Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.

Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.

One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.

Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.

1.It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.

A. there is a serious shortage of academic facilities.

B. homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education.

C. the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties.

D. many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities.

2.The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.

A. 440,000    B. 110,000   C. 350,000　D. 1,500,000

3.One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.

A. the homeless children usually stay outside school.

B. some homeless children are deserted by their families.

C. the homeless children are too young to be counted as children.

D. the homeless population is growing rapidly.

4.The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that ___.

A. the address of grade-school children should be located.

B. all homeless people are entitled to free education.

C. the educational problems of homeless children are being recognized.

D. the estimates on homeless children are hard to determine.

5.The passage mainly deals with ____.

A. the social status of older males.

B. estimates on the homeless population.

C. the legal problems of the homeless children.

　　D. the educational problems of homeless children.

One August afternoon, Richard Allen dropped off his last passenger, Mrs. Carey. Lifting two grocery bags, he followed her across the yard and stood on the step of her house. Glancing up, he saw a large wasp（黄蜂）nest under the roof. Allen had heard that wasps can become more likely to sting（sting, stung, stung蜇）in summer. He mentioned this to Mrs. Carey, who had opened the door.
“Oh, they don’t bother me,” she said lightly. “I go in and out all the time.”
Anxiously, Allen looked at the nest again-to see the wasps flying straight at him. “Hurry!” he shouted to Mrs. Carey. “Get in!”
She stepped quickly inside. Allen ran for his mini-bus. Too late; they were upon him. Just as he jumped aboard, half a dozen red spots showed on his arm, and he felt more on his back and shoulders.
As he was driving down the road, Allen felt as if something was burning at the back of his neck, and the “fire” was spreading forward toward his face. An immediate anxiety took hold of him. Allen knew that stings could cause some persons to die. But he had been stung the previous summer and the after-effects soon passed. However, what he didn’t know was that the first sting had turned his body into a time bomb waiting for the next to set off an explosion.
Miles from the nearest medical assistance, Allen began to feel his tongue thick and heavy and his heartbeat louder. Most frightening, he felt his breathing more and more difficult. He reached for the radio mike（话筒）,trying to call the mini-bus center, but his words were hardly understandable. Signals were also poor that far out. He knew a rescue team was on 24-hour duty at the Amherst Fire Department’s north station. So his best chance was to make a run for it.
Rushing down the mountain, Allen tried not to panic, focusing his mind on each sharp turn. He was almost through the last of them when he felt sure he was going into shock（休克）.Just then he reached for the radio mike again.
“Call fire station,” he shouted, concentrating to form the words. “Emergency. Bee sting. Emergency. There in ten minutes.”
“Five-ten,” the center replied.
Hold on, Allen thought. Keep your eyes open. Breathe. Keep awake.
At last he reached the station. Two firemen ran out. Allen felt their hands grasp him before he hit the ground. You made it, he thought.
【小题1】It is mentioned in the passage that wasps are more likely to attack when_____.
A. there are huge noises
　　B. strangers are approaching
　　C. the hottest season comes around
D the air is filled with food smell
【小题2】Allen didn’t know that if stung by wasps again, he would______.

.Everybody likes a winner, and there are always people ready to cheer for a good winner. But who has ever heard a song for the man who comes in second？ So this is in praise of the almost winner, the nearly champion（冠军）, the next to the biggest, the second best. This is the song of Mister Two.

You hear unflattering（不讨好人的）names for Mister Two. “Alsoran”, they call him, and “runner­up”, names that make you think of a fellow who couldn’t quite make it. Don’t let that fool you. Ask the winner of any race how good a man Mister Two is. He will tell you it’s Mister Two who made him run so fast, Mister Two is always threatening to overtake and pass him.

Ask the salesman who won the contest and what kept him looking for extra order. Ask the directors of the big company why they keep changing their product, seeking the new equipment, the added advantage. What drives them？ What keeps them going？ It’s the salesman with nearly as many orders. It is the company with the product almost as good. It’s Mister Two.

In this country, we’re proud of the quality of our champions. Our big men come very big. Our fast men run very fast. Our wise men are the wisest and our greatest men are the greatest that a country could hope to be blessed with. And why is that？ It is Mister Two that makes the race always open and everybody can run. So this is for you, Mister Two. This is your song. This is for all the days you tried for first, and came in second. It’s for the nights when you wonder if you ought to go on trying, since nobody seems to notice.

We notice, Mister Two. We know the score. Winner or not, you’re a natural champion. There couldn’t be a race without you, Mister Two.

