1 . Summer has finally arrived, which means kids are bound for the outdoors. It can be exciting for kids and parents to have a great opportunity to go swimming, picnicking or on adventures. This time of year is also a dangerous time of year as almost half of all injury-related deaths in children occur between May and August. Whether it be in the pool, on bike, out in the sun or in the backyard is always important. Here are some tips to keep the family safe over the summer.
Water Safety
At this time of year, drowning deaths among children skyrocket（飞涨） compared to the rest of the year. Never leave your child alone in the water, even in shallow water. A child can drown in as little as one inch of water. Enroll your children in swimming lessons. Some swim schools offer class for children as young as 6 months.
Sun Safety
We are fortunate enough to live in the Sunshine State, where sun shines year-round. But with all the time you and the kids will be spending outdoors this summer, it’s important to protect yourself. Make sure to use a widely-used sunscreen(防晒霜) that blocks both UVA and UVB sunlight. Cotton clothing has an estimated SPF of only 6, so even if your kids are going out wearing T-shirts and shorts, make sure they are covered up.
Bike Safety
Nothing says summer like a nice neighborhood bike ride. But bikes are not toys and can certainly cause injury. Don’t forget to always wear a helmet. Head injuries are reduced by 85 Percent when riders wear a helmet and other safety equipment like knee and wrist pads. It’s estimated that 75 percent of bicycle-related deaths could have been prevented with bicycle helmets. When riding on the street, make sure kids understand all riding hand signals, ride with the traffic flow and stay as far right as possible.
1. Summer is called a dangerous time because children .| A．are easily injured |
| B．enjoy staying in the sun |
| C．want to learn swimming |
| D．refuse to accept advice |
| A．Kids only need to wear T-shirts and shorts. |
| B．Bikes, like toys, seldom lead to injury. |
| C．Some swim schools offer children class for free. |
| D．Deaths from drowning increase suddenly in summer. |
2 . Leaving Hanoi on a fiercely hot summer day,after an hour by air,Luang Prabang gradually appears below our airplane wings.From a few hundred meters above,my first impression of this UNESCO-listed heritage（遗产）is an area of green land and mountains,surrounded by snaking rivers.
Encircled by mountains,the former royal capital of Luang Prabang is more than just the country's picture-perfect showpiece.
Travelers will be attracted to Luang Prabang by the city's timeless peacefulness with its shiny Buddhist temples, French colonial architecture and friendly people.
Tourists visiting Luang Prabang shouldn't miss the chance to see one of the most sacred（神圣的）Lao traditions, tak bat,or the Buddhist almsgiving ritual（仪式）,which dates back to the 14th century.
As the sun rises in Luang Prabang,hundreds of Buddhist monks depart from their temples to gather their daily offerings,which most commonly are rice,fresh fruit and traditional sweet snacks.The daily alms gathering begins on the main street before spreading to all the side streets.
Our group of six got out of our comfy beds at 5 am to join other local residents and tourists to offer alms to the monks.We kneeled by the roadside in front of the 3 Nagas Hotel on the main street with big baskets of steamed sticky rice,waiting quietly until monks of all ages passed by to accept our gifts.
The daily ritual gives you a wonderful opportunity to experience an ancient Lao tradition.However,there are some strict rules if you wish to join the event.
Firstly,shoulders,chests and legs must be covered in modest clothing as a mark of respect.You should also remain a suitable distance from the monks.Photographs may be taken,but from a distance and never use a camera flash.The ritual has to be performed in silence.Talking to or touching the monks at any time,even when making an offering,is not allowed.
Another must-do morning activity is to visit the local market,where you can see the generosity that Mother Nature offers this dreamy land.While walking through the morning market,located within a long and narrow hamlet,I was excited to see all kinds of products from the nearby river and jungle: some ill-fated squirrels lying next to fresh bamboo shoots,different kinds of wild mushrooms and vegetables displayed on banana leaves and giant river catfish in baskets.
Although Luang Prabang is small,there are many things to see here.Active travelers can get up close and personal with Laos' gentle giants at the elephant conservation camp or take in some scenes of riverside life with a cruise or kayak excursion on the rivers.Two waterfalls that are perfect for picnicking in the foothills nearby,and classes are available in traditional crafts.
