Nick Vujicic was born with no arms or legs, but he doesn’t let this stop him.

The brave 26-year-old man plays football and golf, and swims, in spite of the fact that he has no arms or legs.

Nick has a small foot on his left side, which helps him balance and makes him able to kick. He uses his one foot to type, write with a pen and pick things up.

“I call it my chicken drumstick (鸡腿下段),” joked Nick, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, but now lives in Los Angeles. “I’d be lost without it. When I get in the water I float because 80 percent of my body is lungs and my drumstick acts as a propeller (螺旋桨).”

“He’s very modest, but he gets marriage proposals (求婚) from women all the time,” said Nick’s friend Steve Appel.

“He would love to get married and start a family, but he’s waiting for the right girl to come along.”

When Nick was born his father was so shocked that he left the hospital room. His distraught mother couldn’t bring herself to hold him until he was four months old.

His disability came without any medical explanation, which was a rare case. Nick and his parents spent many years asking why this cruel trick would happen to them.

“My mother was a nurse and she did everything right during pregnancy but she still blamed herself,” he said.

“It was so hard for them, but right from the start they did their best to make me independent. My dad put me in the water at 18 months and gave me the courage to learn how to swim.”

21. We can learn from the text that Nick _____.

A. has a poor sense of balance       B. is disappointed with his health condition

C. considers his small foot ugly     D. understands his mother very well

22. What can we learn from what Steve Appel said?

A. Nick Vujicic is afraid of starting a family.    B. Nick Vujicic is not popular with women.

C. Nick Vujicic is serious about his marriage.    D. Nick Vujicic is not willing to get married.

23. What could not his mother do until he was four months old?

A. She couldn’t bring herself to hold him               B. She could bring herself to hold him   

C. She couldn’t do everything right during pregnancy.      D. She couldn’t go to work

24. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Nick learned to be independent at a young age.   B. Nick is living in Melbourne, Australia now.

C. Nick’s father was to blame for his disability.     D. Nick’s parents couldn’t afford the hospital bill.

Four cinemas in the UK

The Kinema, Lincolnshire

It’s a wooden building on the outside and a two-screen cinema on the inside, all nesting among pine trees in a tiny village. The Kinema showed its first film in 1922 and the first six rows were deckchair (折叠帆布躺椅). Today, it’s more richly decorated.

“People come here because it’s a fantastic experience,” says manager Philip Jones. “Many rooms in the Kinema are simple and not attractive, but we try to remain everything that makes it special.”

The Cube, Bristol

It’s not really a cinema. It is a not-for-profit cooperative run by volunteers, which has been operating for the last 15 years.

They are “unique for what we do, which is to operate seven nights a week and with no funding.” They make many things themselves, such as cola and yogurt.

The Broadway, Nottingham

A cinema has been here since the 1960s, when local fashion designer Paul Smith would come to see arty foreign films, which heavily influenced his career choice. Later, he designed the stripy(条纹的) sofas.

The Broadway was previously used as a church, but locals love it for its independent, art house, and DIY spirit. The Broadway also has a right-on restaurant, with locally sourced vegetables and salads, and even serves its own beer.

The Rex, Hertfordshire

It opened to the public in 1938 and has been named the most beautiful cinema in the UK. There’s a varied program with different films every night. Hot dogs and popcorn are banned. And a real person answers the phone when you call.

People speak very highly of the Rex. So do go, if only once, to see just how a cinema should be run.

25. In Philip Jones’ opinion, the Kinema may attract people who_____.

A. live in the nearby villages          B. want to experience something special

C. are interested in wooden structures   D. are fond of rich decorations

26.  We know from the text that the Broadway_____.

A. owns a restaurant            B. was built in 1960

C. is next to a church            D. was designed by Paul Smith

27.  The Cube and the Broadway are similar in the way that both_____.

A. are non-profit cooperatives      B. offer homemade drinks

C. show arty foreign films         D. use stripy sofas

28.  Which of the following has the longest history?

A. The Cube. B. The Kinema.    C. The Broadway.       D. The Rex.

By 1938, Europe had been experiencing an increased number of attacks on Jews. With no end in sight, Jewish refugee(难民) agencies requested the British government to allow them to bring in only Jewish children under17 years of age. This was to be only temporary, until the situation in their home countries was improved.

Kindertransport, meaning “children transport” in German, was then born. Children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and other Nazi-occupied regions were transported to the United Kingdom. There they were either placed with other families or in hostels. Later, it was found that many of these children were the only survivors of their families. Nicholas Winton was among those people who helped to save Jewish children. He managed to rescue 669 children from Czechoslovakia and bring them safely to England. In 1938 around Christmas, 29-year-old Nicky was about to leave for a skiing holiday. Suddenly, Martin Blake, one of his good friends, contacted(联络) him from Czechoslovakia, asking him to travel there to help political refugees on the run from the Nazis. And Nicholas agreed.

