Take Action for a Better World: Volunteers Needed

Six months’ preparation in Denmark: Africa studies, team work combined with social work with risk group teenagers.

Six months’ community work in Malawi in People to People Projects: Child Aid, HIV / AIDS Fights and Teacher Training.

Qualifications: 18 years old, hard­working and social engagement.

Please contact us by email: takeaction@betterworld.com.

Part­time work with Exchange Students

YOUTH International is a non­profit high school foreign exchange student organization.We welcome teenagers from over 80 countries worldwide and provide host families.The Community Representative is a part­time position designed for people with a strong desire to do something rewarding in the community and earn some extra money.

Applicants best suited for this work should enjoy teenagers, have a strong interest in cross­cultural communication and feel comfortable networking.Full training and support will be provided through branch offices throughout the US.Positions available in most states.

If interested, please email staff@youth.org or call 888­123­9872.

International Summer Job

Hi, I’m an ESL student in China.I’m 20, quiet and polite, and I speak reasonable English.I’m looking for a summer job in an English­speaking country.I can teach Chinese or do house and garden work and cook Chinese dishes.Can anybody offer me a job? I don’t need to earn much, just enough in two months (July－August) to pay for my return ticket to China.My goal is to improve my English and see a bit more of the world.

My email is: ram3462@hotmail.com

Call for Native Speaker of English

I am looking for native speakers of English to join in an experiment.This experiment is carried out over the Internet.You don’t need any specific knowledge other than understanding and speaking English at a native level.The first task will take you around 15 minutes.After this task, you can decide whether you want to continue the experiment.The tasks involve reading texts and designing questions and answers.

If you are willing to help me, then please email us: club3864@hotmail.com.

(　　)11.Where will Jack, a volunteer, receive the training before he is sent to work in Malawi?

A．In some local offices in the U．S.   B．In a preparation program in Denmark.

C．In an ESL organization in China.   D．In an exchange student center in Africa.

(　　)12.If Mrs.Black in the U．S.hopes to learn more Chinese at home, she may contact ________．

A．takeaction@betterworld.com      B．staff@youth.org

C．club3864@hotmail.com          D．ram3462@hotmail.com

(　　)13.What are volunteers for an experiment over the Internet supposed to do?

A．To provide language exercises.     B．To do some housework.

C．To offer advice on Child Aid.      D．To interview people online.

(　　)14.In which section of the newspaper can you find these?

A．News.   B．Classified ads.    C．Culture.   D．Amusement.

Mark Twain was a great writer. He was from the USA. He was born in 1835. He was also a famous speaker. He was famous for his sense of humour. Many people liked to listen to him talk because he liked to tell some interesting stories to make people laugh all the time.

One day Mark Twain was going to a small town because of his writing. Before he was going to leave, one of his friends said to him that there were always a lot of mosquitoes in the town and told him that he'd better not go there. Mark Twain waved his hand and said, “It doesn't matter. The mosquitoes are no relatives of mine. I don't think they will come to visit me.”

After he arrived at the town, Mark Twain stayed in a small hotel near the station. He went into his room, but when he was just about to have a rest, quite a few mosquitoes flew about him. The waiters felt very sorry about that. “I'm very sorry, Mr Mark Twain. There are too many mosquitoes in our town，” one of them said to him.

Mark Twain, however, made a joke, saying to the waiter, “The mosquitoes are very clever. They know my room number. They didn't come into the wrong room.” What he said made all the people present laugh heartily.

But that night Mark Twain slept well. Do you know why? That was because all the waiters in the hotel were driving the mosquitoes away for him during the whole night.

(　　)15.That day Mark Twain went to the town ________．

A. to see one of his friends

B. because he was told there were a lot of mosquitoes there

C. because he wanted to do something there for his writing

D. to see one of his relatives

(　　)16.The waiters felt sorry because ________．

A. they did something wrong to Mark Twain      B. their hotel was too small

C. the room was not very clean D. there were quite a few mosquitoes in Mark Twain's room

(　　)17.All the people present laughed heartily because ________．

A. the mosquitoes were very clever and they didn't come into the wrong room

B. the mosquitoes knew Mark Twain's room number

C. Mark Twain made a joke

D. Mark Twain gave the waiters some nice presents

(　　)18.From the story we know ________．

A. no mosquitoes troubled Mark Twain in the night

B. the owner of the hotel told the waiters to look after Mark Twain well at night

C. Mark Twain didn't have a good rest that night

D. there were no mosquitoes in the hotel any longer

Hundreds of years ago, news was carried from place to place by people on foot or by horse. It took days, weeks and sometimes months for people to receive news. Now it is possible to send words and pictures around the world in seconds. Billions of people learn about news stories of their own country and all over the world every day, either by watching TV or reading newspapers.

Newspapers have been an important part of everyday life since the 18th century. Many countries have hundreds of different newspapers. How do newspaper editors decide which news stories to print? Why do they print some stories and not others? What makes a good newspaper story?

