1 . After more than 2 months trapped in a collapsed copper (铜) and gold mine in the desert, all of 33 Chilean miners (矿工) were rescued Wednesday. With ingenuity and cutting-edge technology, the men have survived for 69 days, some 700 meters underground fending off hunger, anxiety and illness in a record-setting feat of survival. How did they survive the ordeal? Have a close look.
Before the miners were reached, they survived for 17 days on food already stored in the emergency shelter. They rationed themselves to 2 spoonfuls of tuna, half a cookie and a half-full glass of milk every 48 hours. Then a 6-inch diameter bore hole allowed food and water supplies to be sent down to the mine. Doctors then put the men on a solid diet of meat and rice, with a strict 2,200-calorie limit to keep them slim enough to fit in the evacuation shaft, which is just 66cm in diameter.
Yonny Barrios Rojas, 50, used knowledge gained on a nursing course he attended to administer medicine to the group and perform daily health checks.
“I was with God and I was with the devil. They fought and God won,” Mario Sepulveda, the second to be rescued, told CNN. He said he grabbed God’s hand and never doubted that he would be rescued.
1. What can we learn about the miners from the passage?| A．The miners were trapped in the mine in the desert on Wednesday. |
| B．The miners survived for 69 days on the food stored in the emergency shelter. |
| C．The miners were rescued after more than two months trapped. |
| D．Doctor Yonny Barrios Rojas administered medicine to the group and made daily health checks. |
| A．Because the food was limited. |
| B．Because the food had been eaten up already. |
| C．Because the miners couldn’t eat too much due to their bad condition. |
| D．Because the miners must be slim enough to get into the evacuation shaft. |
| A．Intelligence and advanced technology. | B．Luck and Persistence. |
| C．Courage and wisdom. | D．Experiences and bravery. |
| A．Miners trapped in a mine | B．Miners survival miracle |
| C．A collapsed copper and gold mine | D．A rescue mission |
2 . On a foggy day, I was listening to the radio on my drive when suddenly something caught my eye out the driver’s side window. I turned to look but it wasn’t clear because of the thick fog. Then I didn’t know how long I was knocked out.
It didn’t take me long to realize I couldn’t move either arm and my face was bleeding heavily. Over the next few days in the hospital, I began to get a clearer picture of what had happened. A local high school student, rushing to class, had crossed the center line and hit me head-on. I heard through friends of mine who knew his family that he was very, very upset by what had happened. I felt bad that he had such a burden to bear at such a young age.
Fourteen months after the accident. I was grocery shopping when a woman I didn’t know approached me and asked if I was Suzanne. She introduced herself, and I realized it was the young man’s mother. I appreciated learning how he was doing. He avoided severe injury but needed advice to help with the emotional trauma (创伤) of causing the accident. I could certainly understand the difficulty of getting back behind the wheel of a car. Secretly, I wished I could talk to him myself.
Seven months later, it was time for my daughter’s Christmas band concert at the high school. The first adult I recognized upon entering the auditorium was the mother who approached me in the grocery store. I wondered why she was there. One young man in a white hoodie and ball cap ran up. Suddenly, I realized that it was him, the driver, as he resembled that mother.
I edged my way through the crowd. “Hi, I’m Suzanne,” I greeted. “I just wanted to say that I’m okay, and I was never mad at you. I know this was hard on you.” He apparently knew who I was. “You do?” came a slightly muffled (模糊不清的) answer. “I’m really okay,” I added, patting him on the shoulder and feeling like I was the only person who could let him forgive himself. I was the only person who could give him that gift if he could see me and hear from me that all was well.
1. What might cause the author’s accident?| A．Her temporary blindness. | B．Her physical burden. |
| C．The boy’s distraction. | D．The boy’s violating the traffic rule. |
| A．wanted to ease the boy’s mind | B．wanted the boy to make up for the loss |
| C．wanted the boy to make an apology | D．wanted the boy to bear a heavy burden |
| A．He was terribly injured physically. | B．He didn’t feel guilty at all. |
| C．He needed psychological advice. | D．He rejected the author’s kindness. |
| A．Generous and relieved. | B．Forgiving and straightforward. |
| C．Sympathetic and caring. | D．Light-hearted and supportive. |
3 . 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. |
4 . Do you know what to do when there is an emergency? By calling the police, you can protect yourself and those around you.
Call the police in all of the following emergencies:
◆ A crime, such as a theft, especially if it is still in progress.
