阅读理解

　　Although April did not bring us the rains we all hoped for, and although the Central Valley doesn't generally experience the atmospheric (大气的) sound and lightning that can accompany those rains, it is still important for parents to be able to answer the youthful questions about thunder and lightning.

　　The reason these two wonders of nature are so difficult for many adults to explain to children is that they are not very well understood by adults themselves. For example, did you know that the lightning we see flashing down to the earth from a cloud is actually flashing up to a cloud from the earth? Our eyes trick us into thinking we see a downward motion when it's actually the other way around. But then, if we believed only what we think and we see, we'd still insist that the sun rises in the morning and sets at night.

　　Most lightning flashes take place inside a cloud, and only a relative few can be seen jumping between two clouds or between earth and a cloud. But, with about 2,000 thunderstorms taking place above the earth every minute of the day and night, there's enough activity to produce about 100 lightning strikes on earth every second.

　　Parents can use thunder and lightning to help them learn more about the world around them. When children understand that the light of the lightning flashing reaches their eyes almost at the same moment, but the sound of the thunder takes about 5 seconds to travel just one mile, they can begin to time the interval between the flash and the crash to learn how close they were to the actual spark

(1)According to the author, in the area of the Central Valley,________.

[　　]

A. rains usually come without thunder and lightning

B. it is usually dry in April

C. children pay no attention to natural phenomena

D. parents are not interested in thunder and lightning

(2)We believe that lightning is a downward motion because ________.

[　　]

A. we were taught so by our teachers from our childhood ________.

B. we are deceived by our sense of vision

C. it is a common natural phenomenon

D. it is a truth proved by science

(3)Which is TRUE about lightning according to the passage?

[　　]

A. Only a small number of lightning strikes occur on earth.

B. Lightning travels slower than thunder.

C. Lightning flashes usually jump from one cloud to another.

D. There are far more lightning strikes occurring on earth we can imagine.

(4)The word “activity” (Para.3) is most closely related to the word (s) ________.

[　　]

A. cloud

B. lightning strikes

C. lightning flashes

D. thunderstorms

(5)It can be concluded from the passage that ________.

[　　]

A. we should not believe what we see or hear

B. things moving downward are more noticeable

C. people often have wrong concepts about ordinary phenomena

D. adults are not as good as children in observing natural phenomena

阅读理解

　　At the beginning of the century there was a big farm called Hollywood Ranch. It was near Los Angeles in California. A few years later Hollywood was one of the famous places in the world. From the 1910s to the 1950s Hollywood was the film center of the world. Every family knew the names of its film stars--Charlie Chaplin, Grela Garbo, Bergman and hundreds more.

　　The reason why people went to Hollywood to make films was the sun. At first people made films in New York on the east coast of the United States. But then they heard about Los Angeles where there are 350 days of sun every year. As they made all the films by sunlight, the west coast was a much better place to work. Also near Hollywood you can find mountains and sea and desert. They did not have to travel far to make any kind of film.

　　When TV became popular, Hollywood started making films for television. Then in the 1970s they discovered people still went to the cinema to see big expensive films. After twenty years they are still making films in Hollywood and people watch them all over the world.

(1)Hollywood used to be a ________.

[　　]

A. cinema

B. big farm

C. park

D. market

(2)In the 1910s Hollywood became a ________.

[　　]

A. famous theater

B. good place to have holiday

C. film center

D. home for stars

(3)Who was not mentioned as a film star in the passage?

[　　]

A. Charlie Chaplin.

B. Marilyn Monroe.

C. Ingrid Bergman.

D. Greta Garbo.

(4)People went to Hollywood to make films because ________.

[　　]

A. it was a beautiful place

B. you can find many film stars

C. there was a lot of sunlight there

D. it was a famous place

(5)Which statement is true?

[　　]

A. The west Coast was a better place to make films.

B. There are no mountains near Hollywood.

C. People no longer went to cinema after television became popular.

D. Hollywood began to make films for television after the First World War.

阅读理解

　　The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean,so that the audiences could see his hem and heroine in front of it the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent his camera crew (摄制组) out one evening to film the sunset for him.

　　The next morning he said to the men,“Have you provided me with that sunset？”

　　“No,sir,” the men answered．

　　The director was angry. “Why not?” he asked．

　　“Well,sir,” one of the men answered．“We're on the east coast here,and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea,if necessary,but not a sunset.”

