Jones worked so hard that made the sparks fly from his hammer．The son of Mr．Smith, a rich neighbor, used to come to see the blacksmith and he would enjoy himself watching how the tradesman worked．"Why don’t you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks?" said the blacksmith．"Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you." The lazy boy began to see what he could do．But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.
Old Mr．Smith died and the son on account of the war lost all his goods．He had to leave home and was forced to take up residence in another country．It so happened that in this village there were numerous shoemakers who were spending a lot of money to buy tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers’ shoes.
Young Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that he had learned the art of making tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers．He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in his workshop．The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer．"How funny it seems," he used to say, "even making tacks can bring a fortune．My trade is more useful to me than were all my former riches."From Paragraph 1 we can refer that _______
| A．Jones was a blacksmith from another country |
| B．Old Smith wanted his son to learn skill from Jones |
| C．Young Smith was too lazy to learn to make shoe tacks |
| D．Young Smith was good at making shoe tacks by accident |
The reason why young Smith was forced to leave his home town is that ______
| A．he was lazy and wasted all the money from his father |
| B．the price of shoe tacks in another country was high |
| C．his father died and left nothing for him |
| D．there was a terrible which broke his peace |
We can learn from the last paragraph that Young Smith _______
| A．made a living in the village by selling bread |
| B．worked in the workshop as a shoemakers |
| C．was good at making soldier shoes |
| D．lived a better life in the village than before |
Which of the following well-known sayings can best tell the main idea of the passage?
| A．Knowledge is no burden. |
| B．Where there’s a will, there’s a way. |
| C．You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. |
| D．Time lost cannot be recalled. |
Julio loves to visit his grandmother．He doesn’t get to visit her very often because his family lives in a city that is six hours away．His grandmother lives in a big wooden house on a farm .It is old and looks as if it has secret hiding places .
On the third Sunday of June ,Julio’s parents took him to his grandmother’s .Since it was summer vacation ,he was going to stay at grandmother’s for a whole mother ! His cousins Mario and Linda would soon be arriving .They would also be staying at their grandmother’s this summer.
A big porch（走廊）wraps around two sides of the house .Julio sat in the porch swing .He could see the trees that circle the house．They had been planted as a windbreak .They protect the house from the wind and blowing dirt .The house is in the middle of a large ,flat field.
Julio watched the dirt road that leads to the house .He couldn’t wait for his cousins to get there !Mario was his age ,and Linda was a year younger .They had fun together .Last summer they spent one whole morning making a fort out of sacks of seed .Then Uncle Henry had taken them on a tractor ride.
Julio remembered another time with his cousins .They had gone out to explode the fields．Julio touched an electric fence and got a shock .Then they found an old snakeskin .Nothing like that ever happened at his own home!
Julio could smell the dinner that his grandmother was cooking .It made him hungry.
Finally he saw a cloud of dust coming up the road．“They ‘re here! There’re here!” He shouted.The story tells about Julio and his cousins doing all of the following except_______．
| A．watching old movies |
B．taking a tractor ride |
| C．finding a snakeskin |
D．making a fort from seed sacks |
How do you think Julio felt when he saw his cousins arriving?
| A．He was worried |
B．He was excited |
C．He was angry |
D．He was sad. |
After Julio’s cousins arrived ,what would probably happen next?______．
| A．They would build a fort on the hill. |
| B．They would look for snake skins. |
| C．They would climb the trees in their grandmother’s yard |
| D．They would eat dinner at their grandmother’s house. |
These boxes show events that happened in the story .What is in box 2?
| Julio went to Grandmother’s house |
|
Julio thought about Another visit to grandmother’s |
| A．Julio’s cousins arrived at Grandmother’s house. |
| B．Julio could smell dinner cooking. |
| C．Julio sat in the porch swing. |
| D．Julio saw a cloud of dust coming up the road. |
Talking to Teachers—Teachers are just people．Behind that desk, is a living, breathing human being．And just like any human being, they will probably be friendly to people who talk nicely to them．Teachers also seem to get along better with children who take schoolwork seriously and are prepared for class．And, just like any other human being, teachers like to be appreciated．The next time your teacher helps you solve a math problem or figure out a science project, say thank you with a smile.
Talking to Parents—Parents can be very supportive if their children ask for help．If you think there’s something your parents can do to help you socialize more or feel more comfortable around people, then ask them．Very often, parents want very much to help, but really don’t know what to do．Pick a quiet time of the day and ask to talk．Tell them how you feel．Maybe they had the same trouble when they were kids.
