Every student in America likes popular music. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.

　　Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, and the life of American people. Most of the radio programmes are music.

　　Pop or popular music singers make a lot of money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in many places. Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes goes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.

　　There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.

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

[　　]

A．Pop music, folk music.

B．Popular, folk and country music.

C．Pop music and western music.

D．Folk, pop and classical music.

(2) When pop singers ________, they will become national stars.

[　　]

A．make much money

B．make a CD or tape

C．are loved by all the young people

D．are wanted to sing on the radio

(3) From the passage we know that country music is about the ________.

[　　]

A．common life of American

B．country life and love stories

C．life of cowboys

D．school life in America

(4) Which of the following is true according to this passage?

[　　]

A．Most students in America like popular music.

B．Students with cars in America like to listen to music while driving.

C．Adult drivers in America listen to music all the time while driving.

D．Everyone in America wants to meet pop singers wherever they go.

(5) What would be the best title for this passage?

[　　]

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

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

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

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

(1) What does the underlined word “matriarch” mean?

[　　]

A．An old member of an elephant family.

B．A female head of an elephant family.

C．A wise elephant.

D．A large elephant.

(2) When do elephants form into a group?

[　　]

A．When they are feeding the young.

B．When they see a familiar elephant.

C．When they are giving birth to baby elephant.

D．When the leading elephant gives out a warning.

(3) The research with recordings of contact calls shows ________.

[　　]

A．how fast elephants form into groups

B．how important the age of a leading elephant is

C．how frightened elephants are when hearing a strange call

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

(4) The older a female elephant is, ________.

[　　]

A．the stronger she will be

B．the poorer memory she will have

C．the more useless her tusks will be

D．the more likely she will be killed

(5) We can infer from the passage that elephants may ________.

[　　]

A．run into other elephant families

B．give wrong warnings to their mothers

C．run away upon hearing a strange sound

D．produce more babies by gathering together more often

　　Snake dishes have become popular in recent years. Snake meat in various flavours is often seen in restaurant ads. It seems that eating snake is now in vogue （盛行）, and if you haven't eaten snake yet, you are considered “out of date”. But I wonder whether all of the trends are worth following.

　　Some people may defend themselves by saying that snake meat is nutritious （有营养的）. But these people don't realize that mice and worms often comprise a snake's diet, therefore, there are many parasites （寄生虫） found inside snakes. Thus they may do harm to our health. Apart from this, I'm sorry to see that more and more snakes are being killed by man's cruel knife.

　　According to the English newspaper Shanghai Star, about 1,000 tons of snakes are eaten every year in China. In Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, sometimes as many as 10 tons of snakes are served on dinner tables in a single day.

　　These figures alert us that if we still turn blind eyes to this continuous movements against snakes, a vicious cycle （恶性循环） will be created. If more snakes are eaten by people, the number of snakes will drop, which will make an increase in mice and worms population, which will result in a decrease of crop output. This will make more people hungry.

　　Who will see such tragedy happen?

　　So let's start not to eat snakes any more because “to protect the snake is to protect our selves”.

(1) This passage tries to advise people ________.

[　　]

A．to keep ourselves healthy

B．to protect snakes and not to eat them

C．to protect mice and worms

D．not to eat mice and worms

(2) The parasites in the snake come from ________.

[　　]

(3) What will happen if we continue eating snakes?

[　　]

A．More snakes will be eaten.

B．A vicious cycle will be created.

C．More people will turn blind eyes to it.

D．Mice will damage the crops.

(4) The vicious cycle may be like this: ________.

[　　]

A．more snakes → more mice and worms → less crop output

B．less snakes → more mice and worms → more crop output

C．less snakes → more mice and worms → less crop output

D．more snakes → less mice and worms → more crop output

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

[　　]

A．Snake Meat in Various Flavours

B．Protect the Snake Is to Protect Ourselves

C．Eating Snakes in Vogue

D．Let's Not Eat Snakes Any More

　　1970 was the World Conservation Year. The United Nations wanted everyone to know that the world is in danger. They hoped that governments would act quickly to conserve nature. Here is one example of the problems. At one time there were 1,300 different plants, trees and flowers in Holland, but now only 860 remain. The others have been destroyed by modern man and his technology. We are changing the earth, the air, the water and everything that grows and lives. We can't live without these things. If we continue like this, we shall destroy ourselves.

