1 . On plenty of drives with my mom through my childhood, she would suddenly pull over the car to examine a flower by the side of the road or rescue a beetle from tragedy while I, in my late teens and early twenties, sat impatiently in the car.

Though Mother’s Day follows Earth Day, for me, they have always been related to each other. My mom has been “green” since she became concerned about the environment. Part of this habit was born of thrift (节俭). Like her mother and her grandmother before her, mom saves glass jars, empty cheese containers and reuses her plastic bags.

Mom creates a kind of harmonious relationship with wildlife in her yard. She knows to pick the apples on her trees a little early to avoid the bears and that if she leaves the bird feeders out at night, it is likely that they will be knocked down by a family of raccoons (浣熊). Spiders that make their way into the house and are caught in juice glasses will be set loose in the garden.

I try to teach my children that looking out for the environment starts with being aware of the environment. On busy streets, we look for dandelions(蒲公英) to fly in the wind; we say hello to neighborhood cats and pick up plastic cups and paper bags. This teaching comes easily, I realize, because I was taught so well by example. Mom didn’t need to lecture; she didn’t need to beat a drum to change the world. She simply slowed down enough to enjoy living in it and with that joy came mercy and an instinct(直觉) for protection.

I am slowing down and it isn’t because of the weight of my nearly forty years on the planet, it is out of my concern for the planet itself. I’ve begun to save glass jars and reuse packing envelopes. I pause in my daily tasks to watch the squirrels race each other in the trees above my house.

Last summer, in the company of my son and daughter, I planted tomatoes in my yard. With the heat of August around me, I ate the first while sitting on my low wall with dirt on my hands. Warm from the sun, it burst on my tongue with sweetness. I immediately wanted to share with my mom.

1. Why does the author say Earth Day is connected with Mother’s Day?

A．Because Mother’s Day falls shortly after Earth Day.

B．To show that all the older women in her family are environmentalists.

C．To show how much her mother cares about the environment.

D．Because her mother shows her how to be friendly to nature on Mother’s Day.

2. Which of the following is NOT related to Mom’s “green life”?

A．Rescuing a beetle from a certain tragedy.

B．Saving glass jars or empty cheese containers

C．Setting a caught spider free in the garden

D．Picking dandelions on busy streets

3. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．Tomatoes are the author’s favorite fruit.

B．It is her mother who taught the author to plant tomatoes.

C．Planting tomatoes is a way of protecting environment.

D．The author really appreciates her mother’s teaching.

4. The writer’s attitude towards her mom’s behavior changed in the order of ______.

A．understanding — negative— supporting

B．supporting — doubtful — negative

C．negative — understanding — supporting

D．doubtful— negative— supporting

2 . Companies that employ workers have an interest in keeping the workplace safe.Job-related injuries are something that responsible employers avoid.They take the time and use company resources to make sure that the people who come to work each day are safe.

Not only does this make good sense from a moral standpoint,but it also makes good financial sense.If a worker is injured on the job,it costs the company in terms of lost mam tours,increased insurance costs,worker’s compensation premiums（赔偿金）,and legal posts.

Productivity is lost when other workers have to stop doing their jobs to deal with the situation.Even after the injured worker has been sent home or taken to hospital,other employees may be unfocused or need to take time off from work in the result of the incident.

When a workplace is safe,workers feel more comfortable and confident when they are in that environment. Productivity gets a promotion,and profits follow suit.Absence also drops when employers take steps to carry out an effective safety program.

Investing in a good safety program brings with it other benefits too.When employees feel safe in the workplace and absence rates are kept down,they can focus on serving the company’s customers properly.Many companies offer produces or services that are similar to those that other companies carry or provide.Customers will decide which companies they want to deal with based on which one they feel provides the best customer service.Increased absence means longer wait times and customers are quite prepared to move on to another company they feel will be able to help them in a more timely manner if they are not getting the level of attention that they deserve.

Everyone in the workplace has a duty and a responsibility to do whatever they can to keep the working environment safe.Managers should deal with employee concerns about safely issues in an appropriate manner.

1. What bad effect does an incident have according to the text?

A．Workers may refuse to work again.

