Getting close to active or erupting volcanoes can be dangerous. But for Michael Rampino, it’s all in a day’s work. Rampino is a volcanologist, a scientist who studies volcanoes and how they affect our planet. Rampino has been close to red-hot lava flows (熔岩流) in Hawaii and explosive volcanoes in Indonesia. He knows when to get close to an active volcano and when to back away.
Rampino wasn’t always a volcanologist. He worked for NASA for seven years. He studied rocks until he began to research climate change and the effects that volcanoes have on climate. He became interested in the subject. “Once I started working with volcanoes,” Rampino said, “I was hooked.”
Rampino is a professor at New York University. As part of his job, he travels to areas where volcanoes have been active. “Active” means they have erupted within the past few centuries and probably will erupt again. Rampino studies the deposits (沉积物) of ash and other materials from the eruptions. The ash may hold clues to what happened to the Earth in the distant past. It may also help scientists predict what could happen to Earth’s climate in the future.
Rampino doesn’t work alone. He works with a team of scientists who use computers to stimulate (模拟) the effects volcanoes have on Earth’s atmosphere.
Being a volcanologist may be hard work, but it’s also fun. “It’s cool traveling the world studying “to understand the events that have shaped Earth’s history.”
【小题1】To Rampino, being close to active volcanoes is _____.

A．scary but necessary	B．adventurous but meaningful
C．impossible and unnecessary	D．dangerous but urgent

【小题2】The underlined word “hooked” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_____”.

A．trapped

B．touched

C．attracted

D．frightened

【小题3】Rampino’s study on volcanoes might help _____.

A．warn people to protect the environment

B．support the study of Earth’s future climate

C．tell the future eruption time of the volcanoes

D．reduce the possibility of the volcanoes’ eruptions

【小题4】In which part of a newspaper could we find this text?

A．People.

B．History.

C．Climate.

D．Business.

One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by sending newspapers door to door, was so hungry that he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.
However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe (欠) you?”
“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” With these words, Howard Kelly left that house.
Years later the woman became badly ill and was finally sent to the hospital in a big city. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous, was called in. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Dressed in his doctor’s clothes, Dr. Kelly went into her room and recognized her at once. From that day on, he gave special attention to her, and decided to do his best to save her life.
At last the woman was saved. Dr. Kelly asked the business office to pass the final bill to him. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to the woman’s room. She was afraid to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay for it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words:
“Paid in full with a glass of milk, Dr. Howard Kelly.” Tear of joy flooded her eyes.
【小题1】The boy sent newspapers door to door in order to ________.

A．thank the woman for her kindness	B．continue his schooling
C．become a famous doctor	D．support his poor family

【小题2】Which is true about the boy and the woman?

A．She never thought he would save her life later.

B．She thought he was not hungry but thirsty.

C．She wanted him to pay for the glass of milk.

D．He was too shy to ask her for some water.

【小题3】After Dr. Kelly knew who the woman was, he ________.

A．refused to take good care of her himself

B．decided to try his best to save her

C．told her she once gave him a glass of milk

D．asked for her bill and paid it off at once

【小题4】The best title for this passage is ________.

A．The Final Bill	B．A Warm-hearted Woman
C．A Glass of Milk	D．A Famous Doctor

Philip was a nine-year-old boy in a Sunday school class of 8-year-old girls and boys. Sometimes the third graders didn’t welcome Philip into their group and usually tricked him. This was not because he was older, but because he was “different”. You see, Philip suffered from a condition called Downs’s Syndrome. This made him “different”, with his facial characteristics, slow responses and mental problems.
One Sunday after Easter, the Sunday school teacher gathered some plastic eggs that pulled apart in the middle. The teacher gave one to each child. On that beautiful spring day, the children were to go out and discover for themselves some symbol of “new life” and place it inside the plastic eggs.
After the children returned to the classroom, the teacher opened their eggs one by one, asking each child to explain that symbol of “new life”. The first opened egg contained a flower. Everyone cheered. In another was a butterfly…. When the teacher opened the last egg, it was empty. “That’s stupid,” said someone. The teacher felt a pull at his shirt. It was Philip. Looking up, Philip said, “It’s mine. I did it. It’s empty. I have new life, because the tomb is empty.” Not a sound was heard in class at all. From that day on, Philip became a real part of the group. They welcomed him, and whatever made him different was never mentioned again.
【小题1】The underlined word “condition” in the first paragraph probably means ________.

A．grade

B．status

C．health

D．disease

【小题2】It can be inferred from the first paragraph that ________.

A．The 8-year-olds were sometimes cruel

B．The 8-year-olds were friendly to Philip

C．Philip was really different in school

D．Philip was older and more sensitive

【小题3】The teacher gave each child one plastic egg to let them ________.

