阅读理解

　　Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts more intelligent (具备智能的) . They will help shoppers find paper cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill.

　　The touch-screen devices(触摸屏装置)are on show at the Food Marketing Institute's exhibition here this week. “These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker, ” .said Michael Alexandor, manager of Springboard Retail Networks Inc. , which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge.

　　Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July. A similar device, IBM's “Shopping Buddy”, has recently been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts.

　　Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf.

　　“The whole model is driven by advertisers' need to get in front of shoppers, ” said Alexandor. “They're not watching 30-second TV ads anymore.”

　　People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card to start a system(系统)that will organize the trip around the store. If you're looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen showing where you are and where you can find them.

　　The device also keeps a record of what you buy. When you' re finished, the device figures out your bill. Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.

　　The new computerized shopping assistants don't come cheap, The Buddy devices will cost the average store about $ 160 000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $ 500 for each device.

1．The underlined word “they” (paragraph l)refers to ________ .

[　　]

A．supermarkets

B．shop assistants

C．shopping carts

D．shop managers

2．Which of the following is the correct order of shopping with computerized shopping carts?

a．Start the system.

b．Make a shopping list.

c．Find the things you want.

d．Go to a self-checkout stand.

[　　]

A．abdc

B．bacd

C．acbd

D．bcad

3．We can learn from the last paragraph that ________ .

[　　]

A．intelligent shopping carts cost a large sum of money

B．the Concierge is cheaper than the Buddy devices

C．shop assistants with computer knowledge are well paid

D．average stores prefer the Concierge to the Buddy devices

4．What might be the most suitable title for the text?

[　　]

A．New age for supermarkets

B．Concierge and Shopping Buddy

C．New computers make shopping carts smarter

D．Touch-screen devices make shopping enjoyable

阅读理解

　　Compassion is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate compassion into actions. An experience last weekend showed me this is true. I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly. These old people are our main customers, and it's not hard to lose patience over their slowness. But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson. This untidy man walked up to my register(收款机)with a box of biscuits. He said he was out of cash(现金) , had just moved into his room, and had nothing in his cupboards. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust. He promised to repay me the next day.

　　I couldn't help staring at him. I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years be fore , and what he would be like if luck had gone his way. I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world. I told him that I was sorry, but store rules didn't allow me to do so. I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.

　　Just then, another man, standing behind the first, , spoke up. If anything, he looked more pitiable. “ Charge it to me, ” was all he said.

　　What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft and safe and easy. Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action. I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself. I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my, heart and taught me compassion.

1．The aged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits ________ .

[　　]

A．promised to obey the store rules

B．forgot to take any money with him

C．hoped to have the food first and pay later

D．could not afford anything more expensive

2．Which of the following best describes the old gentleman?

[　　]

A．Kind and lucky

B．poor and lonely

C．friendly and helpful

D．hurt and disappointed

3．The writer acted upon the store rules because ________ .

[　　]

A．he wanted to keep his present job

B．he felt no pity for the old gentleman

C．he considered the old man dishonest

D．he expected someone else to pay for the old man

4．What does the writer learn from his experience?

[　　]

A．Wealth is more important than anything else.

B．Helping others is easier said than done.

C．Experience is better gained through practice.

D．Obeying the rules means more than compassion.

阅读理解

　　Everyone loves Adventureland! The Parks and Exhibitions were built for you to explore(探索), en joy, and admire their wonders. Every visit will be an unforgettable experience. You will go away enriched, longing to come back. What are you going to do this time?

　　The Travel Pavilion

　　Explore places you have never been to before, and experience different ways of life.

　　Visit the Amazon jungle(丛林)village, the Turkish market, the Tai floating market, the Berber mountain house and others. Talk to the people there who will tell you about their lives, and things they make. You can try making a carpet, making nets, fishing…

　　The Future Tower

　　This exhibition shows how progress will touch our lives. It allows us to look into the future and explore the cities of the next century and the way we'll be living then. Spend some time in our space station and climb into our simulator(模拟装置)for the Journey to Mars!

　　The Nature Park

　　This is not really one park but several.

　　In the Safari Park you can drive among African animals in one of our Range Cruisers: see lions, giraffes , elephants in the wild. Move on to the Ocean Park to watch the dolphins and whales. And then there is still the Aviary to see…

　　The Pyramid

　　This is the center of Adventureland. Run out of film, need some postcards and stamps? For all these things and many more, visit our underground shopping centre. Come here for information and ideas too.

1．The Travel Pavilion is built to help visitors ________ .

