The other day, I happened to meet someone I hadn’t seen for many years. I couldn’t believe the change in him. In fact, he didn’t even seem like the ___16___ person.

   When I first knew Bill, back in college he was one of the most carefree(无忧无虑) people I had ever ___17___. Bill and I were in the same class in college, and ___18___ was never dull(枯燥的) when he was ___19___. With him there was one wild adventure (探险) after another. Sometimes I wonder how we ___20___ to study for our exams.

Last week I was in Huston on business and I ran into Bill in the bar at the hotel. At first I wasn’t ___21___ sure it was him. Was this short-haired businessman really the same person? I wasn’t really sure until I came near him but it indeed was Bill. Now he works for a bank. He talked most of the evening about his job, his new car and his house. How he had changed! Back when we were in college, the ___22___ thing Bill cared about was possessions(财物). Now they seemed to be his main ___23____.

I suppose it’ s ____24____ to expect people to remain the same, especially when I have changed so much myself. But I must say that I enjoyed the old Bill much more than the new one. Maybe he ___25____ the same way about me.

1.A. proper            B. same             C. usual              D. right

2.A. considered        B. supposed          C. met               D. expected

3.A. learning          B. life               C. work              D. fun

4.A. in               B. out               C. away              D. around

5.A. decided          B. continued          C. managed           D. hoped

6.A. more            B. less               C. still               D. even

7.A. first             B. last               C. next               D. only

8.A. interest           B. event             C. subject            D. problem

9.A. unnecessary       B. foolish            C. common           D. unusually

10.A. felt             B. acted             C. looked             D. discovered

 

The other day Roy Price went “home”to his sister’s house. It’s her home now; and it’s also the house he was born in, Pat, his sister, kissed him and said, “You haven’t changed much, Roy. Let me see, now – when did we meet last?”

    “Thirty years ago,”he answered.“I came here for a week, do you remember? And I was right thirty then.”He added, “You’ve changed very little.”But it wasn’t true. Pat looked like an old lady.

    The next morning Roy walked through the small town alone. The place looked very different. There were lots of traffic signs beside the roads. There was a new car park, a new post office, a new… . He remembered suddenly that the bus used to stop anywhere: you just put up your hand and it stopped. One surprise followed another. But Roy’s biggest surprise was the people. He didn’t recognize（认识）anybody at all. He thought perhaps everyone here seemed old. He went into the post office and bought some stamps. “Where are all the children and young people?”he asked the postmaster. The old fellow looked up and answered, “Children? They’re in school, of course.”

    At lunch Pat said, “The town looks nice, doesn’t it?”

    “It’s all different, Pat. It used to be an exciting place, but now it’s full of old people. I don’t understand…”

    “There are a few newcomers, but the ones we knew are still here. You’re not young yourself, Roy, are you?”

1. The house Roy was born in is now his ___________ home.

    A. mother’s                  B. sister’s                            C. new                  D. own

2. In the eyes of Roy, the small town looked ___________ and people seemed ___________.

    A. different, old             B. different, young        C. old, young         D. old, new

3. In the passage the writer mainly wants to tell us that ___________.

    A. people in the small town were old like Roy’s sister

    B. Roy hasn’t changed much but his sister has changed a lot

    C. Roy’s hometown has changed a lot since he left 30 years ago

    D. Roy didn’t recognize anybody because he had been away for 30 years

The ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way. Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.
“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group in Scotland. “There is certainly a lot of energy in waves.”
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity. The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy, and it is already being used in Scotland.
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. “The winds start out by making little ripples (波纹) in the water, but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves,” Taylor said. “Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.”
When waves come towards the coast, people can set up dams(大坝) to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine(涡轮). The turbine can then power an electrical generator(发电机).
We will never run out of wave power. Besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as oil and coal do.
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface. That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world. But there are some disadvantages that need us to pay more attention to.
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money. He said that its influence on animals in the sea is still unknown. Besides, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic.
With more research, “Many of these problems might be solved,” Taylor said. “Finding more energy sources(资源) is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day.”
In the future, when you turn on a light button, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

【小题1】We can learn from the passage that__________________.

