Friedrich Dobl, a Yugoslav working in Germany, was fed up with traffic jams. At long weekends and holiday times when he wanted to get him quickly he always found himself behind hundreds of other cars moving slowly along the notorious foreign workers’ route through Germany and Austria.

How easy it all was for police and emergency services. A siren, a flashing light? And like magic everyone was out the way. Going home from work one night he passed a garage. And there in front of him was the answer to his problems. An old ambulance(救护车) was for sale. The red cross had been removed. But not the flashing light, and the siren. He tried the light. It flashed magnificently. He tried the siren. That too sounded impressive. He bought the ambulance and opened up for himself a dream world of motoring. It began early in the morning, all his luggage in the back of the ambulance and motorway in Germany looking reasonably clear. Soon, as always, a long line of traffic appeared ahead. He switched on the flashing light and set off the siren. Cars swiftly slowed and pulled off the fast lane. Other cars stopped and drivers waved him ahead to an open road all his own. In record time he crossed the border into Austria. The big bluff was working. Police even waved him through the confusion caused by an accident.

But then the Yugoslav made his big mistake. Until then he had only stopped for petrol. Now he was driving past a real accident, lights flashing , to late realize that it was not another traffic jam as he assumed. They stopped him, and after hearing the story of his ride across two countries fined him 12. 5 pounds.

1.At long weekends and holidays Friedrich Dobl used to ____.

A．drive home in Germany

B．get caught in terrible traffic jams

C．meet other foreign workers

D．get to the place where he worked by a special quick route

2.Why did he decide to buy the ambulance?

A．because he had always wanted one

B．because he wanted to resell it at a higher price

C．because he liked the siren and the flashing light

D．because he knew that other traffic would get clear of the way for an ambulance.

3.The red cross had been removed ____.

A．but he soon put up a new one

B．because the vehicle did not look like an ambulance any more

C．so he asked the garage to paint another one on

D．but the siren and the flashing light still worked

4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．How to Drive quickly	B．How to Avoid accidents
C．A quick Way Home? By An Ambulance	D．A Safe way Home? Non-Stop

 

A meteorite (陨石) flew fast across the sky and exploded over central Russia on Friday, raining fireballs over a vast area and causing a shock wave that smashed windows, damaged buildings and injured l,200 people.

People heading to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt the shock wave.

According to Russian space agency Roscosmos, the fireball, travelling at a speed of 30km per second, had burnt very brightly across the horizon, leaving a long white trail that could be seen as far as 200km away. Car alarms went off, thousands of windows shattered and mobile phone networks were disrupted.

“I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it were day,” said Viktor Prokofiev, 36, a resident of Yekaterinburg in the Urals Mountains. “I felt like I was blinded by headlights.”

The meteorite, which weighed about 20 tons and may have been made of iron, entered Earth’s atmosphere and broke apart 30-50km above ground, according to Russia’s Academy of Sciences.

The energy released when it entered the Earth’s atmosphere was about several thousand tons, the academy said, the power of a small atomic weapon exploding.

No deaths were reported, but the Emergencies Ministry said 20,000 rescue and clean-up workers were sent to the region after President Vladimir Putin told Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov to ease the disruption and help the victims.

The Interior Ministry said about l,200 people had been injured, at least 200 of them children, and most from broken pieces of glass.“While events this big are rare, an impact that could cause damage and death could happen every century or so. Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop impacts.”

51. When did the meteorite incident happen?

   A. At midnight.                                                      B. In the early morning.    

C. In the late morning.                                    D. In the evening.

52. According to the text, the meteorite explosion caused _________.

   A. some deaths                                                      B. road accidents

C. communication problems                                   D. building collapse

53. The Russian government’s response to the incident was ________.

A. a little slow but effective                                  B. quick and serious

C. cold and slow                                           D. quick but ineffective

54. It can be inferred that the loss caused by meteorites _________.

A. is nearly unavoidable                                         B. happens every few years

C. can be avoided                                            D. is hard to estimate

Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners（小餐馆）for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners today for the same reasons.

   A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It wasn’t a real diner. It was only a food cart(手推车). People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.

   Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent(永久的) buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.

Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.

   Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.

A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. Why is the word “diner” in quotation marks(引号)？

A. Because it is spelled differently from “ dinner”

B. Because the first diner was not what it is now

C. Because diner was a new word

D. Because it is special.

What meals did the first diners serve?

A. Only breakfast  B. Only lunch   C. Only night-meals  D. All of the above

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Diners existed before a fast-food restaurant.

The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee.

C. Burger King is a fast-food restaurant.

D. Sandwiches became bigger.

The main idea of the passage is that ______________.

A. The diner is a traditional , popular place to eat in the United States.

B. Samuel Johns built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside.

C. American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers.

D. Diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways.

Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners（小餐馆）for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners today for the same reasons.

A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It wasn’t a real diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.

Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.

Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.

Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.

What meals did the first diners serve?

A. Only breakfast   B. Only lunch  C. Only night-meals  D. All of the above

According to paragraph 3, diners changed in __________

A. Two ways      B. three ways     C. four ways       D. five ways

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Diners existed before a fast-food restaurant

B. The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee.

C. Burger King is a fast-food restaurant

D. Sandwiches became bigger

The main idea of the passage is that ______________.

A. The dinner is a traditional, popular place to eat in the United States.

B. Samuel Johns built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside.

C. American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers.

D. Diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways.