17. In town in a western country, dogs are often seen to ________.

A. walk with hunters

B. walk with their masters

C. fight against other animals

D. play with other animals

16. What does the second paragraph mainly discuss?

A. Some animals and plants depend on each other for living.

B. Some animals and plants develop their relationship easily.

C. Some plants depend on each other for food.

D. Some animals live better together.

(E)

If you are in town in a western country, you will often see people walking with their dogs. It is still true that a dog is the most useful animal in the world, but the reason why one keeps a dog has changed. Once upon a time, a man met a dog and wanted it to help him in the fight against other animals, and he found that the dog listened to him and did what he told it to. Later people used dogs for the hunting of other animals, and the dogs didn't eat what they got until their masters agreed. So dogs were used for driving sheep and guarding chickens. But now the people in the towns and cities do not need dogs to hunt other animals. Of course they keep them to frighten thieves, but the most important reason is that people feel lonely in the city. For a child, a dog is his best friend when he has no friends to play with. For a young wife, a dog is her child when she doesn't have her own. For old people, a dog is also a child when their real children have grown up and left. Now people do not have to use a dog but they keep it as a friend, just like a member of the family.

15. From the passage we know that the coral is a kind of ________.

A. plant that needs oxygen

B. plant that can produce oxygen

C. animal that needs oxygen

D. animal that can produce oxygen

14. The word "they" in the last sentence of the first paragraph refers to _______ .

A. birds and parasites

B. birds and sheep

C. sheep and parasites

D. sheep, birds and parasites

13. Some birds like to sit in a sheep because ________.

A. they can eat its parasites

B. they depend on the sheep for living

C. they enjoy travelling with the sheep

D. they find the position most comfortable

12. Where did the policemen catch the young man?

A. In Mr Hart's taxi.

B. In the station.

C. In the street.

D. At the corner.

(D)

Most animals have little connection with animals of a different kind, unless they hunt them for food. Sometimes, however, two kinds of animals come together in a partnership which does good to both of them. You may have noticed some birds sitting on the backs of sheep.This is not because they want a ride, but because they find easy food in the parasites(寄生虫) on sheep. The sheep allow the birds to do so because they remove the cause of discomfort. So although they can manage without each other, they do better together.

Sometimes an animal has a plant partner. The relationship develops until the two partners cannot manage without each other. This is so in the corals of the sea. In their skins they have tiny plants which act as "dustmen", taking some of the waste products from the coral and giving in return oxygen(氧气) which the animal needs to breathe.

If the plants are killed, or are even prevented from light so that they cannot live normally, the corals will die.

11. Mr Hart raced through the street and drove through red lights so that ________.

A. he could drive faster than the police car

B. he could reach the station on time

C. he could get the attention of the policemen

D. he could go home earlier than usual

10. How did Mr Hart know that the young man was a thief?

A. He had never met such a rude person as the young man.

B. He had seen the young man's picture in the newspapers.

C. The police told him something about the young man.

D. The young man was trying to run away.

9. The young man wanted to________.

A. go back home by train

B. drive through the busy street

C. take the 3:00 train to London

D. leave London as soon as possible

8. It is impolite for a man to ________.

A. open a door for a woman and to go first himself

B. stand beside a woman

C. let a woman go first

D. stand up when he is introduced to a woman

(C)

Mr Hart, a London taxi driver, has a new black taxi. With his taxi, he hurries through the busy streets every day.

One day when he was having a short rest, a young man jumped into his taxi.

"To the station as fast as you can," shouted the man in a very unfriendly way. "My train leaves at three o'clock."

Mr Hart did his best, but there was a lot of traffic. At every corner there was a red light.

"Hurry up, man! I don't want to miss my train," said the young man.

"And I don't want to have an accident," replied Mr Hart quickly.

While he was driving, Mr Hart suddenly recognized the man's face. He was a thief. The police were looking for him. His picture was in the newspapers. Mr Hart raced through the street and drove through red lights. Soon there was a police car behind him. Mr Hart raced on until he reached the station. He stopped in front of the station at two minutes to three, and the young man quickly jumped out of the taxi.

"Stop! Stop!" cried Mr Hart. At that moment the police car stopped, too. "Quick! He is the thief!" shouted Mr Hart. Two policemen rushed into the station. Three minutes later they returned with the young man.

"Well done!" a policeman said to Mr Hart as they were taking the thief to the police car.