◆ A car accident, especially if someone is injured.
◆ Domestic violence, such as a child being mistreated.
◆ Anything else that seems like an emergency.
You may also call the police when you see something suspicious(可疑的)in your neighborhood:
◆ Someone you don’t know is frequently walking around in your neighborhood. This could be a sign that the person is trying to break into a house.
◆ Someone is trying to open the doors of a car. This could be a sign that the person is trying to steal the car.
When you see something suspicious, do not suppose someone else has already called the police. People often hesitate to call the police for fear of danger. However, the police want to help prevent crime.
What should you do when you call the police?
◆ Dial 911 (the U.S. emergency number; the number varies from one country to another—in China, you dial 110 to call the police). Stay calm when calling and give your name, address and phone number. Then, tell the person why you are calling (What happened? Where did it happen? When did it happen? Is it still in progress?). Follow any instructions you are given. For example, the dispatcher (调度员) might say, “Stay on the line,” or “Leave the building.”
◆ If you dial the emergency number by mistake.do not hang up. Doing so could make the dispatcher think an emergency really exists. Instead，just tell the person that you called by mistake.
Most police departments have a communication center. The communication center staff reach police officers by radio. Police officers carry headsets. like earphones, to stay in touch with the communication center.
1. When calling the police, you DON’T need to give ______ to the dispatcher.| A．your name | B．your phone number |
| C．your ID card number | D．some details of the emergency |
| A．Power off your smartphone. | B．Hang up your phone at once. |
| C．Tell the dispatcher you called by mistake. | D．Go to a police station to explain your mistake. |
| A．Monitor police officers. | B．Answer emergency calls. |
| C．Tell people what to do in an emergency. | D．Reach police officers when there is an emergency. |
| A．To tell people when and how to call the police. |
| B．To introduce a police officer’s general duties. |
| C．To share the author’s experience of calling the police. |
| D．To thank the police for trying to prevent crimes. |
5 . “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 |
6 . 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. |
7 . 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, |
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 . On September 11, 2001, I was in the second week of the new school year with my senior English class at T. C. Williams High School just a few miles south of the Pentagon.
Suddenly that morning, a colleague who grew up in New York, opened the classroom door and said, "Turn on the TV the World Trade Center has just been hit by a plane. " I've always believed in never letting school get in the way of my students' education. I switched on the TV in front of the room, and my students and I listened to the announcers make a guess about what had happened——only to see the second plane hit. At first, the sight of the towers burning didn't seem to have much more immediacy (紧迫性)than a TV action movie. Soon, however, things in that classroom would get far too immediate.
In what seemed like about a half-hour after the second plane hit, we heard a loud explosion outside the school. Several students were shocked and I told them not to worry, saying that "it was just a car backfiring". A moment later a boy sitting near the windows said, "That's no car； look at that black smoke." We could see an enormous plume of smoke rising in the distance, but didn't know where it was coming from until, a few seconds later, the NBC reporter stationed at the Pentagon broke into the New York coverage to say that he felt the ground shake beneath him as he heard an explosion—obviously the same one that had just surprised my students. It was several minutes before it was announced that the explosion came from a plane hitting the Pentagon.
At that point, a boy a football player suddenly came undone and had to be comforted by the girls in the class. His mom worked in the Pentagon, and when he tried to get her on his cellphone he could not get through.
Reports vastly overestimated the number of deaths in the Pentagon. Some reports were estimating over 800 dead when the actual death toll at the Pentagon was 125.
1. The author was working as on September 11, 200____.| A．a security guard | B．a teacher in a school |
| C．a TV reporter for NBC | D．an officer in the Pentagon |
| A．Another plane hit the Pentagon before the author turned on the TV. |
| B．The author thought the hit got in the way of his students' education. |
| C．The author's colleague forced him and his students to watch the TV report. |
| D．The author believed that there exists something deserving attention besides school. |
| A．The boy sitting near the windows witnessed the hit. |
| B．The author tried to comfort his students by telling them the truth. |
| C．The loud explosion was caused by the plane hitting the Pentagon. |
| D．The author realized the Pentagon was hit immediately he heard the loud explosion. |
| A．The football player lost self-control as he was unable to contact his mum. |
| B．The football player felt at a loss as his mum left without saying good-bye. |
| C．The football player was terrified when a car crashed against the school gate. |
| D．The football player exploded with anger since he was forbidden to use his cell phone. |
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. |
