阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A，B，C和D）中选出最佳选项。

　　Robert Spring, a 19th century forger(伪造者) , was so good at his profession(职业) that he was able to make his living for 15 years by selling false signatures of famous Americans. Spring was born in England in 1838 and arrived in Philadelphia in 1858 to open a bookstore. At first he prospered(繁荣) by selling his small but genuine collection of early U.S Autographs (亲笔签名). Discovering his ability at copying hard-writing, he began imitating(模仿) signatures of George Washington and Ben Franklin and writing them on the title pages of old books. To lessen the chance of detection (被发现) , he sent his forgeries to England and Canada for sale and circulation. Forgers have a hard time selling products. A forger can't approach a respectable buyer but must deal with 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 heat 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 young 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 (手稿) belonging to her famous father. 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．Robert Spring spent 15 yeas ________.

[　　]

A．running a bookstore in Philadelphia

B．as owners of old books

C．selling real signatures of famous Americans

D．as a forger

2．Why did Spring sell his false autographs in England and Canada?

[　　]

A．There was less chance of being found out there.

B．The prices were higher in England and Canada.

C．There was a greater demand there than in America.

D．Britain was Spring's birthplace.

3．According to the passage, forgeries are usually sold to ________.

[　　]

A．sharp-eyed experts

B．owners of old books

C．people who aren't experts

D．book dealers

4．After the Civil War there was a great demand in Britain for ________.

[　　]

A．Civil War battle plans

B．southern manuscripts and letters

C．signatures of George Washington and Ben Franklin

D．southern money

5．Who was Miss Fanny Jackson? She was ________.

[　　]

A．Robert Spring's customer

B．an imaginary person created by Spring

C．a little-known girl who sold her father's papers to make money

D．the only daughter of General Stonewall Jackson

阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A，B，C和D）中选出最佳选项。

One of the best ways to learn a foreign language is to follow the method you use to learn your first language. As a child you hear the sounds of your own language and you repeat them. You see the written form of the language around you and little by little you are taught the two forms of the language. The BBC uses this method in many different ways.

English Teaching Radio Programs

With explanations in 37 languages as well as completely in English, these programs can be listened to in most areas of the world and are radioed by 300 stations abroad in more than 100 countries.

Courses of Textbooks and Audiocassettes

These audio courses are for people who wish to learn English at home or in the classroom. Although they belong to the radio programs, they can all be used for studying English from beginners' level to advanced.

Video Courses

BBC English programs have been broadcast successfully on television in more than 100 countries. They can also he got on video, with supporting textbooks and audiocassettes; these form complete courses for home study or teaching.

A Magazine

The BBC English magazine is a bi-monthly publication and a guide to BBC English radio broadcast. It's written by the program makers and includes program details, practical home study exercises and articles, as well as news of general interest from BBC programs dealing with science, medicine, technology, etc .

English Language Summer School

　　This popular course for learners and teachers of English is held in London every summer.

For information on any of the above please write to: BBC English, PO Box 76, Bush House, London WC₂B₁PH .

　　In London personal callers can see BBC English courses at the BBC World Shop, Bush House, London WC₂B₄PH .

1．According to the selection, all of the following statements are true EXCEPT“________”.

[　　]

A．The BBC are designed only for the English beginners.

B．The BBC programs are broadcast not just on radio, but on TV as well.

C．BBC English video courses can be used for teaching and home study as well.

D．English teachers can also go to the BBC English language summer school.

2．The underlined sentence (in Paragraph 1) means ________.

[　　]

A．The BBC has different programs for you to hear and watch

B．The BBC helps you to learn English and your mother language

C．The BBC only helps students at school to learn English

D．The BBC has different supporting textbooks and audiocassettes

3．Which of the following is NOT true about the English magazine?

[　　]

A．You can receive a BBC English magazine every two months.

B．The exercises included in the magazine are of great help to learners.

C．It is designed to go with the television programs.

阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A，B，C和D）中选出最佳选项。

　　In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism—the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize information. Instead, they work on their own and find answers themselves. There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.

　　In most Asian societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in these Asian countries reflects society's belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan, and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments(作业) .

　　These are advantages and disadvantages to both of these systems of education. For example, one advantage to the system in Japan is that students there learn much more maths and science than American students learn by the end of high school . They also study more hours each day end more days each year than North Americas do. The system is difficult, but it students for a society that values discipline(纪律) and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized.

　　The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from high school, they haven't memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.

1．American teachers play much importance on individualism mainly because ________.

[　　]

A．their students always work separately

B．their students do not memorize information

C．they are required to do so

D．the United States is a country of different cultures

2．Which of the following is most likely a description of Asian methods of education?

[　　]

A．Students are prepared for a society that values discipline.

B．Each child in a classroom draws a different picture.

