高中英语阅读理解

Late that afternoon I took the train back to Sydney . There I found another surprise waiting for me . My room at the hotel had been given to somebody else and they had no room for me. Harkin had known my travel plans and had planned everything . How could he have booked the room only for three days ? There was nothing to be done but to find another hotel. The waiters were happy to find me a new hotel , and when I said that I was happy to stay at the airport , thinking it might be cheaper than staying in the city , they suggested the Holiday Inn at the airport . There was one small matter : the room rate was $ 300 per night . The best hotel in Katoomba had wanted only $ 145 . I asked if there was anything cheaper they might suggest but they warned that most hotels would already be full by this time.
The hotel was far from the train station , so I had to take a taxi , at $ 25 . On the way to the Holiday Inn , we passed a hotel just two blocks from the Holiday Inn that advertised a room rate of $ 104 . At the desk I asked if their room rate could go down a lot . “ No , this is a 4-star hotel,” the waiter told me . “ In that case ,” I replied , “ I’ll just walk the two blocks to the cheap hotel.” But she warned me that they were probably full and that if I didn’t take the room , it might not be available when I came back . Finally , I decided to take the room.
The room itself was big , but the air conditioning couldn’t keep up with the Australian heat . I couldn’t sleep until about 1:00 am.
Why did the writer have to look for another hotel ?

A．He didn’t book early.	B．Harkin made a mistake.
C．He was short of money.	D．He wasn’t well received.

How did the writer feel when hearing the room rate at the Holiday Inn ?

A．Nervous.	B．Happy.
C．Surprised.	D．Relaxed.

Why did the writer take the room finally ?

A．It’s a 4-star hotel .	B．It’s around the station.
C．It was mid-night then.	D．The room was in great demand.

What does the text mainly talk about ?

A．A hotel hunting experience.	B．An unforgettable day.
C．A warm-hearted waiter.	D．An introduction to hotels.

Look, this is the first plane in the world to be created using the new technology of “3D printing”. The airplane was built using only a computer-but it can fly at a speed of 100mph and has a two-meter wingspan.
It was produced using a special nylon laser printer that builds up something layer-by-layer. The parts were made separately and attached using a “snap fit”（搭扣） technique so the aircraft could be put together without tools in minutes.
No fasteners(扣件) at all were used in the manufacture of the plane. Unmanned and electrically powered, the plane can travel in near silence and is also equipped with a small autopilot system. The special production process used is known as “laser sintering(激光烧结) “and allows the designers to create shapes and structures that would normally include costly manufacturing techniques. This technology allows a highly-tailored aircraft to be developed from your own design to first flight in days, while using traditional materials and techniques would take months. And because no tooling is required for manufacture, major changes to the shape and scale of the aircraft can be made with no extra cost.
Professor Jim Scanlon, who led the team, said, “The process allows the design team to revisit historical techniques and ideas that would have been too expensive using traditional manufacturing.” He added, “This form of structure is very firm and lightweight, but very complex. If it was manufactured traditionally it would require a large number of individually tailored parts that would have to be connected or fastened at great expense.”
The new printed plane is known as the Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft-or SULSA for short-and is part of a wider project using cutting-edge manufacturing techniques. The University of Southampton has been at the leading position of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle development since the early 1990s.
What does the passage maily talk about?
A. New Designed Airplane with New Techniques.
B. Scientists Create Aircraft with High Speed.
C. Revolut ionary Breakthrough of 3D Printer.
D. The World’s first 3-D printed Airplane, SULSA.
How does the 3-D printed plane fly?

A．A pilot controls it using a remote control.

B．It should be controlled by “laser sintering”.

C．It should be controlled by an autopilot system.

D．A pilot with high techniques controlled it.

Which of the following is NOT advantage of the plane?

A．It only requires simple and cheap tools.

B．It is manufactured in quite a short time.

C．It produces little noise while flying.

D．It needn’t extra cost if changes are made.

Accoding to Professor Jim Scanlon, plane manufacturers can
with their techniques.

