Violent winds swept the ocean, and waves thundered to shore, shaking the lookout tower at Pea Island Rescue Station. Surfman Theodore Meekins was on watch that evening of 11 October 1896. A hurricane had struck the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the tide was so strong that beach patrols(巡逻)had been canceled. Still, Meekins paid close attention to the horizon. This was the type of weather that could blow ships hundreds of miles off course.

Offshore, the ship E.S. Newman was caught in the storm. The captain, whose wife and child were on the ship, feared the Newman would soon break up. He made the decision to beach his ship, then fired a signal, praying that someone onshore would see it.

Meekins, whose eyes were trained to cut through rain and surf mists, thought he saw the signal, but so much spray (水雾) covered the lookout windows that he could hardly make sure. Still, he took no chances. After summoning (召集) the station keeper, Captain Richard Etheridge, Meekins set off a coston signal, a signal made by using lamps of different colors. Together, the two men searched the darkness for a reply. A few moments later, they saw a flash of light to the south and knew a shop was in distress (遇险). Even before the return signal burned out, Etheridge had summoned his men and begun rescue operations.

For the lifesavers, the rescue of the Newman was nothing unusual. Over the years, so many ships had foundered off the Outer Banks that sailors called the region the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Noting the dangerous surf and wind conditions, Captain Etheridge quickly decided the surf boats would be impossible to control. Instead, he decided to use another way to help the survivors.

The crew set off on the long journey down the beach to the scene of the wreck (海滩). Captain Etheridge hoped to fire a line from a gun to the ship’s mast (船桅). After the ship’s crew dragged the line onboard, the surfmen would fire a second line and carry survivors safely to shore.

The surfmen crossed three miles of sand to reach the ship Newman. The water was freezing, and the men often sank up to their knees in sand. Captain Etheridge noted in his diary that “the voice of gladdened hearts greeted the arrival of the station crew,” but that “it seemed impossible for them to do anything under such circumstances. The work was often stopped by the sweeping current.”

Even when the rescue equipment proved useless, Etheridge refused to give up. Choosing two of his strongest surfmen, he tied rope lines around their waists and sent them into the water. The two men, holding a line from shore, walked with huge effort as far as they could before diving through the waves. Nearly worn out while swimming against the tide, they finally made it to the shore.

The first to be rescued were the captain’s wife and child. With the two passengers tied to their backs, the surfmen fought their way back to shore. Taking turns, Etheridge and his crew made ten trips to the Newman, saving every person onboard. It was 1:00 a.m. when the crew and survivors finally made it back to the station.

That night, as the exhausted survivors lay sleeping and his lifesaving crew rested, Captain Etheridge picked up his pen, and in the light of an oil lantern, wrote with satisfaction that all the people onboard had been saved and were “sheltered in this station”—words he would remember for many years to come.

1.The beach patrols were canceled because ________.

  A. Meekins paid enough attention to the horizon

B. there was too much spray on the windows

C. the winds and tide were too strong

D. there was no ship near the station

2.The underlined word “foundered” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “___________”.

  A. stopped          B. sank          C. sailed          D. arrived

3.What was the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?

  A. To warn sailors of the dangers of hurricanes.

B. To create a story describing a rescue at sea.

C. To inform people about Richard Etheridge.

D. To record the details about the Newman.

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

  A. The newman was very dangerous before Richard Etheridge and his team members saw the signal.

B. A terrible hurricane took place off the coast of North Carolina and threatened the lives of many sailors.

C. At no other time in American history have so many shipwrecked passengers survived such a violent storm.

D. All the passengers of a shipwreck were rescued because of heroic the efforts of a special leader and his crew.

 

