People realize that, although animals may not have the same intelligence as human beings, they are clever
enough to learn certain things.
     Dogs are extremely useful as companions for blind people. When a dog has been properly trained, he will
always lead his blind master (主人) in the right direction and keep him out of danger. For example, seeing-eye
dogs learn never to cross a busy road when cars are coming, even if their master ordered them to do so.
     Horses are also able to learn many things. Horses that are used for guard or police duty must learn never
to be frightened of noises and traffic. Racing horses are able to run much faster than other horses, but they
are also quite high strung (紧张). Therefore, it is necessary for those people who train them to be very patient
(耐心) and understanding.
     The movie and television can use trained animals too. Some animals, such as monkeys and foxes, are easy
to film. All you have to do is make a trail in front of the camera by putting something that smells good to the
animals over the ground. Big animals, such as lions and tigers, can be photographed as they come happily back
to their families or dinner. If a movie actor is nearby, the well-trained animal will pay no attention to him.
However, the audience may imagine that the actor escaped a terrible death.

1. Seeing-eye dogs have to learn the following except _____.

A. following the master's order anytime
B. leading their master in the right direction
C. keeping their master safe while leading the way
D. crossing a busy road at the proper time

2. What does "make a trail" mean here in the last paragraph?

A. place something to attract the animal
B. give the animal a certain task
C. order the animal to do things
D. follow the animal to hunt

3. Lions can be photographed easily when _____.

A. they are following a trail of something that smells good
B. they are returning to their families
C. they have been trained to work with other animals
D. they do not know a movie-actor is nearby

4. Which of the following statements is the main idea of the passage?

A. Dangerous wild animals can be trained.
B. Dogs can be trained to help blind people.
C. Animals can be trained to learn certain things.
D. Animals can become interested in learning.

     I'm a computer. I was born in 1642. Over time I have 1_____ changed a lot. At first I was a calculating
machine and it took 200 years before I was built as an analytical machine. After I was programmed by an
operator, I could think logically and produced an answer quicker 2_____ any person. In 1936 I was made
to work as a universal machine to 3_____ any difficult mathematical problem. From then 4_____, I grew
rapidly both in size 5_____ in brainpower. 6_____ the 1940s I had grown as large as a room. As time went
by, I was made smaller.
     These changes became possible as my memory improved. 7_____ it was stored in tubes then on transistors
and later on very small chips. As a 8_____, I totally changed my shape. Over time my memory has developed
so much 9_____ I never forget anything I have been told. Now I was able to share my knowledge with others
10_____ the World Wide Web.

     There are a lot of public libraries in Britain. These libraries have more than one hundred and fifteen
million books, not including (包括) those libraries of public schools.
      Public libraries not only lend books, music records (唱片) but also help children, patients (病人) in
hospitals and others to get special play readings, film shows and so on.
     The first public libraries were founded in about the year 1850. Today's public libraries usually have
a reading-room, a lending room and a reference room.
      The greatest and most famous library in Britain is that of the British Library in London. It was founded
in 1973 and has over 10, 000, 000 books. It has nearly every magazine (杂志), newspaper and book
published (出版) in Britain and other parts across the world.

1. How many books are there in the British Museum?

A. No more than 10, 000, 000.
B. 10,000,000 or less.
C. More than 10, 000, 000.
D. Just 10,000,000.

2. The "reference room" means a place for people to _____.

A. borrow books
B. look up something
C. read magazines
D. lend records

3. The British Library _____.

A. was founded in the seventeenth century
B. was famous only for its rich collection of books and magazines
C. is famous only for its long history
D. was founded in the later 20th century

4. Which is the best title?

A. Public Libraries in Britain
B. The British Library
C. The Richest Libraries
D. A Famous Library

     A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders (想知道): Can I communicate with Americans?
Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the differences between British and American English? How important are these differences?
     Certainly! there are some differences between British and American English. 'There are a few differences
in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say "in hospital" and "Have you a pen?" Americans say
"in the hospital!" and "Do you have a pen?". Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound
theirs in words like "bird" and "hurt". Speakers of British English do not sound theirs in these words. There are
differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, "colour" and "honour"
are British, "color" and honor" are American.
     These differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary are not important, however. For the
most part, British and American English are the same language.

