阅读理解

　　Americans can travel almost anywhere they choose. But to protect its people, the government lists a few dangerous places where Americans cannot go. These places are unfriendly countries or countries at war. There the traveler might not be safe. These countries are listed in a small book called a passport.

　　This passport is a government request for the safety of its traveling people. It is also a government's pledge(保证)that the people will obey the rules of the host country.

　　To receive a passport from the government, a traveler must prove that he is an American citizen. An American can't go overseas without a passport. Only certain close countries such as Canada and Mexico do not ask for passports.

　　Pasted inside the passport is the traveler's picture. Children traveling with their parents are included in one parent's book.

　　Thousands of people from the United States visit other countries every year. An American traveler might carry plane tickets, money, clothing and many other things. But the most important that he carries in another country is his passport.

(1)Why does a traveler need a passport?

[　　]

A．He needs something more to carry when he travels.

B．It helps the country to protect the people.

C．He needs to have his picture taken more often.

D．It helps the traveler to know where he will go.

(2)A passport is not needed when an American goes to ________.

[　　]

A．foreign countries

B．dangerous areas

C．Canada or Mexico

D．countries overseas

(3)From the passage we can see that ________.

[　　]

A．children can't travel to foreign country

B．Americans like to travel

C．a traveler is not safe in most countries

D．Americans like to travel to close countries

(4)Which statement does the passage lead you to believe?

[　　]

A．People should take care of their passports.

B．It is not important to have a passport to travel.

C．Children are never included in a passport.

D．When you are in another country, money is more important than a passport.

阅读理解

　　Most people think of a camel as an obedient(驯服的)beast of burden, because it is best known for its ability to carry heavy loads across vast stretches of desert without requiring water. In reality, the camel is considerably more than just the Arabian equivalent(等同物)of the mule. It also possesses a great amount of intelligence and sensitivity(敏感).

　　The Arabs say that camels are so acutely aware of injustice (不公平)and ill-treatment that a camel owner who punishes one of the beasts too hard finds it difficult to escape the camel's revenge(报仇). Apparently, the animal will remember an injury and wait for an opportunity to get revenge.

　　In order to protect themselves from the vengeful(报仇的) beasts, Arabian camel drivers have learned to trick their camels into believing they have achieved revenge. When an Arab realizes that he has excited a camel's rage(愤怒), he places his own garments(外衣)on the ground in the animal's path. He arranges the clothing so that it appears to cover a man's body. When the camel recognizes its master's clothing on the ground, it seizes the pile with its teeth, shakes the garments angrily and steps on them in a rage again and again. In the end, after its anger has died away, the camel leaves, believing its revenge is completed. Only then does the owner of the garments come out of hiding, safe for the time being, thanks to this clever trick.

(1)Which of the following is mentioned in this passage?

[　　]

A．The camel never drinks water.

B．The camel is always violent.

C．The camel is very sensitive.

D．The camel is not used any more.

(2)From this passage we can conclude that ________.

[　　]

A．camels are generally kind towards their owners

B．camels are as stupid and sensitive as mules

C．camels don't see very well

D．camels try to punish people who ill-treat them

(3)The writer makes the camel's vengeful behavior clear to the readers by presenting

[　　]

A．a well-planned argument

B．a large variety of examples

C．some eyewitness accounts

D．a typical incident

(4)which of the following is TRUE?

[　　]

A．A man who punishes a camel too harshly has to play a clever trick on it.

B．a camel is very clever.

C．A camel is dangerous for its owner.

D．The camel tramples the garments violently in the face of the owner of the garments.

阅读理解

　　Manuel and Joe were traders with the Pawnee Indians. Each of them tried to acquire by trade as many furs as possible for himself, using whatever means possible and without showing mercy towards the other. For that reason, they often quarreled. In order to prevent such hot arguments they agreed that if a band of Indians arrived at their trading posts for the purpose of exchange and barter(实物交换), neither would attempt to take advantage of the other. Manuel, however, had no intention of trading on honorable terms for any length of time; once when both of them expected a band of Pawnee, he tried to fool Joe.

