1 . A Virginia family whose home was destroyed by a fire last week recently received the gift of some old-fashioned Christmas cheer from “Santa Claus” (圣诞老人).
In the spirit of Christmas, the Ferrum Volunteer Fire Department delivered presents to the family who lost their home and belongings in a house fire on Thursday.
“It was a working structure fire and unfortunately the family lost everything. We as volunteers knew that we couldn’t let this mom and her three kids go through Christmas without anything,” the fire station wrote on Facebook. “Yes, they’re OK but it’s Christmas, right?”
The fire station officials delivered Christmas gifts to the mother and her three children the following day at the local church shelter they were staying at, and in photos posted on the site, the children appeared joyful.
“We brought gifts and more gifts! The kids were overjoyed and very grateful.” the station said on its post.
“They were very happy to see all the gifts and the fire trucks that we brought the gifts in,” the department told USA TODAY. The kids received Barbies, Pokémon, artworks, remote control cars, blankets, clothes and shoes. The mother also received a gift card.
The Facebook post was flooded with what seemed to be comments from community members touched by the generosity. “The best Christmas gifts are the ones you give! Thank you all for your wonderful service and your big hearts!” one user commented.
“So thankful they are alright! We are truly blessed to live in such a giving and helping community, and our fire department and rescue teams are amazing! Great job! So proud!” another user wrote.
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．The Fire Department provided the family with shelter. |
| B．The volunteers saved some belongings for the family. |
| C．The family went through Christmas in sorrow. |
| D．Receiving a Christmas gift is a traditional joy. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Unconcerned. | C．Appreciative. | D．Sympathetic. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By using quotation. |
| C．By making comments. | D．By analysing causes. |
| A．Firefighters or Santa Claus? | B．Firefighters Safeguarded Us |
| C．A Fire Brought Gifts | D．Love Can Cure |
2 . It seems that some people go out of their way to get into trouble. That’s more or less what happened on the night when Nashville Police Officer Floyd Hyde was on duty.
“I was on the way to a personal-injury accident in West Nashville. As I got onto Highway40, blue lights and sirens (警笛) going, I fell in behind a gold Pontiac Firebird that suddenly seemed to take off quickly down the highway. The driver somehow panicked at the sight of me. He was going more than a hundred miles an hour and began passing cars on the shoulder (路肩).”
But Hyde couldn’t go after him. Taking care of the injured people is always more important than worrying about speeders, so the officer had to stay on his way to the accident. But he did try to keep the Firebird in sight as he drove, hoping another nearby unit would be able to step in and stop the speeding car. As it turned out, keeping the Firebird in sight was not that difficult. Every turn the Pontiac made was the very turn the officer needed to get to the accident scene.
Hyde followed the Pontiac all the way to his destination. At that point he found another unit had already arrived at the accident scene. His help wasn't needed. Now he was free to try to stop the driver of the Firebird, who by this time had developed something new to panic about.
“Just about that time,” Hyde says, “I saw fire coming out from under that car, with blue smoke and oil going everywhere. He’d blown his engine. Now he had to stop.”
“After I arrested him, I asked him why he was running. He told me he didn't have a driver’s license.”
That accident cost the driver of the Firebird plenty — a thousand dollars for the new engine — not to mention the charges for driving without a license, attempting to run away, and dangerous driving.
1. Why did Floyd Hyde drive the car before he got onto Highway 40?| A．To arrest a criminal. | B．To catch up with a car. |
| C．To go to the police station. | D．To deal with an accident. |
| A．Another nearby unit could stop the speeding car. |
| B．The driver of the Firebird would turn his car around. |
| C．Another nearby unit could take care of the injured people. |
| D．The driver of the Firebird would show him his identity card. |
| A．Something was wrong with the wheel. | B．Something was wrong with the engine. |
| C．The car crashed into another one. | D．The car turned upside down. |
| A．The driver had to face the music. | B．The driver was finally under control. |
| C．The driver was actually in a dilemma. | D．The driver had to turn to others for help. |
3 . Rescue teams desperately sought survivors on August 6th after two boats carrying migrants sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa.
