A broker(股票经纪人) sought admission at the Pearly Gates.

    “Who are you? ”、”Asked St. Peter. “I am a Wall Street broker.” “What do you want?”

    “I want to get in.”

    “What have you done that entitles you to admission?”

    “Well, I saw a decrepit woman on Broadway the other day and gave her two cents.”

    “Gabriel, is that on the records?”

    “Yes, St. Peter; it’s marked down to his credit.”

    “What else have you done?”

    “Well, I crossed the Brooklyn Bridge the other night and met a newsboy half frozen to death and gave him one cent.”

    “Gabriel, is that on the records?”

    “Yes, St. Peter.”

    “What, I can’t recollect anything else just now.”

    “Gabriel, what do you think we ought to do with this fellow?”

    “Oh, give him back his three cents and tell him to go to hell.”

1．From the passage we know that the broker was a ________.

A．mean person

B．kind-hearted man

C．stupid man

D．good - tempered man

2．In the sentence “I can’t recollect anything else just now.” “just now” means ________.

A．a moment ago

B．the other time

C．only a few minutes ago

D．at this very moment

3．According to the passage the broker has ________.

A．done nothing else good besides the two things

B．done many good things

C．only done two good things more

D．earned little money

4．From the passage we can learn that one must ________ for entering the Pearly Gates.

A．always do good to others

B．do two good things

C．think that money is useless

D．help the decrepit people and the newsboy

    Throughout history, people have been interested in knowing how language first began, but no one knows exactly where or how this happened. However, we do know a lot about languages, the languages of today and also the languages of earlier times. There are probably about three thousand languages in the world today. Chinese is the language with the most speakers. English, Russian and Spanish are also spoken by many millions of people. On the other hand, some languages in the world have less than one hundred speakers.

    There are several important families of languages in the world. For example, most of the languages of Europe are in one large family called Indo- European. The original (最初的) language of this family was spoken about 4,500 years ago. Many of the present day languages of Europe and India are modern forms of the language of 4,500 years ago.

    Languages are always changing. The English of today is very different from the English of 500 years ago. In time some even die out completely. About 1, 000 years ago English was a little- known relative of German spoken on one of the borders of Europe.

    If a language has a large number of speakers or if it is very old, there may be differences in the way it is spoken in different areas. That is, the language may have several dialects. Chinese is a good example of dialect differences. Chinese has been spoken for thousands of years by many millions of speakers. The differences between the dialects of Chinese are so great that speakers of Chinese from some parts of China cannot understand speakers from other parts.

1. The first paragraph mainly tells us that________.

A．most people in the world speak Chinese

B．there are thousands of languages in the world today

C．man has much knowledge about languages

D．some people know several languages

2. Most European and Indian languages

A．will soon die out completely

B．were once a relative of English

C．are no longer spoken

D．come from the same family

3.________seems to have changed a lot.

A．Chinese

B．English

C．Spanish

D．German

4 The word dialect in the last paragraph means________.

A．a special language spoken by Chinese

B．the sign used by the Chinese people in a special area

C．the difference between the old and today’s Chinese

D．the form of the language used in one part of the country

    Fred Ames and I haven’ t much in common. I sometimes wonder why we are friends at all. Perhaps it is Fred’ s skill as a craftsman (手工艺者) that I find so attractive. He’ s always busy making things. Everything he makes is so perfect that I sometimes feel a little of disappointment. If I knock over a vase and it is broken into a thousand pieces, Fred puts it together again in such a way that only an expert would see the difference.

    My trouble is that I am one of those hopelessly impractical(顽固的) and incurably(不可救药的)lazy people. Outside my work at the office which is dull enough, the only thing that interests me is listening to classical music.  I have a big collection of records and all day long the only thing I can think about is when I am going to get home to listen to a new symphony(交响乐 )or concerto(交奏曲).

1. Fred Ames________.

A．and the author both enjoy making things and keeping busy

B．and the author is not different

C．is almost the same as the author

D．and the author don’t have any common interests

2. The author________.

A．is some times attracted by Fred’s skill as a craftsman

B．is never disappointed about Fred’s skill

C．doesn’t count Fred as his friend

D．thinks that Fred’s skill is poor

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Not all the things that Fred makes are perfect.

