As a teenager in 1972 ,Bill Gates boasted that he would be a millionaire by the time he was 20. While he did not quite achieve that goal,only 15 years later he was a billionaire. And by 1992 ,as head of the Microsoft company, he became the richest man in America with assets(资产)of approximately $6.3 billion.

  Born in Seattle,Washington on 28 ,October 1956 ,Gates was named William Henry after his father and grandfather. From the beginning, he was an extremely energetic and intelligent(聪明的)child. He had read the entire world book encyclopedia(百科全书)by the age of nine. His favorite subjects at school were science and maths and his favorite past time was "thinking".

  Gates first started to play with computers at the age of 13,when one was installed(安装)at his school. At that time,computers were large,awkward(笨重的)machines. Operators were re?quired to learn complex(复杂的)computer languages before the machines could be used. Even then,a great deal of time and effort was needed to perform the simplest functions. Before long,Gates was an expert at working the school's computer. After his graduation from secondary school, Gates was accepted by the three top universities in USA一Princeton, Harvard and Yale. He chose Harvard and began classes there the next autumn, majoring maths. But he was still ob?sessed(痴 迷)with computers and spent as much time in the computer laboratories as he did in the lecture halls.

  By 1975, Gates and a partner, Paul Allen, had developed a software called BASIC. This was not the first program ever created,but its inventors were the first to decide that people who wanted to use it should pay for it.

BASIC was a success because until it came along there had been no efficient way of getting computers to carry out instructions. Although he had not yet completed his degree, Gates left university and went to work full time for the new company he had formed called Microsoft.

  His next project(项目)was the software program that made him famous and very rich. It was called DOS,short for Disk Operating System, and it was purchased(购买)by IBM in 1980. Today it is the operating system used in more than 14 million personal computers around the world.

  As chief executive officer(首席执行官)of Microsoft, Gates is known as a bright man,but one who is not easily satisfied. He is quick to criticize(批评)his staff and hates to be questioned about decisions he has made. He was regarded as a loner, an unfashionable boring computer nut,until his marriage to Microsoft manager Melonda French on New Year's Day 1994. Yet to most people now,Gates is a person who is,in spite of his great wealth, humble(谦恭的)and ordinary. He spends his money carefully, he eats in fast-food restaurants and flies economy class
(经济舱).And when praised for Microsoft's great success, he has been heard to say, "All we do is put software in a box and if people see it in the stores and like it,they buy it.”
(   ) 5. When he was a teenager, Bill Gates wanted to be a      

A. teacher         B. doctor

C. businessman    D. professor
(   ) 6. When Gates went to Harvard,he      

A.     was interested only in maths

B.     spent most of his time in computer laboratories

C.     developed the first computer software program

D.     divided his time between his maths studies and the computer laboratories
(   ) 7. Before the development of BASIC, ________________ .

A.     no one was interested in computer software

B.     software programs were not considered commercial(商业的)projects

C.     software programs were very expensive

D.     no one wanted to pay for computer software

(   ) 8. When the writer says "Bill was regarded as an unfashionable boring computer nut",
he means      

A. Bill was so strong-minded that no one could change his mind

B.     the only thing that could interest Bill in his life was computer

C.     Bill was such a boring young man that nobody would like to talk to him

D.     Bill couldn't do anything else but solve boring computer problems

  From the earliest times,man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures.

  Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre(卢浮宫) in Paris,France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries.

  The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort(堡垒).In 1190,it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat to keep out his enemies.

  Over the years,the number of buildings around the castle grew. By 1350, the castle was no longer needed as a fort. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens.

  During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During days of war,many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged.

  When Francis I became king of France in 1515 ,he brought in artists from many countries. One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci's Mona Lisa is the best known painting in the museum today.

  In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum, just as it is now. It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy.

(   ) 5. On the whole, this passage is mainly about      

A.     an art museum called the Louvre

B.     an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci

C.     a king of France named Francis I

D.     the best known painting in Louvre

(   ) 6. Why is it good for great art to be kept in public museums?

A.     It helps people remember who the King of France is.

B.     It keeps people out of the palaces.

C.     It gives everyone a chance to enjoy good art.

D.     It helps people to know who is the greatest artist.
(   ) 7. From the passage we know that________________ •

A.     it is not possible for treasures to be stolen

B.     old forts always make the best museums

C.     great art should be shared with all the people

D.     king Francis I of France brought in artists from an old fort

(   ) 8. In the third paragraph the word "moat" probably means      

A.     a high tower built in former times where soldiers watched out for enemies

B.     a long and deep ditch dug round a castle and was usually filled with water

C.     a cart pulled by horses on which soldiers fought

D.     a long and high wall around castle

 Last week,millions of Chinese viewers turned into CCTV 5 to watch two teams of men in colorful clothing chase a ball around a field. But the New England Patriots(爱国者队)and Caro?lina Panthers(黑豹队)were not playing soccer. They were competing for American football's greatest prize,the Super Bowl.

  The first recorded game of American university was played more than 100 years ago,using a mixture of soccer and rugby(英式橄揽球)rules. The Super Bowl itself was first contested in 1967 ,but 2004 was the first time the game reached Chinese TV screens.

  American football is very popular because it exhibits a number of athletic skills,such as running, jumping, catching,throwing and kicking. There is also hitting and tackling, which appears violent(激烈的)sometimes!

  The best-known league in the United States is the National Football League (NFL),which is made up of 30 teams, and the Super Bowl is its championship game. One of the most famous players is New England star Tom Brady,who was named the Most Valuable Player as his team won the Super Bowl last week. Brady plays in the quarterback position, and is the player re?sponsible for throwing the ball to his teammates. Now the Super Bowl has arrived in China, maybe the game will become just as popular as basketball or soccer!

(   ) 1. In the first paragraph, the underlined word "chase" means "_____________________ ”.

A. to be followed    B. to run after

C. to catch    D. to throw

(   ) 2. From the passage we can see that      

A.     CCTV has never broadcast Super Bowl before

B.     the Super Bowl contest began more than a century ago

C.     the Chinese people didn't watch the Super Bowl contest until 2004

D.     football game first began in 1967

(   ) 3. American football is popular because      

A. it is easy to play    B. it shows many athletic skills

C. it is very violent at all the time     D. it is not expensive

(   ) 4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A.     NFL consists of thirty teams.

B.     Tom Brady serves in New England.

C.     The Super Bowl is the greatest football prize in the world.

D.     The Super Bowl will begin in Beijing next week.

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