As a teenager in 1972, Bill Gates boasted that he would be a millionaire by the time he was 20. While he did not quite achieve that goal, only 15 years later, he was a millionaire. And by 1992, as head of the Microsoft company, he became the richest man in America with assets (资产) of approximately US $ 6. 3 billion.

    Born in Seattle, Washington on 28, October, 1956, Gates was named William Henry after his father and grandfather. From the beginning, he was an extremely energetic and intelligent child. He had read the entire world book encyclopedia (百科全书) by the age of nine. His favorite subjects at school were science and math and his favorite pastime was “thinking”.

    Gates first started to play with computers at the age of 13, when one was installed at his school. At that time, computers were large, awkward (笨重的) machines. Operators were required to learn complex (复杂的) computer languages before the machines could be used. Even then a great deal of time and effort was needed to perform the simplest functions. Before long Gates was an expert at working the school's computer. After his graduation from secondary school, Gates was accepted by the three top universities in the USA Princeton, Harvard and Yale. He chose Harvard and began classes there the next autumn, majoring math. But he was still obsessed (占据心思) with computers and spent as much time in the computer laboratories as he did in the lecture halls.

    By 1975, Gates and a partner, Paul Allen, had developed a software program called BASIC. This was not the first program ever created, but its inventors were the first to decide that people who wanted to use it should pay for it.

    BASIC was a success because until it came along, there had been no efficient way of getting computers to carry out instructions. Although he had not completed his degree, Gates left university and went to work full time for the new company he had formed called Microsoft.

    His next project was the software program that made him famous and very rich. It was called DOS, short for Disk Operating System, and it was purchased (购买) by 113M in 1980. Today it is the operating system used in more than 14 million personal computers around the world.

    As chief executive office of Microsoft, Gates is known as a bright man, but one who is not easily satisfied. He is quick to criticize (批评) his staff and hates to be questioned about decisions he has made. He was regarded as a loner and unfashionable boring computer nut until his marriage to Microsoft manager Melinda French on New Year's Day 1994. Yet to most people now, Gates is a person who is, in spite of his great wealth, humble (谦恭) and ordinary. He spends his money carefully. He eats in fast food restaurants and flies economy class. And when praised for Microsoft's great success, he has been heard to say. “All we do is put software in a box and if people see it in the stores and like it, they buy it. “

1．When he was a teenager, Bill Gates wanted to be a  ________.

    A. teacher

    B. doctor

    C. businessman

    D. professor

2．When Gates went to Harvard, he ________.

    A. was interested only in math

    B. spent most of his time in computer laboratories

    C. developed the first computer software program

    D. divided his time between his math studies and the computer laboratories

3．Before the development of BASIC, ________.

    A. no one was interested in computer software

    B. software programs were not considered commercial projects

    C. software programs were very expensive

    D. no one wanted to pay for computer software

4．When the writer says, “Bill was regarded as an unfashionable boring computer nut”, he means ________.

    A. Bill was so strong-minded that no one could change his mind

    B. the only thing that could interests Bill on his life was computer

    C. Bill was such a boring young man that nobody would like to talk to him

    D. Bill couldn't work out the boring computer problems

5．Most people think Gates is ________.

    A. a crazy person

    B. a person obsessed with making money

    C. someone who spends money freely

    D. 

a quite common, normal person

PEOPLE

NOBLE SMUGGLER

    This Thursday, Irena Sendler will be honored for her work as a smuggler(偷运者). During World War II, the Polish social worker smuggled nearly 2.500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw ghetto (聚居区). She gave them new identities, found them safe places with good-hearted Christians, and kept the children's real names buried in jars in her neighbors' gardens. (The play, Life in a Jar, based on her story, is being performed.) At 93, Sendler lives in a Warsaw nursing home and is too weak to travel to Washington D. C. to receive the 2003 Jan Karski Award for Valor and Compassion from the American Center of Polish Culture. One of the children she saved will accept the award for her.

    You risked your life to save the children.

    I was taught by my father that when someone is drowning, you don't ask if they can swim, you just jump in and help. During the war, everyone was drowning, but mostly the Jewish children.

    How did you persuade parents to give up their children?

    I had to answer honestly that 1 didn't even know if we would get past the guards.

    What was the mast frightening moment?

    When I saw a priest (牧师) in charge of an orphanage for Jewish children in the ghetto walk with them out to be killed. The children were in their best Sunday suits. The priest was killed with them.

    How did you get the children to behave as yon smuggled them out?

