Gardening has a long history. It is one of the oldest pastimes in the world. Roses are known to be on the earth before there are human beings, and now there are 300 kinds of roses grown in gardens. Gardening is so big a subject that you can spend your whole life learning about it.

　　People have different preferences（爱好）for gardening. Some may enjoy having their own flower gardens and cutting flowers for their homes. Some may prefer to grow fruit and vegetables for food. Many like keeping plants in their homes, which is light work. With flowers or plants in a room, the house can be more beautiful.

　　There are different things to be done in a garden in different seasons. There is a time to sow, to cut off branches and to do many other jobs. Besides, you must also have some knowledge about the soil in your garden, and about fertilizers and weed killers, if you want to get high yields（产量）.

　　Today, indoor gardening is more and more popular. Hundreds of plants are grown indoors. To keep the indoor plants healthy, you have to follow certain roles. In heated rooms, plants need plenty of moisture（湿度）. They have to be carefully watered and leaves should be sprayed. Potted plants are better to be kept on window sills（窗台）. The sun and daylight help to keep the leaves green. Fresh air is also needed if the weather is good.

(1) According to the author, gardening is ________.

[　　]

(2) In which of the following do we consider fresh air very important?

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(3) The work in a garden will take your whole lift to learn because ________.

[　　]

A．the seasons are quite different

B．gardening is so popular

C．there is much knowledge involved

D．many people have preference for it

(4) If you want to get high yields in your garden, you should ________.

[　　]

A．learn all the details about the species of your plants

B．have knowledge about the soil, fertilizers and weed killers

C．water your plants and always keep them green

D．keep your plants away from too much sunlight

　　A higher reading rate, with no loss of comprehension will help you in other subjects as well as in English, and the general principles apply to any language. Naturally, you will not read every book at the same speed. You would expect to read a newspaper, for example, much more rapidly than a physics or economics textbook--but you can raise your average reading speed over the whole range of materials you wish to cover so that the percentage gained will be the same whatever kind of reading you are concerned with.

　　The reading passages which follow are all of an average level of difficulty for your stage of instruction, They are about five hundred words long. They are about topics of general interest which do not require a great deal of specialized knowledge. Thus they fall between the kind of reading you might find in your textbooks and the much less demanding kind you will find in a newspaper or light novel. If you read this kind of English, with understanding at four hundred words per minute, you might skim (游览) through a newspaper at perhaps 650-700, while with a difficult textbook you might drop to two hundred or two hundred and fifty.

　　Perhaps you would like to know what reading speeds are common among native English-speaking university students and how those speeds can be improved. Tests in Minnesota. USA, for example, have shown that students without special training can read English of average difficulty, for example, Tolstoy's War and Peace in translation, at speeds of between 240 and 250 words per minute with about seventy percent comprehension. Students in Minnesota claim that after twelve half-hour lessons, once a week, the reading speed can be increased, with no loss of comprehension, to around five hundred words per minute.

(1) According to the passage, the purpose of effective reading with higher speed is most likely to help you ________.

[　　]

A．only in your reading of a physics textbook

B．improve your understanding of an economics textbook

C．not only in your language study hut also in other subjects

D．choose the suitable materials to read

(2) Which of the following does NOT describe the types of reading materials mentioned in the second paragraph?

[　　]

A．Those beyond one's reading comprehension

B．Those concerned with common knowledge

C．Those without much demand for specialized knowledge

D．Those with the length of about five hundred words

(3) The average speed of untrained native speakers in the University of Minnesota is ________.

[　　]

(4) According to the passage, how fast can you expect to read after you have attended twelve half-hour lessons in the University of Minnesota?

[　　]

A．You can increase your reading speed by three times.

B．No real increase in reading speed can be achieved.

C．You can increase your reading speed by four times.

D．You can double your reading speed.

　　Modem zoos are different from these built fifty years ago. At that zoos were places where people could go to see animals from many parts of the world. The animals lived in cages with iron bars（栅）. Although the zoo keepers took good care of them, many of the animals did not feel comfortable; and they often fell ill.

