To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain, Its first use was as a shade against the sun!
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times . Probably the first to use it were the Chinese in the 11th century B C.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in commonly used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England.
By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe.
Umbrellas have hot changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made , in a whole variety of colors.
【小题1】According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient_______.

A．China

B．Egypt

C．Greece

D．Rome

【小题2】Which of the following statements is not true about the umbrella?

A．No one exactly knows who the inventor of the umbrella was

B．The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun.

C．The umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century

D．In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade.

【小题3】A strange feature of the umbrella’s use is that it was used as__________.

A．protection against rain	B．a shade against the sun
C．a symbol of honor and power	D．women’s decoration (装饰)

【小题4】In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain_______________.

A．during the Middle Ages

B．by the 18th

C．in Rome

D．in Greece

【小题5】This passage talks mainly about_______________.

A．when and how the umbrella was invented

B．why the umbrella was so popular in Europe

C．the development of the umbrella

D．The history and use of the umbrella

After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a spe­cial student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me. I was told it would mean a great deal to him, so I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy (肌肉萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we had finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dick,
My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday that I would go to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will never get to do that. However, I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
Matthew
【小题1】 The boy looked forward to meeting the author because _________. 

A．he was also good at weight lifting	B．he wanted to get to the Olympics and win a medal
C．he was one of the author’s students	D．he admired the author very much

【小题2】 The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that _______.

A．the boy never complained about how unlucky he was to have this disease

B．the boy never complained about not being able to go to school

C．the boy never complained why the author had never come to see him before

D．the boy never complained about not getting a medal

【小题3】 From the passage we learn that _________. 

A．Matthew was an athlete	B．Matthew was an optimistic and determined boy
C．The author used to have the same disease as Matthew had	D．Matthew became a champion before he died

【小题4】Matthew didn’t accept the author’s medal because _________.  

A．he thought it was too expensive	B．he was sure that he could win one in the future
C．he thought it was of no use to him as he would die soon	D．he would not be pitied by others

【小题5】What would be the best title for this passage? 

A．A sick boy.

B．A special friend.

C．A real champion.

D．A famous athlete.

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was one of the most private women in the world, yet when she went to work as an editor in the last two decades of her life, she revealed (展现) herself as she did nowhere else.
After the death of her second husband, Greek shipping magnate(巨头) Aristotie Onassis Jacqueline’s close friend and former White House secretary Letitia Baldrige made a suggestion that she consider a career in publishing. After consideration, Jacqueline accepted it. Perhaps she hoped to find there some ideas about how to live her own life .She became not less but more interested in reading. For the last 20 years of her life, Jacqueline worked as a publisher’s editor, first at Viking, then at Doubleday, pursuing（追求）a late-life career longer than her two marriages combined. During her time in publishing, she was responsible for managing and editing more than 100 successfully marketed books. Among the first books were In the Russian Style and Inventive Paris Clothes. She also succeeded in persuading TV hosts Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell to transform their popular television conversations into a book ,The Power of Myth. The book went on to become an international best-seller. She dealt, too, with Michael Jackson as he prepared his autobiography(自传)，Moonwalk.
Jaequeliner may have been hired for her name and for her social relations, but she soon proved her worth. Her choices, suggestions and widespread social relations were of benefit both to the publishing firms and to Jacqueline herself. In the books she selected for publication, she built on a lifetime of spending time by herself as a reader and left a record of the growth of her mind. Her books are the autobiography she never wrote. Her role as First lady, in the end, was overshadowed by her performance as an editor. However, few knew that she had achieved so much.
【小题1】We can learn from the passage that Jacqueline ______.

A．became fond of reading after working as an editor

B．was in charge of publishing 100 books

C．promoted her books through social relations

D．gained a lot from her career as an editor

【小题2】The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably means that ______.

A．Jacqueline ended up as an editor rather than as First Lady

B．Jacqueline’s life as First Lady was more colorful than as an editor

C．Jacqueline was more successful as an editor than as First Lady

D．Jacqueline’s role as First Lady was more brilliant than as an editor

【小题3】What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Jacqueline’s two marriages lasted more than 20 years

B．Jacqueline’s own publishing firm was set up eventually

C．Jacqueline’s views and beliefs were reflected in the books she edited

D．Jacqueline’s achievements were widely known

【小题4】The passage is mainly ______.

A．an introduction of Jacqueline’s life both as First Lady and as an editor.

B．a brief description of Jacqueline’s lifelong experiences.

C．a brief account of Jacqueline’s career as an editor in her last 20 years.

