In recent years, the world has made progress in reducing deaths among children under the age of five. A new report says an estimated 6.9 million children worldwide died before their fifth birthday. That compares to about twelve million in1990.
The report says child mortality rates have fallen in all areas. It says the number of deaths is down by at least 50 percent in eastern, western and southeastern Asia. The number also fell in North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Ties Boerma is head of the WHO’s Department of Health Statistics and Informatics. He says most child deaths happen in just a few areas.
TIES BOERMA: “Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia face the greatest challenges in child survival. More than eighty percent of child deaths in the world occur in these two regions. About half of child deaths occur in just five countries—India, which actually takes twenty-four percent of the global total; Nigeria, eleven percent; the Democratic Republic of Congo, seven percent; Pakistan, five percent and China, four percent of under-five deaths in the world.”
Ties Boerma notes that, in developed countries, one child in one hundred fifty-two dies before his or her fifth birthday. But south of the Sahara Desert, one out of nine children dies before the age of five. In Asia, the mortality rate is one in sixteen.  
The report lists the top five causes of death among children under five worldwide. They are pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and problems both before and during birth.
Tessa Wardlaw is with the U-N Children’s Fund. She is pleased with the progress being made in Sub-Saharan Africa. The area has the highest under-five mortality rate in the world. But she says the rate of decline in child deaths has more than doubled in Africa.
TESSA WARDLAW: “We welcome the widespread progress in child survival, but we importantly want to stress that there’s a lot of work that remains to be done. There’s unfinished business and the fact is that today on average, around nineteen thousand children are still dying every day from largely preventable causes.”
The World Health Organization says one way to solve these problems is to make sure health care services are available to women. In this way, medical problems can be avoided or treated when identified.
小題1:Since 1990, the number of the children who died before 5 in the world has dropped by about__________.

A．6,900,000

B．12,000,000

C．1,200,000

D．5,100,000

小題2: What does the underlined word “mortality” ( in Paragraph 2)mean?

A．illness

B．reduction

C．death

D．problem

小題3:According to the passage, the readers are likely to believe that __________.

A．child mortality rates have fallen just in five areas

B．Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest under-five mortality rate in the world

C．in developed countries, no children die before the age of five

D．the world has made little progress in reducing the rates of child mortality

小題4:______ is the top-one cause of death among children under five worldwide.

A．Global warming

B．Malaria

C．Pneumonia

D．Diarrhea

小題5:What will be probably referred to in the following paragraph?

A．Women do not want to have babies.

B．How more health care services are available to women.

C．Medical problems are completely solved.

D．The World Health Organization.

For their nick-of-time acts, Toby, a 2-year-old dog, and Winnie, a cute cat, were named Dog and Cat of the Year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.   
As Amy Paul choked(哽住) on a piece of apple at her home, her dog jumped up, landing hard on her chest and forcing the piece in her throat out. When the Keesling family of Indiana was about to be killed by carbon monoxide, their cat clawed at the wife Cathy’s hair until she woke up and called for help.
No one could explain their timely heroics.
Both pets were rescued by their owners in infancy-----Toby as a 4-week-old thrown into a garbage bin to die, and Winnie as a week-old orphan hiding under a barn, so helpless that Cathy’s husband, Eric, had to feed her milk with an eyedropper.
As the Keeslings recalled it, a gas-driven pump being used broke down, spreading carbon monoxide through the house. By the time Winnie went to rescue, the couple’s 14-year-old son was already unconscious. “Winnie jumped on the bed and was clawing at me, with a kind of angry sound,” Cathy Keesling said. The state police responding to her 911 call said the family was only minutes from death, judging by the amount of poisonous gas in the house.
Amy Paul’s husband was at his job when she took a midday break from making jewelry and bit into an apple. “Normally I peel them, but I read in Good Housekeeping Magazine that the skin has all the nutrients, so I ate the skin, and that’s what caused me to choke,” she recalled. “I couldn’t breathe and I was in panic when Toby jumped on me. He never does that, but he did, and saved my life.”
Both Toby and Winnie accompanied their owners to the awards luncheon.
小題1:What would be the suitable title for the passage?

A．Great Honors for Cat and Dog

B．Dog and Cat Honored for Saving Their Masters

C．Unforgettable Experiences

D．So Smart Animals Are

小題2:Winnie saved the lives of its owner’s whole family in an accident by __________.

