LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop giant Michael Jackson, who took to the stage as a child star, died on Thursday, TMZ website reported. He was 50.
There was no official confirmation of the reported death and spokespersons for Jackson could not be reached for comment. "We’ve just learned Michael Jackson has died," TMZ said. "Michael suffered a cardiac（心臟的） arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We’re told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back," the entertainment site said. It added, "A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived."
Earlier, the Los Angeles Times said the singer had been rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital by fire department paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived at the singer’s home.The newspaper said paramedics performed perfectly at the scene before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital. Jackson had been due to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer, whose hits included "Thriller" and "Billie Jean," had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months. The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.
His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time. There were concerns about Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.
小題1:What does the underlined word paramedics probably mean?

A．the persons who attend at home.

B．relatives or friends

C．the persons who give emergency medical treatment

D．the artists together with Jackson

小題2: What is the reason of Jackson’s death?

A．He was too tired before his death.

B．He was so lonely that nobody looked after him.

C．Maybe Jackson was too excited when he was invited by London.

D．The text didn’t tell us.

小題3: If Jackson had not died, he __________.

A．would be taken care of by the doctors.

B．would not practise singing any more.

C．would give some concerts in London soon.

D．would retire as a result of his bad health.

小題4:The underlined the singer probably refers to _______.

A．TMZ

B．AEG

C．Michael Jackson

D．unknown

American Watersports
Tuesday--Saturday
Located on the beach of the Sea Gardens Beach Resort, there are fun things to rent for the whole family. They offer rentals for kayaks, jetskis, and even parasails! Enjoy the water upclose or from a bird’s eye view! No matter what activity you’re enjoying, be sure to protect yourself and your family from the sun’s powerful rays and apply plenty of sun block!
15th Street Boat Company
Monday --Saturday
15th Street Boat Company offers rental boats of all kinds. They’re sure to have what you are looking for, whether it’s a small boat for a quick and simple outing or an extravagent boat with comfortable seats with a stereo(立體聲) and high tech navigation(導(dǎo)航). You can rent a boat for half a day, a couple days, or even weeks at a time. If you want it, they’ve got it. It’s fun for everyone! 
Coconut’s Watersports
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday
Coconuts Water Sports is open 7 days a week for your convenience and offers tons of water fun for the whole family. Jet ski activities last 30 minutes or 1 hour and can make stops along the way. You must be at least 14 years of age to ride alone and can be as young as 3 to ride along with an adult. Everybody is required to wear a life jacket and a license is required to operate the jet ski. Bathing suits and shorts are recommended. 
Jet Ski Tours of Miami
Thursday-Sunday 10 a.m.-7p.m.
Jet Ski Tours of Miami includes onsite parking, indoor restrooms, lockers, and life jackets for participants. You may choose a one or two hour tour and each jet ski can hold up to 3 people. You must be at least 18 years old in order to ride. As long as you are accompanied by an adult, there is no age limitation for any passenger. There is a restaurant nearby to eat at. The tour visits 6 different islands and passes by Bayside and Hard Rock. You may even catch a glimpse of dolphins playing or a manatee resting in these fabulous Florida waters.
小題1:What activity is convenient for the visitors to have lunch?

A．Jet Ski Tours of Miami	B．Coconut’s Watersports
C．15th Street Boat Company	D．American Watersports

小題2:To satisfy your son’s curiosity about marine animals, you ___________.

A．will rent a boat to ride with him.

B．prefer an extravagant (奢侈的) boat with comfortable seats with a stereo.

C．would like to prefer American Watersports to Florida waters.

D．can choose the tour to Bayside and Hard Rock.

小題3: If you like to sail a boat, you can________.

A．go to the Sea Gardens Beach Resort	B．visit 15th Street Boat Company
C．choose Jet Ski Tours of Miami	D．go to Coconut’s Watersports

小題4:To ride alone in the jet ski activities, _____________.

A．you have to be at least 14 years old.	B．you can choose to wear a life jacket or not.
C．you must be over18 years old.	D．you have to be with parents.

