Japan Earthquake and Tsunami(海嘯)：How to Help
For readers interested in contributing to help victims of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan and the Pacific region，here is a list of contact information and links for some agencies that plan to provide relief.
THE JAPAN CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
The Japan Center for International Exchange has set up the Japan NGO Earthquake Relief and Recovery Fund.Half of the money raised will go to support six Japanese NGOs currently at work in the disaster area and half will be retained to support the longer term recovery.
AMERICAN RED CROSS
Red Cross officials say donors can text REDCROSS to 90999 and a $10 donation will automatically be charged to donors’ phone bill，or donations can be made directly on its Web site.
B’NAI B’RITH INTERNATIONAL
To help the victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami，donate online on the group’s secure Web site.
Or，by mail to：B’nai B’rith International Disaster Relief Fund，Attn：Japan Earthquake,2020 K Street，NW,7th Floor，Washington，D.C.,20006.
Or by phone：800­573­9057
CARE
CARE is one of the world’s largest private international humanitarian organizations.Their offices in Asia are on high alert(警戒) and have ensured that staff are informed of the tsunami warnings and other related developments.(Updated information on CARE’s work in Japan is available here.)
GLOBALGIVING.ORG
GlobalGiving is working with International Medical Corps，Save the Children，and other organizations on the ground to disburse(支付) funds to organizations providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami.Donors can text JAPAN to 50555 to give$10，and larger donations can be submitted on GlobalGiving’s Web site.
THE SALVATION ARMY
The Salvation Army has been providing food and shelter to Tokyo commuters(每日往返上班者) who were stranded when public transportation was interrupted by the earthquake.They are to send a team to Sendai，a city about 250 miles away from Tokyo，to assess the situation there.Text JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888 to make a $10 donation.(Make sure to respond “YES” to the thank­you message you receive.) Donations can also be made on the organization’s Web site or by calling 1­800­SAL­ARMY.
小題1:If you want to make donations to the victims by phone，you can text REDCROSS to ________.

A．90999	B．80888
C．50555	D．20006

小題2:What do we know about CARE from the text?

A．It opened a Person Finder Page online.

B．It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization.

C．It raised much money to support six Japanese NGOs.

D．It warned its staff in Asia of the danger of tsunami.

小題3:Which group can provide food and shelter?

A．THE SALVATION ARMY.

B．GLOBALGIVING.ORG.

C．B’NAI B’RITH INTERNATIONAL.

D．AMERICAN RED CROSS.

小題4:The underlined word “stranded” in the last paragraph can be replaced by “________”．

A．a(chǎn)bandoned	B．seperated
C．crashed	D．delayed

British author JK Rowling was at the release of her latest Harry Potter book called “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” at the Natural History Museum in London, Friday July 20, 2007.
J.K. Rowling has been spotted at cafes in Scotland working on a detective novel, a British newspaper reported Saturday.
The Sunday Times newspaper quoted Ian Rankin, a fellow author and neighbor of Rowling's, as saying the creator of the "Harry Potter" books is turning to crime fiction.
"My wife spotted her writing her Edinburgh criminal detective novel," the newspaper quoted Rankin as telling a reporter at an Edinburgh literary festival.
"It is great that she has not abandoned writing or Edinburgh cafes," said Rankin, who is known for his own police novels set in the historic Scottish city.
Rowling famously wrote initial drafts of the Potter story in the Scottish city's cafes. Back then, she was a struggling single mother who wrote in cafes to save on the heating bill at home.
Now she's Britain's richest woman - worth $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine - and her seven Potter books have sold more than 335 million copies worldwide.
In an interview with The Associated Press last month, Rowling said she believed she was unlikely to repeat the success of the Potter series, but confirmed she had plans to work on new books.
"I'll do exactly what I did with Harry - I'll write what I really want to write," Rowling said.
小題1: What is JK Rowling famous for?

