When I began planning to move to Auckland to study, my mother was a little worried about the uncertainty of living in a place that was so different from India, where we lived. She worried particularly about the lack of jobs and cultural differences and the chance that I would face racism(种族主义).
Despite these concerns, I came to New Zealand in July 2009.I found the place and the people very nice and supportive. Soon after I arrived, I realized the importance of getting a job to supply my living expenses.
Determined to do this on my own, I spent a whole day going from door to door for a job. However, I received little or no response.
One afternoon, I walked into a building to ask if there were any job opportunities. The people there were very surprised and advised me not to continue my job search in that manner. As I was about to leave, a clerk in the building, who had been listening to what others had said, approached me and asked me to wait outside. Fifteen minutes later, he returned, and asked me what my plans were and encouraged me to stay confident. Then he offered to take me to his friend’s company, Royal Oak, to search for a job. The following day, I received a call from a store in Royal Oak offering me a job.
It seems that the world always gives back to you when you need it. And this time, it was a complete stranger who turned out to be a real blessing.
1. What wasn’t the author’s mother worried about?

A．There might be cultural differences.

B．People might look down on the author.

C．The author couldn’t speak the local language.

D．It might be difficult for the author to find a job.

2. After staying in New Zealand for a short time, the author         .

A．decided to go back to his own country.

B．felt the local people were not very friendly.

C．wanted to get a job that needed practical skills.

D．had to find a job to cover his living expenses.

3. When the author went into a building to look for a job,       .

A．a clerk gave him encouragement and advice.

B．he was confident that he would find a good one.

C．he found many college students like him already there.

D．a clerk recommended him to the company he worked for.

Service Trips for High School Students
Are you a high school student who loves to be outdoors and is eager to experience new challenges, learn new skills and meet new people? WTA offers first-time participants country trips and returning students have the option to go on trips in the back country (边远地区).
Front Country Trips
Our front country trips provide opportunities for people to experience projects near the ocean, in the scenic Cascade Mountains and in northeast Washington. Our trips also provide you with experienced leaders, a great project, some camping tents, sleeping bags and all your meals for the week.
Advanced Back Country Trips
On these trips you will be backpacking to the work site and will have a chance to advance your trail and leadership skills under the supervision of a WTA leader.
Trip Details
In 2015, trip fees for WTA members will be $195 for the first trip and $145 for each additional trip. Non-members will pay an additional $40 for their first trip and can be qualified to be members in the second trip. Due to the popularity of our trips, please submit your payment and application within two weeks. If a trip is full and you would like to be added to the waiting list, please call us at 206/625-1367 or email trail-teams@wta.org.
Scholarships
We believe no student should have to stay at home this summer because he or she can’t afford to go outside. Thanks to donations from members and supporters, WTA is proud to announce that we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships. Application Deadline: March 1, 2015.
4. If you are going on Front Country Trips, you can’t go on trips __________.

A．near the ocean	B．in the back country
C．in the Cascade Mountains	D．in northeast Washington

5. How much will you have to pay for your first trip if you’re not a WTA member?

A．$145.

B．$185.

C．$195.

D．$235.

6. After choosing a trip, you __________.

A．will naturally become a WTA member.

B．can cancel your trip and get all your money back.

C．will be added to the waiting list.

D．must submit your payment and application within two weeks.

7. You may be lucky enough to obtain a scholarship if you __________.

A．apply before March 1, 2015.

B．donate a little money to WTA.

C．support WTA by advertising.

D．volunteer in your high school.

