Four million children are caught up in the war in Syria. Thirteen-year-old Rabia is one of them. Tall and thin, she sits shaking in a yellow T-shirt at the Al Marj settlement, close to the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Home for Rabia was once a two-story house near Damascus. Now it is a tent shared with her nine family members.
Rabia’s face is covered with dirt, and she is tired and cold. She has just finished work, picking up potatoes that fell from a truck. Her typical day starts at 4 a.m., and she works a double shift that lasts about 16 hours, putting potatoes into bags. The only choice for her is that she can choose the first eight hours or the second eight hours. For this, she gets paid about $8 a day.
Working means Rabia misses school. Back in her village, she was the best in her class and good at everything. Her favorite subjects were Arabic literature and math. But, like many children now living in the settlements—there are no official refugee （難民）camps in Lebanon —that was Rabia’s old life. Life before war, before her family moved five times to escape the bombs, before leaving behind her bedroom, her toys and her friends without packing a bag, before “half the people I know”were dead.
The old life was full of laughter with her sister, Wala. But Wala, 14, got married two days ago to an 18-year-old Lebanese. Rabia is happy for her sister. Life in the settlement is tough— the children have nowhere to play, the bathing is poor and sexual abuse is out of control. You can’t blame parents —often confused, illiterate （不識字的）and poor—who want to marry off their daughters. They fear for their safety.
Increasing numbers of Rabia’s girlfriends are getting married. Once in rural Syria, a girl got married at 16. According to UNICEF, the age is now dropping to 12 or 13. It is no secret that Lebanese men want to marry Syrian refugee girls, who work hard and don’t ask for anything.
小題1:Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?

A．A news report.	B．A book review.
C．A history book.	D．A travel magazine.

小題2:The underlined word “shift”in Para. 3 probably refers to _____.

A．the extra task	B．the low pay
C．the potato factory.	D．the working period

小題3:The writer's purpose for writing Para. 4 is to ________.

A．present the dream of Rabia	B．show the damage of the war
C．predict the future of Syrian girls	D．compare the life before war and now

小題4:Why are so many young Syrian girls getting married?

A．They have no good friends to play with.

B．They want money from the husband family.

C．Their parents are worried about their safety.

D．Their parents are confused，illiterate and poor.

Nelson Mandela is respected and admired across the world. And to South Africans he is a superstar. He is a hero who shocked the world by fighting for peace between races(種族), despite the 27 years he spent in the prison of the South Africa’s white, racist government.
Mandela who won the nation’s first all-race elections in 1994, retired 1999. But he remains as popular as ever.
“He’s loved by all people, whether you’re while or black, whether you’re young or old,” said Ali Bacher, South Africa’s famous cricket (板球) athlete.
His popularity has inspired an entire national industry. His portrait(肖像) has appeared at many places, including on some goods. His face has appeared on a South African coin and some business leaders hope to build a statue(雕像) for him --- the Statue of Freedom. It would stand taller than New York’s Statue of Liberty.
His popularity is similar to that of John F. Kennedy with US or Winston Churchill in Britain, but few politicians in this times have achieved his level of admiration, said Tom Lodge, head of the political science department of the University of the Witwatersrand.
“Sometimes it isn’t completely appreciated what a skilled performer Mandela has been throughout his political career. He’s a very, very clever man.”
“Through the ages, the human race has had its icons --- men and women who rose above ordinary people to inspire their generations,” The Mail and Guardian Weekly said. “In our generation, the gods presented us Nelson Mandela.”
小題1:Nelson Mandela is loved by all the people of South Africa because ________.

A．he’s as popular as Kennedy and Churchill

B．he has kept in prison for 27 years

C．he’s a great fighter against the racialism

D．he’s the first all-race elections president

小題2: Which of the following statements about Mandela’s portrait is true?

A．It helps develop business.

B．It appears on the Statue of Freedom.

C．It is used to raise money for the Statue of Freedom.