　　In modern zoos, people can see animals in more natural conditions. The animals are given more freedom in larger places so that riley can live more as they would in nature. Even the appearance of zoos has changed. Trees and grass grow in cages, and water flows through the places the animals live in. There axe few bars; instead, there is often a deep ditch（沟）filled with water, which surrounds a space where several sorts of animals live together as they would naturally. In an American zoo, the visitor can walk through a huge special cage that is filled with trees, some small animals and many birds, and large enough for the birds to live naturally. In a zoo in New York, with the use of special night light, people can observe certain animals that are active only at night, when most zoos arc closed. Some zoos have special places for visitors to watch animals that live in the desert or under water.

　　Modern zoos not only show animals to visitors, but also keep and save rare animals. For this reason, fifty years from now, the grandchildren of today's visitors will still be able to enjoy watching these animals.

(1) It seems that ________ is something most important for animals.

[　　]

(2) In modern zoos ________.

[　　]

A．different kinds of animals are kept separately

B．animals are no longer taken good care of

C．animals have more freedom

D．visitors can walk wherever they like

(3) In a modern zoo ________ feel comfortable.

[　　]

(4)In some zoos people can ________.

[　　]

A．walk through huge special cages to watch all sorts of animals

B．see animals which live in special conditions

C．during the day observe animals that are active at night

D．watch all the rare animals that may not be seen in the future

(5) The main idea of the passage is that ________.

[　　]

A．zoos are now places where animals can live naturally

B．zoos are places where people can see animals from all over the world

C．there should be old and modem zoos alike

D．rare animals may soon die out

　　Washington is the capital of the United States. It's the center of national government. It's a busy, working city with a large population. But what is more, Washington is also a city of history and culture.

　　Washington was created in 1790, when Congress (the highest lawmaking body of the U. S. A.) decided to place the nation's new capital in the east of the country. It was built half-way between the northern and southern states of America. And of course it was named after George Washington, the first President of the United States.

　　There are many tourist sights in Washington. Perhaps the most important tourist sight is the Capital Building. This houses tile Congress.

　　Another world-famous building in Washington is the White House. This is the home and office of the President of the United States. Most visitors are, however, surprised by how small the White House actually is.

　　Washington is also a great culture city. The Library of Congress contains one of the largest library collections in the world. The Smithsonian Museum holds the nation's largest collection of cultural materials. And the John F. Kennedy Center is a famous center of art and culture. It has many great musical and theatre performances throughout the year.

(1) The writer mainly talks about ________.

[　　]

A．Washington

B．the history of Washington

C．buildings and sights in Washington

D．the history and culture of Washington

(2) From the passage we know that Washington is situated in ________.

[　　]

A．the east of the U. S. A.

B．the center of the U. S. A.

C．the east, on the middle point from north to south, of the country.

D．the east and half-way away from the north

(3) The White House impresses the people most for ________.

[　　]

A．its white colour

B．its size

C．it as the home and office of the president

D．its History

(4) The writer introduces Washington in the order of ________.

[　　]

A．population, history and culture

B．history and culture

C．general introduction, history, sights and culture

D．general introduction, history, sights, building and culture

　　Last week I was watching the evening news on television. The news was about a prize for some scientific discovery. I forgot what it was. The announcer, his name was Ralph Story, said something that caught my attention. “All great discoveries,” he said, “are made by people between the ages of twenty-four and thirty.” Being a little over thirty myself I wanted to disagree with him. Nobody wants to think that he is past the age of making any discovery. The next day I happened to be in the public library and spent several hours looking up the ages of famous people and their discoveries. Ralph was right.

　　First I looked at some of the scientific discoveries. One of the earliest discoveries, the famous experiment that proved that bodies of different weights fall at the same speed, was made by Galileo when he was twenty-six. Madame Curie started her research that led to a Nobel Prize when she was twenty-eight. Einstein was twenty-six when he published his world-changing theory of relativity. Well, enough of that. Yet I wondered if those “best years” were true in other fields.

