阅读理解阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项

　　Madame Tussaud is a waxwork museum in central London．It has wax(蜡)models of well-known people：living and dead, kings and queens, films stars and singing stars, government heads of some countries and even murderers．Over two million people visit the museum every year, making it Britain's number one spot

of interest．

　　Madame Tussaud lived nearly 200 years ago．She started making models in wax when she was very young and came to London from Paris in 1802．After traveling around the country with her waxwork exhibition for many years, she set up the museum in 1835．Her grandsons moved it to its present home fifty years later．

　　The team of full-time artists at Madame Tussaud's can't work fast but they do their job well, and the models are surprisingly lifelike．When a model of a particular celebrity(名人)is to be made, he or she visits the museum first to meet the artist, who takes hundreds of photos and measurements．The celebrity usually supplies the museum with clothes for the model to wear．Each model takes about six months to complete because the artists have to work slowly and carefully．They make the eyes separately and put real human hair into the wax one hair at a time．"It's important that people recognize the models．When celebrities are no longer popular, we take away their models quickly and put new ones in instead．" says a person in charge．

　　Madame Tussaud's changes with the times．In the future, with the use of computer technology, the museum is planning to show figures that can walk and talk．

阅读理解阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项

　　Ever since I was a child, my mouth has caused me trouble．I'm not a had person．I have just had a hard time learning when to keep my mouth closed．My mum has told me again and again, "Robert, your constant had words are hurting me．If you continue to be this rude, you'll get into big trouble．"

　　It's been a problem at school several times when teachers have told me something I didn't want to hear．I used to feel it was my duty to stand up for myself and tell them off．

　　One day in English class I began working on my homework until I heard a classmate talking behind me．It was Nathaniel, talking to himself as usual．I said ever so nicely, "Nathaniel, would you be quiet'?" Nathaniel continued talking to himself．I quickly shouted "Nathaniel, shut up!"

　　For the next five minutes, we threw hurtful words back and forth at each other．

　　"At least I don't have an ugly lazy eye like you!" I shouted．I knew this would bother him deeply inside．It would hurt his feelings and shut him up．What I said filled him with anger．He tried to reach over my seat and grab me as he shouted, "That's it!That's it!"

　　Surprised at his reaction, I sat back in my seat．Never had I seen Nathaniel act like this before．

　　Later on, we were taken to principal's office．There, principal told us to discuss the matter．It wasn't until then that I finally found that when I hurt someone physically, the wounds eventually heal．But when I hurt them with my words, sometimes the pain never goes away．At the end of the discussion, I said sorry to Nathaniel．

　　When I headed hack to my room, I spent some time praying．I began to think about how often what I said hurt others．But I believe that as I keep praying and asking God to help me and he'll tell me when to keep my mouth closed．

阅读理解阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项

　　A moment's drilling by the dentist may make us nervous and upset．Many of us cannot stand pain．To avoid the pain of a drilling that may last perhaps a minute or two, we demand the "needle"－a shot of novocaine－that deadens the nerves around the tooth．

　　Now it's true that the human body has developed its millions of nerves to be highly aware of what goes on both inside and outside of it．This helps us adjust to the world．Without our nerves and our brain, which is a bundle of nerves-we wouldn't know what's happening．But we pay for our sensitivity．We can feel pain when

the slightest thing is wrong with any part of our body．The history of torture(酷刑)is based on the human body being open to pain．

　　But there is a way to handle pain．Look at the Indian fakir who sits on a bed of nails．Fakirs can put a needle right through an arm, and feel no pain．This ability that some humans have developed to handle pain should give us ideas about how the mind can deal with pain．

　　The big thing in withstanding pain is our attitude toward it．If the dentist says, "This will hurt a little," it helps us to accept the pain．By staying relaxed, and by treating the pain as an interesting sensation, we can handle the pain without falling apart．After all, although pain is an unpleasant sensation, it is still a sensation,

and sensations are the stuff of life．

阅读理解阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项

　　Children have their own rules in playing games．They seldom need a referee and are rarely trouble to keep scores．They don't care much about who wins or loses, and it doesn't seem to worry them if the game is not finished．Yet, they like games that depend a lot on luck, so that their personal abilities cannot be directly compared．They also enjoy games that mae in stages, in which each stage, the choosing of leaders, the picking-up of sides, or the determining of which side shall start, is almost a game in itself．

