I had made up my mind a long time ago that I would not give a homeless person money, because I could never be sure what that money would be used for. Instead, I decided, I would buy them a sandwich, a cold drink on a hot day, a cup of coffee, whatever I could manage.

         I was out recently and saw a homeless man outside of a Starbucks. I decided I would buy this man lunch. I bought a sandwich and soda.

         Just as I was leaving the store, two policemen were approaching the man. Obviously the shop owners had complained of his wandering and the police were there to draw him away from the storefronts. Just as they were about to wake him, I asked one of the officers if it was all right if I just gave the man something before he went. I was not sure why I asked the permission but the policeman said sure and I just left the bag in the man’s cart, got in my car and drove off.

         As I was driving off I remember thinking “I hope people saw that”. Then I had to seriously ask myself why I hoped people had seen me give the man a sandwich from Starbucks. Was it because I wanted people to think, “She’s such a nice person!”? Why did I hope others had seen me do it? I continued to wonder this all evening.

         The next morning, it came to me that I wanted people to have witnessed that small act of kindness not so that I would receive credit and praise but so that they might be inspired to do the same and in so doing that others still would witness their acts of kindness. Thus the whole spirit of pity and giving would be lasting.

1.The underlined word “Starbucks” in the second paragraph is the name of a _________.

A. shop                        B. bookstore                        C. bank                        D. man

2.When the author saw the homeless man, he was __________.

A. begging outside                                                   B. buying goods

C. staying awake                                                       D. falling asleep

3. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A. To show the author is great.

B. To encourage people to help others.

C. To introduce an experience that changed the author.

D. To call on people not to give money to a homeless man.

4.The author can be best described as __________.

A. bad-tempered                                         B. hard-working

C. kind-hearted                                            D. self-confident

We agreed ______ here but so far she hasn’t turned up yet.

A. having met    B. meeting   C. to meet    D. to have met 

  Jeanne Calment, a French woman, became a record breaker on 17 October, 1995, when at the age of 120 years and 238 days, she became the longest-lived human being on record. A Japanese man died in 1986 at the age of 120 years and 237 days.

   Jeanne Calment lives in a small old people’s home in the south of France; her husband, her only child and her grandson have all died. She is nearly blind and deaf and is always in a wheelchair, but her doctor describes her as being more like a 90-year-old woman in good health than someone of 120. She still has a lively sense of humor. When asked on her 120th birthday what she expected of the future, she replied: A very short one. She also remarked that she thought the good Lord had forgotten all about her.

   So what is the key to a long life? According to some doctors, diet, exercise and no smoking are the three important factors. Jeanne Calment has followed two of the tips. She has always eaten a healthy diet, and she used to do exercise every day until she broke her leg at the age of 115. However, until recently she drank two glasses of strong red wine a day, and she does smoke (now only a little). Besides, Jeanne Calment might have got very good genes from her parents. Her father lived to the age of 94 and her mother to 86.

A local lawyer bought her house when she was 80 under an agreement that he would pay her some money every year until her death. It must have seemed a good move at the time, but so far the lawyer has paid her at least three times the value of the house. Every year on her birthday, Jeanne Calment sends him a card saying: Sorry, I’m still alive!

1.How does Jeanne Calment feel about her old age?

   A. She is miserable and unhappy.          B. She is cheerful and humorous.

   C. She would like to live much younger.    D. She feels she is going to die very soon.

2. We can owe her good health and long life to _______.

   A. smoking only a little every day

   B. her giving up smoking and drinking

   C. drinking two glasses of strong red wine every day

   D. the good genes from her parents, a healthy diet and some exercise

3. Which of the following word could best replace the word “move” in the fourth paragraph?

   A. deal             B. trick             C. march             D. sport

4. Why does Jeanne Calment say “Sorry, I’m still alive” to the lawyer every year on her birthday?

   A. Because she had an agreement at 80 with the lawyer which was to her advantage.

   B. Because she has asked the lawyer to pay her more rent than they first agreed.

   C. Because the lawyer has paid her much more money than the value of the house.

   D. Because the house she sold to the lawyer is worth the money he has already paid.

Makoto、Mr. Zheng、Mr. Zhu、Jack 和Xiao Wang 正在广州寻找合适的餐厅，第1--5题是对他们个人情况的介绍。阅读下列餐厅的信息(A、B、C、D、E、F)， 选出符合他们各人需要的最佳选择。选项中有一项是多余的。

1. Makoto is a Japanese tourist who has stayed in Guangzhou for a few days. He wants to make a tour of North China but unfortunately he has no time. So he would like to find a restaurant where he can taste northern food and experience the life in the north.

2. Mr. Zheng was born in Hunan but went to Japan at an early age. This time he came to Guangzhou to deal with some business affairs. Coming back to his homeland after being away for about 20 years, he hopes to find a restaurant serving food of his home town.

3. It is the first time for Mr. Zhu, who comes from the northeast of China, to visit Guangdong Province. He is interested in traditional Cantonese food and Cantonese lifestyle.

4. Jack is a successful businessman. He is flying to Guangzhou to meet some people, who are likely to sign a contract with him. He wants to find a high quality restaurant. Of course, it is the quality rather than the price that he cares about.

5. Xiao Wang, a migrant worker in Guangzhou, plans to hold a party with his 10 friends. All of them are fond of the Sichuan cuisine. Xiao Wang hopes to spend less than 600 yuan for the dinner.

For the people living in the Nile Basin，the river is their life. This 6,825 km waterway，whose watershed (流域) covers three million square kilometers，flows through mountains，woodlands，lakes and deserts. Its potential for fishing，tourism and shipping is great－but so are its challenges.

Water shortage，already serious in Egypt and Sudan，will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well. Today，about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living. Within the next 25 years，the district’s population is expected to double，adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture. The frequent drought adds to the urgency.

Water quality is also a problem. Precious soil is washed out to sea. Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution. Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils. Water-borne diseases remain unchecked. In areas where it’s hot and damp，hyacinths grow so fast that they choke off lakes，dams and other sections of the river，making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward.

Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day. They’ve seen the river change course，and their only source of water thickened with mud. They’re very poor and have few choices.

But a new program，the Nile Basin Initiative(NBI)，is offering very practical assistance. The program is more than just a water-management project. It’s a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them.

These are whole ecosystem problems，calling for united solutions (解决办法)．Half the Nile Basin’s countries are among the world’s poorest nations; yet，somehow，they must find the resources，skills and political will to overcome these challenges.

1.What are the great challenges the Nile Basin faces?

2.The underlined word “hyacinths” in Paragraph 3 most probably refers to ________.

3.The program NBI is mainly aimed at ________.

4.What would be the best title of this passage?