They leap from helicopters or speeding boats, bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy’s popular beaches.

Hundreds of specially trained dogs from Italy’s corps of canine(犬類的) lifeguards set out each summer to help swimmers in need of rescue.

These "life dogs" wear a harness that victims can grab to be dragged back to shore, and unlike human lifeguards, they can easily jump from helicopters and speeding boats to reach swimmers in trouble.

With millions flocking to Italy’s crowded beaches each summer, the Italian Coast Guard says it rescues about 3,000 people every year —and their canine helpers have saved several lives.

It takes three years for the canines to reach expert rescue status, and currently 300 dogs are fully trained for duty, said Roberto Gasbarri, who directs the Italian School of Canine Lifeguards program.

"Dogs are of good physical strength. They can increase the speed at which victims are rescued," Gasbarri said.

"The dog becomes a sort of intelligent lifebuoy(救生圈). It is a buoy that goes by itself to a person in need of help, and comes back to the shore also by himself, choosing the best landing point and swimming through the safest currents," he said.

The school will train any breed, as long as they weigh at least 30 kilograms, but New found lands and golden retrievers are most commonly used because they are good at swimming. Each dog works together with a human lifeguard, who also acts as the animal’s trainer.

"Being retrievers, they set out to pick up anything we tell them, be it a human being, an object, or a fish, and they bring it back to the shore," said lifeguard Monia Luciani. "They do not associate it with a physical activity, but it is rather a game for them."

1.The dogs wear a harness so that __________.

2.The dogs are helpful to _________.

3.Why does the school usually choose to train the New found lands and golden retrievers?

___________________________________.

4.How do the dogs regard the pickup training?

____________________________________.

 

Pairs, Jan. 11--- An armored (武裝) car robbery last night ended in a wild gunbattle that two men dead and a hostage (人質(zhì)) seriously wounded.
The drama (刺激的事件) began when an armored car carrying the contents of safety（儲(chǔ)備）boxes to a bank was struck by a large truck, police said.
The bank guards were helpless when the robbers jumped out of the truck and tied them. The robbers used heavy tools and explosives (爆炸品) to break the armored car.
A passing police car turned to look into the accident as the men were removing the contents of the armored car. Police said the three robbers fled on foot across a nearby highway.
Stopping a private car driven by a teenaged girl, the three escaped for central Pairs with the police car in hot pursuit（追捕）.
A plain clothes policeman saw the car as it drove through the street of Lat in Quarter. The policeman tried to stop the car, but the thieves started shooting at him, witness (目擊者) said.
The girl hostage tried to slip away. Just as she was crawling (爬出) away from the car, she was hit by a bullet. Police said she was out of danger at Central Hospital.
The gunmen gave up the car and got into a shop, pouring fire on more than 50 policemen that surrounded the building. After a wild gunbattle, police broke into the room. They only found two of the gunmen, both seriously wounded. The third thief was believed to have escaped with over $1.3 million in cash and jewellery.
【小題1】The passage is about _____.

A．a(chǎn) gunbattle between the policeman and the government soldiers.

B．a(chǎn) bank robbery in Paris.

C．a(chǎn) group of gunmen's robbery of armored car in the streets.

D．how a teenaged girl got seriously wounded.

【小題2】The robbers came       and they _____.

A．in a police car; stole the armed car.

B．in a truck; blasted (炸毀) the armored car.

C．in an armored truck; drove the money car away.

D．in an armored car; opened the armored car with heavy tools.

【小題3】The three robbers escaped on foot across a nearby highway because_____.

A．a(chǎn) passing police car found them .

B．the explosives were too strong .

C．the contents of the armored car were too heavy .

D．the truck broke down .

【小題4】A plain clothes policeman is ______.

A．not a policeman but a soldier .	B．not a policeman but a gunman .
C．a(chǎn) policeman but he doesn't wear a uniform .	D．a(chǎn) robber .

【小題5】After a wild gunbattle, ______.