　　“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted．“Go to the airport,take the next flight to the west coast,and get one.”

　　But then a young secretary had an idea．“why don't you photograph a sunrise?”she suggested,“and then play it backwards? Then it'll look like a sunset.”

　　“That's a very good idea!” the director said．Then he turned to the camera crew and said,“Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea．”

　　The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay (海湾). Then at nine o'clock they took it to the director. “Here it is,sir,” they said,and gave it to him. He was very pleased．

　　They all went into the studio (摄影栅),“All right,” the director explained．“now our hero and heroine are going to say good-bye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the 'sunset' behind them.”

　　The “sunset” began,but after a quarter of a minute,the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.

　　The birds in the film were flying backwards,and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.

(1)One evening,the director sent his camera crew out ________.

[　　]

A．to watch a beautiful sunset

B．to find an actor and an actress

C．to film a scene on the sea

D．to meet the audience

(2)Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?

[　　]

A．Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset.

B．Because he was angry with his crew.

C．Because it was his secretary's suggestion.

D．Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset.

(3)Which of the following is NOT tree?

[　　]

A．The crew had to follow the secretary's advice.

B．If you want to see a sunrise,the east coast is the place to go to.

C．The camera crew wasn't able to film the scene the first day.

D．The director ordered his crew to stop filming the “sunset”.

(4)The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ________.

[　　]

A．it went well with the separation of the hero and the heroine

B．when they arrived at the. beach it was already the evening

C．it was more moving than a sunrise

D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset

(5)After the “sunset” began,the director suddenly put his face in his hands ________.

[　　]

A．because he was moved to tears

B．as he saw everything in the film moving backwards

C．as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he bad imagined

D．because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine

阅读理解

　　Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset ( 不安的) if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you!

　　Dinner parties usually start between 7 p.m. and 8p.m. and end at about 11 p.m. Ask your host (主人) what time you should arrive. It's polite to bring flowers,chocolates or a bottle of wine as a gift.

　　Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks (小吃). Do you want to be extra (特别地) polite? Say how much you like the room,or the pictures on the wall. But remember --it's not polite to ask how much things cost.

　　In many families,the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other side. They eat with their guests.

　　You'll probably start the meal with soup or something small,then you'11 have meat or fish with vegetables,and then dessert (甜点心) ,followed by coffee. It's polite to finish everything on your plate and to take more if you want it.

　　Did you enjoy the evening? Call your host the next day,or write them a short“Thank you” letter. British and American people like to say “thank you,thank you,thank you” all the time!

(1)An English friend doesn't invite you to his or her dinner,which _______.

[　　]

A．means he or she doesn't like you

B．means he or she likes you

C．doesn't mean he or she likes you

D．doesn't mean he or she doesn't like you

(2)You are going to attend a dinner party,and _________.

[　　]

A．you'd better bring a certain present with you

B．you must leave home for it at 7 p.m.

C．you should ask your host when you should leave

D．yon must arrive before 8 p.m.

(3)It's impolite________

[　　]

A．to say that you like the host's room very much

B．for a guest to ask the host the price of the things in the room

C．for a guest to have drinks and snacks before the evening

D．for the host and the hostess (女主人) to sit and eat with their guests

(4)In which order will you eat or drink the following things at a meal?

[　　]

A．Snacks,vegetables,meat,coffee.

B．Coffee,drinks,soup,fish,vegetables,dessert,

C．Soup,meat with vegetables,dessert and coffee.

D．Drinks,soup,something small,fish and vegetables.

(5)What is the proper way to express your enjoyment of the evening?

[　　]

A．Before leaving for home,you should say,“Thank you for inviting me. ”

B．When you shake hands with your host,you should say,“I did enjoy the evening. ”

C．You can write a “Thank you” letter to your host after that.

D．You should finish everything on your plate and take more if you want it.

阅读理解

　　In the United States, a family has a mother, a father and their children. But this is not the only kind of family group. In some parts of the world, a family group has many other members. This kind of large family is called an “extended family”, or a “joint family”.

　　A joint family includes all living relatives of either mother's or father's side of the family. It is made up of grandparents, parents, bothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins. They live together in large dwelling（住所，寓所） or in huts built close together.

　　Long ago, early man probably lived in joint families. He had to be part of a large group in order to survive（生存）. The members of the group helped one another hunt. They worked together to protect themselves from dangerous animals and other enemies.

