LONDON (Reuters)—New faces given to a Ch...

Although April did not bring us the rains we all hoped for, and although the Central Valley doesn’t generally experience the sound and lightning that can go with those rains, it’s still important for parents to be able to answer the youthful questions about thunder and lightning.

The reason these two wonders of nature are so difficult for many adults to explain to children is that they are not very well understood by adults themselves. For example, did you know that the lightning we see flashing down to the earth from a cloud is actually flashing up to a cloud from the earth? Our eyes trick us into thinking we see a downward motion when it’s actually the other way around. But then, if we believed only what we think and we see, we’d still insist that the sun rises in the morning and sets at night.

Most lightning flashes take place inside a cloud, and only a relative few can be seen jumping between two clouds or between earth and a cloud. But, with about 2,000 thunderstorms taking place above the earth every minute of the day and night, there’s enough activity to produce about 100 lightning strikes on earth every second.

Parents can use thunder and lightning to help their children learn more about the world around them. When children understand that the light of the lightning flashing reaches their eyes almost at the same moment, but the sound of the thunder takes about 5 seconds to travel just one mile, they can begin to time the interval (间隔) between the flash and the crash to learn how lose they were to the actual spark (闪光).

1.According to the author, in the area of the Central Valley____.

2.We believe that lightning is a downward motion because_______.

3.What is TRUE about lightning according to the passage?

4.The underlined word “activity”  is most closely related to the word (s) _____.

5.It can be concluded from the passage that _______.

Dear NMAI(National Museum of the American Indian) Supporter，

Old stereotypes(思维定式) die hard. And when it comes to the way Native Americans have been viewed throughout history and continue to be viewed today, the stories about life in Indian Country are sadly overshadowing the truths. Most Native Americans don't live in tipis(圆锥形帐篷), and we don't greet one another by saying,  “How.”

To combat misconceptions like these, I need help from people who understand there's more to Native American cultures than the offensive cartoons that you see in movies and television.

I think that you might be one of these people.

Please join NMAI today and enjoy exclusive benefits like our full－color quarterly magazine American Indian, and Members－only discounts at all Smithsonian, NMAI Museum Stores, and at our Zagat－rated Mitsitam Native Foods Café.

Plus, through this email, you can take advantage of our special price of $22－more than 10% off our regular membership charge.

With your support, the National Museum of the American Indian can tell the story both past and present of Native life and culture in North, Central, and South America.

In just one visit to either of our Museums in Washington, DC, or New York City, you can watch a performance by traditional Native dancers... attend a lecture by a leading voice from the world of Native literature... spend an afternoon taking an informative audio tour of the Museum's distinctive grounds... and try your hand at Native crafts like pottery and beadwork. And for those who are unable to visit the museums in person, much of our extensive collection of more than 800，000 objects is cateloged on our website.

Only with your generosity can we share the Native story, awaken children to an interest in Native culture, and bring the Museum experience to people who can't travel to our Museums in person.

By joining the Museum today, you will take the first step in putting an end to the old stereotypes and long－held prejudices that have contributed to an incomplete picture of Native traditions and accomplishments.

Sincerely，

Kevin Gover

Director

1.What is the author's intention in writing this letter?

A. To call for more people to join in volunteer work.

B. To carry out researches on Native Americans.

C. To invite more people to be members of the museum.

D. To raise more donations for the museum.

2.Which of the following statements describes the life and culture of Native Americans correctly?

A. They are good at pottery and beadwork.

B. Most of them live in tipis.

C. They greet others by saying, “How.”

D. They like designing offensive cartoons.

3.If you join NMAI, you can enjoy the following benefits except ________．

A. free full－color quarterly magazine American Indian

B. Members－only discounts at all Smithsonian

C. Members－only discounts for buying in NMAI Museum Stores

D. a free meal at Zagat－rated Mitsitam Native Foods Café

4.Regular membership fee  of the NMAI is about ________．

A. $30  B. $20  C. $15  D. $25

Time was running out, and Mark Dickinson wasn't sure whether he'd get to see his dying 2－year－old grandson one last time. A long line at Los Angeles International Airport's security checkpoint had kept him from getting to his gate on time.

His grandson Caden would be taken off life support in a matter of hours in Denver, Colorado, with or without his grandfather's presence, according to CNN affiliate KABC.

“I was kind of panicking because I was running late, and I really thought I wasn't going to make the flight，” Dickinson told KABC.

That's when a pilot from Southwest Airlines stepped up and held the flight at the gate until Dickinson arrived. The pilot was standing by the air bridge waiting for him when Dickinson arrived in socks, so rushed that he just grabbed his shoes at security and ran through the terminal.

“I told him, ‘Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that.’ And he said, ‘No problem. They can't leave without me anyway，’”Dickinson told KABC.

Authorities say Dickinson's grandson, Caden Rodgers, suffered a head injury after his mother's boyfriend threw him across the room. The boyfriend reportedly told police he was drunk and high on marijuana(大麻) at the time. The child later died and the boyfriend has been charged with first－degree murder, according to the Aurora Sentinel.

