1 . An earthquake can strike without warning. But many injuries and deaths from this kind of natural disaster can be prevented if people follow these safety tips.
If you’re inside a building, stay there! One of the most dangerous things to do in an earthquake is to try to leave a building.
If you are trapped in the ruins, cover your mouth with a handkerchief or a piece of clothing. Use your cellphone to call for help if possible. Don’t shout.
Be prepared for aftershocks
| A．Don’t move about or kick up dost. |
| B．If you’re outside, go to an open space. |
| C．Shouting can cause you to breathe in dust. |
| D．Don’t park your car under a tree or any tall object. |
| E．Take a good hold of your cellphone in the building. |
| F．They can happen in the first hours after the earthquake. |
| G．Most injuries happen when people inside buildings try to get out. |
3 . Unsolved Mysteries About the Earth
◆Mystery 1: Where did all the water come from?
Water covers 70 percent of the earth’s surface and earns it the nickname “the blue planet”. And where did it come from? The most popular scientific theory states that the H2O arrived in the form of several violent asteroids (小行星)filled with ice. Another suggests that the water actually has been around since the earth’s formation. However it happened, though, it’s certainly worked out well for the earth’s life forms.
◆Mystery 2: What about all the oxygen?
Another thing is the planet’s oxygen. Tiny creatures released oxygen as a waste product, filling the atmosphere with it. After that, the level of oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere went wildly up and down until it finally calmed down around 540 million years ago. Since then, it’s remained at about the breathable level we experience today. But what caused it to be suddenly steady?
◆Mystery3: What caused the Cambrian(寒武纪)Explosion?
The Cambrian Explosion refers to the explosion of complex life that occurred on the earth about 540 million years ago. Before then, life had consisted mostly of bacteria. But at the beginning of the Cambrian period, complex creatures began developing at a rate never before seen. Suddenly, advanced life forms had brains eyes and bones. Most creatures alive today can trace their blood back to the Cambrian period.
◆Mystery 4: Will we ever be able to predict earthquakes?
We still haven’t been able to come up with a way to accurately predict earthquakes, which is practically significant. We can certainly try, but our current technology cannot predict them exactly. We know that earthquakes start when rocks crack underground and send earthquake waves toward the surface, but we haven’t figured out why they happen, or how to predict them.
1. What was created later by tiny creatures on the earth?| A．Water. | B．Ice. | C．Bacteria. | D．Oxygen. |
| A．Mystery 1. | B．Mystery 2. |
| C．Mystery 3. | D．Mystery 4. |
| A．It is the oldest mystery of the four. |
| B．It is a matter that has practical significance. |
| C．It is the most difficult to solve of the four. |
| D．It has already been solved. |
A farmer grew some vegetables in his garden. One day his wife was ill and he had no money. He had to sell some cabbages and carrots in the market. The next morning he took two baskets of vegetables to town. But it was raining hard that afternoon and there were few people in the street. When his vegetables were sold out, it was dark. He bought some medicine and hurried to his village. On his way home he saw a person lying on the snow. He placed his baskets on the ground and was going to help the person to get up. At that time he found it was a dead man and there was much blood on his body. He was so afraid that he ran away quickly, without taking the baskets with him.
The next afternoon the farmer was sent to the police station. Having shown the baskets, an officer asked, “Are these yours? ” “Yes, sir.” the farmer answered timidly(胆怯地). “Have you killed the man?” “No, no, sir.” the farmer said in a hurry. “When did you see the dead man? ” “About seven last evening. ” “Did you see who killed the man? ” “No, sir.” The officer brought out a knife and asked, “Have you seen it yet? ” “No, sir.” The officer became angry and told the policemen to beat him up(暴打) and sent him into prison. The officer wanted to trap the farmer into the confession(供认), but the farmer didn’t admit he was the murderer.
Paragraph 1:
The officer was so angry that he asked the policeman to beat him up again.
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The farmer was lucky. A few days later,
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| A．Three. | B．Five. | C．Eight. |
| A．Sue. | B．Selina. | C．Stephen. |
8 . My name is Mildred Hondorf, a music teacher. Over the years, I have found that children have many levels of musical ability. Although I have some talented students, I've also had my share of what I call "musically challenged" pupils. One such student was Robby.
Robby was 11 years old when he came for his first piano lesson. He said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. Although Robby tried hard, he lacked the basic rhythm needed to be excellent. However, he continued and always said, "My mom's going to hear me play some day." But he just did not have any inborn ability and his mother just dropped Robby off but never stopped in.
Then one day, Robby stopped coming to our lessons. He called me and said his mother was sick. Several weeks later, I was invited to take my students to have a show and Robby asked me if he could be in . "Miss Hondorf...I've just got to play!" I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the show. Maybe it was his insistence or something else inside of me.
The night for the show came. The gymnasium was packed with people. I put Robby up last in the program. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always save his poor performance through my "curtain closing".
The show went off well. Then Robby came up on stage. He played so well and everyone applauded for him. In tears I hugged Robby in joy. "How would you do it?"
"Well, Miss Hondorf ... remember I told you my mom was sick? Well, actually, she had cancer and passed away this morning. And well ... she was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special."
1. What are “musically challenged” pupils according to the author’s description?| A．Children who are good at learning music. |
| B．Children who like challenging music. |
| C．Children who lack a gift for music. |
| D．Children who are crazy about music. |
| A．She hoped Robby would give the show a good ending.. |
| B．She thought Robby would have a bad performance. |
| C．She gave Robby a chance to have a speech. |
| D．She wanted Robby to help her lower the curtain. |
| A．His teacher’s encouragement. | B．His love to his mother. |
| C．His enthusiasm about music. | D．His talent and practice. |
| A．She had a great deal of confidence in Robby at first. |
| B．She helped Robby practice before the performance. |
| C．She was surprised that Robby performed well at last. |
| D．She was inexperienced in instructing students like Robby. |
1. How many chapters will be covered on the exam?
| A．3. | B．10. | C．15. |
| A．Next Monday. | B．Next Wednesday. | C．Next Friday. |
| A．Anyone with a doctor's note. |
| B．Anyone whose parents call the professor. |
| C．Anyone with a letter from the headmaster. |
1. What is the weather like in London in the winter according to the woman?
| A．Cold and sunny. | B．Cold and rainy. | C．Cold and windy. |
| A．By bus. | B．By taxi. | C．By underground. |
| A．Restaurants. | B．Transportation. | C．Supermarkets. |
| A．In an Italian restaurant. |
| B．In a British restaurant. |
| C．In a Greek restaurant. |
