1 . Although fires are still a danger in every major city today, they were a much more serious problem in earlier centuries. The historic Fire of London was a serious example of the damage fire can cause. Finally, however, this disaster also positively affected the city.
In 1666, the Great Fire of London burned out of control for three days, destroying most of the central district of the city. The disaster caused a huge amount of damage — around seventy thousand people lost their homes. At the time, there were only about eighty thousand living in the city. There are no accurate records of how many people died in the fire because the worst damage happened in poor neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the government didn’t record the deaths of poor people in those early times.
When the fire happened, people in London were already struggling to survive a large plague (瘟疫) outbreak that had begun in 1665. London’s housing troubles were a major cause of the problem. At the time, much of central London consisted of closely packed and poorly made wooden buildings. This created an unhealthy environment because germs travelled freely from home to home. In addition, the buildings were on narrow, dirty streets where people threw their garbage. Rats were attracted by the garbage, and they brought fleas (跳蚤) — the carriers of the plague. Once people caught the plague from flea bites, the disease spread rapidly throughout the city especially in the cramped central district. It was in these terrible conditions that the Great Fire raged through London.
Despite the damage, the fire had a positive effect because it destroyed the old, poorly made wooden buildings. It also killed most of the rats and fleas, which slowed the spread of the plague. After the fire, the government rebuilt the damaged areas. Whenever possible, they used brick or stone. Thus, the new houses were much more solid and more difficult for rats to enter. Widened streets and improved garbage collection also helped to stop the disease from spreading from person to person because there was simply more room to walk.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about fires in the past?| A．They mainly happened in large cities. |
| B．They always had some positive effects. |
| C．They caused small amounts of damage. |
| D．They were more dangerous than fires today. |
| A．The numbers were beyond counting. |
| B．The government intended to hide the facts. |
| C．The records were destroyed in another fire. |
| D．The deaths of poor people were unrecorded. |
| A．Ancient. |
| B．Crowded. |
| C．Damaged. |
| D．Popular. |
| A．To reduce building costs. |
| B．To make houses stronger. |
| C．To keep fleas out of the city. |
| D．To stop the plague spreading. |
2 . More than a century after the Titanic sank in April 1912, few new stories are discovered about the accident. The history of the Chinese passengers who escaped the Titanic has largely been forgotten, even in their homeland.
The average survival rate for men in third class was just one in six. But when disaster struck, being a poor sailor with limited English turned into an advantage for the eight Chinese men on board - and six of them survived.
All eight Chinese men came from southern China. They had previously worked on cargo (货物) ships traveling between China and Europe, and they likely planed to move to the US to start a new life. They boarded the Titanic in Southampton, England, on a single ticket listing eight names. This was a common practice for third-class passengers at that time. Like other unmarried third-class men, they were housed in windowless cabins (船舱).
When the ship struck an iceberg, the men living in the worst conditions saw everything with their own eyes. Freezing water flooded into their living cabins, while on the upper levels, the crew (全体船员) were still reassuring (……安心) first-and second-class passengers that nothing was serious. Relying on their own survival skills, the Chinese sailors would have reacted quickly to leave the ship, especially since they likely did not understand orders in English to stay in their rooms.
Five of the six Chinese survivors made it directly onto lifeboats, while the sixth, Fang Lang, was one of the few lucky people picked up by Lifeboat 14, the only boat to return and search for survivors. He was found floating on a door to which he had tied himself. After he was pulled, freezing, he helped row the lifeboat to safety and was praised for his efforts.
The six men's lucky escape is little -known in China, despite the popularity of the Titanic story in the nation.
1. Why did the eight Chinese men board the Titanic?| A．They were working on this ship then. |
| B．They planned to travel to Europe. |
| C．They went to the US to earn a living. |
| D．They meant to make an unforgettable experience. |
| A．thought nothing was serious | B．helped to comfort other passengers |
| C．stayed in their rooms calmly | D．realized the ship was in great danger |
| A．Eight. | B．Six. |
| C．Five. | D．One. |
| A．survival skills and poor English | B．their confidence and survival skills |
| C．their kindness and courage | D．their bravery and patience |
3 . ﹡After the fire, what now?
