阅读理解

A Magical Experience

　　One hot August afternoon, Deena Hoagland and her son Joe sat on a floating platform at Dolphins Plus, a marine(海洋)center near their home in Florida．Nearby, a large, powerful, six-hundred-pound dolphin circled to study the mother and her child．Suddenly, it splashed the Hoaglands with water．That is when something amazing happened．Three-year-old Joe Hoagland smiled．Sitting with Joe on her lap, Deena smiled, too, as her heart leapt with joy．It was the first sign of hope she had seen in Joe since his stroke(中风)six weeks earlier．

　　Joe Hoagland was born with a rare heart condition that had forced him to spend much of his first three years of life in hospitals．After a series of open-heart surgeries, Joe seemed to be doing better, but the last surgery on his heart resulted in a stroke, which left him unable to move one side and to see out of one eye．

　　Worse still, the spirit of the child, who had bravely battled his illness until then was seemingly broken．Afraid of his doctors and unwilling to participate in efforts at physical therapy(治疗), Joe grew listless, losing interest even in his favorite toys．

　　Having heard of a new therapeutic approach termed “dolphin-assisted therapy,” Deena phoned Dolphins Plus and asked permission to bring her son along．There Joe met Fonzie, the playful dolphin．With each passing visit, Joe seemed to make more progress．Before long, he was regaining some movement on his left side．Dolphins Plus trainers urged Joe to get into the water and swim with his new friend．Joe, however, was reluctant．Gradually, though, Joe became more comfortable with the large dolphin, and by mid-September, Joe was swimming with his friends．

　　Over the next two years, Joe fully recovered from the paralysis and partial blindness that his doctors thought irreversible．Now a healthy, active teenager, Joe lives a life similar to any of his friends．He visits and swims frequently with his friend Fonzie and helps his parent with Island Dolphin Care．Deena started Island Dolphin Care to work with Dolphins Plus to share the benefits of dolphin therapy with other special-needs children and their parents．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　At Blossom End Railroad Station, 22-year-old Stanley Vine sat, waiting for his new employer．The surrounding green fields were so unlike the muddy landscape of war-torn France．After four horrible years as an army private fighting in Europe, Stanley had returned to England in February 1946．Armed now with some savings and with no prospects for a job in England, he answered a newspaper ad for farm help in Canada．Two months later he was on his way．

　　When the old car rumbled toward the tiny station, Stanley rose to his feet, trying to make the most of his five foot, four inch frame．The farmer, Alphonse Lapine, shook his head and complained, “You're a skinny thing．” On the way to his dairy farm, Alphonse explained that he had a wife and seven kids．“Money's tight．You'll get room and board．You'll get up at dawn for milking, and then help me around the farm until evening milking time again．Ten dollars a week．Sundays off．” Stanley nodded．He had never been on a farm before, but he took the job．

　　From the beginning Stanley was treated horribly by the whole family．They made fun of the way he dressed and talked．He could do nothing right．The humourless farmer frequently lost his temper, criticizing Stanley for the slightest mistake．The oldest son, 13-year-old Armand, constantly played nasty tricks on him．But the kind-hearted Stanley never responded．

　　Stanley never became part of the Lapine family．After work, they ignored him．He spent his nights alone in a tiny bedroom．However, each evening before retiring, he lovingly cared for the farmer's horses, eagerly awaiting him at the field gate．He called them his gentle giants．On Saturday nights he hitch-hiked into the nearest town and wandered the streets or enjoyed a restaurant meal before returning to the farm．

　　Early one November morning Alphonse Lapine discovered that Stanley had disappeared, after only six months as his farmhand．The railway station master, when questioned later that week, said he had not seen him．In fact no one in the community ever heard of him again．That is, until one evening, almost 20 years later, when Armand, opened an American sports magazine and came across a shocking headline, “Millionaire jockey, Stanley Vine, ex-British soldier and 5-time horse riding champion, began life in North America as a farmhand in Canada．”

