Tilly Smith, the 11-year-old British girl, who was called as "Angle of the Beach", saved 100 tourists from
a Thai beach hit by a tsunami in 2004 and had been named Child of the Year (2005) by readers of a French
children's newspaper.
     She came ahead of a South African Aids orphan, a six-year-old girl who survived a kidnapping by pedophiles
(有恋童癖的人) and a young Parisian pop singer to win the Mon Quotidien award.
     Tilly had studied tsunami with her geography teacher, Andrew Kearney, shortly before flying to Thailand
for a holiday with her parents and younger sister last year.
     As she watched the waves suddenly begin to fall back, and the sea was bubbling, she wamed her mother,
Penny, that the beach was about to be struck by a tsunami. Mrs Smith and her husband, Colin, alerted other
holidaymakers and hotel staff and scores of people were cleared from Maikhao beach at Phuket.
     Tilly, now 11, and back in Thailand for anniversary commemorations of the disaster, said:"It's re- ally good,
just to know about tsunami or any natural hazard in case you are in one. I'm very glad that I was able to say on
the beach that a tsunami was coming. And I'm glad that they listened to me."
     She had earlier said that the state of the sea, which was "sizzling (发出咝咝声) and bubbling", was "exactly
the same as in my geography lesson."
     Tilly read a Thai poem entitled Tsunami at a candle-light vigil to commemorate (纪念)victims of the disaster. 
     She is unaware of her remarkable (非凡的) popularity among French children. Her picture appears on the
front page of Mon Quotidien, which is read by 10 to 14-year-olds.
     "Our readers chose Tilly because they could identify with her," said Francois Dufour, the editor-in-chief.
"To be a pop star at 11 seems impossible, and the idea of having Aids or being kidnapped is remote from their
lives."

1. Tilly Smith was named Child of the Year by _____.

A. people from Thailand
B. children from Britain
C. people from France
D. government in France

2. According to the passage, how many candidates for Child of the Year are there all in all?

A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Without limit

3. What signs can people find when a tsunami take place?

A. Bubbling and huge waves.
B. Water rising suddenly with huge sounds.
C. Waves receding suddenly and bubbling.
D. Waves rising and fishes turnig over.

     The success of Pickwick Papers made Dickens very popular. He suddenly found himself at twenty-four
the most famous novelist of his day. Busy as his social life was, he worked on two novels at the same time-
Oliver Twist and Pickwick Papers. He was particularly proud of Pickwick Papers, which was a huge success
and was regarded as a comic (喜剧) masterpiece (杰作). "If I were to live a hundred years and write novels
in each, I should never be so proud of any of them as I am proud of Pickwick Papers," he said.
     It has been said of Dickens that he grasped (抓住) the imagination of' his readers because his imagination
grasped himself. The people in his works were so real that they could make him laugh or cry. When writing
Oliver Twist he said that he could not rest until Fagin, the wrongdoer (做坏事的人), had been hanged.
     Dickens' marriage to Catherine Hagarth, with whom he had nine children, ended unhappily in 1858. He
started to travel about giving readings of his works. His interest in theater gave his novels the qualities that
made them suitable for reading aloud on the stage. A tiring trip to the United States affected his health. On June
9th, 1870, when he was working on a new novel, he died. Dickens had always wanted to die of working.

1. Dickens became a famous novelist _____.

A. because his social work
B. with the success of Pickwick Papers
C. because he was writing two novels at the same time
D. when he began to give readings of his works

2. According to this passage, we know that Dickens _____.

A. was only interested in writing novels
B. didn't like Oliver Twist
C. wished to live one hundred years and write three novels in each
D. didn't think he could write a better novel than Pickwick Papers in his life

3. As a novelist, Dickens _____.

A. was full of imagination
B. found it hard to satisfy his readers
C. always wrote about real people in life
D. wrote works according to his readers' imagination

4. Fagin must be _____.

A. a person in real life
B. a character in Oliver Twist
C. a character in Pickwick Papers
D. one of Dickens' works

5. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Dickens had a happy marriage to Catherine Hagarth.
B. Dickens was a successful actor.
C. Dickens' death had little to do with his hard work.
D. Dickens had wished to die in the course of his work.

