When trouble comes, what do we usually do? We pick up our mobile phones and call for help. That’s easy, right? People with mobile phones often think so. But in an emergency, many people are unable to call for help. Floods and earthquakes come suddenly. Wars can hurt or kill. Successful communication can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

Meet French NGO Telecoms Sans Frontiers (Telecommunications Without Borders). Its goal is to use mobile communication technology to help people in need. TSF began in 1998. First, they opened their main base in France. Then in 2003, they started another base in Nicaragua. The next year they opened their Thailand base. Now if a disaster hits anywhere in the world, TSF is ready. They can send workers to a disaster area to set up communication systems within 24 hours.

Once TSF arrives at a disaster area, they set up telephone connections and Internet service. They share these services with other international helpers on the scene such as the UN or UNICEF. Mobile communication helps these other volunteers do their jobs better.

TSF also offers three-minute phone calls to local people who need to contact their loved ones. These communications can allow people to get together again after being separated(分开). Often the callers are moved to tears after speaking to a relative found to be still alive. Then the families can decide on a safe course of action for their family members.

Since 1998, TSF has helped thousands of people in many countries. Most of the TSF workers does not get paid with money, but the satisfaction(满足感) of helping others and changing lives is often a great reward.

1. Telecoms Sans Frontiers is ______________________.

       A. a mobile phone company from France            B. a charity group from France

       C. a mobile phone company from Thailand          D. a charity group from Thailand

2. What does TSF mainly do?

       A. They teach people how to use Internet service.

       B. They provide clean drinking water for people.

       C. They offer communication services for people in need.

       D. They help other volunteer groups do their jobs better.

3. How soon can TSF send workers to a disaster area?

       A. In one day.        B. In two days.             C. In three days.           D. In four days.

4. Which one shows the right order of the following events?

       a. People are moved to cry.

       b. TSF workers set up communication systems.

       c. A disaster hits somewhere in the world.

       d. TSF arrives at the disaster area in a short time.

       e. People make free calls to other family members.

       A. a-b-c-d-e           B. c-b-d-a-e                C. c-d-b-a-e             D. c-d-b-e-a

5. Which of the following is TRUE?

       A. Most TSF workers are volunteers.         

       B. TSF has a history of over 20 years.

       C. TSF provides services for local people only. 

       D. TSF had opened 4 bases worldwide by 2004.

There was a famous church in London. It was 110 meters high. The center of the church was like a bell. The ceiling of the church was painted by a famous artist. A platform （平台）was built so that the artist could put up the ladder on it and paint the ceiling. The platform was about 70 meters over the ground.

One day the artist was working hard and had nearly finished one popular corner of the ceiling. Also on the platform was his assistant, who was mixing paints. The artist stepped back so that he could see how his work was progressing. To have a better look at his painting, he stepped back again. Suddenly, his assistant shouted, picked up a small bowl of paint and started to paint the artist’s work on the top. The artist was very angry and rushed forwards to stop him.

“What do you think you are doing?” he shouted angrily. “Are you mad?” His assistant replied, “I saw you walking backwards to have a better look at your painting. But you didn’t notice that you had reached the very edge of the platform. You were in great danger. I wanted to make you move forwards. If I had not made you run forwards, you would have fallen backwards off the edge of the platform.

1.The story happened in ______.

A．America          B．France            C．German           D．England

2.Why did the artist step back again?

A．To see how his work was progressing.        B．To have a better look at his painting.

C．To paint a bow in his painting.              D．To pour some paint on his painting.

3.What did the assistant do to stop the artist falling off the platform?

A．He painted a famous painting himself.        B．He ran forwards to stop him.

C．He shouted to the artist and painted his painting.    D．He stopped mixing the paints.

4.Which picture shows the same situation as the underlined sentence in Paragraph2?

Note: a: artist b: assistant c: painting ←: the direction of the movement.

5.After reading the passage, what do you think the artist would probably do?

A．He would be angry with what the assistant had done.

B．He would punish the assistant for having destroyed his painting.

C．He would be thankful to be the assistant for having saved his life.

D．He wouldn’t allow the assistant to work with him any more.

 

There was a famous church in London. It was 110 meters high. The center of the church was like a bell. The ceiling of the church was painted by a famous artist. A platform （平台）was built so that the artist could put up the ladder on it and paint the ceiling. The platform was about 70 meters over the ground.
One day the artist was working hard and had nearly finished one popular corner of the ceiling. Also on the platform was his assistant, who was mixing paints. The artist stepped back so that he could see how his work was progressing. To have a better look at his painting, he stepped back again. Suddenly, his assistant shouted, picked up a small bowl of paint and started to paint the artist’s work on the top. The artist was very angry and rushed forwards to stop him.
“What do you think you are doing?” he shouted angrily. “Are you mad?” His assistant replied, “I saw you walking backwards to have a better look at your painting. But you didn’t notice that you had reached the very edge of the platform. You were in great danger. I wanted to make you move forwards. If I had not made you run forwards, you would have fallen backwards off the edge of the platform.
【小题1】The story happened in ______.

