阅读理解

The easy way out isn't always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal. I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take time, I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Doug loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was sticky dough(面团) covered with ugly yellowish marks. Realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work. I went on preparing the rest of the meal, and, when Doug got home, we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice. He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went outside, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the windows to see what he was doing. Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in out rubbish bin. Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stopped closer and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast(酵母) made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing. It looked like some unknown being from outer space. I could see why Doug was so shaken. I had to admit what the “living thing” was and why it was there. I don't know who was more embarrassed(尴尬) by the whole thing－Doug or me.

1．The writer's purpose in writing this story is ________.

[　　]

A．to tell an interesting experience

B．to show the easiest way out of a difficulty

C．to describe the trouble facing a newly married woman

D．to explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books

2．Why did the woman's attempt at making the bread turn out to be unsuccessful?

[　　]

A．The can orange had gone bad.

B．She didn't use the right kind of flour.

C．The cookbook was hard to understand.

D．She did not follow the directions closely.

3．Why did the woman put the dough in the rubbish bin?

[　　]

A．She didn't see the use of keeping it.

B．She meant to joke with her husband.

C．She didn't want her husband to see it.

D．She hoped it would soon dry in the sun.

4．What made the dough in the bin look frightening?

[　　]

A．The rising and falling movement.

B．The strange-looking marks.

C．Its shape.

D．Its size.

阅读理解

　　The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched(草盖的) roof cottages around a church; a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white; the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings－these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.

　　Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practiced in the British Isles. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.

　　Thatching is solitary craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practiced today has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full time thatches are employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and reviewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.

　　In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often reluctant to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to import the necessary material. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defense against the heat.

1．Which of the following remains a unique feature of the English countryside?

[　　]

A．Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses.

B．Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings.

C．Cottages with thatched roofs.

D．churches with cottages around them.

2．What do we know about thatching as a craft?

[　　]

A．It is a collective activity.

B．It is practiced on farms all over England.

C．It is quite different from what it used to be.

D．It is in most cases handed down among family members.

3．Thatched houses are still preferred because of ________.

[　　]

A．their style and comfort

B．their durability

C．their easy maintenance

D．their cheap and ready-made materials

4．People in developing countries also live under thatch because ________.

[　　]

A．thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction

B．thatched roof houses are the cheapest

C．thatch is an effective defense against the heat

D．they like thatched houses better than other buildings

阅读理解

　　On the night of July 6, 1943, a plane took off from an Air Force base in England to intercept(中途拦截) German fighters over the English Channel. Piloting the plane was Captain Thomas Nash. Looking westward, Nash saw twelve orange lights in a row, moving at a fantastic rate of speed. An experienced flyer, he had never seen anything like that. Thinking they might be a new German weapon, he decided to chase(追赶) it. But when he swung the plane around and headed directly for the lights, they vanished(消失).

　　Captain Nash may have been the first to see such orange lights but he wasn't the last. His experience was repeated many times by pilots during World War Ⅱ, both in Europe and the Far East.

　　What were they? No one knows for sure, but there is an interesting theory to account for them. According to this theory, the orange lights are space animals－animals specially adapted to lie in the upper atmosphere just as some creatures are adapted to life at the bottom of the sea.

　　These space animals, the theory says, live so far up in the atmosphere that they are not visible from earth. They feed partly on the air and partly on energy from sunlight. Being almost pure energy themselves, they can regulate their bodies to glow at night. During the day they become invisible.

　　Prior to World War Ⅱ, the theory continues, there was little radiated energy available on the earth's surface. Then came the development of rockets, atomic reactors, and hydroelectric plants. The space creatures are attracted to these sources of energy or food. At night when there is no energy from sunlight, they come down into the lower levels in search of a meal. They may even drift into the range of human eyesight. This explains the fact that they have been sighted periodically from the earth since 1943．

1．The best statement of the main idea of this passage is that ________.

[　　]

A．captain Nash saw twelve orange lights traveling at a fantastic rate of speed

B．captain Nash may have been the first to see lights in space

C．according to an interesting theory, the orange lights are space animals

D．the mysteries of nature can be fully explained

2．The strange orange lights were first spotted ________.

[　　]

3．The theory says that during the daytime the space animals ________.

[　　]

4．If the apace animal theory is correct, the creatures descend to the lower regions in order to ________.