　　What will happen in the future? Perhaps it is more important to ask “What must we do now?” The people who will be living in the world of tomorrow are the young people today. A lot of them know that conservation is necessary. Many are helping to save our world. They plant trees, build bridges across rivers in forests, and so on. In a small town in the United States a large group of girls cleaned the 11-kilometre-long banks of their river. Young people may hear about conservation through a record called “No One's Going to Change Our World”. It was made by the Scatles, Cliff Richard and other singers. The money from it will help to conserve wild animals.

(1) There are fewer plants, trees and flowers in Holland now because ________.

[　　]

A．there has been a lot of conservation in Holland

B．Holland does not need so many plants, trees and flowers

C．many plants, trees and flowers do not grow there any longer

D．some plants, trees and flowers are dangerous

(2) We shall destroy ourselves if we change ________.

[　　]

(3) What is the most important thing for us to do to save our world?

[　　]

A．We should plant more trees and flowers.

B．We should clean the banks of our rivers.

C．We should know what will happen in the future.

D．We should know what we must do and begin to do it now.

(4) “No One's Going to Change Our World” was ________.

[　　]

A．an important book published in 1970

B．an idea that nobody would accept

C．a record calling on people to conserve nature

D．a rule worked out by the United States

(5)  What's the main idea of the passage?

[　　]

A．1970 was the World Conservation Year.

B．The United Nations wanted everyone to know that the world is in danger.

C．Conservation is necessary.

D．It is the young people who are helping to save our world.

　　After a short time, the computer arrived from Hong Kong. Bill's secretary, Ann, was surprisingly pleased that her office had new information technology. It somehow seemed to prove that she was working for a modern company. But Bill reminded her that such machines needed a constant supply of electricity and that people sometimes lost a complete document during a power cut.

　　She and Bill connected up the new machines to the power points in the main office. Then they organized the office. To Bill's surprise, Ann knew what a “desk-top”, another name for a computer, suggested. Bill was sure that Ann, with a little experience, would be fine. She could see that the new technology would make the office and the whole company better organized.

　　Bill's long term plan was to have a fax machine in the office. He told Ann how faxes were used to send written messages on a telephone line. Though Ann was not prepared for too much new technology in the office all at once, she still showed interest in the fax machine. She was glad to know that with the fax machine they could send documents to the ministry far quicker than by post.

(1) Bill may be ________.

[　　]

A．a person who works in a factory

B．a manager

C．a driver

D．an assistant of the manager

(2) According to the passage, ________.

[　　]

A．Bill was cleverer than Ann

B．in all the offices, no other computers except the new one were used

C．Bill had more knowledge of computers than Ann

D．Ann was a secretary with no experience of computers

(3) “Desk-top” is ________.

[　　]

(4) Which of the following is WRONG?

[　　]

A．Bill would buy a fax machine in the future.

B．One computer could be connected up with another.

C．Without the fax machine, Bill could still keep in touch with the government.

D．The supply of electricity didn't have any effect on the computers.

(5) The word “document” in the first paragraph means “________”.

[　　]

A．technology

B．something stored in the computer

C．news

D．message

　　Bill Gates was born on October 28th, 1955. He and his two sisters grew up in Seattle. Their father, William H. Gates Ⅱ, was a Seattle attorney （律师）. Mary Gates, their late mother, was a school teacher.

　　Gates attended public elementary school before moving on to the private Lakeside School in North Seattle. It was at Lakeside that Gates began his career in personal computer software, programming computers at age 13.

　　In1973, Gates entered Harvard University as a freshman, where he lived down the hall from Steve Ballmer, who is now Microsoft's president. While at Harvard, Gates developed a version （版本） of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer--the MITS Astair. In his junior year, Gates dropped out of Harvard to devote his energies full-time to Microsoft, a company he had started in 1975 with his boyhood friend Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desk-top and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers.

　　Gates' foresight and vision have led to the success of Microsoft and the software industry. He plays an important role in the technical development of new products. Much of his time is devoted to meeting with customers and staying in contact with Microsoft employees around the world through e-mail.

