阅读理解

　　Any mistake made in the printing of a stamp raises its value to stamp collectors. A mistake on one inexpensive postage stamp has made the stamp worth a million and a half times its original value.

　　The mistake was made more than a hundred years ago in the British colony of Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean. In 1847 an order for stamps was sent to a London printer—Mauritius was to become the fourth country in the world to issue stamps.

　　Before the order was filled and delivered, a ball was planned at Mauritius' Government House, and stamps were needed to send out the invitations. A local printer was instructed to copy the design for the stamps. He accidentally inscribed the words“Post Office”instead of “Post Paid” on the several hundred stamps that he printed.

　　Today there are only twenty-six of these misprinted stamps left-fourteen One Penny Orange-Reds and twelve Two Penny Blues. Because of the Two Penny Blue's rareness aril age, collectors have paid as much as $ 16 800 for it.

1．Over a century ago, Mauritius ________.

[　　]

A．was an independent country

B．belonged to India

C．was one of the British colonies

D．was a small island in the Pacific Ocean

2．The mistake on the stamps was made ________.

[　　]

A．in Mauritius

B．at Mauritius Government House

C．in a post office

D．in London

3．The mistake on the locally printed postage stamps was in the ________.

[　　]

A．price

B．colour

C．carelessness

D．inscription

4．Stamp collectors have paid $ 16 800 for ________.

[　　]

A．fourteen One Penny Orange-Reds

B．twelve Two Penny Blues

C．one One Penny Change-Red

D．one Two Penny Blue

5．A stamp is worth a million and a half times its original value because ________.

[　　]

A．it was misprinted a hundred years ago

B．of its rareness and age

C．few collectors have it

D．it was made in British colonies

阅读理解

　　The advantage and disadvantage of a large population have long been a subject of discussion. It has been argued that the supply of good land is limited. To feed a large population, inferior land must be cultivated and the good land worked intensively. Thus each person produced less and this means a lower average income than could be obtained with a small population. Other economists have argued that a large population gives more scope for specialization and the development of facilities such as ports, roads and railways, which are not likely to be built unless there is a big demand to justify them.

　　One of the difficulties on carrying out world birth control program lies in the fact that official attitudes to population growth vary from country to country, depending on the level of industrial development and the availability of food and raw materials. In the developing country where a vastly expanded population is pressing hard upon the limits of food, space and natural resources, it will be first concern of government to place a limit on the birthrate, whatever the consequences may be. In a highly industrialized society the problem may be more complex. A decreasing birthrate may lead to unemployment because it results in a declining market for manufactured goods. When the pressure of population on housing declines, prices also decline and the building industry is weakened.

　　Faced with considerations such as these, the government of a developed country may well prefer to see slowly increasing population, rather than one which is stable or declines.

1．Small population may mean ________.

[　　]

A．higher productivity, but a lower average income

B．lower productivity, but a higher average income

C．lower productivity and a lower average income

D．higher productivity and a higher average income

2．According to the passage, a large population will provide a chance for developing ________.

[　　]

3．In a developed country, people will perhaps go out of work if the birthrate ________.

[　　]

4．According to the passage, slowly rising birthrate perhaps is good for ________.

[　　]

A．a developing nation

B．every nation with a high population

C．a developed nation

D．every nation with a small population

5．It is no easy job to carry out a general plan for birth control throughout the world because ________.

[　　]

A．there are too many underdeveloped countries in the world

B．underdeveloped countries have low level of industrial development

C．different governments have different views of the question

D．even developed countries have complex problems

阅读理解

　　Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest man. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied: “Things aren't always what they seem. ”

　　The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor but very hospitable(好客的) farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field.

　　The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, “How could this happen?”“Why did you not watch out for the cow? The first man had everything, yet you watched over his house, ”she accused. “the second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you did not help.”

　　“Things aren't always what they seem, ”the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal (封口)the wall so he couldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer's bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I asked God if the angel could take the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem. ”

1．Why did the older angel repair the hole for the rich family?

[　　]

A．Because she didn't like the greedy owner.

B．Because she wanted to save the gold for the poor.

C．Because the basement was too cold to stay in.

D．Because she believed that one should always be ready to offer help.

2．In paragraph two, the pair refers to ________.

[　　]

3．The younger angel was very angry because ________.

[　　]

A．the alder angel killed the farmer's cow

B．the older angel treated the two families unfairly

C．the wealthy man gave them a bad place to live

D．the angel of death took the cow away

4．Why did the older angel let the farmer's cow die?

[　　]

A．Because God wanted the older angel to take the cow.

B．Because she wanted to teach the younger angel a lesson.

C．Because she wanted to save the farmer's wife.