A．the robbers were shot dead.

B．the police got back what they wanted.

C．the police failed to get back what they wanted.

D．50 policemen were killed and the robbers were seriously wounded.

 

第三部分：閱讀理解（共15小題；每小題2分，滿分30分）

請(qǐng)認(rèn)真閱讀下列短文，從短文后所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。

I was walking along Orchard Road when I realized a tall young man wearing a jacket and tie was following me. I noticed him because not many people wear a jacket and tie in the middle of a hot summer day, and I had already seen this man four times that afternoon.

To make sure he was following me, I walked on quickly, turned right into a shopping center and then stopped to look in a shop window. Soon the man appeared and stopped at another shop window. I walked on and stopped several times. When I stopped, he stopped too.

I began to be rather worried and decided to try to lose this strange man. When I saw a taxi coming, I jumped into it. As I was telling the taxi driver where to go, I found the man get into another taxi, which then followed mine. As the two taxies slowly made their way along Orchard Road, I looked back at the taxi behind, and saw that the stranger was looking out at me. At MRT station, I told the taxi driver to stop and I got out. As I was paying my fare, I saw the man was getting out of his taxi.

By now I got angry, so I turned and walked straight to him. I asked him why he was following me.  At first he said he was not following me at all, but when I threatened(威脅) to call the police, he admitted he was. He then told me that he was a news reporter and that he was writing an article on how elderly people in Singapore spend their time. He said he was observing me to gather materials for his article. 

56. What is strange about the man who followed the writer?

  A. He seemed to be wearing too much.              B. He was out on such a hot day.

  C. He walked quickly behind.                                D. He was a tall young man.

57. What did the stranger do when the writer jumped into a taxi?

  A. He got into another taxi.                                   B. He tried to stop the taxi.

  C. He almost gave up following him.                    D. He made his way along Orchard Road.

58. How did the writer have the stranger admit(承認(rèn)) he was following him?

  A. He threatened to take him to the police.                B. He called the police.

  C. He said he would call the police.                                D. He talked to the police.

59. Why did the stranger follow the writer?

  A. He was interested in elderly people.                        B. He often does such things.

  C. He was writing a book about young people.           D. He needed materials for his article.

 

People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June.
Mother’s Day was proclaimed a day for national observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915. Ann Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia, had started the idea to have a day to honor mothers. She was the one who chose the second Sunday in May and also began the custom of wearing a carnation.
In 1909, Mrs. Dodd from Spokane, Washington, thought of the idea of a day to honor fathers. She wanted to honor her own father, William Smart. After her mother died, he had the responsibility of raising a family of five sons and a daughter. In 1910, the first Father’s Day was observed in Spokane. Senator Margaret Chase Smith helped to establish Father’s Day as a national commemorative day in 1972.
These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead．Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
【小題1】According to the passage, which of the following about the second Sunday in May is
NOT true?

A．It is a day to show love to mothers

B．It is a day to wear carnations

C．It is a day for people to visit the cemetery

D．It is a day for many people to attend religious services

【小題2】Choose the right time order of the following events.
a. The first Father’s Day was observed.
b. Mother’s Day was proclaimed a day for national observance
c. Father’s Day became a day for national observance. 
d. The idea of honoring fathers was brought up

A．a(chǎn) b c d

B．d a b c

C．b a c d

D．d a c b

【小題3】Who plays the most important role in Father’s Day becoming a national commemorative day?

A．Mrs. Do

B．Margaret Chase Smith

C．Ann Jarvis

D．Woodrow Wilson

【小題4】From the passage, we know in the U.S. ________________.

A．one should wear a red carnation if one’s mother pass away

B．on Mother’s Day, families often go out to have barbecues

C．on Father’s Day, people often stay at home to celebrate the special day.

D．The purpose to have these two special days is to show love to parents

【小題5】The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to __________

A．call on people to love and respect their parents

B．introduce Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

C．tell the difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

D．show how important fathers and mothers are