The journey two naval (海军的) officers made some time ago to the very deepest point on the earth makes us realize how much of the world still remains to be explored. The two men went down seven miles to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean inside a small steel ball called a “bathyscaphe” (探海球) to find out if there are any ocean currents or sings of life.

It was necessary to set out early, so that the “bathyscaphe” would come to the surface in daylight, and so be easily found by the mother ship which would be waiting for it. The drivers began preparations at dawn and soon afterwards, when all was ready, the steel ball disappeared under the surface of the water.

In time, the temperature dropped to freezing-point and the men trembled (颤抖) inside the ball. They kept in touch with the mother ship by telephone describing how they felt. Then, at a depth of 3,000 feet, the men were surprised by a sudden, loud noise, even the smallest hole in the ball would have meant instant （立即的）death. Luckily, though, it was only one of the outer windows that had broken. Soon afterwards, the “bathyscaphe” touched the soft ocean floor raising a big cloud of “dust” made up of different kinds of small, dead sea animals. Here, powerful lights lit up the dark water and the men were surprised to see fish swimming just above them quite uncontrolled by the very large water-pressure. But they did not dare to leave the lights on for long, as the heat from them made the water boil. Quite unexpectedly, the telephone began working again and the weak but clear voices of the officers wre heard on the mother ship. After a stay of thirty minutes the men began their journey up, arriving three hours later, cold and wet through, but none the worse for their experience.

71. The officers started their journey at dawn ________.

       A. because they could return in 24 hours

B. because the sea was calm then

C. when the sun was not strong

D. so that they could return before dark

72. What did the officers find out at the bottom of the sea?

       A. Different dead sea animals .           B. Signs of life.

C. Nothing but a big cloud                 D. Only dust.

73. The journey to the bottom of the sea helped us to realize that ________.

       A. much of the world hasn't yet been explored

B. there are not any sings of life at the bottom of the sea

C. strong water-pressure has great effect on fish

D. powerful lights cannot be turned on at the ocean floor

74. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined part?

A. They were cold and wet through ,which was the worst thing at all.

B. They were even worse than cold and wet through at the bottom of the sea.

C. Considering what they had just experienced, being cold and wet through was even better.

D. For such an experience, being cold and wet through was not bad for them at all.

75. The best title for his passage might be ________.

       A. The invention of a “bathyscaphe”

B. Two naval officers should be awarded

C. The adventure to the bottom of the ocean

D. The ocean floor is soft and dusty

Often we take for granted the many household items we use every day. It is difficult to imagine there was a time in the past when these inventions did not exist. Actually, several of the most common inventions have been with us for quite some time. Inventions like toothbrush, contact lenses（隐形眼镜）, and credit cards came into use long ago.
The first toothbrush was introduced in China in the late 1400s but it was only 300 years later that this simple tool came into common use in Europe. By the nineteenth century, a variety of paste and powder cleaners were available throughout Europe as dental(牙齿的) care became more widespread. The first tube of toothpaste hit the market in Great Britain in 1891.
There is evidence to show that the first contact lenses were actually suggested by an astronomer, Sir John Herschel, in 1827. However, SirJohn Herschel was never able to create a working model of his idea. It was not until 1887 that a Swiss doctor from Zurich, Dr. Eugen Frick, came up with a workable process for producing precision (精密)lenses. Dr. Frick designed a new method for producing contact lenses,and the Zeiss factory in Germany  began to produce contact lenses.
Credit cards have also been available for many years. They have been in use in the United States since the 1920s. At first, these cards were only used to buy gas in the quickly growing automobile service industry. Then, in the 1950s, Diners Club introduced the first general-purpose credit card. Today, credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, and American Express are commonly used by travelers around the world.
While it may be true that some of the greatest inventions and discoveries in history came about by chance, the majority of inventions that simplify our lives today came about through careful research and patient study. Of course, it still holds true that even with all the comforts of modern technology, inventors continue to search for ways of helping all of us get out of doing those necessary but tedious (乏味的) tasks which we still face. As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
【小题1】From the second paragraph we can learn that _____.

