The days of hearsay “he said, she said” reports on school bus incidents might be over, at least in Pennsylvania.
Recently, Governor Tom Corbett has signed legislation（法律）allowing the use of sound recording equipment on school buses, and many districts are taking advantage of the law. The recordings can be used for “disciplinary（纪律的）and safety purposes,” the law states.
A growing number of incidents on buses created a pressing need for monitoring（监控）, said Dan Castagna, West Mifflin Area superintendent（who is in charge of all the schools in the area）. “Lots of students are forced into a small space, so it seems like no matter what we do，we see busing issues arise,” Mr. Castagna said. “Often you get a lot of ‘he said, she said’ and have a hard time getting the whole story. Now we can see what you’re doing and hear what you’re saying.”
“There are no teachers or principals（校长）on the bus, just the driver,” said Woodland Hills School District superintendent Alan Johnson. “Sometimes they are working with 30 or more students, so that can become very problematic. It’s hard to know how incidents started and who was saying what without the sound recording.
State Senator Richard Alloway agreed. “We viewed it as a protection bill for the school bus drivers who are driving a machine weighing thousands of pounds, trying to focus on the road while carrying dozens of kids with their backs to them,” said Senator Alloway.
Some civil rights advocates, though, argue giving up privacy is too great a cost. Andy Hoover, legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, said the legislation has violated students right to privacy.
“Our kids are going to be watched at all times,” Mr. Hoover said. “They discuss their home situation, their academic situation, and school officials could be picking up on those conversations if the technology is strong enough. I would hope that people are thoughtful enough to address challenging situations without having to put a microphone on every student.”
1. The purpose of sound recording equipment on school buses is ______.| A．to avoid busing issues | B．to discipline school bus drivers |
| C．to monitor the performance of buses | D．to understand students’ educational needs |
| A．a bit boring | B．really tough | C．very rewarding | D．rather simple |
| A．he paid little attention to it | B．he was curious about it |
| C．he disapproved of it | D．he doubted it |
| A．introduce new recording technologies | B．report some school bus incidents |
| C．describe the life of bus drivers | D．discuss a newly signed law |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】With the possible exception of equal rights, perhaps the most controversial issue across the United States today is the death penalty. Many argue that it is an effective deterrent (威慑) to murder, while others maintain there is no convincing evidence that the death penalty reduces the number of murders.
The principal argument advanced by those opposed to the death penalty, basically, is that it is cruel and inhuman punishment, which is the mark of a brutal society, and finally that it is of questionable effectiveness as a deterrent to crime anyway.
In our opinion, the death penalty is a necessary evil. Throughout recorded history there have always been those extreme individuals in every society who were capable of terribly violent crimes such as murder. But some are more extreme than others.
For example, it is one thing to take the life of another in a fit of blind rage, but quite another to coldly plot and carry out the murder of one or more people in the style of a butcher. Thus, murder, like all other crimes, is a matter of relative degree. While it could be argued with some conviction that the criminal in the first instance should be merely separated from society, such should not be the fate of the latter type murderer.
The value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime may be open to debate. But the overwhelming majority of citizens believe that the death penalty protects them. Their belief is strengthened by evidence which shows that the death penalty deters murder. For example, from 1954 to 1963, when the death penalty was consistently imposed in California, the murder rate remained between three and four murders for each 100,000 population. Since 1964 the death penalty has been carried out only once, and the murder rate has risen to 10.4 murders for each 100,000 population. The sharp climb in the state’s murder rate, which began when executions stopped, is no coincidence. It is convincing evidence that the death penalty does deter many murderers. If the bill reestablishing the death penalty is banned, innocent people will be murdered—some whose lives may have been saved if the death penalty were in effect. This is literally a life or death matter. The lives of thousands of innocent people must be protected.