D．It is similar to that of John F. Kennedy or Winston Churchill.

小題3:The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means “________.”

A．Mandela is as great as a god

B．We are proud to live in Mandela’s time

C．Mandela lives together with us all

D．We are proud to know Mandela.

Cultural Center Adds Classes for Young Adults
The Allendale Cultural Center has expanded its arts program to include classes for young adults. Director Leah Martin announced Monday that beginning in September, three new classes will be offered to the Allendale community. The course titles will be Yoga for Teenagers; Hip Hop Dance: Learning the Latest Moves; and Creative Journaling for Teens: Discovering the Writer Within. The latter course will not be held at the Allendale Cultural Center but instead will meet at the Allendale Public Library.
Staff member Tricia Cousins will teach the yoga and hip hop classes. Ms. Cousins is an accomplished choreographer (舞蹈教師) as well as an experienced dance educator. She has an MA in dance education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she wrote a thesis on the pedagogical (教學(xué)法的) effectiveness of dance education. The journaling class will be taught by Betsy Milford. Ms. Milford is the head librarian at the Allendale Public Library as well as a columnist for the professional journal Library Focus.
The courses are part of the Allendale Cultural Center’s Project Teen, which was initiated by Leah Martin, Director of the Cultural Center. According to Martin, this project is a direct result of her efforts to make the center a more essential part of the Allendale community. Over the last several years, the number of people who have visited the cultural center for classes or events has steadily declined. Project Teen is primarily funded by a generous grant from The McGee Arts Foundation, an organization devoted to bringing arts programs to young adults. Martin oversees the Project Teen board, which consists of five board members. Two board members are students at Allendale’s Brookdale High School; the other three are adults with backgrounds in education and the arts.
The creative journaling class will be cosponsored by Brookdale High School, and students who complete the class will be given the opportunity to publish one of their journal entries in Pulse, Brookdale’s student literary magazine. Students who complete the hip hop class will be eligible to participate in the Allendale Review, an annual concert sponsored by the cultural center that features local actors, musicians, and dancers. All classes are scheduled to begin immediately following school dismissal, and transportation will be available from Brookdale High School to the Allendale Cultural Center and the Allendale Public Library. For more information about Project Teen, contact the cultural center’s programming office at 988-0099 or drop by the office after June 1 to pick up a fall course catalog. The office is located on the third floor of the Allendale Town Hall.
小題1:Which of the following statements is correct? 

A．Tricia Cousins will teach two of the new classes.

B．The new classes will begin on June 1.

C．People who want a complete fall catalogue should stop by the Allendale Public Library.

D．The cultural center’s annual concert is called Pulse.

小題2:According to Leah Martin, what was the direct cause of Project Teen?

A．Tricia Cousins was available to teach courses in the fall.

B．Community organizations were ignoring local teenagers.

C．The McGee Arts Foundation wanted to be more involved in Allendale’s arts programming.

D．She wanted to make the cultural center a more important part of the Allendale community.

小題3:Which of the following factors is implied as another reason for Project Teen?

A．The number of people visiting the cultural center has declined over the last several years.

B．The cultural center wanted a grant from The McGee Arts Foundation.

C．The young people of Allendale have complained about the cultural center’s offerings.

D．Leah Martin thinks classes for teenagers are more important than classes for adults.

小題4:This article is organized in which of the following ways?

A．In time order, from the past to the future.

B．Most important information first, followed by background and details.

C．Background first, followed by the most important information and details.

D．As sensational news, with the most controversial topic first.

