阅读理解

　　In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business, but he was not a good artist. So he invented a very simple camera. He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his yard. That was the first photograph.

　　The next important date in the history of photography was 1837. That year, Daguerre, another French, took a picture of his studio. He used a new kind of camera and a different process. In his pictures, you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest details. This kind of photograph was called a daguerreotype.

　　Soon, other people began to use Daguerre's process. Travelers brought back daguerreotypes from all around the world. People photographed famous buildings, cities and mountains.

　　In about 1840, the process was improved. Then photographers could take pictures of people and moving things. The process was not simple. The photographers had to carry lots of films and processing equipment. But this did not stop the photographers, especially in the United States. After the 1840s daguerreotype artists were popular in most cities.

　　Mathew Brady was a well-known American photographer. He took many pictures of famous people. The pictures were unusual because they were very life-like and full of personality (个性). Brady was also the first person to take pictures of war. His 1862 Civil War pictures showed dead soldiers and ruined cities. They made the war seem more real and more terrible.

　　In the 1880s, new inventions began to change photography…Photographers could buy films ready made in rolls (卷). So they did not have to make the film themselves. Also, they did not have to process the film immediately. They could bring it back to their studios and develop it later meaning that they did not have to carry lots of equipment. And finally, the invention of the small handheld camera made photography less expensive.

　　With the small camera, anyone could be a photographer. People began to use cameras just for fun. They took pictures of their families, friends and favorite places. They called these pictures “snapshot”. Photographs became very popular in newspapers in the 1890s. Soon magazines and books also used documentary photographs. These pictures showed true events and people. They were much more real than drawing.

　　Photography also turned into a form of art by the end of the 10th century. Some photographs were not just copies of the real world. They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.

1．The passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．the invention of cameras

B．a kind of new art-photography

C．the development of photography

D．the important dates in the history of photography

2．The first pictures of a war were taken by ________.

[　　]

A．a French photographer in the 1840s

B．an American photographer in the 1860s

C．a German reporter in the 1880s

D．a French artist in the 1890s

3．Photography can also be an art form because artists can ________.

[　　]

A．take anything they like

B．keep a record of real life

C．take photos of the famous

D．show ideas and feeling in pictures

4．According to the passage, which of the followings shows the correct order?

a．Photographs became popular in newspapers.

b．Photographers carried processing equipment while taking pictures.

c．The invention of small handheld cameras made photography easier.

d．Daguerre invented a kind of photograph called daguerreotype.

e．Brady took pictures of famous people.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Industrial pollution is not only a problem for the countries of Europe and North America. It is an extremely serious problem in some developing countries. For these countries, economic growth is a very important aim. They want to introduce industries, and so they put few controls on industries which cause pollution.

　　Cubatao, an industrial town of 85 000 people in Brazil, is an example of the connection between industrial development and pollution. In 1954, Cubatao had no industry. Today it has more than twenty large factories, which produce many pollutants (污染物). The people of the town are suffering from the poisonous matter in their environment (环境) and the bad effects can be clearly seen. Birth shortcomings are extremely common. Among children and adults (成人), lung problems are sometimes twelve times more common in Cubatao than in other places.

　　It is true that Brazil, like many other countries, has laws against pollution, but these laws are not enforced strictly enough. It is cheaper for companies to take no notice of the laws and pay the fines (罚款) than to buy the expensive equipment that will reduce the pollution. It is clear, therefore, that economic growth is more important to the government than to the health of the workers. However, the responsibility (责任) does not completely lie with the Brazilian government. The example of Cubatao shows that international companies are not acting in a responsible way either. A number of the factories in the town are owned by large companies from France, Italy, and the U. S. They are doing things in Brazil that they would not be able to do at home. If they caused the same amount of pollution at home, they would be severely (严厉地) punished or even put out of business.

1．Why don't developing countries have strict pollution controls?

[　　]

A．The new industries they want to introduce do not cause much pollution.

