2 . The accident at Lake Sherwood was in our backyard. An SUV(运动型多用途车)had gone off the road, down a hill, and collided with a tree. When we heard the wreck, I remembered to say “call199”. My family was the first on the scene. Nick, my son, was on the cell phone with 911. He saw a friend who was a victim in the crash who was a 15 years old girl who was badly disfigured and had died instantly. It was a terrible scene.

There had been six people in the truck, all between 15 and 17 years old. My husband and I checked all the victims, and I picked one who was conscious and stayed with him. I talked with him and had him lay on the ground. When I asked him if he was hurt, he said he was sore all over. When help arrived, they asked me to stay and continue working with them. I did as Debbie Romine, .my instructor, said in class, and did what they wanted. They even said thank you before they left.

The sheriff deputies came by Saturday night to get our statements and play the 911 tape back, so Nick could identify all the voices in the background. They said over and over that the way he handled the call was the best they had heard in a long time. He was calm and worked with them even when he saw his friend who had died. The Sheriff’s Department is sending some people over to help us work through our emotions.

The first aid and CPR course I took in January really helped me. I just didn’t expect to put it to good use so soon.

Pennyd. Miller

Kansas State Dept of Education, Topeka

1. According to the passage, in case of an emergency, people should dial__________.

A．110

B．120

C．800

D．911

2. Who died immediately after the accident?

A．A girl.

B．The writer.

C．Debbie Romine.

D．Nick.

3. Why did the Sheriff deputies come by Saturday night?

A．To arrest the offender.	B．To offer them help.
C．To get their statements.	D．To help them.

4. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．The writer is a doctor.

B．All the people in the car were killed in the accident.

C．Debbie Romine offered much help to the victims.

D．The writer took a first aid and CPR course in January.

5. We can infer from the passage that__________________.

A．the first aid and CPR course in January really helped the writer

B．the writer’s family were affected emotionally by the accident

C．the victims were all conscious after the accident

D．the police arrived long after the accident

3 . Those with closed minds refused to consider any contradictory facts, and they proceed with their planned course of action, full speed ahead, with their “minds made up” and tightly shut. As an illustration, consider the situation in 1986, prior to the space shuttle Challenger’s disatrous launch that killed all seven astronauts aboard, there was a heated telephone debate between two engineers from the company that produced the shuttle booster rockets and the top officials of NASA (the federal government’s space agency). The engineers insisted that the flight was too risky because of freezing temperature at the Florida launch site. They explained that some of the seals on the fuel tanks were not designed to withstand such low temperatures and might leak under pressure, thus endangering the craft and crew.

Despite the pleas to stop the flight, officials at NASA overruled the engineers, who were best qualified to make judgments about the complex technical problems of space flight. What caused the officials to ignore the engineers? Several flights had already been postponed, and it would not look good to postpone another. It would be bad public relations to disappoint the crowds of people and news reporters waiting for the launch. Top government officials were ready to appear on the national television and take the credit for another safe flight. As a result, with their minds absolutely closed to the facts presented by the engineers, NASA officials ordered the Challenger to take off. Seventy-three seconds later, the spacecraft was enveloped in flame.

Incredibly, seventeen years later, the lesson of the Challenger disaster was repeated. In 2003, the space shuttle Columbia broke apart while re-entering the earth’s atmosphere, killing another crew of seven. During the shuttle’s liftoff, a piece of foam insulation(泡沫隔热材料) had broken off, hitting the shuttle's wing at five hundred miles per hour. Lower-level engineers at NASA begged for photographs of the Columbia in orbit, which might have shown the extent of the damage, but their closed-minded superiors ignored their requests. It was the damage caused by the 1.7 pound chunk of insulation that doomed the Columbia.

There is no virtue in ignoring contradictory facts and “sticking to your guns” when the course taken shows all the signs of being the wrong one. Closed minds are especially noticeable in political campaigns and debates. Many people line up to support one candidate or another and won’t listen to any facts presented by the opposing candidate.

All those with an open mind say is this: “I don’t know everything, so I’d better keep my mind, eyes, and ears open to any new facts that may come along.” The world would be a much better and safer place if everyone had this attitude.

