Reading Comprehension

　　Because he wrote his name so large that it could be read easily, John Hancock has a place in the dictionary.

　　John Hancock was a wealthy man who helped his own people in the American Revolution. He was president of the Continental Congress. He was also governor of Massachusetts and one of the first men to sign the Declaration of Independence. Yet he is remembered best for his large signature.

　　The story is told that when Hancock sat down to sign the Declaration of Independence, he said that he would write his signature large enough for John Bull to read without glasses(John Bull stands for England, as Uncle Sam stands for the United States). Hancock's signature on the Declaration is four and three quarters inches long----an inch longer than his usual signature.

　　Today John Hancock can be used to mean any person's signature.

1．This passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．the American Revolution

B．John Hancock's handwriting

C．how an expression began

D．signing the Declaration of Independence

2．Hancock is remembered best because he ________.

[　　]

A．was governor of Massachusetts

B．helped his own country people

C．signed his name in large letters

D．was president of the Continental Congress

3．John Hancock said that he made his signature large so that ________.

[　　]

A．people would see it

B．it would show that he was proud to be an American

C．John Bull could read it without his glasses

D．he could be remembered as one of the signers

4．His reason for writing large signature was probably that he wanted to ________.

[　　]

A．have people see that he had signed

B．show that he was proud of himself as an American

C．see how large he could write

D．be remembered for writing large

5．John Bull is ________.

[　　]

A．another name for Uncle Sam

B．England's Uncle Sam

C．a name that stands for England

D．both A and C

语篇理解

　　Books are for reading, but man must bring to their reading a desire to learn and a power of absorbing. Reading should be active, not passive.

　　When students first go to a library, they may be at a loss as to what to read of all the different subjects. Well, Bacon tells you to “look at weak places in your armor（盔甲）”, and shows you how to fill up the blanks（空白）in your knowledge. On the other hand ,it is no good just trying to fill your mind with Knowledge. Knowledge in itself is often useless. A mind filled with too much knowledge is like a room too full of furniture; a man cannot walk about freely in it, and look out of the windows. It is much better to concentrate on a few subjects which interest you and to deal lightly with the others than to march heavily through the whole range of learning, like a silly tourist（旅游者）going through a museum and not missing a single object. If you try to master every subject you may become very wise, but you will be very lonely and you will probably lose all your friends. So you must learn to pick and choose , and you must also learn to look here and there in a library like a camel eating grass on the grassland. If you watch it eating, you will see that although he is supposed to be one of the most stupid animals in the world, he has at least one of the qualities of the cultured man, the power to pick and choose. A student looking for mental food in a library should take the camel as his model.

1．The writer thinks that one must ______.

[　　]

A．read as many books as he can

B．try to read books on all the different subjects

C．only read books on subjects that interest him

D．read and absorb a lot

2．A cultured man is similar(相同)to a camel because ______.

[　　]

A．neither of them is interested in knowledge

B．the man reads books as much as a camel eats grass

C．neither of them can be considered wise

D．both of them have the ability to select

3．The term “mental food” at the end of the passage refers to ______.

[　　]

A．books　　　B．grassland

C．brain　　　D．subjects

4．In the second paragraph the writer mainly discusses ______.

[　　]

A．how to compare furniture with books

B．how to select reading materials

C．how to avoid missing anything interesting in the library.

D．why books must be absorbed

5．The writer thinks that it is ______ to try to master every subject.

[　　]

A．necessary　　　B．possible

C．not good　　　 D．not interesting

　　Many countries are working to improve railroad passenger service along heavily traveled routes that run between cities. Because they use less energy perpassenger than any other means of transportation, modern railroads could help save the world’s energy resources（资源）and reduce air pollution.

　　The MLV is a new type of high-speed vehicle, which carries people from one city to another. An MLV track is made up of a single rail that lies under the centre of the train, but the train doesn't touch the track when it is moving. MLV’s are powered by electric motors. A powerful magnetic（磁的）force, produced by magnets in both the motor and the track itself. Levitates（悬浮）the train. This magnetic force holds the train about 15 cm above the rail and moves it forward. The train, which was designed by French, German, and Japanese engineers, is expected to travel more than 480 km per hour.

1．An MLV is a sort of ______.