　　Grown-ups can hardly find children's games exciting, and they often feel puzzled at why their kids play such simple games again and again．However, it is found that a child plays games for very important reasons．He can be a good player without having to think whether he is a popular person, and he can find himself being a useful partner to someone of whom he is ordinarily afraid．He becomes a leader when it comes to his turn．He can be confident, too, in particular games, that it is his place to give orders, to pretend to be dead, to throw a ball actually at someone, or to kiss someone he has caught．

　　It appears to us that when children play a game they imagine a situation under their control．Everyone knows the rules, and more importantly, everyone plays according to the rules．Those rules may be childish, but they make sure that every child has a chance to win．

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Hollywood Rocked by Terrorist Attacks

　　As the world watched the twin towers of the World Trade Center come under attack, a common phrase was repeated："It looks like a movie．"

　　But this time there was no superman to save the people or the famous building．The attack destroyed one of the world's highest skyscrapers(摩天大楼)and left over 5,000 people dead or missing．

　　Movie fans have become used to such events after years of Hollywood films showing disasters, terrorism and danger．The Empire State Building, the White House, New York City and even the American president himself have all been threatened

(威胁)by terrorist(恐怖分子)attacks in these exciting films．

　　The film True Lies(《真实的谎言》), released in 1994 and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is considered to be a good example of this kind of movie．The special effects, including explosions and missiles, make the action realistic．

　　Independence Day(《独立日》)in 1996 took this type of movie one step further by blowing up the White House．This science-fiction movie is about a war between human beings and aliens from another planet．In the movie, the World Trade Center towers are destroyed．

　　Violence has become a major part of Hollywood movies．And this is what many audiences enjoy．

　　Soon after the attacks, many famous film companies stopped the planned releases of some of their new movies, especially if their films showed terrorist attacks or plane crashes．

　　Swordfish(《剑鱼行动》》)a film produced by Warner Brothers Studio, was top of the American box office in June．But the movie's story was frighteningly similar to the September 11 disaster．The film would have been stopped in American and British cinemas after the attack．But it is unlikely that Hollywood will stay quiet for long．It is already waiting for the feeling in America to calm down．It is said that Hollywood will

make a film about Bin Laden soon．

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　　The American cowboy was a great national hero through facts and stories．

　　In history, the real cowboy was a simple farm worker on horseback．He spent twelve to fourteen hours a day outdoors working with cows．The work was dirty, tiresome and not very well paid．In the winter, most cowboys had to find other jobs．They were seldom alone．Most of them worked in teams of eight to ten．

　　People could raise beef cattle at low cost in the western states and send them by train to the eastern markets．But someone had to look after the cattle on the open land and get them to the nearest railroad．This was the job of a cowboy．Sometimes the railroad was more than a thousand kilometers away and it could take as long as six months to move the cattle．The cowboy moved the cattle slowly so that the cattle would not lose weight．

　　Most cowboys were young, unmarried men．A cowboy's horse was his most important tool．A good horse made the job of moving cattle much easier．A good cowboy understood cows and knew how to control them．At night, he sang to the cows to keep them calm．

　　The cowboy quickly received popular praise．Historians say that was because the cowboy appeared during a time of change in American life．In the late 1800's, America was changing from a nation of farms to one of factories and cities．The cowboy seemed free and more independent than other Americans．

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Make me laugh, now!

