阅读理解

　　This is the story of a small boy, who lived a long time ago in Germany . His name was George Frederick Handle .

　　As a very young boy, he loved music most. But his father didn't allow him to play any music.

　　Then one day he waited until he was all alone at home. Quickly he ran to his hiding place, he and a friend carried a small piano into the house. He decided to put it in his hiding place. There no one could see it.

　　That night, when everyone else wag asleep, he went to his hiding place. The moon was shining through a broken window. He sat on a box and began to play the piano. At that moment he knew he could only be happy playing music the rest of his life.

　　He played on and on, and he filled his house with his music. “George!” cried his father, “What are you doing? Stop that playing now! ”

　　The music stopped. George had tears in his eyes. Then he turned to his father and said, “Papa, you must understand I love music. It is my whole life.”

　　“Now listen to me, you foolish boy,” said Mr. Handle, “I want you to be a rich man. I want you to work hard. 1 don't want you to be a poor man all your life. You must leave music and become a doctor. Don't let me see you at the piano again.”

　　One day George found his way to church. He went straight to the organ(管风琴)and began to play it . He was only seven years old then. The story of his music spread in his town.

　　When the Duke heard the story, he said, “This boy must have the best music teacher. ” So George began to take music lessons.

　　George's teacher was very good. He taught George well and helped him write his own music. George became famous when he was eleven years old. Now his music is played all over the world.

1．Why didn't George listen to his father?

[　　]

A．He deeply loved music .

B．He didn't think his father was right.

C．He didn't want to go to school.

D．Music could make him rich.

2．What did George's father want him to be?

[　　]

A．A businessman.

B．A teacher.

C．A doctor.

D．A musician.

3．“Duke” is probably ________.

[　　]

A．a doctor

B．a nobleman

C．a good music teacher

D．a shop manager

4．The title “The Musical Heart” means ________.

[　　]

A．George began to play the piano when he was very young.

B．George played the piano pretty well .

C．George was a good music teacher.

D．George regarded music as his life and put his heart into it.

阅读理解

　　Tokyo is one of those places that you can love and hate at the same time. In Tokyo there are always too many people in the places where you want to be. Of course there are too many cars. The Japanese drive very fast when they can, but in Tokyo they often spend a long time in traffic jams(交通阻塞). Tokyo is not different from London. Paris and New York in that. It is different when one wants to walk.

　　At certain times of the day there are a lot of people on foot in London's Oxford Street. But the street near the Ginza in Tokyo always has a lot of people on foot, and sometimes it is really difficult to walk. People are very polite, there are just too many of them.

　　The worst time to be in the street is at 11: 30 at night. That is when the nightclubs are closing and everybody wants to go home. There are 35,000 nightclubs in Tokyo, and you do not often see one that is empty .

　　During the day, most people travel to and from work by train. Tokyo people buy six million train tickets every day. At most stations, train arrives every two or three minutes, but at certain hours there do not seem to be enough trains. Although they are usually crowded, Japanese trains are very good. They always leave and arrive on time. On a London train, you would see everybody reading a newspaper. On Tokyo trains, everybody in a seat seems to be asleep, whether his journey is long or short.

　　In Tokyo, I stood outside the station for five minutes. Three fire engines raced(疾驰)past on the way to one of the many fires that Tokyo has every day. Tokyo has so many surprises that none of them can really surprise me now .

1．Tokyo is different from London in that ________.

[　　]

A．it has a larger population

B．it is a noisy city

C．it is more difficult to go somewhere on foot

D．its people are more friendly and more polite

2．When does the writer think is the worst time to go into the street?

[　　]

A．When the nightclubs are closing.

B．At 8:00 a. m.

C．When the train is overcrowded.

D．At 11:30 a.m.

3．What does the writer think of Japanese trains?

[　　]

A．They are very nice and comfortable.

B．There are not enough trains.

C．They often run behind time.

D．They leave and arrive on time.

4．From the passage, we can see that fires break out ________ in Tokyo.

