The Erie Canal was the first important national waterway built in the US. It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie Troy to Albany on the Hudson River. It joined the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. The canal served as a route over which industrial goods could flow into the west, and materials could pour into the east. The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation’s largest city.

The building of the canal was paid for entirely by the state of New York. It cost $ 7 143 789, but it soon gained its price many times over. Between 1825, when the canal was opened, and 1882, when toll charges(过运河费) were stopped, the state collected $121 461 891.

For a hundred years before the Erie was built, people had been talking about a canal which could join the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The man who planned the Erie Canal and carried the plan through was De Witt Clinton. Those who were against the canal laughingly called it “Clinton’s Ditch(沟)”. Clinton talked and wrote about the canal and drew up plans for it. He and Governor Morris went to Washington in 1812 to ask for help for the canal, but they were unsuccessful.

Clinton became governor of New York in 1817, and shortly afterwards, on July 4, 1817, broke ground for the canal in Rome, N.Y. The first part of the canal was completed in 1820. As the canal grew, towns along its course developed fast. The length of the canal is 363 miles.

We can see that the Erie Canal ________.

A. joined the Great Lakes together

B. crossed New York from north to south

C. played an important part in developing New York City

D. was the first waterway built in the US

It can be inferred that ________ into the Atlantic Ocean.

A. the Great Lakes flow　　　　　　　　B. the Hudson River flows

C. Lake Erie flows　　　　　　　　　　D. the Erie Canal flows

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. The Erie Canal brought profits of over $114, 000, 000.

B. It’s 363 miles from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

C. The West was more advanced than the East when the canal was built.

D. Many other states helped New York built the canal.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Clinton broke ground for the canal at both ends.

B. Clinton started building the canal before he became governor.

C. All parts of the canal were completed at the same time.

D. Construction of the canal took eight years.

The simplest way to say it is this: I believe in my mother. My __1__ began when I was just a kid．I __2__ becoming a doctor.
　　My mother was a domestic．Through her work, she observed that __3__ people spent a lot more time reading than they __4_ watching television. She announced that my brother and I __5__ watch two to three pre-selected TV programs during the week. With our free time, we had to read two books each from the Detroit Public Library and __6__ to her written book reports. She would mark them up with check marks and highlights. Years later we realized her marks were a __7__. My mother was illiterate.
　　When I entered high school I was a(n) __8__, but not for long. I wanted the fancy clothes. I wanted to __9__ with the guys. I went from being an A-student to a B-student to a C-student. One night my mother came home from __10__ her various jobs and I complained about not having enough Italian knit shirts. She said, "Okay, I'll give you all the money I make this week scrubbing floors and cleaning bathrooms, and you can buy __11__ food and pay the bills. With everything __12__, you can have all the Italian knit shirts you want." I was very __13__ with that arrangement but once I got through allocating money, there was __14__ left. I realized my mother was a financial genius to be able to __15__ a roof over our heads and any kind of food on the table, __16__ buy clothes. I also realized that immediate satisfaction wasn't going to get me anywhere. Success required intellectual preparation. I went back to my _17__ and became an A-student again, and eventually I __18__ my dream and I became a doctor.
　　My story is really my mother's story-a woman with __19__ formal education or property who used her position as a parent to change the lives of many people around the globe. There is no job __20__ than parenting. This I believe.

Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.

AVOID BIG EVNENTS big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival(19 Oct.) cost ￡118.15.

If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid—or you're looking for a big event to pass your time­check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.

STAY AWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.

Don't be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge's Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was ￡95.95. A room just a tube journey away at its covent Garden hotel was ￡75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just ￡62.95.

LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative consider checking into a self­catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O'Neill Flat on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, available for ￡420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults.

GET ON A BIKE London's ‘Boris bikes’ have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs.

Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle (casual members pay around ￡1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or ￡5 per day)．

56．The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may________．

A．help travelers pass time

B．attract lots of travelers to the UK

C．allow travelers to make flexible plans

D．cause travelers to pay more for accommodation

57．“Farringdon” in Paragraph 5 is most probably ________．

A．a hotel away from the train station

B．the tube line to Covent Garden

C．an ideal holiday desinationo

D．the name of a travel agency

58．The passage shows that the O'Neill Flat ________．

A．lies on the ground floor

B．is located in central London

C．provides cooking facilities for tourists

D．costs over ￡100 on average per day in late September

59．Cardiff's program allows a free bike for a maximum period of ________．

A．half an hour　　　　　　　 B．one hour

C．one hour and a half  D．tow  hours

60．The main purpose of the passage is ________．

A．to tell visitors how to book in advance

B．to supply visitors with hotel information

C．to show visitors the importance of self­help

D．to offer visitors some money­saving tips

Trains were used for long distance transportation.

