My wife and I had just finished the 150-mile trip home from our daughter’s college. It was the   1   time in our lives that she would be gone for any length of   2  . We wondered how other people had   3 it.

Later in bed, I   4   the time I started college. My father had driven me, too. My mother had to stay behind to   5   the cows from getting into the crops. I, the fourth in a line of brothers, was the first to   6   college.

The truck was slow and I was glad. I didn’t want to get to   7   too soon. I shook hands with my father in the truck and he didn’t say a word. But I knew he was going to make a little  8  . He finally said, “I never went to college and  9   of your brothers went to college. I can’t say you don’t do this or that, because everything is different and I don’t know what is going to   10  , but I think things will work out. When you get a job, be sure to be honest and   11 .”

I knew that soon I would be   12   in the big town and I would be missing the life of the family.

Then my father brought out the Bible that he had   13   so often. I knew that he would miss it but I must take it. He just said, “This can help you   14   you will let it.”

When I   15   school I took the Bible back to my father. But he said he wanted me to keep it.

Now, too late, I remember. It would have been so   16   to give it to my daughter when she got out of the car. But I didn’t. I could give her   17  . My father could give me  18  a Bible. But I don’t really believe now that I gave her half as   19   as my father gave me. So the next morning I did up the book and sent it to her. I wrote a   20  . “This can help you,” I said, “when you will let it”.

1．A．first                      B．last                     C．very                    D．happiest

3．A．understood            B．stood                  C．knew                  D．tried

4．A．remembered          B．called                  C．thought               D．went through

5．A．let                        B．raise                    C．keep                   D．feed

6．A．take part in            B．go away to          C．begin with           D．continue with

7．A．my daughter’s college                            B．my home

      C．the city                                                D．the farm

8．A．speech                  B．sound                  C．promise               D．progress

9．A．some                    B．one                     C．none                   D．all

10．A．happen                B．end                     C．take                    D．start

11．A．think out              B．keep watch          C．take care             D．work hard

12．A．happy                 B．alone                   C．rich                    D．lost

13．A．bought                B．read                    C．loved                  D．given

14．A．if                        B．unless                 C．since                   D．though

15．A．finished               B．returned              C．covered               D．began

16．A．popular               B．strange                C．ready                  D．nice

17．A．something           B．everything           C．anything              D．nothing

18．A．only                    B．really                   C．surely                 D．nearly

19．A．much                  B．many                  C．far                      D．little

20．A．composition         B．information          C．word                  D．note

Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry—William Shakespeare—but there are two clearly separate and different branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare Company（RSC）,which presents excellent productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon. And there are townsfolk who largely live on the tourists who come, not to see the play, but to look at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s birthplace and the other sights.

The townsfolk of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their income. They frankly dislike the RSC actors, those who walk with long hair and beard and great noise.?

The tourist stream are not entirely separate. The sightseers, who come by bus and often take in Warwick on the side, don’t usually see the plays. And some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford．However, the playgoers do manage a little sight-seeing along with their play-going. It is the playgoers, the RSC declares, who bring in much of the town’s income because they spend the night（some of them four or five nights）pouring money into hotels and restaurants. The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall.?

The townsfolk don’t see it this way and local government does not put away some money for the RSC．Stratford cries poor traditionally. Nevertheless, every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or a cocktail room. Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you will be sure will be decorated with Hamburger bars, dinner rooms and so forth, and will be very expensive.?

Anyway, the townsfolk can’t understand why the RSC needs help from the government. The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row. Last year, its 1431 seats were 94 occupied all year long and this year they will do better. The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed the same. It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford’s most attractive customers. They come entirely for the plays, not the sights. They all seem to look alike, though they come from all over.

1．From the first two paragraphs, we learn that __________.

A．the townsfolk think little of the RSC’s contribution to the town’s income? 

B．the actors of RSC imitate Shakespeare on and off stage?

C．the two branches of the RSC are not on good terms? 

D．the townsfolk earn little from tourism?

2．It can be inferred from the third paragraph that __________.?

A．the sightseers cannot visit the castle and the palace separately?

B．the playgoers seem to spend more money than the sightseers?

C．the playgoers go to no other places in town than the theatre?

D．the sightseers do no other things than shopping in town?

3．By saying “Stratford cries poor traditionally”, the author means that__________.?

A．Stratford has long been in financial difficulties?

B．Stratford cannot afford the new projects?

C．the town is not really short of money?

D．the townsfolk used to be poorly paid?

4．According to the townsfolk, the RSC deserves no help from the government because _______.

A．the behavior of the actors is not socially acceptable?   

B．ticket prices can be raised to cover the spending?

C．the company is financially ill-managed?              

D．the theatre attendance is on the rise??

Activity which was almost unknown to the learned in the early days of the history, while during the fifteenth century the term “reading” undoubtedly meant reading aloud．Only during the nineteenth century did silent reading become popular.

One should be careful, however, of supposing that silent reading came about simply because reading aloud is distraction（分散注意力）to others. Examination of reasons connected with the historical development of silent reading shows that it became the usual mode of reading for most adult reading tasks mainly because the tasks themselves changed in character.