This Stranger Thing—This is always a tough one．How do you deal with a neighbor, the mail carrier, or someone walking down your street—situations that often seem to cause arguments between kids and parents．The answer to these questions will vary from kid to kid, from parent to parent because all cultures are different．Some folks live in small towns where a hello to everyone is “what’s done”．Then there are kids who live in the city who may have been taught not to speak to anyone they don’t know．If you’re having trouble with this and always feel awkward in these kinds of situations, you might want to talk to your parents or a teacher about it．Where do they think you should draw the line? When is silence rude and when is it wise?From the first paragraph we may learn that teachers dislike____ .
| A．being talked to nicely |
| B．their students to be serious with the schoolwork |
| C．the students’ appreciation |
| D．the students who are not ready for classes |
If your parents are not supportive and you are not getting along quite well with your parents, who or what is to blame?
| A．Your parents. | B．Yourself. |
| C．Lack of communication. | D．Your teachers. |
The underlined word in the third paragraph is close in meaning to____.
| A．afraid | B．puzzled | C．strange | D．familiar |
The passage doesn’t say but it implies that in daily communication____.
| A．arguments often happen between kids and parents |
| B．we should talk to the neighbors and other people according to different cultures |
| C．city people and country people greet in the same way |
| D．we should fit our words with proper situations |
“Mom, can I bake some bread?” We were 15, my best friend, Hanna, and I, determined to try our hands at creating some beautiful bread.
“It’s not worth the trouble,” my mother said. “It takes lots of time and makes a big mess. Our bakery bread is delicious without all that effort.”
Begging was useless. Mom’s “no” meant “No!”
But several weeks later, opportunity knocked: My parents were going out for the evening. I immediately invited Hanna to be my partner in bread-baking crime.
We studied the recipe. That was easy. “Mix oil into flour then beat in four of the eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt.”
We were not good at breaking eggs. I tried to learn from my mother.
“Gradually add eight cups of flour. When dough (面团) holds together, squeeze it.”
We took turns working like that. “Is the dough ‘holding together’?” we asked each other.
I remembered my neighbor’s instructions: “If it’s too sticky, add some flour; if too dry, add water.”
We added water. Then more flour. Then more water. By then, the mass of our dough had grown very much.
“Place dough on floured surface and squeeze till smooth,” the recipe instructed.
We took turns burying our hands in the damp dough, pinching, squeezing, and feeling it leak between fingers.
“Clean and oil bowl, then return dough to bowl. Cover and let dough rise in warm place for 1 hour.”
This was good news --- we’d have a break. On dirtied kitchen chairs, we dreamed about our beautiful bread. “See?” we would tell my mom. “Isn’t it worth the work?”
Hanna and I couldn’t help glancing at the rising process every few minutes. But nothing was happening.
“Maybe something will happen in the hot oven,” I said.
Unfortunately, when we removed the loaves from the oven, they were like hard stones.
Mom was right; it takes time and effort. It sometimes makes a mess. But still it feels good, somehow, to be part of that long, ongoing chain of bread bakers. Since that night, both Hanna and I have learned to do it right.To the writer, what her mother said was __________.
| A．law | B．rubbish | C．advice | D．warning |
Which of the following can best describe the children’s feelings while making their first bread?
| A．Confident; hopeful; disappointed. | B．Curious; hopeful; disappointed. |
| C．Interested; excited; satisfied. | D．Worried; satisfied; proud. |
Which of the following did the writer do without instructions?
| A．Placed dough on floured surface. | B．Added eight cups of flour to eggs. |
| C．Returned dough to a cleaned bowl. | D．Placed the dough into the hot oven. |
The passage mainly tells us ______________.
| A．the process of making bread | B．the conflict between mother and daughter |
| C．the first experience of making bread | D．the way of doing housework |
Testing has taken the place of teaching in most public schools. Pretests, drills, tests, and retests. They know that the best way to read a textbook is to look at the questions at the end of the chapter and then read the text quickly for the answers. I believe that my daughter Erica, who gets excellent marks, has never read a chapter of any of her school textbooks all the way through. And teachers are often heard to say proudly and openly that they teach to the test.
