1 . Recently, research on how a new virtual (虚拟的) reality (VR) experience educated primary children about the fire disasters was done. It was developed by the University of South Australia, aiming to educate children to learn how to be safer in a fire.
Focusing on children aged 10-12 years old, the new VR experience presents a situation where children are tasked to look after a friend’s dog just before a fire event begins to spread. They participate in a series of problem-solving activities to help save and protect themselves and the dog.
The findings showed that more than 80 percent of children reported that they felt more confident to calmly assess the situation and make wise decisions to protect themselves from a fire. This isl especially important considering that 91 percent of participants originally lacked any knowledge of fires, and that 67 percent had said that they were too young to make safety decisions in a fire.
The researchers believed such immersive (沉浸式的) VR experiences had real potential (潜力) to attract and educate the young. “As children born in digital times, they are interested in such technology and they can experience events realistically yet within the safe environment.” said Delene Weber, one of the researchers. “Well-designed VR can provide a chance for children to apply newly-acquired knowledge, strengthen their learnt concepts, and enable immediate reaction—all incredibly valuable learning tools.”
Meanwhile, because children have fewer life experiences, aren’t as physically strong, and are less likely to have learned much about fire safety, they’re often most at risk. Yet the ability for children to contribute to fire safety at their household should not be underestimated (低估).
“Children do not need to be passively attacked by disasters and with purpose-built virtual reality experiences such as these, we can help children understand the risks and realize they can help,” said Weber.
1. How does the new VR experience try to educate children?| A．By introducing a virtual friend to them. | B．By finding the causes of a fire event. |
| C．By letting them solve virtual problems. | D．By guiding them to ask a dog for help. |
| A．Many children found it hard to adapt to them. |
| B．They helped children deal with fire postively. |
| C．They benefited children with knowledge of animals. |
| D．Most children had a misunderstanding about them. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Indifferent. | C．Disapproving. | D．Supportive. |
| A．VR experiences educate kids to survive a fire | B．VR experiences make learning easier for kids |
| C．VR education appeals to the young generation | D．VR technology makes no sense in fighting a fire. |
2 . The Civil Aviation Administration of China(CAAC) confirmed on Monday that a Boeing 737 passenger plane with 132 aboard crashed in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The CAAC has activated an emergency mechanism and sent a working group to the scene.
The crash site of the Chinese passenger plane was located at Molang Village, Langnan Town in Tengxian County, Wuzhou City in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to the local emergency department.
The Wuzhou City Fire Rescue Detachment (支队) immediately sent 23 fire trucks and 117 fire rescue personnel to the site. The Guangxi Fire Rescue Corps launched an emergency plan and reinforced 538 fire rescue personnel from nearby detachments for further help.
The forest fire bureau has deployed (部署) 450 firefighters stationed in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province, and Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to the scene.
China Eastern Airlines has grounded all Boeing 737-800 aircraft after the crash, company officials said.
Rescuers are making all-out efforts to retrieve (找回) the black boxes of the passenger plane with 132 people aboard that crashed in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Monday afternoon. an official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China said Tuesday night.
The plane was severely damaged and the investigation is very difficult, Zhu Tao. head of CAAC aviation safety office, told a press briefing.
At present, the investigation team is carrying out a full search in accordance with the procedures, with rescuers exploring the crash site and going all out to search the black boxes, Zhu said.
The team is also thoroughly investigating other aspects, including flight, maintenance, air traffic control, meteorology (气象学), aircraft design and manufacturing, Zhu said .
Based on known information, the authorities do not yet have a clear clue to the cause of the passenger plane crash. the official said.
1. Which of the following is the measure taken by the local authority after the plane crashed?| A．The Wuzhou City Fire Rescue Detachment launched an emergency plan. |
| B．The Guangxi Fire Rescue Corps sent 23 fire trucks and 117 fire rescue personnel to the site. |
| C．The Guangxi Fire Rescue Corps increased 538 fire rescue personnel for further help. |
| D．The forest fire bureau has organized 450 firefighters to Zhaoqing and Guilin. |
| A．Protest. | B．Stop. | C．Donate. | D．Locate. |
| A．There were altogether 655 fire rescue personnel to provide help. |
| B．Rescuers have retrieved the black boxes |
| C．Air traffic control is the key factor leading to the crash. |
| D．The clue of the cause has yet to be found. |
| A．A newspaper. | B．A textbook. | C．A science magazine. | D．A biological journal. |
3 . “Mayday! We got Mayday!” Frank Pisano screamed over the micro-phone to the air control tower at John Wayne Airport last June. One of the two engines on his 1975 Cessna had failed, and he was now on a collision course with one of the busiest highways in America—Interstate 405, just south of Los Angeles—and there was no stopping it.
