Collectors（收藏家） know just what to look for in a comic book. They always check the   __1   first. They like to find the books that came out between 1938 and 1945. These years   2   the Golden Age of comic books. Now these books are very expensive. The first copy(册) of Marvel Comics cost a little money   3   it came out. Now it is worth more than $100,000.

Collectors also look for the books in which a character   4   for the first time. The first Superman story tells how Superman came to Earth. This comic book might cost as much as $125,000.   5   a character from one comic book turns up in another one. When Batman（蝙蝠侠）is   6   in a Superman comic, the price of the book goes up. These books are called crossover books. They are worth more because there are not   7   of them.

Don’t let the high prices   8   you from starting a collection of your own. Comic books that came out after the Golden Age don’t cost so much. Today’s comic books are even   9   . You can enjoy them now and   10   them for their future value(价值).

1. A. place       B. date       C. size          D. price

2. A. followed    B. reached    C. marked       D. divided

3. A. when       B. if         C. before        D. but

4. A. appears     B. travels     C. acts          D. fails

5. A. Suddenly   B. Luckily     C. Actually      D. Sometimes

6. A. lost        B. wanted     C. shown        D. protected

7. A. any        B. some       C. all           D. many

8. A. keep       B. make       C. leave         D. throw

9. A. better        B. cheaper      C. more         D. thicker

10. A. record      B. borrow      C. save         D. change

Hundreds of years ago, news was carried from place to place by people on foot or by horse. It took days, weeks and sometimes months for people to receive news. Now it is possible to send words and pictures around the world in seconds. Billions of people learn about news of their country and all over the world every day, either by watching TV or reading newspapers.
Newspapers have been an important part of everyday life since 18th century. Many countries have hundreds of different newspapers. How do newspaper editors decide which news to print？ Why do they print some stories and not others? What makes a good newspaper story?
Firstly, it’s important to report news. TV stations can report news much faster than newspapers. Yet, newspapers give more about the story. They may also look at the story in another way, or they may print completely different stories from those on TV.
Secondly, a new story has to be interesting and unusual. People don’t want to read stories of everyday life. As a result, many stories are about some kind of danger and seem to be “bad” news. For example, newspapers never print stories about planes landing safely, instead they print stories about plane accidents.
Another factor(因素) is also very important. Many people are interested in news in foreign countries, but more prefer to read stories about people, places and events in their own country. So the stories on the front page in Chinese newspapers are usually very different from the ones in British, French and American newspapers.
【小题1】According to the passage, how do people learn about news in the world now?

A．They carry news stories and tell others from place to place on foot or by horse.

B．They tell each other what they have seen with their eyes.

C．They watch TV or read newspapers.

D．They listen to the radio every day.

【小题2】Newspapers have been an important part of the daily life since ______.

A．19th century

B．18th century

C．16th century

D．17th century

【小题3】The difference between newspaper stories and TV news reports is that ____.

A．people can learn more about the same news from a newspaper

B．people can read the news story more quickly in a newspaper

C．people can read news stories in other countries

D．people can read news stories about their own country

【小题4】To make a good newspaper story, how many factors does the passage talk about?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Five.

D．Six.

【小题5】Which is NOT TRUE in the passage?

A．Newspapers may print different stories from those on TV.

B．People like to read interesting and unusual news like plane accidents.

C．Many Chinese people have no interest in news in their own countries.

D．Newspapers have been an important part of everyday life for more than three hundred years.

Hundreds of years ago, news was carried from place to place by people on foot or by horse. It took days, weeks and sometimes months for people to receive news. Now it is possible to send words and pictures around the world in seconds(秒). Billions of people learn about news stories of their own country and all over the world every day, either by watching TV or reading newspapers.
Newspapers have been an important part of everyday life since the 18th century. Many countries have hundreds of different newspapers. How do newspaper editors(编辑) decide which news stories to print (印刷)? Why do they print some stories and not others? What makes a good newspaper story?                                                           
Firstly, it is important to report new stories. TV stations can report news much faster than newspapers. Yet, newspapers give more about the same story. They may also look at the story in another way, or they may print completely (完全地) different stories to those on TV.
Secondly, a news story has to be interesting and unusual. People don't want to read stories about everyday life As a result, many stories are about some kind of danger and seem to be "bad" news. For example, newspapers never print stories about planes landing safely, instead they print stories about plane accidents.
Another factor(因素) is also very important in many news stories. Many people are interested in news in foreign countries, but more prefer to read stories about people, places and events (事件) in their own country. So the stories on the front page in Chinese newspapers are usually very different from the ones in British, French and American newspapers.
【小题1】 According (根据) the passage, how do people learn about news stories in the world now?

A．They carry news stories and tell others from place to place oh foot or by horse.

B．They tell each other what they have seen with their eyes.

C．They watch TV or read newspapers.

D．They listen to the radio every day.

【小题2】  The difference between newspaper stories and TV news reports is that    .

A．people can learn more about the same news story from a newspaper

B．people can read the news story more quickly in a newspaper

C．people can read news stories in other countries

D．people can read news' stories about their own country

【小题3】 To make a good newspaper story, how many factors does the passage talk about?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Five.

D．Six.

【小题4】According to the passage, which of the following can you most possibly watch on TV?

A．You often play football with your friends after school.

B．Your teacher has got a cold.

C．A tiger in the city zoo has run out and hasn't been caught.

D．The bike in the front of your house is lost.

【小题5】Which of the following is Not True of this passage?

A．News stories on the front page of every country are always the same.

B．People like to read interesting and unusual news.

C．Not only TV but also newspapers can help people to learn what is happening around the world.

D．Newspapers have been an important part of everyday life for more than three hundred years.

When people want to know about the weather, they usually go to their radios, TVs, newspapers, or to the Internet. However, you can also find many weather signs among wildlife, because of their highly developed senses. Drops in air pressure produce an effect on small animals in many ways. Mice and deer are good weather indicators. People who spend a lot of time outdoors have observed that, before a storm, field mice come out of their holes and run around. Deer leave high ground and come down from the mountains.
Birds are especially good weather indicators because they also show the effect of a pressure drop in many ways. For example, some birds become irritable(暴躁) and quarrelsome and will fight over a piece of bread. Other birds chirp and sing just before a storm. It seems they know they won’t get another chance for an hour or two. Birds also look for safe places before a storm. You will sometimes see birds settling in trees or gathering together on a wire close to a building. Pre-storm low pressure make the air so thin that birds have difficulty flying.
It is unusual to see many birds flying overhead in the summertime, rather than during the periods in the spring or autumn. Watch for other weather signs if you see this. If they fly in the wrong direction, they may be flying ahead of a storm.
By paying closer attention to some important signs in nature, we can become better prepared for any kind of weather.
【小题1】The word “indicators” in paragraph 1 probably means          .

A．maps

B．services

C．signs

D．stations

【小题2】How can birds sense the coming of a storm?

A．By feeling a drop in air temperature.

B．By noticing the change of wind directions.

C．By feeling a drop in air pressure.

D．By noticing the movements of other animals.

【小题3】The best title for the text would be        .

A．Signs of a Storm	B．Drops in Air Pressure
C．Animals’ Sharp Senses	D．Nature’s Weather Signs