D．Because she was sympathetic to the rich.

5．The story tries to tell the reader that ________.

[　　]

A．angels are always ready to help the poor

B．sometimes things are not what they seem

C．angels are always ready to help the rich

D．the young should always learn from the old

阅读理解

　　Australian green energy company Enviromission plans to build a solar thermal(relating to or containing heat) power station which has a 1 000-meter-high tower and a 5-kilometer diameter( the length of a straight line that can be drawn through the middle of a round object ) greenhouse collector. It will be the world's tallest man-made structure.

　　Scientists say the new power station will produce 200 megawatts( a million watt) of power, which is enough to supply power for the needs of a city containing 200 000 homes.

　　The power station's solar collector will be made of glass and /or practise to harness the sun's radiation. At the center of the collector will be the world's largest turbines located at the base of the 1000-meter tower. The turbines will produce electricity powered by the solar thermal wind created under the collector as the air rises towards the cold air in the tower.

　　Enviromission plans to build five Solar Towers over the next 10 years. This will provide enough energy to supply one million homes.

　　The key feature of the Enviromission project is that it sends out no pollution. A coal-fired power station of comparable size would produce 830 000 tons of greenhouse gas every year.

　　This power station will work 24 hours a day and be most effective in the summer months when the power demands are at its greatest.

　　The construction of the solar power station is expected to start in late 2003 and will take around two years to complete.

1．The title of this passage might be ________.

[　　]

A．The world's most beautiful structure will be built in Australia

B．Australia will build the world's largest building

C．Australia will build the world's tallest structure

D．The world's tallest building will be built in Australia

2．The writer of the passage would like to introduce a new kind of ________ to us .

[　　]

3．The word“harness”in the first line of paragraph 3 means: ________.

[　　]

A．collect something and reuse it

B．get something under control

C．control something completely

D．bring something under control and use it

4．The“turbines”in this passage is a machine driven by a wheel turned by a current of ________.

[　　]

5．Which of the following statements is right?

[　　]

A．By the end of the year 2005 people may see all the stations built.

B．The Enviromission project will send out less pollution.

C．The first solar power station is expected to be completed by 2006.

D．The Enviromission plans to build five Solar Power Stations over the next 10 years all around the world.

阅读理解

　　A picture, a calender or even a balloon may be the best way for millions of people living in China's vast country areas to learn about AIDS, one of the biggest threats to public health in the world today.

　　China has decided to use user-friendly methods including exhibitions, VCDs and TV programmes to spread knowledge of the disease across the nation to try to keep it in check.

　　Educating people nationwide about AIDS is the top priority(the thing that you think is most important) to prevent the disease from getting out of hand. The farmers will be given knowledge in the easiest way that they can understand.

　　A recent survey from the commission of more than 7 000 people in China showed that nearly 20 percent of them had never heard of AIDS. Just over 71 percent said they knew AIDS was highly infectious, but most d them had no clear idea of how the disease could be spread. Just over 62 percent said they knew they could do things in advance to prevent them catching AIDS but they didn't know what these measures were.

　　The month-long survey, carried out last December, talked to people in seven countries and cities across China including both developed coastal areas and the less-developed inland areas. The interviewees ranged from 15 to 49 years old, and country residents were about 63 % of the total surveyed.

　　Chinese residents, especially those in the country, have very little knowledge about what AIDS is all about, not to mention prevention and treatment. By the end of last year, there were 22517 known HIV/AIDS cases in China. However, more than 6000000 people in China have been infected.

　　Since 1985, China has discovered 880 patients with AIDS — 466 of them have died. Sharing needles, prostitution and contaminated blood transfusions are major ways for HIV to spread. A lack of education has been the biggest difficulty against nationwide efforts to prevent AIDS, especially in the countryside.

1．After reading the passage, we know that ________.

[　　]

A．AIDS is not serious in the Chinese mainland

B．Most people in the country don't know what AIDS is

C．China has taken many measures to control AIDS

D．TV programs are the only useful way in spreading knowledge of AIDS in the countryside

2．The author's purpose in writing the passage is to ________.

[　　]

A．show his concern about the health of people

B．make people know the fact that AIDS is terrible

C．call on people to fight against AIDS

D．tell us people are short of knowledge of AIDS

3．The greatest difficulty against nationwide effort to prevent AIDS lies in ________.

[　　]

A．people's misunderstanding

B．the shortage of money

C．its infection

D．a lack of education

4．“Since 1985, China has discovered 880 patients with AIDS—466 of them had died”do you know why?

[　　]

A．Because their families refused to cure them.

B．Because they had been in low spirits for a long time.