Driving south on the 405, near the airport’s runway, was John Meffert. A fire department captain, Meffert, 47, was heading home from his shift. Then a low-flying plane caught his eye. After he took a second glance, a thought crossed his mind: “This plane’s going to hit me,” Meffert told Fox 8.
He was right. The plane knocked into the center highway, popped up a few feet, and then hit the front of Meffert’s SUV. It finally stopped after hitting the divider on the southbound side. Meffert pulled over. He was unhurt, so he turned his attention to the plane. He ran toward the smoke billowing from it—and then he saw Frank’s wife, Janan Pisano, pop her head up on the passenger side.
By the time Meffert reached the aircraft, part of the fuselage (机身) was on fire and Janan, who was covered in blood, was on the wing trying to pull her husband from the wreck. Meffert, afraid the plane would explode, guided her to safety behind it. At this point, traffic had come to a stop, and two nurses jumped out of their cars to help lead Janan farther away as Meffert ran back for the pilot.
“I’m going to get you out,” Meffert said as he positioned himself under the pilot’s arms and carefully lifted him from the seat. He dragged the pilot off the wing and carried him to the side of the freeway to safety, where they watched flames swallow the plane.
Remarkably, Meffert’s car was the only one hit by the plane. Had Meffert been a second or two faster, Frank told the Orange County Register, the left propeller (螺旋桨) would have torn the top off his SUV and killed him.
“I play all the what-ifs—going slower, going faster. It could have been in a very different situation,” Meffert told Fox 8. “We just had a lot of angels.”
1. What was the reason for the accident?| A．The plane hit a SUV. | B．Frank was not a good pilot. |
| C．One of the engines didn’t work. | D．The plane landed at a wrong place. |
| A．It hit part of Meffert’s car. | B．It set Meffert’s car on fire. |
| C．It caused Meffert covered in blood. | D．It threw Meffert into the air. |
| A．Because he knew how to perform first aid. |
| B．Because the plane couldn’t fly any more. |
| C．Because he didn’t want to cause a traffic jam. |
| D．Because the plane might explode. |
| A．Nervous. | B．Lucky. | C．Sad | D．Excited |
4 . As 17-year-old Norwood drove through St. Peters-burg, Florida, last February, the laughter and chatter from the four teenage girls inside her car quickly gave way to screams. As they approached a crossing, another car T-boned them, sending their car sailing into the yard of a nearby home, coming to a stop only when it crashed into a tree.
As smoke rose from the other car, a bystander shouted, “It’s about to blow up! Get out!” Shaken, but otherwise OK, she crawled (爬行) out through the window. Along with two of her friends, who’d also managed to free themselves, she ran for her life.
But halfway down the street, she realized that her best friend, Simmons, wasn’t with them. Norwood ran back to the car and found Simmons passed out in the back seat. She threw open the back door and pulled her friend out, avoiding the broken glass as best she could. She dragged Simmons a few feet to safety and laid her on the ground. “I checked her pulse.” Nothing.“I put my head against her chest.” No sign of life. “That’s when I started CPR (心肺复苏术).”
Had the accident happened a few weeks earlier, she might not have known what to do. But Norwood, who wants to pursue a career in medicine, had earned her CPR certificate just the day before. Kneeling on the lawn and looking down at her dying friend, Norwood knew she had precious little time to practice what she’d learned. She started pumping Simmons’s chest and breathing into her friend’s mouth in hopes of filling her lungs with the kiss of life. No response. And then, after the 30th try, Simmons began coughing and gasping for air. The CPR had worked! Soon, the ambulance arrived and rushed Simmons to the hospital, where she received treatment for a cut in her forehead. And then she heard how her best friend had saved her life. “I wasn’t shocked,” Simmons told CNN. “She will always help any way she can.”
1. What happened to Norwood’s car in Florida last February?| A．It lost its way at a crossing. |
| B．It crashed into a nearby building. |
| C．It was hit by another car from the side. |
| D．It stopped in St. Peters- burg as planned. |
| A．To call for help. | B．To check the car. |
| C．To put out the fire. | D．To rescue her friend. |
| A．Norwood was a certificated on- the- job doctor. |
| B．Simmons didn’t come to herself after the CPR. |
| C．Norwood learned how to perform CPR recently. |
| D．Simmons was surprised to be saved by Norwood. |
| A．Calm and dependable. | B．Friendly and selfless. |
| C．Honest and responsible. | D．Helpful and sympathetic. |
5 . Three lifeguards were hailed as (被誉为) heroes last night after they rescued dozens of teenagers from the sea. The quick action and bravery of the lifeguards saved several of the youngsters from certain death.