[　　]

A．realize the importance of traveling

B．become familiar with mountain countries

C．learn how to make things such as fishing nets

D．learn something about different places in the world

2．If you are interested in knowing about what people's life will be, you may visit ________ .

[　　]

A．the Travel Pavilion

B．the Future Tower

C．the Safari Park

D．the Pyramid

3．If you want to get a toy lion to take home, where will you most likely go?

[　　]

A．The Pyramid.

B．The Nature Park.

C．The Future Tower.

D．The Travel Pavilion.

阅读理解

　　David Grant

　　David Grant has become a familiar face to millions of fans of Animal Hospital. Here Dr Grant tells us the very best of his personal stories about the animals he has treated, including familiar patients such as the dogs Snowy and Duchess, the delightful cat Marigold Serendipity Diamond. He also takes the reader behind the scenes at Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital as he describes his day, from ordinary medical check ups to surgery (外科手术) . Tales from Animal Hospital will delight all fans of the programme and anyone who has a lively interest in their pet, whether it be cat, dog or snake!

　　￡ 14.99 Hardback 272pp Simon Schuster

　　ISBN 0751304417

　　Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer

　　Michael White

　　From the author of Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science, comes this colorful description of the life of the world's first modem scientist. Interesting yet based on fact, Michael White's learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him. New ton is shown as a gifted scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic (魔术) ended and science began.

　　￡ 18.99 Hardback 320pp Fourth Estate

　　ISBN 1857024168

　　Fermat's Last Theorem

　　Simon Singh

　　In 1963 a schoolboy called Andrew Wiles reading in his school library came across the world's greatest mathematical problem: Fermat's Last Theorem (定理) .First put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century, the theorem had baffled and beaten the finest mathematical minds, including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem, and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole Polytechnique. Through unbelievable determination Andrew Wiles finally worked out the problem in 1995 .An unusual story of human effort over three centuries, Fermat's Last Theorem will delight specialists and general readers alike.

　　￡ 12.99 Hardback 384pp Fourth Estate

　　ISBN 1857025210

1．What is Animal Hospital?

[　　]

A．A news story.

B．A popular book.

C．A research report.

D．A TV programme.

2．In Michael White's book, Newton is described as ________ .

[　　]

A．a person who did not look the same as in many pictures

B．a person who lived a colorful and meaningful life

C．a great but not perfect man

D．an old-time magician

3．Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “baffle ”as it is used in the text?

[　　]

A．To encourage people to raise questions.

B．To cause difficulty in understanding.

C．To provide a person with an explanation.

D．To limit people's imagination.

4．The person who finally proved Fermat's Last Theorem is ________ .

[　　]

A．Simon Singh

B．Andrew Wiles

C．Pierre de Fermat

D．a French woman scientist

5．What is the purpose of writing these three texts?

[　　]

A．To make the books easier to read.

B．To show the importance of science.

C．To introduce new authors.

D．To sell the books.

阅读理解

　　When Lewis and Clark stepped onto the Weippe Prairie in present-day Idaho in September 1805, they met the Nez Perce Indians. In the following years, the white explorers (探险者) began to fight with the Indians for their land. Some Nez Perce chiefs signed agreements with the U.S. government, selling part of their lands. But the government always broke those agreements and demanded more land.

　　Other chiefs refused to go along with the government's plans. The most famous was Chief Joseph, whose people lived in the Wallowa Valley (present-day Oregon) .

　　“In order to have all people understand how much land we owned, ” he once explained, “my father planted poles around it and said: ‘Inside is the home of my people…It circled around the graves(坟墓) of our fathers, and we will never give up these graves to any man. ’”

　　But in 1874, the U.S. government declared the valley open for white settlement and ordered the Nez Perce onto a reservation (保留地) . Seeing that resistance was useless, Chief Joseph agreed to move.

　　Later, fighting broke out between the Nez Perce and U.S. soldiers. Chief Joseph tried to lead his people to Canada, winning several battles against the soldiers during their flight. But finally, he was forced to give in.

1．Which historic site (on the map) lies in the south of today's Nez Perce Reservation?

[　　]

A．Buffalo Eddy.

B．Dug Bar.

C．Joseph Canyon Viewpoint.

D．Chief Looking Class Camp.

2．What can we learn about the Nez Perce lands from the map?

[　　]

A．They were in the state of Oregon.

B．They have become a historic site.

C．They have become much smaller.

D．They were limited to the Wallowa Valley.

3．From Paragraph 3, we know that the Indians wanted to ________ .