A．copy earlier planes to study their techniques

B．connect and fasten tailor parts for real planes

C．produce firmer and lighter real planes

D．find differences by studying the traditional ones

Does a 600-year-old Chinese map prove that Christopher Columbus was not the first international explorer to navigate(航行) the New World?
In his book “Who Discovered America?”, published on Tuesday, author Gavin Menzies says the settling of North America by nonnative peoples is more complex than previously thought.
“The traditional story of Columbus discovering the New World is absolute fantasy. It’s fairy tales,” Menzies, 76, said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
However, not everyone is sold on the theory. It has been described as “Unreal” by critics, who say Menzies’ claims are impractical and not based in historical fact.
Menzies has primarily focused his studies on when and how North America was first explored. He also has enthusiastic supporters—his previous books have been best-sellers, and supporters of his theories have donated millions to his efforts, allowing him to hire a number of experts to join in his investigatons.
Menzies says that the Chinese map, found in a bookstore, was drew by Chinese navigator Zheng He and shows a detailed map of America dating back to 1418. That would place Zheng He’s efforts some 70 years ahead of Columbus. In fact, Menzies says Columbus used a copy of Zheng He’s map to plot his own voyage.
The map itself has been authenticated(鉴定), but there is currently no way of proving the map was based on images drafted in the 1400s. However, Menzies says that certain observations on the map, including descriptions of communities and other cultural landmarks in Peru, coincide with known data from that period. In addition, Menzies makes an even broader claim in his book, saying that Chinese sailors were the first to cross the Pacific Ocean 40,000 years ago. Menzies says there is DNA evidence to support his claim.
So how does Menzies believe the Chinese pulled off such a giant historical accomplishment thousands of years before anyone else?
“If you just go out in a plastic bathtub, the currents will just carry you there,” Menzies told the Mail. “They just came with the current; it’s as simple as that.”
Critics of Menzies point out that he holds no degrees or professional training as a historian. But the Daily Mail says he “can no longer be called an amateur” after his most recent efforts.

The first paragraph serves as a(n) .

A．comment	B．introduction
C．summary	D．example

What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．All people are not enthusiastic about the theory.

B．Not all people are surprised at the theory.

C．Not everyone wants to sell the theory.

D．Everybody believes the theory.

Critics of Menzies hold that Menzies .

A．is just playing a joke	B．creates the map himself
C．is no longer an amateur	D．has no academic background

According to Menzies,.

A．Zheng He once reached South America

B．Columbus discovered America in about 1490

C．Zheng He helped Columbus discover the New World

D．it was quite hard for Chinese to cross the Pacific Ocean

1. Sourcing Assistant Needed Time: 28 March—27 September, 2013 Indian company’s Shanghai office is looking for a local Chinese girl, who can speak fluent English, and has at least one year experience in trading business. Main responsibilities are: sourcing for new suppliers, factory visiting, negotiating and orders following up… Interested candidates can email me your expected salary, resume(简历)and current photo to :[e-mail], Miss Wang for more details.

2. Senior Interior Designer Time: 10 January—9 June, 2013 Reply to: Linette, killbourn@ rhkdesign. com.cn RHK Design is seeking a Senior Interior Designer for our corporate projects. Your primary role is to work closely with our American and European clients to deliver the international design solution they require. You must have an ability to work with 8 individual managers to negotiate space needs and requirements, and communicate your designs to your design support team. Deep knowledge of interesting and creative materials is required. Travel throughout China may be required.

3. Customer Service Assistant Time: 1 February—31 August, 2013 Reply to: [e-mail] Type of job: Full-time Requirements: —BA, or BS degree; foreigners only; —One year’s working experience desired, preferably in customer service or hospitality industry; — Responsible, pleasant personality and selfmotivated; —Good communication and interpersonal skills; —Good command of both spoken and written English; Putonghua is an advantage but not a must. Work Load: 5-day-work Monthly Salary: Around RMB 8,000—10，000

4. Female English Tutor Needed Time:5 January—1 October, 2013 Reply to: [e-mail] A 10-year-old girl is looking for an oral English tutor. Time: twice a week, in the evening and on weekend, 1.5 hrs at a time Wage(报酬): RMB 200/h Requirements: From America; female; experienced

We can know from the first two ads that .

