Believe it or not, America's favorite snack food is the potato chip. There is a story behind how it was
first made. One might think that something genius thought up the first potato chips, but it didn't happen
that way. The Moon Lake Restaurant was a well-known restaurant in New York in 1853. Its menu included
French-fried potatoes: a popular food recipe brought back from France by Thomas Jefferson. These were
thickly cut potatoes, fried until golden brown and crisp in the outside. One evening a guest in the dining hall
felt that his potatoes were too thick and sent them back to the kitchen. The cook sliced some potatoes thinner
than before and prepared them for the complaining guest. He was still not satisfied and sent them back again!
By this time the cook was angry and decided to do exactly what the dinner guest wanted: slice the potatoes
as thin as possible. Then they would be so crisp that the diner wouldn't be able to use his fork to eat them.
When the paper thin browned potatoes arrived the dinner was pleased. He was so happy with them that other
guests started ordering the new potatoes. The cook's plan to stop the dinner guest from complaining did not
turn out as he had planned. Soon Saratoga Chips appeared on the menu and became so popular that people
wanted to take some home. The restaurant started selling small packages of the potato chips. A few years later
they were selling all over the United States. But because the potatoes had to be peeled by hand, it was a time-
consuming chore and potato ships were often out of stock. In the 1920s a mechanical potato peeler was
invented and soon there were potato chips in abundance. They gradually spread all over the world, and have
remained popular ever since.

1. According to this passage,the cook of the Moon Lake Restaurant _____.

A. enjoyed making potato chips very much
B. wanted to silence a guest's complaining
C. liked playing jokes on guests
D. was pleased that other guests liked the chips

2. The restaurant started to sell potato chips because _____.

A. potato chips were liked by people
B. the dinner guest asked for them
C. it was not difficult to cook them
D. they were pleased with the thick potato chips

3. According to this passage, mass production of potato chips was made possible when _____.

A. potatoes could be peeled by machines
B. potatoes were peeled by a large number of cooks
C. there was a growing demand for them
D. they first appeared in a restaurant

4. Potato chips have been popular in the US _____.

A. for more than 200 years
B. ever since 1920
C. for less than 100 years
D. since the 19th century

     Every culture has a recognized point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and
tests passed.
     In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when
they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to
drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have their license, they drive into the grownup world.
     "Nobody wants to ride the cheese bus to school," said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She brought the pressure
back to memory, especially for kids from wealthier families. "It's like you're not cool if you don't have a
car," she said.
     According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19yearolds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985.
Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get parttime jobs to help pay.
     Not all families can afford cars for their children. In cities with subways and limited parking, some
teenagers don't want them. But in rich suburban areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for
fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
     But police say 16yearolds have almost three times more accidents than 18 to 19yearolds. This has
made many parents pause before letting their kids drive.
     Julie Sussman, of  Virginia, decided  that  her  son  Chad,  15,  will wait until he is 17 to apply for his
learner's permit.
     Chad said he has accepted his parents' decision, although it has caused some teasing from his friends. "They say that I am unlucky," he said, "But I'd rather be alive than driving, and I_don't_really_trust_my_
friends_on_the_road,_either."
     In China as more families get cars, more 18yearolds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to
becoming an adult?

1．Which may serve as the best title of the article?

A．Cars Helping You to GrowUp
B．Driving into the GrownUp World
C．Teenagers' Driving in America
D．Recognized Point of Becoming an Adult

2．16yearold drivers have more accidents possibly because________.

A．they want to show themselves off
B．they are never experienced drivers
C．older people always drive better
D．they never drive carefully on the road

3．Which may NOT be taken into consideration when deciding whether to buy a car?

A．How well off the family is.
B．Whether the kid is old enough.
C．What traffic condition there is around.
D．Whether it's practically needed.

4．When Chad said "I don't really trust my friends…", he meant that________.

A．he might run into his friends if he drove
B．he didn't agree with his friends
C．he might not be safe if his friends drove
D．he was afraid that his friends might well lie to him

    Every culture has a recognized point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed
and tests passed.
      In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult
when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is
learning to drive.   At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have their license, they
drive into the grownup world.
     " Nobody wants to ride the cheese bus to school," said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She brought the
pressure back to memory, especially for kids from wealthier families. "It's like you're not cool if you
don't have a car," she said.
     According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19yearolds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985.
Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get parttime jobs to help pay.
     Not all families can afford cars for their children. In cities with subways and limited parking, some
teenagers don't want them. But in rich suburban areas without subways, and where bicycles are more
for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
     But police say 16yearolds have almost three times more accidents than 18 to 19yearolds. This has
made many parents pause before letting their kids drive.
     Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17 to apply for his
learner's permit.
     Chad said he has accepted his parents' decision, although it has caused some teasing from his
friends. "They say that I am unlucky," he said, "But I'd rather be alive than driving, and I_don't_really
_trust_my_friends_on_the_road,_either."
     In China as more families get cars, more 18yearolds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to
becoming an adult?

