Pronouncing a language is a skill. Every normal person is expert in the skill of pronouncing his own language, but few people are even just a little skilled at pronouncing foreign languages. Now there are many reasons for this some obvious, some perhaps not so obvious. But I suggest that the important reason why people in general do not speak foreign languages very much better than they do is that fail to grasp the true nature of the problem of learning to pronounce, and as a result never set about dealing with it in the right way. Far too many people fail to realize that pronouncing a foreign language is skill, one that needs careful training of a special kind, and one that cannot be reached just leaving it to take care of itself. I think even teachers of language, while recognizing the importance of a good accent, tend to take no notice of, in their practical teaching, the branch of study concerned with speaking the language. So, the first point I want to make is that English pronunciation must be taught; the teacher should be prepared to devote some of the lesson time to this and his whole attitude to the subject should get the student to feel that here is matter worthy of receiving his close attention. So, there should be time when other aspects（方面）of English, such as grammar or spelling, are allowed for the moment to take second place.

　　Apart from this question of the time given to pronunciation, there are two other requirements for the teacher: the first, knowledge; the second, technique.

　　It is important that the teacher should be in possession of the necessary information. This can generally be learned from books. It is possible to get from books some idea of the mechanics of speech, and of what we call general phonetic（语言）theory. It is also possible in this may to get a clear. mental picture of the relationship between the sounds of different languages, between the speech habits of English people and those, say, of your students. Unless the teacher has such a picture, any comments he may make on his students' pronunciation are unlikely to be of much use, and lesson time spent on pronunciation may well be time-wasted.

(1) According to the passage, ________ pronouncing foreign languages.

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A．few people are extremely good at

B．even modern people are not good at

C．only few people are somewhat good at

D．few people are at the average level in

(2) According to the author, pronunciation is a skill that can NOT be ________.

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(3) In the author's opinion, ________.

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A．grammar is less important than pronunciation

B．grammar and spelling should always make room for pronunciation

C．grammar and spelling are sometimes less important than pronunciation

D．grammar is more important than spelling

　　Let children learn to judge their own work. A child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time: if corrected too much, he will stop talking. He notices a thousand times a day the difference between the language he uses and the language those around him use. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people's. In the same way, children learning to do all the other things they learn to do without being taught to walk, run, climb, whistle, ride a bicycle compare（比较）their own performances with those of more skilled people, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to find out his mistakes and correct them for himself. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought that he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him, or correct it unless he was made to. Let him work out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what the answer is to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or not.

　　If it is a matter of right answer, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answer book, Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time to such routine work? Our job should be to help the child when he tells us that he can't find the way to get the right answer. Let the children learn what all educated persons must some day learn, how to measure their own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know.

(1) According to the passage, the best way for children to learn things is by ________.

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A．listening to skilled people's advice

B．asking older people many questions

C．making mistakes and having them corrected

D．doing what other people do

(2) Which of the following does the writer think teachers should NOT do?

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A．Give children correct answers.

B．Allow children to make mistakes.

C．Point out children's mistakes to them.

D．Let children mark their own work.

(3) According to the writer, teachers in school should ________.

[　　]

A．allow children to learn from each other

B．point out children's mistakes whenever found

C．correct children's mistakes as soon as possible

D．give children more book knowledge

(4) The passage suggests that learning to speak and learning to ride a bicycle are ________.

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A．different from learning other skills

B．the same as learning skills

C．more important than other skills

D．not really important skills

(5) The title of this passage could probably be ________.

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A．Let Us Teachers Stop Work

B．Let Us Make Children Learn

C．Let Children Correct Their Exercises

D．Let Children Learn by Themselves

　　With only about 1,000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone（克隆）the animal and save the endangered species（物种）. That's a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah's Ark.”

　　Noah's Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos（胚胎）, semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M's College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.

　　It is estimated that as many as 2,000 species of mammals, birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.

　　This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.

　　The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.

　　“The nuclear transfer（核子移植）of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available （capable of being used）panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy（having a baby）. It takes a long time and it's difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A & M, the firstever attempt at cloning a dog.

　　“They are trying to do something that's never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah's Ark. We're both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there's a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It's a research that is very much needed.”

(1) The aim of“Noah's Ark” project is to ________.

[　　]

A．make efforts to clone the endangered pandas

B．save endangered animals from dying out

C．collect DNA of endangered animals to study

D．transfer the nuclear of one animal to another

(2) According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of ________.