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　Chocolate soap is supposed to be good for the skin．But it's not so good for the tongue．Unfortunately for the US soldiers of World War II, the chocolate bars the army gave them tasted like they were intended for use in the bath．

　　In the army's defense, it wasn't trying to win any cooking awards．In fact, it specifically ordered that its chocolate bars not be too delicious, so soldiers wouldn't eat them too quickly．These bars were created for survival, not taste．“They were awful,” John Otto, a former army captain in World War II said．“They were big, thick things, and they weren't any good．I tried 'em, but I had to be awful hungry after I tried them once．”

　　As unappealing as the chocolate bars were to some, others liked them．Samuel Hinkle, the chemist who created the chocolate bars, pointed out that the number of bars made were far greater than the army needed．“It soon became obvious that the generous American soldiers were sharing their valued possessions with their foreign friends, whether soldiers of other countries or local citizens．”

　　The bars turned many hungry Europeans into friends of the United States．“People wanted them,” said Otto．“You'd give them to kids．In some places they were very hungry．And they sure helped relax people about American soldiers．”

　　Otto said he never saw a European turn his or her nose up at the chocolate．“It was food,” he said．“At that time, everyone was very hungry．I saw German kids standing outside the U．S．army kitchen．They weren't begging, just standing there very politely．When we were done, the kids would eat the food out of the garbage．They were that hungry．”

　　Other Europeans did not see chocolate until well after the war ended．“We didn't see any Americans where I was,” said Elizabeth Radsma, who was 25 years old when the Germans occupied her country, the Netherlands．“Even after the war, we saw only English．Maybe the Americans gave out some chocolate in the big cities, but we were only in a small town．Before the British, we saw only German soldiers．But chocolate? Don't make me laugh! Maybe in my dreams!”

　　A soldier in the field might have responded “Be careful what you wish for”-and then gratefully bit down on a chocolate bar, the only food available for miles．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　It's interesting to see how people make use of the time they spend on public transport in Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai．

　　In crowded buses and trains people manage to take a short nap and some even reach the snoring stage．Or they spread out a newspaper over multiple knees and arms to read about the latest sport results or political crisis．

　　Then there are the experienced travellers who have been playing cards with the same group over the last decade or so．They even have their specific seats so well-worn that you can make out the shape of their backsides．

　　There is no doubt about it．Travelling by public transport is being in the thick of the seasons of life-a sweaty life in summer where people, blissfully unaware of the rivers of sweat running down their brows and inside their clothes．At the first smell of a perfumed man or woman boarding the stuffy bus or train, most people feel they are reborn．

　　During the rains you can't avoid getting wet or muddied．The windows, almost always, are not a perfect fit and if you're not drenched by a sudden, heavy rain shower then you are bound to catch a jet spray of muddy water caused by a fellow motorist driving fast through a puddle．

　　Rains are a perfect time for people to switch their old umbrellas for new ones．Since there are so many that look alike, it's impossible to tell whose is whose．

　　Winter is the time when it feels good-or at least warm-to be part of a crowd．It is amazing how much the collective breaths of a 100 or so people can raise the freezing temperature inside．Looking at the masses dressed in their bright red pullovers or green coats, it's fun to imagine what faces lie beneath their dark woolen hats．

　　The cold winter passes, making way for spring．It is impossible not to see every little flower by the wayside blooming proudly．And the warm sun manages to transmit some of their pleasantness to the inside of a bus or train．

　　Now, wouldn't it be perfect if we had a public transport worth the name in all our cities?