Anne Whitney, a sophomore(二年級(jí)學(xué)生) at Colorado State University, first had a problem taking tests when she began college. "I was always well prepared for my tests. Sometimes I studied for weeks before a test. Yet I would go in to take the test, only to find I could not answer the questions correctly. I would blank out because of nervousness and fear. I couldn’t think of the answer. My low grades on the tests did not show what I knew to the teacher ."  Another student in microbiology and similar experiences. He said ,"My first chemistry test was very difficult. Then, on the second test, I sat down to take it, and I was so nervous that I was shaking. My hands were moving up and down so quickly that it was hard to hold my pencil. I knew the material and I knew the answers. Yet I couldn’t even write them down!"
These two young students were experiencing something called test anxiety. Because a student worries and it uneasy about a test, his or her mind does not work as well as it usually does. The student can’t write or think clearly because of the extreme tension and nervousness. Although poor grades are often a result of poor study habits, sometimes test anxiety causes the low grades. Recently, test anxiety had been recognized as a real problem, not just an excuse or a false explanation of lazy students.
Special university counseling courses try to help students. In these courses, counselors try to help students by teaching them how to manage test anxiety .At some universities, students take tests to measure their anxiety. If the tests show their anxiety is high, the students can take short courses to help them deal with their tension. These courses teach students how to relax their bodies .Students are trained to become calm in very tense situations. By controlling their nervousness, they can let their minds work at ease .Learned information then comes out without difficulty on a test.
An expert at the University of California explains. "With almost all students, relaxation and less stress are felt after taking out program .Most of then experience better control during their tests. Almost all have some improvement. With some, the improvement is very great."
小題1:To "blank out" is probably______.

A．to be like a blanket	B．to be sure of an answer
C．to be unable to think clearly	D．to show knowledge to the teacher

小題2:Poor grades are usually the result of _______.

A．poor hygienic(衛(wèi)生的) habits	B．laziness
C．lack of sleep	D．being unable to form good study habits

小題3:Test anxiety has been recognized as _______.

A．a(chǎn)n excuse for laziness	B．the result of poor habits
C．a(chǎn) real problem	D．something that can’t be changed

小題4:To deal with this problem, students say they want to ______.
A .take a short course on anxiety           
B read about anxiety
C. be able to manage or understand their anxiety
D take test to prove they are not anxiety
小題5:A University of California counselor said_______.

A．a(chǎn)ll students could overcome the anxiety after taking a special test anxiety program

B．a(chǎn)lmost all students felt less stress after taking a University of California counseling course

C．students found it difficult to improve even though they had taken a special test anxiety course

D．students found it easy to relax as soon as they entered a University of California counseling course

Beijing—（13, July） China sent up a new data relay satellite（數(shù)據(jù)中繼衛(wèi)星）, Tianlian I-02, on Monday at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in South-western Sichuan province．The new satellite will promote the country’s satellite communication network for space docking（對(duì)接）．
The satellite was launched on a Long-March-3C carrier rocket at 11:41 p．m．, sources at the centre told Xinhua News Agency．The satellite separated from the rocket 26 minutes after its launch and was then successfully delivered into a geostationary transfer orbit （地球同步轉(zhuǎn)移軌道）．
Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the satellite is the country’s second data relay satellite．The first, Tianlian I-01, was launched on April 25．2008．
The two satellites will form a network to improve communications between China’s spacecraft and bases on Earth, according to the centre．They will also be used to help the nation’s first space docking, scheduled for the second half of this year．
As planned, China will launch space module Tiangong-I, which was designed as a platform that will dock with an unmanned spaceship, Shenzhou, for the county’s first space-docking mission this year．
Two more Shenzhou spaceships will dock with Tiangong-I next year, and one will be manned by two or three astronauts, according to China Manned Space Engineering Office, which was the main user of the Tianlian I series data relay satellites．
“The new satellite can cover a greater area to track and command the country’s space vehicles in low-Earth orbits, such as manned spacecraft and remote sensing satellites, from a higher position in outer space．Only three satellites of this kind are needed to form a global communication network, and China has two now．” Pang Zhihao, a researcher and deputy editor-in-chief of Space International, said．
The satellite could also equip astronauts with real-time communications, which will benefit the country’s future manned space flights, he said．
小題1:What is the main purpose to send up Tianlian I-02 ?

A．To test the function of a Long-March-SC carrier rocket．

B．To carry some astronauts into space to do some research．

C．To send more information and clearer pictures to mobile phones on the earth．

D．To promote the country’s satellite communication network for space docking．

小題2:From the passage we know           ．

A．one more such satellite is needed to form a global communication network

B．the satellite was developed by China Manned Space Engineering Office

C．it was less than three years since China launched its first date relay satellite of this kind

D．the satellite could help track and command space vehicles in orbits because it’s lower in position

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE according to the news report?

