If you put all the books you own on the street outside your house, you might expect them to disappear immediately. But one man, Hernando Guanlao in Manila, tried it and found that his collections grew.

He’s a lovely man in his early 60s, with one ever-lasting love—books. They’re his pride and joy, because, whether he likes it or not, they seem to be taking over his house. Guanlao has set up a “library” outside his home in central Manila. Readers can take as many books as they want, for as long as they want. As Guanlao says, “The only rule is that there are no rules.”

You might consider it would end very quickly. But in fact, in the 12 years he’s been running his library. He’s found that his collection has grown rather than become smaller, as more and more people help the activity. “It seems to me that the books are speaking to me,” he says with a smile, “The books are telling me they want to be read.”

Guanlao started his library in 2000, shortly after the death of his parents. He was looking for something to honor their memory, and that was when he hit upon the idea of promoting the reading habit passed on to him from his parents. So he put the books outside the door of his house to see if anyone wanted to borrow them. They did, and they brought the books back with others to add to the collection. The library was born. The library is not advertised, but somehow, every day, a steady stream of people find their way there.

To help the poorest communities in Manila, Guanlao doesn’t wait for them to find him on his “book bike”. He wants to set up a “book boat”, traveling around the islands of Sulu and Basilan. As we sat outside Hernando Guanlao’s house in the midday sun, watching people look through his collection, he thought it was worth spending all his time.

1.The first paragraph shows that Guanlao ______.

A. was a successful man

B. worked very hard

C. loved books very much

D. put all his books in the open air

2.According to the passage, readers in Guanlao’s library ______.

A. can’t keep books very long

B. need to have a library card

C. can be free to read there

D. must help increase the collection

3.What was beyond people’s expectation after the library was set up?

A. The library took over his house.

B. The library was Guanlao’s life center.

C. The library lasted a long time.

D. The library needed help from more people.

4.What caused Guanlao to have the idea of setting up a library?

A. His good reading habit.

B. The death of his parents.

C. The joy of reading books.

D. Nothing to do in his daily life.

5.What is the last paragraph mainly talking about?

A. Guanlao’s traveling around.

B. Guanlao’s daily activities.

C. Guanlao’s poor communities.

D. Guanlao’s efforts for his library.

Future Life Pets

By DogTown Media, LLC Open iTunes to buy and download apps.

*Price: $2.99

*Category: Lifestyle

*Updated: Jan 07, 2012

*Version: 1.1

*Size: 36.3 MB

*Language: English

*Seller: DOG TOWN MEDIA

*? DogTown Media LLC

Description

DISCOVER FUTURE LIFETIMES WITH YOUR PETS

You can be transported into the future to be reunited with your pet in another place and time.

As an internationally recognized psychic(灵媒) and best-selling author, Anne Jirsch will be your guide in this fascinating meditation (冥想) game.

Future Life Pets will take you into a state of deep relaxation to help you understand this special condition. With expert hypnosis (催眠) you can discover how your paths will cross in your future lifetime.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“I immediately saw I was riding a tall black and white horse and you’ve guessed it —it was my dog and this time he was bigger than ever.” —Mike from Kansas City.

“Seeing both my cats in the future lifetime has given me so much joy. They are both cats again next time around, only a lot bigger and smoother. I clearly saw them both lie by my feet just as they do right now.” —Felicity from Manchester, UK.

The regular buyers of Anne’s products include heads of industry, politicians, and celebrities of all kinds. She is a world famous psychic and author of three books Instant Intuition, The Future is Yours, and Cosmic Energy.

More than a billion people in the world believe in the truth of meditation, through which we’ll gain a greater understanding of our pets and ourselves.

Prepare for the experience as the results are astonishing.

1.If we want to use the app of Future Life Pets, what kind of language should we know?

A. English B. Chinese

C. French D. Japanese

2.We can learn from the passage that the Future Life Pets app______.