Today the car is the most   1   sort of transportation in all of the   2  .It has completely taken the place of the horse as a   3  of  everyday transportation. The Americans use their cars for nearly 90   4   all their   5  .Most Americans are   6   to buy cars. The average(平均)   7   of a car was 2050 in 1950,2740 in 1960 and up to 4750 in 1975. During this period, American carmakers   8   improving their products. As a   9  ,the income of the average family   10   from 1950 to 1970   11   than the price of cars.  12  ,buying a new car takes a smaller part of a family’s   13   income today. In 1951, it   14   8.1 months of an average family’s income to buy a new car. In 1962,a new car   15   6.43 months of a family’s income. By 1975,it   16   took 4.75 months’ income.  17  ,the 1975 cars were technically   18   than those of the previous(先前的)   19  .

That’s why cars are so   20   in the USA.

1.A.useful　　　　　　　　　　 B.valuable　　　　　　　　　　 C.cheap　　　　　　　　　　    D.popular

2.A.United States 　　　　 B.world 　　　　　　　　　　  C.year　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.continent

3.A.development　　　　   B.journey　　　　　　　　　　  C.sign　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.means

4.A.percent　　　　　　　　   B.years　　　　　　　　  　　   C.miles　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.dollars

5.A.trips　　　　　　　　　　   B.lives　　　　　　　　　　　　  C.buissness　　　　　　　　  D.time

6.A.permitted　　　　　　    B.encouraged　　　　　　    C.anxious　　　　　　　　　　 D.able

7.A.value　　　　　　　　　　  B.cost　　　　　　　　　　　　  C.price　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.money

8.A.suggested　　　　　　   B.enjoyed 　　　　　　　　    C.made up　　　　　　　　    D.started

9.A.tool　　　　　　　　　　    B.result　　　　　　　　　　    C.drive　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.producer

10.A.reduced　　　　　　    B.increased　　&n

bsp;　　　　　　  C.received　　　　　　　　    D.needed

11.A.more slowly　　　　  B.smaller　　　　　　　　　　  C.faster　　　　　　　　　　    D.less

12.A.However　　　　　　   B.For example　　　　　　   C.Instead　　　　　　　　　　  D.For this reason

13.A.low　　　　　　　　　　  B.high　　　　　　　　　　　　  C.monthly　　　　　　　　    D.total

14.A.needs　　　　　　　　   B.took　　　　　　　　　　　　  C.spent　　　　　　　　　　    D.saved

15.A.spent　　　　　　　　    B.paid　　  　　　　　　    C.cost　　 　　　　　　　　 D.took

16.A.might    　　　　    B.really    　　　　　　　　  C.only　　 　　　　　　　　 D.would

17.A.Otherwise  　　　　 B.Besides　　　　　　   C.But　　  　　　　　　　　 D.Finally

18.A.improved   　　　　 B.better　　　　　　　　　　    C.lighter  　　　　　　　　    D.smaller

19.A.months　　 　　    B.years    　　　　　　　　  C.cars　　 　　　　　　　　 D.families

20.A.popular    　　　　  B.expensive　　　　　　　　  C.cheap   　　　　　　　　  D.good

完形填空

　　Many years ago, when I was a man in my twenties, I worked as a salesman for a piano company.

　　We 1 our pianos all over the state by advertising in small town 2 .Every time we advertised, we would receive a reply on a postcard which said,“Please 3 me a new piano for my little granddaughter. It 4 be red mahogany（红木）. I can pay $10 a month with my egg money.”Of course, we could not sell a(n) 5 piano for $10 a month. 6 her cards kept on coming.

　　A couple of years later, I 7 my own piano company, and when I 8 in that area, the postcards started coming to me. For months, I ignored（不理睬） 9 --what else could I do?

　　But then, one day I 10 to be in the area. I had a red mahogany piano on my little truck. Despite knowing that I was about to 11 a terrible business decision, I managed to find the old woman and took the new piano in her house and placed it 12 I thought the roof would be least likely to rain on it. I told her and a little barefoot girl to try to 13 the chickens off it, and I left sure I had just 14 a new piano.

　　But the 15 came in, all 52 of them as agreed, sometimes with coins. It was unbelievable!

　　Then one day I was in Memphis on 16 business. As I was sitting at the bar having a drink, I heard the most beautiful piano music behind me. I looked 17 ,and there was a lovely young woman 18 a very nice ground piano.

　　She smiled at me, asked for requests, and when she took a 19 she sat down at my table.

　　“Aren't you the man who sold my grandma a piano a long time ago?”

　　I suddenly remembered. My Lord, it was her! It was the little barefoot girl!

　　I did have to go to my room because men don't like to be 20 crying public.