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The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent his camera crew (摄制组) out one evening to film the sunset for him.

    The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”

    “No, sir.” the men answered.

    The director was angry. “Why not?” he asked. “Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we're on the coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”

    “But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”

    But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don't you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it'll look like a sunset.”

    “That's a good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said. “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”

    The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay (海湾). Then at nine o'clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir,” they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.

    They all went into the studio (摄制棚). “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say good-bye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the `sunset' behind them.”

    The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.

    The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.

1．One evening, the director sent his camera crew out________.

    A. to watch a beautiful sunset

    B. to find an actor and an actress

    C. to film a scene on the sea

    D. to meet the audience

2．Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?

    A. Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset.

    B. Because he was angry with his crew.

    C. Because it was his secretary's suggestion.

    D. Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset.

3．Which of the following is NOT true?

    A. The crew had to follow the secretary's advice.

    B. If you want to see a sunset, the east coast is the place to go to.

    C. The camera crew wasn't able to film the scene the first day.

    D. The director ordered his crew to stop filming the “sunset”.

4．The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because________.

    A. it went well with the separation of the hero and the heroine

    B. when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening

    C. it was more moving than a sunset

    D. the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset

5．After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands________.

    A. because he was moved to tears

    B. as he saw everything in the film moving backwards

    C. as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined

    D. because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine

James Cleveland Owens was the son of a farmer and the grandson of black slaves. His family moved to Cleveland when he was 9. There, a schoolteacher asked the youth his name.

    “J.C.,” he replied.

    She thought he said “Jesse”, and he had a new name.

    Owens ran his first race at age 13. After high school, he went to Ohio State University. He had to work part time so as to pay for his education. As a second-year student, in the Big Ten games in 1935, he set even more records than he would in the Olympic Games a year later.

    A week before the Big Ten meet, Owens accidentally fell down a flight of stairs. His back hurt so much that he could not exercise all week, and he had to be helped in and out of the car that drove him to the meet. He refused to listen to the suggestions that he give up and said he would try, event by event. He did try, and the results are in the record book.

    The stage was set for Owens' victory at the Olympic games in Berlin the next year, and his success would come to be regarded as not only athletic (体育的) but also political. Hitler did not congratulate any of the African-American winners.

    “It was all right with me,” he said years later. “I didn't go to Berlin to shake hands with him, anyway. “Having returned from Berlin, he received no telephone call from the president of his own country city, either. In fact, he was not honored by the United States until 1976, four years before his death.

    Owens' Olympic victories made little difference to him. He earned his living by looking after a school playground, and accepted money to race against cars, trucks, motorcycles, and dogs.

    “Sure, it bothered (烦恼) me,” he said later. “But at least it was an honest living. I had to eat. “

    In time, however, his gold metals (奖牌) changed his life. “They have kept me alive over the years”, he once said. “Time has stood still for me. That golden moment dies hard.”

1．Owens got his other name “Jesse” when ________.

    A. he went to Ohio State University

    B. his teacher made fun of him

    C. his teacher took “J.C.” for “Jesse”

    D. he won gold medals in the Big Ten meet

2．In the Big Ten meet, Owens ________.

    A. hurt himself in the back

    B. succeeded in setting many records

    C. tried every sports event but failed

    D. had to give up some events

3．We can infer from the text that Owens was treated unfairly in the US at that time because ________.

    A. he was not of the right race

    B. he was the son of a poor farmer

    C. he didn't shake hands with Hitler

    D. he didn't talk to the US president on the phone

4．When Owens says “They have kept me alive over the years”, he means that the metals ________.

    A. have been changed for money to help him lie on

    B. have made him famous in the US

    C. have encouraged him to overcome difficulties in life

    D. have kept him busy with all kinds of jobs

5．Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A Jesse Owens, a Great American Athlete

    B. Golden Moment—a Life-time Struggle

    C. Making a Living as a Sportsman

    D. How to be a Successful Athlete?

A punctual person is in the habit of doing a thing at the proper time and is never late in keeping an appointment.

The unpunctual man, on the other hand, never does what he has to do at the proper time. He is always in a hurry and in the end loses both time and his good name. There is a proverb which says, “Times flies never to be recalled”. This is very true. A lost thing may be found again, but lost time can never be regained. Time is more valuable than material things. In fact, time is life itself, and the unpunctual man is for ever wasting and mismanaging his most valuable asset as well as others’. The unpunctual man is always complaining that he finds no time to answer letter, or return calls or keep appointments promptly. But the man who really has a great deal to do is very careful of time and seldom complains of want of it. He knows that he can not get through his immense amount of work unless he faithfully keeps every appointment promptly and deal with every piece of work when it has to be attended to.