Bishop Patrick Chauvet, Notre Dame’s (巴黎圣母院) manager, admitted that the famous building would close for “five to six years” as he spoke with local business owners Wednesday. He added that it was unclear what the church’s 67 employees would be doing in the future. French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that he wanted the church rebuilt in five years.
﹡What are the new rules?
While tourists can’t go inside the site itself, the area still may prove popular to those paying their respects. Visitors are welcome to write messages of support in both the main and local city halls.
The island that houses the church has been closed and the people there have been evacuated since the fire. Paris businessmen who depend on Notre Dame tourism are worried about the church’s future as well as their own.
﹡_______
It’s known that spring is a busy time for tourists in Paris. The travel company recommends（推荐） people visit other places, like the Basilique Saint-Denis, the Sacre-Coeur and so on. Those who tend to observe church services during Holy Week are advised to go to Saint-Eustache.
﹡Looking ahead to rebuilding
It seems rebuilding can begin, since firefighters put out the fire early Tuesday, more than 12 hours after nearly 400 firefighters had battled the flames that changed the city’s skyline. Two policemen and one firefighter were not badly injured, according to the Paris Fire Service.
A large campaign to raise money already is underway to rebuild the church. Up to Wednesday, donations（捐款） came to $1 billion.
1. How long would Notre Dame close for after the fire?| A．One year | B．Three to four years |
| C．Five to six years | D．Ten years |
| A．removed | B．examined | C．checked | D．ruined |
| A．Saint-Eustache is favored by tourists. |
| B．Tour companies offer other choices. |
| C．Church culture develops fast in Paris. |
| D．The best time to visit Paris is spring. |
| A．The government will arrange work for 67 employees. |
| B．Visitors will be forbidden to leave messages anywhere. |
| C．Churches in Paris will also be examined and repaired. |
| D．More money will be donated for the rebuilding project. |
4 . Exciting screams of joy from two happy little girls rang across the beach. But I walked along, barely aware of them. I’d come to this remote beach on my sailboat, a place to escape. My marriage was in trouble I worried about the harm to my two boys. But I didn’t know how to make things better.
“Help! Help!” The girls screamed. I saw one girl was at the edge of the surf, yelling. I charged into the waves, swam to her and seized her. “But where is the other girl?” I looked across the water and saw a small head after a big wave. I shifted the girl I’d rescued to my back. She told me the other girl was her sister. For a moment I thought of my boys. How much they loved each other? How much I loved them?
I quickened my swimming and held the second little girl. We were at least 50 yards from land. No way could I swim that far, not with two girls hanging on to me. But there was no time to wait. I swam as hard as could, but the weight of the girls grew heavier with every minute. My lungs burned. I opened my mouth to take a breath but instead swallowed water. I choked. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t swim. From behind me I felt an unbelievable force, lifting.
“Mommy!” The cry pierced my consciousness. I looked up. An elderly man was trying to drag me out of the water. Two women were swimming toward shore. “Thank you,” one of the women cried. “You saved my daughters.” My efforts and my struggles had paid off. I thought of that big wave, lifting me and pushing me. When my body had failed me, and when all hope was disappearing, I was given the strength I needed.
I stood up. My family were waiting for me. There were things I could do. I just needed to make an effort. The strength would be given to me.
1. Why did the author turn a deaf ear to the laughter of the two girls?| A．Because the sound of sea waves was too big. |
| B．Because he was trapped in his own problems. |
| C．Because he couldn’t wait to go sailing. |
| D．Because he was lost in missing his wife. |
| A．He got his spirits from God. | B．He was swallowed by the wave. |
| C．He managed to swim to the shore. | D．He lost his breath after swallowing water. |
| A．Efforts to Save the Family. | B．Struggles to Fight Sea Waves. |
| C．The Adventurous Surfing. | D．The Magical Wave. |
5 . Ukraine has reported that forest fires have broken out near the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident.
