On the evening of June 21, 1992, a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes entered the beautiful hall of the Bell Tower Hotel in Xi’an with his bicycle. The hotel workers received him and teleponed the manager, for they had never seen a bicycle in the hotel hall before though they lived in “the kingdom of bicycles”.
Robert Friedlander, an American, arrived in Xi’an on his bicycle trip across Asia which started last December in New Delhi, India. When he was 11, he read the book Marco Polo and made up his mind to visit the Silk Road. Now, after 44 years, he was on the Silk Road in Xi’an and his early dreams were coming true.
Robert Friedlander’s next destinations (目的地) were Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Urumqi, etc. He will complete his trip in Pakistan.
小題1:The best headline (標(biāo)題) for this newspaper article would be.

A．The Kingdom of Bicycles	B．A Beautiful Hotel in Xi’an
C．Marco Polo and the Silk Road	D．An American Achieving His Aims

小題2:The hotel workers told the manager about Friedlander coming to the hotel because______.

A．he asked to see the manager

B．he entered the hall with a bike

C．the manager had to know about all foreign guests

D．the manager knew about his trip and was expecting him

小題3:What made Friedlander want to come to China?

A．The stories about Marco Polo.	B．The famous sights in Xi’an.
C．His interest in Chinese silk.	D．His childhood dreams about bicycles.

小題4:Friedlander can be said to be.

A．clever

B．friendly

C．hardworking

D．strong-minded

WASHINGTON---Think you’re savvy about food safety? That you wash your hands well, scrub away germs, cook your meat properly?
Guess again.
Scientists put cameras in the kitchens of 100 families in Logan, Utah. What was caught on tape in this middle-class, well-educated college town suggests why food poisoning hits so many Americans.
People skipped soap when hand-washing. Used the same towel to wipe up raw meat juice as to dry their hands. Made a salad without washing the lettuce. Undercooked the meat loaf. One even tasted the marinade in which bacteria-ridden raw fish had soaked.
Not to mention the mom who handled raw chicken and then fixed her infant a bottle without washing her hands.
Or another mom who merely rinsed(沖洗) her baby’s juice bottle after it fell into raw eggs---no soap against the salmonella(沙門氏菌) that can lurk(潛伏) in eggs.
“Shocking,” was Utah State University nutritionist Janet Anderson’s reaction.
Specialists call this typical of the average U.S. household: Everybody commits at least some safety sins(罪惡) when they are hurried, distracted by fussy children or ringing phones, simply not thinking about germs. Even Anderson made changes in her kitchen after watching the tapes.
The Food and Drug Administration funded Anderson’s $50,000 study to detect how cooks slip up. The goal is to improve consumers’ knowledge of how to protect themselves from the food poisoning that strikes 76 million Americans each year.
“One of the great barriers in getting people to change is they think they’re doing such a good job already,” said FDA consumer research chief Alan Levy.
Surveys show most Americans blame restaurants for food-borne illnesses. Asked if they follow basic bacteria-fighting tips---listed on the Internet at www.fightbac.org---most insist they’re careful in their kitchens.
Levy says most food poisonings probably occur at home. The videotapes suggest why. People have no idea that they’re messing up, Anderson said. “You just go in the kitchen, and it’s something you don’t think about.”
She described preliminary(初步的) study results at a food meeting last week. Having promised the families anonymity, she didn’t show the tapes.
For $50 and free groceries, families agreed to be filmed. Their kitchens looked clean and presumably(perhaps) they were on their best behavior, but they didn’t know it was a safety study. Hoping to see real-life hygiene, scientists called the experiment “market research” on how people cooked a special recipe.
Scientists bought ingredients for a salad plus either Mexican meat loaf, marinaded halibut or herb-breaded chicken breasts with mustard sauce---recipes designed to catch safety slip-ups.
Cameras started rolling as the cooks put away the groceries.
There was mistake No. 1: Only a quarter stored raw meat and seafood on the refrigerator’s bottom shelf so other foods don’t get contaminated(污染) by dripping juices.
Mistake No. 2: Before starting to cook, only 45 percent washed their hands. Of those, 16 percent didn’t use soap. You’re supposed to wash hands often while cooking, especially after handling raw meat. But on average, each cook skipped seven times that Anderson said they should have washed. Only a third consistently used soap---many just rinsed and wiped their hands on a dish towel. That dish towel became Anderson’s nightmare. Using paper towels to clean up raw meat juice is safest. But dozens wiped the countertop(臺(tái)面板) with that cloth dish towel---further spreading germs the next time they dried their hands.
Thirty percent didn’t wash the lettuce; others placed salad ingredients on meat-contaminated counters.
Scientists checked the finished meal with thermometers, and Anderson found “alarming” results: 35 percent who made the meat loaf undercooked it, 42 percent undercooked the chicken and 17 percent undercooked the fish.
Must you use a thermometer? Anderson says just because the meat isn’t pink doesn’t always mean it got hot enough to kill bacteria.
Anderson’s study found gaps in food-safety campaigns. FDA’s “Fight Bac” antibacterial program doesn’t stress washing vegetables. Levy calls those dirty dish towels troubling; expect more advice stressing paper towels.
Anderson’s main message: “If people would simply wash their hands and clean food surfaces after handling raw meat, so many of the errors would be taken care of.”
小題1:Where did this article most likely come from?