Often we take for granted the many household items we use every day. It is difficult to imagine there was a time in the past when these inventions did not exist. Actually, several of the most common inventions have been with us for quite some time. Inventions like toothbrush, contact lenses（隐形眼镜）, and credit cards came into use long ago.

   The first toothbrush was introduced in China in the late 1400s but it was only 300 years later that this simple tool came into common use in Europe. By the nineteenth century, a variety of paste and powder cleaners were available throughout Europe as dental(牙齿的) care became more widespread. The first tube of toothpaste hit the market in Great Britain in 1891.

 There is evidence to show that the first contact lenses were actually suggested by an astronomer, Sir John Herschel, in 1827. However, SirJohn Herschel was never able to create a working model of his idea. It was not until 1887 that a Swiss doctor from Zurich, Dr. Eugen Frick, came up with a workable process for producing precision (精密)lenses. Dr. Frick designed a new method for producing contact lenses,and the Zeiss factory in Germany  began to produce contact lenses.

Often we take for granted the many household items we use every day. It is difficult to imagine there was a time in the past when these inventions did not exist. Actually, several of the most common inventions have been with us for quite some time. Inventions like toothbrush, contact lenses（隐形眼镜）, and credit cards came into use long ago.
The first toothbrush was introduced in China in the late 1400s but it was only 300 years later that this simple tool came into common use in Europe. By the nineteenth century, a variety of paste and powder cleaners were available throughout Europe as dental(牙齿的) care became more widespread. The first tube of toothpaste hit the market in Great Britain in 1891.
There is evidence to show that the first contact lenses were actually suggested by an astronomer, Sir John Herschel, in 1827. However, SirJohn Herschel was never able to create a working model of his idea. It was not until 1887 that a Swiss doctor from Zurich, Dr. Eugen Frick, came up with a workable process for producing precision (精密)lenses. Dr. Frick designed a new method for producing contact lenses,and the Zeiss factory in Germany  began to produce contact lenses.
Credit cards have also been available for many years. They have been in use in the United States since the 1920s. At first, these cards were only used to buy gas in the quickly growing automobile service industry. Then, in the 1950s, Diners Club introduced the first general-purpose credit card. Today, credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, and American Express are commonly used by travelers around the world.
While it may be true that some of the greatest inventions and discoveries in history came about by chance, the majority of inventions that simplify our lives today came about through careful research and patient study. Of course, it still holds true that even with all the comforts of modern technology, inventors continue to search for ways of helping all of us get out of doing those necessary but tedious (乏味的) tasks which we still face. As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

1. 1.

   From the second paragraph we can learn that _____

   1. A.
      toothbrushes came into common use in Europe in the 17th century
   2. B.
      people could enjoy a variety of paste and powder cleaners in the 18th century
   3. C.
      more and more people paid attention to dental care throughout Europe in the 19th century
   4. D.
      the English could use different kinds of tubes of toothpaste in the early 19th century
2. 2.

   All of the following made a contribution to the invention and use of contact lenses EXCEPT _______

   1. A.
      Diners Club
   2. B.
      Sir John Herschel
   3. C.
      Dr Eugen Frick
   4. D.
      the Zeiss factory
3. 3.

   Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the fourth paragraph?

   1. A.
      Credit cards have a history of about two hundred years
   2. B.
      Three kinds of credit cards are being used in the USA
   3. C.
      The use of credit cards is closely related to the economic development
   4. D.
      American Express is only used by American travelers now
4. 4.

   The last paragraph mainly tells us that ______

   1. A.
      the greatest inventions came about by chance
   2. B.
      inventions came about through careful research and patient study
   3. C.
      inventors still continue to make inventions
   4. D.
      necessity is the mother of invention