Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted．Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment (环境) friendly products have contributed to the pollution problem. One result is that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastic, and metal containers are produced, and these are difficult to get rid of.

    However, today, more and more consumers are choosing “green” and demanding that the products they buy should be safe for the environment. Before they buy a product, they ask questions like these: “Will this shampoo damage the environment?” “Can this metal container be reused or can it only be used once?”

    A recent study showed that two out of five adults now consider the environmental safety of a product before they buy it. This means that companies must now change the way they make and sell their products to make sure that they are “green”, that is, friendly to the environment.

　　 Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds. Some supermarket products carry labels (标签) to show that the product is green. Some companies have made the manufacturing (生产) of clean and safe products their main selling point and emphasize it in their advertising.

    The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business. No longer will the public accept the old attitude of “Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it.” The public pressure is on, and gradually business is cleaning up its act. (NME T2001)

1. It becomes clear from the text that the driving force(动力) behind green products is ________.

A．public caring for the environment

B．companies’ desire for bigger sales

C．new ways of doing business

D．rapid growth of supermarkets

2. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Business and People

B．Business Goes Green

C．Shopping Habits Are Changing

D．Supermarket and Green Products

3. The underlined word “it” in the fourth paragraph refers to ________.

A．a selling point

B．the company name

C．a great demand for health foods

D．the manufacturing of green products

Have you ever got stuck with unwanted courses or a class schedule that cannot be changed? If so, that’s because you don’t know how to select the perfect schedule. But by following a few simple steps, you can begin any term with the right courses at the most convenient times.

    First, you must find the right courses. These are the ones that have the least amount of work, the fewest tests and the kindest professors. Ask your friends about courses in which they received A’s after attending only 70 percent of the classes. Ask around, too, to see which instructors have given the same tests for the last fifteen years. Photocopies of these tests are usually cheap and can be easily found in school. Then, pick up a copy of the master schedule and study it carefully. Find the course titles that mean an easy pass for a painless subject. Look for titles like “Arts and Crafts for Beginners,” and “Rock Music of the 1950s.”

　　 Next, when you have got lists of easy instructors and subjects, you can begin to select your time periods. If you stay up late in order to watch old movies, you may want a daily schedule that begins no sooner than noon. You should schedule only afternoon courses, too, if you’re one of those people who hate to leave a warm bed in the morning. On the other hand, if you are a person who gets out of bed at dawn, you may want to get your classes out of the way as early as possible. That way you have the rest of the day free. Morning classes are also necessary if you are a soap opera(肥皂剧) fan.

    Finally, you want your schedule to pass through registration successfully. The main way to do this is to register(注册)early. If a course does happen to be closed because you simply couldn’t register at 7:00 a.m., you may still be able to get in.  Talk to the professor and tell him or her that a serious and hardworking student like yourself would be a shining example to other students. Be sure to carry a list of backup courses to registration, though, just in case one of your chosen classes changes professors or time periods.

　　 By following these suggestions, any student can pick the perfect class schedule. College can thus become an almost pleasant activity.

1. Which of the following statements is true?

A．You can get copies of tests if you are willing to pay the price.

B．“Rock Music of the 1950s” may be an easy course.

C．It is difficult to pick the perfect class schedule.

D．Attendance is required in all classes.

2. You should ________ .

A．register for classes in the morning if you get up early

B．have classes late in the morning if you stay up late

C．sign up for afternoon classes if you want to see soap operas

D．choose classes in the evening if you want to watch old films

3. If a course happens to be closed, you should ________.

A．register at 7:00 a.m.

B．sit in on the class anyway

C．register for aback-up course

D．get help from the professor

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Course Registration Made Easy

B．How to Find the Right Courses

C．Classes and After-class Activities

D．How to Pick the Perfect Schedule

阅读下面一篇短文，按照要求回答短文后面的问题：

　　Finland is perhaps the most beautiful and mysterious(神秘的) of the countries of northern Europe. Two－thirds of its surface is covered with thick forests and among them lie lakes, connected with rivers and canals. The northern part of this country is inside the Arctic Circle, where almost no trees can grow because of its cold weather and the people use their deer to transport clothing and food.

　　The Finnish history began in the Middle Ages. In about 1155, Finland was conquered by its western neighbor Sweden. After a period of rule by Denmark in the 14th century, the Swedes won back independence and power in 1523 under their brave King. During the Napoleonic Wars (1804～1818 ) Finland was passed finally from Sweden to Russia. The opportunity came in 1917, when the Russian Revolution brought foreign rule of Finland to an end. Shortly after Soviet Russia made peace with Germany, 1919 saw the founding of the Finnish Republic.

