A wise man once said that the only thing necessary for the victory of evil is for good men to do nothing. So, as a police officer, I have some urgent things to say to good people. Day after day my men and I struggle to hold back a tidal wave of crime. Something has gone terribly wrong with our once-proud American way of life. It has happened in the area of values. A key ingredient is disappearing, and I think I know what it is: accountability. Accountability isn't hard to define. It means that every person is responsible for his or her actions and liable for their consequences. Of the many values that hold civilization together --- honesty, kindness, and so on --- accountability may be the most important of all. Without it, there can be no respect, no trust, no law --- and, ultimately, no society. My job as a police officer is to impose accountability on people who refuse, or have never learned, to impose it on themselves. But as every policeman knows, external controls on people's behavior are far less effective than internal restraints such as guilt, shame and embarrassment. Fortunately there are still communities --- smaller towns, usually --- where schools maintain discipline and where parents hold up standards that declare: "In this family certain things are not tolerated --- they simply are not done!" Yet more and more, especially in our larger cities and suburbs, these inner restraints are loosening. Your typical robber has none. He considers your property his property; he takes what he wants, including your life if you annoy him. The main cause of this breakdown is a radical shift in attitudes. Thirty years ago, if a crime was committed, society was considered the victim. Now, in a shocking reversal, it's the criminal who is considered victimized: by his underprivileged upbringing, by the school that didn't teach him to read, by the church that failed to reach him with moral guidance, by the parents who didn't provide a stable home. I don't believe it. Many others in equally disadvantaged... The key point of the passage is that _ . A) stricter discipline should be maintained in schools and families B) more good examples should be set for people to follow C) more attention should be paid to people's behavior D) more people should accept the value of accountability
D
(Question)
To prevent the deserts coming near, China has planted billions of trees---to replace destroyed forests and as barriers against the sand. This isn't a cure, though, say experts, as thirsty trees can make the problem worse by taking in groundwater. "Planting tress is one way, but it isn't that simple. It doesn't solve the basic issue of water resources," says Wu Bo, a professor. "We need to calculate how much water the trees will absorb, or else it could have a negative effect." Villagers in Zhengxin have taken on this challenge, with limited success. When the irrigation channels began to run dry, Lu Xianglin switched from wheat to cotton on his land. He also planted trees to protect his fields from sandstorms. He says he still gets good yields using flood irrigation and earns a good income for his family. Other farmers haven't stuck it out : about one in three have left Zhengxin in the past 10 years after their wheat crops died. Young people who can find jobs in the towns rarely return. Last week, Mr Lu joined the other men in his village on a government-arranged trip to see the land that has been set aside for their relocation, nearly 40 miles to the south. The next day, he was back, shaking his head at the plan. The idea of uprooting his family troubles him, as does the idea of giving up the land that fed his forefathers. He prefers to stay and keep up the fight. "With enough water, this problem can be solved," Lu says. "We can plant trees and grass, and they will grow bigger. That will stop the desert." Experts say that farmers could switch to drip irrigation to lessen their water intake for growing crops. Elsewhere in the region, farmers have built brick greenhouses as part of a plan to grow vegetables using less water. Roadside signs urge farmers to "Save Water, Protect the Environment". What advice is given by experts to save water? A) To plant more trees. B) To build greenhouses. C) To change crops. D) To use drip irrigation.
(Answer)
D
Ques: On April 20,2013, a big and powerful earthquake attacked Ya'an, Sichuan Province. A great many buildings and houses _ a lot of people were killed and even more people lost their homes in the earthquake . Death toll from the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Ya'an in southwestern China's Sichuan Province has risen to 188 (as of 18:00 pm, April 22, ), according to latest calculations by local Civil Affairs Bureau. At least 11,826 were reportedly injured in the quake while 25 are still missing, the bureau said. Experts are anticipating much less casualties in the quake than that from the 8.0 magnitude quake hit Wenchuan on May 12, 2008, also in Sichuan Province, which killed more than 80,000 and injured over 300,000. Energy released from Wenchuan earthquake would be 30 times of that from Ya'an quake, according to Zhang Xiaonan, an expert with China's Geophysical Union. Dai Junwu with Harbin-based seismological bureau expects the death toll at less than 1,000, and economic losses from the quake could reach up to 100 billion yuan. Police and expert teams have already rushed for rescue in the quick stricken areas, and the State Council has banned unauthorized rescue efforts and individual vehicles from going to the quake zone to avoid congestion . Rescue efforts were carried "timely and orderly", said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang who flew to the quicken-stricken area on Sunday, the second day of the quake. He was quoted as saying that "the current priority is to save lives". When did Ya'an earthquake occur? A) April 22,2008 B) April 20,2013 C) May 12,2008 D) May.22 2013
Ans: B
Ques:Sooner or later, most students are to take some form of English examinations. Often the more successful students are better prepared. However, sometimes students who do well have better test taking skills. These abilities really have nothing to do with understanding English better. They are skills that make taking the test easier, and therefore provide better results. Here are some very important--and often ignored--guidelines to taking a test successfully. Do not insist on completing each question before going to the next. This is extremely important. Remember one question may only be worth one point! You will become nervous when you fail to find out its answer, making you lose your concentration and leading to worse results. However, answering the questions you are sure you know results in your being more relaxed and feeling more confident. Go through the test a second time working out the answers to more difficult questions. Sometimes questions asked are answered in later questions asking for different things. Usually(but not always) a strong first impulse means we know the answer and we don't really have to think about it too much. Going back to think about it usually makes you unsure and often causes a mistake. This is very common, so be very careful! If you don't know the answer, write something. If you are answering a 4 possibility multiple choice question you will still have a 25% chance of being correct! Taking a test is as much for you as is for your teacher, so never cheat. If you cheat, you don't help yourself in the long run. What would be the best title of the passage? A) Effective Studying Methods. B) Effective Test Taking Skills. C) Getting Better Exam Results. D) Being Successful Students.

Ans:
B