阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题后所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）各选出最佳选项。

　　Have you ever heard of John James Audubon？He was born in 1785 and died in 1851，but his 　　1　　 is still talked about every day．Audubon was a scientist who loved 　　2　　 ．He wanted to show people the 　　3　　 of nature in their lives．He was especially interested in 　　4　　 ，and painted many beautiful pictures of them．

　　In 1950，the National Audubon Society was formed by 　　5　　 who were also interested in birds and wanted to 　　6　　 this great man's 　　7　　 studies．Even 　　8　　 ，when people think of the Audubon Society，they do 　　9　　 things besides watching 　　10　　 ．They always find great pleasure in these activities．

　　The 　　11　　 of the Society try to 　　12　　 the environment as much as they can．They let the public 　　13　　 about laws that are needed．They have helped to 　　14　　 many laws that protect birds and animals and 　　15　　 too．They teach young people how to protect their 　　16　　 ．They try to make their own communities （社区） 　　17　　 ，better places to 　　18　　 ．

John James Audubon 　　19　　 that nature was important，but he did not know how important his 　　20　　 would become and what effects it would have．He would have felt content if he had known that what he started would be continued and developed after his death．

1．A．story

B．name

C．death

D．life

2．A．nature

B．reading

C．study

D．science

3．A．good

B．use

C．importance

D．need

4．A．flowers

B．fish

C．trees

D．birds

5．A．a scientist

B．people

C．his students

D．his friends

6．A．join in

B．follow

C．continue

D．develop

7．A．law

B．weather

C．bird

D．nature

8．A．then

B．now

C．busy

D．poor

9．A．other

B．no other

C．more important

D．less important

10．A．the sky

B．television

C．birds

D．life

11．A．members

B．thunders

C．supporter

D．helpers

12．A．help

B．remain

C．keep

D．improve

13．A．hear

B．think

C．know

D．talk

14．A．pass

B．keep

C．study

D．follow

15．A．tigers

B．humans

C．plant

D．living things

16．A．birds

B．life

C．homes

D．environment

17．A．bigger

B．cleaner

C．nice

D．prettier

18．A．work in

B．play in

C．stay in

D．live in

19．A．saw

B．learned

C．knew

D．discovered

20．A．work

B．life

C．interest

D．name

A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.

　　On one side stand those who see clothes dryers(干衣机) as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the “what-I-can-do environmentalism(环境保护主义).”

　　On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) across the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This had led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people’s right to use clotheslines.　　

　　So far, only three states have laws to protect clothesline. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be more.　　

　　Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious(有生态意识的) person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. “Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don’t take matters in their own hands,” says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.　　

　　North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can’t even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.

　　Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, “The clothesline is beautiful”. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.”

One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying is that ________.

A. clothes dryers are more efficient   

B. clothesline drying reduces home value

C. clothes dryers are energy-saving    

D. clothesline drying is not allowed in most U.S. states

Which of the following best describes Matt Reck?

　　A. He is a kind-hearted man.         B. He is an impolite man.　　

　　C. He is an experienced gardener.    D. He is a man of social responsibility.　　

Who are in favor of clothesline drying?　　

　　A. housing businesses.           B. Environmentalists.　　

　　C. Homeowners Associations.     D. Reck’s dissatisfied neighbors.　　

What is mainly discussed in the text?　　

　　A. Clothesline drying: a way to save energy and money.　　

　　B. Clothesline drying: a lost art rediscovered.　　

　　C. Opposite opinions on clothesline drying.　　

　　D. Different varieties of clotheslines.　　

When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter（炼铜厂），and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked him down. From then on, something happened inside him.

　　Years later Paul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answer from that big industry was “No”.

Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. Everyone knew that, he was told. Even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn’t get his idea accepted.

　　Paul later got married and had some kids. But his dream would not die. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. As Samuel Johnson wrote, “It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. Attainable good is often ignored by minds busied in wide ranges.” Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.

　　And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. For fifteen years he did this against the plain common sense. Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing.

　　Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child.

When Paul was a boy，______________.

A. he had decided never to leave his hometown

B. the economy of Utah depended wholly on the copper smelter

C. no laws were made to protect the environment against pollution

D. he had determined to stop the copper smelter polluting the area

Why did Paul go to college to study the science of plants？

A. Because he wanted to find out the best way to save the area himself.

B. Because he was interested in planting trees since he was young.

C. Because he wanted to get more knowledgeable people to help him.

D. Because he thought his knowledge would make his advice more persuasive.

What does the underlined phrase “the plain common sense” probably refer to?