1. The principal purpose of this passage is to________.| A．speak for the majority | B．initiate a ban |
| C．criticize the government | D．argue for the value of the death penalty |
| A．negative | B．friendly |
| C．supportive | D．neutral |
| A．the death penalty is the most controversial issue in the United States today |
| B．the ban of the bill reestablishing the death penalty is of little importance |
| C．the second type of murderers should be sentenced to death |
| D．the value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime is not to be debated |
| A．the effects of execution and the effects of isolation |
| B．the murder rate and the imposition of the death penalty |
| C．the importance of equal rights and that of the death penalty |
| D．executions and murders |
| A．opposing | B．supporting |
| C．neutral | D．not clear |
【推荐2】The biggest soccer organization in the U.S. introduces new rules to make the sport safer.
The U.S. Soccer Federation announced that players in its teams who are 10 or younger are no longer allowed to head the ball. Players aged from 11 to 13 have limits on how often they can practice heading.
The new rules are set to stop kids from getting hurt because of a blow to the head that shakes the brain. Players may get headaches by heading the ball. Even worse, they may also get concussions, which will cause lasting brain damage.
Heading the ball can be one of the most dangerous parts of soccer. Sometimes the force of hitting the ball with their heads gives players concussions. But more often, players receive concussions when they jump to head the ball and by accident knock heads with other players or fall and hit their heads on the grass.
“More concussions happen during the act of heading than any other action in soccer,” says Dr. Robert Cantu, an expert on brain damage.
So far, the new rules are only used by teams that are part of the U.S. Soccer Federation. But the group says it hopes more soccer teams will soon follow its example.
Former U.S. soccer star Brandi Chastain is one of the leaders of the activity to ban heading among young soccer players. She welcomes the rule change but wants the rule to include all players under 14.
1. The new rules are made to________．| A．keep young players from being hurt |
| B．teach young players how to practice heading |
| C．make the U.S. Soccer Federation more famous |
| D．encourage young players to improve their skills |
| A．She is against them. | B．She supports them. |
| C．She is unsure about them. | D．She doesn’t care about them. |
| A．New rules in soccer. | B．How to protect young players. |
| C．Brain damage becomes more common. | D．The introduction of the U.S. Soccer Federation. |
【推荐3】France is fighting food waste with firm determination. A new law has been passed in the country that will ban grocery stores from throwing away unsold food. If it’s still safe to eat, the food must be donated to charity; if not, it goes to farmers for use as animal feed.
Supermarkets will no longer be allowed to destroy unsold food by intention in order to prevent people from eating it. There are many people who forage for food in dumpsters behind stores, wanting to take advantage of the perfectly safe food that gets thrown away on a daily basis. Food waste is a global problem. It is reported that the average French person throws out 20 to 30 kilograms of food a year — 7 kg of which is still in its wrapping.
Not everyone is happy about the new legislation.
A group of food foragers stated their concerns in an open letter: “Food waste is a deep problem.” They are worried that it creates the illusion of doing one’s part — a “false and dangerous idea of a magic solution” — while failing to address the deeper reasons for such waste.
“The fight against food waste is everyone’s business, but we can’t win it unless we completely change the structures within our food system that are responsible for this waste.”
The supermarkets aren’t pleased because their food waste represents only 5 to 10 percent of the 7.1 million tons of food wasted annually in France. By contrast, restaurants waste 15 percent and consumers 67 percent. “The law is wrong in both target and intent,” argues Jacques Creyssel, head of the distribution organization for big supermarkets. “Big stores are already the major food donors.”
Despite the naysayers, France’s new law is a move in the right direction. Wasting food absolutely needs to become a socially abhorrent thing to do. If legislation is what’s needed to get people thinking about conservation, then it’s not a bad thing.
1. What should we do about unsafe food that is unsold in grocery stores?| A．Sell it at a discount. | B．Donate it to charity. |
| C．Use it as animal feed. | D．Destroy it on purpose. |
| A．They are greatly concerned about the law. |
| B．They have addressed the main cause of such waste. |
| C．They want to change the structures of our food system. |
| D．They think fighting against food waste is their business. |
| A．About 1 million tons. | B．About 4 million tons. |
| C．About 5 million tons. | D．About 7.1 million tons. |
| A．Critical. | B．Indifferent. | C．Supportive. | D．Disappointed. |
【推荐1】When Brian McCarthy’s daughter opened an Amazon package from her grandmother late last month, she discovered a mini Babycakes brand waffle (华夫饼) maker meant to be her Christmas gift.
