阅读理解：

　　At one time, computers were expected largely to remove the need for paper copies of documents (文件) because they could be stored electronically．But for all the texts that are written, stored and sent electronically, a lot of them are still ending up on paper．

　　It is difficult to measure the quantity of paper used as a result of use of Internet-connected computers, although just about anyone who works in an office can tell you that when email is introduced, the printers start working overtime．“I feel in my bones this revolution is causing more trees to be cut down,” says Ted Smith of the Earth Village Organization．

　　Perhaps the best sign of how computer and Internet use pushes up demand for paper comes from the high-tech industry itself, which sees printing as one of its most promising new markets．Several Internet companies have been set up to help small businesses print quality documents from a computer．Earlier this week Hewlett-Packard Co．announced a plan to develop new technologies that will enable people to print even more so they can get a hard copy of a business document, a medical record or just a one-line email, even if they are nowhere near a computer．As the company sees it, the more use of the Internet the greater demand for printers．

　　Does all this mean environmental concerns (环境问题) have been forgotten? Some activists suggest people have been led to believe that a lot of dangers to the environment have gone away．“I guess people believe that the problem is taken care of, because of recycling,” said Kelly Quirke, director of the Rainforest Action Network in San Francisco．Yet Quirke is hopeful that high-tech may also prove helpful．He says printers that print on both sides are growing in popularity．The action group has also found acceptable paper made from materials other than wood, such as agricultural waste．

1．The growing demand for paper in recent years is largely due to________．

[　　]

A．the rapid development of small businesses

B．the opening up of new markets

C．the printing of high quality copies

D．the increased use of the Internet

2．Environmentalists believe one possible way of dealing with the paper situation is________．

[　　]

A．to encourage printing more quality documents

B．to develop new printers using recycled paper

C．to find new materials for making paper

D．to plant more fast growing trees

3．Hewlett-Packard Co．has decided to develop new technologies because________．

[　　]

A．people are concerned about the environment

B．printers in many offices are working overtime

C．small companies need more hard copies

D．they see a growing market for printers

4．What would be the best title for the text?

[　　]

A．Computers and Printers

B．Email and the Business World

C．Internet Revolution and Environment

D．Modern Technology and New Markets

　　阅读理解：

　　There is one foreign product the Japanese are buying faster than others, and its popularity has caused an uneasy feeling among many Japanese．That product is foreign words．

　　Cairaigo words that come from outside have been part of the Japanese language for centuries．Mostly borrowed from English and Chinese, these terms are often changed into forms no longer understood by native speakers．

　　But in the last few years the trickle (涓涓细流) of foreign words has become a flood, and people fear the increasing use of foreign words is making it hard for the Japanese to understand each other and could lead to many people forgetting the good qualities of traditional Japanese．

　　“The popularity of foreign words is part of the Japanese interest in anything new,” says university lecturer and writer Takashi Saito．By using a foreign word you can make a subject seem new, which makes it easier for the media to pick up．

　　“Experts often study abroad and use English terms when they speak with people in their own fields．Those terms are then included in government white papery,” said Muturo Kai, president of the National Language Research Institute．“Foreign words find their way easily into announcements made to the general public, when they should really be explained in Japanese ．”

　　Against the flow of new words, many Japanese are turning back to the study of their own language．Saito's Japanese to Be Read Aloud is one of many language books that are now flying off booksellers' shelves．

　　“We were expecting to sell the books to young people,” said the writer, “but it turns out they are more popular with the older generation, who seem uneasy about the future of Japanese．”

1．What advantages do foreign words have over traditional Japanese terms?

[　　]

A．The ideas expressed in foreign words sound new．

B．Foreign words are best suited for announcements．

C．Foreign words make new subjects easier to understand．

D．The use of foreign words makes the media more popular．

2．In the opinion of Takashi Saito．Japanese people________．

[　　]

A．are good at learning foreign languages

B．are willing to learn about new things

C．trust the media

D．respect experts

3．Which of the following plays an important part in the spread of foreign words?

[　　]

A．The media and government papers．

B．Best-selling Japanese textbooks．

C．The interest of young Japanese．

D．Foreign products and experts．

4．The book Japanese to Be Read Aloud ________．

[　　]

A．sells very well in Japan

B．is supported by the government

C．is questioned by the old generation

D．causes misunderstanding among the readers

　　阅读理解：

David Grant

David Grant has become a familiar face to millions of fans of Animal Hospital．Here Dr．Grant tells us the very best of his personal stories about the animals he has treated, including familiar patients such as the dogs Snowy and Duchess, the delightful cat Marigold Serendipity Diamond．He also takes the reader behind the scenes at Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital as he describes his day, from ordinary medical check-ups to surgery (外科手术)．Tales From Animal Hospital will delight all fans of the programme and anyone who has a lively interest in their pet, whether it be cat, dog or snake!