　　Then how about the field of politics? Surely it took the wisdom of age to make a good leader. Perhaps it does, but look when these people started their careers. Winston Churchill was elected to the House of Commons at the age of twenty-six. Abraham Lincoln gave up the life of a country lawyer and was elected to the government at what age? Twenty-six!

　　But why don't best years come after thirty? After thirty, I guess, most people do not want to take risks or try new ways. Then I thought of people like Shakespeare and Picasso. The former was writing wonderful works at the ripe age of fifty, while the latter was still trying new ways of painting when he was ninety! Perhaps there is still hope for me.

(1) What did the writer do to prove Ralph was wrong?

[　　]

A．He compared scientific discoveries by young people.

B．He went to the bookstore to buy a lot of books.

C．He searched for useful information in books.

D．He looked at some discoveries by old people.

(2) After his research, the writer ________.

[　　]

A．believed what Ralph said and became uneasy

B．argued more forcefully with the TV announcer

C．was sure that he was right to disagree with Ralph

D．doubted more strongly about Ralph's words

(3) How did the writer most probably feel in the end?

[　　]

(4) What can we draw from the passage?

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A．Some old people have also made scientific discoveries.

B．People can not make useful discoveries when old.

C．People at twenty-five or thirty are creative.

D．People can be creative at all ages but young people are better.

　　Industrial pollution is not only a problem for the countries of Europe and North America. It is an extremely serious problem in some developing countries. For these countries, economic growth is a very important aim. They want to introduce industries, and so they put few controls on industries that cause pollution. Cubatao, an industrial town of 85,000 people in Brazil, is an example of the connection between industrial development and pollution. In 1954, Cubatao had no industry. Today it had more than twenty large factories, which produce many pollutants. The people of the town are suffering from the poisonous matters in their surroundings, and the bad effects can be clearly seen. Birth shortcomings are extremely common. Among children and grown-ups, lung problems are sometimes twelve times more common in Cubatao than in other places.

　　It is true that Brazil, like many other countries, had laws against pollution, but these laws are not carried out strictly enough. It is cheaper for companies to take no notice of the laws and pay the fines than to buy the expensive equipment that will reduce the pollution. It is clear, therefore, that economic growth is more important top the government than to the health of the workers. However, the responsibility does not completely lie in the Brazilian government. The example of Cubatao shows that international companies are not acting in a responsible way either. A number of the factories in the town are owned by large companies from France, Italy, and the US. They are doing things in Brazil that they would not be able to do at home. If they caused the same amount of pollution at home, they would be severely punished or even put out of business.

(1) Developing countries don't have strict pollution controls because ________.

[　　]

A．the new industries they want to introduce do not cause much pollution

B．pollution is not a serious problem for developing countries

C．they don't realize that the balance of nature will be destroyed by some pollutants

D．if they put stricter controls on industries, fewer companies would build new plants in developing countries.

(2) The author's purpose in naming Cubatao is to show that ________.

[　　]

A．industry can develop very fast in developing countries

B．the pollution problem in Brazil is extremely serious

C．industries growth can cause pollution problems for developing countries

D．pollution is killing many people and destroying the whole economy of Brazil

(3) How is the health of the population of Cubatao?

[　　]

A．There are more heart diseases among people who live near chemical factories.

B．More people suffer from lung disease because of poisonous matters.

C．Their health is affected by pollutants the way as that of other Brazilians.

D．Babies there are found not as bright as those who live in other places.

(4) Some foreign companies like to set up their plants in Brazil because they ________.

[　　]

A．think Brazil is suitable for them to invest in Brazil

B．will not be severely punished if they cause pollution in Brazil

C．can make much money and they do not have to pay Brazilian workers much

D．can act in an irresponsible way in Brazil where there are no pollution laws

　　If it takes Kate twenty seconds to add 12 and 26, while Terry can do the sum in a quarter the time on his pocket calculator, how much better grades will Terry get than Kate in the maths exam?

　　Pocket calculators are as cheap to buy as a pair of shoes, and as essential （必不可少的）to thousands of school children as a pencil and eraser. Schools have tried to limit their use, by allowing them in science lessons, to save time, but by not allowing them to be used in maths classes. When children do their homework, a pocket calculator is a must. Nowadays in Britain, calculators can be used freely in school examinations, and already in many schools the only sound to be heard during a mathematics examination is the sound of children tapping out their answers.

