Easter Island is one of the most famous islands in the world．It's located in Polynesia，a group of islands about 3，700 kilometers off the South American coast．About 24 kilometers long and 12 kilometers wide，Easter Island's present population is about 2，000，and it now belongs to the Republic of Chile（ 智利）．

　　It is famous for its huge stone statues，of which there are nearly a thousand．These statues are called moai and are carved from a soft rock called tuff（凝灰岩）．They show the heads and shoulders of people believed to be early inhabitants（居民）of the island．Most of the statues are between three and twelve meters high，and some of them weigh more than 50 tons！It is believed most of the statues were carved between A.D. 1000--1600．About a century before the arrival of the first Europeans，however，there is evidence（证据）of some kind of conflict（冲突）among the inhabitants of the island，and carving stopped．

　　The first recorded visit by a Westerner to Easter Island was by the Dutch sailor Jacob Roggeveen on Easter Sunday in 1722．This is where the name Easter Island comes from．The arrival of Westerners，however，did nothing to improve things because they brought new illnesses and took many of the islanders as slaves．In 1774 the British explorer Captain James Cook visited the island and recorded a great deal of information about the islanders and their statues．However，the first serious archaeological（考古）study was done by an American team，who arrived in 1886．The first detailed study of the quarry（采石场）from which the statues had been cut was made by an Englishwoman，Catherine Routledge，during the First World War．

Easter Island became really famous，however，in 1950 when Norwegian（挪威的）explorer Thor Heyerdahl published his best-selling book，Kon-Tiki．Heyerdahl had sailed from South America to Polynesia on a simple raft（筏）made from a light，soft wood called balsa（轻木）．He argued in his book that the fact he could do this proved the people of Polynesia originally came from South America，not South-East Asia．Heyerdahl's theory，however，is no longer accepted by most experts on Polynesian history．

1．The story is mainly about ________．

A．the early explorers

B．the history of Polynesia

C．the statues of Easter Island

D．the inhabitants of Easter Island

2．Easter Island can be found ________．

A．in Chile

B．in America

C．in the Atlantic Ocean

D．off the coast of South America

3．Easter Island is famous for its ________．

A．explorers

B．statues

C．inhabitants

D．archaeologists

4．Most of the statues ________．

A．are carved out of wood

B．are between 3 and 12 meters high

C．weigh more than 50 tons

D．are carved two thousand years ago

　　Different people eat different foods，especially for breakfast．A typical Japanese breakfast，for example，includes various kinds of seaweed and withered raw or cooked fish in different sauces．Most Chinese like to begin the day with a bowl of thin，rice soup or a similar dish called congee．In Scotland，the basic breakfast is porridge，which is made from a type of grain called oats．The oats are boiled with a little salt until they are soft，and most people also like to add milk or cream，and sugar．The Swiss invented a breakfast called muesli，which is a mixture of different grains and dried fruits．Nowadays muesli can be bought already mixed but many people like to buy the separate ingredients（成分）and mix their own muesli according to their tastes．

　　For most American families，manufactured and packaged breakfast cereals are becoming popular．Western supermarkets sell a wide variety of breakfast cereals．They often contain a lot of sugar and many of them have fun names and sometimes contain little toys，which makes them especially attractive to children．

Most of these cereals are made from a type of grain called corn which is crushed and then cooked under pressure until it is light and crunchy（松脆的）．It is usually eaten with milk，and most people also add fruit or sugar．

There are many companies making cereals，but the first of these and still the most famous is the Kellogg company which makes Kellogg's Cornflakes．The history of this cereal is not widely known．

　　It was invented by J.G. Kellogg，an American，in about 1860．Kellogg belonged to a religious group called the Seventh Day Adventists who were vegetarians—people who don't eat meat--and he wanted to make a breakfast food that would be healthy and not use animal products．However，it was his brother W.K. Kellogg who started the product as a business．At the time，Kellogg was working at a place called the Battle Creek Sanitarium and one of the patients，C.W. Post，realized money could be made from selling the new breakfast cereal．So he started his own business and for many years，Post's“Toasties”were as famous as Kellogg's Cornflakes．

