D
When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety…But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm．These people are willing to risk (冒…危险) being killed by floods or 100-Kilometer- an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up．
“Storm chasing (追逐)”is becoming an increasingly popular hobby (喜好) ，especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July．A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to l,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop．
Although anyone can do it，storm chasing is extremely dangerous．The power of a big storm  can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds．Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain．If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm - chasing vacations during the storm season．
Even then，storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement．“Storm chasing is 95％driving，”says Daniel Lynch，who spends most of his summer storm-chasing．“Sometimes you
Can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen，and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However，for storm chasers，it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm，it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life，”says Jasper Morley．“Every storm is an example of the power of nature．It is the greatest show on Earth．”
57．For storm chasing，the first thing storm chasers do is to       ．
A．head straight for the center of the storm   
B．get into the car for safety
C．wait patiently for the storm to develop
D．collect information about a coming storm
58．Beginners of storm chasing are advised_______
A．not to drive in a heavy rain   
B．to do it in an organized way
C．not to get too close to a storm
D．to spend more time on it in summer
59．By saying“it is all worth it”in the last paragraph，the author means that______
A．storm chasing costs a lot of money
B．storm chasing is worth hours of waiting
C．efforts in storm chasing are well paid
D．a storm presents the greatest show on Earth
60．What can we learn from the text?
A．Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment． 
B．Many storm chasers get killed in the storms．
C．Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world．
D．Storm chasing is only fit for young people

D

    When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety…But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm．These people are willing to risk (冒…危险) being killed by floods or 100-Kilometer- an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up．

    “Storm chasing (追逐)”is becoming an increasingly popular hobby (喜好) ，especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July．A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to l,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop．

    Although anyone can do it，storm chasing is extremely dangerous．The power of a big storm  can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds．Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain．If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm - chasing vacations during the storm season．

    Even then，storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement．“Storm chasing is 95％driving，”says Daniel Lynch，who spends most of his summer storm-chasing．“Sometimes you

Can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen，and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”

    However，for storm chasers，it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm，it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life，”says Jasper Morley．“Every storm is an example of the power of nature．It is the greatest show on Earth．”

    57．For storm chasing，the first thing storm chasers do is to        ．

           A．head straight for the center of the storm   

           B．get into the car for safety

           C．wait patiently for the storm to develop

       D．collect information about a coming storm

    58．Beginners of storm chasing are advised_______

           A．not to drive in a heavy rain   

           B．to do it in an organized way

           C．not to get too close to a storm

           D．to spend more time on it in summer

      59．By saying“it is all worth it”in the last paragraph，the author means that______

           A．storm chasing costs a lot of money

           B．storm chasing is worth hours of waiting

           C．efforts in storm chasing are well paid

           D．a storm presents the greatest show on Earth

    60．What can we learn from the text?

           A．Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment． 

           B．Many storm chasers get killed in the storms．

           C．Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world．

           D．Storm chasing is only fit for young people

When a group of children politely stop a conversation with you, saying: “We have to go to work now,” you’re left feeling surprised and certainly uneasy. After all, this is the 1990s and the idea of children working is just unthinkable. That is, until you are told that they are all pupils of stage schools, and that the “work” they go off to is to go on the stage in a theatre.

　　Stage schools often act as agencies（代理机构）to supply children for stage and television work. More worthy of the name “stage school” are those few places where children attend full time, with a training for the theatre and a general education.

　　A visit to such schools will leave you in no doubt that the children enjoy themselves. After all, what lively children wouldn’t settle for spending only half the day doing ordinary school work, and acting, singing or dancing their way through the other half of the day?

　Then of course there are times for the children to make a name and make a little money in some big shows. Some stage schools give their children too much professional work at such a young age. But the law is very tight on the amount they can do. Those under 13 are limited to 40 days in the year; those over 13 to 80 days.

　The schools themselves admit that not all children will be successful in the profession for which they are being trained. So what happens to those who don’t make it? While all the leading schools say they place great importance on children getting good study results, the facts seem to suggest this is not always the case.

　People would stop feeling uneasy when realizing that the children they’re talking to________.

　　  A. attend a stage school　　　　  B. are going to the theatre

　　  C. have got some work to do 　　  D. love singing and dancing

　　 In the writer’s opinion, a good stage school should ________.

