What will man be like in the future - in 5,000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.

Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is relatively a short period of time, so we may suppose that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity(容量). As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and finally we shall need our brains more and more, and finally we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring a physical change too: the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.

Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger.

On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.

But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.

Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and motions similar to our own.

1.The passage mainly tells us that __________.

A. Man’s life will be different in the future

B. future man will look quite different from us

C. man is growing taller and uglier as time passes

D. Man’s organs' functions will change

2.What serves as the evidence that man is changing?

A. Man has got stronger eyes now than he ever had.

B. Man’s hair is getting thinner and thinner.

C. Man’s arms and legs have become lighter and weaker.

D. Man has been growing taller over the past 500 years.

3.The change in man’s size of the forehead is probably because __________.

A. he makes use of only 20% of the brain’s capacity

B. his brain has grown larger over the past centuries

C. he will use his brain more and more as time goes on

D. the other 80% of his brain will grow in due time

4.It is implied that __________.

A. human beings will become less attractive in the future

B. parts of our bodies will become poorer if they are not used often

C. human beings hope for a change in the future life

D. future life is always predictable

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、 B、 C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always . Not knowing we were poor, my kids(孩子们) just thought I was . I’ve always been glad about that.

It was Christmas time, and although there wasn’t for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big for the kids was the fun of Christmas .

They planned weeks ahead of time, asking what they wanted for Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved $120 for to share by all five of us.

The big arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would back at the “Santa’s Workshop”.

Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually . She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies—fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, to be angry again. This is what she told me:

“I was looking thinking of what to buy, and I to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees.’ One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she for Christmas was a doll. So I took the card off the tree and the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”

I never felt so as I did that day.

1.A. roof B. hat C. sky D. star

2.A. little B. less C. enough D. more

3.A. busy B. serious C. strict D. kind

4.A. effort B. room C. time D. money

5.A. improvement B. problem C. surprise D. excitement

6.A. shopping B. travelling C. parties D. greetings

7.A. the other B. each other C. one by one D. every other one

8.A. toys B. clothes C. presents D. bills

9.A. day B. chance C. cheque D. tree

10.A. forced B. reminded C. invited D. begged

11.A. draw B. stay C. move D. meet

12.A. including B. besides C. except D. regarding

13.A. quiet B. excited C. happy D. ashamed

14.A. since B. after C. while D. until

15.A. waiting B. ready C. hoping D. afraid

16.A. out B. over C. forward D. around

17.A. forgot B. stopped C. failed D. hated

18.A. wanted B. did C. got D. played

19.A. made B. search C. bought D. fetched

20.A. angry B. rich C. patient D. Bitter

Knowing that Mrs. Mallard suffered from a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.

It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences. Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when news of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of “killed.” He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram, and hurried to send the sad message.

She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same. She wept at once, with wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms. When the storm of sadness had spent itself she went away to her room alone.

There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable armchair. Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that held her body and seemed to reach into her soul.

She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver (颤抖的) with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. The notes of a distant song which someone was singing reached her, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves(屋檐).

There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? It was too hard to name. But she felt it, coming out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the smells, the color that filled the air.

Now her chest rose and fell violently. She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her, and she was trying very hard to beat it back with her will. When she gave up trying a little whispered word escaped her lips. She said it over and over under the breath: “free, free, free!”

She did not stop to ask if it was extreme joy that held her. She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, gentle hands folded in death; the face that had never looked at her except with love, fixed and gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter moment many years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.

There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers.

And yet she had loved him—sometimes. What did it matter! What could love count for in the face of her realization.

“Free! Body and soul free!” she kept whispering.

Josephine was kneeling before the closed door with her lips to the keyhole. “Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door—you will make yourself ill.”

“Go away. I am not making myself ill.”

Her fancy was running wild along those days ahead of her, all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shake that life might be long.

She arose after a long time and opened the door to her sister’s begging. She carried herself unknowingly like a goddess of Victory. She held her sister’s waist, and together they walked down the stairs.

Someone was opening the front door with a key. It was Brently Mallard who entered, a little travel-stained, calmly carrying his suitcase and umbrella. He had been far from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there had been one. He stood amazed at Josephine’s sharp cry; at Richards’ quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife.

When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of the joy that kills.

1.What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 7 indicate?

A. Mrs. Mallard decided to fight back when her husband beat her.

B. Mrs. Mallard was trying hard to fight against her heart trouble.

C. Mrs. Mallard was struggling with the guilty feeling of happiness.

D. Mrs. Mallard was extremely sad because of her husband’s death.

2.What is “that bitter moment” in paragraph 8?

A. The time when she saw her husband’s dead body.

B. The time when she had lived with her husband.

C. The time when she had to live without her husband.

D. The time when she heard of her husband’s death.

3.What can we infer about Mr. Mallard?

A. He was killed in a railroad disaster.

B. He survived the railroad accident.

C. He was unaware of what was going on.

D. He hurried back to comfort his wife.

4.What can we learn from paragraph 14 “Her fancy …might be long”?

A. Mrs. Mallard was more afraid of her future life.

B. Mrs. Mallard missed her husband very much.

C. Mrs. Mallard always thought life was hopeful.

D. Mrs. Mallard used to think life was hopeless.

5.What really killed Mrs. Mallard?

A. The joy of seeing her husband coming back alive.

B. The shock of losing her coming freedom.

C. The fear of seeing the ghost of her husband.

D. The sadness of losing her husband suddenly.

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