It was 3:12 a. m. when nine-year-old Glenn Kreamer awoke to the smell of burning. Except for the crackling（爆裂声）of flames somewhere below there was not a sound in the two-storey house at Baldwin, Long Island. With his father away on night duty at a local factory, Glenn was worried about the safety of his mother, his sister Karen, 14 and his 12-year-old brother Todd. He ran downstairs through the smoke filled house to push and pull at Karen and Todd until they sat up. Then he helped each one through the house to the safety of the garden. There, his sister and brother, taking short and quick breaths and coughing, collapsed on the lawn.
The nine-year-old raced back into the house and upstairs to his mother’s room. He found it impossible to waked her up. Mrs. Kreamer, a victim of the smoke, was unconscious, and there was nobody to help Glenn carry her to the garden. But the boy remained calm and , as a fireman said later, “acted with all the self-control of a trained adult.”
On the bedroom telephone, luckily still working, Glenn called his father and, leaving Mr. Kreamer to telephone the fire brigade and ambulance service, got on with the task of saving his mother.
First he filled a bucket with water from the bathroom and threw water over his mother and her bed. Then, with a wet cloth around his head he went back to the garden.
He could hear the fire engine coming up, but how would the firemen find his mother in the smoke-filled house where flames had almost swallowed up the ground floor?
Grasping firmly a ball of string（线绳） from the garage, Glenn raced back into the house and dashed upstairs to his mother’s room. Tying one end of the string to her hand， he ran back, laying out the string as he went, through the hall and back out into the garden.
Minutes later he was telling fire chief John Coughlan: “The string will lead you to mother.” Mrs. Kreamer was carried to safety as the flames were breaking through her bedroom floor.
【小题1】Why did Glenn run downstairs first?

A．He wanted to find out what was happening.

B．He was worried about his mother’s safety.

C．He wanted to save his sister and brother.

D．He went to see if his father had come back from work.

【小题2】How did Glenn help the firemen to save his mother?

A．By throwing water all over her and her bed.

B．By carrying her to safety with his brother.

C．By pushing and pulling at her.

D．By tying a string to her hand.

【小题3】What did Glenn do to protect himself?

A．He put a wet cloth around his head.

B．He threw water all over himself.

C．He hid himself in the bathroom.

D．He rushed out to the lawn.

【小题4】Glenn saved his family because___________.

A．his father had taught him to do so on the phone

B．he had learned something about first aid

C．he had dealt with the emergency calmly and wisely

D．he had followed his mother’s instruction

When Jeanne Calment entered the world in 1875, telephones and automobiles still lay in the future. Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso were not yet born. The Eiffel Tower was 14 years from being built. As a teenager, she met Vincent Van Gogh, near her home in Arles, in the south of France. He was “very ugly, ungracious (举止粗俗的), impolite, sick—I forgive him, they called him loco (精神失常的)”, she recalled. When she died last week at age 122, she was the world’s eldest person. (There are others who claimed to the title, but only Calment had the official documents to prove her age.)
Each February 21, her birthday, she would share the secrets of long life. Some years it was “a sense of humour”, others it was “keeping busy”. “God must have forgotten me,” she once explained. The truth probably was that she had good genes: her mother reportedly lived to be 86 and her father 94.
Her life had its sadness: she outlived her husband, her only daughter and her grandson. According to a friend, she was imperturbable. “If you can’t do anything about it,” she reportedly said, “don’t worry about it.”
In her last years she was nearly blind and deaf, but her health remained good. She ate a few bars of chocolate each week and continued smoking until a few years ago, when she could no longer light her own cigarettes. She never lost her sense of humour. On her 110^th birthday, she commented, “I’ve only ever had one wrinkle, and I’m sitting on it. “Her longevity made her famous; her spirit made her eternal (永恒的).
【小题1】Why does the author mention Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso and the Eiffel Tower?

A．To show that Calment had seen famous people and things.

B．To emphasize that Calment was born a long time ago.

C．To indicate that Calment is just as famous.

D．To admire the knowledge that Calment had.

