Maupassant（居·莫泊桑）was born in 1850 in northern France. His early life was not happy. His parents separated when he was 11. Most of his education came informally from Gustave Flaubert—his mother’s friend and his godfather, a journalist and novelist. Often Flaubert would let him take a walk and then ask him to write 100 lines about what he saw. This type of training developed in Maupassant a sense of observation, which he later put to use in his writing. Flaubert also allowed Maupassant to attend his Sunday gatherings with others in his literary circle
For a few years, Maupassant was connected with the Ministry of Public Instruction. It is interesting to note that Monsieur Loisel, a poor man character in The Necklace, worked there. He also served in the French army during the Franco-Prussian War. His favorite writing subjects were peasants, servants, in the city, and the Francd-Prussian War.
At an early age, Maupassant started writing short stories. In 1880, some of his works were published and he received a wide reputation for Boule de Suif (Ball of Tallow). With this success, he began to work full-time on writing. During the next ten years, he wrote over 300 stories, including six novels, three travel books, and a book of verse. Through them, he earn a lot of money.
His writing was classical and simple, avoiding social comments and dirty details. His works often showed a real world and an accurate knowledge of the subject. Although Maupassant wrote in many forms, he received widest recognition for his short stories. By 1890, Maupassant was suffering from the latter staged of syphilis（梅毒）. He died in 1893 in Paris.
【小题1】 Which of the following is TRUE about Gustave Flaubert?

A．He often went out for a walk with Maupassant.

B．He was a journalist and novelist working for church.

C．He had a great influence on Maupassant’s writing..

D．He often helped Maupassant with his writing homework.

【小题2】 From text we know Monsieur Loisel is _______.

A．a man selling necklaces

B．a character in one of Maupassant’s works.

C．a short story written by Maupassant

D．a friend of Maupassant the Ministry of Public Instruction

【小题3】 What are the characteristics of Maupassant’s stories?

A．They have few social comments.

B．They are simple and humorous.

C．They only focus on the lives of peasants.

D．They are full of imagination.

【小题4】What can we learn about Maupassant from the text?

A．Only in his 30s did he begin to write stories.

B．He did not received any formal education.

C．He spent his last years happily.

D．Boule de Suif was his first success.

The worst earthquake in 40 years shook South Asia on Sunday, starting with horrible waves that swept entire villages into the sea. At least 20,000 people in six countries were killed in the disaster, and millions were left homeless.
The quake shook deep beneath the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It was felt more than 3000 miles away in East Africa, where heavy tides kept fishermen at home and resorts（度假胜地）closed.
It was as if the sea had struck the land. Residents of Sri Lanka, a small island country off the coast of India, ran to the hills to find safety from the tsunami. Many took their radios, televisions, and other valuables with them. The disaster hit Sri Lanka hardest. Of its 20million people, 1 million lost their homes, and 10000 died.
“The water simply raised itself up and huge waves came ashore,” wrote eye-witness（目击者）Peter Thomas from India. “It was moving very fast. The force broke the glass walls of a restaurant on the beach here and damaged hundreds of boats.”
In some places, the tsunami struck with no warning. “The weather was fine with no clouds,” wrote an eye-witness in Indonesia. “Suddenly the seawater just hit the city. In some parts the water was up to chest level.”
A massive（大众的）effort to help the affected countries is already underway. Leaders from around the world have promised to help, and teams of aid workers and doctors are rushing to the sea. “The United States stands ready to offer all the help to those nations most affected.” Said White House spokesman Trent Duffy. Organizations from the Red Cross to the International Monetary Fund have started fund-raising（筹款）drives to make up the costs of rebuilding.
【小题1】 The underlined word “tsunami” in Paragraph 5 can probably be replaced by “__________.”

A．fierce wind

B．heavy rain

C．terrible storm

D．large waves

【小题2】 Which of the following is NOT true when this disaster happened?

A．A sudden storm started with thunder and lightning.

B．The seawater rose suddenly and flooded the land.

