12. According to the passage what do you think all buildings need?

　 A. Metal fences.　 B. Electricity.　 C. 　lightning rods.　 D. Machines.

11. People once thought lightning came from ________.

　 A. the sky　　　　　 B. the gods　　　 C. the earth　　　 D. nature

9. Why did it take a long time to build a subway system in Rome?

A. Because the streets were very crowded.

B. Because there are many historic sites.

C. Because the workers discovered many artifacts and places of interest.

D. Because the traffic always stopped the construction

uters in carpools probably--

A. live in the city　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. take the subway to work　　

C. save money on gas and parking fees　　　　 D. have special license plates(牌照)

(C)

In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries of nature. Some ancient people believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons of the gods.

　　 In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the earth.　 A single flash of lightning 1.6 kilometers long has enough electricity to light one million light bulbs .

　　 The American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752. In the same year he also built the first lightning rod (避雷针). This device protects buildings from being damaged by lightning.

　　 Modern science has discovered that one stroke of lightning has a voltage (电压) of more than 15 million volts (伏特). A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travel at a speed of 30 million meters per second.

　　 Scientists judge that there are about 2,000 million flashes of lightning per year. Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year. In the United States alone it kills an average of one person every day.

　　 The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car. Outside, one should go to low ground and not get under tress. Also, one should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house, people should avoid open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.

　　 With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry?

8. To “hail a cab” means to ---

A. pay double the normal fare　　　 B. try to get a cab　　　　

C. prefer to take taxis　　　　　　 D. to stand at crossroads

7.Most of the commuters in Tokyo --

A. take subway trains to work　　　　　　　 B. are packers

C. take taxis to work　　　　　　　　　　　 D. carry briefcases to work

6. Big cities have traffic problems during rush hours because there are --

A. special lanes on highways　　　　　　　 B. many commuters

C. four rush hours　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. many cars on the street

5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. People can learn the meaning of different kinds of flowers in a flower dictionary.

B. The idea of sending gifts of love spread all over the world.

C. A person has to choose flowers carefully.

D. Sending love letters is a more direct way to express feelings.

(B)

Rush hour traffic is a problem in many big cities around the world. Commuters(通勤者) rush to and from their jobs in cars, buses, subways, trains, and even on bicycles. Large cities in the United States have two rush hours-one in the morning and one in the evening. But in cities in other parts of the world, there are four rush hours. In Athens and Rome, for example, many workers go home for lunch and a nap. After this midday break, they rush back to their jobs and work for a few more hours.

In Tokyo, there's a big rush hour underground. Most of the people in Tokyo take the subways. The trains are very crowded. Subway employees called packers wear white gloves and help pack the commuters into the trains when the doors close. They make sure that all purses, briefcases, clothes, and hands are inside the trains.

　In Seoul, many commuters prefer to take taxis to get to work.. To hail a cab，many people stand at crossroads and raise two fingers. This means they'll pay the cab driver double the usual fare. Some people even raise three fingers! They'll pay three times the normal rate。

Streets in Rome are very crowded with automobiles and mopeds(摩托自行车)during rush hours. The city can't make its streets wider, and it can't build new highways, because it doesn't want to disturb the many historic sites in the city, such as the Forum and the Colosseum. It took the city fifteen years to construct a new subway system. Construction had to stop every time workers found old artifacts and discovered places of interest to archaeologists(考古学家).

In many big cities, there are special lanes on highways for carpools. These are groups of three or more people who drive to and from work together. They share the costs of gas and parking and take turns driving into the city.

Getting to work and getting home can be difficult in many places around the world. Rush hour traffic seems to be a universal problem.

4. When did the tradition of sending love messages through flowers slow down?

A. In the 1700s.　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. In the 1800s.

C. In the 1900s.　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Never.

3. According to the passage, if a man wants to show his deep love, he should give the woman---------------

A an orange　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. red　 roses　

C. yellow roses　　　　 　　　　　　　　　D. pink carnations

2. The receiver of the basket began to know the true feelings of the sender by--------------.

A. reading a message in the basket　　　 B. counting the number of items in the basket

C. asking the sender　　　　　　　 D. guessing the meaning of each item in the basket