For years and years people have been saying that the railways are dead．“We can do without railways” people say，as if motorcars and planes made the railways unnecessary．We all keep hearing that trains are slow，that they lose money，that they’re dying．But this is far from the truth．In these days of expensive oil，the railways have become highly competitive with motorcars and planes．If you want to carry people or goods from place to place，they’re cheaper than planes．And they have much in common with planes．A plane goes in a strange line and so does a railway．What is more，it takes you from the heart of a city into the heart of another．It doesn’t 1eave you as a plane does，miles and miles from the city center．It doesn’t hold you up as a car does，in endless traffic jams．And a single train can carry goods which no plane or motorcar could ever do．Far from being dead，the railways are very much alive．Modern railway lines give you a smooth，untroubled journey．Where else can you eat well，sleep in comfort，feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are traveling at speed at the same time? And we are only at the beginning．For we have just entered the age of super-fast trains, traveling at 1 50 miles an hour and more．Soon we will be wondering why we spent so much on motorways we can't use because we have not enough money to buy the oil and planes we can't fly in for the same reason.

Some people think the railways are dead for many reasons except that ______   ．

  A．planes and motorcars will take the place of trains  B．oil is expensive today

  C．trains are slow                              D．railways lose money

The writer’s idea seems to be that ______   ．

  A. we can do without railways    B．trains have much in common with motorcars and planes

  C．motorcars and planes are not as good as trains D．trains are as good as motorcars and planes

According to the writer，which of the following is NOT true?

  A．It is cheaper to travel by train than by plane．

  B．The railway station is usually at the center of a city．

  C．When you get off the plane you will find yourself right in the city center．

  D．No motorcar or plane can carry as many goods as a train does．

From the underlined sentence at the end of the passage，we can infer that    ．

  A．1ess and less people will take planes and motorways in the future

  B．the people have known that the train is better than planes and motorways

  C．trains will be more popular in the future

  D．nobody likes spending much money on motorways

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is one of the world's greatest art museums. Millions of people have entered its doors to see paintings by the world's fine artists. But if these priceless masterpieces are to be preserved, the Gallery must protect them carefully. The Gallery's 135-man guard force has successfully prevented them from being stolen, but protecting the paintings from nature is a greater problem.

In past times, the owners of paintings did not protect them from damaging changes in humidity (湿度) and temperature. As a result, the life of these paintings were shortened. In the National Gallery, however, humidity and temperature are carefully controlled. The building is air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter. The air-conditioning and heating system are so important to the life of the painting that the Gallery has two of each system. If one should fail, the extra one can take over.

Light is another enemy of paintings. Ultraviolet rays (紫外线) in light cause paintings to fade (褪色).  Long ago, paintings often hung in dark churches and palaces. A coat of varnish (清漆) was a protection from the weak light. But when museums took over the care of many paintings, they were often hung in brighter light than before. Soon they were in danger of fading. The damaging effects of light were increased when the museums removed the varnish coating, yellowed with age.

To protect its paintings, the National Gallery put a special kind of glass in its skylights. This glass allows visible lights to enter the building but it keeps out harmful ultraviolet rays. The Gallery has also developed new and better varnishes which help to keep paintings from fading. Thanks to these new precautions, many of the world's greatest paintings are being well protected for future generations to enjoy.

1.The text mainly tells us about ______.

A．the guard force in the National Gallery

B．protecting great paintings from nature

C．priceless paintings of past times

D．the air-conditioning and heating systems in the National Gallery

2.The underlined word "precautions" in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______.  

A．decorations

B．problems

C．suggestions

D．applications

3.From the text we can infer that_______.

A．great artists painted in dark churches and palaces

B．you can touch these paintings while you are in the National Gallery

C．the care of the world's greatest paintings is both a big responsibility and a great challenge

D．the guard force in the Gallery has not done a good job

    A new enemy is threatening Japanese traditions: leisure（闲暇）. As part of its attempt to increase imports, the government is trying to get people to work less and spend more. The workers are disgusted.

The figures support the western prejudice（偏见） that the Japanese are all work and no play. Trying to force workers away from their desks and machines, the government said last April that the country should cut down from its 2,100 hours average work year to 1,899 hours and a five-day week by 1992. Beginning in February, banks and stock markets will be closed on Saturdays, staff of civil service will be forced out of their offices two Saturdays a month. The government hopes that others will follow that practice.

But some persuasion will be needed. Small companies are very angry about it and they fear competitors may not cut hours. The unions are no happier: they have even advertised in newspapers arguing their case against the foreign pressure that is forcing leisure upon them. They say that shorter hours are a disguised（隐性的） pay cut. The industrialists, who have no objection to the government’s plans, admit that shorter hours will help them cut costs. Younger Japanese who are supposed to be acting against their hard-working parents, show no sign of wanting time off, either. But unlike older workers, they do spend money in their spare time. Not content with watching television, they dance, dress up, sit in cafes, go to pop concerts and generally drive the leisure-industry boom. Now that they know how to consume, maybe the West can teach them to relax and enjoy themselves, too.

1．The purpose of getting the Japanese to have more spare time is that ______________.

         A．the government wants to show more concern for the health of the people

         B．the government needs to get more goods from abroad

         C．the Japanese have been working too hard

         D．the Japanese hope to change the western prejudice

2．The group of people who welcome the shorter-hour system in Japan is______________.

         A．the small companies B．the industrialists

         C．the unions          D．the younger generation

3．The unions think that______________.

         A．the shorter hours they work, the higher pay the can get

         B．the more they work, the less leisure they can enjoy

         C．the shorter hours they work, the less pay they can have

         D．the greater pressure the government is forcing on them, the less happy they can be

4．The best title for this passage can be ______________

         A．Oh no! Not Saturday Again!      B．Leisure: the Greatest Threat!

         C．Enjoy While You are Young!       D．Less Work and More Play!

.--- I’m sorry I stepped outside for a smoke. I was very tired..

--- There is no ________ for this while you are on duty.

[1]People visit other countries for many reasons．Some travel on business；others travel to visit interesting places that are only found in other countries，such as the Taj Mahal (泰姬陵)in India，or the temples of Thailand．

[2] Wherever you go, and for whatever reason，it is important to be safe．A tourist can attract a lot of attention from local people．While the majority of people you will meet when traveling are sure to be friendly and welcoming, there are dangers—theft being the most common．Just as in your home country, do not expect everyone you meet to be friendly and helpful．It is important to prepare for your trip in advance, and to take precautions while you are traveling．

[3] As you prepare for your trip, make sure you have the right paperwork．You don't want to get to your destination only to find you have the wrong visa，or worse，that your passport is about to expire．Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance, so that if _________________ during your travels，you will be able to get treatment．If you want to drive while you are abroad，make sure you have an international driver's license．

[4]Buy a guidebook and read about the local customs of the country you are going to．Also, try to learn a few basic words and phrases—don't assume that the local people will speak your language．

[5]When you get to your destination, use official transport．Always go to bus and taxi stands; don't accept rides from strangers who offer you a lift．If there is no meter in the taxi, agree on a price before you get in．If you prefer to stay in cheap hotels while traveling，make sure you can lock the door of your room from the inside．If you are traveling with valuables such as jewelry, or a lot of cash, you should ask about a safe for storing them in．Finally, remember to smile．Smiling is the friendliest and most sincere form of communication, and is sure to be understood in any part of the world!

1.Try to give the passage a proper title．（within 10 words）

_______________________________________________________________________________

2.Please fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with a proper sentence．（within 10 words）

_______________________________________________________________________________

3.Which sentence in the passage is the closest in meaning to the following one?

Even at your local place，you shouldn't be upset if someone couldn't offer help when needed．

_______________________________________________________________________________

4.What's the main idea of the last paragraph? （each within 15 words）

_______________________________________________________________________________

5.What is the most important when you travel?

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