　　In China, people lived in joint families. When a son married, he and his wife lived at his parent's house. Unmarried daughters remained at home until they married. Chinese children felt very loyal（忠诚的）to their parents. Younger members of a joint family always took care of the older ones.

　　In India and Africa, some people still live in joint families. The members of a joint family share their earnings and property（财产）, If one member of the group becomes ill or has bad luck, the others help him, as in the past, the member of the joint family offer, one another help and protection（保护）.

（1）A joint family is a family that __________.

[　　]

A. only has father and mother

B. has father, mother and their children

C. only has children

D. has parents, children and other members

（2）People lived in joint families long ago because _________.

[　　]

A. they had to live together in order not to be killed by dangerous animals or other enemies

B. they didn't build so many houses then

C. they thought it brought bad luck to live alone

D. they thought a large family could save grain （粮食）

（3）Whom did Chinese children feel very loyal to? __________.

[　　]

A. Married sons

B. Unmarried daughters

C. Parents

D. Younger members

（4）Which of the following statements is not true?

[　　]

A. In India and Africa, some people still live in joint families.

B. The members of the joint family share their earnings and property.

C. When one of the joint family members becomes ill, he will be left alone.

D. The members of a joint family offer one another help and protection.

（5）The best title for this passage is“_________”.

[　　]

A. A Large Family

B. Joint Families

C. A Family with Father, Mother and Their Children

D. Small Families

阅读理解

　　Life is difficult.

　　It is a great because once we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult.

　　Most do not fully see this truth. Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that their difficulties represent（代表）a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or else upon their families, or even their nation.

　　What makes life difficult is that the process（过程）of facing and solving（解决）problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their nature, cause in us sadness or loneliness or regret or anger or fear. These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy. Yet, it is in this whole of solving problems that life has its meaning.

　　Problems are the serious test that tells success from failure. When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we encourage the human ability（能力）to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Those things that hurt, instruct.” It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems.

（1）From the passage, it can be inferred（推断）that __________

[　　]

A. every body has problems,

B. we become stronger by facing and solving the problems of life

C. life is difficult because our problems bring us pain.

D. people like to complain about their problems.

（2）The writer probably used just one short sentence in the first paragraph to __________.

[　　]

A. save space

B. persuade readers

C. make readers laugh

D. get readers' attention

（3）The main idea of paragraph 3 is ________.

[　　]

A. most people feel life is easy

B. the writer feels life is easy

C. the writer likes to complain about his problems

D. most people complain about how hard their lives are

（4）According to the passage, we give school children difficult problems to solve in order to _________.

[　　]

A. encourage them to learn

B. teach them to fear the pain of solving problems

C. help them learn to deal with pain

D. teach them how to respect for problems

（5）The saying from Benjamin Franklin “Those things that hurt, instruct.” suggests that ____________.

[　　]

A. we do not learn from experience

B. we do not learn when we are in pain

C. pain teaches us important lessons

D. pain cannot be avoided（避开）

阅读理解

　　The story of the English language is a story of change. The Old English language, or Old English, is different from Modem English. If we do not study Old English, we cannot understand it. Some of the words are the same but many are not used now.

　　The story of English language begins some time after the year A. D. 400. At that time some people came to England from North-West Europe. There were many groups of people. They were called Angels, Saxons and Jutes. Their language, Old English, is like some of the modem languages of North-West Europe. In Old English the endings had many meanings.

　　They showed past time and present time and many other things. In Modern English most of the endings are gone. This is the biggest difference between Old and Modern English.

(1)What does the first sentence of the passage mean? ________.

[　　]

A. The English language keeps changing as time goes on

B. The Old English had changed into Modern English

C. The story of the English language often changes

D. The story of the English language is one of how people change the language

(2)Old English was first used by people from ________.

[　　]

A. French

B. North-West Europe

C. England

D. North-West England

(3)Which of the following is not true about Old English?

[　　]

A. It was spoken by many groups of people from North-West Europe.

B. Its vocabulary is completely from that of Modern English.

C. It's not easy for most English speakers today to understand the language.

D. The endings of the works had different specific meanings.

(4)What is the greatest difference between Old and Modem English?

[　　]

A. Old English was used by people 400 years ago while English is used by people today.

B. Some of the words in Old English are not used in Modern English.

C. The endings in Old English are full of meanings.

D. Most of endings in Old English are not used in Modern English.

(5)The best title for this passage is ________.