[　　]

A．strong magnitic force

B．special energy resource

C．modern passenger train

D．straight railroad

2．When an MLV is running, there is powerful magnetic force in ______.

[　　]

A．the motor only

B．the track only

C．not only the motor but also the track

D．neither the motor nor the track

3．From the sentence”This magnetic force holds the train about 15 cm above the rail and moves it forward.” We know that when moving forward, an MLV ______.

[　　]

A．is lifted above the track

B．touches the rail all the time

C．leaves the track from time to time

D．floats high above the rail

4．Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

[　　]

A．An MLV runs much faster than an ordinary train.

B．Engineers designed the MLV in order to improve railroad goods service.

C．Modern passenger service could help save energy resources.

D．An MLV doesn’t produce waste gases.

5．The reason to improve railroad passenger service doesn't lie in that ______.

[　　]

A．energy resources ought to be saved

B．people want to reduce air pollution

C．transportation problems remain unsettled

D．more and more passengers don't want to travel by train

　　Reading Comprehension

　　The cinema was in darkness when we went in and it was no easy job making our way to our seats . An old man was walking in front of us . He was luckier as he had a stick to help him find his way, just like a blind man.

　　“It's funny not to have any lights on before the film starts,” I said.

　　“And no music, either,” added my wife. “Well, perhaps they want to save electricity. ”

　　We were in one of the rows near the entrance when we heard other people pass by. But we could not tell how many people were at the cinema. It was not crowded at that time of the day.

　　“It must be two o'clock already,” my wife said, getting restless. “Can you see your watch ?”

　　My eyes had got used to the darkness, and by bringing my watch close to my eyes, I could just make out that it was a little after two.

　　Just then the film started, but we were disappointed to find that there had been a change. It was not the film we wanted to see. They were showing an old film. My wife and I had seen it three times in the past two months.

1．We got to the cinema ________ the film started.

[　　]

2．The film should start ________ .

[　　]

A．before two o'clock

B．after two o'clock

C．around two o'clock

D．at two o'clock

3．Usually before the film starts, there should be ________ in the cinema.

[　　]

A．many people

B．light or music

C．light and music

D．nothing but darkness

4．It seems that the cinema is more crowded ________ .

[　　]

A．early in the afternoon

B．late in the afternoon

C．at two o'clock

D．early in the morning

5．We were disappointed that ________ .

[　　]

A．we didn't see a film

B．we had to walk in darkness to see a new film

C．there was no music or light in the cinema

D．the film was not the one we wanted to see

语篇理解

　　At the southern tip of Japan, cherry （樱花） trees burst into bloom at the end of March, later they begin to bloom in other parts of the country-first on the southern and then on the northern islands．

　　Most cherry trees in Japan are of the Somei-Yoshino type, known for its short blooming period．The pink blossoms （花） last ten days at the most．They cover the whole tree with their beauty．But even a soft breeze （微风） will shake them from the branches．At times, cherry trees are lashed （冲打） by storms, then the blooms fall quickly to the ground to form a wet carpet of petals （花瓣）．

　　The people of Japan, who have a great feeling for beauty, love the cherry blossoms．It is with a sense of sadness that they watch them fall．

1．The first paragraph suggests that ______．

[　　]

A．Japan's cherry trees grow on hills

B．Japan's cherry trees bloom every year

C．Japan is made up of several islands

D．Both B and C

2．Northern Japanese cherry trees bloom ______．

[　　]

A．during February

B．during March

C．at the end of March

D．in early April

3．The blossoms last for ______

[　　]

A．three days

B．five days

C．longer than a week

D．a month or so

4．In Japan most cherry trees are ______ ．

[　　]

A．of the same type

B．of a type that blooms late

C．on the northern islands

D．in full blossom during the whole spring

5．When the blossoms fall, the Japanese feel sorry because they ______

[　　]

A．hate to see such an end

B．know there will be no cherries

C．feel this is a sign of bad luck

D．know winter is near

　　Anderson worked in a small college．One afternoon, he was told to go to the station to meet a history professor named J．Maurice, who would be giving lectures in his college．Anderson had never met a professor coming from a university so far away．

　　When Anderson looked at the station clock it was ten to two．The train was already twenty minutes late．Walking up and down the platform（站台），he became more and more impatient（不耐烦）．