A．play around on that beautiful spring day

B．put some symbol of “new life” into it

C．try to pull it apart in the middle

D．go out and discover themselves

【小题4】After Philip explained his new life, ________.

A．The class thought he was clever.	B．The class fell silent.
C．He began to study in the class.	D．He felt dying.

【小题5】We learn from the passage that ________.

A．The teacher used to have classes outdoors

B．The Philip’s new life wish was empty

C．Philip was healthy as a whole

D．Philip was accepted by his classmates in the end

A 33-year-old financial analyst in California recently quit his job to devote himself to an unpaid job teaching math on the Internet, and his lessons are reaching almost 100,000 people a month. Salman Khan’s voice is heard every day on the net — by tens of thousands of students around the world who are hungry for help learning math. He has posted 1,200 lessons on You Tube —lessons that appear on an electronic blackboard, which range from basic addition to advanced mathematics for science and finance. And they are free.
Khan lives in Silicon Valley, with his wife, a doctor, and their new baby. He got the idea for his “Khan Academy” four years ago, when he taught a young cousin how to convert kilograms to grams. With Khan’s help, the cousin got good at math, and Khan began a new career.
Now, Khan records his lessons himself, but he never goes on camera. “It feels like my voice in their head. You’re looking at it and it feels like someone’s over your shoulder talking in your ear, as opposed to someone at the blackboard, which is distant from you,” he said.
When Springfield High School in Palo Alto, California invited Khan to speak in person—he immediately connected to the students there.
The idea of short lessons that can be played over and over again attracted high school senior Bridget Meaney. She says she had trouble with math in the seventh grade. “I think the teachers are good, but they can’t teach at a speed that’s perfect for everyone,” she said. “I like the idea of learning something in class but then going back and pressing pause or rewind and actually getting a deeper understanding of it.”
Originally, Khan kept his lessons short because of YouTube restrictions. Now, he thinks short is better. “Education researchers now tell me that 10 minutes is how long someone can have a high level of concentration. And anything beyond that and your brain switches off,” he said.
For Khan, teaching math, science, and finance is just the beginning. He says he’s ready to expand his YouTube site to include other subjects as well.
【小题1】What gave Khan the idea of teaching math online?

A．His success in helping his cousin learn math.

B．His discovery that many students found learning math difficult.

C．A suggestion made to him at a local high school.

D．His interest in Internet teaching.

【小题2】Why does Khan never go on camera?

A．He’s too shy to show his face on camera.

B．It’s restricted by YouTube for education videos.

C．He wants to keep distance from the viewers.

D．He wants to create a more relaxed learning atmosphere.

【小题3】From the passage, we know that ________.

A．Khan travels to many schools to promote his lessons

B．Khan plans to include more subjects in the future

C．Khan gives live math lessons every day for free

D．Khan set up the Khan Academy with his wife

【小题4】Why does Bridget Meaney like Khan’s lessons?

A．Khan teaches seventh grade math better than her teacher.

B．The lessons can be watched repeatedly until fully understood.

C．She can perfectly follow the pace of Khan’s teaching.

D．She cannot concentrate when learning in class.

【小题5】What does Khan mean by “short is better” in the 6th paragraph?

A．Keeping the lessons short can ensure better concentration.

B．YouTube recommends short lessons for its site.

C．Short lessons encourage students to return to the website.

D．Students enjoy short mathematics lessons more.

The success of Pickwick Papers made Dickens very popular. He suddenly found himself at twenty-four the most famous novelist of his day. Busy as his social life was, he worked on two novels at the same time－Oliver Twist and Pickwick Papers. He was particularly proud of Pickwick, which was a huge success and was regarded as a comedy (喜剧)masterpiece(杰作). “If I were to live a hundred years and write novels in each, I should never be so proud of any of them as I am proud of Pickwick Papers,” he said.
It has been said of Dickens that he grasped（抓住）the imagination of his readers because his imagination grasped himself. The people in his works were so real that they could make him laugh or cry. When writing Oliver Twist he said that he could not rest until Fagin, the wrongdoer(做坏事的人), had been hanged.
Dickens’ marriage to Catherine Hagarth, with whom he had nine children, ended unhappily in 1858. He started to travel about giving readings of his works. His interest in theater gave his novels the qualities that made them suitable for reading aloud on the stage. A tiring travel to the United States affected his health. On June 9, 1870, when he was working on a new novel, he died, as he had wished. He said he wanted to die working.
【小题1】 Dickens became a famous novelist         .

A．because his social work

B．with the success of Pickwick Papers

C．because he was writing two novels at the same time

D．when he began to give readings of his works

【小题2】 According to this passage, we know that Dickens       .