B．Pollution is not a serious problem for developing countries.

C．They don't realize the balance of nature will be destroyed by some pollutants.

D．If they put stricter controls on industry, fewer companies would build new plant in developing countries.

2．What is the author's purpose in naming Cubatao?

[　　]

A．To show that industry can develop very fast in developing countries.

B．To show that the pollution problem in Brazil is extremely serious.

C．To show that industrial growth can cause serious pollution problems in developing countries.

D．To show that pollution is killing many people and destroying the whole economy of Brazil.

3．How is the health of the population of Cubatao?

[　　]

A．There are more heart diseases among people who live near chemical factories.

B．More people suffer from lung diseases because of poisonous matter.

C．Their health is affected by pollutants the same way as that of other Brazilians.

D．Babies there are found not as bright as those who live in other places.

4．Why do some foreign companies like to set up their plants in Brazil?

[　　]

A．The investment (投资) environment in Brazil is suitable for them.

B．They will not be severely punished if they cause pollution in Brazil.

C．They can make much money because they do not have to pay Brazilian workers much.

D．They can act in an irresponsible (不负责任的) way in Brazil because there are no pollution laws there.

阅读理解

　　Not only farmers but scientists have studied weather forecasting (预报). People, for many centuries and in all countries, have studied the weather and tried to make weather forecasts. Sometimes distant objects such as hills and tall trees seem to be very clear and near. This is a sign of much water-vapour in the air, and therefore a rain will probably come.

　　When distant sounds (such as the noise from a train, birds singing, or people shouting) are very clearly heard, then wet and stormy weather is on the way.

　　Rings round the sun are a sign of coming rain.

　　Many people feel the coming of wet weather in their bones. Their joint aches. Some birds fly high if fine weather is coming, but they fly very near the ground if rainy weather or a storm is on the way. This is probably because the insects, which they are hunting, fly low at that time. If you see a rainbow during rainy weather, this is a sign that the weather will clear up and become fine. Such rainbows come in the evening. If the stars twinkle clearly at night, fine weather will continue. If a mist appears in the early morning, just about sunrise, the day will be warm.

　　If the sunset is mostly red in colour, the following day will be fine. When big cumulus clouds (积云) appear at sunset, the bad weather will follow the next day.

　　If cirrus clouds (卷云) remain quite still, fine weather will come. If a rainbow appears in the morning, then rainy weather will probably come. Most of the above sayings have been made up by people who have used their eyes and their brains to forecast the weather.

1．Some birds fly high if fine weather is coming, because ________.

[　　]

A．they like fine weather

B．they can fly high when fine weather is coming

C．they fly high to catch insects

D．they feel very happy

2．When big cumulus clouds appear at sunset, then the weather will ________ the next day.

[　　]

3．Weather will be fine if ________.

[　　]

A．you see rings round the sun

B．you see the distant objects very clear and near

C．you feel pain in your bones

D．the stars twinkle clearly at night

4．If you see a rainbow during rainy weather, it shows that the weather will clear up and become fine. This is because ________.

[　　]

A．there is much water-vapour in the air

B．there is not much water-vapour in the air

C．there is not any water-vapour in the air

D．there are all kinds of water-vapour in the air

5．In this passage “wet weather” means ________ weather.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Not everyone in the world requires the same amount of living space. The amount of space a person needs around him is a cultural (文化的) difference, not an economic (经济的) one. Knowing your own psychological (心理的) space needs is important because they strongly affect your choices, including, for example, the number of bedrooms in the home. If you were brought up in a two-child family and both you and your sister or brother had your own bedrooms, the chances are if you have two children or more, that you also will offer separate bedrooms for them. In America, for example, they train people to want to have their own rooms by giving them their own rooms when they are babies. This is very unusual in the world. In many other countries, the baby sleeps in the same bed with his parents or in bed near them.