A. helps us to get along better with our pets

B. is helpful for us to relax and fall asleep easily

C. gives us a chance to travel with Anne Jirsch

D. helps us discover our future lifetime with our pets

3.The tall horse that Mike saw in his meditation is ______.

A. a dead dog B. his pet dog

C. his pet horse D. a true horse

4.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. Anne’s fame will help to sell the app

B. only school students show interest in the app

C. the app aims to help sell Anne’s books

D. the app has a close relation with Anne’s three books

The largest outbreak of the deadly disease Ebola(埃博拉) was caused by an infected bat biting a toddler, say a group of international researchers.

The 17-strong team of European and African tropical disease researchers, ecologists and anthropologists have spent three weeks investigating the outbreak of the disease in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. The researchers captured the bats and other creatures near the village of Meliandoua in remote eastern Guinea, where the disease began in December 2013. The boy was bitten and passed the infection on to his mother and both died within a week. The disease was then spread far and wide by the people who came to the funeral.

Most of the previous outbreaks have been caused by meat from dead infected animals collected by hunters who then sell it on. Fruit bats, however, are widely eaten in rural West Africa.

The team, led by epidemiologist(流行病学家) Herr Leendertz, a disease ecologist at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, are expected to publish their results in a major journal soon.

Herr Leendertz’s team believe that an infected straw-colored fruit bat brought the disease to Guinea. The mammals are known to travel long distances and usually settle in forests near cities. Herr Leendertz said, “ The evidence is not 100 percent and we can only say that it is possible. They can travel far in one night. I don't think an individual bat or colony(群体) migrated all the way from Congo or Gabon to West Africa. These big colonies are connected. There is a possibility for the virus to mix between colonies. The bats share the same fruit. It is likely not to have even been one species of bat. The virus may jump from one species to another."

If the bat theory is confirmed, the locals would try to destroy the colonies, which, Herr Leendertz says, would be an ecological disaster, because bats pollinate(传授花粉) plants and kill insects. And bat hunts would also only increase human contact with potentially infected animals.

1.What’s the purpose of the 17-strong team?

A. To look into the outbreak of Ebola.

B. To help the people who suffer from Ebola.

C. To help cure the infected boy of Ebola.

D. To make a study of the bats including fruit bats.

2.In Herr Leendertz’s opinion, ______.

A. people can do nothing to prevent the disease

B. the disease Ebola may jump from one species to another

C. the result of the research should be published immediately

D. the straw-colored fruit bats usually settle in forests in the rural areas

3.If the bat theory is confirmed, ______.

A. the disease Ebola will be controlled

B. all the fruit bats in Africa would be killed

C. plants would not be pollinated in the future

D. the ecosystem in Africa might lose its balance

4.What’s the main idea of this passage?

A. A toddler was bitten by a bat and died.

B. The disease Ebola is incurable at present.

C. An infected bat caused the outbreak of Ebola.

D. The deadly disease Ebola broke out in Guinea.

5.This passage can probably be classified as ______.

A. a science fiction B. a news report

C. a lecture essay D. an auto-biography

The city of Vienna has always been popular for its famous physicians. Around the year 1482 one such well-known physician was Dr. Paul Urssenbeck. His fame came from his ability to predict with certainty whether a patient would recover his or her health or would die. He thus became known as the doctor of death.

In his earlier years, he followed the trade of a poor but honest weaver in the town of Deckendorf near Straudigen in Bavaria. It was a time of famine(饥荒), and he, his wife, and their eleven children were in great need. Then a twelfth child was born, and they could find no one to serve as its godparent. As a last chance, the poor weaver walked to a nearby village and asked an old friend to serve as godfather, but met only rejection. Disappointed and frustrated, the poor man made his way back to his family. While walking sorrowfully through the dense forest toward his home, he said, “If only I could die.” Suddenly a tall figure dressed in a dark cloak(斗篷) appeared before him, saying, “You called me. I am Death. What can I do for you?” As much as the man had previously wanted to die, he now wanted to live. “I am seeking a godfather for my youngest child. But I cannot find anyone who will serve as his godparent,” answered the weaver sadly. “I will accept this responsibility,” said Death. And thus it happened.