　　  A. produce star performers

　　  B. help pupils improve their study skills

　　  C. train pupils in language and performing arts

　　  D. provide a general education and stage training.

　“Professional work” as used in the text means ________.

　　  A. ordinary school work　　　　　  B. money-making performances

　　  C. stage training at school 　 　  D. acting, singing or dancing after class

　 Which of the following best describes how the writer feels about stage schools?

　　  A. He thinks highly of what they have to offer.　　　　

　　  B. He favours an early start in the training of performing arts.

　　  C. He feels uncomfortable about children putting on night shows.

　　  D. He doubts the standard of ordinary education they have reached.

When my first wartime Christmas came, I was in basic training in New Jersey and not sure if I would make it home for the holidays. Only on the afternoon of December 23 was the list of men who would have the three-day holiday posted. I was one of the lucky soldiers. It was Christmas Eve when I arrived home, and a little snow had fallen. Mother opened the front door. I could see beyond her, into the corner of the living room where the tree had always stood. There were lights, all colors, and ornaments (饰品) shining against the green of a pine.

"Where did it come from?" I asked.

"I asked the Gates boy to cut it," my mother said. "I wouldn't have had one just for myself, but when in great need... such a rush! He just brought it in this afternoon."

The pine reached to the proper height, almost to the ceiling, and the Tree Top Crystal（水晶） Star was in its place. A few green branches reached out a little awkwardly（难看） at the side, I thought, and there was a bit of bare trunk showing in the middle. But the tree filled the room with warm light and the whole house with the pleasant smell of Christmas.

"It's not like the one you used to find," my mother went on. "Yours were always in good shape. I suppose the Gates boy didn't know where to look for a better one. But I couldn't be fussy(挑剔的)."

"Don't worry," I told her. "It's perfect."

It wasn't, of course, but at the moment I realized something for the first time: All Christmas trees are perfect.

What did his mother's Christmas tree look like?

From the passage we can infer (推断) that______.

A. all the soldiers had the three-day holiday

B. the writer could not go home for Christmas

C. the writer spent his first Christmas during the war

D. not all the soldiers went home for Christmas during the war

From the passage, we can conclude that ______ .

A. his mother didn't like Christmas trees

B. the writer didn't like the tree cut by someone else

C. the writer used to cut very beautiful Christmas trees

D. his mother didn't want to have a Christmas tree during wartime

The best title for this passage would be ______.

A. The Perfect Christmas Tree

B. How to Choose a Christmas Tree

C. How Soldiers Spent Their Christmas

D. A Christmas with an Ugly Christmas Tree

What does the writer mean by saying “All Christmas trees are perfect”?

A. Nothing is as perfect as Christmas.

B. Once at home, everything is so nice.

C. During the war, trees are hard to find.

D. All Christmas trees are the most beautiful.

When someone says, "Well, I guess I’ll have to go to face the music", it does not mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this or that, and why you did not do this or that. Sour（剌耳的; 拙劣的）music, indeed, but it has to be faced.

The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. Where did the expression come from?

The first information comes from the American writer James Fennimore Cooper. He said in 1851 that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage. After they got their cue（提示，暗示） to go on, they often said, "It’s time to go to face the music." And that is exactly what they did--- face the orchestra (管弦乐队) which was just below the stage.

An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be friendly or perhaps unfriendly especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. So, “to face the music" came to mean having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice.

The other explanation comes from the army. Men had to face inspection(视 察)by their leader. The soldiers worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean--shiny enough to pass inspection? Still, the men had to go out, and face the music of the band, as well as the inspection. What else could they do?

According to the passage, the word “music" means________.

A．your boss’s criticism(批评)              B．your leader’s inspection

C．something unpleasant to be experienced    D．sour pop music

The phrase ‘to face the music" was first used by _______.

A．all the Americans       B．the American writer James Fennimore cooper

C．some American actors   D．the American orchestra

An actor might feel frightened or nervous when going on stage. One of the reasons is that ______.

A．his performance was not good at all

B．he might not remember what he should say on stage

C．he had to face the unfriendly audience

D．most of the audience might be his friends

to face the music" is also used to mean that soldiers were not willing _______.

A．to be examined about their equipment    B．to be found weak

C．to show themselves up in public         D．to be inspected by their leader

The passage is mainly about_______.

A．the meaning of the phrase ‘to face the music"  B．how to deal with something unpleasant

C．how to learn English phrase                D．how to go through difficulty