[　　]

A．show off their land

B．keep their land

C．turn their place into a graveyard

D．build their homes around the poles

阅读理解

　　MONTREAL( Reuters)—Crossing the US—Canada border(边界) to go to church on a Sunday cost a US citizen $ 10 000 for breaking Washington's strict new security(安全) rules.

　　The expensive trip to church was a surprise for Richard Albert, who lives right on the Canadian border. Like the other half-dozen people of Township 15, crossing the border is a daily occurrence for Albert. The nearby Quebec village of St. Pamphile is where they shop, eat and go to church.

　　There are many such situations in these areas along the largely unguarded 5 530-mile border between Canada and the US—which in some cases actually runs down the middle of streets or through buildings.

　　As a result, Albert says he did not expect any problems three weeks ago when he returned home to the US after attending church in Canada, as usual. The US customs(海关) station in this area is closed on Sun days , so he just drove around the locked gate, as he had done every weekend since the gate appeared last May, following a tightening of border security. Two days later, Albert was told to go to the customs office, where an officer told him he had been caught on camera crossing the border illegally(非法) .

　　Ottawa has given out special passes to some 300 US citizens in that area so they can enter the country when Canadian customs stations are closed, but the US stopped a similar program last May. That forces the people to a 200-mile detour along hilly roads to get home through another border checkpoint.

　　Albert has requested that the customs office change their decisions on the fine, but he has not attended a Sunday church since. “I feel like I'm living in a prison, ”he said.

1．We learn from the text that Richard Albeit is ________ .

[　　]

A．an American living in Township 15

B．a Canadian living in a Quebec village

C．a Canadian working in a customs station

D．an American working in a Canadian church

2．Albert was fined because he ________ .

[　　]

A．failed to obey traffic rules

B．broke the American security rules

C．worked in St. Pamphile without a pass

D．damaged the gate of the customs office

3．The underlined word “detour” in paragraph 5 means ________

[　　]

A．a drive through the town

B．a race across the fields

C．a roundabout way of traveling

D．a journey in the mountain area

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

[　　]

A．A Cross-country Trip

B．A Special Border Pass

C．An Unguarded Border

D．An Expensive Church Visit

阅读理解

　　Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills (读写能力) . With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence (自信心) , according to Intermountain Therapy Animals(ITA)in Salt Lake City. The group says it's the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs(READ) .

　　The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea. “ Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self respect, and regard reading as a headache, ”said Lisa Myron, manager of the children's department.

　　Last November the two groups started “Dog Day Afternoon”in the children's department of the main library. About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading .for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a “pawgraphed”book at the last class.

　　The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager.

1．What is mainly discussed in the text?

[　　]

A．Children's reading difficulties.

B．Advantages of raising dogs.

C．Service in a public library.

D．A special reading program.

2．Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think ________ .

[　　]

A．dogs are young children's best friends

B．children can play with dogs while reading

C．dogs can provide encouragement for shy children

D．children and dogs understand each other

3．By saying “The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea”, the writer means the library ________ .

[　　]

A．uses dogs to attract children

B．accepts the idea put forward by ITA

C．has opened a children's department

D．has decided to train some dogs

4．A “pawgraphed” book is most probably ________ .

[　　]

A．a book used in Saturday classes

B．a book written by the children

C．a prize for the children

D．a gift from parents

阅读理解

　　I fell in love with England because it was quaint(古雅)—all those little houses, looking terribly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls' houses. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved Lon don . I've slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it's an ugly town now.

　　Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentlemen., fair play, and good manners. The fair play is going, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good manners—people shut doors heavily in your face and politeness is disappearing.

　　I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. Your're forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here it usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafes are not terribly nice.

　　As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb on taxis because I will not take public transport after 10 p.m. I used to use it, but now I'm afraid.

　　The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that's typically French. In Middlesex I had a neighbor who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone.

1．The writer doesn't like London because she ________ .

[　　]

A．is not used to the life there now

B．has lived there for seventeen years

C．prefers to live in an old-fashioned house

D．has to be polite to everyone she meets there

2．Where do people usually meet their friends in England?

[　　]

A．In a cafe.

B．In a restaurant.

C．In a nightclub.

D．In a pub.

3．The underlined part “it” (in Para. 4 )refers to ________ .

[　　]

A．a taxi

B．the money

C．a bomb

D．public transport

4．The writer took her neighbor to France for Christmas because he ________ .

[　　]

A．felt lonely in England

B．had never been to France

C．was from a typical French family

D．didn't like the British idea of family

阅读理解

　　In the course of working my way through school, I took many jobs I would rather forget. But none of these jobs was as dreadful as my job in an apple plant. The work was hard; the pay was poor; and, most of all, the working conditions were terrible.

