More and more birds are flying to settle at Qinghai Lake, one of the highest inland lakes in China, thanks to the protection efforts of local governments. Covering an area of over 4,000 square kilometers, Qinghai Lake is also the country’s biggest salt-water lake.
Located in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province, the lake is famous for the two islands at its northwest point--Cormorant Island and Egg Island.
The two islands have plenty of floating grass and various schools of fish, offering rich food sources for birds. The islands have become a paradise for different kinds of groups of birds and have been called ‘Bird Islands’.
Each March and April, when ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau starts to melt, over 20 kinds of birds fly to the Bird Islands to lay eggs.
During the months, flocks of birds cover the whole sky over the islands and birds eggs can be found everywhere. Visitors can hear the singing of birds from miles away. These have become a world famous symbol of the lake.
To protect this paradise for birds and support calls for ecological protection, China set up the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone at the end of 1997. Meanwhile, the State has pointed out the Bird Islands and Spring Bay of the Qinghai Lake as central protection zones.
Inspection officials and management employees often patrol the lake, improving local residents’ knowledge of related laws and spreading knowledge about animal protection to visitors. They are making great efforts to call on people to love and protect the birds.
At the same time, they have built special fences around the island area, to prevent wolves, foxes and other carnivorous animals, as well as illegal hunters from breaking up the birds’ nest-building, egg-laying and breeding. As a result, more and more birds are coming to the islands for sheltering and breeding.
【小题1】Why are more and more birds coming to the biggest salt-water lake in the Great Northwest?

More and more birds are flying to settle at Qinghai Lake, one of the highest inland lakes in China, thanks to the protection efforts of local governments. Covering an area of over 4,000 square kilometers, Qinghai Lake is also the country’s biggest salt-water lake.

Located in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province, the lake is famous for the two islands at its northwest point--Cormorant Island and Egg Island.

The two islands have plenty of floating grass and various schools of fish, offering rich food sources for birds. The islands have become a paradise for different kinds of groups of birds and have been called ‘Bird Islands’.

Each March and April, when ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau starts to melt, over 20 kinds of birds fly to the Bird Islands to lay eggs.

During the months, flocks of birds cover the whole sky over the islands and birds eggs can be found everywhere. Visitors can hear the singing of birds from miles away. These have become a world famous symbol of the lake.

To protect this paradise for birds and support calls for ecological protection, China set up the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone at the end of 1997. Meanwhile, the State has pointed out the Bird Islands and Spring Bay of the Qinghai Lake as central protection zones.

Inspection officials and management employees often patrol the lake, improving local residents’ knowledge of related laws and spreading knowledge about animal protection to visitors. They are making great efforts to call on people to love and protect the birds.

At the same time, they have built special fences around the island area, to prevent wolves, foxes and other carnivorous animals, as well as illegal hunters from breaking up the birds’ nest-building, egg-laying and breeding. As a result, more and more birds are coming to the islands for sheltering and breeding.

1.Why are more and more birds coming to the biggest salt-water lake in the Great Northwest?

A. Because it is getting warmer and warmer.

B. Because it is being reformed

C. Because environments there are getting more and more agreeable for them to live in.

D. Because the people there are becoming richer and richer

2.The birds feed on _______according to the passage.

A. floating fish and various grasses

B. grass moving on the water surface and different kinds of fish

C. salt water and plenty of grains

D. corn from the local farmers

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau doesn’t change into water, unless more than 20 kinds of birds come to the Bird Islands

B. Flocks of birds fly up to the whole sky over islands to lay eggs

C. Visitors can listen to the singing of birds from miles away, but they couldn’t see any of the birds

D. “The ice on the Plateau begins to change into water” means spring is coming

4.The officials go around the lake mainly to _________

A. let the farmers there know the animal protection law

B. tell the farmers there some knowledge about animal protection.

C. call on people to love and protect the birds

D. all of the above

More and more birds are flying to settle at Qinghai Lake, one of the highest inland lakes in China, thanks to the protection efforts of local governments. Covering an area of over 4,000 square kilometers. Qinghai Lake is also the country’s biggest salt-water lake .

Located in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province, the lake is famous for the two islands at its northwest point--Cormorant Island and Egg Island.

The two islands have plenty of floating grass and various schools of fish, offering rich food sources for birds. The islands have become a paradise for different kinds of groups of birds and have been called ‘Bird Islands’.

