If you can read a clock, you can know the time of day. But no one knows what time itself is. We cannot see it. We cannot touch it. We cannot hear it. We know it only by the way we mark its passing.

For all our success in measuring the smallest parts of time, time remains one of the great mysteries of the universe.

One way to think about time is to imagine a world without time. There could be no movement, because time and movement cannot be separated.

A world without time could exist only as long as there were no changes. For time and change are linked. We know that time has passed when something changes.

In the real world—the world with time—changes never stop. Some changes happen only once in a while, like an eclipse(月蚀) of the moon. Others happen repeatedly, like the rising and setting of the sun. Humans always have noted natural events that repeat themselves. When people began to count such events, they began to measure time.

Humans have used many devices to measure time. The sundial was one of the earliest and simplest.

A sundial measures the movement of the sun across the sky each day. It has a stick or other object that rises above a flat surface. The stick, blocking sunlight, creates a shadow. As the sun moves, so does the shadow of the stick across the flat surface. Marks on the surface show the passing of hours, and perhaps, minutes.

The sundial works only when the sun is shining. So, other ways were invented to measure the passing of time.

One device is the hourglass. It uses a thin stream of falling sand to measure time. By the eighteenth century, people had developed mechanical(机械的) clocks and watches. And today, many of our clocks and watches are electronic.

1．What makes it possible for humans to measure time?

      A．The sundial was invented.                   B．Some natural events take place regularly.

      C．The sun rises and sets every day.         D．The hourglass came into being.

2．We can learn from the passage that _______________.

      A．since we can’t feel it, we have no way to deal with time

      B．the existence of time depends on the changes of the world

      C．when the sundial was invented, people had no worry to count time

      D．electronic watches make it possible to measure time without any fault

3．Which of the following statements about the sundial is wrong?

      A．It doesn’t work well when it is cloudy.

      B．It measures the movement of the sun across the sky each day.

      C．It can only show the passing hours when the sun is shining.

      D．It was one of the earliest and simplest devices to measure time.

4．What can be the best title of the passage?

      A．Sundial, an Amazing Device                  B．The mystery of Time

      C．Value Your Time                                  D．Incredible Changes

Lynn was a young French Canadian girl who grew up in the farming community. At the age of l6, her father thought that she had enough schooling and forced her to drop out of school to contribute to the family income. In l922, with limited education and skills, the future didn’t look bright for Lynn. Her father demanded that Lynn find a job as soon as possible, but she didn’t have the confidence to ask for a job.
One day, Lynn gathered her courage and knocked on her very first door. She was met by Margaret Costello, the office manager. In her broken English, Lynn told her she was interested in the secretarial position. Margaret decided to give her a chance.
Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, “Lynn, let’s see how good you really are.” She directed Lynn to type a single letter, and then left. Lynn looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:40 a.m. Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon. She thought she should at least attempt the letter.
On her first try, she got through one line but made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now read 11:45. “At noon,” she said to herself, “I’ll move out with the crowd, and they will never see me again.”
On her second attempt, things didn’t get any better. Again she started over and finally completed the letter, full of mistakes, though. She looked at the clock: 11:55—five minutes to freedom.
Just then, Margaret walked in. She came directly over to Lynn, and put one hand on the desk and the other on the girl’s shoulder. She read the letter and paused. Then she said, “Lynn, you’re doing good work!”
Lynn was surprised. She looked at the letter, then up at Margaret. With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape disappeared and her confidence began to grow. She thought, “Well, if she thinks it’s good, then it must be good. I think I’ll stay!”
Lynn did stay at Carhartt Overall Company…for 51 years, through two world wars and 11 presidents—all because someone had the insight to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-confidence when she knocked on the door.
【小题1】Why did Lynn leave school at an early age?

Lynn was a young French Canadian girl who grew up in the farming community. At the age of l6, her father thought that she had enough schooling and forced her to drop out of school to contribute to the family income. In l922, with limited education and skills, the future didn’t look bright for Lynn. Her father demanded that Lynn find a job as soon as possible, but she didn’t have the confidence to ask for a job.

One day, Lynn gathered her courage and knocked on her very first door. She was met by Margaret Costello, the office manager. In her broken English, Lynn told her she was interested in the secretarial position. Margaret decided to give her a chance.

Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, “Lynn, let’s see how good you really are.” She directed Lynn to type a single letter, and then left. Lynn looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:40 a.m. Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon. She thought she should at least attempt the letter.

On her first try, she got through one line but made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now read 11:45. “At noon,” she said to herself, “I’ll move out with the crowd, and they will never see me again.”

On her second attempt, things didn’t get any better. Again she started over and finally completed the letter, full of mistakes, though. She looked at the clock: 11:55—five minutes to freedom.

Just then, Margaret walked in. She came directly over to Lynn, and put one hand on the desk and the other on the girl’s shoulder. She read the letter and paused. Then she said, “Lynn, you’re doing good work!”

Lynn was surprised. She looked at the letter, then up at Margaret. With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape disappeared and her confidence began to grow. She thought, “Well, if she thinks it’s good, then it must be good. I think I’ll stay!”

Lynn did stay at Carhartt Overall Company…for 51 years, through two world wars and 11 presidents—all because someone had the insight to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-confidence when she knocked on the door.

1.Why did Lynn leave school at an early age?

A. To learn English well.                

B. To earn money for her family.

C. To get self-confidence.                   

D. To become a typist.

2.When Lynn applied for the job, she               .

A. could speak good English             

B. didn’t know much about typing

C. knew Margaret very well              

D. never wrote any letter

3.How many attempts did Lynn make to type the letter?

   A. One.            B. Two.            C. Three.        D. Four.

4.Who does the underlined word “someone” in the last paragraph refer to?

   A. Lynn’s father.                    B. Lynn herself.       C. A president.     D. Margaret.

5.What can we learn from Lynn's story?

A. Encouragement makes a difference.                     

B. Honesty is the best policy.

C. Virtue(美德) leads to success.       

D. Time waits for no man.

Lynn was a young French Canadian girl who grew up in the farming community. At the age of l6, her father thought that she had enough schooling and forced her to drop out of school to contribute to the family income. In l922, with limited education and skills, the future didn’t look bright for Lynn. Her father demanded that Lynn find a job as soon as possible, but she didn’t have the confidence to ask for a job.
One day, Lynn gathered her courage and knocked on her very first door. She was met by Margaret Costello, the office manager. In her broken English, Lynn told her she was interested in the secretarial position. Margaret decided to give her a chance.
Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, “Lynn, let’s see how good you really are.” She directed Lynn to type a single letter, and then left. Lynn looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:40 a.m. Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon. She thought she should at least attempt the letter.
On her first try, she got through one line but made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now read 11:45. “At noon,” she said to herself, “I’ll move out with the crowd, and they will never see me again.”
On her second attempt, things didn’t get any better. Again she started over and finally completed the letter, full of mistakes, though. She looked at the clock: 11:55—five minutes to freedom.
Just then, Margaret walked in. She came directly over to Lynn, and put one hand on the desk and the other on the girl’s shoulder. She read the letter and paused. Then she said, “Lynn, you’re doing good work!”
Lynn was surprised. She looked at the letter, then up at Margaret. With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape disappeared and her confidence began to grow. She thought, “Well, if she thinks it’s good, then it must be good. I think I’ll stay!”
Lynn did stay at Carhartt Overall Company…for 51 years, through two world wars and 11 presidents—all because someone had the insight to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-confidence when she knocked on the door.

1. 1.

   Why did Lynn leave school at an early age?

   1. A.
      To learn English well.
   2. B.
      To earn money for her family.
   3. C.
      To get self-confidence.
   4. D.
      To become a typist.
2. 2.

   When Lynn applied for the job, she              .

   1. A.
      could speak good English
   2. B.
      didn’t know much about typing
   3. C.
      knew Margaret very well
   4. D.
      never wrote any letter
3. 3.

   How many attempts did Lynn make to type the letter?

   1. A.
      One.
   2. B.
      Two.
   3. C.
      Three.
   4. D.
      Four.
4. 4.

   Who does the underlined word “someone” in the last paragraph refer to?

   1. A.
      Lynn’s father.
   2. B.
      Lynn herself.
   3. C.
      A president.
   4. D.
      Margaret.
5. 5.

   What can we learn from Lynn's story?

