Before leaving for England, Thomas Coryate bought a few forks.

    At home Thomas gave a dinner party to show the invention to his friends. When the servants brought the steak, he took out a fork and began to eat like they did in Italy.

    Everybody looked at him in surprise. When he told his friends what it was, they all wanted to take a good look at the strange thing. All his friends said that the Italians were very strange people because the fork was very inconvenient.

    Thomas Coyate tried to prove the opposite. He said it was not nice to eat meat with one’s fingers because they were not always clean.

    Everybody go angry at that. Did Mr. Coryate think that people in England always had dirty hands? And weren’t the ten fingers we had enough for us?

    Thomas Coryate wanted to show that it was very easy to use the fork. But the first piece of meat he took with the fork fell to the floor. His friends began to laugh and he had to take the fork away.

    Only fifty years later did people in England begin to use forks.

    1. Why did Thomas Coryate bring forks to England?

    A. He wanted to make his friends surprised.

    B. He believed it was no nice to eat meat with fingers.

    C. Forks were beautiful.

    D. He wanted to make business selling forks.

    2. Why did everybody look at Thomas when he began to eat like the Italians?

    A. They believed that was bad manners.

    B. Nobody ate meat with hands in England.

    C. Everybody thought it was an amazing invention.

    D. Nobody had seen a fork before.

    3. Why did the first piece of meat fall to the floor when Thomas took it with the fork?

    A. The fork was very inconvenient to use.

    B. The fork was had.

    C. Thomas was not used to eating with a fork.

D. The steak was too tough.

    If we want to send television signals around the surface of the earth, we must send them from point to point by the relay system. On land we can set up relay stations for this purpose, and we can pass signals from station to station in a series of straight lines. However, we can not do this so easily over water. In order to send pictures directly across the Atlantic, for example, we would need to build a chain of relay stations across the ocean, which is about 3, 000 miles wide. One choice would be to build one great tower in the middle of the ocean. But the tower would have to be 500 miles high!

    Both of the ideas are impossible. So we use the communication satellite thousands of miles in outer space to relay the television signals across the Atlantic. A satellite receives the picture signals in a straight line from the ground station on one side of the Atlantic, from England, for example. Then it sends signals down again, also in a straight line, to the ground station on the other side of the Atlantic in the United States. The communication satellite must be within view of both ground stations at the same time.

1. What are microwaves?

    A. They are light waves that are useless.

    B. They are radiation which can travel straight.

    C. They are not waves.

    D. They are very short waves used in TV and radar.

2. Why should people build relay stations?

    A. Because the microwaves can not travel a long time.

    B. Because the microwaves are strong enough to reach another place.

    C. Because the microwaves travel in a straight line and the earth is round.

    D. Because people want to show their power.

3. Television signals must be sent ________.

A. from city to city

B. from point to point

C. from house to house

D. from building to building

4. What’s the main reason for us to use satellites to relay TV programmes?

    A. Satellites can cover large areas.

    B. We can’t build relay stations on the land.

    C. Satellites are cheaper.

    D. Using the satellites, we can receive only a few programmes.

    The first level is a simple note, like the sound of a spoken vowel (元音) or consonant (辅音). The second level puts two or more notes together, like combining vowels and consonants to form a word. The third level consists of several notes, like combining a few words to make a phrase.

    In human speech, inflection, or voice pitch, can change the meaning of the message. In writing, inflection can be shown by changing the punctuation (标点), for example,“No?”and “No!”. Gulls use different inflections, too. They also change the order of their notes. Like a human's word order, a gull's note order can change meaning, for example,“You are my mother.”and“Are you my mother?”. There can be anywhere from 2 to 15 notes in a call. Studies show that it is the first quick notes that appear to identify the bird. For example, a chick will recognize and answer only the call of its own parents.