But when she opened the new waffle maker, she found an old, crusty-looking waffle already inside, her father said.
Amazon sold the item directly through its Prime service, rather than by a third-party merchant that uses the Amazon platform to sell goods to Amazon customers. And the product was not advertised as used or refurbished (翻新过的), according to the screenshot (截图).
Amazon said it was investigating the incident and wouldn’t speculate on possible reasons for the experience unless it had enough evidence. Either way, the case of the crusty waffle serves as a reminder that Amazon customers can still face uncertainty about the origins and authenticity (真实性) of the products they purchase from the site, even when Amazon itself is fulfilling the order. That’s remarkable, considering Amazon accounts for nearly 40 percent of online US retail sales today, according to eMarketer, and considering that Amazon says it cares so much about quality that it employs a vice president of “customer trust.”
Just in the last few months alone, media reports have highlighted the ease with which shoppers on Amazon can — intentionally or unintentionally — purchase everything from fake products, to banned and unsafe products, to items that had previously been thrown in the trash.
In most of these instances, the products in question came from third-party sellers, which account for nearly 60 percent of all products sold on Amazon today. The Wall Street Journal, for example, reported last month that some marketplace sellers list products for sale on Amazon that they have picked up from the trash.
1. How did Brian McCarthy’s daughter probably feel when she opened the new waffle maker?| A．Nervous. | B．Surprised. | C．Guilty. | D．Relieved. |
| A．Guess. | B．Rely on. | C．Invest. | D．Insist on. |
| A．can totally trust the quality of Amazon products |
| B．prefer to buy the products from third-party sellers |
| C．are not definitely sure where the products they buy come from |
| D．always purchase fake products which are picked up from the garbage |
| A．make up half of all the products sold on Amazon |
| B．are more reliable than Amazon’s Prime service |
| C．guarantee authenticity of the products they sell |
| D．are more likely to sell the products in question |
【推荐2】The cotton harvest is about to get underway in the Texas High Plains, the windswept region that grows most of the crop in the nation’s top cotton-producing state. But Barry Evans, a third-generation cotton grower, has already walked away from more than 2,000 acres (英亩) of his bone-dry fields. “It just didn’t come up. We hardly had anything,” said Evans.
Extreme heat and a lack of rainfall have severely damaged much of this year’s cotton harvest in the U.S., which produces about 35% of the world’s crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecast that more than 40% of what U.S. farmers planted in the spring would be abandoned because of drought. Nowhere is this more apparent than the flat, dry stretch of Texas. The USDA says Texas cotton farmers are likely to abandon nearly 70% of their spring planting. That has been the worst harvest since 2009.
The region normally receives around 18 to 20 inches of rain per year, but saw less than three inches of rain from August through the summer, as nearly all of Texas baked under drought. Much of the cotton grown in the region needs rain. Even those with irrigated (灌溉的) fields are expecting low yields (产量) this year.
The losses in cotton could cost the Texas High Plains $1.2 billion after farmers receive federal (联邦的) crop insurance payments, estimates Darren Hudson, director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University. That leaves out others who depend on the crop, such as cotton gins (轧棉机) and storehouses. “Any time you have a bad year in cotton, it has a role to play in the overall economy,” Hudson said.
Fortunately, most cotton farmers in this part of Texas plan to use cotton seed varieties that can resist drought. Varieties are continuously developed and will be adjusted to generate high yields if dry conditions continue. “Even though it’s drought resistant,” Hudson added, “we still have to have a little bit of help from Mother Nature.”
1. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The impact of extreme weather on U.S. farmers. |
| B．The world’s cotton distribution. |
| C．USDA’s measures to address drought. |
| D．The amount of U.S. cotton harvest in 2009. |
| A．Texas is unfriendly to cotton farmers. | B．Cotton is vital to the American economy. |
| C．Farmers depend much on Mother Nature. | D．Cotton gins are unaffected by cotton losses. |
| A．Build effective irrigation systems. | B．Apply for federal crop insurance. |
| C．Switch to growing a different crop. | D．Use further improved cotton seeds. |
| A．Drought pushes cotton prices to a new high. | B．The world’s cotton supply keeps falling. |
| C．Texas cotton takes a hit during drought. | D．Drought impacts the quality of cotton. |
【推荐3】A disastrous fire surrounded Notre Dame（巴黎圣母院）completely and destroyed large parts of the Gothic(哥特式的) architecture on Monday.
“Notre Dame is our history, our literature; part of our spirit, the place of all our great events, our wars, our liberations, the center of our lives" French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters in front of the still burning Paris landmark and promised to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral.
“Notre Dame is burning, and know the sadness and this tremble felt by so many fellow French people. But tonight, I’d like to speak of hope too, "he said, announcing the launch of a fundraising campaign.
“Let’s be proud, because we built this cathedral more than 800 years ago, we’ve built it and, throughout the centuries, let it grow and improve it. So I gravely say tonight: we will rebuild it together, ”he added.
The disastrous fire engulfed(吞没) the upper reaches of Paris’ towering Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations(翻新)。
Tourists and Parisians looked on horrified from the streets below. France’s Interior Ministry said firefighters might not be able to save the structure.
The fire collapsed the cathedrals’ spire(尖顶) and spread to one of its landmark towers "Everything is burning; nothing will remain from the frame, "Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot told French media. The 12th-century cathedral is home to incalculable works of art and is one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions, immortalized by Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
The cause of the fire was not known, but French media quoted the Paris fire brigade(消防队) as saying the fire is “potentially linked" to a 6 million—euro($6. 88 million)renovation project on the church’s spire and its 250 tons of lead. Officials opened an investigation as Paris police said there were no reported deaths. Some 400 firefighters were battling the fire well into the night.
1. What Emmanuel Macron said mainly shows that____________| A．Notre Dame was the symbol of Paris in history. |
| B．The French government are going to rebuild Notre Dame. |
| C．It took more than 800 years to build Notre Dame. |
| D．He was desperate when he made the announcement. |
| A．Notre Dame Cathedral was burnt down entirely. |
| B．The structure was well saved by the firefighters. |
| C．People who were killed in the fire are some firefighters. |
| D．The fire was likely caused by a renovation project on the church’s spire. |
| A．The novel made the cathedral famous. |
| B．The cathedral is repeatedly mentioned in the novel. |
| C．The novel became a bestseller thanks to the cathedral. |
| D．The novel became more mysterious due to the cathedral. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Humorous. |
| C．Matter-of-fact. | D．Critical. |
Young Inspirations was founded two years ago to provide mentoring sessions for students and unemployed young adults aged 11 to 21.
Alex Goldberg, the program’s founder, said： “We set up Young Inspirations because we wanted to give young people experiences which will potentially be life changing and broaden their outlook.” “We try to create work experience opportunities that will really make a difference to our youth. For example, we’ve secured internships (实习）with world-famous firms such as Honda.”
“At a time of funding cutbacks, schools are finding it more and more difficult to offer this kind of mentoring because of that. It is extremely important that these opportunities are available both to help youth with their school work and grades and to give them opportunities which may help shape their futures." Kieran Hepbum, 14, is one of a group of Banbury youth who has benefited from the program so far. In October the Banbury School pupil was accompanied by Young Inspirations staff to Paris where he was an observer at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) International Youth Forum(论坛).
The event was held for young people from around the world, to seek their views on how the future of youth and education should look. Kieran joined several hundred observers mostly in their
20s and was the only UK school pupil to attend the event. Kieran thinks the trip was a life changing experience. Before we left 1 didn’t quite know what to make of it but when we got there we didn 't stop、it was amazing” he said, “We went to three or four hours of debates each day and then did something cultural each afternoon.”
