a skill so that you can still be successful and famous.
D. Try to sing whenever you feel upset and depressed.

     Jeanette Rankin was born on a ranch in Montana, USA in 1882. In those days, Montana was still a
frontier state, and life there was hard. Men and women shared the difficult outdoor work. But young
Jeanette noticed men and women were not equal in many ways. For instance, at election time, women
were not allowed to vote. Jeanette thought this was not fair, and several years later, after graduating from
college, she realized how to help change the situation.
     First, she joined with other women. and gave speeches through the state. Thanks to their years of
efforts, Montana women were finally allowed to vote. This experience changed Jeanette's life. She
wanted do work for the welfare of women and children everywhere. She was now well-known
throughout Montana, so she decided to run for the US Congress. In 1916,she became the first woman
in the Congress of the United Staters.
     Just six days after Rankin first attended Congress in 1917,American President Wilson called for a
vote to go to war against Germany, as German submarines (潜水艇) attacked American ships during
World War I. When Jeanette was called upon to vote, she said, "I want to stand by my country, buy I
cannot vote for war. I vote no." Forty-nine other congress members also voted no, but she was the
person who was criticized most. Newspapers said her decision came from weakness and she was
anti-American.
     In the Second World War, Japanese warplanes attacked the American base at Pearl Harbor in
1941.The time came again for the US Congress members to vote for or against going to war. Everyone
was waiting for Jeanette Rankin to vote, who rose and said, "As a woman, I can't go to war, so I refuse
to send anyone else". Out of 471 members, she was the only member who voted against war. After
that, she received thousands of letters. Most people criticized her, but some praised her for her courage.
     Shortly before she died in 1973, she was asked if she regretted voting "no" to the two wars. "Never,"
she answered. "If you are against war, you're against war regard less of what happens."
     Today, in the US Congress Building, there is a statue of Jeanette Rankin. On the base of the statue
are her words:"I cannot vote for war."

1. When Jeanette Rankin was young,           .

A. women were not allowed to work with men
B. women had no right to vote
C. women could not go to college
D. women could not deliver speeches in public

2. She decided to run for the US Congress because          .

A. She wanted to become famous throughout the USA
B. She hated was
C. She wanted to help more women and children
D. She was a born politician

3. Which is true according to the passage?

A. Jeannette was the only member to vote no to the two wars.
B. Jeannette voted no to the wars because she was weak.
C. Everyone in the USA hated her when she voted no to the war against Japan.
D. Jeanette believed that no war was right.

4. From the passage we can tell that Jeanette Rankin was             .

A. full of courage
B. Very fair
C. Very intelligent
D. very stubborn.

5. The American people remember Jeanette Rankin mainly for       .

A. her fighting for women's rights
B. her being the first American woman Congress member
C. her fighting against war
D. her efforts to help women get the voting right

     Heather Mills McCartney lives an admirable life, attending celebrity parties, meeting regularly with the
rich and famous and doing meaningful work for charity. All who work with her admire and respect her.
But Heather's life hasn't always been so easy. When Heather was only 9 years old, her mother
abandoned her and her two brothers. At the age of 13, she ran away from home and ended up living on
the streets in London. Eventually, however, her exceptional beauty led to a career in modeling. At that
time, Heather also began helping with the war relief efforts in former Yugoslavia. Through her modeling
and relief work, she soon became famous.
     But in August 1993, at age 25 her life changed once again. She was crossing the street in London
when a motorcycle crashed into her. She was so badly injured that the doctors had to cut off her left leg.
After that, she discovered she frequently needed to change her artificial limbs. It was expensive and she
felt it was a waste to just throw away the old one. It occurred to her to set up an organization that could
deliver used artificial limbs to Yugoslavia and other war-torn countries. It was through her charity work
that she met her husband Paul McCartney.
     Throughout her life, Heather has risen above problems and focused on helping others. Her work with
artificial limbs even earned her a nomination (提名) for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. Heather's
persistence and determination are what impresses anyone who knows her. Heather believes anyone can
make a positive difference in the world.

1. This passage is mainly about _________.

A. Heather's miserable life          
B. Heather's contribution to the world
C. Heather's success in her work      
D. Heather's belief in life

2. Heather began her modeling career _________.

A. due to her mother's encouragement  
B. after her brothers abandoned her
C. because of her excellent intelligence and performances
D. because she was especially beautiful

3. Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?

A. Heather won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996.
B. Heather began her charity work while working as a model.
C. Her artificial limbs had to be replaced continuously.
D. Heather lost her left leg due to an accident.