Following the baptism(洗礼), the mysterious godfather took the father aside and said, “Since I own neither gold nor silver to give to your child as a baptism present, I will make you into the most famous doctor of all times. Whenever you are called to a sick person, I—invisible to others—will seat myself either to the head or to the feet of the patient. If I am seated at the head, then this will show you that hope for recovery exists. If I am seated at the feet, then the patient will die.” Through this gift, the weaver was able to cure many illnesses, for he knew whether the patient who had sought his treatment would be helped by medications, or whether he would die. Soon the previously poor weaver became a wealthy and respected physician. However, his increased wealth made him ever-more greedy.

One day, a very wealthy man fell seriously ill, but when Dr. Urssenbeck was called in, and he saw that Death was already seated at the patient’s feet. Upon hearing the diagnosis, the relatives could not be comforted, and they offered the physician a fortune if he could heal the man. Then Urssenbeck resorted to trickery. He quickly had the patient’s bed turned around, so that Death was now seated at his head. Thus the man was rescued from Death, and he regained his health. On the physician’s way home, Death suddenly appeared before him. “You unfortunate one, why have you deceived me? In return for the life that you have given back to the rich man, you yourself must now die.” Death spoke with a threatening voice, and disappeared.

Dr. Urssenbeck suddenly found himself in a large room where thousands of candles were burning. Death said to him, “Each of these candles represents someone’s life. This tiny stump that is about to go out is yours.” Terrified, Dr. Urssenbeck reached for a taller candle, wanting to take some wax(蜡) from it to fill his stump, but in doing so he touched his own candle, and it went out, and he fell to the floor dead. That evening his body was found in a valley. He was buried in the graveyard of Saint Stephen’s Cathedral.

1.Why did Death make the weaver a famous doctor?

A. Because he wanted to play a trick on him.

B. Because he didn’t have any baptism gift for his child.

C. Because he wanted to give him something as a reward.

D. Because he wanted to show his sympathy to the weaver.

2.What does the underlined phrase “resort to” mean in paragraph 4?

A. to ask someone for help

B. to visit a place of interest

C. to consult information in the dictionary

D. to make use of something bad to achieve something

3.Choose the right time order of the following events in the story.

a. Dr. Urssenbeck became more and more greedy for wealth.

b. Dr. Urssenbeck died and was buried.

c. Death made the weaver the most famous doctor in Vienna.

d. The poor weaver wanted to find a godfather for his 12th child.

e. Dr. Urssenbeck resorted to trickery to heal the patient.

A. dceab B. cdaeb C. dcaeb D. cadeb

4.Which of the following is NOT true?

A. The weaver had a dozen children altogether.

B. A new-born baby had to receive baptism after he/she was born.

C. The weaver’s old friend refused to be the godfather of his child.

D. If Death seated himself at the head, the patient could never be saved.

5.Which of the following CANNOT be used to describe Dr.Urssenbeck?

A. Grateful B. Greedy C. Dishonest D. Unfaithful

6.What’s the best title of this passage?

A. Dr. Urssenbeck, the Physician of Death

B. The Death Game

C. A Famous Physician in Vienna

D. A Poor Weaver

International Students Club (ISC) is a friendship club organized by the American Student Union (ASU) for all international students. Visit the ISC table on the Tempe Main Campus (坦佩主校区) from 9:30am to 12:30pm Monday — Thursday to get information, practice speaking English, meet new friends and sign up for ISC activities.

Our goal is to help all international students during their time here in the USA through practical help, social activities, trips, conversational English classes and Bible studies.

International Graduates & Scholars

A free dinner is held weekly on Friday nights at the Peterson home at 6:30pm. Transportation is provided from the ASU Bookstore at 6:10pm on Friday nights for free. Every year in June we have special activities — summer camps. Want to make new friends or practice your English? Join us! For more information on activities for graduates and scholars, contact Nancy Peterson at 480-540-1518 or nancyp 310@cox.net.