    1. The word that means "voice pitch" is ________.

    A. communication  B. inflection　　　　   C. language　　　　    D. vowels

    2. The second level of vocal communication is like ________.

    A. putting words together to form a sentence

    B. putting vowels and consonants together to form a word

    C. the sound of a single vowel or consonant

    D. combining a few words to make a phrase

    3. Studies seem to show that the call of the laughing gull is ________.

A. a simple arrangement of bird calls

B. a complicated arrangement of notes.

C. a simple arrangement of words and letters

D. only a call for food

    4. According to the story, which of the following statements is probably true?

    A. Calls are different for each bird.　　   B. Birds recognize each other by sight.

    C. All birds answer the same call.　　　　 D. A chick can only understand its sister’s call.

    5. Which of the following shows a change in inflection?

A. I’m tired. I’m not tired.

B. You are late! Are you late!

C. Are you my mother? Are you my mother?

D. He is tall! He is tall?

    Taravura is all things to all men. It is a capital city, with international hotels that will give you the warmest welcome you have ever received; with streets of buildings old and new, and of stores big and small; with shops full of bargains, and parks and gardens full of things to see and do. Government House and the President’s Palace are there.

    The international airport has regular and direct flights to and from cities all over South-East Asia, Australia and the South Pacific. Yet Taravura does not feel big: few of its buildings are higher than the trees; none of its streets is so full of traffic that it is difficult to cross, even at the busiest times of the day; and from all parts of the city you can see either Mount Bari and its brothers, the Endi Mountains, to the north, or the sky-blue sea to the south. Nowhere in Taravura are you very far from nature.

    But do not be deceived into thinking that because Taravura is small among capital cities, you will have done everything worth doing within a day. Taravura is a mine of golden opportunities. St. Cecilia’s Cathedral, for example, contains many pieces of local art-work; and Komati Museum has a collection of paintings by South Pacific artists that is without equal in the world. For those who enjoy watching sports and games, you can be sure that somewhere in the city there is a national or an international team playing football, cricket or basketball; and for those who would rather play than watch, Taravura offers plenty of opportunities to try your hand at any sport.

    Until you have been to Taravura, you have not visited the city of your dreams-truly a heaven on earth.

　　 1.“Taravura is all things to all men,”means ________.

    A. there is nothing that you will no find there

    B. everyone will find something there to suit him

    C. there are as many things to do as there are men

    D. the men will do anything you wish-them to do

    2. Taravura“does not feel big”in spite of the fact that ________.

    A. it is a capital city with an airport and international hotels

    B. its streets are full of traffic at all times of the day

    C. few of its buildings are higher than the trees

    D. its buildings are old and new, its stores big and small

    3. Nowhere in Taravura are you very far from nature in that ________.

    A. the open-air markets are full of flowers and fruit

    B. the houses are made of grass and the churches of wood

    C. there are mountains on one side and sea on the other

    D. there axe parks and gardens full of things to see and do

    4.“Taravura is a mine of golden opportunities”means that ________.

    A. St. Cecilia’s Cathedral is a local piece of gold art-work

    B. there are many things made of gold in the Cathedral and the museum

    C. there are all sorts of things to do in the city

D. Taravura is a very wealthy city in many ways

The next morning after a bad night because of all the planes taking off and landing we reported back to the airport. Guess what had happened while we were asleep! Our plane had arrived and taken off again. All the other passengers had been forgotten. You can imagine how we felt.

1. The plane the writer and her husband would take________.

    A. came from Spain 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. passed by Spain

    C. was not to leave till the next morning　　   D. was waiting for the passengers

2. The plane was delayed (耽搁)________.

A.　　  by the bad weather 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. by the passengers

A.　　  because of many cars on the road 　　　　　　  D. because something was wrong with the machine

3. They were in a big hall, waiting for________.

    A. the girl to give them information 　　　　    B. their flight to be announced

    C. the free meal vouchers 　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. other passengers to arrive

4. The passengers were given a free meal because________

    A. they arrived at the airport early 　　　　　　  B. They hadn’t had a meal yet

    C. They had no money with them　　　　　　   D. The plane was delayed

5. It cost them________ to spend the night in a hotel.

A.　　  plenty of money 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. a little money

C. little money　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. nothing

1. The importance of Brocklehurst’s research is that _______.

A. it suggested a way to keep some foods fresh without using some chemicals

B. it discovered small globules in both cream and butter

C. it showed the secret of how bacteria increase in cream and butter

D. it found that cream and butter share the same chemical composition

2. According to the researchers, cream goes bad faster than butter because bacteria _______.

A. are stronger in cream

B. increase their number more easily in cream than in butter

C. live on less fat in cream than in butter

D. produce less waste in cream than in butter

3. According to Brocklehurst, we can keep cream fresh by _______.

A. removing its fat　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. killing the bacteria

C. reducing its water　　　　    　　　　　　　　　　 D. changing its structure

4. The underlined word “colonies” refers to _______.

A. tiny globules　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. watery regions

C. bacteria society　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. little departments

5. Commercial(商业的) use of the research finding will be possible if salad cream can be made to stand bacterial attack _______.