A．The Internet.

B．A newspaper.

C．A Textbook.

D．A brochure.

小題2: What is the purpose of Paragraphs 4 through 6?

A．To present the author’s opinion about the study.

B．To explain how the study was conducted.

C．To state the reason for the food safety study.

D．To describe things observed in the study.

小題3: What prevents many Americans practicing better food safety in their kitchen?

A．They don’t trust the Food and Drug Administration.

B．They’ve followed basic bacteria-fighting tips on the Internet.

C．They think they are being careful enough already.

D．They believe they are well-informed and well-educated enough.

小題4: Which of the following would prevent most cases of food poisoning in the home?

A．Washing hands and cleaning surfaces after handling raw meat.

B．Strictly following recipes and cooking meat long enough.

C．Storing raw meat on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator.

D．Using paper towels t clean up raw meat juice.

小題5: What is the main purpose of this article?

A．To discourage people from cooking so much meat at home.

B．To criticize the families who participated in the study.

C．To introduce the Food and Drug Administration’s food safety campaigns.

D．To report the results of a study about the causes of food poisoning.

Has Tiger Mom gone soft? One year after the release of her book, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," Amy Chua is back in the spotlight, reflecting on how overnight infamy（惡名）affected her life, her family and her parenting.
"I've changed a lot," she told The Huffington Post. "In October, we had 30 kids at our house! We've hosted parties with lots of food and music."
Last January, the Wall Street Journal published an excerpt（節(jié)選）from Chua's book with the headline "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior." In the excerpt, Chua described how her daughters were never allowed to have sleepovers（在外過(guò)夜的兒童聚會(huì)）, appear in school plays, earn any grade lower than an A . Chua, an author and professor at Yale Law School, spent much of 2011 on the defensive. In fact, many of her interviews seemed to lend fuel to her critics' fire.
Now, with the book out in paperback（簡(jiǎn)裝）,she said, "I put passages in the book and used very harsh words that I regret. Everybody has those moments you wish you could take back." Many of the scenes she described in the book are a far cry from the child-raising methods she advocates.
For those who still read "Battle Hymn" as an advice guide, Chua argues that so-called tiger parenting should be employed mainly during a child's early years, ideally between the ages of 5 and 12. These "super-strict parenting methods" are not meant for all ages. Remaining strict after middle school makes you a helicopter parent, according to Chua. And she is quick to point out how different that is from being a tiger mom.
"By the time kids get to high school, helicopter parents are hiring all these tutors, carrying their kids' sports bags. I never checked older daughter Sophia's papers because I knew she knew how to sit down and focus," Chua said.
As for younger daughter Lulu, 15, the rebel for whom the book waswritten, Chua has really backed off. Instead of forcing Lulu to practice violin for hours a day -- the source of their biggest fights, Chua "let her give that up". "My compromise is that I'm going to still be as strict academically, but in exchange she has a lot of social freedom. Lulu has had four sleepovers in the last two months!" Chua said. "Chua predicts she'll only get more easygoing with age.
小題1:From Paragraph 1 we can know that after the publication of the book_____.

