The Waltz

“This indecent(不文雅的) foreign dance was introduced at the English court on Friday…We trust it will never again be tolerated in any moral English society. ”(The Times, 1816)

The waltz was the first court dance since Shakespeare’s time where the couple were allowed to spin round holding each other very closely. The fact that it was labeled “immoral” or even “obscene(下流的)” no doubt helped to make people think it was rather shocking fun.

The waltz originated in Germany from the energetic folk-dances of the country people. By the mid-18th century the smart town people were trying it and very soon, it had spread throughout the rest of Europe, although parts of Germany and Switzerland banned it completely! In Vienna the waltz became very fast, with the couples racing each other seven or eight times round the ballroom floor, until they were in a state of collapse. So the police decided to forbid the extreme forms of the dance, as it was creating a public disturbance.

However, it was also in Vienna that Lanner and Strauss made their fortunes as bandleaders and composers. Strauss' son, John Strauss established himself as the “waltz king” in Vienna. Chopin complained that classical music was being ignored in favor of the waltz. He also complained that pieces by Mozart and Beethoven were being “waltzified” to please the public taste. But this did not lower its popularity, which still continues even today.

1. The music of waltz was firstly played in _______.

A. England　　　　　　 B. Germany　　　　　　 C. Switzerland　　　　　　 D. Vienna

2. Why did the police decide to forbid the extreme dance of waltz in Vienna?

A. Because the police thought the dancers were holding each other very closely.

B. Because the police thought the dancers were spending too much time in dancing.

C. Because the police thought the dancers of waltz were creating trouble in the public.

D. Because the police thought the dancers of waltz were always in a state of being worn out. 

3. Although the waltz was well popular with most people, yet Chopin complained _______.

A. the classical music by Mozart and Beethoven were being waltzified and looked down upon so as to please the public tate.

B. Strauss Johann junior made himself as the “waltz king”

C. the waltz was spreading too fast in Vienna

D. the waltz was immoral and obscene

4. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A.  In the beginning the waltz was created by some famous composers.

B. Although the waltz was banned in one or two countries, yet it had spread all over the rest of Europe by the mid-18th century.

C. The dance of waltz was usually performed by only one person.

D. As a great composer Chopin took the side of the waltz.

5. What conclusion can we draw from the passage?

A. The waltz is immoral or even obscene.

B. All people accepted the waltz completely in the beginning.

C. The waltz was even thought to be rather shocking fun.

D. At the present time people still think well of, love and enjoy the waltz.

The advantages and disadvantages of a large population have long been a subject of discussion among economists. It has been argued that the supply of good land is limited. To feed a large population, inferior land must be cultivated and the good land worked intensively, each person produces less and this means a lower average income that could be obtained with a smaller population. Other economists have argued that a large population gives more scope for specialization and the development of facilities such as ports, roads and railways, which are not likely to be built unless there is a big demand to justify them.

One of the difficulties in carrying out a world wide birth control program lies in the fact that official attitudes to population growth vary from country to depending on the level of industrial development and the availability of food and raw materials. In the developing country where a vastly expanded population is pressing hard upon the limits of food, space and natural resources, it will be the first concern of government to place a limit on the birthrate, whatever the consequences may be. In a highly industrialized society the problem may be more complex. A decreasing birthrate may lead to unemployment because it results in a declining market for manufactured goods. When the pressure of population on housing declines, prices also decline and the building industry is weakened. Faced with considerations such as these, the government of a developed country may well prefer to see a slowly increasing population rather than one which is stable or in decline.

1. A small population may mean _______.

A. higher productivity, but a lower average income

B. lower productivity, but a higher average income

C. lower productivity and a lower average income

D. higher productivity and a higher average income

2. According to the passage, a large population will provide chance for developing _______.

A. agriculture　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. transport system

C. industry　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. national economy

3. In a developed country, people will perhaps go out of work if the birthrate _______.

A. goes up　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. goes down

C. remains stable　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. is out of control

4. According to the passage, slowly rising birthrate perhaps is good for _______.

A. a developing nation　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. a developed nation

C. every nation with a big population　　　　　　　　  D. every nation with a small population

5. It is no easy job to carry out a general plan for birth control throughout the world because _______.

A. there are too many underdeveloped countries in the world

B. underdeveloped countries have low level of industrial development

C. different governments have different views of the question

D. even developed countries may have complex problems

Elephants don't forget—at least, female（雌性的） elephants don't. Elephant families are matriarchal. And the social knowledge gained by the oldest females is the key to a family group's survival(生存), according to a study published in April by Karen McComb, a biologist at Sussex University in England.

