Sam, an unemployed man, said it was only the second thing he had ever won in his life. The first thing was a blanket at a church raffle(抽奖)when he was 25 years old. But this was much bigger: it was $120,000! He had won the Big Cube(骰子), a state lottery(彩票)game. To win, a contestant must first guess which number a spinning cube will stop on. The cube has six numbers on it: 1X, 10X, 50X, 100X, 500X, and 1000X. If he is correct, the contestant must then guess which of two selected variables(变量) is going to be greater. So, just guessing which number appears on the cube does not guarantee that you will win any money. Sam correctly guessed 1000X, but he still had to choose between two variables. One variable was the number of cars that would run the stop sign at Hill Street and Lake Avenue in six hours. The other variable was the number of times that a teenage boy would change TV channels in a three-hour period. This was a tough decision.

Finally, Sam flipped(翻转)a coin. It came up heads, so Sam picked the teenager. He picked right. The stop sign was run only 76 times, but the teen clicked 120 times. Sixty-year-old Sam jumped for joy, for he had just won 1000 times 120, or $120,000. Sam dreamily left the lottery studio. Talking excitedly on his cell phone while crossing the street, he got hit by a little sports car.

Sam is slowly getting better. He was in the hospital for a month. His hospital bill was $110,000. And the insurance company for the little sports car's owner sued(起诉) Sam for $9,000 worth of repairs. Also, Sam still has to pay taxes on his winnings. Sam doesn't play the state lottery any more. He says it's better to be unlucky.

1. Sam won the blanket        years ago.

   A．25       B．60       C．35         D．76

2. Sam won the lottery because ______.

   A. he was lucky                              

B. he was good at math

   C. he was smart                              

D. he was tough

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
   A．The lottery game was a complete lie.
   B．Sam was quite familiar with the boy.
   C．The owner of the car is now in hospital.
   D．Sam will have none of the prize money left.

4. Sam’s experience shows that ______

   A. everything has its time and that time must be watched.

B. he who risks nothing, gains nothing.

C. everything comes to him who waits.

D. he who laughs on Friday will weep on Sunday.

    Kristen Powers grew up on a farm with 30 animals, so it is no surprise that she and her family are pet lovers! Kristen’s father works in the animal hospital and her mother is the founder of petfinder.com. “My dad has taught me the importance of respecting animals in the same kind way I would with humans,” Kristen said.

In middle school, her mother offered her a part-time job for petfinder.com. The website allows families to find the perfect pet for them. Soon enough, Kristen was asked by her present producer if she would like to host her own radio show! Kristen’s radio show! Kristen’s radio show is a kids and teens pet show. Since hosting her radio show, Kristen has interviewed many teens who care about animals. Her favorite part about being the host of Petz Rock is talking with people from all over the country. “It’s always amazing to hear what teens are doing to improve the welfare(幸福) of animals,” Kristen said.

Even with her hands tied with caring for her animals and making time for her radio show, Kristen also pays attention to helping the environment! In middle school she started Green Teen, an environmental club. As she entered high school, Kristen’s club grew into the Green Tiger Campaign, a nationally recognized organization. “My high school is over sixty years old and has many inefficiencies(无效率)，”Kristen explained. “I started this club in order to move my school to a more sustainable(可持续的) place.” Kristen’s work with the Green Tiger Campaign and the environment has won her many amazing prizes!

Whatever you are interested in, Kristen has advice on how you can make a difference in your life! “You don’t need to wait to ‘grow up’ to take action. Start by asking people questions, especially experts in the field you are interested in,” she said. “Then try to find the best way to solve them.”

5. What do we know about Kristen’s Petz Rock?

  A. It mainly attracts adults’ attention.

  B. It was founded by Kristen’s mother.

  C. It aims to find suitable pets for kids and teens.

  D. It lets Kristen know the kindness of animal lovers.

6. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 mean?

  A. Kristen is busy caring for animals.

  B. Kristen is happy to care for animals.

  C. Kristen is killed at caring for animals.

  D. Kristen has no time to care for animals.

7. According to the text, the Green Tiger Campaign _____ .

  A. aims to help protect tigers

  B. was organized by teachers

  C. has achieved great success

  D. developed into Green Teen

8. Kristen advises people to _____ .

  A. find special interests

  B. ask teachers questions

  C. take action immediately

  D. solve problems in a different way

Why choose Cambridge English?

Give your students the best support

As part of the University of Cambridge, we are committed to excellence in everything we do. We are known all over the world for quality materials that really work -- from the ever-popular English Grammar in Use to best-selling courses like Touchstone and English in Mind.

It’s no wonder that tens of millions of teachers and learners around the world have chosen Cambridge to help them achieve their goals.