C．Huge waves came upon the land, damaging the buildings and boats.

D．The sea struck the land, causing heavy losses.

【小题3】In the last paragraph, the writer mainly states __________.

A．lack of help	B．international efforts
C．the fighting against the disaster	D．the result of disasters

【小题4】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Tens of Thousands of People Are in Danger

B．Storm Caused Disasters in South Asia

C．Terrible Quake Hits South Asia

D．International Aid for South Asia

【小题5】Where would you probably see this passage?

A．In a textbook.	B．In a newspaper.
C．In a travel guide.	D．In a dictionary.

Massachusetts （美国一州名） became the first state in the nation to ban the dumping （倾倒;抛弃） of electronic equipment such as computer monitors and television sets．It means people there can no longer put computer monitors, TV sets and other devices containing glass picture tubes out on the street for pickup by garbage cleaners．
Official said much of this equipment is loaded with poisonous heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury．These poisonous heavy metals could go into groundwater or be released （释放） into the air．
The Boston Globe reports the state has set up a system to recycle techno-garbage at state expense through community recycling centers．
Robin Ingenthron of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection said the state has been trying to get its electronics-recycling program in place ‘before the future wave of electronics hits’．The National Safety Council estimates some 300 million computers will enter the nation’s waste system in the next few years．
In addition, millions of people will be getting rid of their old television sets．New high-quality digital televisions and new rules will make old TV sets no longer in use over the next several years．
【小题1】The word ‘techno-garbage’ in the 3rd paragraph probably means ________．

A．all kinds of dirty things	B．deserted TV sets
C．heavy metals	D．used electronic equipment

【小题2】Which is NOT a reason that the state enforces （强制执行） a ban on electronic equipment dumping?

A．This kind of garbage is poisonous．

B．Recycling systems are not working well．

C．The poisonous heavy metals can go to the underground water and the air．

D．There will be much more electronic garbage soon．

【小题3】According to the last paragraph many people will be dumping their TV sets because ________．

A．they are broken	B．they are poisonous
C．new TV standards have come out	D．people will be tired of them

【小题4】The passage tells us chiefly about __________．

A．forbidding of a certain type of garbage dumping

B．new problems of environmental protection

C．household problems raised by computers and TV sets

D．the handling of garbage

One of the greatest warriors(勇士) of history, Genghis Kahn, came from the Mongolian people. He controlled many countries in Asia and Europe because of his bravery and leadership in battle. This time period was known as the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Genghis decided to go hunting one day and many of his warriors went with him. Genghis had his favorite hawk on his wrist. The hawk was trained to fly high in the air to look for game like deer, rabbits or wild birds. When his bird flew to the ground, Genghis would follow it and shoot the wild game with his arrows. It was his favorite hobby.
This particular day, game was hard to find. Toward evening, Genghis sent all the men home and decided to go another way by himself. He even let his hawk go, thinking it would fly home as well. He became thirsty so he stopped by some rocks where he noticed water was dripping. He took a cup from his pack and filled it slowly. When he put it to his mouth, he was surprised for his hawk came and spilled (使溅出) all the water in his cup.
He thought this was very unusual so he filled the cup again. The hawk rushed down and knocked the cup free from his hand. Genghis was now thirsty and angry. As he filled the cup a fourth time, he drew his sword to stop the bird interrupting him. As the bird flew down, Genghis killed it but his cup fell deep into the rocks in the scuffle (扭打).
He decided to crawl up the rock of the mountain to find the source of the water. He found a pool and noticed a huge poisonous snake was dead in the water. He realized the hawk had saved his life. His anger had caused him to kill his favorite bird. In his despair (绝望), he promised to make sure of everything before he would become angry again.
【小题1】This passage may most probably be found in _____.

A．a story book

B．a newspaper

C．a magazine

D．a guide book

【小题2】When the hawk tried to stop Genghis, he thought his hawk was trying to ____.

A．save him

B．bother him

C．help him

D．comfort him

【小题3】 Which of the following is not TRUE according to the passage?