A．Tiger Mom became stricter with her children

B．Tiger Mom was thought highly by the public

C．Tiger Mom’s life and family were influenced

D．Tiger Mom became wealthy and easygoing

小題2:What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．Tiger Mom has changed and wants to be soft.

B．Tiger Mom persuaded readers to follow her example.

C．How Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother came out.

D．How Tiger Mom became the worldwide spotlight.

小題3:What does the underlined phrase “a far cry from” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．similar to

B．just the same as

C．very different from

D．a(chǎn) cry far from

小題4:What is the writer’s attitude towards Tiger Mom?

A．supportive

B．opposed

C．unconcerned

D．objective

In a mountainous area of Brazil, there is a kind of beautiful butterfly which can kill men. If people meet them, they will come down in great quantities to bite and kill, sucking blood and flesh through the wounds they cause.
In June, 1966, a boy named Marl Andre who went into the mountains in search of butterfly specimens (標(biāo)本) was killed by these butterflies. A country boy saw him when he was just about to catch a butterfly. Suddenly thousands of butterflies came down upon him, covering him all over. The boy struggled and cried as he tried to free himself from their attack. Finally he fell senseless to the ground. Police examined his body and proved that he had died of bites by butterflies.
In New Guinea, there is a kind of needlefish which also kills men. Needlefish likes light. At night, it will swim near the lights of fishing boats, then suddenly shoot out of water like an arrow to its target, and force its 3-inch sharp mouth into a human body. Of-ten people are thrust in the eye, or through the chest or stomach, resulting in death. Sometimes it will even attack the people in a fishing boat in broad daylight.
About 10 persons in the world are killed by sharks every year, yet more than 240 people are killed by needlefish every year.
小題1:From the passage, we know that ______.

A．butterflies are living in the mountains

B．a(chǎn)ll butterflies like sucking blood and eating fish

C．the butterflies in a certain part of Brazil can kill men

D．the more beautiful a butterfly is, the more dangerous it is

小題2:Mari Andre was killed when he ______.

A．went to Brazil	B．tried to catch a butterfly
C． entered the mountains	D．raised a net

小題3:Needlefish comes out ______.

A．sometimes at night	B．both at night and in the daytime
C．only when boats appear	D．usually in the daytime

小題4:According to the story, each year needlefish kills ______.

A．twice more than sharks do

B．a(chǎn)bout 10 more persons than sharks do

C．24 times more persons than sharks do

D．fewer persons than sharks do

小題5:The best title for the passage is ______.

A．Brazil Home of Dangerous Butterflies

B．Killer Butterflies and Needlefish

C．New Guinea—No Fit to Live in

D．Deaths Caused by Butterflies and Needlefish

When Debbie Parkhurst choked on a piece of apple at her Maryland home, her dog jumped in, landing hard on her chest and forcing the piece of apple to pop out of her throat. Debbie Parkhurst’s husband, Kevin, was at his job at a Wilmington, Del., chemical firm when she took a midday break from jewelry and bit into an apple. When the Keesling family of Indiana were about to be overcome by carbon monoxide(CO), their cat clawed(抓) at wife Cathy’s hair until she woke up and called for help.
　　For their timely acts, Toby, a golden 2 1/2-year-old dog, and Winnie, a gray-eyed American shorthair, were named Dog and Cat of the Year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Neither Parkhurst nor Keesling could explain their pets’ timely heroics,though Parkhurst suggested it might have been guided by God intervention(干預(yù)). “That’s what our veterinarian(獸醫(yī)) said,”she said. “He wasn’t making a joke; he’s very spiritual, and now I have to agree with him.” 
But both pets were themselves rescued in baby, Toby as a 4-week-old baby thrown into a garbage bin to die, and Winnie as a week-old orphan hiding under a barn, so helpless that Keesling’s husband, Eric, had to feed her milk.
As the Keeslings recalled it, a gas-driven pump spread carbon monoxide through the house. By the time Winnie moved into rescue spot, the couple’s 14-year-old son, Michael, was already unconscious. “Winnie jumped on the bed and was clawing at me, with a kind of angry noise,” Cathy Keesling said. “When I woke up I felt like a T-bar had hit me across the head.”
State police and officers responding to her 911 call said the family was only minutes from death, judging by the amount of poisonous gas in the house.
小題1:We can know Debbie Parkhurst _________.