　　The space in the home also shows a lot about psychological space needs. Some families gather closer to each other and the size of their house has nothing to do with it. Others have separate little corners where family members go to be alone.

　　Although it is true that psychological space needs are not decided by economic reasons, they sometimes have to be changed a little because of economic pressure. It is almost impossible, however, to completely change your psychological space needs.

1．The first sentence in Paragraph 1 “Not everyone in the world requires the same amount of living space” means “________”.

[　　]

A．Not two people need exactly the same amount of living space

B．Living space requirements are not always the same

C．The world requires the same amount of living space

D．Nobody needs a required amount of living space

2．Some families gather closer to each other at home than others because ________.

[　　]

A．they have limited living space

B．they are brought up in a large family

C．it satisfies their psychological space needs

D．the children in the family sleep in the same bed with their parents

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

[　　]

A．Americans are trained to live in large rooms at birth.

B．Economic situation decides one's amount of space needs.

C．People in various countries demand different psychological space.

D．Knowing your psychological space needs is important, as it affects your future.

4．According to the writer of the passage, psychological space needs ________.

[　　]

A．are not affected by income at all

B．can hardly be changed altogether

C．can be changed if you make up your mind to do so

D．have nothing to do with cultural background

5．The best title for this passage is ________.

[　　]

A．American Way of Living

B．Psychological Space

C．Space Needs in Different Countries

D．Psychological Space and Economic Pressure

阅读理解

　　When a consumer (消费者) finds that something he or she bought is faulty or in some other way does not live up to what the producer says for it, the first step is to present the warranty (保单), or any other records that might help, at the store of buying. In most cases, this action will produce results. However, if it does not, there are various means the consumer may use to gain satisfaction.

　　A simple and common method used by many consumers is to complain (投诉) directly to the store manager. In general, the “higher up” the consumer takes his or her complaint, the faster he or she can expect it to be settled. In such a case, it is usually settled in the consumer's favour taking it as true that he or she has a just right.

　　Consumers should complain in person whenever possible, but if they cannot get to the place of buying, it is acceptable to phone or write the complaint in a letter.

　　Complaining is usually most effective when it is done politely but firmly and especially when the consumer can show clearly what is wrong with what was bought in question. If this cannot be done, the consumer will succeed best by presenting specific information as to what is wrong, rather than by making general statements. For example, “The left speaker does not work at all and the sound coming out of the right one is unclear” is better than “This stereo (立体音响) does not work.”

　　The store manager may advise the consumer to write to the producer, if so, the consumer should do this, setting the complaint as politely and as firmly as possible. But if a polite complaint does not achieve the expected result, the consumer can go a step further. He or she can threaten (恐吓) to take the seller to court or report the seller to a public organization responsible for protecting consumers' rights.

1．When a consumer finds what he bought has a fault in it, he should first ________.

[　　]

A．complain personally to the manager

B．show something provable in written form to the store

C．threaten to take the matter to court

D．write a firm letter of complaint to the store

2．If a consumer wants a quick settlement of his problem, it's better to complain to ________.

[　　]

3．The most effective complaint about what was bought can be made by ________.

[　　]

A．showing the fault of it to the producer

B．saying firmly it is of poor quality

C．asking politely to change it

D．explaining exactly what is wrong with it

4．The passage tells us ________.

[　　]

A．how to make the complaint have a good effect

B．how to settle a consumer's complaint

C．how to avoid buying something wrong

D．how to deal with complaints from consumers

5．According to the passage, the last way a consumer has to use is ________.

[　　]

A．to write to the producer

B．to quarrel with the manager

C．to warn the seller that he or she will turn to the court or a consumers' organization for help

D．to collect several fighters to threaten the seller

阅读理解

　　You can use your Business Telecard International at any card phone in the UK. Here is some information about making international phone calls.

