The news of the mayor’s coming to our school for a visit was ____ on the radio yesterday．

A．turned out

B．found out

C．given out

D．carried out

 

An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same tome.
In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起）the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits,study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong kong.
In Chicago, the mayor(市长）appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighbourhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.
The only problem arose in New York ,where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns,where a greater sense of unity(一致）can be achieved .Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point ,putting all their energy
And passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.
Ultinatel was Nancy points out,the level of sucicess is not meastured by how many people read a book,but by how many people are enriched by the process.or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.
【小题1】What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?

A．To invite authors to guide readers.

B．To encourage people to read and share.

C．To involve people in communnity service.

D．To promote the friendship between cities.

【小题2】Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the projict?

A．They had little interest in reading.

B．They were too busy to read a book.

C．They came from many different backgrounds

D．They lacked support from the locat government

【小题3】According to the passage,where would the project be more easily carried out?

A．In large communities with little sense of unity

B．In large cities where libraries are far from home

C．In medium-sized cities with a diverse population

D．In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached

【小题4】The underlined words“shared a word”in Paragraph 5 probably mean     

A．exchanged ideas with each other

B．discussed the meaning of a word

C．gamed life experience

D．used the same language

【小题5】According to Nacy,the degree of students of the project is judged by
          

A．the careful selection of a proper book

B．the growing popularity of the writers

C．the number of people who benefit from reading.

D．the number of books that each person reads.

In New Britain, Connecticut, a new official in charge of schools named Kelt Cooper wants to end high truancy (逃学) rates among public school students, and he’s suggesting financial punishments to get job done. A plan to fine students up to $75 for each day they skip school is now being considered by New Britain authorities.

The concept of fining kids for skipping school may come as a shock, but it’s not new. In Ohio, the parents responsible for a student guilty of habitual truancy can be fined up to $500 and/or be required to perform up to 70 hours of community service. Until recently, students in Los Angeles could be hit with a $250 punishment for each count of truancy; in early 2012 the law was changed and the heavy fines were removed, though a $20 punishment may still be handed out if a student truants for the third time.

Fines for truancy are also in effect overseas. In the UK, The Guardian reports, parents can be fined ￡50 (about $80) per skipped school day. The punishment doubles if it’s not paid within 28 days.

The question is: Do fines like this work? The vast majority of authorities in the UK said that, indeed, they do. The fines were believed either “very successful” or “fairly successful” by 79% in reducing truancy, according to a survey.

If the plan is passed in Connecticut, it’s unclear how effective the law might be, how to make parents and students obey the law and what might happen if they refuse to pay. However, local officials seem to be willing to give it a shot. According to the Hartford Courant:

“The mayor agrees that truancy is a real issue in New Britain schools, and what’s been done in the past hasn’t been working to reduce truancy.” said Phil Sherwood, assistant to Mayor Timothy O’ Brien.

And what do the students think? In the New Britain Herald, one 17-year-old entering her senior year called the plan “ridiculous” and predicted that the punishments will bring about negative effects on the court system. Besides, “I don’t see the point,” she said. “Kids will just try harder not to get caught.”

1. The passage mainly discusses whether __________.

A．schools have the right to punish students

B．authorities should consider protecting kids

C．students should be fined for skipping school

D．parents are responsible for children’s truancy

2. If a British kid skips two school days and fails to pay fines in a month, the punishment will be __________.

A．two hundred pounds                    B．fifty pounds

C．eighty pounds                          D．a hundred pounds

3. We can learn from the passage that ___________.

A．truancy is a serious problem in New Britain

B．Cooper’s plan has been passed in Connecticut

C．fining kids for truancy is a new idea in America

D．little has been done to reduce truancy in New Britain

4. The underlined part “give it a shot” most probably means _____________.

A．get used to it                           B．help improve it

C．try to carry it out                        D．fight against it

 

An expensive car speeding down the main street of a small town was soon caught up with by a young motorcycle policeman. As he started to make out the ticket, the woman behind the wheel said proudly, “Before you go any further, young man, I think you should know that the mayor of this city is a good friend of mine.”The officer did not say a word, but kept writing. “I am also a friend of chief of police Barens,”continued the woman, getting more angrier each moment. Still he kept on writing. “Young man ,”she persisted, “I know Judge Lawson and State Senator (参议员) Patton.” Handing the ticket to the woman, the officer asked pleasantly, “Tell me, do you know Bill Bronson.”

