—Why were you so late this morning?

—I _____ in heavy traffic for an hour on the way here.

A．have been caught   B．have caught        C．had caught        D．was caught

— Why were you not at the concert last night?

— I ______ a close game between Seattle Sonnies and Miami Bucks.

 A. watched     B. was watching   C. have watched      D. had watched

Redwood trees are the tallest plants on the earth，reaching heights of up to 100 meters．They are also known for their longevity，typically 500 to 1000 years，but sometimes more than 2000 years．A hundred million years ago，in the age of dinosaurs，redwoods were common in the forests of a much more moist and tropical North America．As the climate became drier and colder，they declined to a narrow strip along the Pacific coast of Northern Califomia．

The trunk of redwood trees is very strong and usually forms a single straight column．It is covered with a soft bark．This bark can be pretty thick，well over two feet in the more mature trees．It gives the older trees a certain kind of protection from insects，but the main benefit is that it keeps the center of the tree harmless from moderate forest fires because of its thickness．This fire resistant quality explains why the giant redwood grows to live that long．While most other types of trees are destroyed by forest fires，the giant redwood actually prospers because of them．

Moderate fires will clear the ground of competing plant life，and the rising heat dries and opens the ripe fruit of the redwood，releasing many thousands of seeds onto the ground below．

??? New trees are often produced from shoots，little baby trees，which form at the base of the trunk．These shoots grow slowly，fed by the root system of the “mother’’ tree．When the main tree dies，the shoots are then free to grow as full trees，forming a “fairy ring” of trees around the original tree．These trees，in turn，may give rise to more shoots，and the cycle continues．

1.Why were redwood trees easier to find in the forests of North America millions of years ago?

A．The trees were taller and stronger．

B．The soil was softer for seeds to develop．

C．The climate there was warmer and wetter．

D．The temperature was lower along the Pacific coast．

2.Which of the following is a function of the tree bark as mentioned in the passage?

A．It allows redwood trees to bear seeds．

B．It prevents redwood trees from attack by insects．

C．It helps redwood trees absorb water in the air．

D．It makes redwood trees more beautiful and appealing．

3.Why do redwood trees grow to live that long according to the passage?

A．They have heavy and straight tree trunks．

B．They are properly watered and catered to．

C．They are more resistant to fire damage than other trees．

D．They produce many young trees to maintain their life cycle．

4.How does a “fairy ring’’ form according to the passage?

A．By killing an old tree．????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? B．By connecting root systems．

C．By inserting holes into old trees．????????????? ????????????? D．By surrounding a mature tree．

We were a very motley (混杂的) crowd of people who took the bus every day many years ago. During the early morning ride from the suburb, we sat drowsily (昏昏欲睡地) with our collars up to our ears.

A small grey man took the bus to the center for senior citizens every morning. No one ever paid very much attention to him. Then one July morning he said good morning to the driver before he sat down. The driver nodded guardedly. The rest of us were silent.

The next day, the old man boarded the bus energetically, smiled and said in a loud voice: "And a very good morning to you all!" Some of us looked up, amazed, and murmured "Good morning!" in reply.

The following weeks we were more surprised. Our friend was now dressed in a nice old suit and a wide out-of-date tie. He said good morning to us every day and we gradually began to nod and talk to each other.

One morning he had a bunch of wild flowers in his hand. The driver turned around smilingly and asked: "Have you got yourself a girlfriend, Charlie?" The man nodded shyly and said yes. Every morning after that Charlie always brought a flower.

The summer went by when one morning Charlie wasn't waiting at his usual stop. When he wasn't there the new day and the day after that, we started wondering if he was sick or – hopefully – on holiday somewhere, Later we were told one of his very close friends had died at the weekend. How silent we were the rest of the way to work. The next Monday Charlie was waiting at the stop, a little bit more grey. Inside the bus was a silence similar to that in a church. Even though no one had talked about it, all those of us sat with our eyes filled with tears and a bunch of wild flowers in our hands.

1.From the first paragraph we can inter that the passengers ____.

A. had a cheerful trip every morning        B. didn't know each other

C. seldom talked to each other              D. talked and laughed on the way

2. Why were some of the passengers amazed when the old man greeted them?

A. Because he looked energetic.             B. Because he spoke in a loud voice.

C. Because he was holding some flowers.     D. Because they hardly greeted each other.

3.How did the passengers feel when Charlie was not there the next day?

A. Concerned.       B. Pleased.             C. Surprised.        D. Disappointed.

4. The underlined word "it" in the last paragraph most probably refers to ____.

A. the reach for his not taking the bus         B. the death of one of his very close friends

C. the reach for his looking more grey          D. the silence on the bus

Dear Mr. Barton,

I am writing for the residents’ association (业主协会) to inform you of our feelings about your act. We’ve really had enough of you. Although we have tried to speak to you politely on several occasions, you have always answered with a stream of verbal abuse(辱骂).

Ever since you moved in three months ago, you have shown very little consideration for the other residents of this building, though many residents expressed their unhappiness with you. For the past six weekends, you have held very noisy parties, which have not finished until early the next morning. As you know, most of the people here are elderly or have very young children, and the noise keeps them awake all night. You don’t have to be so noisy, do you? Last weekend the situation deteriorated when two of your friends fought with each other on the first floor. The fighting was so bad that the police had to be called. What’s more, your friends left the stairs in a terrible state --- they even broke two windows on their way out! We feel that we can’t bear this type of act.

We strongly demand that you pay for this damage to the window soon. If you don’t and you carry on being a nuisance(令人讨厌的人或物). We will kick you out! Legal steps will be taken if necessary.

Yours sincerely

1.What does the writer feel? 

2.What does the word “deteriorated” mean?

3.What is the main purpose of the letter?

4.Why were the police called?

5.What is true according to the letter?