B．The quality of products may decline.

C．Workers may be hard to concentrate.

D．The company may close down.

2. What do we know about the safe workplace from Paragraph 4?

A．It can inspire workers’ creativity.

B．It can bring workers a higher pay.

C．It can put an end to worker’ absence.

D．It can bring the employer more money.

3. On what condition will the customers move on to another company according to the text?

A．If they can’t get a safer product.

B．If they have to wait for a long time to get deserved attention.

C．If they feel the company can’t provide a safer workplace for them.

D．If they find the company provides the some products as others offer.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

A．How Employees Can Protect Themselves

B．Companies Are Ensuring Employees’ Safety

C．Why Safety Is Important in the Workplace

D．How to Create a Safer Workplace

3 . When a leafy plant is under attack, it doesn’t sit quietly. Back in 1983, two scientists, Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin, reported that young maple trees getting bitten by insects send out a particular smell that neighboring plants can get. These chemicals come from the injured parts of the plant and seem to be an alarm. What the plants pump through the air is a mixture of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, VOCs for short.

Scientists have found that all kinds of plants give out VOCs when being attacked. It’s a plant’s way of crying out. But is anyone listening? Apparently. Because we can watch the neighbours react.

Some plants pump out smelly chemicals to keep insects away. But others do double duty. They pump out perfumes designed to attract different insects who are natural enemies to the attackers. Once they arrive, the tables are turned. The attacker who was lunching now becomes lunch.

In study after study, it appears that these chemical conversations help the neighbors .The damage is usually more serious on the first plant, but the neighbors, relatively speaking, stay safer because they heard the alarm and knew what to do.

Does this mean that plants talk to each other? Scientists don’t know. Maybe the first plant just made a cry of pain or was sending a message to its own branches, and so, in effect, was talking to itself. Perhaps the neighbors just happened to “overhear” the cry. So information was exchanged, but it wasn’t a true, intentional back and forth. Charles Darwin, over 150 years ago, imagined a world far busier, noisier and more intimate (亲密的) than the world we can see and hear. Our senses are weak. There’s a whole lot going on.

1. What does a plant do when it is under attack?

A．It makes noises.	B．It gets help from other plants.
C．It stands quietly	D．It sends out certain chemicals.

2. What does the author mean by “the tables are turned” in paragraph 3?

A．The attackers get attacked.

B．The insects gather under the table.

C．The plants get ready to fight back.

D．The perfumes attract natural enemies.

3. Scientists find from their studies that plants can ________.

A．predict natural disasters

B．protect themselves against insects

C．talk to one another intentionally

D．help their neighbors when necessary

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The world is changing faster than ever.

B．People have stronger senses than before

C．The world is more complex than it seems

D．People in Darwin’s time were imaginative.

4 . You may have heard adults say they are uncomfortable in the morning without a cup of coffee. One reason they may feel that way is that coffee contains caffeine(咖啡因). Caffeine appears naturally in coffee, tea, and cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate. But now food makers are adding it to many products, from potato chips to water.
The US government is especially worried about the problem. That’s why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is studying the health effects of caffeine on young people. Studies show that too much caffeine can make people nervous and unable to sleep. What’s more, caffeine is habit-forming. Those who consume it regularly and stop suddenly may experience headaches and feel tired.
One of the biggest concerns is the large amount of caffeine added to so-called energy drinks, like Red Bull. A 12-ounce can of cola has about 35 milligrams of caffeine. A similar serving of Red Bull contains more than three times that amount.
The Institute of Medicine is also working on caffeine-safety measures. “Teenagers should not drink beverages that contain caffeine. They should be aware of caffeine’s effects on health and on how the brain works. Take, for example, teenagers who consume caffeine to stay awake and study for a test. They will remember less of what they just studied,” said Stallings, a member of the institute.
Companies that make products with added caffeine claim they do not advertise them to kids. However, there is no law to stop children from buying them. So the FDA needs to set limits on caffeine, especially in energy drinks. As for added caffeine in foods, the government should just say no. If not, the amount of caffeine should be printed on food labels to remind consumers. The government must do that.
Doctors say kids should avoid caffeine. If you need extra energy, try these natural boosters: eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep.
1. What is the US government particularly concerned about?