“Why, no,”She answered. “Well, that is the man you should have known,”he said, heading back to his motorcycle, “I am Bill Bronson.”

1.The policeman stopped the car because_____

A．it was an expensive car

B．the driver was a proud lady

C．the driver was driving beyond the speed limit

D．the driver was going to make trouble for the police

2.The woman was getting more angry each moment because _____.

A．the policeman didn’t know her friends

B．the policeman didn’t accept her kindness

C．the policeman was going to punish her

D．she didn’t know the policeman’s name

3.The policeman was _______.

A．an honourable fellow                    B．a stupid fellow

C．an impolite man                        D．a shy man

4.The woman was _______.

A．kind-hearted

B．a person who depended on someone else to finish her work

C．trying to frighten the policeman on the strength of her friends’ powerful positions

D．introducing her good friends’ names to the young officer

5.The policeman_______.

A．had no sense of humor                   B．had s sense of humor

C．had no sense of duty                     D．was senseless

 

The British usually expect one or two snowfalls each year but the amount of snow rarely affects everyday life. However, this week Britain has had the worst snow it has seen in around 18 years. Some places had more than 30cm in a day.
The bad weather caused severe disruption. More than 3000 schools had to close as teachers and pupils were unable to get to school. School children weren’t too unhappy about it though as they headed out to play the snow, building snowmen, having snowball fights, sledging and some even snowboarding and skiing.
In London, bus services were withdrawn for a day and tubes and trains were cancelled. Major motorways in the country had to close. Many people were unable to get to work and it is thought the cost of this lost labor is around &1 billion (10 billion yuan) to businesses and the economy.
Anyone who wanted to leave the country had problems too. Runways were closed at all the UK’s major airports because of the amount of snow. Hundreds of flights were cancelled leaving some passengers stranded at airports.
So why is the UK so ill-prepared for snow? The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, explained that there aren’t enough snow –ploughs（铲雪机）and gritters（撒沙机）and it doesn’t make sense to buy such equipment when it snows so infrequently.
The south-east of England was the hardest hit at the beginning of the week but the snow is now moving northwards where the chaos continues.
More ice and snow is forecast throughout the week and the advice from travel and weather organizations is to stay indoors unless you really need to venture out!
【小题1】 Which of the following facts is FALSE according to the passage?

A．More than 3000 schools had to close for the heavy snow.

B．Major motorways in the country had to close for the bad weather.

C．Runways were closed at all the UK’s major airports for the amount of snow.

D．The government organized to clear the snow away with snow-ploughs and gritters.

【小题2】 What does the underlined phrase venture out probably mean in last paragraph?

A．go out	B．search out
C．take no risks	D．stay indoors

【小题3】 What can we learn from the passage?

A．School children seemed happy to head out to play in the snow though schools had to close.

B．The cost of the lost labor reached around 10 billion yuan to businesses and the economy.

C．Hundreds of flights couldn’t land because the runways were closed at major British airports.

D．Tubes and trains in London were cancelled, but drivers were still driving in main motorways.

【小题4】What can we infer from the passage?

A．The heavy snow is what the British have been expecting for 18 years.

B．The heavy snow has been a very rare heavy one in the UK for 18 years.

C．The heavy snow doesn't please school children at all.

D．The government isn’t ill-prepared for snow.

【小题5】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Harsh Winters Visit Britain

B．Heavy Snow Hits the UK

C．Bad Weather Causes Chaos Just in London

D．Heavy Snow Causes Disruption Only in Motorways