Elephants announce their presence by making a deep, long sound, a practice referred to as contact calling(联络呼叫). An unfamiliar call may mean that an elephant from outside the family group is nearby. A stranger can cause trouble, interrupting feeding or disturbing the young. So an elephant matriarch signals the family to gather around her; then they all lift their trunks in the air to smell the unfamiliar caller. False alarms can disturb the group and take time and energy away from feeding, so survival may depend in part on getting it right.

Working with Cynthia Moss, who founded the Amboseli Elephant Research Project in Kenya 30 years ago, McComb tested the social knowledge of 21 Amboseli elephant families with matriarchs 27 to 67 years old. She played recordings of contact calls to each family and found that the oldest matriarchs were much better at picking out unfamiliar calls. In fact, a group with a matriarch in her fifties was several thousand times more likely to form into a group upon hearing an unfamiliar contact call than when hearing a familiar call. However, families with younger matriarchs were less than twice as likely to gather together upon hearing an unfamiliar contact call as compared with a familiar call. And they gathered together a lot. Moreover, the social knowledge of older matriarchs translated into favorable results: Families with older matriarchs produced more baby elephants in each female-reproductive year.

This finding shows how difficult it is to protect the oldest members of elephant families. As elephants age, they continue to grow larger, as do their much wanted tusks(象牙). So the older—and wiser—a matriarch is, the greater the chance she will be killed. About 800 000 elephants have been killed by people in the past 20 years.

1. What does the underlined word “matriarch” mean?

A. An old member of an elephant family.

B. A female head of an elephant family.

C. A wise elephant.

D. A large elephant.

2. When do elephants form into a group?

A. When they are feeding the young.

B. When they see a familiar elephant.

C. When they are giving birth to baby elephants.

D. When the leading elephant gives out a warning.

3. The research with recordings of contact calls shows _______.

A. how fast elephants form into groups

B. how important the age of a leading elephant is

C. how frightened elephants are when hearing a strange call

D. how frequently old elephants call other members of the family

4. The older a female elephant is _______.

A. the stronger she will be

B. the poorer memory she will have

C. the more useless her tusks will be

D. the more likely she will be killed

5. We can infer from the passage that elephants may _______.

A. run into other elephant families

B. give wrong warnings to their mothers

C. run away upon hearing a strange sound

D. produce more babies by gathering together more often

Tales From Animal Hospital

David Grant

David Grant has become a familiar face to millions of fans of Animal Hospital. ?Here Dr Grant tells us the very best of his personal stories about the animals he has treated, including familiar patients such as the dogs Snowy and Duchess, the delightful cat Marigold Serendipity Diamond. He also takes the reader behind the scenes at Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital as he describes his day, from ordinary medical check-ups to surgery（外科手术）.  Tales From Animal Hospital will delight all fans of the programme and anyone who has a lively interest in their pet, whether it is cat, dog or snake!

￡14. 99 Hardback 272pp Simon Schuster

ISBN 0751304417

Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer

Michael White

From the author of Stephen Hawking: A life in Science, comes this colourful description of the life of the world’s first modern scientist. Interesting yet based on fact. Michael White’s learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him. Newton is shown as a gifted scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic(魔术) ended and science began.

￡18. 99 Hardback 320pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857024168

Fermat’s Last Theorem

Simon Singh

In 1963 a schoolboy called Andrew Wiles reading in his school library came across the world's greatest mathematical problem: Fermat's Last Theorem(定理). First put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century, the theorem had baffled and beaten the finest mathematical minds, including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem, and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole Polytechnique. Through unbelievable determination Andrew Wiles finally worked out the problem in 1995. An unusual story of human effort over three centuries, Fermat’s Last Theorem will delight specialists and general readers alike.