A．RHK Design deals with business from European countries

B．to be a sourcing assistant, you need to be very persuasive

C．to work for RHK Design, you need to be very experienced in trading

D．a girl from Beijing is very likely to be employed by the Indian Company

If you are an American woman looking for a part-time job, you can contact .

[e-mail]	[e-mail]
[e-mail]	[e-mail]

For one who doesn’t mind traveling a lot, which of the positions can be considered?

A．Senior Interior Designer.

B．Female English Tutor.

C．Sourcing Assistant.

D．Customer Service Assistant.

Which of the following statements about the third position is TRUE?

A．Nationalities are not required for the position.

B．There’s a requirement of maximum service period.

C．The deadline for application is July the 31st.

D．Communication skills are requested a must.

A Tale of Two Cities was written by the famous English writer Charles Dickens. The tale is mainly about the French Revolution in 1789, where the poor rose up against the king and the nobles. Dickens showed deep sympathy for the poor and deep hatred for the cruelty of the upper class, though he wrote quite a lot about the love triangle between Lucie, Charles and Sydney.
In this novel, Dickens wrote some lively characters like Sydney and those crazy revolutionaries. In this tale, we can’t see any absolute roles. Charles, though he’s a brave and good man, obviously he hasn’t as much ability as Sydney. Sydney, a typical tragic(悲剧的) man, a man like him, usually has great ability. But he has some weak points on characters and the worst is that he always loves a woman he shouldn’t love and 99.99% die for her at last in an extremely heroic or tragic way. The revolutionaries are not as full of justice as usual. They get mad when they can get revenge(报复) for their unfair treatment. The fire of hatred burns everything. When they’re at the bottom of the society, they’re calling for justice, for fair treatment, for freedom, but when they’re in charge of the society, their world is up-side-down. They hate everything that is connected to the very people against them, even including Charles’ wife, Dr. Manette’s daughter. So these men have no difference from those former governors at heart.
Though Dickens told us how the authority is recycling over and over again in some way, the novel is about something good. Love from Sydney to Lucie is one of the only few bright points in the novel and it’s really great. A man can sacrifice his life to save his lover’s husband. He doesn’t have any personal purpose and just for his lover’s happiness. So Dickens may imply us, only love can solve the problems between people, between the poor and the rich, love is everything.
. A Tale of Two Cities is mainly about .

A．Charles Dickens	B．the French Revolution
C．deep sympathy	D．the upper class

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Charles is as brave and able as Sydney.

B．Sydney loves a woman he shouldn’t love.

C．The revolutionaries show justice as usual.

D．Charles hates his wife, Dr. Manette’s daughter.

The underlined phrase “these men” in Paragraph 2 most probably refers to “ ”.

A．Charles and Sydney	B．the nobles
C．the revolutionaries	D．former governors

What may Dickens really want to imply us readers?

A．The authority is changing over and over again.

B．The novel is about something good only.

C．A great man can sacrifice his life for his lover.

D．Only love can settle the problems between people.

My grandmother was from a town in Michigan. Summer after summer, I enjoyed staying with my grandparents as a young child. I was from the city and loved the small town they lived in. People knew everyone, their kids, their pets, their ancestors. The bond with them continued to grow as I grew and they got older. Grandma was always using her hands for something exciting. She would make little sandwiches and we’d have tea parties. She’d make beautiful quilts for each one. I remember the small thimble(顶针) she would use while doing her needle work.
A few years ago, when Grandma left this earth, I bid farewell to a loving grandmother. How quickly our lives can change. We had just had tea together a couple of months earlier, on her 91st birthday.
On one particular birthday, when I was feeling a little low, something happened to make me feel like she was sharing that special day with me. I was arranging some colorful pillows that she had made, and suddenly I felt something inside one pillow. It was small and hard. I moved the object to a seam(接缝) that I carefully opened, and to my delight out came a tiny silver thimble! How happy I was to find something that had been a part of her. I carefully laid the thimble alongside the others I’ve collected over the years, where I could continue to see the gift God chose to reveal(启示)to me. What a precious memory of a very special lady who somehow, I knew, was laughing in delight at sewing her thimble inside my pillow.
I made some tea, using my best china, as Grandma always did, and enjoyed my tea and Grandma’s thimble. What a wonderful birthday that was!
The author wrote this passage to .

