阅读理解

　　What could be simpler than shaking fruit from a tree? Well, the job is a lot more difficult than you might think. There is a right way and a wrong way to shake a fruit tree. And a person who is a good apple tree shaker may not be a good cherry tree shaker. Different fruits take different shakes.

　　As a rule, a slow hard shake is best. This makes the fruit fall much faster than a light, quick jiggle. Most fruits have a set number of shakes per minute that will do the best job of getting them out of the tree and onto the ground. To shake down plums, try shaking the tree four hundred times per minute, moving the tree two inches at each shake. Experts say you'll get three times more fruit from the tree than you will if you shake eleven hundred times per minute at one inch per shake. Cherries, because they are smaller, need more shaking. A good rate of shaking seems to be about twelve hundred shakes per minute. Apples, like plums, need four hundred shakes.

　　Of course, some people may choose to take no notice of all these expert directions for shaking fruit. Keeping track of all the numbers can be enough to drive some people up a tree.

1．The main idea of the passage is ________ .

[　　]

A．some tasks are more difficult than they look

B．shaking fruit trees can be a real art

C．different fruits require different amounts of shaking

D．shaking fruit trees is a hard job

2．This passage is about ________ .

[　　]

A．eating plums

B．how to shake fruit from a tree

C．the value of fruit and vegetables

D．ways in which people shake

3．A smaller fruit tree normally requires ________ .

[　　]

A．more people

B．less shaking

C．two people per tree

D．more shaking

4．From this passage we can conclude that ________ .

A．good fruit pickers know how fast or slow to shake a tree

B．most of the fruits are broken when they hit the ground

C．it really makes no difference how you shake a fruit tree

D．too much shaking can break the branches

5．The writer ends this story with ________ .

[　　]

A．a serious thought

B．a suggestion for other ways to get fruit from trees

C．a joke

D．a warning

阅读理解

　　Dad said it would be an unusual present, and he was quite right. He said, “Go to the telephone and call a ten figure number. It must begin with 010. Got that 010-? You can please yourself about the other seven figures. ”

　　I called the number 010-6132597. A few moments later I heard a man’s clear voice at the other end, the voice said, “Kikri 2597. Don Flower speaking. ”

　　I said, “Hello, Mr. Flower. I'm Robert West, and this call to you is one of my birthday presents. I'm thirteen today. ”

　　“Oh, that’s great. Many happy returns of the day! Where are you calling from, Robert? You sound very clear. ”

　　“I'm at home in London. Where are you? ”

　　“You’re in London! Well, well-I've never had a call from London before. I live in Kikri, Australia. About a hundred miles from Kikri actually, but it's the nearest place. I've got a small farm here, with about ninety thousand sheep on it. You ought to come and visit me one day. ”

　　“I'd like to very much. Your farm must be very big, Mr. Flower, if you’ve got ninety thousand sheep on it. ”

　　“Well, there may be only eighty thousand by now. I'm not too sure. There’s not a lot of feed for them, you know, and two of my wells have gone dry this month. So we’ve been driving the sheep around a bit. If you go straight across the middle of my farm, it’s a hundred and ten miles. That isn’t a great size for a farm in Australia, but it’s big enough for me! ”

　　We talked for three minutes, and it was very interesting. I gave Mr. Flower my telephone number. He promised to ring me on my birthday the next year.

1．If you live in London, what number calls Australia?

[　　]

2．As far as we can tell from the passage, ________ .

[　　]

A．Robert West had never rang Australia before

B．telephone calls to Australia are expensive

C．Mr. Flower is a friendly man

D．Mr. Flower wishes that he had a large farm

3．Which of the following is NOT untrue?　　 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 [　　]

A．Mr. Flower lives in a big city.

B．Australia can have periods with no rain.

C．Robert did not know Mr. Flower when he first spoke to him.

D．We do not know exactly how many sheep Mr. Flower has on his farm.

4．From the passage it seems that ________ .

[　　]

A．Australia has the best conditions for sheep farming

B．to make a living in Australia, you must have a large farm to raise sheep

C．Mr. Flower is finding it difficult to raise sheep successfully because he has a small farm

D．sheep farming in Australia can be a difficult job at times

5．The best title for the passage is ________ .

[　　]

A．A Surprise Phone Call

B．An Unusual Present

C．A Phone Call To Australia

D．A Ten-Figure Number

阅读理解

　　At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the first African slaves were brought across the Atlantic to the West Indias (西印度洋群岛). They were sold to landowners all over the Americas. Many nations joined in this trade and set up slave trading posts along the West African Coast.

　　Between 1510 and 1860, close to 15 million Negro slaves were shipped to the Americas to mix with millions of Europeans and American Indians who also lived there.

