Ever since news of widespread food recalls caused by a carcinogenic dye broke, there has been confusion(混淆) over possible links to the country of the same name, but Sudan officials say there is no connection whatever.?

Sudan1 is a red industrial dye that has been found in some chilli powder, but was banned in food products across the European Union (EU) in July 2003.?

Since the ban was put in place, EU officials have been striving to remove some food products from the shelves. So far 580 products have been recalled.?

Last week Sudan's Embassy in the United Kingdom asked the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for clarification of the origin of the dye's name.?

Omaima Mahmoud Al Sharief, a press official at Sudan's Embassy in China, explained the purpose of the inquiry was to clear up any misunderstanding over links between the country and the poisonous dye.?

“We want to keep an eye on every detail and avoid any misunderstanding there,” she said. “Our embassy to Britain asked them how the dye got that name and whether the dye had something to do with our country. But they told us there was no relationship.”?

The FSA, an independent food security watchdog in Britain, received a letter from the Sudanese embassy last week.?

“They asked us why the dye is named Sudan, however, we also do not know how it got the name,” she said. “People found the dye in 1883 and gave it the name. Nobody knows the reason, and we cannot give any explanation before we find out.”?

Sudan dyes, which include Sudan?1 to 4,are red dyes used for colouring solvents(溶剂),oils, waxes, petrol, shoe and floor polishes. They are classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.?

What does the underlined word mean in Paragraph One??

A. Causing cancer.B. Having side effect.

C. Containing poison.D. Poisonous.

How did the Sudan?1 get its name??

A. The dye is often produced in Sudan.?

B. The dye has something to do with the country named Sudan.?

C. Nobody is sure of the origin of the name.?

D. Many foods produced in Sudan contain the dye.

We can infer from the passage that _______.?

A. the Sudan government is paying much attention to the food safety?

B. Sudan?1 is often used to be added to the food?

C. people didn't realize the danger of Sudan?1 until 2003?

D. many food shops will be closed down

Which of the following is the best title??

A. Keep away from Sudan?1

B. No Sudan?1 dye links to the country?

C. How Sudan?1 dye got its name

D. Pay attention to the food safety

B
　　Although man has known asbestos for many hundreds of years, it was not until 160 years ago that it was mined for the first time on the North American continent. H. W. Johns, owner of a New York City Supply Shop for roofers, was responsible for he opening of that first mine.
　　Mr. Johns was given a piece of asbestos which had been found in Italy. He experimented with the material and then showed its surprising powers to his customers. After putting on a pair of asbestos gloves, which looked much like ordinary work gloves, he took red-hot coals from the fireplace and played with them in his hands. How astonished the customers were to discover that he was not burned at all. You can well imagine that he had increasing business in asbestos roofing materials. However, because it was very expensive to transport them from Italy to the United States, Mr. Johns sent out a young scientist to seek a source nearer home. This young man found great vein in the province of Quebec in Canada.
　　Ever since 1881 Quebec has led the world in the production of this unusual mineral, which is made up of magnesium, silicon, iron, and oxygen. When it is mined, the asbestos is heavy, just as you would expect a mineral to be. When it is separated, a strange thing happens; the rock breaks down into fine, soft, soapy fibers .
　　Scientists do not know why the rock can be separated easily into threads,but they have found thousands of uses of this fireproof material, of the so-called “cloth of stone”.
　60. Which title best expresses the main idea of this passage?
　   A. Asbestos mined in Canada                  B. Fireproof matter
C. A “wonder” mineral                           D. A new roofing material
　61. Johns proved his ability as a salesman by_______.
　   A. going into roofing business              
B. carrying asbestos from Italy
　   C. sending a trained scientist                 
D. showing the use of asbestos gloves
　62. Which is the most important character of asbestos that the author wants to show us?
　   A. It is like thread.                               B. It feels soapy.
C. It burns easily.                                 D. It is unusually heavy.
　63. The author’s main purpose in writing this passage was to _______.
　   A. show the need for more scientists
　   B. compare asbestos with other minerals
　   C. increase the sales of asbestos
　   D. present facts about asbestos

He appeared on stage three years ago.We 　　　　 him in the entertainment industry (娱乐界)

　 ever since.

　 A.haven’t heard 　　　　　　　　　　 B.didn’t seen

　 C.don’t see 　　　　　　　　　　 D.haven’t seen

　　　 Bobby was sitting out in his back yard in the snow. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them. Try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother’s Christmas gift.

　　　 Ever since his father had passed away three years ago, his mother worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage could only be stretched so far.

　　　 What the family lacked in money and material things, they more than made up for in love and family unity. They ran the household in their mother’s absence. All three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother.

　　　 It was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing. Bobby started to walk down to the street. He walked from shop to shop. Everything seemed so beautiful and so out of reach. It was starting to get dark, then suddenly his eyes caught a shiny dime. Never has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby did at that moment.

　　　 He went inside a flower shop. When the owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower. The shop owner looked at Bobby, then said, “You just wait here and I’ll see what I can do for you.”

　　　 The shop owner returned holding red roses all tied together with a big silver bow. Bobby’s heart sank as the owner placed them gently into a long white box. “That will be ten cents, young man,” said the shop owner, reaching out his hand for the dime. Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime.

　　　 Then the shopkeeper’s wife appeared. “Where are the roses you were fixing?”

　　　 The shop owner replied, “A strange thing happened to me this morning. I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn’t sure at the time whether I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway. When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was.”

56. According to the first three paragraphs we know that _____.

　　　 A. Bobby’s sisters didn’t help Bobby to buy a gift

　　　 B. Bobby had known what gift he’d give to his mother

　　　 C. the children in the family all loved their mother

　　　 D. Bobby’s family was rich before his father died

57. Why did Bobby walk along the street?

　　　 A. Because he didn’t know what to do.

　　　 B. Because he wanted to try his luck there.

　　　 C. Because he wanted to get some money.

　　　 D. Because he hoped to see what he could get.

58. What could he buy with a dime then?

　　　 A. A flower. B. Nothing. C. A piece of cake. D. Many flowers.

59. Bobby slowly gave the dime to the shop owner because _______.

　　　 A. he did not want any rose flowers　　　　　

B. the flowers weren’t worth a dime

　　　 C. the shop owner would cheat him　　　　　

D. he hardly believed what had happened

60. From the last two paragraphs we can infer that the shop owner ______.

　　　 A. was shocked by the voice he heard　　　　

B. was always ready to help others

　　　 C. didn’t know how to run a business　　　　

D. was good at making up stories