A．Shenzhou Ⅷ is a manned spaceship．

B．Tiangong-I will dock with three Shenzhou spaceships next year．

C．the satellite is of great importance to China’s space exploration．

D．china’s first space docking will be done in the second half of next year．

小題4:The best title of the passage could be___________．

A．China Launched a New Space Shuttle

B．China’s Plan for Space Exploration

C．China’s Progress in China’s Space Exploration

D．New Satellite Helps China’s Space Exploration

United States President George W. Bush is expected to issue a directive in the next few weeks. It will give the US Air Force a green light for the development of space weapons, US media reported last week.
This would potentially start a new global arms race, some experts have warned.
To keep that from happening, last Wednesday the White House explained that it was not considering putting weapons in space. It said it was making a shift in US space policy to allow for protection of satellites.
But some defense analysts and arms control advocates argue that the policy will pave the way for the US to put both defensive and offensive  weapons in space.
“No one should be fooled,” said Theresa Hitchens, an American weapons expert.
The US is now restricted by a 1996 directive  signed by President Bill Clinton. Plans for space weapons were vetoed by the Clinton cabinet. The directive emphasized the peaceful use of space , in agreement with almost unanimous global opinion.
The US military has placed importance on space and has sent up numberous satellites for troop communications and to provide intelligence and data to guide bombs to their targets.
The US Air Force wants to develop space- based weapons that could strike targets anywhere in the world within 90 minutes of receiving the order to open fire.
These new weapons under development cover a wide range. They include hunter- killer satellites and orbiting weapons. And they use lasers, radio waves, or even dense metal tubes, known as “ Rods from God”, dropped from space to do the damage.
There are many barriers to the setting up of this kind of program, experts say.
First is the coast. It is estimated that the budget may be US $220 billion to US $ 1 trillion .
The technical difficulties of developing reliable space weapons are also a problem.
And, the program will draw strong criticism from around the world. Experts worry about starting a space arms race.
小題1:Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．US Military Plans

B．The Global Arms Race

C．A Comparison between Two Presidents

D．President George W. Bush and the World Peace

小題2:According to this passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．President George W. Bush supports space weapon development.

B．The space weapon program will threaten world peace

C．Clinton government was poorer than Bush government.

D．The US space weapon project is very expensive.

小題3:After reading this passage, it can be inferred that “___________ “.

A．George W. Bush’s directive to be issued will be against global opinions

B．The White House is right in explaining that US new space policy aims to protect satellites

C．US government has little difficulty in developing new space weapons

D．President George W. Bush and Bill Clinton share a lot in common

小題4:The author’s attitude towards the coming space weapon development is _______.

A．optimistic

B．critical

C．excited

D．indifferent

BEIJING （Associated Press美聯(lián)社）—China  has a growing middle class, a tradition（傳統(tǒng)） of expecting education and 21 million new babies every year．Selling educational toys should be easy．
While China may be the worlds biggest toy maker, many of the best are exported．Department stores here do not have enough high quality toys．It is said that the demand for educational toys is low．
A US company, BabyCare, is trying to change that with a new way to sell toys in China．
BabyCare works basically together with doctors in Beijing hospitals． People who join the company’s "mother club" can get lectures and newsletters on baby and child development at no extra cost, if they agree to spend 18 dollars a month on the company’s educational toys and child care books．
"We want to build a seven-year relationship with those people," said Matthew J．Estes, BabyCare’s president．"It starts during pregnancy （孕期）, when the anxiety and needs are highest．" BabyCare works on a one to one basis．Doctors, nurses, and teachers paid by BabyCare advise parents, explain toys that are designed for children at each stage （階段） of development to age six．
BabyCare opened its first store in China last June in a shopping center in central Beijing and another near Beijing Zoo．It plans to have 80 stores in China within six years．
It is a new model for China and develops a market in young children’s education and health that no other companies are in．
小題1:What do the first two paragraphs mainly tell us?

A．Educational toys and foreign toy markets．

B．Problems with China’s toy market and education．

C．Reasons for pushing sales of educational toys in China．

D．Baby population and various kinds of toys made in China．

小題2:．Which of the following is a fact according to the passage?

A．Club members buy BabyCare products for free child care advice．

B．Doctors in Beijing help in making BabyCare products．

C．Parents are encouraged to pay $ 18 for club activities．

D．BabyCare trains Chinese doctors at no extra cost．

小題3:BabyCare is developing its business in China by．

A．opening stores in Beijing hospitals

B．offering 18-month courses on child care

C．setting up children’s education centers

D．forming close relationships with parents

小題4:Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．Mother’s Club in China．	B．BabyCare and Doctors．
C．American Company Model．	D．Educational Toys in China．

