For hundreds of years, artists have used cartoons to criticize bad rulers or landowners. As early as the 19 th century, people produced and read books of drawings. In many ways, they were similar to modern comics（漫画）. They contained stories of naughty children and playful animals. The owl and the elephant were usually wise animals, ready to give advice. The lion and tiger were brave. The fox and wolf were cunning, greedy and dangerous.

    A century ago, an American newspaper published the first-color comic strip. It was so popular that sales of the newspaper, Morning Journal, increased quickly. Since then, newspapers throughout the world have included comic strips.

    In modern time, comics are popular in China, Japan, the USA and almost everywhere. Not even video games or CD-ROMs have reduced their popularity. Names such as Snoopy, Woodstock and Garfield are well known in dozens of countries. The Peanuts comic strip appears in over 2,000 newspapers and in more than 25 languages.

    Perhaps one day, you may like to create your own comic strip and become a millionaire. First, you must think of a good plot. It should be funny, exciting or interesting in some way. It should have plenty of action. Moreover, the language must be realistic and simple. The words should suit the characters in your story.

    Furthermore, the characters in your story must be clear to readers. They should be obviously good or bad. In many comic strips—especially those showing crime of adventure—there should also be a hero or heroine. This will attract the reader to keep on reading the story. 

1. Which of the following is NOT the name of a cartoon character?

  A. Snoopy             B. Garfield         C. Peanuts        D. Woodstock

2. We can know from the first paraphaph that rulers ________.

  A. asked the artists to draw cartoons           B. probably did not like cartoons about them.

C. often drew cartoons many years ago.        D. used cartoons to give people advice.

3. According to the passage, what makes a popular and successful comic strip?

 A. Good plot         B. suitable language      C. clear characters      D. All of above

4. The underlined word “plot” is similar in meaning to ______.

 A. places              B. stories            C. events               D. characters

For hundreds of years, artists have used cartoons to criticize bad rulers or landowners. As early as the 19 th century, people produced and read books of drawings. In many ways, they were similar to modern comics（漫画）. They contained stories of naughty children and playful animals. The owl and the elephant were usually wise animals, ready to give advice. The lion and tiger were brave. The fox and wolf were cunning, greedy and dangerous.

    A century ago, an American newspaper published the first-color comic strip. It was so popular that sales of the newspaper, Morning Journal, increased quickly. Since then, newspapers throughout the world have included comic strips.

    In modern time, comics are popular in China, Japan, the USA and almost everywhere. Not even video games or CD-ROMs have reduced their popularity. Names such as Snoopy, Woodstock and Garfield are well known in dozens of countries. The Peanuts comic strip appears in over 2,000 newspapers and in more than 25 languages.

    Perhaps one day, you may like to create your own comic strip and become a millionaire. First, you must think of a good plot. It should be funny, exciting or interesting in some way. It should have plenty of action. Moreover, the language must be realistic and simple. The words should suit the characters in your story.

    Furthermore, the characters in your story must be clear to readers. They should be obviously good or bad. In many comic strips—especially those showing crime of adventure—there should also be a hero or heroine. This will attract the reader to keep on reading the story. 

1. Which of the following is NOT the name of a cartoon character?

  A. Snoopy             B. Garfield         C. Peanuts        D. Woodstock

2. We can know from the first paraphaph that rulers ________.

  A. asked the artists to draw cartoons           B. probably did not like cartoons about them.

C. often drew cartoons many years ago.        D. used cartoons to give people advice.

3. According to the passage, what makes a popular and successful comic strip?

 A. Good plot         B. suitable language      C. clear characters      D. All of above

4. The underlined word “plot” is similar in meaning to ______.

 A. places              B. stories            C. events               D. characters

According to the dictionary definition of “create”,ordinary people are creative every day. To create means”to bring into being, to cause to exist”---something each of us does daily.

　 We are creative whenever we look at or think about something in a new way. First this involves an awareness of our surroundings. It means using all of our sense to become aware of our world. This nmay be as simple as being aware of colour and texture, as well as taste, when we plan a meal. Above all, it is the ability to notice things that others might miss.