C．Teachers serve as a guide in discussion.

D．Students have to find information themselves.

3．The passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．how Western school systems mirror the value of individualism

B．what Asian schools should do to make students more creative

C．the advantage and disadvantage of the two educational systems

D．the differences in culture, religion, between the East and West

4．We can infer from the passage that the author might believe ________.

[　　]

A．Asian students are merely interested in maths and science

B．the two different educational systems could be combined(结合) together

C．different educational systems are based on the development level of different countries

D．students from Western countries are creative but selfish

阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A，B，C和D）中选出最佳选项。

　　In the developing countries of Asia, Africa and South America, both women and men connect the smoking of cigarettes with wealth, leisure, development , and Western values . Advertising in many of these countries is not limited by the health conscious codes(准则) , laws and controls that trouble the North American and European tobacco advertisers. As a result, unaware of the long-term health costs, the developing countries' most wealthy citizens take up smoking as a sign of material success.

　　The transnational tobacco companies are currently engaged in aggressive development of the only market left—the developing countries. It is recognized that the market in developed countries is full, and in many areas decreasing, while the market in developing countries is increasing markedly. The British American Tobacco Company, for instance, reported in 1979 a drop of 1.2% in the North American market but an increase in size of 2.1% in the developing world. The tobacco industry is not dying, rather, its challenge, which is being met, is to move both the growth, production, and marketing to the developing countries. It is proved possible to create tobacco dependency in increasing numbers of women and men through clever advertising in countries yet to develop regulatory(调整的) codes on the advertising, sales, and production of cigarettes.

　　Since the richer people require the smoking habit fist, more men than women at present smoke in the developing countries. However, the irony (讽刺意味的) of“progress”for women is clear as most of the women liberated from unfair cultural and religious customs and beliefs in the developing countries are also those most likely to smoke.

1．The passage mainly tells us ________.

[　　]

A．tobacco marketing techniques in developing countries

B．about the drop in the North American tobacco market

C．a growing tobacco market in the developing countries

D．the proportion(比例) of men and women smoking in developing countries

2．The passage implies that the tobacco market is going down in North America and Europe because of ________.

[　　]

A．the religious and cultural beliefs

B．improper advertising

C．the decreasing of population

D．the health conscious codes, laws and controls

3．The irony of“progress”for women in developing countries refers to the fact that ________.

[　　]

A．many people in South America smoke

B．the liberated women are the most likely to smoke

C．the more wealthy women will get used to smoking first

D．through advertising, tobacco dependency is increased

4．From the passage we learn that, in the opinion of the writer, ________.

[　　]

A．smoking must be forbidden by governments

B．the tobacco companies of the western countries are kind and clever

C．cigarette smoking shows one's material success

D．smoking is stupidly wrong no matter where it is

阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A，B，C和D）中选出最佳选项。

　　The producer appeared behind the recording studio window and smiled and waved to me like an old friend. And after I had read out a little test piece, he said,“That's fine, wonderful, Your voice is perfect, lovely, wonderful.”Then I read a longer passage in English about the delights of touring in Britain, and another about the delights of visiting

　　London, and both were“excellent”and“just right”, and I began to consider a job in radio. To be honest, I was fairly sure of myself though I lacked experience. Across the room in the Hamburg News Agency where we both worked, a friend named Peter Turner called to me, “I say, Mike, a man on the phone here wants someone to do a recording in English, and I'm booked up. Would you read something to him in English as a sort of test?”I did, and they said,“Perfect, lovely, wonderful…”Would I cane round?

　　It was after reading their passage in English in the studio that they noticed my vowel pronunciations were not altogether King's English, or even Prince Philip's, there was a larger silence than usual, then the voice said,“Fine, lovely, but you said the word ‘castle’with a short ‘a’. Could we have the passage again, please? But this time say ‘carsele’.”

　　This was easy. But then he noticed other differences in my pronunciation.

　　“It's my northern English accent,”I said, angry, because I had to apologize for it.

　　“Oh, I see…but Mr. Jamieson, we'll have to get it right, I'm afraid. The recording is for teaching English to German schoolchildren, and it must be spoken in the way it is taught in German schools.”

　　I read the passage again and again. But of course you cannot change the pronunciation of a lifetime in an hour. The studio men were in the state of having lost hope and underlined the vowels which caused me to feel angry, so that I'd remember them. Few, really. But because I had to concentrate(集中) on them, I made a lot of mistakes in my reading. Everyone got somewhat angry, so we all went out for a beer.

1．Broadcasting did not make Mike nervous ________.

[　　]

A．although he had never done any before

B．because he worked in a news agency

C．although the passage was long

D．because he was used to talking on the phone

2．What happened after Mike had done the recording a second time?

[　　]

A．They said nothing.

B．They could not understand one of the words.