￡12. 99 Hardback 384pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857025210

1. What is Animal Hospital?

A. A news story.　　　　　　 

B. A popular book.

C. A research report.　　　　　　 

D. A TV programme.

2. In Michael White’s book, Newton is described as _______.

A. a person who did not look the same as in many pictures

B. a person who lived a colourful and meaningful life

C. a great but not perfect man

D. an old-time magician

3. Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “baffle” as it is used in the text?

A. To encourage people to raise questions.

B. To cause difficulty in understanding.

C. To provide a person with an explanation.

D. To limit people’s imagination.

4. The person who finally proved Fermat’s Last Theorem is _______.

A. Simon Singh    　　　　 

B. Andrew Wiles

C. Pierre de Fermat　　　　　　

D. a French woman scientist

5. What is the purpose of writing these three texts?

A. To make the books easier to read.　　　　　　 

B. To show the importance of science.

C. To introduce new authors.　　　　　　 

D. To sell the books.

If there is no difference in general intelligence between boys and girls, what can explain girls’ poor performance in science and mathematics?

It seems to be that their treatment at school is a direct cause. Mathematics and science are seen as subjects mainly for boys, and therefore, as girls become teenagers, they are less likely to take them. Interestingly, both boys and girls often regard the subjects for boys as more difficult. Yet it has been suggested that girls do not take mathematics courses, not because they are difficult, but for social reasons. Girls do not want to be in open competition with boys because they are afraid to appear less feminine(女性的)and attractive.

However, if we examine the performance of boys and girls who have taken mathematics courses, there are still more high-achieving boys than there are girls. This difference appears to be world-wide. Biological explanations have been offered for this, but there are other explanations too.

Perhaps the difference which comes out during the teenage years has its rootsお in much earlier experiences. From their first days in kindergarten, boys are encouraged to work on their own and to complete tasks. Facts show that outstanding(杰出的)mathematicians and scientists have not had teachers who supplied answers.

Besides, there can be little doubt that teachers of mathematics and science expect their boy students to do better at these subjects than their girl students. They even appear to encourage the difference between boys and girls. They spend more time with the boy students, giving them more time to answer questions and working harder to get correct answers from them. They are more likely to call on boys for answers and to allow them to take the lead in classroom discussion. They also praise boys more frequently. All of this seems to encourage boys to work harder in science and mathematics and to give them confidence(信心)that they are able to succeed.

Such a way of teaching is not likely to encourage girls to take many mathematics and science courses, nor is it likely to support girls who do so. When it comes to these subjects it seems certain that school widens the difference between boys and girls.

1. Girls are likely to think that______.

A. science courses are both for boys and girls

B. science courses make them more popular

C. science courses make them successful

D. science courses are difficult for them

2. The text mainly discusses______reasons for the difference between boys and girls in scientific achievements.

A. biological　　　　　　 B. historical　　　　　　 C. social　　　　　　 D. personal

3. What are boys usually encouraged to do at school?

A. To get help with their homework.　　　　　　 

B. To play the leading role in class.

C. To work with girl students in class.

D. To learn to take care of others.

4. What does the passage say about the great mathematicians?

A. Their teachers did not supply the answer to them.

B. They started learning mathematics at an earlier age.

C. They showed mathematical abilities in their teenage years.

D. Their success resulted from their strong interest in mathematics.

5. The author would probably agree that______.

A. boys and girls learn in the same way

B. boys and girls are equal in general intelligence

C. girls are more confident in themselves than before

D. girls should take fewer science courses than boys

The uses of computers

Not very long ago, the computer was a strange machine. Not many people understood it. Not many people said yes to it. Today much of that is changing. The first computer system(系统)was introduced for use in business in the mid-1950s. Since then, the number of computer systems used in business, government offices, and institutions has grown rapidly. In 1975, about 250 000 systems were in use in the United States. This is growing by tens of thousands every year.

The electric computer is an important factor(因素)in our lives. Each year we use computer more and more to help us to collect data（数据）and to provide us with information. At one time people thought computers were only useful to banks, department stores, and governments. But today the rapidly increasing number of computers is used for many other purposes. Have you ever stopped to think how you are affected(影响)by a computer? The clothes you wear were probably made with the help of a computer. The newspaper you read could have been edited(编辑)and typed by a computer. Even radio programmes are often prepared by computers.

Computers today are playing important roles(作用)in education, transportation(交通)and medicine. They are used to predict(预报)the weather, to examine the ocean, and to develop defense systems. They are being used by businesses, governments, and institutions. There is no reason to think that their uses will become a greater part of our lives.

