阅读理解

　　Malls are popular places for Americans to go to. Some people spend so much time at malls that they are called “mall rats”. Mall rats “shop until they drop” in hundreds of stores under one roof.

　　People like malls for many reasons. They feel safe because malls have police stations or private security guards. Parking is usually free, and the weather inside is always fine. The newest malls have beautiful rest areas with waterfalls and large green trees.

　　The largest mall in the United States is the Mall of America in Minnesota．It covers 4.2 million square feet. It has 350 stores, eight night clubs, and a seven-acre park! There are parking spaces for 12,750 cars. About 750,000 people shop there every week.

　　The first indoor mall in the United States was built in 1965 in Edina, Minnesota．People loved doing all their shopping in one place. More malls were built all over the country. Now, malls are like town centres where people come to do many things. They shop, of course. They also eat in food courts that have food from all over the world．They see movies at theatres. Some people even get their daily exercise by doing the new sport of “mall walking”. Others go to malls to meet friends.

　　In some malls, people can see a doctor or a dentist and even attend church. In other words, people can do just about everything in malls. Now residents can actually live in their favourite shopping centre.

(1)Malls are ________.

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A．large shopping centres which also act as town centres

B．large parks with shops

C．the most popular places American go to

D．town centres

(2)Why have malls become so popular?

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A．Because people can do everything there.

B．Because people can do many other things besides shopping for all they need．

C．Because people feel safe in malls with police stations around．

D．Because people enjoy the fresh air and can have a good rest there.

(3)Malls have to be large places because ________.

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A．many people drive their cars to go to malls

B．there have to be some restaurants, clinics and theatres

C．many people hope to do sports in the malls

D．they have to meet different needs for many people

(4)In doing “mall walking” people ________.

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A．shop until they drop

B．do just about everything

C．walk around the mall as a kind of exercise

D．see movies at theatres

Most shops in Britain open at 9:00 am, and close at 5:00 or 5:30 in the evening. Small shops usually close for an hour at lunchtime. On one or two days a week—usually Thursday and/or Friday—some large food shops stay open until about 8:00 pm for late night shopping.
Many shops are closed in the afternoon on one day a week. The day is usually Wednesday or Thursday and it is a different day in different towns.
Nearly all shops are closed on Sundays. Newspaper shops are open in the morning, and sell sweets and cigarettes as well. But not all the things can be sold on Sundays.
Usually it is not difficult for foreign visitors to find where to buy things. Most shops sell the things that you want to buy. One problem is stamps. In Britain you can only buy these at post offices. Many large food shops are self-service. When you go into one of these shops, you take a basket and you put the things you wish to buy into this. You pay for everything just before you leave. If anyone tries to take things from a shop without paying they are almost certain to be caught, because most shops have detectives.
When you are waiting to be served in a shop, it is important not try to be served before people who arrive before you. Many foreign people are surprised at the British way of queuing (排队).
1 Most shops in Britain stay open for about ______ a day.
A. eight hours    B. five hours    C. ten hours    D. six hours
2 According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Some large food shops open for about 11 hours on Thursday or Friday.
B. Many shops are closed in the afternoon once a week on Tuesday.
C. Only a few things can be bought on Sundays.
D. It is not difficult for foreign visitors to buy things in Britain.
3 You can not buy ______ in shops.
A. cigarette    B. sweets    C. stamps    D. clothes
4 Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Most shops usually close for an hour at lunchtime.
B. Many large shops are self-service.
C. Most shops have detectives.
D. People do not have to queue to be served.
5 Which of the following statements can be the best title of this passage?
A. Shops in Britain
B. How to buy things in Britain?
C. The British Way of Queuing
D. How long are the British shops?

There was such ____smoke in the room that people found it difficult to get into it.

A. a large number of     B. a large amount of    C. many     D. a lots of

Stepping into a pool of water is common enough, but who could ever imagine stepping into a pool of fish? In February of 1974, Bill Tapp, an Australian farmer, saw a rain of fish that covered his farm. How surprised he must have been when he heard many fish hitting against his roof!

　　 What caused this strange occurrence? This is a question that had long puzzled people who study fish. The answer turned out to be a combination of wind and storm.

　　When it is spring in the northern part of the world, it is fall in Australia. Throughout the autumn season, terrible storms arise and rains flood the land. The strong winds sweep over Australia like huge vacuum cleaners, collecting seaweed, pieces of wood, and even schools of fish. Strong winds may carry these bits of nature for many miles before dropping them on fields, houses, and astonished people.

　　Although they seem unusual, fish-falls occur quite frequently in Australia. When Bill Tapp was asked to describe the scene of fish, he remarked, “They look like millions of dead birds falling down.” His statement is not surprising. The wonders of the natural world are as common as rain. Nature, with its infinite wonders, can create waterfalls that flow upward and fish that fall out of the sky.

　　56. What is this passage about?

　　A. A sad story. 　　　　　　　　　　　　B. A rain of fish.

　　C. Australia’s northern part.　　　　　D. The damage done by floods.

　　57. Fish-falls occur in Australia_________ .

　　A. quite often 　　　　　　B. on large farms

　　C. only in winter　　　　　D. when the air is calm

　　58. It is a known fact that ________.

　　A. one should watch where one steps

　　B. Bill Tapp is a scientist who studies farming

　　C. the natural world can never create waterfalls that fall upward

　　D. the seasons in the southern part are different from those in the northern part

 　59. The word “infinite” is closest in meaning to _________.

　　A. easy 　　　B. difficult 　　　C. countless 　　　D. dangerous

　　Do you know insurance （保险）? Buying insurance is a 1 by which people can protect themselves 2 large losses. Protection against fire is one kind of insurance. Large numbers of people pay 3 sums of money 4 an insurance company. Although thousands of people have paid for fire insurance, only 5 will lose their homes by fire. The insurance company will pay for these homes 6 the sums of money it has collected.

　　The first modern fire insurance company was 7 in London, England, in 1666. A great fire had just 8 most of the city, and people wanted to protect against 9 losses. The fire company grew rapidly. 10 other companies were founded in other areas.

　　Benjamin Franklin helped form the first fire insurance company in America in 1752. He also 11 a new kind of insurance for 12 . The new insurance would offer protection against the loss of crops 13 storm.

　　In 1759 , Benjamin Franklin helped start 14 new insurance company in America. This company , which offered 15 insurance , collected some money 16 from different men. Although a man died , his family was given a large sum of money. Today , this company is 17 in business.

　　Over the years, people have 18 from many new kinds of insurance when they have suffered from 19 accidents as car and plane crashes. Tomorrow , almost everyone has 20 kind of insurance.

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