【小题2】The author believed that Calment’s longevity is mainly due to ______.

A．a sense of humor	B．being kept busy
C．belief in God	D．good genes

【小题3】The underlined word “imperturbable” means ________.

A．calm

B．humorous

C．friendly

D．healthy

【小题4】Toward the end of the story, the author seems to be impressed by Callment ’s _________.

A．spirit

B．religious belief

C．knowledge

D．longevity

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama swept to victory as the first black president in the US history Tuesday night in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself. "Change has come," he told a huge group of cheering supporters.
In his first speech as victor, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. "The greatest of a lifetime," he said, "two wars, a planet in danger, the worst financial crisis in a century."
He added, "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face."
The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his historic triumph by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states -- Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Iowa and more.
In his speech, Obama invoked (引用) the words of Lincoln and echoed John F. Kennedy.
"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in (努力投入) and work harder," he said.
He and his running mate, Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths（宣誓）of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009.
Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession (不景气), and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.
Obama has said his first order of presidential business will be to tackle the economy. He has also pledged to withdraw most US combat troops from Iraq within 16 months.
【小题1】What is special about Barack Obama, the newly-elected president of the United States?

A．He has a black father and a white mother.

B．He is the first black president in the US history.

C．He defeated Republican Sen. John McCain easily.

D．He will move into the White Palace on Jan. 20, 2009.

【小题2】What Obama emphasized in his first speech were ________.

A．dangers

B．wars

C．challenges

D．financial problems

【小题3】The first issue Obama will focus his attention on may probably be to ________.

A．withdraw most US combat troops from Iraq	B．care for environmental protection
C．declare two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan	D．deal with the problems of economy

【小题4】According to the passage, Obama’s attitude toward the challenges he faces is ________.  

A．positive

B．negative

C．ambiguous

D．worried

Duke Ellington is known as one of the most important composers of his time, and his work has been enjoyed for more than 80 years by music lovers all over the world. During his lifetime Ellington turned musical sounds into many compositions, mostly in the style known as jazz.
The Early Years
Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington, D. C. It wasn’t until Ellington was a teenager that his interest in music grew. He taught himself to play the piano by listening to local piano players. Sometime around 1916 Ellington began playing the piano at high school parties. Ellington realized that he enjoyed entertaining people with his music. He soon became a very popular musician, playing at parties and other events in the Washington area. Young adults seemed especially delighted by the modern pieces he composed.
Success in New York
In 1923, when Ellington was almost 24 years old, he joined The Washingtonians, a five-piece group of musicians in Washington, and became the group’s leader in early 1924. In 1927 Ellington and his orchestra won an engagement（雇佣期）at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club. For the next three years, his orchestra played at the Cotton Club nearly every night.
The Influence of the Cotton Club
Working at the Cotton Club encouraged Ellington’s creativity. Since the shows changed every six months, he was challenged by the need to continually develop new material. He had to compose a wide variety of music to accompany the various acts in the Cotton Club shows and to adapt that music to the strengths and weaknesses of the players in his orchestra.
By 1928 the popular nightspot began radio broadcasts. From the broadcasts Ellington and his orchestra gained a national reputation.
On the Road
As Ellington’s popularity increased, he realized that his orchestra could do well on concert tours. They left the Cotton Club in 1931 and toured America and Europe almost continually for the next 43 years. In addition to touring, Ellington made recordings and continued to compose music.
Duke Ellington played the piano, composed music, and led his famous orchestra for more than 50 years, until his death in 1974. Music lovers all over the world agree that the large quantity of music he created will be enjoyed for many years to come.
【小题1】From the second paragraph, we know that Ellington ____________.

A．could sing as well as he played the piano

B．preferred mature audiences to young adults

C．had a natural talent for musical composition

D．learnt to play musical instrument from very young age

【小题2】Which of the following can show us Ellington’s leadership ability?

A．Ellington was very popular at parties in the Washington area.

B．Ellington took the responsibility for a band for a long time.

C．Ellington did live radio broadcasts in New York City.