Teaching to the test is a curious phenomenon（现象）. Instead of deciding what skills students ought to learn, helping students learn them, and then using some methods of assessment（评价） to discover whether students have mastered the skills, teachers are encouraged to teach the students in the opposite way. First one looks at a test. Then one chooses the skills needed not to master reading, but to do well in the test. Finally, the test skills are taught.
The ability to read or write might suggest the ability to do reasonably well on standardized tests. However, neither reading nor writing develops simply through being taught to take tests. We must be careful to avoid mistaking preparations for a test of a skill with the acquisition（习得）of that skill. Too many discussions of basic skills make this misunderstanding because people are tested rather than concerned with the nature and quality of what is taught.
Recently, many schools have faced what could be called the crisis of comprehension or, in simple words, the phenomenon of students with grammar skills still being unable to understand what they read. These students are quite good at test taking and filling in workbooks. However, they have little or no experience reading or thinking, and talking about what they read. They know the details but can’t see or understand the whole. They are taught to be so concerned with grades that they have no time to think about meaning, and reread things if necessary. The author mentions Erica’s performance in her study in order to show_________.
| A．her cleverness in test taking | B．the good way to take tests |
| C．the improper way of teaching | D．the best way to read textbooks |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The teachers are curious about teaching to the test. |
| B．Skills in general are not only useless but often mislead students. |
| C．Ability to read and write has nothing to do with ability to do well in tests. |
| D．Preparations for a test of a skill do not mean the acquisition of that skill. |
In the author’s opinion, __________.
| A．some good methods of assessment should take the place of tests |
| B．more attention should be paid to the nature and quality of what is taught |
| C．students should not be concerned with grades but do more reading and thinking |
| D．students needn’t learn grammar skills because they are useless for understanding |
By “crisis of comprehension” (in Paragraph 4) the author means many students ______.
| A．are too much concerned with grades |
| B．fail to understand the real goal of education |
| C．lack proper practice in grammar drills |
| D．do well on tests but can’t understand what they read |
Most, if not all, Chinese have become richer thanks to 28 years of reform and opening up. But are we any happier?
Various surveys attempt to answer this question. Though experts have presented varying percentages based on different standards, their answers tend to find we are generally happier, and the number of optimists rises each year. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ 2006 Blue Book on social progress says 70 per cent of rural and urban citizens surveyed in 2005 reported a feeling of happiness and were optimistic about their futures.
But each survey shows a worrisome fact that 10 per cent, at the lowest, of citizens were not content with their lives or not hopeful about the future. We cannot be content with the fact that at least 130 million of our countrymen are not happy.
Although a sense of happiness remains a luxury（奢望）for many of our countrymen because of poverty, we agree wealth is not the only factor of happiness. For most of us, except the extremely rich and naturally born optimists, there simply are too many variables (可变物) that may kill the feeling of happiness. These include, but are not limited to, rising housing prices, tight and instable job market, back-breaking schooling expenses and medical bills.
The most common one, however, is a low sense of security (安全). Some experts pointed that in the low-and-middle income group there was too much uncertainty regarding employment, income, housing, medical situations, and education. How can you feel happy when you always have to prepare yourself for the unexpected?
It may be beyond the government’s reach, not to mention duty, to guarantee (保证) higher income for every citizen. But it does have a burden to create an environment where all citizens can feel a reasonable level of security.From the second paragraph we learn _____________________.
| A．70 % of Chinese people feel happy and optimistic about their future |
| B．the data and the conclusions of the surveys are the same |
| C．the surveys about the sense of happiness were carried out in 2006 |
| D．the purpose of the surveys is to find out the percentage of rich people |
The following factors of happiness are mentioned in the passage EXCEPT _________.
| A．security | B．environment | C．wealth | D．employment |
The underlined word “countrymen” in Paragraph 3 refers to ___________.
| A．people from the countryside | B．people from cities |
| C．people from all countries | D．Chinese citizens |
According to the passage, the author tends to hold the view that _________.
| A．the wealthier we get, the happier we become |
| B．though we get wealthier, we do not feel happier |
| C．it is the government’s duty to raise every citizen’s income |
| D．the government should make sure all citizens feel a good level of security |
Testing has taken the place of teaching in most public schools. Pretests, drills, tests, and retests. They know that the best way to read a textbook is to look at the questions at the end of the chapter and then read the text quickly for the answers. I believe that my daughter Erica, who gets excellent marks, has never read a chapter of any of her school textbooks all the way through. And teachers are often heard to say proudly and openly that they teach to the test.
