My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage. This can’t be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying, “What do you want? Take my wallet,” but at the time I thought of nothing.
I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house --- Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen’s voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he was being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy’s head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy, and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn’t crouch(蹲伏) behind it but screamed instead.
I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming “Help, help!” at eight o’clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea(恳求) to the more specific “Help, let me in, please let me in!” But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy’s screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled.
The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the police to come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely, “Please go and eat. We’re O.K.”
I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals, of bringing back the death penalty(处罚) and how the President is going to clean up the country. I was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer sentences wouldn’t change a thing. In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, comfortable homes talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy and me?
People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out in force twenty minutes later. They were ill-tempered about what was, to them, much trouble about nothing. After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to describing the gunmen. “Typical,” said one policeman when we couldn’t even agree on how tall the men were. Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two policemen who stayed to make the report didn’t think that would be much help.
The policemen were matter-of-fact about the whole thing. The thin one said, “That was a stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do what you’re told.” Jeremy looked properly embarrassed.
Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the house. “That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys,” he said. “If you had gone into the house with them…” His voice became weaker. “They would have hurt her” --- he twisted his head toward me – “and killed you both.” Jeremy looked happier. “Look,” said the fat policeman kindly, “there’s no right or wrong in the situation. There’s just luck.”
All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time --- no intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right. There’s only luck. The next time I might end up dead.
And I’m sure there will be a next time. It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. Security is an illusion(幻觉); there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they’re fooling themselves.
1. When the writer saw the gun pointing against the car window, ______.
A. she felt very annoyed B. she lost consciousness
C. she felt very much nervous D. she lost the power of thinking
2.What most possibly drove the two gunmen away?
A. Jeremy’s fighting B. The author’s screaming
C. Their neighbour’s brave action D. The police’s arrival
3.When the author called for help, the neighbors didn’t come out immediately because ______
A. they were much too frightened
B. they were busy preparing dinners
C. they needed time to find baseball bats
D. they thought someone was playing a trick
4.The author was happy to see the neighbors go because ______.
A. she hated to listen to their empty talk
B. she did not want to become an object of pity
C. she was angered by their being late to come to her help
D. she wanted to be left alone with Jeremy to get over the shock
5.The police were rather angry because ______.
A. the author was not hurt and gave a false alarm
B. they thought it was a case of little importance
C. the author and Jeremy could not tell the police anything
D. the gunmen had already fled when they arrived on the scene
6.What the author wants to tell us is that______.
A. neighbors are not helpful in moments of difficulty
B. the police are not reliable when one is in trouble
C. security is impossible as long as people can have guns
D. preventing robbers entering your house is the best choice
Among the Boys is a unique after-school program for boys living in the Highland Park neighborhood of our city. The organizational task is to provide males living in low-income and public housing with opportunities to discover their ability to change challenges into possibilities. The program includes an academic part as well as specific plans for supporting the overall development of the participants. Among the Boys uses painting as an instrument for helping boys examine their world, discuss it, and develop positive ways of handling the challenges they face daily. Young men present personal challenges to the group, such as a recent fight or the long-term drug abuse they observe in their neighborhood. After guided discussion, the youth work as a team, determining how to best represent the issue at hand in a painting. The resulting paintings and explanations of these paintings provided by the young people suggest that something profound(深远的) occurs through this process. These young men are learning a healthy way to express and cope with the pain and suffering they feel. Art serves as a healing process and a structured method of teaching teamwork, nonviolent values, conflict handling and problem-solving skills.
Activities in Among the Boys are in agreement with the best practices in the prevention of high-risk behavior. First, community-based youth development programs are considered important parts of a comprehensive prevention method, particularly in high-risk neighborhoods. Second, compensatory(补偿) education that targets at risk youth for academic failure is also considered an effective prevention method. Third, interventions(介入) aimed at improving youth’s moral reasoning, social problem-solving, and thinking skills are reported to be effective methods for reducing violence in high-risk populations, especially when carried out with elementary school-aged boys. Finally, Among the Boys has an adapted tutoring part, considered an effective prevention tool. Tutoring is typically a one-to-one match between a tutor and a youth, but Among the Boys employs what is referred to as “group tutoring.” Among the Boys makes up for its high student-tutor ratio(比例) with quality and quantity of time, as the program meets after school, on Saturdays, and all day during the summer, and is staffed primarily by males, an unusual quality among educational programs.
Among the Boys is rare and successful form of grassroots program, and represents the dream of a successful male who grew up in the Highland Park neighborhood and has returned to make a valuable contribution to his community.
