All around us buildings shook. We decided to leave the town. We stopped once we had left the buildings behind us. The carts(马车) were moving on opposite directions, though the ground was perfectly flat, and they wouldn't stay in place even with their wheels blocked by stones.

   In addition, it seemed as though the sea was being sucked(吸) backwards, as if it were being pushed back by the shaking of the land. Certainly the shoreline moved outwards, and many sea animals were left on dry sand.

   Behind us were frightening dark clouds that opened up to show fire--like lightening, but bigger. Not long after that the cloud reached down to the ground and covered the sea. Now came the dust, though still thin. I looked back. A dense cloud appeared behind us, following us like a flood pouring across the land. Then a darkness came that was not like a moonless or cloudy night, but more like being in a closed and unlighted room. You could hear women and children crying, men shouting. Some were calling for parents, others for children; they could only recognize them by their voices.

Darkness and ashes came again, a great weight of them. We stood up and shook the ash off again and again, otherwise we would have been covered with it and crushed(压垮)by the weight.

    At last the cloud became thinner and thinner until it was no more than smoke or fog. Soon there was real daylight. The sight that met our still terrified eyes was a changed world, buried in ash like snow.

                                          —from Pliny's letter to a friend

1. Pliny left the town after         .                                     

   A. the eruption                              B. the sky became dark

   C. the buildings began shaking               D. the sea went back

2. The carts wouldn't stay still because         .                                                                                 

   A. the earth was shaking                 B. the sea sucked them backwards

   C. the wheels had stones under them      D. the lightening frightened the horses

3. It was dark because        .                                

   A. it was very late at night                 B. clouds of ash covered the sun

   C. there was a very bad storm                D. there was no moon that night

4. People tried to find their relations by calling out their names and           .     

   A. listening to their voices                 B. running about looking for them

   C. shaking the ash off people                D. watching people as they ran past

It was a cold night in Washington, D. C., and I was heading back to the hotel when a man approached me. He asked me for some money so he could get something to eat. I had read the sign: "Don't give money to beggars." So I shook my head and kept walking.

I wasn't prepared for a reply, but he said, "I am really homeless and I am really hungry! You can come with me and watch me eat!" But I kept on walking.

The incident bothered me for the rest of the week. I had money in my pocket and it wouldn't have killed me to hand over a dollar or two even if he had been lying. On a freezing cold night, I still assumed the worst of a human being.

Flying back to Anchorage, I couldn't help thinking of him. I tried to rationalize (找借口) my failure to help by assuming government agencies, churches and charities were there to feed him. Besides, you're not supposed to give money to beggars.

Somewhere over Seattle, I started to write my weekly garden column for The Anchorage Daily News. Out of the blue, I came up with an idea. Bean's Cafe, the soup kitchen in Anchorage, feeds hundreds of hungry Alaskans every day. Why not try to get all my readers to plant one row in their gardens devoted to Bean's Café?

Before long my idea took off. People would fax me or call when they took something in. Those who only grew flowers donated them. Food for the spirit. And relief for my conscience.

As more and more people started working with the “Plant a Row” concept, Many companies gave free seed to customers and displayed the logo, which also arose in national gardening public actions. Row markers with the “Plant a Row” logo were distributed to gardeners to set apart their "Row for the Hungry."

It is unexpected that millions of Americans are threatened by hunger. If every gardener in America---and we're seventy million strong---plants one row for the hungry, we can make quite a decrease in the number of neighbors who don't have enough to eat. Maybe then I will stop feeling guilty about abandoning a hungry man I could have helped.

5. Why did the author turn down the beggar’s request?

A. He was previously reminded not to do so.   B. He was eager to walk back to the hotel.

C. He thought that it was beyond his duty.    D. He was short of money at that moment.

6. Which of the following is the closest to the underlined phrase “took off” (Para 6) ?

A. We eventually took off at 11 o’clock.

B. To take off pounds, you have to cut down the number of calories.

C. On hearing the news, he took off at once and headed back to the hotel.

D. His business has really taken off owing to his advanced management.

7. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Plant a Row for the Hungry             B. Lend a Hand to Beggars

C. Never hesitate to Help Others          D. Plan a Gardening Project

Below is a selection about Guinness(吉尼斯) World Records. 

