What do you think are the most important inventions of the past 2,000 years? The TV? The printing? The telephone? Or the computer? A report shows that these are not the only important inventions. Here are four other important ones.

Paper is one of the most important inventions. You can’t have printing without paper. In 105 AD, Cai Lun invented paper in China. Long before the printing and Internet, Cai Lun’s invention allowed us to write down information, stories and history.

One of the simplest (最简单) inventions to save life is the toilet. Before toilets, waste ran into the rivers from people’s houses. Illnesses were common (普通的) in big cities, and it was often difficult to find clean drinking water.

Animal food is another invention. Before the invention, most animals were killed every autumn because there was not enough food for them in the winter. After hay (干草) became a kind of common animal food, animals could live through the long winter.

Reading glasses is the fourth invention. People start getting far-sighted (远视) from the age of 45. Glasses mean that anyone can read, write and do “close work” after that age. Without glasses, the world would be difficult for the people above 45.

1.Cai Lun’s invention of paper makes it possible to ______.

A．have printing                           B．feed animals

C．drink clean water                       D．do “close work”

2.The invention of the toilet can stop people from ______.

A．saving water                           B．getting ill

C．living in big cities                        D．finding clean water

3.Why couldn’t the animals live through the winter?

A．It was very cold in winter.                 B．They didn’t have enough food to eat.

C．They had no drinking water.               D．They died of illness.

4.From the last paragraph we learn that ______.

A．all people need reading glasses

B．anyone must do “close work” after 45

C．reading glasses are useful

D．life is more difficult for the people under 45

What do you think are the most important inventions of the past 2,000 years? The TV? The printing? The telephone? Or the computer? A report shows that these are not the only important inventions. Here are four other important ones.
Paper is one of the most important inventions. You can’t have printing without paper. In 105 AD, Cai Lun invented paper in China. Long before the printing and Internet, Cai Lun’s invention allowed us to write down information, stories and history.
One of the simplest (最简单) inventions to save life is the toilet. Before toilets, waste ran into the rivers from people’s houses. Illnesses were common (普通的) in big cities, and it was often difficult to find clean drinking water.
Animal food is another invention. Before the invention, most animals were killed every autumn because there was not enough food for them in the winter. After hay (干草) became a kind of common animal food, animals could live through the long winter.
Reading glasses is the fourth invention. People start getting far-sighted (远视) from the age of 45. Glasses mean that anyone can read, write and do “close work” after that age. Without glasses, the world would be difficult for the people above 45.
【小题1】Cai Lun’s invention of paper makes it possible to ______.

Read “The Write Stuff” and answer questions 1 to 6.

　　Throughout history people have written with many different tools and on many different surfaces.

　　PAPYRUS

　　Papyrus was one of the earliest known writing surfaces. For almost 4000 years papyrus was the main writing material used in the Middle East and around the Mediterranean. The Egyptians first made papyrus from the stem of the papyrus plant which grew along the banks of the River Nile.

　　1．Papyrus was made by cutting a papyrus stem into thin strips.

　　2．Two layers of strips were then pressed together until they stuck.

The Egyptians wrote on papyrus with brushes.

　　ANIMAL SKINS

　　When papyrus became scarce, people used animal skins to write on. This was called parchment. It was made from sheep skin which was washed, scraped, stretched and dried.

　　Parchment had a very smooth writing surface. It was used in Europe until the late Middle Ages.

　　Scribes wrote on parchment with quill pens made from goose feather.

　　PAPER

　　Around AD 105, a Chinese official called Cai Lun invented a new writing material made from old rags. This was known as paper. Paper is still made approximately the same way today as it was by Cai Lun, except that now machines are used.

　　The problem with quill pens and later metal pens was that they had to be dipped in ink every few seconds. In the 19th century fountain pens were invented. These had a container for ink inside them－no more dipping or dripping!

　　The nib of a modern fountain pen is very similar to the point of the reed pen invented by the Ancient Greeks.

1．According to the information, in which order were the following surfaces developed?

[　　]

A．Paper→Parchment→papyrus

B．papyrus→parchment→paper

C．parchment→papyrus→paper

D．papyrus→paper→parchment

2．The information states that parchment was used by the ________.

[　　]

3．Parchment was made instead of papyrus mainly because ________.

[　　]

A．parchment was easier to make

B．parchment had a better writing surface

C．papyrus became scarce

D．papyrus was more suited for use with quill pens

4．The writer suggests that compared to a quill pen, using a fountain pen is more ________.

[　　]

5．Which of the following statements is TRUE?

[　　]

A．The Ancient Greeks wrote with brushes.

B．Papyrus was first used in the late Middle Ages.

C．Reed pens have similar points to fountain pens.

D．The first paper was made using machines.

6．The best word to replace “approximately”, as it is used in the passage, is ________.

[　　]

What do you think are the most important inventions of the past 2,000 years? The TV? The printing? The telephone? Or the computer? A report shows that these are not the only important inventions. Here are four other important ones.

Paper is one of the most important inventions. You can’t have printing without paper. In 105 AD, Cai Lun invented paper in China. Long before the printing and Internet, Cai Lun’s invention allowed us to write down information, stories and history.

One of the simplest (最简单) inventions to save life is the toilet. Before toilets, waste ran into the rivers from people’s houses. Illnesses were common (普通的) in big cities, and it was often difficult to find clean drinking water.

Animal food is another invention. Before the invention, most animals were killed every autumn because there was not enough food for them in the winter. After hay (干草) became a kind of common animal food, animals could live through the long winter.

Reading glasses is the fourth invention. People start getting far-sighted (远视) from the age of 45. Glasses mean that anyone can read, write and do “close work” after that age. Without glasses, the world would be difficult for the people above 45.

47. Cai Lun’s invention of paper makes it possible to ______.

   A. have printing         B. feed animals    

   C. drink clean water      D. do “close work”

48. The invention of the toilet can stop people from ______.

   A. saving water               B. getting ill 

   C. living in big cities      D. finding clean water

49. Why couldn’t the animals live through the winter?

  A. It was very cold in winter.   B. They didn’t have enough food to eat.

  C. They had no drinking water. D. They died of illness.

50. From the last paragraph we learn that ______.

   A. all people need reading glasses     

   B. anyone must do “close work” after 45

   C. reading glasses are useful   

   D. life is more difficult for the people under 45