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(3) The best title for the passage may be ________.

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A．China's Success in Pandas Cloning

B．The First Cloned Panda in the World

C．Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas

D．China--the Native Place of Pandas Forever

(4) From the passage we know that ________.

[　　]

A．Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog

B．scientists try to implant a panda's egg into a rabbit

C．Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches

D．about two thousand of species will probably die out in a century

　　Today business cards are distributed with abandon by working people of all social classes, illustrating not only the uniquity of commercial interests but also the fluidity of the world of trade. Whether one is buttonholing potential clients for a carpentry service, announcing one's latest academic appointment, or“networking” with fellow executives, it is permissible to advertise one's talents and availability by an outstretched hand and the statement“Here's my card.” As Robert Louis Stevenson once observed, everybody makes his living by selling something. Business cards facilitate this endeavor.

　　It has not always been this way. The cards that we use today for commercial purposes are a vulgarization of the nineteenth century social calling cards, an artifact with a quite different purpose. In the Gilded Age, possessing a calling indicated not that you were interested in forming business relationships, but that your money was so old that you bad no need to make a living. For the calling-card class, life was a continual round of social visits, and the protocol（礼仪）governing these visits was inextricably linked to the proper use of cards. Pick up any etiquette manual predating World War I, and you will find whole chapters devoted to such questions as whether a single gentleman may leave a card for a lady; when a lady must, and must not, turn down the edges of a card; and whether an unmarried girl of between fourteen and seventeen may carry more than six or less than thirteen cards in her purse in months beginning with a “J”. The calling card system was especially cherished by those who made no distinction between manners and mere form, and its preciousness was well defined by Mrs John Sherwood. Her 1887 manual called the card“the field mark and device” of civilization.

　　The business version（说法）of the calling card came in around the turn of the century, when the formerly well defined borders between the commercial and the personal realms were used widely, society mavens（专家）considered it unforgivable to fuse the two realms. Emily Post's contemporary（当代的）Lilian Eichler called it very poor taste to use business cards for social purposes, and as late as 1967 Amy Vanderbilt counseled that the merchant's marker “may never double for social purposes.”

(1) Business cards are usually used to ________.

[　　]

A．announce one's latest academic appointment

B．establish business relationships

C．make a living

D．illustrate the fluidity of the world of trade

(2) The statement which has not been mentioned in the passage is ________.

[　　]

A．business cards are a vulgarization of the nineteenth century social calling card

B．The calling card system was especially cherished by those who made no distinction between manners and mere form

C．most people thought it improper to use business cards for social purposes

D．everyone makes his living by selling something

(3) The sentence that“your money was so old” in the second paragraph means ________.

[　　]

A．you have an old pound note

B．your money was useless

C．you have a lot of money

D．you inherited a fortune from your ancestors

(4) Business cards are likely to have appeared ________.

[　　]

A．at the beginning of the nineteenth century

B．at the beginning of the twentieth century

C．before the nineteenth century social calling card

D．after World War Ⅰ

(5) In the Gilded Age, people who possessed a calling card ________.

[　　]

A．had to make their living

B．were interested in forming business relationships

C．boasted of their wealth

D．advertised their talents and availability

　　Money spent on advertising is money spent as well as any I know of. It serves directly to bring about a rapid sale of goods at reasonable prices, so setting up a firm home market and making it possible to provide for export（出口）at good prices. By drawing attention to new ideas, it helps greatly to raise standards of living. By helping to increase demand, it causes an increased need for labor, and is therefore a nice way to fight unemployment. It lowers the costs of many services: without advertisements your daily newspaper would cost four times as much, the price of your television program would need to be doubled, and travel by bus or subway would cost more.

　　And perhaps most important of all, advertising provides a promise of reasonable value in the products and services you buy. Besides the fact that twenty-seven Acts of Parliament（国会）govern the terms of advertising, no regular advertiser dare produce anything that fails to live up to the promise of his advertisements. He might fool some people for a little while through misleading advertising. He will not do so for long, for the public has the good sense not to buy the poor goods more than once. If you see a product frequently advertised, it is the proof I know that the product does what is promised for it, and that it has good value.

　　Advertising does more for the good of the public than any other force I can think of. There is one more point I feel I ought to touch on. Recently I heard a well-known television person declare that he was against advertising because it persuades rather than informs. He was telling us the real difference. Of course advertising tries to persuade.

