Most summer camps for teens center around sports, or music and arts, or just for having fun． But some girls in the Washington suburb of Arlington County, Virginia, went to camp to get a taste of what its like to be a firefighter．
This is not a typical summer camp． But Michelle Pawlaw is glad she signed up for it． "Getting to experience the fires hands-on is really cool and something that most people don't get to do," she said．
Michelle and eight other teenage girls are participating in the three-day camp offered by the Arlington County Fire Department located just outside of Washington．
“The purpose is to try to get young women interested in considering the fire service as a career” said firefighter Clare Burley, who is in charge of the program．
The free of charge, overnight camp is designed to let the girls experience what firefighters do in the line of duty to protect the community．
They take classes and learn how to climb the ladder on a fire truck, operate emergency tools and rescue on injured person． They also do their share of cleaning the firehouse and the equipment Firefighting is still a male-dominated （男性主导） service． Clare joined the department seven years ago, saying "We do everything that the guys do to the same standarD．We are tested to the same standarD．We are expected to operate at the same standard．"
Most of the girls say they had never thought about becoming a firefighter, but the camp was a great learning experience．
"I think it is definitely not a job that only men can do. Women can do it just as well as men can," said Michelle Pawlaw．
'I think I can help other people if they need help and know what to do in case I am at a fire myself," said Kayla Ehrlich．
"I think it's fantastic; I could consider taking it as a career some day．" said Monica Bartorsh．
And, the girls say, by spending three days together, they also made new friends and had a lot of fun．
1.____might become a firefighter in the future．
A．Monica B．Kayla
C．Michelle D．Clare
2.What can be inferred from the text?
A．The camp offers classes on curing the injured
B．Teenage girls will become volunteer firefighters
C．Women can perform as well as men in firefighting
D．Firefighting will soon be a female-dominated service
3.What do we know about Clare Burley from the passage?
A．She has served the department for 7 years
B．She doesn't like her career as a firefighter
C．She is the designer of the camp program
D．She does better in firefighting than men
4.The purpose of the text is____．
A．to attract more campers
B．to introduce a new type of camp
C．to praise women firefighters
D．to gain support from government
One spring, when I was 10, during one of my father's layoffs, I could tell my mother was dispiriteD．I decided to cheer her up by buying her a special Mother's Day gift．
One day after school I rode my bike to the Agins, which, I learned years later, was known for its high-end fashions and style．I introduced myself to Sylvia Agins, telling her I was looking for a Mather's Day present．
"Do you think she'd like a purse?" she askeD．I told her．I thought she might．
She took out an Italian handbag made of leather． She asked me what I thought, and I told her that my mom would like it．
"How much money do you have?" she asked．
"Twelve bucks," I said．
“You’re in luck,” she told me． "It's only $11． You have a dollar left over for the card．" She gift-wrapped the purse and thanked me for my business, and I rode off home with the package under my arm.
When my mother opened the gift the next Sunday morning, she asked in an accusing tone, “Where did you get this?"
"I bought it at the Agins． It cost me $11．" I said．
My mother was shocked into silence．
It wasn't until many years later, when I learned that the purse was worth several hundred dollars, that I appreciated just how wonderful Sylvia Agins had been to me． I always felt bad that I never had a chance to properly thank her．
"You know, my son, what really amazes me to this day," my mother saiD．"Letting you have the purse for just a few dollars was unbelievable enough． But the fact that she let you leave the store with a dollar for the card was a touch of kindness that I'll never forget． "
1.The author bought his mother a purse to _____．
A．surprise his mother
B．make his mother happy
C．show his ability of making money
D．thank his mother for buying him a bike
2.Why was the author's mother shocked?
A．She wasn't expecting a gift from her son．
B．The purse was bought from the Agins．
C．The author bought a card to go with the purse．
D．The Agins charged so little money for the purse．
3.Sylvia Agins behavior shows that_____．
A．she is good at making money B．she is kind and thoughtful
C．she knows how to choose presents D．she is critical and mean
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A．An Unforgettable Event． B．A Considerate Mother．
C．A Priceless Mother's Day Gift． D．A Kind-hearted Shop Owner．
A victim of climate change
A polar bear's dead body found on the Arctic island of Svalbard, the northernmost part of Norway, has shocked experts who say climate change may be to blame for the animal’s death.The starved polar bear in Norway was said to be in good health in April when the Norwegian Polar Institute examined and labeled it． However, the animal was reduced to skin and bones by the time a group of explorers came across its body in July．
The bear is thought to have been heading north in a desperate search for sea ice that would allow it to hunt for seals.