A．show how she missed her grandma

B．express a desire to lead a simple life

C．call on people to care for the old

D．look back upon her happy childhood

The author liked staying with her grandparents because .

A．she knew almost everyone there

B．she liked the simple and friendly town life there

C．she could have tea parties and eat sandwiches

D．she could learn to sew quilts

How did the author feel when she found the silver thimble?

A．Sad.

B．Proud.

C．Lucky.

D．Cheerful.

It can be inferred from the passage that the silver thimble .

A．was the item the author had been trying to find

B．was the most treasured possession of Grandma

C．was very precious to the author

D．was a birthday gift Grandma had given the author

It has become the modern substitute of glancing at your watch—the furtive(偷偷的)look at a phone screen to check for new messages or have a quick look at Facebook. Researchers have now found why we often feel such a strong urge to glance at our handset. Using your mobile, they say, is easily affected by other people.
A University of Michigan team say people are twice as likely to pull out their phones to check their messages or emails if they’re with someone who has just done the same. It also found that females were more likely to use their mobile than men because it was more ‘consistent ’ with the daily lives of women.
The team watched students in dining halls and coffee shops around campus, observing pairs of students sitting at tables for as long as 20 minutes and recorded their cellphone use at 10-second intervals.
“What we found most interesting was just how often people were using their mobile phones, ” Dr Daniel Kruger, the study’s co-author, said. “Every person we observed used his／her phone at least once while one woman was on hers about half of the time. You may see others checking their incoming messages and be encouraged to check your own. ’’
Overall, the students used their cellphones in an average of 24 percent, the researchers found. But they were significantly more likely to use their phones (39.5 percent) when their companion had just done so in the previous 10-second interval than without the social clue, the researchers said, adding that this behavior was often repeated.
Cell phones create an alternative way for one’s attention and may both promote and interrupt ongoing social activities, the researchers wrote.
Kruger believes this pattern could be related to the effects of social acceptance and rejection. If one person in a pair engages in another conversation through their phone, his or her companion may feel rejected. That companion then might be forced to connect with others from outside so as not to feel left out.

People’s strong desire to check their messages partly results from ___________.

A．the same behavior of other people

B．the new messages of their handsets

C．the update service of Facebook

D．the modern substitute of their watches

Why do women use their phones more frequently?

A．They want to show off their modern mobiles.

B．They desire to meet the demands of society.

C．They try to set a good example for others.

D．They are more likely to be influenced by others.

How might one feel when his companion is busy checking messages?

A．Relaxed.	B．Ashamed.
C．Ignored.	D．Surprised.

The underlined part “this behavior” in Paragraph 5 refers to _______________.

A．receiving social clues	B．using the cellphones
C．joining in activities	D．engaging in conversations

Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Social Acceptance And Rejection

B．Females Use Mobiles More than Men

C．How Do People Check Messages?