C．Because there weren't enough effective measures to treat AIDS .

D．Because they couldn't lead a normal life like other healthy people.

5．It is judged that there are ________ people hit by AIDS in China at present.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Where did you see a polar bear? At a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These “Polar Bears”are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually shout the age of 69. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bear must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.

　　Doctor do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart beat stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.

　　The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming. They say that their favourite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.

　　The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim all the year round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says, “When I go into the water, I pour my trouble into the ocean and let them float away. ”

1．Which of the following is unnecessary for members of the Polar Bear Club?

[　　]

A．They should be easy to make friends with

B．They must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months

C．They must agree to swim outdoors from November through February

D．They must have reached the age of 60

2．Doctors ________.

[　　]

A．encourage people to take part in cold-water swimming actively

B．point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming

C．believe swimming is helpful both in winter and in summer

D．have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming

3．According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that ________.

[　　]

A．you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue

B．there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming

C．cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high

D．Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water

4．The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round because ________.

[　　]

A．they can remain young

B．it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter

C．they find it enjoyable and interesting

D．they might have fewer troubles in life

5．The passage is mainly about

[　　]

A．a group of cold-water swimming lovers

B．the Polar Bears' life in New York

C．doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming

D．the requirements of the Polar Bear Club

阅读理解

　　Both late sleepers and early risers find the fixed hours of a nine-to-five work day a problem. Now there is an answer that seems to please them both. Employees of over 500 businesses, organizations and government agencies in the USA are changing their work hours to suit their individual needs. It's called“flexible time” ( flextime ) and it means, for example, that employees can start working at any time during the first three hours their offices are open and leave after completing their required daily working time. Early riders can began work at seven a. m., finish at three and still have daylight time for shopping, picking up children at school, or recreation. Late sleepers need not report for work until 10 a. m. — but they must stay on their job until six in the evening.

　　Says a Boston official, “Our employees like the system and tardiness( being late) has been virtually completely got rid of. Fewer people are absent, turnover has dropped markedly, and productivity and morale(士气) have risen. ”

1．How do workers who either enjoy sleeping late or rising early react to a flexible work hour schedule?

[　　]

2．The normal American work day schedule is ________.

[　　]

3．What is one of the benefits of the flexible work schedule?

[　　]

A．The time passes by more quickly.

B．There is more time for lunch.

C．Hardly anyone is ever late for work.

D．Late sleepers have plenty of sleep.

4．What is the earliest possible time someone can get out of work on an eight-hour schedule?

[　　]

5．Which of the following statements is the best one that can be used to complete the above passage?

[　　]

A．Many business organizations in the USA have never heard of flexible work hours.

B．Employees shouldn't be forced to adhere to a flexible work hour schedule.

C．I wouldn't be surprised if most businesses adopt flexible work hours in the near future.

D．Flexible work hours is a terrible idea.

阅读理解

　　Old action heroes don't die; they just make sequels.

　　Action stars include Bruce Willis, 47, continuing to play his role as wisecracking cop John McClane is Die Hard 4, Mel Gibson, 46, hitting the road again in Mad Max 4, Harrison Ford, 60, acting once more in Indiana ]ones 4, and Amold Schwarzengger, 55, making another killing in Terminator 3.

　　Even 56-year-old Sylvester Stallone is said to be working on a script for yet another Rambo sequel.

　　Whether it's a lack of new action stars or simply nostalgia(怀旧的) for the good old days, it's hard to say. However all of them are happily re-playing the roles that helped make them action stars.

　　20th Century Fox is releasing Willis' latest project Man of War. That film was said to be part of the Die Hard series.

　　In the meantime, Willis is also acting a tough guy member in The Whole Ten Years.

　　Gibson, who once said that he was too old for Lethal Weapon (致命武器), recently signed a $ 25-million deal to play his role in Mad Max.

　　Fox has high hopes Gibson is just the man who can bring life to the years-dormant action movies.

　　“There are so few roles that can be called ‘ big screen action heroes, ’ and this is one of them, ”said Hutch Parker, 20th Century Fox's president of production. “This is an event movie, and we know how to market event movies. It's Max the way you want to see him. ”

　　The Indiana Jones sequel was just a matter of timing. Conflicting schedules have kept Ford, producer George Incas and director Steven Spielberg from filming a sequel, which they've been promising as far back as 1993. Finally, the suitable time came, and the Hollywood heavyweights hope to release the sequel July 4, 2005, by which time Ford will be 62.

　　The recently released trailer(预告片) for Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines features the robotic Schwarzenegger in his signature role, but it also gives plenty of screen time to a grown-up John Connor, played by relative newcomer Nick Stahl.