1. According to this passage, a student who is learning to speak American English might be afraid that _____.

A. British people cannot understand him
B. American people cannot understand him
C. the grammar is too hard for him
D. the spelling is too hard for him

2. American English and British English are different in _____.

A. spelling
B. pronunciation
C. grammar
D. all of the above

3. What is not mentioned (提及) in the passage?

A. Whether there are differences between British English and American English.
B. Whether British English and American English are one language or two.
C. How the differences between British Eng-lish and American English came about.
D. How important the differences are.

4. Most _____ say "Do you have a watch?"

A. British people
B. Americans
C. children
D. teachers

     Fire can help people in many ways. But it can also be very harmful. Fire can make water hot and house
warm, give light and cook food. But fire can burn (燃烧) things, too. It can make trees, houses, animals and
other things catch fire (起火). If some people can't run away from fire, it can kill them. This happens in every
country every year.
     Sometimes big fire can burn forests. A month ago, a large forest fire broke out in Yunnan Province. It
lasted nearly half a month. The forest in Heilongjiang Province and the grassland in Inner Mongolia caught fire
in May, 2006. After more than ten days' fight, over 30,000 people and soldiers put out (扑灭) the fire at last.
      Nobody knows clearly when people began to make fire, but there are many interesting stories about the
first time a man or a woman started a fire. One story from Australia tells about a man who went to the sun
and brought fire down a long time ago. Today people know how to make a fire with matches (火柴). Children
sometimes like to play with them. But matches can be very dangerous. The match can burn a piece of paper
and then it can burn a house. A small fire can become a big fire, and destroy many things. Fire kills many
people every year. So you must be careful with fire.

1. The main idea of the passage is that _____.

A. fire is dangerous and harmful
B. forest fire can be easily put out
C. who started a fire the first time
D. every month there is a forest fire in Yunnan Province

2. Matches can be dangerous because _____.

A. they always burn a house
B. they can make things catch fire
C. they can burn a piece of paper
D. they kill many animals every year

3. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Someone started a fire in Heilongjiang Province.
B. Fire was brought down from the sun long, long ago.
C. We can only make a fire with a match.
D. Playing with fire is dangerous.

4. The word"destroy" in the passage means _____ in Chinese.

A. 破灭
B. 炸毁
C. 毁灭
D. 粉碎

5. The writer of the passage wants to tell us that _____.

A. we know when man began to make a fire
B. people should use fire carefully
C. fire can burn down all things in the world
D. all children like to play with matches

    Without plants, people could not live. We eat plants. We take in oxygen that plants make. And we need
plants for another reason: We need them because they are beautiful.
     Imagine a world with no plants. Imagine no flowers with their sweet smells, their beautiful colors and
their lovely shapes. Imagine, when the wind blows, we are not able to hear the leaves in the trees or watch
the branches swing from side to side. Everywhere people need beautiful plants. That is why we have parks
full of trees and flowers. That is why people always like houses with room for some grass and a garden.
     Do you talk to your plants? Do you give them love and take good care of them? Peter Tompkins and
Christopher Bird, writers of a book called THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, tell of an experiment in which
two seeds were planted in different places. While the plants were growing, one plant was given love and
hopeful ideas. After six months, the beloved plant was bigger. Under the earth it had more and longer roots;
above the earth, it had a thicker stem and more leaves.

1. In the experiment, the two plants were _____.

A. talked to in two different ways
B. of different kinds
C. both given love and taken good care of
D. grown in the same place

2. At the end of six months _____.

A. the plants were of the same size
B. one plant had longer roots than the other
C. one plant had longer roots; the other plant had a thicker stem
D. one plant had a thicker stem; the other plant had more leaves

3. Tompkins and Bird believe that plants _____.

A. can talk to each other
B. can take care of each other
C. should be grown in different places
D. need love and care

4. The experiment tells us that _____.

A. without plants people could not live
B. we should talk to plants and give them love
C. we should grow as many plants as possible
D. plants need plenty of water, sunshine and fertilizer