    I told the older children to act as if they were sick and sometimes gave the younger ones a sleeping pill. They were told to remember their new names. I also told the children to tell guards they had only been visiting a servant in the ghetto and were going back to their real homes outside.

    Did you tell your own two children what you did?

    I never told them. Only when my daughter went to Israel did she learn all about me. I thought it was only normal to do so. And it was a very painful subject. It was always on my mind that I couldn't do more.

—Samantha Levine

1．We can learn from the passage that Irena Sender ________.

    A. will go to Washington to accept the award with her daughter

    B. was caught a few times while she was rescuing the Jewish children

    C. told those parents that their children's lives would be guaranteed

    D. saved thousands of Jewish children at the risk of her own life

2．The expression “everyone was drowning” can best be replaced by “________”.

    A. everyone was involved in the war

    B. all the people were drowned

    C. people were facing danger and death

    D. Jewish children were being killed

3．Which of the following could NOT be expected when Sendler was smuggling the Jewish children?

    A. Some children were told to pretend to be sick in front of the guards.

    B. Some children pretended to be returning home after visiting servants in the ghetto.

    C. The children were asked to remember and use new names instead of real ones.

    D. The children pretended to be brothers and sisters from one big family.

4．Sendler didn't tell her own children what she did in the war because ________.

    A. she thought it was the most frightening experience

    B. the topic was too painful and heartbreaking to mention

    C. it was already recorded and made known to the public

    D. she planned to bury the secret in her heart until her death

Last summer I went through a training program and became a literacy volunteer (扫盲志愿者). The training I received, though excellent, did not tell me how it was to work with a real student, however. When I began to discover what other people's lives were like because they could not read, I realize the true importance reading.

    My first student Marie was a 44-year old single mother of three. In the first lesson, I found out she walked two miles to nearest supermarket twice a week because she didn't know which bus to take. When I told her I would get her a bus schedule (时刻表) , she told me it would not help because she could not read it. She said she also had difficulty once she got to the supermarket because she couldn't always remember what she needed. Since she did not know words, she could not write out a shopping list. Also, she could only recognize items by sight, so if the product had a different label (标识), she would not recognize it as the product she wanted.

    As we worked together, learning how to read built Marie's self-confidence (自信心), which encouraged her to continue in her studies. She began to make rapid progress and was even able to take the bus to the super-market. After this successful trip, she reported how self-confident she felt. At the end of the program, she began helping her youngest son, Tony, a shy first grader, with his reading. She sat with him before he went to sleep and together they would read bedtime stories. When his eyes became wide with excitement as she read, pride was written all over her face, and she began to see how her own hard work in learning to read paid off. As she described this experience, I was proud of myself as well. I found that helping Marie to build her self-confidence was more rewarding than anything I had ever done before.

    As a literacy volunteer, I learned a great deal about teaching and helping others. In fact, I may have learned more from the experience than Marie did.

1．What did the author do last summer?

    A. She worked in the supermarket.

    B. She helped someone to learn to read.

    C. She gave single mothers the help they needed.

    D. She went to a training program to help a literacy volunteer

2．Why didn't Marie go to the supermarket by bus at first?

    A. Because she liked to walk to the supermarket.

    B. Because she lived far away from the bus stop.

    C. Because she couldn't afford the bus ticket.

    D. Because she couldn't find the right bus.

3．How did Marie use to find the goods she wanted in the supermarket?

    A. She knew where the goods were in the supermarket.

    B. She asked others to take her to the right place.

    C. She managed to find the goods by their looks.

    D. She remembered the names of the goods.

4．Which of the following statements is true about Marie?

    A. Marie could do things she had not been able to do before.

    B. Marie was able to read stories with the help of her son.

    C. Marie decided to continue her studies in school.

    D. Marie paid for her own lessons.

The United States: Fliers may want to have their tickets in hand before catching their planes, but the airline companies are doing everything they can to bring forward cost-saving ticketless flight—no paper needed, just a ticket number and a photo ID (带照片的身份证).

    Anyone who buys a Northwest E-ticket through the airline's computer service by June 16 will get an award (奖励). Next time you fly, you can buy another ticket for a friend for $ 99, good anywhere in the US or Canada through Feb. 12, 2000, along with the lowest ticket prices. Some airlines offer extra frequent-flier miles for the ticket less crowd. And there are rising punishments for paper lovers. American, Northwest, United, and last week, US Airways have raised the cost for lost ticket replacement (替换) to $ 70 from either $ 60 or $ 50. The airlines insist that the increase in price is not meant to push travelers toward E-tickets but only covers the increasing cost of replacing and tracking a missing ticket.