B．Anything made by Fred is wonderful.

C．Not everything that Fred makes is perfect.

D．Anything made by Fred is not worth the author’ s disappointment.

4．The author________.

A．is not hard-working

B．works very hard

C．likes his work very much

D．works in a factory

    Flight attendants( 服务员 ) are part of those working on airplane passenger flights. They serve as a connection between the airline and its passengers. They satisfy the personal needs and comforts of the passengers while carrying out normal duties. They try to make the passengers’ trip so enjoyable that they will want to fly with the airline again. Attendants receive training that helps them work calmly in an emergency and ensure the safety of the passengers.

    The first flight attendants on US airlines were men. But from the 1930’s until the 1970’s, the air-lines hired only women as attendants. Though men have now returned to the position, the majority of light attendants are women.

    Long-distance flights have as many as 14 attendants on the largest jests and 6 on other planes. Most short-run jet flights have at least 3 attendants.

    Flight attendants check on flight conditions, food, and emergency equipment. They give safety instructions(指导)to the passengers, make flight announcements before and after take - off, and try to make the passengers as comfortable as possible.

    Flight attendants are trained at special schools. The course lasts from three to seven weeks. The training includes wide classroom work and practical experience in model cabin(机航).

    The airline pays flight attendants’ expenses while they are away from their basic station.

1. The underlined word “emergency” in the first paragraph should mean________.

A．something that happens strangely

B．something that happens suddenly

C．any kind of difficulty

D．misunderstanding from passengers

2 Of the following, which are flight attendants’ duties while they are on flights?

a. Receiving flight training.

b. Giving safety instructions.

c. Checking on emergency equipment.

d. Satisfying passengers’ personal needs.

e. Receiving expenses from the airline.

f. Preparing food for passengers.

A．a，b，c，d, and f

B．b，c，d, and f

C．b, c, d, e, and f

D．a, b, c, and e

3. Who served as flight attendants on US airlines?

A．First men, then women only, and now mainly men.

B．First men and women, then men, and now men and women.

C．First men, then only women, and now more women than men.

D．First men, then men and women, and now mainly women.

4. The number of attendants on a flight depends on________.

A．how many passengers are on the flight

B．how many attendants have received special training

C．whether attendants want to be on the flight

D．the length of the trip and the type of the air-plane

    The basic flag of the United States is one of the world’s oldest national flags. Only the basic flags of Austria, Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland are older.

    During the discovery and settlement of what is now the United States, the flags of various European nations were flown over the land, as symbols of possession. Later, in the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods, flags representing famous persons, places, and events were flown in tie American Colonies(殖民地).

    The first official flag of the United States was created by Congress(国会)on June 14, 1777.It consisted of 13altemate(交替的)red and white stripes(条) and 13 white stars in a field of blue, representing the 13 colonies that had declared their independence in 1776.

1. The basic flag of the United States is________.

A．the oldest national flag in the world

B．one of the world’s oldest flags

C．the most beautiful flag in the West

D．as old as the basic flags of some European nations’

2. Before the War of Independence the flags of various European nations flew over the land were symbols of________.

A．self rule

B．occupation

C．peace and friendship

D．independence

3．The first official flag of the United States was adopted________.

A．before the Independence War

B．right after the Independence War

C．when independence was declared in 1776

D．during the War of Independence which ended in 1783

4. The 13 red and white stripes and 13 white stars represent________.

A．13 independent states

B．the colonies that declared independence in 1776

C．the U.S. Congress

D．13 famous figures in the American colonies

5. Which of the following nation’s flag has a younger history?

A．Japanese.

B．Austrian.

C．British.

D．the U.S.A’s.

Dear sir,

    As one of your regular readers, I have always admired your policy of supporting the problems of the ordinary citizens of London. I hope, therefore, that you will find space to publish this letter. I live in a tower building in the East End of London, situated between two busy streets with a street market along its third side. Naturally we suffer from the traffic, noise, dirt and waste gas. However, behind us we have an open green space with shady trees which provides us with a

 quiet pleasant place where we can enjoy our spare hours. We are mostly pensioners (领退休金的人) and there are very few children in the place.