4. From the passage we can infer that people admire and respect Heather because _________.

A. she had a lot of misfortunes during her childhood.  
B. she was a world-famous model
C. she is determined and never gives in    
D. she made the greatest difference in the world

      Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821, and moved to New York City when she was ten
years old. One day she decided that she wanted to become a doctor. That was nearly impossible for a
woman in the middle of the nineteenth century. After writing many letters asking for admission(录取) to
medical schools, she was finally accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. She was so determined that she
taught school and gave music lessons to get money for the cost of schooling.
     In 1849, after graduation from medical school. she decided to further her education in Paris. She
wanted to be a surgeon(外科医师) , but a serious eye problem forced her to give up the idea.
     Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to start her own practice because she was
a woman. By 1857 Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another woman doctor, managed
to open a new hospital, the first for women and children Besides being the first woman physician and
founding her own hospital , she also set up the first medical school for women.

1. Why couldn't Elizabeth Blackwell realize her dream of becoming a surgeon?

A. She couldn't get admitted to medical school
B. She decided to further her education in Paris
C. A serious eye problem stopped her
D. It was difficult for her to start a practice in the United States

2. What main obstacle (障碍) almost destroyed Elizabeth's chances for becoming for a doctor?

A. She was a woman.                  
B. She wrote too many letters.
C. She couldn't graduate from medical school.  
D. She couldn't set up her hospital.

3. How many years passed between her graduation from medical school and the opening of her hospital?

A. Eight years    
B. Ten years      
C. Nineteen years    
D. Thirty-six years

4. According to the passage, all of the following are "firsts" in the life of Elizabeth Blackwell except 
    that she ______.

A. became the first woman physician      
B. was the first woman doctor
C. and several other women founded the first hospital for women and children
D. set up the first medical school for women

     Robert Spring, a 19th century forger (伪造者), was so good at his profession that he was able to
make his living for 15 years by selling false signatures of Americans. Spring was born in England in 1813
and arrived in Philadelphia in 1858 to open a bookstore. At first he became rich by selling his small but
real collection of early U.S. autographs (手稿). Discovering his ability at copying handwriting, he began
imitating signatures of George Washington and Ben Franklin and writing them on the title pages of old
books. To lessen the chance of detection (察觉), he sent his forgeries to England and Canada for sale.
     Forgers have a hard time selling their products. A forger can't deal with a respectable buyer but
people who don't have much knowledge in the field. Forgers have many ways to make their work look
real. For example, they buy old books to use the aged paper of the title page, and they can treat paper
and ink with chemicals.
     In Spring's time, right after the Civil War, Britain was still fond of the Southern states, so Spring
invented a respectable maiden lady known as Miss Fanny Jackson, the only daughter of General
"Stonewall" Jackson. For several years Miss Fanny's financial problems forced her to sell a great number
of letters and manuscripts. Spring had to work very hard to satisfy the demand. All this activity did not
prevent Spring from dying in poverty, leaving sharp-eyed experts the difficult task of separating his
forgeries from the originals.

1. Why did Spring sell his false autographs in England and Canada?

A. There was a greater demand there than in America.
B. There was less chance of being detected there.
C. Britain was Spring's birthplace
D. The prices were higher in England and Canada.

2. After the Civil War, there was a great demand in Britain for             . 

A. Southern money          
B. signatures of George Washington and Ben Franklin
C. Southern manuscripts and letters      
D. Civil War battle plans

3. Robert Spring spent 15 years          .

A. running a bookstore in Philadelphia      
B. keeping in touch with Miss Fanny Jackson
C. as a forger                          
D. as a respectable dealer