   1. A.
      Encouragement makes a difference.
   2. B.
      Honesty is the best policy.
   3. C.
      Virtue(美德) leads to success.
   4. D.
      Time waits for no man.

Lill was a young French Canadian girl who grew up in the farming community. At the age of 16, her father thought that she had enough schooling and forced her to drop out of school to contribute to the family income. In 1922, with limited education and skills, the future didn’t look bright for Lill. Her father demanded that Lill find a job as soon as possible, but she didn’t have the confidence to ask for a job. 

One day, Lill gathered her courage and knocked on her very first door. She was met by Margaret Costello, the office manager. In her broken English, Lill told her she was interested in the secretarial position. Margaret decided to give her a chance. 

Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, “Lill, let’s see how good you really are.” She directed Lill to type a single letter, and then left. Lill looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:40 a.m.  Everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon. She thought she should at least attempt the letter. 

On her first try, she got through one line but made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now read 11:45. “At noon,” she said to herself, “I’ll move out with the crowd, and they will never see me again.

 On her second attempt, things didn’t get any better. Again she started over and finally completed the letter, full of mistakes, though. She looked at the clock: 11:55 – five minutes to freedom.

Just then, Margaret walked in. She came directly over to Lill, and put one hand on the desk and the other on the girl’s shoulder. She read the letter and paused. Then she said, “Lill, you’re doing good work!

Lill was surprised. She looked at the letter, then up at Margaret. With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape disappeared and her confidence began to grow. She thought, “Well , if she thinks it’s good, then it must be good, I think I’ll stay!” 

Lill did stay at Carhartt Overall Company for 51 years, through two world wars and 11 presidents-all because someone had the insight to give a shy and uncertain young girl the gift of self-confidence when she knocked on the door.

 66．Why did Lill leave school at an early age?      

 A. To learn English well.                 B． To earn money for her family.        C．To get self-confidence.                D． To become a typist.

 67．When Lill applied for the job, she___________          .        

A．could speak good English.               B．didn’t know much about typing        C．knew Margaret very well                 D．never wrote any letter

 68．How many attempts did Lill make to type the letter?       

 A．One.          B．Two.           C．Three.         D．Four.

 69．Who does the underlined word “someone” in the last paragraph refer to?     

 A．Lill’s father.     B．Lill herself.     C．A president.     D．Margaret. 

70．What can we learn from Lill’s story?        

A．Encouragement makes a difference.    B．Honesty is the best policy.      

 C．Virtue leads to success.             D．Time waits for no man.

I don' t know if I am missing the greatest pleasure of my life. I am no fan of computer games. Some guys forget themselves and forget day and night when they play games. For example, a colleague has been playing since 1 o’clock this morning and now it is 7 o'clock. He is still commanding his army of little people to attack strange-looking animals. Some games could be fun, 1 admit, and it is therefore understandable that such a game catches players. For example, games like Red Storm or some role-play games, you do something and try to outwit(智胜) your computer. You get some fun out of these games. It is understandable that such a game pushes you into a pitfall(陷阱) of pleasures. But some games look quite stupid and simple. Again for example, my colleague has been interested in Stone Age, a cartoon-like game rooted in prehistoric time. The game is well made, full of strange people and animals and you can play on line with partners. You can have reference books to study so as to shortcut your rivals(对手) and increase your own conquering power.
I believe some kinds of games are really created for adults. But seeing these adults play the simple games with such interest, I just wonder if there is something wrong with me and if I am losing the greatest possible fun of my life. I ask why I don’t bother playing such games and why I seem to have some aversion(讨厌) to such games. I have no answers. Certainly computer games is no my idea of a good time. I would rather listen to some music or read a book. Take music for example. Good music tops my list of pleasures. Nothing could beat music, all in a harmony of sounds and emotions. But how about games? Why am I so strongly biased(偏见) against such games?
61.   From the passage we know that ______.
A. the author is a fan of computer games
B. the author spends much time playing computer games
C. the author once played a whole night
D. the author doesn't like playing computer games
62.   In this passage, the author tells us a fact that ______.
A. some computer games are interesting enough to attract people
B. many people fall into a dangerous pitfall
C. many people are suffering a lot from the computer games
D. computer games are pitfalls for most players
63.   The underlined word "bother" here means ______.
A. make trouble     B. take an interest in      C. disturb       D. confuse
64.   The author has a pleasure to ______.
A. make a computer game     B. read books
C. listen to good music  D. ask himself questions

