Everybody hates rats．But in the earthquake capitals of the world-Japan，Los Angeles，Turkey-rats will soon be man's new best friends．
What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue（救援） dogs. Why? Because they can smell people．Dogs save lives．They help rescuers to find living people．But dogs are big and they can't get into small spaces．So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives：the rat．
How does it work? First，the rat is trained to smell people．When this happens，the rat's brain gives a signal（信号）．This is sent to a small radio on its back，and then the rescuers follow the radio signals．When the rat's brain activity jumps，the rescuers know that someone is alive．The rat has smelled that person．
Although there are already robots which can do this job，rats are better．Christian Linster at Cornell University—New York says，“Robots' noses don't work well when there are other smells around．Rats are good at that．” Rats can also see in the dark．They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs，and unlike robots，they don't need electricity!
The “rat project” is not finished，but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says，“It would be fantastic．A rat could get into spaces we couldn't get to and a rat would get out if it wasn't safe．” Perhaps for the first time in history，people will be happy to see a rat in a building（but only after an earthquake，of course）．
1.In the world earthquake capitals，rats will become man's best friends because they can _________．
A. take the place of man's rescue jobs
B. find the position of people alive who are trapped in buildings
C. serve as food for people alive who are trapped in buildings
D. get into small spaces
2.From the third paragraph we know the rescuers can judge a person is alive by_________．
A. the noise made by the rat B．the rat's unusual behavior
C. the signal sent by the radio on the rat's back D．the smell given off by the person
3. In doing rescue jobs，_________．
A. rats smell better than dogs
B. dogs don't need to be trained to smell people
C. robots' sense of smell can be affected by other smells around
D. rats can see in the dark and smaller than robots
4. Rats have all the following advantages except that_________．
A. they are more fantastic than other animals B. they are less expensive to train than dogs
C. they don't need electricity D. they are small and can get into small places
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Author: Margaret Mitchell ￥25 (in bookstores) ￥18 (online) Gone With the Wind is a best-seller, which tells a story that happened in the American Civil War. Scarlett O’Hara is a woman in the story who is full of energy. She is strong and saves her family but is very selfish at the same time. |
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u A LITTLE PRINCESS Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett ￥18.3 (online) Motherless Sara Crewe was sent home from India to school at Miss Minchin’s. Her father was very rich and she lived a rich and comfortable life. Then her father died and Sara lost everything. She had to learn to do with her changed life. Her strong character made her able to fight successfully against her poverty (贫穷) and the scorn (嘲笑) of her fellows. It’s an excellent book with 4 tapes for children. |
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u PETER PAN Author: J.M Barrie ￥15 (in bookstores) ￥12 (online) It is a children’s story full of imagination and adventures, which is about Wendy, John, and Michael Darling’s adventures in Never—Never Land with Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up. The children are happy and lovely. (with 2 tapes) |
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Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe ￥20 (in bookstores) The most famous novel in American history, Uncle Tom’s Cabin talked about the struggle (斗争) between free states and slave states during the American Civil War and is as powerful today as when it first came out 150 years ago. |
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u THE SECRET GARDEN Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett ￥35 (in bookstores) ￥30 (online) Mary Lennox, a sickly orphan (孤儿), finds herself in her uncle’s dark house. Why are so many rooms locked? Why is one of the gardens locked? And what is that crying she hears at night? Through the power of hope, friendship, and the magic (魔法) of nature, the brave girl brings the house and a long-lost garden back to life. |
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1. All of the following books have children as their main characters (主角) except _________.
A. PETER PAN B. GONE WITH THE WIND
C. A LITTLE PRINCESS D. THE SECRET GARDEN
2. We can know from the passage that _________.
A. there are only three books with tapes
B. we can buy 5 kinds of the above books in bookstores
C. two of the above books are written by Frances Hodgson Burnett
D. THE SECRET GARDEN is ￥5 cheaper in bookstores than online
3. Mary in THE SECRET GARDEN brings the house and a long-lost garden back to life with the help of _________.
a. the power of hope b. friendship c. her uncle d. nature’s magic
A. abc B. acd C. bcd D. abd
4. This article may appear ___________.
A. as an advertisement B. as an introduction to the western literature (文化)
C. in a Chinese film D. only to middle school students
Once a man named Grand found a box of old papers in a room at the top of his house. He burned most of them, because he didn’t like old things very much, But one of these papers was an old letter. At the bottom(底部) of the letter was the name of a well-known writer. “When this letter was written,” said Grant, “no one knew about the writer. But now everyone knows him. Some people like to buy letters like this. I may be able to get much money for the letter if I sell it to the right man.”