D．Cellphone Use Is Spreading

“You have cancer” are the three words you never want to hear. Unfortunately, over 5, 000 people in North America do hear those words --- every single day. Even worse, cancer has become the second leading cause of death for Americans. America’s health practitioner (从业人员), David Brownstein, M. D. , has spent much of his medical career studying, cancer, and learning the best ways to avoid becoming its victim.
And Dr. Brownstein does not shy away from (回避) the hard truth. Statistics demonstrate we are not winning the war on cancer. Far from it. In fact, cancer death rates have remained nearly unchanged over the last 80 years. Plus, traditional cancer treatments have been a terrible failure. Because the only big winner in the cancer treatment story to date has been the cancer industry’s multibillion-dollar profits, Dr. Brownstein has just released a free video documentary revealing some of his startling (令人吃惊的) findings.
In this video, you’ll discover five specific signs that you will be diagnosed (诊断) with cancer during your lifetime. Even more important, you’ll see:
*Seven simple but smart steps to prevent cancer from taking over your body.
*How to help your body naturally kill cancer cells.
*Easiest ways to avoid known cancer-causing factors.
*The little-known relationship between iodine (碘) and cancer.
*And much, much more…
According to Dr. Brownstein, nearly all of US have cancer cells in our bodies at various times during our lives. The trick is to avoid letting those cells increase and defeat the body’s natural defenses.
The good news is that you and your loved ones do not need to become cancer victims. With the simple methods revealed in Dr. Brownstein’s eye-opening video, you can take steps to prevent this deadly disease.
Newsmax Health managed to bring it directly to you free of charge. Click here to start watching this powerful video about preventing cancer immediately. With so many people dying needlessly, there’s no time to waste.

We can learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.

A．David Brownstein makes no progress in preventing cancer

B．cancer is the leading cause of death for Americans

C．David Brownstein himself is suffering from cancer

D．cancer victims are increasing in North America

What do we know about cancer in America?

A．Cancer death rates are dropping.

B．Cancer industry is very profitable.

C．Traditional cancer treatments are effective.

D．Cancer medicine was invented 80 years ago.

What does the underlined part “the hard truth” refer to in Paragraph 2?

A．David Brownstein’s video is unpopular.

B．It needs another 80 years to cure cancer.

C．People don’t know cancer death rates.

D．People’s inability to defeat cancer.

What does Dr. Brownstein’s video include?
a. Some signs that you’ll get cancer.
b. Some people who are fighting against cancer. ’
c. Some ways to avoid factors that can cause cancer.
d. Some steps to prevent cancer controlling your body.

A．abc	B．bcd
C．acd	D．abd

What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To recommend a video.

B．To introduce some doctors.

C．To teach US how to make a video.

D．To give US some tips on dealing with cancel.

Traveling to Europe to see its famous monuments like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Colosseum (古罗马竞技场) in Rome, is not exactly the ideal vacation for kids. Fortunately, Europe has more to offer than lots of old churches and ancient history. You can enjoy some fun in the sun at some of the famous beaches of the continent.
Mykonos, Greece
The closer you get to the equator, the longer the beach season and Greece is wonderful for that. You can enjoy beautiful green water, public chairs and lovely umbrellas at the beaches in Mykonos.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
There’s nothing more attractive than the beautiful beaches bordering Dubrovnik, Croatia’s most beautiful city. It’s surrounded by stone walls like a castle. It almost makes you feel like you’re suntanning (晒黑皮肤) at Hogwarts, where the hero Harry Porter of the story is trained!
Sicily, Italy
Rabbit beach on the island of Sicily offers shallow, crystal clear waters making it a perfect beach for families with young children. And if you want to add interest to your experience, try snorkeling (使用水下呼吸管潜游)!
Nice, France
Lined with palm trees and first-class hotels, the city of Nice, located on the French Riviera, offers a whole coastline of Mediterranean beaches. Because they’re in the heart of the city, these beaches attract a large crowd. So if you’re looking for something more private, you’ll have to travel a few miles outside of the city center.
Ribadeo, Spain
At low tide, Playa de las Catedrales in Ribadeo, Spain is the perfect beach to take in the natural wonders without urban amusements like restaurants, bars or huge crowds. It boasts beautiful wildflowers and unique rock formations making it truly picture worthy.

Dubrovnik is special in that ________.

A．it is surrounded by stone walls

B．it has the longest coastline

C．it has the longest beach season

D．it is the training center of Harry Porter

If you plan to go to a beach which is in the city, you should go to ________.