Each March and April, when ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau starts to melt, over 20 kinds of birds fly to the Bird Islands to lay eggs.

During the months, flocks of birds cover the whole sky over the islands and birds eggs can be found everywhere. Visitors can hear the singing of birds from miles away . These have become a world famous symbol of the lake.

To protect this paradise for birds and support calls for ecological protection, China set up the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone at the end of 1997.

Meanwhile , the State has pointed out the Bird Islands and Spring bay of the Qinghai Lake as central protection zones.

Inspection officials and management employees often patrol the lake , improving local residents’ knowledge of related laws and spreading knowledge about  animal protection to visitors. They are making great efforts to call on people to love and protect the birds.

At the same time, they have built special fences around the island area, to prevent wolves, foxes and other carnivorous animals, as well as illegal hunters from breaking up the birds’ nest-building, egg-laying and breeding. As a result , more and more birds are coming to the islands for sheltering and breeding.

65. Why are more and more birds coming to the biggest salt-water lake in the Great Northwest?

A. Because it is getting warmer and warmer.

B. Because it is being reformed

C. Because environments there are getting more and more agreeable for them to live in.

D. Because the people there are becoming richer and richer

66. The birds feed on _______according to the passage.

A. floating fish and various grass

B. grass moving on the water surface and different kinds of fish

C. salt water and plenty of grains

D. corn from the local farmers

67. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage

A. The ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau doesn’t  change into water, unless more than 20 kinds of birds come to the Bird Islands

B. Flocks of birds fly up to the whole sky over islands to lay eggs

C. Visitors can listen to the singing of birds from miles away, but they couldn’t see any of the birds

D. “The ice on the Plateau begins to change into water” means spring is coming

68. The officials go around the lake mainly to _________

A. let the farmers there know the animal protection law

B. tell the farmers there some knowledge about animal protection.

C. call on people to love and protect the birds

D. all of the above

阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。

Would you believe that the tallest bridge in France reaches higher than the Eiffel Tower?Each of the projects mentioned here has set at least one world record for its height,scale or ingenuity(独创性).Here are four amazing engineering wonders of the modern world.

Venice,Italy:The Venice Tide Barrier Project will be the largest flood prevention project in the world.The project has been debated in one form or another for over 40 years as a way to protect this historical city-on-the-water for future generations.With Venice slowly sinking,and the water around it slowly rising,and floods always a fear,Italians have known for a long time that something needs to be done.Finally,the Prime Minister of Italy approved the second phase of the plan,including 80 hinged barriers(用铰链连接的壁垒),each approximately 6,500 square feet.

Millau,France:The Millau Viaduct(米洛高架桥)is the highest bridge in the world.At 1,125 feet high(slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower,1,063 feet)and over 8,000 feet long,it sometimes sits above the cloud line.The engineered wonder of the bridge itself is nearly as amazing as the view of the valley below.

Zhangjiajie,China:The Bailong Elevator is the world’s largest outside elevator.At about 1,070 feet high,this elevator looms(隐约出现) high midway up a cliff overlooking a valley far below.Moreover,the elevator is mostly made of glass,affording passengers a dizzying view to the depths below.There is some concern,however,about the elevator’s long-term impact on the surrounding natural environment.

Norway to Britain:The Langeled Pipeline extends(延伸)from Nyhamna,Norway,to Easington in the UK.It is about 1,200 km long and before the completion of the Nord Stream pipeline,it was the longest underwater gas pipeline in the world.Gas is exported(出口)from the Ormen Lange field,situated at a depth of 1,000 metres and located 100 km northwest of the Norwegian coast to Nyhamna.From there the Langeled Pipeline runs to Easington in the UK via the Sleipner Riser Platform in the North Sea.It will eventually supply 20% of Britain’s gas needs.

1.In the first paragraph,the author began with a question in order to .

A.introduce the topic

B.amaze readers

C.show the height of the Eiffel Tower

D.ask readers to answer it

2.From Paragraph 2,we can learn that .

A.the project is designed to store water

B.all people agree with the project at first

C.floods are a fear to Venice

D.the hinged barriers are 6,500 square feet in all

3.What do the Bailong Elevator and the Millau Viaduct have in common?

A.They are in the same country.

B.They are both made of glass.

C.Both of them are taller than the Eiffel Tower.

