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-know 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 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 audiences do come from Santa Fe and other nearby cities, and all the seats in the theater are sold for every show.

There is only one thing that some people do not like about the Santa Fe Opera, and that is the cold weather. Because the theater is open, performances can’t 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. mountain city　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. young mountains

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

2. Young singers come to perform in Santa Fe Opera because__________.

A. the music’s 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 sold 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 vacation in Santa Fe

C. the government advertises to attract more musicians

D. performances are held in Santa Fe only after sunset

Attending a performance or concert at weekends should no longer be a luxury, said Zhang Heping, director of the Beijing Municipal(市政府的) Cultural Bureau, at the government department’s yearly work conference. Zhang put into a number of changes last year to increase audiences, such as designing some low-cost performances, the most popular of which was a show called“Open the Door of the Music”, aiming at students on summer vacation.

Previously, performances had tickets priced at above 100 yuan—more than one tenth of the average monthly salary of a Beijing resident. But the low-cost shows would limit prices between 5 yuan and 30 yuan.

Zhang said it was wrong to believe that few people remained interested in cultural performances. Tickets had simply been out of most people’s reach, Zhang said. More than 10 Beijing professional performance bodies have gradually been taken off government funding in recent years and have been left to fend for themselves. Zhang said“less profit, more audience”is better than“no profit and no audience”.

Beijing has planned to become an international city, but needs first-class cultural performances as well as firs-rate infrastructure(基础设施). Zhang also emphasizes the importance of large-scale activities, promising to organize more of them this year like open-air concerts performed by various amateur(业余) groups.

1. Beijing is making its theatres and music halls more popular with ordinary people because__________.

A. it agrees with the development of modern society

B. Beijing is trying its best to host the 2008 Olympic Games

C. people can enjoy themselves there without paying money

D. ticket prices are reduced and performances are more colorful

2. The underlined word “fend for” here means “__________”.

A. support　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. search

C. promise　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　       D. find

3. The best title for the passage is “__________”.

A. Door to art and music opens wider in Beijing

B. Making art more popular

C. Beijing is improving its infrastructure

D. Attract audience with special culture

“This indecent(不文雅的) foreign dance was introduced at the English court on Friday last. . . we trust it will never again be tolerated in any moral English society. ”(The Times 1816. )

The waltz was the first court dance since Shakespeare’s time where the couple were allowed to spin round holding each other very closely. The fact that it was labeled “immoral”or even“obscene(下流的) ”no doubt helped to make people think it was rather shocking fun.

The waltz originated in Germany from the energetic folk-dances of the country people. By the mid-18th century the smart town people were trying it and very soon, it had spread throughout the rest of Europe, although parts of Germany and Switzerland banned it completely! In Vienna the waltz became very fast, with the couples racing each other seven or eight times round the ballroom floor, until they were in a state of collapse. So the police decided to forbid the extreme forms of the dance, as it was creating a public disturbance.

However, it was also in Vienna that Lanner and Strauss made their fortunes as bandleaders and composers. Strauss’ son, John Strauss established himself as the“waltz”. Chopin complained that classical music was being ignored in favor of the waltz. He also complained that pieces by Mozart and Beethoven were being “waltzified”to please the public taste. But this did not lower its popularity, which still continues even today.

1. The music of waltz was firstly played in __________.

A. England　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. Germany

C. Switzerland　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Vienna

2. Why did the police decide to forbid the extreme dance of waltz in Vienna?

A. Because the police thought the dancers were holding each other very closely.

B. Because the police thought the dancers were spending too much time in dancing.

C. Because the police thought the dancers of waltz were creating trouble in the public.

D. Because the police thought the dancers of waltz were always in a state of being worn out.

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

A. In the beginning the waltz was created by some famous composers.

B. Although the waltz was banned in one or two countries, yet it had spread all over the rest of Europe by the mid-18th century.

C. The dance of waltz was usually performed by only one person.

D. As a great composer Chopin took the side of the waltz.

4. What conclusion can we draw from the passage?

A. The waltz is immoral or even obscene.

B. All people accepted the waltz completely in the beginning.

C. The waltz was even thought to be rather shocking fun.

D. At the present time people still think well of love and enjoy the waltz.

E-mail makes it easy to work at home, which is where I now spend most weekends and evenings. My working hours aren’t necessarily much shorter than they once were but I spend fewer of them at the office. This lets me share more time with my young daughter than I might have if she’d been born before electronic mail became such a practical tool.

The Internet also makes it easy to share thoughts with a group of friends. Say you do something funny—see a great movie perhaps—and there are four or five friends who might want to hear about it. If you call each one, you will get tired of telling the story.

With E-mail, you just write one note about your experience, at your convenience, and address it to all the friends who you think might be interested. They can read your message when they have time, and read only as much as they want to. They can reply at their convenience, and you can read what they have to say at your convenience.

E-mail is also an inexpensive way to stay in close touch with people who live far away. More than a few parents use E-mail to keep in touch, even daily touch, with their children off at college.