　　The train came at last, just when Anderson decided to leave the station．Only two people got out-an old farmer with his dog, and a young woman．

　　Anderson said to himself that obviously Professor J．Maurice had missed the train．Just as he was leaving the station, someone stopped him．He was surprised to see the young woman who had just got out of the train．

　　“Are you Mr Anderson?” she asked．

　　“Why, yes, ” he answered．

　　“I'm Jane Maurice．I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long．I was told you would be here to meet me．”

1．Mr Anderson was a ______．

[　　]

A．railway worker

B．college history teacher

C．worker at a small college

D．professor's secretary

2．Anderson went to the station to ______．

[　　]

A．wait for the arrival of 1∶50 train

B．meet a guest

C．take the 1∶30

D．see someone off

3．The train Prof．J．Maurice took ______．

[　　]

A．arrived at ten to two

B．arrived after ten to two

C．arrived at half past one

D．never arrived

4．Who made a mistake according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Prof．J．Maurice．

B．Anderson．

C．The old farmer with his dog．

D．The young woman passenger．

5．Which of the following statements is TRUE?

[　　]

A．Obviously Professor J．Maurice had missed the train．

B．Prof．J．Maurice had taken the wrong train．

C．Anderson thought Professor J．Maurice was a woman．

D．Prof．J．Maurice made an apology．

　　Reading Comprehension

　　The development of the English language falls into three periods. Old English lasted from about A. D. 450, when the first German people began to settle in England, until about 1100. Middle English extended from about 1100 to about 1475. And Modern English began about 1475 and has lasted to the present time. Of course the breaks were not as sudden and exact as these dates suggest. There has never been a year when the language was not changing, or a time when it was spoken without any differences between regions (地区) . However, the characters of the three periods are so different that a person who knows both Old and Modern English well will find a great deal of difficulty reading some of the Middle English writings without further study in the important points of the language.

1．Shakespeare produced his famous plays during the late 1500s and early 1600s ; thus we can say that he wrote in ________ .

[　　]

A．Old English

B．Middle English

C．Early Middle English

D．Modern English

2．A person who knows Old English ________ .

[　　]

A．would probably have little difficulty learning old German

B．would want to learn Modern English

C．would have no difficulty learning Middle English

D．would have difficulty learning other languages

3．The author would advise a person learning English for the first time ________ .

[　　]

A．to study the history of the English language

B．to realize that English is very difficult

C．to remember that English will be different as time goes on

D．to appreciate that English is spoken everywhere

4．Old English ________.

[　　]

A．lasted for 450 years

B．is still spoken in some areas of Britain

C．came into being because of German influence(影响)

D．had an unusual system (系统) of writing

5．The English language ________ .

[　　]

A．has stayed about the same for the last 500 years

B．should be studied by everyone

C．is a mixture of French and German

D．is the oldest language in Europe

语篇理解

　　If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise and as a result, we are growing old unnecessarily soon.

　　Professor Tai Du Matsuzsws wanted to find out why some bodily healthy farmers soon lost ability to think and reason and how the speed of getting old could be slowed down.

　　With a team of researchers he set about measuring brain volumes(脑量)of a thousand people of different ages whth different jobs.

　　Computers helps the researchers to get most exact measurement of the volume of the front and side parts of the brain which have something to do with intellects(智力)and feelings and decide the human character. The back part of the brain which controls tasks like eating and breathing, doesn't contract(萎缩)with the age.

　　Contraction of front and side parts as cells die off, was seen in some people in their thirties, but it was still not found in some 60 and 70-year-olds.

　　The professor concluded that there is a simple way to prevent contractionusing the head.

　　The findings show that contraction of the brain begin sooner in people in the country than in the town.

1. Which parts of the brain have something to do with intellect?

[　　]

A. The front and back parts.

B. The front and side parts.

C. The back part.

D. All parts.

2. Which part of the brain doesn't contract with your age?

[　　]

A. The front part.

B. The side part.

C. The back part.

D. All the above.

3. If you want to stay young, you should __________.

[　　]

A. sit down and have a rest every day

B. do housework

C. sheep well

D. use your head often

4. _________ have the least brain contractions.