1．Why is the new ticketless flight introduced?

    A. it is cheaper for air travelers.

    B. It helps reduce the cost for airlines.

    C. It can use computer fliers to plan air traveling.

    D. It helps prevent fliers from losing their tickets.

2．To encourage people to take ticketless flights, the airlines ________.

    A. sell their tickets for $ 99 from June to February the following year

    B. let travelers go to both the US and Canada with the same tickets

    C. allow each other traveler to have an extra $ 99 ticket for a friend of theirs

    D. offer ticketless travelers free miles to fly in the US

3．Who are the paper lovers mentioned in the text?

    A. People who like to have paper airplane tickets.

    B. People who love paper products of various kinds.

    C. People who travel with paper on a plane.

    D. People who have lost their tickets and buy a second one.

4．The airline companies say that they have raised the lost-ticket replacement price in order to ________.

    A. attract travelers to take ticketless flights

    B. punish those who insist on using paper tickets

    C. do better than other airline companies

    D. pay for the work to deal with lost tickets

    We often reach an impasse in our thinking. We are looking at a problem and trying to solve it and it seems there is a dead-end, and “aporia” (the technical term in logical meaning “no opening”). It is on these occasions that we become tense. we feel pressured, overwhelmed(压倒；不知所措)，in a state of stress(紧张). We struggle vainly(徒劳的), fighting to solve the problem.

    Dr. Jenner, however, did something about this situation. He stopped fighting the problem and simply changed his point of view-from patients to dairymaids, picture the process going something like this：Suppose the brain is a computer. This computer has absorbed into its memory bank all your history, your experiences，your training, your information received，through life, and it is programmed according to all this data. To change your point of view，yon must reprogram your computer，thus freeing yourself to take in new ideas and develop new ways of looking at things. Dr. Jenner，in effect，by reprogramming his computer，erased (清除；忘掉) the old way of looking at his smallpox problem and was free to receive new alternatives (选择的办法).

  1. What does “impasse” (in the second sentence) probably mean?

    A. Dead-end.　　　　　　  　　  B. Depression (压力).

    C. Solution.　　　　　　 　　　　  D. Peak.

  2. How did Dr. Edward Jenner solve the problem of smallpox?

    A. He kept on focusing on people who had smallpox.

    B. He changed his way of thinking by turning to people without smallpox.

    C. Dairymaids advised that he use cowpox to experiment.

    D. He happened to discover cowpox and he experimented with it on dairymaids.

3. What does “reprogramming his computer” mean in the last sentence of the passage?

    A. Change the program of his personal computer.

    B. Fox his personal computer.

    C. look at his problem in a new way.

    D. Wash his brain of old ideas.

  4. We can conclude from the passage that fighting a problem is　　   .

    A. always sensible (明智的；合情理的)　　  B. something useless

    C. annoying　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. rewarding

  5. This passage mainly tells us　　　　 .

    A. the definition of an impasses in thinking

    B. the discovery of vaccination

    C. how to fight a problem

    D. how to change our point of view

    Before 1066, in the land we now call Great Britain lived people belonging to two major language groups. In the west-central region lived the Welsh, who spoke a Celtic language, and in the north lived the Scots, whose language, though not the same as Welsh, was also Celtic. In the rest of the country lived the Saxons, actually a mixture of Anglos-Saxons, and other Germanic and Nordic peoples, who spoke what we call Anglo-Saxon (or Old English), a Germanic language. If this state of affairs had lasted, English today would be close to German.

　　 But this state of affairs did not last. In 1066 the Normans led by William defeated the Saxons and began their rule over England. For about a century, French became the official language of England while Old English became the language of peasants. As a result, English words of politics and the law come from French rather than German. In some cases, modern English even shows a distinction (区别) between upper-class French and lower-class Anglo-Saxon in its words. We even have different words for some foods, meat in particular, depending on whether it is still out in the fields or at home ready to be cooked, which shows the fact that the Saxon peasants were doing the farming, while the upper-class Normans were doing most of the eating.

When Americans visit Europe for the first time, they usually find Germany more “foreign” than France because the German they see on signs and advertisements seems much more different from English than French does. Few realize that the English language is actually Germanic in its beginning and that French influences are all the result of one man's ambition.

