On the morning of May 29, Donna left unusually early for her 5:30 a.m. work at Noone’s Restaurant. She drove along a rural road,    1    as she often did to admire the old farmhouse she passed each day. But as she looked more    2   , she saw flames on one of the porch’s(门廊) posts. Donna pulled into the driveway and honked her horn(喇叭).

No response. With flames cutting her    3    from the front entrance, she ran to a side door, which was   4   . “Wake up,” she cried, running through the house. “   5   !”

    Just hours earlier Corinne Allin had put 18-month-old Benjamin, Devon, seven, and Amy, nine, to   6   . Now, awakened by the shouts, she stumbled(踉跄) down the steps into a    7    and saw the fire immediately. “My children , my husband ---they’re   8    upstairs,” Corinne said.

    “I’ll get them,” Donna said. “Call 911.”

    Donna    9    her way up the stairs through the    10   . While Hugh Allin went to see if he could put the fire    11    with the hose(水管), Devon dashed into Amy’s room. “Get up,” he cried. Amy lifted Benjamin from his bed. With windows exploding and smoke surrounding them, they made their way out of the    12   door.

In the disorder that followed, Donna slipped away to work. Passing the blackened house that evening, she stopped and left a note. Later that night the Allin family paid a    13   . Corinne explained that the fire began when she pressed out a    14    in a potted plant on the front porch. “But thanks to you,” she said with tears in her eyes, “we’re    15   .”

1. A. speeding B. slowingC. getting off　　  D. going out

2. A. closely    B. quietly　　　　    C. proudly   D. tightly

3. A. up　　　　  B. in　　　　　　　　  C. around　　　　   D. off

4. A. closed    B. open　　　　　　  C. locked　　　　   D. unlocked

5. A. Fire　　    B. Help　　    C. Hello　　　　　　  D. Come on

6. A. bed　　    B. desk　　    C. playground　　 D. school

7.A. room　　   B. heat　　    C. stranger   D. street

8.A. already    B. just　　　　 C. still　　　　　　  D. even

9.A. found　　  B. stepped   C. made　　　　　　 D. moved

10A. flames    B. smoke　　　　    C. rubbish    D. ashes

11.A. out　　    B. down　　　　　　 C. up　　　　   D. over

12.A. room    B. back      C. front　　　　　　  D. side

13.A. bill　　    B. visit　　    C. look　　   　　   D. part

14.A. match    B. wood　　　　　　 C. cigarette  D. oven

15.A. free　　   B. awake　　　　    C. alive　　 &ntbs?

p;  D. successful

Move Earth—it’s no science fiction

LONDON—Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet from overheating：move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets(彗星)in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.

This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet—effectively doubling its working life.

The plan put forward by Dr. Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams, needs carefully directing a comet or asteroid so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth.

“Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun,”Laughlin said.

Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated.

In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so “seriously compromise” our biosphere(生物圈)—by cooking us.

That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth.

The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation(误算)in orbit could fire it straight at Earth—with deadly consequences.

There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position it is “most likely the Moon would be stripped away from Earth,” it states. This would greatly change our planet’s climate.

1．What makes the scientists plan to move Earth?

A．A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth.

B．Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon.

C．Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive.

D．The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth.

2．If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of ________ years.

A．12 billion B．6 billion

C．18 billion D．24 billion

3．What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage?

A．The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the moon.

B．Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death.

C．The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth.

D．Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened.

4．What does the underlined word “compromise” mean?

A．provide B．benefit

C．share　 D．endanger

A. campaign　　　　　 B. noted　　　　　　　　　 C. focus　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. careful　　 E. released

F. fall　　　　　　　　　　 G. trend　　　　　　　 H. dead　　　　　　　　 I. major　　　　　　　　 J. extended

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The U.S. unemployment rate probably rose in October as employers stepped up hiring only slightly, underscoring President Barack Obama’s vulnerability in next week’s presidential election.

Employers likely added 125,000 jobs to their payrolls last month, according to a Reuters survey of economists. That would be up from 114,000 in September, but would 　 41　 short of what is needed to quickly cut the jobless rate.

Indeed, economists expect the unemployment rate — a key 　　42　 in the neck-and-neck race for the White House ——to tick up by a tenth of a percentage point to 7.9 percent, reversing part of a surprise drop seen in September.