D.Both of them have a bad effect on the environment.

4.We can learn from the passage that the Ormen Lange field is in .

A.Britain B.Norway

C.France D.Italy

    A special screening will be held on September14 in Beijing’s Dizhi Cinema．About 100, 000 Yuan collected by the box office will be given to the flood- affected people in the south.

1. From the passage we know that “Twister”________.

A．has blown the whole USA

B．has won a lot of money for the country

C．was considered to be a good film during the summer film season

D．will be sold to China for 100,000 Yuan

2. What do you think the CFEIC is? It is ________.

A．a film factory

B．an organization

C．a flood- affected area

D．a businessman

3. The report tells us that ________.

A．the film “Twister” has caused a twister

B．“Twister” has made its producer richer

C．The CFEIC will get a lot of money from the film

D．Dizhi Cinema is the biggest cinema in Beijing

4. What do you imagine will happen?

A．A twister will find its way to China.

B．The audience will sing high raise for the film.

C．Many Chinese people suffering from the floods will feel thankful to the CFEIC.

D．More box offices will be set up.

During the summer film season in the US, “Twister”(龙卷风) has blown a lot of dollars into the pockets of its makers and won favorable re- views. Now that it’s on the way to China (to be screened later this month), its buyer, the China Film Export and Import Corporation (CFEIC), wished to blow some money in the direction of those whose lives have been affected by floods and other natural disasters (灾难) this year.

    A special screening will be held on September14 in Beijing’s Dizhi Cinema．About 100, 000 Yuan collected by the box office will be given to the flood- affected people in the south.

1. From the passage we know that “Twister”________.

A．has blown the whole USA

B．has won a lot of money for the country

C．was considered to be a good film during the summer film season

D．will be sold to China for 100,000 Yuan

2. What do you think the CFEIC is? It is ________.

A．a film factory

B．an organization

C．a flood- affected area

D．a businessman

3. The report tells us that ________.

A．the film “Twister” has caused a twister

B．“Twister” has made its producer richer

C．The CFEIC will get a lot of money from the film

D．Dizhi Cinema is the biggest cinema in Beijing

4. What do you imagine will happen?

A．A twister will find its way to China.

B．The audience will sing high raise for the film.

C．Many Chinese people suffering from the floods will feel thankful to the CFEIC.

D．More box offices will be set up.

    The total continent of Antarctica, from its mountains to the seas full of blue whales, emperor penguins and leopard seals, is, by means of international agreement, classified as a nature preserve. The Antarctic Treaty took effect in 1998, and doesn’t allow mining and oil drilling for at least fifty years anywhere within the boundaries of Antarctica. The treaty places a strong emphasis on the protection of the natural environment but not development. All wildlife threats including dogs and chemicals used for killing pests are also banned.

    The agreement has been set by some countries to keep Antarctica free of commercialism and industrial development. This agreement was signed in 1991 by the 26 leading nations with scientific interest in the land. Some of the nations in the agreement are the United States, Russia, China, India, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, and most of the primary European nations.

    The rules made by this treaty ended over 15 years of lobbying（游说）by environmental groups and put a stop to diplomatic(外交的）talks. In addition to preventing all oil drilling and mining, the 35 scientific outposts(前哨站） on Antarctica are required to remove all rubbish and clean up all places where unwanted waste is left. It keeps scientific stations from discharging untreated waste water into the surrounding waters.

     Sled dogs were what explorers like Norway’s Roald Amundsen used to reach the South Pole in 1911. Dogs, however, were banned because they are a recent danger to the penguins and other native birds.

    With laws enforced(实施）in 26 nations, each nation will be responsible for enforcing the rules individually. If the country’s government refuses to become involved when its citizens disobey the rules, the other nations would apply pressure to solve the issue. There are many people who see this treaty as an environmental success story.

55. The Antarctic Treaty was signed to ________.

A. attract more tourists to Antarctica

B. protect the environment of Antarctica

C. forbid diplomatic talks between countries

D. promote scientific research on Antarctica

56. Dogs are forbidden on Antarctica because they________ .

A. may pollute the surrounding environment

B. are a threat to the birds there

C. are of little use there

D. may face a great threat

57. We can infer from the text that________.

A. environmental groups are satisfied with the Antarctic Treaty

B. it is difficult to enforce the treaty

C. there are no natural resources on Antarctica

D. tourism is not allowed on Antarctica

58. Which of the following is TRUE about the Antarctic Treaty?

A. Some countries have broken the rules of it.

B. It was signed in 1998.

C. It’s effective in protecting the environment of Antarctica.

D. It fails to achieve its original purpose.

根据短文内容，从下框的A----E选项中选出能概括每一段主题的最佳选项。选项中有一项为多余选项。

May 19,1991 was a red letter day for the people of Nanxi Town,Jinzhai County,in the Dabie

Mountain area of Anhui Province．On that day the townpeople cut the ribbon at the inauguration（落成典礼）of a primary school,the first in China set up with money raised in a national campaign for educational development．They were happy to see their children,who had been deprived（剥夺）of an education because of poverty,entering school．

The Dabie Mountain range lies at the juncture of Hubei,Henan and Anhui provinces．Jinzhai

County,located in the highest section of the mountain range,has within its boundaries more than 100 peaks each exceeding1,000 meters in height．Due to the unfavorable natural conditions,some people in the county are unable to feed and clothe themselves adequately no matter how hard they work throughout the year．About 1,500 children have dropped out of school because their parents are unable to pay the fees for them．

Huangpin,a povert-stricken village situated in the a cold area 750 metres above sea level,is

tipical of the county．Among the village’s 224 children between the ages of 7 and 15,there are 80 who are unable to go to school because of economic problems．Some pupils have to cut firewood after school to support themselves．Some leave school to look after cattle and pigs because they cannot afford the 20 yuan necessary for buying books．

The county’s leaders have long realized that it is very difficult for county in which 36%of the

people are illiterate（文盲）to free itself of poverty．In order to change this situation,they have spent 1/3 of the county’s tax income on education for several years’ running．In order to enrol（招收）more children,teachers from some schools have climbed hills to encourage people to send their children to school．Some teachers have even paid their students’ fees from their own pockets,although their salaries are very low．

According to statistics（统计数据）in China,more than one million school-age children are

unable to go to school because of economic problems．In October 1989,the China Foundation for the Development of Children and Youth appealed to the country and  the world to raise money for the education of children in poverty-stricken areas．Since children are the future of the country,this project is called “The Hope Project”．

United States: Air crews searched through Thursday night for missing US adventurer Steve Fossett on a task they compared to looking for a needle in a haystack in the vast Nevada desert. Four days after Fossett’s plane disappeared, authorities dramatically (戏剧般的) increased the search area to 26,000 sq km from on an original 1,600 sq km. But they said it could take two weeks or more to find the 63 – year – old millionaire and aviation record – setter who disappeared on Monday., Thursday’s search turned up on trace of Fossett and no locater signals nor emergency beacons (求救灯) from him or his small single – engine plane, authorities said. Two planes with infra – red (红外线) technology will fly through the night in hopes of finding him, they said.

Major Cynthia Ryan of the Nevada Civil Air Patrol said daytime ground patrols (巡逻队) of the mountains and a search of western Nevada’s Walker Lake have been added, and the air search was extended into California’s mountain border. “Trying to make that needle stand out in a haystack that big is going to be a real challenge and is going to be discouraging for people who were hoping for results early on,” Ryan told a news conference. “Searches of this nature very typically can go on two weeks and longer. So four days into it, we are still scratching the surface,” she said. “We can’t always guarantee the result that everyone would like, but I do guarantee results,” Ryan added.

Fossett’s Citabria Super Decathlon disappeared while he was out searching dry lake beds for a planned attempt to set a land speed record. Nothing has been heard from a fine watch that Fossett is known to wear that is designed to let pilots signal their location in an emergency.

More than 12 planes took off at dawn on Thursday to scour the Nevada desert, whose mountains rise up to 3,000 meters and are buffeted by heavy cross winds. Searchers are using several types of planes, including some with imaging technology that quickly distinguishes man – made objects, including air – craft wreckage, from natural objects.

(from September 8 – 9 2007 China Daily)

1．Who is the man named Steve Fossett in the passage?

       A．A rich young man who like to risk.        B．A young millionaire that love to venture.

       C．An old man that enjoys walking.            D．An old adventurer who is rich.

2．We can infer from the underlined part looking for a needle in a haystack in the first paragraph that           .

       A．it is difficult to find Steve Fossett         

       B．it is easy to find Steve Fosset

       C．it is not clear whether they could find Fossett                        

       D．it is obvious that they could find Fossett

3．The reason why Fossett disappeared was that           .

       A．the plane he was on for business fell down from the sky

       B．he forced the pilot of the plane to fall down to the ground

       C．he wanted to set a record of landing by driving a plane

       D．he was not careful enough in piloting his own plane

4．The underlined word “buffeted” may have the closest meaning to            .

      A．attacked violently                                 B．beaten softly

       C．flowed quickly        D．blown normally

任务型阅读 阅读短文，按要求完成各题。（5分）

CHENGDU - Public mourning was held on Saturday morning in Southwest China's Sichuan province for those who died in a 7.0-magnitude quake a week ago. Students lower their heads during a silent tribute to the victims of Lushan April 20 earthquake, in Lushan Middle School, Ya'an city, Southwest China's Sichuan province on April 27, 2013. The public mourning began with all transportation vehicles sounding their sirens at 8:02 am, the time the devastating earthquake hit on  April 20, and was followed by a silent tribute of 3 minutes.
The quake has claimed nearly 200 lives and destroyed about 126,000 homes, according to official figures.
On Friday, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a statement that 1,516 wounded people, including 43 terminally-ill patients and 69 severe cases, are being treated in hospital in Sichuan.
More than 1.5 billion yuan ($243 million) has been allocated to quake victims, with 10 yuan and 0.5 kilograms of grain distributed daily to each person.
More than 87,000 tents, 233,000 quilts, 25,000 items of clothing and 3,393 tons of food have been provided by local governments. And 426 medical centers and 1,015 relocation sites have been set up as of Friday.
China's beverage maker JDB Group has announced a donation of 100 million yuan to Lushan, the largest donation thus far from any company in China.
Shu Yuhui, chairman of the Quan Jian Natural Medicine Science and Technology Development Co Ltd, also made a donation of 100 million yuan, making it the largest individual contribution for earthquake relief efforts.
【小题1】根据短文内容完成句子填空（每空限填一个单词）。
In the first paragraph, we can know ____________ and ____________ public mourning was held for those who died in 7.0-magnitude quake a week ago.
【小题2】根据短文内容完成句子填空（每空限填一个单词）。
The quake has claimed nearly 200 lives . (同义句)
Nearly 200 people____________   ____________ in this earthquake.
【小题3】根据短文内容回答问题。 Have the companies made donations to Lushan?
___________________________________________________________________________
【小题4】把短文中画底线的句子译成汉语。
___________________________________________________________________________
【小题5】根据短文内容用一个完整的英文句子（限10个词以内）回答问题。
What should you do after you heard the 7.0-magnitude quake hit Ya’an?
___________________________________________________________________________

任务型阅读 阅读短文，按要求完成各题。（5分）

CHENGDU - Public mourning was held on Saturday morning in Southwest China's Sichuan province for those who died in a 7.0-magnitude quake a week ago. Students lower their heads during a silent tribute to the victims of Lushan April 20 earthquake, in Lushan Middle School, Ya'an city, Southwest China's Sichuan province on April 27, 2013. The public mourning began with all transportation vehicles sounding their sirens at 8:02 am, the time the devastating earthquake hit on  April 20, and was followed by a silent tribute of 3 minutes.

The quake has claimed nearly 200 lives and destroyed about 126,000 homes, according to official figures.

On Friday, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a statement that 1,516 wounded people, including 43 terminally-ill patients and 69 severe cases, are being treated in hospital in Sichuan.

More than 1.5 billion yuan ($243 million) has been allocated to quake victims, with 10 yuan and 0.5 kilograms of grain distributed daily to each person.

More than 87,000 tents, 233,000 quilts, 25,000 items of clothing and 3,393 tons of food have been provided by local governments. And 426 medical centers and 1,015 relocation sites have been set up as of Friday.

China's beverage maker JDB Group has announced a donation of 100 million yuan to Lushan, the largest donation thus far from any company in China.

Shu Yuhui, chairman of the Quan Jian Natural Medicine Science and Technology Development Co Ltd, also made a donation of 100 million yuan, making it the largest individual contribution for earthquake relief efforts.

1.根据短文内容完成句子填空（每空限填一个单词）。

In the first paragraph, we can know ____________ and ____________ public mourning was held for those who died in 7.0-magnitude quake a week ago.

2.根据短文内容完成句子填空（每空限填一个单词）。

The quake has claimed nearly 200 lives . (同义句)

Nearly 200 people____________   ____________ in this earthquake.

3.根据短文内容回答问题。 Have the companies made donations to Lushan?

___________________________________________________________________________

4.把短文中画底线的句子译成汉语。

___________________________________________________________________________

5.根据短文内容用一个完整的英文句子（限10个词以内）回答问题。

What should you do after you heard the 7.0-magnitude quake hit Ya’an?

___________________________________________________________________________

The list includes 41,415 animals and plants. The IUCN says that habitat destruction, hunting and other causes threaten one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians(两栖动物).
Who is to blame?
Scientists believe that 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activity. “We are losing animals and plants at a high rate,” says Julia Marton-LefEevre, director general of the IUCN. “We need to change our behavior.” Warmer oceans and over-fishing are changing sea life. This year for the first time corals(珊瑚) made their appearance on the list. The gharial, a crocodile living in India and Nepal, has lost almost 60 percent of its population in the last 10 years. It is a victim（受害者）of habitat destruction.
Still, the news is not all bad. Thanks to efforts made to protect it, the Mauritius echo parakeet, a bird once endangered, has seen an increase in its population. “This shows that protection methods can work,” says Marton-LefEevre. “That’s the message we want to send to young people.”
In China the new reserve（保护区）itself is part of green efforts that have seen more than 2,400 nature reserves of various kinds being set up, covering more than 15 percent of the nation’s land area, official figures showed.
"The country’s natural resources(资源) have benefited from conservation," said Lei Guangchun, director of the nature reserve department of Beijing Forestry University. "It is a big increase nowadays compared with other countries." Lei said.
The total areas of China’s natural reserves have covered 1.38 million km2, which accounts for 15.4% of China’s area, higher than both the world average（平均水平） of 11% and the rate in most developed countries.
Li Zhong, an official in charge of the nature reserves office with the State Forestry Administration, thought it was important to increase investment（投资） in such reserves at all levels.

1. 1.

   What do we know about the IUCN?

   1. A.
      A union for listing animals and plants on the earth
   2. B.
      A group of volunteers who are interested in wildlife
   3. C.
      An organization concerning the protection of rare species’ survival
   4. D.
      A government made up officials, scientists and experts
2. 2.

   What can be concluded from the passage?

   1. A.
      All the protection methods can’t work.
   2. B.
      The IUCN does most of the protection.
   3. C.
      The efforts China makes has paid off.
   4. D.
      Enough is done in wildlife protection.
3. 3.

   Which of the following is not the cause of the disappearance of the animals?

   1. A.
      Bad weather
   2. B.
      Over-hunting
   3. C.
      Warmer oceans
   4. D.
      Habitat destruction
4. 4.

   Which of the sentence is NOT true?

   1. A.
      China has been paying great attention to protecting the natural resources.
   2. B.
      China has set up a lot of natural reserves.
   3. C.
      The natural reserves in China cover more than 15 percent of the nation’s land area.
   4. D.
      The rate of China’s natural reserves is lower than the average of the world.

Two weeks ago, Ruichang City in Jiangxi Province was hit by an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale(里氏震级). It killed 18 people and left hundreds homeless.

　  Earthquakes are one of the most deadly natural disasters(灾难) in the world. They happen more often than you would expect.

　  In the 24 hours after you read this, 400 to 500 earthquakes will shake the earth. You won't notice most of them because you live in a relatively(相对地) safe area or the quake is too far away or because the quake will be too small to notice.

　  Earthquakes are caused by sudden breaks in rock masses(群) deep in the earth. Rock masses are always under very high pressure. If the pressure in a certain area become too much and the rock masses break, an earthquake happens. But exactly when the rock masses reach the breaking point is a mystery(谜).

　  China is on the Eurasia(欧亚) plate, where earthquakes happen very often due to the earth's plates knocking against each other. Up to 17,139 earthquakes have taken place in China in the past 44 years, according to scientific research.

1What happened to the City of Ruichang?

A.18 people were killed in an earthquake.

B. Hundreds homeless people left the city.     

C. An earthquake ruined thousands of houses there.

D. An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale happened.       

2How many earthquakes can happen in a day in the world?

A. 24.                  B. 44.                  C. 400 to 500.                   D. 17139.

3Why does the earth quake? Because ______.

A. we live in a relatively safe area                                             

B. the pressure in the earth is too big

C. the rock masses is reaching the breaking point

D. the rock masses break suddenly deep in the earth

C

Once upon a time a woman found she was not easy to wake up in the morning as early as she wished. So she bought a beautiful alarm clock. These clocks are so made as to strike with loud whirring noise at any hour the owner pleases to set them.

The lady placed her clock at the head of the bed, and at the right time she found herself roused by the long, rattling sound.

She got up at once, and felt better all day for her early rising. This lasted for some weeks. The alarm clock faithfully did its duty, and was plainly heard so long as it was obeyed.

But, after a time, the lady grew tired of early rising. When she was waked by the noise, she merely turned over in bed, and slept again.

In a few days, the clock ceased to wake her from her sleep. It spoke just as loudly as ever; but she did not hear it, because she had been in the habit of not obeying it.

Finding that she might as well be without it, she made up her mind that when she heard the sound she would jump up.

Just so it is with conscience(自觉意识，诚意). If we will obey its voice, even in the least important things, we can always hear it, clear and strong.

But if we allow ourselves to do what we have some fears may not be quite right, we shall grow more and more sleepy, until the voice of conscience has no longer power to wake us.

4Why did the clock failed to stop to get the woman up later?

A. Because she was tired of getting up early in the morning.

B. Because she could not hear the clock any more.

C. Because she was too tired to wake up at it.

D. Because the clock stopped to do its duty.

5 Both the underlined words “whirring” and “rattling” are kinds of ______.

A. colours                        B. sounds         C. actions                   D. feelings

6 The writer mainly wants to tell us that ______.

A. we should always obey our clocks

B. the clock sometimes can’t wake us up as we wish 

C. It is conscience that ensures early rising not the clock

D. The voice of conscience has no longer power to wake us.

Amy was a dear little girl, but she was too ready to waste time in getting ready to do her tasks, instead of doing them at once as she ought to.

In the village in which she lived, Mr. Thornton kept a store where he sold fruit of all kinds, including berries in their season. One day he said to Amy, whose parents were quite poor, “Would you like to earn some money?”

“Oh, yes, ” replied she, “for I want some new shoes, and papa has no money to buy them with.”

“Well, Amy,” said Mr. Thornton, “I noticed some fine, ripe blackberries in Mr. Green’s field today, and he said that anybody was welcome to them. I will pay you thirteen cents a quart(度量单位) for all you will pick for me.”

Amy was delighted at the thought of earning some money; so she ran home to get a basket, intending to go immediately to pick the berries.

Then she thought she would like to know how much money she would get if she picked five quarts. With the help of her slate(书写板) and pencil, she found out that she would get sixty-five cents.

“But supposing I should pick a dozen quarts,” thought she, “how much should I earn then?” “Dear me!” she said, after figuring(测算) a while, “I should earn a dollar and fifty-six cents.”

Amy then found out what Mr. Thornton would pay her for fifty, a hundred, and two hundred quarts. It took her some time to do this, and then it was so near dinner time that she had to stay at home until afternoon.

As soon as dinner was over, she took her basket and hurried to the field. Some boys had been there before dinner, and all the ripe berries were picked. She could not find enough to fill a quarter of a quart.

As Amy went home, she thought of what her teacher had often told her---“Do your task at once; then think about it,” for “One doer is worth a hundred dreamers.”

7How many times did Amy figure with her slate?

   A. 3.                               B. 4.                         C. 5.                     D. 6. 

8The underlined sentence may mean “______”.

A. she got ready to waste some time to do her tasks

B. she thought it was a waste of time to do her tasks

C. she liked to waste time when should do her tasks immediately

D. she was not ready to get her tasks ready, and it’s a waste of time

9What can we infer from the story?

A. Amy’s family was very poor.

B. Amy was good at counting with a slate.  

C. Mr. Thornton was the richest person in the village.

D. Amy would learn a better lesson from this affair than from school.        

10 The best title of the passage may be “_____”.

A. The Money Amy Did Not Earn               

B. The Girl Did Not Like To Waste Time    

C. Amy, A Good Student To her Teachers

D. A Poor Girl Wanted To Earn Some Money