 Our local government has recently planned to make use of this site for a short time as a play centre for about 100 children. Although all the people who live there are strongly against the plan, the government have totally taken no notice of us and have already started pulling up our trees and grass, in spite of the fact that there is a disused school and playground with in 100 meters which would suit their purpose equally well. I should be glad to hear from other readers who have had similar problems and might be able to advise us on what action we should now take.

P. Greene,

12 Gilmore Street, E1

1．This letter is written to a________.

A．newspaper reporter

B．housing manager

C．daily newspaper

D．local official

2．The writer lives in________.

A．a block of houses

B．a busy traffic area

C．a lonely area

D．the Tower of London

3．People living in the building_________

A．are mostly retired

B．are partially disabled

C．have no children

D．live by themselves

4．The government has planned to________.

A．build a school in the place

B．make use of the place for a short time

C．use the site for a sports ground

D．only allow children to the site

5．In spite of the people’s protest, the government have________.

A．had second thought about it

B．gone ahead with their plans

C．destroyed the area

D．reconsidered their original plan

    As Olney, a small town in England, Shrove Tuesday is Pancake Race Day. The race is said to have first been run there in 1445 and has continued more or less ever since with occasional interruption as, for example, during the Second World War.

    It is a race for women only. They must be housewives and live in the area．They have to cook a pancake in the air three times as they run. They have to wear aprons and cover their heads with a hat or scarf. A bell rings twice for the women to start making their pancakes and then again for them to gather in the square, carrying their cooked pancakes in a frying pan. There they wait for the bell to ring again and the race starts.  Sometimes one of pancakes drops on the ground, but the runner is allowed to pick it up. The winner and the runner-up both get a prize from the vicar(牧师) who is waiting at the church door. The official, who helps to look after the church, gets a kiss from the winner and often her pancake as well. Then all the runners take their frying pans with the pancakes into the church and a short service (仪式) is held.

    The pancake race, with the women frying along, throwing and trying to catch their pancakes, provides a great deal of enjoyment and is frequently shown on television. In 1950, a similar pancakes race was organized in Kansas, USA, and has continued ever since. It takes place on the same day, at exactly the same time. Times are clocked in both sides of the Atlantic and there is close competition to see whether the British or American housewives run fastest.

1．It is believed that the pancake race________.

A．has been held every year since 1445

B．dates back to the 15th century

C．originated in the 14th century

D．started after the Second World War

2．The race is only open to women who_________

A．are staying in the area

B．got married in Olney

C．have a home in the district

D．were born in Olney

3．During the race, the competitors have to_________

A．jump three times and catch a pancake

B．throw the pancakes to each other

C．throw some pancakes into a frying pan

D．throw and catch their pancakes

4．When the race is over, all the runners_________

A．are given good prizes

B．serve pancakes in the church

C．go into the church to have a rest

D．take part in a service

5．Since 1950, women in Kansas, USA, have_________

A．taken part in the Olney race

B．docked up a Pancake Day record

C．competed against the Olney women

D．organized other Pancake Day activities

    The back door of the ambulance was shut and the driver jumped into his seat and started the engine. Inside were two worried parents, Mr. and Mrs. Yau, the mother holding their baby daughter, Mary. The little girl had some food stuck in her throat, and could hardly breathe.

    The driver, Mr. Leung, turned on the siren (报警器)  and flashing light, and started speeding towards the nearest hospital, fighting against time. Unfortunately the traffic was busy. From the back of the ambulance, the parents were shouting at him to hurry, since Mary had almost stopped breathing. In front of him he saw some traffic lights, with the red “STOP” light shining. Mr. Leung knew that he had no time to lose, so he drove straight past the traffic lights, looking to his left and right as he did so.

