1 . One minute, Peggy Lewis and her husband, Harris Lee, were watching the trees blow in the wind. The next, they were surrounded by flying pieces of glass from the house’s broken windows. The roof was torn off. The walls caved in (塌陷). After the 152-mph tornado (龙卷风) had passed, it took a team of neighbors to pull the couple from the rubble (碎砖) and take them to the hospital.

When the pair returned to their house three days later, it was clear that what remained of the house would need to be torn down, but before Peggy would let that happen, she wanted one thing first—her family Bible.

Peggy had bought the Bible 35 years earlier, at the start of her marriage. Like many people, she’d used it to hold her family’s history — old photos, and a handkerchief from her great-grandmother.

The Bible was the first thing Peggy looked for when she returned to the house. When two volunteers showed up, Peggy had one task for them.

After an hour of searching, one of the volunteers ran up to her. Peggy had tears running down her face. The young woman had found the book while looking through rubble. Surprisingly, while many other books inside the house had been destroyed beyond recognition, the Bible was still complete, even though it had sat in the rain for days. “I completely broke down,” says Peggy. “I thought it was gone forever.” She was extremely grateful.

Peggy and her family were living at a friend’s house until they got back on their feet. But the book already has its well-deserved place of honor, in Peggy’ borrowed dresser. She knows that while every good book tells stories of disastrous (灾难性的) weather and unlikely survival, this one actually lived it.

1. What happened to the couple during the tornado?

A．They were hurt by glass.	B．They were buried in ruins.
C．They were blown to the wall.	D．They were forced to leave their house.

2. What task did Peggy Lewis probably have for the volunteers?

A．To help find her Bible.	B．To get her a new dresser.
C．To dig out all the buried things.	D．To tear down the dangerous house.

3. Why is the Bible important to Peggy Lewis?

A．It’s very expensive.	B．It’s a gift from her husband.
C．It marked her marriage.	D．It held important things.

4. How did Peggy Lewis feel seeing what the young woman had found?

A．Excited but surprised.	B．Sad but thankful.
C．Excited and thankful.	D．Surprised but sad.

5. What did Peggy Lewis lose in the tornado?

A．An important book.	B．All of her books.
C．Her house.	D．Some of her relatives.

2 . What does the woman do?

A．A driver.

B．A doctor.

C．A receptionist.

4 . Apple, a 34-year-old doctor, had been on call(待命) at Atlanta Medical Center for more than two days, with only a few hours’ sleep. And now tiredness was clouding her eyes as she drove to a meeting in Kentucky, nearly seven hours away. She tried turning on her CB radio (无线电，对讲机), which enthusiasts used to war none another about road conditions, but the airwaves (广播频道)were silent. Soon Apple’s car started to weave (迂回前进).

A 41-year-old trucker named Woody Key found a car ahead, drifting (漂移)off the road. Key shouted into his CB microphone, “Four-wheeler, are you all right?”

Apple woke up. She talked on her CB radio. “I’m tired, and I’m lucky I’m still alive driving this tired. Thanks!”

“Call me Woodpecker, my CB nickname,” the trucker said. “I’m going to Kentucky. And you?

“Kentucky.”

“I’ll travel behind and help keep you awake. What’s your CB nickname?”

“Dr. Froot Loops,” she told him. As they drove, they shared stories, and the time passed quickly. They parted near the Kentucky state line. She thanked him for keeping her awake and safe on the long, dark road.

Years later, Apple found several doctors checking a person brought in from an accident. His head was badly hurt. She put both hands on his head, hoping to calm him. “It’s not your time to die!” she said.

Then, he asked for her name.

“Dr. Sherry Apple,” she replied.

“No...your CB nickname.”

“How did you guess I have a CB?”

“...I know your voice...”

“My nickname is Dr. Froot Loops.”

“Oh...It’s me...Woodpecker!”

It was her truck driver! She said, “It’s not your time, Woodpecker!” Then Key was rushed into the operating room.

The first days out of the operating room were very painful for Key. Often Apple would get home and find her phone ringing. Nurses, unable to calm Key, asked her to return. She always did.

About two months after his accident, Key was ready to leave the hospital. As she was leaving, he told Apple, “I don’t think I could have made it without you.” Apple’s eyes welled up. “And I wouldn’t have made it without you.”

