The making of glass is a very old industry — at least 4,500years old. Glass has many extraordinary qualities and it is often being used in new ways.

One of the most interesting new uses for glass is in telephone communication. Scientists have developed glass fibers as thin as human hair which are designed to carry light signal. When the light reaches the other end, it is first changed into electrical signals, which are in turn changed into sound messages.

Called light wave communication, the new system was used successfully in an experiment in Chicago in 1977. During the experiment, two glass fibers were able to carry 672 conversations at the same time. The light wave cable, containing 144 glass fibers, is able to carry 50,000 conversations at the same time.

The light wave communication system has two important advantages. First, the glass fiber cables are smaller and weigh less than copper cables. Second, they cost less.

Perhaps it can be said that telephone communication has entered the age of light.

1．According to the passage, people started to make glass             .

       A．4,500 years ago                                   B．no less than 4,500 years ago

C．less than 4,500 years ago                      D．nearly 4,500 years ago

2．One of the extraordinary qualities of glass is that it can carry          .

       A．sound signals       B．light signals          C．electric signals     D．any signals

3．According to the passage the new telephone communication system       .

       A．has been put into actual use

       B．was put into actual use in 1977

       C．was put on experiment in 1977

       D．had been repeatedly experimented on before 1977

4．Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?

       A．Glass is very useful because it has many unusual qualities．

       B．Light signals have changed the use of glass in industry．

       C．Glass fibres have reduced the cost of telephone communication．

       D．The use of glass fibres to carry telephone messages is an interesting new development．

阅读理解

The making of glass is a very old industry-at least 4, 500 years old. Glass has many extraordinary qualities and it is frequently being used in new ways. One of the most interesting new uses for glass is in telephone communication. Scientists have developed glass fibres as thin as human hair which are designed to carry light signals. When the light reaches the other end, it is first changed into electrical signals, which are in turn converted(转变) into sound messages. Called lightwave communication, the new system was used successfully in an experiment in Chicago in 1977. During the experiment two glass fibres were able to carry 672 conversations at the same time. The lightwave cable, containing 144 glass fibres, has the capacity(容量) to carry 50,000 conversations at the same time. The lightwave communication system has two important advantages. First the glass fibre cables are smaller and weigh less than copper(铜) cables; second, they cost less.

1．One of the extraordinary qualities of glass is that it can carry ________.

[　　]

2．Before you can hear a message on the telephone using the new system ________.

[　　]

A．the light signals have to be Changed into electrical sound

B．neither the light nor the electrical signals have to be changed in any way

C．light must first be changed into electrical signals and then into sound

D．electrical signals must first be changed into light signals and then into sound

3．According to the passage the new telephone communication system

[　　]

A．was put on experiment in 1977

B．had been put into actual use by 1977

C．had been repeatedly experimented before 1977

D．was first put into actual use in 1977

4．From the passage, you can tell that people prefer glass fibre cables to copper cables because ________.

[　　]

A．glass fibre is easier to make

B．glass fibre is less expensive

C．glass fibre is more up to date

D．glass fibre delivers messages directly

5．Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?

[　　]

A．Light signals have changed the use of glass in industry.

B．Glass fibres have reduced the cost of telephone communication.

C．Glass is very useful because it has many unusual qualities.

D．The use of glass fibres to carry telephone messages is an interesting new development.

In western countries, especially in America, some social customs have lasted still today. For example, ladies first, that is to say, women in those countries are respected(尊重) in many ways.
In the U.S. and Europe, you will see men usually open doors for women and women generally walk ahead of men into a room or a restaurant unless the man have to be ahead of the ladies to choose the table, to open the door of a car or to give other services. On the street, men almost walk or across the street on the side of the ladies which is closer to traffic, but if a man walks with two ladies, he should walk between them.
【小题1】In this passage， “customs” especially refers to _______.

Richard Wagner was a German musician has been a very controversial(有争议的) person, but he has gained great fame by writing opera, a form of performance combining singing, music on instruments, and drama. 
While he wrote excellent music, many people think his operas are too dark and serious, lacking the fun common in operas written before his time. 
Wagner, on the other hand, thought the opera of his time was too simple．He wanted to make opera a serious form of art that combined drama and music to tell deep stories that would have a strong effect on the audience. 
Some people thought Wagner’s new kind of music was too different from the operas they were used to hearing．Wagner agreed with them．In fact, he didn’t call his works “operas” at all, using instead a German word that means “Musical Festival” or “Musical play”.
While many people today still do not like Wagner’s operas, they cannot deny that Wagner has had a lot of influence on opera as a form of art．Wagner invented the tradition of turning off the lights before starting a play．He also was the first person to make the whole audience sit down for an entire play．Today, almost all operas are performed in this manner. 
Wagner as a man was even more controversial than Wagner as a writer of music．He hated Jewish people, and made many people angry, which we would today think of as evil．Some would say he was a good musician, while others would say that he was a bad musician．But it would be difficult to say he was not an important person in music and in the world

1. 1.

   Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

   1. A.
      Richard Wagner is not worth talking about
   2. B.
      Richard Wagner has made many people angry
   3. C.
      Richard Wagner has contributed much to opera
   4. D.
      Richard Wagner is a very controversial man
2. 2.

   Why did Wagner write what is considered serious music?

   1. A.
      He wanted to influence people with deep stories
   2. B.
      He wanted to make his music simple to follow
   3. C.
      He wanted to make it suitable for his deep voice
   4. D.
      He was greatly influenced by previous musicians
3. 3.

   Wagner’s works were different from normal opera of his time NOT because________

   1. A.
      he called his works “Musical Festivals”
   2. B.
      his drama, music and singing are combined
   3. C.
      the lights are off before starting a play
   4. D.
      the audience could sit down during his play
4. 4.

   Which of the following statements about Wagner’s works is TRUE?

   1. A.
      His works are seldom accepted
   2. B.
      His works are known to be funny
   3. C.
      His works started a new tradition
   4. D.
      Most people are angry about his works