How much paper do you use every year? Maybe you can’t answer this question quickly. In 1900 the world’s use of paper was about one kilogram for each person in a year. Now some countries use 50 kilograms of paper for each person in a year. But countries like America, England and Sweden certainly use more paper than other countries.

   Paper was first made in China about 2000 years ago. It was made from the hair-like parts of certain plants. Paper was not made in southern Europe until about the year 1100. In 1500, a German named Schaeffer found out that one could make the best paper from trees. After that the forest countries of Canada, Sweden, America, Finland became the most important ones in paper making.

   When we think of paper, we think of newspapers, books and writing paper. But there are many other uses. Only half of the paper is used for books and things like that. Paper is very good for keeping you warm. Houses are often insulated(使绝缘, 隔离 ) with paper. You may see some men asleep on a large number of newspapers. They’re insulating themselves from the cold. In Finland the temperature is sometimes -40 centigrade (C). The farmers wear paper boots in the snow. Nothing could be warmer.

   Each year more and more things are made of paper. We have had paper cups and plates for a long time. But now we hear that chairs, tables and even beds can be made of paper. With paper boots and shoes, you can wear paper hats, paper dresses and paper raincoats. When you have used them away and buy new ones. People have made paper boats, but they haven’t made paper planes or cars. Just wait they perhaps will.

How much paper does each person use in a year in some countries now?

A. One kilogram   B. Fifteen kilograms  C. Fifty kilograms  D. Forty kilograms

______ use more paper than other countries.

A. Sweden   B. America   C. England    D.  A, B and C

When was paper first made in southern Europe?

A. 2000 years ago  B. In 1100  C. In 1500  D. In 1900

Why do farmers in Finland wear paper boots in the snow?

A. Because they are so poor that they can buy only paper boots

B. Because there are no other kinds of boots there

C. Because paper boots are warmer than anything else there

D. Because paper boots are so nice that they don’t like other kinds

What should the best title of passage be?

A. Paper and Its Uses                 B. Paper and Its History

C. Paper Was First Made in China       D. How Much Paper Is Used in A Year

How much paper do you use every year? Maybe you can’t answer this question quickly. In 1900 the world’s use of paper was about one kilogram for each person in a year. Now some countries use 50 kilograms of paper for each person in a year. But countries like America, England and Sweden certainly use more paper than other countries.
Paper was first made in China about 2000 years ago. It was made from the hair-like parts of certain plants. Paper was not made in southern Europe until about the year 1100. In 1500, a German named Schaeffer found out that one could make the best paper from trees. After that the forest countries of Canada, Sweden, America, Finland became the most important ones in paper making.
When we think of paper, we think of newspapers, books and writing paper. But there are many other uses. Only half of the paper is used for books and things like that. Paper is very good for keeping you warm. Houses are often insulated(使绝缘, 隔离 ) with paper. You may see some men asleep on a large number of newspapers. They’re insulating themselves from the cold. In Finland the temperature is sometimes -40 centigrade (C). The farmers wear paper boots in the snow. Nothing could be warmer.
Each year more and more things are made of paper. We have had paper cups and plates for a long time. But now we hear that chairs, tables and even beds can be made of paper. With paper boots and shoes, you can wear paper hats, paper dresses and paper raincoats. When you have used them away and buy new ones. People have made paper boats, but they haven’t made paper planes or cars. Just wait they perhaps will.

1. 1.

   How much paper does each person use in a year in some countries now?

   1. A.
      One kilogram
   2. B.
      Fifteen kilograms
   3. C.
      Fifty kilograms
   4. D.
      Forty kilograms
2. 2.

   ______ use more paper than other countries.

   1. A.
      Sweden
   2. B.
      America
   3. C.
      England
   4. D.
      A, B and C
3. 3.

   When was paper first made in southern Europe?

   1. A.
      2000 years ago
   2. B.
      In 1100
   3. C.
      In 1500
   4. D.
      In 1900
4. 4.

   Why do farmers in Finland wear paper boots in the snow?

   1. A.
      Because they are so poor that they can buy only paper boots
   2. B.
      Because there are no other kinds of boots there
   3. C.
      Because paper boots are warmer than anything else there
   4. D.
      Because paper boots are so nice that they don’t like other kinds
5. 5.

   What should the best title of passage be?

   1. A.
      Paper and Its Uses
   2. B.
      Paper and Its History
   3. C.
      Paper Was First Made in China
   4. D.
      How Much Paper Is Used in A Year

Last week, I bought an alarm system(报警系统) for about $ 450. It consisted of a control unit with three other small units. I put the control unit in the sitting room and fastened the other units by the front door, back door and living-room windows. The instructions told us to choose three numbers, so we chose 491, the last three numbers of our telephone number.

Now I must explain how the alarm works:

1. There is a power siren(警报器) in the control unit. It makes a very loud noise.

2. Each of the small units sends out beams(光束) or rays in different directions. If anything moves, it breaks a beam. This sends a signal to the control unit. The siren makes a noise that you can hear 50 meters away.

3. When we go to bed, I press the three buttons numbered 4, 9 and 1. Then we have 30 seconds to get out of the room before the alarm starts to work.

That might I slept soundly because I was sure that no burglar(夜贼) could get into our house. However, at about 2:10a.m., I woke up and heard the siren(警报).

“There must be a burglar in the house,” Mary said. “What shall we do?”

“I’ll go and see who’s there,” I said. “Stay here. Don’t make a noise.”

I went downstairs quietly. When I reached the living room, I switched on my torch and looked round the room. Then I turned the light on. I switched the siren off and searched the rooms downstairs. There was nothing wrong except that the back door was unlocked. I locked it, re-set the alarm and went back to bed.

About an hour later, the alarm started again. I jumped out of bed, fell over a chair in the dark and bumped into the bedroom door. Mary woke up and started hitting me with a torch. “Hey! Wait a minute!” I whispered. “It’s only me. I’ m going downstairs to see what’s wrong.”

I went down into the living room and listened for a moment. The only sound I could hear was the siren. I turned on the light and then switched the siren off. As I did so, I glanced across at the curtains in front of the windows. I saw a house lizard (蜥蜴) disappear behind the curtains.

“Oh!” I said to myself. “That’s our burglar.”

When the lizard moved, it started the siren. I guessed that the alarm had been made in Europe, where there are no house lizards.

Well, I won’t finish this story but if you want an alarm system free of charge, let me know. I’ll send you ours. We bought a dog this morning. It knows the difference between a lizard and a burglar.

39. The writer bought an alarm system to         .

 A．make sure that he got up early every day

 B．warn him when there were lizards in his house

 C．frighten burglars and tell him that somebody had got into the house

 D．make Mary feel safe to live in the large room

40. The purpose of the three units was to           .

 A．send a message to the control unit and start the siren

 B．sound their own sirens when the control unit told them to

 C．check that the control unit worked properly all the time

 D．give them enough light

41. If the writer set the alarm and remained in the room for more than half a minute,          .

 A．nothing would happen B．the control unit would not work

 C．the siren would make a noise D．the dog would bark

42. The purpose of the writer in writing the passage is to            .

 A．tell us that the alarm system doesn’t work

 B．tell us an interesting experience

 C．show us how the alarm system works

 D．make it clear that he wants to give away his alarm system