　　You can now phone almost any country in the world, although in some cases you can only call major cities. When you cannot make direct dialing calls, you can ask the international operator to help you. This is more expensive and takes more time, but it may be helpful if you want to speak to a particular person and no one else; in this case you should ask for a “person-to-person” call. Even more expensive is a reverse charge call where the person who receives the call pays.

　　If the international line is busy, you can reserve a call; explain the number you want and the operator will call you back when the line is free.

　　You can save money by calling outside office hours, e. g. early in the morning, late at night, and on Sundays.

　　Remember that the time may be different in the country you are calling. International time is based on GMT (Greenwich Mean Time); London is on GMT and Moscow, for example, is three hours ahead.

　　There is one problem: change to DST (Daylight Saving Time) for the summer. In the UK, clocks are put forward one hour in spring and put back in autumn, and so London is actually one hour ahead of GMT in summer.

　　You can use your Business Telecard International for domestic calls as well, but there will be an additional charge over the standard rate.

1．What is “a reverse charge call”?

[　　]

A．An international call.

B．A very expensive call.

C．A call for which the person who receives the call pays.

D．A call to major cities.

2．What is the most expensive type of call?

[　　]

A．Direct dial.

B．Through the operator.

C．Reverse charge call.

D．Calling outside office hours.

3．According to the passage, what can you do if the international line is busy?

[　　]

A．Book a call.

B．Make a “person-to-person” call.

C．Call back outside office hours.

D．Give up.

4．When is it cheaper to make an international call?

[　　]

5．How many hours is Moscow ahead of London during the summer?

[　　]

阅读理解

Jimmy Carter the politician is known around the world. Only recently has Jimmy Carter the poet gone public. The former president has written a book of poems. It's called “Always a reckoning”. Carter has written poetry since high school. About five years ago, he began to write seriously. “I went public in a very cautious way,” he says. He began by sending poems to magazines. The poems were accepted. Then he decided to put together a book. His poems mainly deal with everyday subjects. Many are set in his hometown, Plains, Georgia. Carter writes about selling peanuts, trout fishing, and neighbors. One poem talks about his feelings for his father. Carter says he learns more about himself through writing poems than through other writing. He also finds poetry to be a mind expander.

1．The story is about ________.

[　　]

A．one person called Jimmy Carter

B．2 people: Jimmy Carter the politician and a poet also called Jimmy Carter

C．3 people: Jimmy Carter, a politician, and a poet

D．4 people: Jimmy Carter, the former president, a politician and a poet

2．The word “trout” in line 5 means ________.

[　　]

3．The last sentence “He also finds poetry to be a mind expander.” means ________.

[　　]

A．he thinks more widely since he started to write poems

B．poetry is good for the health of one's brain

C．writing poems is a good way to think

D．he learns more about himself through writing poems

4．Which of the following is not true about Jimmy Carter?

[　　]

5．What is true about Jimmy Carter's poems?

[　　]

A．They expand his mind.

B．They are mainly about everyday subjects.

C．They are mostly set in Georgia.

D．All the above.

阅读理解

　　Many years ago, Manhattan Island, which is a part of the great city of New York, was covered with forest. Along the shore were small Indian villages. In fact, Indians were the only people of the island until 1609. In the spring of that year, Henry Hudson, a famous sea captain, arrived here. He was trying to find a short way to the Far East for Dutch traders. His ship was very small. It was only about the size of one of the lifeboats you see on the modern oceanship. Of course, Henry Hudson did not find a shorter way to the Far East. Instead he reached the shore of North America. He came to the mouth of the large waterway－the Hudson River.

　　As he came near to the shore he saw the Indian villages. The Indians seemed friendly. They even came out to meet the ship and offered their furs to the Dutch sailor for glass beads (玻璃珠) and other small things. Certainly furs are more valuable than glass beads and small things.

　　Indians, then, had no need of any money. They made small beads out of calm shells. These shell beads were the most valuable to them. They were used for decorating their clothing. So the Indians were glad to receive the glass beads and some small things. They were very useful to them. When Henry Hudson returned to Holland, he showed the fine furs. He told of the rich soil, the streams filled with animals. Now Dutch traders began to send many ships to the rich new world across the sea.

