阅读理解

　　In the United States, most children begin attending school when they are five years old. Public education is free and most children go to school near their homes. School in these early years is fun. The children learn to read and write. But they also play games and go on trips. There is no reason at such an early age for them to hit the books.

　　The situation changes as children become older. The subjects become more difficult. Students must learn about world history, algebra(代数), and the life sciences. Tests become more common. Pressure is growing to hit the books, study hard, and advance. However, most serious students only really begin hitting the books for long hours when they reach high school.

　　High school students who hope to continue their education at a college or university must take a special national test called the S－A－T. The test has two parts. The first part tests the student’s ability with numbers and mathematical skills. The second part tests the student’s ability in the English language.

　　The S－A－T test is very important. A high school student who gets a high score on the two parts of the test has a good chance to enter a top American college. For this reason, many students hit the books for months to prepare for the S－A－T.

1．From the test, we can see“hitting the books”means ________.

[　　]

A．working hard for the future

B．studying a subject carefully

C．reading books in a hurry

D．reading books with great effort

2．Which of the following statements can best express the main idea of the text?

[　　]

A．The S－A－T is the most important test.

B．Education is not easy in the United States.

C．“Hitting the books”is very important for the students who want to have a bright future.

D．The more you want to learn, the more tests you have to pass.

3．American children don’t have ________ if they want to study in public school.

[　　]

A．to work hard at their lessons

B．to pay for the education

C．to hit the books

D．to take many tests

4．The students in high school ________.

[　　]

A．have to take the S－A－T

B．are free and happy

C．have to hit the books if they want to go on to college

D．don’t hit the books until they pass the S－A－T

5．Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

[　　]

A．In America the students have to pass certain tests to continue their education.

B．Young children needn’t work hard at their lessons because education is free.

C．Those who fail in the S－A－T cannot go to college.

D．The students must spend a lot of time preparing for the S－A－T.

The Sydney Opera House is a very famous building in the world. It has become Sydney's best-known landmark and international symbol. The Opera House with a " sailing roof" was designed by a famous Danish architect (丹麦建筑大师),Utzon. The base for the building was started in 1959, years before the designs were finished. Utzon spent four years designing the Opera House. In 1962, the designs were finalized (定稿) and the construction began. In 1967, they started the decoration inside. It took 14 years in total to build the Opera House. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it on October 20th, 1973.

　 The Sydney Opera House cost around $100 million and was paid for by the public 6,225 square meters of glass was used to build it. The Opera House includes 1,000 rooms. It is 185 meters long and 120 meters wide. The building's roof sections weigh about 15 tons. Each year, this fantastic building attracts 200,000 tourists to come for a visit or enjoy events in it.

　  The Opera House reaches out into the harbour (港湾). It is amazing and unforgettable, offering people a strong sense of beauty.

1.The designer of the Sydney Opera House was from _______.

2.Building the Sydney Opera House lasted__________.

3._______ paid for the cost of the building of the Sydney Opera House.

4.Which is the best title for the passage?