A．Genghis Kahn took up many countries because he was a brave and great leader.

B．The hawk devoted its life in order to save Genghis Kahn from being poisoned.

C．The snake was dead because it drank the water of the pool in the mountain.

D．Genghis Kahn was so thirsty that he decided to look for the source of the water.

【小题4】 What conclusion can we draw from the passage?

A．One should never act while thinking.	B．One had better not act before thinking.
C．One must act when thinking.	D．One would act without thinking.

Lacrosse（长曲棍球）is a popular sport in Canada. It is one of the oldest organized sports in America. The Indians in northern New York State and southern Ontario, Canada, invented it. They used it to train for war. They invented this game before Columbus arrived in the New World.
People play lacrosse outdoors. The lacrosse field is seven metres long. At each end of the field there is a net. There are ten players on each team. Each player has a stick called “crosse”. The players hit a ball that is 21 centimetres around and weighs 140 grams. They try to hit the ball into the net as many times as possible. Lacrosse is a very fast game because the players can catch and pass the ball at a high speed with their sticks.
At one time lacrosse was the national summer sport in Canada. It is also popular in Britain and Australia.
【小题1】
________ invented the popular sport — Lacrosse.

A．The British

B．The Spanish

C．The Indians

D．The Australians

【小题2】
Lacrosse was invented because it was used to ________.

A．honour God

B．have fun

C．lose weight

D．train for war

【小题3】
The seven-metre-long lacrosse field has _________.

A．only one net	B．one net at each end
C．two nets at each end	D．four nets at each end

【小题4】
Who will be the winner in the lacrosse game? ________.

A．The team who hit the ball into the net more times

B．The team who catch and pass the ball faster

C．The team who have many more stronger players

D．The team who use sticks to hit the ball farther

As we all know，it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence (独立宣言)．He wrote it in two weeks，and after a few changes，it was accepted by the Congress．As a result，he became famous in America's history．
Born in Virginia，Thomas Jefferson，a brilliant student at school and almost talented lawyer later，was much interested in politics.
Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia in 1779，and he was sent to France as the Representative of the American Government in 1784．Sixteen years later，at the age of 57，he was elected president after Washington and Adams．
Far from a handsome man，he was is tall with long arms and big hands．Jefferson，who was an amusing talker in conversation，but a poor speaker，was generally good-natured．
Jefferson was regarded as a defender(捍卫者)of freedom Of America．As a president，he protected the right of speech．Interestingly enough，in his eight years as president，：Jefferson never said “No” to a bill(议案)which the Congress had passed．He did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia．
Thomas Jefferson died on July the fourth，1826，the fiftieth anniversary of America’s independence．  
【小题1】
We are most likely to read this passage in            ．

A．a daily newspaper	B．a popular advertisement
C．a hi story book	D．an important notice

【小题2】
Which of the following statements about Jefferson’s personality is true?

A．He was a shy and slow learner when he was at school．

B．He was not an easy person to get along with at all

C．He was not only very talented but also very handsome．

D．He was an amusing talker，but not good at speaking in public．

【小题3】
Jefferson’s greatest contribution in America’history is that              ．

A．he was for the right of free speech

B．he was sent to France as the Representative

C． he wrote the Declaration of Independence

D．he organized the new University of Virginia

【小题4】
Thomas Jefferson was elected president of the United States in the year of         .

A．1779

B．1784

C．1800

D．1826

Women in Nazi Germany were to have a very special job. Hitler was very clear about this. This job was that they should be good mothers bringing up children at home while their husbands worked. Except for some special fields, Hitler saw no reason why a woman should work. Within months of Hitler coming to power, many female doctors, teachers and lawyers were sacked. By the start of the Second World War, very few German women were in fulltime work. From their earliest years, girls were taught that all good German women married at a young age to a proper German and that the wife’s job was to keep a good home for her working husband and to have children.
One of the earliest laws passed by Hitler once he came to power in 1933, was the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage. This law stated (声明) that all newly married couples would get a government loan (贷款) of 1000 marks. This loan was not to be simply paid back. The birth of one child meant that 25% of the loan did not have to be paid back. Two children meant that 50% of the loan didn’t need to be paid back. Four children meant that the entire loan was cleared.
What was more, as housewives and mothers, their lives were controlled. Women were not expected to wear make-up or trousers. Only flat shoes were expected to be worn. Women were discouraged from slimming as this was considered bad for child birth. 
【小题1】
The aim of the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage was to ________.

