We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it,” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack (车顶行李架). I’ve always wanted one like that.”
　 What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
　 In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
　 After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
　“Right, sir,” he said.“Do you need any more help?”
　I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer,” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
　 He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well,” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”
　 My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “ Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.”I drove home as fast as I could.
【小题1】 In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.

Stepping into a pool of water is common enough, but who could ever imagine stepping into a pool of fish? In February of 1974, Bill Tapp, an Australian farmer, saw a rain of fish that covered his farm. How surprised he must have been when he heard many fish hitting against his roof!

　　 What caused this strange occurrence? This is a question that had long puzzled people who study fish. The answer turned out to be a combination of wind and storm.

　　When it is spring in the northern part of the world, it is fall in Australia. Throughout the autumn season, terrible storms arise and rains flood the land. The strong winds sweep over Australia like huge vacuum cleaners, collecting seaweed, pieces of wood, and even schools of fish. Strong winds may carry these bits of nature for many miles before dropping them on fields, houses, and astonished people.

　　Although they seem unusual, fish-falls occur quite frequently in Australia. When Bill Tapp was asked to describe the scene of fish, he remarked, “They look like millions of dead birds falling down.” His statement is not surprising. The wonders of the natural world are as common as rain. Nature, with its infinite wonders, can create waterfalls that flow upward and fish that fall out of the sky.

　　56. What is this passage about?

　　A. A sad story. 　　　　　　　　　　　　B. A rain of fish.

　　C. Australia’s northern part.　　　　　D. The damage done by floods.

　　57. Fish-falls occur in Australia_________ .

　　A. quite often 　　　　　　B. on large farms

　　C. only in winter　　　　　D. when the air is calm

　　58. It is a known fact that ________.

　　A. one should watch where one steps

　　B. Bill Tapp is a scientist who studies farming

　　C. the natural world can never create waterfalls that fall upward

　　D. the seasons in the southern part are different from those in the northern part

 　59. The word “infinite” is closest in meaning to _________.

　　A. easy 　　　B. difficult 　　　C. countless 　　　D. dangerous

There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown． They probably came about just to give children something to do．
　　In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with another． In societies where social roles are rigidly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls after the tasks of their mothers． This is true because boys and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world．
　　What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same． The changes have been mostly in terms of craftsmanship, mechanics, and technology． It is the universality of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world and their persistence to the present that is amazing．In Egypt, the Americas, China, Japan and among the Arctic （北极的） peoples, generally the same kinds of toys appeared． Variations depended on local customs and ways of life because toys imitate their surroundings． Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles．
Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to technological leaps that characterize inventions for adult use． The progress from the wheel to the oxcart to the automobile is a direct line of ascent （进步）． The progress from a rattle used by a baby in 3,000 BC to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness． Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the times and subject to the limitations of available materials．
【小题1】Which is a major factor leading to the different variations of toys?

阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳选项。

　　We had hardly got above the clouds over the airport when a calm voice said over the loudspeaker:“For technical reasons we shall be returning immediately to London Airport. Please keep your seatbelts fastened.”

　　I was rather surprised and glanced at the old lady next to me. She had been very chatty while we were waiting to take off.

　　“I'm going to New York to visit some relatives there. I always sleep wonderfully welt whenever I get into a plane.”she had told me.

　　And indeed, she seemed to he in a very deep sleep already.

　　Just then a passenger behind me shouted,“Oh, my God! The wing's on fire.”

　　I looked out of the window and my blood froze. Smoke and flames were pouring out of one of the engines. The plane was already turning and losing altitude fast.

　　“What's happening? Are we going to crash?”an American in front of me demanded.

　　The cabin crew were already moving up and down the aisle (走道), reassuring (安慰) people, saying things like,“It's just all right. There's no need to worry. Now, if you just sit still, everything will be all right. Don't get up. Don't get upset.”

　　I looked out again. The ground was rushing up at us with shocking speed. We were already so low that I could make out cars and even people.

“It's only a slight emergency,”a stewardess told me with a tense smile.

Suddenly there was a sickening bump and we were rushing along the runway at a terrifying speed. The brakes screeched (发出尖锐刺耳的声音). The engines roared even more loudly. We came to a trembling stop. The cabin crew quickly opened the emergency exits and the passengers began sliding down huge, stocking-like chutes (滑道) to the ground. A fire engine was already putting out the fire in one engine. I had to shake the old lady violently to wake her up.

　　“What's wrong? Surely the journey isn't over already! I mean, have we got to New York?”she asked sleepily.

1．When did the emergency occur?

[　　]

A．We are not told.

B．Just before the plane landed in New York.

C．Shortly after the plane took off.

D．Sometime in the middle of the flight.

2．What does the underlined word“altitude”(in Paragraph 6) refer to?

[　　]

A．Height above sea-level.

B．Place or area high above sea-level.

C．Way of thinking or behaving.

D．Way of positioning the body.

3．What would be the best title for the text?

[　　]

A．An unpleasant flight.

B．An interesting experience.

C．An unforgettable experience.

D．Brave cabin crew.

4．When they landed, the old lady _____.

[　　]

A．was one of the first to get out

B．asked when they were going on lo New York

C．was shaking violently with fear

D．was not even sure where they were