International Undergraduates

If you’re an international undergraduate hoping to meet new friends, join us at the Rita House on Friday nights, 7:00pm for a free meal, fellowship (联谊会) and Bible discussion. On Friday nights we offer free transportation from the ASU Bookstore at 6:45pm. Join our Facebook page at “ISC Undergraduates” for more specific information or you can contact Charles Boyle at 480-686-0561 or charles.boyle@asu.edu.

African Students

All African students are invited to join us in our monthly activities designed for them to encourage one another and some club members also participate in the activities. This month we’re meeting on April 18th at 4:00pm. Some of our club leaders will join them for student interaction and cultural exchange. For more information, contact Emmanuel Chijindu (from Nigeria) at 480-248-5121 or echijindu@isionline.org.

ISC Leaders & Staff

If you want to become our club member, contact one of our student leaders or campus staff members.

Caroline Tao

wtao6@asu.edu | 480-326-5135

Nigel Pinto

nigel.pinto791@gmail.com

Nancy Peterson

Charles Boyle (staff)

Emmanuel Chijindu (staff)

1.What can we learn about ISC?

A. The ISC table can be visited at weekends.

B. It mainly offers help to American students.

C. It is related to the American Student Union.

D. It’s a club focusing on academic research.

2.What can both international graduates and undergraduates get from the club?

A. A free meal at the Rita House.

B. Friday night free transportation.

C. Special activities in June.

D. Bible studies.

3.Which is NOT true about activities for African students?

A. They are held every month.

B. African students are not the only participants.

C. Their purpose is to encourage each other.

D. They are held at 4:00pm each time.

In a mango orchard (芒果林) outside a village there lived a mischievous (淘气的) monkey. He kept on eating the ripe mangoes. The orchard keeper tried to trap the monkey. But every time, the monkey escaped from the trap.

One day, the monkey walked about and went into the nearby town. “The town people are so busy. It is so crowded here,” the monkey thought. Soon, the monkey was sneaking into houses and running away with food. By evening, he had made life quite different for the town people. “The town is more fun than the orchard. I will stay here,” he thought. Days went by, and the monkey was considered by the town people as something very frightening. “Here he comes again!” they screamed when they saw the monkey.

One day, a juggler (玩杂耍的人) came to the town. The people of the town went to him. “We want you to help us get rid of the monkey,” they said to the juggler. The juggler said in return, “Do not worry. Get me some jars (罐子) with narrow necks.” When the jars were brought to him, he put some peanuts into them and placed them out of a field. The monkey became curious when he saw the peanuts. “Yummy! Let me quickly get the peanuts and run,” he thought. He put his hand inside a jar and grabbed a big handful of peanuts. But he could not pull out of his clenched fist (紧握的拳头), as the neck of the jar was so narrow. If the monkey had dropped some of the peanuts back into the jar, he could have pulled his hand out. But he was greedy. So he didn’t drop any of the peanuts. The town people trapped the monkey with his hand inside the jar. They got hold of a rope and tied him to a post. Then the monkey was sold to a zoo. That was the end of the greedy monkey.

1.What part does the first paragraph play in the passage?

A. It summarizes the whole story.

B. It explains the background.

C. It attracts the readers.

D. It states the main idea.

2.What is the meaning of the underlined phrase, “sneaking into houses”?

A. Going into houses secretly without permission.

B. Going into houses peacefully.

C. Going into houses in a group.

D. Going into houses with delight.

3.Why did the town people regard the monkey as something frightening?

A. He was smart and always escaped from the people’s traps.

B. The orchard keeper told the town people to get rid of him.

C. He did something that upset the people’s lives.

D. He disturbed the town people while they were sleeping.

4.What did the juggler do to catch the monkey?

A. He put some mangoes in a field.

B. He used a rope to tie the monkey.

C. He called the zookeeper to catch the monkey.

D. He put some peanuts into jars with narrow necks.

When it comes to film, people usually favor good over evil, focus on the main characters and ignore the supporting characters. But when it comes to the Minions (小黄人), these conventions go right out of the window.