"From his lying position in death the bear appears to simply have starved and died where he dropped," polar bear expert Dr. Ian Stirling, a professor at the University of Alberta said, "He had external suggestion of any remaining fat, having been reduced to little more than skin and bone．"
Stirling believes the bear starved to death as a result of a lack of sea ice which the animals use as a platform for hunting seals． That may also explain why the 16-year-old male bear was found about 155 miles north of where it was seen in April．
Arctic sea ice reached a record low in 2012, according to a report released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that pointed to continued signs of climate change．
The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently classifies polar bears as vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species．
1.How did Stirling know the reason for the death of the polar bear?
A．By the food he ate
B．By doing further experiments
C．By observing other polar bears
D．By his lying position in death
2.The underlined word "vulnerable" probably means _____
A．easily hurt B．difficult to hunt
C．dangerous D．amazing
3.What is the author's attitude to the incident?
A．Favorable． B．Uncaring
C．Doubtful． D．Concerned
4.Where does this text probably come from?
A．A novel． B．A guidebook
C．A news report． D．An advertisement
阅读下面的短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
On June 25, two days after our kidney transplant （移植） surgeries, my daughter-in-law, supported by her nurse and my son, walked into my hospital room in Seattle． There she was, the 36 of my kidney, smiling at the foot of my beD．That's when I realized the full 37 of "to give is to receive．"
This February, 38 her kidney function continued to decline, my daughter-in-law needed a kidney transplant to 39 ．I told her that it would be a（n） 40 to me to be able to donate a kidney to her． Immediately I was found compatible （相匹配的）, my 41 as a kidney provider began． After 42 some tests and exams with my personal physician, I flew to Seattle for 43 testing． Whenever I "passed" one 44 , I became more relieved．Then I received the phone call telling me I was 45 ． which made me very happy． 46 , the day arriveD．Before the surgery, I truly wasn't afraid; I just wanted the transplant to be 47 ．
I woke that evening, my son telling me that my left kidney was 48 in my daughter-in-law． A strong sense of 49 washed over me． It was one of the most _50 moments of my life．
A 51 later, I got an e-mail from my daughter-in-law, saying: "Happy One-Month Anniversary!" We did have something to 52 I wasn't affected much by the surgery, and more importantly, she felt like she had her 53 back．
Up to now, being able to see my daughter-in-law 54 one of my kidneys has been one of the greatest gifts I have 55 received．
1.A．provider B．receiver C．operator D．doctor
2.A．plan B．concept C．meaning D．advantage
3.A．as B．if C．though D．Unless
4.A．leave B．survive C．rise D．pass
5.A．attempt B．comfort C．experience D．gift
6.A．challenge B．surgery C．journey D．action
7.A．completing B．marking C．failing D．writing
8.A．still less B．even more C．much worse D．far better
9.A．difficulty B．problem C．stage D．test
10.A．refused B．cured C．approved D．charged
11.A．Gradually B．Finally C．Immediately D．Suddenly
12.A．safe B．special C．comfortable D．secret
13.A．behaving badly B．staying safe C．going wrong D．working well
14.A．guilty B．sacrifice C．relief D．appreciation
15.A．satisfying B．worrying C．frightening D．surprising
16.A．year B．week C．moment D．month
17.A．remember B．share C．celebrate D．treasure
18.A．beauty B．smile C．confidence D．life
19.A．benefit from B．contribute to C．care for D．focus on
20.A．never B．ever C．already D．almost
The boys are doing no harm; they are ___ playing．
A．mostly B．rarely
C．nearly D．merely
——What ___ I wear for the party this evening, darling?
——It's a formal dinner．
A．shall B．can
C．may D．must