A．works in a Wilmington, Del.,chemical firm

B．was making jewelry when she had the accident

C．might have died but for her pet’s help

D．was unconscious when her pet found her

小題2:Both pet’s heroic acts most probably connected with _________.

A．God arrangements	B．their being once helped
C．their sense of danger	D．their veterinarians’ training

小題3:Why did Winnie try to wake Cathy Keesling up?

A．Because a T-bar was going to hit him.

B．Because he was hungry and wanted milk.

C．Because Debbie choked something in her throat.

D．Because there was danger in her house.

小題4:From the passage we can infer that _________.

A．if you love me love my animals

B．a(chǎn)ll pets are useful to people

C．we can’t never be too careful in our daily life

D．to help others sometimes can get reward

The Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday named Mo Yan winner of the Twenty-Twelve Nobel Prize in Literature.
The academy praised the Chinese writer for what it called his “hallucinatoty realism (魔幻現(xiàn)實(shí)主義)”. It noted his ability to combine folk stories, history and modern events in his works.
An academy official said Mister Mo was “overjoyed and sacred” when he learnt he had won the award. He will receive his Nobel diploma, a medal and more than one million dollars at the ceremony in Stockholm in December.
Mo Yan is a leading author of modern Chinese novels. He often writes from memories of his youth. He also sets many of his stories in the area where he was born—Shandong Province in northeastern China.
Mister Mo’s 1987 book Red Sorghum is an example. It is about the extreme violence in rural eastern China during the Communist Revolution in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The story describes the criminal culture of the time, Japan’s occupation and the terrible conditions faced by farm workers. Red Sorghum was later made into a movie.
Mo Yan’s other major works include Big Breasts and Wide Hips, Republic of Wine and Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out.
The Royal Swedish Academy compared him to two 20th century writers: American William Faulkner and Colombia Gabriel Marquez.
Mo Yan’s real name is Guan Moye. Mo Yan means “Don’t speak.” The writer said he chose the name to remember to stop his tongue from getting him in trouble.
China is celebrating the victory of his native son. Minutes after the award was announced, millions of Chinese expressed pleasure and pride for Mo Yan on social media websites.
小題1:How many books of Mo Yan are mentioned in this passage?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

小題2:It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A．many people in China showed their respect for Mo Yan by letters.

B．Mo Yan is just a pen name.

C．he was very glad to win the Nobel Prize.

D．Red Sorghum was once made into a film.

小題3:Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

A．Mo Yan, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

B．The origin of Mo Yan’s work.

C．The true meaning of Mo Yan.

D．Bookstore created by Mo Yan.

In the UK, a group of campaigners(活動(dòng)家)have declared the last Saturday in November as National Buy Nothing Day. “Our message is clear: shop less, live more!” says organizer Michael Smith. “The challenge is to try simple living for a day. Spend time with family and friends, rather than spending money on them. Anyone can take part, provided they spend a day without spending.”
On Buy Nothing Day, they take to the streets to tackle consumers(消費(fèi)者). They dress as pigs to symbolize greed(貪婪). They offer to cut up credit cards and hand out shopping bags with the words “another useless thing I don’t need” written on the side. Some hold street parties to show shoppers that it is possible to have fun without spending money. Others go into shops and put notes saying “don’t buy me” inside clothes and shoes.
Some protestors(抗議者) are working against powerful forces. Many retailers(零售商) and manufacturers depend on Christmas sales for most of their profits. Around two thirds of GDP in the West is made up of consumer spending. If this drops, many people will lose their jobs. At least that will make it easier for them to buy nothing.
And there is also the risk that the campaigners will be seen as killjoys, who want to stop people enjoying themselves. “There’s a fun side to this,” says Michael Smith. “To some it’s a protest, but it’s also a street party. We’re not saying that people are bad because they go shopping, but we need get the message across for people to consume wisely. And after we’re finished, we’ll probably go for a drink.”
小題1:Why do a group of people in the UK choose Saturday as National Buy Nothing Day?

