There are countries between these two extremes that normally expect snow some time over the winter months, but never receive snow regularly or in the same quantities every year. Britain is one such country, for which the arrival of snow quite simply creates problems. Within hours of the first snowfall, however light, roads are blocked; trains and buses stop in the middle of the traffic. Normal communications are affected as well, telephone calls become difficult and the post immediately takes more time than usual. Almost within hours, there are also certain shortages—bread, vegetables and other things—not because all these things can no longer be produced or sent to shops, but mainly because people are frightened, and go out to store up these commodities,“just for fear that something bad should happen.”

Why then does snow have this effect? After all, the Swiss, Austrians and Canadians don’t have such problems. It is simply because there is not enough planning and preparation. We need money to buy equipment to deal with snow and ice. To keep the roads clear, for example, requires snowploughs and machines to spread salt. The reason why a country like Britain does not buy snow ploughs is that they are only used for a few days in any one year, and the money could be more useful in other things such as hospitals, education or helping the old.

1. According to the writer, Britain is a country______.

A. which has regular snow

B. which is not well prepared for snow

C. for which snow is not a catastrophe

D. for which snow is a wonder

2. The arrival of snow in Britain affects all of the following except______.

A. traffic　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. communications

C. food supplies　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. service quality

3. After a few hours’ snowing there are often shortages of food because______.

A. shops have closed down

B. people buy as much as they can

C. farmers cannot produce any more

D. people eat more vegetables in winter

4. The first reason that the British do not buy snow ploughs is that______.

A. spreading salt is good enough　　　　　　　　　　    B. old people need more money

C. snow ploughs are not used often　　　　　　　　    D. the hospital is more important

5.The words“two extremes”in the second paragraph mean the countries______.

A. which have snow either as yearly happening to celebrate or as rare weather

B. which either have heavy snow or light snow

C. to which snow either causes problems or no problems

D. which either have snow-ploughs or no snow-ploughs

That predatory population increase to control other animals has long been known. Many years ago, the Hudson’s Bay Company records revealed that the fox population went up and down about a year after rabbit population had gone up and down.

Sometimes a situation occurs in which the predatory population is reduced to a level below which nature can readily replace. On Valcour Island in Lake Champlain, a costly campaign resulted in the elimination（消除）of predatory animals only to have birds and small animals increase for four years afterward. Then, lacking predator control, nature resorted to disease to cut down these populations.

Jamaica had an example of nature’s persistence in providing animals for existing habits. Sugar planters, about 75 years ago, imported mongooses（狐猴）to control rats. The mongooses killed off the rats, kids, puppies, and wildlife. Eventually, food became scarce and the mongoose’s population declines.

1. The fact that the number of predators has much to do with that of other animals 　　  .

A. is not recent knowledge　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B.has just been learned

C.hasn’t been proved yet　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.is not important now

2. When predator control fails, nature brings animal population into balance by       .

A. eliminating the number of predators

B.seeking the help of disease to reduce other animals

C.increasing the number of other animals

D.replacing the number of predators immediately

3. When the mongooses killed off the rats they 　　  .

A. became problems themselves　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.ate the sugar crop

C.attacked humans　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D.had nothing to eat

4. It is implied in this passage that 　　  .

A. sugar planter imported mongooses to control rats

B.man should never kill animals

C.man has complete control over nature

D.to upset the balance of nature can be troublesome

Roman soldiers conquered the Jews in 63 B.C., and their land became a Roman province called Judea. Again and again, the Jews rebelled and tried to throw out the conquerors. Finally, in 132 A.D., the Romans ended all resistance by killing many of the Jews and forcing most of the others to leave the country. The Jews who survived were scattered over Europe and Asia. They began a long period of exile (流放).

Wherever they lived, the Jews carefully preserved their religion and laws, their language and customs. They dreamed to their homeland, and planned for the day when they could return to it.

After World War Ⅱ, in 1947,they called for dividing Palestine into two states, one Arab and the other Jewish. The Jewish state became Israel.

1. The province called Judea was ruled by the __________ .

A. Russians　　　　　　　　  B.Romans　　　　　　　　　　 C.Romanians　　　　　　    D.Germans

2. How long was it since the Jews had left their homeland?

A. About 1802 years.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. About 1815 years.

C. About 3500 years.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. About 1884 years.

3. Why did the Jews rebel against the Romans?

A. They wanted to throw out their conquerors.

B.They wanted to protest against Roman customs.

