London has a population of over 7,000,000. From about the year 1800 until World War II, London was the biggest city in the world. But now there are many cities which are much bigger than it. London is famous for many things. Tourists come from all over the world to visit its famous buildings and hear the famous clock, Big Ben. Like many big cities, London has problems with traffic and pollution which stop the city from developing. Over one million (百万) people a day use the London underground, but there are still too many cars on the streets. The air isn’t clear, but it is anyhow cleaner than it was 100 years ago. For me, the best things about London are the parks. There are five in the city center. But my children’s favorite place is Hamleys, the biggest toy shop in the world.

1.What’s the Chinese for “underground” in the passage?

2.  When was London the biggest city in the world?

3.  What’s Big Ben in London?

4.  How many people use the London underground every day?

5. How was the air in London 100 years ago?

Here is a page from a magazine called Future. Read the following information about things that may happen in ten years.
Cars will run on solar power（太阳能）and will be much cleaner. They will be much safer. For example, if you are too close to another car or if you are driving dangerously, your car will slow down or stop by itself.
New cities will have to be built in the sea. Some cities on water will have two levels（层）. People will live on the upper level; the lower levels will be used for traffic, shops and factories.
Biotechnology（生物技术）will make food better and healthier. Plants without insects or illnesses will be developed. The taste of fruit and vegetables will be better and food will be kept longer.
Many new ways to cure illnesses will be found. People will use products of genetic engineering（基因产品）to cure more illnesses. However, some new illnesses will appear.
【小题1】What will happen in the future according to the passage?
A.The air won’t be much cleaner.
B.Cars will run by itself without a driver.
C.There’ll be fewer accidents and less pollution.
【小题2】Where will new cities have to be built in the future?
A. In the sea. B. In the sky. C. On the land.
【小题3】What will be made better and healthier by biotechnology?
A. Medicine     B. Food    C. Clothes
【小题4】Genetic engineering will help doctors to cure more ________.
A. Cold    B. illnesses    C. headache
【小题5】Which is the best title（标题）of the passage?
A.Cars in the future
B.Get ready for the future
C.Where will people live in the future?

When Oakland High School in California moved into a new building, the students and teachers noticed a strong smell. Then almost half of the students began to have a headache and a cough. Experts (专家) came to find the cause of the sickness. Finally, they discovered that the air in the building was not safe to breathe. They were surprised to find out that the desks and chairs in the school library caused the trouble. These desks and chairs were made of particleboards(合成板). This kind of board is cheap. It is made of very small pieces of wood held together with a chemical (化学物质). This is just one example of a modern problem that is most common in cities—indoor air pollution(污染).

  People have worried about air pollution for many years, and the government has spent lots of money trying to clean up the air of big cities. But now we found that we are still breathing unhealthy air. A study shows: Indoor air pollution is almost two to five time(倍) worse than outside pollution. So remember to open the windows and don’t stay too long in modern buildings with windows closed.

1.Many students and teachers _________ after they moved into the new building.

   A were very happy and excited   B. didn’t feel well    C. felt tired because of hard work

2.The experts came to Oakland High School for _________.

   A staying with the sick students and teachers  

   B. taking away the desks and chairs

   C. finding the cause of the illness

3. Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?

   A. The indoor air pollution is common in cities.

   B. We needn’t worry about the outside pollution.

   C. The air in this school library was not safe to breathe.

4.A study shows that indoor air pollution is _________.

   A even worse than the outside pollution   B. not so bad as outside pollution

   C. the only problem to worry about

5. What’s the main idea of the passage?

   A Never move into a new building   B. We shouldn’t buy cheap desks and chairs

   C. The indoor air pollution is a big and common problem.