Failure to be punctual in keeping one’s appointment is a sign of disrespect towards others. If a person is invited to dinner and arrives later than the appointed time, he keeps all the other guests waiting for him. This is a great discourtesy both towards the host and the other guests.

Unpunctuality, moreover, is very harmful when it comes to doing one’s duty, whether public or private. Imagine how it would be if those who are entrusted with important tasks failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time. A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends or fellow men. And the unpunctual man is a source of annoyance both to others and to himself.

1. Which of the following is NOT true?

   A. The unpunctual man always does what he has to do in a hurry.

   B. The unpunctual man never complains of want of time.

   C. The unpunctual man always does what he has to do at proper time.

   D. The unpunctual man always keeps every appointment promptly.

2. The underlined phrase “get through” in paragraph 2 means________.

   A. to pass

   B. to return to one’s usual state

   C. to manage to do

   D. to reach

3. Which is the best title for this article?

   A. Punctuality.

   B. Unpunctuality.

   C. How to Arrange Your Time.

   D. The Harm of Unpunctuality.

　　 At the University of Minnesota, in the USA, scientists have been studying twins for more than 10 years and they have come across many interesting cases. But recently they had a piece of luck. Previously, all the twins who had been investigated had been brought up together, so it was difficult to identify the reasons for certain similarities. They might have been genetic, but they might just as well have been caused by the twins living in closeness with another.

　　 However, the two James were different. They were separated from one another and adopted by different families, called Lewis and Springer, a few weeks after they were born and they did not meet until after 39 years.

　　 When the scientists at Minnesota learnt about the two James, they were naturally invited to come to the University, where investigations revealed the most astonishing similarities about their lives:

　　 * Both married girls called Linds, were divorced and then married women called, Betty.

　　 * Both owned dogs called Toy when they were boys.

　　 * Both had worked for the hamburger chain, McDonald's, and at filling station.

　　 * Both had the habit of biting their fingernails.

　　 * Both have similar sleeping problems.

　　 How can one attempt to explain so many coincidences? Is it possible that twins have some mysterious way of communicating? Or does our gene make us take particular decisions in certain circumstances? In any case, it seems that many more aspects of our behavior are influenced by genetic factors than we had previously imagined.

1. What was the piece of good fortune the scientists enjoyed recently?

   A The James twins would accept the invitation to the University.

   B The James twins met with each other after 39 years' separation.

   C The scientists found many interesting cases about twins.

   D The scientists discovered a special pair of long-separated twins.   

2. Why were the two James different from other twins according to the passage?

   A. They shared a lot of similarities.

   B. They lived in different families for a long time.

   C. They both worked in the hamburger chain.

   D. Their parents died when they were very young.

3. The word "coincidence" (Para.4) may mean things that ______.

   A. happen around the same time by chance   B. astonish people

   C. are likely to cause accidents　　　　　　 D. are very funny

4. The two James share all of the following similarities except that

   A. both married twice

   B. both had at least two jobs

   C. both suffered from the same disease

   D.both kept dogs when they were children

  Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you know was in trouble----and he was? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP(超感觉知觉).

  ESP stands for Extra sensory Perception. It may be called a sixth sense. It seems to let you know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away.

  Here is an example: a woman was doing washing. Suddenly she screamed, “My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair!” Just then, a telegram came. The woman’s father had died of a heart attack. He died sitting in the chair.

  There are thousands of stories like this on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what is behind these strange mental messages. Here is another example---one of hundreds of dreams that have come true.

  A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said: “There is room for one more.” The man felt the driver was Death, so he ran away. The next day the man was getting on a crowded bus. The driver said, “There is room for one more.” Then the man saw the driver’s face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He would not get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into flames. Everyone was killed!

  Some people say stories like these are lies or coincidences. Others, including some scientists say that ESP is true. From studies of ESP, we may some day learn more about the human mind. 

1. ESP lets people know about __________________.    

A. their dreams　　　　    B. events after they happen　　　　

C. events before they happen  D. heart attacks  

2. According to the passage, the woman___________.

A.　　  dreamed that her father died

B.　　  died of heart attack while sitting in a chair

C.　　  felt her father died while she was washing

D.　　 refused to get on the bus

3.The example of the man shows an ability to______________.　　  .