[　　]

A．escape direction

B．arouse curiosity

C．search for man-made energy

D．make contact with man

阅读理解

Many people consider their pets members of the family and are very sad when they die, but what if you could clone your dog, cat or bird? A scientist in New Orleans, who has proven his ability to clone other animals, is now offering the possibility to pet owners there in Wisconsin. Scientists have not been able to clone dogs, cats or other pets, but if and when the time comes, several companies will be ready and able to do the job. The question is whether you are ready to clone your pet. Brett Reggio is betting on it. He is working on his Ph. D at Louisiana State University. He's successfully cloned a goat five times and wants to try to process on family pets. So he started a business called Lazawaron. “What Lazaron provides is the first step in the cloning process,”he said. “It's for curing and storing the fiberglass cells that will be used for cloning.”“Your first reaction is yeah! I think I'd like that.”said Donna Schacht, a pet owner. “I don't believe you can ever replace a special love,” pet owner Paulette Callation said. Most pet owners will tell you freezing your pet's DNA in hopes of one day cloning. It is a personal decision. Scientists say that cloning your own pet doesn't mean that the offspring will have the same intelligence, temper or other qualities that your pet has.

1．From the passage we know that scientists has ________.

[　　]

A．tried to clone animals

B．cloned many kinds of animals

C．been able to clone pets for people

D．once cloned goats successfully

2．Brett Reggio started a business in order to ________.

[　　]

A．clone pets for people

B．store the DNA of people's pet for cloning one day

C．make pets members of a family

D．collect different ideas on cloning from people

3．Some people seem not interested in cloning pets because ________.

[　　]

A．they think it would be too expensive

B．they don't think scientists will one day be able to clone their pets

C．they think the cloned pet would not be the one they once had

D．they don't want to give any love to the cloned pet

4．If you cloned a pet, you might find that it ________.

[　　]

A．looked different from the pet you once had

B．turned out to be another kind of animal

C．had a different character

D．were just the same pet you once had

阅读理解

　　The desire to make exploration is born with man. Wherever his imagination goes, man also has a strong wish to go. A large part of human history is connected with the exploration of the world in which we live. Again and again people have set out with surprising courage and patience to lead into unknown regions and lands to see what had not yet been seen, to make unknown the known. With kites, balloons and aircraft they left the ground to pass through the lower atmosphere. Now the outer space receives their attention.

　　Why should man take the trouble of conquering space? It is hard to list the specific practical benefit that will result in. But one knows, from past experience in other areas, that man will surely see and discover new things in space that will increase our scientific knowledge, and this new knowledge will find its way into valuable practical uses. What we learn about man himself, from his experience in space, and from the effects of space and the space flight environment on him, will be extremely valuable. The new techniques developed to carry out the exploration of space, and to keep man alive in space, will certainly find practical uses in everyday life in some way. The areas that will benefit are manifold. They include communication generation of power, transportation and travel, food production, materials, fuels and many others. But to say definitely just what the practical results will be is almost impossible.

1．The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.

[　　]

A．man desires to explore what is unknown

B．man often goes wherever his dreams go

C．man is no longer interested in the study of the land and sea now

D．man's history is his exploration of the world

2．The word “manifold”in the second paragraph probably means ________.

[　　]

3．The author seems to be in favor of ________.

[　　]

A．doubting the necessity of the space exploration

B．the exploration of space

C．exploring more in space than in sea

D．his experience in space

4．In the last sentence of Paragraph 2 the phrase “practical results”refers to the results ________.

[　　]

A．that are obtained from experience

B．that can be leaned as knowledge

C．that can be made use of

D．helping us make further exploration

阅读理解

　　ISLANDS in the world are famous for different things. But Hawaii is special for its variety of features. Beautiful sandy beaches, active volcanoes, a great canyon(溪谷) and special history and culture add up to create its famously romantic atmosphere.

　　Formed by volcanoes at the bottom of the sea, the Hawaii islands are like a necklace in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 6 000 kilometres off the west coast of Mexico. There are eight main islands in the group Hawaii (or Big Island), Mai, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau.

　　The youngest and biggest island, also called Hawaii was formed 430 000 years ago and is still growing. Kauai, the oldest was formed 5.1 million years ago. For tourists, the sight of the lava that still flows from some of the volcanoes down to the sea, is a major attraction.

