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Whenever we hear about “the homeless,”, most of us think of the Developing World. But the 1 is that homelessness is everywhere. For example, how many of us would expect to see people living on the streets of a 2 country like Germany?
Kurt Muller and his wife Rita have spent eleven years making 3 for the homeless of Berlin, Germany’s capital. They first 4 one long hot summer when most Germans were 5 on holiday. Kurt and his wife stayed at home, made sandwiches, 6 a table in the street and gave food to the homeless.
The Mullers soon realized that food and clothing weren’t 7 . “What these people also need is warmth and 8 ,” says Rita. The Mullers didn’t 9 to give their phone number to the street people and told them to phone anytime. Rita 10 there was somebody at home to answer the phone and their home was always 11 to anyone who couldn’t face another night on the street.
The couple were soon 12 all their time and money, so Kurt visited food and clothing companies to 13 donations. Today, over thirty companies 14 donate food and other goods to the cause and volunteers help to 15 them to the homeless. The public also give clothes and money and a shoe producer 16 new shoes.
Kurt and Rita receive no 17 for their hard work. “ We feel like parents,” says Rita, “and parents shouldn’t 18 money for helping their children. The love we get on the streets is our salary.” Though Rita admits she often gets 19 . she says she will continue with her work because she likes the feeling of having made a 20 in the world.
1. A. result B. truth C. reason D. idea
2. A. traditional B. developing C. typical D. wealthy
3. A. preparations B. houses C. meals D. suggestions
4. A. began B. met C. called D. left
5. A. asleep B. alone C. across D. away
6. A. brought up B. set up C. put aside D. gave away
7. A. enough B. necessary C. helpful D. expensive
8. A. fame B. freedom C. courage D. caring
9. A. hesitate B. agree C. pretend D. intend
10. A. make sense B. found out C. make sure D. worked out
11. A. open B. crowded C. noisy D. near
12. A. costing B. wasting C. taking D. spending
13. A. pay for B. ask for C. look into D. carry out
14. A. completely B. calmly C. regularly D. roughly
15. A. advertise B. sell C. deliver D. lend
16. A. donates B. produces C. designs D. collects
17. A. permission B. payment C. direction D. support
18. A. borrow B. raise C. save D. expect
19. A. surprised B. excited C. tired D. amused
20. A. profit B. difference C. decision D. rule
The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological disaster area. Nauru’s heartbreaking story could have one good consequence — other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900. Naurus real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate on the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which a very important fertilizer for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine. When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Strip mining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem — their phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen.
56. What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A. To seek help for Nauru’s problems.B. To give a warning to other countries
C. To show the importance of money D. To tell a heartbreaking story of a war.
57. What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?
A. Rich and powerful B. Modern and open
C. Peaceful and attractive D. Greedy and aggressive
58. The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from _______.
A. soil pollution B. phosphate overmining
C. farming activity D. whale hunting
59. Which of the following was a cause of Nauru’s financial problem?
A. Its leaders misused the money B. It spent too much repairing the island
C. Its phosphate mining cost much money D. It lost millions of dollars in the civil war.
60. What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?
A. The ecological damage is difficult to repair.
B. The leaders will take the experts’ words seriously.
C. The island was abandoned by the Nauruans
D. The phosphate mines were destroyed
One of the greatest contributions to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual. In 1879, Oxford University in England asked Prof. James Murray to serve as editor for what was to be the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language. It would include every English word possible and would give not only the definition but also the history of the word and quotations (引文)showing how it was used.
This was a huge task. So Murrary had to find volunteers from Britain, the United States, and the British colonies to search every newspaper, magazine, and book ever written in English. Hundreds of volunteers responded, including William Chester Minor. Dr. Minor was an American Surgeon who had served in the Civil War and was now living in England. He gave his address as “Broadmoor, Crowthorne, Berkshire,”” 50 miles from Oxford.
Minor joined the army of volunteers sending words and quotations to Murray. Over the next years, he became one of the staff’s most valued contributors.
But he was also a mystery. In spite of many invitations, he would always decline to visit Oxford. So in 1897， Murray finally decided to travel to Crowthorne himself. When he arrived, he found Minor locked in a book-lined cell at the Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally insane.
Murray and Minor became friends, sharing their love of words. Minor continued contributing to the dictionary, sending in more than 10,000 submissions in 20 years. Murray continued to visit Minor regularly, sometimes taking walks with him around the asylum grounds.
In 1910, Minor left Broadmoor for an asylum in his native America. Murray was at the port to wave goodbye to his remarkable friend.
Minor died in 1920, seven years before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed. The 12 volumes defined 414,825 words, and thousands of them were contributions from a very scholarly and devoted asylum patient.
1. According to the text, the first Oxford English Dictionary _________.
A. came out before minor died
B. was edited by an American volunteer
C. included the English words invented by Murray
D. was intended to be the most ambitious English dictionary
2. How did Dr. Minor contributed to the dictionary?
A. He helped Murray to find hundreds of volunteers.
B. He sent newspapers, magazines and books to Murray.
C. He provided a great number of words and quotations
D. he went to England to work with Murray.
3. Why did Dr. Minor refuse to visit Oxford?
A. He was shut in an asylum B. He lived far from Oxford
C. He was busy writing a book D. He disliked traveling
4. Prof. Murray and Dr. Minor became friends mainly because __________.
A. they both served in the Civil War.
B. They had a common interest in words
C. Minor recovered with the help of Murray
D. Murray went to America regularly to visit Minor
5. Which of the following best describe Dr. Minor?
A. Brave and determined B. Cautious and friendly
C. Considerate and optimistic D. Unusual and scholarly
6. What does the text mainly talk about?
A. The history of the English language.
B. The friendship between Murray and Minor
C. Minor and the first Oxford English Dictionary
D. Broadmoor Asylum and is patients
San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge. The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark.
The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars.
The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of the library grounds. Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff put out a nutty feast for the squirrels. Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over.
One day Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and that day’s coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety. The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of the City Council(市政会).The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge “Nutty Narrows.”
After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started Construction, They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum and lengths of fire hose(消防水带). It cost 1,000.
It didn’t take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became know in newspapers all over the world.
In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.
Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project.
67. The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in order to ________.
A. offer squirrels a place to eat nuts
B. set up a local landmark
C. help improve traffic
D. protect squirrels
68. What happened over the coffee break discussion?
A. The committee got the Council’s blessing.
B. The squirrel bridge idea was born
C. A councilwoman named the bridge
D. A squirrel was found dead.
69. What does the underlined phrase “teaching them the ropes” probably means in the text?
A. passing them a rope B. Directing them to store food for winter
C. Teaching them a lesson D. Showing them how to use the bridge.
70. Which of the following is true of the squirrel bridge?
A. It was replaced by a longer one. B. It was built from wood and metal
C. it was rebuilt after years of use D. It was designed by Bill Hutch.
71. What can we learn about Amos Peters?
A. He is remembered for his love of animals.
B. He donated $1,000 to build the bridge
C. He was a member of the City Council
D. He was awarded a medal for building the bridge.
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