The British are the most voracious(如饥似渴的) newspaper readers in the world.
They read newspapers at breakfast ; they walk to the bus reading a newspaper; they read a newspaper on bus, as they go to work; and on the way back home, after work, they are engaged in reading an evening newspaper.
There are many" morning papers", both national and provincial. The most famous is The Times. Different from what many foreigners believe, this is not a government newspaper. The various newspapers usually have their own views of the Communist Morning Star. The Labor Party and the Trades Union Congress no longer have a daily newspaper to represent them.
Bold headlines and a variety of photographs are features of the British press. Some newspapers, such as the sober Daily Telegraph and The Times, use photographs sparingly(节省). The more“popular”newspapers, using the small or "tabloid"(小报) format, such as the Daily Express, the Mail, the Daily Mirror and the Sun, use pictures extensively and also run strip cartoons and humorous drawings, some of which present striking pictorial comment on politics.
Besides offering features common to newspapers all over the world, British newspapers specialize in pages devoted to criticism of the arts and a woman's page. One feature found in many foreign newspapers is missing in British papers：the serial(连载).
Nearly all papers pay special attention to the reporting of sports and athletics. The evening newspapers are often bought because the buyer wants to know the winner of a race, or to get good tip for a race that is still to be run. There is no censorship(审查) of the press in Britain (except in wartime), though of course all newspapers—like private persons—are responsible for what they publish, and can be sued for libel （为诽谤而被起诉） for publishing articles that go beyond the bounds of decency(正派), or for ignorance of court”. (e.g. calling a man a murderer while he is still being tried．Such cases are not often)
1．Which of the following does NOT serve as an evidence(证据) that the British are the great newspaper readers?
A．They read newspapers at breakfast.       B．They read newspapers at work.
C．They read newspapers on bus.           D．They read newspapers on the way back home.
2．Many of foreigners think that_______.
A．The Times is an organ (喉舌) of the government
B．The Times has its own views on politics
C．The Times is the most famous newspaper in the world
D．The Times pays too much attention to the reporting of political events
3．British newspapers are characterized by ________.
A．bold headlines                       B．various kinds of photographs
C．striking pictorial comment on politics      D．both A and B
4．Which of the following conclusions can NOT be drawn from the passage?
A．Englishmen always take every possible chance to read newspapers.
B．In Britain, newspapers must be carefully examined by the authorities(当局) before their publication for fear that they present anything offensive.
C．Few British newspapers publish libelous articles.
D．The Times is one of the world-famous newspapers.

In the near future, people in some parts of the world will watch a new kind of television. It is called the high definition television or the HD-TV. The main difference between an HD-TV and a normal television is the picture. It is more clear and detailed. This is because the HD-TV has many more points and lines that make a television image. Every color television picture contains thousands of red, green and blue points. They all come together as an image in the eye of the person watching. The points are organized in lines that go across the television screen. There are more than five hundred lines in a normal television. The HD-TV has two times as many. To get this clear picture, you must have a big screen. Experts say people using a small screen will see little difference.
The HD-TV also has clear sound. It is like the sound on a CD. All these improvements make an HD-TV very costly. One kind in Japan now sells for more than twenty thousand dollars .A major problem with the HD-TV is its broadcast signal（传播信号.The signal is bigger than normal because it carries more electronic information.
【小题1】 What is the main difference between an HD-TV and a normal television?  It is        .

“Fire! Fire!” What terrible words to hear when one wakes up in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, old, wooden house and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, opened the door and stepped outside the house. There was full of thick smoke.
I began to run, but as I was still only half-awake, instead of going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I could see fire all around. The floor became hot under my bare feet. I found an open door and ran into a room to get to the window. But before I could reach it, one of my feet caught in something soft and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a bundle of clothes, and I picked it up to protect my face from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor gave way under me and I crashed to the floor below with pieces of burning wood all around me.
I saw a doorway in fire, then I put the bundle over my face and ran. My feet burned me terrible, but I got through. As I reached the cold air outside, my bundle of clothes gave a thin cry, I nearly dropped it in my surprise. Then I was in a crowd gathered in the street. A woman in a night-dress and a borrowed man’s coat screamed as she saw me and came running madly.
She was the Mayor’s wife, and I had saved her baby.
【小题1】When the fire arose in the middle of the night, the author was _______.

Friendship is one of the basic bonds (纽带) between human beings. While the characteristics of friendship might vary from one country to another, people from all cultures not only enjoy friends but need them.
　　Many studies have shown that teenagers who have no friends often suffer from psychological disorders. It has been shown that teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group, need companionship and a sense of belonging. The negative consequences of loneliness have also been observed among the elderly. The death of a spouse often leaves a widow or a widower totally bereft (失去). If, however, they are surrounded by friends and relatives and if they are able to articulate（清楚表达） their feelings, they are more likely to recover from their grief.
　　“No man is an island.” In other words, we are all parts of society. We all need the love, admiration, respect and moral support of other people. If we are fortunate, our friends will provide us with all of these necessary aspects of life.
　　As most people observe, there are many levels of friendship. The degree or intensity of friendship varies depending on the personality of the individuals involved and the context of the relationships. Extroverts (性格外向者) enjoy being surrounded by many people whereas introverts（性格内向者）are perhaps content with fewer but more intense friendships.
　　Everyone is not equally open with all their friends. The degree of intimacy (密切) is determined by many factors. Close friends can be formed at any stage in one’s life but they are usually very rare. Not very many people have more than a few really close friends. Irrespective of the level of intimacy, all friendships are based on reciprocity（相互性）, honesty and a certain amount of love and affection.
【小题1】The second paragraph implies that _____..

The 12—year—old CEO（首席执行官）of a Web site design company will be one of 300 business and political leaders accompanying Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien on a trade visit to China in March.

Keith Peiris, who founded Cyberteks Design in June 1999 and now has 25 clients （客户）in North America ,insisted in an interview that he is “just like any other kid.”

He and his father will spend nine days on the Team Canada trip to Beijing ,Shanghai and Hong Kong ,where Chretien aims to showcase the best of Canadian business in the most populous country in the world .

A glance at the complex ,elegant animations （动画）on his www.cybertecks.com site shows the extent of Peiris’ talent . “He doesn’t want to be No.2,”his father Deepal said proudly .

His father ,who is now vice president of operations at Cyberteks ,said , “I am teaching my son what I know .We make decisions together .I haven’t done anything my son disagreed with .He makes the final decision .”

The company has seven offices in the United States and five part—time employees who ,like the Peiris family ,work from their London homes .  

Keith Peiris admitted some potential clients change their minds when they learn his age ,but the well—informed not—yet—teenager tries to ignore them .

“Suddenly ,I’ve been called a whiz kid or geek ,which I am not too happy about .A few people have asked if they should call me ‘mister’, but I stay casual , I am still a kid .

That Keith Peiris insisted that he is “just like any other kid” shows he is           .

A．proud        B．modest            C．honest             D．excited      

Who makes the final decision on operations at Cyberteks Design?

A．Keith Peiris       B．Deepal Peiris          C．Jean Chretien        D．Both A and B.

According to the information in the passage ,which is the best and fastest way to know more about the Web giant ?

A．We can go to Canada to pay him a visit .         

B．We can make an international telephone call to him.

C．We’d better visit his web site—www.cyberteks.com.

D．We can write to his father for the kid’s information.

Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A．Keith Peiris is a Canadian boy .       

B．All the employees of the child’s company work at home .

C．The Canadian Prime Minister means to show off Keith’s success during his stay in China .

D．Keith always tries his best to be the best in the field of web site designing .