A．The fact that coffee contains caffeine.

B．The practice of adding caffeine to foods.

C．The measures of avoiding caffeine’s effects.

D．The practice of using caffeine to make chocolate.

2. Red Bull is listed in the third paragraph as an example of _____.

A．caffeine’s effects on health

B．teenagers’ addiction to caffeine

C．drinks which contain much caffeine

D．people’s concern about teenagers’ health

3. Paragraph 5 is mainly about _____.

A．the measures of protecting teenagers from caffeine’s effects

B．the process of the government’s controlling the use of caffeine

C．the government’s responsibility of taking care of teenagers

D．the risk of buying products containing caffeine nowadays

4. The author may agree that _______.

A．headaches and feeling tired are common in teenagers

B．food makers don’t add much caffeine to many products now

C．caffeine is good and useful for teenagers’ study

D．getting enough sleep can make people energetic

5 . Square dancing is a form of entertainment and physical exercise, which is a good thing. However, a group of senior Chinese ladies dancing in New York’s Sunset Park were recently faced with noise complaints from nearby residents. The local court even served a summons (传票) related to a certain Ms. Wang.
The news soon caused heated discussion across China, with many believing the incident to involve a cultural conflict between the East and West,while others view it as a form of discrimination against Chinese in the United States.
The United States is a diverse society, and in many cases, Chinese dancers are tolerated and even appreciated. Meanwhile, the United States is a society based on the rule of law, and due to cultural differences, local regulations seem to be very different from those in China. As a result, some old Chinese ladies dancing in New York’s Sunset Park found themselves caught in an embarrassing situation. Locals and immigrants from other nations view such noise as a violation of their right to enjoy tranquility. Calling the police is regarded as the most efficient way to solve such a problem.
Before, these ladies probably did not understand local customs and rules. However, since the incident took place, they should perhaps know a little better next time and keep the noise to a minimum. People from different nations are often supposed to reach compromises, respecting and tolerating each other.
Whatever your choice of entertainment, it is important not to affect other people’s lives. Square dancing is only one of many activities during which people should mind their behavior.
As for U.S. police practice, there might still be some room for improvement. Some were said to be rather rude, leading to the so-called “racial discrimination,” which is a sensitive topic in U.S. society.
If the involved parties could be more tolerant, and solve such problems without involving the court, perhaps immigrants would mix more.
1. The writer mentions the incident in Paragraph 1 to __________.

A．show his opinion	B．make complaints
C．bring up the topic	D．criticize the local police

2. The underlined word “tranquility” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by ________.

A．entertainment	B．quietness
C．freedom	D．quality

3. What will the senior Chinese ladies most probably do after the incident?

A．Go back to China.

B．Fight for their right.

C．Ask America to change its law.

D．Keep the noise lower.

4. What’s the writer’s attitude towards senior Chinese ladies dancing in New York’s Sunset Park?

A．He thinks all parties involved should be more tolerant.

B．He strongly supports the action of the local police.

C．He considers it a shame for senior Chinese ladies to do so.

D．He suggests such kind of problem should be solved in the court.

6 . When international aid is given, steps must be taken to ensure (确保)that the aid reaches the people for whom it is intended. The way to achieve this may not be simple. It is very difficult for a nation to give help directly to people in another nation.             The United Nations Organization (UNO) could undertake to direct the distribution of aid. Here however rises the problem of costs. Also tied with this is time. Perhaps the UNO could set up a body of devoted men and women in every country who can             speedily distribute aid to victims of floods and earthquakes.
More than the help that one nation can give to another during a disaster; it would be more effective to give other forms of help during normal times. A common proverb says, “Give me a fish and I eat for day, teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.” If we follow this wise saying, it would be right to teach people from less developed nations to take care of themselves. For example, a country could share its technology with another. This could be in simple areas like agriculture or in more complex areas like medical and health care or even in building satellites. Even small country is able to help less developed nations. Sometimes what is take for granted, like the setting up of a water purification plant or the administration of a school, could be useful for countries which are looking about to solve common problems. It does not cost much to share such simple things. Exchange students could be attached for a number of months or years and learn the required craft while on the site. They can then take their knowledge back to their homelands and if necessary come back form time to time to clear doubts or to update themselves. Such aid will be truly helpful and there is no chance of it being temporary or of it falling into the wrong hands.
Many countries run extensive courses in all sorts of skills. It will not cost much to include deserving foreigners in these courses. Besides giving effective help to the countries concerned, there is also the build-up of friendships to consider. Giving             direct help by giving materials may be effective in the short run and must continue to be given in the event of emergencies. However, in the long run what is really effective would be the sharing of knowledge.
1. According to the author, how could international aid reach the victims in time?