　　One day while he ordered his post supplied in secret with commodities to barter with the Pawnee, he went over to see Joe in order to put him off his guard, by his own presence there to hinder(打扰)preparations, and to see what was really going on in the other store house. Joe played the part of unsuspecting(不怀疑的) host just as well as his opponent(对手)played his role. He acted just as though he had allowed himself to be really fooled. He invited Manuel to drink a glass of champagne to the success of prospective(预期的) trade; but regretted that on account of his bad back he was not able to stoop down and therefore, would have to ask Manuel to fetch the cask from the cellar. The latter obligingly raised the trapdoor in the room and went down the steps. Joe let fall the door, rolled a cask upon it, with mocking (嘲笑的)words left his opponent imprisoned, then, went off to trade alone with the Pawnee.

(1)Manuel and Joe often quarreled because ________.

[　　]

A．they couldn't trade with the Pawnee Indians

B．they couldn't trade as many furs as they wanted to

C．Joe locked Manuel in the cellar

D．they competed mercilessly with each other

(2)Manuel went to Joe's for the reason that ________.

[　　]

A．he wanted to hinder Joe's trading preparations

B．he wanted to help Joe get his commodities prepared

C．he wanted to start a quarrel

D．he wanted to make an agreement

(3)How did Joe feel about Manuel's visit?

[　　]

A．He was completely fooled.

B．He knew the real reason for it.

C．He was angry with Manuel had accepted his invitation for a drink.

D．He was glad that Manuel had accepted his invitation for a drink.

(4)Why did Joe ask Manuel to fetch the champagne?

[　　]

A．Joe was too busy to get it himself.

B．Joe had a bad back and could not stoop down.

C．Joe was too lazy to get it.

D．Joe wanted to trap Manuel.

阅读理解

　　William Faulkner was a great American writer. And great writers are supposed to be born ,not made by many people, but there are many surprising exceptions(例外). William Faulkner was one of them. He left school in the fifth grade at the age of fourteen. He worked as a house painter and later a dishwasher in a restaurant. He had to look for jobs around the country and suffered a lot. Once he tried attending college, but failed in passing the entrance examination and he left helplessly. Luckily for him, he found a postmaster's job in a small Mississippi town, but he didn't devote himself into his new job. He infuriated(激怒)the local people by getting the mail all mixed up and closing the office whenever he liked to do so. In the end he had to give up the job. It seemed to others that the young man would have no future.

　　“Opportunity, sooner or later, comes to all who work and wish”. William Faulkner didn't lose heart. After he had been out of school for eleven years, he started his writing career, which made him a great success, and later he won a Nobel Prize in literature.

　　So who's to say what about youth? A young boy or girl who knows what he or she wants to do in life probably has a better future. No teenagers need despair of the future, for they have that one special advantage over the greatest man alive——time.

(1)The reason why Faulkner gave up his postmaster's job was that ________

[　　]

A．the job was not worth doing

B．his pay was too low.

C．he preferred a writer than a postman.

D．the local people didn't satisfy him.

(2)How old did Faulkner begin to write?

[　　]

A．After he got married.

B．When he was 25 years old.

C．When he earned a lot of money.

D．When he gave up the postmaster's job

(3)If you want to succeed, you should ________.

[　　]

A．know what you want to do in your life

B．leave school early

C．don't do the job that you don't like to

D．wait quietly

(4)Which of the following is TRUE?

[　　]

A．Great writers should fail in the exam.

B．Faulkner is a born writer.

C．No teenagers need despair of the future.

D．Young man's advantage is freedom

阅读理解

　　Mexico, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US, is the third country that shares the North American Continent. It covers 1,972, 546 square kilometers(761,004 square miles). About 80 million people live in Mexico, so it is regarded as the second according to its population.