In the immediate aftermath of the boats’ loss on August 5th, Italy’s coastguard said it had rescued 57 people and recovered two dead bodies— those of a woman from Ivory Coast and her 1-year-old child. Local media reported on Sunday that at least 30 people remained missing and were feared dead.
Italy’s Ansa news agency said survivors described how the two boats carrying people trying to illegally enter the European Union had set off from the Tunisian port of Sfax on Saturday. One boat was thought to have had 48 people on board and the other 42. Most were reportedly from sub-Saharan Africa.
Reuters said the coastguard rescued the survivors from the water about 46 kilometers southwest of Lampedusa, which is about halfway between the North African nation of Tunisia and the larger Italian island of Sicily. The island has become a major destination for migrants from Africa wanting to enter the EU and claim asylum (政治避难) .
Italy’s interior ministry said 92, 000 people have arrived in Italy irregularly by sea so far this year to apply for asylum in the EU. During the same period last year, 42, 600 made the very dangerous journey.
The ministry said at least 2, 000 migrants have turned up on the island of Lampedusa in the past few days alone. Most had been rescued by the coastguard and by various charities from small boats in the Mediterranean Sea.
The International Organization for Migration, or IOM, which is the United Nations’ migration agency, said on Sunday both boats that sank on Saturday had been hit by major storms.
Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for the IOM, told the Agence France-Presse news agency an official examination had been launched into the circumstances surrounding the loss of the boats. He said the probe will be conducted from the town of Agrigento, on the island of Sicily. “Whoever allowed them, or forced them, to leave with this sea is equal to a mad criminal,” he said. “Rough seas are forecast for the next few days. Let’s hope they stop. It’s sending them to slaughter (屠杀) with this sea.”
Emanuele Ricifari, the chief of police in Agrigento, said the people-traffickers (人贩子) would surely have known rough seas were expected.
1. What happened to the two boats and people on them?| A．Up to 42 people were supposed to have been dead. |
| B．The two boats set out from the Italian island of Sicily. |
| C．The rescue was carried out to the southwest of Lampedusa. |
| D．The destination of the two boats was the Tunisian port of Sfax. |
| A．The boats knocked into each other. | B．The boats hit a reef and began to leak |
| C．The boats were caught in strong storms. | D．The boats couldn’t bear the weight of the people. |
| A．Interview. | B．Experiment. |
| C．Discussion. | D．Investigation. |
| A．Italy’s coastguard recovers two dead bodies. |
| B．Dozens lost at sea as migrant boats go down. |
| C．Two boats carrying people try to enter European Union. |
| D．Sicily becomes major destination for migrants from Africa |
4 . You may never be in an emergency situation(紧急情况). But if it happens, you should know how to get help. The telephone book in the United States has emergency numbers on the inside front cover.
Look at the following table from the Boston telephone book. Notice that the numbers for the police and the fire department(消防处) are the same. And it is an easy number to remember.
If you are too unhappy or excited to remember any numbers at all, you can simply dial(拨打) “0” for an operator(接线员) in any emergency situation.
1. What number do you dial if you see a fire in Boston?
| A．911. | B．876-5800. | C．482-5252. | D．223-6978. |
| A．911. | B．023-1500. | C．223-6978. | D．025-4774. |
| A．911. | B．645-1212. | C．025-4774. | D．482-5252. |
| A．the doctor | B．an ambulance | C．the police | D．the fire department |
| A．The police. | B．The doctor. | C．The fire department. | D．The operator. |
5 . NEW DELHI—Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday inspected the bridge collapse site in the western state of Gujarat, where more than 100 people were killed, officials said. Ahead of the visit, Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Monday night during which he was briefed about rescue efforts.
The century-old British-era pedestrian suspension bridge (吊桥) collapsed on Sunday evening, with hundreds of people falling into Machchhu River in Morbi town, about 241 km west of the capital city, Gandhinagar. Reports said that 177 people were rescued and over 100 people were undergoing treatment at the Morbi civil hospital.
Soon after the bridge visit, Modi reached the civil hospital in Morbi to meet the injured. The prime minister was seen asking the survivors about their health. According to officials, search and rescue operations, carried out by teams of the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian navy, the Indian air force and the Indian army, were called off (取消) on Monday evening and began again on Tuesday morning. Officials said Modi also met with those involved in rescue and relief operations.
The local government of Gujarat has already ordered an investigation into the deadly collapse of the bridge. The bridge is a popular tourist attraction in the area. It was shut for renovation (整修) for seven months and was open for the public on Oct 26, the Gujarati New Year.
Reports said that around 500 people, much beyond its capacity, were on the suspension bridge at the time when it crashed into the river.
Police have arrested nine people including officials of Oreva, the company that carried out the repair work, ticket sellers and security men. However, the owners of the company have not been arrested. Oreva group is actually a Gujarat-based watchmaker company. Reports said that the watchmaker reportedly outsourced (转包) the “technical aspect of the renovation” to a smaller construction company, Devprakash Solutions.
Oreva has been accused of violating multiple safety rules, leading to the huge tragedy just four days after the bridge reopened to the public. Questions have been raised over why Oreva with no experience in construction was given responsibility for maintaining a bridge.
1. What did Modi first do after hearing the bridge collapse?| A．He paid a visit to the bridge. |
| B．He held and took charge of a meeting. |
| C．He went to see the injured in the hospital. |
| D．He met with those involved in rescue and relief operations. |
| A．It was too old to repair well. |
| B．It was maintained very well. |
| C．It had a safety risk. |
| D．It was solid enough. |
| A．Making. | B．Obeying. | C．Breaking. | D．Replacing. |
| A．Indian PM inspects site of deadly bridge collapse |
| B．Police arrest security men after bridge collapse |
| C．Modi is briefed about rescue efforts after bridge collapse |
| D．Around 500 people are on suspension bridge when it collapses |
6 . While driving home after work, Jane Hodgson noticed a car pulled over at the side of the road and a crowd beginning to gather around someone who was lying on the ground.
Jane, who had completed a first aid at work course, pulled over to see if she could offer any help — and it turned out to be lucky for the young injured girl that she did.
Describing the scene she came across, Jane says: “The onlookers were ashen-faced and looking lost. They were so shocked that they hadn’t even thought to call for an ambulance yet.”
After speaking to the emergency services, Jane started finding out what had happened and what injuries the young girl called Jenny had. The girl had been hit by a car and gone over the handlebars of her bike, landing on her head and shoulder. Her shoulder and arm were twisted (扭曲) underneath her.
“She hadn’t been wearing a helmet (头盔) when she got knocked down, and I thought that she should not be moved as I couldn’t be sure about a spinal injury (脊椎损伤), but after looking her over and checking the circulation in her injured arm I did feel fairly confident that she had escaped relatively unhurt.
“As we were waiting for an ambulance, the amount of pain the girl was in was increasing. To distract (分散注意力) her and minimize the risk of her going into shock I kept her talking. She held my hand tightly when the pain got too much and this helped. I told her I could handle it — we laughed about that,” describes Jane.
Later, a doctor from the local hospital’s ICU stopped at the scene too. The ICU doctor decided that Jenny should lie on her back, making her much more comfortable until the emergency services arrived.
Thinking back, Jane says: “For me, knowing that in a small way I helped that girl through what was a frightening experience is all the reward I need. I felt great to know I’d made a difference and I’d do it again.”
1. We can learn from the text that Jane Hodgson _____.| A．is an ICU doctor | B．is a first⁃aid trainer |
| C．works in a local hospital | D．has learned some first aid |
| A．Jenny had a spinal injury |
| B．Jenny didn’t have serious injuries |
| C．Jenny couldn’t remember what had happened |
| D．Jenny lost her helmet when she was knocked down |
| A．Jenny refused to talk | B．Jenny went into shock |
| C．Jane was a little impatient | D．Jane kept giving Jenny confidence |
| A．Strict but caring. | B．Tough and generous. |
| C．Proud but determined. | D．Warm-hearted and helpful. |
7 . There was ice on the road, and the doctor’s car hit a tree and turned over three times. To his surprise, he was not hurt. He got out of the car and walked to the nearest house. He wanted to telephone the garage (汽车修理站) for help. The door was opened by one of his patients.
