Most people have heard of Shakespeare and probably know something of the plays that he wrote.However，not everybody knows much about the life of this remarkable man，except perhaps that he was born in the market town of Stratford?upon?Avon and that he married a woman called Anne Hathaway.We know nothing of his school life.We do not know，for example，how long it lasted，but we presume(推测)that he attended the local grammar school，where the principal subject taught was Latin.

Nothing certain is known of what he did between the time he left school and his departure(出发)for London.According to a local legend，he was beaten and even put in prison for stealing rabbits and deer from the estate of neighbouring landowner，Sir Thomas Lucy.It is said that because of this he was forced to run away from his native place.A different legend says that he was apprenticed(做学徒)to a Stratford butcher, but did not like the life and for this reason decided to leave Stratford.

Whatever caused him to leave the town of his birth，the world could be grateful that he did so.What is certain is that he set his foot on the road to fame when he arrived in London.It is said that at first he was without money or friends there，but that he earned a little by taking care of the horses of the gentleman who attended the plays at the theatre.They stopped and spoke to him.They found his conversations so brilliant(有才气的)that finally he was invited to join their company.

1．In the early life of Shakespeare，he ______.

A．attended a public school　　　　　　 B．lived in London

C．studied Latin　　　　　　　　　　　 D．was put in prison for stealing cattle

2．Why was he forced to leave his native place according to this passage?

A．Because he didn’t want to go to school.

B．Because he left for London to become famous.

C．Because he had stolen deer and was beaten.

D．No one knows for certain.

3．What is the reason why the world could be grateful?

A．He wrote many world?famous plays.　　　　　 B．He was an actor.

C．He lived a hard life.　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．He liked to travel all over the world.

4．“In time，as he became a familiar figure”“in time” means ______.

A．on time 　　　　 B．sometime　　　　　 C．some time later 　　 D．some time

5.The best title is ______.

A．The Early Life of Shakespeare　　　　　　　 B．Shakespeare’s Life in London

C．Shakespeare’s Role in Performance　　　　 D．Shakespeare’s Later Life

Do you suppose Darwin, one of the greatest scientists of all time, really did fools experiments? Or did he do experiments that were so simple and basic that other people just thought they were foolish?

　　Sometimes, people think they already know the answer to a question or the solution (解决办法) to a problem. Sometimes, they really do know an answer or a solution, but without thinking they are important.

　　Charles Darwin didn’t settle for (满足于) just thinking he knew something. And, he believed all things could be important however simple they seemed to be.

　　Suppose you drop sheets of paper that are of exactly the same size and shape. If you drop them at the same time in the same place, they will fall in the same way. Now make one of the sheets of paper into a tight (紧的) little ball and let it drop along with the other sheets. What happens? You have done an experiment that is so simple that you might think it couldn’t be worth anything.

　　But this simple experiment is important. It explains part of our present-day understandings of physics, ideas that were worked out long ago by Galileo and Newton. And these understandings set aside some of ancient Greek physics.

Scientist sometimes stops to look at very simple things and to think very hard about them. Even the simplest idea, which we might think is foolish, can shake the foundations of science.

1. The passage tells us that Charles Darwin ____.

　　A. was a great English scientist

　　B. always liked doing the experiments that others thought difficult

　　C. thought even the simplest thing was important

　　D. didn’t get well with others

2. The phrase “set aside” most probably means____ .

　　A. throw away      B. store up

　　C. put to use        D. realize

3. The author of the passage tries to ________.

　　A. convince us that Charles Darwin, Galileo and Newton are the greatest scientists in the world

　　B. draw the conclusion that basic sciences are simple things

　　C. prove that two sheets of paper, with the same size and shape, will fall at the same speed

　　D. draw our attention to everyday happenings around us

4Which of the following is TRUE?

　　A. Darwin really did fools experiments.

　　B. According to some people Darwin did foolish experiments.

　　C. It is believed by all the people that things could be important though they seemed to be simple.

　　D. Galileo and Newton worked out ancient Greek physics.

Today, roller skating is easy and fun．But a long time ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn’t exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball（化装舞会）. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
　　Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
　　On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin’s grand entrance for a long time!
1．The text is mainly about ________.
A．a strange man              B．an unusual party
C．how roller skating began     D．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century
2．People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he _________.
　　A．often gave others surprises　　　　　 B．was a gifted musician
C．invented the roller skates　　　　　　D．was full of imagination
3．Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to ________ .
A．impress the party guests　　　　　　B．arrive at the party sooner
C．test his invention　　　　　　　　　D．show his skill in walking on wheels
4．What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?
A．The roller skates needed further improvement. 
B．The party guests took Merlin for a fool.
C．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.       
D．Merlin got himself into trouble.

　My aunt lives in a village far from my town.

Last year she came to visit us brought me a　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   1．________

little dog for my birthday present. It was a little black　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 2．________

dog with white spots on. It was so lovely that I　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 3．________

liked it at once. Every day after school I played the　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    4．________

dog and it gave me much more pleasure. I was glad　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   5．________

to have it as my company. One day the dog went away　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  6．________

and never came back again. All my families were out searching　　　　　　　　　　   7．________

for it but it was nowhere to found. How I worried　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 8．________

about it all those days. A week later a letter came about　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   9．________

my aunt saying that the little dog had returned　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    10．________