Often we take for granted the many household items we use every day. It is difficult to imagine there was a time in the past when these inventions did not exist. Actually, several of the most common inventions have been with us for quite some time. Inventions like toothbrush, contact lenses（隐形眼镜）, and credit cards came into use long ago.

   The first toothbrush was introduced in China in the late 1400s but it was only 300 years later that this simple tool came into common use in Europe. By the nineteenth century, a variety of paste and powder cleaners were available throughout Europe as dental(牙齿的) care became more widespread. The first tube of toothpaste hit the market in Great Britain in 1891.

 There is evidence to show that the first contact lenses were actually suggested by an astronomer, Sir John Herschel, in 1827. However, SirJohn Herschel was never able to create a working model of his idea. It was not until 1887 that a Swiss doctor from Zurich, Dr. Eugen Frick, came up with a workable process for producing precision (精密)lenses. Dr. Frick designed a new method for producing contact lenses,and the Zeiss factory in Germany  began to produce contact lenses.

 Credit cards have also been available for many years. They have been in use in the United States since the 1920s. At first, these cards were only used to buy gas in the quickly growing automobile service industry. Then, in the 1950s, Diners Club introduced the first general-purpose credit card. Today, credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, and American Express are commonly used by travelers around the world.

    While it may be true that some of the greatest inventions and discoveries in history came about by chance, the majority of inventions that simplify our lives today came about through careful research and patient study. Of course, it still holds true that even with all the comforts of modern technology, inventors continue to search for ways of helping all of us get out of doing those necessary but tedious (乏味的) tasks which we still face. As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

1.From the second paragraph we can learn that _____.

A. toothbrushes came into common use in Europe in the 17th century

B. people could enjoy a variety of paste and powder cleaners in the 18th century

C. more and more people paid attention to dental care throughout Europe in the 19th century

D. the English could use different kinds of tubes of toothpaste in the early 19th century

2.All of the following made a contribution to the invention and use of contact lenses EXCEPT _______.

A. Diners Club                       B. Sir John Herschel

C. Dr Eugen Frick                    D. the Zeiss factory

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the fourth paragraph?

A. Credit cards have a history of about two hundred years.

B. Three kinds of credit cards are being used in the USA.

C. The use of credit cards is closely related to the economic development.

D. American Express is only used by American travelers now.

4.The last paragraph mainly tells us that ______.

A. the greatest inventions came about by chance

B. inventions came about through careful research and patient study

C. inventors still continue to make inventions

D. necessity is the mother of invention

A man in a very splendid restaurant started to take off his jacket. Seeing this, the head waiter dashed to his table and said, “I’m afraid I must ask you to keep your jacket on, sir, for it is not good manners to do it in such a smart restaurant.”
“Now listen”, said the man, “I’ll let you know that the Queen of England gave me permission to remove my jacket here.”
“The Queen of England?” said the waiter in great surprise.
“Sure,” replied the man, “When I was in England last month, a friend of mine who had a very important position in high society took me to see the Queen. It was rather hot, so I started taking my coat off. The Queen looked over and said, “You may do that in the United States, but you may not do it here.” So I got the Queen’s permission, right?”
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D. the English and the Americans enjoyed different ways of life
【小题5】 From the story, you can see the man was _______.

The British royal family is about to be slimmed down. The Queen plans to reduce the number of real royals, it was recently announced. However, there seems little sign of the monarchy (君主) disappearing completely.

Up till the 17th century, the British king or queen was believed to rule by “divine (神的) right”, which was the idea that God chose the king or queen to rule and that he or she was therefore above the law. However, this idea ended with the English Revolution, in which King Charles I was imprisoned and then beheaded (斩首) in 1649.

So what role does the British royal family have today?

Well, the Queen has important formal duties as Head of State, the Queen represents the UK on visits abroad and invites other world leaders to visit the UK. As Head of the Armed Forces: Only the Queen can declare when the UK is at war or when war is over. The Queen also has constitutional duties: She has to sign many government and Commonwealth (英联邦) documents everyday.

In addition, the royal family sends a great deal of its time traveling up and down the country in support of different charity projects.

But republicans in Britain do not believe there should be a royal family. Sometimes, the press and media criticize the royal family as well. One criticism is that British people should have to pay for the royal family through their taxes.

Today, the royal family works hard to be relevant(相关联的) in the modern world. The Queen Speech on television is less formal every Christmas, and is now available as a podcast (播客). In 2005, after graduating from university, Prince William spent time teaching English in Uruguay, the sort of work many young British people do at some time in their lives.

1.    What can be concluded from the first two paragraphs?

         A. The British King or Queen is now considered above the law.

         B. The British King or Queen is no longer believed to rule by divine right.

         C. The royal family played a less important role in Britain in the late 17th century than in nowadays.

         D. The English Revolution put an end to the British royal family in 1649.

2.    Which of the following is NOT among formal duties of the Queen?

         A. Traveling around the UK.

         B. Declaring when the UK is at war.

         C. Inviting other leaders to visit the UK.

         D. Signing Commonwealth documents every day.

3.    With the example of Prince William in the last paragraph, the author intends to show _____.

         A. Prince William is very popular in the UK

         B. the royal family is trying to connect better with ordinary people

         C. Prince William has made an effort to win young people’s admiration

         D. many young British people do voluntary work

4.    According to the article, British people __________.

         A. are all in favor of the royal family

         B. can talk to the Queen through a podcast

         C. pay for the royal family through the taxes

         D. criticize the royal family through media and press

Britain and France are separated by the English Channel, a body of water that can be crossed in as few as 20 minutes. But the cultures of the two countries sometimes seem to be miles apart.