A. detective novels

B. crime fiction

C. Harry Potter books

D. love stories

小題2: Which of the following is Not rue about Ian Rankin?

A. He is a writer famous for police novels.

B. Most of the stories in his novels happened in the historic Scottish city.

C. It was Rankin himself who witnessed JK Rowing writing her Edinburgh criminal detective novels.

D. He told the British newspaper The Sunday Times about JK Rowling’s novels.

小題3: Why did Rowling like to write the “Harry Potter stories” in the cafes?

A. Because she was a romantic woman and the atmosphere in the cafes gave her lots of inspiration.

B. Because she was a single mother at that time and she wanted to find a husband there.

C. Because her children were so naughty at home and she had to go to a quiet place for her writing.

D. Because she thought that writing in a cafes could help her save some money.

小題4: What can we learn from the passage?

A. The seven Harry Potter series made JK Rowling a success.

B. JK Rowling had made enough money so she decided to stop writing.

C. Rowling planned to write new books because Harry Potter was not exactly what she wanted.

D. Ian Rankin and his wife earned money by telling reporters news about JK Rowling.

小題5:  What is the best title for the passage?

A. Harry Potter and JK Rowing	B. Ian Rankin, A Neighbour of JK Rowling
C. A Successful Woman JK Rowling	D. JK Rowling writing Detective Novels

Three Central Texas men were honored with the Texas Department of Public Safety's Director's Award in a Tuesday morning ceremony for their heroism in saving the victims of a serious two­car accident.
The accident occurred on March 25 when a vehicle lost control while traveling on rain­soaked State Highway 6 near Baylor Camp Road. It ran into an oncoming vehicle, leaving the occupants trapped inside as both vehicles burst into flames.
Bonge was the first on the scene and heard children screaming. He broke through a back window and pulled Mallory Smith, 10, and her sister, Megan Smith, 9, from the wreckage.
The girl's mother, Beckie Smith, was not with them at the time of the wreck, as they were traveling with their body sitter, Lisa Bowbin.
Beckie Smith still remembers the sickening feeling she had upon receiving the call informing her of the wreck and the despair as she drove to the scene.
Bozeman and Clemmons arrived shortly after Bonge and helped rescue the other victims and attempted to put out the fires.
“I was nervous，”Bozeman said. “I don't feel like I'm a hero. I was just doing what anyone should do in that situation. I hope someone would do the same for me.”
Everyone at the accident made it out alive, with the victims suffering from nonlife­threatening injuries. Mallory Smith broke both femurs, and Megan had neck and back injuries. Bowbin is still recovering from a broken pelvis, ankle and foot.
The rescuers also were taken to the hospital and treated for cuts and smoke breathing, Bonge said.
In addition, Bozeman got to meet accident victim Anthony Russo in the hospital after the accident, where Russo presented him with a glass frame inscribed with “Thank you”， Bozeman said. Those involved in that fateful encounter on Highway 6 credited God blessing for bringing them together.
“Whatever the circumstances, Tuesday's ceremony provided a time to be grateful for those who put their lives on the line for the lives of complete strangers，”Beckie Smith said，“We're calling it The Miracle on Highway 6.”
小題1:What's the main idea of the passage?

A．Three persons were awarded for rescuing victims in a car accident.

B．Three ordinary people were regarded as great heroes.

C．Several victims were carried to safety from the burning cars.

D．A car accident occurred on rain­soaked State Highway 6.

小題2:Who saved Megan Smith from the damaged car?

A．Clemmons.

B．Anthony Russo.

C．Bozeman.

D．Bonge.

小題3:Which of the following can be used to describe Bozeman?

A．Kind.

B．Modest.

C．Excited.

D．Smart.

小題4:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Luckily, no one received too serious injuries in the accident.

B．All the victims received slight injuries in the accident.

C．The rescuers were taken to the hospital to visit the victims.

D．The injured will soon recover from their injuries.