[　　]

A．quite often

B．very rarely

C．occasionally

D．only several times a day

阅读理解

　　Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.

　　The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy alcohol (酒)in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.

　　Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don't make unnecessary noise, particularly at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.

　　Thirdly, crossing the mad. Be careful The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings(人行横道)and do not take any chances when crossing the road.

　　My next point is about litter( throwing away waste material in a public place). It is an offence(违法行为)to drop litter in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a litter bin.

　　Finally, as regards smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco(烟草)if you are under 16 years of age .

　　I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact your local police station, who be pleased to help you.

　　Now, are there any questions?

1．The main purpose of this speech would be to ________.

[　　]

A．prepare people for international travel

B．declare the laws of different kinds

C．give advice to travelers to the country

D．inform people of the punishment for breaking laws.

2．How many laws there discussed in the speech?

[　　]

3．The underlined word “contact” in the seventh paragraph means ________.

[　　]

4．From the speech we learn that ________.

[　　]

A．in this country, if you are under 18 years of age, you may not buy alcohol, but your friend can buy it for you

B．you may not buy cigarettes or tobacco unless you are above 16 years of age

C．because the traffic moves on the left side of the road, you must use pedestrian crossings when crossing the road

D．you can't make noise except at night

5．Who do you think is most likely to make the speech?

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Hong Kong pop star Zhang Guorong, 46, jumped out of a window of Mandarin Oriental Hotel at the start of April, 2003, leaving behind sorrowful fans and suicide (自杀)note which newspapers said was caused by emotional (情感的)problems. His death shocked the public and the incident again brought a serious topic to light—suicide.

　　Zhang was best known globally for his part in the blockbuster film “Farewell My Concubine, ”where he played a homosexual (同性恋的)Chinese opera singer. The popular 1993 film won a lot of awards including the world-famous Palmed' Or at the Cannes Film Festival. However, such achievements could not make Zhang content with his life. It was reported that long before his death, Zhang had been suffering from depression (意志消沉). His tragedy shows we need to learn how to reduce the pressure from our society by happily and naturally facing life. Depression, a mental illness, and suicide have often been highlighted in the past as serious social problems—and for good reason.

　　According to experts, about 5 to 10 percent of people are suffering from depression, some of whom are not even aware of the illness. And alarmingly, 10 to 15 percent of people suffering from depression will be likely to commit suicide.

　　Statisticians (统计学家)also show suicide is the leading cause of death among young adults. It leads to 3. 6 percent of all deaths each year in China, a survey said. Last year, 287,000 Chinese died after committing suicide. The female rate is 25 percent higher than the male rate. For this reason, the media must highlight the negative (负面的)influence of Zhang's tragedy in its reporting. It is shameful to talk too much about his death. Although his achievements in the arts were great, his final choice cannot be praised, let alone calling his death a “perfect end” to a shining life.

　　The media should guide people—especially Zhang's fans—to shake off their sorrow quickly, learn a lesson from their idol's tragedy, find a release from the pressure of their lives and value their priceless lives.

1．Why on earth did Zhang choose to kill himself in such a way?

[　　]

A．Because he was not as popular as he was before.

B．Because he was disappointed at his life.

C．Because he suffered from high pressure from his fans.

D．Because he dropped out of the hotel accidently.

2．What does the word “blockbuster” in the second paragraph probably mean?

[　　]

A．Most popular.

B．Very interesting.

C．Ordinary.

D．Boring.

3．From the passage we can know

[　　]

A．more men commit suicide than women in our country

B．suicide only takes a small part in the deaths of young adults

C．is not right for the media to report the “perfect end” of Zhang widely

D．people never content with their achievements and life will often commit suicide easily

70．Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．It made little difference whether Zhang died or not among his fans.

B．It was something happening suddenly- that caused Zhang's suicide.

C．Not all the people who suffer from depression know their case clearly .

D．Zhang called on people to make a choice to value their lives.

