Once there was a girl called Arachne who was very proud of her skill at weaving. Many people came to see her 　 1　 her threads in red, blue, green or yellow that made her 　 2　 　　　　　　　

pictures glow with life. “The goddess Athene 　 3 　 have given you such a gift,” they said. But Arachne tossed her head. “No,” she replied 　 4 　 “I’ve taught myself everything I know. ” 　 5 those words, the goddess Athene decided to teach her a lesson. First she 　　 6　　 herself as an old woman and 　 7 　 Arachne’s door. When she opened it, the goddess warned her, “You shouldn’t compare yourself with the great Athene. You should be more 　 8 　 .” At that Arachne grew very angry. “ Let her come here and have a 　 9　 with me. Then we’ll see who’s better at weaving! ” 　 10　 Athene threw off her disguise and the contest began.

　 All day the two contestants wove bright 　11　 into marvellous pictures. Arachne’s was definitely 　 12　 in skill and design. At that Athene grew 　 13　 angry that she hit Archne. At once the girl became smaller and smaller. Her head disappeared and her body became 　 14　 . Her human arms and legs disappeared to be replaced with twice as many thinner insect-like　 15　 . As Arachne ran to hide, Athene laughed 　 16　 “You may live, Arachne, but you will do your weaving 　 17　 from now on. ” Hearing those words, Archne began to　 18　 a thread and to weave a pattern in the air. She had become the first　 19　 . Since then she has continued to recreate her lost 　 20　 beautiful masterpiece in her webs, and all other　 spiders have followed her.

1. A. color 　　　　　　　 B. do 　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. print 　　　　　　　　　　 D. describe

2. A. taken 　　　　　　　 B. woven 　　　　　　　　　 C. drawn 　　　　　　　　　 D. moved

3. A. should 　　　　　　　 B. could 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. must 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. might

4. A. proudly 　　　　　　　　　 B. angrily 　　　　　　　　　 C. kindly 　　　　　　　　　 D. friendly

5. A. Saying　　　　　　　 B. Finishing　　　　　　　　 C. Hearing 　 　　　　　　 D. Listening

6. A. disappointed 　　　　　 B. disguised 　　　　　　　　　　 C. discouraged 　　　　 D. disaffected

7. A. took on 　　　　　　　　　 B. put on 　　　　　　　　　 C. turned on 　　　　　　　　　　 D. knocked on

8. A. careful　　　　　　　 B. humble 　　　　　　　　 C. proud 　　　　　　　　　 D. honest

9. A. conversation 　　　　　 B. fight 　　　　　　　　　　 C. competition 　　　　　 D. meeting

10. A. Immediately 　　 B. Fortunately 　　　　　 C. Hopefully 　　　　　　　　　　 D. Generally

11. A. colors 　　　　　　　　　　 B. threads 　　　　　　　　 C. wool 　　　　　　　　　　 D. feather

12. A. superior 　　　　 B. inferior 　　　　　　　　 C. good 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. excellent

13. A. such 　　　　　　　 B. too 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. very 　　　　　　　　　　 D. so

14. A. longer　　　　　　　 B. prettier　　　　　　　　　 C. bigger　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. rounder

15. A. heads　　　 　　 B. eyes 　　　　　　　　　　 C. legs　　　　　　　　　　　 D. ears

16. A. unhappily 　　　 B. uncertainly 　　　　　 C. untruly 　　　　　　　　 D. unkindly

17. A. on the ground B. in the air 　　　　　　　 C. at home 　　　　　　　 D. on the wall

18. A. preserve 　　　　 B. press 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. prepare 　　　　　　　 D. produce

19. A. mosquito 　　　　 B. fly 　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. spider 　　　　　　　　　 D. insect

20. A. and　　　　　　　　　 B. or 　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. but　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. so

It's fourteen years since I left the Philippines to live with my family in the USA. A month ago, while on summer vacation back in my motherland, I learned a lesson from mosquito（蚊子）bites. Right before 41 Kennedy Airport in New York, my grandma 　42 me of the behavior of the native mosquitoes around the 　43 like me. She said, "There's an old saying—the 　44 you stay away from the motherland, the sweeter your blood 　45 to the mosquitoes. " Not 　46 it, I replied, "Grandma, that's just an old wives' tale!"

Well, less than a week 　47 my arrival in Manila, I was already carpeted with a 　48 of mosquito bites. I took many measures to keep myself from being 　49 , but they all proved useless.