But there were a lot of dirty marks all over the letter.
“It doesn’t look nice,” he thought. “No one wants to buy a letter if it’s dirty. I’ll have to clean it.”
So he took a piece of cloth and some water and cleaned the letter. He worked hard and gave a lot of care. At last the letter looked better. And he was very pleased with his work.
“Now it looks nice,” he said to himself. “I’ll be able to sell it for a lot of money.”
He took the letter to a shop in London where old papers of this kind were bought and sold.
“I want to sell this letter,” Grant said to the man in the shop. “It was written by a well-known writer. You know about these things. How much will you give me for it?”
The man looked at him for a long time.
“I will give you two pounds for it,” he said at last.
“Only two pounds!” said Grant. “But people pay ten pounds for a letter like this. And just look! I’ve even cleaned it to make it look nice.”
“I can see that,” said the man. “That’s the trouble. People who buy old papers like them to be dirty.”
1.Which of the following is not right?
A. Grant found a box of old letters. B. Grant didn’t like old things very much.
C. Grant didn’t burn the old letter. D. The letter was written by a famous writer.
2.Grant didn’t burn the letter because______.
A. it was written by his father B. he thought he could get much money by selling it
C. he wanted to keep it forever D. he wanted to give it to the government
3.In order to sell it, Grant decided to _____ first.
A. make advertisement(广告)in the newspapers B. show it to others around him
C. clean it to make it look nice D. take it to an archeologist(考古学家)
4.Grant didn’t sell the letter at a good price because_______.
A. it was not an old letter B. few people knew about the writer
C. it had been cleaned D. the man didn’t like it
One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the 36 _, the couple went to the front desk hoping to 37 for the night.
“Could you 38 give us a room here?” the husband asked.
The clerk, a 39 man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and 40 that there were three conventions(大会) in town.
“All of our 41 are taken,” the clerk said. “But I can’t send a 42 couple like you 43 into the rain at 1 o’clock in the morning. Would you please be 44 to sleep in my room? It’s not exactly a suite（套房）, but it will be good enough to make you 45 for the night.”
The couple said no politely.
“Don’t 46 me. It is just fine with me,” the clerk told them.
As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, “You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel. Maybe someday I’ll build 47 for you.” The three of them had a good 48 .
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten it 49 he received a letter from the old man. It recalled(使回忆) that stormy night and contained a round-trip（双程的） 50 to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit. The old man met him in New York, and 51 him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street.
He then pointed to a great new 52 there, a palace of reddish stone. “That,” said the old man, “is the hotel I have just built for you to 53_ .”
“You must be 54 ,” the young man said.
“I am sure I am not,” said the old man, the name of 55 was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The young clerk, George C. Boldt became its first manager.
1.A. rain B. anger C. snow D. hunger
2. A. leave B. go C. stay D. look
3. A. surely B. possibly C. really D. freely
4. A. lazy B. bored C. nervous D. friendly
5. A. shouted B. explained C. believed D. agreed
6. A. hotels B. desks C. streets D. rooms
7. A. nice B. famous C. rich D. common
8.A. beyond B. off C. out D. under
9. A. kind B. glad C. good D. generous
10. A. enjoyable B. helpful C. grateful D. comfortable
11.A. worry about B. take care of C. make use of D. come up with
12. A. one B. it C. them D. those
13.A. sleep B. meal C. laugh D. walk
14. A. after B. before C. while D. when
15. A. ticket B. bill C. check D. questionnaire
16. A. made B. told C. treated D. led
17. A. building B. car C. bedroom D. place
18. A. live B. sell C. manage D. rent
19. A. lying B. joking C. dreaming D. cheating
20. A. whose B. which C. whom D. who
--Do you think that we should prepare for our exam in advance?
-- Of course. _________.
A. Actions speak louder than words B. Better late than never
C. A good beginning is half done D. The early bird catches the worm(虫)
Each player tried his best to ______ the game.
A. hit B. win C. beat D. strike
UNCLE TOM’S CABIN 