The group of thirty-six youngsters were on an outdoor activity holiday in West Wales. On Saturday afternoon, the group, accompanied by four adults, went down to the sea. Some of them did not know how to swim and had never seen the sea before the trip. They were taking part in an exercise to help build confidence and teamwork. As part of the exercise they were walking backwards into the sea. At the time the tide (海潮) was out and the water was not deep. The tide began to come in and the group started walking back to dry land. Suddenly the sandbank underneath them collapsed (坍塌) and the sea flooded in. Some of the teenagers were soon in dangerous waters.
Fortunately, three lifeguards were nearby and came to the rescue. David Miller, manager for the local coastguard, said that although the sea was fairly shallow, it was still very dangerous in that sea. “It is just fortunate that the brave lifeguards were quickly on the scene and lucky that lives were not lost,” he added.
1. Why were the three lifeguards hailed as heroes?| A．They worked hard in their holidays. | B．They won the first prize in a show. |
| C．They did well in their outdoor training. | D．They saved some youngsters from death. |
| A．To build confidence and teamwork. | B．To learn how to swim. |
| C．To fish in the sea. | D．To watch the tides. |
| A．Three lifeguards. | B．The local people. |
| C．Some teenagers. | D．David and his friends. |
| A．A speech. | B．A news report. | C．A letter. | D．A medical report. |
6 . One day, Lisa Holman told her family she would be out that night visiting her friend, only about half an hour drive from her house. So it was not alarming as the night grew on and she did not arrive home. As 11 pm passed, her family began to worry. They called her but did not get any answer. They then reached out to Lisa's friend, who said Lisa had left to drive home at 9 that night.
The family thought about calling the police that evening but the police typically don't define a person missing unless there is no contact for 24 hours. The next morning there was still no sign of Lisa. All the family could do was sit home and wait. Lisa's son decided to drive along Lisa's route and carefully look for her. He found Lisa's car had crashed into a tree. What's worse，there was no sign of Lisa at all.
The family called the police. The police began their search. But due to the heavy rain the search team was called back. The family was very disappointed but still hopeful and continued the search 700 feet from Lisa's car, they finally found Lisa under a rock.
After a few days in hospital, Lisa recovered. She explained that she passed out after her car slid off the road in the rain. After she came to herself, Lisa managed to climb out of the car. While walking to find help, Lisa was exhausted and unable to figure out the direction. So she couldn't walk on and climbed under a rock as it started raining again. Scared as she was, she turned to her faith in hopes of living to see her son again.
1. When should Lisa arrive home after visiting her friend?| A．About 9 pm. | B．About 9： 30 pm. |
| C．About 11 pm. | D．The next morning. |
| A．The police usually refused to come at night. |
| B．The heavy rain had blocked all the roads up. |
| C．They thought Lisa would come back herself. |
| D．They had been out of touch with Lisa for less than a day. |
| A．The friend she had visiteD. | B．A hiking team passing by. |
| C．The police search team. | D．Lisa's family. |
| A．She was lost. | B．Her legs were badly injured. |
| C．She was locked in her car. | D．She was caught by heavy rain, |
7 . It was late, about 10:15 p.m, when Janice Esposito arrived at the New York train station and began the 20-minute drive home. She had traveled the route so many times that she almost drove on autopilot (自动驾驶):a left onto Station Road, then a left on Montauk Highway, and then-bang! Out of nowhere, a car T-boned Janice’s car, pushing her backward onto the railroad tracks.
As it happened, Pole DiPinto was gelling ready for bed. He'd just closed his book when he heard the loud crash not far outside his bedroom window. A volunteer firefighter and retired teacher, 64, never stopped to think, He grabbed a flashlight and still in his pajamas (睡衣), ran out the door. “Any firefighter would have? done what I did,” he said, “We're always on duly.”
The first car he came upon was the one that had hit Janice. Once DiPinto concluded the driver was OK, he looked around and spotted Janice's car lay across the railroad tracks. And then he heard a terrible sound: the bells signaling an on-coming train.
DiPinto rushed to Janice's cur and banged on the driver's side window. She just looked at him, her eyes unfocused. “I don't know where I am,” she said. She seemed unhurt. “Honey, you're on the railroad tracks,” DiPinto shouted, “We have to get you off right now!” He pulled hard on the door handle, but it didn't work. The heavy train, traveling at 65 miles per hour, was heading toward them. DiPinto ran to the passenger side and threw open the door. “Please, God, don't let her be trapped”, he thought. He pushed aside the airbags, grabbed Janice's arms, and pulled her toward him across the passenger seat until he could help her out and walk her to safety. Within six seconds, he estimated, the train crashed into the car.
“It was like a Hollywood movie,” DiPinto told reporters the next day. But this one had a difference. That night, the hero arrived in pajamas, not in a fire truck.
