Every year landslides (滑坡) cause 25 to 50 deaths and $1.5 billion in damage in the United States. They account for 15 percent of the deaths from natural disasters in Europe. And in December, a single event killed more than 200 people in the Philippines. Sending workers to stabilize (加固) mountainsides using steel bars and cement (水泥) can help prevent disaster, but it introduces new difficulties. Shaking drills produce harmful dust and loosen heavy, dangerous debris (岩屑). "It's quite a risky job," says Giorgio Pezzuto of D'Appolonia, an engineering company in Italy.

D'Appolonia, working with eight other companies, may have an answer: a three-ton robot called Roboclimber. "The idea is to operate a machine far away that can drill without a human being on board," says Pezzuto, manager for the project, which is supported by the European Commission. Engineers claim that the machine will be faster and cheaper than manual labor. The robot, a large radio-controlled four-legged mechanical spider, has cost at least $2 million so far. The final product should be able to climb unstable mountainsides, drill holes, insert bars and cement, and collect data on the slope's stability. Testing should begin in May.

The underlined word "event"(in Paragraph 1) refers to _____.

A. landslide  B. machine   C. earthquake     D. flood

The purpose in writing this text is _____.

A. to tell people how serious the damage caused by landslides is

B. to tell people that sending workers to stabilize mountainsides is a risky job

C. to introduce a product that can be used to stabilize mountainsides

D. to show people how to use a new product

What does the robot look like?

A. A human being.  B. A spider. C. A truck.  D. A drill.

The biggest advantage of this product is that _____.

A. it will be faster and cheaper than manual labor

B. it can climb mountainsides, drill holes, insert bars and cement

C. it can collect data on the slope's stability

D. it can drill without a human being on board

In the year 1986 there was a terrible explosion(爆炸). The explosion was at a nuclear power plant(核电站) in Ukraine. The radiation(辐射) caused a lot of damage. It polluted the soil and other things. People were living in the area when the explosion happened. More than twenty years later those people are still suffering. The influence of the explosion will go on for a long time.

Over two million people still live in that area. Only 56 people died from the explosion but many other problems have been caused because of it. Some types of cancer are more than 200 times above the world average(平均水平). Many children have cancer now and children born with problems have doubled since the accident.

Some people in the United States are worried about the children living in the explosion area. One group has been trying to raise money. They are called the Chenobyl Children’s Project. They want to bring children from Ukraine to the U.S. each summer.

A spokesperson for the group says that radiation is the highest in the summertime so it is a good time to get the children out of the country. They want to help the children get away for a little while. The Project wants them to be safe from radiation.

It costs $1,500 to bring each child to the United States for six weeks. The group raised enough money to bring 28 children to the United States last year. The children were able to do lots of fun things. They enjoyed clean air, healthy food, and plenty of outdoor fun. One little nine-year-old girl who got to come to the United States said that she likes America.

The spokesperson says that the children that come to America during the summer miss less school when they return home because they have a long summer vacation.

1.What can we learn about the explosion that happened in 1986?

2.Why does the group bring children to the U.S. in summer?

3.Which of the following is TRUE about the Project?

4.What does the underlined word in Paragraph1 mean?

A. effort     B affect    C. offer     D. effect

“It’s our tradition to help each other”, added Tenpa, a medical official in neighbouring Madoi County, who said Yushu has always been quick to help other areas in times of trouble. “We have suffered many dangers and each time people in Yushu have sent food and clothes. We are always thankful to them and hopefully we proved it by being the first rescue team to arrive in Yushu after the earthquake.”
The Madoi medical team arrived just hours after the violent 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Yushu. In two weeks, they have treated at least 1,800 people, while the county has donated 400,000 yuan.
The biggest fear in the earthquake area is the outbreak of diseases. Tenpa said, “Keeping things clean in the shelter is very hard. Even hand washing is almost impossible because of lack of water. Our team is spraying disinfectant (喷洒消毒剂) and we hope that will work.”
After driving for 13 hours with his medical team, Tian Jiancan said he immediately found a 40-year-old who was seriously injured after being trapped in a toppled house. Tian had to operate on the man in his emergency medical van. “If we had been one hour later, he would probably be dead. It’s good to see him out of danger now.” Tian’s medical team has treated over 3,200 people, including a 15-day-old baby and a 105-year-old man. They also helped to put up tents against winds, where patients are protected well.
One local man said although most doctors cannot speak Tibetan, they have shown their care and love through their actions.
60. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. This is the first time that Tibetans have faced great dangers.
B. People in Yushu have always been ready to help each other.
C. Madoi was also hit by the 7.1-magnitude earthquake.
D. Tian’s team is the second rescue team to arrive Yushu.
61. What is the closest meaning to the underlined words in paragraph 7?
A. a house on the top floor                     B. a house which had no roofs
C. a house which fell down                         D. a house which was poorly built
62. How many people have been rescued by the medical teams according to the passage?
A. About 1,800.               B. 3,200.               C. At least 5,000.         D. 4000,000.
63. What is the passage mainly about?
A. People in Yushu are encouraged by the medical team workers.
B. The doctors went along quite well in spite of the language trouble.
C. The Madoi medical team was the first to arrive at the earthquake-hit area.
D. The medical workers made great efforts to help the people suffering from the earthquake.