A．Because they have enough food at their homes.

B．Because it is the season for shopping.

C．Because they have run out of money at that time.

D．Because it’s popular to live a simple life.

小題2:In order to persuade people to stop shopping, the campaigners _____.

A．stop people going out

B．have different ways to make it

C．offer goods to people freely

D．play tricks on consumers

小題3:The underlined word “killjoys” in the last paragraph refers to people who _____.

A．ruin the happiness and fun of others

B．get money from shopkeepers

C．bring happiness to others

D．take no interest in shopping

小題4:The campaigners started National Buy Nothing Day for the purpose of _____.

A．persuading people to kill time in a different way

B．persuading people to save money

C．persuading people to have more parties

D．persuading people to spend money wisely

Dickson Despommier, a public health professor at Columbia University in New York City developed an idea with his students nine years ago. They imagined people in cities growing crops inside a tall building. Tomatoes could grow on one floor of the skyscraper(摩天大樓), potatoes on the next, small animals and fish on the floor above.
This vertical(垂直的) farm, or "farmscraper", could have space for restaurants and other places that serve food, like schools or hospitals. They could serve foods that are truly locally grown.
But why would anyone want to build a farm indoors in a city? Dickson Despommier believes it will become necessary. The world needs to find places to produce enough food to feed the growing population. Space, he says, is an all-important issue.
The professor also points to the problems of traditional farms. They use a lot of freshwater. Their fertilizer and animal waste can pollute water resources. And their growing seasons can be limited.
But inside the vertical farm, crops could grow all year. And there would be no wind to blow away soil. Farmers would not have to worry about too much or too little rain, or about hot summers, freezing winters or insects. And without insects there would be no need for chemicals to kill them.
Farm machines that .use fossil fuels, like tractors, would not be needed either. And water could be recycled for drinking. "The vertical farm reuses everything, so there is no waste," says Professor Despommier.
Even buildings could be saved. Old buildings could become new farms and provide jobs.
The professor has been actively proposing the idea to cities as far away as Dubai and Canada. But so far it exists only in plans and drawings, and a model at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Critics say building a farmscraper would cost too much, especially considering the price of land in many cities. Dickson Despommier estimates the cost at about twenty to thirty million dollars.
But he says the building would not have to be very tall. And his graduate students have found many empty lots and unused buildings in New York City that could provide space.
小題1:According to the passage the purpose of proposing the idea of a farm scraper is to      .

A．find places to produce enough food

B．serve food that are truly locally grown

C．prevent polluting the limited land

D．save fresh water

小題2:Which is one of the advantages of a farm scraper?

A．It costs less

B．It saves labor power.

C．It consumes too much energy

D．It is more environmentally friendly.

小題3:Those against the idea of farm scrapers argue that

A．it uses too much land in cities

B．it costs too much to build one

C．it causes people to lose their jobs

D．it exists only in unrealistic plans

小題4:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．A vertical farm has been built in Chicago.

B．Old buildings could be changed into new farms.

C．Traditional farms use less water but pollute more water

D．There are some vertical farms being put into use in Canada.

