阅读理解

　　The old Volkswagen Beetle The Bug” is making a comeback. People who own them are planning to keep them forever. People who don't own them are paying high prices when they can find one for sale. It's more remarkable when you realize that VW doesn't even make them anymore!

　　A spokesman for Volkswagen of America says there were about five million “Bugs” on American roads in 1977. That was the last year they were shipped to America. VW calculates that about four million of them are still running…and running…and running.

　　Used car businessmen say they can't keep “Bugs” on their lots these days. They feel it's because these cars have a history of reliable (牢靠的), inexpensive transportation. The cars average (平均) about 30 miles per gallon of gas.

　　But all hasn't been smooth going for the “Bugs”. The heating system is poor. And since it travels very close to the ground, large cars tend to splash it with winter's snow and mud. Some in the safety field consider the Beetle as defenseless against heavier cars. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has nothing that shows any problem with them at all.

1．The reason why people like to have a “Bug” is that ________.

[　　]

A．they can hardly find it at the used car markets

B．it travels smoothly and safely

C．it is cheap and saves a lot of gas

D．it is a reliable and inexpensive car

2．According to the passage, which of the following statements is not true?

[　　]

A．“Bugs” are no longer produced.

B．“Bugs” are now produced in a small quantity.

C．More than five million “Bugs” have been shipped to America.

D．No “Bugs” have been shipped to America since 1977.

3．What is the problem with a “Bug”?

[　　]

A．It is not as strong as the other cars.

B．It does not go smoothly.

C．It has a poor heating system.

D．It travels too fast.

4．In the last sentence, the word “them” refers to ________.

[　　]

A．“Bugs”

B．heavier cars

C．some people in the safety field

D．people from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

5．The Americans ________.

[　　]

A．used to have interest in “Bugs”

B．start to feel interested in “Bugs”

C．have never lost interest in “Bugs”

D．have become interested in “Bugs” again

阅读理解

　　Lakeland, Fla. April 29 Two cars got out of sight, dropping to the bottom of a 30-foot sinkhole (灰岩坑) that appeared so suddenly that the drivers could not avoid it.

　　No one was hurt, but the incident was the fifteenth of its kind reported in this area so far this year.

　　At a town 13 miles from Lakeland, two bedrooms of one house dropped into a hole 60 feet across and 35 feet deep. Part of the next house was dangerously over the hole. The people in both houses had to be taken to safety.

　　Sinkholes have been happening without warning in this part of Florida for years. So far there is no way to tell when or where one will appear. But when one does, others usually follow in the same area, usually along a straight line.

　　The worst sinkhole in recent years appeared in 1965. It was 70 feet across and 150 feet deep. It destroyed one house, damaged several others and cracked walls a block away.

　　One hole, 15 feet deep, opened up this year in the middle of a highway 19 seconds after a car had driven by. Others in the same area happened at night, damaging houses, swallowing up trees and parts of streets and causing 23 frightened people to run away from their homes in nightclothes.

　　Sinkholes happen when the weather is very dry. The earth at the surface begins to drop into holes underneath, like sand falling in a big hourglass (沙漏). This is how a sinkhole is formed.

1．Sinkholes do not happen ________.

[　　]

A．after a rainstorm

B．in a straight line

C．when the weather is very dry

D．at night

2．When one sinkhole appears, others usually follow ________.

[　　]

A．everywhere

B．immediately

C．in the neighborhood

D．on straight highways only

3．Sinkholes happen because ________.

[　　]

A．there are large holes under houses

B．Lakeland has an underground lake

C．wet mud draws in heavy things such as cars and houses

D．dry earth moves and fills underground holes

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

[　　]

A．Sinkholes have caused destruction in the Lakeland area.

B．Sinkholes always happen suddenly without any warning.

C．Drivers can not avoid sinkholes.

D．Sinkholes are of huge sizes.

5．The average number of sinkholes happening in Lakeland each month this year is ________.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　When a young short-toed treecreeper (旋木雀)hatches from the egg, it is hairless, blind, and helpless. At birth it weighs 0.8 gram. Its manifestations (现象) of life are wholly out of tune with its quest (追求) to achieve a weight of 8 to 9 grams as quickly as possible, the latter being the weight of an adult treecreeper. To achieve this end the chick must eat, and it must also be warmer than its environment. It gets food from its parents, but warmth from its mother alone. In all this the youngster does not do much of an active nature. On the first day it begins to stretch itself, raising its neck high and opening its beak. It also responds to the feeding calls of its parents, which are made only if the chick does not open up. During the first few days, the chick cannot see, but it can tempt the parents to provide feedings by sending out a begging call.