1.People usually call Mister Two unflattering names to　　　　him.

A. praise  B. encourage      C. laugh at      D. respect

2.According to the author, Mister Two is mentioned in connection with the following except　　　　.

A. business   B. sports       C. greatness    D. failure

3.It is implied in this story that　　　　.

A. Mister Two is as important as the winner

B. every leader needs someone to help him

C. the second today must be the first tomorrow

D. second place is always praised

4.The person who wins needs to understand that　　　　.

A. winning is everything

B. being Mister Two is wonderful

C. without Mister Two he would do better

D. without strong competition he wouldn’t have worked so hard

　The leaders of Russia and China vowed to support each other’s fight against Muslim separatists and urged peaceful solutions in Iraq, during a meeting in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on December 2, 2002.

　　Russian President Vladimir Put in and China’s Jiang Zemin signed a joint declaration calling for a “multipolar world”.

　　His two - day visit comes shortly after the conclusion of the 16th Patry Cogress which elected the new CPC leadership. Put in said that Russia wants to “work hard” with the new generation of Chinese leaders.

　　The Treaty（条约）of Good = Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation, signed in July last year, has provided a solid legal foundation for lasting friendship for generations to come, according to Jiang, “China and Russia will be good neighbours, friends and partners forever.”

　　The Russian Government, in return, said it would continue to give priority（优先权）to relations with China in its foreign policies.

　　Put in spoke on the morning of Dec. 3rd at Peking University and took questions from students on his understanding of Chinese literature, Russian reform（改革）and NATO enlargement.

　　He said a growing number of young people in Russia are interested in Chinese literature and one of his daughters is learning Chinese.

We can infer from the last paragraph that ________ .

　　A. many young Russian people hope to study Chinese in China

　　B. China is richer and stronger than Russia

　　C. Russia will give some support to China

　　D. The relation between China and Russia is developing healthily

It is implied, in the sentence“Put in said that Russia wants to‘work hard’with the new generation on Chinese leaders”, that ________ .

　　A. Russia will co - operate closely with China

　　B. There are many differences between Russia and China

　　C. Put in knew little of the new generation of Chinese leaders

　　D. It will be long before Put in gets to know the new generation of Chinese leaders

The underlined word“multipolar”is likely to mean ________ .

　　A. equal　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. peaceful

　　C. balanced　　　　　　　　　　　D. fair

Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

　　A. Put in agreed that NATO was enlarged．

　　B. Put in was invited to the 16th Chinese communist Party congress.

　　C. Russia puts China first.

   D. Muslim separatists make trouble only in Russia.

Everybody likes a winner, and there are always people ready to cheer for a good winner. But who has ever heard a song for the man who comes in second？ So this is in praise of the almost winner, the nearly champion（冠军）, the next to the biggest, the second best. This is the song of Mister Two.

You hear unflattering（不讨好人的）names for Mister Two. “Alsoran”, they call him, and “runner­up”, names that make you think of a fellow who couldn’t quite make it. Don’t let that fool you. Ask the winner of any race how good a man Mister Two is. He will tell you it’s Mister Two who made him run so fast, Mister Two is always threatening to overtake and pass him.

Ask the salesman who won the contest and what kept him looking for extra order. Ask the directors of the big company why they keep changing their product, seeking the new equipment, the added advantage. What drives them？ What keeps them going？ It’s the salesman with nearly as many orders. It is the company with the product almost as good. It’s Mister Two.

In this country, we’re proud of the quality of our champions. Our big men come very big. Our fast men run very fast. Our wise men are the wisest and our greatest men are the greatest that a country could hope to be blessed with. And why is that？ It is Mister Two that makes the race always open and everybody can run. So this is for you, Mister Two. This is your song. This is for all the days you tried for first, and came in second. It’s for the nights when you wonder if you ought to go on trying, since nobody seems to notice.

We notice, Mister Two. We know the score. Winner or not, you’re a natural champion. There couldn’t be a race without you, Mister Two.

58. People usually call Mister Two unflattering names to　　　　him.

A. praise       B. encourage      C. laugh at      D. respect

59. According to the author, Mister Two is mentioned in connection with the following except　　　　.

A. business   B. sports            C. greatness    D. failure

60. It is implied in this story that　　　　.

A. Mister Two is as important as the winner

B. every leader needs someone to help him

C. the second today must be the first tomorrow

D. second place is always praised

61. The person who wins needs to understand that　　　　.

A. winning is everything

B. being Mister Two is wonderful

C. without Mister Two he would do better

D. without strong competition he wouldn’t have worked so hard