$ 14．99 Hardback 272pp Simon Schuster

ISBN 0751304417

Michael White

From the author of Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science,

comes this colourful description of the life of the world's first modern scientist．Interesting yet based on fact, Michael White's learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him．Newton is shown as a gifted scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic ended and science began．

￡8.99 Hardback 320pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857024168

Simon Singh

In 1963 a schoolboy called Andrew Wiles reading in his school library came across the world's greatest mathematical problem: Fermat's Last Theorem (定理)．First put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century, the theorem had baffled and beaten the finest mathematical minds, including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem, and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole Polytechnique ．Through unbelievable determination Andrew Wiles finally worked out the problem in 1995．An unusual story of human effort over three centuries, Fermat's Last Theorem will delight specialists and general readers alike．

￡12．99 Hardback 384 pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857025210

1．What is Animal Hospital?

[　　]

2．In Michael White's book, Newton is described as ________．

[　　]

A．a person who did not look the same as in many pictures

B．a person who lived a colourful and meaningful life

C．a great but not perfect man

D．an old-time magician

3．Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word baffle as it is used in the text?

[　　]

A．To encourage people to raise questions．

B．To cause difficulty in understanding．

C．To provide a person with an explanation．

D．To limit people's imagination．

4．The person who finally proved Fermat's Last Theorem is

[　　]

5．What is the purpose of writing these three texts?

[　　]

A．To make the books easier to read．

B．To show the importance of science．

C．To introduce new authors．

D．To sell the books．

　　阅读理解：

　　Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills (读写能力)．With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence, according to Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) in Salt Lake City．The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ)．

　　The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea．“Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache,” said Lisa Myron, manager of the children's department．

　　Last November the two groups started “Dog Day Afternoon” in the children's department of the main library．About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading for half an hour．Those who attended three of the four classes received a “paw-graphed” book at the last class．

　　The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager．

1．What is mainly discussed in the text?

[　　]

A．Children's reading difficulties．

B．Advantages of raising dogs．

C．Service in a public library．

D．A special reading program．

2．Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think________．

[　　]

A．dogs are young children's best friends

B．children can play with dogs while reading

C．dogs can provide encouragement for shy children

D．children and dogs understand each other

3．By saying The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea, the writer means the library ________．

[　　]

A．uses dogs to attract children

B．accepts the idea put forward by ITA

C．has opened a children's department

D．has decided to train some dogs

4．A paw-graphed book is most probably________．

[　　]

A．a book used in Saturday classes

B．a book written by the children

C．a prize for the children

D．a gift from parents

　　阅读理解：

　　Tristan da Cunha．a 38-square-mile island, is the farthest inhabited island in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records．It is 1,510 miles southwest of its nearest neighbor, St．Helena, and 1,950 miles west of Africa．Discovered by the Portuguese admiral (葡萄牙海军上将) of the same name in 1506, and settled in 1810, the island belongs to Great Britain and has a population of a few hundred．

　　Coming in a close second and often wrongly mentioned as the most distant land is Easter Island, which lies 1,260 miles east of its nearest neighbor, Pitcairn Island, and 2,300 miles west of South America．

　　The mountainous 64-square-mile island was settled around the 5th century, supposedly by people who were lost at sea．They had no connection with the outside world for more than a thousand years, giving them plenty of time to build more than 1,000 huge stone figures, called moai, for which the island is most famous．

　　On Easter Sunday, 1722, however, settlers from Holland moved in and gave the island its name．Today, 2,000 people live on the Chilean territory (智力领土)? They share one street, a small airport, and a few hours of television per day．

1．It can be learned from the text that the island of Tristan da Cunha________．

[　　]

A．was named after its discoverer

B．got its name from Holland settlers

C．was named by the British government

D．got its name from the Guinness Book of Records

2．Which of the following is most famous for moai?

[　　]

3．Which country does Easter Island belong to?

