It is said that if a mirror is broken for no reasons, bad luck is likely to strike, but I really __________ it.

　 A. doubt B. believe 　 C. think D. support

The easy way out isn’t always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal. I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take time, I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Doug loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was a sticky dough (面团) covered with ugly yellowish marks. Realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work, I went on preparing the rest of the meal, and, when Doug got home, we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice. He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went outside, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the windows to see what he was doing. Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin. Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped closer and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast (酵母) made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing. I had to admit what the ‘living thing’ was and why it was there. I don’t know who was more embarrassed by the whole thing, Doug or me.　　

1.The writer’s purpose in writing this story is ________.

　　A. to tell an interesting experience

　　B. to show the easiest way out of a difficulty

　　C. to describe the trouble facing a newly married woman

　　D. to explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books

2.Why did the woman’s attempt at making the bread turn out to be unsuccessful?

　　A. The canned orange had gone bad.

　　B. She didn’t use the right kind of flour.

　　C. The cookbook was hard to understand.

　　D. She did not follow the directions closely.

3.Why did the woman put the dough in the rubbish bin?

　　A. She didn’t see the use of keeping it

　　B. She meant to joke with her husband.

　　C. She didn’t want her husband to see it.

　　D. She hoped it would soon dry in the sun.

4.What made the dough in the rubbish bin look frightening?

　　A. The rising and falling movement.

　　B. The strange-looking marks.

　　C. Its shape.

　　D. Its size.

5.When Doug went out the third time, the woman looked out of the window because she was  ________.

　　A. surprised at his being interested in the bin

　　B. afraid that he would discover her secret

　　C. unhappy that he didn't enjoy the meal

　　D. curious to know what disturbed him

It seems that the Englishmen just cannot live without sports of some kind. A famous French humourist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. Wherever you go in this country, you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men shall always remain boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?

　　Taking all amateur (业余) and professional sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. It is called soccer in the United States. The game originated (起源于) in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier, though as an organized game, or "association football", it dates only from the beginning of the 19th century.

　　The next is rugby, which is called "football" in the United States. It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players than eleven. In rugby, an oval-shaped ball is used which can be handled as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.

　　In summer, cricket is the most popular sport. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.

　　Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15th century, but it was from England that it spread to practically every country in the world　　Table tennis, or "ping-pong", surely is not played on a great scale as it is in China or Japan. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19th century from America and are gaining popularity. Horse-back riding, swimming, rowing and golf all attract a lot of people.

41．The main purpose of Paragraph 1 is to tell us that the English ___________.

　　A．are all sports lovers           B．behave like children

C．like to kick a ball around       D．can remain young all their lives

42．According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about football and rugby?

　　A．They differ in the shape of the ball.

　　B．They are played by different numbers of players.

　　C．They both can be handled.

　　D．They both can be kicked.

43．The game that was never played in Britain until the late 19th century is _________.

　　A．basketball    B．tennis    C．rugby    D．football