　　The years between the First and Second World Wars were years of progress and growing development. Finland has no coal or oil, and the nation's wealth lies in the timber(木材) from its forests, which supplies material for paper and furniture making, and in the electric power from its water.

1．Where is Finland located?

________________________________

2．How many countries used to rule Finland in history?

________________________________

3．How long was Finland ruled by Russia?

________________________________

4．What kind of natural resources do the Finnish people mainly benefit from?

________________________________

5．How do you understand the word “conquered” in the second paragraph?

________________________________

阅读下面一篇短文，按照要求回答短文后面的问题：

　　Let's travel together to the western end of the Mediterranean Sea. Here we will see one of the most famous places in the world. Here two continents almost meet. The lands of Africa and Europe are on both sides of the sea. There is only a small waterway for ships to come in and go out. It is the entrance to the great Atlantic Ocean.

　　On the northern shore, a big rock comes straight up from the ground. It is called the Rock of Gibraltar. It has been standing there for a very, very long time. Armies have fought battles to take it. Storms at sea have never washed it away. The Rock of Gibraltar has not changed. But its name has changed.

　　The Greeks took the rock a long time ago. They called it Calpe. By ． D． 711 Spain had the rock for herself. Spain used it to guard the entrance to her country.

　　Next came the Arabs with an army of 12, 000 soldiers. Their leader was Tarik Ibn Zaid. He took his army across North Africa to the rock. There his soldiers fought for three days and nights. At last they won the battle and took Calpe for themselves.

　　Tarik and his men were very happy. Tarik ordered a castle to be built at the top of the rock. It was completed in the year 742. From there he could see the beautiful land and water below. His soldiers guarded the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.

　　The rock was almost as high as a mountain. So the Arab soldiers decided to honor their brave leader. Now the Arabic word for mountain is Jabal. So the place was called Jabal Tarik.

　　In Arabic it is still called by this name; but it has been changed in many other languages. The English name is now Gibraltar. If you say both the Arabic and English words you will hear some of the same sounds.

　　Many nations and armies have taken Gibraltar since Tarik. But its name to－day still honors that great Arab leader, Tarik Ibn Zaid.

Answer the following questions.

1．Which two continents are in the western end of the Mediterranean Sea?

________________________________

2．What happened to the rock on the northern shore in the history?

________________________________

3．Which country used the rock to guard the motherland?

________________________________

4．What's the meaning of the rock's present name?

________________________________

5．What does the passage mainly talk about?

________________________________

下面这篇短文节选自科幻小说The Space Invaders（太空入侵者），阅读这篇短文按照要求回答短文后面的问题：

　　Varon pushed his way through the thick, wet grass of the swamp. Behind him, he heard the sound of loud voices. He tried to go faster, but the thick grass held him back. He had to push his way through it step by step. Varon had come about three kilometres from the Zeron strongroom(保险库) and was very tired.

　　The first part of Varon's plan had beer successful. He had got into the strongroom deep under the ground－he had found the crystal(水晶)－and he had got out again. He had succeeded in stealing one of the most valuable crystals in the Universe. And no one had seen him.

　　But the second part of his plan had gone completely wrong. The guards on the planet Zeron had found his spaceship. Varon had been told that only the strongroom on Zeron was guarded. But now he knew that was wrong. There were guards all over the planet. The guards had been waiting for him when he got back to the spaceship. And now they were chasing(追赶) him and there was no way he could escape.

　　Varon pulled himself slowly to his feet. His face, hands and overalls(防护服)were covered in thick green mud. Varon wiped his hands on his overalls and felt in his pocket. The small, square box was still there. And in the box, there was the Zeron crystal. The crystal would make him rich－very, very rich. But first, he had to get back inside his ship. There was no other way he could escape from Zeron.

　　He now moved out of the long, thick grass. He was standing on harder, drier ground. There were some thick bushes in front of him. Behind him, there was the swamp and the guards who were chasing him. Varon hurried towards the thick bushes.

　　“I must get back to the spaceship.” Varon thought. “I'll have to find some way of tricking the guards. I can't escape from Zeron if I can't get back to the spaceship.”

　　Varon took two steps forward into the bushes. Suddenly he stopped. He knew he was not alone. He dropped down on one knee. There was somebody near him. His hand reached for the laser gun on his belt.

　　“Do not touch your weapon(武器).” said a soft voice.

　　The voice spoke from behind a bush. Varon turned towards the voice and pulled his gun from his belt. He pointed the laser gun at the bush and pressed the trigger(扳机). Nothing happened. Varon pressed the trigger again. Again, nothing happened.

　　The quiet voice spoke once more. “Your gun cannot be used. Put it back in your belt. You will not be harmed.”

　　Varon lowered his hand, but did not put the gun back in his belt. He rose slowly and took a step towards the bush.

　　“You are not permitted to move any nearer,” said the soft, quiet voice. It was a strange voice －neither friendly nor unfriendly.

　　Varon raised his foot to take another step towards the bush. But he could not move his leg forward. He tried and tried to move his leg, but it would not move. He could move backwards, but he could not go nearer the bush.

　　“Who are you?” Varon asked. “What do you want from me?” “I want to help you, Stefan Varon,” said the voice. “You know my name!” said Varon in surprise. No one on Zeron knew him. “Yes, I know your name. And I know what you do. And where you come from. And why you are here. I know every thing. I am Omega.”

　　The leaves of the bush were moved slowly to one side. A tall figure stood in front of Varon. The figure was made of metal. Its face was neither friendly nor unfriendly. It did not have a nose, mouth, eyes and ears like a human. It was a robot!

　　Varon was very surprised. He knew that the guards on Zeron did not use robots. He knew there were no robots on Zeron. Or was he wrong again? A robot was standing here in front of him. “What do you want from me?” Varon asked once again.

　　The robot did not reply. It seemed to be listening to something. Its head moved round to the right. Varon heard the voices of the Zeron guards.

　　“He's over there,” a voice shouted. “Near those bushes!” Varon turned to the left and began to run. Omega raised one arm and pointed it at Varon. A bright, red light came from the metal arm and covered Varon's body. The red light quickly fade

D．When the Zeron guards reached the bushes, they found nothing. Varon and Omega had disappeared.

1．What had Varon stolen?

________________________________

2．Why could Varon not get back into his spaceship?

________________________________

3．A tall figure stood in front of Varon.

(a) What was the tall figure?

________________________________

(b) What was its name?

________________________________

(c) Why was Varon surprised?

________________________________

4．When the Zeron guards reached the bushes, they found nothing. What had happened to Varon?

________________________________

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 拓展与运用：

　　It was thumbs(大拇指) down at the British Museum, in London, for the Hollywood history of gladiatorial combat(格斗), from Quo Vadis through Ben-Hur and Spartacus to this year's blockbuster Gladiator.

　　According to Ralph Jackson, British curator(馆长) of the first major exhibition on the true history of the Roman games, no thumb was ever turned down to condemn a gladiator to death; no gladiator ever bellowed(怒吼) in the arena “We who are about to die salute you!”; the bloodied losers were carried off carefully on stretchers(担架), not dragged away with hooks(钩子).

　　Most shockingly of all, relatively few died and many lived on to the ripe old age of 35. “The sign for death was a thumb raised,” said Dr Jackson, a historical consultant on the blockbuster film Gladiator, which did at least get this bit right.

　　“The sign far life was probably the thumb hidden away behind the other fingers. As for the shout of ‘We who are about to die’, we can only find one reference to one fighter saying it on one occasion, and that was not in the arena.”

　　Where Gladiator erred(犯错), he said, was in the spectacle of an amphitheater heaving with gladiators engaged in mass warfare: great movie scene, had history. In reality, gladiators fought in pairs, in highly choreographed bouts(设计好了的动作回合), which ended not with one man being chopped(剁) into cat's meat but signaling(发信号) surrender: most of the complaints by Roman writers were not that the games were barbarous(野蛮的), but that they were boring.

　　Gladiators, after years of training and wearing expensive handmade armour, capable of winning small fortunes in prize money and large fortunes in bets, were valuable commodities. “I am not suggesting that the owners looked after their gladiators out of the goodness of their hearts,” said co-curator Paul Roberts.” But they were very costly(昂贵的) property, they were well taken care of, and the owners were shouting for then to win, net to be killed.” The exhibition, which originated in Germany but has been expanded in London, brings together an unprecedented(空前的) collection of gladiatorial items from 22 museums in Europe, ranging from cheap souvenirs sold to fans in gift shops at the amphitheaters, to a 2.5-tonne marble grave slab from near Pompeii.

　　It records the first recorded outbreak of stadium violence, when a fight started in the amphitheater(竞技场) at Pompeii between supporters of the home team and the visitors, which led to a riot in the town and the games being banned for 10 years.

　　The two most embarrassed warriors in history were on display at the British Museum yesterday, and will be making sporadic(零星的) appearances during the exhibition.

