After an earthquake most survivors can be expected to recover over time, particularly with the
support of family and friends. Some families will be able to return to their normal life quickly, while
others will have to contend with the destruction of their homes, medical problems, and injury to family
members. Children especially will need time to recover from the loss of a loved one or a pet or from the
closing down of their schools.
     Children often turn to adults for information, comfort and help. Parents should try to remain calm,
answer children's questions honestly and remain understanding when they see changes in their children's
behavior.
     Children react differently to an earthquake depending on their ages, developmental levels and former
experiences. Some will respond by withdrawing (不与人交往), while others will have angry outbursts
(爆发). Parents should remain sensitive to each child's reactions. Parents should spend time talking to
their children, letting them know that it's OK to ask questions and to share their worries. Although it may
be hard to find time to have these talks, parents can use regular family mealtimes or bedtimes for them.
They should answer questions briefly and honestly and be sure to ask their children for their opinions and
ideas. Issues may come up more than once and parents should remain patient when you answer the
questions again. For young children, parents, after talking about the earthquake, might read a favorite
story or have a relaxing family activity to help them calm down. Parents should also tell children they are
safe and spend extra time with them. They could play games outside or read together indoors. Most
importantly, be sure to tell them you love them.

1. What's the passage mainly about?

A. How to prepare before an earthquake strikes.
B. What to do in an earthquake.
C. How to face the loss of a loved one in an earthquake.
D. How to help children recover mentally from an earthquake.

2. The underlined phrase "contend with" in Paragraph 1 can be replaced by "______".

A. deal with
B. make up
C. put off
D. turn back

3. When children ask the same question again, parents should ______.

A. read a favorite story to comfort them.
B. ask them to help do some housework.
C. be patient and answer the question again.
D. take them out to play games.

4. Which of the following pieces of advice is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. Keep a close watch on children's behavior.
B. Tell the children they are safe.
C. Tell the children you love them.
D. Ask educational experts for help.

     There are three different kinds of friends in our life. I classify (分类) them according to how well I
know them and how well they know me.
     The first type of friend is just an acquaintance (熟人). This means that you only know their names.
You might not even remember what they look like if you go away for a short vacation. You don't miss
them when they are elsewhere. It is also this type of friend who gives you the most amount of aggravation(恼怒). Since most of the time you are placed in a position where you have to act friendly. You would
not normally tell an acquaintance when he or she is doing something that makes you feel angry, such as
tapping the fingers on a table or shouting loudly. I call them "pest friends".
     The second kind of friend is a "guest friend". They are just social partners. You meet them at a certain
location and at the end of the meeting you go your separate way and they go theirs. You don't talk too
often with this sort of friend, and you don't share each other's secrets.
     Lastly, we have "best friends". This sort of friend is there when you need them. They know you as a
person and they are there through thick and thin. Best friends are the ones that you can lean and depend
on no matter what happens. If you need a listening ear, they will be the one to lend support.
     Friends come in all different shapes and sizes. Every friend has an impact on our life.…

1. What is this passage mainly about? 

A. What a true friend is like.
B. Three kinds of friends in our life.
C. The role that friends play in our life.
D. Why there are different kinds of friends.

2. According to the writer, when a friend of the first type acts in an annoying way, you ______.

A. can tell him/her about it directly
B. should stay away from him/her
C. should advise him/her to correct his/her behavior
D. may find it hard to tell him/her not to do so

3. Which of the following statements is WRONG about the second type of friend?

A. They are only social partners.
B. You don't talk very often with them.
C. You don't share your secrets with them.
D. They are called "pest friends" by the writer.

4. If someone is with you through thick and thin, it means ______.

A. he/she is your pest friend for sure
B. he/she agrees with whatever you say
C. you spend most of your time together
D. he/she is with you even when there are difficulties

     Believe it or not, optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes.
     Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using
a simple optical illusion. But stripes, called chevrons (人字形), painted on the roads make drivers think
that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down.
     Now the American Automobile Association Foundation (基金会) for Traffic Safety in Washington
D.C. is planning to repeat Japan's success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and
other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce
highway crashes.
     Excessive (too great) speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents,
according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas
where speed-related hazards are the greatest curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges.
     Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average
speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used
to seeing the painted bars.
     Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed
and the number of traffic accidents.