A．almost every country is making use of the wave power at present

B．it is necessary for us to develop wave power instead of oil and coal

C．wave power will be sure to make some bad influence on sea animals

D．scientists are making efforts to find new ways of fishing and boat traffic

【小题2】What does the fourth paragraph tell us?

A．Why scientists are doing the research on wave power.

B．What experience that scientists have achieved so far.

C．How the wave energy forms and grows bigger.

D．Which countries are trying out wave power.

【小题3】What’s the writer’s attitude towards wave power?

A．The writer believes that wave power will be used widely by man.

B．The writer doubts if wave energy can be changed into electricity.

C．The writer is sure the experiments will come to the end some day.

D．The writer thinks that wave power isn’t worth researching at all.

【小题4】What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Sea Animals and Wave Power.

B．How Do We Get Wave Energy?

C．The Advantages of Wave Power.

D．Can Waves Make Electricity?

The expression “down to earth” means being open and honest. It is easy to get on with some one who is down to earth. A down-to-earth person is the opposite of someone who acts important or proud.
Down-to-earth people could be important members of society. But they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. A person who is filed with his own importance and pride is said to have his nose in the air.
Americans use another expression that is similar in some ways to down to earth. The expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality（现实）. He may have dreams, but he does not allow them to have influence on his understanding of what is real.
The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds. Someone with his head in the clouds is a person whose mind is not on what is happening in real life. Such a person may be called a day－dreamer.
When we have both our feet on the ground, and when we are down to earth, we do not have our noses in the air. We act honestly and openly to others. Our lives are like the ground below us— solid(牢固的) and strong.
【小题1】A down-to-earth person could be_____________.

A．social and proud

B．good and opposite

C．real and important

D．strong and changeable

【小题2】The expression “has one’s nose in the air” means_____________.

A．眉飞色舞

B．目中无人

C．瞻前顾后

D．春风得意

【小题3】This passage mainly talks about_____________.

A．the use of some expressions	B．dreams and achievements
C．the lifestyle of honest people	D．honesty and understanding

【小题4】If you want to understand what is real in life, you have to_____________.

A．get along with other people easily	B．learn from those who are down to earth
C．be a good dreamer with quick mind	D．have both your feet on the ground

【小题5】If you only consider your own importance, __________.

A．you’ll think you are better than others

B．your life will be like the solid and strong ground

C．you’ll be hated by down-to-earth people

D．your life will be filed with love

The expression “down to earth” means being open and honest. It is easy to get on with some one who is down to earth. A down-to-earth person is the opposite of someone who acts important or proud.
Down-to-earth people could be important members of society. But they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. A person who is filed with his own importance and pride is said to have his nose in the air.
Americans use another expression that is similar in some ways to down to earth. The expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality（现实）. He may have dreams, but he does not allow them to have influence on his understanding of what is real.
The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds. Someone with his head in the clouds is a person whose mind is not on what is happening in real life. Such a person may be called a day－dreamer.
When we have both our feet on the ground, and when we are down to earth, we do not have our noses in the air. We act honestly and openly to others. Our lives are like the ground below us— solid(牢固的) and strong.
【小题1】A down-to-earth person could be_____________.

A．social and proud

B．good and opposite

C．real and important

D．strong and changeable

【小题2】The expression “has one’s nose in the air” means_____________.

A．眉飞色舞

B．目中无人

C．瞻前顾后

D．春风得意

【小题3】This passage mainly talks about_____________.

A．the use of some expressions	B．dreams and achievements
C．the lifestyle of honest people	D．honesty and understanding

【小题4】If you want to understand what is real in life, you have to_____________.

A．get along with other people easily	B．learn from those who are down to earth
C．be a good dreamer with quick mind	D．have both your feet on the ground

【小题5】If you only consider your own importance, __________.

A．you’ll think you are better than others

B．your life will be like the solid and strong ground

C．you’ll be hated by down-to-earth people

D．your life will be filed with love