The main theme of the forum was how youth can drive change in political and public life. It dealt with issues(问题）such as drug abuse, violence and unemployment.
Kieran said： It has really helped me to improve my confidence and social skills as well as my school grades and I was voted most improved pupil at school in August.”
The Young Inspirations mentoring sessions take place each Friday in Banbury.For details visit www. younginsviratiom. com.
1. Why is The Young Inspirations mentoring program set up?| A．To provide youth with unique experiences |
| B．To train staff for world-famous firms |
| C．To equip the unemployed with different skills |
| D．To offer job opportunities to young adults |
| A．the shortage of money |
| B．the lack of support from firms |
| C．the effect of unemployment |
| D．the lack of opportunities |
| A．the visit to the United Kingdom was amazing |
| B．the mentoring sessions are held every day except Friday |
| C．the youth have found a way to solve their problems |
| D．Kieran has made great progress in many aspects |
| A．Alex Goldberg, Founder of Young Inspirations |
| B．Kieran, Banbury School Pupil to Paris |
| C．Young People Find a World of Opportunity |
| D．Debates Help Youth with Their Grades. |
【推荐2】Computer programmer David Jones earned ￡35,000 a year designing new computer games,yet he cannot find a bank prepared to let him have a check card.Instead,he has been told to wait another two years until he is 18.
He works for a small firm in Liverpool,where most young people of his age are finding jobs.David’s biggest headache is what to do with his money.Though he has high payment,he cannot drive a car,or get credit cards(信用卡).
David got his job four months ago,a year after leaving school with six O-levels(普通成绩) and working for a time in a computer shop.“I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs,”he said.
“I suppose ￡35,000 sounds a lot but I hope it will come to more than that this year.”He spends some of his money on records and clothes,and gives his mother ￡20 a week as he lives with his parents.But most of his spare time is spent working.
“Unfortunately,computing was not part of our studies at school,”he said.“But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time.I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school.Most people in this business are fairly young,anyway.I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement(退休) is a possibility.You never know when the market might disappear.”
1. Why is David so different from other young people of his age?| A．He earns an extremely high payment. | B．He has got a job. |
| C．He lives at home with his parents. | D．He does not go out much. |
| A．he can’t be treated as an adult |
| B．he doesn’t make as many games as he wishes |
| C．he doesn’t know what to buy with the money |
| D．he is too young to drive a car |
| A．he had worked in a computer shop |
| B．he had written some computer programs |
| C．he is clever and works hard at his lessons |
| D．he had learnt to use computers at school |
| A．he was afraid of getting too old to start computing |
| B．he did not enjoy school |
| C．he wanted to work with computers |
| D．he wanted to earn a lot of money |
| A．He thinks computer games might not always sell so well. |
| B．He wants to stop working when he is a millionaire. |
| C．One has to be young to write computer programs. |
| D．He thinks his firm might close down. |
【推荐3】The sharing economy, represented by companies like Airbnb or Uber, is the latest fashion craze. But many supporters have overlooked the reality that this new business model is largely based on escaping regulations and breaking the law.
Airbnb is an Internet-based service that allows people to rent out spare rooms to strangers for short stays. Uber is an Internet taxi service that allows thousands of people to answer ride requests with their own cars. There are hundreds of other such services.
The good thing about the sharing economy is that it promotes the use of underused resources. Millions of people have houses or apartments with empty rooms, and Airbnb allows them to profit from these rooms while allowing guests a place to stay at prices that are often far less than those charged by hotels. Uber offers prices that are competitive with standard taxi prices and their drivers are often much quicker and more trustworthy.
But the downside of the sharing economy has gotten much less attention. Most cities and states both tax and regulate hotels, and the tourists who stay in hotels are usually an important source of tax income. But many of Airbnb’s customers are not paying the taxes required under the law.
Airbnb can also raise issues of safety for its customers and trouble for hosts’ neighbors. Hotels are regularly inspected to ensure that they are not fire traps and that they don’t form other risks for visitors. Airbnb hosts face no such inspections.