1. What can we learn about the tak bat?| A．The daily alms gathering begins on all the side streets. |
| B．Tourists take photographs,using a camera flash if too dark. |
| C．Tourists kneel by the roadside,waiting quietly for monks' gifts. |
| D．Tourists remain a suitable distance from the monks and keep silent. |
| A．Ancient and attractive. | B．Modern and charming. |
| C．Large and mysterious. | D．Distant and poor. |
| A．people there are very generous |
| B．products are sold through a sacred ritual |
| C．products there are sold only in the morning |
| D．products sold by locals are from the surroundings |
| A．commenting on Buddhism | B．referring to peaceful ritual |
| C．describing its characteristics | D．emphasizing its specific location |
The Mystery
Nearly a thousand giant stone figures stand side by side on Easter Island, now a part of Chile. Called moai (MOH-eye) by the locals, the statues can weigh more than 80 tons—about as much as ten whales—and some stand as tall as a three-story building.
Scientists think islanders began creating the moai some 800 years ago to honor their ancestors. In land, scientists found a volcanic crater and dug out ancient tools there used to carve figures from the volcanic rock. But the crater(火山口) is far from where most of the statues now stand. And scientists know the people didn't have wheels or animals to move the rock giants.
So how did the stone figures travel as far as 11 miles from the crater to the island's coasts? Some ideas are pretty wild—people have suggested that the moai walked by themselves, or even that space aliens beamed down to lend a hand. Scientists struggled to Easter Island to find out the truth.
The Detectives
"Heave-ho!" cry a group of scientists as they pull on ropes tied to a huge statue. The investigators are seeking clues about the moai in one of Easter Island's green valleys. Wondering if the islanders could have transported the statues upright with just rope and muscle power, they wrapped three strong ropes around the forehead of a ten-foot-tall moai copy. With several people pulling each rope, they're able to rock the 10,000-pound figure side to side, moving it forward with every tug(拖拽). "The statue's shape makes this movement fairly easy," team leader Carl Lipo says.
In the past, researchers have tried other moving methods. One group tied rope to the top and base of an actual moai and attempted to drag it forward with twisting motions. Another team laid a real 13-foot moai onto a giant log and pulled the log forward. All the experiments shared one result: The investigators got serious pain!
The Evidence
Although various scientific sleuths (侦查) found ways to move the moai, researchers still don't agree on what really happened. Some of these techniques might have only worked over short distances and on flat land. Others would have damaged the moai.
Many people think the statues were laid horizontally on wooden sleds which were dragged with rope across log tracks. "This would have been the safest way to move the moai," archaeologist Jo Anne Van Tilburg says. "It explains why hardly any are damaged."
But the truth may never be revealed.(Experts are pretty sure, though, that aliens weren't involved.)After all, the islanders stopped making the statues at least 300 years ago, later hundreds of islanders left the island or caught deadly diseases brought by explorers. Many of the moai's secrets disappeared with them. Today the only remaining witnesses to the events are the moai themselves. And the lips of these stone-faced giants are sealed.
1. How many possible ways of moving the rock giants are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．The moai was created by the islanders 800 years ago to wish for good luck. |
| B．Some of the rock giants were damaged while being moved to where they are now. |
| C．All the witnesses to the secrets of the moai were infected with deadly diseases and died. |
| D．The statues were made of volcanic rocks with some handmade tools by the locals. |
| A．temporarily on the ground |
| B．parallel to the ground |
| C．steadily on the ground |
| D．vertical to the ground |
| A．Investigation Under Way. |
| B．Mystery of the Stone Giants. |
| C．Ways of Moving the Stone Giants. |
| D．The Unrevealed Truth. |
| A．Sunny. | B．Rainy. | C．Windy. |
5 . Everybody hates rats. But in the earthquake capitals of the world — Japan, Los Angeles, Turkey — rats will soon be man’s new best friends.
What happens after an earthquake? We sent in rescue dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.
How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal (信号). This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. The rat has smelled that person.
Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornell University, New York, says, “Robots’noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity (电)!
The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to and a rat would get out of it if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will be happy to see a rat in a building (but only after an earthquake, of course).
