阅读理解

　　One of the most well－known fires in history was the Great Fire of London. This took place in 1666, and destroyed almost the entire city. The fire started in the house of the king's baker, John Farynor, at two o'clock on the morning of September 2nd. Farynor lived in a narrow, crowded street, where all the houses were made of wood, so the fire spread very quickly. The city was on fire for five days. By the time the fire was put out, 13200 houses, 88 churches, 4 bridges, 4 prisons and 400 streets had been destroyed. Amazingly, only six people lost their lives in the Great Fire of London.

　　Another well－known fire was the Chicago Fire of 1871. This started when a cow knocked over a burning lantern(lamp) in a busy street. It had not rained in Chicago for a long time, and strong winds soon blew the flames all around the city. About 18000 buildings were destroyed in this fire, while 250 people lost their lives, and 100000 people lost their homes.

　　When a huge earthquake hit San Francisco in 1906, a number of fires broke out. The fires burned for three days, but firefighters could not fight them because the earthquake had destroyed the city's water system. When the fires finally stopped burning, a huge part of the city had been destroyed. More than 700 lives and 25000 buildings were lost in the San Francisco fires.

1．From this passage we know the Great Fire of London ________.

[　　]

A．took place in 1971

B．did not destroy many houses

C．destroyed most of London

D．was started by the king

2．The great Fire of London started ________.

[　　]

A．in a narrow, crowded street

B．at two o'clock of a spring day

C．when a cow knocked over a burning lantern

D．on the morning of September 2nd after an earthquake

3．The Chicago Fire destroyed so many buildings because ________.

[　　]

A．it had rained for a long time

B．everything was dry at that time

C．the buildings were in a narrow, crowded street

D．no one fought the fire

4．In 1871 the Chicago Fire ________.

[　　]

A．started after a huge earthquake hit the city

B．killed 100 000 people

C．started during a rainstorm

D．killed 250 people

5．The fires in San Francisco ________.

[　　]

A．destroyed the city's water system

B．lasted for three days

C．did not destroy much of the city

D．caused a huge earthquake

阅读理解

　　Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities. Of course, there have always been people who have looked for adventure－those who have climbed the highest mountain, explored unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans. Now, however, there are people who seek an immediate thrill from a dangerous sport which may only last a few minutes or even seconds.

　　I would consider bungee jumping to be a good example of such an activity. You jump from a high place(perhaps a bridge or a hot－air balloon) 200 meters above the ground with an elastic rope tied to your ankles. You fall at up to 150 kilometers an hour until the rope stops from hitting the ground. It is estimated that two million people around the world have tried bungee jumping. Other activities which most people would say are as dangerous as bungee jumping include jumping from tall buildings and diving into the sea from the top of high cliff.

　　Why do people take part in such activities as these? Some psychologists suggest that it is because life in modern society has become safe and boring. Not very long ago, people's lives were usually under threat. They had to go out and hunt for food; diseases could not easily be cured, and life was a continuous battle for survival.

　　Today, according to many people, life offers little excitement. They live and work in comparatively safe environments; they buy food in shops; and there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill. The answer for some of these people is to seek excitement in activities such as bungee jumping.

1．A suitable title for the text is ________.

[　　]

A．Dangerous sports: What and Why?

B．The boredom of modern life

C．Bungee jumping; Is it really dangerous?

D．The need for excitement

2．More and more people today ________.

[　　]

A．are trying activities such as bungee jumping

B．are climbing the highest mountains

C．are coming close to death in sports

D．are exploring unknown places

3．In bungee jumping, you ________.

[　　]

A．jump as high as you can

B．tie a rope to your ankles and fall towards the ground

C．slide down a rope to the ground

D．fall towards the ground without a rope

4．People probably take part in dangerous sports nowadays because ________.