The influence(影响)of the computer is great. The list of its uses could go on and on. Computers now affect millions of people in countless(无数的)ways every day.

1. Before the 1950s the computer was_______.

A. widely used　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. no use at all

C. not understood by many people　　　　　　 　　  D. liked by people

2. The computer today is_______than it was before.

A. reduced　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. increasing fast

C. not changed　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. increasing slowly

3. The computer today is_______than it was before.

A. less useful　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. the same as in the 1960s

C. more useful 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. less important   

4. The writer thinks our lives are affected, but we_______.

A. don’t quite notice it　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　   B. have known it clearly

C. don’t want to know about it　　　　　　 　　　　  D. don’t like it

5. Although the first computer system was only introduced in the mid-1950s, computers now affect millions of people in countless ways every day. This means the writer_______.

A. doesn’t like computers

B. liked computers

C. thinks computers have developed rapidly

D. thinks we can’t live without computers

World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is a part of the computer Internet system. A recent study shows that more than thirty-million computer users link(连接)to the communications system called the Internet. The study shows that most of these people are using the World Wide Web.

Computers are linked with the Internet. The Internet is a communications system that permits many millions of computers to send and receive information. The World Wide Web is an important part of the Internet system. People use the Web to search for news, products and educational information. They may play games, buy books, records or other products or plan a holiday trip. These World Wide Web areas are called Websites.

Before the World Wide Web existed, information on the Internet was mostly written. Now, the Web provides the same written information but also includes sound, color pictures, television pictures and movies.

In 1993, a computer user could only link with 130 Websites, and it was difficult to link a computer with a Website. In 1994, computer scientists made it much easier to do. Today there are millions of Websites. Many more are being added each day.

The World Wide Web Consortium(国际性协议)is an international group. It is headed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control in France and Keio University in Japan. The Consortium includes more than 275 smaller computer organizations. These groups work together to improve how information is offered on the Web.

1. How many computer users are using the Internet now?

A. 3 000 000.　　　　　　  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. 300 000 000.

C. 30 000 000.　　　　　　  　　　　　　　　　　    D. 300 000.

2. The World Wide Web can help its users to______.

A. search for papers, educational information and products

B. play games, buy products and plan a work trip

C. search for news, play games and buy books or records

D. search for news, only play games and buy products

3. Today the World Wide Web provided not only written information, but also______.

A. sound, color pictures and cigarettes

B. movies, color pictures and sound

C. sound, television pictures and a bottle of wine

D. color pictures, seeds and sound

4. Today the computer users link to the Internet______.

A. much more easily than before

B. much more difficult than before

C. is the same as before

D. far slower than before

5. How many countries is the World Wide Web Consortium headed by?

A. 1.　　　　　　  B. 2.　　　　　　  C. 4.　　　　　　  D. 3.

England football captain David Beckham may leave Spanish club Real Madrid and return home to save his marriage, a UK newspaper reported.

Beckham’s celebrity wife Victoria has broken her promise to join him in Spain with kids Brooklyn, 4, and Romeo, 1, because the 29-year-old is busy with her music career, according to News of the World.

The paper claims the England captain phoned a close friend to say he is thinking about joining the newly rich Chelsea club to keep his family together. Chelsea’s Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich has already spent 112 million pounds (US $187 million) on big football games, and he may want to add Beckham to his lineup.

“Victoria is working on her solo career, so she won’t be moving over here permanently(长久地)at the moment, ”

Beckham reportedly told his friend. “I really miss her. I love her so much and miss my kids and have been thinking about finishing my football career back home. ” Beckham, believed to have rented a 4. 5 million pound (US $7. 5 million) house in Madrid, has run up a 433 000-pound (US $723 110) bill in three months at a five-star hotel. But in the past three weeks Victoria has spent just five days there.

“Chelsea is an option—possibly within two years. I’m playing the best football of my career but my marriage means everything to me. I don’t know what to do, ”Beckham is reported to have said.