MUMBAI, India —The children in their party clothes on the stage were very excited when they received the award. And the two of them said, "It’s unbelievable!"
Nine-year-old, Rubina Ali, and Azharuddin Ismail, 10, were living a very different life and obviously loving every minute of it. The two, some of the child stars of the Oscar-winning Slum dog Millionaire(《貧民窟的百萬富翁》)movie, know the Indian slums very well. That was where they grew up, and it is where they will return at the end of their Hollywood dream trip.
But before going back home, there was an interview with the host, Ryan Seacrest. During the interview they smiled and repeated their disbelief in what was happening to them. To their surprise, their movie won first place in the Oscars. When the two received the award, it was late morning in the children’s home city of Mumbai, where family, friends and many fellow residents of the slums watched the result from Hollywood.
"I don’t really know what the Oscars are," Rubina’s mother said. "I’m just glad my daughter looks happy, though she told me she missed Indian food."
"Our children lead a dog’s life," Rubina’s mother said, pointing out the rubbish everywhere, the open drains (下水道) and the lack of education opportunities.
In a few days they will be back in Mumbai and back in the slums which are their home. Fortunately, according to media reports, the movie’s director, Danny Boyle, has promised to help the children chosen from the slum and make sure they will go to a proper school.
The two don’t need to worry about their daily lives because of the Oscar success of Slum dog Millionaire. But the poverty and lack of opportunity —the central theme of the movie—is always all around.
小題1:Which of the following is NOT true about the two children?

A．They were the only two child stars in the movie, Slum dog Millionaire.

B．They had been having a difficult life in India.

C．They were interviewed before they went back home.

D．They were both excited about receiving the award.

小題2:What can we infer from the text?

A．The two children have played in other movies before.

B．Rubina may not get used to the American food.

C．Rinoms’s mother also went to the Hollywood.

D．They will travel to other countries before returning home.

小題3:What will happen to the two children after they return to India?

A．They will go back to the miserable life.

B．They will play in movies as famous actors.

C．They will have a better education.

D．They will leave school to learn acting.

小題4:According to the author, the value of the movie is that ________.

A．it has been given an Oscar Award

B．it has made the two children famous

C．its central theme has become known to the public

D．it has become popular all over the world

At East China University of Science and Technology, students will get a coupon(優(yōu)惠券)if they eat up their food. Students can collect coupons and exchange them for small gifts, such as books, magazines, mobile phone covers and hand warmers.
“It's been such a surprise,” said Liang Zhaoyun, 19, a student at the university in Shanghai. “It has given us one more motivation to finish our food.”
The measure is part of a national "eat-up" campaign(行動)which is organized by students to deal with food waste on campuses(校園).
Why only on campuses, you might ask? Because according to a report by Xinhua News Agency, students waste twice as much food as the national average(平均).
The campaign on campus food waste is receiving attention across the country. “The aim of the campaign is not only to encourage students to finish their food. We hope it can also encourage students to choose a more environment-friendly and healthy lifestyle,” said Tao Siliang, secretary of the Youth League Committee at Shanghai University.
But some school food is poorly prepared, so students do not like to finish it all. Some schools have taken notice of this and they are taking measures to improve it.
"I'm glad that we've reduced food waste since ‘eat-up’ campaign began. But if we call on students to waste less food, we should also improve the service and food standard on campuses.” said Tao.
小題1:From Paragraph 1, we know that the student will get a coupon____________.

A．when they eat school food	B．a(chǎn)fter they exchange gifts
C．if they collect the waste	D．if they finish all their food

小題2:The underlined word “motivation" in Paragraph 2 means____________ in Chinese.

A．動力

B．機(jī)會

C．試驗(yàn)

D．條件

小題3:The "eat-up" campaign is carried out on campuses because____________.

A．students get a good education	B．schools offer small gifts
C．students waste too much food	D．school food is more delicious

小題4:The purpose of the campaign is mainly to____________.

