D

    Valentine’s Day is named for Saint Valentine, a Christian churchman who reportedly helped young lovers. Valentine was killed for his Christian beliefs on February 14 more than 1,700 years ago, but the day that has his name is even earlier than that.

    More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Romans celebrated a holidays for lovers. As part of the celebration, girls wrote their names on pieces of paper and put them in a large container. Boys reached into the container and pulled one out. The girl whose name was written on the paper became his lover or sweet heart for a year.

    Lovers still put their names on pieces of paper and they send each other Valentine’s Day cards that tell their love. Sometimes they also send gifts, like flowers or chocolate candy. Americans usually send these gifts and cards through the mail system. But some use another way to send this message. They have it printed in a newspaper. The cost is usually a few dollars. Some of the messages are simple and short, “Jane, I love you very much.” Others say more. This one, for example: “Dan, Roses are red. Violets are blue. I hope you love me as much as I love you. Forever. Mary.”

    Most of the newspapers that print such messages are local, but USA Today is sold throughout the United States and 90 other countries as well. This means someone can send a Valentine message to a lover in a faraway city or town almost anywhere in the world. These messages cost 80 dollars and more. An employee of USA Today says readers can have a small heart or rose printed along with their messages this year. Will this kind of Valentine’s Day message reach the one you love? Well, just make sure he or she reads the newspaper.

52. When was the day named after Valentine?

  A. More than 1,700 years ago before Valentine’s death.   B. More than 2,000 years ago.

C. On February 14.                D. It is not mentioned in the passage.

53. What’s the cost of printing a message to show one’s love?

  A. A few dollars.    B. A few dollars in a local newspaper and 80 dollars in USA Today.

  C. 80 dollars or more.        D. very expensive.

54. What can be inferred from the passage?

  A. The ancient Roman girls were more open and easy-going than boys.

  B. Valentine was killed for helping lovers.

  C. Readers of USA Today can send roses to their lovers along with the printed messages.

  D. Valentine was honored by people for his firm Christian belief and warm heart.

55. What is the purpose of writing the passage?

A. To briefly introduce the origin of Valentine’s Day and the modern life.

B. To advertise for USA Today.

C. To tell you that Americans are open to express their love.

D. To sell roses on Valentine’s Day

                     C

Most of us feel upset if we miss just one meal, and if we tried to go without food for 12 hours we would really be uncomfortable. But there are some people who seem able to “fast” for very long periods.

    We have various records for long fast, but in most cases there is no medical proof and so the records are doubtful. One South African woman once said that she lived for 102 days on nothing but water and soda water.

    There are great differences among living things in the ability to survive without food. For example, a tick(扁虫), which lives on animals, may survive a whole year. Warm-blooded animals use up their stores of food in the body more quickly.

    In fact, the smaller and more active the animal, the more quickly it uses up its reserves(贮存). A small bird dies from hunger in about five days, a dog in about twenty. In general, we can say that a warm-blooded animal will die when it has lost about half its normal weight.

    This matter of weight is important. Man and other animals live a state keeping up the body weight is important once a certain point has been reached. This regulation(调节) of body weight is done by thirst, hunger and appetite.

    When your blood lacks nutritional materials, this announces the hunger center of the brain and you feel hungry. The body is crying out for any kind of fuel. And it is our appetite that sees to it that we choose a mixed diet, which is the kind the body needs.

 48. The word “fast” in paragraph 1 can be replaced by ________________.

   A. eat no food               B. live only on water and soda water

   C. live on nothing              D. remain alive for a long time without food

 49. A tick can survive much longer than a bird because ___________________.

   A. a tick lives on animals       B. a tick is much smaller

   C. a bird is more active        D. a tick is much smaller and a bird is more active

 50. A person feels hungry ____________________.

A. if he doesn’t choose a mixed diet

B. because his body cries out for food

   C. when something is wrong with the regulation of body weight

   D. if there are not enough nutritional materials in his blood

51. From the passage we can infer that the author _________________.

   A. believes the South African woman very firmly

   B. does not believe the South African woman at all

   C. is not certain whether the South African woman’s words were true

   D. is doubtful whether there was such a South African woman

                    B

A white-haired old gentleman steps out of his car, bag in hand and coat over his arm. He has called from his office to say that he is on the way. His wife is preparing supper. He can see the light shining inside his own front door. He looks forward to a fire and hot milk. It is a cold night. A few seconds later he is lying on the icy ground in a pool of his own blood.

It doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen in the capital city of the United States. It is more likely to happen in the near-deserted city center at night. What happened to him could happen to any of us.

Senator Stennis, who is 71, got out of his white Buick at 7:40 p.m. outside his home at 3609 Cumberland Street. Two youths said, “Get out! Money, please.” He followed the order. He handed over his wallet containing several cards, a gold watch and the only money he had in his pockets-twenty-seven cents. The youths also said, “Now we’re going to shoot you anyway.” Anyway they did one bullet(子弹) hit him in the leg and struck the bone. The other entered his chest just below the upper pocket of his suit. It narrowly missed his heart. Strangely he made it across a ten-meter distance, up eight steps and along twenty more feet of stone path. His wife met him at the door, and saw two persons running. The senator told her to call the police and the doctor.

The senator is a powerful political figure, but it is unlikely that the two young men knew who he was. More likely the reason for the killing was that he had only no more than a quarter of dollar-not enough for two cups of coffee.

44. According to the passage____________________.

A. such a mugging(抢劫 ) might have happened to anyone

B. the mugging happened on a cold evening in a senator’s home

C. the senator was killed because he was an important politician

D. the mugging might not have happened if the senator was young and strong

45. Having robbed the senator, the two young men ______________.

  A. pulled him into a pool         B. shot two bullets into his body

  C. hit him hard             D. carried him away

46. The two young men were angry by the fact that _________________.

  A. the senator tried to cheat him     B. they failed to get the senator’s expensive car

  C. the senator didn’t die in their hands   D. they didn’t get what they expected

47. Which of the following statements is not true?

A. A near-deserted city center at night is a dangerous place.

B. People should always carry some money with them.

C. Though seriously wounded, the senator managed to get home on his own.

D. The senator’s wife met the two men and recognized them immediately.

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