1. Which of the following brought about the disastrous launch of the Challenger?

A．Its crew	B．The engineers
C．The fuel tanks’ seals	D．The size of its rocket

2. When the engineers appealed to stop the launch of the Challenger, the government officials ___________.

A．postponed the flight at once.

B．made judgments about the complex technical problems.

C．announced the news on national television.

D．ordered to launch the Challenger as scheduled.

3. What could be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．The Columbia disaster was impossible to foresee.

B．Engineers were to blame for the Columbia’s explosion.

C．The Columbia disaster could have been avoided.

D．The Columbia was deliberately damaged.

4. What does the underlined phrase “sticking to your guns” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Holding firm to your own opinion.

B．Remaining and firing your gun at enemies.

C．Strengthening your status.

D．Keeping an open mind.

5. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To inform readers about what an open mind is.

B．To entertain readers with two stories of tragedies in space.

C．To persuade readers to keep an open mind.

D．To criticize what NASA officials had done in aerospace history.

6. How does the author support the argument of the passage?

A．By stating arguments.	B．By giving examples.
C．By explaining statistical data.	D．By providing research result.

4 . ON TUESDAY， the Shenzhen team of Blue Sky Rescue， a nonprofit civil rescue team， confirmed that two of its members had died trying to rescue 24 tourists who had got into difficulties.

According to the official news， it was on Monday that the rescue team received a telephone call from 24 travelers， who were trapped in a river valley， with a storm on the way and one of the female travelers being badly injured.

The team responded immediately. However， when they helped the travelers， two team member got trapped by the rising river water. The next day， they were confirmed dead.

The two heroes who gave their own lives to save others are being mourned by all.

Who can rescue the rescuers？ The question aroused a heated discussion among people. Most of them think we would rather such "heroic deeds" were not required. However， that depends on people being more sensible. In the past several years， there have been many cases in which travelers， ignoring the signs saying certain areas are dangerous and off﹣limits， still have kept on "exploring" unpaved and unmarked regions and ended up needing to be rescued. By so doing， they put not only their own lives at risk but also the lives of those who go to their aid.

In this case， although the travelers may have been in an authorized area， they ignored the warnings of an approaching typhoon. It was extremely reckless（鲁莽） of them to travel into the wild on such a day， as the local weather forecast had warned people against the upcoming typhoon. Two rescuers have lost their lives because of the thoughtlessness of others.

The law has already made it clear that if a traveler or group gets into difficulties when entering unauthorized regions， they must bear the costs of the rescue operations. The regulations need strengthening to deter travelers from putting their own lives and the lives of others at risk.

1. What happened to a woman traveler？

A．She lost her way.

B．She was trapped on the mountain.

C．She died in the storm.

D．She was seriously hurt.

2. What is the writer's attitude towards some tourists？

A．Critical.

B．Sympathetic.

C．Understanding.

D．Admiring.

3. What does the underlined word deter in the last paragraph mean？

A．protect.

B．keep.

C．excuse.

D．separate.

4. What can be a suitable title for this passage？

A．The Blue Sky Rescue.

B．Who can rescue the rescuers？

C．Who should bear the costs？

D．A deadly typhoon.

5 . Michael Surrell was the last person who should have run into a burning building because he had lung disease． But that didn't stop him． He was reading in sofa when his daughter phoned to say， "The house next door is on fire!" He went to investigate， only to see two women unable to control their emotions on their porch．

"The baby girl's on the second floor!" one of the women cried． At the words， Surrell immediately ran inside． It was completely dark there． Yet， because the house had a similar layout to his， he found the stairs and made it to the second floor． He turned to the right and was met by intense heat． He was already out of breath．

His throat and lungs burned as if he'd breathed fire instead of the smoke in the air． All he could hear was the crackling and popping of burning wood． Then he heard a soft but clear moan （呻吟）． He knew it was from the direction of the bedroom． Still unable to see， Surrell fell to his knees on the hot wood floor． He crawled toward the sound， feeling around for any sign of the girl．

Finally，he found the girl and caught her into his arms． He felt the heat of the flames on his cheeks． Turning， he fought through the smoke and ran blindly out of the house． Surrell put Tiara down on the porch． "You have to breathe for her，" Someone said to him． He started CPR﹣it was the first time that he'd ever done so． The women stood behind him， praying silently． After he gave five breaths， she opened her eyes and took a breath on her own．