    You're sitting on the train home and the person opposite you yawns (打哈欠). Suddenly, you're yawning
with him, though you're not tired.
     This phenomenon confused scientists for years until a recent study found that people tend to sympathize
with fellow humans. Supporting this claim was the discovery that those children who were unable to form
normal emotional ties with others did not experience contagions (有感染力的) yawning, which showed that
humans communicate regularly without words.
     Hogo Critchley, a neuroscientist, has conducted an experiment recently, which will prove that happiness
and sadness can spread like the common cold. According to Critchley, our mind and body are in constant
exchange about how we're feeling. "Emotions are closely linked with states of internal (内部的) responses,"
he explained. "There are also more visible changes in our gesture and facial expressions. When we're in a
group, these signals can spread to another person. For example, there're the obvious tendency to smile when
smiled at and there are less obvious changes that reflect emotions of surprise, anger or sadness such as a
change in our heart rate and blood pressure."
     Hugo Critchley further explained, "Our bodies synchronise and when we like the other Person, we even
copy his behaviour. Next time you chat with a friend, take note of how you're sitting-it's pretty likely that
you will be the same. Scientists believe it's our way of telling each other that you're parents. Through body
language, humans give each other very subtle (微妙的) but clear signals that show emotions."
     So, what lessons can we learn from this? "spend time with happy people-otherwise your health could
suffer," said Critchley. "When we're sad, our body goes into fight or flight mode. But when we're happy, our
body works normally and we feel relaxed and positive. So we look bright, our skin glows, we feel healthy and
it affects everyone around us."

1. According to Hugo Critchley, _____.

A. emotions are as visible as facial expressions
B. we yawn more frequently when we have a cold
C. emotions are connected with states of internal responses
D. the change of blood pressure is not linked with the change of emotions

2. The underlined word "synchronise" in paragraph 4 means "_____".

A. move slowly
B. change rapidly
C. relax temporarily
D. respond accordingly

3. From the passage we can learn _____.

A. sadness is as contagious as happiness
B. anger is less contagious than friendliness
C. surprise is more contagious than smile
D. surprise is the most contagious among emotions

4. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. Emotions have delicate influence on fellow humans.
B. Children like copying the actions of the fellow humans.
C. Scientists are still confused about contagious yawning.
D. People tend to communicate more with body language.

     These days, if you still think the cell phone is just for talking, you'll get laughed at. Yes, it's true, voice-
only handsets have become out of date. Today's do-it-all mobiles have a lot in common with the computer.
The only difference may be that they fit in your pocket and you pay by the minute to use them. Some of the
things a cell phone can do for you will be available this year:
      Surf at speed
      Cell phones that let you use the Web have been around for years. So, what's new? Well, faster third-
generation (3G) networks that let you surf at anywhere. This then allows a carrier to send video, music, and
games to your phone. Possible choices are from LG Electronics VX 8000 and Motorola V1150.
      Listen as you go
      The problem with most cell phone MP3 players is that they hold only a handful of songs. But, that's about
to change. Sony Ericsson's new W800i can hold around 150 songs in its 500 MB memory. And Samsung's
SPH-V5400 even comes with a 1.5 GB hard drive. Mobile phones may eventually replace mini-MP3 players,
especially for teens.
      Say cheese
      Camera cell phones are not new either. But, most of them have limitations: around 1-megapixel (百万像
素). But new technology has made 2-megapixel units more common, and 3-megapixel units are showing up
soon. Some 2-megapixel models, like Sony Ericsson's K750i, offer limited zoom and focus controls. Others,
like LG's recent A7110, can even capture 30 minutes of full-motion video.
      Portable TV
      You say you like"watching TV"? That's what Samsung MM-A700 wants to give you. The new model lets
users watch popular TV programmes-for a fee. Other choices are Nokia's 6620, Sanyo's MM7400 and NEC's
N940. The NEC model lets you watch public TV-no fee. 
      The above are just a handful of what you'll see in the coming months. Further down the road, your mobile
phone may play a host of other roles, such as mobile credit card, position locator... So what is there that a cell
phone can't do?

1. Which of the following models should you choose to listen to the music?

A. Samsung's SPH-V5400 and Nokia's 6620.
B. Sony Ericsson's W800i and Samsung's SPH-V5400.
C. Sony Ericsson's W800i and NEC's N940.
D. Sanyo's MM7400 and NEC's N940.

