But, curiously, one of the rarest coins in the world is not made of gold, but of the relatively cheaper silver. In 1840, the United States mint struck 19, 570 silver dollars. That is what its records show. Today only six of this original number remain and these are unlikely ever to the auction market. So what happened to some 19, 564 large silver coins, not the easiest sort of things to lose? One of the more romantic theories is that they were part of the payment to Napoleon for the American territory then known as Louisiana. But they never reached France. Somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico, the ship transporting them was sunk, either by a storm or by pirates. The probable answer to the mystery is that they were melted down—since the silver value was greater than the actual value of the coin. What really happened to the rest will probably always remain a mystery. What .is known is that whoever can come up with one will find himself instantly rich.

　　 1. It can be inferred from the passage that——.

　　　　  A. money buys as much as it did before

　　    B. money does not buy as much as it did before

　　　　  C. paper money buys more than metal money

　　　　  D. metal money buys more than paper money

　　 2. Which of the following is true of a coin?

　　　　  A. The longer it is held, the less valuable it becomes.

　　　　  B. The more it wears out, the more valuable it becomes.

　　　　  C. The less it gets scratched, the less it values.

　　　　  D. The longer it lasts, the more it values.

　　 3. Coins becomes more valuable because

  　　　　A. they make purses and pockets untidy

　　　　  B. the price of metal goes up

　　　　  C. they fall more readily into a category for collections due to their duration

　　　　  D. both B and C

　　 4. What really happened to some 19, 564 large silver coins?

　　　　  A. They were melted down.　　　　 B. They were sunk in the Gulf of Mexico.

　　　　  C. It is still mystery.　　 　　    　　  D. They were stolen by pirates.

I’ve just seen no more than one copy of“ Gone with the Wind”in the bookshop opposite. Tom, go and buy ________ back.

A. one　　　　　B. any　　　　　 C. it　　　　　　 D. some

  Has ________ 　been decided when we are to hold the sports meeting?    A. that　　　        B. he　　　

C. it　　　    D. what

Annealing

Annealing is a way of making metal softer by heating it and then letting it cool very slowly, if metal is heated and then cooled very quickly, for example by dipping(浸) it in water, it will be very hard but also very brittle(脆)—that is, it will break easily. Metal that has been annealed is soft but does not breaks as easily. It is possible to make metal as hard or as soft as is wished, by annealing it. The metal is heated, and allowed to cool slowly for a certain length of time. The longer the heated metal takes to cool slowly, the softer it becomes. Annealing can also be used on other material, such as glass.

1. Annealing can make metal ____

　　A. hard and tough(韧)　B. hard but brittle　　C. soft but tough　　D. soft and brittle

2. Why do people put hot metal in water?

　　A. To make it hard.　　B. To make it soft.　C. To make it cool.　D. To make it brittle

3. In annealing, the required hardness of a metal depends on 　______

　　A. the quantity of water used　B. the temperature of the metal

　　C. the softness of the metal　  D. the timing of the operation

4. As suggested by the text, how can glass be made less brittle?

　　A. It can be heated and then cooled quickly.

　　B. It can be cooled and then heated slowly.

　　C. It can be heated and then cooled slowly.

D. It can be cooled and then heated quickly.

Ⅳ.阅读理解（30分）
He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929. He was black. He died in his thirties, but he became world-famous during that short time. He grew up in the southeastern part of the United States. He studied at Morehouse College, where he met many outstanding men whose ideas he found important and exciting. There he read the writings of Thoreau, which gave him many ideas about freedom.
　　After he finished studying in Morehouse, he went on to study at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Boston University. At Boston University, he met his wife, Corretta. In 1954, after he got his Ph. D. degree (哲学博士学位), he became a minister (牧师) of a small church in the South. Then he became the leader of the black people, who were poor and powerless. He gave speeches and led parades. For his ideas and actions, he was in prison for a short time.
　　Many years later, in Washington D.C. he spoke to a crowd of 250,000 people. He told them "I have a dream". That speech is still famous today. In 1964 he won the Nobel Peace Prize. His work was not finished when he died on April 4. 1968. Who was he? He was Martin Luther King Jr..
46. Where did Martin Luther King Jr. get the ideas of freedom?
　　A. In the University of Pennsylvania.      B. In Harvard University.
　　C. In Morehouse College.               D. In Boston University.
47. Why was Martin Luther King Jr. in prison?
A. Because he was a minister of a small church.
　　B. Because he was black and world-famous.
　　C. Because he gave a speech called “I have a dream”.
　　D. Because he often gave talks in public and organized the parades .
48. How old was Martin Luther King Jr. when he died?
　　A. Twenty-five years old.      B. Thirty-five years old.
　　C. Thirty-seven years old.     D. Thirty-nine years old.
49. How is Martin Luther King’s speech “I have a dream” ?
　　A. It is so famous that people today still remember it.
　　B. It was such a famous speech that he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
　　C. It was famous only before he died.
　　D. It didn’t become famous until he died.