“Oh, Doctor.” she said, “I have only just telephoned you. You must have a very fast car. You have got here very quickly indeed. There has been a very bad accident (事故) in the road outside. I saw it through the window. I am sure the driver will need your help.”
1. Where was the doctor going in his car?| A．We don’t know. | B．To a patient’s home. |
| C．To a garage. | D．To his own home. |
| A．Careless driving. | B．A tree had fallen across the road. |
| C．A slippery (滑) road. | D．There was a thick fog. |
| A．he knew one of his patients lived there |
| B．he had received a call to go there |
| C．he wanted to use the telephone |
| D．he was injured (受伤) and could walk no further |
| A．She needed medical treatment. |
| B．She believed somebody else needed a doctor. |
| C．To ask how quickly the doctor could come. |
| D．To ask whether the doctor was coming on his regular visit. |
| A．She had been expecting the doctor, but was surprised that he had come so quickly. |
| B．She had not expected the doctor and wondered why he had come. |
| C．She felt glad that the doctor was not hurt in the accident. |
| D．She was alarmed (惊慌) at seeing the doctor in a bad state after the accident. |
8 . As Rena was driving home in the rain. “I can hardly see!” She worried. Just a few miles more, an electrical pole in front of her car was getting bigger and bigger. The car shot forward. Crash! Rena felt the force tear her from the seat. She felt a sharp pain in her lap. “I went through the windshield but I’m alive!” She realized.
Then she heard a sharp crack, looked up and saw the pole had broken in half and was plunging (下落) toward her! But luckily, the pole landed three feet from her head. The broken pole had torn down electrical wires and they were dangling (悬垂) just inches away from her, trapping her in between them! “An electric current... water... if those cables touch me, I’m dead!”
Less than a mile away, New York State highway officer Juan Diaz saw a flash in the sky followed by a loud crack. “Lightning must have hit,” he thought turning his car around. A few minutes later, he saw Rena’s crumpled car. “I’ve got to help this young woman!”
“Are those footsteps?” Rena thought, hope rising as she lay there. Through the cocoon of wires, she saw a blue uniform. “Please help me!” she cried weakly. “Don’t move!” Diaz shouted, “I’m going to get you out!” But how? He worried.
Suddenly, the base of the pole burst into flames! Diaz felt a chill of fear. He knew it carried thousands of volts. He thought of his wife and five-year-old son at home. “But I can’t leave her here,” he thought. In a flash he swallowed his fear and stepped toward Rena. As he did, the powerful current stung his feet. But he didn’t stop.
At that moment, one of the wires jumped, leaving a three-foot opening in the cables around Rena. “Maybe I can drag her through there. It’s the only chance we have.” Cables hissed (发出嘶嘶声) inches from his feet, but Diaz just kept on walking, four steps, then five... finally he was by her side.
“Don’t worry,” he said gently, “We’ll make it.” Diaz grabbed Rena’s ankles, then dragged her through the narrow opening in the tangle of wires. “We’re almost there,” he said over and over. The sureness of his voice checked Rena’s terror.
Suddenly, Diaz took her up in his arms and ran 20 feet more, taking shelter behind the patrol car. “We did it!” he shouted. Just then the transformer exploded, engulfing the area in flames. They both realized: We didn’t have a second to spare.
1. What happened to Rena when driving home?| A．Her car hit an electrical pole. |
| B．An electrical pole fell onto her car. |
| C．Her car turned over because of the wet road. |
| D．Lightning hit her car and threw her onto the ground. |
| A．She saw a police car nearby. |
| B．She heard someone was coming. |
| C．She realized that the pole hadn’t hit her. |
| D．She knew the wires didn’t carry electricity. |
| A．Rena looked like his wife. |
| B．He missed his wife and his son. |
| C．He thought it worthless to save Rena. |
| D．He knew it might cost him his life to save Rena. |
| A．Diaz’s courage and the strong transformer. |
| B．Diaz’s boldness and the weak electrical current. |
| C．Diaz’s carefulness and his electricity-proof uniform. |
| D．Diaz’s bravery and the narrow opening left by a wire. |
9 . A couple from Miami , Bill and Simone Butler , spent sixty-six days in a life-raft (救生艇)in the seas of Central America after their boat sank.
Twenty-one days after they left Panama in their boat, Simony, they met some whales(鲸鱼). “They started to hit the side of the boat, ” said Bill, “and then suddenly we heard water. ”Two minutes later , the boat was sinking. They jumped into the life-raft and watched the boat go under the water.
For twenty days they had tins of food , biscuits , and bottles of water. They also had a fishing-line and a machine to make salt water into drinking water-two things which saved their lives. They caught eight to ten fish a day and ate them raw(生的). Then the line broke. “So we had no more fish until something very strange happened. Some sharks(鲨鱼) came to feed , and the fish under the raft were afraid and came to the surface. I caught them with my hands. ”
About twenty ships passed them, but no one saw them. After fifty days at sea, their life- raft was beginning to break up. Then suddenly it was all over. A fishing boat saw them and picked them up. They couldn't stand up. So the captain carried them onto his boat and took them to Costa Rica. Their two months at sea was over.
1. Bill and Simone were traveling________ when they met some whales.| A．in a life-raft . | B．in Miami . | C．in Simony | D．in Panama |
| A．the boat was sinking | B．they bit the boat |
| C．they pulled the boat | D．they bit the couple |
| A．jumped into the life-raft | B．heard water |
| C．watched the boat go under water | D．stayed in the life-raft |
| A．They were too excited to stand up. |
| B．They knew their two months at sea would end. |
| C．They couldn’t wait to climb onto the boat. |
| D．Their life-raft was beginning to break up. |
10 . It was late, about 10:15 p.m. Janice Esposito got off the train at Bellport, New York, went to her car and started driving home. She was so familiar with the route that she almost drove automatically: turned left to the Station Road, then another left onto Montauk Highway, and then—bam! When Esposito’s car had just crossed the railroad tracks, it hit another vehicle and was pushed back onto the tracks. Injured but mostly shocked by the crash and by the airbags that popped up, she was stuck in the vehicle.
As it happened, Pete DiPinto was just about to go to sleep when he heard a sharp noise and saw the accident not far outside his bedroom window. As a volunteer firefighter and retired teacher, DiPinto, who was 65，fetched a flashlight and rushed out without hesitation. “Any firefighter would have done what I did,” he said. “We’re always on duty.”
At first, he spotted the other car in the accident. After making sure that the driver was all right, DiPinto looked around and discovered Esposito’s car straddling the railway tracks. And then he heard the bell ring, which signaled a train’s arrival.
DiPinto rushed to Esposito’s car and broke the window on the driver’s side. Esposito looked up at him, with her eyes glazing over. “I don’t know where I am,” she said.
“You’re on the railroad tracks，”DiPinto yelled. “I have to get you off right now! The train was running toward them at a speed of some 105 kilometers per hour. The driver’s door fail to be opened due to the collision(碰撞), so DiPinto quickly run to the other side and was able to open the door. He put the airbags aside, seized her arms, pulled her toward him across the passenger seat until finally got her out and walked her to safety as swiftly as possible. Several seconds later, the train crashed into the vehicle. “It was like a Hollywood movie,” DiPinto told reporters the next day.
“Last night,” said Gregory Miglino Jr., Chief of the Department in South Country Ambulance, “the hero arrived in pajamas(睡衣裤), not in a fire truck.”
1. What can we know about the accident from Paragraph 1?| A．Esposito’s car hit another vehicle. |
| B．Esposito drove too fast. |
| C．Esposito didn’t know the route well. |
| D．A running train crashed into Esposito’s car. |
| A．She felt all right. | B．She was badly hurt. |
| C．She got stuck in the car. | D．She completely lost her consciousness. |
| A．Through the window on the driver’s side. |
| B．Through the door on the driver’s side. |
| C．Through the window on the passenger’s side. |
| D．Through the door on the passenger’s side. |
| A．DiPinto was not a professional firefighter. |
| B．DiPinto rushed to save life without thinking about himself. |
| C．DiPinto was a special firefighter who preferred wearing pajamas. |
| D．DiPinto was unable to find a fire truck when the accident happened. |