Teaching to the test is a curious phenomenon（现象）. Instead of deciding what skills students ought to learn, helping students learn them, and then using some methods of assessment（评价） to discover whether students have mastered the skills, teachers are encouraged to teach the students in the opposite way. First one looks at a test. Then one chooses the skills needed not to master reading, but to do well in the test. Finally, the test skills are taught.
The ability to read or write might suggest the ability to do reasonably well on standardized tests. However, neither reading nor writing develops simply through being taught to take tests. We must be careful to avoid mistaking preparations for a test of a skill with the acquisition（习得）of that skill. Too many discussions of basic skills make this misunderstanding because people are tested rather than concerned with the nature and quality of what is taught.
Recently, many schools have faced what could be called the crisis of comprehension or, in simple words, the phenomenon of students with grammar skills still being unable to understand what they read. These students are quite good at test taking and filling in workbooks. However, they have little or no experience reading or thinking, and talking about what they read. They know the details but can’t see or understand the whole. They are taught to be so concerned with grades that they have no time to think about meaning, and reread things if necessary. The author mentions Erica’s performance in her study in order to show_________.
| A．her cleverness in test taking | B．the good way to take tests |
| C．the improper way of teaching | D．the best way to read textbooks |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The teachers are curious about teaching to the test. |
| B．Skills in general are not only useless but often mislead students. |
| C．Ability to read and write has nothing to do with ability to do well in tests. |
| D．Preparations for a test of a skill do not mean the acquisition of that skill. |
In the author’s opinion, __________.
| A．some good methods of assessment should take the place of tests |
| B．more attention should be paid to the nature and quality of what is taught |
| C．students should not be concerned with grades but do more reading and thinking |
| D．students needn’t learn grammar skills because they are useless for understanding |
By “crisis of comprehension” (in Paragraph 4) the author means many students ______.
| A．are too much concerned with grades |
| B．fail to understand the real goal of education |
| C．lack proper practice in grammar drills |
| D．do well on tests but can’t understand what they read |
Most, if not all, Chinese have become richer thanks to 28 years of reform and opening up. But are we any happier?
Various surveys attempt to answer this question. Though experts have presented varying percentages based on different standards, their answers tend to find we are generally happier, and the number of optimists rises each year. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ 2006 Blue Book on social progress says 70 per cent of rural and urban citizens surveyed in 2005 reported a feeling of happiness and were optimistic about their futures.
But each survey shows a worrisome fact that 10 per cent, at the lowest, of citizens were not content with their lives or not hopeful about the future. We cannot be content with the fact that at least 130 million of our countrymen are not happy.
Although a sense of happiness remains a luxury（奢望）for many of our countrymen because of poverty, we agree wealth is not the only factor of happiness. For most of us, except the extremely rich and naturally born optimists, there simply are too many variables (可变物) that may kill the feeling of happiness. These include, but are not limited to, rising housing prices, tight and instable job market, back-breaking schooling expenses and medical bills.
The most common one, however, is a low sense of security (安全). Some experts pointed that in the low-and-middle income group there was too much uncertainty regarding employment, income, housing, medical situations, and education. How can you feel happy when you always have to prepare yourself for the unexpected?
It may be beyond the government’s reach, not to mention duty, to guarantee (保证) higher income for every citizen. But it does have a burden to create an environment where all citizens can feel a reasonable level of security.From the second paragraph we learn _____________________.
| A．70 % of Chinese people feel happy and optimistic about their future |
| B．the data and the conclusions of the surveys are the same |
| C．the surveys about the sense of happiness were carried out in 2006 |
| D．the purpose of the surveys is to find out the percentage of rich people |
The following factors of happiness are mentioned in the passage EXCEPT _________.
| A．security | B．environment | C．wealth | D．employment |
The underlined word “countrymen” in Paragraph 3 refers to ___________.
| A．people from the countryside | B．people from cities |
| C．people from all countries | D．Chinese citizens |
According to the passage, the author tends to hold the view that _________.
| A．the wealthier we get, the happier we become |
| B．though we get wealthier, we do not feel happier |
| C．it is the government’s duty to raise every citizen’s income |
| D．the government should make sure all citizens feel a good level of security |
“Mom, can I bake some bread?” We were 15, my best friend, Hanna, and I, determined to try our hands at creating some beautiful bread.
“It’s not worth the trouble,” my mother said. “It takes lots of time and makes a big mess. Our bakery bread is delicious without all that effort.”
