People have been painting pictures for at least 30,000 years. The earliest pictures were painted by people who hun­ted animals. They used to paint pictures of the animals they wanted to catch and kill. Pictures of this kind have been found on the walls of caves in France and Spain. No one knows why they were painted there. Perhaps the painters thought that their pictures would help them to catch these animals. Or per­haps human beings have always wanted to tell stories accord­ing to pictures.

About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as kind of writing. They drew simple pictures or signs to represent things and ideas, and also to represent the sounds of their language. The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet.

　　The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting picture writing and pictures together. When an important person died, scenes and stories from his life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried. Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories. It has been said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip. But, for the Egyptians, pictures still had magic power. So they did not try to make their way of writing simple. The ordinary people could not understand it.

　　By the year 1,000 BC, people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea had developed a simpler system of writing. The signs they used were very easy to write, and there were fewer of them than in the Egyptian system. This was because each sign, or letter, represented only one sound in their language. The Greeks developed this system and formed the letters of the Greek alphabet. The Romans copied the idea, and the Roman alphabet is now used all over the world.

　　These days, we can write down a story, or record information, without using pictures. But we still need pictures of all kinds: drawing, photographs, signs and diagrams. We find them everywhere: in books and newspapers, in the street, and on the walls of the places where we live and work. Pictures help us to understand and remember things more easily, and they can make a story much more interesting.

1.Pictures of animals were painted on the walls of caves in France and Spain because______.

A. the hunters wanted to see the pictures

B. the painters were animal lovers

C. the painters wanted to show imagination

D. the pictures were thought to be helpful

2.The Greek alphabet was simpler than the Egyptian system for all the following reasons EXCEPT that______.

A. the former was easy to write

B. there were fewer signs in the former

C. the former was easy to pronounce

D. each sign stood for only one sound

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. The Egyptian signs later became a particular alphabet.

B. The Egyptians liked to write comic strip stories.

C. The Roman alphabet was developed from the Egyptian one.

D. The Greeks copied their writing system from the Egyptians.

4. In the last paragraph, the author thinks that pictures ______.

A. should be made comprehensible

B. should be made interesting

C. are of much use in our life

D. have disappeared from our life

People have been painting pictures for at least 30,000 years. The earliest pictures were painted by people who hun­ted animals. They used to paint pictures of the animals they wanted to catch and kill. Pictures of this kind have been found on the walls of caves in France and Spain. No one knows why they were painted there. Perhaps the painters thought that their pictures would help them to catch these animals. Or per­haps human beings have always wanted to tell stories accord­ing to pictures.

About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as kind of writing. They drew simple pictures or signs to represent things and ideas, and also to represent the sounds of their language. The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet.
　　The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting picture writing and pictures together. When an important person died, scenes and stories from his life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried. Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories. It has been said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip. But, for the Egyptians, pictures still had magic power. So they did not try to make their way of writing simple. The ordinary people could not understand it.
　　By the year 1,000 BC, people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea had developed a simpler system of writing. The signs they used were very easy to write, and there were fewer of them than in the Egyptian system. This was because each sign, or letter, represented only one sound in their language. The Greeks developed this system and formed the letters of the Greek alphabet. The Romans copied the idea, and the Roman alphabet is now used all over the world.
　　These days, we can write down a story, or record information, without using pictures. But we still need pictures of all kinds: drawing, photographs, signs and diagrams. We find them everywhere: in books and newspapers, in the street, and on the walls of the places where we live and work. Pictures help us to understand and remember things more easily, and they can make a story much more interesting.

