The word “plastic” comes from the Greek word “Platicos” and is used to describe_1_which can be easily shaped.?

The history of plastics is longer than you might_2_.In fact _3_ manmade plastics ever to appear on the market was made over a hundred years ago. It was called “celluloid(赛璐璐)”.It was discovered by both an Englishman and an American in the same year._4_it was the Americans who first produced it on a large scale during the year 1860.Everybody was _5_by this new material which could be moulded (用模子做) into shapes and _6_so cheap to buy.

Poor young men _7_in cities with lots of smoke and dirt were_8_ to buy white celluloid collars(领子).The collars were hard and uncomfortable. But they did not have to be sent to wash. The poor young men _9_ rub them clean every evening with soap and water! Poor mothers,

_10_ had not been able to afford playthings _11_their children, were now able to buy them playthings _12_ of celluloid. But celluloid had one very serious fault. It caught fire very easily. In fact it burned even more quickly than wood or cloth. There were many terrible accidents, particularly _13_ children. For years scientists worked hard to find a better plastic material than celluloid. They had _14_ success. Then in 1932 an American scientist called Baekeland produced a hard plastic material which did not burn. _15_ became known _16_ bakelite(酚醛塑料).Other plastic materials like bakelite were _17_ produced. They _18_ to make electrical fittings and plates and cups. Poor people liked them because they were both cheap and safe, but rich people _19_ them because they were cheap, and because they could only be made _20_dark colours.

1. A. something    B. everything  C. thing            D. anything

2. A. wish        B. think       C. want            D. hope

3. A. first         B. at first      C. for the first      D. the first

4. A. So          B. But        C. And            D. As

5. A. surprised     B. excited     C. told            D. frightened

6. A. be          B. were       C. was             D. is

7. A. waiting      B. running    C. walking          D. working

8. A. going       B. sure        C. about            D. able

9. A. could       B. ought to     C. must            D. should

10. A. which      B. who       C. whom            D. that

11. A. for        B. like        C. in               D. of

12. A. done       B. produced   C. worked           D. made

13. A. between    B. on        C. among            D. about

14. A. much      B. great.      C. never             D. little

15. A. The man   B. He         C. It                D. The scientist

16. A. as        B. with        C. by               D. to

17. A. already    B. still         C. also             D. yet

18. A. used      B. hoped       C. were used         D. had

19. A. took     B. loved       C. enjoyed           D. disliked

20. A. in       B. by          C. from             D. of

In 1977, a dead author of detective stories saved the life of a 19-month-old baby in a most unusual way. The author was Agatha Christie, one of the most successful writers of detective stories in the world.
In June 1977, a baby girl became seriously ill in Qatar, near Saudi Arabia. Doctors were unable to find out the cause of her illness with confidence, so she was sent to Hammersmith Hospital in London. She was then only semi-conscious and on the "Dangerously Ill" list. A team of doctors hurried to examine the baby only to discover that they, too, were confused by the very unusual symptoms (症状). While they were discussing the baby's case, a nurse asked to speak to them. "Excuse me," said Nurse Marsha Maitlan, "but I think the baby is suffering from thallium (铊) poisoning."
"What makes you think that?" Dr. Brown asked. "Thallium poisoning is extremely rare."
"A few days ago, I was reading a novel called A Pale Horse by Agatha Christie," Nurse Maitlan explained. "In the book, somebody uses thallium poison, and all the symptoms are described. They're exactly the same as the baby's."
"You're very thoughtful and you may be right," another doctor said. "We'll carry out some tests and find out whether it's thallium or not."
Tests showed that the baby had indeed been poisoned by thallium, a rare metallic substance used in making special glass. Once they knew the cause of the illness, the doctors were able to give the baby the correct treatment. She soon recovered and was sent back to Qatar. Later it was reported that the poison might have come from an insecticide (杀虫剂) used in Qatar.
【小题1】The one who first suggested the correct cause of the baby's illness was _____.