“Find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Do you agree with this old saying? Joanne Gordon does. She is the author of Be Happy at work and other books about careers(职业). Gordon believes that about 30% of employees(雇员) in North America do not like their jobs, and she thinks that is terrible. She wants to help people who do not feel satisfied with their jobs find work that is good for them. Joanne says, “There are no happy jobs, only happy workers.” She believes that happy workers share three main characteristics.

First, happy workers enjoy the daily activities of their jobs, and they look forward to the workday. Take Tony Hawk, for example. At age 14, he became a professional skateboarder. Now he is a businessman working on projects related to skateboarding—films and video games, but he still skates every day. He once said, “My youngest son’s pre-school was recently asked what their dads do for work. My son said, ‘I’ve never seen my dad do work.’” Tony agrees that his job doesn’t look like work. He has found a way to spend each day doing a job he enjoys.

Second, happy workers like the people they work with. Sally Ayote says, “I work with the coolest people in the world.” She and her group cook for almost 1,200 people in Antarctica. Most of these people are scientists who are doing research. Sally loves to sit and talk with them. She says, “There is no television here, no radio, so I get to know the scientists and what they’re studying.” Sally thinks she has a great job, and the best part about it is the people.

Third, happy workers know that their work helps others. Caroline Baron’s work helps people who have had to leave their home countries because of war or other dangers. She is a filmmaker who started an organization called FilmAid, which shows movies in refugee(难民) camps around the world. Caroline believes that movies can be very helpful in these camps. For one thing, entertaining movies let refugees forget their troubles for a little while. Movies can also teach important subjects like health and safety. For example, in one camp, thousands of refugees saw a movie about how to get clean water. Caroline knows that is helping other people, and this makes her feel proud and happy about her work.

Tony Hawk, Sally Ayote, and Caroline Baron all get great satisfaction from their work. Tony Hawk says, “Find the thing you love. If you are doing what you love, there is much more happiness there than being rich or famous.” Joanne Gordon would agree. She encourages people to find something they enjoy doing, find people they like to work with, and find ways to help others. Then they can be proud of what they do, and they will probably be happy at work.

1.Who is the book, Be Happy at Work, written for?

A. Joanne Gordon herself.

B. Tony Hawk, Sally Ayote, and Caroline Baron.

C. People who do not feel satisfied with their jobs.

D. The workers who agree with the author’s ideas.

2.Why did Tony Hawk’s son say, “I’ve never seen my dad do work.”?

A. Because Tony Hawk’s job doesn’t look like work.

B. Because Tony Hawk always finds something enjoyable in his job.

C. Because Tony helps people forget their troubles while skating.

D. Because the best part about his job is to spend each day skating.

3.Tony Hawk, Sally Ayote, and Caroline Baron are good examples that show us ____________.

A. how to be a successful businessman

B. how to help people in difficulties

C. how to get along with the coolest people

D. how to become a happy worker

4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Some people believe that only a few kinds of jobs can really make people feel happy.

B. The writer of the passage tells us that many different kinds of work can be enjoyable.

C. The author of Be Happy at Work thinks that happiness at work is really important.

D. Joanne Gordon believes that people will probably be happy at work when they are proud of what they do.

     An allergy (过敏反应) is a strong reaction to a substance. Many things can cause allergies. The most common cause is pollen (花粉), which is usually produced by trees in the spring, grasses in the summer and weeds in the fall, as part of their reproductive process.
Other causes include organisms, chemicals, plants and dead skin particles (微粒) from dogs and cats can also cause allergic reactions. So can insect stings and some food.
The most common kind of allergic reactions is itchy (痒的), watery eyes and a blocked or watery nose. Allergies can also cause red, itchy skin. Some reactions can be life-threatening, for example, when breathing passages become blocked.
It is not always easy to avoid allergies. Drugs may offer an effective treatment. Another treatment used in some cases is called immunotherapy (免疫疗法). A patient is injected with small amounts of the allergy-causing substance. The idea is that larger and larger amounts are given over time until the patient develops a resistance in his body.
In the United States, experts estimate that up to 8% of young children have food allergies. Every year these allergies cause about 30,000 cases with severe reactions that require immediate treatment. It can result in breathing trouble and in some cases death. It is said that about 100 to 200 people will die. It says most of the reactions are caused by peanuts and tree nuts like walnuts.
People can also be allergic to medicines. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says about 10% of bad reactions to commonly used medicines are allergic. In other words, a person’s immune system overreacts and produces an allergic reaction. The most common reactions include skin rashes (皮疹), itching, breathing problems and swelling in areas such as the face.
【小题1】 Allergies seldom occur in winter because ______.