D．an analysis of Jacqueline’s social relations in publishing

At the time, I would go out in the evening with my parents. But this time I had borrowed a bicycle from a friend of mine. I didn’t know why, but once I was on my own bicycle, a kind of free feeling flooded through me. The faster I rode, the faster I wanted to go! Far ahead, I rode as if my life depended on it, head down, hands grasping the handbars. I meant to get to Jinghai Bar as fast as I could....
Oh! My hands! Don’t come any closer... . Don’t touch me! That poor doctor just couldn’t get my gloves off. Each time he took a step towards me, I broke into painful shouting. Much later, I discovered that I had crashed heavily with another bicycle, and I hadn’t spoken one word of sense for at least three hours! After some time, my mother arrived at the hospital, her face as white as a sheet, and gave me a hug, only then did the doctor begin to stitch(缝合) my head wound, not only did he merrily cut off a long lock of my hair, but used no anaesthetic(麻药) either! Later, I seemed to hear faraway voices saying that my right hand was broken. I almost burst into tears. How would I ever play the piano again?
【小题1】On her way to Jinghai, the writer felt _______.

A．nervous

B．comfortable

C．light-hearted

D．upset

【小题2】Why did the writer ride a bicycle to Jinghai Bar that evening?

A．Because she wanted to attend a party on time.

B．Because she wanted to meet her friend who was waiting for her there.

C．Because she just wanted, to join some of her friends and drink some wine.

D．We are not quite sure about what she was really going there for.

【小题3】What did the writer think of the doctor?

A．Friendly.

B．Cruel.

C．Hardworking.

D．Kind.

【小题4】One thing is sure, that is, before she was wounded she _______.

A．often went to Jinghai Bar with her friends

B．liked playing the piano

C．didn’t like any doctors at all

D．would burst into tears when she was in trouble

Thanks a Million, Dad
I was born disabled．A difficult birth, feet first, my head stuck．By my first birthday, I couldn't stand or walk．
When I was three, the doctor told dad I had cerebral palsy （脑瘫）．A loss of oxygen to my brain had destroyed brain signals to the right side of my body．
But no son of my dad' s was going to be disabled．Every morning before breakfast and every evening before bed, my dad placed me on the bedroom floor to exercise my right leg．The muscles were shrunk and twisted together．Back and forth up and down, my dad pushed and pulled the muscles into shape．
But my dad' s exercise of passion didn't stop there．For my 13th birthday, he threw me a special party．When everybody was gone, he brought me to open a large box, it was a-set of boxing gloves．We put them on．My dad kept on beating me mercilessly．Each time I tried to get up, leather kissed my nose, eyes and jaw．I "begged him to stop．He said he beat me to get me ready for the tough world．
That same year, I was the only kid in my neighbourhood that wasn't picked for Little League．Two weeks later．Dad started the Shedd Park Minor League, and every kid played．Dad coached us and made me a pitcher （棒球投手）．
The power of my dad' s love guaranteed I walked and more．In high school, I became a football star．
In 1997, a brain surgeon in San Jose told me I didn’t t have cerebral palsy after all．He explained how and where the doctor' s forceps （镊子） at birth had damaged my brain．
My dad never knew the whole truth since he passed away years ago．But all that counts is the bottom line．After all his madness, on this Father' s Day, like every Father' s Day, I' m no longer disabled．
【小题1】What caused the author' s disability?

A．A failed operation．	B．The doctor's forceps．
C．An accident in a game．	D．Shrunken and twisted muscles．

【小题2】What do we learn from the passage?

A．The author has a talent for boxing．

B．The author achieved a lot thanks to his father' s love．

C．The author became a baseball star with the help of his father．

D．The author doesn't think his father should be so strict with him．

【小题3】Paragraph 3 suggests that the author' s father____．

A．wouldn't give up hope easily

B．believed his son was a normal child

C．blamed the doctors for his son' s disability

D．couldn't accept the truth that his son was disabled

【小题4】The author wrote the passage to ____．

A．remember his father

B．encourage disabled children

C．show the difficulty the disabled face

D．give advice to the parents of disabled children

Obama Still Smokes in Secret
US President Barack Obama has just made life more difficult for cigarette makers．He has just signed a law that will set tough new rules for the tobacco industry．The new law gives the US Food and Drug Administration the power to strictly limit the making and marketing of tobacco products．
At a White House signing ceremony Monday, Obama said that he was among the nearly 90% of smokers who took up the habit before their 18 th birthday．
Obama, who has publicly struggled to give up smoking, said he still hadn’t completely kicked the habit．Every now and then he still smokes in secret．
“As a former smoker I struggle with it all the time．Do I still smoke sometimes? Yes．Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No．” Obama said at a news conference．
“I don' t do it in front of my lads．I don 't do it in front of my family．I would say that I am 95% cured, but there are times when I mess up, " he said．
"Once you go down this path, it' s something you continually struggle with, which is exactly why the law is so important．The new law is not about me, it' s about the next generation of kids coming up．What we don ' t want is kids going down that path," he said．
Nearly 20% of Americans smoke and tobacco use kills about 440,000 people a year in the United States due to cancer, heart disease, and other serious diseases．
【小题1】The new law makes life difficult for             ．

A．Obama	B．tobacco industry
C．White House	D．US Food and Drug Administration

【小题2】What do we know about Obama?