小題5:It can be inferred from what Beckie Smith said that____.

A．she regarded the accident as a wonder

B．she was frightened by the serious accident

C．she thought highly of the rescuers

D．she called on others to learn from the rescuers

  US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is likely to visit China at an “appropriate” time this year, a senior Chinese military official said on Monday. Colonel Tu Qiming, director of the American and Oceania Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Office at the National Defense Ministry, made the remark during Sino-US defense talks this week. This is the first ever “special defense policy ?dialogue” between the two defense ministries, according to the Chinese military.
●●●
FRANCES Agriculture Ministry has confirmed(證實(shí))the first case of mad cow disease detected in a goat last Friday. The goat killed in 2002 tested positive for mad cow disease. It is the first case in the world of the fatal disease being found in an animal other than a bovine. The human form of mad cow disease causes brain-wasting, personality change, loss of body function, and ends in death. The European Commission has not advised any change in farming and consuming goats, said the French Ministry in a statement published last Friday.
●●●
MOBILE phone sales hit a new record in 2010, with some 684 million units sold around the world, the US research institute Strategy Analytics said on Thursday. The number represents an increase of 32 per cent over 2003, when 571 million units were sold. Strategy Analytics predicts a more modest rise of 8 per cent for this year, to 735 million. Finnish cell phone provider Nokia stayed out in front in 2010, with sales of 207.6 million units, giving it a market share of 30.4 per cent. Motorola moved to No 2, just ahead of the South Korean company Samsung.
●●●
SIX male penguins(雄企鵝)at a German zoo are proving stubbornly resistant to females brought in from Sweden to make them into breeding(繁殖).Of the ten male penguins at the zoo, six have formed into “homosexual” couples and have shown no interest in the females, making breeding an impossibility. So the zoo imported the four female penguins from Sweden last month, full of hope that the new arrivals could “turn” the males. But so far, the boys are remaining strictly with the boys.
小題1: How many countries are mentioned in the pieces of news?

A．Six.

B．Five.

C．Three.

D．Seven.

小題2:  Which will probably reach the sales of 735 million units in 2010?

A．Nokia.

B．Motorola.

C．Samsung.

D．Cell phones.

小題3:  From the fourth piece of news we know that_________.

A．the scientists haven’t succeeded in doing their experiment

B．the scientists have successfully got six female penguins into breeding.

C．the Sweden girls made the boys show interest in them

D．German boys don’t like Sweden boys

小題4: Which of the following are the suitable headlines for the pieces of news?

A．a(chǎn). US Defense Secretary Visit Likely b. France Confirms “Mad Goat Case” c. Mobile Phone Sales d. Male Penguins and Female Penguins

B．a(chǎn). US Defense Secretary Visit Likely b. France Confirms “Mad Goat Case” c. Nokia Stays on Top d. Birds of a Feather

C．a(chǎn). Defense Policy Dialogue b. Mad Goat Disease c. Mobile Phone Sales d. Importing Female Penguins

D．a(chǎn). Sino-US Talks b. Mad Goat Case

c. Motorola’s Sales Reduced          d. Boys and Girls

Did you see American figure skater, Jeremy Abbott, crash to the ice during the short program at the Sochi Olympics, rolling into the wall, clutching his side in pain. Ten seconds later, he got up and continued his skate—despite the pain, embarrassment and fear. All I could think was: this kid’s got courage. In business we have a word for it—resilience, the ability to gain strengths and confidence from overcoming unpleasant events.