Their eyes met． Surrell hugged her tight and said， "Uncle's got you．" Soon after， his throat closed off．

1. How did the two women feel when facing the fire？　 　

A．Confident．

B．Curious．

C．Desperate．

D．Optimistic．

2. Why did Surrell know the moan came from the bedroom？　 　

A．This house had a similar design to his．

B．He often went to see his neighbors．

C．Mr． Surrell had a very sensitive hearing．

D．He could see clearly in the house．

3. What can we infer from the fourth paragraph？

A．The girl was dead when she was found．

B．Surrell lost his sight because of the fire．

C．The girl wasn't breathing when taken out．

D．The women didn't care about the girl．

4. What is the passage mainly about？

A．A girl trapped in a burning house was saved．

B．It is tough to save a girl from a burning building．

C．Two women survived with a girl left in the house．

D．A man risked his life and saved a girl from fire．

6 . Earlier today,a volcano erupted on New Zealand’s White Island for the first time in nearly two decades. Early reports indicate that the event has already claimed at least five lives,and emergency recovery efforts are still underway.

Unlike some volcanic events at known hot spots,the volcano provided little hint that it was ready for an eruption,making it difficult for officials to warn visitors that the destructive event was a-bout to occur.

As CNN reports a group of 23 visitors was near the volcano shortly before it erupted. The five individuals who have been confirmed dead were from that group,while everyone else suffered a variety of injuries.

The visitors that were on the island were members of a tourist group from a cruise ship known as Ovation of the Seas. The vessel is operated by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. At the moment,it’s not believed that there is anyone else on the island.

“Based on the information we have,we do not believe there are any survivors on the island, “a police statement explains. “Police is working urgently to confirm the exact number of those who have died,further to the five confirmed deceased already. “

Tourists who said they were on the island just shortly before the eruption shared videos of the volcano spitting dust and debris on social media. As can be seen in the brief video here,the entire island appears as though it’s been swallowed up by the volcanic smoke and dust.

Additional video shot from a different location appears to show tourists stuck on the island,near the shore,away from the site of the eruption.

Boats from other tour groups picked up others who were attempting to flee,but the confused nature of the rescue efforts has left some still unaccounted for. Rescue crews are continuing their efforts as we speak.

1. Based on the passage,which of the following is NOT true about the volcano?

A．It has been sleeping for about twenty years.

B．Officials failed to warn visitors of its eruption.

C．It is a must-go attraction for tourists to the island.

D．Its eruption produced large amounts of smoke and dust.

2. According to the police statement in the passage,what conclusion can we draw?

A．All survivors have been rescued from the island.

B．Tourists should stay away from the erupting volcano.

C．There can’t be more deaths except for the five confirmed ones.

D．Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is responsible for the loss of lives.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．This volcano is not an active one.

B．The exact number of deaths remains unknown.

C．New Zealand’s White Island is not a hot scenic spot.

D．The other 18 tourists of the group are still stuck on the island.

4. Where is this passage most likely to appear?

A．In a newspaper.

B．On the Internet.

C．In a magazine.

D．On TV.

7 . Time flies, but the tracks of time remain in books and museums. This is what made a recent tragedy in Brazil even more terrible.

On Sept 2, a big fire broke out in the National Museum of Brazil, the oldest scientific institution in the country, in Rio de Janeiro. “Two hundred years of work, research and knowledge were lost,” Brazilian President Michel Temer wrote on Twitter after the fire. It’s a sad day for all Brazilians.

Most of the 20 million pieces of history are believed to have been destroyed. Only as little as 10 percent of the collection may have survived, Time reported. Among all the items, there were Egyptian mummies, the bones of uniquely Brazilian creatures such as the long-necked dinosaur Maxakalisaurus, and an 11,500-year-old skull called Luzia, which was considered one of South America’s oldest human fossils.

Besides these, Brazil’s local knowledge also suffered. The museum housed world famous collections of local objects, as well as many audio recordings of local languages from all over Brazil. Some of these recordings, now lost, were of languages that are no longer spoken.