[　　]

A．they have a lot of free time

B．they can go to hospital if they are injured

C．they no longer need to hunt for food

D．their lives lack excitement

5．The writer of the text has a ________ attitude towards danger ous sports.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Do you want something different? Something exciting? Here are our new groups of tours.

　　Tibet Tour

　　One of the most unusual places in Asia. Very few tourist go to Tibet. All around are the tallest mountains in the world. You will visit beautiful monasteries and crowded street markets. You will also see wonderful Tibetan dancing.

　　Length of trip: 14 days　　Group size: 16　　Cost: 6 000 dollars.

　　Maui Bicycling Tour

　　Ride a bicycle around the most beautiful tropical island in the world. You will swim in the clear, warm tropical water, and go camping in the beautiful national parks.

　　Length of trip: 7 days　　Group size: 9～12　　Cost: 695 dollars

　　Cooking Tour

　　Do you like French food? Do you like to cook? Visit Paris and seven other French cities. Visit the best restaurants. Eat the most delicious food in the world. Study cooking with the most interesting chefs of France.

　　Length of trip: 15 days　　Group size: 14～18　　Cost: 4500 dollars

　　American River Trip

　　California American River is one of the fastest, most exciting, and most difficult rivers to raft. You will never forget this trip! The trip is for adventurous people only! You must be in good health.

　　Length of trip: 3 days Group size: 8～10 Cost: 650 dollars

1．In Tibet, the tourist can't see ________.

[　　]

2．Which tour is the longest one?

[　　]

3．A person like adventure. He doesn't want anything that is easy. And he is healthy. Which tour is best for him?

[　　]

4．A person enjoys different cultures. He doesn't like to see a lot of other tourists. He is interested in Asian cultures. He can choose ________.

[　　]

5．A person needs exercise. He would like some warm weather, too. The best tour for him is ________.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Listening to a radio broadcast in a foreign language is difficult for many of us. We may have studied the language for several years, and are able to read it, perhaps even write in it. But listening and understanding the spoken language require special skills. Some people have a natural ability that help them to learn language quickly. Others must study for a long time, Everyone, however, can improve his or her listening skill with practice.

　　We are good listeners in our own language because we have had years of practice. We understood the grammar and the words. We also understand the cultural style of our language. We know what to expect a person to say to us in almost any situation. We have been in similar situations in many times, and we have heard it all before. We can understand, even if we don't listen carefully.

　　But this is not true with a foreign language. We must listen with our full attention. And we must try not to let the cultural style of our own language affect our understanding of the foreign language.

　　Listening to a foreign language broadcast is easier if we know something about it. There are clues that can help us. One clue is the time of day. Morning programs often contain many short items of news, information or entertainment. The items are short because most of us are getting to go to work in the morning and don't have time to listen long programs. Evening programs are different. There is time for more details about the subjects discussed.

　　We can get a clue about the program from the music at the beginning, but we have to be familiar with the music of the foreign culture. The kind of music serious and slow, or fast and light can tell us what kind of program will follow. The name of the program can give us good information about what it will contain.

　　Another good clue is the broadcaster. The more we listen to the same person, the easier it will be to understand him. His speaking style will become familiar to us.

　　Furthermore, the broadcaster provides clues to the organization of the broadcast at the beginning of the program. The broadcaster usually gives you the highlights of the program to prepare you for the details that will follow.

1．We are good Listeners in our own language because ________.

[　　]

A．we have a natural ability of learning language

B．our language is much easier

C．we listen to our language more carefully

D．we have practiced it for years

2．In order to make it easier to listen to a foreign language broad cast we should ________.

[　　]

A．listen with our full attention

B．try not to let our own language affect our understanding of the foreign language

C．try to get as familiar with the time, the music and the broadcaster as possible

D．all of the above

3．If you do not have enough time, you can listen to ________.

[　　]

A．evening programs

B．programs with light music

C．morning programs

D．more details

4．You can know what details will follow from ________ of the program.

[　　]

5．What does the passage mainly talk about?