     William Shakespeare was born in 1564 at Stratford-on-Avon in England. At that time Elizabeth I had been
Queen for years.
     We do not know much about Shakespear's life. However, we do know that his father was a shopkeeper
and that his mother was the daughter of a farmer. William went to Stratford Grammar School, where he learnt
Latin, scripture and mathematics.
     When he left school, William was employed by his father. He married a local girl, Anne Hatheway, when
he was eighteen. Three years later he left Stratford and went to London.
     We do not know anything about Shakespeare's life between the years 1585 and 1590. We are certain,
however, that by the end of 1590 he had joined a group of actors and had started writing plays. During the
next twenty years he wrote thirty-two plays. He possibly wrote more plays, which he did not have published
or performed.
     Shakespeare went back to Stratford-on-Avon a few years before he died in 1616 at the age of 52.

1. Shakespeare went to Stratford Grammar School because he _____.

A. wanted to get married
B. wanted to learn to write plays
C. wanted to make a living by himself
D. was going to learn mathematics and other courses

2. Shakespeare's mother was probably born in _____.

A. the cities
B. a rich family
C. the United States
D. the countryside

3. We may conclude that _____.

A. Shakespeare went to London after his marriage
B. Shakespeare went to Stratford Grammar School for grammar learning
C. Shakespeare started to write plays at the age of 30
D. Shakespeare wrote 32 plays in his life time

4. Shakespeare died in _____.

A. England
B. London
C. the 15th century
D. the 16th century

5. The good title of the text should be _____.  

A. Stratford-on-Avon
B. Anne Hatheway
C. William Shakespeare
D. Scripture and mathematics

     She was known to millions as the "Queen of Crime" or the "Duchess (女公爵) of Death". But surprisingly,
she bated violence and blood, and knew nothing of the weapons most often used in murder. "I don't think I
dare look at a really horrible and damaged body." Agatha Christie once said. But her pen dared to travel where
her eyes would not. In a 50-year writing career, Christie's murder stories made her the world's best-known
mystery writer. She is outsold only by the Bible (《圣经》) and Shakespeare.
     Her works have been turned into films and TV series, and a line of computer games is set to be released
over the next six years.
     "My grandmother liked to use new ways to reach people who wanted to enjoy her work," said Christie's
grandson, Mathew Prichard. "Turning her stories into PC games allows us to introduce classic mysteries to
new audiences."
     Born in 1890 in England, Christie was educated at home and began her writing career while working as a
nurse during World WarⅠ. She went on to produce 79 novels and numerous (大量的) short stories, dying
at the age of 86." With her knowledge of murder, Christie could have been a teacher at police academies," said
one fan.
     Her first novel, "The Mysterious. Affair at Styles "( 《斯泰尔斯庄园奇案》), also introduced Hercule
Poirot, a retired Belgian (比利时的) police officer who starred in 30 of her works. Among the most popular
are "Murder on the Orient Express" (《东方快车谋杀 案》) (1934), and "Death on the Nile" ( 《尼罗河上的
惨案》) (1937).
     Poirot is a tidy little man with a funny-looking moustache, an egg-shaped head, and a high opinion of
himself. He draws conclusions from observing the behavior of those around him, always managing to spot
patterns that others cannot see. Poirot has become so famous that someone has even written his biography
(传记), "The Life and Times of Hercule Poirot". Starring in 17 novels, another Christie character. Miss Marple
is nearly as well known as Poirot. But while the Belgian uses his powers of observation, the old Miss Marple
relies on her knowledge of human nature to solve crimes. As she once said, "Human nature is the same
everywhere."