　　Hawaii is the newest and smallest state in the US. In 1900 the islands joined the US. In modern history it will always be remembered for the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese air force in 1941.

　　About 1000 years ago the islands were settled by Polynesians(波利尼西亚人). Captain James Cook led the first group of Westerners there in 1778.

　　Native Hawaiians have a special culture and languages. Although nowadays English is the official language of Hawaii, folk music and dancing are still widely practiced. The traditional dance of the islands is the hula, a Hawaiian word that means dance.

　　Hawaii's reputation for romance was spread when Hollywood started to use its typical music in movies in the 1960s.

　　Today, Hawaii is famous for its mix of cultures. Chinese, Japanese and Filipinos all live there.

　　Chinese arrived in the islands as early as the late 18th century. Dr. Sun Yatsen, the famous Chinese revolutionary, grew up there.

　　Everyone in Hawaii is a member of an ethnic minority(少数民族) and generally they exist in a pleasant harmony of races and cultures.

1．Which of the following directly led to the formation of the Hawaii islands?

[　　]

A．The sea.

B．The volcanoes.

C．The violent meeting of the earth's different planets.

D．The nonstop turning of the earth.

2．Which of the following shows the correct order of the listed events?

a. Japan attacked Hawaii.

b. The Hawaii islands became part of the US.

c. Hawaii began to be known for romance.

d. First group of Chinese settled there.

[　　]

3．Which of the following is wrong?

[　　]

A．Though Hawaii is the youngest island, it's the biggest of the island group.

B．Native Hawaiians have done well in keeping their tradition alive.

C．The folk music there is not really romantic.

D．Various ethnic group get along quite well there.

4．Native Hawaiians come from ________

[　　]

5．The main idea of the story is about Hawaii's ________.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Every year, thousands of young Europeans set off to explore their continent by train in the summer time. It is a necessary part of growing up and often the first time many Europeans travel without their parents. Now you too can share this adventure.

　　There are so many places you cannot afford to miss while traveling in Europe: the Eiffel Tower of France, windmills of the Netherlands and the Colosseum of Rome. How do young people afford to visit everything they want? The answer lies with the Eurail Pass. This ticket allows a traveler unlimited journeys by rail in European countries which are members of the scheme. Ambitious Chinese travelers can buy the ticket in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

　　The most popular type of Eurail Pass among young people, according to Zhao Jiaji, from China Air Service Ltd. , is the Eurail Selectpasses. With this you can design your own trip by selecting three, four or five neighbouring countries from a total 18 nations including Liechtenstein, Monaco, Hungary and Romania.

　　“There is plenty of choice with this pass: in total this range offers over 400 different combinations of countries to choose from!” said Zhao. The Eurail Selectpass gives 5 to 10 travel days within a 2-month period. For more flexibility there are the Eurail Passes which allow you to take trains in 17 countries on any day you like. It is valid on a continuous basis for a period of either 15 or 21 days, one, two or three months. If you just want to travel in one of two countries to learn more about the local culture, Eurail Pass also offers two-country passes such as Spain-Portugal, France-Switzerland and Belgium-Luxemburg. And countries like Britain, France and Germany offer a kind of Eurail Pass which allows unlimited train travel in their country.

　　Before buying the Eurail Pass, you should know some tips to save money. The 2nd class train travel ticket is cheaper than 1st class. And youths under 26 years old or groups of 2 or more people traveling together can enjoy discounts. For more information, please check out http://www.tt-europe.com.

1．Why are the three tourist spots introduced in Paragraph 2? Because ________.

[　　]

A．they are expensive places

B．you will have to travel a long distance to visit all

C．they are famous places for sightseeing

D．they are located in different countries

2．Which of the following is not an advantage of Eurail Pass?

[　　]

3．With the Eurail Selectpasses, you can ________.

[　　]

A．stay in Europe for 2 months or even longer

B．enjoy a wide range of combinations of countries

C．take trains on any day you like

D．focus your trip in one or two countries

4．Which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．Eurail Pass is like a passport.

B．Under 26 year olds cannot buy 1st class Eurailpass.

C．In Switzerland you cannot use Eurail Selectpasses.

D．With a kind of Eurail Pass, you can enjoy unlimited trail travel in France.

5．How many major kinds of Eurail Pass are introduced here?