　　Heartman (1953) took six of the seven young pied flycatchers (relatives of the treecreeper) out of their nest. Since there was now only one chick in the nest, the parents were not as quick to provide frequent feedings. The other six chicks, now hungry, were then brought near the nest so that their parents could hear all the seven even they could see only one. At once the rate (率) of attempted feedings doubled. The one chick in the nest could not handle the large amount of food, naturally, so the parents ended up eating some of it themselves.

1．How many different types of birds are referred to in the passage?

[　　]

2．According to the passage, which of the following is the most important in satisfying the baby treecreeper's need for warmth?

[　　]

A．The materials in the nest.

B．The mother bird.

C．The father bird.

D．The other chicks of the hatch.

3．The purpose of the parent treecreeper's feeding calls is to ________.

[　　]

A．note the need for food

B．warn the babies against its enemy

C．increase the variety of food

D．get the baby to open its mouth

4．Which of the following helps newborn treecreepers to gain weight?

[　　]

A．Begging noises.

B．Low body temperature.

C．Feathers.

D．Good eyesight.

5．It is most likely that the writer is using these paragraphs as ________.

[　　]

A．an introduction to a discussion of various kinds of birds

B．a broad description of bird development

C．a set of instruction for raising birds

D．examples of a general statement about bird feeding

阅读理解

　　Hypnotism (催眠术) is very old. Thousands of years ago people started to use it in Egypt. The use of hypnotism has grown very much since that time. Today, doctors and scientists in almost every country hypnotize people to help them with their problems.

　　What is hypnotism, and how does it work? Many people think that a hypnotist puts people to sleep. Then he makes the hypnotized people to do strange things. This is not what a hypnotist does. Hypnotism is really just a way to relax the mind and body.

　　What are some of the uses of hypnotism? We go to a hypnotist because we have a problem. The problem makes us unhappy. The hypnotist asks us to think hard about something and relax. When we are relaxed, the hypnotist gives us some ideas to help us with our problems.

　　Hypnotism can help people to remember things. The police sometimes ask hypnotists to help them. For example, a man sees an accident. He forgets the license (牌照) number of the car he sees. If he is hypnotized he may remember it. The police can then find the car and catch the driver.

　　People who are hypnotized can also make mistakes or say something that isn't true. People remember what they think they saw. That may not be what really happened.

　　The police don't hypnotize people who do something wrong. Why not? People who are hypnotized may say something that isn't true. A person who has done something bad has a good reason to say something that isn't true.

1．We go to a hypnotist for help when ________.

[　　]

A．we can't sleep well

B．we are very nervous

C．we can't remember what we have seen

D．we have problems

2．A hypnotist helps people by ________.

[　　]

A．putting them to sleep

B．helping them to get relaxed

C．offering his ideas about their problems

D．making them forget their problems

3．When hypnotized, some people may say something that is not ture, because ________.

[　　]

A．they do not remember what has happened

B．they just remember what they think has happened

C．they do not know what has happened

D．they are not interested in what has happened

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

[　　]

A．Hypnotism is very different from what it used to be.

B．When a person is hypnotized, his body gets relaxed, while his mind works hard.

C．Hypnotism is much more widely used today than it was thousands of years ago.

D．When hypnotized, a person will do something strange.

5．The passage mainly talks about ________.

[　　]

A．how hypnotism works

B．the development of hypnotism

C．the use of hypnotism

D．the wonder of hypnotism

阅读理解

　　One Saturday night, while we were sitting around our living room with some old friends, one of them started trying to remember how long we'd lived there.

　　“Since 1952,” I said. “We paid off the mortgage eight years ago.”

　　“What did you pay for it?”

　　“We paid $ 29,500 in 1952.”

　　My friend nodded knowingly and thought a minute.

　　“I think,” he said, “that you could get $ 85,000 for it today.”

　　I don't know why it is such a popular topic of conversation these days, but if any real estate dealers (房地产商) are reading this, I will give them some money-saving advice: don't waste any stamps on me with your offers to buy.

　　Our house is not an investment (投资). Our house is our home. We live there. It is the place we go when we don't feel like going anyplace. We do not plan to move.

　　Our house gives me a simple pleasure every time I come home to it. I am warmed by some ambiance (氛围) which perhaps is only dust, but it is our dust and I like it.

　　There's been much talk of moving, usually brought on by a leak in the roof or a neighbor we don't like. But when anyone asks me how much I think our house is worth, I just smile. They couldn't buy what that house means to me for all the money in both local banks. The house is not for sale.

1．The word “mortgage” means a certain amount of money from ________.

[　　]

2．According to the passage, we can learn that the house is a ________.

[　　]

A．careful investment

B．careless investment

C．money-losing investment

D．money-making investment

3．Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?