“The tragedy this Sunday is a sort of national suicide(自杀). A crime against our past and future generations.” Bernard Mello Franco, one of Brazil’s best-known reporters wrote on the newspaper site.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, as BBC News reported on Sept 3. After the fire burned out, crowds protested(抗议) outside the museum to show their anger at the loss of the irreplaceable items of historical value.

According to Emilio Bruna, an ecologist at the University of Florida, museums are living, breathing places of who we are and where we’ve come from, and the world around us. Those insects pinned in a drawer, or those fish in a jar, or a feathered cape(斗篷) you might see in a display case represent a little piece of who we are as a people, as humans, as part of a greater world, he told National Geographic.

Just as underwater grass floats on the surface if it loses its roots, a nation is lost without its memories.

1. What do we know from Brazilian President’s words on Twitter?

A．He felt responsible for the fire of National Museum.

B．The museum is the oldest national scientific institution.

C．All Brazilians felt sorry for the fire that day.

D．The fire caused serious historical loss to Brazil.

2. Which of the following might have survived in the big fire?

A．Egyptian mummies.

B．The long-necked dinosaur Maxakalisaurus.

C．Some audio recordings of local languages.

D．An 11,500-year-old skull called Luzia

3. In which section of a newspaper can we read this article?

A．Advertisement.	B．News report.
C．Campus life.	D．Geography.

8 . The phone rang. I waited for the answering machine to get it, but for some reason, it was not picking up. I sighed, annoyed because I knew the call was either going to be for my wife, Susan (she was the only one who received calls on the home line, and she left to take Alyce to school ten minutes ago), or it was the latest of 300 attempts to sell me something I had absolutely no interest in.

''Hello, '' I said, an edge in my voice. 12-year-old daughter, ''Mommy was just in a car accident. '' My heart stopped and then began pounding. ''Are you all right? '' ''Yes. '' ''Is Mommy? '' A deep sob. ''I don't know…I don't think so. Come quick. '' I rushed a few blocks to what looked like a shoot for a disaster movie. Fire engines, police cars, and ambulances were randomly parked in the street; helicopters circled. A city bus was on the wrong side of the road. In front of it were the smashed remains of Susan's car. Susan was pinned under the dashboard (仪表盘). There was no front windshield (挡风玻璃).

Alyce was standing on the corner crying, covered in tiny pieces of glass but uninjured. Inconceivable! Susan wasn’t so lucky. But she was alive. It turned out that she had broken nearly every bone in her body, and she would spend almost three months in the hospital.

More than two years later, Susan and I were at a musical event. Our director, Danny, rushed up to us. He said excitedly, ''There's a woman here tonight from one of the church choirs who you have to meet! '' He returned with an African American woman with a bright, glowing smile. She told us she lived in the apartment building by where the accident had happened. That morning, she had rushed to the street, still in her bathrobe, and seen Alyce standing by the side of the wrecked car, crying. She approached her, asking, ''Is that your mom in there? '' Alyce nodded, and the woman said, ''Let's pray together. ''

Sweet, innocent Alyce looked at this woman wearing a cross around her neck and told her that she needed to call me, but her backpack with her phone was trapped inside the crushed vehicle. So the woman lent Alyce her phone. After the accident, she said, she had continued to pray for our family. We had our picture taken together, and as we were saying goodbye, she hugged us all warmly. We realized we had never been formally introduced, so she said to me, ''I'm sorry, I never got your name. '' I told her it was Doug, and she paused, as if maybe she hadn't heard me. I repeated, ''Doug, like Douglas. '' She looked at us and said, ''Wait, your name is Susan? '' Susan nodded. ''And your name is Douglas? '' The woman put her hand over her heart. ''Oh my goodness, '' she said. ''My name is Susan Douglas. ''

1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Both the author's wife and the daughter were not severely injured.

B．The author was calm when he heard about the accident.

C．The author was the only one who received calls on home line.

D．The author rushed to the accident like a shoot.

2. What does the underlined word inconceivable refer to in the 3^rd passage?

A．Innocent.	B．Unconscious.
C．Incredible.	D．Unfortunate.

3. Why did the African American woman want to see the author's family?

A．They were from the same church choir.