D．Ellington continually developed new material.

【小题3】We may infer from the passage that ____________.

A．Ellington’s career took off overnight

B．Ellington loves touring around the world

C．Ellington could compose a wide variety of songs

D．Ellington had a great effect on the world of music

【小题4】Which of the following shows the order in which the events happened in the story?
a. Ellington joined a five-piece group of musicians in Washington.
b. Ellington’s orchestra played at the Cotton Club.
c. Ellington and his orchestra gained a national reputation.
d. Ellington began playing the piano at high school parties.
e. Ellington’s orchestra went on concert tours.

A．d-b-a-e-c

B．d-a-b-c-e

C．a-d-b-c-e

D．a-d-b-e-c

Catherine Destivelle is a rock star. She loves rock, but she can’t sing or play the guitar! She is a rock climber and a big star in France and Italy. She is the most famous woman climber in the world because she often climbs without ropes. She climbs in many countries but most often in the French Alps near Chamonix, where she lives. She started climbing near her home in Paris when she was five. Then, at fourteen, she joined the French Alpine Club to learn more, but immediately she climbed better and more quickly than the older members of the club. She won her first competition in Italy in 1995.
Three years ago she found a new route up the Dru Mountain near Chamonix. The climb took eleven days and for four days the snow was so heavy that she could not move. Last year other climbers tried to follow the new Destivelle Route, but they failed. They are going to try again this year.
People always ask her about her climbing. She says, “I climb because I’m in love with mountains. I like touching the rock and reading the face of the rock. I like it a lot. I felt at home on the side of a mountain. I prepare well before I go, so I’m never worried.”
Catherine chooses new mountains from books—like buying from a shopping catalogue(目录)! “I see a nice mountain and I go to climb it!” Her next mountain is in Pakistan. She is going there next month. “It’s much bigger than the Dru, so it’s going to take longer to climb. An American climber, Jeff Lowe, is coming with me to help.”
【小题1】Catherine Destivelle is called ‘a star’ because ________.

A．she won a competition in 1995	B．she loves rocks
C．she’s a famous woman climber	D．she found a new route up to the Dru Mountain

【小题2】She had great trouble finding a new route up the Dru Mountain because _______.

A．she lost her way	B．the climb took 11 days
C．she needed help from an American climber	D．there was heavy snow

【小题3】On the side of a mountain she feels _______.

A．independent

B．easy and happy

C．energetic and challenged

D．nervous

【小题4】We can infer from the passage people often ask her “________”.

A．Why do you like climbing?	B．Are you in love with an American climber?
C．Do you enjoy reading books on mountains?	D．What do you do before you go climbing?

Lillian Hanson, a college student, expects to graduate in about two years. What makes Mrs Hanson different from her classmates is her age-----73 years. She has been studying at college, a few courses at a time, for 27 years.
　　When Lillian Hanson graduated from high school, she went to the bank to borrow money for further education. The banker gave her no encouragement. He didn‘t think that a country girl should borrow money to go to college. He thought she should be at home doing work in the house or around the farm. So Lillian Hanson went home and raised a family of nine children instead of going to college. Mrs Hanson never forgot her dream of getting a higher education. When her children were grown, she tried again.
　　She finds that it is the hardest part of going back to school at her age to sit in class for long periods of time. Because she is not as quick as she used to be, Mrs Hanson often gets up and walks around classes to keep from getting stiff(不灵活). At the beginning of a course in using the computer, the other students all stood up to give her a warm welcome when she introduced herself and explained why she was there and what her aims were.
【小题1】 Mrs Hanson couldn’t go to college immediately after she graduated from high school because _____.

A．she hadn‘t got enough money	B．she was a country girl
C．the banker ordered her not to borrow any money
D．the banker thought she should raise a family of nine children

【小题2】The computer students welcomed Mrs Hanson warmly because ______.

A．she had got an excellent result in the exam

B．she was good at telling funny stories

C．they wanted to get her help in their studies

D．they were deeply moved by her spirit

【小题3】 Mrs Hanson is the sort of person who ________.