A．He no longer smokes．

B．He still smokes as usual．

C．He began to smoke at eighteen．

D．He is trying hard to give up smoking．

【小题3】According to the passage, Obama is most concerned about           ．

A．children

B．officials

C．his family

D．businessmen

Last year, I lived in Chile for half a year. I lived with a Chilean family and had the responsibilities of any Chilean teenager. I had good days and bad days I didn’t understand.
Chuquicamata, my host community, is a mining camp. When I arrived there, I was scared. It was so different from what I was used to. There were lots of dogs on the streets, and there was no downtown, few smoothly paved streets, and little to do for entertainment. Rain was not seen very often, earthquakes and windstorms were frequent.
I had studied Spanish for two and a half years and was always one of the best students in my class. But in my first week in Chile I was only able to communicate and needed one person to whom I could explain my shock. I couldn’t speak the thoughts in my head and there were so many.
Most exchange students experience this like me. Culture shock presents itself in everything from increased aggression (敌对心理) towards the people to lack of appetite. I was required to overcome all difficulties.
As time passed, everything changed. I began to forget words in English and to dream in Spanish and love Chilean food. I got used to not depending on expensive things for fun. Fun in Chuquicamata was being with people. And I took math, physics, chemistry, biology, Spanish, art, and philosophy.
But the sacrifices were nothing compared to the gain. I learned how to accept and to succeed in another culture. I now have a deeper understanding of both myself and others.
【小题1】The author came to Chile last year with the purpose of ________.

A．paying a visit to Chile as a tourist

B．experiencing Chilean life as a teacher

C．studying Chilean culture as a college student

D．studying knowledge as an exchange student

【小题2】On arriving in Chile, why did the author feel frightened?

A．Because he did not know how to get along with the local people.

B．Because it was full of dangers like earthquakes and windstorms.

C．Because its living conditions were worse than what he was used to.

D．Because it was not convenient for him to shop there.

【小题3】 In the first week in Chile the author ________.

A．was not used to eating Chilean food

B．had some friends to have a chat with

C．couldn’t communicate with people

D．couldn’t express his thoughts in English

【小题4】 What did the author most probably think of his life in Chile?

A．Wonderful and worthwhile	B．Difficult but meaningful
C．Difficult and meaningless	D．Boring and disappointing

【小题5】According to the passage, which of the following statements about Chile is TRUE?

A．its official language is Spanish and English.

B．It is a developing country without foreign students.

C．It seldom rains and natural disasters often happen.

D．Most Chileans are not friendly to foreigners.

Everybody has one of those days when everything goes wrong. This is what happened to Harry.
He got up one morning very late because he had forgotten to wind up his alarm clock（闹钟）. He tried to shave（刮脸）quickly and cut himself. When he got dressed he got blood all over his clean shirt, so he had to find another one. The only other shirt that was clean needed ironing（熨）, so he ironed it. While he was ironing it, there was a knock at the door. It was the man to read the electricity meter（表）. He showed him where the meter was, said good-bye and found that the iron had burnt a hole in his shirt. So he had to wear the one with the blood on it after all. By this time it was very late, so he decided he couldn’t go to work by bus. He telephoned for a taxi to take him to work. The taxi arrived and Harry got in and began to read the newspaper.
In another part of the town, a man had killed a woman with a knife and was seen to run away in a taxi. When Harry’s taxi stopped outside his office, a policeman happened to be standing there. He saw the blood on Harry’s shirt, and took him to the police station. He was kept till 3 o’clock in the afternoon before the police were sure that he was not the man they wanted. When he finally arrived at the office at about four, his boss took a look at him and told him to go away and find another job.
【小题1】Harry had __________.

A．a lucky day

B．an unlucky day

C．a busy day

D．a good day

【小题2】Put the following sentences into correct order according to the passage.
a. The man who read the electricity meter came.
b. Harry ironed his shirt.
c. Harry got blood all over his clean shirt.
d. There was a knock at the door.
e. Harry wore the shirt with blood on it.

A．a, b, c, d, e

B．b, a, d, c, e

C．b, a, c, d, e

D．c, b, d, a, e

【小题3】Why did Harry wear the shirt with blood on it?

A．The iron had burnt a hole in his clean shirt.

B．The only other needed ironing.

C．He had only one shirt.

D．He cut himself and got blood all over his shirt.