Late one 　50 in my cousin's home, I couldn't bear the 　51 of the bites. Hoping to find some comfort, I 　52 my cousin, who was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to mine. Unhappy for being 　53 　she said, "There is nothing you can do. Go back to sleep. " With a few turns, she slept again. Enviously（妒嫉地） 54 her sleep, I hoped a big mosquito would 　55 on her face. However, the mosquitoes would just lightly dance around her forehead and fly away quickly, never biting her. Amazed（惊奇的）, I ran to others' 　56 , only to find they were all sleeping 　57 as the same thing occurred again and again.

From those bites, I came to 　58 my grandma's silly tale. From then on, I've always tried to keep a（n） 59 mind about those strange old wives' tales 　60 they do have some truth to them.

41. A. leaving　　　　 B. passing　　　 　　C. visiting　　　　　 D. finding

42. A. persuaded　 　 B. reminded　　　　 C. warned　　　　　 D. informed

43. A. students　　　 B. friends　　　　 　 C. passengers　　　 　 D. visitors

44. A. earlier　　 　　　 B. longer　　　　　 C. sooner　　　　　　 D. later

45. A. grows　　　 　 B. goes　　　　　　 C. flows　　　　　　 D. remains

46. A. expecting　 　　　 B. understanding 　　C. recognizing　　　　 D. believing

47. A. after　　　　　 B. before　　　　　 　 C. when　　　　　　 D. as

48. A. shade　　　 　　 B. pile　　　　　　 C. cloud　　　　　　 D. blanket

49. A. touched　　　 B. bitten　　　　 　　 C. defeated　　　　　 D. discovered

50. A. morning　　　 B. afternoon　　　 　　 C. evening　　　　　 D. night

51. A. noise　　　　 　 B. hit　　　　　　 　 C. pain　　　　　　　 D. effect

52. A. woke up　　　 B. shouted at　　　　 C. looked for　　　　 D. dropped on

53. A. blamed　　 　B. interrupted　　　　 C. moved　　　　　 　 D. frightened

54. A. having　　　 　 B. watching　　　　 C. making　　　　　 D. helping

55. A. land　　　 　　 B. fly　　　　　　 　 C. fall　　　　　　　 D. wait

56. A. houses　　　　 B. flats　　　　　　 C. rooms　　　　　　 D. homes

57. A. joyfully　　　 B. anxiously　　　 　　 C. soundlessly　　　　 D. worriedly

58. A. tell　　　　　 B. know　　　　　 　 C. remember　　　 　 D. accept

59. A. open　　　　 B. active　　　　 　　　 C. clear　　　　　　 D. honest

60. A. and　　　　　 B. so　　　　　　　 　 C. because　　　　　 D. until

　 Get a reward for every bug you bring to live in new science museum exhibit.

In a city with trillions of American cockroaches(蟑螂), the Houston Museum of Natural Science has agreed to pay a quarter per bug－up to 1,000－as it seeks to populate a new insect exhibit alongside its Cockrell Butterfly Center.

Nancy Greig, the museum’s director insists the public payday for roaches isn’t just a marketing ploy(炒作).

“Absolutely, this wasn’t devised as a joke,” Greig said. “We needed more roaches for the exhibit, so I sent this message out to everyone in the museum asking people to bring them in. Well, someone decided to tell the press, and all hell has broken loose.”

“But we really do need cockroaches.”

“One might be forgiven for never considering how to catch a live cockroach. But it’s simple enough to fool them,” Greig said, “and even easier to catch them.” American cockroaches are the most common kind in Texas, measuring up to 2 inches long and invading homes.

Despite their less-than-attractive reputation, cockroaches actually aren’t that dirty. Greig even went so far as to call them “fastidious” saying they don’t enjoy rooting(用嘴拱食) in waste. They’re only dirty if, say, they used a sewer(下水道)line to gain access into a home.

The roaches collected by the museum will become part of a display in a new exhibit that showcases insects such as cockroaches, dung beetles and termites.

There’s more to like about roaches, too. They don’t bite, and they don’t carry diseases like a mosquito, so they’re generally safe to handle.

1 For what does the museum pay for cockroaches?

A. For a marketing ploy.　　　　　　　　　　 B. It’s devised to make fun.

C. People really need them.　　　　　　　　　 D. For a new exhibit.

2. The underlined word “fastidious” probably means extremely ________.

A. clean　　　　　　 B. dirty　　　　　 C. unpleasant　　　　　 D. fast　　　　

3. What do we know about American roaches?

A. It’s not easy for people in Houston to collect roaches.

B. They all measure 2 inches and are often found in homes

C. They don’t bite and they are free of disease.

D. We have reasons to like them.