A．cares for study very much	B．likes to borrow money from the bank
C．never misses a chance to talk	D．tries to save any money for her family

【小题4】 In which order did Mrs Hanson do the following things?
　　a. she began her studies at college.
　　b. She finished high school.
　　c. She got married and gave birth of nine children.
　　d. She had her 73 rd birthday.
　　e. She went to the bank to borrow money.

A．a c b e d

B．b e c a d

C．b c e d a

D．e d a c b

With only fish and birds for company, Eric Erden has been rowing across the Pacific Ocean to Australia in his 23-foot-long boat since he left California on July 10, 2009.
This is the first part of Eric’s trip around the world using only his own energy. He will row, bike, and walk without help from any motors at all. His plan includes climbing the tallest mountain on each of the six continents he visits, to honour the memory of a fellow climber.
He says he is doing this to show kids that they can achieve any goal, but he also hopes to have some great adventures along the way.
Storms and huge waves regularly force him in the wrong direction and even threaten to overturn his boat. “Sometimes I really feel scared,” says a somewhat embarrassed Eric. “But that’s part of the journey. I knew this wouldn’t be easy when I started.”
Protein bars give him energy, and he boils water to heat freeze-dried meals on a one-burner stove. A sun-powered machine removes salt from ocean water so he can drink it, but when that fails he sometimes tries to collect rainwater in a bucket.
He’s not bothered by any of the hardships. Eric sees the world as a laboratory where there is much to learn. And when his trip around the world takes him across land, he enjoys meeting people — especially children. He has already visited several schools and shared his story.
【小题1】Why is Eric making this trip?

A．To encourage children to reach for their goal.

B．To learn to overcome various hardships.

C．To do experiments all over the world.

D．To honour the memory of a fellow climber.

【小题2】What does Eric plan to do on each of the six continents he will visit?

A．Visit schools to share his story.

B．Study the culture of the local people.

C．Climb the tallest mountain.

D．Cycle from one end to the other.

【小题3】How does Eric mainly get drinking water?

A．He boils the seawater on a stove.

B．He has brought fresh water with him.

C．He collects rain water in a bucket.

D．He uses a special machine to make seawater fresh.

【小题4】Which of the following words best describes Eric’s character?

A．Determined.

B．Intelligent.

C．Fearless.

D．Lonely.

Everybody has one of those days when everything goes wrong. This is what happened to Harry.
He got up one morning very late because he had forgotten to wind up his alarm clock（闹钟）. He tried to shave（刮脸）quickly and cut himself. When he got dressed he got blood all over his clean shirt, so he had to find another one. The only other shirt that was clean needed ironing（熨）, so he ironed it. While he was ironing it, there was a knock at the door. It was the man to read the electricity meter（表）. He showed him where the meter was, said good-bye and found that the iron had burnt a hole in his shirt. So he had to wear the one with the blood on it after all. By this time it was very late, so he decided he couldn’t go to work by bus. He telephoned for a taxi to take him to work. The taxi arrived and Harry got in and began to read the newspaper.
In another part of the town, a man had killed a woman with a knife and was seen to run away in a taxi. When Harry’s taxi stopped outside his office, a policeman happened to be standing there. He saw the blood on Harry’s shirt, and took him to the police station. He was kept till 3 o’clock in the afternoon before the police were sure that he was not the man they wanted. When he finally arrived at the office at about four, his boss took a look at him and told him to go away and find another job.
【小题1】Harry had __________.

A．a lucky day

B．an unlucky day

C．a busy day

D．a good day

【小题2】Put the following sentences into correct order according to the passage.
a. The man who read the electricity meter came.
b. Harry ironed his shirt.
c. Harry got blood all over his clean shirt.
d. There was a knock at the door.
e. Harry wore the shirt with blood on it.

A．a, b, c, d, e

B．b, a, d, c, e

C．b, a, c, d, e

D．c, b, d, a, e

【小题3】Why did Harry wear the shirt with blood on it?

