“Where is Papa going with that ax (斧子)?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.

“Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable. “Some pigs were born last night.”

“I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern, who was only eight.

“Well,” said her mother, “one of the pigs is a runt (发育不良的小动物). It’s very small and weak. So your father has decided to do away with it.”

“Do away with it?” shouted Fern. “You mean kill it?”

“Don’t shout, Fern!” she said. “Your father is right. The pig would probably die anyway.”

Fern pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors. The grass was wet and the earth smelled springtime. Fern’s shoes were wetting by the time she caught up with her father.

“Please don’t kill it! It’s unfair,” she said.

Mr. Arable stopped.

“Fern,” he said gently, “you will have to learn to control yourself.”

“This is a matter of life and death, and you talk about controlling myself.” Tears ran down her cheeks and she took hold of the ax and tried to pull it out of her father’s hand.

“Fern,” said Mr. Arable, “I know more about raising a group of pigs than you do. A weak pig makes trouble.”

“But it’s unfair,” cried Fern. “The pig couldn’t help being born small. If I had been very small at birth, would you have killed me?”

Mr. Arable smiled. “Certainly not,” he said, looking down at his daughter with love. “But this is different. It’s a pig.”

“There is no difference,” replied Fern.

1.What puzzled Fern at the beginning?

A．Why her father refused to eat breakfast.     B．If the hoghouse was big enough for many pigs.

C．How pigs were born at night.               D．What his father would do with an ax.

2.Why couldn’t Fern control herself?

A．Because she was afraid of killing a pig.        B．Because the pig was treated unfairly.

C．Because she loved pet pigs very much.       D．Because her father was rude to her.

3.According to the passage, Fern’s father thought that ______.

A．it was natural for pigs to be born small       B．he couldn’t afford to have so many pigs

C．a weak pig needed more attention          D．he was troubled by raising a weak pig

4.It can be inferred from the passage that Fern was _________.

A．kind-hearted       B．brave             C．shy              D．patient

 

   Most of us think that when we step under a shower we’re getting clean．We are, but we’re also giving a home to lots of tiny little creatures we didn’t even know about．

   A showerhead carries thousands of bacteria (细菌) called Mycobacterium．These can cause problems like coughs and tiredness, and a general feeling of poorliness (身体不舒服)．When you turn on the water, the bacteria go from the showerhead onto and into your body．

   This is a finding of Norman R．Pace and his team at the University of Colorado, in the US．The scientists investigated bacteria in all kinds of human environment, including showers．

   Pace's team looked at 45 showerheads in nine American cities．They discovered that 30 percent of them had large amounts of flying Mycobacterium．

   But Pace said that they pose few threats to the health．Only those with a frail (脆弱的) immune (免疫的) system might need to worry．

   He told the New York Times that the bactertia are not as unpleasant as might be thought．He said that having a shower is no more dangerous than anything else we do in the morning．

   But for those who feel sick about the idea of all those microorganisms (微生物), he had some advice．

   Let the water run for 30 seconds before getting into the shower．Why? The number of bacteria is smaller than when the water is just turned on．If that seems like a waste of water, he added that you could also change your showerhead every few months．

   But Pace had good news too．He has also been testing the air in US subways．Apart from iron particles (粒子), which are ground off the track by the wheels of trains, subway air is fresh．The reason is that a train’s movement pumps fresh outdoor air into the tunnels(隧道)．

   Pace explained that he wanted to understand the natural microbial(微生物的) environments of public places．This kind of knowledge might help detect the microbes to be used in a bioterrorist (生物恐怖分子) attack．

49．According to the finding of Norman R．Pace, after taking a shower, we might ______．

       A．get much dirtier                 B．be covered by bacteria

       C．get a frail immune system      D．catch a cough or feel tired

50．Pace’s research into showers shows that ______．

       A．there is no reason to fear microorganism

       B．shower water contains much less bacteria after being left to run for 30 second

       C．having a shower in the morning is more dangerous than at other time

       D．of 45 showerheads surveyed in nine cities, 30 carried large amounts of Mycobacterium

51．According to the research of Pace’s team, which of the following contributes to fresh air in US subways?