1. What happened to Apple on her way to Kentucky?           

A．She was called back to hospital halfway.

B．She was disconnected from her friend.

C．She fell asleep as she drove.

D．She met with a car accident.

2. How did Key help Apple reach Kentucky?           

A．By giving her a lift.	B．By driving her car instead.
C．By talking with her by phone.	D．By keeping her eyes on the road.

3. How did Key recognize Apple?           

A．By her appearance.	B．By her nickname.
C．By her name.	D．By her voice.

4. What can we learn about Key after his accident?           

A．He fought to survive.	B．He returned home quickly.
C．He stayed quite calm in the hospital.	D．He was looked after by Apple every day.

5. How did Key and Apple look at their relationship?           

A．It was heart-breaking.	B．It was life-saving.
C．It was serious.	D．It was strange.

5 . Tears of relief and shouts of joy rang out at the San Jose Mine in northern Chile when 33 miners were lifted to freedom, one by one. The men, ranging from 19 to 63 years old, have been buried alive since a cave in the copper and gold mine they were working collapsed on August 5, 2010. It is the longest time anyone has ever survived being trapped underground.

After the collapse, the men found an emergency shelter off one of the mine’s tunnels. The temperature in the dark shelter was around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. For more than two weeks, the miners’ water came from the tanks on their work vehicles. They shared a supply of food that was meant to last for only 48 hours.

The miners were totally isolated until rescue teams made contact with the men on August 22. They sent a note to the surface explaining their situation. Rescuers drilled small holes to reach the cave and sent down supply tubes containing food, water, clothes, medicine, fresh air and other supplies. They also received letters from their families, a television set and games.

Additional collapses slowed down rescue efforts. Finally, a tunnel was built that could fit a 13—foot rescue capsule (救生舱), called the Pheonix. The escape hole measures 28 inches across, a tight fit for the twisting 20 minutes, 2, 041—foot ride. The first miner reached the surface just after midnight on October, 13. The rescue mission was faster than expected, and all 33 men had been brought to safety by late the same day.

The miners were met by family members who were waiting at Camp Hope, a settlement of tents near the mine. Chile’s president, Sebastian Pinera, cheered at the scene and hugged the miners. “We made a promise never to give up, and we kept it,” he said. After an immediate medical exam, the men were airlifted to the nearest hospital for 48 hours of observation.

1. How long were the rescued miners trapped in the mine?

A．About 48 hours.	B．About two weeks.
C．One month and a half.	D．More than two months.

2. Which of the following doesn’t belong to the rescue work?

A．The water from the tanks.

B．Small holes drilled to reach the cave.

C．A tunnel built to fix a rescue capsule.

D．Letters, games and a TV from the surface.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．All miners reached the surface just after midnight on October 13.

B．The loss of the mine collapse.

C．The health condition of the trapped miners.

D．The concern of Chile’s president about the mine collapse.

4. According to the text, the rescued miners ________.

A．received medical examination in a hospital at first

B．could go home immediately they got out of the mine

C．had to stay in a hospital for two days before going home

D．felt relieved to see their family members taken good care of

5. The best title for the text should be ________.

A．Disaster at the Mine	B．A Miracle at the Mine
C．Efforts of Great Chileans	D．Miserable Life of Chilean Miners

6 . Beldon and Canfield are two seashore towns, not far apart. Both towns have many hotels, and in summer the hotels are full of holiday-makers and other tourists.

Last August there was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel in Beldon. The next day, this news appeared on page two of the town’s newspaper. The Beldon Post:

FIRE AT SEABREEZE

Late last night firemen hurried to the Seabreeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a bedroom. The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire. We say again to all our visitors: “Please don’t smoke cigarettes in bed.” This was Beldon’s first hotel fire for five years.

The Canfield Times gave the news in these words on page one:

ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE

Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Seabreeze Hotel. An angry holiday-maker said, “An electric lamp probably started the fire. The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels. When I put my bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp.” We are glad to tell our readers that this sort of adventure does not happen in Canfield.

What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident. There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel last August: that is one fact. Do we know anything else? Yes, we know that firemen went to the hotel.

Now what do you think of the rest of the “news”?