阅读理解

　　Schwarzenegger won the California Governorship on Oct 7, 48.7 % of the voters (投票人)vote for him. Californians see him as the personification(化身)of the American Dream.

　　Arnold Schwarzenegger's rise from immigrant (移民)to star bodybuilder(健美先生)to big screen superstar to California Governor will be the subject of a new movie.

　　The film which will be called See Arnold Run is expected to hit the big screen next summer.

　　The two-hour film will start shooting in the spring. The story begins in the middle of Arnold's California gubernatorial campaign(竞选州长运动)and then goes back to 1973 as he struggles to become Mr. Olympia.

　　The film will focus on Arnold's driving ambition (勃勃的雄心), but may include the scandals (丑闻). Arnold is a complex (复杂的)man, no doubt about it. So the movie will surely tell a complex story. It has not yet decided who is going to play Arnold and his wife Maria Shriver. Whoever do sign(签约)on to play the Govenator(＝governor＋terminator)and his wife —these are not going to be easy jobs.

1．Which of the following is the correct order?

①Mr. Olympia ②Screen superstar ③See Arnold Run ④California Governor

[　　]

A．①②③④

B．①②④③

C．②①③④

D．②④①③

2．The film will include the following except ________.

[　　]

A．Arnold Schwarzenegger's rise from immigrant to California Governor

B．in 1973 he became bodybuilder

C．he became a big screen superstar

D．Arnold's driving ambition to be president of America

3．Which of the following is true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Arnold and his wife will sign on to play the roles of themselves in the film See Arnold Run .

B．The story in the film will begin from the time when Arnold was an immigrant.

C．Arnold will be an actor as usual after he won the California Governorship.

D．The film will be popular with people.

阅读理解

　　Magician David Blaine emerged from the plastic box he was living in above the River Thames, London, on Sunday. After 44 days without food, he looked starved, but claimed he was fine. He was immediately taken to hospital for observation(观察).

　　“This has been one of the most inspirational experiences of my life. ”Blaine told a crowd which had turned out to cheer his last few hours of isolation in the box.

　　Weighing 50 pounds ( 23kg)less than when he began his endurance stunt, Blaine looked as if he might pass out as he spoke, “I have learned more in that box than I have learned in years. I have learned how strong we are as human beings. ”

　　Blaine, whose previous stunts have included being encased(包围)in a block of ice, added, “Most importantly, I learnt to appreciate all the simple things in life such as the smile from a stranger, the sunshine and the sunset.”

　　But smiling strangers were a rare sight for the magician. During the stunt, his box was attacked with eggs, burgers, and balloons filled with pink paint.

　　On Sunday night, though, he was cheered by fans who lined on both banks of the Thames.

(From 21 st Century October 23, 2003)

1．Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．David Blaine was encased in a block of ice during his stunt.

B．What Blaine did was not surported by all Londoners.

C．The purpose of the endurance stunt was only for fun.

D．There was no any other food except some eggs and burgers in the plastic box.

2．What did David Blaine himself think of his stunt?

[　　]

A．Nothing else in his life is as inspirational as his stunt.

B．He can hardly get pleasure from simple things such as the smile from a stranger after the stunt.

C．Even simple things in life are enjoyable and precious.

D．People can learn more in the box than they have learned in years.

3．What is most difficult for Blaine?

[　　]

A．Starvation.

B．Being encased in a block of ice.

C．Isolation in the box.

D．Attack from people.

阅读理解

　　The House Committee(委员会)on Pollution(HCP)held a special meeting last night to discuss the Albanian case. A difficult situation came to notice last week after the Albanians had refused to allow an international environmental organization to test cans of industrial waste that they were throwing into the Sea of Japan. It was thought that the cans may have contained nuclear waste, even though the Albanians had strongly refused to admit this.

