An old man had been working for many years for a town. His job was to clear away natural waste from the pool water in the hills, which made up the lovely river flowing through the town nearby. Quietly and   36 , the old man guarded the hills,  37   the leaves and branches, and cleaned up the dirt that would have   38  and polluted the fresh flow of water . The town soon became a popular attraction for tourists. Elegant swans (天鹅) floated along the clear river and the view was so beautiful   39     words.
Years passed. One evening the town    40   met. As they reviewed the budget, one man’s  41____caught sight of the salary   42   being paid to the seldom seen keeper of the river. He asked , “Who is the old man? Why do we    43  to employ him? No one in town ever  44 him. For all we know, the strange keeper of the hills isn’t doing his job. His position isn’t   45   any longer.” Then they voted to   46  the man.
For several weeks, nothing changed….
By early autumn, the trees began to  47 their leaves. Small branches broke off and fell into the pools of the hills,  48   the flow of the shining water. One afternoon, someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown   49  in the river. A few days later, the water was much   50  . Within another week, an oily something covered some sections of the water along the banks, and a terrible   51   was soon sensed. Swans left and so did the 52   . The only thing that was now visiting the village was disease and sickness.
Quickly, the   53   town committee called a special meeting. Realizing their huge error in  54  , they rehired the old keeper of the river again, and within a few weeks, the river began to clear up. Swans and tourists came back again and new life returned to the small town in the Alps.
Never ignore the seeming smallness of a task, job or life. They may all make a  55   .

Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led by Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.
The report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster, population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising the global death rates from illnesses including malnutrition (营养不良) and heat-related health problems.
But even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk, who questioned its methods and conclusions.
Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poor countries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number would double by 2030.
Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studies disaster trends, said the Forum’s report was “a methodological embarrassment” because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid the much larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development in vulnerable (易受伤害的) regions. Dr. Pielke said that “climate change is an important problem requiring our utmost (极度的) attention.” But the report, he said, “will harm the cause for action on both climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed (有瑕疵的).”
However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners who supervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers were rough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a new international climate treaty.
In a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations to focus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerability(弱点) to climate hazards(危害)while still curbing (限制) the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% of the human and economic losses from climate change are occurring in poor countries, according to the report.
【小题1】What is the finding of the Global Humanitarian Forum?

Paula and Rory have fives kids, three dogs, and a rabbit. When the house is very noisy, Megan, one of the children, is quietly inventing. A year ago, the 10-year-old had to design an anti-smoking poster, she came up with the idea of creating something that shows the average amount of tar(尼古丁) a smoker collects from just four packs of cigarettes.

“I like people to play with things more than read and write,” she says. So she researched her idea on the Internet, found a company in China that could make it, saved up her pocket money and got her idea made.

Paula says her daughter “think differently”: Ideas jump into her mind. After she got sunburnt on holiday, Megan invented a small plastic bracelet(手镯) that changes colors in the sun, telling you when to put on sunscreen(防晒霜). Several sunscreen companies have expressed an interest in the idea. She also came up with an idea to make a ball filled with water to stop the dog from feeling thirsty. “But we didn’t do anything with it,” says Paula.

Then she pulls out a picture of a special fishing rod(钓鱼竿) she had designed. “There is a camera on the hook(钩),” she explains, “and the screen is on the handle, and it shows if you’ve caught a fish or not.”

Megan doesn’t want to go to university. She keeps her pink-and -cream bedroom tidy. Paula is amazed and a bit confused by her daughter. “Everything has to be in a certain order,” Paula says. “Her brothers and sisters go with the flow, but with Megan, it’s ‘What time will that be happening?’ or ‘Where am I being picked up from today?’”

1.From Paragraph 2, we can infer that Megan             .

A. is not willing to go to school        B. likes to play with her brothers and sisters

C. prefers making something by herself   D. is good at reading and writing

2.What did Megan invent after she got sunburnt on vacation?

A. The anti-smoking poster

B. The ball providing water for thirsty dogs

C. The fishing rod telling whether you’ve caught a fish

D. The bracelet telling when to put on sunscreen

3. The underlined phrase “go with the flow” probably means “            .”

A. do what the most people usually do    B. follow the fashion closely

C. set an example to others              D. do something differently from others

4.According to the passage, which of the following about Megan is true?

A. She has fives kids, three dogs, and a rabbit.

B. She designed an anti-smoking poster when she was nine.

C. She founded a company in China to get her idea made.

D. She invented a small plastic bracelet to change the color of sunscreen.

5.The passage is mainly about             .

A. how Megan helps people give up smoking

B. a little girl’s dream to be a world-famous inventor

C. a 10-year-old inventor’s story

D. Megan’s relationship with her family members

Do you enjoy reading? Do you read newspapers or magazines? Chances are, if you do any of these activities, your pre-school child is on his way to becoming a reader.
The process of learning to read is complex, and one of the most important things to know is that parents can help their children learn to read. As children have conversations with adults, they hear both new and familiar words and their vocabulary grows.
There are many opportunities for adults and children to talk together, such as when riding in the car or in a bus, doing housework like fixing dinner, or bathing and getting ready for bed. A major part of conversation is listening. When children talk, adults listen and respond. Then children listen and respond, and so the flow of conversation happens.
Have you watched you pre-school child pretend to read to his younger sisters or brothers? Have you read his favorite story over and over? These experiences tell children that reading is fun. And when things are fun and they are repeated, your child will see letters. He begins to connect them to familiar words, especially the letters that make up his name. A natural next step for him to take is to write the letters.
When children see parents make a grocery list, they want to use a pencil and paper to make their own list. To encourage these beginning writing activities, have pencils, markers, crayons and scrap paper within your children’s reach.
The more children get connected with talking, listening, reading and writing, the easier it is for them to become active readers. While you as a parent have a big influence on these early behaviors, it is important to remember that opportunities for literacy experiences happen when you and your child share in the basic routines（日常生活）of everyday life.
【小题1】The third paragraph tells us that parents can talk with their children__________.

Knowing how to communicate well needs very personal attention between you and another human being. Is there a better way to learn how to communicate effectively? Yes, there is. Please follow the 3 basic steps below.
1. Relax and Breathe.
Whether it’s a business meeting or the first date, the first thing you must do in order to communicate is to relax. When you relax you are in control. You control your reactions and your reactions do not control you. Breathing is central to relaxation. Take a few deep breaths and your body will begin to be more at ease. This will help you apply what you already know about how to communicate well.
2. Think and you will be prepared.
Have you ever heard the old saying, "think before you speak"? Well, it is true. By thinking ahead about how the conversation might flow, you will be better prepared, more at ease and more confident.
3. Follow the flow of the conversation.
If you are uncomfortable, being silent will only make it worse and make the other person uncomfortable as well. So when all else fails, follow through with small talk until a common topic appears.
A good way to keep a conversation going is to ask the other person questions. People love to talk about themselves and if you do this they will think very highly of you. Learning good communication skills is not something out of reach. If you make an effort, you will succeed.
【小题1】Which of the following is the best title of the passage?