　　Of every 100 Mexicans, 50 are native Americans. Their ancestors lived in Mexico thousands of years ago. Another 15 of 100 have Spanish or other European backgrounds. The ancestors of most of these people came to Mexico during and after the 1500s. The remaining 35 out of 100 are mestizos(混血儿). Mestizos have mixed backgrounds. They have both Spanish and native American ancestors. Most people in Mexico speak Spanish.

　　Sixty out of every hundred Mexicans live in urban(城市的)areas. Most of them live in central Mexico. One of the reasons is climate.

　　Mexico is divided into twenty-nine states, one federal district, and two territories. It has a president and a congress(国会). The big cities in Mexico are Tijuana, Monterrey, Merida and Mexico City. The national government meets in Mexico City. The people of Mexico elect their government leaders, just as the people of the United States and Canada do.

　　Mexico and the United States have not always been friends, but now they have grown friendly. Many Mexicans have relatives in the United States. The two countries now help each other in many ways.

(1)Which of these statements is TRUE?

[　　]

A．More people live in Mexico than live in Canada.

B．More people live in Mexico than in the United States.

C．Mexico and the U. S. have always been friendly.

D．Most Mexicans live in southern area.

(2)Mexicans are made up of the following three groups except ________.

[　　]

A．native Americans

B．Spanish and European descendants

C．Asian descendants

D．Mestizos

(3)The capital of Mexico is ________.

[　　]

A．Tijuana　　　　　B．Mexico City

C．Monterrey　　　　D．Merida

(4)Which of the following is the best title?

[　　]

A．Mexico Today

B．The Third Big Country in North America

C．Mexico and the United States

D．The History and Culture of Mexico

阅读理解

　　Chess must be one of the oldest games in the world. An Arab traveller in India in the year 900 wrote that it was played “long, long ago”. Chess was probably invented in India, and it has been played everywhere from Japan to Europe since 1400. The name“chess”is interesting. When one player is attacking the other's king, he says, in English,“check”. When the king has been caught and cannot move anywhere, he says“check mate”. These words come from Persian (波斯语).“Shah mat”means “the king is dead”. That is when the game is over, and one player has won.

　　Such an old game changes very slowly. The rules have not always been the same as they are now. For example, at one time the queen could only move one square at a time. Now she is the strongest piece on the board. It would be interesting to know why this has happened! Chess takes time and thought, but it is a game for all kinds of people. You don't have to be a champion in order to enjoy it. It is not always played by two people sitting at the same table. The first time the Americans beat the Russians was in a match played by radio. Some of the chess masters are able to play many people at the same time. The record was when one man played 400 games! It is said that some people play chess by post. This must make chess the slowest game in the world.

(1)Which of the following is known to be true?

[　　]

A．Chess is an old Indian travelling game.

B．Chess is the oldest game in the world.

C．Chess was played in Japan and Europe before 1400.

D．Chess was played in India long before 900.

(2)One player has won the game when ________.

[　　]

A．he attacks the other player's king

B．he says some Persian words

C．the other player's king cannot move anywhere

D．he says“check”to the other player

(3)Which of the following will you hear when one player has won the game?

[　　]

A．Shah mat.　　　　　　　　B．Check.

C．The king is dead.　　　　　D．Check mate.

(4)Which of the following is NOT correct?

[　　]

A．All kinds of people can play chess.

B．Only two people can play chess sitting at the same table.

C．Some people write to each other playing chess.

D．The Russian lost the game played by radio.

(5)According to the old rules of the game ________.

[　　]

A．the queen was the strongest piece on the board

B．the king had to be attacked all the time

C．the queen could move no more than one square at a time

D．the king could not move anywhere

阅读理解

　　New Orleans, Louisiana, was founded as part of the French Empire in 1718.

　　It lies on the east bank of the Mississippi River and it became important to many nations. It was given by France to Spain, returned to France, and finally sold by Napoleon to the United States in 1803. It is the city where a famous battle was fought in 1815 between the British, who hoped to control it, and the Americans under General Andrew Jackson.

　　The river is now actually higher than the city levees (防洪堤) holding back the river and big pumps are used to move water from the city into the river.

　　Although New Orleans has been a part of the United States for almost two centuries, its population takes great pride in its French heritage(遗传). Louisiana still keeps parts of the Code Napoleon, which, for many years, was its only law.

　　New Orleans is famous for its Creole seafood and its native Dixieland Jazz. And there are still many houses built in the French time in the city too. So visitors are surprised to find that behind these interesting facts is a busy industrial and port city. New Orleans is no longer a sleepy southern town but it's still fun to visit.

(1)Why the levees and pumps are used in New Orleans?

[　　]

A．The Mississippi frequently floods the city.

B．The riverbed has risen in the past 200 years.

C．The rains flood(淹)the city frequently.

D．The city built the levees for fun.

(2)The Battle of New Orleans was fought by Jackson against ________.

[　　]

A．France　　　　　　　 B．Britain

C．Spain　　　　　　　　D．the North

(3)The Code Napoleon was ________.

[　　]

A．a plan to sell Louisiana

B．a body of laws

C．a city plan

D．a plan of Napoleon

(4)Which of the following is not the attitude(态度) of the citizens of New Orleans?

[　　]

A．Pride in their French heritage.

B．A wish to keep beautiful buildings built in the French time.

C．Refusing to engage in industry.

D．A praising of Dixieland Jazz.

(5)Tourists visiting New Orleans are surprised to see ________.

[　　]

A．Creole food　　　　　　 B．Dixieland Jazz

C．a busy city　　　　　　　D．French homes

阅读理解

　　In 1781 twelve families made their way north from Mexico to California. On a stream along the desert's edge, they built a settlement called Los Angeles. For many years it was a market town, where nearby farmers and ranchers met to trade.

　　Then in 1890 a railroad connected Los Angeles with San Francisco and through San Francisco to the rest of the country. The next year farmers sent their first train of oranges east. By 1885 a new railroad supplied a direct line between Los Angeles and Chicago.

　　Then in the 1890's oil was discovered in the city. As derricks(铁架塔)went up, workers built many highways and pipe lines. Digging began on a harbor that would make Los Angeles not only an ocean harbor but also a fishing center. The harbor was completed in 1914. That year the Panama Canal opened. Suddenly Los Angeles was the busiest port on the Pacific coast.

　　Today the city is the main industrial center in the West. It produces goods not only for other West Coast areas but also for those in other parts of the country. It leads the nation in making airplanes and equipment for exploring outer space. Many motion (移动) pictures and television programs are filmed in Los Angeles. The city is also the business center for states in the West. Improvements in transportation are the main reason for Los Angeles' growth.

(1)According to the passage, what was the main business activity of Los Angeles during the years directly following its settlement?

[　　]

A．Fruit growing.　　　　　B．Oil producing.

C．Fishing.　　　　　　　 D．Trading.

(2)According to the passage, in which year were oranges first shipped from Los Angeles to the East Coast by train?

[　　]

A．1781.　　　　　B．1876.

C．1891.　　　　　D．1890.

(3)San Francisco is mentioned in the passage for which of the following reasons?

[　　]

A．The settlers who founded Los Angeles came from San Francisco.

B．San Francisco connected Los Angeles with the rest of the country

C．San Francisco was a market town where farmers came to trade.

D．Oil was discovered in San Francisco in the 1890's.

(4)Which of the following is NOT mentioned as goods produced in Los Angeles?

[　　]

A．Oil.　　　　　　　B．Airplanes.

C．Films.　　　　　　D．Trains.

(5)Which of the following is the passage mainly about?

[　　]

A．San Francisco.

B．Los Angeles.

C．The West Coast.

D．The Panama Canal.