　　In the dozen years since Microsoft went public, Gates has donated more than $ 800 million to charities （慈善机构）, including $ 200 million to the Gates Library Foundation to help libraries in North America take advantage of new technologies and the Information Age.

（1）Where did Bill Gates begin his career in personal computer software?

[　　]

A．At public elementary school.

B．At the private Lakeside School.

C．At Harvard University.

D．At Microsoft Company.

（2） Why did he drop out of Harvard?

[　　]

A．To change school.

B．To spend all his energies to Microsoft.

C．To find a full-time job.

D．To earn money.

（3） Why did they begin developing software for the personal computer?

[　　]

A．Because they thought the personal computer would be welcomed by every family.

B．Because they thought the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desk-top.

C．Because they thought the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desk-top and in every home.

D．Because personal computers have been popular.

（4） How does Gates spend much of his time?

[　　]

A．Meeting with people.

B．Travelling around the world.

C．E-mailing some friends.

D．Meeting with customers and e-mailing Microsoft employees.

（5） What does the word “donated” mean?

[　　]

　　In Kansas City, Missouri, a computer helps fire fighters. The computer, which works very fast, has information about all the 350,000 street addresses in the city. Within two or three seconds after a call is received, the computer provides necessary information for the fire fighters. The information is then sent to them by radio from the computer centre in the City Hall. The exact place of the burning building and its size, type and any other details are clear to them.

　　The Kansas City computer system also has a medical record of each of the city's 900 fire fighters. This kind of information is especially useful when a fire fighter is injured. With the information, doctors at hospital can treat the injured fire fighters more quickly and easily.

　　The fire fighters themselves greatly appreciate （感激） the computer's help. They know about possible danger ahead of them and can prepare for it. Many times the computer information helps to save lives and property （财产）. Sometimes the lives are those of fire fighters themselves.

　　Mike Horan, a fire fighter captain, says, “I feel as if the computer is watching over me to help me if I get hurt.”

（1） Which of the following is the best title of the text?

[　　]

A．Large Computers in Kansas, Missouri.

B．Computers Help Fire Fighters.

C．Important Information for Fire Fighters.

D．The Speed of the Computers.

（2） What is the best help if you want to know the information about the street address in Kansas?

[　　]

（3） The fire fighters can get information about a burning place which is sent by ________.

[　　]

（4） Why can the doctors treat the fire fighters quickly and easily?

[　　]

A．The hospital has a very good computer.

B．The fire fighters can know about possible danger early.

C．The computers can prepare everything for them.

D．Medical records in the computers help them a lot.

（5） From Mike Horan's words, we can learn that the fire fighters themselves ________.

[　　]

A．are being taken care of by the computers

B．have been saved by the computers many times

C．always get hurt in saving people's lives

D．are trying hard to stop a fire burning

　　In sports the sex is separate. Women and men do not run or swim in the same races. Women are less strong than men. That at least is what people say. Women are called “the weaker sex”, or if men want to please them, “the fair sex”. But boys and girls are taught together at schools and universities. There are women who are famous Prime Ministers, scientists and writers. And women live longer than men. A European woman can expect to live until the age of 74; a man only until he is 68. Are women's bodies really weaker? The fastest men can run a mile in under 4 minutes. The best women need 5 minutes. Women's times are always slower than men's, but some facts are a surprise. Some of the fastest swimmers today are girls. One of them swam 400 metres in 4 minutes 21.2 seconds when she was only 16. The first “Tarzan” （壮士） in films was an Olympic swimmer, Johnny Weissmuller. His fastest 400 metres was 4 minutes 59.1 seconds, which is 37.9 seconds slower than a girl 50 years later! This does not mean that women are catching men up. Conditions are very different now, and sport is much more serious. It is so serious that some women are given hormone injections （注射激素）. At the Olympics a doctor has to check whether the women are really women or not. It seems sad that sport has such problems. Life can be very complicated （复杂的） when there is two separate sex.

(1) Why are women called “the weaker sex”?

[　　]

A．Women can live longer than men.

B．People usually think women are weaker than men.

C．Women cannot finish the same tasks as men.

D．There is two different sex.

(2) Which of the following is NOT true?

[　　]

A．Women do not run or swim in races with men.

B．Once a girl swam much faster than Johny Weissmuller did.