       A．Train wheels．                B．Iron particles．

       C．The movement of the trains． D．Air conditioners on the trains．

52．The word “detect” in the last paragraph probably means “______”．

       A．to discover      B．to protect        C．to make   D．to prevent

         Do you want to make a forceful and impressive public speech and become an eloquent （有口才的） speaker? The newly-published books in our bookstore help you realize your dream．Time waits for nobody．Take action! 20% discount on all the orders above $ 100．Here are introductions of these books．

10 Days to More Confldent Public Speaking．                    By The Princeton Language Institute, Lenny Laskowski Paperback： 224 page   ISBN: 0446676683   Price: $20 per copy THIS book is a course on giving publics talks．It was written by an expert in the field and has the tools to make you a relaxed effective and commanding public speaker．You can find clear, brief, step - by - step tips to help you． ●Overcome nervousness and discover your own natural style． ●Set up an immediate connection with your audience． ●Mix together humour and anecdotes （奇闻） into your talk．

 

In the Spotlight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing; By Janet E．Espostio Paperback: 176 page Publisher:Strong Books ISBN: 1928782078 Price: $15 per copy               "IN the spotlight'' is a gift for people experiencing any degree of fear or discomfort in speaking and performingin front of others, either in formal or informal settings．The book has many different methods to help you get beyond stage rright and learn to speak or perform with ease and confidence．

The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write One and How to Deliver it． By Richard Dowis．Paperback : 288 pages．ISBN: 0814470548 Publisher: American Management Association．Price: $30 per copy Here's expert guidance on how to write a forceful speech．Attractive slides, confident body language, and a lot of eye contact are fine．Now everyone can learn to give powerful, direct speeches that catch audience' s attention．The key is not just in the delivery, but in using the power of language．It' s a speech - writing guide made by an award winning writer．It has everything from researching and writing the speech to preparing the next to delivering the speech to handling questions from audience．

 

Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speech in History．                       By William Saftre Hardcover: 1055 pages ISBN: 0393040054 Publisher: W．W．Norton & Company. Pice: $ 50 per copy. THIS is a collection of more than100 speeches that seeks to show the enduring power of human eloquence to inspire and uplift．These speeches are said to have moved millions of people and changed history．There is an introduction to each speech and essay on the art of public speaking．The collection is edited by former presidential speech writer William Safire．He knows firsthand the importance of putting together the right words for the right moment.

53．Suppose you want to buy each of the four books in the bookstore, you will at least have to pay      .
A．$115      P．$23             C．$92              D．$85     
54．Which of the four books mainly deals with the use of the language in a speech?
A．Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speech in History．
B．The Lost Art of the Great Speech; How to Write One and How to Deliver it．
C．In the Spotnight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing．
D．10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking.           
55．Which of the authors of the books used to write speeches for presidents?
A．Richard Dowis             B．Janet, E．Esposito   
C．Lenny Laskowski                  D．William Safire
56．The common purpose of the above books is to____． 
A．give encouragement in making a speech
B．tell readers how to make a forcefuLand impresive speech
C．show readers the skills of writing a good speech         
D．tell readers how to get over stage fright and to speak easily and confidently

This is a time of year when we think about giving and receiving presents. Can you find a little extra to give? On this page we suggest a few organizations you might like to help.
Littleton Children’s Home
We DON’T want your money, but children’s toys, books and clothes IN GOOD CONDITION would be very welcome.
Also, we are looking for friendly families who would take our children into their homes for a few hours or days as guests. You have so much ─will you share it?
Phone Sister Thomas on 55671
Children’s Hospice
We look after a small number of very sick children. This important work needs skill and love. We cannot continue without gifts or money to pay for more nursing staff. We also need storybooks and toys suitable for quiet games.
Please contact the Secretary, Little Children’s Hospice, Newby Road.
Street Food
In the winter weather, it’s no fun being homeless. It’s even worse if you’re hungry. We give hot food to at least fifty people every night. It’s hard work, but necessary. Can you come and help? If not, can you offer a little money? We use a very old kitchen, and we need some new saucepans(平底锅). Money for new ones would be most welcome indeed.
Contact Street Food, c/o Mary’s House, Elming Way. Littleton Phone 27713
Littleton Youth Club
Have you got an unwanted chair? ─a record-player?─a pot of paint ? Because we can use them!
We want to get to work on our meeting room!
Please phone 66231 and we’ll be happy to collect anything you can give us.
Thank you!
The Night Shelter
We offer a warm bed for the night to anyone who has nowhere to go. We rent the former Commercial Hotel on Green Street. Although it is not expensive, we never seem to have quite enough money. Can you let us have a few pounds? Any amount, however small, will be such a help.
Send it to us at 15, Green St, Littleton. Please make check payable to Night Shelter.
【小题1】 What kind of people are these organizations designed for?

A．Homeless and sick children

B．Less fortunate members of our society

C．Hungry people who have no beds to sleep in

D．Friendly members of our society to help others

【小题2】If you like children and you could offer a happy family to a homeless child, you may contact _____.

A．Street Food	B．The Night Shelter
C．Littleton Children’s Home	D．Children’s Hospice

【小题3】 What can be concluded from the passage?

A．There are too many social problems in this society.

B．People are very poor during the time of giving.

C．To offer help is just an excuse for these organizations to collect money.

D．There are many organizations trying to solve social problems.