C．They began to discuss Prince Philip's English.

D．They made him repeat it.

3．They wanted Mike to change his pronunciation because ________.

[　　]

A．German schoolchildren didn't like a northern accent

B．German schoolchildren were taught through recordings

C．it was different from the English taught in German schools

D．it was different from the English spoken in Germany

4．Why did Mike's reading of the passage get worse?

[　　]

A．He could not learn so many new sounds.

B．He was trying hard to get certain sounds right.

C．He needed a drink to clear his throat.

D．He was trying to do the recording in an hour.

阅读理解

　　Why do women live an average of nine years longer than men? That's the question Professor Laura Sandman set out to find out among 4,000 people living in Los Angeles.

　　Sandman, now working at the University of California at Berkley, found the risk factors or bad habits thought to lead to the early death far more prevalent among women than men. High risk factors for women included smoking, physical inactivity, and few contacts with friends or relatives . Much the same factors thought of for men were drinking, cigarette smoking and not being married.

　　The conclusion is that women are indeed more biologically fit than men simply as a result of hormonal (荷尔蒙) differences . Said Sandman,“Women have lower death rates in almost every country, at almost every age, and for most causes of death.”

1．The underlined word“prevalent”(in Paragraph 2) most probably means ________

[　　]

A．happening early

B．of great value

C．existing commonly

D．belonging to the earliest stage

2．Professor Laura Sandman would probably consider women to be more biologically fit than men because of ________.

[　　]

A．physical differences

B．lighter intake of drinking

C．fewer bad habits that lead to early death

D．more risk factors

3．What is the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．A Special Hormone.

B．Women Live Longer than Men.

C．Reasons for Longer Life.

D．Why Women Live A Longer Life.

阅读理解

　　Halloween is a festival (节日) celebrated on October 31st. The name of the holiday means“hallowed”or“holy evening”because it happens the day before All Saints Day (万圣节) . It is said that Halloween is the children's New Year's Eve. They dress up with special costumes(服装), they eat too much, and stay up too late celebrating.

　　Children go around the neighborhood wearing make-up, and dress in masks(面具) and colorful costumes. The most common costumes are witches, ghosts, skeletons (骷髅) , and popular TV, movie, and storybook characters. Some costumes are homemade; others are bought in stores. The children go from door to door saying“trick or treat”. People give them candy, cookies, fruit or money. Sometimes money is collected to help UNICEF, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.

　　Homes, stores, and classrooms are decorated (装饰) in the traditional Halloween colours, orange and black. Usual decorations are witches, ghosts, skeletons, and jack-o-lanterns. Jack-o-lanterns are pumpkins (南瓜) that are carved (雕刻) to look like faces. They are placed on doorway entrances and in windows. Horror movies and ghost stories are shown on TV on this day.

　　Adults and older children also celebrate Halloween with parades (游行), festivals, and costume parties. Some people create their costumes; other people rent them. Contests are held, where the best costume receives a prize. One of the party events popular with children is dunking (浸泡) for apples. Apples are put in tubs filled with water. People try to get the apples using only their mouths; hands cannot be used.

1．What does the word“holy”(in Paragraph 1) mean?

[　　]

A．With a hole in.

B．Not solid; with a hole or empty space inside.

C．Dark and green.

D．Associated with God or with religion.

2．Which of the following statements is NOT true about the common costumes according to the passage?

[　　]

A．They are colorful.

B．Some of the costumes are homemade.

C．All of the costumes are bought in stores.

D．They are witches , ghosts, skeletons, popular TV characters and so on.

3．Which of the following statements is incorrect?

[　　]

A．Apples are the favorite fruit people eat on Halloween.

B．Adults also celebrate Halloween together with children.

C．Jack-o-lanterns are pumpkins that are carved to look like faces.

D．Horror movies are shown on TV on 31th October.

4．Why is it said that Halloween is the children's New Years Eve?

[　　]

A．Because Halloween comes the day before All Saints Day.

B．Because children can get money from their parents on Halloween.

C．Because children dress up with special costumes, eat a lot, and stay up late celebrating.

D．Because only on that day can children go around the neighborhood.

5．What are the traditional Halloween colors?

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Dick and his friend hired a bus to go to the seaside for the weekend. When they returned to the bus late at night to go home, someone was lying on the ground beside it. They looked at him and Dick discovered that was a man from their town whom he was sure had not come in their bus. He was very drunk.

　　“I suppose he came in another bus, ”Dick said, “and missed it when it left because he was drunk. Now he's come to our bus to go back.”

　　Then Dick and his friends put him into the bus. He did not wake up during the drive back, and when the bus arrived, they took him to his home. He was still very drunk.

　　They knocked at the door for several minutes, and then a neighbor opened a window and said, “It's no use knocking there. They've gone to the seaside for two weeks.”