4. According to the passage, forgeries are usually sold to        .

A. sharp-eyed experts  
B. persons who aren't experts
C. book dealers        
D. owners of old books

     Item 1:  JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, has signed a publishing deal with Little Brown, to
release her first ever novel for adults. The deal means that Rowling's long-standing relationship with
Bloomsbury, the London-based publisher that launched the Harry Potter books, has come to an end,
at least in terms of new works by the author. Rowling, who is worth an estimated ?530 million, said
that the new novel will be nothing like the Harry Potter series, which sold over 30 million copies in the
UK alone. She said that with the move from children's to adult fiction, a move to a new publisher
seemed like a logical step. [More]
     Item 2:  China's hurdler Liu Xiang was disqualified Thursday at the Stockholm indoor athletics
tournament due to false start, giving his rival Dayron Robles of Cuba an easy win of 7.66 seconds. Liu
was not willing to explain the reason of his false start, but he told Xinhua that it was not related to his
foot injury. Another Cuban Orlando Ortega followed in 7.68 seconds and Balazs Baji of Hungary stood
third in 7.70 seconds. Last Saturday, Liu won the men's 60m hurdle final in 7.41 seconds at the
Birmingham indoor tournament, setting a new Asian record. He said Wednesday that he hoped to have
an even better performance than he did in Birmingham at the Stockholm indoor tournament. [More]
     Item 3:  Former NBA star and current Bobcats owner Michael Jordan filed suit in a Chinese court
against Qiaodan Sports Company Limited, a sportswear and footwear manufacturer, for the use of his
name without permission. Jordan says "This complaint is not about money, it's about principle and
protecting my name." The Chinese company has registered and uses the name "Qiaodan". Jordan has
been known in China since he gained widespread popularity in the mid-1980s. [More]
     Item 4:  A commuter train crashed at a busy central station in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, killing
49 passengers and injuring more than 600 people, the deadliest in a series of train accidents in Argentina
over the past years. The train crashed at about 8:30 a.m. at its final stop at the Once Station, not far from
downtown Buenos Aires. The train was carrying more than 800 passengers and traveling at an estimated
16 miles per hour when it entered the station, slamming into the barrier of the platform, destroying the
engine. [More]

1. What is the publisher of Rowling's new book for adult?

A. The London -based publisher    
B. Bloomsbury    
C. Little Brown    
D. We don't know

2. What is the final result of Liu Xiang's Stockholm indoor athletics tournament?

A.7.41      
B. 7.66      
C. 7. 68    
D. no result

3. Which of the statement is true according to the passage?

A. It is said that JK Rowling is worth about ?530 billion.
B. Liu Xiang's false start is because of his foot injury.
C. Jordan complains not only about money but protecting his name.
D. The train' speed is about 16 miles per hour when it entered the station.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A. Harry Potter books are very popular in the UK..
B. Liu Xiang won the men's 60m hurdle final at the Birmingham tournament.
C. Michael Jordan is the owner of Qiaodan Sports Company Limited.
D. There about 800 passengers injured on the crashed train.

5. Where can we see the passage?

A. Textbook      
B. Guidebook    
C. Magazine      
D. Website

     Since 1989, Dave Thomas, who died at age 69, was one of the most recognizable faces on TV. He
appeared in more than 800 commercials (商业广告) for the hamburger chain named for his daughter.
"As long as it works," he said in 1991, "I'll continue to do those commercials."
     Even though he was successful, Thomas remained troubled by his childhood. "He still won't let anyone
see his feet, which are out of shape because he never had proper-fitting shoes," Wendy said in 1993.
Born to a single mother, he was adopted as a baby by Rex and Auleva Thomas of Kalamazoo in
Michigan. After Auleva died when he was 5, Thomas spent years on the road as Rex traveled around
seeking construction work. "He fed me," Thomas said, "and if I got out of line, he'd beat me."
     Moving out on his own at 15, Thomas worked, first as a waiter, in many restaurants. But he had
something much better in mind. "I thought if I owned a restaurant," he said, "I could eat for free." A
956 meeting with Harland Sanders led Thomas to a career as the manager of a Kentucky Fried Chicken
restaurant that made him a millionaire in 1968.
     In 1969, after breaking with Sanders, Thomas started the first Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers,
in Columbus, Ohio, which set itself apart by serving made-to-order burgers. With 6,000 restaurants
worldwide, the chain now makes $ 6 billion a year in sales.
     Although troubled by his own experience with adoption, Thomas, married since 1954 to Lorraine,
66, and with four grown kids besides Wendy, felt it could offer a future for other children. He started the
Dave Thomas Foundation (基金会) for Adoption in 1992.
     In 1993, Thomas, who had left school at 15, graduated from Coconut Creek High School in Florida.
He even took Lorraine to the graduation dance party. The kids voted him Most Likely to Succeed.
     "The Dave you saw on TV was the real Dave," says friend Pat Williams. "He wasn't a great actor or a
great speaker. He was just Joe Everybody."

1. What is the article mainly about?

A. The life of Dave Thomas.        
B. The dream of Dave Thomas.
C. The schooling of Dave Thomas.  
D. The growth of Dave Thomas's business.

2. What do we know about his childhood?

A. He lived a poor life.            
B. He had caring parents.
C. He stayed in one place.          
D. He didn't go to school.