　　Many parents feel that their children are not being given a basic understanding of the facts of maths. “The process（过程）of addition, division（除）, subtraction（减）and multiplication（乘）is part of a training in logic（逻辑）which is important for every child. It teaches them to take series of steps necessary in coming to a conclusion”, says a local maths teacher. “With a calculator, the child can reach the right answer, but have no idea at all how he got there.” Another teacher in the same school disagreed. “Of course the children understand the principles（原理）behind what they do on the calculator. It makes no difference to the mental processes they go through, except to make them much faster, and less boring.”“It's far easier to teach them to grasp the idea of division and multiplication by making them understand which button they need to push than to talk about apples being cut in pieces,” said another teacher, who uses he calculators to keep the interest of his class.

　　In any case, the pocket calculator is here to stay; it's taking the strain（过度劳累） out of mental arithmetic in all sorts of ways…

(1) We can infer from the context that the word “eraser” means ________.

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(2) From the passage we learn that ________.

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A．in Britain pupils are encouraged by schools to use pocket calculators

B．parents use the calculators to keep the interest of their children

C．people have different opinions（看法）on whether pocket calculators should be used in maths classes

D．all the teachers agree that pocket calculators should be used in classes but not in school examinations

(3) As a local maths teacher says, children can reach the right answer with a calculator, but they ________.

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A．really don't know how they can get better grades

B．have no idea how to use the calculator properly

C．can't understand whether the answer is right

D．don't know how they get it

(4) Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

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A．Calculators used to be as cheap as a pair of shoes.

B．Some schools don't allow the students to use pocket calculators in maths class.

C．How to add, divide, subtract and multiply is a question of maths.

D．It's easy to calculate with a calculator.

(5) The author stands for the opinion that ________.

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A．students should be allowed to use pocket calculators freely except in maths classes

B．since the pocket calculator has been created, it should be made use of

C．pocket calculators shouldn't be used by students in maths classes

D．Terry should get grades four times better than Kate's

　　Farmer Ed Rawlings smiles as he looks at his orange trees. The young oranges are growing well in Florida's weather. Warm sunshine and gentle rains, along with Ed Rawlings' expert care, will produce a good crop of oranges this year.

　　But Ed has to fight against Florida's changeable winter weather. In January and February, temperatures can destroy Ed's entire orange crop. Having farmed in Florida for the past 35 years, Ed Rawlings is prepared for the frosts（霜）. When temperatures drop below freezing, Ed tries to save his crop by watering his orange trees. The water freezes and forms a thin layer（层）of ice on the trees. Strange as it may sound, this thin layer of ice actually keeps the fruit warm.

　　What happens is simple. When the trees are watered, the water loses heat and becomes ice. The warmth of the heat it loses is sucked in by the fruit and keeps its temperature at a safe level. Ed Rawlings has effectively used this method to save many orange crops.

　　But Ed still faces some difficulties. The trees should be watered at the exact moment the temperature drops to the freezing point. Also, just the right quantity of water must be used. Too much water can form a thick layer of ice that will break the trees' branches. Another difficulty is that wind blows away the heat. So Ed has to worry about not only when but also how often his trees should be watered, and how much water should be used.

　　Computer technology may help Ed Rawlings with some of these worries. With equipment, air and soil temperatures and wind speed can be measured. The information is fed into a computer which can tell when temperatures drop to freezing. The computer can correctly decide the quantity of water to be used and how frequently the trees should be watered. Ed Rawlings will find looking after his orange trees a lot easier with the help of a computer, and we'll all have the benefits (or advantages) of computer-age oranges.

(1) The passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．a farmer's expert care for his orange trees

B．the different uses of computer

C．growing oranges in Florida's changeable weather

D．different ways of frost protection

(2) Ed tried to protect his crop by ________.