　　Slavery made great changes in the world of color in the 300 years after Columbus. In the New World, a whole population of color groups from different parts of the world came into being.

　　The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries brought more changes with the Age of the Machine. People left the land and crowded into cities to work in the factories. Populations grew. Life began to change, and with it, ideas changed. People began to question the old idea that some men were born to be rulers and some to be slaves.

　　So the Age of the Machine also became an age of revolution. People won the freedom after the American and the French Revolutions. And all during the nineteenth century, the fight for democracy (民主) went on. In 1848 alone, there were revolutions in France, Ireland, England, Central Europe, Italy, Germany, Holland and Scandinavia.

1．In the 16th century, -went to the West Africa to buy slaves.

[　　]

A．businessmen (商人) from many countries

B．many people from the West Indias

C．a great many American landowners

D．millions of Europeans

2．At the end of 1860．the number of Negro slaves living in the Americas was-.

[　　]

A．about 15 million

B．over 15 million

C．nearly 15 million

D．not known

3．Slavery ________ the Americas.

[　　]

A．changed the color of

B．changed the nature of

C．brought more foreign-born population to

D．brought more Indians to

4．During the Age of the Machine, the ________ in cities grew very fast.

[　　]

A．slave trading posts

B．color groups

C．population

D．rulers

5．In 1848, there were revolutions ________ .

[　　]

A．everywhere in Europe

B．in quite a number of European countries

C．in the Americas

D．in Europe and the Americas

阅读理解

　　We usually play as hard as we work in America. But we are not the first to enjoy many of the games and sports we play today. People in other countries were enjoying these games and sports long before us.

　　You probably have played many games with dice, which was brought to America in the 1800s. Some people think a Greek leader made up or invented the game of dice in about 1184 B.C． But most people believe that a ruler of Lydia in Asia invented the game of dice. The people of Lydia had little to eat. The ruler would let his people eat one day. Then he made fast the second day. The ruler had the people play the game of dice on the fast days. He thought the game would keep the people's minds off food!

　　Some people believe that playing cards started in China. The ruler of China enjoyed card games in 1120．But playing cards probably were invented in India. There is a reason why people believe playing cards first came from India. The early cards had pictures of kings but no queens. India had no queens. But India did have kings. Playing cards came to America from Mexico in about 1519．The game of bowling started six hundred years ago. It probably began in Germany and in the Netherlands. Bowling was brought to America by the Dutch in the 1700s.

　　Do you like to skiing winter? Americans began skiing in the 1850s. A man from Norway Started the sport in America. He used to ski ninety miles carrying a mailbag on his back.

　　Ice-skating is another winter sport that was brought to America from another country. People have skated on ice for about eight hundred years. Ice-skating came from the Dutch. As you can see, Americans were not the first to have fun. People from many other countries taught us to play today!

1．A fast day is a day on which ________ .

[　　]

A．sun sets early

B．people run races

C．people eat little or nothing

D．people did nothing

2．Why were there no pictures of queens on the first playing cards?

[　　]

A．The country in which cards were probably invented had no queens.

B．No queens wanted their pictures on the cards.

C．The first card games were played by the kings only.

D．Women’s pictures could not appear on the cards.

3．Which of the following statements is TRUE?

[　　]

A．The game of playing cards started in China.

B．Most people believe that dice game dates from about 1184 B．C．

C．Bowling, which dates back to six hundred years ago, came to America in the 1700s.

D．Ice-skating was brought to America by a man from Norway.

4．Bowling was brought to America by the ________ .

[　　]

阅读理解

　　It was the first day of school. A new student, the son of a Japanese businessman, took his seat in the classroom of Grade 4．The teacher soon came to the classroom and said, “Let’s begin by going over the American history we have learnt. Who said‘Give me liberty (自由), or give me death’? ”

　　What she saw were only blank faces except Timmy’s. He held up his hand and then said, “Patrick Henry, 1720．”

　　“Good. ”said the teacher. “Who said ‘Government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish (死亡) from the death’? ”

　　There was no answer. Again Timmy raised his hand and said, “Abraham Lincoln, 1863．”

　　The teacher said to the class, holding back her anger, “You should be ashamed of yourselves. Timmy, who is new to come, yet knows more about the history. ”

　　As she turned to write something on the blackboard, she heard a whisper, “Dammed (该死的) Japanese. ”

　　“Who said that? ”she asked.

　　Timmy put his hand up. “Tom, in the second row. 1998．”he said.

1．The story took place in ________ .

[　　]

A．a Japanese school

B．an American school

C．a French school

D．an English school

2．In the second paragraph, the word “blank” means “ ________” .

[　　]

3．The teacher thought that ________ .