A．was only interested in writing novels

B．didn’t like Oliver Twist

C．wished to live one hundred years and write three novels in each

D．didn’t think he could write a better novel than Pick wick Papers in his life

【小题3】Fagin must be          .

A．a person in real life

B．a character in Oliver Twist

C．a character in Pickwick Papers

D．one of Dickens’ works

【小题4】 Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Dickens had a happy marriage to Catherine Hagarth

B．Dickens was a successful actor

C．Dickens’ death had little to do with his hard work

D．Dickens had wished to die in the course of his work

Mark Twain，an American writer, published more than 30 books, hundreds of
short stories and essays and gave lectures around the world throughout his career. 
Mark Twain left school when he was twelve. He had little school education. Thou
gh he had little school education, he became the most famous writer of his time
. He made millions of dollars by writing. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Cl
emens, but he is better known all over the world as MarkTwain, his penname. 
Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not
expected to live through the first winter. But with his mother's tender care,
he managed to survive. As a boy, he causedmuch trouble for his parents. He use
d to play jokes on all of his friends and neighbors. He didn't like to go to sc
hool, and he constantly ran away from home. He always went in the direction of
the nearby Mississippi. He was nearly drowned nine times. After his father's d
eath in 1847, Mark twain began to work for a printer, who only provided him wit
h food and clothing. Then, he worked as  a river-boat pilot (领航
员)and later joinedthe army. But shortly after that he became a miner. During t
his period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards he became a full-time
writer.
In 1870, Mark Twain got married. In the years that followed he wrote many books
including Tom Sawyer in 1876, and Huckleberry Finn in 1884, which made him fam
ous, and brought him a great fortune. Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts
in bad investments（投资） and he had to write
large numbers of stories to pay these debts. In 1904, his wife died and then on
e of their childrenpassed away.At the age of 70, his hair was completely white.
He bought many white suits and neckties. Hewore nothing but white from head to
foot until his death on April 21, 1910.
【小题1】 When Mark Twain was a little baby,          .

A．his mother thought he would die

B．he was as active as other boys

C．he was not strong enough

D．he was always in hospital

【小题2】 In his childhood,        .

A．Mark Twain learned a lot at school

B．Mark Twain often went swimming with other boys

C．Mark Twain often played games with other boys

D．Mark Twain’s mother often worried about his safety

【小题3】 In order to make a living, Mark Twain       .

A．often ran away from home.

B．first worked for a printer.

C．wrote stories in the beginning.

D．joined the army after he worked in a mine.

【小题4】 In the later years of his life, Mark Twain      .

A．continued writing until his death.

B．wrote many stories and earned a lot of money.

C．must have been very sad because he lost his wife and one of his children.

D．lent too much money to others.

Each spring brings a new wildflower blooming in the fields along the highway I travel daily to work. There is one particular blue flower that has always caught my eye. I've noticed that it blooms only in the morning hours. The afternoon sun is too warm for it. Every day each year for about two weeks, I see those beautiful flowers.
This spring, I started a wildflower garden in my yard. I can look out of the kitchen window while doing the dishes and see the flowers. I've often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the fields would look great in that bed alongside other wildflowers.
Every day I drove past the flowers, thinking, "I'll stop on my way home and dig them." "Gee, I don't want to get my good clothes dirty…" Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them. My husband even gave me a tool one year for that expressed purpose.
One day on my way home from work, I was saddened to see that the highway department had cleared up the fields and the pretty blue flowers were gone. I thought to myself, "Way to go, you waited too long. You should have done it when you first saw them blooming this spring. "
A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister-in-law has a cancer. She is 20 years older than my husband and unfortunately, because of age and distance, we haven't been as close as we all would have liked.
I couldn't help but see the connection between the pretty blue flowers and the relationship between my husband's sister and us. I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some wonderful memories that will bloom every year for us.
And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, I'm sure I'll stop and transplant them to my wildflower garden.
【小题1】 How long might the blue flower bloom in spring?

A．The whole day.	B．The whole season.
C．About one week.	D．About two weeks

【小题2】 Where did the writer want to transplant the flowers?

A．In the garden	B．Along the highway.
C．Across the fields.	D．Outside the yard.

【小题3】 Which of the following is NOT true about the writer's sister-in-law?

A．She is seriously ill.

B．She is twenty years old.

C．She lives far away from the writer.

D．She is not in close touch with the writer.

【小题4】 What does the writer want to tell us?

A．Refresh our wonderful moments every year.

B．Visit our relatives only after they get ill.

C．Value now and don't lose chances.

D．Plant flowers and don't enjoy them in the field.