阅读理解

　　The first person to reach the South Pole was Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer. Amundsen was horn in Borge, near Oslo, Norway. He attended the University of Christiania and then joined the Norwegian navy.

　　Amundsen made a three-year expedition in the Arctic beginning in 1903. He was the first to navigate (船行于)Northwest Passage, a northern water route from the Atlantic to the Pacific. But Amundsen's greatest voyage began in 1910, at the other end of the Earth. He intended to go to the North Pole, but he heard that Robert Peary had already reached it. So instead Amundsen headed to the South Pole in his ship. He learned that a British expedition, let by Robert F. Scott, was also on its way there. Amundsen reached Antarctic in January, 1911. He and his men had to wait out the bitter cold, windy winter on the edge of the ice before they could head for the South Pole.

　　In October, they set out, with 52 well-trained dogs to pull their sledges. On the way to the Pole, they climbed glaciers(冰山), went-around huge cracks in the ice, and survived freezing blizzards(大风雪). Finally, on December 14,1911, Amundsen placed the Norwegian flag at the South Pole. Scott and his men found the flag there when they reached the Pole a month after Amundsen's party.

　　Amundsen died in the Arctic, 17 years later. He disappeared while making an air search for another explorer, Umber, to Nubile.

(1)The title of the passage is ________.

[　　]

A．Amundsen, the First Explorer to Reach the South Pole

B．Amundsen's Adventure

C．A brave Person

D．Never Stop Searching

(2)Why did it take them a whole year from Antarctic to reach the South Pole?

[　　]

A．It is a long way from Antarctic to the South Pole

B．The road was too icy to walk.

C．They didn't prepare enough dogs for their sledges

D．They had to wait until the winter had gone.

(3)Why did Amundsen change his idea to go to the North Pole instead of the South Pole?

[　　]

A．Because he found it impossible to the South Pole than to the North Pole.

B．Because it was easier to get to the South Pole than to the North Pole.

C．Because he was told someone had already reached the North Pole.

D．Because he learned someone was on his way to the South.

(4)From the passage we may infer that ________.

[　　]

A．at the beginning of the 19th century, many explorers had been or were trying to reach the South and the North Pole

B．you can't reach the South Pole until winter

C．the purpose for those who went to reach the South is only to place their country flag there

D．Scott and his men might feel excited and happy when they finally got to the South Pole and found someone had already been there

阅读理解

　　Have you ever wondered how some people can break bricks with their bare hands? People who can do this kind of thing are experts in Karate(空手道). They are called“Karatekas”. Let's try to find out how Karatekas could do such things. We wanted to learn if they were especially strong and we go some surprising answers! Believe it or not, Karatekas aren't stronger than ordinary people——they just have more courage!

　　A Karate expert strikes hard objects like bricks or plates with the small bone in his wrist, opposite the thumb. Speed is the essence(实质)of this sport. But the strange thing that untrained men can break hard objects in the same way just as well as Karatekas Of course, Karatekas practise a lot and they have a layer of hard skin round their wrists. Though they have this advantage over ordinary people, it's basically just a question of willpower(毅力)——at least, that's what you cant ell your mother after you've experimented on a few dinner plates!

(1)Who can break bricks with their bare hands?

[　　]

A．Only experts in Karate.

B．People are especially stronger.

C．People have a layer of hard skin round their wrists.

D．People have more courage.

(2)The essence of Karate is ________.

[　　]

A．speed　　　　　B．courage

C．training　　　　D．hard skin

(3)What advantage do Karatekas have over ordinary people?

[　　]

A．They have a layer or hard skin round their wrists.

B．They practise a lot.

C．The do this kind of thing in a different way.

D．They are especially strong.

(4)Which of the following sayings best describes the main idea of the passage?

[　　]

A．Respect a man, he will do the more.

B．Where there is a will, there is a way.

C．Self-preservation is the first law of nature.

D．Knowledge without practice makes but half an artist.