C.They wanted to keep their customs and religion.

D.They wanted to set up a new country.

4. On the whole, the article tells about 　　  .

A. Romans who forced Jews to leave their homeland

B.the history of the Jews and their homeland

C.the United Nations after the Second World War

D.Jewish resistance

Among the arguments for uniforms, the first one is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian（百姓的）clothes. People have become conditioned to expect higher quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears a uniform is likely to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a hairdresser, or a waiter to lose professional identity（职业身份）than to step out of uniform?

Uniforms also have many practical good points. They are often more comfortable and more lasting than civilian clothes.

Primary among the argument against uniforms is their lack of variety and the loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change, until retirement. When people look alike, they are likely to think, speak, and act similarly on the job at least.

Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain, requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.

1. What surprises us is that Americans 　　  .

A. still judge a man by his clothes　　　　　　　　　　   B.think highly of uniforms

C.less prefer wearing civilian clothes　　　　　　　　  D.respect a lift operator in uniform

2. People are likely to think that a man in uniform 　　  .

A. suggests quality work　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B.shows his social position

C.appears to be more practical　　　　　　　　　　　　   D.looks more fresh and attractive

3. Those who are against uniforms believe that people wearing uniforms 　　  .

A. are usually helpful　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B.have little freedom

C.lose personal character　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.enjoy greater popularity

4. It can be concluded from the passage that 　　  .

A. people generally trust a person in uniform

B.people enjoy wearing comfortable uniform

C.the cost of the uniform is acceptable to people

D.people wear uniforms to show their professions

5. The underlined sentence tells us that 　　  .

A. it’s impossible for people with jobs to lose their identity

B. people’s identity can be recognized more easily by their uniforms

C.nurses and policemen must wear uniforms when working

D.people in those professions act in an easier way without uniforms

The western desert can be dangerous. There is little water and there are few trees. But the desert also has scenery of great beauty. Tall towers made of red and yellow stone rise sharply from the flat, sandy valley floors. The scene has been photographed many times and appears in movies and on TV.

In Arizona, man-made dams across the Colorado River have made two large lakes in the middle of the dry desert country. At Lake Powell, the red stone arch of Rainbow Bridge rises high above the blue lake.

There are few roads. Many areas of Lake Powell’s shore can only be reached by boat or on foot. But hikers in this empty desert land sometimes find very old native American pictures, painted on the rocks.

In Death Valley, California, the summer temperature rises to 130~165 degrees Fahrenheit. There is less than two inches of rain each year. Death Valley is the lowest place in America—925 meters below sea level. In the 1800s, many travelers died when they tried to cross this waterless valley in the terrible heat.

Although the desert is dry and seems empty, there is plenty of life if you look closely. Small insects, snakes, and rats have learned how to live in the desert heat. They live underground and come out at night, when it is cool. Plants such as cacti need very little water. When it does rain in the desert (sometimes only once or twice a year), plants grow quickly, and flowers open in a single day. For a short time, the desert is covered with brilliant color.

1. In the 19th century, Americans moved from the east to the west because they 　　  .

A. enjoyed the trip　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B.wanted to make their home there

C.wanted to find new grassland there　　　　　　　　 D.had no water to drink

2. From the passage, we can conclude that 　　 .

A. the Western desert is a good place for people to live in

B.there is little water but there are many trees in the desert

C.the desert is dangerous but it is full of beauty

D.till now, people know little about the desert

3. In the 1800s many travelers died in Death Valley because of 　　  .

A. illness　　　　　　　　　　  B.high temperature　　    C.cold weather　　　　　　  D.poisonous water

4. In the desert, animals will die 　　  .

A. if they move about　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B.if they can’t make holes underground

C.if they come out at night　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D.if they drink much water

The cost of shoeing a horse is between twenty dollars and thirty-five dollars, and it takes a skilled blacksmith two or three hours to do the job.

A blacksmith’s job is not an easy one. He must be able to shape a shoe from a piece of plain metal and then fit it to the horse’s hoof (蹄). The blacksmith must bend over all the time when he is fitting the shoe and must hold the weight of the horse’s leg while he works. Clearly, a blacksmith must be very strong. But even more important, he must be able to deal with horses—for before the blacksmith can begin his work, he has to get his horse to lift its leg.

