Bill Gates is one of the most famous people in the world. His books have been translated into many languages.

　　What many people do not know is that he is not the only founder of Microsoft. A lot of honor must go to his partner, Paul Allen.

　　Allen and Gates met at Lakeside Preparatory School. They and some other friends became interested in computers. They began skipping（逃）PE lessons to play on the school computers. Their school did a deal with a computer company. It al-lowed Allen and Gates to use the company's computers for free. They even started their first software business while in high school. Computers were their lives.

　　After leaving school, Alien worked as a programmer. Gates went to Harvard University, one of the best universities in the world, to study law. The invention of computers was small enough to be used at homes, called personal computers, helped Allen persuade Gates to leave Harvard University and start Microsoft together. They designed software like MS-DOS and BASIC for large companies like IBM. However, they were not satisfied with the software and came up with a new system, called Windows. Allen was one of the main programmers. The equally successful Microsoft Office soon followed.

　　Allen fell ill in 1983. He stopped working full-time for Microsoft. He took time off, read, traveled and stayed with his family. Allen and Gates are still close. He is still involved in Microsoft, and as one of the richest men in the world, doesn't regret leaving.

(1) It is generally believed by people that ________.

[　　]

A．Bill Gates is the richest person in the world with little education

B．Bill Gates alone founded Microsoft

C．Paul Allen is a close competitor in computers against Bill Gates

D．Paul Allen is also a successful writer besides his achievement in computers

(2) We know from this passage that ________.

[　　]

A．Allen and Gates have known each other for a long time

B．Allen first used a computer at a company

C．Allen and Gates never attended a PE lesson

D．Allen and Gates helped companies with problems for money

(3) Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Paul Allen invented personal computers.

B．Bill Gates joined Microsoft after he finished his law degree at Harvard University.

C．Paul Allen lost all of his interest in computers after he fell ill.

D．Bill Gates and Paul Allen started Microsoft at the same time.

(4) The best title for this passage is“________”.

[　　]

A．The Other Half of Microsoft

B．Bill Gates

C．How Microsoft Started

D．Microsoft and Its History

When did you last see a polar bear(北极熊）? On a trip to a zoo,perhaps?  If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago,  you would have seen a whole polar bear club.  These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water.  That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a little higher.  The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60.  Members must satisfy two requirements.  First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club.  Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors don't agree about the medical effects of cold-winter swimming.  Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops.  Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming.  They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system(循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm.  Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water.  A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
　　The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental.The Polar Bears love to swim all year round;  they find it fun and relaxing.  As one 70-year-old woman says,"When I go into water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."
【小题1】The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that_____.

A．they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months

B．they must reach the age of 60

C．they should be easy to make friends with

D．they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February

A．Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water

B．cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high

C．you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue

D．cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter

阅读理解

　　Millions of people pass through the gates of Disney's entertainment parks in California, Florida and Japan each year. What makes these places an almost universal attraction? What makes foreign kings and queens and other important people want to visit these Disney parks? Well, one reason is the way they're treated once they get there. The people at Disney go out of their way to serve their“guests”, as they prefer to call them, and to see that they enjoy themselves.

　　All new employees, from vice presidents to part-time workers, begin their employment by attending Disney University and taking “Traditions I”. Here, they learn about the company's history, how it is managed and why it is successful. They are shown how each department relates to the whole. All employees are shown how their part is important in making the part a success.

　　After passing“Traditions I”, the employees go on to more specialized training for their specific (具体的) jobs. No detail is missed. A simple job like taking tickets requires four eight-hour days of training. When one ticket taker was asked why it took so much training for such a simple ordinary job, he replied, “What happens if someone wants to know where the restrooms are, when the parade starts or what bus to take back to the campgrounds?... We need to know the answers or where to get them quickly. Our constant aim is to help our guests enjoy party.”

　　Even Disney's managers get involved in the daily management of the park. Every year, the managers leave their desks and business suits and put on special service clothes. For a full week, the bosses sell hot dogs or ice cream, take tickets or drive the monorail(单轨车), and take up any of the 100 jobs that make the entertainment park come alive. The managers agree that this week helps them to see the company's goals more clearly.

　　All these efforts to serve the public well have made Walt Disney Productions famous. Disney is considered by many as the best mass service provided in America or the world. As one long-time business observer once said, “How Disney treats people, communicates with them, rewards them, is in my view the very reason for his fifty years of success ... I have watched, very carefully and with great respect and admiration, the theory and practice of selling satisfaction and serving millions of people on a daily basis, successfully. It is what Disney does best.”

(1)The first day they come to Disney parks, all new employees ________.

[　　]

A．begin by receiving on-the-job training

B．must learn several jobs

C．begin as ticket takers

D．have already attended Disney University

(2)The main objective of the Disney employees is to ________.

[　　]

A．learn all parts of the business

B．see that their guests enjoy themselves

C．be able to answer all kinds of questions

D．keep their important guests happy

(3)Each year, managers wear special service clothes and work in the park to ________.

[　　]

A．set a good example for employees

B．remind themselves of their beginning at Disney

C．gain a better view of the company's objectives

D．replace employees on holiday

(4)Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Tourists learn the history of Disney in its entertainment parks.

B．Disney attracts people almost from all over the world.

C．Parades are regularly held in Disney's entertainment parks.

D．Disney's managers are able to do almost all kinds of work in the Disney parks.

(5)This passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．how Disney employees are trained

B．the history and traditions of the Disney enterprises

C．why Disney enterprises make a lot of money

D．the importance Disney places on serving people well

完形填空

　　At first I couldn't believe it! There were no 1 in rows; no bells rang; no one had to go to 2 . Although we all lived “in”, 3 made us go to bed at a certain time; there was no “lights out”.

　　The 4 thing was that practically all the students went to class, and very few people stayed up late at night. Only the new people stayed up or 5 class. The new ones always went wild at first, but this never lasted long.

　　The 6 took some getting used to. Our teachers treated us like 7 ; never did we have to 8 “stand up”, “speak out”. I don't 9 one student who didn't try his best.

　　The subjects were the same as those in 10 school, but what a difference in the approach (方式)! For example, in botany (植物学) we had no classes in spring or fall, but instead we 11 two gardens, a vegetable garden and a flower garden. Then in winter we each studied a few 12 things about what we had grown. In math the students built three different kinds of storerooms-small ones 13 , but unusual. They did this instead of having lessons in the classroom. They really had a 14 time too, designing everything, drawing the blueprints, 15 the angles (角度) and so on. I didn't take math. I can't stand it! Besides, I could do the things with numbers. That's 16 ! 17 , I think I am a 18 person for having gone to the school. I can read and write as well as anyone else of my age, and I can think better. That's probably a real big 19 between the free school and regular school—the amount of 20 .

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When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored(发起) “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
【小题1】“Talk of the town” means　　　.

A．the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom was dancing

B．it made Tom look taller

C．the eight–foot–tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted

D．the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller

A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine.

B．People are always disappointed during war time.

C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose.

D．People should be married when they are small children.