　　First of all, the job made huge demands on my strength. For ten hours a night, I took boxes that rolled down a metal track and piled them onto a truck. Each box contained twelve heavy bottles of apple juice. I once figured out that I was lifting an average of twelve tons of apple juice every night.

　　I would not have minded the difficulty of the work so much if the pay had not been so poor. I was paid the lowest wage of that time—two dollars an hour. Because of the low pay, I felt eager to get as much as possible. I usually worked twelve hours a night but did not take home much more than $ 100 a week.

　　But even more than the low pay, what made me unhappy was the working conditions. During work I was limited to two ten-minute breaks and an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spent outside loading trucks with those heavy boxes in near-zero-degree temperatures. The steel floors of the trucks were like ice, which made my feet feel like stone. And after the production line shut down at night and most people left, I had to spend two hours alone cleaning the floor.

　　I stayed on the job for five months, all the while hating the difficulty of the work, the poor money, and the conditions under which I worked. By the time I left, I was determined never to go back there again.

1．Why did the writer have to take many jobs at that time?

[　　]

A．To pay for his schooling.

B．To save for his future.

C．To support his family.

D．To gain some experience.

2．The following facts describe the terrible working conditions of the plant EXCEPT ________ .

[　　]

A．loading boxes in the freezing cold

B．having limited time for breaks

C．working and studying at the same time

D．getting no pay for lunch time

3．What is the subject discussed in the text?

[　　]

A．The writer's unhappy school life.

B．The writer's eagerness to earn money.

C．The writer's experience as a full-time worker.

D．The writer's hard work in an apple plant.

4．How is the text organized?

A．Topic—Argument—Explanation

B．Opinion—Discussion—Description

C．Main idea—Comparison—Supporting examples

D．Introduction—Supporting examples—Conclusion

阅读下面短文，从每小题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出一个最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

　　The Oscars, or to give them their proper name, “The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards of Merit”, are awards given to people who work in specific areas of the film industry.

　　Actors and directors, costume(服装) designers and songwriters, make-up artists and sound engineers, among others, all have the chance to win an Oscar.

　　The awards themselves are small statuettes(小雕像), around 34 cm tall and weighing just over 3.5 kg. The golden statuettes are all the same－they show a man (with no clothes on!) holding a sword and standing on a reel of film.

　　Sadly for the winner, the statue is not solid gold, but just gold-plated. In actual value it is only worth around $ 250. However, although the statuette itself is not worth very much, winning one can be worth millions of dollars to the film studios.

　　Winning an Oscar means that the world's top filmmakers liked your work It is the best publicity any film can get. If a film can have “Academy Award Winner” under its title, many more people will go to see it.

　　The Academy was first formed in May 1927, and the awards have been given every year since then. This ceremony, when the awards are presented to the winners, is the highlight of the Hollywood calendar. It is the most glamorous(富有魅力的) and starstudded(星光灿烂的) evening of the whole year, and is shown on television in 90 countries around the world and watched by over 500 million people.

　　Everyone who is famous in the film world attends the awards ceremony. Most arrive in huge limousines, wearing wonderful clothes. The Oscar ceremony is the one night when Hollywood really is as glamorous as it appears.

　　For the first few years of the Academy, the Academy Awards themselves were simply called “The Statuettes”. There are various stories which explain why they were at last given the nickname “Oscars”. The most popular is that the Academy librarian, Margaret Herrick, exclaimed when she saw the golden statuette “He looks just like my Uncle Oscar!”, and the name stuck.

　　Whatever the reason, it is certainly easier to say “Oscar”, than to say “Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards of Merit”, so the little golden man is now on a first-name basis with everyone.

1．The passage is really about ________.

[　　]

A．Hollywood

B．an award in the film industry

C．an award ceremony

D．a famous film star, Oscar

2．One story says that the Oscars are named after ________.

[　　]

A．Oscar Hammerstein

B．the man who invented them

C．the Academy librarian's uncle

D．one of the “Oscar” winners

3．The awards were first simply called “________”.

[　　]

A．Oscars

B．The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards of Merit

C．Uncle Oscars

D．The Statuettes

4．A reader can learn from the text that ________.

[　　]

A．only actors can have the chance to win Oscars

B．an Oscar is made completely of gold

C．winning an Oscar is worth millions of dollars to film studios

D．the Academy Awards are given every four years

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

[　　]

A．Everybody's Favorite Uncle

B．Great American Films

C．Winning is Not Important

D．History of Film Industry