A．The iron had burnt a hole in his clean shirt.

B．The only other needed ironing.

C．He had only one shirt.

D．He cut himself and got blood all over his shirt.

【小题4】Harry was taken to the police station because __________.

A．his taxi stopped outside his office and a policeman happened to be there

B．there was blood on his shirt and he was in a taxi

C．a man killed a woman with a knife

D．the murderer（杀人犯）was seen to run a away in a taxi

【小题5】His boss told him to go away and find another job because __________.

A．he had been kept by the police	B．there was blood on his shirt
C．he was late for work	D．he had killed a woman

Though I have traveled in hundreds of trains, few unusual things have ever happened to me. But one day in a train something did happen. I do not mean that I was hurt: no one was hurt.
I do my work in a hot country far away from England. Every September I go there to do my business, and every July I come back to England to have a rest. So every September I go to Paris and take a train from the great French city to Mendova, and at Mendova I catch my ship.
There is one very fast train from Paris to Mendova, and it suits me well. It goes as far as Endoran, but it stops at Mendova for a few minutes to let travelers get out or in. It is called The Flying Bluebird. It reaches Mendova at seven minutes past nine in the morning, and it is never late.
A ship leaves Mendova at half past eleven, and so you will understand that The Flying Bluebird suits me very well. I always travel by it, and I have nearly two and a half hours at Mendova to go from the station to the ship. That is more than enough time.
Well, one September night, I took my place in The Flying Bluebird as usual. The train leaves Paris at nine o’clock every night, and I was in my place soon after half past eight. There were three or four people there with me, but very soon a lot of others got into the train. When no more people could sit down, they began to stand up near us and also in the corridor（走廊）. In a short time the corridor was full too, and it was impossible for any more travelers to get into the train.
I could see a lot of other people outside the corridor windows, but they could not get in, and the train left Paris without them. The man sitting next to me started to ask all kinds of questions: “Where do you work? How long does it take you to get there? Are you married? How many children do you have? How much money do they pay you every year? How much do you have in the bank? How much do you spend every month?”
He asked questions for about twenty minutes but I did not give him any clear answers, and at last he stopped and began to read the paper.
I usually sleep quite well in the train, but this time I slept only a little. There were too many people, and there were too many things: small bags, large bags, coats, hats, boxes, newspapers and food. As usual, we got angry about the window. Most people wanted it shut, and two of us wanted it open. But that always happens. It was shut all night, as usual.
When I awoke in the early morning I felt hot and dirty, and glad that the journey was reaching its end. At seven minutes past nine The Flying Bluebird stopped. We were at Mendova, and I stood up thankfully. I took my two suitcases, held one in each hand, and tried to move towards the door into the corridor. In order to get out of the train, I had to pass down the corridor to the door at the far end. There was no other way out.
I could not even into the corridor. There was a suitcase on the floor by my feet, and three men were standing in my way. I felt a touch of fear. I had to get out, you see; I had to catch my ship, which left at half past eleven. And the train did not stop again until it reached Endoran, two hundred miles away.
“I must get out!” I cried. Everyone there understood me, but no one could move.
At last I was able to put one foot over the suitcase on the floor, and I nearly reached the door into the corridor. But then, very slowly, the train began to move. It was taking me away!
“Stop!” I cried. “I want to get out!” But no one outside the train could hear me, and the people inside did not care much. The train moved a little faster. What could I do? I was not even in the corridor.
Fear made me think quickly. In front of my eyes, just, above the door, was a notice that told everyone how to stop the train. I had to pull an iron thing near the notice. I did not waste time. I pulled it.
Well, a noise started above our heads. That was to show everyone that there was something wrong. It was not a small sound. Possibly the men in my ship two miles away could hear it. Then the train stopped.
No one likes to stop a train if there is no need. But I had to catch my ship. That was the only thought in my mind: to get out and catch my ship.
【小题1】The purpose of the author writing the first paragraph is to __________.

A．answer some questions	B．express some unusual feelings
C．arouse the readers’ curiosity	D．give some advice in advance

【小题2】What do we know about the author and the man sitting next to him?