Thanks to the pilot, Dickinson made it to Colorado in time to say goodbye to his grandson. Most airlines would punish any staff member who holds up a flight, according to consumer advocate Christopher Elliott, who broke the story of the sympathetic pilot on his blog. However, a Southwest spokeswoman said the pilot's actions were praiseworthy.

“You can't hold a plane for every late customer, but I think we would all agree that these were extenuating(可以原谅的) circumstances and the pilot absolutely made the right decision，” Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said. “I don't think you could ask for a better example of great service for our customers.”

1.According to the passage, which is the correct order of the following events?

a. The pilot held the plane for Dickinson.

b. People read the story of the pilot on the Internet.

c. Caden suffered a head injury.

d. Dickinson was waiting in line at the security checking point.

d. Marilee McInnis praised the pilot's actions.

A. d，c，a，b，e  B. c，a，d，b，e  C. c，d，a，b，e  D. d，a，b，c，e

2.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. The security staff prohibited Dickinson from getting to his gate on time.

B. The plane couldn't leave without Dickinson according to the regulations.

C. Dickinson made it to see his grandson one last time.

D. Christopher Elliott holds the view that all the airlines should advocate similar actions.

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A. The boyfriend of Caden's mother hates him very much.

B. The boyfriend has been accused of first－degree murder.

C. Many pilots enjoy writing blog.

D. Dickinson had to take off his shoes at the security cheekpoint.

4.In writing this passage, the author mainly tells us a story about ________．

A. an unlucky man from Los Angeles making his flight

B. a poor boy being killed by his mother's boyfriend

C. Southwest Airlines' decision not to punish a pilot who held up the flight

D. a pilot holding the flight for a man going to see his dying grandson

“Good night, Yammine.”

“Good night, Chief，” I reply.

The cell door __36__ and I hear Chief's keys clinking as other doors clang shut further down the row. I step into my little cell and sit down. I glance up at the window, covered in mesh(铁网)，and think to myself, “This isn't a life, it's just a(n) __37__．”

Being __38__ makes me feel as though I'm being buried alive. I am a puppet(木偶) with people __39__ strings so that I eat, sleep and wake when they want me to.

I lie on my bed as night __40__ and think the same thoughts __41__. I think about how it all went so wrong, and imagine how I will __42__ for all the time I've lost.

Every day I live the same routine and nothing changes except the people. Prisoners depart for other prisons, or get __43__. Others __44__ from different prisons, or fresh from custody. It's a __45__ revolving(旋转) door.

When I committed my __46__， I was a lost young boy, but now I am __47__. Walking around the yard, I would notice my fellow prisoners reading books and writing letters to friends and family, which upset me as my __48__ at school was limited.

I longed for the day when I'd be able to sit in the sun, enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper or book __49__ my choice. I also longed to write letters to my friends and family, sharing my thoughts and feelings.

I decided not to waste my time inside and, __50__， make the most of all the resources available to me. I started to learn and was __51__ to realize my dream.

Now, after five years' persistence, heartache and hard work, I have __52__ my goal. Having __53__ a course as a reading adviser, I can now help others to read and write. And I have even started a creative writing workshop at Junee Correctional Centre. Learning to read and write at a highter level has given me the inner strength to present myself in a more __54__ manner.

And the day I've dreamed about has come true: I now enjoy my cup of coffee with a book in my other hand. Learning to read and write has changed my life and this article is my first piece of “proper” writing, and it won't be my __55__．

1.A. opens　　　　　B. closes　　　　　　　C. breaks　　　　D. sticks

2.A. existence  B. appearance  C. offence  D. holiday

3.A. at school  B. at home  C. in hospital  D. in prison

4.A. pulling  B. shaking  C. winding  D. casting

5.A. becomes  B. drops  C. feels  D. falls

6.A. once and for all  B. over and over again  C. once again  D. for good

7.A. do up  B. make up  C. fix up  D. mend up

8.A. revealed  B. sentenced  C. punished  D. released

9.A. reach  B. get  C. arrive  D. go

10.A. continually  B. occasionally  C. accidentally  D. rarely

11.A. mistake  B. crime  C. error  D. fault

12.A. caught  B. home  C. found  D. trapped

13.A. attendance  B. absence  C. allowance  D. assistance

14.A. in  B. of  C. over  D. by

15.A. however  B. instead  C. thus  D. nevertheless

16.A. devoted  B. dedicated  C. determined  D. decided

17.A. gained  B. recognized  C. arrived  D. achieved

18.A. attended  B. completed  C. started  D. organized

19.A. positive  B. negative  C. sensitive  D. passive

20.A. best  B. worst  C. latest  D. last

When we think of trees at Christmas, there is ________ that immediately springs to mind－the evergreen tree beautifully decorated.

A. the one  B. that  C. it  D. one