[　　]

　　阅读理解：

　　A child's birthday party doesn't have to be a hassle; it can be a basket of fun, according to Beth Anaclerio, an Evanston mother of two, ages 4 and 18 months．

　　“Having a party at home usually requires a lot of running around on the part of the parents, and often the birthday boy or girl gets lost in wild excitement．But it really doesn't have to be that way,” said Anaclerio．Last summer, Anaclerio and her friend Jill Carlisle, a Northbrook mother of a 2-year-old, founded a home party-planning business called “A Party in a Basket．” Their goal is to help parents and children share in the fun part of party planning, like choosing the subject or making a cake, while they take care of everything．

　　Drawing on their experiences as mothers, they have created 10 ready-to-use, home party packages．Everything a family needs to plan a party, except the cake and ice cream, is delivered to the home in a large basket．

　　“Our parties are aimed for children 2 to 10,” Anaclerio said, “and they're very interactive (互动) and creative in that they build a sense of drama based on a subject．For example, at the Soda Shoppe party the guests become waiters and waitresses and build wonderful ice cream creations．”

　　The standard $ 200 package for eight children includes a basket filled with invitations, gifts, games and prizes, paper goods, a party planner and the like．For more information, call Anaclerio at 708-864-6584 or Carlisle at 708-205-9141．

1．The main purpose of writing this text is________．

[　　]

A．to share information about party planning

B．to introduce the joys of a birthday party

C．to announce a business plan

D．to sell a service

2．The most important idea behind the kind of party planning described here is that________．

[　　]

A．it brings parents and children closer together

B．guests play a part in the preparation of a party

C．parents are spared the trouble of sending invitations

D．it provides a subject of conversation

3．What does the underlined word hassle in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

[　　]

A．A party designed by specialists．

B．A plan requiring careful thought．

C．A situation causing difficulty or trouble．

D．A demand made by guests．

4．Which of the following is most likely to be a party planner?

A．

B．

C．

D．

　　阅读理解：

　　Treasure hunts have excited people's imagination for hundreds of years both in real life and in books such as Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Islansd．Kit Williams, a modern writer, had the idea of combining the real excitement of a treasure hunt with clues (线索) found in a book when he wrote a children's story, Masquerade, in 1979．The book was about a hare, and a month before it came out Williams buried a gold hare in a park in Bedfordshire．The book contained a large number of clues to help readers find the hare, but Williams put in a lot of “red herrings”, or false clues, to mislead them．

　　Ken Roberts, the man who found the hare, had been looking for it for nearly two years．Although he had been searching in the wrong area most of the time, he found it by logic (逻辑), not by luck．His success came from the fact that he had gained an important clue at the start．He had realized that the words: “One of Six to Eight” under the first picture in the book connected the hare in some way to Katherine of Aragon, the first of Henry VIII's six wives．Even here, however, Williams had succeeded in misleading him．Ken knew that Katherine of Aragon had died at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire in 1536 and thought that Williams had buried the hare there．He had been digging there for over a year before a new idea occurred to him．He found out that Kit Williams had spent his childhood near Ampthill, in Bedfordshire, and thought that he must have buried the hare in a place he knew well, but he still could not see the connection with Katherine of Aragon, until one day he came across two stone crosses in Ampthill Park and learnt that they had been built in her honor in 1773．

　　Even then his search had not come to an end．It was only after he had spent several nights digging around the cross that he decided to write to Kit Williams to find out if he was wasting his time there．Williams encouraged him to continue, and on February 24th 1982, he found the treasure．It was worth 3,000 in the beginning, but the excitement it had caused since its burial made it much more valuable．

1．The underlined word them in Paragraph 1 refers to

[　　]

2．What is the most important clue in the story to help Ken Roberts find the hare?

[　　]

A．Two stone crosses in Ampthill．

B．Stevenson's Treasure Island．

C．Katherine of Aragon．

D．Williams' hometown．

3．The stone crosses in Ampthill were built________．

[　　]

A．to tell about what happened in 1773

B．to show respect for Henry VIII's first wife

C．to serve as a road sign in Ampthill Park

D．to inform people where the gold hare was

4．Which of the following describes Roberts' logic in searching for the hare?

[　　]

a．Henry VIII's six wives

b．Katherine's burial place at Kimbolton

c．Williams' childhood in Ampthill

d．Katherine of Aragon

e．stone crosses in Ampthill Park

5．What is the subject discussed in the text?