We just have to keep in mind that computers and the Internet offer another way of staying in touch. They don’t eliminate(排除) any of the old ways.

1. The purpose of this passage is to __________.

A. explain how to use the Internet

B. describe the writer’s joy of keeping up with the latest technology

C. tell the merit (价值) and usefulness of the Internet

D. introduce basic knowledge about computers and the Internet

2. The use of E-mail has made it possible for the writer to__________.

A. spend less time working

B. have more free time with his child

C. work at the office on weekends

D. work at a speed comfortable to him

3. According to the writer, E-mail has an advantage(优势) over the telephone because it can__________.

A. reach a group of people at one time conveniently

B. keep one’s communication as personal as possible

C. pass on much more information

D. get in touch with one’s friends faster

4. The best title for this passage is__________.

A. Computers: New Technological Advances

B. Internet: a New Tool to Keep Friendship

C. Computers: Machines to Make Life Easier

D. Internet: a Convenient Tool for Communication

Communication by television has been one-way since its beginning. However, the television watcher will soon be able to talk back. Two-way television is now a possibility, making electronic communication a goal for the future. Because of computers and cable television(有线电视), the audience(观众) will be more than watchers. They will be able to do more than choose their programs. They will also be able to give feedback(反馈) on them. Two-way TV is not a dream. The hardware(硬件) for such a two-way system already exists(存在). For example, the cable television systems that are spreading rapidly connect stations and television sets. The same equipment can be used to return information. One experimental group of cable-television watchers is called Cube, in Columbus, Ohio. Cube has thirty channels. Members pay for what they watch. The choice of programs includes everything from sports to children’s shows, from TV games to natural history. Most importantly, however, the viewers can talk back. A book-sized box of buttons makes it possible. For example, after a program, the announcer might ask for the opinions of the audience. The audience can respond by pushing buttons. An electronic signal goes to a bank of computers at the Cube station. Almost instantly, the data is analyzed, and the viewers see the results on their TV sets.

A nationwide Cube system would have many users. Government leaders could use it to get feedback from the people. It could even be used for voting. Besides, teachers in television classrooms could communicate with their unseen students. A television communication system would have a great influence on a country. For example, after a talk about a new product, an announcer could ask the audience for opinions. Would they buy the product? During a talk by a government leader, the announcer could ask the audience to talk back. The leader would know whether the audience believed him or not.

Out of all these dreams of progress, however, there comes one question: Is this what people need and want? With a Cube system, a person might not need to leave the TV set. What would happen to society?

1. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 1 refers to__________.

A. two-way televisions

B. computers and cable TV

C. the audience

D. programs

2. The hardware for a two-way TV system is __________.

A. the cable TV system

B. the back of computers

C. the thirty channels

D. electronics

3. The most important feature of Cube is that viewers can__________.

A. watch programs on their channels

B. watch any program by sending electronic signals

C. talk back to the announcers by pushing buttons

D. use computers at the Cube station through their TV sets

4. According to the passage, the Cube system is__________.

A. widely used in the USA

B. being tested in a lab in Ohio

C. expensive

D. a dream that will never come true

    Last August there was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel in Beldon．Next day, this news was on page two of the town’s newspaper, THE BELDON POST:

Fire at Seabreeze

    Late last night firemen hurried to the Sea-breeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a bedroom．The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire．We say again to all our visitors:’ please don’t smoke cigarettes in bed’ This was Beldon's first hotel fire for five years.

    THE CANFIELD TIMES gave the news in these words on page one.

Another Beldon Hotel Catches Fire

    Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and other things at the Seabreeze Hotel．An angry holiday-maker said, ‘An electric lamp probably started the fire．The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels．When I put my bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp.’ We are glad to tell our readers that this kind of accident does not happen in Canfield.

    What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident．There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel last August．That is one fact．Do we know anything else? Yes—we know that firemen went to the hotel.

    Now what do you think of the rest of the “news” ?

1．When did the Seabreeze Hotel catch fire？

A．Late last August

B．Late last night

C．In summer

D．Last August

2．The writer of “Another Beldon Hotel Catches Fire ”wanted to tell us that ________.

A．too many people smoke in bed in hotels

B．this was the second fire at the Seabreeze Hotel

C．hotels in Beldon often caught fire

D．there was a small fire at the Seabreeze Hotel

3．Why isn’t it easy to find out the exact truth about the fire?

A．Because neither of the newspapers knew the exact truth about the fire.

B．Because either of the newspapers stood on its own side and gave a different report.

C．Because no one dared speak of the truth.

D．Because no one saw the fire.

4．murder Futabayama

C．help the referee

D．break a record

A．there are at least two fire accidents at the Seabreeze Hotel that year

B．the bedroom lamps were very old in some hotels in Beldon

C．firemen went to the hotel to put out the fire

D．fire accidents never happened in Canfield

    For wedding feasts(婚宴), the Bedouin people sometimes prepare a meal of stuffed roast camel．First, they stuff a fish with eggs, then they put the fish inside a chicken．They put the chicken inside a whole roast sheep．Then, finally, they put all of this inside a cooked camel!