A．jumping onto its owner	B．calling for help
C．making some strange noises	D．clawing at Cathy’s hair

小題3:Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined word “infancy” in Paragraph 4?

A．babyhood

B．Youth

C．Middle age

D．a(chǎn)gedness

小題4:What caused the carbon monoxide spreading through the house?

A．A pump breaking down.	B．A driver breaking into the house.
C．The burning gas.	D．The poisonous gas.

小題5:Why did Amy Paul choke on a piece of apple?

A．She was too young to care for herself.

B．She had a big bite.

C．She didn’t peel the skin as usual.

D．The apple was too hard.

Many French teachers and parents complain that their kids are less bright than they were. They say young people visit museums less often and spend too much time on the Internet. They only read comics and listen to music, and like American culture more than their own. But is this true?  A recent survey shows that many French kids spend their time as other kids always have.
Most French teens love music, with 86% putting it as their top hobby, above the cinema, sport and television. French kids read a lot and like different things, from Japanese cartoons to American novels. Many French people worry that their children watch too many American films and listen to too much American music. But the results of this survey show that French young people like their own culture.
As Silvia Berlin, a student from Paris, says, "I love watching American TV, but I watch more French programmes. I love being French!"
小題1:Many French teachers and parents        

A．think their kids are as clever as they were

B．don' t think their kids are as clever as they were

C．think their kids are more clever than they were

D．don' t think their kids are clever at all

小題2:Most French teens' top hobby is       

A．going to the movies	B．doing sport
C．watching TV	D．listening to music

小題3:The French kids like all of the following except _________ .

A．Japanese history	B．Japanese cartoons
C．American films	D．American music

小題4:This passage is mainly about a survey of______.

A．French parents' complaint

B．French kids' study

C．French kids' interests

D．French teachers' complaint

A photographer takes a picture of the Chinese bronze rat head and rabbit head sculptures display on the preview of the auction（拍賣） of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge’s art collection at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, Feb, 21, 2009. Chinese lawyers have asked the French court to stop auction house Christie’s putting two bronze relics（文物）looted (掠奪)from China
under the hammer, lawyers said Friday.
A Paris court on Monday ruled against stopping the sale of two
looted Chinese bronze sculptures which come up for auction at
Christie’s on Wednesday. Under the ruling of the Tribunal de Grande
Instance in Paris, the plaintiff（起訴人）, the Association for the
Protection of Chinese Art in Europe（APCAE）,was ordered to
pay compensation（賠償）to the defendant.
Ren Xiaohong, a lawyer for APCAE, told Xinhua that it was “of great significance” to file the lawsuit. “We hope to arouse public attention in Europe on the fate of numerous Chinese works stolen in the past, to help keep those relics well protected and collected,” Ren said.
The Qing Dynasty（1644—1911）relics, the heads of a bronze rabbit and a rat, were among an original set of 12 bronze animal heads that were once decorated at the imperial summer resort Yuanmingyuan. They were looted when the palace was burnt down by Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War in 1860.
The pair became part of a collection of the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. They have been put up for auction by his partner, Pierre Berge. The two items are expected to fetch between 16 million and 20 million euros.
So far, five of the 12 bronze animal heads have been returned to China, while the whereabouts of five others are unknown.
小題1:The two bronze animal heads were displayed at the Grand Palais in Paris so that      .

A．they could be collected and well preserved

B．the photographers could take pictures

C．the public could see them in advance

D．they couldn’t be sold at auction

小題2:The significance to stop the sale of two bronze animal heads is to     .

A．fetch between 16 million and 20 million euros

B．draw public attention to the Chinese works stolen in the past

C．make the world know more about history of the Qing Dynasty

D．find the other five bronze animal heads and return them to China

小題3:Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The 12 bronze animal heads have been put up for auction.

B．The 2 bronze animal heads haven’t been returned to China.

C．The 12 bronze animal heads were used as imperial decoration.

D．Yuanmingyuan was once burnt down by Anglo-French allied forces.

小題4:The passage is most probably taken from             .

