As a reader，I，as many other book lovers do，often leave with a long sigh after visiting a bookstore.The prices printed on book jackets keep reminding me how thin my wallet is.

The price of books is now so high that I hesitate before buying a book I love.Many people feel the same way.But I remember that only a few years ago，when I was a college student，I bought several books almost every month，using what was left out of the living expenses sent by my parents，and that was not more than 200 yuan.

But now that I am working and the money I earn is only used to support my own expenses，I find I can’t afford many good books.

There is a saying，“Book lovers have no money，but rich people have no feelings for books.” This is exactly the case.Sometimes I wonder about who the books are published for，especially those books with beautiful hard covers.

It is said that usually，the listed price is more than twice as much as the book’s cost and we can see high profits from selling books.But now there is a contradiction.On one hand，readers who want to buy books aren’t able to，while on the other hand，publishers and sellers suffer from the large stockpiles of unsaleable books being stored in their warehouses.This situation is also a disadvantage to intellectual property right protection because many books of bestsellers are sold at a lower price at some book stands.

The key to resolve the problem is to cut the price to an acceptable level to both sellers and consumers.

I wish sincerely that in the near future common readers like me could buy the books we want without worrying about the high prices too much.

46．The first paragraph of this article tells us that________.

A．the prices of some books are too high

B．many readers are too poor to buy expensive books

C．the writer is one of those who can’t afford to buy books

D．all the above are correct

47．The writer ________at college.

A．often bought books when studying

B．was very rich when studying

C．was living a very simple life

D．hesitated to buying anything but books

48．“Book lovers have no money，but rich people have no feelings for books.” means________.

A．those who like reading maybe have not enough money to buy books

B．those who don’t want to study otherwise are very rich

C．everything in the world has been changed to its opposite

D．both A and B

49．From the fifth paragraph，we can see________.

A．publishers shouldn’t have set the prices of books so high

B．booksellers can hardly earn their living by selling books

C．it’s no good for publishers and sellers if the prices are too high

D．the high prices of books were set by many factors

50．The writer of this article wished________.

A．the prices of books could be acceptable

B．the prices of books would be low

C．the prices of books would be lowered down soon

D．he could buy books without worrying about the prices

阅读理解

　　Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday?

　　The history of Valentine's Day—and its patron saint(守护神)—is covered in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains signs of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.

　　So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become connected with this ancient tradition? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were dead . One legend describes that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius Ⅱ decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed (使……不受法律保护) marriage for young men—his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice(不公正)of the rule, fought against Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape cruel Roman prisons where they were often beaten, even killed.

　　According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first “Valentine” greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl—who may have been his jailor's daughter—who visited him during his imprisonment. Before his death, it is said that he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is gloomy, the stories certainly emphasize his appearance as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

1．Why candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones every February?

[　　]

A．Mainly to show their love to their lovers.

B．Mainly to remember a person named Valentine.

C．Because they can't spend that day without these things.

D．Because February is a romantic month.

2．From this passage, why have people called that day Saint Valentine's Day?

[　　]

A．A priest called Valentine performed marriages for young lovers in secret.

B．A person called Valentine helped to save many Christians.

C．A person called Valentine wrote her lover a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine” .

D．It doesn't tell us exactly.

3．In the fourth paragraph, what's the meaning of the second “Valentine”?

[　　]

A．The person “Valentine”.

B．A thing as a gift in that day.

C．A signature in the lovers' day for the first time .

D．No real meaning.

4．What does the passage mainly talk about?

[　　]

A．How to spend Saint Valentine's Day.

B．The history of Saint Valentine's Day.

C．Why we should spend Saint Valentine's Day.

D．Why we should remember the person named Valentine.

As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have. It is likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen a washing machine and a microwave oven. Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need. You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week.

Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for. Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world. They feel that the long hours work culture to make more money is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes. Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting is one of them. Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year.

One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz. They used to work in central London. He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank. They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs, leaving their two children with a nanny. Most evenings Daniel wouldn’t get home until eight or nine o’clock and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings. They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by.

Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales. “I always wanted to have a farm then,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift. It’s taken some time getting used to, but it’s been worth it. We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays. However, I think it’s made us stronger as a family, and the children are much happier.

Liz, however, is not quite sure. “I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours. I’m not really a country girl, but I suppose I’m gradually getting used to looking after the animals. One thing I do like, however, is being able to see more of my children. My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much, or you might not do it at all.”

1.The passage tells us that       .

2.When Daniel was a reporter, he ______.  

3.Daniel and Liz both agree that the move to the farm ______.

4.The underlined word “downshifting” in the 2^nd paragraph refers to    ______.

Move Earth—it’s no science fiction

LONDON-Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet from overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets（彗星）in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.

This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of US National Aeronautics and Space Administration（NASA） engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet—effectively doubling its working life.

The plan put forward by Dr Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams

,needs carefully directing a comet or asteroid so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth.

“Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun,”Laughlin said.

Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated.

In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so “seriously compromise” our biosphere（生物圈）—by cooking us.

That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth.

The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation（误算）in orbit could fire it straight at Earth—with deadly consequences.

There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position it is “most likely the Moon would be stripped away from Earth,” it states. This would greatly change our planet’s climate.

1. What makes the scientists plan to move Earth?

A. A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth.

B. Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon.

C. Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive.

D. The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth.

2.If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of ______years.

A.12 billion                  B.6 billion                    C.18 billion                  D.24 billion

3.What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage?

A. The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the moon.

B. Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death.

C. The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth.

D. Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened.

4.What does the underlined word “compromise” mean?

A. provide                    B. benefit              C. share     D. endanger

5.Which of the following best shows how the plan would work?

It's no secret to us, but he alone is in the dark. It means ___.

A. nobody but him knows the secret                  B. we all know the secret except him

C. it's so dark that he can't see everything clearly    D. only the needs to keep the secret