[　　]

A．Why we listen to a foreign broadcast.

B．What we need to do to understand a foreign broadcast.

C．The difference between our own language and the foreign language.

D．The problems with listening to a foreign broadcast.

阅读理解

　　Language learning begins from listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they need before they start speaking, and children who start speaking late are often long listeners. Most children will “obey” spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word “obey” can hardly describe the cooperation shown by the children. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gestures and by making noises.

　　It is agreed that babies enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or tow special noises are used by them to show their happiness, pains, friendliness, and so on. But since these can not be said to be a kind of communication, they can hardly be regarded as earlier forms of language. From about three months old they play with sounds for enjoyment, and by six months they are able to add new sounds to their store. This self－imitation leads on to deliberate imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises that these imitations can be considered as speech.

　　It is a problem we need not get our teeth into. The meaning of the word depends on, what a special person means by it in special situation; and what a child means by a word will change as he gets more experience of the word.

　　Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself. I wonder, however, whether anything is gained when parents try to use this ability to teach new sounds.

1．Before children start speaking, ________.

[　　]

A．they need equal amounts of listening

B．they need different amounts of listening

C．they can all cooperate with the adults by obeying spoken instructions

D．they can't understand and obey the adults' spoken instructions

2．Children who start speaking late ________.

[　　]

A．may have problem with their hearing

B．probably dot not hear enough language spoken around them

C．usually pay close attention to what they hear

D．often take a long time in learning to listen properly

3．The problem that a baby's imitations can be considered as speech ________.

[　　]

A．is important because words have different meanings for different people

B．is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually

C．is one that can never be properly understood because the meaning of the word changes with age

D．is one that should be completely ignored because children's use of word is often meaningless

4．A baby's first noises are ________.

[　　]

A．a reflection of his moods and feelings

B．a early form of language

C．a sign that he means to tell you something

D．a imitation of the speech of adults

5．From the last paragraph we know that ________.

[　　]

A．parents are never hope to teach their children new sounds

B．children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak for themselves

C．children who are good at imitating learn new sounds more quickly

D．even after they have learnt to speak children still enjoy imitating

阅读理解

　　After giving a talk at high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. A illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed.

　　During the nine－mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy(肌肉萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to see five, then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold－medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles(障碍) and going for my dreams.

　　I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn't mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weight with me.

　　When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold－medal I won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”

　　Last summer I received a letter from Matthew's parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a Letter he had written to me a few days before:

　　Dear Rick,

　　My mom said I should send you a thank－letter for the pictute you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctor tell me that I don't have long to live any more. But I still smile as much as I can.

　　I told you someday I was going to the Olympics and win a gold－medal. But I know I will never get to do that. But I know I'm a champion, and God knows that, too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank for loving me.

Your friend,

Matthew

1．The boy wanted to meet the author(作者) because ________.

[　　]

A．he was interested in weight lifting

B．he wanted to get a gold medal

C．he admired the author very much

D．he wanted the author to know him

2．The underlined part in the third paragraph probably means “________”

[　　]

A．Why do you come to see me?

B．Why do I have to stay at home?

C．Why does the disease fall on me?

D．Why not give a gold medal to me?

3．We can infer from the passage that ________.

[　　]

A．Matthew is a determined boy

B．Rick used to have the same disease

C．Matthew became a champion finally

D．Rick regarded Matthew as normal

4．The boy refused the author's medal because ________.

[　　]

A．he wanted the picture instead

B．he would not be pitied by others

C．he did not know he would die soon

D．he himself could earn one in the future

阅读理解

　　George Daniels lives in London. He is a watchmaker. His work continues the tradition of the English watchmakers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Today this condition is almost dead. Daniels is the only man in the world who designs his own watches, makes all the parts himself, and then put them together.

　　A Daniels watch is the product of his hands alone. One of his watches, which is now in an American museums, took 3500 hours to complete. He usually makes one watch a year. Each one is written “Daniels London”, and costs about 10000 pounds. Of course, these are not ordinary watches they were very beautiful and will last three centuries.