1. The passage mainly discusses ________. 

A. a new way of highway speed control
B. a new pattern for painting highways
C. a new way of training drivers
D. a new type of optical illusion

2. The underlined word "hazards" probably means ________.

A. accidents    
B. traffic jams      
C. dangers      
D. cases

3. The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former ________.  

A. can keep drivers awake      
B. can cut road accidents in half 
C. will look more attractive    
D. will have a longer effect on drivers

     One of my favorite things I like to watch is the bloopers (洋相) and outtakes (花絮) that are shown
of mistakes made during the making of a movie. Most DVDs have a section of outtakes, and often they
will set me off laughing, especially when you know what was supposed to happen.
     We all make mistakes, and have many bloopers and outtakes in a lifetime. Some of them may be
funny like movie bloopers, a stupid mistake and we are able to laugh at ourselves. Other outtakes in life,
however, are not funny. I am referring to the tragic turns of events that happen in life that can turn our life
in a moment. Accidents, disaster, the death of a loved one happen unexpectedly, and can greatly affect
our lives. These are outtakes we would prefer not to happen or even replayed in our life.
     Times of crisis and tragedy can not be prevented, but how you handle these outtakes will affect the
rest of your life. There is always a choice in any crisis. We can choose to feel upset, but keep hopes and
move forward, or choose to become stuck in the past. We cannot choose our circumstances, but we do
have a choice how we respond to them. We can give in or overcome, and our choice will determine our
future. When we drive a car our focus is the road ahead; if we spend all our time looking in the rearview
mirror(后视镜) failure is more or less inevitable(不可避免)! The same is true in life. We will fail, or at
best remain at a standstill if we keep looking back and focusing on the events behind us, reliving the past.

1.The author mentions the outtakes of a movie in the first paragraph because         .

A. most people have the hobby of watching them
B. they are part of a movie
C. he wants to direct us to his topic in a natural way
D. he just wants to tell us a story

2. The outtakes in our life are different from those of a movie because         .

A. not all of them are funny  
B. they can be avoided
C. they are more funny        
D. they happen more often

3. The purpose of the author is to tell us         .

A. the different kinds of outtakes in real life
B. his funny experience in watching a movie
C. to choose the right attitude towards outtakes in life
D. what we should learn from the outtakes in real life

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Outtakes! Give in or overcome?
B. Outtakes will destroy you.
C. There is always a choice in any crisis.
D. Keep hopes whatever happens.

     Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities. Of course,
there have always been people who have looked for adventure-those who have climbed the highest
mountains, explored unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans.
Now, however, there are people who seek an immediate thrill from a risky activity which may only last a
few minutes or even seconds.
     I would consider bungee-jumping to be a good example of such an activity. You jump from a high
place (perhaps a bridge or a hot-air balloon)200 meters above the ground with an elastic(有弹性的)
rope tied to your ankles. You fall at up to 150 kilometers. It is estimated that 2 million people around the
world have now tried bungee-jumping. Other activities which most people would say are as risky as
bungee-jumping involve jumping from tall buildings and diving into the sea from the top of high cliffs.
     Why do people take part in such activities as these? Some psychologists suggest that it is because life
in modern societies has become safe and boring. Not very long ago people's lives were constantly under
threat. They had to go out and hunt for food, diseases could not easily be cured, and life was a
continuous battle for survival.
     Nowadays, according to many people, life offers little excitement. They live and work in comparatively safe environments；they buy food in shops；and there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill. The answer for some of these people is to seek danger in activities such as bungee-jumping.

1. A suitable title for the text is "        ".

A. Dangerous Sports:What and Why?
B. The Boredom of Modern Life
C. Bungee-jumping:Is It Really Dangerous?
D. The Need for Excitement

2. More and more people today are         .

A. trying activities such as bungee-jumping
B. climbing the highest mountains
C. coming close to death in sports
D. looking for adventures such as exploring unknown places

3. People take part in dangerous sports nowadays probably because           .

A. they have a lot of free time
B. they can go to hospital when they are injured
C. their lives are short of excitement
D. they no longer need to hunt for food

4. What does the word "thrill" in the first paragraph mean?

A. a strong feeling of excitement
B. a feeling of unhappiness
C. a feeling of feeling upset
D. a feeling of being frightened