1. Christie's murder stories ranked the _____ in sale amount.

A. second
B. first
C. third
D. fourth

2. Christie's stories have been turned into _____ other forms.

A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five

3. Christie's knowledge of murder was _____.

A. poor
B. rich
C. limited
D. simple

4. Poirot's success lies in his power of _____ while Miss Marple's success belongs to her knowledge of _____.
 

A. observation; human nature
B. murder; imagination
C. imagination; murder
D. human nature; observation

     Charlton Heston was bom in 1923 in Evanston, Illinois. Charlton discovered his interest in acting while
performing plays at his high school. He later spent two years studying theatre at Northwestern University
in Evanston, Illinois. But he left college to join the army during the Second World War.
     After the war, Charlton Heston found small roles in the theatre as well as in television shows. His
performance in a film version of the book Jane Eyre caught the attention of the Hollywood producer Cecil B.
DeMille who later asked Charlton Heston to play the role of Moses in his movie The Ten Commandments
which came out in 1954. The role in this film made Charlton Heston famous and decided his career as an
actor playing the role of heroes. His face and body represented (体现) strength and heroism (英雄气概) in
many different roles. He played cowboys, soldiers and athletes.
     The movie Ben-Hur (1959) made Charlton Heston an even bigger star. Ben-Hur won eleven Academy
Awards, including Best Actor. Charlton Heston starred in many adventure movies during the 1960s. In the
1970s, Charlton Heston appeared in popular disaster movies like Earthquake, Skyjacked and Airport 1975.
     Charlton Heston was also very active in the movie industry. He worked to help build the American Film
Institute. In 1977 he was honored for his service in the industry, receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian
Award. In 1997 he was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor. And, in 2003, President Bush gave Charlton
Heston a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest honor for ordinary people.
     In 2000, the doctor found Charlton Heston had Alzheimer's disease. He died in 2008 at his home in Beverly
Hills, California.

1. What kind of role did Charlton Heston often play in films?

A. Heroes
B. Cowboys
C. Soldiers
D. Athletes

2. Which film won Best Actor for Charlton Heston?

A. Jane Eyre
B. The Ten Commandments
C. Ben-Hur
D. Earthquake

3. The two films belonging to the same kind are _____.

A. Jane Eyre and Ben-Hur
B. The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur
C. Skyjacked and Airport 1975
D. The Ten Commandments and Earthquake

4. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2? 

A. How Charlton Heston began his career.
B. How Charlton Heston become famous.
C. Who made Charlton Heston a popular star.
D. Who made Charlton Heston win so many awards.

5. Which is the correct order of the things that happened to Charlton Heston?
    a. Catching the attention of Cecil B. DeMille.
    b. Studying at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
    c. Acting in the film Skyjacked.
    d. Catching Alzheimer's disease.
    e. Playing in the movie The Ten Comandments.

A. abced
B. baecd
C. bacde
D. abecd

     In October, 1961, at Crowley Field in Cincinnati Ohio, an old deaf gentleman named William E. Hoy stood
up to throw the first ball of the World Series (世界职业棒球大赛). Most people at Crowley Field on that day
probably did not remember Hoy because he had retired from professional baseball 58 years earlier in 1903.
However, he had been an outstanding player and the deaf people still talk about him and his years in baseball.
     William E. Hoy was born in Houckstown Ohio on May 23, 1862. He became deaf when he was two years
old. He attended the Columbus Ohio School for the deaf. After graduation he started playing baseball while
working as a shoemaker.
     Hoy began playing professional baseball in 1886 for Oshkosh (Wisconsin) of the Northwestern League. In
1888 he started as an outfielder (外场手) with the old Washington Senators. His small figure and speed made
him an outstanding base runner. He was very good at stealing bases during his career. In the 1888 major league
season,he stole 82 bases. He was also the Senators' leading hitter in 1888. Hoy was clever and he threw right-
handed and batted left-handed. On June 19, 1889, he threw out (射杀出局) three batters (击球手) at the plate
from his outfield position.
     The arm signals used by judges today to show balls and strikes began because of Hoy. The judge lifted his
right arm to show that the pitch was a strike and his left arm to signal that it was a ball.
     For many years people talked about Hoy's last ball game in 1903. He was playing for Los Angeles of the
Pacific Coast Winter League. It was a memorable game because Hoy hit a wonderful ball which won the game.
It was a very foggy day and therefore very hard to see the ball. In the ninth inning (棒球的一局) with two men
out, Hoy managed to catch a fly ball to make the third out in spite of the fog. Los Angeles defeated their
opposition and won the game.
     After he retired, Hoy stayed busy. He ran a dairy farm near Cincinnati for 20 years. He also became a public
speaker and traveled giving speeches. Until a few years before his death he took 4-10-mile walks several
mornings a week. On December 15, 1961, William Hoy died at the age of 99.