1. With the help of the horses, the New York policemen 　　  .

A. go everywhere in the city

B. go to certain places in the city

C. needn’t get cars go to the suburbs of the city

D. can do their work easily and quickly

2. It is rather expensive to take care of the horses because 　　  .

A. the police horses are strong and wild

B. the policemen using them have to wear special shoes

C. the police horses have to wear a great number of special shoes every year

D. the police station has to pay a lot to the six blacksmiths who take care of the horses

3. It usually takes 　　   to shoe a horse well.

A. thirty-five skilled blacksmiths a couple of hours

B. six blacksmiths more than two hours

C. a skilled blacksmith over three hours

D. an experienced blacksmith a couple of hours

4. A blacksmith has to be able to 　　  .

A. make horses’ special shoes from a piece of plain metal to the measure of their hoofs

B. bend over all day and night to work

C. weigh the horse’s leg while he works

D. lift up his own leg and then begin his work

As they did what they were told not to do, it is said, God devised three punishments. The man was to farm the earth, which was cursed; the woman was to experience painful childbirth; and the snake who urged the woman to persuade the man to eat the fruit was from that day on to be hated by mankind. Adam had to be driven out of the Garden of Eden because the Tree of Life also grew there and this would have given him eternal(永恒的) life. It is said that in the end man is given knowledge and death rather than ignorance and eternal life.

The Garden of Eden has been represented in many famous paintings and poems. In man’s imagination it has always been an ideal to which he longs to return.

1.　Which of the following statements about the fruit in the Garden is true?

A. The man and the woman were not allowed to eat the fruit.

B.Everybody could try the fruit.

C.God asked people not to share the fruit.

D.Anybody who ate the fruit would be stupid.

2. Adam and Eve were to be punished by God just because ______.

A. Eve ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge

B.they did what they were told not to do

C.they touched the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden

D.Adam loved Eve so much

3.The sentence“man fell from grace in God’s eyes”means that ______.

A. God would not create any garden for man

B.human beings were not clever in God’s eyes

C.man lost the kindness from God

D.God found the mistake made by man

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A.The Garden of Eden can’t be found, although people long to go there.

B.The Garden is situated somewhere between the River Tigris and Euphrates.

C.The Garden of Eden has been the main subject of paintings and poems.

D.God created the Garden but man destroyed it.

Treating diseases by bathing has been popular for centuries. Modern medical bathing, or hydrotherapy, first became popular in Europe and by the late 1700’s also became popular in the United States.

For many years frequent bathing was believed to be bad for one’s health. Ordinary bathing just to be clean was avoided, and perfume(香水) was used to cover up body and smell.

By the 1700’s doctors began to say that soap and water were good for health. They believed that it was good for people to be clean. Slowly, people began to bathe more frequently.

In the United States ordinary bathing was slow to become popular. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, many Americans were known as“the great unwashed”.In one American city, for example, a person could only take a bath every 30 days! That was a law.

Frequency of bathing today is partly a matter of habit. People know that bathing for cleanliness is important to health. Doctors know that dirty bodies increase the chance of disease. Therefore in the United States people generally bathe often.

1.What does the word“hydrotherapy”underlined in the second paragraph refer to?

A. A bathing tub.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. Medical bathing.

C. Ordinary bathing.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.　Warm public baths.

2．Until when did doctors believe that ordinary bathing was good for health?

A. Until the 16th century　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B.　Until the 17th century.

C. Until the 18th century.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Until the 19th century.

3.　Where did the ordinary bathing first become popular according to the passage?

A. In Africa.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   　　　　　　　　　　 B.In Europe.

C.　In the USA.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D.The passage doesn’t tell us.

4.　Which of the following statements is not true?

A. Bathing was important to Greeks and Romans.

B.The Greek built water systems.

C.The Greek had warm public baths.

D.The Greek used bathtubs.

5.　The passage is mainly about ______.

A. bathing in the USA

B.the good points and bad points of bathing

C.the history of bathing

D.the modern medical bathing

What would it be like to take a trip by plane from Caracas to the falls? For hundreds of miles you would become higher, and you would see mountains with forests. Soon the land would level out to high plateausお(高原). Finally, you would fly toward a deep canyon (峡谷) with steep, rocky sides.