[　　]

A．It was not easy for the writer to pay off the mortgage.

B．People often talk about buying houses.

C．People never lose interest in moving.

D．Some people do not get on well with their neighbors.

4．The writer thinks that his house ________.

[　　]

5．The best title for the passage would be ________.

[　　]

A．The Structure of My House

B．The Value of My House

C．The Story of My House

D．The History of My House

阅读理解

　　It is said that in the United States many have been told that anyone can become rich and successful if he works hard and has some good luck.

　　Yes, when one becomes rich he wants people to know it. And even he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That's what “Keeping up with the Joneses” is about. The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American by the name of Arthur Momand. Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things to keep up with their neighbours: they try to look as rich and as successful as their neighbours. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it “Keeping Up with the Joneses”, because “Jones” is a very common name in the United States. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean keeping up with the people around you. Momand's series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.

　　People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. That is one reason why they read the “right” books, go to the “right” universities and eat in the “right” restaurants.

　　Every city has an area where people want to live because others will think better of them if they do. And there are “Joneses” in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses, because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.

1．Why, according to the passage, do many people try to keep up with the Joneses?

[　　]

A．Because they want to be as rich as their neighbours.

B．Because they feel proud to be taken for the Joneses.

C．Because they want others to know or think they are rich.

D．Because they are afraid that others will know they are rich.

2．Why did Arthur Momand use the name “Jones” in his stories?

[　　]

A．Because many rich people in the U.S. are named Jones.

B．Because few rich people in the U.S. are named Jones.

C．Because the name sounds funny and impressive.

D．Because there are many people in the U.S. whose family name is Jones.

3．What does the author mean when he says the “right” books?

[　　]

A．Books that other people around are reading.

B．Books that teach people how to get rich and successful.

C．Books by famous and successful writers.

D．Very expensive books.

4．What does the author mean by “Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead”?

[　　]

A．It seems Mr. Jones is always walking ahead of others.

B．It seems one can never keep up with all people around.

C．It seems Mr. Jones is a very rich man.

D．It seems one has to work very hard to get rich.

5．What is the author's opinion?

[　　]

A．It is funny to try to keep up with the Joneses.

B．It is necessary to keep up with the Joneses.

C．It is hard to keep up with the people around you.

D．It is senseless (无意义) to try to keep up with the people around you.

阅读理解

　　It was not yet eleven o'clock when a boat crossed the river with a single passenger who had got his transportation at that unusual hour by promising an extra fare. While the youth stood on the landing-place searching in his pockets for money, the boatman lifted a lamp, by the aid of which, together with the newly risen moon, he took a very close look at the stranger's figure. He was a young man of about eighteen years, obviously brought up in the country, and now as it seemed, of his first visit to town. He was wearing a rough gray coat, which was still in good shape after many winters. The trousers under his coat were well made of leather, and fitted tightly to a pair of long legs; his blue stockings must have been the work of a mother or sister, and on his head was a three-cornered hat, which in its better days had perhaps protected the grayer head of the young man's father. In his left hand was a walking stick, and his belongings were completed by a leather bag which hung on his strong shoulders. Brown, curly hair, a well-shaped nose, bright, cheerful eyes were nature's gifts. The youth, whose name was Robin, paid the boatman, and then walked forward into the town with a light step, as if he had not already traveled more than thirty miles that day. As he walked, he looked around his surroundings as eagerly as if he were entering London or Madrid, instead of the little town in New England.

1．What was the weather like when the story took place?

[　　]

2．The boatman was willing to take Robin across the river because ________.

[　　]

A．he was going to row across the river anyway

B．he would like to make extra money

C．he saw that Robin was young and rich

D．he felt sorry for him because Robin looked poor

3．The stockings that Robin wore were obviously ________.

[　　]

4．Judging from his appearance, most probably Robin was ________.

[　　]

A．a foreigner

B．a farmer's son

C．a sick man

D．a leather merchant

5．From the passage we may conclude all the following except that ________.

[　　]

A．Robin had a very loving family

B．Robin was a handsome and energetic country boy of nearly eighteen

C．Robin had a natural gift for dressing

D．Robin had made careful preparation for this visit

阅读理解

　　The water level of oceans rises and falls alternately twice a day. This movement of water is called the tide. Tides are caused by the pull of the sun and the moon on the earth's surface; since the moon is closer, it affects the tides more than the sun. When the moon is directly overhead, it actually pulls on the water that is below it. This causes the water level to rise because the water is pulled away from the earth. As the moon disappears over the horizon (地平线), the pull lessens and the water level settles back towards the ocean bottom.

