For years and years people have been saying that railways are dead. “We can do without railways,” people say—as if cars and planes have made railways unnecessary. We all keep hearing that trains are slow, lose money and are dying. But this is far from the truth. In these days of expensive oil, railways have become highly competitive with cars 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 straight line and so does a railway. What is more, a railway takes you from the heart of a city center. It doesn’t stop you as a car does on crowded roads. And no plane or car can ever carry as many goods as one train does.
Far from being dead, railways are much alive. Modern railway lines give you a comfortable journey. Where else can you eat well, sleep comfortably, feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are traveling at the same time? And we are only the beginning, for we have just entered the age of super-fast trains, which are traveling 150 miles an hour and more. Soon we will be wondering why we spent so much on highways and planes we can’t fly in because we don’t have enough money to buy the oil.
【小题1】Some people think railways are dying because______.

I have spent years of my life traveling all over the world. When I arrive in a new country or city, usually I am _1__ and go to bed. For this reason my first day or night in any__2__place is always quiet and very little happens.

But my first night in Algeciras was very different. This night was very__3__and unusual.

At that time Alseciras in Southern Spain was a dirty and__4__looked-after city. I arrived late in the evening by boat. As soon as I got off the boat, I went to look for a __5__ . I find a small one not far from the boat.

This hotel looked dirty and untidy from the outside. But I was very tired and did not know my __6__ around the city of Algecras. And so I decided to stay in this __7__ hotel on the quay (码头). I also decided to stay in this hotel for another__8__. The moon was full and it was a clear,  bright night. From the hotel I could_9__the sea. I could see the huge rock of Gibraltar in the bright moonlight.

The hotel had a narrow _10__and no name. When I went through this doorway, I had to climb up narrow and dark stairs to the first floor. I __11__ a small cupboard with a desk in front of it. This was the hotel office.

An untidy and tired woman was sitting beside the __12__. When I said I wanted a room for the night, she took me __13__some more stairs to a room on the second floor. Inside this room the landlord was sitting playing cards with some friends. He was__14__his game of cards and I was simply a nuisance (讨厌的人). He looked at me when the woman told him that I wanted a room, Then he said, Room Five, and   __15__to his game of cards.

1.                A．frightened      B．excited         C．tired D．satisfied

2.                A．old            B．new           C．famous   D．unknown

3.                A．interesting      B．common        C．forgetful  D．strange

4.                A．badly          B．well            C．wrongly  D．slowly

5.                A．guide          B．driver          C．hotel D．dinner

6.                A．friend          B．address         C．home    D．way

7.                A．small           B．large           C．expensive D．funny-looking

8.                A．memory        B．person         C．reason   D．sight-seeing

9.                A．look down      B．find out         C．study D．forget

10.               A．bedroom       B．doorway        C．stairs D．river

11.               A．ran out of       B．picked up       C．painted   D．came to

12.               A．bed           B．office          C．desk  D．doorway

13.               A．over           B．down          C．up   D．under

14.               A．tired of         B．enjoying        C．buying    D．throwing

15.               A．turned back     B．began          C．took back  D．finished

阅读理解

　　Though chopsticks are used in many Asian countries. they have their beginnings in China. Chinese history says that the Chinese had chopsticks as far as the Xia Dynasty (朝代) (about 4, 000 years ago) In the Spring and Autumn period (时期)copper and iron chopsticks appeared . With the Han Dynasty lacquered (上漆)chopsticks came ,followed by gold and silver chopsticks still later .Today we have chopsticks made of plastics .The most expensive are made of part of tusks of elephants and hard green stone.

　　Chopsticks tell Chinese tradition in their way .In ancient (古代的)times the rich used hard green stone or gold chopsticks to show their wealth (富有).In history many kings used silver chopsticks to take their food to see if it was poisonous (有毒的).It was said that if it was ,the silver chopsticks would turn colour .Chopsticks are traditionally given to a daughter when she marries to show that they should have a son very soon ,for “Chopsticks”in Chinese is pronounced like “quick a son”!

　　Though chopsticks from Hangzhou, wooden chopsticks from Shanyang of Shanxi Province, and Beijing's chopsticks are well-known.

　　Many westerners , businessmen ,tourists put aside (一边)their knives and forks in favour (喜爱) of chopsticks in China

　　Chopsticks appeared in the old Chinese story: an old man teaches his sons a lesson by showing how he could easily break a single chopstick but not a number of them .In China chopsticks are connected with good luck .So on the country's New Year's Eve many families will lay out new chopsticks at dinners as a way of making requests for luck.

(1) Chopsticks have their beginnings in________ .

[　　]

(2) Chopsticks and iron chopsticks appeared in________ .

[　　]

(3) The history of chopsticks can tell us ________.

[　　]

A. something about Chinese food

B. nothing but how many kinds of chopsticks are used in China

C. about the lives of Chinese kings

D. much about Chinese way of life in the past

(4) Many Westerners in China like to use ________.

[　　]

A．chopsticks

B. their knives

C. their forks

D. chopsticks and knives and forks at the same time

(5)Chinese use chopsticks _________.

[　　]

A. to lift food to the mouth only

B. to teach others a lesson only

C. in many other ways besides taking food

D. in many other ways except except taking food