The last century saw a gradual increase in literacy（读写能力）and thus in the number of readers. As readers increased, so the number of listeners dropped, and thus there was some reduction in the need to read aloud．As reading for the benefit of listeners grew less common, so came the popularity of reading as a private activity in such public places as libraries, trains and offices, where reading aloud would disturb other readers in a way.

Towards the end of the century there was still heated argument over whether books should be used for information or treated respectfully, and over whether the reading of material such as newspapers was in some way mentally weakening. Indeed this argument remains with us still in education. However, whatever its advantages, the old shared literacy culture had gone and was replaced by the printed mass media（媒介）on the one hand and by books and magazines for a specialized readership on the other.

By the end of the century students were being advised to have some new ideas of books and to use skills in reading them which were not proper, if not impossible, for the oral reader. The social, cultural, and technological developments in the century had greatly changed what the term “reading” referred to.

1．Why was reading aloud common before the nineteenth century

A．Because silent reading had not been discovered.       

B．Because there were few places for private reading.

C．Because few people could read for themselves.        

D．Because people depended on reading for enjoyment.

2．The development of silent reading during the nineteenth century showed        .

A．a change in the position of literate people

B．a change in the nature of reading

C．an increase in the number of books  

D．an increase in the average age of readers

3．Educations are still arguing about           .

A．the importance of silent reading         

B．the amount of information provided by books and newspapers

C．the effects of reading on health         

D．the value of different types of reading material

4．What is the writer of this passage attempting to do?

A．To explain how present-day reading habits developed.     

B．To change people's way to read.

C．To show how reading methods have improved.           

D．To encourage the growth of reading.

When I asked my daughter which item she would keep; the phone, the car, the cooker, the computer, the TV, or her boyfriend, she said “the phone”. Personally, I could do without the phone entirely, which makes me unusual, Because the telephone is changing our lives more than any other piece of technology.

Point 1 The telephone creates the need to communicate, in the same way that more roads create more traffic. My daughter comes home from school at 4:00 pm and then spends an hour on the phone talking to the very people she has been at school with all day. If the phone did not exist, would she have anything to talk about?

Point 2 The mobile phone means that we are never alone. “The mobile saved my life,” says Crystal Johnstone. She had an accident in her Volvo on the A45 between Otley and Skipton. Trapped inside, she managed to make the call that brought the ambulance（救护车） to her rescue.

Point 3 The mobile removes our secret. It allows marketing manager of Haba Deutsch, Carl Nicolaisen, to ring his sales staff all round the world at any time of day to ask where they are , where they are going, and how their last meeting went.

Point 4 The telephone separates us. Antonella Bramante in Rome says, “We worked in separate offices but I could see him through the window. It was easy to get his number. We were so near——but we didn’t meet for the first two weeks!”

Point 5 The telephone allows us to reach out beyond our own lives. Today we can talk to several complete strangers simultaneously （同时地） on chat lines （at least my daughter does. I wouldn’t know what to talk about）. We can talk across the world. We can even talk to astronauts （if you know any） while they’re space-walking. And, with the phone line hooked up to the computer, we can access the Internet, the biggest library on Earth.

1．How do you understand ‘Point 1 —The telephone creates the need to communicate,…’？

       A．People don’t communicate without telephone.  

 B．People communicate because of the creating of the telephone.

       C．People communicate more since telephone has been created. 

 D．People communicate more because of more traffic.

2．Which points do you think support the idea that phones improve people’s life?

a．Point 1．          b．Point2．          c．Point3．       d．Point 4．   e．Point 5．

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

3．It is possible to talk to several complete strangers simultaneously through        .

       A．the TV screen                                                                    B．a fax machine      

       C．the phone line hooked up to the computer                          D．a microphone

4．The best heading for the passage is .

       A．Phone Power                                      B．Kinds of Phone  

C． How to Use Phones                         D．Advantage of Phones

The most exciting kind of education is also the most personal．Nothing can exceed（胜过） the joy of discovering for yourself something that is important to you! It may be an idea or a bit of information you come across accidentally or a sudden understanding, fitting together pieces of information or working through a problem．Such personal encounters are the “payoff” in education．A teacher may direct you to learning and even encourage you in it — but no teacher can make the excitement or the joy happen．That's up to you.

A research paper, assigned in a course and perhaps checked at various stages by an instructor, leads you beyond classrooms, beyond the texts for classes and into a process where the joy of discovery and learning can come to you many times．Preparing the research paper is an active and individual process, and an ideal learning process．It provides a structure within which you can make exciting discoveries, of knowledge and of self, which are basic to education．The research paper also gives you a chance to individualize a school assignment, to suit a piece of work to your own interests and abilities, to show others what you can do．Writing a research paper is more than a classroom exercise．It is an experience in searching out, understanding and synthesizing, which forms the basis of many skills applicable to both academic and nonacademic tasks．It is, in the fullest sense, a discovering, an education．So, to produce a good research paper is both a useful and a thoroughly satisfying experience!