　　George Daniels has always been interested in clocks and watches. When he was five, he used to take his father's clock to pieces, and put it back together again. At school he used to repair the teachers' watches. When he was in the army he repaired watches in his spare time. After he left the army, he became a professional watch repairer. Then from 1958 to 1968, he restored antique(古式的) watches, and finally began making his own watches.

　　He is now internationally famous and many people would like him to make watches for them. Most of them will be disappointed. He chooses his customers very carefully indeed. “It must be someone who understands the subject,” he says, “not someone who will leave the watch in the drawer and only show it to dinner guests.”

1．George Daniels ________.

[　　]

A．is one of the few remaining watchmakers in the world

B．is the last of the great watchmakers

C．is one of the few who repair antique watches

D．began to make his watches by his hands alone in his childhood

2．His interest in watches ________.

[　　]

A．was strong because his family were all watchmakers

B．grew because he had to repair watches in the army

C．started when he studied at school

D．is lifelong

3．Which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．All his watches are kept in Museums.

B．There are only a few Daniels watches in the world.

C．His family was very poor and he had to make a living by repairing watches.

D．He has made hundreds of watches and become very rich.

4．George Daniels makes watches ________.

[　　]

A．for anyone who wants to show them off to his friends

B．for anyone who asks him to make one

C．for someone who is very rich and wants to buy one

D．for someone who appreciates his watches

5．From the article we can learn that ________.

[　　]

A．no one can afford to buy Daniels watch because it is too expensive

B．as it takes too much time to complete a watch, the tradition of the English watchmakers of the 18th and 19th centuries is almost dead

C．the watches made in the 18th and 19th centuries are now kept in American museums

D．few people can understand the subjects of his watches

阅读理解

　　Australia, the last continent, was discovered by ships belonging to some European nations in the seventeenth century. These nations were less interested in changing it into a colony(殖民地) than in exploring it. As in the early history of the United States, it was the English who set up the settlements(新拓居地) in Australia. This history and Geography of these two British colonies have some other things in common as well.

　　Australia and the United States are about the same size, and their western lands are both not rich in soil. It was the eastern coast of Australia and America that the English first settled, and both colonies soon began to develop towards the west. However, this westward movement took place more because the English were searching for better land than because the population was increasing. Settlements of the western part of both countries developed quickly after gold was discovered in America in 1849 and in Australia two years later.

　　Although the development of these two countries has a lot in common, there are some striking differences as well. The United States gained its independence from England by revolution while Australia won its independence without having to go to war. Australia, unlike the United States, was firstly turned into a colony by English prisoners and its economic development was in wheat growing and sheep raising. By 1922, for example, Australia had fifteen times more ship than it had people, or almost half as many sheep as there are people today in the United States. Yet, in spite of these and other main differences, Australia and the United States have more in common with each other than either one has with most of the rest of the world.

1．In the early history of America and Australia, both colonies developed towards the west firstly for the reason that ________.

[　　]

A．the population was increasing rapidly in the east

B．the English thought there might be richer land there

C．gold was discovered there

D．fewer people lived there

2．In the early 1920s, ________.

[　　]

A．Australia had one fifteenth as many people as sheep

B．there were more sheep in Australia than in the United States

C．the population in Australia was greater than that of the United States

D．the United States had twice as many sheep as people

3．Australia, unlike the United states, ________.

[　　]

A．won its independence by peaceful means

B．did not discover gold until the late 1840s

C．was the last and biggest continent to be discovered

D．was not rich in gold in its western part

4．The last sentence in the last paragraph “… Australia and the United States have more in common with each other than either one has with most of the rest of the world” means “________”.