A．attract more young people to join the army willingly

B．make those married couples become rich quickly

C．encourage people to loan more from the government

D．encourage couples to have as many children as they could

【小题2】
The underlined word “sacked” in Paragraph one probably means “________”.

A．punished

B．fired

C．killed

D．raised

【小题3】
According to the passage, women in Nazi Germany ________.

A．could make up or wear beautiful clothes

B．were to have children and do housework

C．could receive a good education at school

D．were offered the equal rights as men

【小题4】
Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The life of women in Nazi Germany

B．The cruel rule of Hitler in Germany

C．The marriage policy in Nazi Germany

D．Hitler — a powerful leader in Germany

On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln went to Gettysburg in Pennsylvania to speak at the National Soldiers Cemetery. The Civil War was still going on. There was much criticism of President Lincoln at the time. He was not at all popular. He had been invited to speak at Gettysburg only out of politeness. The principal speaker was to be Edward Everett, a famous statesman and speaker of the day. Everett was a handsome man and very popular everywhere.
　　It is said that Lincoln prepared his speech on the train while going to Gettysburg. Late that night, alone in his hotel room and tired out, he again worked briefly on the speech. The next day Everett spoke first. He spoke for an hour and 57 minutes. His speech was a perfect example of the rich oratory of the day. Then Lincoln rose. The crowd of 15,000 people at first paid little attention to him. He spoke for only nine minutes. At the end there was little applause. Lincoln turned to a friend and said , "I have failed again." On the train back to Washington, he said sadly, "That speech was a flat failure, and the people are disappointed."
　　Some newspapers at first criticized（批评）the speech. But little by little as people read the speech they began to understand better. They began to appreciate its simplicity and its deep meaning. It was a speech which only Abraham Lincoln could have made.
　　Today, every American school child learns Lincoln's Gettysburg Address by heart. Now everyone thinks of it as one of the greatest speeches ever given in American history.
【小题1】.
In 1863, Abraham Lincoln was_________.

A．very critical

B．unpopular

C．very popular

D．very courteous （礼貌）

【小题2】.
. Lincoln was invited to speak at the National Soldiers Cemetery because he was_________.

A．a famous speaker

B．a very handsome man

C．President of the country

D．a popular statesman

【小题3】.
It can be inferred from the text that_________.

A．Lincoln prepared his speech very carefully before he went to Gettysburg

B．Lincoln was very busy at the time and didn't have much time to prepare his speech

C．Lincoln's speech was full of rich words

D．Lincoln's speech was very long

【小题4】.
It was a fact that Lincoln's speech was _________.

A．an immediate success

B．warmly applauded

C．a total failure

D．not well-received at first

【小题5】.
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Lincoln's Gettysburg Address has deep meaning.

B．Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is simple in style.

C．Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is memorized by every American school child.

D．Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is the greatest speech ever delivered in the United States.