    The avocado(鳄梨) contains 165 calories of every 100 grams of fruit．This is more than eggs or milk．It also contains twice as much protein(蛋白质)as milk and has more vitamin A, B and C.

1．Which of the following figures (图表) shows us the correct proportion (比例) of the fat and sugar that the Europeans and the Americans eat in 1800 and 1900?

2．Calories show ________.

A．the fat content of food

B．the sugar content of food

C．the heat and energy content of food

D．the protein content of food

3．The writer tells about the “stuffed roast camel” because it ________.

A．shows how important wedding feast to the Bedouin people

B．serves as an example of high calorie food

C．is made in a very special way

D．is more tasty than any other food

4．What is special for the avocado?

A．It weighs 100 grams.

B．It is a fruit.

C．An avocado fruit has 165 calories.

D．It contains more calories and vitamin A, B and C than milk and eggs.

5．Which of the statements i
s correct acc
ording to the passage?

A．People eat more sugar in Europe than in the US.

B．People in Europe and the US eat less sugar than ever before.

C．People eat more fat in the US than in Europe.

D．People who eat too much fat and sugar will have some health problems.

    The second way to heat your house is with active solar heating．Mechanical aids (things that help) are used．Specially setup solar panels (镶板) are fitted on the roof, collecting the rays from the sun．Under the panels are a network of water pipes．The panels heat up in the sunlight and in turn heat the water in the pipes．The hot water is then stored in a special holding tank, usually in the basement of the house．It is now ready to be piped into radiators in the house, giving heat to the rooms.

1．What does solar have something to do with?

A．the wind.

B．The rain.

C．The sun．

D．The air.

2．What’s the weakness of the passive solar house?

A．On the coldest days of the year some extra heater is needed to help to heat the room.

B．More curtains are needed.

C．In winter sunlight is not able to pass through the glass window.

D．Mechanical aids are expensive.

3．How does the solar energy heat the passive solar house?

A．Sunlight is kept in by the windows and walls.

B．The furnace in the middle of the room sends out heat.

C．Sunlight heats up the walls and floors through the windows and these heated walls and floors radiate the heat slowly.

D．Many windows are positioned in the house to prevent sunlight from coming in

4．What’s a radiator?

A．A large holding t

ank in the basement in which hot water is stored.

B．A heater in the room which radiates heat from hot water supplied, through pipes.

C．A solar panel on the roof.

D．A thick curtain keeping the heat inside the room.

5．Which of the following do you think correct?

A．The active solar house is useless in our modem life.

B．The passive solar house is more useful than the active solar house.

C．The active solar house is probably more expensive than the passive solar house.

D．The passive solar house is probably more expensive than the active solar house.

What is the writer’s main point in telling this passage?

________.

A．How to cut potatoes

B．How to cook potatoes

C．How to skin potatoes

D．How to have potatoes

    Researchers also note an increase in the number of areas setting new records for high and low temperatures.

    More severe storms have been reported in some areas．Other areas have suffered from a severe lack of rain.

    Alex Green of the University of Florida believes a general warming in Earth’s atmosphere is to blame．This warming is commonly called the Green-house Effect.

    Scientists believe it is caused by burning fuels such as oil and coal．Many scientists say the pollution released by burning the fuels enters the atmosphere and may lead to higher temperatures on Earth.

    Professor Green says the more carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, the more extreme weather systems we can expect.

    But not all researchers agree．Tom Ross is a weather expert with the National Climatic Data Center in North Carolina．Mister Ross says what is happening now could become less of an issue at a future date．He notes that only twenty years ago some scientists were warning about the start of a new ice age.

    Mister Ross says more information needs to be collected before scientists can blame current weather conditions on the Greenhouse Effect．However, Mister Green says that by the time scientists agree about the problem it may be too late to do anything about it.

1．The number of areas setting new records for high and low temperature which have suffered from a severe lack of rain or more severe storms is ________;

A．one

B．two

C．under three

D．above three

2． The underlined “the Greenhouse Effect” means ________.

A．a general warming in Earth’s atmosphere

B．that the more carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, the more extreme weather systems we can expect

C．burning fuels such as oil and coal

D．that the pollution released by burning the fuels enters the atmosphere

3．What is your opinion after reading the last paragraph? My opinion is that ________.

A．all the scientists can blame current weather conditions on the Greenhouse Effect

B．not all the scientists agree about the Greenhouse Effect

C．it is never too late to do anything almost Greenhouse Effect

D．it maybe too late to do anything about Greenhouse Effect

4．many Chinese are anxious to go to the United States

B．America is not a great country, compared with China

C．China too, is a great country and his friends don’t always see that

D．beauty in one’s own backyard is some times taken for granted

4．From this passage we can learn ________.

A．people sometimes made stupid mistakes

B．people sometimes take a one- sided view of things

C．people must look at things from all sides

D．beauty lies in love’s eyes

A．storms and the environment

B．the pollution caused by burning the fuels

C．the change of the environment and study

D．the Greenhouse Effect