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) is about 100 kilometers away from Kyiv, Ukraine. In 1986, the CNPP had the worst nuclear accident in history. A series (系列) of mistakes and accidents caused an explosion and a huge fire, which burned for nine days. As a result of the disaster, entire cities had to be cleared. Over 100, 000 people had to leave their homes forever. A 2, 600-square-kilometer area around the CNPP was set apart as the “Chernobyl Exclusion Zone” to keep people away from the radioactive pollution.
Much of the land in the Zone is forest and grassland. Radioactivity breaks down slowly over time, so the radiation has dropped some by now. The radioactive pollution has become part of the plants and the dirt in the area. But on April 4, fires broke out in the Zone, which can give off the radioactive pollution back into the air. Once the pollution is in the air, it can be spread by the wind. Over the last 10 days, hundreds of fire fighters have been struggling against the flames. One fire came close to the CNPP. Keeping fires away from the plant is important because dangerous and poisonous material is still stored there.
Fighting the fire was much more challenging than normal because of the radiation dangers. In some places, fire fighters dug ditches (壕沟) to stop the fire from spreading, however, most of their efforts went into pouring water from the air since they couldn’t do the same in most areas.
Ukraine’s government says that there are still some small grass fires, but there are no major open fires still burning. The government says radiation levels in the air in Kyiv and nearby areas are normal.
1. Why does the author mention the CNPP?| A．It has contributed to the recent fires. |
| B．The recent fires broke out next to it. |
| C．The fires will destroy its nearby forest. |
| D．It can be used to fight against the fires. |
| A．are more dangerous | B．are more frequent |
| C．spread more quickly | D．last longer |
| A．Preventing poisonous materials escaping. |
| B．Ditching to stop the fires spreading. |
| C．Dropping water to put out the fires. |
| D．Keeping people away from the CNPP. |
| A．It’s unclear. | B．It’s unexpected. |
| C．It’s discouraging. | D．It’s effective. |
6 . “Calling tower,” the pilot’s voice crackled. “This is an emergency!” The radio operator in the control tower looked at his watch. It was 3:15 p.m. Lieutenant Charles Taylor and five Navy bombers (轰炸机) were in trouble. “We are off course. We cannot see land … repeat … we cannot see land.”
The control tower grew silent. The operator garbed (戴上) his microphone. “What is your position?” “We are not sure of our position,” Lieutenant Taylor replied. “We seem to be lost.” Taylor had over 2,500 hours of flight time. What was happening?
The tower called back: “Assume bearing (方位) due west.” “We don't know which way is west,” Taylor replied. “Everything is wrong…strange… We cannot be sure of any direction…Even the ocean looks odd…” The radio operator told Taylor to fly north “with the sun on the left” until he reached a Naval Air Station. Anyone could find the sun, especially a good pilot like Taylor. Soon the radio crackled again. “We have just passed over a small island,” said the pilot. “No other land in sight.” That was the last message Flight 19 sent to the radio tower. Five Navy bombers were lost. They had left the Naval Air Station for a routine training flight at 2:00 p.m., December 5, 1945. Each plane had enough fuel to fly more than a thousand miles. The weather was sunny and mild. Pilots from other flights had not seen anything strange there. So what happened? How could five Navy bombers and their crews just disappear?
The search for the five bombers covered 380,000 square miles of land and sea.
Hundreds of boats and planes searched large areas of the Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, the mainland of Florida, and many neighboring islands. Some of the boats were aircraft carriers, destroyers, and submarines. They searched the area for weeks. Nothing was ever found. No life rafts. No wreckage (残骸). Not even an oil slick (油层). Oil from the engines should float on the surface, even if everything else had sunk.
1. The pilot knew that they were in trouble when ______.| A．The radio operator warned him. |
| B．He couldn't be sure of his flying route. |
| C．The engine failed to work. |
| D．The emergency light was suddenly on. |
a. The control tower grew silent.
b. The bombers had a lot of fuel.
c. The weather was good.
d. No strange happening was reported by other flights.
| A．(b) (c) (d) | B．(a) (b) (d) | C．(a) (c) (d) | D．(a) (b) (c) |
| A．There was no life raft. |
| B．There was no wreckage. |
| C．There was no oil slick. |
| D．There was no "SOS" call. |
| A．they went for a very important mission. |
| B．they went to some very important places. |
| C．they went out of earth. |
| D．they went somewhere no one knew. |
7 . Two teenagers are lost at sea off the coast of the United States for six days on their small sailing boat. Without any food and drink, the boys drink sea water. They try slipping into the ocean to cool off, but sharks drive them back onto the boat. At night, they use a single wet suit to keep warm.
