For many people, the name Baskin-Robbins is linked to sweet memories of eating ice cream. Irvine
Robbins, who helped create this famous company, died in May at the age of ninety. His life's work of
making fun and exciting ice cream flavors changed the way Americans enjoy this food.
     Irvine Robbins opened his first ice cream store in 1945 in California. At the time, there were no stores
that sold only ice cream. His sister's husband, Burton Baskin, also opened his own ice cream stores.
     In 1948 they combined their six stores into one business. Baskin and Robbins realized that they were
too busy to operate each store well. So, they decided to sell part of each operation to the manager of that store. This permitted the company to grow quickly.
     By 1953, they renamed their company Baskin-Robbins. They advertised that they sold 31 kinds of
ice cream to show the many choices buyers had. There was one flavor for every day of the month.
     Robbins and Baskin sold "Lunar Cheesecake" the day after astronauts landed on the moon in 1969.
Other flavors included "ChaChaCha", for cherry chocolate chip, and Robbins' personal favorile "Jamoca
Almond Fudge". They said: "We sell fun, not just ice cream. "
     By 1967, there were 500 Baskin-Robbins stores in the United States. The business partners sold
their company that year. Today, there are more than 5,800 Baskin-Robbins stores around the world.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The managers of Baskin-Robbins.  
B. The start of Baskin-Robbins.
C. The production of Baskin Robbins. 
 D. The great success of Baskin-Robbins.

2. From the text we learn that _____.
A. Baskin-Robbins was the only shop selling ice cream in 1945
B. Baskin-Robbins was famous for their special ice cream flavors
C. Baskin-Robbins grew quickly because they combined their other stores together
D. there had been more than 5,800 Baskin-Robbins stores around the world by 1967

3. What was probably the main reason for Baskin-Robbins' success?
A. They sold not only ice cream, but fun.
B. They renamed their company.
C. They put all their hearts into the business.
D. They sold "Lunar Cheesecake".

4. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that
A. Jamoca Almond Fudge is Baskins' favourite
B. Cherry chocolate chip sells best
C. Robbins and Baskin were good at inventing new ice creams
D. Lunar cheesecake was invented for the astronauts

      The centenary(百年)of the birth of William Faulkner, one of the great modern novelists, was
celebrated in September 1997. Faulkner wrote about the southern states of the United States of
America where he grew up, and where his family had an important part to play in the history of tha
t region.His work became a touchstone for insights into the troubled issues of southern American
identity, race relations, and the family interrelationships of the old time southern gentry(贵族).
      Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi on September 25, 1897. Despite his interest in
writing, he left Oxford High School, Mississippi, without graduating. After World War I, he entered
the University of Mississippi as a special student, a right to study which was granted to retired soldiers,
although Faulkner had only finished training with the Air Force in Canada, and not entered combat(战
斗).
      Faulkner began to write poems, a verse play, short stories and finished his first novel Sartoris in
1928. His fiction was centered for 14 of the 19 novels published during his lifetime in a fictional region
called Yoknapatawpha County. The name is said to come from the Indian Chickasaw word meaning
split land.
      In December 1950, Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. When he accepted it
in Stockholm, his speech emphasized that he wished to continue writing, but in a positive way that
affirmed the power of humanity to prevail over adverse circumstances. As he said in his speech, he
still felt that, despite the threat of nuclear war then hanging over the world, the central concern of the
writer should be "the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself". He wanted the tensions and
problems that he had cast the spotlight on in the southern states of America to be resolved by the
life-affirming attitudes and action of his characters. Like playwright Tennessee Williams, Faulkner was
a major voice who spoke for the troubled heart of the southern states of America. His achievement is
all the more remarkable because, as a schoolboy, he was not only a frequent absentee but also reportedly
failed to reach pass grades in English class. His collected short stories, novels, poems, and other writings
from a legacy of literature which casts profound illumination(启发) on the special culture of the South, a
culture which developed from a history and social circumstances that were always unique.
      From the focus on a fictional county, and by remaining true to his view of a close-knit but real society
that reflected the greater world around him, Faulkner in the end fashioned a legend of the Deep South
that is one of the major achievements of the 20th century literature.

1.Which of the following statements about William Faulkner is NOT true?

A. William Faulkner's work focuses on several troubled problems of southern America.
B. William Faulkner died one hundred years ago.
C. Although William Faulkner did not graduate from high school, he had great interests in writing.
D. William Faulkner once took part in the army when he was young.

2. Why did William Faulkner write about the southern states of America?

A. They were the place where he grew up and his family took an important role in the history of that
region.
B. His work became a touchstone.
C. He cared about the troubled issues of southern America.
D. He felt sympathy for the poor in southern America.

3 .How many novels have been published during the lifetime of William Faulkner?