Begging was useless. Mom’s “no” meant “No!”
But several weeks later, opportunity knocked: My parents were going out for the evening. I immediately invited Hanna to be my partner in bread-baking crime.
We studied the recipe. That was easy. “Mix oil into flour then beat in four of the eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt.”
We were not good at breaking eggs. I tried to learn from my mother.
“Gradually add eight cups of flour. When dough (面团) holds together, squeeze it.”
We took turns working like that. “Is the dough ‘holding together’?” we asked each other.
I remembered my neighbor’s instructions: “If it’s too sticky, add some flour; if too dry, add water.”
We added water. Then more flour. Then more water. By then, the mass of our dough had grown very much.
“Place dough on floured surface and squeeze till smooth,” the recipe instructed.
We took turns burying our hands in the damp dough, pinching, squeezing, and feeling it leak between fingers.
“Clean and oil bowl, then return dough to bowl. Cover and let dough rise in warm place for 1 hour.”
This was good news --- we’d have a break. On dirtied kitchen chairs, we dreamed about our beautiful bread. “See?” we would tell my mom. “Isn’t it worth the work?”
Hanna and I couldn’t help glancing at the rising process every few minutes. But nothing was happening.
“Maybe something will happen in the hot oven,” I said.
Unfortunately, when we removed the loaves from the oven, they were like hard stones.
Mom was right; it takes time and effort. It sometimes makes a mess. But still it feels good, somehow, to be part of that long, ongoing chain of bread bakers. Since that night, both Hanna and I have learned to do it right.To the writer, what her mother said was __________.
| A．law | B．rubbish | C．advice | D．warning |
Which of the following can best describe the children’s feelings while making their first bread?
| A．Confident; hopeful; disappointed. | B．Curious; hopeful; disappointed. |
| C．Interested; excited; satisfied. | D．Worried; satisfied; proud. |
Which of the following did the writer do without instructions?
| A．Placed dough on floured surface. | B．Added eight cups of flour to eggs. |
| C．Returned dough to a cleaned bowl. | D．Placed the dough into the hot oven. |
The passage mainly tells us ______________.
| A．the process of making bread | B．the conflict between mother and daughter |
| C．the first experience of making bread | D．the way of doing housework |
How do you get a man to do his share of the housework? If you are like most women, you’ve faced this question the hard way.
A man will enjoy a clean, orderly house, but he usually won’t make the effort to clean or organise it. This doesn't mean that a woman has to do all the housework:; she may have to manage many of the household duties, and request her partner’s participation（参与）. A woman can often say that men and women should take equal responsibility（责任） for housework.
Very few men are raised to be fully responsible for housework, and many men look on housework as women’s work. On the other hand, most men will readily work around the yard, make repairs and complete projects on weekends or evenings, and it’s important that you give your man appreciation for those things, too. Most men will take on a little additional housework around the house if asked politely. They are even more likely to do housework if they can choose what they want to do, and do it without being monitored.
Here’s the key: men want to feel that they are doing housework either because they want to do a task, or because they simply want to please their women. Men are much less likely to take on household tasks they consider uninteresting and unimportant. In other words, men are likely to do a household task just for the good of the house. The passage is mainly about how to _____.
| A．get men to take on some housework |
| B．get men to serve their families |
| C．praise men’ housework |
| D．make men do all the housework |
According to the passage, a man_____.
| A．is willing to do housework |
| B．likes to be told to do housework |
| C．is taught to be responsible for housework from childhood |
| D．likes a clean house but doesn’t make efforts to clean it |
In order to get men to do some housework, women should often_____.
| A．order them to do their share |
| B．ask them to do some housework politely |
| C．blame men’s laziness |
| D．monitor men’s work |
According to the passage, the underlined sentence in the last paragraph means that men won’t _____.
| A．work without any payment |
| B．do unimportant household tasks |
| C．do housework without women’s praise |
| D．please their wives |
According to the passage, which of the following would a husband most probably like to do?