Alex Wood began fundraising when he was four years old. He sold lemonade and cookies to raise money for a school in Haiti. Later, Alex sent 15 bags of food he collected from his neighbors to a food store near his home which asked for donations(捐赠).
Alex wanted to help more people. He decided to donate to Heifer International, an organization that gives farm animals and farm training to poor people around the world. His goal: $5,000 for a “gift ark”. That amount would mean that 15 pairs of animals would be given to people in need. Those families would agree to give one of their animals’ young to other needy families.
Alex decided that baking was the best way to raise money. He started a business, named it Clean Hands Bakery, and now sells his baked goods year round. In his family’s kitchen, he created all kinds of cookies and cakes. He says his top sellers are lemon pound cakes and chocolate cupcakes. Alex likes the baking as much as the fundraising. “I like it that you can take so many ingredients(原料) that don’t taste good on their own and come up with something amazing,” he says.
In September 2011, Alex reached his goal of $5,000 and bought a gift ark. “I feel absolutely overjoyed that I got to my goal,” he says. “I can’t help everybody by myself, but I can do my part, which I hope will inspire other people to do their part, too.” One of the people Alex has already inspired is his younger brother. “He had people donate to me, instead of giving him a birthday present.” Alex explains. “In the end he donated $200 toward my goal.”
So now that he’s met his goal of a gift ark, will Alex keep baking and fundraising? He says yes. He wants to end world hunger, one cupcake at a time.
【小题1】What did Alex Wood donate to Heifer International?

A．$5.000 in cash	B．Farm animals
C．A gift ark	D．Lemon Hands Bakery

【小题2】 According to the passage, Clean Hands Bakery ______.

A．was set up in September 2011

B．uses many unusual ingredients

C．belongs to Heifer International

D．sells food cooked by Alex himself

【小题3】 What’s Alex’ younger brother’s attitude towards his fundraising idea?

A．Doubtful

B．Curious

C．Supportive

D．Uncaring

【小题4】 What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A charity helping the poor.

B．Feeding the world by baking.

C．The best way to raise money.

D．Cooking with different ingredients.

The first visit to a foreign country that I can remember was when I was about seven years old. We live about 5 miles away from the Canadian border(边界). My family and I went to Parc Safari, Quebec, a wonderful place that has animals and rides. We drove down a nice long road. My sister and I sat in the back of the car, and it was a hatchback(有仓门式后背的汽车) so we opened it up. I remember feeding the animals snacks we had bought for ourselves.
The time we went we were told there would not be monkeys because they had escaped and had not been found. I remember thinking to myself, how cool it would be to see a monkey in our backyard.
Even though the monkeys were not there it was still so much fun. When we reached the area that had camels, giraffes and other animals, I remember one of the camels reached into the car to get our snacks. However, we were a little gross out because the camels seemed to froth(吐白沫) at the mouth and we had camel slobber(口水) all over the car and us.
It was one of the best family vacations that I can remember. It was not too far from home, it was in a different country and it was with my family. I cannot remember if we went on the rides or not but seeing many animals was a great time. Now I am grown up and have a son, and I am planning to go there again. He is 7 years old and I think he is at a great age to enjoy a trip like this. I am sure it has changed a lot over the years but it will still be a great family trip.
【小题1】Where did the author live when he was 7 years old?

A．In Canada	B．Near the Canadian border
C．In the central US	D．In Parc Safari

【小题2】 We fed the animals something _____.

A．offered by people living there

B．we bought for them

C．we prepared for ourselves

D．cooked by my sister

【小题3】what does the underlined part “gross out” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．surprised	B．excited
C．tired	D．uncomfortable

【小题4】 What does the author intend to do?

A．To revisit the place he went to at seven.

B．To take his 7-year-old son to a zoo.

C．To have a family trip in his own country.

D．To have a holiday abroad with his parents.

I began working in journalism(新闻工作) when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was supper time, I walked back home.
“How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“None.”
“Where did you go?”
“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“What did you do?”
“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“You just stood there?”
“Didn’t sell a single one.”
“My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel(五分镍币). It was the first nickel I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.
【小题1】 Why did the boy start his job young?

A．He wanted to be famous in the future.

B．The job was quite easy for him.

C．His mother had high hopes for him.

D．The competition for the job was fierce.

【小题2】From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.

A．excited	B．interested
C．ashamed	D．disappointed

【小题3】What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

A．She forced him to continue.

B．She punished him.

C．She gave him some money.

D．She changed her plan.

【小题4】 What does the underlined phrase “this battle” refer to?

A．The war between the boy’s parents.

B．The arguing between the boy and his mother.

C．The quarrel between the boy and his customers.

D．The fight between the boy and his father.

【小题5】 What is the text mainly about?

A．The early life of a journalist.

B．The early success of a journalist.

C．The happy childhood of the writer.

D．The important role of the writer in his family.