　　If its message were nothing but information, that would be difficult to get more people to buy, for even the choice of the color of a shirt is a bit persuasive（有说服力的）--advertising would be so boring that no one would pay any attention. But perhaps that is what the well-known television person wants.

(1) By the first sentence of the passage the writer means that ________.

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A．he is fairly familiar with the cost of advertising

B．everybody knows well that advertising is a waste of money

C．advertising costs more money than everything else

D．money on advertising is worth spending

(2) In the passage, which of the following is NOT included in the advantages of advertising?

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(3) The writer thinks that the well-known TV person is ________.

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A．quite right in passing his judgement on advertising

B．interested in nothing but the buyers' attention

C．correct in telling the difference between persuasion and information

D．obviously unfair in his views on advertising

(4) In the writer's opinion, ________.

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A．advertising can seldom bring material interest to man by providing information

B．advertising informs people of new ideas rather than wins them over

C．there is nothing wrong with advertising in persuading the buyer

D．the buyer is not interested in getting information from an advertisement

　　In 1901, H.G. Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon. When the explorers（探险者） landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities. They expressed their surprise to the“moon people” they met. In turn, the“moon people” expressed their surprise.“Why,” they asked,“are you traveling to outer space when you don't even use your inner space?”

　　H.G. Wells could only imagine travel to the moon. In 1969, human beings really did land on the moon. People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon. However, the question that the“moon people” asked is still an interesting one. A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it.

　　Underground systems are already in place. Many cities have underground car parks. In some cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas. The“Channel”, a tunnel（遂道） connecting England and France, is now complete.

　　But what about underground cities? Janpan's Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground system, called“Alice Cities.” The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping, and so on. A solar dome（太阳能）would cover the whole city.

　　Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth's space. The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness. H.G. Wells'“moon people” would agree. Would you?

(1) The explorers in H.G. Wells' story were surprised to find that the“moon people”________.

[　　]

A．knew so much about the earth

B．understood their language

C．lived in so many underground cities

D．were ahead of them in space technology

(2) What does the underlined word“it”(paragraph 2) refer to? ________.

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(3) What sort of underground systems are already here with us?

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A．Offices, shopping areas, power stations.

B．Tunnels, car parks, shopping areas.

C．Gardens, car parks, power stations.

D．Tunnels, gardens, offices.

(4) What would be the best title for the text? ________.

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　　The first tape recorder didn't use tape. It used long thin wire. It was invented in 1990 by Valdermar Poulsen. In 1930, German scientists invented the tape we use today. Back then the tape was on big rolls. In 1964 the Philips company in Holland invented the cassette. It's pretty much a holder for the tape. People use cassettes all over the world. If you don't have a cassette recorder, borrow one.

　　Think of a book your parents read out loud to you. That might be a great book to read out loud to your mom or dad in their car. Put a cassette in the recorder, open the book, hit the record button and start reading out loud.

　　Remember there is no such a thing as a wrong way to do this. You might think you've made a mistake, but this gift is part of you, and nothing about that can be a mistake. It's impossible.

　　You get to be all artistic and creative here. You might want to play music in the background. Do whatever you want. The gift is you, so you decide. Remember to say“I love you” at the end of your reading. That's like the prize at the end of the book.

(1) Choose the right order that shows the development of the tape recorder.

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(2) Why does the author mention the history of tape recorders in Paragraph 1?

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A．To inform readers of new inventions.

B．To lead into his following suggestion.

C．To given an example of his suggestion.

D．To show the importance of tape recorders.

(3) What does the author advise us to do?

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A．To read a book to our parents in their car.

B．To ask our parents to record a book.

C．To make a gift for our parents.

D．To practice reading out loud.

(4) Why does the author say it is impossible to make a mistake in Paragraph 3?

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A．Because the tape shows your tree love.

B．Because it's easy to use a tape recorder.

C．Because the music is what your parents like.

D．Because it's impossible to find a mistake in the book.

　　Dick was a twenty-year-old man. His father was a teacher and taught chemistry in a middle school and his mother worked in a shop. They lived a happy life until their parents died one night when suddenly an earthquake broke out. Luckily his sister took him to see their aunt in the city and they did not stay at home. Everything was destroyed in the earthquake and the two children got into trouble. Thanks to their aunt who was not rich enough, they grew up but they lived a hard life. His sister was so sad that she became a nun（修女）. After he finished middle school, he was introduced to an owner of a hotel and began to work there.

　　One day the young man fell to the ground while he was cleaning a window on the second floor. He was sent to the hospital and the doctor looked him over. One of his legs was broken and he had to be in hospital. He said to the nurse, “I'm a poor man, madam. Arrange a third-class ward for me, please.”“Can't anybody help you?” “No, madam.” answered Dick. “I have only a sister. She's a nun and she's poor, too.”“I don' t think so.” the nurse said angrily. “Nuns usually marry God. And God is the richest in the world, you know!”“Well, then.” Dick said with a smile. “Please arrange a first-class ward for me and post the bill to my brother-in-law.”

(1) Dick's parents died ________.

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(2) Dick and his sister escaped from the earthquake because ________.

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(3) The sister and brother lived a hard life because ________.

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(4) Which of the following is true?

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A．The nurse would arrange a third-class ward for Dick.

B．The nurse would arrange a first-class ward for Dick.

C．The nurse would post dick's bill to God.

D．Dick had a rich brother-in-law.

　　Long ago there was a little boy who wanted to be a soldier more than anything else in the world. His brothers and sisters played other games while he was playing soldier.

　　Later he went to a military（军事的）school and studied very hard. When he was less than eighteen, he became a soldier. But the small man wanted power（权力）. He wanted to tell people and nations and the whole world what to do. He kept on working and studying until he became a general in the French Army.

　　His name was Napoleon Bonaparte, and he finally became emperor of France.

　　He was famous and as an emperor, and for a while he won all the wars and became a national hero. But he was not a kind man. He could be charming（迷人的）when he wanted to be. But he was also rude and very cruel, and many people died so that he could win his wars.

　　Napoleon did one thing that was very important to the United States. He sold a huge piece of land in North America to the United States and got a lot of money and he could go on fighting a war with England, And Napoleon rose to great power.

　　Then things began to go badly for him, in June of 1815 he lost the Battle of Waterloo（滑铁卢）to England and his days of power and greatness were suddenly over. And six years later he died on a far rocky island.

(1) The little boy wanted to be a soldier, so ________.

[　　]

A．he didn't play with his brothers

B．he read a lot of military books

C．he often played soldier alone

D．he joined the army when he was young

(2) Napoleon studied hard in the military school, because ________.

[　　]

A．he wanted to be a general

B．he wanted to get much money

C．he hoped to win the Battle of Waterloo

D．he hoped to dominate（主宰）the world.

(3) The French regard Napoleon as a national hero because ________.

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(4) Napoleon sold the land to the United States in order to ________.

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　　Do you dream of a huge comfortable bed? Nearly everyone does. This is not only because rest is necessary for life, but also because there's comfort in a large bed. It's wonderful to stretch out. The narrow single bed really means lonely life in fenced rooms. So, many people buy beds which are even bigger than the traditional double bed. Here, in comfort, they can spend a third of their lives asleep.

　　Perhaps this was why a man called Sir Henry Fanshawe asked a carpener （木匠） to build the biggest bed in England, called The Great Bed of Ware. It was made in about 1580 and soon became famous. For in 1596 a German traveler saw it and noted that it was wide enough for four couples. Poets and playwrights (including Shakespeare in “Twelfth Night”) often mentioned it.

　　This is not surprising for it is a grand piece of work. It is made of oak（像木）and measures 3.3 metres in length and width. Except for its size, it is like other beds of the period, a four-poster bed. The posts, the headboard and the cover are richly decorated. The headboard in particular has carved and painted figures and two panels of inlaid wood which show special structure.

　　The Great Bed of Ware became a curiosity. In 1610 it was placed in a small hotel, the Saracen's Head, in the town of Ware. People came to see it and those who slept in it carved some words and their names on the woodwork, just like modern tourists. Over the years, the bed became covered with words, names and dates; the earliest date is 1653. During the nineteenth century, the old bed was moved from one hotel to another until it was finally shown to the public at two pence a head.

(1) The Great Bed of Ware ________.

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A．is shown to the public in the Saracen's Head; one ticket costs two Pence

B．was named after the carpenter

C．is big enough for eight persons to sleep in

D．was made because people spend a third of their lives asleep

(2) Ware is the name of ________.

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(3) We can learn from the passage that ________

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A．a narrow single bed at home stands for lonely life

B．a German tourist had an effect on making the Great Bed well-known in the world

C．the Great Bed was shown in “Twelfth Night”.

D．it is its size that makes the Great Bed look like other beds of that time

(4) How many years has it been since the first date was carved on the Great Bed?

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