1. Which of the following best gives the main idea of this text?

A．Beldon and Canfield are both good places for tourists in summer.

B．A fire broke out at night in Seabreeze Hotel last summer.

C．It was not easy to find out exact truth from newspapers.

D．Two newspapers gave reports on the same matter.

2. Which of the following are probably facts?
a. The fire broke out in a bedroom at the hotel.
b. A cigarette started the fire.
c. An old lamp started the fire.
d. The fire broke out at night.
e. There has never been a fire in Canfield.

A．b and c

B．a and d

C．c and e

D．a and c

3. The Canfield Times used the headline like this in order to make its readers think.

A．hotels in Beldon often catch fire

B．hotels in Beldon don’t often catch fire

C．this was the second fire at the Seabreeze Hotel

D．Beldon was a good place except that hotels there are not quite safe

4. The Canfield newspaper gave a report just the opposite to the Beldon Post by saying that__________.

A．the bedroom lamps were very old at the Seabreeze Hotel

B．the bedroom lights made funny noise when the fire took place

C．the firemen failed to save clothing, bedclothes and other things

D．such accidents never happened in Canfield for the past 5 years

5. What does the underlined word “We” in the first news refer to?

A．Visitors.

B．The government.

C．The newspaper.

D．The firemen.

7 . When I set out to drop my dad of fat the airport, it was dark and dreary(沉闷的). It started to rain on the way. When I left the airport, the visibility wasn`t clear because of the drops of rain. It was before 6 am.

Even though the road conditions were poor, I drove at my normal speed. I was angry with the more cautious drivers ahead of me that were delaying my drive. The exit ramp (坡道) to the highway was a tight spiral(急盘旋). It is a dangerous spot in good weather and totally scary when the weather is miserable or it is dark. But I didn`t want to slow down and arrive home any later than necessary. I drove down the ramp too fast. The road was wet and my car slid, landing face down on the passenger side.

I didn’t like to drive by myself at the time and had debated taking my husband and son with me on the trip. Thankfully, I was alone in the car. My accident was slight. In fact, I was lucky enough not to have a single scratch. I shuddered to think the injuries my son would have suffered had he been in the backseat of that car with no seatbelt when it rolled. After the ear rolled three times, I found my mobile phone was lost in a pile of small things that were all lying in the bottom of the car. A lady was kind enough to let me borrow her mobile phone, but with-out the numbers preprogrammed who could I call? I was lucky enough to remember my father`s mobile phone number, and fortunate that he hadn`t yet got on his plane.

You never know when an accident will happen. As a driver, I will keep safety in mind by obeying all traffic laws and have safe-driving habits, especially in bad weather. Insist your children always wear their seatbelts. Life is a journey and everyone should value it and enjoy the ride.

1. Why was the author angry with those drivers?

A．She thought they drove too slowly.	B．They didn’t pay attention to the safety.
C．They made much noise on the ramp.	D．They tried to stop her car on the ramp.

2. The car accident happened          .

A．at around 6 in the afternoon	B．before the author dropped her dad at the airport
C．when the author almost got home	D．immediately after the author left the exit to the airport

3. What does the underlined word “shuddered” in Paragraph 3 probably mean? d

A．Remembered clearly.	B．Trembled because of fear.
C．Ensured the safety.	D．Took control of the bad situation.

4. What is the main reason that resulted in the accident?

A．The visibility was not clear.	B．The author drove rather fast.
C．It started to rain heavily then.	D．It was an unsafe spot for driving.

5. We can learn from this passage that the author_________.

A．had just a single scratch	B．felt sorry because her son was injured
C．called her father for help	D．found her mobile phone with the help of a lady

8 . Alexis, 17, sat quietly in the passenger seat of her dad’s car. She let her eyes lazily scan the field for wildlife. Then a deer came into sight about 200 yards in front of them. “Dad, there’s a deer there!” Alexis said. It was a male deer with sharp antlers (鹿角) on each side of its head.

As the car moved closer, Alexis saw that the deer’s head was bent toward the ground. Then she heard a scream and saw an arm fly up near the deer’s head. Alexis realized the deer was attacking a woman. Sue, a 44-year-old mother, had been out for her morning run. The deer followed her and edged closer. “I knew I was in trouble,” Sue says. She went to pick up a stone for self-protection, and the deer attacked. It lifted her with its antlers and threw her into the air. Sue could feel blood flew down her leg. Within seconds, the deer had pushed her off the road.

