58. Jeans were first made in ______.

A. America　　 　　　　　 B. Italy　　　 　　　　　　　 C. Spain　　　　　　　 　　　 D. China

57. From the first paragraph we know that ________.

A. cowboy culture is usually related to the West of America

B. cowboys wear jeans only

C. cowboys live a good life

D. American culture is cowboy culture

56. The author feels fearful that she will be of no use to society mainly because _______.

A. she is unable to develop herself

B. studying takes too much of her time

C. she does not know how to communicate with others

D. she feels that she is a failure

E

In Eastern Europe, blue jeans symbolize(象征)American culture and “the good life”. In Spain they are known as “cowboys”. In China, jeans are known as niuzaiku, also, “cowboy trousers”, which means they are connected with the American West cowboy culture and outdoor work.

Jeans are usually made from denim(粗布), but may also be made from other materials. The earliest known cloth for jeans was a thick cotton cloth from the Indians. At first they were working clothes. They became popular among teenagers in the 1950s. Today jeans are a very popular form of casual wear around the world and come in many styles and colors.

Jeans were first made in Genoa in Italy. The trousers were made for the Genoese navy(海军)because they needed trousers which could be worn wet or dry, and whose legs could be easily rolled up while the men were cleaning the ships. These jeans would be washed by pulling them in large fishing nets behind the ship, and the sea water would make them white.

In the 1850s Levi Strauss, a business man living in San Francisco, was selling blue jeans under the “Levi’s” name to the coal workers of California.

During World War II, the coal workers liked jeans very much because they were strong and did not tear easily. In the 1950s, jeans became popular with young people in the United States. Wearing of blue jeans by teenagers was the symbol of rebels(反叛者)in TV programmes and movies. Some cinemas and restaurants refused to let people in if they wore blue jeans. In the 1980s, jeans finally became high fashion clothing, when famous designers started making their own styles of jeans, with their own labels on them. Sales of jeans went up and up.

55. The author believes the awards she has received ____.

A. show that she is a top student

B. show how much time she has spent in learning

C. only mean that she knows how to learn, but she doesn’t know how to socialize

D. don’t necessarily reflect her real self

54. From the passage we can learn that the author _____.

A. comes to know how important it is to make some money

B. realizes that it is more important to develop oneself than just to learn knowledge

C. does not think education is a most important thing in her life any more

D. thinks that communication with others is more important than education

53. The underlined word “essential” in Paragraph 1 probably means _______.

A. impossible　　　　 B. unnecessary　　　　 C. most important　　 　 D. most useful

52. What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To explain why lakes and rivers are disappearing in Africa.

B. To show people the results of the loss of water in Africa.

C. To call on people to solve the problem of the loss of water in Africa.

D. To tell people how to protect the lakes and rivers in Africa.

D

I used to think education was the most important thing in my life. Recently my attitude has begun to change, although I still hold that it is essential for everyone in the world today. As a top junior student in my college, I was asked to make a speech on how to learn English well. Standing in front of the audience and facing so many freshmen, I was trembling. I didn’t remember any word that I had prepared. I ran out of the conference room without finishing my speech, leaving everyone puzzled. I cried that night in my room, feeling that I was a loser. Studying takes up so much of my time that I feel unable to really develop myself. I am just storing knowledge, yet I fail to communicate with others. I have received many awards in school, but they don’t necessarily reflect anything about me. I don’t know how to socialize. When I leave school I fear I will be of no use to society.

I realize that everyone has his own way of living. I want to change my lifestyle. Of course I will keep studying. Yet I plan to look for a part-time job, which might turn out to be a good chance to get to know society. I still believe that working my hardest makes me happy. I will still stay on in college. But I will not allow it to shelter me from the real world.

51. Which of the following is NOT one of the results of the loss of water in Africa?

A. African people’s daily life is affected.

B. Agriculture develops quickly.

C. The number of population in Africa will be smaller.

D. Many people will suffer from diseases.

50. The figures in the third paragraph show _______.

A. more and more lakes are drying up　　　　　　 B. Lake Chad was a large lake

C. how quickly water is being lost in Africa　　　　 D. Lake Chad is 4,160 square feet now

49. What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A. There are about 700 lakes and rivers in Africa.

B. Africa is the largest continent on earth.

C. As climate changes, there is less and less water in Africa.

D. Now Africa has less water than before.