　　Does this mean the ending of the Terminator? Or will he be back again.

1．The persons who are mentioned in the passage are all ________.

[　　]

A．heroes of the United States d America

B．famous film directors

C．well- known action heroes

D．roles of good films

2．Fox thinks highly of ________ and is sure that he can bang back life to action films.

[　　]

3．Ford and his partners have to put off filming the Indiana Jones sequel because ________.

[　　]

4．The title for this passage is ________.

[　　]

A．Does This End of the Terminator

B．Who's the Best Star

C．Old Action Heroes Don't Die

D．Action Heroes for Hire

5．In this passage the word sequel means:

[　　]

A．an event that happens as a result of something that happened before

B．something that develops from something else

C．a book, film, play etc, that continues the story d an earlier one

D．a special kind of book for middle-aged people

阅读理解

　　Arabs considers it extremely bed mariners to start talking business immediately. Even the busiest government official or executive always takes extra time to be polite and offer refreshment. No matter how busy you are, you should make time for this hospitality.

　　The conference visit is a way of doing business throughout the Arab world. Frequently, you will have to discuss your business in the presence of strangers, who may or may not have anything to do with your business. Do not be surprised if your meeting is interrupted several times by people who come into the room unannounced, whisper, or speak softly to the person with whom you are talking, and leave. Act as though you do not hear, and never show displeased at being interrupted.

　　Malting decisions quickly is not an Arab custom. There is vagueness in doing business in the Middle East which will puzzle a newcomer. Give yourself lots of time and ask lots of questions.

　　When an Arab says yes, he may mean“maybe”. When he says maybe, he probably means“no”. You will seldom get a direct “no”from an Arab because it is considered impolite. Instead of“no”, he will say“inshallah”, which means, “if God is willing”. On the other hand, “yes” does not necessary mean“yes”. A smile and a slow nod might seem like an agreement, but in fact, your host is being polite. An Arab considers it impolite to disagree with guest.

1．The writer of the article is to explain ________.

[　　]

A．why you need extra time when you visit Arab countries

B．how to be polite when you are doing business in the Arab world

C．why Arab officials are so busy

D．what Arab say when they are doing business

2．According to the article, which of the following would be thought polite in the Arab world?

[　　]

A．You leave angrily because of being interrupted.

B．You refuse a cup of tea and show pictures of your product at once .

C．You ask the host to make a decision right away.

D．You look out of the window and wait patiently while a stranger comes in to speak with your host.

3．From the article we may know that ________.

[　　]

A．when an Arab wants to say “yes”, he ofter says“maybe”

B．an Arab seldom disagrees with a guest

C．when an Arab agrees, a smile and a slow nod will be given

D．“inshallah”is an English word

4．Which of the following is not an Arab custom?

[　　]

A．To dislike being interrupted during their meeting.

B．Often to give you a vague answer.

C．Seldom to hesitate to say“no”directly .

D．Seldom to hesitate to start taking business in the presence of strangers.

5．The writer of this article has probably ________.

[　　]

A．had bad experiences in the Arab world

B．worked in the Arab world

C．been against the Arab customs

D．liked the Arab customs

阅读理解

　　People in different areas of the world have very different ideas about what is good to eat. If you were an Eskimo near the North Pole, you would enjoy the raw meat from seals ( a large sea animal that eats fish and lives around coasts or on floating pieces of ice). If you were a nomad in the desert, you would prefer the roasted meat of sheep. Americans cook the meat of many different animals, but perhaps their favorite meat is steak. Americans also eat a lot of chicken, as well as fish and other foods from the sea. Some people in India do not eat meat or fish at all. They are called vegetarians ( person who, for humane, religious or health reasons, eats no meat).

　　Even when people in different parts of the world eat the same food, they often prepare it quite differently. If you were in Germany, you would find soup that is thick and heavy. If you were in China, you would find soup that is thin and clear. Many people like butter that is fresh and firm, but some people—in India, for example—like butter when it is melted into an oil. If you asked some Americans how they liked their steak cooked, you would get all kinds of answers. Some like their steak well-done, while others like it rare. Many prefer their steak medium—that ishalfway between rare and well-done. Also, people living in different areas of the same country often cook foods differently.

1．The best title of this passage is ________.

[　　]

A．Different Food in Different Areas

B．Different Customs of Different People

C．Food and Food Customs

D．How to Cook Food in Different way

2．The word“ rare” in paragraph 3 means ________.

[　　]

A．not seen or found very often

B．not happening very often

C．light, thin

D．cooked so as to be still red on the inside

3．The vegetarians in India never eat meat or fish mostly for ________ reason.

[　　]