Originally comedic background characters in the Despicable Me series, these yellow pill-shaped screwballs(怪人) have totally stolen the show.

This summer the characters appeared in their own self-titled movie in theaters abroad, having the second biggest opening weekend of all time for an animated film, according to USA Today. Recently, McDonald’s has been including Minion toys with kids’ meals in some regions, causing loyal fans to go to the restaurant to collect them all. Related video games, clothing, toys and other merchandise are sweeping the world.

The movie’s huge popularity even surprised its writers. “We never knew the Minions were going to be so popular. It just became a force of nature,” the film’s co-writer, Cinco Paul, told the Los Angeles Times.

So, what makes the banana-loving Minions a big hit? For many, the most attractive is obviously their cuteness. Their simple, graphic (图形的) nature can easily transcend cultures and age groups. “Even children can draw them”, Los Angeles Times reporter, Rebecca Keegan, wrote.

But there’s more than just cuteness. US entertainment website, HitFix, explains that their way of communicating makes the creatures infectious (有感染力的) as well. They largely speak in nonsense words. But it seems everyone can understand them through their exaggerated movements and expressions.

They desire nothing more than to serve their most despicable master, Felonious Gru. And this evil characteristic strikes a chord (引起共鸣) with humans.

“Perhaps we love Minions because they remind us of ourselves,” Huffington Post associate Web editor, Sara Boboltz, wrote.

1.What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

A. People usually like the supporting players instead of the main characters.

B. People like the Minions who are the supporting players in the movie.

C. The Minions are the main characters in the film, Despicable Me.

D. People prefer the main characters to the Minions in Despicable Me.

2.What has McDonald’s done to attract customers?

A. It has made its food look like Minions.

B. It has made Minion video games to show to customers.

C. It is giving some Minion clothes to customers as gifts.

D. It is offering Minion toys to attract fans.

3.Which of the following is NOT the reason why the Minions are so popular?

A. Their cuteness.

B. Their exaggerated movements and expressions.

C. Their way of communicating.

D. Their bad behavior.

4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. HitFix explains that Minions gained popularity by striking a chord with humans.

B. While Minions can’t be understood sometimes, their way of communicating is infectious.

C. Minions are eager to take on whatever task their despicable master gives them.

D. The opening weekend of Minions was the second biggest of all time.

Repeated cases of child abuse (虐待) in China have shocked the country. They also have led to more protection of children’s rights. But rights activists say the government and private groups need to do more to help children in need.

A small child protection service in Shanghai is trying to stop neglect and violence against children.

Gege is seven years old. She has been homeless for almost half her life. Her mother suffers from a mental condition. They lived on the streets in Shenzhen for more than three years. A man named Xiao Xudong learned about Gege. He told her story to the local media (媒体) earlier this year. Government officials heard the story and found help for Gege and her mother. The mother began to receive treatment for her mental problems. Gege was sent to a centre for children who had lost both parents. She was later re-united with her father.

Her story has a happy ending. But social workers are not yet celebrating.

Xiao Xudong spoke on Skype: “We have many child protection organizations, but why do we still have so many children being abused and neglected?”

Recently, Chinese newspapers and magazines reported on repeated cases of child abuse in the country. The reports shocked many people and led the government to strengthen measures to protect children’s rights.

Xie Chang’e is a lawyer. She offers legal assistance at a child protection service called Hope Home. Ms. Xie said that China has laws to protect children’s rights. But the laws are often unclear, she added, and difficult to put into effect.

However, the government is starting to recognize the problems in the child welfare system. New rules state that parents or legal guardians who sexually abuse, sell, abandon or violently hurt children will lose their legal right to care for them.

Ms. Xie supports the new regulations. She says they are a good way to help protect children. But she says police and other officials do not know about the regulations or do not always follow them. She also notes that the new regulations have the force of law, but they have not yet been written into laws.

