After a year of preparing herself, Laura Dekker has been given permission to sail around the world. “I was so happy that I almost jumped into the river,” Laura said, after learning of the court’s verdict(判决).

The 14-year-old was born on a ship in the South Pacific, and currently lives with her father on a boat. When child protection agencies heard about her plan to sail alone, they took the case to court and prevented her from making such a dangerous voyage.

Since the decision, though, Laura had been preparing with her father to convince the court that she was ready. Later on, she received the books and other materials she would need for school while she was at sea. She added safety equipment to a new, big ship. And she took her first aid course to learn several survival skills, like how to put out fires on the boat, take care of her own injuries and deal with lack of sleep. She also planned a safer course --- adding alternate routes(备用路径) to avoid pirate attacks, and planning a course that would have her on dry land as she moved from port to port across the globe.

Even with all of the added preparations, the trip still has its risks. In early June, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland, an American, had to abandon(放弃) her attempt to become the youngest sailor to travel around the world. Her ship’s mast(桅杆) broke due to rough waters in the Indian Ocean, and she was rescued by a French fishing ship.

Laura plans to take longer than Abby for her voyage, and is using a larger and more stable boat. If she finished successfully in less than two years, she will take the title from current record-holder Jessica Watson, of Australia, who was 16 when she completed the journey.

 

1.Which of the following is TRUE of Laura?

    A. She prepared the voyage at the age of 12.

    B. She lost her mother after she was born.

    C. She was allowed to sail around the world finally.

    D. She wanted to donate money made from the voyage.

2.At first, child protection agencies were against Laura’s plan because ____.

    A. it was considered to be a dangerous trip

    B. Laura had to finish her schooling first

    C. it would cost Laura too much time and money

    D. Laura wasn’t prepared for the sailing alone

3.What is Mr. Dekker’s attitude towards Laura’s trip?

    A. Doubtful     B. Supportive   C. Uncertain        D. Neutral(中立的)

4.Paragraph 3 mainly talks about ____.

A. how Laura convinced the court   

B. why Laura needed to study at sea

C. how Laura prepared for the voyage

D. where Laura could avoid pirate attacks

5. The person who keeps the record comes from ____.

    A. Holland  B. America  C. India        D. Australia

 

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday announced a new plan to renew and expand the nation's roads, railways and runways, in a bid (努力) to restart the sluggish economy and to help create jobs.

Obama announced the billion-dollar infrastructure(基础设施) spending program at an event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, marking the Labor Day holiday in the United States.

The proposal calls for investments over six years, including rebuilding and modernizing 150,000 miles (241,350 kilometers) of roads, 4,000 miles (6,430 kilometers) of railways and 150 miles ( 241 kilometers) of runways.

"It sets up an Infrastructure Bank to leverage(杠杆；利用) federal dollars and focus on the smartest investment. All of this will not only create jobs now, but will make our economy run better over the long haul," Obama said.

"This is a plan that will be fully paid for and will not add to the deficit over time," said Obama.

The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in August, reflecting business reluctance to hire among uncertain economic prospects, the U.S. Labor Department reported on Friday.

The president admitted that new jobs "have not been coming fast enough" in the United States.

"These years would be some of the most difficult in our history. The problems facing working families are nothing new, but they are more serious than ever. And that makes our cause more urgent than ever," he added.

What does the underlined word “sluggish” probably mean?

A. 繁荣的                                 B. 崩溃的                   C. 疲软的                   D. 行动迅速的

What’s the main idea of this passage?

A. The US president launched a new program aiming at improving the nation’s infrastructure.

B. The US unemployment rate rose according to the Labor Department.

C. These years will be the most difficult in the American history.

D. More roads, railways and runways will be rebuilt and modernized.

Which of the following will be changed most in length?

A. Roads.                                  B. Railways.              C. Runways.                D. Highways.

Have you felt annoyed when a cellphone rings during the class? Something must be done to stop this．Now in New York City, USA，a rule is carried out in schools．Students can’t even bring cellphones to schoo1．Is it a good thing or not?

Anxious parents say that cellphones are an important tool in holding New York city’s families together．

“I worry about it，” said Elizabeth Lorris Ritter, a mother of a middle school kid． It’s necessary in our everyday life．We have a washing machine. We have running water, and We have cellphones．”

Many American parents think cellphones connect them to their children on buses，getting out from subways, walking through unknown places．

“I have her call me when she gets out of school，”said Lindsay Walt, a schoolgirl’s mother． “No one in New York is going to let their child go to school without a cellphone”

What about the cellphone owners, the students? Most of the students said cellphones were essential and the cellphone was like all extra(额外的)hand or foot for them．

“I feel so empty，”said May Chom，1 4．There is also no way to listen to music on the way to school without my phone．It will be a really, really boring trip．”

1.You can use a cellphone___________．

A．to enjoy listening to music

B．to work as running water

C．to work as a washing machine

D．to send children to school

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A． Many American parents don’t think cellphones are necessary for the students．

B．Cellphones only bring troubles to the school life．

C． Cellphones connect children with their families when they are outside．

D． All the school children agreed not to use cellphones at school.