A. by changing its chemical composition

B. by turning it into a solid lump

C. while keeping its structure unchanged

D. while its liquid form remains

Pet owners in Tokyo have found a new companion—the jellyfish(水母).

They don’t bark or make your clothes dirty. They don’t leave claw marks on the sofa. And, best of all, they provide calm.

“It relaxes me to watch them float. ” Miki Koyama, a 28-year-old office worker, said of two doughnut-sized(饼圈大小的) jellyfish floating in a tank at her Tokyo apartment.

The pet jellyfish craze has been the topic of special shows on nearly all major TV net works in Japan. Jellyfish have ever pushed their way onto the pages of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the country’s leading economic newspaper.

As is often the case here, single women in their 20s and 30s appear to be encouraging this fashion.

Many consider the creature’s low, gentle movement in the water as their main attraction. Jellyfish are a kind of relaxation-introducing object of art.

They aren’t a lot of trouble to take care of. And their sting(刺) is mild.

“Jellyfish never disturb you, ” said Hironobu Fuji, an employee at a Tokyo pet shop. “If you leave the house for a week, it doesn’t matter to them. I think that’s why they are popular with women who live alone and want to keep a pet. ”

The pet species tend to be small, and are transparent(透明的), pale blue or milky white. They range in price from about US $14 to $38—a seal in a country where an atlas beetle(一种甲壳虫)(another popular pet) lives can fetch thousands of dollars.

Some 50 to 60 pet shops in Tokyo are now selling jellyfish, according to Hiroshi Yazaki of Nisso Industry co. Lrd. , which has introduced special jellyfish aquariums(养鱼缸) costing between $461 and $508.

1. In Japan, jellyfish are _______.

A. hard to find

B. raised as pets

C. able to bark

D. hated by many single women in their 20s and 30s

2. Jellyfish owners _______.

A. are never at home　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　      B. are always alone at home

C. train their pets to float　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. buy the creatures in pet shops

3. Pet owners claim（声称）that _______.

A. they feel calm when they watch floating jellyfish

B. most of the sea creatures are overpriced

C. the pets are boring

D. in Japan they can never buy jellyfish at a reasonable price

4. Jellyfish are believed to be popular with so many young single women because the pet _______.

A. looks like doughnut　　　　　　　　　　        　　   B. help them relax after work

C. doesn’t sting　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. always float on the water

5. According to the story, the latest pet craze has _______.

A. hurt the Japanese economic (经济)

B. been the topic of special TV programs in Japan

C. not been popular with children

D. only been popular with single women in their 20s and 30s

However, Halley had a friend named Newton, who was a brilliant mathematician. Newton thought he had already worked out that problem, but he could not find the papers on which he had done it. He told Halley that the orbit of a comet had the shape of an ellipse(椭圆形).

Then Halley set to work. He figured out the orbits of some of the comets that had been observed by scientists. He made a surprising discovery. The comets that had appeared in the years 1531, 1607, and 1682 all had the same orbit. Yet their appearances had been 75 to 76 years apart.

This seemed very strange to Halley. Three different comets followed the same orbit. The more Halley thought about it, the more he thought that there had not been three different comets, as people thought. He decided that they had simply seen the same comet three times. The comet had gone away and had come back again.

It was an astonishing idea! Halley felt certain enough to make a prediction (预测)of what would happen in the future. He decided that this comet would appear in the year 1758. There were 53 years to go before Halley’s prediction could be tested.

In 1758 the comet appeared in the sky. Halley did not see it, for he had died some years before. Ever since then that comet had been called Halley’s Comet in his honour.

1. Edmund Halley figured out the orbit of _______.

A. some different comets appearing several times

B. the same comet appearing at different times

C. three different comets appearing three times

D. several comets appearing at the same time

2. Halley made his discovery _______.

A. by doing experiments

B. by means of his own careful observation

C. by using the work of other scientists

D. by chance

3. Halley made a surprising, but correct prediction in the year _______.

A. 1704　　　　　　　　 B. 1705　　　　　　　　 C. 1706　　　　　　　　 D. 1707

4. This passage in general is about _______.

A. Halley and other scientists　　　　　　   B. the orbit of a comet

C. Newton and Halley　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Halley and his discovery

5. According to the passage, which one is not true?

A. Newton figured out the orbit of the comet.

B. Halley figured out the orbit of the comet first.

C. Newton gave Halley some help.

D. Halley died before 1758.

Mr. Kenneth Jones, the scientific officer of the North-Eastern Forensic (法庭的) Science Laboratory told an inquest (问询会) at Wakefield, Yorkshire, “The spread of fire is frighteningly fast, and choking smokes are giving off.”