     EBay  will launch an online group gift-buying service today designed to make it easier for several
people to chip in, buy and pay for gifts using their social-network and e-mail contacts.
EBay North America Vice President Christopher Payne says it is going to be a major step forward in
social commerce, which is the still-small practice of selling products through social networks.Online retail
experts aren't as certain, but eBay says the new tool makes it easier for friends and relatives to chip in
(凑钱) for gifts because it eliminates the headache of collecting contributions.It can also be used for
family members to pitch in to buy, say, an expensive child seat for a mother.
     Anything on eBay that's available immediately, rather than up for bid, can be purchased this way
starting today at groupgifts.eBay.com .If members of an extended family wanted to buy a gift for one
member, one person would choose a gift - or have one recommended by eBay - and invite family
members to chip in using Facebook  or e-mail.Those who wanted to join in would choose an amount
to contribute (or agree to pay a requested amount) and pay using either PayPal  or a credit card.They
could also add a personal note.
     If enough people don't chip in, the organizer can ask people to contribute more or choose a less
expensive gift.
     "I see myself using this most in cases when I typically might not buy someone what they want because
of price," says Nitzan Shaer of Boston, who was part of an online test of the site.
EBay, with its 200 million products, millions of sellers and mobile commerce proficiency, is a logical place
to pull together the products, groups of buyers and payment tools, Payne says.
     At least 12 sites, such as FrumUs.com and eDivvy.com, facilitate (便于,利于) group purchases but
don't sell products.Although a handful of retailers, including Victoria's Secret and 1-800-Flowers , sell
products through Facebook, Payne says he expects social commerce will take off as rapidly as shopping
using mobile devices.EBay did more than $600 million in sales on mobile devices last year and expects
mobile sales to increase to $1.5 billion this year.
     Although one in five consumers surveyed said they'd used Facebook for shopping in the past year,
88% said they would not be buying holiday gifts through a social network, mobile phone or smartphone.
Of these, 26% were reluctant because of security or privacy concerns, and 20% were unclear about the
benefits of using phones or Facebook to shop.

1.What procedure should be followed if your extended family intends to buy your grandpa an 80th
    birthday gift?
①Asking family members to contribute more money if enough members don't chip in
②Choosing a gift at groupgifts.eBay.com
③Paying using PayPal or a credit card
④Contributing or agreeing to pay a requested amount of money via Facebook or e-mail

A.②-①-③-④
B.①-③-②-④
C.②-④-①-③
D.②-③-④-①

2.Where can we most probably read this text?

A. In a research paper
B. In a travel magazine
C. In a microblog
D. On a website

3.What does "it" mean in the 2nd paragraph?

A. The online group gift-buying service
B. People's social-network and e-mail contacts
C. A major step forward in social commerce
D. The still-small practice of selling products through social networks

4. It can be inferred from the text that ______.

A. through eBay's new tool, 200 million products on eBay are available to online shoppers
B. social commerce can eliminate the headache of collecting contributions
C. eBay's new tool will gain mass adoption by online shoppers
D. with the help of eBay's new tool, FrumUs.com and eDivvy.com will also sell products

     We all, at one time or another, have pretended to be a rock star, singing and dancing along to our
favorite song.Most of us have done this in the privacy of our own room when we were kids and as adults,
in the privacy of our homes.Me? I love to do that when I drive! 1 turn on the radio, find a song that I can
sing along too and pretty soon my arms are in the air and I am moving along to the rhythm.Most of the
time, I do this on my way to work.
     Yes, that is true, I will be in my nice work clothes, jamming while driving or stopped at a traffic light I
get weird (古怪的)) looks from some people and others laugh.Personally, I love to get lost in the rhythm
of a song which leads me to share with you the importance of being silly!
     The definition for the word silly, according to the dictionary is: stupid, foolish and nonsensical.I know
many people do not want to look foolish.So they walk around all serious, which in all honesty, is foolish!
     No one is perfect, I repeat: no one is perfect.I don't care how educated, how thin, how beautiful, how
simple, how frugal (节俭的), how rich, and so on...No one is perfect! So why pretend to be something
you are not?
     Life is so short...You never know when this beautiful journey will be over, so why waste a single
second on being so full of rigidity (呆板)? Here is a quote by Souza, that I think says it all and is a great
recipe for life:
     "Dance as though no one is watching you,
      Love as though you have never been hurt before,
      Sing as though no one can hear you,
      Live as though heaven is on earth."
     When we were kids, we had no idea of what limitations were and we had no care in the.world so we
could do things without worrying about how we appeared to others.However, as we grew up, we lost
that childlike innocence.
     So don't lose the child that still lives within you.The next time you feel down, go turn on your favorite
song, and sing and dance along like there is no tomorrow.Or watch something that makes you laugh.
Laughter is the best medicine to whatever ails (使痛苦) you and nothing is better than laughing so hard
that your stomach hurts.Trust me, you will feel a whole lot better, and who doesn't want to feel good?              

1. According to the text, what does the writer usually do?

A. He repeats the words of songs.
B. He sings songs on his way to work.
C. He dances in his own home.  
D. He shares music with other drivers.

2.What does the writer think of the people who look very serious?

