阅读理解。
     It was 1504,and Columbus was making another trip to the New World. Columbus and his men
needed fresh water and food after three months at sea. They saw an island and went on shore. On
the island there were unfriendly Indians who refused to give food to them. Columbus' men were
afraid of the Indians, but he had a clever plan. He used sign language to tell the Indians about his
mysterious (神秘的) power to turn off the light in the sky. He knew about a lunar eclipse (月蚀)
the next night because the information was in his almanac (天文历书). Columbus told the Indians,
" Tomorrow night I'll turn off the light in the sky." But they didn't believe him . When the eclipse
began the next night ,the Indians became very frightened . They begged Columbus to turn on the
light again , and they quickly gave him all the food and water he wanted. Immediately Columbus
and his men hurried back to the ship and sailed away in the moonless night.
1.Columbus and his men stopped at the island because_______________.
A. they wanted to meet the Indians there
B. they hoped to get supplies of food and water
C. they had never been on the island before
D. they had planned to visit it          
2.The Indians ___________ Columbus and his men.
A. were glad to see      
B. were kind to
C. welcomed            
D. were not kind to
3.Columbus ________ to tell the Indians that he had mysterious power.
A. used movements of hands and expressions in his face
B. spoke in the language of the Indians
C. drew a lot of signs
D. wrote in the language of the Indians
4."The light in the sky " here means __________.
A. the sun    
B. the moon    
C. the stars    
D. the daylight
5.The Indians gave Columbus food and water because they _________.
A. believed Columbus was a man with mysterious power
B. were interested in Columbus' trip
C. wanted to help Columbus
D. were clever
阅读理解。
     Thomas Alva Edison was awarded more patents on inventions than any other American.
When he died in 1931, Americans wondered how they could best show their respect for him.
One suggestion was that the nation observe a minute or two of total blackout. All electric power
would be shut off in homes, streets, and factories. Perhaps his suggested plan made Americans
realize fully what Edison and his inventions mean to them. Electric power was too important to
the country. Shutting it off for even a short time would have led to complete confusion. A blackout
was out of the question.
    On the day of Edison's funeral, many people silently dimmed their lights. In this way they honoured
the man who had done more than anyone else to put the great force of electricity at his countrymen's
fingertips.
1．This selection says that Thomas Edison ________.
A．was the only important American inventor
B．received the first American patent
C．received more patents than any other American
D．was the first American inventor
2．People decided to honor Edison when ________.
A．he made the first electric light
B．electric power was 100 years
C．the country realized electricity's importance
D．he died in 1931
3．The suggested plan was to ________.
A．turn off the lights in factories and schools
B．observe a few minutes of total silence
C．dim all electric lights
D．shut off all electricity for a short time
4．Americans fully realized what Edison's inventions meant when they ________.
A．heard of his death
B．heard of the plan to honor him
C．first used electric power
D．tried to carry out the plan
5．The plan was never carried out because ________.
A．not everyone wanted to honor Edison
B．it was too difficult
C．electric power was too important to the country
D．it honored only one of Edison's inventions
阅读理解。
     Walt Whitman was born in 1819 in New York City. During his long life, he watched America
grow from a young nation to the strongest industrial power in the world. Whitman was influenced
by events around him. But his poetry speaks of the inner self. He celebrated great people like
President Abraham Lincoln. He also celebrated common people.
     As a young man, Whitman worked as a school teacher, a printer and a newspaper reporter.
He was thirty- six years old when his first book of poetry was published. He called it Leaves of
Grass. It has only twelve poems. The poems are written in free verse. The lines do not follow any
set form. Some lines are short and some are long. The word at the end of each line do not have a
similar sound. They do not rhyme.
     One of America's greatest thinkers and writers immediately recognized the importance of Leaves
of Grass. Ralph Waldo Emerson praised Whitman's work. But most other poets and writers said
nothing or denounced it.