To some, the thought of having to write an assigned number of pages, often more than ever produced before, is disconcerting．To others, the very idea of having to work independently is threatening．But there is no need to approach paper assignment with anxiety, and nobody should view the research paper as an obstacle to overcome．Instead, consider it a goal to accomplish, a goal within reach if you use the help this passage can give you.

1．It can be inferred from the passage what writing a research paper gives one chances ________.

      A．to fully develop one's personal abilities

      B．to practice the skills learnt in the classroom

      C．to prove that one is a productive writer

      D．to show how well one can accomplish school assignments

2．From the context, the word “disconcerting” （Para 3） most probably means ________.

      A．interesting     B．upsetting                 C．challenging       D．disappointing

3．The writer thinks that ________.

      A．one should explore new areas in research

      B．one should trust one's ability to meet course requirements

      C．one should use one's knowledge and skills when doing research

      D．one should consider research paper writing a pleasure, not a burden

4．What will probably follow this passage?

      A．How to write a research paper.

      B．The importance of research in education.

      C．How to make new discoveries for oneself.

      D．The skill of putting pieces of information together.

NASDAQ, standing for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation system, is one of the largest markets in the world for the trading of stocks（股票）. The number of companies listed on NASDAQ is more than that on any of the other stock exchanges in the United States, including the New York Stock Exchange （NYSE）,and the American Stock Exchange （AMEX）.The majority of companies listed on NASDAQ are smaller than most of those on the NYSE and AMEX. NASDAQ has become known as the home of new technology companies, particularly computer and computer-related business. Trading on NASDAQ was started by stock brokers acting on behalf of their customers. The brokers talk with market makers who devote themselves to trading specific stocks to reach a price for the stock.

Unlike other stock exchanges, NASDAQ has no central place where trading takes place. Instead, its market makers are located all over the country and make trades by telephone and the Internet. Because brokers and market makers trade stocks directly instead of on the floor of a stock exchange, NASDAQ is called over-the-counter market. The term over-the-counter refers to the direct nature of the trading, as in a store where goods are handed over a counter.

Since its birth in 1971,the NASDAQ Stock Market has been an industry innovator（革新者）.As the world’s first electronic stock market, NASDAQ long ago started technological trading innovation that is unequalled. Now becoming the world's first truly global market, the NASDAQ Stock Market is the market of choice for business industry leaders worldwide. By providing an efficient environment for raising capital（资本）, NASDAQ helped thousands of companies get their desired growth and successfully make the jump into public ownership.

1．According to the passage, NASDAQ           .

A．is a large international business group with many small companies.

  B．is a large American stock market especially for new technology business

   C．is the largest stock exchange mostly for large companies of all kinds

 D．has as many companies listed as NYSE or AMEX

2．The word “broker” in the passage probably means           .

A．providing information about stocks      B．holding stocks in a business

C．buying and selling stocks for others     D．in charge of the stock market

3．Which of the following best describes the nature of NASDAQ’s trading

     A．Its market makers can trade with brokers directly all over the country.  

      B．It has its central places for trading stocks all over the world.

C．Its customers can buy and sell stocks in its center by the Internet.      

D．It was started by stock brokers on behalf of the market makers.

4．It can be inferred from the passage that           .

        A．NYSE carried out technology trading innovation as well as NASDAQ

        B．all business leaders can enlarge their companies with NASDAQ’s help

      C．AMEX is doing as well in trading as NASDAQ

   D．a large quantity of companies listed on NASDAQ can develop their business successfully

阅读短文，并根据所给的首字母提示，填入适当的单词。

（ 1 ）

   Did your computer screen go black last Monday? If so, it means you were using p__1_____ software of Windows, an operating system produced by Microsoft. The world’s No 1 software company introduced WGA in China last week to c____2___ down on the use of copycat （模仿的，复制的） operating systems. More than 60% of the Chinese Internet users are hostile to Microsoft’s new move. They said it is the high price t___3____ drives them to turn to piracy. But software expert Yuan Meng thought the high price was just an excuse. He noted that Microsoft has l____4_____ the prices of its Office package from 1,400 yuan to 199 yuan.

（ 2 ）

    Australia is the only nation to govern an e____5______ continent and is the sixth-largest country in the world in land area．Australia’s multicultural society includes Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders and m___6______ from some 200 countries. You must have heard of Australia Day celebrations. It is an excellent way to encourage t_____7_______, respect and friendship among all the people of Australia．

Australia is a popular d____8________ with tourists form all over the world coming to experience its unique e_____9______. And there are 14 World H__10_____ Sites in Australia.

目前,不少人在写作与交流中喜欢使用网络语言,有时讲汉语时还夹杂着英语,如PK等.就此现象,你班最近举行了一场讨论.请根据下表的提示,客观的介绍讨论情况及你的观点.

1．词数: 100~120, 开头已经写出（不计入总词数）

2．可根据内容要点适当增加，以使行文连贯.

Nowadays, with the development of the Internet, there came a kind of language call Web Language. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Of all the subjects, I like           history the best because it gives us        useful knowledge of things in the past.

A．the; a         B．/; a            C．a; the            D．a; /

—What were you up to when your parents came in?

—I         for a while and          some reading.

A．was playing; was going to do                                 B．played; did

C．had played; was going to do                      D．had played; did