A．a(chǎn) newspaper	B．a(chǎn)n advertisement
C．a(chǎn) history textbook	D．a(chǎn)n introduction of auction

Answering the Community Needs of Our City The Silver City Council recognizes that citizens have certain needs. To better meet your needs, we have made several changes to community facilities in 2004. This chart shows how we have tried to make your life better.
Transport	☆Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgraded.
☆Three stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service. ☆20 new buses for the southern line were purchased in January. ☆50 percent of city bus-stops have been upgraded. ☆Buses to the eastern suburbs will run every 15 minutes.
	Education
	☆Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2004 ! ☆Rental for private schools has been reduced. ☆Teachers report that the 'no hat - no play' rule has been successful.
Communication	Protection and Security
☆Broadband cable is now available to all parts of the city. ☆All of the new Government buildings are ' smart'-wired for better computer service!	☆Extra police now patrol (巡邏 ) the tourist areas. ☆50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city area.
Medical Facilities	Entertainment / Recreation
☆The new state-of-the-art Nightingale Hospital was opened in June. ☆To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff at Dover Hospital, 10 doctors have been   employed from overseas.	☆The John Street basketball courts have been re-surfaced ! ☆The new Central Community Building opened in May. ☆5,000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library.

 
小題1:The public notice is from _________.

A．the community	B．the local government
C．the citizens	D．a(chǎn) travel agency

小題2:The notice is mainly about _________.

A．the work carried out by the people of Silver City

B．the facilities available in Silver City

C．some improvements in Silver City

D．information for interested tourists

小題3:All the following are true EXCEPT that ___________.

A．both residents and tourists can enjoy more security now

B．Station Street Hospital had out-dated facilities before 2004

C．primary students had to pay for their textbooks in 2003

D．Dover Hospital is still short of trained medical staff

小題4:Which of the following changes would tourists to Silver City be most happy with?

A．Travel books are provided in the new library.

B．Traveling by train is more convenient in Silver City.

C．Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital.

D．There are more police officers on duty now.

SYDNEY 2005-01-01 08:33—Mother of two, Jillian Searle, had to choose between her children when she made a life-or-death decision.
Swept up by mountainous tsunami (海嘯) waves at a Thai resort ( 旅游勝地), she could not hold on to both her young sons and survive . Fighting to stay above the waters , she had to choose which one would have to take his chances in the swirling torrent (漩流).
“I knew I had to let go of one of them and I just thought I’d better let go of the one that’s the older,” she told Sky News television in a report broadcast on Thursday. She said she was accompanied by the two boys, Lachie, 5, and two-year-old Blake, and their father, Brad, who had watched the drama helplessly from their first-floor hotel room, when the waves struck. “And I was screaming, trying to find him, and we thought he was dead,” she told reporters on arrival back in Australia. Lachie was found alive about 2 hours later clinging to a door and, looked uninjured as his mother spoke to reporters.
British surfer (沖浪運動員) Martin Markwell is also a lucky man. He had always dreamed of catching that perfect wave –but when it finally came along, it was a nightmare. He was on his surfboard when he was swept up by a tsunami wave.
“It was really terrible because I was surfing, I was really surfing on a wave I wasn’t supposed to be on,” he said. “As an experienced surfer, when I saw the wave come I realized something was wrong, but I couldn’t escape because my surfboard was tied to my ankle.”
His wife Vicki and son Jake looked on in horror from a hotel balcony as he crashed towards the shore. Luckily , he stayed on top of his board until he reached the hotel , jumped off and got to safety as the ocean rolled back to feed a much larger tsunami wave on its way . The family regrouped and ran to safety just minutes before a giant tsunami wave 10 meters high.
小題1:When the waves struck, the father Brad        .

A．reported the disaster to Sky News television

B．was watching a drama play on TV in the hotel

C．tried to find his son lost in the waters

D．watched things going on , unable to do anything

小題2:The underlined word “him” refers to        .

A．a(chǎn)n old man

B．Lachie

C．Brad

D．Blake

小題3:Which of the following is wrong ?

A．Lachie and Martin were both with their family members when the disaster happened.

B．Lachie and Martin both survived from the high waves when tsunami struck.

C．Lachie and Martin were both travelers from Europe on holiday in Thailand.

D．Lachie and Martin were both alive owing to their good luck.

小題4:The best title of this news story would be         .