Prepare for exam success

We are the only publisher of official preparation materials for Cambridge English exam. Our wide selection(选择) of courses, practice tests and materials are developed in close cooperation with Cambridge English Language Assessment, the people who set the exams. So you can fully prepare your students for exam success.

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Your professional development is important to us too. We provide outstanding teacher support including teacher training seminars and the unique online professional development site, Cambridge English Teacher.

We are also increasingly working with top school around the world, offering our experience, expert knowledge and skill to help develop Cambridge English schools.

9. What is one advantage of Cambridge English?

   A. Useful materials.

   B. Experienced teachers.

   C. An authentic learning environment.

   D. Detailed research on language.

10. Cambridge English can help students become confident about Cambridge English exams

   because _____ .

   A. the exams are written by its teachers.

   B. it works together with the people who set the exams.

   C. it is guided by language assessment experts.

   D. its materials are provided by official examiners.

11. What type of writing is this text?

   A. A guide.                 B. A report.

   C. An announcement.         D. An advertisement.

We use more than 20 million tons of sodium chloride(氯化钠) on our roadways every winter. That’s about 13 times more salt than is used by the entire food processing industry. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water and thus melts snow and ice. But its public safety benefits do come with some ecological drawbacks(弊端).

The biggest concern with road salt is how it affects water quality. The material doesn’t just disappear when the snow and ice melts: It is washed away into lakes and streams or gets into groundwater supplies. Researchers recently found that, in the urban Twin Cities area, 70 percent of the salt applied to roads stays within the region’s watershed(水源区). Once it gets there, the pollution is difficult and expensive to move.

Salty groundwater can make for salty drinking wells. That’s a health issue for people on restricted-sodium diets and a taste problem for everyone else. When salt gets into lakes and streams, it can also harm plants and animals there.

Road salt can affect the environment in other ways, too. It can erode(腐蚀) soil and plants as far as 650 feet away. Roadsides can also turn into a sort of artificial salt lick(盐碱地) that would be attractive to animals. As a result, they run a higher risk of becoming road kill. Birds are common victims, as well.

So if salt is so problematic, why are we still using it? Because it’s cheap. Alternative chemicals can be much more expensive, and they often require new spreading equipment.

As researchers continue to look for substitutes, there are plenty of ways that road crews can cut back on their salt usage. Pre-wetting the salt, for example, allows for more controlled application and better sticking power. Weather monitoring is key, too: applying salt just before a storm hits, so that the snow can’t attach to the ground, is usually more efficient than waiting until after the snow has fallen.

12. How does road salt melt snow and ice?

A. By changing the weather.

B. By raising their temperatures.

C. By raising the temperature of roads.

D. By changing the freezing point of water.

13. The author is most worried about the influence of road salt on _____.

A. traffic safety      B. water quality

C. soil conditions     D. plants and animals

14. It’s mentioned in the text that birds _____.

A. often die because of eroded soil

B. often die because of polluted water

C. are often killed by vehicles on roads

D. are often killed by other animals in the fields

15. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A. How to use road salt more efficiently.

B. Researchers are looking for substitutes.

C. Road crews are monitoring the weather.

D. The advantages of alternative chemicals.

Making Most Living Abroad

    Moving abroad can be a challenging experience. You leave your family, friends and everything you know behind. You enter a new culture where the customs and sometimes the languages are different.   16 . It’s a time to discover new things, make new friends and begin a new adventure.
    I work as a language assistant in Lyon, France. To feel at home in France I involve myself in the culture as much as possible. But this is challenging. So what are the best ways to involve yourself in the new culture while living abroad?
    Live with a native speaker.  17 . Firstly, you have a friend! Living alone can be a lonely experience, especially if you’re far from home. Secondly, you can speak the local language every day. And thirdly, you have someone to tell you about the cultural customs and interesting places in the area.

Volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to meet people of different ages in your local area. This is an insightful experience. I currently volunteer with homeless people through my local church.  18 . I am also to form relationships with that I may not have met otherwise.

 19 . The thought of making friends and mixing with the local people may seem scary at first but it’s worth it. You can meet other people in the area by joining a club, attending an evening class or participating in a language exchange with people that are interested in learning your native language.

Try the local food.  20  It proves that the food in France is amazing . Discovering new food is a fun experience. My knowledge of the different bread and cheese types has grown greatly.

A. But it’s also exciting.

B. There are many advantages to do so.

C. Socialize with the local people.

D. Speaking with homeless people is improving my French.

E. Find other English speakers to make friends with.

F. I’ve tried things that I’ve never tried before.

G. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet my housemate’s friends