1.Which of the following most accurately describes the organization of the second paragraph？
A. A theory is presented and proved with data.
B. A statement is made and supported with examples.
C. A problem is put forward and solutions are suggested
D. A situation is described and a prediction is provided
2. Which of the following statements is implied in the passage?
A. Art programs can promote painting but cannot prevent school failure.
B. Social problem-solving skills are not important for high school-age youth.
C. Most educational programs have some female staff members.
D. Teamwork produces better paintings than does independent work.
3. In discussing Among the Boys’ tutoring part, the author implies that ______.
A. Among the Boys employs a traditional tutoring model
B. tutoring is effective only with elementary school-age boys
C. tutoring prevents the youth’s attention from wandering off
D. increased hours with a group can be as effective as a one-to-one tutoring relationship
4.The founder of the program described in the passage ______.
A. sought contributions to make his program successful
B. designed the program for the same neighborhood in which he grew up
C. is seeking reelection for the Highland Park community school board
D. was a successful graduate of Among the Boys when he was a youth
5. The attitude of the author of the passage toward Among the Boys is ______.
A. forgiving B. doubtful C. praising D. ignorant
Enjoy free re-admission for a year if you buy your ticket directly from us. Tickets purchased directly from the Royal Collection can be transformed into a 1-Year Pass, giving 12 months’ free admission to Windsor Castle. This pass is valid for a year from the date of your first visit.
How do I transform my ticket into a 1-Year Pass?
1. Before you leave the site, please sign and print your name in the spaces provided on the back of your ticket.
2. Hand the ticket to a member of staff, who will stamp and validate(使…生效) it.
3. Keep your ticket for future visits.
Your ticket will only be accepted for re-admission if it has been stamped on the day of your first visit.
Subsequent(随后的) visits
To gain admission on subsequent visits, your signed and stamped original ticket (now your 1-Year Pass) must be produced on arrival at the ticket counter. You will also be required to provide proof(证据) of signature, such as a passport, driving licence, or credit card. You will then be given a gift ticket for admission on that day. Children under the age of 18 are not required to show proof of signature.
Alternatively, to guarantee admission you may pre-book your subsequent visits by telephoning the Ticket Sales and Information Office, +44 (0)20 7766 7334. A booking fee applies. Pre-booked tickets will not be posted to you, but can be collected from the ticket counter on the day of your visit on production of your signed and stamped 1-Year Pass and proof of signature.
The benefits of the 1-Year Pass are not transferable, and your ticket may not under any circumstances be given to another person or re-sold. Any attempted use of the ticket by another party to gain admission automatically cause the ticket invalid.
Free re-admission is always subject to ticket availability and may be unavailable on up to 5 days each year when the site is open to the public. It is not possible to use your 1-Year Pass when the site is closed. Before planning a visit please see the Visit Pages on www.royalcollection.org.uk to check if any dates are excluded and to confirm admission details.
Dates when 1-Year Pass free re-admission is unavailable in 2012:
Saturday 7 April 2012
Sunday 8 April 2012
Monday 9 April 2012
Monday 7 May 2012
Monday 4 June 2012
Please note that gift tickets and tickets booked through a tour operator or ticket agent cannot be transformed into a 1-Year Pass.
Ticket Sales and Information Office
Official Residences of The Queen
London SW1A 1AA
www.royalcollection.org.uk
Telephone +44 (0)20 7766 7334
1. Which of the following tickets can be transformed into a 1-Year Pass?
A. gift tickets
B. tickets bought from Royal Collection
C. tickets booked from a tour operator
D. tickets bought from an agent
2. If you want to have a 1-Year Pass to Windsor Castle, you DON’T have to ______.
A. get your ticket stamped B. sign your name
C. buy a ticket D. show your proof of signature
3.If you transformed your ticket to a 1-Year Pass on 15 March, 2012, you could use it on ______.
A. 9 April 2012 B. 4 June 2012
C. 10 March 2013 D. 15 April 2013
4. To book a further admission with a 1-Year Pass, ______.
A. you need to pay some money
B. you can ask your friend to lend you his 1-Year Pass
C. you can have your gift ticket delivered to you
D. you need to show your passport and credit card on your arrival
When people first walked across the Bering Land Bridge thousands of years ago, dogs were by their sides, according to a study published in the journal Science.
Robert Wayne of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Jennifer Leonard of the Smithsonian Institute, used DNA material—some of it unearthed by miners in Alaska—to conclude that today’s domestic dog originated in Asia and accompanied the first humans to the New World about 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. Wayne suggests that man’s best friend may have enabled the tough journey from Asia into North America. “Dogs may have been the reason people made it across the land bridge,” said Wayne. “They can pull things, carry things, defend you from fierce animals, and they’re useful to eat.”
Researchers have agreed that today’s dog is the result of the domestication(驯化) of wolves thousands of years ago. Before this recent study, a common thought about the precise origin of North America’s domestic dog was that Natives domesticated local wolves, the descendents(后代) of which now live with people in Alaska, Canada, and the Lower 48.