Top 6 Unusual Guinness World Records

· Fastest 100m running on all fours

The 2008 Guinness World Records Day was, according to CWR, their biggest day of record­breaking ever, with more than 290，000 people taking part in record attempts in 15 different countries. Kenichi Ito's record attempt was part of this special day. He is just another example of Japanese with“super powers”. His “super power” is to run with great speed on all fours. Kenichi Ito ran 100 m on all fours in 18.58 seconds. The Japanese set this record at Setagaya Kuritsu Sogo Undojyo, Tokyo, in 2008.

· Most people inside a soap bubble

The Discovery Science Centre in Santa Ana, California celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Bubble (泡泡) Festival this year. A bubble's maths principles and science were presented and demonstrated at the three­week­long exhibition. The intriguing Bubble Show was also part of the programme. Fan Yang and Deni Yang impressed the audience with their awesome skills for bubble making. The Yang family cooperated with the Discovery Science Centre to set a new Guinness World Record for most people inside a soap bubble and they succeeded.

The family that has been working with soap bubbles for 27 years created a huge soap bubble and got 118 people inside it. The record was set on April 4, 2011.

·Longest ears on a dog

A bloodhound (大警犬) from Illinois has the longest ears ever measured. The right ear is 13.75 inches long and the left one 13.5 inches. The dog named Tigger earned this title in 2004 and is owned by Christina and Bryan Flessner.

Mr Jeffries is the previous record holder of this title. Each of his ears measured approximately 11.5 inches long. His grandfather used to hold this amazing world record, but when he died Mr Jeffries took over.

·Most living generations

Did you ever wonder what is the Guinness World Record for most living generations in one family? Seven is the answer.The ultimate authority on record­breaking mentions on the website that the youngest great­great­great­great grandparent of this family was Augusta Bung “aged 109 years 97 days, followed by her daughter aged 89, her granddaughter aged 70, her great granddaughter aged 52, her great­great granddaughter aged 33 and her great­great­great granddaughter aged 15 on the birth of her great­great­great­great grandson on January 21, 1989”．

·Most T-shirts worn at once

Believe it or not, there is a record also for this category. Krunoslav Budiseli set a new world record on May 22, 2010 for wearing 245 T-shirts at the same time. The man from Croatia was officially recognized as the new record holder by Guinness World Records after he managed to put on 245 different T-shirts in less than two hours. The T­shirts weighed 68 kg and Budiseli said he began struggling around T-shirt No.120. He dethroned(罢黜)the Swedish Guinness record holder who wore 238 T-shirts.

·Heaviest pumpkin(南瓜)

Guinness World Records confirmed on October 9，2010 that a gigantic pumpkin grown in Wisconcin was officially the world's heaviest. It weighed 1，810 pounds 8 ounces and was unveiled by Chris Stevens at the Stillwater Harvest Festival in Minnesota. Stevens' pumpkin was 85 pounds heavier than the previous record, another huge pumpkin grown in Ohio. The proud farmer said his secret is a precise mixture of rain, cow waste, good soil, sea grass and fish emulsion. Some of the world's heaviest pumpkins, including the record holder, were on public display at the Bronx Botanical Gardens in New York for a dozen days.

8. Why is Kenichi Ito described as a man with a “super power”?

  A．He set a good example to all Japanese.  

  B．He made record attempts in 15 different countries.

  C．He set a new record for “Fastest 100 m running on all fours”．

  D．He participated in the 2008 Guinness World Records Day activities.

9. Jeffries is the name of________．

  A．the owner of the dog with the longest ears  

  B．the grandfather of the dog with the longest ears

  C．the present holder of the record for “Longest ears on a dog”

  D．the former holder of the record for “Longest ears on a dog”

10. How many T-shirts had Krunoslav Budiseli put on before he felt it difficult to go on?

  A．68.        B．120.         C．238.         D．245.

11. According to the given information, which Guinness World Record was most recently set?

  A．The record for “Most people inside a soap bubble”．

B．The record for “Most living generations”．

  C．The record for “Most T-shirts worn at once”．    

  D．The record for “Heaviest pumpkin”．

All hotels are restored periodically. However, few do it as frequently as Sweden’s Icehotel. Located in a remote village of Sweden, the hotel is constructed entirely from ice and therefore, has to be rebuilt annually.

The 26-year-old tradition began accidentally in 1989 when locals organized an art exhibition to attract winter visitors. Among the tourists was an adventurous group that announced their intention of spending the night in the building where the exhibition was being held. That' s when the idea of building the icy accommodations occurred to the locals.