B．She witnessed the whole accident and offered to help two years ago.

C．She shared the same first name with the author's wife.

D．She would like to talk about her experience and had a picture taken.

4. What is the best title of the article?

A．The Bus Crash Angel	B．The Unwanted Call
C．An Expected Crash	D．A Fun Encounter

9 . A snowboarder was feeling lucky to be alive yesterday after a helicopter rescue(直升机营救).

Ben Akintola, 30, was snowboarding in the French Alps under a clear blue sky in the afternoon when a large amount of snow fell down the side of the mountain. He didn’t have time to escape(逃脱) and it hit him with full force and knocked him senseless.

He woke in the night in total darkness. He was lying on an icy rock. Amazingly, he still had a mobile phone signal(信号), so he called a friend a thousand kilometers away in Britain. His friend called the French rescue services.

“I was waiting for what seemed like hours on that rock. I was beginning to give up hope when I heard the sound of a helicopter. It was circling around in the darkness, looking for me. I was trying my best to wave my mobile around. Fortunately the helicopter pilot saw the light.”

“I was overjoyed when the helicopter headed my way. It stayed above me and began lowering a rope.”

Ben was in hospital last night but he was not being treated for any serious injuries. He’s looking forward to going home today.

The French rescue services said: “We were very pleased that we were able to save Ben. The risk of snow slide off-piste(非滑雪场地的) is much higher at this time of year. All snowboarders and skiers should stay on the ski runs and not go off-piste. Ben was very lucky.”

1. What happened to Ben?

A．He got lost in the French Alps.	B．He had a snowboarding accident.
C．He was separated from his friends.	D．He was knocked down by falling rocks.

2. The French rescue services learned about Ben’s difficulty ________.

A．from his friend	B．in the early afternoon
C．after receiving his call	D．when seeing his mobile

3. How did Ben feel about the wait?

A．It made him strong in the darkness.	B．It caused him to hope for the best.
C．It was shorter than he expected.	D．It was a little discouraging.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．A Lucky Escape	B．A Rocky Mountain
C．Risks of Snowboarding	D．French Rescue Services

10 . On a rainy winter day, several decades ago, a British artist named Christopher got on a train in Oxford to go to London. When he began his journey, he never knew that it was the beginning of almost 40 years of accidents and near death experiences.

During the journey, the train fell into an icy river, killing 12 passengers. Christopher managed to swim back to the river bank. He only had a broken leg.

Two years later, Christopher was on a plane from London to Manchester when a door suddenly opened and he fell out. A few minutes later, the plane crashed; 27 people were killed. Christopher was so lucky that he landed in a haystack (干草堆).

A few years later, he was hit by a bus, but again had no serious injuries. Then a year after that, he was driving on a mountain road when he saw a truck coming straight at him. He drove the car off the road, jumped out, landed in a tree — and watched his car fall 100 meters down the mountain.

''There are two ways you can look at it, '' Christopher said. ''I'm either the worlds unluckiest man, or the world's luckiest. '' When a reporter asked Christopher what he thought, he chose the ''luckiest'' one.

Two years ago, aged 71, Christopher bought his first lottery ticket (彩票) in 50 years and won more than 2 million. After this, a TV company in America said they wanted him to make an advertisement. At first he accepted, but then he changed his mind. Christopher said he would not fly to Los Angeles for the filming, because he did not want to push his luck. Who knows? If he had accepted the invitation, maybe he would have had another accident. But Mr. Christopher is a lucky man. If he had had another accident, he probably would have survived that too!

1. What happened in the plane accident from London to Manchester?

A．Christopher fell out of the plane.

B．Christopher fell into an icy water.

C．Christopher landed in a tree.

D．Christopher was the only passenger to survive

2. What was the view of Christopher towards his near death experiences?

A．worried	B．confused
C．doubtful	D．fortunate

3. Why didn't Christopher fly to Los Angeles for the filming?

A．Because he was not good at filming.

B．Because he had enough money.

C．Because he was sure of another accident.

D．Because he didn't want to risk his life.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．A man with nine lives

B．The unluckiest man in the world

C．A man who traveled around the world

D．A man who earned ￡2 million in a lottery