Suddenly you could see a silver thread in the distance. Then as your plane flew closer, you would see the waterfall more clearly. You would see water falling over half a mile straight down the cliff. It is a sight you would never forget. No one knew about this high waterfall until 1930. お That year James Angel, an American pilot, flew over the area. As he was flying over the mountains and canyons, he suddenly saw a waterfall. It was an impressive sight: the water seemed to be dropping straight out of the clouds.

In 1941 an American expedition explored and measured the falls. From the top to the bottom, the water falls 3 200 feet. These falls are over 1 000 feet higher than any other falls in the world.

1. Few people have ever seen Angel Falls, as ______.

A. it is surrounded by thick jungles

B.it requires a long and difficult trip to go there

C.people have to travel on foot for weeks to get there

D.no one but a pilot can fly close to it

2. Angel Falls was probably named after ______.

A. the man who first explored the waterfall by land

B.the American pilot who first discovered it

C.the expedition which first measured the waterfall

D.none of the above

3. This passage suggests that ______.

A. none of the other waterfalls in the world are over 1 000 feet high

B.the second highest waterfall is over 2 200 feet

C.the second highest waterfall is not over 2 200 feet

D.all the other waterfalls in the world are not over 1 000 feet high

4. It can be inferred from this passage that ______.

A. Angel Falls is a memorable scene which is worth seeing

B.since its discovery millions of people have seen Angel Falls

C.Angel Falls is located in the jungles near Caracas

D.American pilots are very sensitive

Just before Thanksgiving says Clapp,“We were within a whisker of total failure.”

Then Clapp’s team looked at the high-tech maps again and saw something surprising. Many of the caravan routes (沙漠商队路线) on the high-tech maps came together on the same spot marked “Omani Marketplace” on Ptolomy’s map. Two maps, made almost 2 000 years apart, pointed the team toward the same area!

In December 1991,Clapp arrived at the spot where, according to the maps, the caravans met. Clapp had a handheld instrument that could detect objects below the ground. It showed ruins under the sand! He and his team started digging, trying not to give their hopes up. And then they found it! A tower buried in the sand. They slowly unearthed a giant, eight-sided fortress(堡垒).It had nine towers and many rooms. People had lived in this fortress 2 000 years ago. Outside its walls, the crew had found buried remains of nearly 40 campsites. They seemed to be camping areas for traders.

More digging found shards, or pieces of pottery from the ancient empires of Rome, Greece, China, Egypt, and Syria. Diggers and scientists agree that people were on the site for about 5 000 years. Clapp and his team were excited as they continued to uncover more pieces of the past that seemed to prove that it was the lost city of Ubar.

“We started with this hopeless myth and then found seeds of truth,” says Clapp,“then finally found the reality behind the myth.”But is this unearthed site really the once-great Ubar? Experts aren’t totally persuaded.

Donald Whitcomb is an archaeologist at the University of Chicago. He doubts that Clapp really discovered Ubar.“There’s probably a grain of truth to this myth,”he says.“But Ubar is described as a place with walls all made of gold, and the rubies and emeralds.”No gold or precious stones have been found by Clapp.

“I’m not sure whether they discovered Ubar because I’m not sure if Ubar really existed,”Whitcomb says.

1.Which of the following statements is true according to the reading?

A.Ubar was an important ancient city which was buried under the sand.

B.Ubar was described as a city with towers.

C.Clapp found the spot marked“Omani Marketplace”on the high-tech maps.

D.Inside the fortress they found shards, ground spiders, giant ticks and deadly snakes.

2.The following statements are true according to the reading EXCEPT that ______.

A.Clapp made this discovery with the help of caravan routes on the maps

B.Clapp made this discovery with the help of some high technology

C.Clapp was not sure that he had found Ubar

D.Donald Whitcomb was not sure if Clapp had found Ubar

3.Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined part (in Paragraph 2)?

A.We were ready for any failure.

B.We were on the point of giving up hope.

C.We would never stop digging in spite of some difficulties.

D.We decided that we had failed to find Ubar.

4.It can be inferred from the reading that Nicholas Clapp is ______.

A. a person of courage

B.a person of determination

C.a very young person

D.a person who is good for nothing