[　　]

A. Workers　　　B. Farmers　　　C. Women　　　D. Professors

5. Which is the best title of this passage?

[　　]

A. How to Stay Young

B. Computers and Researchers

C. The Speed of Getting Old

D. How to Use Your Head

语篇理解

　　Richard Rude was so forgetful that he sometimes forgot what he was talking about in the middle of a sentence. His wife had to always remind him about his appointments, his classes-even his meals! Since Rudd was a professor at a well-known university, his forgetfulness often caused him a lot of trouble. It wasn't that he was unintelligent. He was just very, very absent-minded.

　　One hot summer day, Professor Rudd decided to take his children to the beach. The seaside town he planned to visit was about a three-hour train ride away. To make the trip more interesting for his young children, he kept the name of the town a secret. Unfortunately, by the time Rudd had arrived at the train station, the poor forgetful man had forgotten the name of the town. Luckily, a friend of his happened to be in the station. He offered to take care of the children while Rudd went back home to find out where he was going.

　　The professor's wife was surprised to see him again so soon, but she was amused when she heard what was the matter. She distrusted his memory, so she wrote the name of the town on a piece of paper. Satisfied that she had solved the problem, she sent her husband off again. Ten minutes later she was astonished to see him outside the house again. What was the matter now? The professor had forgotten where he had left his children.

1. Which statement is TRUE?

[　　]

A. Richard was so forgetful that he couldn't teach his students.

B. Richard had a lot of trouble because he was unintelligent.

C. Though he was clever, he was very absent-minded.

D. Richard was a trouble-maker.

2. He kept the name of the town a secret because __________.

[　　]

A. he wanted to give the children a surprise

B. he didn’t know the name of the town at all

C. he thought to keep a secret was interesting

D. he wanted to add more fun to the trip

3. Which statement is NOT TRUE?

[　　]

A. He didnt’know where to go at all.

B. It took them three hours to get to that seaside town by train.

C. Before he got on the train Richard had forgotten the name of the town.

D. None of his children knew which town they would go to.

4. Richard's wife __________ his memory, so she wrote the name of the town on a piece of paper.

[　　]

A. did believe in

B. didn't believe

C. didn't believe in

D. had no belief in

5. The story about Professor Rudd tells us __________.

[　　]

A. he lost his children

B. he was unfit to be a professor

C. though some people are clever they are often absent-minded

D. one's forgetfulness will bring about a lot of trouble to others

语篇理解

　　To learn English well you must learn about yourself. You must discover what your own special needs are in English. You should pick out what makes English different from your own language and concentrate(集中)on those parts. And above all, you should pick out your own personal weaknesses in English, pick out your own special problems, find out what mistakes you most often make and make a list of them.

　　It will be best if, in your preparation, you can practice doing the various (各种各样的)sorts of work you will be asked to do in examination. You should then make a careful note of any mistakes you make more than once.Count up how many times you make each mistake, and the mistake you make most often should be at the top of your list, the next most common in second place, and so on.

　　For example, if your own language is Japanese, you may find the problem of articles comes at the top of your list. If you speak German, you may find using some of the conjunctions is your biggest problem. If you mother tongue is French, you may find you are always having trouble with some prepositions. And if Italian is your language, you may constantly forget to use a suitable pronoun when you should.

　　But these are only examples of mistakes typical(典型的)of certain languages. They may or may not be your particular personal mistakes.As I say, these personal ones are the most important of all to discover.

1. To learn English well the most important thing is to ______.

[　　]

A. learn about yourself

B. discover your own special need

C. find out the difference between your own language and English

D. pick out your own personal weaknesses in English

2. The writer advises the readers to ___________.

[　　]

A. spend as much time on English as possible

B. take examinations of various sorts

C. find their own problems through doing carefully-designed exercises

D. keep a notebook with the most important language points in it

3. The first item on the list should be the mistake you make ________.

[　　]

A. more than once　　　　B. many times

C. most often　　　　　　D. very often

4. According to the examples given ____________ may have diffculty in using the word “if”.

[　　]

A. a Japanese　　　　B. a German

C. a Frenchman　　 　D. an Italian

5. To make a list of personal mistakes_____________.

[　　]

A. needs careful work

B. takes little time

C. is an easy job

D. is all one has to do in learning English