　　Blushing under cover of their massive bronze helmets, and tottering(蹒跚的) under 18 kg of kit, were Tim Chamberlain and Tim Clark, the only members of the museum staff who fitted into the replica armour recreated by a German archaeologist from real sword-slashed pieces found in excavations. In fact, the two Tims, though in their 20s, would in historical terms have been getting on a bit as gladiators.

Questions：

1．What is the comment of Ralph Jackson on the film?

2．Why didn't the gladiators' owners kill their gladiators?

拓展与应用：

　　When I was about 15, we had our first serious campout(野营). By “serious” I mean we actually brought food to cook-not food to open.

　　I was a pretty normal kid growing up-I loved to camp. My only problem was I watched too many Rambo movies(兰博影片), so a small gaggle of Rambonites and myself went out on the weekend to “rough it”. (Twinkies and Vienna sausages are bare essentials, I swear.) Actually we didn't usually set out to rough it; it's just that we always forgot most of our equipment, and no one wanted to go all the way back home just to retrieve(重新获得) the salad forks. We learned the hard way how to compensate(补偿) for essential items that were left in the closet. Most of the time our ideas wouldn't work, but every once in a while the stars would align just right and something actually succeeded. Here are some of those ideas that kept us young survivalists happy campers. We thought of everything; steaks, potatoes, spices, etc., enough for a couple of well-rounded meals. We forgot the pans.

　　  Clean water was the hardest part to accomplish. First we tried to filter the water using a sock filled with charcoal. Since we only brought one pair of socks each, the pair on our feet, the idea didn't go over too well. Our second ingenious idea was to carve a bowl in which we could put water to boil and somehow not catch on fire. After we broke two or three of our “survival” knives and our bowls still resembled a tree, we decided that our oak dining set wasn't going to happen. Finally someone recalled it's possible to boil water in a paper cup, and I realize now the guts it took to say that because I know I wouldn't want to be at the receiving end of the looks we gave him. We went though many pieces of paper and a myriad of designs (my buddy Bryon can make one fancy paper swan!) before we finally hit on one that worked. It turned out to look like a small casserole dish. We built it by taking the paper and folding it like we were gift-wrapping half a package. A small lip around the top of the “dish” kept the triangle flaps in place. The heat from the fire put condensation on the outside of the paper to keep it from burning.

　　 After that small victory we thought cooking the steaks would be a simple task. Our idea was to cook them like marshmallows. After sacrificing(牺牲) a couple of perfectly good steaks to the fire-gods (because the end of our sticks burned off), we realized the error of our ways. Luckily some parts of Missouri have clay for soil and we happened to be in one of those areas. So we took forked branches and made a twig latticework over the Y. All we did was pack the fork with clay, hold it over the fire for a hit, and we had ourselves custom Earthenware.

　　The potatoes were even easier after we discovered the power of clay. We packed clay around those 'taters and tossed them to the side of the fire ring. After about 30 to 45 minutes (depends on the size of the potato and the size of the fire), we cracked those puppies open and had ourselves a pretty good meat-and-potatoes meal…that we had to eat with our hands, of course.

　　Another camping mishap(灾祸) happened about two years later, and if you think we learned our lesson on being prepared, then you are sadly mistaken. On this incident we forgot an…umm, very important hygiene tissue(卫生纸). And, as much as we would have liked to be “roughing it,” we just happened to schedule our trip the same time as a big poison ivy convention. Once again notebook paper saved our behinds (no pun intended). We found that if we took a couple of pieces, folded them flat and put them between our flattened(平的) hands, we could rub(磨擦) our hands together and it broke down the stiffness of the notebook paper to an almost tissue-like substance. You just had to remember to plan ahead about 5 minutes.

　　On one small hunting excursion(远足) as a much older and wiser person, I went with my cousin to northern Missouri. We were so excited to go that we forget all fire-making equipment. (Unfortunately, unprepared ness is genetic.) So we were out in the middle of nowhere, in a cabin, in the middle of November. Our only savior is that we drove. The cigarette lighter was out of the question. My cousin had just bought a new GPS unit so we tossed that easy fire-builder. Our first thought, of course, was to use the gas from the truck. We both decided however, that we looked better with eyebrows, so we canned that idea. (plus, I think we were almost out of fuel). After a couple of minutes we came across an idea. We put jumper cables on the battery, then we quickly and lightly tapped the other ends together to produce sparks over a small pile of twigs and fuzz-sticks. It's important not to hold the two terminals together long because they will weld themselves together. And, if you don't get them apart, your battery will explode. I know this isn't the best way to treat your battery, but if you're in serious need of a fire, then you do what you must to stay warm. The damage to the battery from arcing is minimal and the battery will still work fine.

Questions:　　

1．According to the author what they should do to get clean water?　　