[　　]

A．Timmy knew more than any other American student in the school

B．Timmy knew more than any other Japanese student in her class

C．Timmy knew everything in history

D．Timmy knew more than any of his American classmates

4．Why did the student whisper “Damned Japanese”?

[　　]

A．Because he felt ashamed himself.

B．He welcomed Timmy in a special way.

C．He did not accept Timmy as a new student.

D．He envied (嫉妒) the Japanese student.

阅读理解

　　As we all know, the 2000 Olympic Games were held in Sydney. Have you been to Sydney? What does it look like?

　　Sydney is one of Australia's oldest, largest and liveliest cities with a population of more than three million. It is a colorful, modern city but it is also a natural beauty with green park land and perhaps the world’s most beautiful deep-water harbor.

　　Besides modern buildings and roads, the city has many places of historical interest. For example, Mr. Macquarie's Chair, the area called the Rocks dating back to the early nineteenth century, and attractive rows of houses of Paddington, are all close to the harbor and the city center.

　　Sydney has many other attractions of tourist importance－a zoo, Koala Bear Park and Sydney Opera House which lies at the water’s edge. Some say that the Opera House is one of the most outstanding examples of beautifully designed modern buildings in the world. There are all kinds of restaurants, theatres, nightclubs and spots facilities (设施, 场所) is sydney. There is also a network of communications within the city, including an underground railway, buses and taxis. Sydney has a very pleasant climate. Usually the average temperature in summer is just a little above 20℃, and in winter not below 12℃.

　　Sydney plays an irreplaceable role in all walks of life (各行各业) in Australia. People at home and abroad are crazy about it yesterday, today and tomorrow.

1．Which of the following statements is NOT the fact according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Sydney is among the biggest cities of Australia.

B．The weather in Sydney is delightful.

C．Sydney’s first subway will be completed soon.

D．Sydney is rich in both natural beauty and cultural sceneries (人文景观) .

2．From the passage, we may know that the most world-famous building in Sydney is ________ .

[　　]

A．its deep-water harbors

B．Sydney Opera House

C．its network of communications

D．its natural beauty with green park land

3．According to the passage, the oldest place of interest in Sydney existed for about ________ .

[　　]

4．Which of the statements gives the idea of the passage best?

[　　]

A．Sydney, a beauty.

B．Go to Sydney by sea.

C．Only in Sydney can people have a wonderful time.

D．Everybody is proud of Sydney.

阅读理解

　　Parents whose children show a special interest in a particular sport feel very difficult to make a decision about their children’s careers (职业). Should they allow their children to train to become top sportsmen or sportswomen? For many children it means starting school work very young, and going out with friends and other interests have to take a second place. It's very difficult to explain to a young child why he or she has to train five hours a day, even at the weekend. when most of his or her friends are playing.

　　Another problem is of course money. In many countries money for training is supplied by government for the very best young sportsmen and sportswomen. If this help can not be given, it means that it is the parents who have to find the time and the money to support their children’s development, and sports clothes, transportati- on(交通) to competitions, special equipment. etc. All can be very expensive. 

　　Many parents are worried that it is dangerous to start serious training in a sport at an early age. Some doctors agree that young musicles may be damaged by training before they are properly developed. Professional (职业的) trainers, however, believe that it is only by training young that you can reach the top as a successful sports person. It is clear that very few people do reach the top, and both parents and children should be prepared for failure even after many years of training.

1．This article is most probably taken from ________ .

[　　]

A．a letter

B．all advertisement

C．a personal diary

D．a newspaper article

2．According to the passage, parents whose children show a special interest in sport ________ .

[　　]

A．feel uncertain if they should let their children train to be sportsmen or sportswomen

B．try to get financial support from the government for their children's training

C．have to get medical advice from doctors about training methods

D．prefer their children to be trained as young as possible

3．Which of the following statements is NOT true?

[　　]

A．By starting young, you won't have much time for your school work.

B．Early training may damage your muscles.

C．Most children may become professional sportsmen after a long period of training.

D．It’s very expensive for parents to support their children’s development in sport.

4．The underlined phrase“take a second place”is the same meaning as“ ________ ”.

[　　]

A．to repeat the activities some other day

B．to become less important

C．of all things considered, they are of inferior (差的) quality

D．to happen again

阅读理解

　　There is no living creature that does not need sleep or complete rest every day. If you want to know why, just try doing without sleep for a long period of time! You will discover that your mind and body would easily be made angry and find it hard to think clearly or bring your attention on your work. So sleep is quite simply the time when the cells (细胞) of your body recover from the work of the day and build up supplies of energy for the next period of activity.

　　One of the things we all know about sleep is that we are unconscious (无知觉的) in sleep. We do not know what is going on around us. But that does not mean the body stops all the activities. The necessary organs (器官) continue to work during sleep, but most of the body functions (功能) are slowed down. Your body temperature becomes lower when you are sleeping, which is the reason why people go to sleep under some kind of covers.