This is a real story of two American boys. Driscoll and his best friend, 18-year-old Josh Long, were found six days later and more than 100 miles from where they had set off from Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, on April 24. The boys had lost a lot of water and were tired, but otherwise in pretty good shape.
They set out fishing on a 4.3-meter sailboat on a windy day when the National Weather Service had warned small boats to stay out of the water, but they didn’t care. They realized they were in trouble almost immediately and tried to swim back to shore, pulling the boat along with them. Within hours, they were far out to sea.
“We lost our fishing equipment, ” Driscoll said. “So we couldn’t catch any fish. ” The boys’ hopes faded with each day passing. They stood on their boat every time they saw another boat, waving and shouting, but without success. One night they were woken up by water coming into the boat. A large ship was very close to them.
A coast guard boat set out to look for them. The boys got up and made some noise. This time, they were heard.
“What we have is a completely surprising story of survival that’s going to be studied for years to come, ” said Richard Goerling, Long’s uncle, “I think the boys have a book to write. ”
1. The two boys got lost at the sea because _______.| A．they were not good at boating |
| B．they were separated from their parents while boating |
| C．they didn’t take the warning from National Weather Service seriously. |
| D．they went far into the sea to catch fish |
| A．suffered cold at night |
| B．lived on the fish they caught |
| C．fought against sharks |
| D．swam in the water to cool themselves off in the daytime |
| A．the boys were saved on April 30 |
| B．the boys went to the sea to go surfing |
| C．the boys were sleeping soundly when the boat passed by |
| D．some boats had found the boys but refused to offer help |
| A．the boys will write a book |
| B．something can be learned from the boys’ experience |
| C．children’s safety should be paid more attention to |
| D．the boys did very well when facing danger |
8 . Aron Lee Ralston was born in a middle class American household. His family moved to Colorado when Aron was 12 years old and this move laid the foundation for his love for hiking around the canyons (峡谷).
Aron’s life changed on April 26th, 2003, upon facing the event that threatened to take his life, and almost took it. He was hiking through the Blue John Canyon and he accidentally displaced a huge rock he was climbing down from. The rock caught his right hand in between itself and the canyon wall.
Aron had decided to go on the adventure alone and hadn’t informed anybody about it. So, when he was unable to free his right hand, he felt he would be stuck forever in there. He tried hard to get his hand out but failed, and screaming for help was of no use either. Moreover, he didn’t want to wear himself out as shouting for help would take a lot of energy, which was essential (重要) for surviving the unfortunate event for a long period of time.
After a couple of days, he knew it was impossible for him to set himself free from an 800-pound rock. He decided to cut off his right hand. He had a blunt (钝的) pocket knife with him, which wasn’t sharp enough to cut through the bone. Some time passed and his water and food supply ended. He carved his name, date of birth and a possible date of death on the stone.
But luckily he got a strange idea that he could use the torque (扭转力) and his bones to separate his arm from his body. With the help of his very limited tool, he finally succeeded and walked out of the canyon, bleeding in large amounts. Fortunately, a holidaying family saw him and gave him food and water, and then took him to a hospital.
After the accident, Aron got a prosthetic limb (假肢) and continued mountain climbing, considering the accident as a “turning point in his life”.
1. What happened to Aron while he was hiking?| A．He was too tired and unable to climb |
| B．He suffered a knife wound in his right leg |
| C．He accidentally fell down the mountain. |
| D．He got a hand stuck between a rock and the canyon wall |
| A．He found a way to save himself. | B．He needed to save energy. |
| C．He gave up hope for survival | D．He met a family on vacation. |
| A．He removed the huge stone. |
| B．He cut off his arm with a knife. |
| C．He was pulled out of there by his family. |
| D．He was rescued by people from a hospital. |
| A．Enthusiastic and kind. | B．Independent and generous. |
| C．Adventurous and determined | D．Responsible and professional. |
9 . Baby Yoda Joins Oregon Firefighters in Battling Wildfires
“Because of all these photos, people are now seeing the human faces behind the wildfires," Tyler Eubanks excitedly told the Washington Post. "It is giving firefighters a huge confidence which is something that's really needed right now."