Since Airbnb is allowing people to escape taxes and regulations, the company is simply promoting thefts. Others in the economy will lose by bearing an additional tax burden or being forced to live next to an apartment unit with a never-ending series of noisy visitors.
The same story may apply with Uber. Uber is currently in disputes over whether its cars meet the safety and insurance requirements imposed on standard taxis. Also, if Uber and related services flood the market, they could harm all taxi drivers’ ability to earn a minimum wage.
This downside of the sharing needs to be taken seriously, but that doesn’t mean the current tax and regulatory structure is perfect.
1. What is the positive thing about the sharing economy?| A．It is a global trend. | B．It is beyond regulations. |
| C．It draws on spare resources. | D．It brings in modest profits. |
| A．They are not regularly inspected. | B．They are likely to commit thefts. |
| C．They are allowed not to pay taxes. | D．They can be noisy to hosts’ neighbors. |
| A．Whether it guarantees customers, safety. |
| B．Whether it provides reliable services. |
| C．Whether it lowers customers’ expenses. |
| D．Whether it can compete with standard taxis. |
| A．Existing regulations and laws. |
| B．Necessary improvements of current laws. |
| C．Further development of Airbnb and Uber. |
| D．More downsides of Airbnb and Uber. |
【推荐1】Plane wings are traditionally strong and thick but a team of researchers led by NASA has created a flexible wing that morphs (变形) as it flies. The new wing is constructed from thousands of units that fit together and function in a similar way to a bird’s wing, says NASA research engineer, Nick Cramer.
“Something like an eagle will lock its joints in while it’s cruising, and then it adjusts its wings to a more suitable shape for its cruising, and then when it wants to do a more aggressive move it’ll unlock its shoulder. That’s a similar response to what we’re doing here,” he said.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is constructed from body parts that are so large, so they require outsize molds (模具) to create them. The same applies to the Airbus A380. “The cost of infrastructure (基础设施) that the business needs to invest to build these planes is pretty extraordinary,” said Kenneth Cheung, a NASA research scientist. “So what we’re doing with these projects is trying to reduce all of that, so that you could have the same sort of performance in terms of the materials but be able to manufacture it without setting up all of the infrastructure that’s currently required.”
The new wings are created by putting fiber reinforced polyetherimide into a 3D mold to create each part, which locks together in a process that could eventually be carried out by assembly robots. The new structure can also be easily packed down to allow transport, which also makes it potentially the ideal package for another purpose — to send into space.
While the idea of cheaper, more flexible planes could be appealing to the commercial aviation industry, there are major obstacles to overcome. That demands time, research and money. “If you want to revolutionize the traditional manufacturing process of the aerospace industry, you have to have a really good reason,” Cramer said. “So your performance gain has to be significant enough to justify that. It’s not about whether it’s practicable; it’s about whether it’s financially marketable.”
1. Why does Cramer mention the eagle in Paragraph 2?| A．To praise its great hunting skills. |
| B．To explain why it adjusts itself while flying. |
| C．To give an example of how the new plane wing works. |
| D．To make a comparison between eagles and other birds. |
| A．The cost of making new wings. |
| B．The performance of traditional planes. |
| C．The performance of the new plane wings. |
| D．The cost of building infrastructure for traditional planes. |
| A．It may speed up planes. |
| B．It may be used in space. |
| C．It may reduce planes’ fuel consumption. |
| D．It may be applied in infrastructure construction. |
| A．It is financially marketable. |
| B．It performs badly during the tests. |
| C．It is more expensive than traditional plane wings. |
| D．It has a long way to go before being applied in planes. |
| A．A new flexible plane wing |
| B．How plane wings work |
| C．A great change in planes |
| D．Why planes cost a lot |
【推荐2】The battle for the best seat on a plane is one problem that airlines seem to find ever more inventive ways to solve.
But light comparison website Skyscanner today claimed to have identified the perfect place to sit.