A. That it was impossible for trees to grow on the wasteland.

B. That his normal work and life would be greatly affected.

C. That no one would like to join him in the efforts.

D. That he had to keep everything he did secret.

The company hired Paul to plant trees and grass because___________.

   A. they realized the importance of environmental protection

   B. What Paul was doing moved them

   C. Paul persuaded them to help him

   D. they had legal pressure

The message of the passage is that _____________.

A. action speaks louder than words

B. perseverance（持之以恒）will work wonders

C. God helps those who help themselves

D. many hands make light work

Several different stories are told about the origin of Saint Valentine’s Day.One legend dates as far back as the days of the Roman Empire.According to the story,Claudius,the Emperor of Rome,wanted to increase the size of his army.He knew that it would be easier to get young men who were not married to join.Therefore he made a rule that no young man could marry until he had served a certain number of years in the army.

A priest(牧师) named Valentine broke the rule and secretly married a great many young people.Finally,Claudius found out about Valentine and put the priest in prison,where he remained until his death on February 14.

After his death,Valentine was made a saint(圣人),and the day of his death was named Saint Valentine’s Day.It became the custom for lovers to send each other message on this day.Now Saint Valentine’s Day is a time for people to send one another greeting of many kinds.

February 14,Valentine’s Day,is sweethearts’ day,on which people in love with each other express their tender(温柔的) emotions.

People sometimes put their love message in a heartshaped box of chocolates,or a bunch of flowers tied with red ribbons(带子).Words of letters may be written on the flower covered card,or something else.Whatever the form may be,the message is almost the same：”Will you be my Valentine?”

1.Valentine was put in prison because 　　　.

A.he secretly got married　　　　　　　　 B.he didn’t serve in the army

C.he married many young people secretly　　 D.he broke the laws

2.According to the rule,　　 .

A.no young men could get married unless they were old enough

B.young men could marry if they served in the army for several years

C.no one could get married without the emperor’s permission

D.young men could marry only in the army

3.This passage mainly tells us about 　　　.

A.how Valentine died　　　　　　　　 B.the Emperor of Rome

C.how Valentine’s Day is celebrated　　　　 D.the origin Valentine’s Day

4.February 14 is chosen as Valentine’s Day because 　　　.

A.lovers express their tender emotions on this day

B.people want to remember Valentine

C.people send one another greetings of many kinds on this day

D.people want to fix a date for lovers to express their emotionse

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Over the last 25 years, British society has changed a great deal – or at least many parts of it have.  1. . Ideas about social class – whether a person is “working - class” or “middle - class” – are one area in which changes have been extremely slow.

　　In the past, the working-class tended to be paid less than middle-class people. The typical working man would collect his wages on Friday evening and then, it was widely believed, having given his wife her "housekeeping", would go out and squander（挥霍） the rest on beer and betting.

　　The old style of what a middle-class man did with his money was perhaps nearer the truth. He was-and still is-inclined (有意) to take a longer-term view. Not only did he regard buying a house as a most important thing, but he also considered the education of his children as extremely important.   2.   . Only in very few cases did workers have the opportunity （or the education and training） to make such long-term plans.

　　 3.  . In a large number of cases factory workers earn as much as their middle – class supervisors (管理者). Improved social security and laws have made it less necessary than before to worry about "tomorrow". Working-class people seem slowly to be losing the feeling of inferiority(自卑感). In fact there has been a growing tendency in the past few years for the middle-classes to feel slightly ashamed of their position.

       4.   .They generally tend to share very similar tastes in music and clothes, they spend their money in having a good time, and save for holidays or longer-term plans when necessary. There seems to be much less difference than in precious generations.  5.   . As long as this gap exists, there will always be a possibility that new conflicts and jealousies will emerge, or rather that the old conflicts will re-appear, but between different groups.

    A. Nowadays, a great deal has changed

    B. Both of these provided him and his family with security

    C. As a result, differences in life – styles and attitudes came into existence

    D. However, we still have a wide gap between the well – paid and the low - paid

    E. In recent years, the working – class people have begun to design long – term plans

    F. In some ways, however, very little has changed, particularly where attitudes are concerned

    G. The changes in both life–styles and attitudes are probably most easily seen amongst younger people