1. The two major language spoken in what is now called Great Britain before 1066 were _______.

   A. Welsh and Scottish

 B. Nordic and Germanic

   C. Celtic and Old English

   D. Anglo-Saxon and Germanic

2. Which of the following groups of words are, by inference, rooted in French?

   A. president, lawyer, beef

   B. president, bread, water

   C. bread, field, sheep

   D. folk, field, cow

3. Why does France appear less foreign than Germany to Americans on their first visit to Europe?

   A. Most advertisements in France appear in English.

   B. They know little of the history of the English language.

   C. Many French words are similar to English ones.

   D. They know French better than German.

4. What is the subject discussed in the text?

   A. The history of Great Britain.

   B. The similarity of Great Britain.

   C. The rule of England by William the Conqueror.

   D. The French influences on the English language.

One reason why the Santa Fe Opera is so good is that it attracts many excellent young singers. They all hope to sing in famous opera houses like Metropolitan in New York someday, and they work hard to become well-known during the summer．The musicians and directors are experts who come from the best orchestras (管弦乐队) and operas in the country during their vacations．They enjoy working there because they like to live in Santa Fe，which is near both the mountains and the desert．It is very beautiful there in the summer.

The state government of New Mexico advertises the Santa Fe Opera in newspapers all over the country, and a great many tourists come to New Mexico because of the opera. Still，most of the audience does come from Santa Fe and other nearby cities, and all the seats in the theater are sold for every show．

    There’s only one thing that some people do not like about the anta Fe Opera, and that is the cold weather. Because the theater is open，performances cannot start before it gets dark at nine o’clock in the evening，and then the mountain air becomes very cool. Sometimes people complain about the cold air，but because the operas are good, these people come back again-wearing warm coats．

1．This passage mainly introduces_________．

  A. a mountain city　　　　 B．young musicians

  C．an opera house　　    D．the tourism in Santa Fe

2．Young singers come to perform in Santa Fe 0pera because_________．

  A．the music quality is high　　    　　  B．they enjoy the climate there

  C．they want to be famous　　　　   D．they like the scenery there

3．It seems surprising that Santa Fe becomes famous because_________．

  A．it is only a very small place

  B．it is between the mountain and desert

  C．all the seats are old for every show

  D．musicians there are from the best orchestras

4．From the passage，we can learn that_________．

  A．the opera house is open without any roofs

  B．musicians always spend vacations in Santa Fe

  C．the government advertises to attract more musicians

  D．performances are held in Santa Fe only after sunset

5．The underlined word “advertise” in Paragraph 3 means_________．

  A．forces others to read    　　   B．makes others know

  C．supports　　　　　　　　   D．praises

    The Temple was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties (王朝) worshipped (礼拜) heaven and prayed (祈求) for good harvests．They came here twice a year，on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month and also in winter．After 1530 when the temple was built in the northern suburbs (郊区)，only heaven was worshipped in the temple．

    The Temple of Heaven is regarded as one of the greatest architectural structures in the world．In Beijing four imperial(皇帝的)temples were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties(1368～1911)．At the southern end of the city axis(轴)is the Temple of Heaven．It is the most important of the four．The other three are the Altar(祭坛)of the earth in the north, the Altar of the Moon in the west, and the Altar of the Sun in the east just behind the Beijing Friendship store．All of them are still standing，but the Temple of Heaven is the largest group of temple buildings of its kind in China，nearly four times larger than the Forbidden city(紫禁城)．The whole building was designed in a way that makes you close to heaven．

    In making the heaven－like structures，the designers made good use of the color．sound，figures of the circle and the square，and changes in its height．The combination of building and garden helps to make it appear mysterious and magical．The Temple’s architecture(建筑)has two themes(主题)．0ne is “on the earth” while the other is “in the heaven”．The square-shaped palace for fasting in the west of the temple appears like a “forbidden city” in a smaller size．

    In imperial days，the Chinese people believed that the sky was in circular(圆形的)shape and the earth was square．On the basis of this traditional(传统的)concept(思想)，the circle was widely adopted(采用)in the design of the temple’s main buildings．It is in accord with people’s imagination of heaven．

1．The Temple was a place where the emperors worshipped　　    .