A．improve the school food standard

B．encourage a greener and healthier lifestyle

C．receive attention from the society

D．further improve the service in universities

The Galapagos Islands are in the Pacific Ocean, off the western coast of South America They are a rocky, lonely spot, but they are also one of the most unusual places in the world.  One reason is that they are the home of some of the last giant tortoises（烏龜）left on earth.
Weighing hundreds of pounds, these tortoises go slowly around the rocks and sand of the islands.  Strangely, each of these islands has its own particular kinds of tortoises.  There are seven different kinds of tortoises on the eight islands, and each kind is slightly different from the other.
Hundreds of years ago, thousands of tortoises were around these islands.  However, all that changed when people started landing there.  When people first arrived in 1535, crews would seize as many tortoises as they could. They would roll the tortoises onto their backs when they were brought onto the ships. The tortoises were completely helpless once on their backs, so they could only lie there until used for soups and stews.  Almost 100,000 tortoises were carried off in this way.
The tortoises faced other problems, too. Soon after the first ships, settlers arrived, bringing pigs, goats, donkeys, dogs and cats. A11 0f these animals ruined life for the tortoises. Donkeys and goats ate all the plants that the tortoises usually fed on, while the pigs, dogs and cats ate thousands of baby tortoises each year. Within a few years, it was hard to find any tortoise eggs-or even any baby tortoises.
Finally, in the 1950s, scientists decided that something must be done. The first part of their plan was to remove as many cats, dogs and other animals as they could from the islands. Next, they tried to make sure that more baby tortoises would be born; This slow, hard work continues today, and, thanks to it, the number of tortoises is now increasing every year. Perhaps these wonderful animals will not disappear after all
小題1:What can we learn from Paragraph i?

A．The Galapagos Islands are the biggest islands in the Pacific Ocean

B． The giant tortoises have all left the Galapagos Islands already.

C．The giant tortoises made the Galapagos Islands unusual places.

D．People have built many homes for the giant tortoises on the islands.

小題2:What is special about the tortoises according to Paragraph 2?

A．They weigh hundreds of pounds.

B．They move around very slowly.

C．There are different kinds of tortoises.

D．They are larger than the ones in other places.

小題3:What happened first?

A．Sailors took tortoises aboard the ships.

B．Scientists decided to take measures to protect the tortoises.

C．Pigs, dogs and cats ate many baby tortoises.

D．Settlers brought other as to the islands.

小題4: What happened soon after people brought animals to the islands?

A．Tortoise eggs were kept in safe containers.

B．The animals ate the tortoises' food and eggs.

C．The tortoises continued to wander freely.

D．The tortoises fought against the other animals.

小題5: What's the result of the scientists' effort?

A．The tortoises began to disappear gradually.

B．The number of tortoises began to decrease

C．Scientists took away other animals off the islands.

D．There are more and more giant tortoises on the islands.

QINGDAO--Water and power supplies have been restored in the East Chinese city of Qingdao, the site of an oil pipeline explosion on Friday, the local government said on Monday.
Crude oil began leaking（泄漏）from the pipeline at 3:00 an Friday in Qingdao in Shandong province. The valves（閥門）of the Huangdao oil warehouse were shut about 15 minutes later.
The oil spill（泄漏的石油）then flowed into the city’s rainwater pipe network, which empties into Jiaozhou Bay. Explosions occurred at two locations around 10:30 am Friday when workers were clearing the spill.
According to the local government, about 85 percent of public heating and 90 percent of the gas supply were also brought back to normal as of Monday.
Residents who have been taken to the temporary settlements are receiving bottled water and bread.
Many schools and kindergartens have reopened classes after Friday’s oil pipeline explosion. No injures and deaths of students or teachers have been reported following the explosions at an underground pipeline operated by Sinopec. The school buildings of one middle school in the district were seriously damaged during the explosions. Education authorities have arranged psychological help for students and teaching staff. All other 18 schools and kindergartens in the district reopened classes on Monday.
As of Monday noon, the death toll from the explosion had risen to 55, with 9 people still missing and 136 hospitalized. According to local police, 49 bodied have been identified so far, and 42 of them were male victims. As of Monday morning, the blood supply in Qingdao was enough for the injured after more than 950 people in the city donated more than 340,000 ml of blood in the wake of the incident.
小題1:The underlined word “restored” in the first paragraph probable means “     ”.

A．cut

B．destroyed

C．recovered

D．repaired

小題2:Explosions happened when       .

