A

In the United States, Julia Roberts, Will Ferrell, Elton John and over 65 stars are coming together to have fun, raise money and change lives on The Red Nose Day Special.

The Special will feature Julia Roberts’ recent trip to Phoenix to visit projects that take care of children who are facing serious health issues without the means to afford basic medical treatment. Jack Black, who went to Uganda last year to shed light on the issue of children living in poor conditions, returned to give a heartwarming report about Felix, a young boy he met there who had been living on the streets for three years. He will reveal what life is like for Felix today after being helped by a program that aims to change the lives of homeless kids.

Music will also take centre stage, with both Elton John and Blake Shelton performing very special songs. The Red Nose Day Special also shows a great night of comedy, including Tracy Morgan putting his own unique spin on the classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while reading to kids, and many other comedy acts.

Red Nose Day launched in the U.S. in 2015 as a special day to come together, have fun and make a difference to kids who are most in need. In its first year in America, more than US $$23 million was raised for the Red Nose Day Fund, with the money now at work in all 50 states across America and 15 countries internationally through programs to keep children and young people safe, healthy and educated.

The money raised by Red Nose Day USA 2016 will help support projects in some of the neediest communities in the U.S. and some of the poorest communities in the world. People from all walks of life are encouraged to get involved, have fun and raise money by buying red noses sold only at Walgreens stores nationwide, organizing fundraising events and watching and donating during the television special.

21. In the show, who went to Uganda and met Felix there?

A. Julia Roberts. B. Will Ferrell.

C. Elton John D. Jack Black.

22. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A. The main activities on Red Nose Day.

B. Information about Red Nose Day.

C. The money raised by the Red Nose Day Fund every year.

D. Information about The Red Nose Day Special.

23. How can ordinary people raise money for Red Nose Day?

A. By visiting the poorest communities.

B. By having fun during the television special.

C. By making red noses for sale at Walgreens stores.

D. By organizing fundraising events.

B

While the other kids seemed excited about celebrating the end-of-term party by playing games and sharing treats, Jeremy hated the very idea of the gathering.

Afraid to raise the pressure too high, I decided to contribute something that was easy to purchase on the walk to school.

Off we went the day of the party, approaching his school as if nothing was planned. I reminded him of our need to make a purchase, entered his favorite shop, and asked him to select the ripest (成熟的) bunch of grapes. He shot me an anxious look and insisted none of his classmates ever be able to notice he had something to bring to the party. My vision of a successful parenting method, resulting in delivering a sociable child to his school, diverted（轉(zhuǎn)移）sharply from reality.

Back on route, I did my best to hide the sinking feeling of fear. How could I possibly drop him off and then walk into my own classroom to teach a successful class?

My next move was born in the heat of the moment. I said a quick goodbye at the front gate and rushed to his classroom through the emergency exit. I managed to inform his teacher about the grapes in the backpack and be out of the classroom before I could be spied by my son.

So, what happened on that June day? His teacher, a caring educator, worked wonders. My son and I still laugh about the way Mr. B started the day with an unusual question, “Does anyone have any grapes?” While Jeremy admits feeling a bit uncomfortable, the words encouraged him to take out the fruit. Because of the support he received, he remembers that day with pride for his courage.

24. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “vision” in Paragraph 3?

A. research B. imagination C. survey D. use

25. How did the author feel when she left the shop?

A. Grateful B. Satisfied C. Regretful D. Worried.

26. Why did the author hurry to her son’s classroom?

A. She went there to give her a lesson.

B. She was afraid of her son being punished.

C. She went to ask the teacher for help.

D. She was invited to take part in the celebration.

27. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. The author helped Jeremy to become sociable.

B. Jeremy prepared for the coming party.

C. The author taught Jeremy to select goods.

D. The teacher inspired Jeremy to share grapes.

C

Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.

　　Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.

　　Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement (執(zhí)行) of building codes (建筑法規(guī)) wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo’s wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be able to resist a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.

　　At first sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.

　　To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings (樁) —long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate (提升) the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.

　　Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn't look like it’s standing with its pant legs pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.

28. After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina’s shore line should ________.

A. be easily reinforced B. look smarter in design 　　

C. be designed in the shape of cubes D. satisfy higher building standards

29. Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to ____.

　A. prevent water from rushing into the house

B. make stronger pilings deep in the sand

　C. break huge sea waves into smaller ones 　

D. withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr

30. The main function of the shell is _______.

A. to strengthen the pilings of the house

B. to protect the wooden frame of the house

C. to give the house a better appearance

D. to slow down the speed of the swelling water

31. It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be _____.

　A. fancy-looking 　　 B. water-proof 　　

C. extremely strong　 D. easily breakable