A.a doctor in Qatar B.Dr. Brown
C.Nurse MaitlanD.Agatha Christie
【小题2】As far as we can tell from the passage, Agatha Christie _____.
A.had spent a long time studying the baby's case
B.visited the baby in the hospital at Hammersmith
C.had never met this baby
D.gave Nurse Maitlan some advice on the phone
【小题3】It seems likely from the passage that the baby's illness had something to do with _____.
A.a harmful substance used to kill insects
B.a dangerous pair of glasses
C.the water in Qatar
D.a dead writer

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III.阅读理解(共15小题计30分)

We drink tea every day. But more than three hundred years ago, most of the people in Europe did not know anything about tea, because it was grown in Asia. There is a story about an English sailor(水手). Once he went to India and China. When he came home, he brought some tea as a present for his mother. She told her friends about the present and asked them to a tea party.  When her friends came to the tea party, the old woman brought out some leaves and asked them to eat tea. Of course, nobody liked the tea leaves.

Just then the sailor came in.  He looked at the tea leaves on the table and asked his mother,“What have you done with the tea?”

“I boiled it as you said.”

“I threw it away, of course.” answered the woman.

“Now, you may throw away the leaves, too.” said her son.

56. Who first grew tea?

A. People in Europe.                                        B. People in Asia.

C.People in China only.                                D. People in India only.

57. The woman’s friends ________.

A. enjoyed the tea leaves very much                   B. didn’t like drinking tea

C. didn’t like the tea leaves                           D. threw away all the tea leaves

58. Before the old woman boiled the tea, ________.

A. she had learned how to enjoy it

B. her son had taught her how to drink tea

C. her son had not told her to drink the boiled water only

D. her son had not told how to eat the tea leaves 

 

They may make us scared, but somehow we just can’t get enough of our favorite monsters.From literature to movies, TV shows to Halloween(万圣节) costumes(服装), we want more of these blood-drinking, walking-dead, scary creatures!

Here’s a look at a few of them.

Mummy(木乃伊): All you’ll need is a generous supply of toilet paper of make this instantly recognizable costume.The concept of mummies dates back thousands of years and across many cultures.Mummies are constantly seen in books, movies, and of course, on every Halloween night.

Werewolf(狼人): The werewolf is known for its superhuman strength and shape-shifting powers.Examples of the werewolf date back to ancient Greek and Roman stories, which were about humans changing into animals and animals changing into humans.With television shows and movies, werewolves are once again having a strong influence on popular culture.

Frankenstein: Mary Shelley created the monster in her 1818 novel.Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who is curious about life and death, uses different body parts to create his works.Shocked by his new scientific creation, however, Victor ran away, leaving the creature to leave the laboratory and go out into the human world.Whether in books, movies, or onstage, this monster is still a costume favorite for people of all ages.

Zombie(僵尸): Halloween activities would incomplete without zombies to really give people a fright.The zombie earned its title as one of Halloween’s most terrifying creatures after popular films.Zombies still frighten audiences as undead monsters that return to feast on the living.

Dracula(德拉库拉): This classic vampire(吸血鬼) has terrified audiences for decades, but first appeared as a character in Irish writer Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel.In horror films, Dracula remains the most popular character.He is known for his pale skin, sharp teeth, red lips and son on.

1.According to the article, monsters ______.

A.are scary but at the same time fascinating

B.provide excitement for people who lead dull lives

C.are mysterious and have supernatural powers

D.can change into humans

2.Which of the following statements about monster costume is TRUE according to the article?

A.A zombie costume is the choice costume of people celebrating Halloween.

B.A mummy costume is easy to make and can be immediately recognized.

C.Frankenstein’s monster is losing appeal(吸引力) among some people.

D.Because of its uniqueness, the Dracula costume is the most popular for Halloween.

3.We can conclude that ______.

A.Dracula is the only monster who first appeared in a book

B.mummies may come back to life in the future

C.Victor Frankenstein was finally able to get his monster under control

D.Frankenstein’s monster was created using different body parts

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A.Monster Halloween Costumes

B.Monsters and Halloween

C.Monsters Loved by people

D.How Monsters Scare People

 

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