A．Mykonos	B．Sicily
C．Nice	D．Ribadeo

Which of the following is TRUE about Ribadeo?

A．It offers visitors first-class hotels.

B．It has restaurants, bars and huge crowds.

C．Visitors can try snorkeling there.

D．Visitors can enjoy unique rock formations there.

All the beaches mentioned in the passage _________.

A．have beautiful wildflowers

B．are famous European beaches

C．are world-known fur their green water

D．provide visitors with urban amusements

Where is this passage probably taken from?

A．A travel guide.	B．A geography textbook.
C．An advertisement.	D．A news report.

Do you love music? I’d like to introduce you to a band today. The Lumineers is a band based in Denver, Colorado. The group released its first album The Lumineers in April, 2012. Recently, the record went gold, meaning 500, 000 copies had been sold. That is really a large number. Critics have mostly praised the album The Lumineers. Some have called the album’s sound “expansive”, and its songs “creative”.
The most popular song from the album is Ho, Hey. It is Number One on three Billboard singles charts: rock, adult Pop and alternative. A lot of people think of Ho, Hey as a love song. And The Lumineers say it is. But lead singer and guitarist (吉它手) Wesley Schultz says it is also about his personal struggles when he was living and working in New York City.
The three members of The Lumineers were excited when asked to perform at the Grammy nominations (提名) concert. But they were also very surprised when they were named as Grammy nominees. The band is up for（被提名) Grammy awards as Best New Artist and Best Americana Album. Drummer Jeremiah Fraites told reporters, “We had no idea. ”
Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz grew up in New Jersey and have been playing music together for about eight years. They found cellist (大提琴手) Neyla Pekarek, a native of Denver, after they moved to that city. Neyla Pekarek told one reporter that the band’s style developed naturally. She said it came from a lot of writing, experimenting and making changes to let the lyrics tell the stories they were meant to tell.
We leave you with one of those stories. This is Stubborn Love from the album The Lumineers. Hope you’ll enjoy their staging.

What do we know about the album The Lumineers from Paragraph 1?

A．It includes some old songs.

B．It didn’t sell well at first.

C．It was released recently.

D．It is a great success.

By listening to Ho, Hey, we can learn something about ________.

A．Wesley Schultz’s struggles in New York City

B．the happy times of Wesley Schultz as a singer

C．three Billboard singles charts in New York City

D．a touching love story that happened in New York City

What is implied about The Lumineers in Paragraph 3?

A．They didn’t expect they would be nominated Grammy awards.

B．They didn’t want to perform at the Grammy nominations concert.

C．They were very calm when told they were nominated Grammy awards.

D．They were surely to win the Grammy award for Best Americana Album.

What is this passage mainly about?

A．People’s opinions on the album The Lumineers.

B．The struggles of a band named The Lumineers.

C．A song from a famous band in the United States.

D．A band that has been nominated Grammy awards.

Where is this passage probably taken from?

A．A newspaper.	B．A radio program.
C．A magazine.	D．A textbook

When I was ten my dad helped me buy my first ten-speed bicycle from Allen. I put up $60 of my grass cutting and snow shoveling (铲) money and my dad put up the other half I would pay him back over the next six months. Although it was not in the latest style, it was my ticket to the adult world.
I spent that summer and autumn riding happily. My sister Liz, a prisoner(囚犯，俘虏) of her five-speed bicycle, never had a chance to keep up. Just before the Christmas deadline to pay my dad back, we were hit with several snowstorms. This allowed me to shovel enough driveways (车道) to pay off my debt. I was now officially a bike owner; it was a feeling unlike any other.
On that Christmas morning, my dad gave me a used portable (便携式的) record player. I was excited. However, my joy was short-lived after my dad called my sister to the kitchen. “We have one more gift for you. ” he said as he opened the door that led to the garage. There, on the steps, stood a new ten-speed bicycle.
“It’s not fair,” I complained. “I worked so hard for my bike, and it’s not even new. Then Liz gets a new bike. She didn’t have to do anything for it. ” My dad smiled. “She didn’t have to do anything for it because it’s not really for her,” he said. What did that mean? I didn’t want her bike.
By spring Liz and I were tiding all over town together now that she could keep up. As we grew, Liz and I became true friends.
Still I wasn’t smart enough to figure out what my dad meant until years later. That new bike was not a gift for Liz — it was a gift for me. He’d given me the gift of my sister’s company, the ability to stay together rather than drift apart (逐渐疏远) in the face of my ability to travel. He gave me my best friend.