　　Last Thursday Britain and France celebrated the 100th anniversary(周年纪念) of the signing of a friendship agreement called the Entente Cordiality. The agreement—signed in London on April 8, 1904—marked a new beginning for the countries following centuries of wars and love-hate partnership.

　　But their relationship has been ups and downs over the past century. Just last year, there were fierce disagreements over the Iraq war—which British Prime Minister Tony Blair supported despite(不管, 尽管) French President Jacques Chirac speaking out against it. This discomfort is expressed in Blair and Chirac's body language at international meetings. While the French leader often greets German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder with a hug (拥抱), Blair just receives a handshake.

However, some political experts say the war in Iraq could in fact have helped ties. “The British population was against war, ” said Francois Heisbourg, director of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research(战略基金研究会). “So it could have actually helped bring the two sides closer. ”

　　The history of divisions(分割, 区分) may well be because of the very different ways in which the two sides see the world. “The French think Britain is not doing its best to become part of Europe by not introducing the single European currency(货币), ” said Geoff Hare, a former lecturer in French politics and language at Newcastle University in Britain. “France has spent the past 15 to 20 years making itself seen as part of the European Union. ”

　 But this doesn't stop 12 million Britons taking holidays in France each year. However,only 3 million French come in the opposite direction. Surveys show that most French people feel closer to the Germans than they do to the British. And the research carried out in Britain has found that only a third of the population believes the French can be trusted.Perhaps this bad feeling comes because the British dislike France's close relationship with Germany. Or because the French are not happy with Britain's close links with the US.

　　Whatever the answer is, as both sides celebrate 100 years of “doubtful friendship”, they are at least able to make jokes about each other. Here's one:What's the best thing about Britain's relationship with France? The English Channel.

1. For centuries, the relationship between England and France is______.

A. friendly

B. impolite

C. brotherly

D. a mixture of love and hate

2. The war in Iraq does ______ to the relationship between France and England.

A. good

B. harm

C. neither good nor harm

D. both good and harm

3. The British are not so friendly to ______ and the French are not so friendly to ______.

A. Germany;America

B. America;Germany

C. Germany;Germany too

D. America;America too

4. What does the last sentence mean?

A. As long as the English Channel exists, no further disagreement will form between France and Britain.

B. The English Channel can prevent anything unfriendly happening in both France and Britain.

C. France and Britain are near neighbors, and this will help balance the relationship between them.

D. The English Channel is the largest enemy between France and Britain.

5. What is the main idea of this passage?

A. The British differ greatly from the French in culture, origin and custom.

B. The British and The French are against each other because of the very different ways in which they see the world.

C. The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the signing of a friendship agreement mark-ed the mixture feeling of love and hatred over the last century between Britain and Franc-e.

D. The British dislike France's close relationship with Germany, while the French are not happy with Britain's close links with the US.     

The British royal family is about to be slimmed down. The Queen plans to reduce the number of real royals, it was recently announced. However, there seems little sign of the monarchy (君主) disappearing completely.
Up till the 17th century, the British king or queen was believed to rule by “divine (神的) right”, which was the idea that God chose the king or queen to rule and that he or she was therefore above the law. However, this idea ended with the English Revolution, in which King Charles I was imprisoned and then beheaded (斩首) in 1649.
So what role does the British royal family have today?
Well, the Queen has important formal duties as Head of State, the Queen represents the UK on visits abroad and invites other world leaders to visit the UK. As Head of the Armed Forces: Only the Queen can declare when the UK is at war or when war is over. The Queen also has constitutional duties: She has to sign many government and Commonwealth (英联邦) documents everyday.
In addition, the royal family sends a great deal of its time traveling up and down the country in support of different charity projects.
But republicans in Britain do not believe there should be a royal family. Sometimes, the press and media criticize the royal family as well. One criticism is that British people should have to pay for the royal family through their taxes.
Today, the royal family works hard to be relevant(相关联的) in the modern world. The Queen Speech on television is less formal every Christmas, and is now available as a podcast (播客). In 2005, after graduating from university, Prince William spent time teaching English in Uruguay, the sort of work many young British people do at some time in their lives.
1.    What can be concluded from the first two paragraphs?
A. The British King or Queen is now considered above the law.
B. The British King or Queen is no longer believed to rule by divine right.
C. The royal family played a less important role in Britain in the late 17th century than in nowadays.
D. The English Revolution put an end to the British royal family in 1649.
2.    Which of the following is NOT among formal duties of the Queen?
A. Traveling around the UK.
B. Declaring when the UK is at war.
C. Inviting other leaders to visit the UK.
D. Signing Commonwealth documents every day.
3.    With the example of Prince William in the last paragraph, the author intends to show _____.
A. Prince William is very popular in the UK
B. the royal family is trying to connect better with ordinary people
C. Prince William has made an effort to win young people’s admiration
D. many young British people do voluntary work
4.    According to the article, British people __________.
A. are all in favor of the royal family
B. can talk to the Queen through a podcast
C. pay for the royal family through the taxes
D. criticize the royal family through media and press