Bernice Gallego sat down one day this summer, as she does pretty much every day,and began listing items on eBay. She dug into a box and pulled out a baseball card. She stopped for a moment and admired the picture. “Red Stocking B. B. Club of Cincinnatti,” the card read, under the reddish brown color photo of ten men with their socks pulled up to their knees.

As a collector and seller, it’s her job to spot old items that might have value today. It’s what Bernice,72, and her husband, Al Gallego, 80, have been doing since 1974 at their California antique store.

This card, she figured, was worth selling on eBay. She took a picture, wrote a description and put it up for auction.She put a $10 price tag on it, deciding against $15 because it would have cost her an extra 20 cents. Later that night she got a few odd inquiries---someone wanting to know whether the card was real, someone wanting her to end the caution and sell him the card immediately.

The card is actually 139 years old. Sports card collectors call the find “extremely rare” and estimate the card could fetch five, or perhaps, six figures at caution.

Just like that, Bernice is the least likely character ever for a rare-baseball card story. “I didn’t even know baseball existed that far back,” Gallego says, “I don’t think that I’ve ever been to a baseball game.” The theory is that the card came out of a storage space they bought a few years back. It is not uncommon in their line of work to buy the entire contents of storage units for around $200.

When she met with card trader Rick Mirigian, she found out what the card was-----an 1869 advertisement with a picture of the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnatti Red Stocking.

“When I came to meet her and she took it out of a sandwich bag and she was smoking a cigarette, I almost fainted,” Mirigian says. “ They’ve uncovered a piece of history that few people will ever be able to imagine. That card is history. It’s like unearthing a Mona Lisa or a Picasso.”

67. What can we conclude from paragraph 3?

   A.Bernice had to pay some fees for her card on eBay.

   B.Bernice wanted to end the caution that night.

   C.Bernice decided to sell the card for $15.

   D.eBay charged her 20 cents for the card.

68. The underlined word “fetch” in paragraph 4 most probably means “_______”.

   A. go and bring   B. add up to   C. go down to   D. be sold for

69. From the passage we may learn that _______.

   A. Bernice is a baseball fan

   B. Bernice is the last person to purchase the rare-baseball card

   C. Bernice unexpectedly became the owner of the rare-baseball card

D. Bernice didn’t realize the value of the card until she put it up for auction

70. What would be the best title for the passage?

A.A Surprisingly Valuable Discovery

B.The History of the Baseball Card

C.Bernice Gallego---A lucky collector 

D. Sports Card Collectors

 Three months after the government stopped issuing（发放）or renewing permits for Internet cafes because of security（安全）concerns, some cafe owners are having financial（经济的）concerns of their own.

 The permits were stopped suddenly three months ago by the government until new safeguards could be put in place to prevent misuse of the information superhighway, but for cafe owners it’s a business breakdown with no fix in sight.

 “I handed in a request to open up an Internet cafe and received the conditions,” said the businessman Obeidallah. “I rented a place in the Sharafiah district at SR45,000 and prepared the place with equipment that cost me more than SR100,000. When I went to the local government after finishing everything, I was surprised to find that they’d stopped issuing permits for Internet cafes.”

   Having an Internet cafe without Internet is much like having a coffee shop without coffee. “I’m avoiding closing the place, but it’s been more than three months with the situation ongoing as it is.” Obeidallah said. “Who will bear the losses caused by the permit issue?”

 The decision took many cafe owners by surprise. “I asked to open an Internet cafe, and I was handed a list of all the things that were needed to follow through, such as a sign for the place, filling out forms,” said Hassan Al-Harbi.

“I did all that was asked and rented a place. And after the Haj vacation I went to the local government and they surprised me, saying that there are new rules that forbid the issuing of any more Internet cafe permits and that one can’t even renew his permit. I’ve lost more than SR80,000,” Al-harbi added.

 As for the government, officials say a method to deal with it is on the way. But security concerns come before profit（盈利）.

The government stopped issuing or renewing permits for Internet cafes       .

  A．to prevent misuse of new safeguards in Internet cafes

  B．to make cafe owners earn less profit from their business

  C．to stop the use of the information superhighway on Internet

  D. to make sure of the proper use of the information superhighway

The government’s decision led to the fact that many cafe owners            .

  A．suffered heavy financial losses    

  B．asked to open up Internet cafes

  C．continued to operate Internet cafes   

  D．asked the government for payment

The underlined phrase in the last paragraph “on the way” means             .

  A.to be studied  

  B．to be put into practice

  C. to be changed    

  D．to be improved

The cafe owners found the government’s decision          .

  A．surprising and unacceptable   

  B．understandable and acceptable

  C. reasonable but surprising    

  D．surprising but acceptable

After lunch,I walked back home. I was just to cross the street when I heard the sound of a coin dropping. It wasn’t much but,as I turned, my eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too. A woman had dropped what appeared to be a dime.

The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on pavement is an attention-getter．It Can be nothing more than a penny．Whatever the coin is，no one ignores the sound of it．It got me thinking about sounds again．We are surrounded by so many sounds that attract the most attention．

People in New York City seldom turn to look when a fire engine，a police car or an ambulance comes screaming along the street．When I’m in New York，I’m a New Yorker．I don’t turn either．Like the natives，I hardly hear a siren(警报)there．

However，at home in my little town in Connecticut，it’s different．The distant sound of a police car, all emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I’m seated and brings me to the window if I’m in bed．It’s the quietest sounds that have most effect on us．not the loudest．In the middle of the night, I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away thigh three closed doors．I’ve been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my imaginnation turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our house．How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime?