1. In which order did the following things happen in Hoy's life?
    a. Hoy worked as a shoemaker.
    b. Hoy began to run a dairy farm.
    c. Hoy played a memorable game in the heavy fog.
    d. Hoy threw the first ball for the World Series. 
    e. Hoy became deaf.

A. d e a c b
B. e a c b d
C. d a e c b
D. e a b c d

2. We can infer from the last paragraph that Hoy _____ in his late years.

A. became famous
B. led a relaxed life
C. traveled around the world
D. was in good physical condition

3. This passage is mainly about _____.

A. a deaf player devoted to the game of baseball
B. baseball game rules and important players
C. the rise in the social position of the deaf people
D. where the baseball judge hand signals came from

4. What can be inferred from this passage?

A. Hoy was the greatest baseball player in his time.
B. Speaking and listening are not necessary in baseball games.
C. The judge had to study the hand signals very seriously.
D. Hoy's family encouraged him to become a baseball player.

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Hoy was a tall man with clumsy (笨拙的) action.
B. Hoy was a small man with smart action.
C. Only the deaf people like Hoy.
D. He was born deaf.

     Well, somebody had to be the richest man on earth, but why did it have to be him? William Henry Gates
Bill, now just called "Bill Gates" or "Bill G". William Henry Gates was born in Seattle. In 1973, Gates entered
Harvard University as a freshman (新生). But his heart was not in his studies. After locating (定位) the
school's computer centre, he lost himself in the world of computers once again. Gates would spend many
long nights in front of the school's computer and the next days sleeping in class. So in his junior year, Gates
left Harvard to devote his energies to designing programs for personal computers, which had just entered the
marketplace. In his junior year, Gates left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had
begun in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen.
     In 1980, the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) chose Microsoft to develop the operating
system for its first personal computer, the PC. An operating system is a special type of program that contains
instructions for the operation of the computer. Gates devised the Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS)
for the IBM. Millions of copies of MS-DOS were sold for use in the IBM and IBM-compatible (兼容的) PC's.
     Microsoft continued to grow under Gates' guidance. In 1985, the company introduced the first of a series
of PC programs called windows. These programs enable users to perform multiple (多样的) tasks through
"windows" on the computer screen and to issue (发布) commands by pointing at on screen symbols rather
than by typing instructions. Microsoft has sold milljons of copies of windows. In 1998, the United States
Justice Department, along with 20 state attorneys (律师; 代理人) general, filed an antitrust (反垄断的) lawsuit
against Microsoft. The lawsuit (案件) charged that Microsoft used unfair practices to destroy its competitors.

1. Gates ____.

A. alone set up the first software company in the world
B. began to make the personal computer with his classmate
C. founded Microsoft in 1975 by himself
D. and Allen started to set up the Microsoft in 1975

2. Which of the following words have the closest meaning with the word "devised" in the third paragraph?

A. Made.
B. Find out.
C. Developed.
D. Thought of.

3. What system did the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) choose Microsoft to develop for
    its first personal computer?

A. It was a special type of operating system that contained instructions for the computer.
B. It was a system which carried out a series of commands.
C. It was a system which performed multiple tasks through "windows" on the computer screen.
D. It was a design program.

4. Which of the following is the CORRECT order for Gates' lifetime?
    a. Gates was chosen to develop the operating system.
    b. An antitrust lawsuit was filed against Microsoft.
    c. Microsoft introduced Windows.
    d. Gates devised the MS-DOS for IBM.

A. a,b,c,d
B. a,d,c,b
C. d,c,a,b
D. b,a,d,c