Nuclear energy has always been controversial. But since the tsunami and nuclear disaster in Fukushima (Japan) last year the issue is back in the headlines. And the world is divided— some countries are planning more nuclear plants, while others have promised to shut theirs down.
After Fukushima, Germany decided to switch off all its nuclear plants by 2022. Switzerland and Italy are also phasing out nuclear power. But France and the United States remain staunch supporters of atomic energy. In fact, almost 80% of France’s electricity comes from nuclear power, the highest percentage in the world. And in the US, the Obama administration said it “continues to support the expansion of nuclear power, despite the crisis in Japan.”
Nuclear supporters claim nuclear power can help the environment. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power doesn’t create greenhouse gases. So, pro-nuclear countries argue that nuclear power allows them to generate energy without contributing to climate change. Britain’s chief scientific adviser (John Beddington) supports this view. He recently said that the world doesn’t have the luxury of ignoring nuclear energy.
Nuclear power is also relatively cheap. Renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind power may be clean, but they’re expensive; and right now, they require a lot of investment. This higher cost of using “green energy” is usually passed onto the consumer. So, while many people may prefer their energy to come from a renewable source, not so many are prepared to pay higher energy bills. This is of particular concern while the world economy is in such bad shape.
The main argument against nuclear energy is that it isn’t safe. For a start, nuclear waste is very difficult to dispose of, and remains toxic to humans for thousands of years. And even before Fukushima, there were several high-profile nuclear disasters. The most famous is probably the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, in the Ukraine. The radiation from the meltdown spread all over Europe, affecting thousands.
The nuclear energy issue is very complex. And it doesn’t look like it’ll be resolved anytime soon. As a Japanese commentator recently said, “it’s been a bad year for the ‘nuclear village’, but I don’t think they’re down and out yet.” The battle continues.
【小题1】Which of the following may NOT be the advantage of nuclear energy over other energy sources?

A．Nuclear energy doesn’t produce any greenhouse gases.

B．Nuclear energy can help prevent the climate damage.

C．Nuclear energy is more environmental-friendly than other green energy sources.

D．Nuclear energy can save the consumers some money, compared to other renewable energies.

【小题2】What does the underlined word “this” refer to in paragraph 4?

A．The fact that many people prefer to use the green energy sources while unwilling to pay higher bill.

B．The cost of using renewable sources

C．The fact that the nuclear power is cheaper.

D．The investment of renewable energy sources

【小题3】We can learn from the last paragraph that _______.

A．the Japanese commentator is positive about the future of nuclear energy

B．the nuclear energy issue will be soon settled

C．a battle will break out in the future

D．Japan is considering to build a nuclear village in the future

【小题4】What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To highlight the danger of using nuclear energy.

B．To introduce some serious nuclear disasters.

C．To show the argument between nuclear supporters and protesters.

D．To give some advice on how to use nuclear energy safely.

World top-ranked badminton player Lin Dan said last Friday that he was a better player than Taufik Hidayat in the year of 2006 despite losing the Asian Games single title to the Indonesian Olympic champion.
“I have ranked No.1 in the world for two straight years and I think people can easily come to a conclusion on who is a better player for the whole year,” said Lin Dan, also known as Super Dan in the badminton world because of his marvelous performance in the sport.
Hidayat beat Lin 21-15, 22-20 to give Indonesia its second gold medal in Doha on December 9, retaining his Asian Games singles title and avenging(报仇) two losses to the badminton world champion.
Lin, 23, led China to the men’s team title after defeating Hidayat twice in three days, in the preliminary round and in the semifinals of the Asian Games.
In their third meeting, Lin came up against a better-prepared Hidayat than he had encountered previously.
Hidayat was cheered on by the noisy support from dancing and flag-waving Indonesian fans, who had converted the badminton arena into a national celebration even before the two players stepped onto the court.
There’s been a lot of acrimony(言语的刻毒) between Hidayat and Lin, who this year won the single title in the world championships after former champion Hidayat crashed out in the quarterfinals.
In Doha, Hidayat was quoted as calling Lin “arrogant” before the event began, but the two stars played down the rift (a situation where two people dislike each other).
“It’s no problem, we’re close friends,” said Hidayat. “The media fabricated it.”
Lin said last Friday in Beijing that he and Hidayat remain friends despite all the rumors（谣言）.
“There is no problem between Taufik and me although we don’t talk to each other very much,” said Lin. “Media tends to make up things in order to make their stories juicy.”
【小题1】What does the underlined word “fabricated” mean?

A．made up

B．reported

C．discovered

D．found out

【小题2】What is the relationship between the two players like?

A．They are only opponents.

B．Lin looks down upon Hidayat.

C．They both think they are friends.

D．The media has worsened the relationship between them.

【小题3】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Lin beat Hidayat in all the games of 2006.

B．Lin won the single title in the world championships in 2006.

C．Indonesian fans held a national celebration after the two players stepped onto the court.