1．The story is mainly about ________．

A．selling Cornflakes

B．different breakfast cereals

C．the history of breakfast

D．popular breakfasts around the world

2．For breakfast，the Japanese usually eat ________．

A．cereals

B．congee

C．meat and soup

D．seaweed and fish

3．Muesli ________．

A．was invented by the Swiss

B．cannot be bought from a store

C．is no longer popular in Switzerland

D．has to be separated before eaten

4．Children like some breakfast cereals because ________．

A．there is a wide variety of them

B．they are made of boiled oats

C．they can be bought in supermarkets

D．they are sweet and come with little plastic toys

　　In Melbourne, Australia, not long ago specialists gave advice on a patient's problem． There's nothing unusual in that -- except that the patient was in the far west of New South Wales at the time． That's hundreds of miles from Melbourne． The heart disease experts were able to make their diagnosis after listening to the patient's heartbeat over the telephone．

　　They were testing a new device that can change readings of a patient's heartbeat into tone signals that can be sent by telephone． The device was designed in Australia． It is meant for use in areas far from large cities． Doctors in remote areas can take the heartbeat readings right in the patient’s home． Then they can play them over a telephone line to specialists in larger centers． The doctor in the remote area is thus able to obtain an expert's opinion on the heart condition of his patient． Experiments with the device show that the whole process takes only a few minutes．

1．This article is mainly about a device for______．

A． preventing heart disease B． sending medical information

C．moving heart patients D．recording doctors' conversations

2．The author says the device was designed in______．

A． Melbourne B． New South Wales C． Australia D．None of the above

3．Doctors in remote areas sometimes need advice because they don't have_____．

A．any training in medicine　　

B． connections with telephone or telegraph offices

C．enough nurses and technicians to help them

D．the special knowledge needed to treat every condition

4．Doctors take the heartbeat readings with______．

A．stethoscopes B． cardiographs C． telephone receivers D． The article does not say．

5．The readings are changed to tone signals in the______．

A．specialist's office B． patient's home C． city hospital　　 D． radio station

6．Which happens last?

A．The specialist makes his diagnosis．

B．The doctor goes to the patient's home．

C． The specialist gives the doctor his opinion．

D．The specialist hears the patient's heart-beat．

7．From the article we can conclude that Australia has a number of_____．

A．remote areas B．good highways C． mountainous regions D． strange animals

8．The new method allows medical people to communicate______．

A． quickly　　B．effectively C． over great distances D． All of the above

　　The most valuable rubbish in the world is not in the world, but in orbit around it． Space has always contained "trash": a little dust raised from Earth by air currents, cosmic ray fragments, and some cosmic dust caused by meteors． Explosions from the sun's surface may have added some atomic nuclei, carried outward into space by the solar wind． But there is much more trash now． When the hatch of a space capsule opens, dust particles float out． Sometimes small objects escape． Astronaut Edward White's heat-reflecting glove, dropped during the first space walk, is up there． There are several thousand fragments from upper rocket stages, some satellites that did not work, and some satellites still working． A Titan rocket that destroyed itself added 339 pieces to the orbiting rubbish．

　　Several hundred man-made objects that were space travelers have disappeared: they burned up as they reentered Earth's atmosphere． One famous piece that returned successfully was found in the United States, when two policemen kicked it out of the middle of a street in Wisconsin． It was a twenty-pound piece of Russia's Sputnik IV．

1．Present-day space trash is called valuable because of_______．

A．materials used in it　　B． the total cost of producing it

C．its possible use as atomic energy D．None of the above

2．Before our time, Earth's only addition to space rubbish was_______．

A．some atomic nuclei　　B． cosmic ray fragments

C．cosmic dustD． None of the above

3． The writer says a space capsule adds to rubbish when________．

A．a hatch opens　　 B．rockets fire

C．food is jettisoned D．any astronaut goes for a walk

4．The article dropped during the first space walk was a_________．

A． camera B． piece of nylon cord

C．heat-reflecting glove D． glare-proof plastic visor

5．When a Titan rocket destroyed itself, the trash was increased by_____．

A．339 pieces B．399 pieces

C．several thousand pieces D．twenty pounds

6．Implied but not stated:

A．Some working satellites are still in orbit．

B．There is some way of counting objects in orbit．

C．All objects that have disappeared from orbit have burned up on reentering our atmosphere．

D．Radar is used to track objects in space．

7．The policemen probably kicked the object they found because it_______．

A．was useless B． had come from space

C．might cause an accident D． looked dangerous

8．This famous object was from_______．

A．a Titan rocket　　 B． an American lunar capsule

C．Russia's Sputnik II D． Russia's Sputnik IV

　　Man's knowledge of the past has sometimes been gained in odd ways． One of the oddest incidents occurred on January 16, 1900． An angry workman broke a crocodile mummy into pieces． He was surprised to find that the mummy had been wrapped in sheets of papyrus, the reed paper of ancient Egypt． And on the papyrus was writing．

　　The diggers at Tebtynis had been searching for papyrus records in the ancient cemetery． Finding crocodile mummies near human mummies had not been surprising: the crocodile had once been looked on as a god． But digging up crocodile mummies had seemed a waste of time．

　　In the end, thousands of them were recovered． Most had no papyrus wrappings, but some were stuffed with rolls of papyrus and had the wrappings as well． Scholars found them a useful source of information about life in Egypt a century and a half before Christ．

1．The incident leading to this discovery was a workman's______．

A．finding a cemetery of crocodile mummies B． breaking a crocodile mummy into pieces

C．breaking into an ancient tomb D． None of the above

2．The workman's action was caused by his______．

A．feeling angry B．being clumsy C．working hastily　　D．feeling eager

3．The action was important because it led to the discovery of______．

A．valuable jewels　　B． a crocodile god C． papyrus records　　D． reeds

4．The diggers had been working in a cemetery_______．

A． at Thebes B．in Tunisia C． in the Valley of the Kings　　D．at Tebtynis

5．Before this incident, finding the crocodile mummies had______．

A．surprised the diggers B．excited the diggers

C．made the diggers believe in a crocodile god D．None of the above

6．Further digging added the discovery that______．

A．all the mummies were wrapped in papyrus

B． some mummies were stuffed with papyrus rolls

C．Both A and B

D．Neither A nor B

7．The information scholars gained was about life in Egypt_______．

A．three centuries before Christ　　 B．two centuries before Christ

C．a century and a half before Christ D．half a century before Christ

8．The story implies that_______．

A．scholars could read the records　　 B．the records were written in Greek

C．there were few crocodile mummies　　D．papyrus rots quickly

　　Long ago, dogs and horses were tamed to become man's helpers on land． Today some people believe that dolphins may become man's helpers in the sea．

　　Proof that a dolphin can be trained to assist man appeared in 1965． The U．S． Navy used the services of a seven-foot dolphin, Tuffy．

　　Tuffy worked with divers at the Navy's Man-in-the-Sea station off the coast of California． He acted as messenger to a ten-man team whose underwater home was Sealab II, 205 feet deep． Wearing a plastic harness, Tuffy carried letters in a waterproof tube． He also carried tools for the undersea workers． Tuffy learned to answer calls for help． Pretending to be lost, an aquanaut would sound a buzzer． Another aquanaut would fasten one end of a line to Tuffy's harness ．Tuffy would speed to the rescue．

　　More and more, it seems likely that old tales of dolphins' willingness to help man are closer to truth than to fiction．

1．The land animals dolphins are compared to are______．

A．oxen and horses　　 B．dogs and cats

C．dogs and horses　　 D．None of the above

2．The name of the trained dolphin was_______．

A． Toughy B． Tuffy C． Tufty D．None of the above

3．The services of the dolphin were used by the_______．

A．Government of California　　　　B． U．S． Army

C． U．S． Navy D． Scripps Institution of Oceanography

4．The article does not say that______．

A．the station was named Sealab II　　 B． the station's depth was 205 feet

C．ten men were in the underwater team D． the men spent fifteen days at the station

5．For all his chores, the dolphin______．

A．wore a plastic harness　　B．carried a waterproof tube

C．carried a line D．carried tools

6．The signal for the dolphin's rescue chore was a______．

A． shout B． bell　　 C． buzzer D． whistle

7．The purpose of the line the dolphin took was to______．

A．save the aquanaut from drowning　　 B．lead the aquanaut back to the others

C．help the aquanaut to guide the dolphin D．carry a light to the aquanaut

8．The author suggests that this modern example makes old tales about dolphins seem______．

A．more truth than fiction　　 B． more fiction than truth

C．half truth and half fiction　　D． entirely fiction

　　A tiki is an ornament that looks like a strange human figure． It is bowlegged;it carries its head on one side and its hands on its stomach． The little figure is New Zealand's national good luck charm．

　　The first tikis were made long ago by the Maori people of New Zealand． They were worn as fertility emblems by women who wished to have children． Tikis ranged in height from a few centimetres to several inches． Some tikis were made from whalebone that through the centuries took on the gloss of old ivory． But the most treasured tikis were made of greenstone, a dark, clear stone found mainly on New Zealand's South Island． Greenstone is as hard as steel． And the tools the early carvers used were quite crude． As a result, generations of craftsmen sometimes worked on one tiki before it was fashioned to their satisfaction．

1．A tiki looks something like a little_______．

A． beetle B． rabbit C． bird D． person

2．Today the tiki stands for________．

A． fertility B． luck C． peace D． progress

3．The writer's purpose in the second paragraph was to give some_______．

A．historical facts about the tiki B．reasons for the tiki's popularity

C．opinions on the ability of Maori carvers D．arguments for the use of the tiki

4．The first tikis were worn by Maori_______．

A． chiefs B． women C． children D． dancers

5．Tikis were all much the same________．

A． shape B． height C． color D． weight

6．Old whalebone tikis came to look like________．

A． wood B． steel C． greenstone D． ivory

7．Stone tikis were________．

A．liked better than bone tikis B． difficult to carve　　

C．hard and clear D． All of the above

8．The last sentence shows that the Maori craftsmen must have been very_______．

A． kind B． patient C． strong D． old

　　When the Union Jack fluttered down over Gambia on February 18, 1965, it marked the end of the last outpost of British colonial rule in West Africa． Thousands of Gambians crowded into McCarthy Square in Bathurst, the capital, for the ceremony． One young boy in his best clothes cried out, "It's just like New Year's Day．"

　　The ceremony followed the pattern used by many other British colonies in Africa when they become independent nations． Just before midnight, British Royal Marines marched in solemn half step． They took the salute of the queen's representatives． The crowd stood at attention as the band played "God Save the Queen．" The British flag was lowered slowly． The lights were dimmed． As the new blue, green, and red flag of Africa's smallest independent nation was raised high, the crowd gave a mighty shout． Fireworks burst over the bay． Drums were pounded． And the people danced until dawn．

1．February 18, 1965, was the day when_______．

A．Gambia became an independent nation B．Britain lost its last West African colony

C．Gambia celebrated New Year's Day　　 D．Both A and B

2．Gambia's independence ceremony took place_______．

A． at noon B． in a large hall C． in the capital city D． None of the above

3．Which happened last?

A．The British Royal Marines marched．　　B．The band played "God Save the Queen．"

C．The people went to McCarthy Square． D．The British flag was lowered．

4．The noisiest part of the ceremony probably came when the_______．

A．boy shouted　　　　B．Gambian flag went up

C．marines saluted　　 D．crowd stood at attention

5．Most of the Gambians probably felt_______．

A．frightened　　B． sad C． excited D． surprised

6．The flag of Gambia is_______．

A．red, white, and blue　　 B．red, green, and blue

C．red, white, and yellow　　D．black, white, and blue

7．Compared with other African nations, Gambia_______．

A．has more natural resources B．has a smaller land area

C．gained its independence much earlier D．had a simpler independence ceremony

8．From this story we can conclude that in recent years many African colonies have______．