A. 14.       
B. 100.        
C. 19.    
D. Not mentioned.

4. Which of the following statements about Tennessee William is true?

A. Both Tennessee William and William Faulkner are playwrights.
B. Tennessee William was a major voice who spoke for the troubled people in southern America.
C. Like Faulkner, he once won Nobel Prize for literature.
D. Tennessee William had to pursue his writing career through difficult times.

5. What was William Faulkner's attitude toward the troubled issues of southern America?

A. He reflected them by writing and criticized them.
B. He intended to call on the troubled people to rebel.
C. The troubled issues of southern America just provided many elements for his novels.
D. He advocated resolving them in positive attitudes and actions.

     Born on February 9,  1954 in Milwaukee,  Wisconsin, Christopher Gardner never know his father.
He lived with his mother, Bettye Jean Gardner, whom he adored, and, when necessary, in fosterhomes
(寄养家庭). Despite a life of hardship, his mother provided him with strong "spiritual genes" and taught
him some of the greatest lessons of his life, which he follows to this day.
    She convinced him that in spite of where he came from, he could attain whatever goals he set for
himself by saying, "If you want to, one day you could make a million dollars." Gardner believed this to
be fact, and knew he would have to find a career he could be passionate (热情的) about, one that
would allow him to "be worldclass".
    Though he was hardworking and determined, a series of circumstances in the early 1980's left him
homeless in San Francisco and the single guardian of his 2yearold son.  He was unwilling to give up his
son and his dream of financial independence. Though without connections or a college degree, he still
somehow earned a spot in a stockbroker (股票经纪人) training program. Often spending his nights in
a church shelter or the bathroom at a train station in Oakland, Gardner ended up the only trainee offered
a job at Dean Witter Reynolds in 1981.
    Today, he's the CEO of Christopher Gardner International Holdings, a company he founded with
offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The amazing story of his life was published as an
autobiography, The Pursuit of Happiness, and is the inspiration (灵感,启示) for the movie of the same
name starring Will Smith.

1. The underlined word "one" in the second paragraph refers     to   ________.
   A. the place where he lived
   B. the goal he set for himself
   C. the fact to make a million dollars
   D. his future career

2. From the third paragraph we can learn that ________.
   A. hardworking and determined people can also be defeated by bad luck
   B. Gardner did finish his stockbroker training program
   C. Gardner had to make a choice between his dream and  his beloved son
   D. it is impossible for one without a college degree to get a  job as a stockbroker

3. Gardner's story can be best described as ________.
   A. a ragstoriches story
   B. an orphantomillionaire story
   C. a CEOtostar story
   D. a failuretosuccess story

     Danica Patrick doesn't let anything stop her.When she's in her race car, she flies.In the spring of
2008, she became the first woman to win an event in the Indy Racing League.
     Patrick wasn't the only woman to race into the record books.Women around the country created
important firsts.
     Hillary Clinton set her sights on the White House.In 2008, she was the first woman to be a
presidential candidate.Now she is the U. S.Secretary of State.
     Michelle Obama had her own wonderful first.The former lawyer became the country's first African
American First Lady.Her husband, Barack Obama, was elected President on November 4, 2008.
     Peggy Whitson's recent achievement was out_of_this_world.The astronaut was the first woman to
command the International Space Station.She finished her job on the floating lab in April, 2008.
     Ann Dunwoody also had a "major" achievement.In November, 2008, she became the first female
fourstar general in the U. S.military.That is the second－highest rank in the U. S.Army.
     The achievements of those and other women can encourage girls."I've heard from moms and dads
who see my achievement as hope for their daughters,  " Dunwoody says, "Anything is possible through
hard work."
     Danica Patrick and the other women didn't get to where they are alone.Here's a look at some of the
women who helped make their achievements possible.
     Martha Washington was the country's first First Lady.Her husband, George Washington, was
President from 1789 to 1797.
     Marie Ruoff Byrum was the first woman to cast a ballot(投票) after U. S.women were given the
right to vote in elections in 1920.
    Janet Guthrie became the first woman to enter a major car race in 1977.She was placed ninth in the
Indianapolis 500 race in 1978.
     The Women's Army Corps became part of the U. S.Army in 1943.More than 17,000 women served
overseas during World War Ⅱ.
     Sally Ride became the first U. S.woman in space in 1983.Her two space shuttle experiences lasted
about 343 hours.

1. Who had been a lawyer according to the passage?
A. Danica Patrick.  
B. Michelle Obama.
C. Marie Ruoff Byrum.  
D. Sally Ride.