1．Why was the man lying on the ground beside the bus?

[　　]

A．Because he was drunk.

B．Because he wanted to go home .

C．Because he missed his bus.

D．Because he came from Dick's town.

2．When Dick and his friends knocked at the door.

[　　]

A．the man's wife opened the door

B．the man's children didn't open the door

C．the man's neighbor opened the door for them

D．there was nobody in the man's room

3．After Dick and his friends heard the neighbor's words,

[　　]

A．they would think it was lucky for the man to have met them

B．they would be angry with the man

C．they would regret having taken the man home

D．they would think the neighbor was lying

4．What do you think of Dick and his friends?

[　　]

A．They are foolish.

B．They are kind to others.

C．They like drinking very much.

D．They are the cleverest.

阅读理解

　　It is ten o'clock at night and you are outside. You can see many stars in the sky. Each star is another sun. The sky is big, and it hag many suns.

　　Our sun is near to us. It warms us and gives us light in daytime. The stars are not near. We can see their light only at night, and they do not warm us.

　　The stars are not all the same. Many stars are quite like our sun. They are the same size, and they have the same colour, yellow. Other stars are bigger or smaller. A “giant(巨人)” star is very, very big. A “dwarf(侏儒)”is a small star—smaller than the sun.

　　Stars have different colours, too. They can be blue, orange, yellow, white or red. There are giants and dwarfs in all these colours. All stars are, of course, very hot. The hottest stars are the blue ones. White stars come next, they are less hot. Then yellow and orange stars are less hot again. Red stars are the least hot, and they are also the oldest stars.

　　Light moves very quickly across the sky, eighteen million (18,000,000)kilometers in a minute. Our nearest star is a red dwarf. Its name is Proxima Centauri ( proxima ＝ nearest), and it gives a weak, red light. We can just see this light. It left Proxima Centauri 4.25 years ago, and now tonight, it is reaching cur eyes. Think about it! In one minute, 18,000,000 kilometres. So, in 4.25 years—well, how many kilometers? You can find the answer yourself.

　　I will just say this: Proxima Centauri is a long way from us.

1．According to the temperatures on stars, the right order from the lowest temperature to the highest is ________.

[　　]

A．red→yellow→white→blue

B．orange→red→blue→white

C．blue→white→yellow→red

D．white→blue→orange→red

2．All the following am right except ________.

[　　]

A．a “dwarf” is smaller than the sun

B．there are dwarfs in different colours

C．a “dwarf” is a small star

D．dwarfs are the least hot

3．How far away is the star Proxima Centauri from us?

[　　]

A．40,208,400,000,000 kilometres.

B．9,460,800,000,000 kilometres.

C．679,140,000,000 kilometres .

D．279,225,000,000 kilometres .

4．When we say “The star Procyon is ‘ten light years’ away.”, we mean ________.

[　　]

A．we can reach the star in ten years

B．we first saw the star ten years ago

C．the light left Procyon ten years ago

D．Procyon has been that far away for ten years

阅读理解

　　Fifteen people were killed and 38 others injured in a mad accident early Wednesday morning in Enshi, Central China's Hubei Province.

　　The bus, travelling from Wanzhou in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality to Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province, had 53 passengers on board, three more than permitted.

　　At around 1:00 a. m. on Wednesday, the bus increased speed gradually on a curve (弯路)and plunged (往前冲)more than 30 metres into a valley below. Thirteen people, including one of the two drivers, died at once. Two others died on the way to hospital.

　　Although the cause of the accident is still unclear, the local police said the driver paid no attention to the official warning signs on the expressway .

　　It hit a section which had been closed as a result of snow. Because of the freezing weather and icy roads, the expressway had been closed by police since Tuesday morning. But the bus drivers took the dangerous route, paying no attention to the warnings.

　　The rescue team, which included more than 30 medical workers and 120 local villagers, joined together and rushed to the scene at the news of the accident. By 5:00 a. m., all of the injured had been sent to three local hospitals for emergency treatment. A hospital source said most of the patients were in a stable(稳定的)condition but a few were still in danger.

　　According to a 2002 national public opinion poll, traffic accidents ranked as people's third biggest security(安全)concern.

1．When the accident took place, ________ .

[　　]

A．the bug was on the way to Shenzhen

B．most of the passengers were sound asleep

C．all the passengers were given immediate rescue

D．it was snowing hard

2．The expressway was closed to ________.

[　　]

A．protect the passengers from being frozen

B．make the police have a good rest

C．stop cars traveling around

D．avoid the happening of traffic accidents

3．What the local villagers did showed that they were ________.

[　　]

A．curious

B．warm-hearted

C．frightened

D．simple-minded

4．The passage is about ________.

[　　]

A．how a road accident took place

B．safety measures

C．a terrifying accident

D．the basic rules for safety