     The American Civil War began in 1861. During the war, Whitman worked without pay at army
hospitals. He helped care for the wounded and dying soldiers. He sat beside these men for hours.
He brought them food and wrote letters for them. After the Civil War, Whitman worked for
government agencies. He watched the United States try to heal itself and increase democracy.
To Walt Whitman, democracy was more than a political system or idea. It was the natural form
of government for free people. Whitman believed democracy was meant to honor the rights of every
person  and the equality of all people.
     In 1873, Walt Whitman suffered a stroke . he spent the last few years of his life in Camden, New
Jersey and wrote more poems. Whitman was poor and weak during the last few years of his life.
He died in 1892.
1. Walt Whitman expressed his feelings by _____.
A. singing songs                    
B. celebrating great people
C. writing poems                    
D. praising common people
2. Leaves of Grass was published in _____.
A.1855        
B.1819      
C.1861    
D.1873
3. The underlined sentence "But most other poets and writers said nothing or denounced it."
(in Paragraph3) is most likely to tell us that ___.
A .many great writers liked Whitman's poems very much
B. a lot of people agreed with Emerson.
C. many poets and writers thought ill of Whitman's poems
D. few poets and writers didn't like talking to Whitman
4. It can be inferred from the fourth paragraph that Whitman was ____.
A. a brave soldier            
B. a man of devotion
C. an honest official          
D. a great politician
阅读理解
     O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William
Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did
not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he
was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank. When some money went missing from the bank, O. Henry was
believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he
learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as
the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the reader's surprise.
1. In which order did O. Henry do the following things?
a. Lived in New York          b. Worked in a bank
c. Traveled to Texas           d. Was put in prison
e. Had a newspaper job         f. Learned to write stories
A. e, c, f, b, d, a          
B. c, e, b, d, f, a
C. e, b, d, c, a, f          
D. c, b, e, d, a, f
2. People enjoyed reading O. Henry's stories because            
A. they had surprise endings.
B. they were easy to understand.
C. they showed his love for the poor.
D. they were about New York City
3. O. Henry went to prison because           
A. people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper.
B. he broke the law by not using his own name.
C. he wanted to write stories about prisoners.
D. people thought he had taken the money that was not his.
4. What do we know about O. Henry before he began writing?
A.He was well educated.
B.He was not serious about his work.
C.He was devoted to the poor.
D.He was very good at learning.
5. Where did O. Henry get most materials for his short stories?
A.His life inside the prison.
B.The newspaper articles he wrote.
C.The city and people of New York.
D.His exciting early life as a boy.
阅读理解。
     Thomas Edison was one of ten said to be the greatest genius of his age. There are only a few men in
all of the history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful
electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius." There is no
such thing as genius," Edison said. He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work.
     But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about
the secrets of nature. Nature, he often said, is full of secrets. He tried to understand them; then, he tried
to learn what could usefully be done with them.
     Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult
work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men
enjoyment and pleasure.
     Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also
loved to work. On the day he became 75 years old, someone asked him what ideas he had about life.
"Work," he answered. "Discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier." He said
he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.
1. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Edison invented the electric light.
B. Many other people have changed Edison's life.
C. Edison has changed the life of many other people.
D. Few men in history can change other people's life.
2. Edison thought ____________.
A. he could be happy if he was a genius
B. genius plays the most important part in one's success
C. hard work could do better than genius
D. genius could do better than hard work
3. Edison was ____________.
A. very much interested in nature
B. interested in discovering the secrets of nature
C. interested in changing people's ideas
D. uninterested in making people happier by discovering the secrets of nature
4. The last sentence in the passage most probably implies ____________.
A. life is too short for Edison to invent more for human beings
B. Edison made 100 inventions in his life
C. Edison was able to live and work for 100 years
D. People of his time were ready to give Edison another 100 years' work
阅读理解。
     Such English idioms as "as poor as a church mouse" and "like a drowned (淹死的) rat" remind people of
the unfavorable images (形象) of mice and rats. But with his efforts in the 20th century, an American young
man Walt Disney changed people's view.
