How should one invest a sum of money in these days of inflation(通货膨胀)? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate．Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market (股市)．Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past．Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique (古董) clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques．

I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life．“ The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound．It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands．Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people’s wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control．This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves.”

Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time．Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of day according to the beating of their own hearts．They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout the time．So it seems that the first clocks were human beings.

However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time．They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun．They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour-glasses, and invented water-clocks．Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.

Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home．After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in an antique clock and perhaps make a future profit ?

1.According to the passage, collecting antique clocks___________.

     A．can hardly keep the value of your savings

     B．will cost much of your savings             

       C．may increase your wealth        

       D．needs your bravery

2.By quoting (引用) the remark (话) of a being from another planet, the author intends to ________________.

     A．suggest human beings are controlled by a clock

     B．describes why clocks can rule the planet Earth

     C．tell readers what clocks look like

     D．compare clocks to human beings

3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to measure the time ?

     A．Counting the beating of one’s own heart.

     B．Making use of candles, sand and water.

     C．Observing shadows cast by the sun.

     D．Keeping all the slaves busy day and night.

4.The underlined phrase stately homes in paragraph 4 means ____.

       A．state-owned houses                B．houses in very good condition

       C．grand houses open to the public     D．houses where statesmen meet regularly

5.The purpose of the passage is ________________.

       A．to introduce the culture of antique clocks

       B．to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks

       C．to compare different ways to make a future profit

       D．to explain convenient and reliable ways of telling time

How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms of food and 120 liters of water per day survive in a desert environment?

In the southwest African country of Namibia,and the Sahara lands of Mall further north,the desert elephant does just that.

Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant,the desert cousin differs in many ways.Their bodies are smaller,to absorb less heat,and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy surfaces.They are taller,to reach higher branches.They have shorter tusks(象牙),and most importantly,longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.

Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and water-holes,and have a larger group of families.They drink only every 3-4 days,and can store water in a “bag” at the back of their throat,which is only used when badly needed.Desert elephants are careful feeders—they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches,and thus maintain what little food sources are available.Young elephants may even eat the dung(粪便) of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage.

During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase greatly.Desert elephants have sand baths,sometimes adding their own urine(尿液) to make them muddy!

As we continue to overheat our weak planet,it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.

The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means “_______”.

A.remains in the African countries

B.drinks 120 liters of water a day

C.manages to live in desert areas

D.eats 150 kilograms of food daily

Desert elephants are called careful feeders because they ______.

A.rarely ruin trees

B.drink only every 3-4 days

C.search for food in large groups

D.protect food sources for their young

The author answers the question raised in the first paragraph with ______.

A.stories and explanation

B.facts and descriptions

C.examples and conclusion

D.evidence and argument

What can be inferred from the last sentence in the passage?

A.Overheating the earth can be stopped.

B.Not all animal species are so adaptable.

C.The planet will become hotter and hotter.

D.Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants.

Surfing: It’s Not Just for Boys Any More

第二部分：阅读理解（共20题，每小题3分，满分60分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在机读卡上将该项涂黑。
The part of the earth’s history known as the coal age began more than 250 million years ago and lasted millions of years. During that time, in the area that is now the United States, coal beds formed from Texas to the north Atlantic coast.
At that time thick forests swamps（沼泽） covered much of the earth’s surface. Great trees died and fell into the swamps. Then they rotted （腐烂）and new trees and plants grew on top of them. The process repeated itself for thousands of years. The rotted plants turned into a substance called peat（泥炭）, which is still forming today in many swamps.
Meanwhile the land surface was changing. Movement in the earth’s crust (地壳) pushed up hills in some places, while elsewhere land sank. Swift rivers ran from the hills; heavy rains fell and the rivers overflowed, leaving muddy sand in the sunken wooded places and swamps. Oceans, too, poured in over the low-lying land, carrying sand that covered the peaty areas.
The pressure of water and sand pressed the oxygen and hydrogen out of the peat, leaving carbon. Under constant pressure, the rotted material, containing a high percentage of carbon, formed gradually into coal.
56. This main idea of the passage is about the ______.
A. coal beds in the U.S.   B. earth’s history   C. formation of coal   D. swamp age
57. When plants died, they _____.
A. grew up again       B. fell into the water and rotted
C. fell into coal beds    D. turned immediately to coal
58. Hills were formed as a result of _____.
A. movements of the earth’s crust       B. the remaining from swamps
C. the remaining from swift rivers       D. ocean currents
59. What is implied but not stated in the passage?
A. Peat is still forming today.
B. The formation of coal requires high pressure.
C. The land surface changed during the coal age.
D. The formation of coal was very rapid.

Don't go to Kauai. Go to any of the other Hawaiian Islands --- Maui, Lanai, the Big Island --- but leave Kauai for us. The weather on Kauai is so unpredictable (不可预测的) that sometimes it rains all day --- in fact, it's the second-wettest spot on the earth. Yes, there are giant double rainbows all the time, and the sunlight through the clouds is magical. But if you are not interested in these, go somewhere else. You just can't control the nature on Kauai, and who wants to surrender (屈服) to the nature when you could be at a fine hotel, lying in a comfortable chair next to a swimming pool, with food served upon request?

So what if Kauai produces surf champions the way Texas produces cowboys？Most of its 300 white-sand beaches are unmarked. Unless you connect with the local people, the hidden spots are hard to find. While Hanalei is the most beautiful town you've ever dreamed of, you can forget about discos and clubs. Worse, it doesn't have one single four-star restaurant. What it does have is the original drive-through places where you pass by a rambutan tree (红毛丹树), and pick a piece of fruit.

Shopping in Kauai? Forget it --- unless you are interested in shell necklaces and beautifully carved wood bowls. Kauai is not about pampering. It's about going natural and finding the nature within you. It's a do-it-yourself place that offers walking along the coast, diving and swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and lying on the beach.

Don't go to Kauai unless you have a lot of time, because there's only one road, which can be slightly dull. It winds through the beautiful scenery of waterfalls, rivers flowing into the ocean, and taro (芋头) fields. You have no choice but to look at everything, because the speed limit is 35 m.p.h.

If you're not interested in color, don't bother with Kauai, because that's what you get --- red roads, blue oceans, and a hundred different shades of green. It's like diving on land. Many people on Kauai believe that this is Lemuria --- a lost island in the Atlantic. Can you imagine? Those Hawaiians, surfers, New Agers, and people who love nature and beauty and want a different quality of life --- what do they know, anyway? Forget about it --- you're not going to like it. Go somewhere else. Leave Kauai for us.

After reading the text, we come to know that it is _____.

A. a piece of shocking news B. an exciting story

C. an interesting introduction D. a moving advertisement

It can be learned from the text that _____.

A. Kauai is an island near the Hawaiian Islands  

B. Kauai is another name of the Hawaiian Islands

C. Kauai is one of the Hawaiian Islands

D. Kauai does not belong to the Hawaiian Islands

In the writer's real opinion, Kauai _____.

A. is not worth visiting at all B. is well worth visiting

C. is not a beautiful island D. is a dangerous island

Who would like to visit Kauai?

A. Those who love nature. B. Those who love city life.

C. Those who love the comfort in a fine hotel. D. Those who love going shopping.