2. The underlined phrase "out of this world" in Paragraph 5 can be replaced by ________.
A. extremely wonderful
B. unknown to the world
C. kept secret
D. not true

3. According to the passage, Dunwoody ________.
A. has high hopes for her daughters
B. had been involved in World War Ⅱ
C. was the first female general in U. S.military history
D. considers hard work an important factor of success

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Sally Ride had worked in the International Space Station.
B. Hillary Clinton was the first woman to be the U. S.Secretary of State.
C. Janet Guthrie was the champion in the Indianapolis 500 race in 1978.
D. U.S.women didn't have the right to vote in elections in the 19th century.

     Rembrandt was an extraordinary Dutch painter. He was most well-known for his brushwork and
the way in which he connected with the human soul. His life, however, was not happy.
    He was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden, the Netherlands. His father wanted him to have a real,
learned profession but Rembrandt left the University of Leiden after becoming bored. He began studying
art under a local teacher but soon left and studied in Amsterdam where he mastered all his lessons in six
months!
     At the age of 22, he moved back to Leiden and began to get his own students. One of his students
was the famous artist Gerrit Dou. In 1631 he returned to Amsterdam where he became the most popular
portrait painter in Holland. Rembrandt met Saskia and married her in 1634. She was a cousin of a very
successful art dealer and she helped him to meet wealthy people who commissioned (委任制作) many
paintings from him. He used her as a model in many of his paintings.
     Rembrandt's private life, however, was very unfortunate. He had four children with Saskia but only
one, Titus, survived. Saskia died in 1642 at the age of only 30. In 1649, his housekeeper became his
second wife and was also a model for many of his paintings. Even though Rembrandt was very successful
as an artist, art dealer and teacher, he lived in a careless way and had to declare bankruptcy (破产) in
1656. He even had to sell his whole art collection and his house to pay off his debts.
     His unfortunate life, however, didn't affect his art. He painted many great paintings during that time.
His new love, Hendrickje, died in 1663 and his 27-year-old son, Titus, died in 1668. Eleven months
later, on October 4, 1669, Rembrandt died in Amsterdam. He produced more than 600 paintings and
over 2,000 drawings!

1. Which of the following is the reason that made his business fail?

A. As an extraordinary Dutch painter, he knew nothing about business.
B. He spent most of his time on art, leaving no time to care his business.
C. All his children but Titus died, which made him very sad.
D. Like other famous artists, he was thoughtless.

2. From the passage we learn that Rembrandt         .

A. graduated from the University of Leiden.  
B. began his teaching career in 1628.
C. married Saskia when he was 22 years old.
D. was good at drawing animals and flowers.

3. How many members of Rembrandt's family died before him, not including his parents?

A. Four  
B. Five  
C. Six  
D. Seven

4. What's the best title for this passage?

A. A brief biography of Rembrandt  
B. A great Dutch painter  
C. The greatest painter in the world  
D. Rembrandt's unhappy family  

     Amelia Earhart's (1897－1937) childhood was not the typical girl's. She liked nothing better than to
explore the banks of the Missouri River, where she climbed trees and hunted rats with her rifle (步枪).
She also built her own roller coaster(过山车).
     The exciting life of the American aviation (航空)pioneer is dramatized in the movie Amelia, which is
due to come out on October 23.
     After Earhart paid a pilot $1 to take her up for a short fly in his plane, aviation became her love and
career.
     As she later explained, "Never do things others can do and will do, if there are things others cannot
do or will not do."
     Earhart found herself a flying teacher and started to learn to fly.She took all sorts of jobs to pay for
the lessons and to buy a secondhand plane on her 24th birthday.
     In 1932, Earhart flew solo (单人的) across the Atlantic. She became the first woman to make the
solo crossing. She also made a flying suit for women and went on to design other clothes for women
who led active lives. "Now and then women should do for themselves what men have already
done-occasionally what men have not done -thereby establishing themselves as persons, and perhaps
encouraging other women toward greater independence of thought and action," she said.
     When she was nearly 40, Earhart was ready for a final challenge-to be the first woman to fly around
the world. However, in midflight, she and her navigator (导航员) disappeared in bad weather.
     Earhart will be forever remembered as a brave pioneer for both aviation and women.

1. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A. A movie about Earhart's exciting life has come out.
B. Earhart never did things others could and would do.
C. Earhart's love for aviation came after she flew a plane for a short time.
D. In Earhart's opinion, women should think and act more independently.

2. The underlined word in paragraph 2 means________.

A. presented  
B. adopted
C. published  
D. created

3. From the passage we can know that ________.

A. Earhart showed most interest in adventure trips to the Missouri River during her childhood
B. Earhart's ambition was to fly across the Atlantic
C. Earhart challenged herself constantly
D. Besides flying, Earhart also designed planes and clothes

4. You can probably find this article in________.

A. a booklet  
B. a newspaper
C. a guide book  
D. an advertisement