A. They are honest.
B. They are educated.
C. They are perfect.
D. They are silly.

3.The writer quotes Souza to show that____.

A. life is a beautiful journey        
B. life is full of rigidity
C. life is to be treasured          
D. life is a great recipe

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A. The Innocence of Being a Child      
B. The Importance of Being Silly
C. No One Is Perfect                
D. Life Is Short

     Squirrels often communicate with whistles, chirps and chucks, which sound like the word "chuck".
Whistles and chirps are like the sounds that many birds make.Now scientists have translated some of
their squirrel-speak.
    Hare, a professor of zoology at the University of Maniloha in Winnipeg, and his team managed to
record squirrels' alarm calls.The researchers studied the sounds and then played them back to 60 wild
squirrels, which the scientists approached individually with a video recorder to capture (抓拍) their
reponses.Some squirrels lifted their heads up and became. Alert (警惕的).Creatures that were more
frightened simply ran for their lives and dived into caves.
     "In effect then, whistles that mix with chucks say 'there's an enemy of average threat that's here', and
whistles without chucks say 'there's an enemy of seemingly average threat around here somewhere', while pure chirps say, 'I'm hiding here because there's an immediate danger.' " Hare told.Discovery News.
     Hare and some other researchers believe such sounds arc part of an advanced language that develops
just as all other communication systems.
Although squirrels risk their lives when they call out to warn others of threats, other squirrels might admire
this behaviour, thus increasingly the caller's social status, like humans who look up to heroes. Hare added
that other animals, such as birds, probably understand at least some squirrel language, since they also may benefit from the alarm calls.
     In fact, another Canadian study found that deep-voiced, black-capped chickadees have their own
language too.According to certain research, there are a lot of tidings in chickadees' calls, such as directing
fellows' activities, keeping in contact between mates, and raising alarms.
While chickadees and other birds are often welcomed into gardens by homeowners, squirrels are
frequently viewed as pests (害兽). Hare wishes a greater understanding of the complex social lives and
communication systems of squirrels will provide "hope that humans will gain a greater appreciation and
stop doing harm to these animals".

1.The text mainly talks about       .

A. the study on the language of squirrels
B. the comparison between squirrels and chickadees
C. the calling for the protection of squirrels
D. the ways for squirrels to escape from their enemies

2. If a squirrel is in a very dangerous situation, it would probably make ____.

A. whistles with chucks  
B. pure chirps
C. whistles without chucks
D. repeated chucks

3. The underlined word "tidings" in pardgmph 6 probably means ____.

A. difficulties      
B. poises          
C. messages    
D. languages

4.What can be learned from this text?

A. Squirrels communicate with cach other as humans do.
B. Some squirrels understand the recorded alarm calls.
C. Other animals also well understand the language of squirrels.
D. Birds such as chickadees don't have their own language.

     You have probably read the books. You have probably seen the movies. But have you heard the
music? The latest Harry Potter news is that bands form to play what is called "wizard rock" or sometimes
just "wrock".
     The new kind of music began when Joe De George and his brother Paul decided that the characters
from Harry Potter would make a great band. Ron on guitar, Hermione on bass, Hagrid on drums and
Harry singing up front would make for an excellent group. In one day, the brothers wrote, rehearsed and
performed six songs about life at Hogwarts. After the first performance, Paul decided that "we are Harry
and the potters."
     Wizard rock is pretty much what it sounds like: rock "n" rock inspired by and set in the world of Harry Potter. The De George started a trend. Today there are dozens of wizard-rock bands: the Whomping
Willows, the Remus Lupins and the Moaning Myrtles to name a few. Rockers dress like Hogwarts
students and play at conventions and festivals.
     People who like Harry Potter think wizard rock music is totally awesome. The songs can be funny,
but the music is not a joke. Just ask the De George brothers. They've played more than 500 shows in 49
states and their hit songs are inspired by characters from Harry Potter: "Save Ginny Weasley" and
"Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock!" The themes of their music are the same as those of Rowling's books:
love and friendship, upset and struggle.
     Wizard rock is just one more by-product in the Harry Potter craze. Two years after J.K. Rowling
published her last book in the series, Potter popularity continues to grow. There are Potter conventions
and Potter clubs that try to get kids and grow-ups to help fight hunger, for example. And the fact that they may do it while humming "Wizard Chess" or "Platform 9" makes those meetings fun.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A. Harry Potter.    
B. Harry Potter's music.    
C. Wizard rock.    
D. Joe and Paul's band.

2. The underlined word "awesome" in Pa4 probably means ______ in the text .  

A. amusing          
B. serious          
C. considerate      
D. inviting