When Alexis and her father pulled up, the deer was throwing Sue like a doll. Alexis looked into the woman’s frightened eyes, and before her father had even stopped the car, the teenager jumped quickly out of the car and ran toward the deer. “I was kicking it to get its attention,” she says. Then her father, who had followed his daughter, pushed the deer away from the woman. Alexis helped Sue into the car, and then applied a piece of cloth to Sue’s injured leg. “We’re going to take you to a hospital,” Alexis said. Then she heard her father shout loudly. He had been knocked to the ground. Alexis took hold of a hammer from the car and ran to where her father lay on his back. She beat the deer’s head and neck, but it didn’t scare it away. “I was losing faith,” she says. “More strikes, Alexis,” said her father. “You can do it.” Turning the hammer around, Alexis closed her eyes and beat the deer’s neck with all her strength. When she opened her eyes, the deer was running away. Alexis got in the driver’s seat and sped toward the nearest hospital.

After Sue was treated, she tearfully thanked the teenager and her father. “You expect a teenage girl to get on the phone and call for help,” she says, “not to beat up a deer.”

1. What was Sue doing when she was attacked by the deer?

A．She was driving home.

B．She was resting on the road.

C．She was taking exercise.

D．She was feeding wild animals.

2. The underlined word “edged” in Paragraph 2 probably means “          ”.

A．changed

B．cut

C．attacked

D．moved

3. What did Alexis do to save Sue?

A．She pushed the deer away.

B．She hit the deer with her feet.

C．She drove the car to hit the deer.

D．She beat the deer with a hammer.

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A．Alexis scared the dear away the first time she tried.

B．Alexis beat the dear’s head with all her strength and killed it.

C．Alexis’s father gave her encouragement in the process.

D．Sue was seriously injured in her arm and had been knocked to the ground.

5. Which of the following words can best describe Alexis?

A．Strong and powerful.	B．Well-educated but impatient.
C．Energetic but aggressive.	D．Warmhearted and brave.

9 . On a July afternoon in 1937, 15-year-old Betty Brown was playing with her father’s shortwave radio and searching for her favorite songs when she casually turned the dial on the radio and heard something that made her stop. It was a voice that sounded familiar. Back in those days, news clips (新闻摘要) were played at movie theaters. Brown recognized the voice from one of the news films she had seen.

“I heard Amelia Earhart in a panicked voice, a heartbreaking voice,” Brown recalled in a 2007 interview. “She was saying, ‘This is Amelia Earhart Putnam, please help me. Please hear me.’”

Brown quickly began writing down what she heard --- parts of desperate conversations between the woman she believed was Earhart and an unknown man. Later, she decided that the man must have been Earhart’s navigator (领航员), Fred Noonan. As the signal faded in and out, Brown never left the radio. She scribbled (潦草地写) away as Earhart and Noonan struggled for control of the radio. Earhart tried to prevent Noonan from leaving the plane after they had apparently crash-landed. All the while, Earhart repeated strings of numbers and mentioned rising water. After about three hours, Earhart and Noonan were seemingly forced to abandon the plane as it was filled with water, and the distress calls (遇险呼救) stopped.

Brown and her father both tried to give her notes to the United States Coast Guard, but they were told the situation was under control. The search for Earhart was abandoned after a great effort was made. But Brown kept her notebook. In 2000, people from an organization researching Earhart’s disappearance asked to see it. The researchers were convinced that Brown’s notes were reliable. If the researchers are right, the notes are a priceless, yet sorrowful, record of the sad ending of an American hero.

1. Betty Brown stayed by the radio for so long because she________.

A．was waiting for her music to come back on

B．enjoyed recording people’s conversations

C．wanted to gather more information about Earhart’s situation

D．wanted to take notes for a book about Earhart

2. From the Coast Guard’s reaction to Brown, we can infer that the Coast Guard________.

A．did not want to look for Earhart

B．did not believe Brown heard Earhart

C．wanted Brown to help them find Earhart

D．already knew where Earhart was

3. Which word can best describe Brown?

A．Determined.

B．Forgetful.

C．Independent.

D．Careless.