3.What does the underlined word “essential” mean in Chinese?

A．时髦的．         B．必要的．          C．昂贵的．          D．浪费的

4.The article is about the____ in carrying out the rule not to use a cellphone in schoo1．

A．happiness         B．interest           C．problem          D．satisfaction

 

    A caring mother is the single most important factor in preventing teenagers from abusing（滥用）drugs and alcohol，researchers said on Friday．An international study showed that teenagers living with both parents are less likely to suffer from alcohol and drug problems，and a strong maternal bond is the most effective way to fight against them．

   “These findings suggest that living with both parents may prevent drug use．”said Dr．McArdle，of Newcastle University in northern England, who led the study．“They also suggest that attachment（感情眷念），particularly to mothers，is a more effective factor and that this is truly across cultures and substances．”The report, which is published in the journal Addiction, involved nearly 4,000 teenagers in England，Ireland，Italy，Germany and the Netherlands．They were questioned about their use of several kinds of drugs and alcohol．The teenagers also filled in questionnaires about their relationship with their parents and grandparents, how well they were supervised（监护）after school and whether they were allowed to meet friends at home．

   “Both the quality of family relationships and the structure of families have significant influences on youth drug use,” McArdle said in a statement．But he added that a strong maternal bond offered the greatest protection against developing drug habits．The rate of drug abuse among teenagers living with both parents and who had a good relationship with their mother was 16．6 percent．If either factor was missing, the drug abuse rate rose to 32 percent．More than 42 percent of teenagers living in one parent families who did not have a strong bond with their mother used drugs．

   Drug prevention campaigns in British schools and on television warn teenagers about the danger of drugs and alcohol but McArdle said no one is dealing with the problem of their parents’ responsibility

The phrase“maternal bond”appears twice in this passage．Guess its meaning__________．

       A．物质的奖励                B．母亲的约束        

       C．法律的制裁              D．学校的指导

According to McArdle,which is most likely to have the drug abuse problem_________?

       A．16-year-old Tom from a happy big family    

       B．17-year-old Kate supervised by her single mother．

       C．18-year-old Juliet living with her single father． 

       D．19-year-old Mark cared by his parents．

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage__________?

       A．Teenagers with both parents won’t have the drug use problem．

       B．Teenagers from several countries filled in the questionnaire．

       C．Teenagers were asked about their relationship with parents．

       D．Teenagers in British schools are warned against drugs abuse．

The last paragraph suggests that________．

       A．schools should answer for the drug problem           

       B．television and media are to blame

       C．parents and the society are responsible for the drug problem

       D．mothers are the cause of youth drug use．

In England three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop. They studied the information on the post sign and decided which bus to take. About five minutes later the bus they wanted came along. They prepared to get on. Suddenly people rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way. Someone shouted insulting remarks about the foreigners. The bus conductor   came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about. The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed. No one had told them about the British custom of lining up for a bus so that the first person who arrived at a bus-stop is the first person to get on the bus.

Learning the language of a country isn’t enough. If you want to ensure a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your hosts. You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own. A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table. The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself. Also in India, you might see a man apparently（显然地）shaking his head at another and assume (认为) that he is disagreeing. But in many parts of India a rotating (旋转) movement of the head is a gesture that express agreement or acceptance. Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty. In that country you shake your head to express “yes” — a nod means “no”.

In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when sitting talking to someone, even at an important meeting. Doing this when meeting an important person in Thailand, however, could cause offence (冒犯). It is considered too informal an attitude for such an occasion. Also when in Thailand avoid touching the head of an adult — it’s just not done.

Attitudes to women vary considerably（相当地）around the world. In Japan, for example, it is quite usual for men to plan evening entertainments for themselves and leave their wives at home.

Knowing about customs and attitudes is useful when you are travelling, but you also need to know the language used to express different degrees of formality (礼节).

1.The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed because __________________.

A．they didn’t know the English language

B．someone called their names

C．they didn’t know the custom of lining up for a bus

D．they knocked someone down while getting on the bus

2. According to the passage, which attitude to women is usual in Japan?

A．Men always go to parties with women.

B．Men plan evening entertainments for their wives.

C．Men and women have equal rights to go to parties.

D．Men plan evening entertainments for themselves, while their wives stay home.

3.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “insulting” in Para. 1 ?

A．善意的

B．咨询的

C．商量的

D．无礼的

4. From the passage, we know that shaking head means Yes in ______________.

A．India and Thailand	B．India and Bulgaria
C．Bulgaria and Thailand	D．Thailand and Japan

5.The underlined sentence “Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty.” means ____________.

A．It’s probably that you are thirsty if you nod your head

B．You’re possibly eager to have a drink if you nod your head

C．You probably refuse to drink when you nod your head

D．You’d like to have a cup of tea because you nod your head