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　Experts believe that storms and severe weather in North America and Asia have disrupted bird flight paths across the world and swept huge numbers of bird species towards the British Isles．

　　Birds flying to the other side of the Atlantic or to the Pacific to lay their eggs have been trapped in Britain and Ireland, adding their numbers to native species, and causing great excitement in the bird-watching community．

　　Local birdwatchers have already observed a total of 442 species in the British Isles this year．The highest number ever seen in one year is 445, in 2008．

　　“We only need four more to break our record,” said Lee Evans, who runs the British Birding Association．“With three months to go I'm sure we'll do it．”

　　Last month an extremely rare Siberian Rubythroat bird was seen in Scotland, sending hundreds of birdwatchers north in the hope of catching a glimpse of this colourful Asian beauty．Another very uncommon bird, the bufflehead duck was cited in Cornwell and caused similar excitement．“I couldn't believe it,” said Evans．“The poor thing was completely knackered．It must have been blown to England by the storms while trying to fly from Canada to the southern United States for the winter．That's 3000 miles!”

　　Evans said that global warming over the past decade was playing a key role in transforming bird movements across the world．In addition, melting Arctic sea ice may also be opening up bird flight paths over the North Pole, making it easier for birds from the Pacific-such as the slaty-backed gull and tufted puffin, both of which appeared in London earlier this year-to reach Britain．

　　Bird-watching is becoming an increasingly popular hobby among all age groups, added Evans．“A fifth of our members are under 18．This is a round-the-year hobby that you can enjoy from the kitchen window or from a car．More and more people are bird-watching, and as a result more and more unexpected species are being spotted in the British Isles．”

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　(NEW YORK)A French tourist highly praised for rescuing a two-year-old girl in Manhattan said he didn't think twice before diving into the freezing East River．

　　Tuesday's Daily News said 29-year-old Julien Duret from France is the man who left the spot quickly after the rescue last Saturday．

　　He lifted the little girl out of the water after she fell off the bank at the South Street Seaport museum．He handed the girl to her father, David Anderson, who had dived in after him．

　　“I didn't think at all．”Duret told the Daily News．“It happened very fast．I reacted very fast．”

　　Duret, an engineer on vacation, was walking with his girlfriend along the pier(码头)when he saw something falling into the water．He thought it was a doll, but realized it was a child when he approached the river, in an instant, he took off his coat and jumped into the water．

　　When he reached the girl, she appeared lifeless, he said．Fortunately, when she was out of the water, she opened her eyes．

　　Anderson said his daughter slipped off the bank when he was adjusting his camera．An ambulance came later for her, said Duret, who was handed dry clothes from onlookers．Duret caught a taxi with his girlfriend shortly after．

　　The rescue happened on the day before he left for France．Duret said he didn't realize his tale of heroism had greatly moved New York until he was leaving the city the next morning．

　　“I don't really think I'm a hero．”said Duret．“Anyone would do the same thing．”

(1)

(2)

(3)

阅读理解

　　Dr．Jack M．Gwaltney, Jr．a professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, infected six student volunteers with virus, the most common cause of colds．A few days later, when they were coughing and sneezing, he gathered 37 more people and divided them into three groups．Group 1 members spent three days and nights in the same room with one of the infected students, separated by a screen so they couldn't touch one another．Group 2 sat around a table while an infected volunteer talked, coughed and sang to them．Group 3 held hands with an infected student for ten seconds, and then touched their own noses or eyes．

　　Although most scientists at the time, the mid-70s, believed colds were spread by virus-laden droplets spread through the air when infected people coughed or sneezed, Gwaltney suspected physical contact might play an important role．Sure enough, of the 15 people who had touched a student volunteer, 11 became infected-compared with only one of those who had been sitting at the table, and none who had spent three days and nights together．

　　"The best evidence we have is that hand-to-hand contact is the most efficient way of transmitting virus," says Gwaltney．The study was one of a series that helped establish Gwaltney's reputation as a leading authority．

　　Dr．Robert Couch says, "It would not be inappropriate to call him Mr．Common Cold．"