　　And even though you are unconscious, many of your reflexes (反应能力) still work. For example, if someone touches your foot slightly, you will put it away in your sleep, or even brush a fly from your forehead. You do these things without knowing it.

1．If a man did not sleep for a long time, ________ .

[　　]

A．his mind would become tired but his body could work properly

B．it would be hard to make him angry

C．he would not think clearly or bring his attention on his work

D．he would become tired out but could keep on working

2．Sleep can not________.

[　　]

A．make your body recover

B．build up your strength

C．add your cells

D．be helpful to your mind

3．When you are asleep, ________ .

[　　]

A．it is hard for you to know what is going on around

B．you stop all the activities

C．your necessary organs stop working

D．your body functions are all slowed down

4．According to the text, we know that ________ .

[　　]

A when a person is sleeping, his body temperature becomes lower

B．in someone’s sleep, he knows nothing except for his sleeping

C．it’s possible for someone to brush a fly from his fore-head with consciousness in his sleep

D．one can sleep so deeply even that your touching his foot can not cause his reflex

阅读理解

　　Mr. Scott lived in a small town. He had studied in a famous university and learned a lot there before he returned to his hometown where his father had a few factories. He began to manage them and they were all developed. In a few years he became one of the richest men there. He was often asked to the important meetings and talked volubly or bombastically. The people in the small town respected him and often asked him for some advice. So he always thought himself clever and right.

　　One autumn morning, Mr. Scott went to the capital on business. On his way there he wanted to visit some places of interest. He drove well and got to the biggest city in his country successfully, and after he finished his work. he began to call on some of his old friends who worked there. They were happy to see each other and drank much. On his way to his hotel, he drove his car fast and knocked an old woman down who was crossing the street. The old woman was sent to a hospital and he was sent to the police station. A policeman asked him several questions and left him in a cold and wet room alone in order to make him regain consciousness (清醒). About two hours later, he began to shout loudly in the room.

　　The policeman let him out. “I didn't think I would be insulted (侮辱) here! ”Mr. Scott called out angrily. “Where are you usually insulted, then? ”asked the policeman.

1．Mr Scott’s factories were developed because ________ .

[　　]

A．he had studied in a famous university

B．he has learned a lot in the university

C．he managed well

D．his father helped him

2．The phrase “talk volubly or bombastically” means “ ________ ”.

[　　]

3．Mr. Scott went to the capital ________ .

[　　]

4．Mr Scott knocked the old woman down because ________ .

[　　]

A．he had drunk much by then

B．he didn't drive very well

C．there were lots of people in the street

D．he hurried to get to hotel

5．________, so he thought he was insulted.

[　　]

A．Mr Scott was sent to the police station

B．Mr Scott was asked several questions

C．Mr Scott had to stay in the cold room

D．Mr Scott wasn’t respected at the police station

阅读理解

　　In Kansas City, Missouri, a computer helps fire-fighters. The computer contains information about everyone of the 35, 000 streets addressed in the city. When fire-fighters answer a call, the computer will give them important information about the burning building, its position, size, type and so on. In fact the computer system has almost unlimited ways of helping fire-fighters with the problems facing them.

　　For example, it can give medical information about invalid living in a burning building. With this information, the fire-fighters can take special care to find these sick persons and remove them quickly and safely.

　　The Kansas City Computer System also keeps a medical record of each of the city's 9. 000 fire-fighters. This kind of information is especially useful when a fireman is injured. With this information, doctors at the hospital call treat the injured fire-fighters more quickly and easily.

1．The computer can give ________ .

[　　]

A．useful and useless information about the city

B．useful information about everyone living in the city

C．useful information about every street addressed in the city

D．information about every city in the country

2．In this passage the word “invalid” means ________ .

[　　]

A．a person who is badly injured

B．a person who has become weak through illness or injury

C．a person who is helped by firemen

D．a person who wants to be a firemen

3．The computer centre can ________ .

[　　]

A．give the firemen important help almost in every way

B．have limited ways of helping firemen

C．hardly give any useful information for the firemen

D．put out every fire immediately

4．If injured, the firemen will ________ .

[　　]

A．be treated at once with the computer’s help

B．hardly get any treatment

C．be taken to hospital by the computer

D．ask doctors and nurses for help

5．According to the passage, which statement is true? ________ .

[　　]

A．With computers, doctors can cure the injured firefighters.

B．Without computers, fire-fighters can not find the burning building.

C．With the information, the injured fire-fighters can be treated more quickly and easily at the hospital.

D．Without the information. we can't find the position of the building quickly and easily.