     Born in 1901 in Chicago, Walt Disney was a newspaper seller, and was fond of drawing pictures. Later
he went to study arts in a Chicago institute. One day when he was thinking hard how to draw a picture in a
building, several mice crawled (爬) onto the drawing board. Walt fed them with bread bits, and they played
happily.
     Suddenly an idea struck Walt. He drew a mouse on the paper and named it Mickey. Then Walt began to
make cartoon films based on Mickey. He also made use of the newest skill in dubbing (为....配音) in his
cartoons so that Mickey was able to talk. In 1932 a Walt Disney cartoon film won the Oscar.
     In mid-1950s, Walt planned a Disneyland in California, and within 10 years, Mickey, the little mouse,
helped him to make 200 million dollars. Then another Disneyland was set up in Florida, Mickey Mouse seemed
to become the symbol (象征) of American amusements.
     In the Mickey Mouse films, when Mickey did anything wrong or foolish, letters of protest (抗议) would
soon be sent to Disney. He then created Donald Duck and Pluto to do the silly things so that Mickey was
always pretty and honest. With Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney challenged the worldly view that it was able to
change the nature of anything born in dirty surroundings.
1. Mice and rats will bring people some harm _____.
[     ]
A. so people are tired of them
B. because they often destroy food and buildings
C. and the number of them is increasing very fast
D. because they are the dirtiest animals in the world
2. The text tells us that _____.
[     ]
A. the cartoon film "Mickey" is one of the best films in the world
B. Americans like rats and mice very much
C. a lot of Americans enjoy drawing rats and mice in their pictures
D. people all over the world should protect rats and mice
3. In America, when they talk about Mickey Mouse, Americans often think that _____.
[     ]
A. it is a kind of useful animal
B. it stands for amusements
C. everyone hates it
D. it is a sign of a good future
4. One of the following words that can best express WaIt Disney's character is _____.
[     ]
A. kind
B. rude
C. highly creative
D. good-looking
5. Which of the following animals can show the main idea of the text?
[     ]
A.
B.
C.
D.
阅读理解。
     Winston Churchill once described Russia as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery (谜)
inside a puzzle". Observers of Russia in the 21st century could surely say the same
of the country's president, Vladimir Putin.
     Born in Leningrad, six months before the death of Stalin, the young Putin
experienced a poverty-stricken childhood but received a good education. He developed
lifelong interests in judo and spy novels, and first applied to the KGB (苏联国家安全委
员会) at the age of 17. When they told him to go away and come back with a degree,
he completed with an efficiency (效率) that would later serve him well.
     Putin used his KGB training, plus his own discipline and common sense, in a series of jobs. He became acting
President on 31 December 1999, when president Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move. Putin won the 2000
presidential election and in 2004 he was re-elected for a second term lasting until 7 May 2008.
     Due to term limits, Putin was unable to run for a third presidential term. After the victory of Dmitry Medvedev,
in the 2008 presidential elections, he was appointed to be Russia's Prime Minister.
     Putin is regarded as one bringing political stability and re-establishing the rule of law. During his presidency,
Russia's economy (经济) bounced back, seeing GDP increase by 72%, poverty cut more than half, and average
monthly salaries increase from $ 80 to $ 640. Analysts have described Putin's economic reforms as impressive.
At the same time, his conduct in office has been questioned by political opposition at home, foreign governments,
and human rights organizations for leading the Second Chechen War, and for his record on human rights and free
doms.
     Whether he wants to drive Russia into a new stage, or believes in the values of its Soviet past, he is determined
to put his nation back on its feet. To do this, Vladimir Putin may have to show his true colors sooner rather than
later.