1. Victoria is a woman who______.

A. loves music more than her family

B. enjoys staying with her husband in Spain

C. has made some achievements in music

D. is strongly against his husband’s service in Madrid

2. The main idea of the passage is that______.

A. Beckham has a bright future

B. Beckham’s marriage is in danger

C. Beckham is going back to England

D. Beckham keeps changing the team which he serves

3. What Beckham said in the fourth paragraph shows______.

A. he is tired of playing football

B. he will try his best to support his wife’s career

C. he loves his family more than anything else

D. music makes up one part of his life

Basketball was his path out of poverty(贫穷). Had he not played the game, he would be Alan Iverson the car repairer, dustman or even drug dealer(毒贩), copying his father's lifestyle and those of most of his childhood friends.

But he saw fame and success in a basketball and the 28-year-old has built his kingdom on the courts of NBA. Though he was suffering flu, he scored a season-high 50 points as Philadelphia 76ers beat Atlanta Hawks 98-86 on November 30. He is now the league’s leading scorer with an average of 28.4 points per game.

Unlike other NBA stars, his success is not due to his size. At 1.83 meters, Iverson is no giant but he isn’t afraid to challenge bigger guys. “I just hit shots, ”he said. “The basket sometimes looks like an ocean. ”

He is known as “the answer” and 76ers' fans hope he can be the answer to their prayers for an NBA championship. They might be in luck as Iverson has had to find solutions to tough problems ever since he was a child.

“I used to come home and there would be no lights, no food, only unpaid bills, ”he remembers of his childhood. Never having met his real father, Iverson became man of the house at the age of 12 when his stepfather was arrested.

But his mother, despite being poor, never gave up hope for her son. “I have never looked up to anyone apart from(除……之外)my mum. She means everything to me, ”he said. “She inspired me and she made me believe I could be somebody and I could do something with my life. ”

1. The first paragraph mainly tells us Iverson______.

A. changed his fate of poverty by playing basketball

B. used to be poor

C. had an unhappy childhood

D. became famous out of his expectation

2. The author of the passage______.

A. is a friend of Iverson

B. is trying to make friends with Iverson

C. thinks highly of Iverson

D. believes Iverson is the best basketball player in the US

3. Which of the following about Iverson is NOT true?

A. He bases his success on his skills, instead of his size.

B. He is a man who can deal with difficult problems.

C. He shows a special interest in basketball.

D. He hates his father, and even his stepfather.

4. Iverson used the sentence “She means everything to me” to show______.

A. she is very important to him

B. he can get everything from her

C. she is willing to do everything for her son

D. she brought him up

The Olympic Games are the greatest festival of sport in the world. Every four years, a hundred or more countries send their best sportsmen to compete for the highest honors of the sport. As many as 6 000 people take part in over 20 sports. For the winners, there are gold medals and glory. But there is honor, too, for all who compete, win or lose. That is the spirit of the Olympics—to take part is what matters.

The Olympic Games always start in bright color and action. The teams of all the nations parade in the opening ceremony and march round the track. The custom is for the Greek team to march in first. For it was in Greece that the Olympics began. The team of the country where the Games are being held—the host country—marches in last.

The runner with the Olympic torch then enters the stadium and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath on behalf of all the competitors. The judges and officials also take an oath. After the sportsmen march out of the stadium, the host country puts on a wonderful display.

The competition begins the next day. There are usually more than twenty sports in the Games. The rule is that there must be at least fifteen. The main events are in track and field, but it is a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in a different sport—riding, shooting, swimming, and cross-country running. Points are gained for each event. Medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams.

More and more women are taking part in the games. They first competed in 1900, in tennis and golf, which are no longer held in the Olympics. Women’s swimming events were introduced in 1912, but it was not until 1928 that there were any track and field events for women. Now, they compete in all but half a dozen of the sports. In horse riding, shooting, and boat racing, they may compete in the same events as the men.

1. Why is there honor for the losers as well as for the winners?

A. Because failure is the mother of success.

B. Because losers need encouragement, too.

C. Because losers and winners should be equally treated.

D. Because what really matters is to take part in the Olympic Games.

2. Which of the following is a long-established practice in the opening ceremony?

A. Runners enter the stadium with torches.

B. Each team has to put on a wonderful display.

C. The Greek team marches in first.

D. Men and women wear magnificent clothes.

3. What are the most important events in the Olympic Games?

A. The track and field events.　　    　　  

B. The horse-riding events.

C. The swimming events.　　　　　　 

D. The boat-racing events.