I’m quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds are,I’ve turned against whistling，for instance：I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker but lately I’ve been associating the whistler with a nervous person making unconscious noises．The tapping，tapping，tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is a lovely sound to me．I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it．

1.The sound of a coin dropping makes people________

A．think of money    B．look at each other

C．pay attention to it    D．stop crossing the street

2.The author dislikes whistling because__________

A．he has got tired of it    B．it reminds him of tense people

C．he used to be happier D．he doesn’t like workers

3.What kind of sound does the author find pleasant?

A．Tapping sound of his typewriter．    B．Clinking sound of keys

C．Tinkling sound of a coin dropping．  D．Creaking sound of footsteps

4.How does the author feel about sounds in general?

A．They make him feel al home．      B．He thinks they should be ignored

C．He prefers silence to loud noises．   D．He believes they are part of our life

After lunch,I walked back home. I was just to cross the street when I heard the sound of a coin dropping. It wasn’t much but,as I turned, my eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too. A woman had dropped what appeared to be a dime.
The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on pavement is an attention-getter．It Can be nothing more than a penny．Whatever the coin is，no one ignores the sound of it．It got me thinking about sounds again．We are surrounded by so many sounds that attract the most attention．
People in New York City seldom turn to look when a fire engine，a police car or an ambulance comes screaming along the street．When I’m in New York，I’m a New Yorker．I don’t turn either．Like the natives，I hardly hear a siren(警报)there．
However，at home in my little town in Connecticut，it’s different．The distant sound of a police car, all emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I’m seated and brings me to the window if I’m in bed．It’s the quietest sounds that have most effect on us．not the loudest．In the middle of the night, I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away thigh three closed doors．I’ve been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my imaginnation turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our house．How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime?
I’m quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds are,I’ve turned against whistling，for instance：I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker but lately I’ve been associating the whistler with a nervous person making unconscious noises．The tapping，tapping，tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is a lovely sound to me．I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it．
41．The sound of a coin dropping makes people         ．
A．think of money    B．look at each other
C．pay attention to it    D．stop crossing the street
42．The author dislikes whistling because         ．
A．he has got tired of it    B．it reminds him of tense people
C．he used to be happier D．he doesn’t like workers
43. What kind of sound does the author find pleasant?
A．Tapping sound of his typewriter．    B．Clinking sound of keys．
C．Tinkling sound of a coin dropping．D．Creaking sound of footsteps．
44．How does the author feel about sounds in general?
A．They make him feel al home．      B．He thinks they should be ignored．
C．He prefers silence to loud noises．D．He believes they ale part of our life．

.

Al had been working in this factory only eleven months, but he excelled at everything he did. He looked for new tasks-as an opportunity to gain experience. To him, mistakes were not to be denied but considered an opportunity to learn. He was, by far, the most capable man among his workmates, One day, when he was finishing his work of the day, he heard Jack calling him.

“What are you going to do about…?” asked Jack.

“I’ll come off the end rail,” interrupted Al.

“No, I mean about Joe’s promotion?”

“I’m going back to school,” Al said.

“Excuse me!”

“I’m going back to school,” Al repeated.

“You mean you’re quitting!”

Was it that simple? Is this why there was so much misery in men’s lives? “I’m going back to school” was just an excuse, and Al knew it, thought Jack, or Al would not be drunk. It seemed that Al would rather get drunk than fight for his happiness. But why? Jack had no answer.

“Yes, and I’m going back to school. I don’t know what else to do. I can’t believe that this kind of thing can happen. Maybe if I get more education and a better job, it will be different.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“Well, what do you want we to do?” Al was getting angry: “I can’t stay here! I can’t work where the most incapable get the biggest reward! I can’t kill Joe and the boss like…”

Al stopped. They both knew what this meant.

“Like I did?”

Al did not answer.

“Yes, I killed two men with my bare hands; yes, I got punished and lost my job-but I kept my soul!”

Al undertood the hidden statement. Al did not know whether it was his anger, or the beer, or both that made him less cautious in the face. He held his hands firmly. Then be heard Jack: “You’ve got the right idea, Al. You’ve got to fight.”

Al needed to think. Instead of taking the subway, he walked five miles back home. By the time he entered his bedroom, he climbed into bed. Turned off his mind, and fell asleed.

67．Choose from the following a right word to describe Jack.

A．Tough.     B．Incapable. C．Lazy. D．Talkative.

68．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Jack was not happy about Joe’s promotion.

B．Al and jack were workmates.

C．The conversation between Al and Jack happened in their workplace.

D．The conversation between Al and Jack happened during the working hours.

69．What can we infer from the underlined part?

A．Jack thinks Al has lost his soul.

B．Jack used to be a killer.

C．Al would be a killer.

D．Don’t be a killer like Jack.

70．Which of the following is true about Al at the end of the story?

A．Al felt so tired from the long walk home and couldn’t help falling asleep.

B．Al and made up his mind and knew what to do.

C．Al forgot all that had happened.

D．Al was too confused to think further.