I don' t know if I am missing the greatest pleasure of my life. I am no fan of computer games. Some guys forget themselves and forget day and night when they play games. For example, a colleague has been playing since 1 o’clock this morning and now it is 7 o'clock. He is still commanding his army of little people to attack strange-looking animals. Some games could be fun, 1 admit, and it is therefore understandable that such a game catches players. For example, games like Red Storm or some role-play games, you do something and try to outwit(智胜) your computer. You get some fun out of these games. It is understandable that such a game pushes you into a pitfall(陷阱) of pleasures. But some games look quite stupid and simple. Again for example, my colleague has been interested in Stone Age, a cartoon-like game rooted in prehistoric time. The game is well made, full of strange people and animals and you can play on line with partners. You can have reference books to study so as to shortcut your rivals(对手) and increase your own conquering power.

I believe some kinds of games are really created for adults. But seeing these adults play the simple games with such interest, I just wonder if there is something wrong with me and if I am losing the greatest possible fun of my life. I ask why I don’t bother playing such games and why I seem to have some aversion(讨厌) to such games. I have no answers. Certainly computer games is no my idea of a good time. I would rather listen to some music or read a book. Take music for example. Good music tops my list of pleasures. Nothing could beat music, all in a harmony of sounds and emotions. But how about games? Why am I so strongly biased(偏见) against such games?

61.   From the passage we know that ______.

A. the author is a fan of computer games

B. the author spends much time playing computer games

C. the author once played a whole night

D. the author doesn't like playing computer games

62.   In this passage, the author tells us a fact that ______.

A. some computer games are interesting enough to attract people

B. many people fall into a dangerous pitfall

C. many people are suffering a lot from the computer games

D. computer games are pitfalls for most players

63.   The underlined word "bother" here means ______.

A. make trouble     B. take an interest in      C. disturb       D. confuse

64.   The author has a pleasure to ______.

A. make a computer game     B. read books

C. listen to good music  D. ask himself questions

I don' t know if I am missing the greatest pleasure of my life. I am no fan of computer games. Some guys forget themselves and forget day and night when they play games. For example, a colleague has been playing since 1 o’clock this morning and now it is 7 o'clock. He is still commanding his army of little people to attack strange-looking animals. Some games could be fun, 1 admit, and it is therefore understandable that such a game catches players. For example, games like Red Storm or some role-play games, you do something and try to outwit(智胜) your computer. You get some fun out of these games. It is understandable that such a game pushes you into a pitfall(陷阱) of pleasures. But some games look quite stupid and simple. Again for example, my colleague has been interested in Stone Age, a cartoon-like game rooted in prehistoric time. The game is well made, full of strange people and animals and you can play on line with partners. You can have reference books to study so as to shortcut your rivals(对手) and increase your own conquering power.

I believe some kinds of games are really created for adults. But seeing these adults play the simple games with such interest, I just wonder if there is something wrong with me and if I am losing the greatest possible fun of my life. I ask why I don’t bother playing such games and why I seem to have some aversion(讨厌) to such games. I have no answers. Certainly computer games is no my idea of a good time. I would rather listen to some music or read a book. Take music for example. Good music tops my list of pleasures. Nothing could beat music, all in a harmony of sounds and emotions. But how about games? Why am I so strongly biased(偏见) against such games?

61.   From the passage we know that ______.

       A. the author is a fan of computer games

       B. the author spends much time playing computer games

       C. the author once played a whole night

       D. the author doesn't like playing computer games

62.   In this passage, the author tells us a fact that ______.

       A. some computer games are interesting enough to attract people

       B. many people fall into a dangerous pitfall

       C. many people are suffering a lot from the computer games

       D. computer games are pitfalls for most players

63.   The underlined word "bother" here means ______.

       A. make trouble     B. take an interest in      C. disturb       D. confuse

64.   The author has a pleasure to ______.

       A. make a computer game     B. read books

       C. listen to good music  D. ask himself questions