阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给四个选项(A，B，C和D)中，选出最佳选项．

　　Every day millions of letters go from one country to another. Letters mailed in Italy are received in Japan. Letters mailed in Canada are received in Africa. On the letters are many different kinds of stamps, bought in different countries.

　　The Universal Postal Union helps each letter get to the right place as quickly as possible. It sets up roles about the size and weight of letters, postcards and small packages (包裹). It has rules that all countries must follow about international postal rates(费用).

　　One hundred years ago, international mail did not move so smoothly. One country did not always accept another country's letters. Letters from some countries were too large to fit into the mailboxes of other countries. Letters traveled by many different routes(路线). Some were lost along the way.

　　Sometimes the person who sent the letter could pay only part of the postage. The person receiving the letter had to pay the rest.

　　The United States was the first to suggest that all countries work together to settle the questions of international mail. In 1947, men from twenty-four countries met in Switzerland to form the Universal Postal Union. Today, more than 120 nations belong to this union. From its office in Switzerland, the union helps the mail to move safely and quickly around the world.

1．From the story we can infer that ________.

[　　]

A．mail is important to all countries

B．not enough letters are sent all over the world

C．all the letters must go to Switzerland first

D．all stamps look exactly the same

2．The Universal Postal Union was formed ________.

[　　]

A．to help move mail quickly around the world

B．to give many men a chance to work

C．to help men meet in Switzerland

D．to look for the lost letters along the way

3．Which statement does this passage lead you to believe?

[　　]

A．Countries around the world need each other's help.

B．Most people do not put enough postage on letters.

C．It is not possible for letters to get lost on the way.

D．Some of the letters are too large to be put into the mailbox.

4．The underlined word“postage”in this passage means ________.

[　　]

A．money paid when you buy a stamp

B．money spent on an envelope

C．the charge for carrying a letter by post

D．the pay postman receives for his work

5．This passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．different kinds of stamps in different countries

B．an organization that makes rules

C．international mail

D．the size and weight of letters

I remember my first Christmas party with Grandma．I remember the day when my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” she laughed．“Even dummies know that!”
　　I fled to Grandma because I knew she always told me  21 ．After I told her everything, she said “No Santa Claus? Don’t believe it. Now,  22 your coat, and let’s go.”
　　“Go? Go where?” I asked．
　　“Where” 23  to be the General Store．As we walked through its doors, Grandma   24 me ten dollars．That was a lot in those days．“Take this money and buy something for  25 needs it．I’ll wait for you in the car．”
　　The store seemed big and  26 , full of people hurrying to finish their Christmas shopping．For a few moments I just stood there, 27  , holding that bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for．
　　Suddenly I thought of Bobbie who sat right behind me．I remembered he didn’t have a coat．I fingered the bill with growing  28 ．I would buy Bobbie a coat．
　　“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the   29  asked me kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down
　　“Yes,” I replied shyly．“It’s…for Bobbie.”
　　The nice lady smiled at me．I didn’t get any  30 , but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas．
　　That evening, Grandma helped me  31  the coat and wrote, “To Bobby, From Santa Claus” on it．Then she  32 me over to Bobbie’s house．
　　Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie’s house, and she and I crept 33 and hid in the  34 ．Then Grandma gave me a sign．“All right, Santa Claus, get going．”
　　I took a deep 35 , dashed for his front door, threw the present down, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety．Together we  36 breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open．Finally it  37 , and there stood Bobbie．
Forty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those  38 spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie’s bushes． 39 ,  I realized: Santa was alive and well, and we were  40  his team．

     Apparently，we are safe neither at home nor in the business office.We use water in both places，but the research shows that chemicals added to our local water supply to kill harmful bacteria can have unwanted side effects.These chemicals can cause potential harm through drinking and in seemingly harmless activities as cleaning one’s house.They are released(set free)from water by daily actions like water running out of tap，spraying from garden pipes，or splashing in dishwashers and washing machines.As the water is moving.these chemicals are released into the air and then breathed in. Once inside our bodies, they start to affect our health.

　　Does this mean we should stop bathing? No, say the scientists, but we should put all pollution into perspective. Activities at home such as the burning of coal, cooking oil, or even candles release carbon monoxide and particulates such as cigarette ashes which have been proven as harmful to health as working or living near heavy traffic. New tugs, bedding, and even clothing give off that“new smell, ”which is a sure sign of chemicals. In the office, newly applied paint, newly purchased telephones and other telecommunications equipment, and computers release polluting chemicals, too. As offices and homes often have inadequate ventilation (通风), these chemicals can build up to become health problems. Their poisonous effects are only now being slowly recognized.

　　These facts suggest that, at a minimum, proper airing of newly purchased goods with an obvious chemical smell is a wise warning. Home and office windows should be opened during good weather. Even one’s car needs to be ventilated as well while in the garage.

　　We need further research to understand better other potential health dangers, too. For example, the effects of overcrowding of schools (carbon dioxide build-up ), the factory work environment ( an endless list of potentially dangerous substances ), and even home heating and cooling (the air conditioner may be our enemies, not our friends) have only recently started to come to light. Until we understand the effects of our new technological environment better, we can only hope that“there is no place like home.”

1.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

　　A.The air we breathe in is harmful.

B.Chemicals are released in the running water.

C.Chemicals are added to the drinking water.

　　D. The water in everyday use is unsafe.

2..In Paragraph 2, the underlined sentence means that .

　　A. homes and offices should be aired often

　　B. any pollution should be taken into consideration

　　C. bathing should be done with caution

　　D.we should prevent any pollution from doing harm to us

3.What is the purpose of the passage?

　　A.To call on us to guard our water.

　　B.To show us that no place is like home.

　　C.To make us aware of the pollution around us.

　　D.To argue that neither homes nor offices are safe.

阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给四个选项(A，B，C和D)中，选出最佳选项．

　　Man always wanted to fly. For hundreds of years they watched birds flying and wished that they could fly, too. Birds fly very easily. They spread(展开) their wings(翅膀) and float (漂浮) on the air. The air keeps them up for many hours.“If birds and kites can stay up in the air, perhaps we can, too.”they thought.

　　At first they made wings like birds. Then they jumped off high buildings in order to fly. Many men did this but they all failed. After many failures (失败) they stopped trying to fly with wings. Then two brothers tried another way. They tried balloons (气球).“Hot air is lighter than cold air,”they said, “That is why hot air goes upwards. If we fill a balloon with hot air, it will go upwards.”

　　After many experiments, they made two men go up in a balloon full of hot air. A great crowd of people watched. The balloon rose to a height (高度) of 900 metres. The wind blew it along for nine kilometers. Then it came gently back to earth. For the first time man traveled through the air!

1．Hundreds of years ago men realized that ________.

[　　]

A．birds fly easily because there is air

B．birds fly easily because they are small

C．birds fly easily because they have wings

D．birds fly easily because they are light

2．When some men tried to fly with wings, ________.

[　　]

A．only a few of them succeeded

B．only the two brothers succeeded

C．many of them succeeded

D．none of them succeeded

3．Which of the following did men first think of when they wanted to fly?

[　　]