However, opposite examples appeared in Sochi Olympics as well. For them, failure is someone else’s fault, because they do not accept personal responsibility. Therefore, they have to pay a high price for this attitude. After years of studying failure, I have learned one thing: modesty and open-mindedness in the face of mistakes is the single best thing you can do to improve results. Everyone fails, but not everyone recovers from failure. The key is to learn from it rather than get beaten by it.
The good news is that each of us has the potential to live a resilient life on and off the job. It may be difficult, but that just makes it all the more powerful and important. If you believe the above paragraph to be true, then you’re probably more resilient than you think you are. It takes confidence to be resilient but that too much confidence is a killer is so true of leadership. For example, Ron Johnson, the ill-fated CEO of JC Penney, was so stubborn that he completely missed all sorts of signals from employees and customers and instead listened to all those who agreed with him, which failed his strategy. Bouncing back from failure requires that you recognize something has gone wrong, and you were the one who made it happen.
The challenge of resilience is not just about our work. When parents help their kids deal with every challenging situation, they are doing an unhelpful action to their children. Parents want to protect their kids from failure, but doing so takes away the opportunity from them to practice not just a life skill but an essential work skill. When self-esteem becomes more important than results, we are accidently training young people to become less adaptable, not more.
Resilience is not just about getting up off the floor, but also being ready for whatever comes next, even when you don’t know what it is. Failures and setbacks are no longer unusual events, but regular features of a dynamic, competitive and highly demanding work environment. Getting up to finish your skate is no longer optional.
小題1:The example of Jeremy Abbott shows that one should ______.

A．recover from failure	B．stick to his own viewpoint
C．take others’ opinions to heart	D．challenge difficulties bravely

小題2:According to the author, what can best build up resilience?

A．Being positive and powerful.

B．Being competitive and helpful.

C．Being modest and open-minded.

D．Being confident and responsible.

小題3:Which of the following examples shows us resilience?

A．A teacher offers students timely help and care.

B．A determined athlete practices skating hard every day.

C．A confident leader persuades his staff to follow his plan.

D．A student has got a low grade but continues to work hard.

小題4:Which might be the best title for the passage?

A．An Example of Resilience: Ron Johnson

B．Resilience: A Lesson from Sochi

C．Optional Challenges of Resilience

D．Resilience in Family Education

A team of British surgeons has carried out Gaza’s（加沙）first organ transplants for a long-term plan to train local medical staff to perform the operations.
Two patients underwent kidney（腎臟）transplants at the Shifa, Gaza’s biggest public hospital. The operations were conducted a fortnight ago by a volunteer medical team from the Royal Liverpool hospital.
Ziad Matouk, 42, was born with one kidney and was diagnosed with renal failure（腎衰竭）several years ago. Matouk, whose wife donated one of her kidneys, hopes to return to his job within six months. The couple had sought a transplant in Cairo, but were rejected as unsuitable at a state hospital and could not afford the fee at a private hospital. “We were desperate,” said Matouk.
The UK-Gaza link-up began about a year ago after Abdelkader Hammad, a doctor at the Royal Liverpool hospital, was contacted by an anaesthetist（麻醉師）at the Shifa, who outlined the difficulties the Gaza hospital was facing with dialysis（透析）. The Shifa is forced to rely on generators because of power cuts; spare parts for its ageing dialysis machines have been difficult to import; and supplies of consumables are often scarce. After an exploratory trip last April, Hammad---whose family is Palestinian---and three colleagues from Liverpool arrived in Gaza via Egypt last month, bringing specialist equipment. Two patients were selected for surgery. The first, Mohammed Duhair, 42, received a kidney donated by his younger brother in a six-hour operation. Two days later, Matouk received a transplant after his wife, Nadia, 36, was found to be a good match. The surgeon was carried out by the British team, assisted by doctors and nurses from the Shifa. “We are very satisfied with the results,” said Sobbi Skaik, head of surgery at the Gaza hospital.
Skaik hopes that Gaza medical teams will eventually carry out kidney transplants independently, and that other organ transplants may follow. The Shifa is working with the Gaza ministry of health on a plan to train its doctors, surgeons, nursing staff and laboratory technicians in transplant surgery at the Royal Liverpool. “Funding is a problem,” said Hammad. “In the meantime we’ll go back as volunteers to Gaza for the next couple of years to do more transplants.” The Liverpool team’s next visit is scheduled for May.
小題1:What effect does Gaza’s first organ transplants hopes to get?

A．Helping poor Gaza people to regain health to make more money.

B．Releasing Gaza hospitals’ pressure of lack of professional doctors.

C．Assisting the Royal Liverpool hospital in perfecting their operations.

D．Calling for international attention at Gaza’s poor medical service.

小題2:Why did the state hospital refuse to practice surgeon for Ziad Matouk?

A．Because he couldn’t afford the fee at a public hospital.

B．Because the hospital didn’t accept dangerous patients.

C．Because they couldn’t find a matched organ.

D．Because his condition was untreatable.

小題3:What is the beginning of the cooperation between the Royal Liverpool hospital and Gaza?

A．A UK doctor contacted Gaza hospital.

B．The Shifa imported medical machines from UK.

C．Ziad Matouk’s condition seemed to get worse.

D．A Shifa doctor turned to Royal Liverpool hospital for help.

小題4:What did Dr. Hammad and his team do recently?

A．They had an exploratory trip in Egypt last April.

B．They carried out surgeries to test Gaza’s medical equipment.

C．They carried out two transplant surgeries in Gaza.

D．They sought assistance from the hospital of the Shifa.

An 11-year-old boy who has been compared to Spanish Impressionist (印象派畫(huà)家), the great Pablo Picasso, is holding his first exhibition at Llangollen’s Gardening Show this weekend.
Hamad al-Humaidhan, who was born in Kuwait but now lives in Bath, Britain, had no previous knowledge of art history when he first picked up a brush.
But he began to paint his favourite football player, Cristiano Ronaldo, using Picasso’s trademarks (標(biāo)志) —bright colours and impressionistic forms.
His father said, "I’ve got lots of books about Picasso and I showed them to Hamad but he didn’t know anything about Picasso —it’s just naturally the way he sees it and he just loves to paint."
His first painting of Ronaldo, done when he was just nine, was sold at auction (拍賣(mài)) in Bath for ￡650, which drew the attention of local art businessman Steve Turner. "A colleague sent me some pictures of Hamad’s work and I just couldn’t believe the size of it and how the colours blended (融合) together," he said. "He had talent and I thought Picasso had been reborn.""I’ve shown his work to private art collectors. They liked them very much and everyone was eager to buy, so the first six paintings have been snapped up. I bought two of them myself. The next set of his works will go on show for the first time at Llangollen, which will be the first opportunity for the public to see his amazing talent."
Hamad enjoys maths at school but ranks painting higher. "I think I prefer painting! It makes me relaxed and when I feel tired I just pick up a paint brush," he said. "I just close my eyes and see how it’s going to look and then I just paint it —I paint every day. I just love the colours and I want people to enjoy my paintings."
Now Hamad is nervously waiting for the opening of his exhibition.
小題1:What is the text mainly about?

A．Hamad’s painting exhibition.

B．Hamad and his talent for painting.

C．The popularity of Hamad’s works.

D．The similarities between Hamad and Picasso.

小題2:From the text, we can learn that Hamad ________.

A．began to learn painting when he was a boy

B．has read many books about art history

C．likes Cristiano Ronaldo very much

D．knows a lot about Picasso

小題3:According to the text, Hamad’s first painting of Ronal-do ________.

A．has bright colours and impressionistic forms

B．was bought by Steve Turner

C．was completed five years ago

D．is his favourite work

小題4: What does the underlined phrase "snapped up"in the fifth paragraph probably mean?

A．Shown to the public.

B．Bought very quickly.

C．Cleaned up.

D．Hung up.

小題5:What can we learn from the text?

A．Steve Turner speaks very highly of Hamad.

B．Hamad prefers maths to painting.

C．Hamad’s works will be sold after the show.

D．The public can see all Hamad’s paintings at the show.