[　　]

阅读理解

Alexander Graham Bell(1847～1922) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and later came to the United States. Several members of his family did a great deal to encourage him in the field of science. His father was most helpful by directing his work with the deaf. While he dealt with the deaf and did researches into the field of the study of sound, his studies, as a result, led to invention of the multiple telegraph and his greatest invention－the telephone. The last quarter century of his life was devoted to advances in aviation.

1．What is Alexander Graham Bell's most important invention?

[　　]

2．To what did Bell devote the last years of his life?

[　　]

A．The study of sound.

B．The research of outer space.

C．Aviation.

D．Serving the deaf.

3．What can we conclude about Bell?

[　　]

A．He dealt with the deaf so that he could invent the telephone.

B．He worked very hard but achieved little.

C．He devoted his life to science and the interest of mankind.

D．He spent so many years in aviation because he wanted to be famous.

4．Which of the following statements is not true?

[　　]

A．Bell died in the 20th century in Great Britain.

B．Bell was born in Scotland.

C．Bell invented the multiple telegraph.

D．Bell was very interested in science.

5．How many years did Bell devote to advances in aviation?

[　　]

阅读理解

Albert Schweitzer was born in 1875. At the age of five he had already learned to play the piano. While he was at university, he made up his mind to spend the next ten years of his life studying music, because he was very fond of all kinds of musical activities. After that, for the rest of his life he wanted to work for others less fortunate than he was. When he was 29 he read a newspaper article about the suffering of people in equatorial West Africa, Schweitzer decided to become a doctor and work in those places. When he had worked as a doctor five years later he collected money and supplies for a hospital, and in 1913 he set off for Africa with his wife, a trained nurse. Together they built a hospital at Lambarene in Gabon, where they nurse the sick. He spent the rest of his life in his hospital. When he died in 1965, the world lost a great lover of his fellow men.

1．Albert Schweitzer learned to play the piano ________.

[　　]

A．when he was at the university

B．when he was a little boy

C．in Gabon

D．when he worked as a doctor

2．At university, Schweitzer decided to ________.

[　　]

3．The life of the people in equatorial West Africa was ________ at that time.

[　　]

4．Schweitzer got married ________.

[　　]

A．after 1913

B．after he had finished his medical studies

C．when he was at university

D．when he got to Africa

5．The writer tells this story to show that ________.

[　　]

A．the people of Africa suffered a lot

B．doctors and nurses were needed in Africa

C．serving the unfortunate people is great

D．it is not very difficult to change one's work or ideas

阅读理解

　　How many words one uses can not be measured exactly. However, Professor Seashore concluded that first-graders entered the school with at least 24 000 words and add 5 000 each year so that they leave high school with at least 80 000． These figures are for recognition vocabulary, the words we understand when we read or hear them, which are more than our active vocabulary, the words we use in speaking and writing.

　　Using the words you recognize in reading will help get them into your active vocabulary. In your reading, pay attention to these words, especially when the subject is one that you might well write or talk about. Underline or make a list of words that you feel a need for and look up the ones you are not sure of in a dictionary. And then before very long find a way to use some of them. Once you know how they are pronounced and what they mean, you can safely use them.

1．How many words does one use?

[　　]

A．Nobody can answer the question.

B．No one knows for sure but Prof. Seashore.

C．Not everyone can tell the exact number.

D．People cannot give an exact answer, not even Prof. Seashore.

2．Prof. Seashore concluded that it takes a first-grader ________ years to increase his vocabulary from 24 000 to 80 000．

[　　]

3．According to Prof. Seashore, ________

[　　]

A．one has at least 80 000 recognition words.

B．recognition words can become active ones.

C．one's recognition vocabulary consists of active words and non-active words.

D．one's active words grow with his recognition ones.

4．One way suggested by the writer to increase our active vocabulary is that we should ________

[　　]

A．look up a dictionary for new words and keep them in our note.

B．read and recognize the words we will need and add them into our list of active vocabulary.

C．keep well in touch with more recognition words and keep using them after grasping their pronunciation and meaning.

D．read more, write more and use more.

5．According to the passage, an important step leading to the correct use of vocabulary is ________.

[　　]

A．extending the list of the active words

B．often looking up a dictionary for necessary words

C．knowing your subject well

D．grasping the correct pronunciation and meaning of the words to be used