　　When Gwaltney is asked how close scientists are to finding a cure, he replies："If you mean ‘get rid of', I don't think we're going to be able to do that with cold viruses any time soon．But if you look in the dictionary, you'll see that 'cure' is explained as a successful treatment．And we're not just getting more effective at treating the symptoms(症状)-we're getting at the root cause too．"

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　A popular saying goes,“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me．”However, that's not really true．Words have the power to build us up or tear us down．It doesn't matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves-the positive and negative effects are just as lasting．

　　We all talk to ourselves sometimes.We're usually too e mbarrassed to admit it, though．In fact, we really shouldn't be, because more and more experts belivev talking to ourselves out lout is a healthy habit．

　　This“ self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down．Be aware, though, that as much as 77％of self-talk tends to be negative．So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves．We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back, The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying“ Good job!”

　　Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effects they will have．But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses to others．For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange．And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner．Or harsh and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive．

　　Words possess power because of their lasting effect．Many of us regret something we once said．And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves：Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn't pass this test, then it's better left unsaid．

　　Words possess power：both positive and negative．Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively．We can offer hope, build self-esteem and motivate others to do their best．Negative words destroy all those things．Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　I'll never forget Easter 1946．I was fourteen, my little sister, Ocy, was twelve and my older sister, Darlene, was sixteen．We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without dad．My dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with no money and seven school-aged kids to raise．

　　By 1946, my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home．A month before Easter, the pastor of our church announced that a special holiday offering would be taken to help a poor family．He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially．

　　When we got home, we talked about what we could do．We decided to buy fifty pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month．This would allow us to save twenty dollars of our grocery money for the offering．Then we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn't listen to the radio, we'd save money on that month's electric bill．

　　The night before Easter, we were so excited we could hardly sleep．We didn't care that we wouldn't have new clothes for Easter; we had seventy dollars for the sacrificial offering．We could hardly wait to get to church!

　　Finally we sat in church proudly．When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were sitting in the second row from the front．Mom put in the ten-dollar bill, and each of us kids put in a twenty-dollar bill．

　　We sang all the way home from church．At lunch, Mom had a surprise for us．She had bought a dozen eggs, and we had boiled Easter eggs with our fried potatoes! Later that afternoon, the minister drove up in his car．Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelope in her hand．We asked what it was, but she didn't say a word．She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money．There were three crisp twenty-dollar bills, one ten-dollar bill and seventeen one-dollar bills．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　Lately, I am often asked about my favorite current TV show．The questioner is shocked to hear I rarely watch TV．Whether it is an at-home date night or some good time alone, I can always find something fun to do without the noise and distraction of a TV show．That's not to say there aren't times when I do turn to DVD's or the Internet to watch shows．It's just that there are so many things to do．

　　There are many games that are grown-up enough to hold my interest．Another activity that kills time is putting to use the building block sets I still have from my childhood．It's very satisfying to achieve a feat of engineering by the end of an evening．It's likewise great fun to create playful artwork by bedtime while avoiding overstimulation from electronic devices．

　　Nothing sucks up creativity like an entire evening spent watching TV．So, whether I'm in the mood to paint, play my flute, or make something out of clay, I make time to do it．I always hear people complain there isn't enough time to do what they want, but some are the same people who are shocked that I rarely watch TV．Considering their complaints, it is ironic that on June 22, 2011 the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the results of the American Time Use Survey and stated “Watching TV was the leisure activity occupying the most time(2.7hours per day), accounting for about half of leisure tine on average, for those aged 15 and over”．

　　Sometimes I just come home to find stillness and release the tensions of the day．I turn on neither TV nor the computer, but opt for yoga, a hot bath, a good book, or an early bedtime．Though it might seem extravagant(奢侈的)to go to bed around 9：00p．m．, it can really make a difference．Especially when something is bothering me, the distraction of TV only complicates my thoughts, and I can better cope with the world if I just relax．

　　My evenings of rare TV are enjoyable．It's these evenings of play, creativity and relaxation that make a better-rounded lifestyle．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)