3. Choose the right time order of the following events in Thomas's life.
a. graduated from high school
b. started his own business
c. became a millionaire
d. started a foundation
e. met Harland Sanders

A. e, b, c, d, a          
B. a, e, c, b, d          
C. e, c, b, d, a          
D. a, e, b, c, d

4. "He was just Joe Everybody." (in the last paragraph) means ______.

A. Dave was famous  
B. Dave was ordinary
C. Dave was showy  
D. Dave was shy

     Ma Weidu is the founder and curator (馆长) of Guanfu Museum, which is the first private  museum
in China. With mainly Chinese artifacts off exhibition, the museum was founded on Jan 18,l 997. It was
not well. known by the public until 2008.
    On Jan l,2008,Ma Weidu was invited to be the guest in the flagship CCTV program "Lecture Room".
He talked about his museum and more importantly, he introduced Chinese artifacts and their underlying
historical, cultural significance.
    In 2009,Ma Weidu initiated the Beijing Guanfu Cultural Foundation. Creating a cuulture foundation
had been Ma's dream for many years. The Beijing Guanfu Cultural Foundation is committed to spreading Chinese traditional culture, funding the development of Guanfu Museum, heritage research and
conservation projects, building a platform for public culture, promoting and guiding the public in the spirit
of"charity&culture sponsorship (赞助)".
    Guanfu Museum is currently located at N0.18 Jinnan Road, Zhangwanfen, Dashanzi, Chaoyang district, Beijing. But due to the city planning, it has to move. Guanfu Museum,which has experienced relocation
for three times,is now looking for a new place. According to Mr. Ma,it should be around 20,000-30,000
square meters.

1. According to this passage, which of the followings is true?

A. Guanfu Museum was built in 2008.
B. Ma Weidu was invited to lecture by Guanfu Museum.
C. The public were attracted by Chinese artifacts on exhibition.
D. Guanfu Museum, the first private museum in China was founded fifteen years ago

2. Guanfu Museum, according to the city government,_______ .

A. will be painted              
B. has to hold a new exhibition
C. has to move to a new place    
D. has to be enlarged

3.The proper title of this passage should be_____.

A. Ma's Hopes    
B. Museums  
C. Culture Relics  
D. Chinese Culture

     Peter Jackson, currently one of the world's most well-known directors was born on October 31,
1961 in Pukerua Bay, New Zealand. He liked to take photographs, so a family friend bought the young
Jackson a super 8mm camera (照相机). He has been a filmmaker even since. At age nine he even
attempted to remake his favorite film, King Kong, using his own stop-motion effect.
     Unlike many of the filmmakers working today, Jackson never went to film school. Instead he created
his own short films with the help of family and friends. He was turned down for a job at the National Film Unit, New Zealand's government agency that produces tourist films about the country. With that door
closed, Jackson began working other jobs to support himself, while shooting shorts on the weekend.
One of these weekend films, changed from its original (原来的) ten minutes length into a feature film.
The project took four years to complete (1983-1987) and was called Bad Taste.
     After the success of Bad Taste, Jackson became recognized as a director and the door to fame and
fortune was opened. He gave up his job at a local photographer's shop and became a well-known
director of horror-movies. The Lord of the Rings (指环王) trilogy (三步曲) is obviously a huge
landmark in Jackson's career, not only did the films become some of the most commercially successful
of all time, but they have also lifted Jackson to the top of the Hollywood pecking order. His digital effects
company, WETA Digital, became one of, if not the most respected effects company in the world;
similarly, Jackson has also expressed an interest in returning to his roots and directing some lower cost
platter films again.

1. The purpose of the passage is to_____.

A. introduce some information about Peter Jackson
B. show us Peter Jackson is a most well-known directors
C. tell us there is a famous person in New Zealand
D. tell some film stories made by Peter Jackson

2. Jackson became recognized as a director in _____.

A.1987                                        
B. 1961
C. 1969                                    
D. 1970

3. From the passage, Peter Jackson is a person who_____.

A .made two films in all                        
B. has been working as a director since 1968
C. never went to school                        
D. is a well-known director of horror-movies

4. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means _____.

A. Peter Jackson kept Hollywood in good order
B. Peter Jackson had to be lifted high to make films
C. Peter Jackson gained a high position in Hollywood
D. The Lord of the Rings trilogy made films in Hollywood famous

5. After reading the passage we can know that _______

A. the author dislikes Peter Jackson and his films.              
B. the author doesn't express his opinion about Peter Jackson.
C. Peter Jackson was born on June 25, 987, in British                      
D. the author thinks little of Peter Jackson and his films very much.