| A．Cleaning the table. | B．Doing some sewing. |
| C．Painting the fence. | D．Asking his wife to work on the yard. |
Ever since humans have lived on the earth, they have made use of various forms of communication．Generally, this expression of thoughts and feelings has been in the form of oral speech．When there is a language barrier(障碍), communication is completed through sign language in which motions stand for letters, words, and ideas．Tourists and the people unable to hear or speak have had to turn to this form of expression．Many of these symbols of whole words are very lively and exact and can be used internationally; spelling, however, cannot．
Body language sends ideas or thoughts by certain actions, either meaningfully or not．A wink(眨眼) can be a way of showing that the party is only joking．A nod means agreement, while shaking the head indicates disagreement．
Other forms of nonlinguistic(非语言的) language can be found in Braille (a system of raised dots read with the fingertips), signal flags, Morse code, and smoke signals．Road maps and picture signs also guide and warn people．While language is the most common form of communication, other systems and techniques also express human thoughts and feelings．Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．There are many forms of communication in use today． |
| B．Language is the most common form of communication． |
| C．Tourists are unable to use an oral form of communication． |
| D．Ideas and thoughts can be expressed by body language． |
Which form other than oral speech could be most commonly used among deaf people?
| A．Picture signs． | B．Body language | C．Braille | D．Signal flags． |
Sign language is said to be very lively and exact and can be used meaningfully except for ____．
| A．spelling | B．idea | C．whole words | D．expressions |
How many different forms of communication are mentioned here?
| A．Five | B．Eight | C．Nine | D．Three |
While reading a book in English, every few lines of text, you run across a word or two that you don’t know. You look up every new word in the dictionary. Bad move. All that does slow you down. Even electric or CD –ROM dictionaries can get in the way of your reading progress. A dictionary is like a road map. It can help you if you get lost and point you in the right direction. But if you stop to look at the “map” each time you take a step, you’ll get nowhere fast.
On your English learning “journey”, a dictionary can be a helpful “travel companion ”--if it is not overused. To help you start thinking in English, use an English-to-English dictionary. Otherwise, you will always depend on your native language and end up translating in your head.
A good dictionary can help you do more than just find the meaning of a word. It can help you verify (test and check) spelling, check word forms and grammar usage, find example sentence and learn pronunciation. Some dictionaries even provide exercises to teach you how to use their resources (资源) .
Take time to get to know your dictionary. Learn the pronunciation symbols (符号). Understand what the abbreviations (缩写字) mean. Try to master the important grammar rules. Look for charts, diagrams and lists that might be useful in the future. You will discover how helpful it can be to make friends with your dictionary. And as they say, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”Why do we need a good English-to-English dictionary?
| A．Because it is a good friend. |
| B．Because it can help us to find the right direction if we get lost. |
| C．Without it we’ll always depend on our native language and end up translating in our head. |
| D．Because it can help us to start thinking in English and in Chinese. |
The underlined word “that ” in the last paragraph refers to __________.
| A．pronunciation symbols and grammar rules |
| B．abbreviations and usage for grammar rules |
| C．the meaning of a word, spelling and grammar usage |
| D．charts, diagrams and lists |
According to the passage , which statement can lead you to believe?
| A．The more you use a dictionary, the better you can understand the article. |
| B．The more you use a dictionary, the faster you may read. |
| C．The more you use the resources in a dictionary, the more you can benefit (受益) from it. |
| D．The better a dictionary is, the more expensive it is. |
Everyone would like to be a millionaire , a person with a lot of money, but can you imagine having over $30 million and only being 20 years old? Britney Spears from Kentwood, a small town in Louisiana, is only 20 years old. She is a world famous film star with not only $30 million but also a $2 million house in LA. At her young age, she can look after her family financially (经济上) all her life. This year is a big year for Britney. She is now on a 31-day tour of the US and every concert is a sell-out. That means she plays in front of a crowd of around 18,000 people every time. It’s a tiring schedule but brings her a lot. When touring, she goes to bed around 1 a.m. and then has a lie-in until 1 p.m. the next day. Her philosophy (人生观) is to take care of the body and relax but always make sure you work hard and have fun.
Spears is not pleased with only touring and selling nearly 40 million records so she decided to step into the movie business and try a bit of acting. She made an appearance in “Austin Power 3” this year and she is filming a teenage light play that will come out in March 2003. In this movie, she has a starring role.