A．America

B．France

C．German

D．England

【小题2】Why did the artist step back again?

A．To see how his work was progressing.	B．To have a better look at his painting.
C．To paint a bow in his painting.	D．To pour some paint on his painting.

【小题3】What did the assistant do to stop the artist falling off the platform?

A．He painted a famous painting himself.	B．He ran forwards to stop him.
C．He shouted to the artist and painted his painting.	D．He stopped mixing the paints.

【小题4】Which picture shows the same situation as the underlined sentence in Paragraph2?
Note: a: artist b: assistant c: painting ←: the direction of the movement.

【小题5】After reading the passage, what do you think the artist would probably do?

A．He would be angry with what the assistant had done.

B．He would punish the assistant for having destroyed his painting.

C．He would be thankful to be the assistant for having saved his life.

D．He wouldn’t allow the assistant to work with him any more.

A fish that lives in America can live out. of water for months at a time, similar to how animals got used to land millions of years ago, a new study shows.
The Mangrove Rivulus, a kind of little fish, lives in small pools of water. When their living place dries up, they live. on the land, said Scott Taylor, a researcher in Florida.                        
The fish can grow as large as three inches. They group together and breathe air through their skin before they can find water again.
The new scientific discovery came during a trip.
"We were travelling for fun. and one day I kicked over a log (圆木) and the fish came out," Taylor told reporters by telephone. He said he would make his study on the fish known to the public in an American magazine early next year.
In lab tests, Taylor said he found the fish can live up to 66 days out of water without eating.
Some other fish can live out of water for a short period of time. The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time, while lungfish(肺鱼) found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water, but only in a not active(活波的)way. But no other known fish can be out of water as long as the Mangrove Rivulus and keep active, according to Patricia Wright, a biologist at a Canadian University.
More studies of the fish may tell how animals changed over time.
"These animals live in conditions similar to those millions of years ago, when animals began to move from water onto land," Wright said.
【小题1】The Mangrove Rivulus is a type of fish that_________.

A．lives on land in Africa

B．can stay alive for months out of water

C．prefers living in dry places

D．is the longest living fish on earth

【小题2】Who will write a report on Mangrove Rivulus?
A, Scott Taylor.                     B. Some reporters.
C. Patricia Wright.                   D. Scientists from Europe.
【小题3】According to the passage, lungfish can___________.

A．breathe through its skin	B．be found in Asia
C．keep alive out of water	D．keep alive and walk on land

【小题4】Which one of the sentences below is not true?

A．The Mangrove Rivulus fish can live out of water as long as other animals if it has something to eat.

B．Millions of years ago, animals began to live onto land from water.

C．Lungfish found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water in a not active way.

D．The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time.

【小题5】What can we say about the discovery of Mangrove Rivulus?

A．ft was made by Scott Taylor, a researcher in New york.

B．It was helped by an American magazine.

C．It was helped by Patricia Wright.

D．It was made by a researcher while travelling.

A fish that lives in America can live out. of water for months at a time, similar to how animals got used to land millions of years ago, a new study shows.
The Mangrove Rivulus, a kind of little fish, lives in small pools of water. When their living place dries up, they live. on the land, said Scott Taylor, a researcher in Florida.                        
The fish can grow as large as three inches. They group together and breathe air through their skin before they can find water again.
The new scientific discovery came during a trip.
"We were travelling for fun. and one day I kicked over a log (圆木) and the fish came out," Taylor told reporters by telephone. He said he would make his study on the fish known to the public in an American magazine early next year.
In lab tests, Taylor said he found the fish can live up to 66 days out of water without eating.
Some other fish can live out of water for a short period of time. The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time, while lungfish(肺鱼) found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water, but only in a not active(活波的)way. But no other known fish can be out of water as long as the Mangrove Rivulus and keep active, according to Patricia Wright, a biologist at a Canadian University.
More studies of the fish may tell how animals changed over time.
"These animals live in conditions similar to those millions of years ago, when animals began to move from water onto land," Wright said.
【小题1】The Mangrove Rivulus is a type of fish that_________.

A．lives on land in Africa

B．can stay alive for months out of water

C．prefers living in dry places

D．is the longest living fish on earth

【小题2】Who will write a report on Mangrove Rivulus?
A, Scott Taylor.                     B. Some reporters.
C. Patricia Wright.                   D. Scientists from Europe.
【小题3】According to the passage, lungfish can___________.

A．breathe through its skin	B．be found in Asia
C．keep alive out of water	D．keep alive and walk on land

【小题4】Which one of the sentences below is not true?

A．The Mangrove Rivulus fish can live out of water as long as other animals if it has something to eat.

B．Millions of years ago, animals began to live onto land from water.

C．Lungfish found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water in a not active way.

D．The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time.

【小题5】What can we say about the discovery of Mangrove Rivulus?

A．ft was made by Scott Taylor, a researcher in New york.

B．It was helped by an American magazine.

C．It was helped by Patricia Wright.

D．It was made by a researcher while travelling.