1. Which may serve as the best title of the article?
A. Cars Helping You to GrowUp
B. Driving into the GrownUp World
C. Teenagers' Driving in America
D. Recognized Point of Becoming an Adult

2. 16yearold drivers have more accidents possibly because________.
A. they want to show themselves off
B. they are never experienced drivers
C. older people always drive better
D. they never drive carefully on the road

3. Which may NOT be taken into consideration when deciding whether to buy a car?
A. How well off the family is.
B. Whether the kid is old enough.
C. What traffic condition there is around.
D. Whether it's practically needed.

4. When Chad said "I don't really trust my friends…", he meant that________.
A. he might run into his friends if he drove
B. he didn't agree with his friends
C. he might not be safe if his friends drove
D. he was afraid that his friends might well lie to him

5. The passage mainly gives information about ________.
A. an American culture
B. a cultural difference between America and China
C. a change in the Chinese culture
D. the relationship between driving and a person's development

     From the beginning of human history, wild animals provided food, clothing and sometimes medicine
for man. We may not depend as much on wild animals now. But we hear about them every day.
Americans use the names of animals in many ways. Automobile manufacturers and gasoline companies
especially like to use big cats to sell their products. They like lions, tigers and wildcats. When Americans
say wildcat, they usually mean a_lynx, an_ocelot_or_a_bobcat. All these cats attack quickly and fiercely.
So wildcats represent something fast and fierce.  
     An early American use of the word wildcat was quite different. It was used to describe members of
Congress who declared war on Britain in 1812. A magazine of that year said the wildcat congressmen
went home. It said they were unable to face the responsibility of having involved their country in an
unnecessary war.
     Wildcat also has been used as a name for money in the 1800s. At that time, some states permitted
banks to make their own money. One bank in the state of Michigan offered paper money with a picture
of a wildcat on it. Some banks, however, did not have enough gold to support all the paper money they
offered. So the money had little or no value. It was called a wildcat bill or a wildcat banknote. The
banks who offered this money were called wildcat banks. A newspaper of the time said those were the
days of wildcat money. It said a man might be rich in the morning and poor by night.
     Wildcat then was also used for an oil well or gold mine that had almost no oil or gold in it. Dishonest
developers would buy such property. Then they would sell it and leave town with the money. The
buyers were left with worthless holes in the ground.Today, wildcat oil wells are in areas that are not
known to have oil.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Wildcats and their stories.
B. Wildcats and their characters.
C. Varieties of animal species.
D. Relationship between animals and humans.

2. From the passage we can know that__________.

A. wildcats represent the state of Michigan
B. the use of wildcats was not always the same
C. wildcats are the best friend of human beings
D. honest developers never buy wildcat oil wells

3. The underlined words "a lynx, an ocelot or a bobcat" in Paragraph 1 may refer to "__________".

A. gasoline companies
B. automobile manufacturers
C. names of wildcats
D. brands of automobile

4. Which of the following would people like to have or trust according to the passage?

A. Wildcat congressmen.  
B. Wildcat oil wells.
C. Wildcat banks.  
D. Wildcat cars.

5. It can be inferred that during the days of wildcat money__________.

A. people couldn't buy anything with the money
B. people didn't know how to save money
C. the rich invested too much on oil wells
D. people complained and suffered a lot

1. From the first paragraph, we can know________.

A. the Greeks were the first to write poems
B. the Olympics used to start with poem reciting
C. poems were spread orally in the past
D. athletes were asked to recite poems before competing

2. How many rounds of competitions did the champions take before they went to Washington, D. C. ?

A. Three.  
B. Four  
C. Five.  
D. Six.

3. According to the passage, hearing a poem recited by different people can________.

A. bring a new life to listeners
B. help listeners find their interest
C. make listeners learn the words
D. offer something new to listeners

4. One benefit the participants get from poem recitation competitions is that they can________.

A. become skilled in speaking in public
B. write good poems themselves
C. change their attitudes towards life
D. make friends with many great poets

5. What's the main idea of the passage?

A. Reciting poems improves your memory.
B. Remembering a lot of poems is fun.
C. Poets have a great time.
D. Poetry competitions freshen us up.