Sasha agrees, "It's a wonder how one small gesture can create a wave of kindness." She says Carver is excited that everyone likes Baby Yoda and happy that the first responders-many of whom have been unable to see their families for weeks-have a “little friend" to give them a comfort.
The toy, along with a note saying, "Thank you, firefighters. Here is a friend for you, in case you get lonely. Love, Carver," was handed to volunteers on September 12th, 2020. The thoughtful gift brought tears to their eyes. "The fires were close to us, and everyone was really high on emotion," says Tyler Eubanks. "We were all really touched that Carver wanted to give a companion to the people who were out there risking their lives to fight the wildfires.”
Eubanks delivered the toy to a group of firefighters working to contain a 25-acre flames in Colton, Oregon. She had originally intended to take a few pictures of the Baby Yoda in action for Carver, and then bring back the toy to the donation site. However, the firefighters decided to hold on to the doll and share it to lift the spirits of firefighters across the state.
"He's been a really big encouragement” said Jaebyn Drake, a firefighter with the Oregon Air National Guard. "A lot of the people on my crew, I showed them the note and everything, and they just loved it. A couple of people broke down in tears ... It just really meant a lot to us, and it was really emotional for a lot of people.”
1. What is Baby Yoda?| A．A pet. | B．A doll. | C．A card. | D．A baby. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Annoyed. | C．Surprised. | D．Moved. |
| A．It was kept by the firefighters. |
| B．It was taken a few pictures. |
| C．It was delivered to Washington Post. |
| D．It was brought back to the donation site. |
| A．Baby Yoda was clever and popular. |
| B．Their work time was very long. |
| C．The firefighters were all homesick. |
| D．Baby Yoda meant a lot to them. |
10 . Norwood, a junior High School student, was driving three friends home in St. Petersburg, when another driver crashed into her from her left and made her car hit the tree. The impact jammed shut the driver’s side door, so Norwood climbed out the front window. Two of her friends managed to get out of the car unharmed, but her 16-year-old friend Zarria didn’t. She run back to the car only to find Zarria was just sitting there reactionless.
A lot of people started to gather around to see what was happening. Norwood started yelling, “Back up, back up, she needs space.” Norwood pulled Zarria out of the back seat, avoiding broken glass from the window. “That’s when I checked her pulse on her neck. I put my head against her chest, and I didn’t really hear nothing. So that’s when I just started doing CPR on her.” Norwood told the reporter. After the 30 compressions and two rescue breaths, Zarria regained consciousness. Ambulance quickly arrived and rushed her to the hospital to receive medical help.
When Miller, Norwood’s high school teacher, learned that Norwood saved a friend just one day after completing CPR training, she was at a loss of words and so proud. Norwood participates in the school’s Athletic Lifestyle Management Academy (ALMA). The program prepares students for various careers in health science. “We do vital signs and they learn how to take blood pressure and check pulse.” Miller introduced. And another one of the skills learned is CPR. “There are two components, a hands-on skills component where they have to demonstrate that they’re able to do CPR well, and then there’s a written test component, showing that they remember that knowledge.”
Thanks to Norwood’s quick thinking, Zarria is recovering well. She also isn’t surprised by her friend’s actions. “She will always help any way she can, so I wasn’t really shocked about that.”
1. What happened to Norwood and her friends on their way home?| A．They lost their way. | B．They suffered a car accident. |
| C．They crashed into another car. | D．They were stuck in a traffic jam. |
| A．To give her first aid. | B．To ask people for help. |
| C．To call ambulance at once. | D．To send her to hospital immediately. |
| A．It normally lasts for one day. |
| B．It is for medical students only. |
| C．It focuses on both theory and practice. |
| D．It trains students to live a healthy lifestyle. |
| A．Considerate and flexible. | B．Kind and ambitious. |
| C．Hardworking and clever. | D．Brave and calm. |