Motorists over the age of 75 face compulsory tests of their eyesight and ability to drive under proposals being considered by ministers．
The biggest overhaul of motoring law in a generation could also lead to all drivers having to give assurances（保證） of their fitness to get behind the wheel every 10 years．
Other changes under consideration include issuing（發(fā)放） daylight driving licenses for motorists with night blindness, together with stricter checks on all drivers whose medical condition brought a threat to other road users．
It is understood that the proposals will be part of a review of the law governing the medical fitness of drivers that will be announced publicly by the summer．
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is dealing with a rising number of motorists who are concerned that they have conditions---from failing eyesight to epilepsy---that could affect their driving．
In 2006, the DVLA dealt with 600,000 motorists whose physical ability to drive needed to be recertified（重新認(rèn)證）, a 20 per cent rise on the previous year． With an ageing population, the biggest challenge is dealing with the rising number of elderly motorists． By 2021, there will be an estimated three million drivers over the age of 70 on Britain’s roads．
Drivers must renew their licenses at the age of 70 and every three years thereafter． The applicant is legally required to tell the DVLA of any conditions that could weaken their ability behind the wheel．
Ministers have ruled out a compulsory maximum age for driving but will instead rely on tightening up the checks on motorists over the age of 75． The most likely option would be tests to ensure motorists were fit to drive． They would include an eyesight test and a cognitive（認(rèn)知） test that would prove a driver’s ability to react to road signs, driving conditions, pedestrians and vehicles．
However, checks are likely to be tightened at all ages． The strictest controls are expected to be imposed（強(qiáng)制） on motorists of any age who have had a heart attack or stroke． They could have to produce a doctor’s approval to resume（重新得到） driving． Anyone making a false declaration would be guilty of a criminal offence．
小題1: Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The new motoring law will come into effect by the summer．

B．Drivers over the age of 75 must renew their licenses every three years．

C．Doctors will decide whether one can get their driving licenses．

D．Drivers at all ages will be expected to provide their medical condition．

小題2:What is the biggest challenge to the traffic safety in Britain according to the writer?

A．Ageing population．

B．Increasing number of cars．

C．Increasing number of elderly motorists．

D．Driving conditions．

小題3: The underlined word “overhaul” in Paragraph 2 means _______．  

A．change

B．consideration

C．concern

D．challenge

小題4:What can be learned from the passage?

A．There will be more and more aged drivers in Britain．

B．Anyone can get a driving license as long as he/she is in good health．

C．Health tends to decline as one gets old．

D．It will be guilty to make a false declaration．

In November of 2007, NBC Universal launched its first official Green Week． Throughout the week, NBC Universal presented over 150 hours of environmentally themed content across multiple platforms．
Now, NBC Universal is proud to present Green Week 2009． With a new theme and message of "Green Your Routine," Here at NBC and NB  C．com we celebrate our talent in the "The More You Know" PSA campaign, presenting green-themed tips in several of our daytime life, among several other features here on the "Green Your Routine" site．
Fashion & Beauty
Throw a clothes swap party! Dying for that sweater your friend wore the other day? Well, maybe she’ll trade for that old T-shirt you have． Here’s a website that helps you organize a swap party （www．swapstyle．com）, or just plan your own!
Go natural with organic make-up． Applying unnatural products directly on your skin wasn’t exactly what nature intended． Try switching to a line of organic make-up and cosmetics for a different way to bring out your natural beauty．
Home
Drop a brick in your toilet tank! Literally! According to the EPA, flushing（沖洗）makes up 30 percent of a household’s water use （about three to six gallons per flush）． By placing a brick in your toilet tank, you can help to conserve the amount of water used during each flush．
Work
Print smarter． Printing and copying can be one of the most costly operations in any office． To save on ink and paper costs, print double-sided and try to fit more than one page on a sheet． More printing tips can be found here: lifehacker．com
Turn off your computer． Do you leave your computer on overnight? If so,  you’re using up a good amount of electricity． When you can, try turning off your computer and the power strip it’s connected to． If you can’t,  at least shut off your monitor．
Transportation
Organize a carpool． There are many benefits to carpooling（拼車(chē)）． You save on gas, reduce wear and tear on your car, and you get to ride in the HOV lanes． Get connected with your neighbors and co-workers to start sharing rides and check out this website for more tips: www．erideshare．com．
Lose the car, get a bike． If you live close to where you work, try taking a bike instead of driving． You’ll keep in shape and save on gas!
Every small step and effort makes a difference! Be sure to GREEN YOUR ROUTINE!
小題1: NBC Universal holds Green Week activities ___________．

A．in a university	B．in a park
C．in an office	D．on the internet

小題2: This year, Green Week welcomes ____________．

A．a(chǎn)dvice on how to improve the website

B．suggestions about how to make their activities more interesting

C．tips on what to do to make our life greener

D．opinions on whether we should have campaigns

小題3:If you want to carpool with somebody, you can find more advice and information at______．
A． www．swapstyle．com
B． www．erideshare．com
C． www． lifehacker．com
D． www． NBC．com
小題4:Which is NOT recommended by Green Week this year?