The Labor Department's closely watched report, which will be 　 43 at 8:30 a.m. (12:30 GMT) on Friday, will be the last 　44 report card on the economy before Tuesday's presidential election, which pits (使竞争）President Obama against Republican Mitt Romney.

If economists are right, it will show the eighth straight month of dull job growth, a worrisome　 45 that would likely reinforce the Federal Reserve's resolve to keep easy money policies in place until the economy shows more vigor.

"The weakness in overall economic growth momentum has 　 46 into the last quarter of the year," said Millan Mulraine, an economist at TD Securities in New York.

Romney has made the nation's feeble jobs market, which has caused Obama a lot of trouble since he took office in 2009, the centerpiece of his 　 47 . The last Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll showed Obama and Romney in a 　 48　 heat.

Still, the report could provide fodder for both candidates. Some economists have 　 49　 an increase in the jobless rate might have a silver lining if it is driven by Americans pouring into the labor market to restart job hunts.

I always felt sorry for people in wheelchair. Some people, old and weak, cannot get　 1　 　by themselves. Others seem perfectly healthy, dressed in business suits, and 　 2　 themselves about with strong determination. But whenever I saw someone in a wheelchair, I only saw a disability, not a person.

Then I fainted at Euro-Disney 　 3　 low blood pressure. This was the first time I had ever fainted, and my parents said that I must rest 　 4　 after First Aid. I agreed to take it 　 5　 but, as I stepped toward the door, I saw my dad pushing a wheelchair in my direction! Feeling the color 　 6　 my cheeks, I asked him to wheel that thing right back to where he　 7　 it.

I could not believe this was 　 8　 to me. Wheelchairs were 　 9　 for other people but not for me. As my father wheeled me out into the main street, people immediately began to treat me 　 10　 .

Little kids ran in front of me, forcing my father to 　 11　 　the wheelchair suddenly. Bitterness set in as I was　 12　 back and forth. 　 13　 kids. Why 　 14　 they watch where they’re going?’ I thought.

People passing by stared down at me, 　 15　 in their eyes. Then they would look 　 16　 , maybe because they thought the 　 17　 they forgot me the better.

“I am just like you!” I wanted to scream. “The only 　 18　 　is you’ve got legs, and I have wheels.”

People in wheelchairs are not stupid. They see every look and hear each word. Looking out at the 　 19　 , I finally understood: I was once just like them. I treated people in wheelchairs exactly the way they did not want to be treated. I realized it is some of us with two healthy legs who are truly 　 20　 .

1. A. around　　　　　　 B. off　　　　　 C. over　　　　　　 D. up

2. A. take　　　　　 B. wheel　　　　　　 C. carry　　　　　　 D. move

3. A. resulting in　 B. in spite of　　　　　 C. due to　　 D. related to

4. A. at times　　　　　 B. for a while　 C. once in a while　　　 D. now and then

5. A. seriously　　 B. for granted　　　　　 C. along　　　　　　 D. easy

6. A. heat　　　　　 B. dye　　　　　 C. beat　　　　　　 D. burn

7. A. found　　　　 B. caught　　　　　 C. bought　　　　　 D. laid

8. A. going　　　　 B. leading　　　 C. happening　　　　 D. becoming

9. A. fit　　　　　　　 B. fine　　　　　　 C. good　　　　　　 D. right

10. A. politely　　 　 B. differently　　　　　 C. rudely　　 D. strangely

11. A. stop　　　　　　 B. change　　　　　 C. push　　　　　　 D. pull

12. A. shaken　　　 B. stricken　　　　 C. driven　　　　　 D. thrown

13. A. Exciting　　　　 B. Stupid　　　　　 C. Poor　　　　　　 D. Lovely

14. A. not　　　　　 B. mustn’t　　　　 C. shouldn’t　　　 D. can’t

15. A. pride　　　　　　 B. surprise　　　　 C. pity　　　　　　 D. sorrow

16. A. about　　　　　　 B. away　　　　　　 C. out　　　　　 D. down

17. A. more　　　　　　 B. less　　　　　　 C. sooner　　　　　 D. further

18. A. problem　　　 　 B. disadvantage　　 C. benefit　　　　　 D. difference

19. A. faces　　 　 B. kids　　　　　　 C. world　　　　　　 D. wheelchairs

20. A. discouraged　　　 B. disappointed　　 C. disabled　　　 D. dishonest