60. Pictures of animals were painted on the walls of caves in France and Spain because______.
　　 A. the hunters wanted to see the pictures
　　 B. the painters were animal lovers
　　 C. the painters wanted to show imagination
　　 D. the pictures were thought to be helpful
　61. The Greek alphabet was simpler than the Egyptian system for all the following reasons EXCEPT

that______.
　　 A. the former was easy to write
　　 B. there were fewer signs in the former
　　 C. the former was easy to pronounce
　　 D. each sign stood for only one sound
　62. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
　　 A. The Egyptian signs later became a particular alphabet.
　　 B. The Egyptians liked to write comic strip stories.
　　 C. The Roman alphabet was developed from the Egyptian one.
　　 D. The Greeks copied their writing system from the Egyptians.
　63. In the last paragraph, the author thinks that pictures ______.
　　 A. should be made comprehensible
　　 B. should be made interesting
　　 C. are of much use in our life
　　 D. have disappeared from our life

People have been painting pictures for at least 30,000 years. The earliest pictures were painted by people who hun­ted animals. They used to paint pictures of the animals they wanted to catch and kill. Pictures of this kind have been found on the walls of caves in France and Spain. No one knows why they were painted there. Perhaps the painters thought that their pictures would help them to catch these animals. Or per­haps human beings have always wanted to tell stories accord­ing to pictures.
About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as kind of writing. They drew simple pictures or signs to represent things and ideas, and also to represent the sounds of their language. The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet.
　　The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting picture writing and pictures together. When an important person died, scenes and stories from his life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried. Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories. It has been said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip. But, for the Egyptians, pictures still had magic power. So they did not try to make their way of writing simple. The ordinary people could not understand it.
　　By the year 1,000 BC, people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea had developed a simpler system of writing. The signs they used were very easy to write, and there were fewer of them than in the Egyptian system. This was because each sign, or letter, represented only one sound in their language. The Greeks developed this system and formed the letters of the Greek alphabet. The Romans copied the idea, and the Roman alphabet is now used all over the world.
　　These days, we can write down a story, or record information, without using pictures. But we still need pictures of all kinds: drawing, photographs, signs and diagrams. We find them everywhere: in books and newspapers, in the street, and on the walls of the places where we live and work. Pictures help us to understand and remember things more easily, and they can make a story much more interesting

1. 1.

   Pictures of animals were painted on the walls of caves in France and Spain because______

   1. A.
      the hunters wanted to see the pictures
   2. B.
      the painters were animal lovers
   3. C.
      the painters wanted to show imagination
   4. D.
      the pictures were thought to be helpful
2. 2.

   The Greek alphabet was simpler than the Egyptian system for all the following reasons EXCEPT that______

   1. A.
      the former was easy to write
   2. B.
      there were fewer signs in the former
   3. C.
      the former was easy to pronounce
   4. D.
      each sign stood for only one sound
3. 3.

   Which of the following statements is TRUE?

   1. A.
      The Egyptian signs later became a particular alphabet
   2. B.
      The Egyptians liked to write comic strip stories
   3. C.
      The Roman alphabet was developed from the Egyptian one
   4. D.
      The Greeks copied their writing system from the Egyptians
4. 4.

   In the last paragraph, the author thinks that pictures ______

   1. A.
      should be made comprehensible
   2. B.
      should be made interesting
   3. C.
      are of much use in our life
   4. D.
      have disappeared from our life

Before a new type of airplane goes into service, every part of it is tested again and again. But there are two tests that are more important than all the others.

The first is called the " tank(贮水池) test". A modem airplane must fly very high in the sky. Air must be pumped into the plane so that the passengers can breathe. The metal structure (结构)of the plane has to be very strong for this reason. When the plane is filled with air, the air presses against the skin of the plane inside. The pressure (压力) on a small window is like a huge foot that is try­ing to get out. If a small part of the plane were to fail, the plane would explode (爆炸)in the sky. To test the structure of the plane, the plane is lowered into a huge tank or container of water. Then it is filled with air.  The pressure inside the plane is greater than it ever will be when it is high up in the air. Finally, there is an explosion. This does not cause so much damage inside the water tank as it would anywhere else. Engineers can discover which part of the plane has broken. Then that part is made stronger. 

The most dangerous test happens when the new plane is going through test flights in the air. The pilot must find out exactly what happens when the engines (发动机) are all shut off at once. The plane begins to fall like a stone. It is the pilot’s job to find out how he can get control of the plane again. These two tests are examples of how planes are made safe before they ever carry passengers.

1.By doing the "tank test", the engineers can find out _______.

2.What will happen to the plane under the "tank test"?

3.According to the text, why are test flights most dangerous?

4.What might be the most suitable title for the text?