With the growth of the European Union and increased globalisation, English is increasingly the lingua franc a（通用语） in European businesses, and those who speak it have become the elite （精英）of the workforce．
In the past, only a few specialists in a company were needed to communicate with foreign businesses．However, in these days of multinational companies, where workers are required to communicate with other employees from several countries, a common language is essential and English has become the logical choice．
Nowadays, even blue-collar workers in many companies are required to speak English．For example, just over three years ago, a Dutch company．United Pan-European Communications （UPC）, was contracted to build a TV studio in Amsterdam．The job involved many electricians—more than the company could find in the Netherlands．There were plenty of qualified electricians in nearby France and Belgium, but the American and Dutch executives of UPC wanted everyone on the job to speak and understand the same language．So, the UPC hired British electricians and flew them to Amsterdam every Monday, accommodating them in hotels all over the city, and flying them home on Friday evenings．
Increasingly, workers who can speak English earn salaries 25-35% higher than those who can' t．They are also eligible （有条件被选中的） for a wider range of high-level jobs．
The problem is that, while the ability to speak English is fast becoming essential for getting a good job, there is a shortage of people who can speak it．According to a recent European Commission report, only about 41% of continental Europeans can speak English, and only 29% speak it well enough to carry on a conversation．Many companies are solving this problem by setting up English language schools within the workplace．English language schools all over Europe are expanding at a huge rate, and governments are looking at ways to improve English tuition in schools．
One result of this modem urge to learn English is that a generation gap is appearing． According to a European Union study, 67% of Europeans between 15 and 24 say they can speak English while only 18% of those over 55 say they can．Increasingly, all over Europe, it is the children who are leading the parents．
【小题1】In European companies, workers who speak English ________．

A．find it easy to carry on a conversation	B．have an advantage over other workers
C．must be white-collar workers	D．travel to many different countries

【小题2】Why did the UPC hire the British electricians?

A．There were not enough electricians in nearby France and Belgium．

B．British electricians were more qualified than those in the Netherlands．

C．The UPC wanted all the employees to speak English．

D．The UPC meant to show they were rich enough to accommodate and fly them．

【小题3】What can you learn from the passage about European people?

A．More young people can speak English well than older people.

B．67% Europeans can speak English very well．

C．18% of the people over 55 can't speak English．

D．Over half the people can speak English．

Long before the white man came to the America, the land belonged to the American Indian nations, The nation of the Cherokees lived in what is now the southeastern part of the United States.
After the white man came, the Cherokees copied many of their ways. One Cherokee named Sequoyah saw how important reading and writing was to the white man. He decided to invent a way to write down the spoken Cherokee language. He began by making word pictures. For each word he drew a picture. But that proved impossible; there were just too many words. Then he took the 85 sounds that made up the language. Using his own imagination and an English spelling book, Sequoyah invented a sign for each sound. His alphabet proved amazingly easy to learn. Before long, many Cherokees knew how to read and write in their own language. By 1828, they were even printing their own newspaper.
In 1830, the US congress passed a law. It allowed the government to remove Indians from their lands. The Cherokees refused to go. They had lived on their lands for centuries. It belonged to them. Why should they go to a strange land far beyond the Mississippi River?
The army was sent to drive the Cherokees out. Soldiers surrounded their villages and marched them at gunpoint into the western territory. The sick, the old and the small children went in carts, along with their belongings. The rest of the people marched on foot or rode on horseback. It was November, yet many of them still wore their summer clothes. Cold and hungry, the Cherokees were quickly exhausted by the hardships of journey. Many dropped dead and were buried by the roadside. When the last group arrived in their new home in March 1839, more than 4000 had died. It was in deed a march of death.
【小题1】 The Cherokee Nation used to live____________.

A．on the American continent	B．in the southeastern part of the US
C．beyond the Mississippi River	D．in the western territory

【小题2】One of the ways that Sequoyah copied from the white man is the way of__________.

A．writing down the spoken language	B．making word pictures
C．teaching his people reading	D．printing their own newspaper

【小题3】 A law was passed in 1830 to__________.

A．allow the Cherokees to stay where they were

B．send the army to help the Cherokees

C．force the Cherokees to move westward

D．forbid the Cherokees to read their newspaper

【小题4】When the Cherokees began to leave their lands, __________.

A．they went in carts	B．they went on horseback
C．they marched on foot	D．all of the above

【小题5】 Many Cherokees died on their way to their new home mainly because________.

A．they were not willing to go there

B．the government did not provide transportation

C．they did not have enough food and clothes

D．the journey was long and boring