2. What's the difference between NEC's N940 and other models?

A. It allows you to surf the Internet at a high speed.
B. It can capture 30 minutes of full-motion video.
C. It can hold as many as 150 songs.
D. It lets you watch public TV for free.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. All the functions of the models mentioned in the passage are completely new.
B. Camera cellphones of 3-megapixel units will appear soon.
C. It is certain that a cellphone can do anything in the near future.
D. Today's do-it-all mobiles have nothing in common with the computer.

4. This passage may be _____.

A. an introduction to some new models of cellphones
B. an advertisement trying to persuade you to buy new cellphones
C. a science fiction trying to attract readers' attention
D. a survey to find the development of cellphones

     When a cat is frightened, its heart starts beating faster, its muscles get tense, and there are changes in
the chemicals in its blood stream. If the danger continues, it will defend itself, or it will run away as fast
as possible. Something like this also happens to people.
     When we are excited, angry, scared or aroused by other emotions, our bodies go through many physical
changes, all of which make us more alert and ready to react. We, too, get ready to defend ourselves or run.
Human beings, however, have a problem that animals never face. If we give way to our feelings and let them
take over, we can get into trouble. Have you ever said something in anger-or hit somebody-and regretted it
later? Have you ever shouted at a teacher, told somebody you were lonely, or said you were in love, and then
wished later you had kept your mouth shut? It isn't always wise to express your feelings freely.
      Does this mean that it's smarter always to hide our feelings? No! If you keep the feelings of anger,
sadness, and bitterness hidden away or bottled up inside, your body stays tense. Physical illnesses can develop,
and you can feel disturbed badly inside. It can actual1y be bad for your health.
     Feelings that you keep all bottled up inside don't just go away. It's as if you bought some bananas and stuck
them in a cupboard. You might not be able to see them, but before long you'd smell them. And if you opened
the cupboard, chances are that you'd see little fruit flies hovering all over them. They'd be rotten.
     You can try to treat emotions as if they were bananas in the cupboard. You can hide them and you can
pretend they don't exist, but they'll still be around. And at last you'll have to deal with them, just like those
bananas.

1. By taking a cat as an example, the author wants to show us that _____.

A. animals can't control their feelings
B. people can't control their feelings
C. people's physical reactions are like those of animals in a way
D. our bodies go through many physical changes in certain situations

2. It's mentioned in the passage that human beings get into trouble because _____.

A. we are not as alert as animals
B. we sometimes can't control our feelings
C. we always do something wrong to other people
D. we don't pay attention to our physical changes

3. The author wants to tell us in the last two paragraphs that _____.

A. we won't be able to completely get away from our feelings
B. we should treat emotions like bananas in a cupboard
C. feelings will gradually disappear when we hold them in
D. it's good for our health to keep pleasant feelings

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Frightened Cats and Human Beings
B. Feelings and Bananas
C. Deal with Feelings Wisely
D. Express Feelings Freely

     Do you know that you can use your watch as a compass (指南针) on a sunny day? Take a watch and
point the hour-hand in the direction (方向) of the sun. Imagine a line which runs from the center of the watch
through a point half-way between the hour-hand and number one. This line will surely point south.
     If you know astronomy a little, you will understand why this works. In the northern half of the earth, the
sun is in the south at noon. In Russia, the real noon is one o'clock. If at that time we point the hour-hand at
the sun, the hour-hand and number one will point south. That is why you must imagine a line which will run
from the center of the watch through a point half-way between the hour-hand and number one. It will point
south. If you are in the southern part of our planet, you must point number 12 at the sun. The line which you
can imagine between number twelve and the hour-hand will then show south.

1. When we carry out this experiment in the northern part of the earth, we should point _____ at the sun.

A. number 12
B. the minute-hand
C. the hour-hand
D. number one

2. The passage tells us that we can use a watch on a sunny day _____.

A. to study the weather
B. to show direction
C. to enjoy ourselves
D. to keep good time

3. If you are in Australia, which of the following is the right way to show north?

A.
B.
C.
D.

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

A. Your Watch Becomes a Compass
B. An Interesting Watch
C. The Story of a Watch
D. The Sun and a Watch