【小题4】Harry was taken to the police station because __________.

A．his taxi stopped outside his office and a policeman happened to be there

B．there was blood on his shirt and he was in a taxi

C．a man killed a woman with a knife

D．the murderer（杀人犯）was seen to run a away in a taxi

【小题5】 His boss told him to go away and find another job because __________.

A．he had been kept by the police	B．there was blood on his shirt
C．he was late for work	D．he had killed a woman

The teacher who did the most to encourage me was, as it happened, my aunt. She was Myrtle C. Manigault, the wife of my mother’s brother Bill. She taught in second grade at all-black Summer School in Camden, New Jersey.
During my childhood and youth, Aunt Myrtle encouraged me to develop every aspect of my potential, without regard for what was considered practical or possible for black females. I liked to sing; she listened to my voice and pronounced it good. I couldn’t dance; she taught me the basic dancing steps. She took me to the theatre ---- not just children’s theatre but adult comedies and dramas—and her faith that I could appreciate adult plays was not disappointed.
My aunt also took down books from her extensive library and shared them with me. I had books at home, but they were all serious classics. Even as a child I had a strong liking for humor, and I’ll never forget the joy of discovering Don Marquis’s Archy & Mehitabel through her.
Most important, perhaps, Aunt Myrtle provided my first opportunity to write for publication. A writer herself for one of the black newspapers, she suggested my name to the editor as a “youth columnist”. My column, begun when I was fourteen, was supposed to cover teenage social activities—and it did—but it also gave me the freedom to write on many other subjects as well as the habit of gathering material, the discipline of meeting deadlines, and, after graduation from college six years later, a solid collection of published material that carried my name and was my passport to a series of writing jobs.
Today Aunt Myrtle is still an enthusiastic supporter of her “favourite niece”. Like a diamond, she has reflected a bright, multifaceted (多面的) image of possibilities to every pupil who has crossed her path.
【小题1】Which of the following did Aunt Myrtle do to the author during her childhood and youth?

A．She lent her some serious classics.	B．She cultivated her taste for music.
C．She discovered her talent for dancing.	D．She introduced her to adult plays.

【小题2】Aunt Myrtle recommended the author to a newspaper editor mainly to ______.

A．involve her in teenage social activities	B．give her a chance to collect material
C．develop her capabilities for writing	D．offer her a series of writing jobs

【小题3】We can conclude from the passage that Aunt Myrtle was a teacher who ______.

A．gave pupils confidence in exploiting their potential

B．trained pupils to be diligent and well-disciplined

C．emphasized what was practical or possible for pupils.

D．helped pupils overcome difficulties in learning

Ibrahim became disabled after contracting polio (小儿麻痹症) when he was three years old. At first his parents, like many other parents of disabled children in Niger, did not want to send him to school. They were worried he would be laughed at by his classmates.  
Despite his disability, and his parents’ doubts, Ibrahim was determined to go to school. “When I was eight,” Ibrahim says, “other kids of my age were going to school while I stayed at home. I did not like that. So, I pestered (缠着) my parents until they finally let me go to school.”
Ibrahim’s parents sent him to a private school nearby. Although the journey to and from school was a short one, it still wasn’t easy for Ibrahim. He had to use his hands to help him move along, protecting them with plastic slippers. But at least he was getting an education.
However, after only a year in school, Ibrahim’s education was interrupted when his parents separated. His mother did not have the means to continue paying for his tuition.
In 2007, Ibrahim received some money to be fitted with a leg brace (支架), corrective shoes and his first pair of crutches (拐杖). Now that he was more mobile than before, the most important thing for him was to find a way to go back to school. 
“I wanted to start school again last October,” Ibrahim says. “After my mother told me she could not afford it, I went to visit some of my relatives for support. And I collected 5,000 francs CFA (US $8) to pay my tuition for half a year. I will find the rest of the money somehow.”
Ibrahim attends a school in which he is the only disabled student. According to his teacher, he is among the top five students in a class of 55.
【小题1】 Why did Ibrahim’s parents prefer Ibrahim to stay at home? 

A．There was a lot of housework for him to do.

B．They had no money to pay for his tuition.

C．There were not enough schools in the country.

D．They were afraid the students would make fun of him.

【小题2】 How did Ibrahim go to school before his parents separated? 

A．He went to school on his wheelchair.

B．He went to school on his parents’ bicycle.

C．He walked to school with the support of his hands.

D．He walked to school using a pair of crutches.

【小题3】Ibrahim’s education was interrupted because of his _____.

A．parents’ doubts

B．lack of tuition

C． physical disability

D．terrible mood

【小题4】The best title for the passage might be _____.

A．A long way to go	B．Determined to learn
C．The only disabled student	D．I did not like that