A．By solving the cost problems

B．By solving the transportation problems

C．By setting up a body of devoted people in every country.

D．By relying on the direct distribution of the UNO.

2. What does the author try to express in the underlined sentence?

A．Providing food is vital

B．Learning to fish is helpful

C．Teaching skills is essential

D．Looking after others is important.

3. Which aid is likely to fall into the wrong hands?

A．A medical team.	B．An exchange program.
C．A water plant.	D．Financial support.

4. What can we infer about international aid from the passage?

A．It is facing difficulties

B．It is unnecessary during normal times

C．It should be given in the form of materials

D．It has gained support developed countries

7 . More than 10 years ago，it was difficult to buy a tasty pineapple (菠萝)．The fruits that made it to the UK were green on the outside and，more often than not，hard with an unpleasant taste within.Then in 1996，the Del Monte Gold pineapple produced in Hawaii first hit our shelves.

The new type of pineapple looked more yellowy­gold than green. It was slightly softer on the outside and had a lot of juice inside.But the most important thing about this new type of pineapple was that it was twice as sweet as the hit­and­miss pineapples we had known.In no time，the Del Monte Gold took the market by storm，rapidly becoming the world’s best­selling pineapple variety，and delivering natural levels of sweetness in the mouth，up until then only found in tinned pineapple.

In nutrition (营养) it was all good news too.This nice­tasting pineapple contained four times more vitamin C (维生素C) than the old green variety.Nutritionists said that it was not only full of vitamins，but also good against some diseases.People were understandably eager to be able to buy this wonderful fruit.The new type of pineapple was selling fast,                           and the Del Monte Gold pineapple rapidly became a_fixture in the shopping basket of the healthy eaters.

Seeing the growing market for its winning pineapple，Del Monte tried to keep the market to itself.But other fruit companies developed similar pineapples.Del Monte turned to law for help，but failed.Those companies argued successfully that Del Monte’s attempts to keep the golden pineapple for itself were just a way to knock them out of the market.

1. We learn from the text that the new type of pineapple is________.

A．green outside and sweet inside

B．good­looking outside and soft inside

C．yellowy­gold outside and hard inside

D．a little soft outside and sweet inside

2. Why was the new type of pineapple selling well?

A．It was rich in nutrition and tasted nice.

B．It was less sweet and good for health.

C．It was developed by Del Monte.

D．It was used as medicine.

3. The underlined word “fixture” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to something________.

A．that people enjoy eating

B．that is always present

C．that is difficult to get

D．that people use as a gift

4. We learn from the last paragraph that Del Monte________.

A．allowed other companies to develop pineapples

B．succeeded in keeping the pineapple for itself

C．tried hard to control the pineapple market

D．planned to help the other companies

8 . Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.

    1     Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, and scream and yell. But other people keep their anger inside. They can not or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.

For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person’s health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (荷尔蒙). They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc.     2    

Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger violently may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.

    3     They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “    4     Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”

Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry.     5    

A．In general the person feels excited and ready to act.

B．They say that laughter is much healthier than anger.

C．Expressing anger violently is more harmful than repressing it.

D．Anger may cause you a cancer.

E．Do not express your anger while angry.

F．Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time.

G．Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger.

9 . I can still remember it as if it happened yesterday. I was a college freshman and had stayed up most of the night before laughing and talking with friends. Now just before my first class of the day my eyelids were feeling heavier and heavier and my head was drifting down to my desk to make my textbook a pillow. A few minutes’nap time before class couldn’t hurt, I thought.