1. In the world earthquake capitals, rats will become man’s best friends because they can .| A．take the place of man’s rescue jobs |
| B．find the position of people alive who are trapped in buildings |
| C．serve as food for people alive who are trapped in buildings. |
| D．get into small spaces |
| A．rats smell better than dogs |
| B．dogs don’t need to be trained to smell people |
| C．robots’ sense of smell can be affected by other smells around |
| D．rats can see in the dark and smaller than robots |
| A．they are more fantastic than other animals |
| B．they are less expensive to train than dogs |
| C．they don’t need electricity |
| D．they are small and can get into small places |
| A．at present rats have taken the place of dogs in searching for people |
| B．the “rat project” has been completed |
| C．people are now happy to see a rat in a building |
| D．now people still use dogs and robots in performing rescues |
1. When were the speaker and his friends caught in a storm?
| A．The second night. | B．The fifth night. | C．The last night. |
| A．Rainy. | B．Cloudy. | C．Fine. |
| A．He was persuaded into the trip. |
| B．He walked 100 miles in one week. |
| C．He was disappointed at the trip. |
7 . 24 hours in western Sydney: what to do, where to go
On a recent weekend, my boyfriend and I decided to explore the area for the first time.
Friday
6 p.m. — Check in at Atura Blacktown hotel
After an easy 40-minute train trip from Central Station to Blacktown (about $5 one way with the Opal smartcard), we catch a taxi (about $20) to western Sydney’s newest hotel, the Atura Blacktown. It’s a sleek but welcoming hotel with an open-plan lobby that incorporates an inhouse restaurant and a comfortable lounge area. Upstairs, we quickly warm to our modern guestroom, which features reliable, free WiFi, free movies on a large wall-mounted TV, and in the bathroom Malin+Goetz toiletries(洗漱用品). It’s good value at about $160 for a king room.
8 p.m. — Dinner and a drive-in movie
The hotel’s Roadhouse Bar and Grill has an upscale menu (mains $25 — $40 per person) but a casual atmosphere, with an open kitchen and families seated at several tables. We’ve been told not to fill up on dinner so we reluctantly leave our tender scotch fillet(鱼片) and expertly pan-fried barramundi unfinished. At the reception, we pick up keys to the hotel’s white Cadillac, which is parked out front, and drive around the corner to the Skyline Drive-In ($20 for one car with two passengers).
Saturday
9 a.m. — Feasting in Bonnyrigg
Everywhere we go, there is food. At the temple, we watch a famous Laotion chef prepare pawpaw salad, while at the mosque(清真寺) we are offered feather-light fairy floss. Later, in a low-ceilinged Asian grocer, we are fed sublime rice-paper rolls by a proprietor who speaks five languages. Those who dismiss ordinary Australians as conservative and intolerant have clearly not visited Bonnyrigg.
6 p.m. — People-watching at The Emporium
In Parramatta, the venue(场所) of the moment is The Emporium, a 150-seat exposed-brick space with a mod-Oz menu which leans Mediterranean. Unlike many of the more casual places we visit over the weekend, The Emporium has a decidedly grown-up atmosphere, full of well-dressed couples and smart wait staff. Dishes like a delicate stew of Moreton Bay bugs ($36) and truffle-stuffed chicken breast (also $36) are delicious. Don’t expect to get a table on Saturday night unless you book ahead.
1. How much did the author and her boyfriend have to pay at least on Friday?
| A．$216. | B．$226. | C．$332. | D．$260. |
| A．get warm in modern guestrooms | B．overeat delicious dinner |
| C．hire a car to see movies | D．feel unfriendliness from ordinary Australians |
Recently, scientists have studied the migration of a kind of lobsters (龙虾). Every year, when the season of bad weather arrives, the lobsters get into a long line and start to walk across the floor of the ocean. Nobody knows why they do this, and nobody knows where they go. So, sometimes we know why humans and animals move from one place to another, but at other times we don’t. Maybe living things just like to travel.
1. Most animals move from one place to another at a certain time to __________ .
| A．give birth | B．enjoy warmer weather |
| C．find food more easily | D．find beautiful places |
| A．salt water | B．rivers | C．fresh water | D．its birthplace |
| A．they give birth | B．the weather is bad |
| C．the place gets too crowded | D．they haven’t enough food |
| A．to the fresh water | B．to the sea floor |
| C．at a certain time | D．to find more food |
| A．Animals move in order to find food more easily. |
| B．The migration of the fish called “salmon” is the most famous migration. |
| C．Living things move from one place to another because they like to travel. |
| D．Sometimes we know why and how living things move from one place to another, but sometimes we don’t. |
9 . Normally, kids have curiosity(好奇) about everything around them including animals. As a parent you are willing to teach everything to our children because you want to develop their EQ and IQ. But a few people have some troubles in how to introduce animals to their kids. Here I have some advice on how to do that.