A．Narrow Escape	B．Disaster Caused by Tsunami
C．Exciting Surfing Experience	D．Struggle Against Tsunami

Marry me! During the "Idol" finale, season 5 singer Ace Young proposed live to season 3 runner up Diana DeGarrno. She was genuinely surprised in one sense but the two have bonded closely since they met on Broadway during a production of“Hair." The first true“l(fā)dol' couple (though others have dated) have already set a wedding date on June  l  of 2013,
Ten years and still relevant. Season one winner Kelly Clarkson has survived a decade in the brutal music business with her dignity intact and enough chart-topping songs to generate a greatest hits album at the tender age of 30. Her career is as strong as ever. She sang the “Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl. Her song “Stronger” was a No. I hit.  She was a mentor on an ABC summer series“Duets.” She became engaged to Reba McEntire's stepson in November. All in all, life is good for Clarkson and we as“Idol" fans couldn't be more proud.
Keep calm and Carrie on! Season four victor Carrie Underwood has now sold more albums than any other "Idol" with about 14 million to date. Her current album “Blown Away” has generated two top two hits in 2012: “Good Girl” and the title track. That makes 15 consecutive top 2 hits on the Billboard country chart over seven years dating back to "Jesus, Take the Wheel." She hosted the CMAs for a fifth year with Brad Paisley. Last month, she landed a role as lead in a remake of“The Sound of Music.” She toured to sold-out crowds again, hitting Gwinnett Arena earlier this month, where she thankecl "Idol" for getting her to where she's at, something, she certainly no longer needs to do but still does. Class act, that lady.
小題1:What may the ldol probably be?

A．A popular Ainerican singer	B．A American year figure of
C．A popular American programme	D．A famous American avenue

小題2:Who hit Gwinnett Arena of the following?

A．Carrie Underwood	B．Kelly Clarkson
C．Ace Yong	D．Diana DeGarmo

小題3: Who was the Idol winner of ten years ago?

A．Reba McEntire	B．Kelly Clarkson
C．Carrie Underwood	D．Not mentioned

小題4:In which year was the Idol first held according, to the text?

A．In 2012

B．In 2007

C．ln 2008

D．In 2002

小題5:Where can we probably read the news?

A．In business section	B．In advertisement section
C．In sports section	D．In entertainment section

MELBOURNE, Australia – A kangaroo frightened by a man walking his dog attacked the pair, throwing the pet underwater and hitting the owner in the stomach with its back legs. The Australian, Chris Rickard, was in stable condition Monday after the attack, which ended when the 49-year-old struck the kangaroo in the throat.
Rickard said he was walking his blue dog, Rocky, on Sunday morning when they surprised a sleeping kangaroo in Arthur's Creek northeast of Melbourne. The dog chased the animal into a pond, when the kangaroo turned and knocked the pet underwater.
When Rickard tried to pull his dog free, the kangaroo turned on him, attacking with its back legs and tearing a deep cut into his stomach and across his face.
"I thought I might take action to drag the dog out from under his grasp, but I didn't expect him to actually attack me," Rickard, 49, told The Herald Sun newspaper. "It was a shock at the start because it was a kangaroo, about 5 feet high, they don't go around killing people."
"I was stuck having to hold on to the dog with both hands because it was half drowned and I couldn't really see anything because the kangaroo just attacked me.”
He added, "All I could do was just keep pushing for the bank and he was trying to push me under the water, so at that point I struck him in the throat and that made him back off a little bit.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to watch kangaroo programs quite the same as I used to — it might bring back a couple of bad memories.”
Kangaroos rarely attack people but will fight if they feel threatened.
Dogs often chase kangaroos, which have been known to lead the pets into water and defend themselves there.
Rickard said he ended the attack by hitting the kangaroo in the throat adding Rocky was "half-drowned" when he pulled him from the water.
小題1:Rickard and his pet dog were attacked when _________.

A．he was teasing a kangaroo	B．he was walking his dog
C．swimming in the pond	D．dragging his dog out from water

小題2:In Australia, kangaroos ________.

A．a(chǎn)re only seen in zoos

B．frequently attack people and pets

C．get along rather peacefully with people

D．can be found swimming in ponds

小題3:The kangaroo attacked the man and his dog probably because ________.

A．the man struck it in the throat	B．the dog chased it
C．the man wanted to drown it	D．it wanted to drown the dog

小題4:As a result of the attack, ________.

A．the dog was drowned dead

B．the kangaroo was killed

C．kangaroos should be under stricter protection

D．Rickard was left a deep impression