Each year, the preparations begin in March and the construction starts in November. Within eight to twelve weeks, Icehotel is ready to welcome its first visitors until mid-April. After that, the beautiful structure will slowly melt into one giant pool.

Among this year's unique suite (套房）offerings is the "Elephant in the Room." It features a 3-metre tall sculpted elephant overlooking an ice-framed bed. For those seeking something more cutting-edge, there are ones themed after a Swedish horror film and local fairytales. To get a good night' s rest，guests have to snuggle inside their sleeping bags with gloves and hats on. Though that seems a little uncomfortable, visitors say it is an experience like none other.

The hotel also features a beautifully crafted ice church where over 100 couples will get married this year and an Ice Bar that will serve drinks in glasses carved from ice. Though dining options are limited to the hotel' s only restaurant, guests will have little to complain about with Michelin-trained chef Alexander Meier in charge. To keep customers entertained, the hotel offers a lot of fun activities like snowshoeing, dog sledding, and even overnight wilderness camping.

12. What makes the Icehotel special?

  A. It is located in a remote village.         B. It holds an art exhibition annually.

  C. It is entirely built from ice.             D. It offers different theme suites.

13. How long is Icehotel in service every year?

  A. About one month.                   B. About three months.

  C. About half a year.                     D. About a whole year.

14. What does the underlined word "cutting-edge" in paragraph four probably mean?

  A. Thrilling.         B. Beautiful.       C. Frustrating.             D. Peaceful.

15. What can visitors do while staying in the Icehotel?

  A. Learn to sculpt animals from ice.      B. Have dinner in a restaurant nearby.

  C. Hold wedding ceremonies there.     D. Watch Swedish horror movies.

A policeman was walking along the street. In the doorway of a shop, a man was standing in the  21  light, with an unlighted cigar in his mouth. The policeman  22  and then walked up to the man.

“I’m just waiting for a friend here,” the man said “It’s a(n)  23  made twenty years ago.” The man struck a  24  and lighted his cigar. The light  25  a pale face with a little white scar (疤) near his right eye. “Twenty years ago tonight, when I said goodbye to Jimmy Wells, my best friend to  26  for the West to make my fortune, we  27  we would meet here again exactly twenty years  28  that date and time.” “I hope your friend will come around soon.” said the policeman,  29 .

Twenty minutes later, a(n) tall man hurried across the street. He went directly to the waiting man. “Is that you, Bob?” he asked. “Jimmy Wells?” 30  the man with excitement. “You have  31 , Jimmy. I never thought you were so tall.”

When they both looked at each other  32 , the man said suddenly “You’re not Jimmy Wells. Twenty years is a long time,  33  not long enough to change a man’s  34 .” “It sometimes changes a good man into a  35  one,” said the tall man. “You are under  36  now. Well, here is a note from your friend.” His hand was steady when he began to read, but it  37  a little by the time he had finished. It reads: “Bob: I was at the appointed place  38 . When you lighted your cigar I saw it was the face of the man  39  by Chicago police.  40  I couldn’t catch myself, so I went around and got a plain clothes man to do the job.” 

21. A. dark         B. bright               C. dim          D. colorful                                           

22. A. slowed down B. picked out           C. went on     D. hurried up

23. A. mistake      B. time             C. trade        D. appointment 

24. A. cigarette    B. match            C. fire         D. light   

25. A. formed       B. appeared         C. relieved     D. showed 

26. A. start        B. work             C. look         D. search      

27. A. insisted         B. preferred       C. agreed       D. suggested    

28. A. for              B. from             C. later            D. at        

29. A. speeding up      B. coming to        C. pulling off      D. moving away  

30. A. cried        B. smiled           C. wept         D. choked  

31. A. grew         B. achieved         C. changed      D. became  

32. A. clearly          B. surprisingly         C. quickly          D. happily 

33. A. but              B. and              C. or           D. while     

34. A. character        B. face             C. quality          D. size  

35. A. successful       B. ordinary         C. tall             D. bad   

36. A. discussion   B. control              C. arrest           D. inspiration 

37. A. trembled     B. struggled        C. escaped      D. understood  

38. A. in advance   B. on time          C. before long      D. sooner or later

39. A. asked        B. wanted           C. described    D. caught 

40. A. Anywhere     B. Though           C. However      D. Anyway