[　　]

A．the United States and Australia do not have any main differences

B．the United States and Australia have much more in common than they have with other countries

C．the United States and Australia have nothing in common with the rest of the world

D．in common with the rest of the world, the United States and Australia have a lot of differences

阅读理解

　　Over one hundred and fifty years ago, a drug called opium started a war between Great Britain and China. The war which lasted two years, was called the Opium War. About two hundred years ago opium was brought to China from India. It was carried on ships, most of which were owned in Great Britain. The Chinese government tried to stop ships from bringing opium in－to China because more and more people were becoming opium addicts.

　　British merchants didn't like the idea of losing money because they couldn't sell their opium to the Chinese. They refused to surrender(交出) to Chinese officials the opium they carried in their ships. This started the Opium War. It lasted from 1840 to 1842, when the Chinese were defeated. The Chinese signed a treaty giving Britain $ 6 million. The amount of opium coming into China then doubled and tripled. So did the number of opium addicts.

1．What most important thing is said in the passage?

[　　]

A．The British sold opium to the Chinese.

B．A lot of people in China. used opium.

C．Opium caused a war between China and Great Britain.

D．China lost the Opium War.

2．What does the underlined word “addicts” probably mean?

[　　]

A．Patients in hospital.

B．People who lived in China many years ago.

C．People who want to get rid of the bad habit.

D．People who are unable to free themselves from taking drugs.

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

[　　]

A．The British merchants refused to carry opium in their ships to China.

B．The Opium War ended in the British merchants' surrender of opium to Chinese officials.

C．With a larger amount of opium coming into China, the number of opium addicts became larger, too.

D．The opium was brought to China from Britain.

阅读理解

　　Americans often say that there are only two things a person can be sure of in life：death. and taxes. Many people feel that the United States has the worst taxes in the world.

　　Taxes are the money that people pay to support their government. There are generally three levels of government in the United States：federal, state and city; therefore, there are three types of taxes.

　　Salaried(靠薪水的) people who earn more than four to five thousand per year must pay a certain part of their salaries to the federal government. The percentage varies for different people. It depends on the salaries. The federal government has a two－level income tax：that is, 15 or 28 percent. $ 17,850 is the cut off. The tax rate is 15 percent below $ 17, 850 and 28 percent above.

　　The second tax is for the state government：New York, California, or any of the other forty－eight states. Some states have an income tax similar to that of the federal government. Of course, the percentage for the state tax is lower. Other states have sales tax, which is a percentage charged to any item(项目) which people buy in the state. Some states use income tax and sales tax to raise their revenues(税收).

　　The third tax is for the city. This tax comes in two forms：property tax (residents who own a home have to pay tax on it) and excise(牌照税) tax, which is collected on vehicles in a city. The cities use this money for education, police, public work, etc.

　　Since Americans pay such high taxes, they often feel that they are working one day each week just to pay their taxes. People always complain about taxes. They often say that the government misuses their tax dollars. They all believe that taxes are too high in this country.

1．In the United States, taxes are collected to provide revenues for ________.

[　　]

A．the federal government

B．the state government

C．the city government

D．the three levels of government

2．How much money does an American earning $ 40,000 per year pay to the federal government as income tax according to the passage?

[　　]

A．28 percent of this income.

B．15 percent of this income.

C．$ 17,850.

D．$ 5,000.

3．What happens to buyers when a sales tax is collected?

[　　]

A．They have to pay more than what the item costs.

B．They have to pay less than what the item costs.

C．They have to pay exactly what the item costs.

D．They will all give up buying the item.

4．What tax does an American have to pay to the city if he owns a car?

[　　]

A．The American has to pay to the city property tax if he owns a car.

B．The American has to pay to the city excise tax if he owns a car.

C．The American has to pay to the city income tax if he owns a car.

D．The American has to pay to the city sales tax if he owns a car.

5．After reading the passage, we might feel that Americans seem to be ________.

[　　]

A．satisfied with their taxes

B．proud of their taxes

C．unsatisfied with their taxes

D．in favor of their taxes