　 A second part of creativity is an ability to see realationships among things. If we believe the expression,” There is nothing new under the sun, ” the creativity is remaking or recombining the old in new ways. For example, we might do this by finding a more effective way is the camera lenses and filters to create an unusual photograph. A third part of creativity is the courage and drive to make use of our new ideas, to apply them to achieve some new results,.To think up a new concept is one thing; to put idea to work is another.

　 These three parts of creativity are involved in all the great works of genius, but they are also involved in many of our day to day activities.

1. Which of th following activities is NOT a creativre one according to the passage?

A. To prepare a meal.　　　　　　　　 B. To arrange the furniture in a peculiar way.

C. To buy some books from a bookstore. D. To”write” a letter with the computer.

2. The auther holds that_____.

A. creativity is of highly demanded.　　

B. creativity is connected with a deep insight to some extent.

C. creativity is to create something new and concrete.

D. to practise and practice is the only way to cultivate one’s creativity.

3. ”There is nothing new under the sun.” (par.3)really implies that____.

A. we can seldom create new things　 B. a new thing is only a tale.

C. a new thing can only be created at the basis of original things.

D. we can scarcely see really new things in the world.

4. What does the auther think about the relationship between a new thought and its being put into practice?

A. It’s more difficult to create a new thought than to apply it in practice.

B. To find a new thought will definitely lead to the production of a new thing.

C. One may come up with a new thought, but can not put it into practice.

D. A man with an excellent ability of practice can easily become an inventor.

5. The best title for this passage is_____.

A, Hoe to Cultivate One’s Creativity　　　　　　　　 B. What is Creativity]

C. The Importance of Creativity　　　　　　　　　　 D. Creativity—a Not Farway Thing

Tsai Chin Chung is one of Taiwan’s most famous cartoonists, and his cartoons are enjoyed by people in many different countries in Asia. His books of cartoons have now become best sellers in Singapore, Malaysia, and even Japan.

   As soon as he could hold a pencil, Tsai Chin Chung lived only for drawing. Every day he practised drawing people and things around him and from his favorite stories.

   When he was only 15 years old, he left home to work for a publisher in Taipei. He worked hard to draw pictures for books. Two years later, he left his job and started to work on drawing cartoon series, which he liked better. He made up his mind to succeed as a cartoonist.

   Now Tsai Chin Chung has achieved something unusual for a modern cartoonist. He has become extremely successful at changing Chinese literature and philosophy into humorous comic stories. In this way, he has made the Chinese classics known to thousands of people.

Because of his great achievement, several years ago Tsai Chin Chung was given a prize as one of the 10 Outstanding Young People of Taiwan. Since then, he has won many prizes, and his cartoons have become popular throughout Asia, America and Europe. So far, he has published more than 20 comic books. Ten of these are about ancient Chinese philosophers based on Chinese historical and literary classics.  

   Many of Tsai Chin Chung’s books of cartoons and comics have now been published in English in countries like Singapore. His books have also been translated into several other languages, including Japanese, Korean and Thai. Even publishers in France and Indonesia have recently signed agreements for permission to publish his cartoon series.

1.Tsai Chin Chung left his first job because he ________.

 A. preferred drawing cartoons              B. wanted to go back to school

 C. enjoyed drawing pictures for books      D. wanted to be famous

2. Half of the books he has published are related to _______.

 A. Chinese and foreign comics          B. countries in Asia, America and Europe

 C. foreign languages learning          D. Chinese history and literature

3.Because of his great achievements, Tsai Chin Chung _______.

 A. travelled a lot in Asia and Europe          B. went to live in Singapore

 C. won an important prize in Taiwan       D. has become famous in Africa.

Sir,

Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set (eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a ‘remarkable’ price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare’s plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them.

Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice.

You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds, and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside.

I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgment, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me.

Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid.

Yours faithfully,

SIMON WALKER

1.Simon Walker wrote the letter to ________

A．show his anger to Cosmo Books Ltd..

B．complain about getting books he didn’t want.

C．advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd..

D．urge for the final solution to the problem with the unwanted books.

2.The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for ________

A．unlimited number of Cosmo Books.

B．a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare.

C．fifteen pounds and fifty pence.

D．a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare.

3.Mr. Walker answered the advertisement because ________

A．he wanted a set of Shakespeare’s works which was a good bargain

B．he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price.

C．he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time.

D．the set he already had was not particularly attractive.