What do we know about the author’s bike?

A．It was worth $120.

B．Allen bought it for him.

C．It was very fashionable.

D．He didn’t like it actually.

Why did the author think he was officially a bike owner?

A．He had paid off his debt.

B．He had learned to ride a bike.

C．He could also own Liz’s bike.

D．He could sell his bike to Liz.

Why was the author’s Christmas joy short-lived?

A．His sister got a new record player.

B．His father didn’t care about him.

C．The record player wasn’t new.

D．His sister got a better gift.

Hearing his father say “it’s not really for her (Paragraph 4)”, the author probably felt ________.

A．moved	B．satisfied
C．puzzled	D．disappointed

The author finally realized that ________.

A．the new bike actually belonged to him

B．the new bike wasn’t bought by his father

C．his father actually gave him a more valuable gift

D．his father loved his sister more as a matter of fact

You may have seen a lot of frogs, but if you haven't, you must have heard about frogs. However, have you heard about a frog that can kill a person?
These smallbrightly colored amphibians (两栖动物)live in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America. They are best known for their ability to kill persons even though they are no more than 2 inches long. If we touch their poisonous skin without proper protection (such as gloves), we may die! For animals of this size that can be so deadly, they are certainly one of the world's most poisonous animals! Who are they? They are poison arrow frogs or, simply, poison frogs.
Poison frogs acquired their name from the Indians. The Indians catch and kill many of these frogs before hanging them upside down over a campfire. As the frogs get hot, the poison drips out of their skin. The Indians collect the poisonous liquid in a bottle and dip(蘸) the tips of their arrows into the bottle. Once the tips are dried, they are ready to be used for their arrows for hunting.
There are about 170 different types of poison arrow frogs in the world. Though most species have bright markings, either in stripes or patches, on their black bodies, some just wear noticeable single-colored coats. Their shocking skin colors-usually in yellow, red, green, blue or orange-serve as a warning sign to other animals. The sign simply says,” Stay away or pay with your life!” Theycertainly do not bluff.
We can infer that the Indians may kill poison frogs in order to______.

A．treat diseases	B．avoid being bitten
C．hunt animals	D．eat their meat

According to the passage, poison frogs______.
A can grow to several meters long
B. like to change colors on the back
C. have bright-colored skin or markings
D. are on the edge of dying out
Which of the following best explains the last sentence of the passage?

A．Poison frogs don't want to kill others.

B．Poison frogs do not just scare others.

C．Poison frogs want to stop others from coming near.

D．Poison frogs just pretend to be dangerous animals.

Like lots of small-business owners, Lola Gonzalez had to decide to cut down her company’s nine-person staff (员工) when the economic recovery began to fail last spring. Unlike other companies, she picked an unlikely employee to lay off (解雇): herself.
Her business began to have problems in 2008 after going through her books (账簿)
One day, her husband, Marcos, told her she had to reduce her payroll（薪金总额）by one person. Gonzalez said at a meeting, “I want you all to know that I have to lay somebody off and it’s been a very difficult decision. And that person is me.” Employees first froze in amazement and then burst into laughter until they realized she was serious. Gonzalez ’s employees said they were grateful for her kindness.
Her reason was simple. Although she ran the business and her employees did the legwork (跑腿), she thought she could find work more easily than her staff. Sure enough, she soon got a job as a social worker for a non-profit organization called Devereux Kids. She enjoys her social-worker job now, but the salary (薪水) cut has required some lifestyle changes. She and Marcos no longer eat out daily; they no longer pay for their son’s car and mobile phone, and they changed their car to a smaller one to save $300 a month.
Her business has picked up a bit recently and Marcos has begun to work part-time at Gonzalez’s company. Gonzalez says she has no plan to return to work at her company until the economic situation becomes better, perhaps in a year. Her employees, however, will get Christmas bonuses (奖金) this year.
How many workers are there in Gonzalez’s company at present?