[　　]

A．using a wind machine to drive away the cold air

B．equipping his orange trees with a computer

C．watering it at the proper time

D．picking his fruit at the first sign of frost

(3) In the writer's eyes, computers ________.

[　　]

A．are too expensive for small farmers

B．can be a valuable tool for the farmer

C．can be used to help oranges grow bigger

D．cannot take the place of the farmer's experience and judgement

(4) Which of the following is NOT NECESSARY for Ed Rawlings to do?

[　　]

A．He should water the orange trees as soon as the temperature drops to the freezing point.

B．He should decide the quantity of water for the orange trees.

C．He has to water the orange trees more often in January and February.

D．He has to judge how often he should water the orange trees.

(5) According to the passage, the computer technology can ________.

[　　]

A．get rid of the need for frost protection

B．help the farmer get a better harvest

C．tell the farmer why outdoor temperature changes

D．prevent the temperature from dropping to the freezing point

　　The leaders of Russia and China vowed to support each other's fight against Muslim separatists and urged peaceful solutions in Iraq, during a meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on December 2, 2002.

　　Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's Jiang Zemin signed a joint declaration calling for a “multipolar world”.

　　His two-day visit comes shortly after the conclusion of the 16th Party Congress which elected the new CPC leadership. Putin said that Russia wants to“work hard” with the new generation of Chinese leaders.

　　The Treaty（条约）of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation, signed in July last year, has provided a solid legal foundation for lasting friendship for generations to come, according to Jiang,“China and Russia will be good neighbours, friends and partners forever.”

　　The Russian Government, in return, said it would continue to give priority （优先权）to relations with China in its foreign policies.

　　Putin spoke on the morning of Dec. 3rd at Peking University and took questions from students on his understanding of Chinese literature, Russian reform（改革）and NATO enlargement.

　　He said a growing number of young people in Russia are interested in Chinese literature and one of his daughters is learning Chinese.

(1) We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.

[　　]

A．many young Russian people hope to study Chinese in China

B．China is richer and stronger than Russia

C．Russia will give some support to China

D．the relation between China and Russia is developing healthily

(2) It is implied in the sentence“Putin said that Russia wants to'work hard' with the new generation of Chinese leaders” that ________.

[　　]

A．Russia will co-operate closely with China

B．There are many differences between Russia and China

C．Putin knew little of the new generation of Chinese leaders

D．It will be long before Putin gets to know the new generation of Chinese leaders

(3) The underlined word“multipolar” is likely to mean ________.

[　　]

(4) Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

[　　]

A．Putin agreed that NATO was enlarged.

B．Putin was invited to the 16th Chinese Communist Party Congress.

C．Russia puts China first.

D．Muslim separatists make trouble only in Russia.

　　In the northeast of the USA there are six small states. Together they are called New England. The most important state of New England is Massachusetts. Its capital city is Boston, with a population of just over half a million, which is the biggest city in New England. Greater Boston is make up of 78 cities and towns. It has a population of nearly 3 million, which is half the population of Massachusetts.

　　Boston was founded in 1630. The American Revolution began here when the people of Boston took up their arms to fight their English rulers.

　　The Boston tea is famous in America. Americans were very fond of tea, and much tea was brought to the port of Boston. The British government was looking for more ways to get money out of America. So it put a big tax on tea. They made the Bostonians angry. They rushed to the port and then onto a ship there. They threw all the tea into sea. This led to a war between the people of Boston and the British soldiers.

　　Thus the American Revolution began.

(1) What do you think Greater Boston is?

[　　]

A．Another name for Boston City.

B．Another city in Massachusetts.

C．An area in Massachusetts where Boston is.

D．A city that is greater than the city of Boston.

(2) The state of Massachusetts has a population of ________.

[　　]

(3) The British government put a big tax on tea because ________.

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A．it could greatly benefit from it

B．the American people liked tea very much

C．the people of Boston often drank tea

D．tea was too expensive at that time

(4) The American Revolution began when ________.

[　　]

A．Boston was founded in 1630

B．the Bostonians did not take their fate lying down

C．the people of Boston had no tea to drink

D．tea was first brought to the pert of Boston