　　Six crew members from the Greenpeace ship “Tiger 2”, which is still closely monitoring(监视)the Albanian ship, secretly went aboard at night and took away one of the waste cans. The fist test results of the waste in the can suggested nuclear waste rather than other industrial waste according to a report from the Japanese laboratory where the tests are being carried out. Further tests are necessary to establish(确定)the exact level of nuclear content.

　　The Greenpeace action has made the Albanians a little angry but the Foreign Secretary here has insisted that the Albanian ship leave the Sea of Japan and return home immediately. They Albanians, not surprisingly, have refused to do so, and demanded that “Tiger 2” be called off from watching them.

　　The international community is suggesting that the Albanian ship be properly searched and are saying that it is very important and necessary that no more cans are dumped until the truth of this matter is made clear. Obviously, the Japanese government is particularly anxious to discover exactly what is being dumped so close to their northern islands, possibly polluting their fishing industry and putting people's lives in danger. The international community is to meet with the Albanian government tomorrow for the third time in a week.

1．Choose the best title for this article.

[　　]

A．An Albanian Ship Gets into Trouble

B．Albanians Cause Headache for the HCP

C．Northern Japanese Islands Are in Danger

D．The International Community Is Busy Mediating(调整)

2．When the article was written, the difficult situation ________.

[　　]

A．was coming to an end

B．was turning even worse

C．was still continuing

D．just appeared

3．What's the Albanians' attitude to the matter?

[　　]

A．They took an intransigent(不妥协的)attitude.

B．They felt deeply sorry about the matter.

C．They were ready to accept all the suggestions.

D．They hoped to make the matter clear as soon as possible.

4．The first test results suggested that the can contents were ________.

[　　]

5．The underlined phrase “call off” means ________.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Old Americans are separating into two classes. Retirement can be either heaven or hell. “I do believe on the whole the retirees(退休者)of tomorrow will be wealthier and healthier than the same group of 30 years of age.” says Robert Friedland, director of the National Academy on Ageing, “But that's only part of the picture. There's also a large group whose household income(收入)hasn't been growing very much. For them the future is unhappy. ”

　　“Nature is not always kind. ”says Dr. Robert Butler, an expert in medical care of old people, who was a founding director of the National Institute on Ageing. “The relationship between socio-economic position and life expectancy(估计寿命)has been known for a long time. Race (种族)is also connected. And education is powerful, too in lengthening life.”

　　“The reality is that poor people get sick easily as they age because they live in duty neighborhoods and have dirty jobs, they are left unprotected(保护)from environmental pollution(环境污染), and the pressure of being poor wears down people's health.” according to Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, which studies health problems .

　　“Cigarette smoking has a great effect because it is more common in lower socio-economic groups. ” says Elizabeth Whelan, president of the American Council on Science and Health, “If you live in a state of hopelessness and helplessness and don't think about the future, you are more likely to take up life-threatening habits.”

　　“Race and income have large effects on death. ” a team of researchers reported in the New English Journal of Medicine in 1996, after researching on 24 million whites and 2.1 million blacks.

　　With the exception of black women, the highest income group had the lowest death rates and the lowest income group had the highest death rates regardless of race . For black women there was no consistent pattern across income group.

1．The sentence “ Retirement can be either heaven or hell . ” means ________.

[　　]

A．If a man is out of work, he or she will feel unhappy.

B．If an American retires from his job ( post), he or she will lead a miserable life.

C．Old people in America have to choose a life style.

D．Some old people in America lead a hard life, or others may lead a happy life.

2．According to Dr. Robert Butler's opinion, ________ plays the most important role in people's life expectancy.

[　　]

3．The reason why poor people are more likely to get ill as they grow old is that ________.

[　　]

A．they live in the countryside

B．they work with their hands

C．their families are too large

D．they suffer a lot from being poor

4．What Elizabeth Whelan says means that ________.

[　　]

A．smoking makes people poor and hopeless

B．smoking is popular among poor people

C．poor people should give up smoking

D．rich people in America never smoke

5．Which is the best title for the story?

[　　]

A．Terrible life leads to short expectancy .