A．8.

B．9.

C．10.

D．11.

How did her employees feel at first when they heard Gonzalez’s decision?

A．Happy.	B．Grateful.
C．Surprised.	D．Unbelievable.

After leaving her company, _____________.

A．Gonzalez sold her car and went to work by bus

B．Gonzalez always had meals in a restaurant

C．Gonzalez’s son helped her a lot

D．Gonzalez changed her lifestyle a lot

From the text, we can learn that ___________.

A．Gonzalez will not return to her company in future

B．Gonzalez’s business has improved a little lately

C．Gonzalez got her social-worker job with great difficulty

D．Marcos lost his job and had to work at Gonzalez’s company

Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English ruler tried to conquer Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English, Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two "Irelands". Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people will work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were "the greatest talkers since the Creeks". Since independence, Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.
What does the author tell us in paragraph 1?

A．How the Irish fought against the English.

B．How Ireland gained independence.

C．How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland.

D．How two “Irelands” came into being.

We learn from the text that in Ireland________.

A．food shortages in the 1840s led to a decline in population

B．people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside

C．it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker

D．different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments

The last paragraph is mainly about________.

A．the Irish character

B．Irish culture

C．Irish musical instruments

D．a famous Irish writer

What can be the best title for the text?

A．Life in Ireland	B．A very difficult history
C．Ireland, past and present	D．the independence of Ireland

My wife and I used to feel that it was impossible to be a true friend to someone whose name we didn’t know. How wrong we were! Years of Sunday-morning bus trips through the city with the same group of “nameless” people have changed our thinking. Before the bus takes off, we all join in a conversation: where’s the silent woman who sits up front and never responds to our cheery greetings? Here she comes. Her worn clothing suggests she doesn’t have much money to spare, but she always takes an extra cup of coffee for the driver.
We get smiles from a Mexican couple as they get on the bus hand in hand. When they get off, they’re still holding hands. The woman was pregnant late last year, and one day her change of shape confirmed that she’d delivered the child. We even felt a little pride at the thought of our extended family.
For many months, our only sadness lay in our inability to establish the same friendship with the silent woman at the front of the bus. Then, one evening, we went to a fish restaurant. We were shown to a table alongside someone sitting alone. It was the woman from the bus.
We greeted her with friendly familiarity we’d shown all year, but this time her face softened, then a shy smile. When she spoke, the words escaped awkwardly from her lips. All at once we realized why she hadn’t spoken to us before. Talking was hard for her.
Over dinner, we learned the stay of a single mother with a disabled son who was receiving special care away from home. She missed him desperately, she explained. “I love him… and he loves me, even though he doesn’t express it very well,” she murmured. “Lots of us have that problem, don’t we? We don’t say what we want to say, what we should be saying. And that’s not good enough.” The candles flared on our tables. Our fish had never tasted better. But the atmosphere grew pleasant, and when we parted as friends—we shared names.
All the following statements can describe the woman except ______.

A．poor	B．warm –hearted
C．silent	D．cold

The underlined word “establish” in the 3th paragraph has the same meaning as_________.

A．keep	B．discover
C．set up	D．accept

The woman had the same problem with her son in the way that ______.

A．they both disabled people

B．they both had some difficulty in expressing

C．they both liked bus travel

D．they both brought interest to the passengers

Which of the following might be the best title of this passage?

A．Friends of the Road	B．The Silent Woman on the Bus
C．Going to Work by Bus	D．Different Kinds of Friendship