Nicky spent his entire holiday of 3 weeks in the capital city of Prague where he saw the situation first-hand. Once back in England, he immediately started organizing the evacuation(撤离) of children from the Czech region. From advertising for the necessary permits, Nicky worked tirelessly. By August 1939, 669 children had been helped by Nicky and his friends. Haplessly, the last group of children due to leave Prague in the beginning of September could not do so— World War Ⅱ broke out, and swallowed them up.

Nicky did not discuss his particular task with his wife, Grete. It was only when she found a scrapbook in 1988, with names of the rescued children, their (lost) parents and the foster families that had taken them in, that his heroism came to light. Nicky has received several awards in Britain and the Czech Republic.

29. Kindertransport aimed to_____.

A. help the homeless                B. transfer the affected

C. save Jewish children              D. stop German attacks

30. We can learn from the text that Nicholas Winton_____.

A. did a lot to help Jewish children out of danger     B. knew nothing about what happened in Prague

C. always told his wife what he was doing           D. saved 669 children and their parents

31.  The underlined word “Haplessly” in Paragraph 4 can best be replaced by “___”.

A. Importantly     B. Hopefully         C. Strangely  D. Unfortunately

32. Which of the following can best describe Nicholas Winton?

A. Strict but caring                B. Proud but patient

C. Hard-working and humorous      D. Warm-hearted and cautious 

In many situations, the quality of your travel experience is directly affected by your ability to understand the local language. For some travelers, the challenge of learning a new tongue is one of the joys of travel, and as a result, they spend much of their time in conversations with local citizens. Others will find that just learning to read the most common signs and use every-day greetings is enough. 

     No matter which view you agree with, it’s necessary to take some time to learn some of the simple phrases of the new language before you go. One way of finishing this task is by listening to the new language. A phrase book can help expand your vocabulary, but hearing the sounds of the different spoken words is an excellent activity that can be done right in the comfort of your home. You can see movies in the new language or listen to the tapes or CDs. You can also download some listening material from the Internet. Just spending 15 minutes a night will improve your language skills.

     When you arrive in the new land, begin by greeting new friends in their own tongue. This may come easy or it could take some time to learn, but it’s interesting. If you can’t do this, then it means that you will need more practice and patience to learn these very important words. You can go out during the day and begin one-on-one conversations with shop owners, business-men and taxi drivers. This should not be done until you have learned some of the most common phrases, but once you begin to go shopping in a second language your communication skills will start to improve rapidly. You can also watch the local TV or listen to the local radio. For example, the advertisements will help you recognize the correct pronunciation of local street names. 

33. What’s the text mainly about?

A. How important it is to learn a new language.  B. How to learn a new language during travel.

C. How to enjoy oneself during travel.         D. How to prepare for travel.

34. One should start one-on-one conversations with the local people _____.

A. as soon as he arrives in the place he is visiting  

B. after he has seen many movies in the local tongue

C. when he has learned some of the most common phrases

D. after he has mastered enough vocabulary to go shopping

35. According to the author, the local advertisements can help travelers _____.

A. learn more about local business

B. understand the local people’s dialogues

C. improve communication skills more rapidly

D. know the right pronunciation of the street names

Ways to make your schoolyard green

   Many schools are now doing everything they can to become green schoolyards. Of course, there are plenty of things that students can do achieve that goal.

36  

The amount of paper a student uses in a term is countless. There are class notes, term papers, student newspapers, and pictures printed out. 37    But if you can do your best to reuse them, it will soon help create a better green schoolyard.

Limit the use of paper cups.

You may often use disposable(一次性的) cups in your dormitory. In fact, this is really bad for the environment. 38    Glass cups are fine. Just wash them by hand or throw them into a dish washer if you have one.

Limit the use of paper napkins(餐巾纸)。

We are not telling you not to eat without using paper napkins, but we are telling you not to overdo them. Generally, students eat a lot of fast food every day, which means a lot of napkins get taken out free. 39   

Walk, bike, and limit the use of cars.

Most schoolyards, especially those that are trying to become more environment-friendly, have pretty good public transit(公共交通). 40    Walking or biking will not only help make your schoolyard a green one, but will also save you a lot of money.

A. We know that these things cannot be avoided.

    B. Recycle all the paper if possible

C. Limit the amount you take out!                                       

    D. Take a taxi whenever it is possible.

E. And it is just a waste of your money.

    F. You’d better not use any dish washer.

    G. It’s easy for you to ride a bike.