1.The example of Gege’s life experience given in the third paragraph is to .

A. show that child abuse has attracted the attention of society

B. indicate the seriousness of child abuse in China

C. prove that every abused child that receives help will have a happy ending

D. show that using the press is the best way to help abused children

2.What causes the laws to protect children’s rights to be ineffective?

A. The laws are so complicated that people don’t understand them.

B. The laws are so general that they are hard to put into effect.

C. The laws are often ignored by the government.

D. The laws are not practical.

3.According to Xie Chang’e, new regulations aimed at protecting children .

A. are more reasonable than before

B. have got the best results

C. don’t have the force of law

D. should be written into laws

4.What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To explain the bad need to solve child abuse in China.

B. To call on people to have pity on abused children.

C. To help abused children find a happy ending.

D. To raise the government’s concerns(关注) to protect children.

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

When a friend is sad about the loss of a loved one, it’s easy to feel helpless. Sometimes we think we’re doing the right thing by trying to cheer them up, or letting them know that they should try to move on. 1. So here are some ways to help you support your friend in time of need.

1. Recognize the stages of sadness.

Most people suffering a loss will go through these stages, often in no particular order: denial (拒绝), bargaining, anger, depression and acceptance. 2. The more familiar you are with these stages, the better you’ll be to support your friend.

2. 3.

We are often ready to praise the person who appears to be dealing strongly with a loss. The problem is that we need to allow them to be human and vulnerable (脆弱的) sometimes too. After all, there’s strength in letting out your feelings from time to time.

3. Ask them what they need.

It’s normal to feel you can guess what your friend needs. Because we’re all different, it is best to ask them what it is that you can do for them. If they say “I don’t know” or “nothing”, don’t walk away or worry. 4. And let them know that you will be there when they think of something.

Finally, keep in mind that loss is not just felt through death. It can be the loss of a job, the loss of hope or expectation and so much more. 5. And your role as a supporter is very important and helpful.

A. Be the person who follows up.

B. Each one is healthy and necessary.

C. Loss is a difficult thing to work through.

D. Don’t always tell them how strong they are.

E. Just offer your support in whatever way you can.

F. Your caring will be appreciated and provide much comfort.

G. But those efforts often put pressure on them and leave them feeling useless.

完形填空

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and _________ the boy pick up the scattered (散落的) articles. _________ they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the _________ . As they walked, Mark _________ the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having lots of _________ with his other subjects and that he had just _________ with his girlfriend.

They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was _________in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed _________ with a few laughs and some shared small talk, and then Mark went home. They _________ to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, and then both _________ from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long-awaited senior year _________ and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could _________.

Bill _________ him of the day years before when they had first met. “Did you ever _________ why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had _________ some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide (自杀). _________ after we spent some time together talking and _________ , I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have _________ that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you _________ those books that day, you did a lot more. You _________ my life.”

1.A. showedB. orderedC. controlledD. helped

2.A. UnlessB. AlthoughC. SinceD. If

3.A. strengthB. burdenC. backpackD. weight

4.A. guessedB. askedC. learnedD. discussed

5.A. secretB. troubleC. funD. enthusiasm

6.A. kept upB. ended upC. made upD. split up

7.A. ledB. invitedC. sentD. taken

8.A. extraordinarilyB. slowlyC. delightfullyD. fortunately

9.A. continuedB. insistedC. promisedD. decided

10.A. jumpedB. leftC. cameD. graduated

11.A. leftB. cameC. wentD. lost

12.A. contactB. playC. travelD. talk

13.A. warnedB. informedC. guidedD. reminded

14.A. doubtB. wonderC. imagineD. know

15.A. storedB. eatenC. boughtD. adopted

16.A. SoB. AsC. BecauseD. But

17.A. eatingB. playingC. laughingD. studying

18.A. killedB. sparedC. cutD. missed

19.A. took upB. picked upC. brought upD. looked up

20.A. savedB. correctedC. madeD. prepared