　　In a room filled with cigarette smoke and the smell of beer, people are laughing as a little man on stage talks．This is stand-up, a major form of live entertainment in the West．

　　It could be held in a theatre or just a bar．The basic idea is that a person, or sometimes two, "stands up" on a stage and makes the audience laugh．

　　The performer could tell a story or lots of little stories．He could just tell jokes or discuss the most serious issues of the day．The point is that the audience expects to be made to laugh．

　　Audiences at stand-up shows are not polite．If they don't find the person funny they will shout out．These people are called "hecklers"(诘难者)．If a comedian

(喜剧演员)is good he will be able to shout back at the heckler with some clever response(应答)．

　　Normally, the comedian has prepared a script, which he has learnt．But often they might think of something different while on stage．This is called improvising

(即兴发挥)．

　　Different stand-up comedians have different styles．Some are called straight men．These will never laugh or smile and will try to appear very serious even though what they are talking about is very funny．Others play the fool．These act and say things that are very stupid so that you can't help laughing at them．Another type is

the person who can copy famous people's voices．They will pretend to be someone famous in a funny situation．

　　Stand-up comedians will talk about anything from sex to polities, from family to animals．To a stand-up comedian everything is funny．

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　　Encouraged by the success of its first manned space mission, China says it is looking to launch(发射)another Shenzhou spacecraft within "one or two years' time" and is pushing ahead with plans to develop a permanently manned presence iu space．

　　In comments reported just hours after the Shenzhou V's safe return to Earth, the official Xinhua news agency quoted(引用)a leading space official as saying China's next steps would be to work on launching a space laboratory and then a space station into orbit(轨道)．

　　"The successful mission of Shenzhou V is the first step of China's space program．" the agency quoted Zhang Qingwei as saying．

　　Although Zhang gave few details and no specific timescale for the plans, the announcement is the clearest official statement to date concerning China's plans for space exploration．

　　Speaking later at a Beijing news conference, Xie Mingbao, director of the manned space office, said he expected to launch another Shenzhou capsule before the end of 2005．

　　"In one or two years' time, I think Shenzhou VI will be launched．" Xie said in response to a reporter's question．

　　Zhang, the second most senior officer in charge of the country's space program, said the next major tasks to tackle would be to perfect orbital docking technologies and procedures．

　　Precise docking between spacecraft and orbiting modules is essential to placing a space lab in orbit, Xinhua quoted Zhang as saying．

　　He did not say whether the proposed space lab would be manned or conduct experiments using automated equipment．

　　Beijing has not been involved in the U．S．and Russian-led International Space Station(ISS), although there has been speculation(思索)that China may be invited to join in the near future．Although earlier reports in Chinese media have speculated on the future course of the space program, Zhang's comments are the clearest indication yet that such plans have high level official support．

　　Aside from the space station, Chinese scientists are also reported to be working on plans to send unmanned probes to the moon with a view to eventually landing a Chinese astronaut on the lunar surface．

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　　When people think of the unique characteristics of Beijing, the hutongs style always comes to mind．It is no exaggeration(夸张)to say within hutong lives the city's history．

　　The word hutong was borrowed from the Mongolian word to mean"water well" about 700 years ago．Later it referred to a place where people live．Hutong we see today are made up of small lanes formed by walls of siheyuan．They were built during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties．

　　When the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, there were more than 3,000 hutongs．Most of the city's population lived in this traditional housing．But with the modernization of the city in the 1980s and early 1990s, many hutongs were pulled down to build roads, skyscrapers and modern houses．

　　The government has recognized the importance of hutong to Chinese cultural heritage(文化遗产)．In 2002,Beijing listed 40 protected historical zones and increased its efforts to restore some key relics and older streets in the city．Nearly 500 hutongs have survived．

　　Hutongs that still exist are like oases(绿洲)of calm surrounded by the noisy city．Walking through them, it is common to see groups of elderly citizens sitting together playing cards, mahjong or Chinese chess．In the early mornings and evenings, they gather to practice traditional forms of exercise such as taijiquan as well as dancing and singing folk songs or Peking Opera．Hutongs have become a museum of Beijing's folk customs and history．

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　　A recent discovery by scientists at the U．S Geological Survey(地质研究)shows that animal's strange behavior(行为)might help forecast future earthquakes．Scientists found such proof in a ten-kilometer radius(半径)of the center of a fairly recent quake．Some birds called and flew about wildly; dogs barked and ran around uncontrollably．

　　Scientists believe that animals can sense these enviromental changes as early as several days before the quake．

　　In 1976,after observing animals' behavior, the Chinese were able to forecast a terrible quake．Although hundreds of thousands of people were killed, the government was able to evacuate millions of people and thus keep the death rate(比率)at a low level．