Two brothers, Herbert and James, lived with their mother and a cat named Edgar. James was particularly devoted to the cat, and when he had to leave town for several days, he left Herbert careful instructions about the pet’s care. At the end of his first day away, James telephoned his brother, “How is Edgar?”
“Edgar is dead.” Herbert answered. There was a pause. Then James said, “Herbert, you’re insensitive (漠然的). You know how close I was to Edgar. You should have broken the news to me slowly. When I asked about Edgar tonight, you should have said, ‘Edgar’s on the roof , but I have called the fire department to get him down.’ And tomorrow when I called, you could have said the firemen were having trouble getting Edgar down, but you were hopeful they would succeed. Then when I called the third time, you could have told me that the firemen have done their best, but unfortunately Edgar had fallen off the roof and was at the veterinarian’s (兽医站). Then when I called the last time, you could have said that although everything possible had been done for Edgar, he had died. That’s the way a sensitive man would have told me about Edgar. And, oh, before I forget,” James added, “how is mother?”
“Oh,” Herbert said, pausing for a moment, “She’s on the roof.”
【小题1】James telephoned his brother at the end of his first day away because he wanted to know _____.

Two brothers, Herbert and James, lived with their mother and a cat named Edgar. James was particularly devoted to the cat, and when he had to leave town for several days, he left Herbert careful instructions about the pet’s care. At the end of his first day away, James telephoned his brother, “How is Edgar?”
“Edgar is dead.” Herbert answered. There was a pause. Then James said, “Herbert, you’re insensitive (漠然的). You know how close I was to Edgar. You should have broken the news to me slowly. When I asked about Edgar tonight, you should have said, ‘Edgar’s on the roof , but I have called the fire department to get him down.’ And tomorrow when I called, you could have said the firemen were having trouble getting Edgar down, but you were hopeful they would succeed. Then when I called the third time, you could have told me that the firemen have done their best, but unfortunately Edgar had fallen off the roof and was at the veterinarian’s (兽医站). Then when I called the last time, you could have said that although everything possible had been done for Edgar, he had died. That’s the way a sensitive man would have told me about Edgar. And, oh, before I forget,” James added, “how is mother?”
“Oh,” Herbert said, pausing for a moment, “She’s on the roof.”

1. 1.

   James telephoned his brother at the end of his first day away because he wanted to know _____.

   1. A.
      what he was doing
   2. B.
      whether he was good
   3. C.
      whether the cat was good
   4. D.
      where his mother was
2. 2.

   Why did James say his brother was insensitive?

   1. A.
      Because he told him the news directly.
   2. B.
      Because he killed their pet.
   3. C.
      Because his mother was on the roof.
   4. D.
      Because he missed the truth about the cat.
3. 3.

   From the last paragraph of the passage, we can know that the mother was probably _____.

   1. A.
      on the roof
   2. B.
      ill or even dead
   3. C.
      repairing the house
   4. D.
      playing games

B

Hundreds of years ago, Native-American tribes lived in Mexico. The Aztecs built beautiful cities. They had a calendar (历法) and a written language. However, the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs in l521. For the next 300 years, Spain ruled over Mexico. That’s why Mexicans speak Spanish.

Every September l6 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country’s capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled. Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws.

Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn’t always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from l846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side.

Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales.

6. According to the passage, what happened second on historical timeline?

A. Mexicans declared their independence from Spain.

B. The Spanish ruled Mexico.

C. The Aztecs lived in Mexico.

D. Americans fought a war with Mexico.

7. The passage says that President Polk wanted ______.

A. the US to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean

B. Mexico to change its Independence Day to July 4th

C. Mexico to become one of the states of the Union

D. Americans to adopt the Mexican language

8. Another word for the underlined word “ascertain” is ______.

A. inspect     B. cover      C. change      D. determine

9. Mexicans have the following influences on America EXCEPT ______.

A. building styles    B. vocabulary     C. clothes             D. food

10. Before the Aztecs were conquered(征服), these Native Americans probably ______.

A. didn’t speak Spanish    B. couldn’t read or write any language

C. didn’t have tools             D. didn’t understand the concept of time

In Washington D.C., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a very special address. It is the address of the White House, the home of the president of the United States.