A．gained the right to rule themselves B．been taken over by foreign rulers

C．united to form new nations　　D．begun to fly the Union Jack

　　People the world over tell tales of sirens and mermaids． In Germany strange, beautiful women-- only part human -- are said to sit on rocks in the Rhine River, singing sweet songs． Any man who listens to them will go out of his mind． In Italian legends, mermaids come ashore, marry men, and bear them children． But in time, these mermaid wives desert their husbands and take their children away to the depth of the ocean． The Chinese say the mermaids pass their time weaving． When they weep, their tears turn into pearls．

　　Despite all stories, no one has ever captured one of these strange beings -- alive or dead． A man once claimed to have found a mermaid． The creature he displayed did indeed look half human, half fish． But closer inspection showed that it was nothing but the head and shoulders of a dried monkey and the tail of a fish -- sewn together by the cunning faker!

1．The strange beings mentioned in the article are said to be able to live_______．

A． in oceans B． in rivers C． on land　　 D．Any of the above

2．Some tales suggest that mermaids and sirens have_________．

A．no interest in men B．harmful effects on men

C．a great fear of men D．no power over men

3．Mermaids seem to have no effect on people in the stories told by the_______．

A． Germans B． Danes C． Italians D． Chinese

4．One of the mermaid tales may have started as an attempt to explain________．

A．where pearls come from B．why children love water

C．how storms begin　　 D．why mermaids weep

5．The writer suggests that he would believe in mermaids if he_______．

A．read more stories about them　　 B．saw a picture of one

C．met a fisherman who had seen one D．None of the above

6．A man once claimed to have found__________．

A．a husband deserted by a mermaid B．a monkey swimming in the ocean

C．a dead mermaid's body　　 D． the child of a mermaid

7．The creature the man displayed was probably_________．

A． huge B． ugly C． smooth D． yellow

8．Close inspection showed that the creature was really_______．

A．a being with a human head B．parts of two creatures

C．a monkey with a fish's head D．a large sea lion

　　During a television play the sound man must be ready to make every sound as it is needed． Sound effects are of three kinds: real, imitated, and recorded．

　　Real sounds are those of doorbells, telephone bells, and other small objects easy to keep in a studio． But the sound man must imitate many sounds． For bacon frying, he crumples cellophane paper． A long sheet of metal hanging in a doorway makes thunder． He taps one rubber sink plunger and then another on a table to imitate a horse walking on pavement． For a horse galloping along a gravel road, the sound man can use the two halves of a coconut, pounding each in turn very fast on the table．

　　Recorded sound effects are used for noises he cannot himself produce offstage． He plays records for such sounds as a rooster crowing, a train leaving a station, and a baby crying． The sound man is an important part of any television production．

1．The order in which sound effects are discussed is________．

A．recorded, real, imitated B．real, recorded, imitated

C．real, imitated, recorded D．imitated, real, recorded

2．The examples given for the first kind are________．

A．whistles and sirens B． doorbells and telephone bells．

C．church bells and telephone bells D． typewriters and cash registers

3．Crumpling cellophane gives the sound of_______．

A．rain failing　　B．water boiling C．someone sneezing D．bacon frying

4．The metal sheet used to imitate thunder must be_______．

A．tightly fastened on all sides B． lying flat C． Both A and B D． Neither A nor B

5．The account gives ways to imitate a horse's________．

A．walking and galloping　　B．walking and cantering

C．galloping and cantering D．trotting and cantering

6．Coconut halves are used to imitate a horse's traveling on______．

A． pavement B． grassland C． gravel D． sand

7．Recorded sound effects are used for a_______．

A．train leaving a station B． baby crying

C．rooster crowing　　　　D． All of the above

8．The sound man is important because he________．

A．is kept busy　　　　　　 B． makes a TV play more lifelike

C．lets an actor know when to lift a telephone receiver D． is always learning new methods