1. Visiting a zoo.
This way must be the best choice to choose. If you have free time or maybe on holiday you can take your children to the zoo. Kids usually are excited to see live animals and feed them if possible. It can be an unforgettable moment for your children when they visit so many animals in a place. Parents can describe an animal to their children so they can learn something about that animal.
2. Doing a coloring activity.
If you have not free time or just have a short time, you can choose this. Actually doing animal coloring activity is mostly used by parents and teachers to tell children about an animal. You can download free animal coloring pages through the internet or you can buy your children an animal coloring book.
3. Doing a paper craft.
If it sounds difficult you can skip this method. Just forget it. Generally, the difficulty level depends on your paper craft models. You can find free animal paper crafts on the internet but make sure of the difficulty level. Remember your purpose is not about how beautiful your paper crafts are but to describe an animal to your children.
4. Story telling.
Have you heard about an animal story when you were a child? You still remember it? How about the character of those animals? Yeah! It is still in your mind. You can buy a story book of animals and read it for your children.
There are also many other ways and everything needed here is just the creativity to connect it with the children and make them enjoy and have fun with your activities.
1. What’s the purpose of this passage?| A．To satisfy the curiosity of the kids. |
| B．To develop children’s EQ and IQ. |
| C．To give parents and teachers advice on how to introduce animals to kids. |
| D．To introduce some activities to let parents know more about their kids. |
| A．Visiting a zoo | B．Doing a coloring activity |
| C．Doing a paper craft | D．Telling a story |
| A．Download some beautiful paper crafts on the internet. |
| B．Buy your kid an animal coloring book. |
| C．Give your kid an unforgettable moment to visit many animals in a place. |
| D．Buy your kid a story book. |
| A．fun | B．joy | C．imagination | D．creativity |
This was the conclusion of a team of scientists from China's State Forestry Administration and the World Nature Fund.
The South China tiger, also known as the Chinese tiger, is native to southern China. In the 1950's, there were over 4000 tigers found in mountain forests in the country. But due to the destruction of their natural habitat and uncontrolled hunting, it has been pushed on to the list of the world's top ten most endangered species.
Sixtysix of the big cats can be found in the cages of a dozen zoos around China. But they are nothing like their wild cousins. They have lost their natural skills such as hunting and killing. If they were set free they could not look after themselves.
“Breeding has damaged the quality of the species”， said Pei Enle, deputy director of the Shanghai Zoo.
To reintroduce the species into the wild, the country started a programme to send five to ten young tigers to South Africa. Four of them have already arrived. Progress has been made as two elder tigers have recovered some of their instincts(本能) and can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base.
“South Africans are very experienced in reintroducing big animals to the wild. The country has very good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in”， said Lu Jun, office director of the National Wildlife Research and Development Center. “We tried in Fujian Province, but it was not successful as there was not a complete ecochain(生物链) and there was a lack of space.”
The tigers should return to China in 2007 when the reservations in Fujian are ready.
1. What is the main reason for the South China tiger becoming one of the world's top ten most endangered species?
| A．Because it has lost its natural instincts. |
| B．Because there is not a complete ecochain. |
| C．Because there is no space for it. |
| D．Because uncontrolled hunting has destroyed its natural living conditions. |
| A．Its effect still remains to be seen. |
| B．Two tigers can already compete with their wild cousins. |
| C．Some of the tigers are already on the road to recovering their natural skills. |
| D．The tigers should be able to recover their instincts completely by 2007. |
| A．they are no longer feared by other wild animals |
| B．they don't know how to hunt or kill |
| C．a complete change has resulted in the species because of breeding |
| D．to reintroduce them into the wild has become an urgent task |
| A．To help the tigers recover their ability to live in the wild. |
| B．To provide them with a better environment. |
| C．To get the tigers to go on a tour. |
| D．To find a complete ecochain for them. |
| A．Because the tigers can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base. |
| B．Because South Africans are skilled at dealing with the tigers. |
| C．Because there is a complete ecochain and enough space there. |
| D．Because the country has good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in. |