A．They talked with each other all night

B．They got angry about the window

C．The author didn’t understand the man’s words

D．The author didn’t like the man’s foolish questions

【小题3】On this journey on The Flying Bluebird, the author felt uncomfortable because ___________.

A．he couldn’t find a seat by the window

B．he was angry with the man sitting next to him

C．there were too many people on the train

D．the window was kept shut all night

【小题4】It can be learned from Para. 10 that the author was afraid that ____________.

A．he would have to spend another sleepless night on the train

B．he would miss the ship that went where he worked

C．more people might crowd into the train

D．he would have to buy another ticket

【小题5】The noise in the underlined sentence “a noise started above our heads”（Para.15）was made by __________.

A．the angry passengers shouting at the top of their voices

B．the ship that was lying two miles away

C．the falling of boxes and suitcases to the floor

D．the train itself telling people that something was wrong

【小题6】What would be the best title for the text?

A．A Bad Experience on the Train	B．A Train that Is Never Late
C．A Quick and Wise Decision	D．A Journey to Mendova

Going to school means learning new skills and facts in different subjects. Teachers teach and students learn, and many scientists are interested in finding ways to improve both teaching and learning processes.
Sian Beilock and Susan Leving, two psychologists at the University of Chicago, are trying to learn about learning. In a new study about the way kids learn math in elementary school, Beilock and Levine found a surprising relationship between what female teachers think and what female students learn: If a female teacher is uncomfortable with her own math skills, then her female students are more likely to believe that boys are better than girls at math. “If these girls keep getting math-anxious female teachers in later grades, it may create a snowball effect on their math achievement,” Levine told Science News. The study suggests that if these girls grow up believing that boys are better at math than girls are, then these girls may not do as well as they would have if they were more confident.
Just as students find certain subjects to be difficult, teachers can find certain subjects to be difficult to learn—and teach. The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone.
The new study involved 65 girls, 52 boys and 17 first-and second-grade teachers in elementary schools in the Midwest. The students took math achievement tests at the beginning and end of the school year, and the researchers compared the scores.
The researchers also gave the students tests to tell whether the students believed a math superstar had to be a boy. Then the researchers turned to the teachers: To find out which teachers were anxious about math, the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math, such as when reading a sales receipt. A teacher who got nervous looking at the numbers on a sales receipt, for example, was probably anxious about math.
Boys, on average, were unaffected by a teacher’s anxiety. On average, girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests than other girls in the study did. Plus, on the test showing whether someone thought a math superstar had to be a boy, 20 girls showed feeling that boys would be better at math—and all of these girls had been taught by female teachers with math anxiety.
According to surveys done before this one, college students who want to become elementary school teachers have the highest levels of anxiety about math. Plus, nine of every 10 elementary teachers are women, Levine said.
【小题1】Sian Beilock and Susan Levine carried out the new research in order to ___________.

A．know the effects of teaching on learning

B．study students’ ways of learning math

C．prove women teachers are unfit to teach math

D．find better teaching methods for teachers

【小题2】The underlined part in paragraph 2 most probably means that girls may ___________.

A．end up learning math anxiety from their teachers

B．study the ways their female teachers behave

C．have an influence on their math-anxious female teachers

D．gain unexpected achievement in such subjects as math

【小题3】 In the study, what were the teachers required to do?

A．Prepare two math achievement tests for the students

B．Tell their feelings about math problems

C．Answer whether a math superstar had to be a boy

D．Compare the students’ scores after the math tests

【小题4】What is the finding of the new study?

A．No male students were affected by their teachers’ anxiety

B．Almost all the girls got lower scores in the tests than the boys

C．About 30% of the girls thought boys are better at math than girls

D．Girls with math-anxious teachers all failed in the math tests

【小题5】 Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A．117 students and teachers took part in the new study

B．The researchers felt surprised at the findings of their study

C．Beilock and Levine are interested in teaching math

D．Men teachers are better at teaching math than women teachers