  A．God and prayed for safety

  B．for Jesus Christ(耶稣基督)and asked for mercy(宽恕)

  C．heaven and prayed for good harvests

  D.  the Buddha (佛) and prayed for wealth

 2. The Temple of Heaven is regarded as one of the greatest　　　　  .

   A. monuments (纪念碑)　　      B．museums

 C. memorial halls (标记)    　　　　 D．architectural structures

3. In Beijing　　   imperial temples were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties

  A. three    B．four    C．no    D．beautiful

4.The Temple of Heaven is the most　　　　 of the four．

  A. important    B．biggest    C．smallest　　 D. beautiful

5. The Temple is in accord with people’s imagination of　　　　　　 .

  A. the earth    B．the moon    C．hell (地狱)  D．heaven

    Among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian (百姓的) clothes. People have become conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears a uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a barber, or a waiter to lose professional identity (身份) than to step out of uniform?

    Uniforms also have many practical benefits. "They save on other clothes, They save on laundry bills. They are tax-deductible (可减税的). They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.

    Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change, until retirement. When people look alike, they tend to think, speak, and act similarly, on the job at least.

    Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain, requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.

    1. It is surprising that Americans who worship variety and individuality ________.

    A. still judge a man by his clothes

    B. hold the uniform in such high regard

    C. enjoy having a professional identity

    D. will respect an elevator operator as much as a general in uniform

    2. People are accustomed to think that a man in uniform ________.

    A. suggests quality work

    B. discards his social identity

    C. appears to be more practical

    D. looks superior to a person in civilian clothes

    3. The chief function of a uniform is to ________.

    A. provide practical benefits to the wearer

    B. make the wearer catch the public eye

    C. inspire the wearer’s confidence in himself

    D. provide the wearer with a professional identity

    4. According to the passage, people wearing uniforms ________.

    A. are usually helpful　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. have little or no freedom

    C. tend to lose their individuality　　　　   D. enjoy greater popularity

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

    A. Uniform and Society

    B. The Importance of Wearing a Uniform

    C. Practical Benefits of Wearing a Uniform

    D. Advantages and Disadvantages of Uniforms

    WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

    The World Health Organization says the main symptoms of SARS are high fever (over 38℃), dry cough, shortness breath or breathing difficulties. Changes in chest X — rays, which are indicative of pneumonia (肺炎), also occur. SARS may be associated with other symptoms, including chills, headache, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash and diarrhea.

    Health experts say the disease has an incubation period (潜伏期) of between two-to-seven days, with three-to-five days being more common before victims start showing flu-like symptoms.

    HOW DANGEROUS IS IT?

    The mortality rate (死亡率) appears to be between 3 to 5 per cent. In Hong Kong, at least, those who infected invariably develop severe pneumonia, which can cause numerous complications. The victim's condition can deteriorate (恶化) very quickly in as little as five days.

    WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?

    There is currently no specific cure for the disease. But doctors worldwide have been treating it with ribavirin-an anti-viral drug-and steroids (类固醇). Doctors say if treated early most patients without other serious illnesses can recover.

    HOW DOES IT SPREAD?

    WHO (世界卫生组织) and Hong Kong experts say the virus spreads through droplets by sneezing or coughing and such direct infection (传染) can usually happen within a radius of around three feet.

    The virus can also spread indirectly as it can survive outside of the human they for three to six hours. Contact with any object that is tainted by droplets containing the virus, for example, a contaminated phone, could lead to infection if a person then touches their eyes, nose or mouth.

    Health experts have not ruled out that it could be airborne (空气传播的), which infinitely raises the contagious nature of the virus and would make it far harder to contain (控制).

    1. Which of the following is NOT considered as one of the symptoms of SARS?

    A. dry cough　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. shortness of breath

    C. bleeding　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. loss of appetite

    2. It is possible that a person will be infected with SARS if ________.

    A. they touches their nose after contacting with a contaminated phone.

    B. they don’t wash their hands twice a day.

    C. they don’t know the contagious nature of the virus like health experts.

    D. they don’t go to a doctor at once when they catch a cold.

    3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

    A. Even though there is currently no specific cure, the doctors can treat SAJS with an anti-viral drug.

    B. Before victims show flu-like symptoms, SARS has an incubation period of between two-to-seven days.

    C. That SARS could be airborne has not been ruled out by health experts from WHO.

    D. Doctors believe that every victim without other serious illnesses can be cured.

    4. From the information given in the passage we can deduce that ________.

    A. SARS is a type of pneumonia which is caused by influenza.

    B. When an infected person travels, he can not spread the virus to other passengers on his flight.

    C. In order to control the spread of the disease, patients should be placed in an isolation unit.

    D. Wearing a mask is not a good way of keeping off SARS.