Firstly, it is important to report news stories. TV stations can report news much faster than newspapers. Yet, newspapers give more about the same story. They may also look at the story in another way, or they may print completely different stories to those on TV.

Secondly, a news story has to be interesting and unusual. People don't want to read stories about everyday life. As a result, many stories are about some kind of danger and seem to be “bad” news. For example, newspapers never print stories about planes landing safely; instead they print stories about plane accidents.

Another factor(因素) is also very important in many news stories. Many people are interested in news in foreign countries, but more prefer to read stories about people, places and events in their own country. So the stories on the front page in Chinese newspapers are usually very different from the ones in British, French and American newspapers.

(　　)19.According to the passage, how do people learn about news stories in the world now?

A. They carry news stories and tell others from place to place on foot or by horse.

B. They tell each other what they have seen with their eyes.

C. They watch TV or read newspapers.

D. They listen to the radio every day.

(　　)20.The difference between newspaper stories and TV news reports is that ________．

A. people can learn more about the same news story from a newspaper

B. people can read the news story more quickly in a newspaper

C. people can read news stories in other countries

D. people can read news stories about their own country

(　　)21.To make a good newspaper story, how many factors does the passage talk about?

A. Two.  B. Three. C. Five.  D. Six.

(　　)22.According to the passage, which of the following can you most possibly watch on TV?

A. You often play football with your friends after school.

B. Your teacher has got a cold.

C. A tiger in the city zoo has run out and hasn't been caught.

D. The bike in front of your house is lost.

About five years ago, an American electrical engineer named Scott Brusaw and his wife Julie came up with the idea of putting solar panels (控制板) on the ground rather than the roof. Then they began to develop the Solar Roadway. The Solar Roadway is an intelligent road that provides clean renewable energy using power from the sun while providing safer driving conditions, along with power and data delivery. They predict that the Solar Roadway will pay for itself through the generation of electricity along with other forms of income and that the same money that is being used to build and resurface current roads can be used to build the Solar Roadways.

Each Solar Road Panel measures roughly 4 meters by 4 meters and contains a microprocessor (微处理器) that monitors and controls the panel, while communicating with neighboring panels and the vehicles traveling overhead. The inventors suggest that this provides a communications device every 4 meters on every road which could be used for example to warn drivers of cars which are moving across a centre line and various other speed control problems. The top of the Solar Road panels is made of super­strong glass that would offer vehicles the tractions (牵引力) they need.

According to the inventors, the Solar Roadway creates and carries clean renewable electricity and therefore electric vehicles can be recharged at any conveniently located rest stop, or at any business that has paved Solar Road Panels in their parking lots.

The inventors say their Solar Roadway has many functions and advantages from main roads to driveways, parking lots, bike paths, sidewalks and runways. The Federal Highway Administration has given Brusaw $100，000 to develop the invention and Brusaw hopes to build a smart­road parking lot in the coming spring.

(　　)23.In the inventors' opinion, the Solar Roadway ________.

A. is too expensive to build at present         B. costs no more money than current roads

C. can provide as many data as present computers  D. will bring them a large sum of money

(　　)24.The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 2 refers to“________”．

A. the panels  B. the inventors   C. the researchers    D. the vehicles

(　　)25.It can be inferred from the text that ________．

A. the Solar Roadway has already been put into use

B. $100，000 is only enough to build a smart­road parking lot

C. the Solar Roadway is not available for gas­powered cars

D. future electric vehicles can be charged anytime and anywhere

The way to lift up your mood

Everyone has periods in their lives when everything seems very hard, when there's nobody to talk to and the mood (情绪) is just getting worse and worse. 26.________

The first thing you should try is socializing and thinking positively. It's very hard, because usually when we feel sad we lock ourselves at home and try to think about all the bad things we have. But if you'll try to force yourself and call a friend for a cup of coffee, the chances for changing your mood into better are very good. Just try to avoid bad thoughts.  27.________

28．________ It could be something you wanted for a long time—a short trip, a coat, a ring or anything that could lift up your mood. It doesn't have to be costly, but it has to be good to yourself.

Not only giving gifts to yourself can lift up your mood.  29.________Think of your friends, family, relatives or even local charities (慈善机构), choose one person and give him a gift. It doesn't have to be something expensive or big. It may be just a little toy to your poor neighbor's child. Making another person feel happy will make you feel good in your heart and mind.

Take control of your feelings. Don't let them control you. 30.________ Just follow the advice above，and start doing something.

A. Cry aloud if you feel it is necessary.

B. Here are some things that may help you lift up your mood.

C. Making yourself feel better isn't that hard.

D. Buying things to others may be a perfect way to feel happy.

E. Do your best to find someone to talk to.

F. Instead, try to think about the bright side of your life.

G. You should also try doing something only for yourself, something totally selfish.