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     We work hard  to be leadingamong the rare book dealers withworld class customer service. Our
specialties include rare books, signed books, and first editionswidely acknowledged as unique and
highly collectible treasures. Landmark Works over five centuries, signed by author or illustrator, limited
editions for the collector. Many of these old books have been handcrafted and are bound in fine leather.
If you are looking for the very special, old, rare or Miracle on 34th Street lst Edition, lst Print Valentine
Davies, $1 460signed copy as a gift or to reward yourself, you might specifically consider first editions
under Signed First Print, Adventure, or Famous People.
     As many of us are getting ready for the Christmas Season, our books include Gift Ideas in all fields.
Future specials will include a presentation of James Bond titles.
    You are welcometo review our categoryof old,  signed,  rare,  and out-of-print titles.  If youcan't find
the copy you are looking for, please contact us  and ask us to help locate a title for you.                            
     The Christmas Nutshell Library lst  Edition HilaryKnight, $700. Books provide us with information
and knowledge, facts or fiction, antique novels or signed autobiographies of famous people. They can
make us happy, sad, smart...they educate us in so many different ways.
     What have you learned today? Discover a signed first edition. Own a piece of golf history autographed (签 名)  by one of the famous people in the world.
     Eloise at Christmas time lst Edition, lst Print Kay Thompson, $ 620 Our Story How to Contact Us
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1. According to the passage        .

A. you can get a book signed by James Bond
B. you can get a golf from Hilary Knight
C. books can educate us in diverse ways
D. books signed are best-sellers

2. The web page mainly sells          .

A. common books          
B. rare books      .
C. Christmas gifts          
D. history books

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D. leather handbooks

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     London has more than nine million visitors every year.  They come and visit some of the most famous
places in England: Big Ben, the Tower of London and the River Thames.
    You can see some of the most interesting places in London by getting on the tour buses.  Or you can
take a ride on the London Eye.  This large wheel slowly takes  you 135m above the River Thames.
    The River Thames is London's main waterway.  It has shaped the capital's landscape, history and
geography.  So one of the best ways of making sense of the city is to take a trip along the river.
     The Clock Tower to the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, has become one of the main symbols of
London.  The sound of the bell, which you can hear at the beginning of many television and radio programmes,has become well-known throughout the nation.
    No visit to London is complete without a look at the Tower of London, in the eastern part of the city.  
After Big Ben, the Tower may be London's most visited tourist spot.  Directly south is Tower Bridge,
which is more than 100 years old.
    Among all the palaces in London, Buckingham Place is the most famous.  It has been the home of the
royal family since.  Queen Victoria moved there in 1837. You can visit some of the rooms in August and
September.  And most mornings of the'year you can watch the soldiers outside changing the guard.
    About one hour by train out of London is the town of Windsor.  Here you can visit another of the
Queen's homes-Windsors Castle.  There was a fire in 1992 and  many of the rooms were badly burned.   But now they are full of beautiful pictures, tables and chairs again.
    Sightseeing in London is great, but it can get very tiring.  So, the best way to start the day is to fill up
with an Engnsh breakfast.
   You can buy an English breakfast in nearly every hotel, and at many restaurants and cafes.  An English
pub is a good place to stop for lunch and a drink.   You can get hot or cold food and try one of England's many ales(浓啤酒).  Fish and chips are also a traditional English meal.  So look out for fish and chip
shops in cities as well as by the sea.
   Or you can sit outside one of the many roadside pubs and cafes in London, and simply watch the busy
world go by.

1.  We can leam from the text that           .

A.  Windsor Castle has been rebuilt
B.  the sound of the Big Ben can be heard everywhere
C.  only some of the hotels in England serve breakfast
D. the London Eye can carry you where you like to go

2.  Which place may be London's most visited tourist spot?

A.  Big Ben. 
B.  The Tower of London. 
C.  Buckingham Palace. 
D.  The River Thames.

3. If you go to London in December, you will not be able to _       . 

A.  visit Windsor Castle
B.  tour the Buckingham Palace
C.  tour the city along the River Thames
D. watch the soldiers outside the Buckingham Palace changing guards

4.  The underlined word "landscape"  ( Paragraph 3) is  closest in meaning to        . 

A.  sights                      
B.  interest
C.  growth                    
D.  travel