1. What would be the best title for the text? 
A. The Mysterious President of Russia
B. Russia's High-growth Economy
C. Russia's Far Past and Near Future
D. The Political Situation in Russia
2. Which of the following helps Putin's success in presidential election?
A. His family background.
B. His belief in Soviet.
C. His efficiency in jobs.
D. His love for freedom.
3. What happened in Russia during Putin's presidency?
A. The number of the poor reduced to 50%.
B. Every Russian enjoyed equal rights.
C. Russia's economy picked up rapidly.
D. Russian people lived a peaceful life.
4. What can we learn about Putin from the text?
A. He gains respect of foreign governments.
B. He always fought for human rights.
C. He ran for president a third time.
D. He is a politician of great achievements.
阅读理解。
     Robert Spring, a 19th century forger (伪造者), was so good at his profession that he was able to make his
living for 15 years by selling false signatures of Americans. Spring was born in England in 1813 and arrived in
Philadelphia in 1858 to open a bookstore. At first he became rich by selling his small but real collection of early
U.S. autographs (手稿). Discovering his ability at copying handwriting, he began imitating signatures of George
Washington and Ben Franklin and writing them on the title pages of old books. To lessen the chance of detection
(察觉), he sent his forgeries to England and Canada for sale.
     Forgers have a hard time selling their products. A forger can't deal with a respectable buyer but people who
don't have much knowledge in the field. Forgers have many ways to make their work look real. For example,
they buy old books to use the aged paper of the title page, and they can treat paper and ink with chemicals.
     In Spring's time, right after the Civil War, Britain was still fond of the Southern states, so Spring invented a
respectable maiden lady known as Miss Fanny Jackson, the only daughter of General "Stonewall" Jackson. For
several years Miss Fanny's financial problems forced her to sell a great number of letters and manuscripts.
Spring had to work very hard to satisfy the demand. All this activity did not prevent Spring from dying in
poverty, leaving sharp-eyed experts the difficult task of separating his forgeries from the originals.
1. Why did Spring sell his false autographs in England and Canada?
A. There was a greater demand there than in America.
B. There was less chance of being detected there.
C. Britain was Spring's birthplace.
D. The prices were higher in England and Canada.
2. After the Civil War, there was a great demand in Britain for _____.
A. Southern money
B. signatures of George Washington and Ben Franklin
C. Southern manuscripts and letters
D. Civil War battle plans
3. Robert Spring spent 15 years _____.
A. running a bookstore in Philadelphia
B. keeping in touch with Miss Fanny Jackson
C. as a forger
D. as a respectable dealer
4. According to the passage, forgeries are usually sold to _____.
A. sharp-eyed experts
B. persons who aren't experts
C. book dealers
D. owners of old books
阅读理解。
     Forget Britney Spears. Who is the new pop princess and who makes thousands of American teenage girls
scream with excitement at her concerts and rush to the store to buy her latest CD?
     The answer is Miley Cyrus. After starring in popular TV shows and hit movies, the 16-year-old released
her fifth album, The Time of Our Lives, on August 28. Its lead single, Party in. the USA, is wildly popular.
     Cyrus has built her success largely on a role she has played. On TV and the silver screen, Miley Cyrus is
Miley Stewart. She is popular at school during the day and at night. She is a famous pop singer named Hannah
Montana.
     Her soaring popularity goes to her head. So Stewart's father takes her home from Los Angeles to Tennessee,
a southern US state, for a dose of reality. The journey kicks off an adventure filled with fun, laughter and
romance.
     While there, she has to cope with her city girl's unfamiliarity with country life and gradually learn what
family is all about.
     "Hannah Montana, at heart, is every Disney princess show you ve ever seen", writes Michael O'Sullivan, a
reporter with the Washington Post. "Only with a limo (豪华轿车) instead of a pumpkin-turned-coach, a
microphone stand instead of a magic wand (魔法棒) and a prince who wears a cowboy hat."
     But the journey of looking for one's inner self goes beyond the big screen. Actress Miley Cyrus has a
celebrity father, Billy Ray Cyrus, a famous country singer. The teenager doesn't want people to think she has
taken a short-cut to success. "It's about how I find out who I am. I get to know that you need to be able to
take time to realize who you are," She said. "I don't want to be some celebrity's daughter, just be me."