A．workers were cleaning the spill

B．valves of the oil warehouse were shut

C．the oil spill flowed into the city’s water network

D．crude oil began to leak from an underground pipeline

小題3:We can learn that by Monday noon the deaths in the explosion reached at least       .

A．64

B．49

C．55

D．42

小題4:We can learn from the passage that         .

A．everything was brought back to normal right after the explosion

B．no measures were taken to help the suffering people out of trouble

C．no more dead body was found after Monday noon

D．a(chǎn)ll the 19 schools in the district were affected by the explosion

XI’AN – China has introduced various emergency responses and long-term measures against air pollution in the central and eastern regions.
The air quality index (AQI) for Xi’an reached 500 on Wednesday afternoon, at the top of the AQI scale, according to the national air quality monitoring website. Xi’an weather forecasters predict the smog (霧霾) will continue for the next week and air pollution may worsen.
“I have to keep buying masks for my family,” said Liu, buying masks at a pharmacy (藥店) near her home in downtown Xi’an. “This is the only thing we can do to protect ourselves.”
On Wednesday, a city government emergency response plan was put into action, suspending all construction and taking at least 50 percent of government vehicles off the road. Power plants must limit their output and reduce emissions.
Nearly half the country, more than 100 cities in 20 provinces, has suffered from smog since last December. Many have taken action, including experimenting with artificial methods to reduce smog, limiting vehicle use and fining polluters.
Assessments based on GDP alone were abandoned last month and more emphasis has been put on public well-being and the environment. Whether the move will be effective in forcing local governments consider environmental issues over economic growth remains to be seen. Environmental protection professionals are doubtful about the immediacy of the effects of these measures.
Xiao Hang, an urban researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it took London 50 years to lose the moniker (綽號) “foggy London town”, and Los Angeles still struggles to control its photochemical (光化學(xué)) smog. “We can’t ignore environmental problems during the development process and China has a long way to go,” he said.
小題1:What would be the best title for the article?

A．AQI for Xi’an reached 500

B．Smog crisis tries the limits of people’s patience

C．Smoggy Chinese cities to clear the air

D．Dust masks become hot sellers

小題2:The underlined word “suspending” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by ________.

A．encouraging

B．stopping

C．continuing

D．expanding

小題3:We can infer from the article that _________.

A．China is the only country suffering from smog

B．environmental professionals believe the air quality will soon be improved with these measures

C．a(chǎn)ssessments based on GDP alone were harmful to environmental protection

D．Xi’an was the most polluted city in China

小題4:What Xiao Hang said indicates _____________.

A．London still has serious air pollution after 50 years of effort

B．the development of China is more important

C．solving environmental problems requires great effort

D．it’s normal for China to have environmental problems

A middle school student ,who jumped into the hot seat when his school bus driver passed out on the way to class this morning is being praised as a "quick thinker" for leading the bus. and 15 other students .to safety. Seventh grader Jeremy Wuitschick is being praised by the local police chief for his actions.
Wuitschick hopped out of his seat and grabbed the steering wheel(方向盤) . pulling the bus over to the side of the road before pulling the keys from the ignition(點(diǎn)火開關(guān)）“I'll give the kid credit for fast thinking. He did the right thing and we're going to do  something for him. The kid definitely deserves credit." Milton Police Chief Bill Rhodes cold ABC News.
Police officers were informed of a school bus driving irregularly through town around 8 a.m. today .but by the time an officer arrived at the scene ,Wuitschick had had it under control. He had pulled the bus over in front of Discovery Primary School . which is near to the school where the students were headed .Surprise Lake Middle School. "I knew something was wrong." Wuitschick told ABC. " it was pretty scary. I was just acting on instinct .It was all happening really quickly."
Jeff Short .assistant dean for the Fife school district . said the students had been trained in emergency situations on the school bus .including how to shut down ,the bus in an emergency. A staff member at the school .John McCrossin . happened to be driving behind the bus when the driver lost consciousness(知覺) . and rushed onto the bus to administer CPR(心肺復(fù)蘇 )  once Wuitschick had pulled over to the side of the road .Rhodes said.
The kids told McCrossin they had already called 911. The bus driver . whose name has not been released . was taken to the hospital. Emergency service personnel told school administrators   he was suffering from a problem related to the heart. Short said his condition was severe. Rhodes   said that there were no traffic  accidents or other injuries.        
小題1:Bill Rhodes praised Wuitschick because
A. he drove the school bus to campus
B he did bring the school bus to safety
C. he helped the police in public affairs
D. he successfully saved the bus driver
小題2:When the police reached the spot._______.
A. the bus driver had already recovered
B. the bus had just arrived at its destination
C. the bus had already been under control
D the bus was  running crazily on the road
小題3:From the passage we can learn that_______.

