New York: When the first plane struck 1 World Trade Center at 8:48 am on Tuesday, the people in 2 World Trade Center who saw the instant (瞬间的) damage to the other tower realized clearly what they, too, must do: get out fast.
Katherine Ilachinsiki, who had been knocked off her chair by the blast (一阵)of heat exploding from the neighboring tower, was one of those. Despite her 70 years of age, Mrs Ilachinsiki, an architect working on the 91^st floor of 2 World Trade Center, the south tower, went for the stairs. Twelve floors above her, Judy Wein, an executive (经理), cried sharply and set off too.
But others up and down the 110 floors, many without seeing the damage across the way and thus unclear about what was happening, were not so sure. And the 18 minutes before the next plane would hit were ticking off.
Most people had no idea about what was the best thing to do, formal announcements inside the south tower asked people to stay put, assuring them that the building was sound and the threat was limited to the other tower.
Some left, others stayed. Some began to climb down and, when met with more announcements and other cautions (警告) to stop or return, went back up. The decisions made in those instants proved to be of great importance, because many who chose to stay were killed completely when the second plane crashed into the south tower.
One of those caught in indecision (犹豫不决) was the executive at Fuji Bank USA.
Richard Jacobs of Fuji Bank left the 79^th floor with the other office workers, but on the 48^th floor they heard the announcement that the situation was under control. Several got in the lifts and went back up, two minutes or so before the plane crashed into their floor.
“I just don’t know what happened to them,” Mr Jacobs said.
【小题1】From the passage, we know that the south tower was hit by the plane ________.

A．at 8:30	B．18 minutes earlier than the north tower
C．at around 9:06	D．at 8:48

【小题2】The underlined words “stay put” means ________.

A．stay in the building	B．leave at once
C．put everything back and then leave	D．keep silent

【小题3】Which floor was hit by the second plane?

A．The 91st floor

B．The 103rd floor

C．The 60th floor

D．The 79th floor

【小题4】Fewer people would have died if       .

A．more announcements had been made	B．people hadn’t used the lifts
C．the attack had happened on a weekend	D．the people had obeyed the office rules

IQUIQUE, Chile (Reuters) — Rescue workers at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile had reason to sing this week. A small hole drilled into the earth became a passage to freedom for 33 trapped miners, who spent 69 days underground. “Never have people been trapped for so long so deeply,” says a doctor at NASA, the American space agency, which helped in the rescue.
But the chief medical officer for the miners said most are in good enough health to leave the hospital within a day or so. The first three recovered and went home Thursday night.
For much of the day the miners relaxed with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. The 32 Chileans and 1 Bolivian still wore special sunglasses to protect their eyes.
A partial mine collapse on 5th August trapped them more than half a kilometer underground. They had to stretch a two-day food supply. For two weeks no one knew if they were alive or dead. Later, they received supplies.
The first miner rescued on Wednesday was Florencio Avalos. The second was Mario Sepulveda, who talked about how the experience tested his faith. The last miner up was Luis Urzua, who was the shift leader when his crew became trapped.
Rescuers used a metal cage to pull the miners to safety in less than 24 hours — faster than expected. The rescue capsule was a half-meter wide and known as the Phoenix, an imaginary bird from ancient stories. It bursts into flames but is continually reborn and rises from the ashes.
Chile’s Navy built the capsule with advice from mining experts and NASA engineers. It worked like an elevator, traveling up and down on a cable through a shaft（竖井）drilled 622 meters into the rocks.
Millions of people around the world watched the rescue. More than one thousand journalists traveled to the mine in the Atacama Desert to report on the rescue. They joined family members of the miners and rescue crews housed in an area of tents known as Camp Hope.
【小题1】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Rescued miners speak out

B．Miners’ life deep underground

C．A rebirth for 33 rescued miners in Chile

D．Chilean president honors rescued miners

【小题2】How many rescued miners are still in hospital?

A．3.

B．30.

C．33.

D．69.

【小题3】We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．all the trapped miners are Chileans

B．the Chileans rescued the miners alone

C．the rescue caught the world’s attention

D．the trapped miners lived easily underground

【小题4】 Which of the following is true of the Phoenix?

A．It was a wooden cage like a capsule.

B．It worked efficiently in the rescue.

C．It was named after a real Chilean bird.

D．It was built by NASA engineers.

【小题5】The rescue is great for the reason that ______.

A．33 trapped miners were saved

B．the American space agency took part

C．Chilean President was on the rescuing spot

D．it lasted so long and the miners were trapped so deep

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A line of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes marched across the South on Friday, peeling away roofs, overturning cars and killing at least 11 people in Tennessee, officials said.
It was the second wave of violent weather to hit the state in less than a week. Last weekend, tornadoes killed 24 people in the western part of the state and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and buildings.
The storms crossed an area from northern Mississippi to northern Virginia as they moved to the northeast late Friday after developing from a low-pressure system in the central Plains.
The Nashville suburbs were the hardest hit, with at least eight deaths happening northeast of the city. Three more people were killed in a rural area about 65 miles southeast of Nashville.
Tornadoes were also reported in some other places. The storms pulled up trees, knocked down power lines and damaged buildings. What’s worse, phone lines and most businesses were out of service. Hospitals admitted at least 60 people with storm-related injuries and transferred at least nine badly injured patients to Nashville hospitals.
In southern Indiana, the storms damaged some areas with golf ball-sized hail. High winds blew the roof off a country club and overthrew a semitrailer（拖车）. As the storms moved farther east, parts of West Virginia were lashed with heavy rain and winds, great damages caused.
The number of tornadoes in the US has jumped through the first part of 2006 compared with the past few years. Through the end of March, an estimated 286 tornadoes had hit the US, compared with an average of 70 for the same three-month period in each of the past three years.
The number of tornado-related deaths was 38 before Friday's storms. The average number of deaths from 2003 to 2005 was 45 a year, the prediction center said.
【小题1】 How many deaths have the thunderstorms and tornadoes on Friday caused?

A．Three.

B．Eight.

C．Eleven.

D．Twenty-two.

【小题2】 Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Tennessee was hit twice by tornadoes within a week.

B．The latest tornado might start in northern Mississippi.

C．At least four states were hit by the tornado.

D．In the tornadoes of the first 3 months 38 people were killed.

【小题3】 In the first 3 months of last 3 years, about ____ tornadoes happened each month in the US.

A．About 23.

B．About 70.

C．About 98.

D．About 210.

【小题4】We can infer from the report more deaths and injuries were caused because ____. 

A．the phone lines were destroyed	B．there were enough hospitals
C．the people hid in their houses	D．there was also a hail in Tennessee

Consult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 65～68.

【小题1】 What does the phrase “green shoots” mean in “Green shoots have begun to appear in different markets”?

A．Signs of recovery.	B．High prices.
C．Environmental protection.	D．Change in policy.

【小题2】Fill in the blank in the sentence “I can’t believe this is Joshua—he’s ______ since we last met!”

A．shot out

B．shot through

C．shot up

D．shot down

【小题3】When you are talking about unimportant things, we say you are ______.

A．shooting yourself in the foot	B．shooting the breeze
C．shooting your mouth off	D．shooting questions at somebody

【小题4】 Choose a word to complete the sentence “The ______, which killed a policeman and wounded a passer-by, was reported to have lasted only 13 seconds.”

A．shooter

B．shoot

C．shot

D．shooting

Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories, destroying (摧毁) fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged (破坏) that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.
A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.
“I was eating with my wife and children,” he said, “When we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him,
safe but very frightened.”
Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.
“There was no time to take anything,” she said, “A few minutes later, the roof came down.”
Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded (水淹的) area and the welfare department (福利机构) brought them food, clothes and shelter.
【小题1】How many homes altogether (总共) were damaged in the storm?

A．Fourteen	B．Twenty-one
C．Twenty-nine	D．Thirty-six

【小题2】Where was Mr. Tan when the storm first began?

A．He was in bed.	B．He was inside the house.
C．He was outside the house.	D．He was on the roof.

【小题3】 Mrs. Woo and her family didn’t get hurt because _________.

A．her husband knew there would be a storm

B．they were all outside the house when the storm became worse

C．she felt the house was moving

D．the welfare department helped her

【小题4】 The underlined word “shelter” in this passage means ______.

A．something to eat	B．something to wear
C．somewhere to study	D．somewhere to stay

【小题5】Which of he following may be the best title for this passage?

A．A Terrible Storm	B．A Lucky Woman
C．Good Soldiers	D．Clever People

Wong Fuk-wing(黄福荣), a Hong Kong volunteer（志愿者）at an orphanage（孤儿院）in Yushu, was killed in the earthquake when he was trying to save others on April 14, 2010.
Wong managed to run safely out of the building with some children when the first quake happened at 7:50 am on April 14, but he went back inside to rescue three other children and three teachers inside, although he knew the danger of aftershocks（余震）.
At 10 am, all the children and one of the teachers were saved. However, Wong was buried under the fallen building and died. The other two teachers were still waiting to be rescued.
46-year-old Wong was a truck driver, who often said he could only give his efforts to charity（慈善）instead of money, as he did not earn a lot. His tragic（悲剧的）end touched the hearts of many people both in Hong Kong and on the mainland.
Wong began volunteering in 2002. In 2003, Wong was told by the doctor he got serious illness, which gave him a great blow. However, the illness did not deter the warm-hearted man. When the earthquake struck Wenchuan is Sichuan Province in 2008, Wong rushed to the disaster area of Shifang to offer his help though his family did not want him to go.
In fact, Qinghai is a place Wong had often visited since 2006. As a volunteer, he gave out medicine and clothing to the orphanage there. No one could expect that Wong would die helping others.
Hong Kong Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen said he had “the highest respect” for the hero who gave his life for others. “What he did has shown the Hong Kong spirit.” The citizens of Hong Kong called him “ the pride of Hong Kong’s people” and people on the mainland have also praised him as “ a true hero”.
【小题1】Wong died in the earthquake          .

A．after he sent medicine and clothing to the orphanage

B．when he returned to save the teachers and students

C．because he suffered from his serious illness again

D．as the first earthquake happened

【小题2】The underlined word “ deter” in Para. 5 refers to “      ”.

A．prevent

B．refuse

C．beat

D．encourage

【小题3】What can we know about Wong from the passage?

A．He never visited Qinghai before 2010.

B．He was supported by his family being a volunteer.

C．He was thought highly of by the Chinese.

D．He was a taxi driver before he died.

【小题4】Why are so many people deeply moved by the story of Wong?

A．He always offered money to the orphanage.	B．He fought against his illness bravely.
C．He helped the orphanage though being poor.	D．He put other people’s lives above own.

XI’AN---Seven people died in a fire early on Wednesday morning in Xi’an, capital of Shanxi Province. A restaurant with a karaoke hall in the southern suburbs caught fire around 2 a. m. and seven waitresses who were sleeping on the second floor of the restaurant were killed. The restaurant was completely destroyed and the waitresses, the local police said, were killed by toxic smoke from burning decorations.
MANILA---Four people were killed yesterday in the central Philippine island of Tacloban when a bomb they had dug up exploded, local police were quoted as saying. The four people were digging to set up a septic（poisonous）tank in their house when they dug up the bomb. It went off, killing all four people, local police were quoted by radio station DZBB as saying. The police did not say where the bomb came from. Unexploded bombs from World War II are still discovered around the Philippines once in a while.
TEL AVIV---An Israeli couple kissed for 30 hours and 45 minutes which, a spokeswoman said yesterday, was a world record. The couple, both in their twenties, started kissing on Monday at 8:30 p.m. along with 250 other couples in a contest. “For nearly 31 hours they didn’t eat, drink, talk or even go to the bathroom. And the whole time, they were standing up”, said Arielle Goldman, who handled public relations for the event. She said a representative of the Guinness Book of World Records was on hang to witness the event, recorded on video. The previous record was 29 hour and 37 minutes, Goldman said. The winning couple received two round-the-world plane tickets and $2,500. (277 words)
【小题1】Which of the following statements is right?

A．The news report didn’t mention the loss caused by the fire.

B．After reading the report we know how the fire broke out.

C．The reporter tended to think the bomb had something to do with World War II

D．The police refused to admit the bomb had anything to do with World War II.

【小题2】 The underlined word “toxic” means _____.

A．poisonous

B．dangerous

C．hot

D．thick

【小题3】 The Israeli couple kissed for nearly 31 hours_____.

A．to test their endurance	B．to set a new world record
C．to show their special love	D．to prove they are very healthy

【小题4】Why did so many couples take part in the contest?

A．Because it was a good chance to enjoy themselves.

B．Because they were poor and wanted to gain the 2,500 dollars.

C．Because they wanted to attract people’s attention.

D．Because they aimed at the honor and prize.

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案。
This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers(young people aged from13~19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”
【小题1】This year ________teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.

A．twenty-three hundred

B．thirteen hundred

C．over three thousand

D．less than two thousand

【小题2】The whole exchange programme is mainly to__________.

A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America

B．send students in America to travel in Germany

C．let students learn something about other countries

D．have teenagers learn new languages

【小题3】Fred and Mike agree that__________.

A．America food tasted better than German food

B．German schools were harder than American schools

C．Americans and Germans were both friendly

D．There were more cars on the streets in America

【小题4】What is particular in American schools is that________.

A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings

B．there are a lot of after-school activities

C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all

D．students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car

MIANYANG—At a corner of the city’s Jiuzhou Stadium, one of the biggest camps set up for those left homeless in the earthquake, 62-year-old Liu Yaorong was leaning against a window on Thursday.
Pointing to a quilt and clothes he received from the local government, he said: “These are all I have. My home collapsed in the quake, and everything in the town was flooded.”
He used to live in Xuanping town of Beichuan county which was destroyed by the quake. Adding to his misery, rivers blocked by landslides(山崩) led to flooding in the town.
But Liu said he was lucky because he was healthy, otherwise he would not have the energy to walk 10 hours on damaged and dangerous mountainous roads to escape the flood on Monday. He said the trip used to take him about 90 minutes when the roads were in good condition.
The journey was difficult and “rocks kept falling,” he said, showing injured legs and black, split toenails.
Liu said his three sons were working in eastern cities as migrant workers.
“I’ve been living alone in the mountains for more than 20 years. My wife died 30 years ago,” he said in a low voice.
During his journey to Mianyang, Liu said he saw many elderly people who chose to stay.
“Soldiers were persuading them to leave for fear of floods,” he said.
Talking about his home before the quake struck, Liu’s mood lifted. “I raised pigs and chickens, and grew vegetables. I could have rice, meat and greens almost every day,” he said.
“But now, I have only biscuits and instant noodles.”
Liu said one of his sons returned home from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, after the quake, but left because the father refused to go with him.
“I don’t want to leave home. And I know it is difficult for them out there. How could I add to their burden?” he asked, his eyes red.
“I still want to go back to my home. Given a small piece of land, I could live by myself.”
It is learnt that resettlement plans for displaced people have not been finalized.
However, not every elderly person is as strong-willed as Liu.
Psychologists said the elderly need as much comfort as children. Lu Jianguo, a psychologist from Chengdu Medical College, said “We will first let them cry and tell their stories, and then help them regain confidence.”
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Liu Yaorong spent 8.5 hours more than usual covering the roads in escaping the flood.

B．The flood was followed by an earthquake in Xuanping in the same day.

C．Liu Yaorong was in time to escape the quake without being hurt.

D．Being healthy, Liu Yaorong was the only old man to escape the flood.

【小题2】The underlined word “ misery  ”in the third paragraph most probably means “      ”.

A．happiness

B．fortune

C．puzzle

D．suffering

【小题3】What’s Liu Yaorong’s attitude towards self-relief after the earthquake?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Aggressive.

D．Dependent.

【小题4】 What would be the best title for the news report?

A．Elderly react more quickly to flood disaster

B．Elderly try hard to deal with quake disaster

C．Elderly prefer to stay at their own home

D．Elderly are well cared for by government

Dogs can be worried and pessimistic just like people, researchers report in a new study in Current Biology. And they aren’t talking about basset hounds (短脚猎狗): those dogs just look as if they expect the worst.
What the scientists say is that dogs that exhibit anxiety when left home alone by their owners may have bigger problems — they may be in a permanent bad mood.
This pessimistic outlook may not otherwise be easily apparent in a dog’s other characteristics, like running speed or learning ability, the study reports.
Dogs are similar to humans in the role that emotional state plays in decision making, said Michael Mendel, a veterinary scientist at the University of Bristol and the study’s lead author. The study’s researchers looked at 24 dogs in shelters in Britain.
They placed the dogs in isolated settings and observed their reactions — many barked, jumped on furniture and scratched at the door.
Then they placed bowls in two rooms. One bowl contained food, while another was empty. After training the dogs to understand that bowls can sometimes be empty, and sometimes full, they began to place bowls in ambiguous locations.
Dogs that quickly raced to the locations were more optimistic, and in search of food. Those that did not were deemed pessimistic.
The more separation anxiety a dog expressed while in isolation, the more likely the dog was to have a pessimistic reaction, the researchers found.
The study carries an important message for dog owners, Dr. Mendel said.
Dogs that express serious anxiety when alone may need treatment, as it could be a sign of unhappiness and instability.
【小题1】This passage can be classified as _________.

A．an advertisement	B．a feature story
C．a news report	D．a book review

【小题2】 In the study, many dogs barked, jumped and scratched because __________.

A．they couldn’t find the bowl with food in it

B．they were left alone

C．they needed to be treated

D．they wanted to be active and optimistic

【小题3】According to Dr. Mendel, which statement is true?

A．Like humans, dogs are good at decision making.

B．Dog owners should train dogs to find food.

C．Emotional state works sometimes when humans make decision.

D．Dogs can always find the bowl with food quickly.

【小题4】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Dogs will be optimistic as long as they are left alone.

B．Dogs must be in a permanent bad mood when their owners left.

C．Dogs that express anxiety don’t need treatment.

D．Dogs may easily show their pessimistic outlook in learning ability.