Originally the White House was gray and was called the presidential Palace. It was built from 1792 to 1800. At this time, the city of Washington itself was being built. It was to be the nation’s new capital city. George Washington, the first president, and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer, chose the place for the new city. L'Enfant then planned the city. The president's home was an important part of the plan.

A contest was held to pick a design for the president's home. An architect named James Hoban won. He designed a large three-story house of gray stone.

President Washington never lived in the Presidential Palace. The first president to live there was John Adams, the second president of the United States, and his wife Mrs.Adams did not really like her new house. In her letters, she often complained about the cold. Fifty fireplaces were not enough to keep the house warm.

In 1812 the United States and Britain went to war. In 1814 the British invaded Washington. They burned many buildings, including the Presidential Palace.

After the war James Hoban, the original architect, partially rebuilt the president’s home. To cover the marks of the fire, the building was painted white. Before long it became known as the White House.

The White House is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States. Every year more than 1.5 million visitors go through the five rooms that are open to the public.

The White House was built in Washington_____.

A. because a French engineer was invited to design it

B. because President George Washington liked to live in it

C. because the British invaders lived in it in1812-1814

D. because it was to be the nation’s capital city

The president’s home and the city of Washington were______.

A. built by the American army              B. built by the British troops

C. planed by George Washington           D. planned by the French

The original home of the president needed to be rebuilt______.

A. because John Adams’ wife did not like it

B. because it was cold in winter even with 50 fireplace

C. because it had been burned down during the war

D. because George Washington was not willing to live in it

The new presidential home was painted white to ______.

A. cover the marks of fire                  B. attract tourist from France

D. to please Mrs. John Adams             D. keep it warm in winter

E
Researchers have just offered evidence in a study that says obesity appears to spread through social ties, much like a virus. When one person gains weight, their close friends often follow, but the finding might also offer hope.
If friends help make obesity acceptable, then might also be influential in losing the fat. The researchers note that support groups are already an effective tool in dealing with other socially influenced problems, like alcoholism.
The findings appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, The researchers used information collected from 12,000 people. It was collected between 1971 and 2003 as part of the Framingham Heart Study.
The information was highly detailed. There was even contact information for close friends of the people in the study.
The researchers examined more than 40,000 social ties. They found that a person’s chances of becoming severely overweight increased by 57% if a friend had become obese.
Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School was a lead investigator in the study. He says there is a direct causal relationship between a person getting fat and being followed in weight gain by a friend.
The study found that the sex of the friends was also an influence. In same-sex friendships, a person had a 70% increased risk of becoming obese. Men had a 44% increased risk of becoming obese after weight gain in brothers. In sisters, it was 67%. Between husbands and wives, it was a little less than 40%.
The researchers also considered the effect of where people lived in relation to each other. James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego, was the other lead investigator. He says a friend who lives a few hundred kilometers away has as much influence as one in the same neighborhood. He says the study demonstrates the need to consider that a major part of people’s health is tied to their social connections.
Both investigators say their research shows that obesity is not just a private medical issue, but a public health problem.
67. What does the underlined sentence in Para2.mean?
A. Obesity has a negative influence on a close friend.
B. Friends might also play a part in losing weight.
C. One might have a positive influence on one’s friend.
D. Friends usually don’t follow each other to lose weight.
68. Who is mostly likely to gain weight?
A. A man who has a fat brother.     
B. A husband who has a fat wife.
C. A wife who has a fat husband. 
D. A woman who a fat female friend.
69. Which of the following statements doesn’t the passage agree with?
A. You are sure to lose weight if you have a skinny friend.
B. If one gains weight, one’s friends are likely to get fat.
C. A person’s health is closely linked with his /her social relationship.
D. Even if the friend lives far away, the influence still remains.
70. The reason why the study involves both family members and friends is that _____.
A. researchers fail to find a more different sample
B. researchers have different ideas for family members and friends
C. researchers can meet these people regularly
D. researchers can compare the results