D．Hidayat beat Lin 21-15, 22-20 to give Indonesia its first gold medal in Doha on the ninth of December

【小题4】This passage implies that ________.

A．Hidayat was in a better prepared condition than Lin in the Asian Games

B．Lin helped to win the men’s team title in the Asian Games of 2006

C．Both of them are the best badminton players in the world

D．Media tends to make up rumors

【小题5】What is the best title for this passage?

A．Opponents Become Good Friends

B．True Friendship

C．World Top-ranked Badminton Players

D．Who Is a Better Player?

 

Alex knew colors and shapes．He learned about 150 English words．With his language ability he made himself known as perhaps the world’s most famous talking bird．

But Alex，a parrot，died two weeks ago when he was 31．Irene，a psychologist(心理学家) at Harvard University，studied and worked with the parrot for nearly 30 years．

In 1977，Irene，then an excellent student in chemistry at Harvard，bought Alex from a pet store．At that time，scientists were not quite sure whether birds could learn to communicate with humans．

But using the methods of teaching．Irene helped Alex to learn about 150 words，and to count small numbers，as well as colors and shapes．

In experiments，Irene would give Alex a small reward，like a grape．Alex learned to ask for the grape by watching what the trainer was doing to get it．The researchers then worked with the bird to help him with pronunciation．

Alex showed a surprising ability to learn．For example，when he was shown a blue paper circle．he could tell what color the paper was．what shape it was，and after touching it，what it was made of．

Like other parrots，he also picked up some words when staying in the lab，like“calm down”and“good morning”．He could also show his happiness and sadness．

Even before the week he died，Alex was working with Irene on difficult words．As she put him into his cage for the night that Thursday，Irene said that Alex looked at her and said，“You be good．See you tomorrow．I love you．”

He was found dead in his cage the next morning．

1．Alex is the name of ________．

A．an excellent student        B．a clever bird

C．a trainer                 D．a psychologist

2．How did Irene get the parrot?

A．A friend gave it to her．       B．She caught it in a forest．

C．She bought it from the market． D．The passage doesn’t mention it．

3．The underlined words“picked up”in the seventh paragraph mean ________．

A．捡到    B．挑选    C．举起    D．学到

4．The passage is probably taken from a ________．

A．history textbook    B. novel    C．newspaper      D. dictionary

 

Tragedy at the Circus
In yesterday’s circus（马戏团）show, a tiger suddenly attacked its trainer and had to be shot dead. As the circus packed up and left, circus officials said the show would go on, even without tigers.
However, the officials cann’t simply turn a blind eye to the ethical（道德的） problems left behind. Even before this tragedy(悲剧), animal rights activists protested（抗议） against keeping wild animals in unnatural conditions and forcing them to suffer for the profit(利润)of circus organizers.
It is now time for us to take effective steps to make sure that circus animals are treated properly.
*******************************
Circus Safe for Animals
Our circus recently suffered a most tragic event in its history. While we are thankful for the pity from the public, we are also astonished by the opinion expressed in “Tragedy at the Circus. ”
First, our performing animals are not taken from the wild. As to the ethical problems. we always believe humans and animals can—and should—live together nicely. To us, the performing animals are representatives of their species(物种), and our circus is one of the only places left willing to support this special role of performing animals in the existence of the species. Those who argue that circus life is harmful to animals show little knowledge of these facts. Life in the “wild” is unsafe, but a continuous struggle for existence. To overlook these realities is the greatest fault against the animal kingdom.
This circus has proven that animals are stronger and smarter than we could imagine. Within the circus is a joyful atmosphere for both animals and humans: people are educated, and species saved.
【小题1】What is the main purpose of the first passage?

A．To show pity for the performing animals.

B．To express worries about animal trainers' safety.

C．To deal with the difficult situations of the circus.

D．To call for action to protect circus animals.

【小题2】What will the circus most probably do?

A．Take no notice of the tragedy.

B．Continue its performances.

C．Use fewer wild animals.

D．Limit its profit.

【小题3】What does the circus think of its performing animals?

A．They are as clever as human beings.

B．They struggle continuously with human beings for existence.

C．They are helpful in saving their species.

D．They have equally natural living conditions as wild animals.

【小题4】What is the most probable relationship between the two passages?

A．A public request and a newspaper report.

B． A newspaper article and a reply to it.

C．Two parts of a newspaper article.

D．Two newspaper reports.