　　In 1623 the Dutch took the island as a colony. Three years later, they sent their first governor to the colony. The governor thought it best if he bought the land from the Indians. He met with the Indians and smoke the pipe of peace. The Indians thought if the white men wanted to give them pretty glass beads, brightly coloured cloth and sharp steel knives, they might as well accept the gifts. Those beads and other things would be worth about twenty-four dollars if you bought them today.

1．The settlers bought Manhattan Island from the Indians for only $ 24 because ________.

[　　]

A．the Indians were unable to drive the settlers away from the land

B．the settlers wished to be honest to trade with Indians

C．in 1609 the island was of very little value either to the Indians or to the Dutch

D．the settlers wished to be able to say that they had not seized the land

2．The main aim of this passage is to ________.

[　　]

A．say something about the position and early history of New York City

B．give readers some interesting and important facts about Manhattan Island

C．cause the readers to believe that the Indians were cheated out of an important piece of land

D．explain how New York City came to be called Manhattan

3．In comparison with 1609, Manhattan Island is today ________.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Calvin Coolidge, the thirtieth president of the United States, was a person who hated gossiping (闲聊); he had no time for small talk. The following two incidents clearly show how Coolidge enjoyed silence.

　　When he was vice-president, Coolidge had plenty of opportunities to take part in Washington's social life, especially the many dinner parties. Because of his knowing nothing about the art of conversation, he did not exactly endear. (使……受喜欢)himself to his hostesses (女主人). One lady felt she could solve this problem. She placed him next to Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of former President Theodor Roosevelt's. Mrs Longworth, an excellent conversationalist, began to chat in her usual charming (媚人的) manner, but all attempts to arouse (引起) interest on the part of the vice-president were fruitless. Finally, she said, “I'm sure that going to as many dinners as you do, you must get terribly bored.”

　　Without lifting his eyes from his plate, Coolidge answered in a low voice, “Well, a man has to eat somewhere.”

　　Later, when he was president and again at a dinner party, Coolidge was seated next to a most clever society woman, one of those busybodies, who seemed to take delight in trying to change the lives of everyone they meet. “Oh, Mr President,” she said,“you are always so quiet. I made a bet (打赌) today that I could get more than two words out of you.”

　　The president became angry and then said,“You lose.”

1．His hostesses found him ________ guest.

[　　]

2．At one dinner, the hostess placed Calvin Coolidge next to the daughter of former President Roosevelt's ________.

[　　]

3．From the story we can see Calvin Coolidge's ________.

[　　]

A．dislike for small talk

B．sense of humor

C．unskillfulness at conversations

D．all of the above

4．The underlined word“busybodies”in the last paragraph means“________”.

[　　]

A．people who take too much interest in the affairs of others

B．people who enjoy silence

C．people who just mind their own business

D．people who make others angry

阅读理解

　　Indianapolis is the capital and largest city of Indiana, USA． With a population of 744 000, it is one of the largest cities in the world that cannot be reached by water. However, Indianapolis is a city through which many railways, roads, buses and planes pass. There are many factories which make trucks, farm tools, and electrical things. These factories cause little pollution to the city. Butler University, well-known for engineering, and the law, medical schools of Indiana University are in the city center. Nearby is the Indianapolis race course, where the nation's most famous car race is held each year on May 30th.

　　If you visited Indianapolis you would be able to find your way around easily because most of the streets cross each other like a chessboard (棋盘). In the center of the Circle stands the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, 100 meters high. Also in the center there are many buildings made of the famous Indiana stone, which makes them white in colour.

1．What is Indianapolis known for?

[　　]

A．Its yearly motor race.

B．Its Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.

C．Its universities and medical schools.

D．All of above.

2．You can NOT travel to Indianapolis by ________.

[　　]