A.　　  avoid traffic accidents

B.　　  judge the good and evil of a person

C.　　  know about the events that happening some distance away

D.　　 sense a danger that will actually happen later on

4. The best title for this passage is ________________. 　　　　　　　　　　　　  .

A. A sixth Sense    B. The human Mind  

C. A big Lie　　    D. A Terrible Dream

  Michael Jordan is still Michael Jordan, even though he is 38 years old.

  The basketball legend sent last week to all the people who doubt his superpower on the court since his second comeback at the beginning of this season.

  The five-time American National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player(MVP) scored 51 points in his season----high score in 38 minutes, leasing the Washington Wizards to beat the Charlotte Hornets 107-90 on Saturday night.

  “I think after tonight they are going to say less,” Jordan said after the match, referring to those who criticized his second return from retirement.

  Jordan’s performance made a very good slam at the very right time.

  Just two days before, Jordan had his worst game in his nearly 16-year career. He was limited to only six points in an NBA game that the Wizards lost 81-108 to the Indiana Pacers. He had scored at least 10 points in 866 consecutive (continuous) games since his previous low of eight points against Cleveland in 1986.

  When Jordan made the announcement of his second comeback from retirement last September, only a few people were optimistic that he could regain his old glory.

  Even Jordan had doubts. “I’m doing it for the love of the game,” he said a week before his announcement on September 25, “Nothing else. For the love of the game.”

  And Jordan’s performance---until last Saturday---in the 2001-02 season almost proved that.

  People had seen a good ---but not super---basketball player struggle to fight among much younger talents.

  He could not save the Wizards. He could miss the final shot----something he always nailed in Chicago. In some games, he was not even his team’s top scorer; 22-year-old teammate Richard Hamilton said proudly that “not only have we learned how to play with Jordan, but he learned how to play with me” after scoring more than Jordan in several games.

  Yet Jordan managed to fight back, “I go into tomorrow’s game knowing that I’ve found my shot, I’ve found my rhythm, and hopefully when asked, I can perform,” Jordan said. “I don’t think I can do 50 points every night, but I think I can be a threat a force out there for 38 minutes.”

1. From the text we can know Jordan’s lowest points in a game is__________.

   A. six　　   B. eight　　    C. sixteen　　   D. ten

2. What Richard Hamilton said suggests that _________.

   A. Jordan’s teammates are proud of him

   B. Richard’s wouldn’t like to learn from Jordan as before

   C. Jordan isn’t the super star as he used to be

   D. Richard has become a super star instead of Jordan

3. The author writes this text in order to __________.

   A. tell us the career of Jordan

   B. tell us that Jordan is still a great basketball player, though not as young as before

   C. make all the skeptics have faith of Jordan

   D. prove that Jordan is sure to be as powerful as before

   My husband and I got married in 1965 and for the first ten years of our marriage, I was very happy to stay home and raise our three children. Then four years ago, our youngest child went to school and I thought I might go back to work.

    My husband was supportive and helped me to make my decision. He emphasized all of the things I can do around the house, and said he thought I could be a great success in business.

    After several weeks of job-hunting, I found my present job in a small public relations firm. At first, my husband was very proud of me and told his friends, “My clever little wife can run that company she’s working for.”

　　 But as his joking remark approached reality, my husband stopped talking about my job. I have received several promotions and pay increases. Now I am making more money than he is. I can buy my own clothes and a new car. Because of our combined incomes, my husband and I would do many things that we had always dreamed of, but we do not, for he is unhappy.

   We fight about little things and my husband is very critical in front of our friends. For the first time in our marriage, I think there will be a possibility that our marriage may come to an end.

   I love my husband and I don’t want him to feel inferior, but I don’t know how to settle this problem. Can you give me some advice? How can I keep my husband on one hand and my new career on the other?

   Please help.

1. What will be the best title for this text?

   A. A working woman’s trouble

   B. A wife’s thanks for her husband

   C. A wife’s complaints about her husband

   D. A working woman’s love for her husband

2. The letter was most probably written ____________.

   A. in 1975   B. around 1980    C. four years ago    D. in 1965

3. As her income increased ______________.

   A. she found a gap emerged between her and her husband

   B. she bought more clothes and a new house

   C. she did many things she had dreamed of

   D. she felt very proud of herself

In the United States the most popular form of folk dancing since the earliest days has been square dancing. In early times, when men and women worked in groups to build a barn(building where animals are kept) or harvest crops, they danced when the work was done. The music came from a violin from the most part, but if there was no one to play the instrument, clapping was used to produce the rhythm (loud and soft sound made in a certain order) by which to dance. The early settlers danced in a store, in a barn or in a farm kitchen.