In a generous display of maturity and sympathy, one Jewish boy made his first deed as a man in his faith a great act of charity.
Joshua Neidorf, a 13-year-old boy from Los Angeles, donated most of his birthday money to Operation Mend, a program that reconstructs the faces of severely burned U. S. veterans（退伍老兵）.
The young man decided to donate his money after getting to know Army Sgt. Louis Dahlman, who was undergoing a series of reconstruction surgeries（手術(shù)）at UCLA （University of California at Los Angeles） thanks to Operation Mend. The Neidorfs had signed up to be Dahlman’s “buddy family”, spending time with him whenever he visited Los Angeles for a surgery.
“I just love knowing that it’s going somewhere...to help the people who save our lives and keep us safe every day,” said Neidorf. His mother added, “It makes me feel like our world is going in a good direction with this next generation.”
In all, Neidorf gave $13,000 to Operation Mend. He also encouraged his friends to donate to the cause. He is the organization’s youngest donor so far.
Operation Mend is a privately funded program that works in partnership with the UCLA Medical Center. Ron Katz, a board member at the hospital, started the program in 2006 after seeing a TV programme about Aaron Mankin, a veteran who had gone through dozens of surgeries after a fight in Iraq which completely burned off his face.
Mankin ended up being Operation Mend’s first patient, starting the first of 20 reconstructive facial surgeries at UCLA in Sept. 2007. In a 2011 interview, Katz shared how his experience of helping Mankin made him realize the need to establish a more permanent program.
“My wife and I soon realized that there were dozens of Aarons out there,” Katz said. “They deserve the best that we offer them.”
小題1:Neidorf decided to help veterans because ________.

A．he benefited from Operation Mend	B．he was afraid of burned faces
C．he thought they deserved help	D．he didn’t know how to spend money

小題2:Operation Mend was founded after ________.

A．Neidorf donated part of his birthday money

B．the Neidorfs signed up to be Dahlman’s “buddy family”

C．Ron Katz saw a TV programme about a veteran

D．Mankin was successfully operated on at UCLA

小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A. Neidorf’s mother was opposed to his decision to donate money.
B. Mankin’s face was burned in a fire in America.
C. Mankin went through more than 30 facial surgeries at UCLA.
D. Many facial surgeries are needed to reconstruct a seriously burned face.
小題4:The last two paragraphs mainly tell us ________.

A．the process of Mankin’s surgery	B．how Operation Mend was set up
C．how Katz became famous	D．veterans are respected by people

Recently, South Korean star PSY’s ‘Gangnam style” video has been popular on the Internet. It has become most people’s favorite music.
In fact, the song has set the Guinness World Record for the most popular video in the history of the Internet. More than two million people have said “l(fā)ike” since the song was on the Internet on July 15.
PSY”s special dance moves and funny horse riding style have attracted many people. Although many people do not understand the language, the video has become the talk of the Internet. The song has come to first place in the music charts(排行榜) in 31 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
“I just sang for my South Korean fans. I have never expected it to be popular in other countries,” PSY told the reporters on a concert. The song was so popular that a few of South Korean’s politicians showed PSY’s moves to attract supporters.
“The song came out in mid-July. It sings about the rich life of South Korea —especially Gangnam in Soeoul, where a lot of rich people live.
Millions of people have watched the video. Many stars, such as Katy Perry, Robbie Williams and Nelly Furtado said that they love the song. These stars performed part of the song at a recent concert.
Riding high on the success of “Gangnam Style”, PSY was signed by Scooter Braun to Braun’s Schoolboy Records, a label distributed by Universal Republic.
PSY has written many hit songs of varying styles for different singers. Prior to “Gangnam Style” his most famous composition perhaps was Lee Seung Gi’s debut(首次亮相) song “Because You Are My Woman”.
小題1:What makes PSY’s “Gangnam Style” the famous music of millions of people?

A．The song has set the Guinness World Record.

B．The song has come to first place in the music chart.

C．They like the dance moves and the horse riding style.

D．They don’t understand the words of the song.

小題2:Why did some of South Korea’s politicians show PSY”s moves?

A．They wanted to tell people that they were also fond of music.

B．They wanted people to support them.

C．They were PSY’s fans.

D．They liked PSY’s dancing style.

小題3:What’s “Gangnam Style” about?

A．The way of horse riding.

B．The rich life of people of Gangnam in Seoul.

C．The Guinness World Record.

D．The love of stars.

小題4:What is the best title of the passage?

A．Life of the Music Star PSY

B．“Gangnam Styly” —— Most people’s favorite Music

C．PSY’s Famous Compositions

D．Meaning of “Gangnam Style”