B．Income differences produce life expectancy .

C．The life expectancy can be decided by race.

D．Americans don't like to retire .

阅读理解

　　The computer is fast, and never makes a mistake, while people are too slow, and full of mistakes sometimes. That's What people often say when they talk about computers. For over a quarter of a century, scientists have been making better computers. Now a computer can do a lot of everyday jobs wonderfully. It is widely used in factories, hospitals, post offices and airports. A computer can report, decide and control in almost every field. Many computer scientists are now thinking of making the computer “think” like a man. With the help of a person, a computer can draw pictures, write music, talk with people, play chess, recognize voices, translate languages and so on. Perhaps computers will one clay really think and feel. Do you think the people will be afraid when they find that the computer is too clever to listen to and serve the people?

1．A computer is clever because people are ________.

[　　]

A．clever

B．not clever

C．slow

D．making mistakes

2．Which of the following can computers not do now?

[　　]

A．Draw pictures.

B．Talk.

C．Invent new things.

D．Serve the people.

3．What will happen in the future?

[　　]

A．Most jobs will be done by the computer.

B．People will no longer use computer.

C．Computers will be used only to talk with people .

D．All computers will be put into prison.

4．The passage is written to ________.

[　　]

A．warn people of the danger of the computer

B．tell people about the computer

C．tell people about computer scientists

D．show how to use the computer

5．The best title for this passage is ________.

[　　]

A．Computer

B．Computer Scientists

C．The Future World

D．Talk with Computers

阅读理解

　　A long time ago men hunted for their food. Often they killed wild animals, birds or fish. How did they kill the beasts? They used rocks and wooden sticks, sometimes they fought with their own hands and bodies.

　　Later on, people began fighting each other. Everyone wanted more food and mom land. They made arrows from sticks, they also made spears from stones. Then somebody invented the gun. Soldiers were taught how to shoot and kill enemy soldiers. Great wars were fought and many people died.

　　A famous general cried as he looked at one battle field. His soldiers were fighting well, but he felt very sad. He turned to his men and said, “My soldiers, I am going to ask you a question. The one who gives the best answer will receive a medal . The question is this: Who is the strongest power in the world?”

　　Four soldiers raised their hands. They wanted to answer the general's question. The general asked the first soldier to speak.

　　“Sir.” said the young man, “I think my gun is the strongest power. It can kill a person or an animal from a great distance.” “Thank you. ”said the general, “Next. ” He pointed to the man who was his best soldier.

　　“A soldier is stronger. ” said the second man, “He must shoot the gun and aim well. A gun's power comes from the way it is used.”

　　The third soldier thought he had the, best answer of all . “No, sir, ” he said, “our general is the strongest power. He gives the orders for his soldiers to shoot their guns.”

　　The general said nothing. He waited for the last man to answer his question. The fourth soldier answered the general's question this way, “I believe, sir, that the greatest power on the earth is love. It makes the general decide if he wants his soldiers to use their guns. Also, if men had more love for each other, they would not use their guns.”

　　The general gave the medal to the last man. Now if you were this general, which of your soldiers would receive the medal?

1．A long time ago, man led ________ life.

[　　]

A．a happy

B．a hard

C．an active

D．a strange

2．What caused mom people to die in the battle fields?

[　　]

A．The invention of the gun.

B．The invention of the arrow.

C．The invention of the spear .

D．The invention of the wooden stick.

3．From the third soldier's answer, we can see that ________.

[　　]

A．the general was the greatest power

B．the general was good at shooting

C．the soldier wanted to please the general

D．the soldier wanted to fight against the general

4．What does the fourth soldier's love mean?

[　　]

A．Love can make guns fire.

B．Love among people can stop war from breaking out.

C．Love can make people fight for peace.

D．B and

C．

5．This passage seems to show us that the general ________.

[　　]

A．liked to make jokes on his soldiers

B．liked testing his soldiers

C．liked crying in the battle fields

D．hope the world to he peaceful