2．How do they cook potatoes during the camp?

拓展与应用

　　Jean Driscoll can go faster in her wheelchair than the world's best marathoners' can run!

　　In April, Jean finished the Boston Marathon in 1 hour 34 minutes 22 seconds. That's about 33 minutes faster than the winning male runner! She competes on the track, too. She was second in the 800-meter wheelchair demonstration race at the 1992 Olympics.

　　Jean doesn't like to be told she's brave. “I'm not in sports because I'm courageous,” she says. “It's because I'm a competitive person!” Jean was born with spins bifida, a birth defect that damages the spine. She began to use a wheelchair to get around in high school. Then she tried wheelchair soccer and was amazed. “Players banged each other and fell out of their chairs,” she says. “It was fun.”

　　Jean tried other wheelchair spots. At the University of Illinois, her wheelchair basketball team won two national titles.

　　Now Jean coaches and teaches. She tries to get people to set goals. “When I sign my autograph,” says Jean,” I write, “Dream big and work hard.”

　　Winford Haynes

　　Winford Haynes was about 7 years old when a doctor told him he had a disease that would make him blind before he turned 30. The disease is retinitis pigmentosa, which makes the retina deteriorate.

　　Winford, age 39, is blind now. But he doesn't think about it much——he's too busy! He teaches physical education at a school for blind adults and teaches judo to blind and sighted people at a youth center in Alamorgordo, New Mexico.

　　Winford also competes in track and judo. “Judo is a good sport for a blind person because you use your sense of touch,” says Winford.

　　At the 1992 Summer Paralympics, Winford finished fourth in the 200-meter dash and sixth in judo.

　　“What I do is a statement to my students,” he says, “it says,” You have lost your vision. It's no reason to stop living. If you want to do soothing, find a way to do it.”

Question for discussion：

When Driscoll signs her autograph, she writes “Dream big and work hard.” What do you think of this advice? Why?

阅读训练

阅读下面短文，写出与下列时间有关的事件。

　　The first newspaper was written by hand and put up on walls in public places． The earliest daily newspaper was started in Rome in 59 B． C．． In the 700’s the world’s first printed newspaper was published． Europe didn’t have a regularly published newspaper until 1609, when one was started in Gemany．

　　The first regularly published newspaper in English was printed in Amsterdam in 1620．In 1621, an English newspaper was started in London and was published once a week． The first daily English newspaper was the Daily Courant, which came out in March 1702．

　　In 1690, Benjamin Harris printed the first American newspaper in Boston． But not long after it was first published, the government stopped the paper published daily in the American Colonies (殖民地)． By 1760, the colonies had more than thirty daily newspapers． There are now about 1, 800 daily papers in the United States．

　　Today, as a group, English language newspapers have the largest circulation (发行量) in the world． But the largest circulation for a newspaper is that of the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun． It sells more than eleven million copies every year．

59B．C．______________________________________________________________________

in the 700’s_____________________________________________________________________

1609 __________________________________________________________________________

1620 __________________________________________________________________________

1621 __________________________________________________________________________

1690 __________________________________________________________________________

1702 __________________________________________________________________________

1760 __________________________________________________________________________

Many of us like cooking but never have much time for it. Helen Fry’s new book Quick Cooking has been specially written for busy people. It has over 1 000 recipes, from the famous Spanish gazpacho to Swedish smorgasbord. The book is well written and the photographs and drawings are clear. (They are like those in the excellent little Quick Dressmaking and Quick Gardening. ) The book has a strong plastic cover. It is easy to find your way around it too. And busy people, notice this! Mrs. Fry tells you how much time you need in order to get each dish ready.

Quick cooking has 4 parts, one for each season. This helps you to use fresh fruit and vegetables when they are cheaper—and, of course, better. There are a lot of exciting ideas from foreign countries, and most of the recipes are easy to follow. You take something simple like a chicken or some cheese, and make an unusual dish out of it. For example, there are no fewer than 40 recipes for eggs! Mrs. Fry does not plan complete meals for the quick book. The beginnings will have to find out a lot of things for himself—or herself. But this ought not to be difficult with such a good book. I wanted to try many of the recipes as soon as I read them. For people with little spare time, Helen Fry’s Quick Cooking is excellent value.

1. Helen Fry’s book is called Quick Cooking because__________.

A. you can cook all the dishes in it quickly

B. there is over 1 000 recipes in it

C. it is written for people who don’t have much time

D. it tells you how to cook all kinds of food quickly

2. The passage is most probably __________.

A. a book review

B. a notice

C. a letter to an editor

D. an introduction on cooking