C．Famous Prime Ministers are women.

D．Men cannot live longer than women in Europe.

(3) This passage tells us ________．

[　　]

A．Johnny Weissmuller ran slower than a girl in a race

B．Johnny Weissmuller won the race as he was then much younger than other runners

C．Johnny Weissmuller didn't swim in the same race with the girl

D．The girl, whose fastest 400 metres was 4 minutes 21.2 seconds, was an Olympic swimmer

(4) The problem that sport has now is that ________.

[　　]

A．some men are not actually men

B．some women are given hormone injections

C．women don't have the same chances to swim the 100-metre and 200-metre dashes

D．it's hard to check whether women are really women

(5) In this passage the writer implies that ________.

[　　]

A．women are weaker than men, but faster

B．women are slower than men, but stronger

C．men are not always stronger and faster than women

D．women are catching men up now

　　Baron Pierre de Coubertin was a Frenchman. At his time sports were not taught in French schools. De Coubertin believed that sports should go hand in hand with studies. He had an idea. His idea was to start the Olympic Games all over again.

　　Sports teachers of other countries liked De Coubertin's idea. So in 1896, the modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. Since then the Olympics has been held once every four years, except three times, when there were wars.

　　The modern Games have many foot races and field sports programmes. The longest race in the Games is called the Marathon.

　　Before the start of the Olympic Games, runners carry a lighted torch through many nations towards the stadium where the Games will be held. These sports men are from different countries. Yet they work together to carry the Olympic Torch. It is passed from runner to runner. When the last runner enters the stadium, he or she places the Torch in a special basin filled with oil. It catches fire. It is then, only then, that the Olympic Games can begin.

　　Before the start of the Olympic Games, runners carry a lighted torch through many nations towards the stadium where the Games will be held. These sports men are from different countries. Yet they work together to carry the Olympic Torch. It is passed from runner to runner. When the last runner enters the stadium, he or she places the Torch in a special basin filled with oil. It catches fire. It is then, only then, that the Olympic Games can begin.

　　The Olympic Flame burns throughout the Games. It is the “Flame of Peace”.

(1) Before 1896, French schools didn't teach ________.

[　　]

(2) De Coubertin ________.

[　　]

A．was the first man to start the Olympic Games

B．helped start the modern Olympic Games

C．believed that sports were less important than studies

D．failed to begin the modern Olympic Games

(3) According to this passage, the third modern Olympic Games should have been held in ________.

[　　]

(4) “Marathon” in this passage is ________.

[　　]

(5) Which of the following is NOT true?

[　　]

A．The Olympic Games doesn't begin until the basin of oil catches the fire.

B．The Torch is carried from runner to runner through many countries.

C．Runners who carry the Torch can be men or women.

D．After the start of the Olympics, the Olympic Flame is put out.

　　In 776 BC the first Olympic Games was held at the foot of Mount Olympus to honour （尊敬） the Greeks' chief God, Zeus （宙斯）. The Greeks emphasized （强调） physical fitness and strength in their education of the youth. Therefore, contests in running, jumping, discus （铁饼） and javelin （标枪） throwing, boxing, and horse and chariot （战车） racing were held in individual （个别的） cities, and the winners competed every four years at Mount Olympus. Winners were greatly honoured by having flower rings placed on their heads and having poems sung about their deeds. Originally （最初） these were held as games of friendship, and any wars in progress stopped to allow the Games to take place.

　　The Greeks attached so much importance to these games that they calculated （计算） time in four-year cycles called “Olympiads” dating from 776 BC.

(1) The first Olympic Games was held in order to ________.

[　　]

A．prevent wars

B．honour Zeus

C．choose the best players

D．sing songs for the winners

(2) Then what happened and ceased the Games?

[　　]

(3) Which of the following statements is NOT true?

[　　]

A．Fights were held up to allow the Games to take place.

B．The Games were held in Greece every four years at that time.

C．Winners sang songs about their own deeds.

D．Flower rings were placed on the winners' heads.

(4) Which of the following was NOT mentioned in the passage?

[　　]

(5) In the author's opinion, the ancient Greeks ________.

[　　]

A．were fond of sports

B．liked fighting

C．enjoyed making friends

D．were proud of Mount Olympus