Chris Medina was an outstanding star on a Monday night’s audition of American Idol (美国偶像，美国真人秀电视节目). He made the Americans moved for more than just his singing. Chris performed the famous band The Script’s song “Breakeven” and he brought along his beloved fiancée（未婚妻）, Juliana Ramos, who is limited to a wheelchair following a terrible car accident. There is a very touching emotional story behind them.
Chris, an amazing singer, said he fell in love with Juliana the first moment he saw her and they became engaged soon afterwards. They had planned to get married two years after getting engaged. But shortly before they could hold each other’s hands into the marriage hall, Juliana, suffered from a brain injury in a tragic car accident. On the exact day they were supposed to get married, Chris shared a song he wrote for his fiancée. “I’m giving all I’ve got to give/ To pull you through/ In your darkest hour, I will be your light,” were some of his _____lyrics.
Juliana’s idol is Oprah Winfrey and Idol judge Steven could see that she remains a fan of Chris’ music, accompanying him to the audition. Chris received a ticket to Hollywood, which Juliana proudly waved. While he is heading to Hollywood to pursue his dream of singing, Chris continues to take care of Juliana, alongside her mother.
Chris’ love story touched more than the Americans. It reached Irish rockers The Script, who spoke highly of the young man and his songs at the audition. “Chris Medina: not only are you a major talent, but you are one in a billion! Stay strong and never give up. This world needs more men like you.” the band’s guitarist, Mark Sheehan, said.
8. Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?

A．Chris touched the Americans mainly for his singing.

B．Chris has always been Juliana’s idol.

C．Chris was an American idol because of his love for his fiancée.

D．Chris’ lyrics showed his true love for Juliana.

9. What is the correct order according to the passage?
① Chris took Juliana to the audition of American Idol.
② Chris and Juliana became engaged.
③ Juliana suffered from a brain injury in a terrible car accident.
④ Chris received a ticket to Hollywood.

A．①②③④	B．①②④③
C．②①④③	D．②③④①

10. The underlined word “heartfelt” in the second paragraph can be best replaced by ________.

A．sincere	B．beautiful
C．exciting	D．pleasing

11. What is Mark Sheehan’s attitude towards Chris Medina?

A．He is sad about Juliana’s suffering.

B．He is very pleased to hear Chris’ joining The Script.

C．He encourages Chris to continue to be a great man.

D．He hopes that Chris can do even better at the audition.

An extinct mountain goat that was once common in the Pyrenees became the first animal to be brought back from extinction. Researchers used frozen DNA to produce a clone, but the newborn kid died within minutes of birth due to breathing difficulties.

The Pyrenean ibex is a type of mountain goat, which is believed to have died out completely in 2000. Before the death of the last known individual (a13-year-old female known as Celia), biologists took cells from her skin and ears. An earlier cloning attempt to use the skin cells failed. But the latest attempt involved the creation of 439 cloned embryos. Of these cloned embryos, 57 were put into the female domestic goats, but only one goat gave birth and the newborn cloned kid died after seven minutes as a result of lung disease.

Researchers say that other cloned animals, including sheep, have been born with similar lung disease, but they say that overall the experiment was a major step forward in the effort to bring the ibex back to its mountain home. The leading researcher Jose Folch says, “the cloned kid was genetically like the ibex; in species such as the ibex, cloning is the only possibility to avoid its complete disappearance.”

The failure to produce a living clone from DNA that was frozen only a decade ago shows the difficulty researchers would face in trying to bring back species that have been extinct (灭绝的)   for decades or centuries. Researchers have had the idea of bringing back the Tasmanian tiger, which went extinct in 1936. There are, however, other species that have been seriously suggested for cloning, such as the giant panda, the African bongo antelope, the Sumatran tiger and the pygmy hippo. Supporters believe cloning provides hope of keeping these endangered animals alive before they die out.

12. What do we know about the cloned ibex?

A．It died of lung disease.

B．It was the first cloned animal in the world.

C．It lived for thirteen years.

D．It was born in 2000.

13. Jose Foleh would agree that cloning      ．

A．is not suitable and should be banned

B．requires immediate attention

C．should be carried out cautiously

D．may help prevent animal extinction

14. We can conclude from the passage that      ．

A．cloning has developed quickly in developed countries

B．no more animals will die out in the future

C．cloning makes it possible to preserve endangered species

D．cloning seldom results in physical problems for animals

15. What’s the best title for this passage?

A．Great advancement in cloning goats

B．Difficulties in saving extinct animals

C．Public concerns about cloning

D．Cloning brought back an extinct species for a while