The site surveyed more than 1,000 airline passengers on their seat preferences-the study did not consider the extra legroom factor—looking at which section of the aircraft they chose,and whether they sat in the middle,aisle(过道)or window.
And the verdict is in—seat 6A.
Previous research has found that passengers prefer the front six rows of the plane,while 60 percent of people favour a window seat,39 percent choose the aisle and just one percent the middle.The survey also found that 31E,a middle seat located near the back of the plane,was the one most wanted to avoid.
Skyscanner travel editor Sam Baldwin explained the reasons for the results.He said:“Our survey shows that travelers are very particular about where they sit,with most people heading towards the front of the aircraft on the left hand side.The most popular seat,6A,is well positioned for those wanting to get off the aircraft quickly without being too close to the hustle(忙碌喧嚣)of the front toilets.I think it's easy to see why seat 31 E is the most unpopular,as it's an awkward middle seat,towards the back of the aircraft which is neither close to the exit doors or the toilets.”
He added,"There is always a great rush to get on board and get that favoured seat and I think it is really interesting that there are so many differing opinions on this.I just hope that the low cost carriers don't find out that there is such demand for seat 6A and start charging an extra payment for it!"
1. Why did the website make the survey?| A．To increase income. | B．To tower costs. |
| C．To provide information. | D．To arrange seats.l |
| A．Doubt. | B．Decision. | C．Demand. | D．Design. |
| A．A seat in the first row. | B．A seat with the extra legroom. |
| C．A seat on the left hand side. | D．A middle seat near the back of the plane. |
| A．It is safer. | B．It is near the toilet. |
| C．It is cheaper. | D．It is more convenient. |
【推荐3】It was about 10:15 p.m., when Janice Esposito arrived at the Bellport train station, New York, jumped into her Honda Odyssey, and began the 20-minute drive home. She’d just returned from visiting her mother. When she turned left on Montauk Highway, out of nowhere a car T-boned her minivan, forcing her backward some 100 feet onto the railroad tracks. She sat in the minivan, bruised (挫伤) but mostly shocked.
As it happened, Pete DiPinto, a volunteer firefighter and retired teacher, 64, was getting ready for bed. When he heard the noise of metal on metal and broken glass coming from not far outside his bedroom window, he grabbed a flashlight and, still dressed in his pajamas (睡衣), ran out of the door. “Any firefighter would have done that,” he later said. “We’re always on duty.”
The first car he came upon was the one that had hit Esposito. Once concluding the driver was OK, DiPinto looked around and spotted Esposito’s minivan straddling (横跨) the railroad tracks. And then he heard the bells signaling an oncoming train.
DiPinto dashed to the minivan and struck on the driver’s side window. She just looked at him, her eyes unfocused. “I don’t know where I am,” she said. “Honey, you’re on the railroad tracks,” DiPinto shouted. “We have to get you off right now!” He pulled on the handle, but the door was jammed shut. The heavy train, traveling at 65 miles per hour, was whistling toward them. DiPinto ran to the passenger side and threw open the door. He pushed aside the deflating (放气) airbags, grabbed Esposito’s arms, and pulled her across the seat and helped her out to safety behind a signal box a few feet away. Within six seconds, the train crashed into the minivan. “It was like a Hollywood movie,” DiPinto told reporters the next day.
The Ambulance chief told CBS New York, “The hero arrived in pajamas, not in a fire truck.”
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．Esposito was driving to her mother’s. |
| B．The car hitting Esposito had left the scene. |
| C．Dipinto was called to help Esposito. |
| D．Esposito was rescued by a retired teacher. |
| A．Dipinto’s behaviour deserves respect. |
| B．Speeding and driving at night are not safe. |
| C．Carefulness is very significant while driving. |
| D．Every second counts in time of emergency. |
| A．He’d just got out of bed. | B．He was careless. |
| C．It was urgent. | D．No fire truck was available. |
| A．A Narrow Escape | B．A Brave Firefighter |
| C．A Terrible Accident | D．A Broken Minivan |
