Some years ago I was offered a writing assignment that would require three months of travel through Europe. I had been __36__ a couple of times, but I could hardly __37__ to know my ways around the continent. __38__, my knowledge of foreign languages was __39__ to a little college French.

I __40__. How would I, unable to speak the language, __41__ familiar with local geography or transportation systems, conduct interviews and do __42__? It seemed impossible, and with considerable __43__ I sat down to write a letter rejecting the __44__. Halfway through, a __45__ ran through my mind: you can’t learn if you don't try. So I __46__ the assignment.

There were some bad __47__. But by the time I had finished the trip, I was an experienced traveler. And ever since, I have never hesitated to head for even the most __48__ places, without guides or __49__ advanced bookings, confident that somehow I will __50__.

The point is that the new, the different, is almost by definition __51__. But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning __52__, the world opens to you.

I've learned to ski at 40, and flown up the Rhine River in a (n) __53__. And I know I'll go on doing such things. It's not because I'm braver or more daring than others. I'm not. But I'll accept worry as another name for __54 __ and I believe I can __55__ wonders.

Americans have taken over from the Indians many things besides their continent! Where did corn, potatoes, tomatoes, chocolate and maple sugar come from? The Indians. Who invented moccasins, snowshoes and hammocks? The Indians!

A list of the tools, plants, materials and designs we owe to the Indians would include hundreds of items. But there is something far more familiar, something that is always at hand. It is used daily by every American: a large vocabulary of Indian words.

Potato, tomato, chocolate, moccasin and hammock came into English from Indian languages. So did cocoa, tobacco, maize (an Indian word for corn) and succotash. Some words have changed on the way. Potato, for example, comes from a word that sounds like “batata”. Cocoa began as “cacahuatl”.

Some meanings have also changed. The long Indian word from which succotash comes means “something broken off in bits”. Indian women often varied their dishes by mixing bits of one food with another. White men who ate an Indian dish of mixed lima beans (青豆) and corn began using the Indian word to mean this particular mixture.

Put on your moccasins and take a walk in the country. If it is a cold day and you wear a mackinaw, your jacket will be as Indian as your shoes. But mackinaw came from “michilimackinac”, the Indian name of a place where a fort (集市) served as a trading post. Bright-colored blankets or jackets bought at the post soon became known as “mackinaws”.

Early white visitors to the continent found Indian words useful for the things new to them. But some Indian sounds, such as the “tl” at the end of many words, were hard to say. That is why “coyotl” became coyote and “tomatle” became tomato.

Some words simply seemed too long. So, “musickwautash” became succotash and “rockahominy” became hominy.

1.The first two paragraphs may serve as a(n)     .

A. explanation    B. introduction    C. comment    D. background

2. Which of the following has been changed for easier pronunciation?

A. Batata        B. Chocolate     C. Tomatle     D. Rockahominy

3. Some words have changed because       .

A.  they are too long

B.  nobody can use them

C.  the things they refer to have disappeared

D.  they are too difficult for people to write

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A.  How Indian traditions affect us.

B.  Why Indian words were changed.

C.   Things we owe to the Indians.

D.  Indian words all around us.

Trains were used for long distance transportation.

Today the car is the most   1   sort of transportation in all of the   2  .It has completely taken the place of the horse as a   3  of  everyday transportation. The Americans use their cars for nearly 90   4   all their   5  .Most Americans are   6   to buy cars. The average(平均)   7   of a car was 2050 in 1950,2740 in 1960 and up to 4750 in 1975. During this period, American carmakers   8   improving their products. As a   9  ,the income of the average family   10   from 1950 to 1970   11   than the price of cars.  12  ,buying a new car takes a smaller part of a family’s   13   income today. In 1951, it   14   8.1 months of an average family’s income to buy a new car. In 1962,a new car   15   6.43 months of a family’s income. By 1975,it   16   took 4.75 months’ income.  17  ,the 1975 cars were technically   18   than those of the previous(先前的)   19  .

That’s why cars are so   20   in the USA.

1.A.useful　　　　　　　　　　 B.valuable　　　　　　　　　　 C.cheap　　　　　　　　　　    D.popular

2.A.United States 　　　　 B.world 　　　　　　　　　　  C.year　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.continent

3.A.development　　　　   B.journey　　　　　　　　　　  C.sign　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.means

4.A.percent　　　　　　　　   B.years　　　　　　　　  　　   C.miles　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.dollars

5.A.trips　　　　　　　　　　   B.lives　　　　　　　　　　　　  C.buissness　　　　　　　　  D.time

6.A.permitted　　　　　　    B.encouraged　　　　　　    C.anxious　　　　　　　　　　 D.able

7.A.value　　　　　　　　　　  B.cost　　　　　　　　　　　　  C.price　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.money

8.A.suggested　　　　　　   B.enjoyed 　　　　　　　　    C.made up　　　　　　　　    D.started

9.A.tool　　　　　　　　　　    B.result　　　　　　　　　　    C.drive　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.producer

10.A.reduced　　　　　　    B.increased　　&n

bsp;　　　　　　  C.received　　　　　　　　    D.needed

11.A.more slowly　　　　  B.smaller　　　　　　　　　　  C.faster　　　　　　　　　　    D.less

12.A.However　　　　　　   B.For example　　　　　　   C.Instead　　　　　　　　　　  D.For this reason

13.A.low　　　　　　　　　　  B.high　　　　　　　　　　　　  C.monthly　　　　　　　　    D.total

14.A.needs　　　　　　　　   B.took　　　　　　　　　　　　  C.spent　　　　　　　　　　    D.saved

15.A.spent　　　　　　　　    B.paid　　  　　　　　　    C.cost　　 　　　　　　　　 D.took

16.A.might    　　　　    B.really    　　　　　　　　  C.only　　 　　　　　　　　 D.would

17.A.Otherwise  　　　　 B.Besides　　　　　　   C.But　　  　　　　　　　　 D.Finally

18.A.improved   　　　　 B.better　　　　　　　　　　    C.lighter  　　　　　　　　    D.smaller

19.A.months　　 　　    B.years    　　　　　　　　  C.cars　　 　　　　　　　　 D.families

20.A.popular    　　　　  B.expensive　　　　　　　　  C.cheap   　　　　　　　　  D.good

Some years ago I was offered a writing assignment that would require three months of travel through Europe. I had been __36__ a couple of times, but I could hardly __37__ to know my ways around the continent. __38__, my knowledge of foreign languages was __39__ to a little college French.
I __40__. How would I, unable to speak the language, __41__ familiar with local geography or transportation systems, conduct interviews and do __42__? It seemed impossible, and with considerable __43__ I sat down to write a letter rejecting the __44__. Halfway through, a __45__ ran through my mind: you can’t learn if you don’t try. So I __46__ the assignment.
There were some bad __47__. But by the time I had finished the trip, I was an experienced traveler. And ever since, I have never hesitated to head for even the most __48__ places, without guides or __49__ advanced bookings, confident that somehow I will __50__.
The point is that the new, the different, is almost by definition __51__. But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning _52_, the world opens to you.
I’ve learned to ski at 40, and flown up the Rhine River in a (n) __53__. And I know I’ll go on doing such things. It’s not because I’m braver or more daring than others. I’m not. But I’ll accept worry as another name for _54_and I believe I can 55_ wonders.