[　　]

A. The Difference Between Old English and Modern English

B. How People Changed English

C. Change of English and Change of the People

D. The Story of English

阅读理解

　　A visitor to Germany must plan his time carefully, because there are so many things to see and do. Germany has big cities, old beautiful towns, and lovely forests and mountains. If a traveller likes the excitement of a large city, he should visit Hamburg, Berlin, or Munich. Each of these cities has its own special charm. If a person enjoys the past, he should go to old fortress towns, such as Dinkelsbuhl or Rothenbug in southern Germany. Here he can go through narrow crooked streets or even walk to the city wall. If a traveller finds the beauty and peacefulness of nature attractions, he should go to one of the wooden areas of Germany. The Black Forest is very famous, but the Bavarian Woods near Gzechoslovakia and the Odenwald in central Germany are just as lovely. If a visitor plans his time and activities well, he will certainly enjoy his stay in Germany.

(1)If a visitor to Germany doesn't plan his time well, he will probably ________ a lot of things.

[　　]

(2)Hamburg,Berlin and Munich are cities which are ________.

[　　]

A. big,very much alike

B. small,quite interesting

C. wonderful,almost the same

D. large,quite different

(3)Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg are ________ towns.

[　　]

(4)For a visitor who likes attractions,he should visit one of the ________ wooden areas in Germany.

[　　]

(5)A visitor can see and do ________ interesting things in Germany.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Last Tuesday I took my two nieces,aged three and five,to town in the car. It began to rain heavily so I decided __1__ while I rushed into a shop. I told the girls I would be back in a few minutes and asked them not to touch anything. Then I locked all the doors and left. I was back at the car in less than five minutes __2__! I could hardly believe my eyes. The car doors were still locked,the windows tightly shut,and on the hack seat were their two jackets __3__,I ran to the comer of the street but there was no sign of them. I rushed up to a couple of passers-by and asked in vain whether __4__ Feeling quite sick with fear,I sat on the driver's seat,trying to stop trembling. Suddenly,behind me I heard a tapping noise and laughter. I jumped out of the car,ran round to open the trunk and there inside __5__. They had apparently pulled out the back seat,crawled behind it,and then had not been able to push the seat forward again. I almost wept with relief!

(1)

[　　]

A．I would drive them home

B．I would take them with me

C．I would leave the children in the car

D．I would stay in the car with the children

(2)

[　　]

A．and the girls were sitting there

B．and the girls had gone home

C．but the girls were crying

D．but the girls had vanished

(3)

[　　]

A．In a panic

B．With delight

C．Out of sorrow

D．Filled with embarrassment

(4)

[　　]

A．they had seen my car

B．there was a shop nearby

C．they had seen two small girls

D．there was a police station in the neighborhood

(5)

[　　]

A．were two scared and shivering little girls

B．were two red-faced and excited children

C．was one of the passers-by I had asked

D．was nothing at all

　　Senior citizens are permitted to travel cheaply on a bus if they have a special card．Women may get the card when they are sixty.

　　Mrs. Mathews lived in the country but she went into town once a week to buy food and other things for the house,and she usually went by bus. She always had to pay the full price for her ride.

　　Then she reached the age of sixty and got her senior citizen's card,but when she used it for the first time on the bus,it made her feel very old．

　　The bus driver had often seen her travelling on the bus before,and he noticed that she was feeling unhappy,so after she had paid her money,he winkled (眨眼) at her and whispered．“Don't forget to give your mother's card back to her when yon see her again. ”

　　Mrs. Mathews was very happy when she heard this.

(1)Who can get a special card when they are sixty?

[　　]

(2)Before she was sixty, Mrs. Mathews used to _________.

[　　]

A．live alone

B．go to town once a month

C．go to town by car

D．pay the full price for her ride

(3)How was Mrs. Mathews feeling when she used the senior citizen's card for the first time?

[　　]

A．She was sad．

B．She was sorry.

C．She was proud．

D．She was disappointed．

(4)Why was Mrs. Mathews very happy when she heard the driver's words?

[　　]

A．Because she was travelling cheaply.

B．Because she loved her mother deeply.

C．Because she was still under sixty.

D．Because she thought she looked much younger than she really was.

(5)From the passage we know the bus driver

[　　]

A．had a poor eyesight

B．was not polite to old people

C．was a kind-hearted man

D．mistook her for a young lady