1. Which of the following statements is Not true according to the passage?
A. Miley Cyrus has released five albums when she was sixteen years old.
B. The Time of Our Lives is Miley Cyrus' fifth album.
C. Party in the USA, is very popular.
D. Thousands of American teenager boys rush to the store to buy Miley's latest CD.
2. Why did Miley Stewart's father take her to the country?
A. Because she got dizzy with success.
B. Because she wanted to play in the movies.
C. Because she wanted to make adventure.
D. Because her father liked country life.
3. What does Miley Cyrus do when she arrives at the country at first?
A. She must deal with her city girl's unfamiliarity with country life.
B. She has to get to know her new friends.
C. She has to take the adventure.
D. She has to obey her father's request.
4. What does Miley Cyrus do when she arrives at the country at first?
A. She must deal with her city girl's unfamiliarity with country life.
B. She has to get to know her new friends.
C. She has to take the adventure.
D. She has to obey her father's request.

     There are more than one billion people around the world who smoke. Bill Gates, cofounder and
former CEO of Microsoft, wants them all to quit. So does New York City's mayor Michael Bloomberg.
This week, the Gates Foundation, a charity organization set up by Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda,
teamed up with Bloomberg to donate $500 million over the next five years to antitobacco programs.    
     Bloomberg is no stranger to antitobacco plans. He has been fighting tobaccouse in New York City
for years. In 2002, Bloomberg pushed for a ban on smoking in all New York City restaurants.    
     Bloomberg's Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use was created in 2005.  It aims to discourage smoking
trends around the world by working to change tobacco's image, protect nonsmokers from secondhand
smoke, and help people quit. Bloomberg gave $ 125 million to start the program. Now, he is adding
another $ 250 million. The Gates Foundation will invest $ 125 million over five years to fight the tobacco
epidemic, including a $ 24 million gift directly to the Bloomberg Initiative.    
     The money donated by the Gates Foundation will support antismoking efforts in developing countries
where tobacco use is the highest. "Tobaccocaused diseases have become one of the greatest health
challenges facing developing countries," Gates says. In addition to donating to the Bloomberg Initiative,
the Gates Foundation will also help prevent the tobacco epidemic from taking root in Africa. "The
epidemic in Africa is not well advanced," Gates explains. "That means that we can catch it at an early
stage."
     Tobaccouse kills more than five million people every year. If the trend doesn't change, more than one
billion people could die of tobaccorelated illnesses this century. Gates and Bloomberg have high hopes to
change these statistics. "Together we can make a clear, measurable difference, not just for ourselves and
our generation, but for the generations that come after us," says Bloomberg.

1. The passage is mainly about ________.  
A. the harmful effects of smoking  
B. Bill Gates' contribution to the world  
C. a ban on smoking in New York City  
D. a plan to stop smoking
2. How much does Bloomberg invest altogether?  
A.  $ 125 million.  
B.  $ 250 million.  
C.  $ 375 million.  
D.  $ 500 million.
3. We learn from the passage that ________.  
A. the Gates Foundation is set up by Bill Gates and Bloomberg  
B. tobaccouse has become a big threat to developing countries  
C. Bloomberg's Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use was created in 2002  
D. tobaccouse kills more than fifty million people every year
4. What's Gates and Bloomberg's attitude towards the antismoking efforts?  
A. Optimistic.                  
B. Skeptical.  
C. Opposable.                  
D. Surprised.
 0  16087  16095  16101  16105  16111  16113  16117  16123  16125  16131  16137  16141  16143  16147  16153  16155  16161  16165  16167  16171  16173  16177  16179  16181  16182  16183  16185  16186  16187  16189  16191  16195  16197  16201  16203  16207  16213  16215  16221  16225  16227  16231  16237  16243  16245  16251  16255  16257  16263  16267  16273  16281  151629