A square is formed by four couples who stand facing the center of the square. Each couple stands on one side of the square, the boy on the left and the girl on the right.

The caller is important part of the dance since he tells the dancers which steps to do. If the dancers do not know the steps he teaches them. It takes time to learn to be a good caller, and good callers are always in demand.

These are the names of some of the steps the dancers do: Form a square; Circle; Honor your partner; Promenade (walk about slowly); Wing your partner; Form a star. There are many more. As the caller tells the dancers what to do next, they move to form the pattern he calls.

Large or small numbers of people can dance at one time. Sometimes 800 or 1 000 people may be dancing at the same time. Or there may be only one square of eight people.

1. In the past people danced __________.

A. when they were doing their work

B. before they did their work

C. after they finished their work

D. before a big party

2. In the first paragraph, the underlined word “clap” means__________.

A. hit the hands together to make a sound

B. a kind of thing like the radio

C. shout at the top of one’s voice

D. knock something to make a sound

3. If 1 000 people dance at the same time, how many squares can be formed?

A. Only one big square.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. 1 000 squares.　　　　　　　　　　   

C. More than 100 squares.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. Less than 100 squares.

In 1865 the famous French writer Jules Verne wrote two books. One was “From the Earth to the Moon”  and the other was “Around the Moon” . In these books Jules Verne described man landing on the moon.

In 1969 man did land on the moon. Many of the details(细节) of the real moon landing had been described with amazing accuracy(精确) in Jules Verne’s books.

Here are three of the similarities. Jules Verne’s spaceship carried three men. Apollo Ⅱ carried three men. Jules Verne’s spaceship had an initial speed(初速) of 36 000 feet per second. Apollo Ⅱ’s initial speed was 35 500 feet per second. Last, Jules Verne’s spaceship took 97 hours,13 minutes, and 20 seconds to reach the moon. Apollo Ⅱ took 103 hours and 3 minutes.

The door of Apollo Ⅱ opened at 10:56 in the afternoon, on July 20,1969, and a man stepped out onto the surface of the moon. Jules Verne had predicted(预言) it with great accuracy over one hundred and four years earlier.

1. The two books were written__________ man landed on the moon.

A. after　　    　　　　  B. before　　　　　　　　　　  C. because　　    　　  D. when

2. Jules Verne could describe the moon landing with amazing accuracy because__________.

A. Jules Verne took part in the landing

B. the spacemen told him everything about the landing

C. he was good at predicting

D. he was one of the scientists who planned the landing

3. In 1969 man landed on the moon__________.

A. for the second time

B. for the first time

C. with Jules Verne’s prediction followed

D. with the help of Jules Verne

4.From the passage we can see that the writer __________.

A. was one of the spacemen

B. was a scientist

C. told us how to land on the moon

D. was surprised at the similarity

There are warm tropic regions all over the globe, but only the Indians of the South American rain forests have formed the habit of sleeping in the open air. Long before they made the painful acquaintance（相识）with Europeans, they had invented something that was unique on earth: the hammock.

　　Nobody really knows who first had the bright idea of sleeping in the open air:  the symbol of untroubled rest. The Indians see the hammock as a “gift” of heaven, something given to them a very long time ago.

　　In it the Indians pass away hot noon hours, napping or chatting. Swinging it to and fro（来回）creates a cooling breath of air and keeps away insects. They work and play in hammocks, and are born and die there.

　　Hung like a suspension bridge （吊桥） between heaven and earth, a hammock is dry while the soil is damp and is safe from most animals.

　　Hammocks have the advantage over beds in that they are easy to transport and take up very little space when they have been rolled up. The Indians never go on a journey without their hammock, not even to their plantations.

　　1.The word “hammock” in this passage means “________”.

　　A. a suspension cage which can be swung to and fro in the air

　　B. a seat hanging by two ropes from the branch or trees

　　C. a suspension bridge in the South American rain forest

　　D. a net hung between two supports and used as a bed

　　2.When was the hammock invented and by whom?

　　A. The Indians had invented the hammock long before they came to South America.

　　B. The Indians had invented the hammock long before Europeans came to South America.

　　C. The Indians had invented the hammock after they made acquaintance with the Indians.

　　D. The Indians had invented the hammock before they went to South America.

　　3.The Indians swing the hammock to ________.

　　A. pray to heaven for a gift.

　　B. keep away from wild flies, mosquitoes and other insects.

　　C. keep away wild animals.

　　D. fall asleep quickly.