    Coming towards him from his right was a taxi． The driver had the windows up and he was playing his radio．He did not hear the ambulance．The lights were green, so he drove straight on—into the path of the ambulance．

Mr. Leung tried to stop but it was too late．The two vehicles collided(猛撞)．Everyone was shaken but there were no injuries．Mr. Leung looked back to see how little Mary was．He was astonished to see relief(宽慰) instead of fear on the faces of the parents．

    “Look! ” cried Mrs. Yau．“She’s breathing again．”

    “It must have been the collision，”said her husband．“It knocked the food out of her throat．”

The baby’s color was returning to normal，and she was crying in loud but healthy sobs．They were all delighted，and quite forgot about the accident，the taxi, and queues of vehicles all around them．

1．Which of the following is NOT true? The taxi driver drove________.

A．with his radio on

B．past a green light

C．with his windows closed

D．past a red light

2．Which of the following does NOT necessarily suggest that Mr. Leung was driving quickly?

A．“started speeding towards”

B．“fighting against time”

C．“shouting at him to hurry”

D．“no time to lose”

3．To what extent(程度)was the taxi driver to blame for the accident?

A．He was too busy listening to the radio．

B．The noise of the traffic prevented him from hearing the siren．

C．He was not watching the traffic．

D．He was not to blame at all．

4．The best title for the passage is________.

A．Traffic Rules

B．Choking

C．Kind—Hearted Taxi Driver

D．Importance of Vehicles

    I was arguing about the price for a table in a second-hand store when a young man came in carrying a chair, put it down before the manager and asked how much it was  worth．

    “Three dollars，”replied the manager．

    The young man looked surprised．“It isn’t worth more than that?”

    “Three dollars is all I can give you for that piece， Son．”

    The manager shook his head and bent to examine the piece．“See that?” He pointed to a crack(裂缝)in the chair leg. “And see here where the paint is peeling(脱落)?Three dollars is all its worth to me．”

    “All right then，”said the young man．“I’ll take it.” He pulled out his wallet．“I saw it in front of your store with something marked 10 dollars，but I thought maybe it was a mistake and you could tell me how much it was worth．”

1．The young man came in________.

A．to carry a chair

B．with a chair

C．before the manager did

D．before the author did

2．Which of the following is mentioned in the article above?

A．The manager asked where the paint was peeling．

B．The manager said the chair was worth only 3 dollars．

C．The manager told the young that the price of the chair was 10 dollars．

D．The young man said the chair was not worth 3 dollars．

3．What the manager bent to examine was

A． the price of the chair

B． the chair’s leg

C．the table’s leg

D．the crack in the chair leg

4．The young man said he would________.

A. buy the chair

B．sell the chair

C．mark 10 on the chair

D．repair the chair

5．The chair was carried________.

A．to the store by manager

B．from the young man’s home

C．to the store by mistake

D．before the store

    Johnny Smith was a high school student. Johnny was a good mathematics student, a very good mathematics student. He loved his computer. He worked with it every evening after school. But Johnny was not a very good English student, not good at all. He got an F in his English class. One night after school, Johnny connected his computer to the computer in his high school office. The school office computer had the grades of all the students: the math grades, the science grades, the grades in arts and music, and the grades in English, Johnny searched through the school files. He found his English grade an F. Johnny changed his English grade from an F to an A. Johnny’s parents looked at his report card. They were very happy.

    “An A in English!” said Johnny’s Dad. “You’re a very smart boy, Johnny.”

    Johnny is a hacker. Hackers know how to take information from other computers and put new information in. Using a modem (调制解调器), they connect their computers to other computers secretly. School headmaster and teachers are worried about hackers. So are the police.  In the movie War Games, a high school hacker entered the computer of the United States Military. He almost started World War Ⅲ! This probably could not happen in real life, but hackers can commit crimes. These criminals (罪犯) are called crackers. They take money from bank computer accounts and put it into their personal accounts. And they never even have to leave home to do it!

1．From the passage, we know that Johnny is ________.

A．a middle school student

B．a hacker

C．good at maths and computer but poor in English

D．All of the above

2．Which of the following is correct?

A．All hackers commit crimes

B．Johnny is a very good English student

C．Johnny used his computer to change all his grades

D．All crackers commit crimes

3．This passage is mainly about________

A．Johnny

B．hackers

C．computers

D．modem