He warned that it was a waste of time to try to put out this type of flame. The best thing was to get out of the room and shut the door to prevent from dying of the choking smokes.

Mr.Jones said that in a house where a four-year-old boy died there was a three-piece bedroom set with this foam filling. He said, “Some half million tons a year are produced for 500 million armchairs. ”

But the danger has been recognized and is being dealt with. A new product has just been developed in which the fire danger is reduced and will be put into use in a few months.

An accident death was recorded on Richard Jolley, of Wakefield, who died in his bedroom of the choking smokes.

1. A scientist pointed out that certain types of armchairs _______.

A. were widely used and supplied

B. were very safe

C. would give off choking smokes

D. should not be used because they were very dangerous

2. If an armchair of this type caught fire, _______.

A. things fifteen feet away would catch fire too

B. the whole room would be on fire within three minutes

C. the whole room would be on fire within only one minute

D. the fire would last three minutes

3. Mr. Kenneth Jones was speaking _______.

A. at the North-Eastern Forensic Science Laboratory

B. at a meeting of fore-preventing officers

C. because he was asked for information

D. in his office at Wakefield, Yorkshire

4. Mr. Jones said that with a fire of this kind _______.

A. it was no use trying to put it out

B. much time might be wasted

C. it would take a very long time to put it out

D. it was necessary to put it out immediately

5. Soon there will be a new filling for armchairs which will be _______.

A. completely safe　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. dangerous if they catch fire

C. not so easy to catch fire　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. safe and widely produced

Jenny loves office work but it’s hard on her figure. All those sandwich lunches and her sweet tooth added up to extrapounds till Jenny started slimming (减肥) with Bisks.

Every lunchtime she’d have a Bisks chocolate bar with a glass of milk. It filled her up and satisfied her longing for sweet things. And it was all so convenient. She watched what she ate at her other meals and soon she was losing weight. Now Jenny’s feeling and looking so good even her boss notice the difference.

That was her proof that Bisks work.

Housewife

A lively little girl and a hungry husband meant Elizabeth always cooked big, filling meals. And when she cooked them, she couldn’t resist eating them, which led to her weight out of hand. So Elizabeth tried slimming with Bisks.

Bisks offered her 24 different flavours of biscuits and chocolate, some sweet and some savoury(咸辣的). When she ate them instead of a meal they were really filling and satisfying. She hardly ever felt hungry and soon she began to lose weight.

Now Elizabeth’s back to what she weighed at her wedding.

And she knows that Bisks work.

Student

Sue’s first year at college was her first opportunity to cook for herself. Only she didn’t. She ate whatever the dining room had to offer. Pretty soon, Sue had a weight problem. A problem she worked out with Bisks.

Sue had Bisks instead of a meal—easy because there was nothing to cook. The Bisks flavours were so delicious. She really enjoyed them. And she ate more sensibly at her other meals.

In a few weeks Sue had lost her extra weight. Now she’s even taking a class in cooking!

That’s proof that Bisks work.

1. What is the passage?

A. A story. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. A book review.

C. An advertisement. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. A scientific article.

2. Bisks suit Jenny because _______.

A. they filled her up and satisfied her sweet tooth

B. they were easy to eat

C. they were cheap

D. they satisfied her boss

3. When did Sue start going to cooking lesson?

A. When she entered college.

B. When she had a weight problem.

C. When she didn’t enjoy Bisks.

D. When she’d lost her extra weight.

4. The main purpose of the passage is to_______.

A. give proof that Bisks work in slimming

B. ask people to pay attention to their figures while working

C. show people how many different flavours of biscuits and chocolate Bisks can offer

D. ask people not to cook by themselves

5. From the passage, we can infer that the writer clearly aims at _______.

A. young readers　　　　   B. women readers　　　　 C. men readers　　　　　　　　　　 D. old readers