Dog remains from a Fairbanks-area gold mine helped the scientists reach their conclusion. Leonard, an evolutionary biologist, collected DNA from 11 bones of ancient dogs that were locked in permafrost(永冻层) until Fairbanks miners uncovered them in the 1920s. The miners donated the preserved bones to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where they remained untouched for more than 70 years. After borrowing the bones from the museum, Leonard and her colleagues used radiocarbon techniques to find the age of the Alaska dogs. They found the dogs all lived between the years of 1450 and 1675 A.D., before Vitus Bering and Aleksey Chirikov who were the first known Europeans to view Alaska in 1741. The bones of dogs that wandered the Fairbanks area centuries ago should therefore be the remains of “pure native American dogs,” Leonard said. The DNA of the Fairbanks dogs would also expose whether they were the descendents of wolves from North America.
Along with the Fairbanks samples, the researchers collected DNA from bones of 37 dog specimens(标本) from Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia that existed before the arrival of Columbus. In the case of both the Alaska dogs and the dogs from Latin America, the researchers found that they shared the most genetic material with gray wolves of Europe and Asia. This supports the idea of domestic dogs entering the New World with the first human explorers who wandered east over the land bridge.
Leonard and Wayne’s study suggests that dogs joined the first humans that made the adventure across the Bering Land Bridge to slowly populate the Americas. Wayne thinks the dogs that made the trip must have provided some excellent service to their human companions or they would not have been brought along. “Dogs must have been useful because they were expensive to keep,” Wayne said. “They didn’t feed on mice; they fed on meat, which was a very guarded resource.”
1. The underlined word “remains” is closed in meaning to ______.
A. leftover food B. animal waste
C. dead bodies D. living environment
2. According to the study described in Paragraph 4, we can learn that ______.
A. ancient dogs entered North America between 1450 and 1675 AD
B. the 11 bones of ancient dogs are not from native American dogs
C. the bones discovered by the gold miners were from North American wolves
D. the bones studied were not from dogs brought into North America by Europeans
3. What can we know from the passage?
A. Native Americans domesticated local wolves into dogs.
B. Scientists discovered some ancient dog remains in 1920s.
C. Latin America’s dogs are different from North America’s in genes.
D. Ancient dogs entered North America across the Bering Land Bridge.
4. The first humans into the New World brought dogs along with them because ______.
A. dogs fed on mice B. dogs were easy to keep
C. dogs helped protect their resources D. dogs could provide excellent service
5.What does the passage mainly talk about ______.
A. the origin of the North American dogs
B. the DNA study of ancient dogs in America
C. the reasons why early people entered America
D. the difference between Asian and American dogs
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该项选项的标号涂黑。
A young student was one day taking a walk with a professor. As they went along, they saw 21 in the path a pair of old shoes, which they 22 belonged to a poor man who was employed in a field close by.
The student turned to the professor, saying, “Let us play the man a 23 : we will hide his shoes and wait to see his 24 when he cannot find them.”
“My young friend,” answered the professor, “we should never amuse ourselves at the 25 of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure 26 the poor man. Put a coin into each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch 27 the discovery affects him.”
The student did so, and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by.
The poor man soon finished his work, and came 28 the field to the path where he had left his shoes. While 29 his foot into one of his shoes, he 30 something hard, 31 he bent down and found the coin. Astonishment and 32 were seen upon his face. He then looked around himself on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and went on to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was 33 on finding the other coin. His feelings 34 him; he fell upon his 35 , looked up to heaven and thanked God aloud.
The student stood there 36 affected, and his eyes filled with tears. “Now,” said the professor, “are you not much better 37 than if you had played your 38 trick?” The youth replied, “You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the 39 of those words, which I never understood before: It is more blessed to 40 than to receive.”
1.A. sitting B. lying C. hiding D. laying
2.A. imagined B. expected C. supposed D. recognized
3.A. trick B. role C. part D. game
4.A. impatience B. puzzlement C. pity D. disappointment
5.A. expense B. risk C. need D. poverty
6.A. in reply to B. in response to C. by means of D. by way of
7.A. why B. when C. where D. how
8.A. across B. around C. through D. towards
9.A. rising B. rushing C. slipping D. sliding
10.A. found B. noticed C. kicked D. felt
11.A. but B. so C. as D. for
12.A. wonder B. admiration C. guilt D. anxiety
13.A. advanced B. improved C. progressed D. doubled
14.A. grasped B. overcame C. inspired D. sank
15.A. knees B. hands C. feet D. legs
16.A. generally B. fairly C. deeply D. naturally
17.A. excited B. satisfied C. touched D. pleased
18.A. intended B. required C. wanted D. interested
19.A. fact B. truth C. reality D. faith
20.A. reward B. win C.give D. send
— Tom, I made your computer system break down. I will pay someone to repair it.
— Oh. ______. I can solve it by myself.
A. Forget it B. Take it easy C. No way D. Don’t say so.