Boom! I lifted my head immediately and my eyes opened wider than saucers. I looked around with my heart beating quickly trying to find the cause of the noise. My young professor was looking back at me with a mischievous, boyish smile on his face. He had intentionally dropped the pile of textbooks he was carrying onto my desk. “Good morning !”he said, still smiling. “I’m glad to see everyone is awake. Now let’s get started.”

For the next hour I wasn’t sleepy at all. It wasn’t from the shock of my professor’s textbook alarm clock either. Instead, it was from the attractive discussion he led. With knowledge and good humor, he made the material come alive. His insights were full of both wisdom and loving kindness. And the enthusiasm and joy that he taught with were contagious（有感染力的）. I left the classroom not only wide awake, but a little smarter and a little better as well.

I learned something far more important than not sleeping in class that day too. I learned that if you are going to do something in this life, do it well, do it with joy, and make it an expression of your love. What a glorious place this world would be if all of us did our work joyously and well ! What a beautiful world we could create if every doctor, teacher, musician, cook, waitress, poet, miner, farmer, and laborer made their work an expression of their love ! Don’t sleepwalk your way through life then. Wake up! Let your love fill your work and your soul. Life is too short not to live it well.

1. What did the author want to do just before his first class of the day?

A．Talk with his friends.	B．Take a short sleep.
C．Get his eyes examined.	D．Stay away from the class.

2. The underlined word “mischievous” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”.

A．naughty	B．tricky
C．sensitive	D．dishonest

3. What else did the author learn that day?

A．Students should not sleep in class but respect their teachers.

B．Everyone should love his job and sleepwalk his way through life.

C．Life is too limited to make your work an expression of your love.

D．People from all walks of life should do their jobs with wisdom and love.

4. What can be inferred from this passage?

A．The professor often kept his students sharp by using a textbook alarm.

B．The author was attracted by the professor’s great wisdom and enthusiasm.

C．The author left the two-hour period not only wide awake, but a little smarter.

D．Though the author was frightened awake, he was not clear-headed in the class.

10 . Grandparents Answer a Call

As a third－generation native of Brownsville, Texas, Mildred Garza never planned to move away.Even when her daughter and son asked her to move to San Antonio to help with their children, she politely refused.Only after a year of friendly discussion did Ms.Garza finally say yes.That was four years ago.Today all three generations regard the move as a success, giving them a closer relationship than they would have had in separate cities.

No statistics show the number of grandparents like Garza who are moving closer to adult children and grandchildren. Yet there is evidence suggesting that the trend is growing.Even President Obama’s mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, has agreed to leave Chicago and move into the White House to help care for her granddaughters. According to a study by grandparents.com, 83 percent of the people said Mrs.Robinson's decision will influence grandparents in the American family.Two－thirds believe more families will follow the example of Obama’s family.

“In the 1960s we were all a little wild and couldn't get away from home far enough or fast enough to prove we could do it on our own,”says Christine Crosby, publisher of Grand, a magazine for grandparents. “We now realize how important family is and how important it is to be near them, especially when you’re raising children.”

Moving is not for everyone. Almost every grandparent wants to be with his or her grandchildren and is willing to make sacrifices, but sometimes it is wiser to say no and visit frequently instead.Having your grandchildren far away is hard, especially knowing your adult child is struggling, but giving up the life you know may be harder.

1. Why was Garza’s move a success?

A．It strengthened her family ties.

B．It improved her living conditions.

C．It enabled her to make more friends.

D．It helped her know more new places.

2. What was the reaction of the public to Mrs.Robinson’s decision?

A．17% expressed their support for it.

B．Few people responded sympathetically.

C．83% believed it had a bad influence.

D．The majority thought it was a trend.

3. What did Crosby say about people in the 1960s?

A．They were unsure of themselves.

B．They were eager to raise more children.

C．They wanted to live away from their parents.

D．They had little respect for their grandparents.

4. What does the author suggest the grandparents do in the last paragraph?

A．Make decisions in the best interests of their own.

B．Ask their children to pay more visits to them.

C．Sacrifice for their struggling children.

D．Get to know themselves better.