　　When the water reaches its highest level, we have high tide. And when the water comes to its lowest level, we have low tide. From its lowest point, the water rises gradually for about six hours until it reaches high tide. Then it begins to fall continuously for about six hours until it reaches low tide. Then the cycle (循环) begins again.

(1) Which of the following may be the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．The Moon and Oceans

B．The Moon and the Tide

C．Water Levels

D．The Pull of the Moon and the Sun

(2) The pull of the moon on the earth's surface is stronger than that of the sun because ________.

[　　]

A．the moon is directly over the earth

B．the moon pulls the water away from the earth

C．the moon is closer to the earth

D．the moon moves around the earth

(3) Water level reaches its low point when ________.

[　　]

(4) High tide occurs ________.

[　　]

(5) According to the passage, which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．Weather sometimes affects tides.

B．The force directly affecting the earth's surface comes from the the moon only.

C．The effect of the sun on the ocean water can be neglected.

D．Tides are the result of the pull of the moon and the sun.

阅读理解

　　A bankrupt is a person who is so deeply in debt that a court of law decides that someone else must handle (管理) his money for a while. Until the bankrupt is again allowed to handle his own money, he is in a state of bankruptcy. The court appoints (任命) a trustee (person who is in charge of keeping or managing some property) to handle the bankrupt's money. Either the person or the people to whom he owes money can ask that the court consider declaring (宣布) him bankrupt. Almost everything that a bankrupt owns is sold. He is allowed to keep personal items and clothing except for things like expensive furs and jewelry. As the property is sold, the trustee makes sure the bankrupt person is allowed enough money for food, a place to live, and a means to get to and from work. But most of the money is used to pay debts. Usually, a bankrupt's debts are much greater than the value of his property. Then only a certain part of each debt can be paid. When this is done, the bankrupt may handle his own money again. After bankruptcy, a person starts again with no debts but with very little money.

(1) Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

[　　]

A．Bankruptcy takes place when a person is declared unable to pay his debts by a court of law.

B．A trustee is a person appointed by the court to handle the bankrupt's money for him.

C．A bankrupt must sell almost everything he owns.

D．A bankrupt won't be able to handle his own money unless he pays off his debts.

(2) The word “property” means “________”.

[　　]

A．thing or amount owed to another

B．holding or things owned

C．furs and jewelry

D．houses and cars

(3) Which of the following is not true?

[　　]

A．Bankruptcy is declared by a court.

B．Bankruptcy sounds like a very serious matter.

C．Bankruptcy means that a trustee handles a bankrupt's money for him.

D．Bankruptcy is a way to get into debt.

(4) Which of the following is not mentioned?

[　　]

A．After bankruptcy a person usually has little money.

B．When a person is in a state of bankruptcy, he is not allowed to handle his own money.

C．A bankrupt has to sell everything he owns to pay his debts.

D．Usually, a bankrupt's debts are greater than the value of his property.

(5) Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

[　　]

A．The Job of a Trustee

B．Property Value

C．The Court that Declares Bankruptcy

D．What Do Bankrupt and Bankruptcy Mean?

阅读理解

　　Modern mass-production (成批生产) methods lower the cost of making goods, and thus give us better values. At the same time, American ingenuity (独创性) and science are constantly at work improving the quality of products. In this way, better quality products at good values are continually being brought to the people of all income (收入) groups.

　　As an example of how this works, when facial tissues (面巾纸) were first put on the market in 1924, they were made in limited quantities and sold at 65 cents per box of 200. People liked these facial tissues immediately and began asking for them when they went into different stores. Because there was such a demand for the product, manufacturers began making tissues in larger quantities, their production costs were lowered, so that the cost of tissues went down. In the meanwhile, the quality of facial tissues was constantly improving, because more manufacturers went into the business of making tissues, and each manufacturer strove to make his product better than his competitors'. Today, instead of costing 65 cents, a box of 200 tissues costs around one-third of that price, and they are both softer and stronger.

　　When people are free to compete when they are free to make more things and make them better everyone benefits.

(1) In regard to the production of goods in greater quantities, the author states that ________.

[　　]

A．the price of the goods should drop

B．the quantity of the goods should improve

C．the quality should rise and the price should drop

D．the price and quality should both rise

(2) When the demand for facial tissues increased, ________.

[　　]

A．the supply was quickly short

B．its price rose

C．the manufacturers tried to improve its quality

D．more manufacturers went into the business of making tissues

(3) Improved quality of facial tissues resulted from ________.

[　　]

A．mass-production methods

B．popular demand or a better product

C．a degrease in production costs

D．competition among manufacturers

(4) The author believes that in a nation where free enterprise (自由企业制) exists, manufacturers will produce ________.

[　　]

(5) The author ________ modern mass-production.

[　　]