For Britney, acting is another way to express herself and she is enthusiastic (热心的) about it all. If her movies are successful, her money in the bank is sure to grow by another few million dollars but she does it for the love, not the money, as she herself tells the reporters . We can infer (推断) from the text that most millionaires are __________.
| A．older than 20 | B．around 20 | C．in their 30s | D．in their 40s |
The underlined word “you” in the first paragraph refers to __________.
| A．a person in general | B．a special person |
| C．Britney Spears | D．a person interested in money |
Which of the following is not true according to the text?
| A．Though young, Britney can support her family now. |
| B．While touring, Britney sleeps about 12 hours a day. |
| C．The teenage comedy movie was based on Britney’s own story. |
| D．Britney will be even richer with her movies successful. |
According to Britney Spears, she works __________.
| A．to be a great actress | B．for the enjoyment | C．for money | D．to be more famous |
Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career，including three space flights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound（为地球引力所束缚的）experience in the summer of 1980 when he participated in the NASA ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Voss， then a science teacher at West Poin，was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center's propulsion（推进） lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal （液压燃料泵的密封圈）on the space shuttle（航天飞机） was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them.
“I worked a bit with NASA engineers，” says Voss， “but I did it mostly by an analysis. I used a handheld calculator， not a computer， to do a thermodynamic（热力学的） analysis.” At the end of the summer，he，like the other NASA ASEE fellows working at Marshall，summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of NASA，deepened his desire to fly in space，and intensified his application for astronaut status.
It was not an easy process. Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly，and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50 year old Army officer，who lives in Houston，is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000.
Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. “It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA，and establishes a link with our colleges and universities，” Voss explains. “There's an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important.”
For the academic side，Voss says，the ASEE program also “brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real world problems and take it back to the classroom.”
66. Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle？
A） Because previous seals all failed.
B） Because it was very complex in running the space program.
C） Because great care has to be taken of the hydraulic fuel pump sealing.
D） Because any crack in the seals would cause disastrous results for the astronauts.
67.The great significance of Voss's findings lies in_________ .
A） strengthening his determination to join in space flights
B） furthering his understanding of NASA
C） consolidating his astronaut status in NASA programs
D） Both A and B
68. How many flights will Voss have finished if his four-month mission starting in July 2000 ends up successfully？
A） Three B） Two C） Four D） Five
69. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to what Voss said on the ASEE program？
A） Fresh members from the academic world participate in the program.
B） The program brings new outlooks to NASA space programs.
C） It is important for the space scientists to exchange information and perspectives.
D） American colleges and universities are a special property of NASA.
70. What does Voss want to stress in the last paragraph？
A） The technological significance of the program.
B） The educational significance of the program.
C） The philosophical significance of the program.
D） The historical significance of the program.
I needed to get some money so, after Christmas, I took a job in the clothes department at Graham’s for the first fortnight of the January sale. I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I’ll never forget.
I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales; where did they all come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock (货物) and the stock that people buy all the year round; some of these things are slightly reduced. Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn’t sell last year; these are heavily reduced to clear them. Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in specially for the sales; these are put out at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the sale. Clever! Lastly, they buy in “seconds? (clothes not in perfect condition) for the sale and they are sold very cheaply.
When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building. This made me very nervous.
When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards, looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand. The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in. I couldn’t believe my eyes; this wasn’t shopping, it was a battlefield! One poor lady couldn’t keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind.
Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colours and styles they wanted. Quarrels broke out. Mothers were using their small children to crawl(爬行) through people’s legs and get hold of things they couldn’t get near themselves.
Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose, each wanting to be the first served. Where had the famous English Queue gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper(脾气)! I was taking money hand over fist and began to realize why, twice a year, Graham’s were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this.
In the sale fever, people were spending money like water without thinking whether they needed what they were buying. As long as it was a bargain it was OK.
You won’t believe this but as soon as I got home I crashed out for four hours. Then I had dinner and went back to bed, fearing the sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale.
61. What kind of clothes is likely to be sold 5% cheaper?
A. Last summer’s clothes. B. Clothes not in perfect condition.
C. Clothes bought in specially for the sales. D. Clothes for winter.
62. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The customers gave up the queuing for which the English are famous.
B. The customers kept their temper while looking for clothes they wanted.
C. Small children enjoyed crawling through people’s legs.
D. The security guards were fearless of the crowd.
63. In the author’s opinion, why were Graham’s happy to make their expensive store into “Battlefield?
A. There were too many clothes and they wanted to clear them in the sales.
B. They were eager to show that they were clever at doing business.
C. They could take the chance to raise the prices of all their clothes.
D. They wanted to make more money by having sales.
64. The expression “crashed out” means ________.
A. chatted with her friends B. slept soundly
C. broke down D. dined out
65. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The Best Bargain. B. Hunting for a job.
C. Sale Fever. D. A Pleasant Fortnight.
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