1. Which of the following words can best replace the underlined word "T-boned" in Paragraph 1?| A．Crashed into. | B．Came across. |
| C．Pushed forward. | D．Scratched the side of. |
| A．He was the volunteer firefighter who was on duty that night. |
| B．He wasn't aware of the coming train when he was rescuing Janice. |
| C．He was in sound sleep in his bedroom when the accident happened. |
| D．He first confirmed the other driver before he came to Janice's rescue. |
| A．Janice didn't know where she was. |
| B．The airbags protected her in some way. |
| C．DiPinto rescued Janice without difficulty. |
| D．All the doors of Janice's car were in good condition. |
| A．A Hero in Pajamas. | B．A Hollywood Movie. |
| C．A Dangerous Heavy Train. | D．A Horrible Car Accident. |
8 . The sound that woke Damian Languell at 8:15 in the morning was so loud he assumed it came from inside his house in Wade, Maine. As he got up to investigate, he heard another sound, this one coming most definitely from outside. Looking out of his bedroom window, he noticed a tree enveloped in smoke about 500 yards away. A car wrapped around the tree's base, its engine on fire.
Grabbing buckets of water, he and his wife ran to the crash site. Up close, the accident looked worse. The car was split nearly in two, and the tree was where the driver's seat ought to have been, as if planted there. No one should have survived this crash, and yet there was 20- year-old Quintin Thompson, his terrified face pressed against the driver's side window, in visible pain.
Languell tried putting out the fire with his buckets of water but failed. When the flames got into the front seats, he knew he had to get the young man out. So Languell opened the car's back door and climbed in. Using a pocket knife he'd brought with him, he cut through Thompson's seat belt. Now that Thompson was free, Languell pulled him out, and dragged him to safety before the entire car was in flames.
It is empathy that drove Languell to help, just as he said, "My heart goes out to Thompson. When you are that close to that level of hurt, you feel it so directly." For his heroic action, Languell was added to the list of real-life heroes changing the world.
1. Where was the first sound actually from?| A．A house on fire. | B．A car crash. |
| C．The bedroom window. | D．The basement. |
| A．He saved his car from fire. | B．He was successfully rescued. |
| C．He remained calm all the time. | D．He was capable of helping himself out. |
| A．Honesty. | B．Wisdom. | C．Sympathy. | D．Responsibility. |
| A．Daring and generous. | B．Caring and grateful. |
| C．Courageous and noble. | D．Ambitious and reliable. |
9 . It is interesting to see that the force of only 6 or 7 people pushing in the same direction can cause up to 1,000 pounds of force—enough to break brick walls. During a fatal stampede (蜂拥), people can even die standing up. People die when pressure is put to their bodies in a front to back direction, causing them not to be able to breathe.
If you are in a crowd, the first and most important thing is to make yourself familiar with your surroundings and find different exits. No matter where you are, make sure you always know how to get out.
Make yourself aware of the type of the ground you are standing on, and know that in a crowd of moving people wet ground can cause you to fall.
When in danger, a few seconds can make a difference, giving you the possibility of making use of your escaping route. Always stay closer to the escape route. If you find yourself in the middle of a moving crowd, do not fight against the pressure and do not stand still or sit down, because you can easily get trampled (踩踏). Instead, move in the same direction of the crowd; make use of any space that may open up to move sideways to the crowd movement where the flow is weaker.
Keep your hands up by your chest, like a boxer—it gives you movement and protects your chest. If you fall, get up quickly. If you can’t get up because you are injured, get someone to pull you up. If you have kids, lift them up. If you fall and cannot get up, keep moving in the same direction of the crowd, or if that is not possible, then cover your head with your arms; do not lie on your stomach or back.
1. Why may people in a stampede die standing up?| A．They can’t breathe freely. |
| B．They push in the same direction. |
| C．They are not able to get up. |
| D．They aren’t familiar with the surroundings. |
| A．Harmful. | B．Shocking. |
| C．Deadly. | D．Hateful. |
| A．Fight against the pressure. |
| B．Stand still where you are. |
| C．Sit down covering your head. |
| D．Move along the escape route. |
| A．How to stay far away from a crowd. |
| B．What to do when you are in a crowd. |
| C．Where to go when you are in danger. |
| D．How to get along with a big crowd. |
10 . Alexis, 17, sat quietly in the passenger seat of her dad’s car. She let her eyes lazily scan, the landscape for wildlife. Then a deer came into view about 200 yards in front of them. “Dad, there’s a deer there!” Alexis said. It was a male deer with sharp sntlers(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 stick for self-defense, and the deer charged. 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 terrified 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 women.
Alexis helped Sue into the car, and then applied a piece of cloth to Sue’s injured leg. “We’re going to get 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 the blows didn’t scare it away. “I was losing faith,” she says. “A couple 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 her rescuers. “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. |
| A．changed | B．cut |
| C．attacked | D．moved |
| 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. |
| A．Strong. | B．Cruel. |
| C．Energetic. | D．Brave. |