[　　]

A．An exciting historical event．

B．A modern treasure hunt．

C．The attraction of Masquerade．

D．The importance of logical thinking．

　　阅读理解：

　　The Headrow, Leeds．Tel．430808

　　Oct 10-11 only “A Night at the Varieties”．All the fun of an old music hall with Barry Cryer, Duggle Brown, 6 dancers, Mystina, Jon Barker, Anne Dural and the Tony Harrison Trio．Laugh again at the old jokes and listen to your favourite songs．

　　Performances; 8 pm nightly．

　　Admission．￡5; under 16 or over 60: ￡4．

　　St Leonard's Place, York．Tel．223568

　　Sept 23 - Oct 17 “Groping for Words” a comedy by Sue Townsend．Best known for her Adrian

　　Mole Diaries, Townsend now writes about an evening class, which two men and a woman attend．A gentle comedy．

　　Admission: First night, Mon: ￡2; Tues-Fri: ￡3.25-5．50; Sat: ￡3.50-5.75．

　　King's Cross Street, Halifax．Tel．365998

　　Oct 10-17 “On Golden Pond” by Ernest Thompson．This is a magical comedy about real people．A beautifully produced, well-acted play for everyone．Don't miss it．

　　Performances: 7:30 pm．

　　Admission: ￡2．Mon: 2 seats for the price of one

　　Oxford Street, Leeds．Tel．502116

　　Restaurant and Caf

　　Oct 17 “The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13”．Sue Townsend's musical play, based on her best-selling book．

　　Performances: Evenings 7:45．October 10-17, at 2:30 pm．No Monday performances．

　　Admission: Tues-Thurs: ￡2-5; Fri & Sat: ￡2-6．

1．Which theatre offers the cheapest seat?

[　　]

2．If you want to see a play with old jokes and songs, which phone number will you ring to book a seat?

[　　]

3．We may learn from the text that Sue Townsend is ________．

[　　]

　　阅读理解：

　　LONDON (Reuters) Organic fruit, delivered right to the doorstep．That is what Gabriel Gold prefers, and he is willing to pay for it．If this is not possible, the 26-year-old computer technician will spend the extra money at the supermarket to buy organic food．

　　“Organic produce is always better,” Gold said．“The food is free of pesticides (农药), and you are generally supporting family farms instead of large farms．And more often than not it is locally grown and seasonal, so it is more tasty．” Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers buying into the organic trend, and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business．But how many shoppers really know what they are getting, and why are they willing to pay a higher price for organic produce? Market research shows that Gold and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for their preferences but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete．For example, small amounts of pesticides can be used on organic products．And about three quarters of organic food in Britain is not local but imported to meet growing demand．“The demand for organic food is increasing by about one third every year, so it is a very fast-growing market,” said Sue Flock, a specialist in this line of business．

1．More and more people in Britain are buying organic food because________．

[　　]

A．they are getting richer

B．they can get the food anywhere

C．they consider the food free of pollution

D．they like home-grown fruit

2．Which of the following statements is TRUE to the facts a-bout most organic produce sold in Britain?

[　　]

A．It grows indoors all year round．

B．It is produced outside Britain．

C．It is grown on family farms．

D．It is produced on large farms．

3．What is the meaning of “the organic trend” as the words are used in the text?

　　[]

A．growing interest in organic food

B．better quality of organic food

C．rising market for organic food

D．higher prices of organic food

4．What is the best title for this news story?

[　　]

A．Organic food-healthy, or just for the wealthy?

B．The making of organic food in Britain

C．Organic food to import or not?

D．Good qualities of organic food

　　阅读理解：

　　In 1901, H．G．Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon．When the explorers (探险者) landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities．They expressed their surprise to the “moon people” they met．In turn, the “moon people” expressed their surprise．“Why,” they asked, “are you traveling to outer space when you don't even use your inner space?”

　　H．G．Wells could only imagine travel to the moon．In 1969, human beings really did land on the moon．People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon．However, the question that the “moon people” asked is still an interesting one．A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it．

　　Underground systems are already in place．Many cities have underground car parks．In some cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas．The “Chunnel”, a tunnel (隧道) connecting England and France, is now complete．

　　But what about underground cities? Japan's Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called “Alice Cities．” The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping, and so on．A solar dome (太阳能穹顶) would cover the whole city．

　　Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth's space．The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness．H．G．Wells' “moon people” would agree．Would you?

1．The explorers in H．G．Wells' story were surprised to find that the “moon people”________．

[　　]

A．knew so much about the earth

B．understood their language

C．lived in so many underground cities

D．were ahead of them in space technology

2．What does the underlined word it in Paragraph 2 refer to?

[　　]

A．Discovering the moon's inner space．

B．Using the earth's inner space．

C．Meeting the “moon people” again．

D．Traveling to outer space．

3．What sort of underground systems are already here with us?

[　　]

A．Offices, shopping areas, power stations．

B．Tunnels, car parks, shopping areas．

C．Gardens, car parks, power stations．

D．Tunnels, gardens, offices．

4．What would be the best title for the text?

[　　]

A．Alice Cities Cities of the Future

B．Space Travel with H．G．Wells

C．Enjoy Living Underground

D．Building Down, Not Up