A．Using things like cucumbers to beautify your skin．

B．Reducing the room of your toilet tank to save water when flushing．

C．Giving away your old clothes to those in need of them．

D．Printing and using computers in an economical way．

A man accused of failing to return more than 700 children’s books to five different libraries in the county was released from prison after a book publisher agreed to post his bond (保釋金) of $1,000. The publisher said, “There’s a story here. This is a man who loves books. He just can’t let go of them. He hasn’t stolen a single book. So what’s the crime? We think that Mr Barush has a story to tell. We plan to publish his story.”
When asked why he didn’t return the books, Mr Barush said, “Well, how could I? They became family to me. I was afraid to return them, because I knew that kids or dogs would get hold of these books and chew them up, throw them around, tear the pages, spill soda on them, get jam and jelly on them, and drown them in the toilet.”
He continued, “Books are people, too! They talk to you, they take care of you, and they enrich you with wisdom, humor and love. A book is a guest in my home. How could I kick it out? I repaired torn pages. I dusted them with a soft clean cloth. I turned their pages so they could breathe and get some fresh air.”
“Every week I reorganized them on their shelves so they could meet new friends. My books were HAPPY books. You could tell just by looking at them. Now they’re all back in the library, on the lower shelves, on the floors, at the mercy of all those runny-nosed kids. I can hear them calling me! I need to rescue them. Excuse me. I have to go now.”
小題1:Why was the man put into prison?

A．Because the book publisher persuaded the police to do so.

B．Because he stole 700 children’s books from the five different libraries.

C．Because he refused to return the books that he had borrowed.

D．Because he wanted to publish his story.

小題2:How did the man treat books?

A．He treated them as real people.

B．He treated them as his own children.

C．He treated them as his furniture.

D．He treated them as his job.

小題3:From the passage we can learn that the man is _____.

A．a(chǎn) thief

B．a(chǎn) writer

C．crazy about books

D．unfortunate

小題4:What is mainly talked about in this passage?

A．A funny thief who loves stealing books.

B．A person who refuses to return borrowed books and wants to look after them.

C．A person who is crazy about books so he keeps stealing them from the library.

D．A person who may have some mental problems.

Washington: A research conducted at the University of Maryland looks at the numerous complex reasons as to why young children decide to include or exclude (排斥) other kids from their group of friends.
It suggests that the kids’ decision-making process is much more complex than previously believed.
"They take into account group information, ranging from cliques (小圈子) and networks, when deciding what makes a group work well. Sometimes kids are excluded because they lack social skills, but a lot of time it has nothing to do with that. Instead it has to do with what we refer to as ’group membership’ such as gender, race, nation, and culture," says Professor Melanie Killen, the Associate Director of the Centre for Children Relationships and Culture at Maryland, who led the 4-year project.
Reporting their findings in the journal, the researcher said whatever was the reason, individuals who experienced long-term exclusion (排斥) from the group of friends suffered from depression, anxiety and loneliness.
The study looked at two models to define how children make decisions regarding acceptance of other kids in their group -- the individual social deficit model and the inter-group social cognition (認(rèn)同) model. While the former says that children’s rejection occurs due to social deficits like shyness, wariness or fearfulness, the latter says that it happens because of group dynamics, prejudice and exclusion.
It was also found that the age of children was also a factor that influenced their decisions regarding other kids’ acceptance as friends.
"With age, kids become more aware of group dynamics, conventions, customs, and rituals. With this comes a greater concern about group functioning, which can lead to exclusion which can be negative from a social justice viewpoint," says Killen.
The researcher believes that her study may have many benefits, as it could provide insights into how to help when children are rejected by their peers.
小題1:While making friends, kids think more about the following EXCEPT ______.

A．social skills

B．culture

C．race

D．gender

小題2:The underlined word "deficit" in Paragraph 5 may mean “_______”.

A．skill

B．relationship

C．weakness

D．experience

小題3:One of the major purposes of the research is to _______.

A．tell the reader how to tell inclusion from exclusion

B．remind children to be careful while making friends

C．seek ways to help kids excluded by their peers

D．stop the children belonging to the inter-group social cognition model

小題4:While making friends, children exclude those of social deficit model to _______.

A．keep their groups purer

B．make their groups more socially powerful

C．refuse other customs and cultures

D．prove their groups to be strict