A．Bill Rhodes gave Wuitschick a credit card for his deed

B．McCtossin offered to call 911 when the event happened

C．Jeff Short happened to be driving behind the school bus

D．Wuitschick had been well trained in dealing with emergencies

小題4:The passage is probably taken from______.

A．a(chǎn) personal diary	B．a(chǎn) news report
C．a(chǎn)n accident record	D．a(chǎn) research paper

The National Geographic Channel has unearthed a time capsule (時光寶盒)  buried by late Apple chairman and co-founder Steve Jobs thirty years ago.
The time capsule was buried in Aspen .Colorado .in 1983, shortly after Jobs attended the International Design Conference being held in that city. Organizers called the device the Aspen Time Tube and contributed items like Rubik's cubes(魔方) and some iconic music. Jobs added his own items to the capsule ,including the " Lisa"  ( also known as an "Apple" )"mouse he used for his presentation at the conference. '
Younger readers may not recognize the name but the Lisa Apple mouse was one of the first commercial mice released to consumers. The mouse was specially designed for the Apple  Lisa computer. It's also the first personal computer to offer users a graphical user interface(圖形用戶界面)
Initially ,the plan was to dig up the time capsule in the year2000,but organizers forgot its exact location. Recently .they brought in researchers working with the National Geographic Channel show Diggers to find the device. Eventually they came across the 13-foot-long.1. 5-foot-diameter tube. inside they found a lot of 1980s artifacts(人工制品）that are still being catalogued.
“When the end came off .literally things just poured out .”noted Diggers host Tim Saylor "There must be literally thousands of things in there.”
“They had the foresight to put a bunch of stuff in  plastic bags." Saylor said .“I could see at least a dozen plastic bags and other items. But I know for sure there got to be photographs in there. People had hand-written things on the back of the photographs ,so there will be some really interesting things inside.”
Among the artifacts researchers expect to discover inside :a Steve Jobs speech in which the Apple visionary outlines his predictions  for future technologies. We should know more about the researchers ,discoveries once the Diggers program airs this fall.
小題1:Which of the following is true about the Lisa mouse?

A．The mouse was the first commercial one for consumers

B．The mouse was created only for the Apple Lisa computer

C．The mouse was buried in Aspen ,Colotado for two decades.

D．The mouse was invented after the International Design Conference

小題2:Why wasn't the time capsule dug up in 2000?

A．Because it was not the time set by Steve Jobs.

B．Because it could not be accurately located.

C．Because organizers forgot its precise shape .

D．Because the local government didn't approve.

小題3:From the passage we can infer that_______.

A．there were some special photographs found-inside the time capsule

B．a(chǎn) Steve Jobs speech with future predictions was found inside the cap

C．Steve Jobs predictions for future technologies have come true

D．more about the capsule will be discovered in the Diggers program

小題4:The best title for the passage might be _______.

A．The "Lost" Steve Jobs Time Capsule

B．The Mystery of Steve Jobs Speech Solved

C．Steve Jobs' 1983 Time Capsule Recovered

D．Co-founder & Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs