阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案.

　　Overhead bridges are found in many parts of Beijing, especially in places where traffic is very heavy and crossing the road is dangerous.

　　The purpose of these bridges is to enable pedestrians（行人）to cross roads safely. Overhead bridges are used in very much the same way as zebra crossing. They are more efficient although less convenient because people have to climb up a long flight of steps. This is inconvenient especially to older people. When pedestrians use an overhead bridge, they do not hold up traffic. However, when they cross a busy road using a zebra crossing, traffic is held up. This is why the government has built many overhead bridges to help pedestrians and to keep traffic moving at the same time.

　　The government of Beijing has spent a large amount of money in building these bridges. For their own safety, pedestrians should be encouraged to use them instead of risking their lives by dashing across the road. Old people, however, may find it a little difficult to climb up and down the steps, but it is still much safer than walking across the road with all the danger of moving traffic.

　　Overhead bridges serve a very useful purpose. Pedestrians, both old and young, should make it a habit to use them. This will prevent unnecessary accidents and loss of life.

（1）What is the advantage of overhead bridges mentioned in this passage?

[　　]

A. Taller trucks can pass under them.

B. Pedestrians can climb up and have a view of the city.

C. They are safer for pedestrians and can keep traffic moving at the same time.

D. They are easier and more convenient for the pedestrians.

（2）Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

[　　]

A. Overhead bridges are found in every part of Beijing.

B. Overhead bridges are only found in center of Beijing.

C. Overhead bridges are found in many parts of big cities in China.

D. Overhead bridges are found in places where traffic is heavy.

（3）The underlined words a zebra crossing probably mean ________.

[　　]

A. a safe place across a road for pedestrians to walk across the road

B. a wild animal from Africa that looks like a horse with broad dark brown and white stripes（条纹）on its body

C. a safe place across a road for zebra to walk across the road

D. a safe place across a road for children to play a game

（4）What is the writer's attitude towards overhead bridge?

[　　]

A. It is inconvenient for older people to walk across the road.

B. It is much safer for pedestrians though climbing up and down the steps may be a little difficult.

C. An overhead bridge is more beautiful than a zebra crossing.

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案.

　　Six weeks before the 1984 Olympic Games, Mary Lou hurt her right knee. She went to Richmond, Virginia. She had an operation done on it. Doctor told her she wouldn't be able to go to the Games. However, Mary Lou started working hard. Her knees got stronger. She was able to compete in the Games.

　　The last event was the vaulting horse. Mary Lou knew she needed a perfect 10 to win. Ecaterina Szabo, from Romania, was half a point ahead. Mary Lou thought about what she had to do. She was very excited. She raced up to the springboard. She vaulted（跳跃）over the horse and into the air. She wheeled around twice in the air. She landed on both feet. Her score was a 10 ! She was the first American to win the all-round gold medal!

　　Mary Lou was named sportswoman of the year by Sports Illustrated. She was on TV and did lots of commercial（广告节目）. People all over the world wanted to see her.

（1）The story mainly tells about ________.

[　　]

A. Mary's family life

B. Mary Lou's knee operation at Richmond, Virginia

C. how Mary Lou won the gold medal and became world famous

D. Mary Lou was named sportswoman of the year in USA.

（2）Mary Lou had an operation on her right knee ________.

[　　]

A. a few weeks after the 1984 Olympic Games

B. just a few weeks before the 1984 Olympic Games

C. during the 1984 Olympic Games

D. after she won the gold medal

（3）According to the story, which of the following statements is true?

[　　]

A. Mary Lou almost didn't make to the 1984 Olympic Games.

B. Mary Lou missed the 1984 Olympic Games.

C. The United States didn't do well in the 1984 Olympic Games.

D. The 1984 Olympic Games were held in Richmond, Virginia.

（4）The underlined part “the vaulting horse” in paragraph 2 probably means

________.

[　　]

A. a kind of sports game

B. a kind of horse

C. a horse that can vault

D. a horse that can wheel in the air

（5）What can we learn from the story?

[　　]

A. Good luck can bring happiness.

B. Failure is the mother of success.

C. One can easily achieve big success by chance.

D. Hardworking and self-confidence will bring you success.

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案.

　　Americans often say that there are only two things a person can be sure of in life: death and taxes. Many people feel that the United States has the worst taxes in the world.

　　Taxes are the money that people pay to support their government. There are generally three levels of government in the United States: federal（联邦的）, state, and city; therefore, there are three types of taxes.

　　Salaried people who earn more than four to five thousand per year must pay a certain part of their salaries to the federal government. The percentage varies for different people. It depends on the salaries. The federal government has a two-level income tax: that is, 15 or 28 percent. $17, 850 is the cut off. The tax rate is 15 percent below $17, 850 and 28 percent above.

　　The second tax is for the state government: New York, California, or any of the other forty-eight states. Some states have an income tax similar to that of the federal government. Of course, the percentage for the state tax is lower. Other states have a sales tax, which is a percentage charged to any item which people buy in the state. Some states use income tax and sales tax to raise their revenues（税收）.

　　The third tax is for the city. This tax comes in two forms: property tax（residents who own a home have to pay taxes on it）and excise tax（货物税）, which is collected on vehicles in a city. The cities use this money for education, police, public works, etc.

　　Since Americans pay such nigh taxes, they often feel that they are working one day each week just to pay their taxes. People always complain about taxes. They often say that the government misuses their tax dollars. They all believe that taxes are too high in this country.

（1）In the United States, taxes are collected to provide revenues for ________.

[　　]

A. the federal government

B. the state government

C. the city government

D. the three levels of government

（2）How much money does an American earning $40, 000 per year pay to the federal government as income tax according to the passage?

[　　]

A. 28% of this income.

B. 15% of this income.

C. $17,850.

D. $5,000.

（3）What happens to buyers when a sales tax is collected?

[　　]

A. They have to pay more than what the item costs.

B. They can pay less than what the item costs.

C. They have to pay exactly what the item costs.

D. They will all give up buying the item.

（4）What tax does an American have to pay to the city if he owns a car?

（5）After reading the passage, we might feel that Americans seem to be ________.

[　　]

A. satisfied with their taxes

B. proud of their taxes

C. unhappy about their taxes

D. very angry at their taxes

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案.

　　When a magazine for high-school students asked its readers what life would be like in twenty years, they said: Machines would be run by solar power. Building would rotate so they could follow the sun to take maximum advantage of its light and heat. Walls would“radiate light”and“change color with the push of a button”. Food would be replaced by pills. School would be taught“by electrical impulse while we sleep”. Cars would have radar. Does this sound like the years 2000? Actually, the article was written in 1958 and the question was“What will life be like in 1978?”

　　The future is much too important to simply guess about, the way the high school students did, so experts are regularly asked to predict（预言）accurately（准确地）. By carefully studying the present, skilled businessmen, scientists, and politicians are supposedly able to figure out in advance what will happen. But can they? One expert on cities wrote: Cities of the future would not be crowded, but would have space for farms and fields. People would travel to work in“airbuses”, large all-weather helicopters carrying up to 200 passengers, when a person left the airbus station he could drive a coin-operated car equipped with radar. The radar equipment of cars would make traffic accidents“almost unheard of”. Does that sound familiar? If the expert had been accurate it would be, because he was writing in 1957. His subject was “The City of 1982”.

　　If the experts sometimes sound like high-school students, it's probably because future study is still a new field. But economic（经济的）predicting has been around for a long time. It should be accurate, and generally it is. But there have been some big mistakes in this field, too. In early 1929, most predictors saw an excellent future

for the stock market. In October of that year, the stock market had its worst losses ever.

　　One predictor knew that predictions about the future would probably be wrong. In 1957, H.J. Rand of the Rand Corporation was asked about the year 2000,“Only one thing is certain,”he answered.“Children born today will have reached the age of43.”

（1）High-school students' answers to“What would life be in 1978?”sound ________.

[　　]

（2）According to the writer, forecasting is fairly accurate in ________.

[　　]

（3）Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

[　　]

A. Predictions are accurate.

B. Professionals sometimes sound like high school students.

C. There have been some big mistakes in the field of economic forecasting.

D. Predictions about the future will probably be wrong.

（4）The present passage was most probably written ________.

[　　]

A. just before 2000

B. in 1958

C. after 1982

D. in 1957

（5）H.J. Rand's prediction about the year 2000 shows that ________.

[　　]

A. it is easy to figure out in advance what will happen

B. it is difficult to figure out in advance what will happen

C. only experts can figure out in advance what will happen

D. very few experts can figure out in advance what will happen

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案.

　　Have you ever been in a meeting while someone was making a speech and realized suddenly that your mind was a million miles away? You probably felt sorry and made up your mind to pay attention and never have Daydreaming again. Most of us, from earliest school days, have been told that daydreaming is a waste of time.

　　“On the contrary,” says L. Giambra, an expert in psychology（心理学）,“Daydreaming is quite necessary. Without it, the mind couldn't get done all the thinking it has to do during a normal day. You can't possibly do all your thinking with a conscious（有意识的）mind. Instead, your unconscious mind is working out problems all the time. Daydreaming then may be one way that unconscious and conscious states of mind have silent dialogues.”

　　Early experts in psychology paid no attention to the importance of daydreams or even considered them harmful. At one time daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illnesses. They did not have a better understanding of daydreams until the late 1980s. Eric Klinger, a professor of psychology, is the writer of the book Daydreaming. Klinger says, “We know that daydreaming is one of the main ways that we organize our lives, learn from our experiences and plan for our futures--daydreams really are a window on the things we fear and the things we long for in life.”

　　Daydreams are usually very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep, which may be hard to understand. It's easier to gain a deep understanding of your life by paying close attention to your daydreams than by trying to examine your sleep dreams carefully. Daydreams help you recognize the difficult situations in your life and find out a possible way of handling（处理）them.

　　Daydreams cannot be predicted（预料）: They move off in unexpected directions which may be creative and full of useful ideas. For many famous artists and scientists, daydreams were and are a main source of creative energy.

　　So the next time you catch yourself daydreaming, don't stop. Just pay attention to your dream. It may be more important than you think.

（1）Daydreaming used to be considered ________.

[　　]

A. very simple and direct

B. unimportant or even harmful

C. a necessary part of thinking

D. the result of an unconscious mind

（2）In what way are daydreams different from sleep dreams?

[　　]

A. Daydreams are easier for us to understand.

B. Daydreams are not so easy for us to control and direct.

C. Daydreams help us to handle more difficult situations.

D. Daydreams help to develop an unconscious mind.

（3）Professor Eric Klinger believes that ________.

[　　]

A. we may study our experiences just through our daydreams

B. daydreaming is one of the important ways that we recognize our lives

C. we should be able to tell our futures by having daydreams

D. our fears and longings in life are shown in our daydreams

（4）The writer of the article thinks that ________.

[　　]

A. Professor Eric Klinger has a better idea than L. Giambra

B. daydreaming with an unconscious mind will do well to health

C. daydreaming is more helpful than sleep dreams

D. many artists and scientists are famous because they have daydreams

（5）Which is the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

[　　]

A. Daydreaming was once regarded as a cause of some mental illness.

B. Scientists believe that we can know daydreams before having them.

C. Experts began to have a better understanding of daydreams in the late 1980s.

D. Many well-known artists gained energy of certain from daydreams.

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案.

　　Recently the World Health Organization announced that the disease of smallpox（天花）had almost been wiped out in most parts of the world, thanks to widespread vaccination（种牛痘）. Most people are vaccinated at least once in the lives and if they wish to travel from one country to another they must be able to prove that they have had a recent vaccination. In this way the disease has been prevented from spreading and today one seldom hears of it at all.

　　This is mainly because of the great discovery made by a village do doctor, Edward Jenner, in about 1798 when he published his report of his new experiment called vaccination （from the word “vacca”meaning a cow）. Jenner discovered that people who worked with cattle often suffered from a harmless disease which they caught from the cattle, but these people never seemed to get smallpox. So he experimented by putting the diseases into a small opening on the arms of healthy people, and though their arms became painful for a day or two, they soon recovered and none of these people ever got smallpox.

　　So the news of the wonderful discovery spread to other countries and people rushed to their doctors to be vaccinated. In many countries the simple way to deal with the arm was done one thousands of people and the terrible smallpox began to disappear.

（1）Vaccination against smallpox has been so successful that ________.

[　　]

A. the discoverer made a large amount of money

B. Dr Jemmer was given a prize by the World Health Organization

C. Smallpox has almost disappeared in most countries

D. Smallpox was no longer in existence on earth

（2）Smallpox has been prevented from spreading through the following measures EXCETP that ________.

[　　]

A. most people were vaccinated against the disease at least once

B. people going abroad should promise not to spread the disease

C. people travelling from one country to another must prove they are vaccinated

D. people must be vaccinated shortly before going to foreign countries

（3）What led Dr Jenner to experiment with vaccination was that ________.

[　　]

A. he wanted to make a great discovery and publish it

B. vaccination could make people's arms safe

C. he tried to cure the farmers of some disease caught from the cattle

D. those who worked with cattle seemed free from getting smallpox

（4）The doctor's new discovery was called “vaccination” for the reason of that ________.

[　　]

A. he discovered smallpox near a farm

B. he experimented with a disease from the cattle

C. he was working with cattle in the countryside

D. people got the disease of smallpox from the cattle

（5）The news of the discovery ________.

[　　]

A. caught people's attention from all corners of the world

B. spread far and near in the western countries

C. made people rush to Dr Jenner for vaccination

D. helped to get rid of the terrible disease of smallpox

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案.

　　Not everyone in the world requires the same amount of living space. The amount of space a person needs around him is a cultural（文化的）difference, not an economic（经济的）one. Knowing your own psychological（心理的）space needs is important because they strongly affect your choices, including, for example, the number of bedrooms in the home. If you were brought up is a two-child family and both you and your sister or brother had your own bedrooms, the chances are, if you have two children or more, that you also will offer separate bedrooms for them. In America, for example, they train people to want to have their own rooms by giving them their own rooms when they are babies. This is very rare in the world. In many other countries, the baby sleeps in the same bed with his parents or in a bed near them.

　　The space in the home also shows a lot about psychological space needs. Some families gather closer to each other and the size of their house have nothing to do with it. Others have separate little Corners where family members go to be alone.

　　Although it is true that psychological space needs are not decided by economic reasons, they sometimes have to be changed a little because of economic pressures. It is almost important, however, to completely change your psychological space needs.

（1）The first sentence in Paragraph 1“Not everyone in the world requires the same amount of living space” means“________”

[　　]

A. No two people need exactly the same amount of living space.

B. Living space requirements are not always the same.

C. The world requires the same amount of living space.

D. Nobody needs a required amount of living space.

（2）Some families gather closer to each other at home than others because ________.

[　　]

A. they have limited living space

B. they are brought up in a large family

C. it satisfies their psychological space needs

D. the children in the family sleep in the same bed with their parents

（3）Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage.

[　　]

A. Americans are trained to live in large rooms at birth.

B. Economic situation decided one's amount of space needs.

C. People in various countries demand different psychological space.

D. Knowing your psychological space needs is important, as it affects your future.

（4）According to the writer of the passage, psychological space needs _______.

[　　]

A. are not affected by income at all

B. can hardly be changed altogether

C. can be changed if you make up your mind to do so

D. have nothing to do with cultural background

（5）The best title for the passage is ________.

[　　]

A. American Way of Living

B. Psychological Space

C. Space needs in Different Countries

D. Psychological Space and Economic Pressure

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案.

　　Laptop（便携式）computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.

　　Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows Students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1,500 Students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a 510 million Computer program at Westlake, a ll0-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use E-mail to “speak” With their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important Part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees--anywhere at all!

　　Because of the many changes in computer technology laptop use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials also are testing laptop programs at other universities, too.

　　At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, “Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we're giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything.”

（1）The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to ________.

[　　]

A. use for their schoolwork

B. access the Internet

C. work at home

D. connect them to libraries

（2）Why is the word“speak”in the second paragraph in quotation marks?

[　　]

A. They don't really talk.

B. They use the computer language.

C. Laptops have speakers.

D. None of the above reasons is correct.

（3）Which of the following is true about Westlake College?

[　　]

A. All teachers use computers.

B. 1 500 students have laptops.

C. It is an old college in America.

D. Students there can do everything.

（4）A window on the world in the last paragraph means that students can ________.

[　　]

A. attend lectures on information technology

B. travel around the world

C. get information from around the world

D. have free laptops

（5）What can we infer（推断）from the passage?

[　　]

A. The program is successful.

B. The program is not workable.

C. The program is too expensive.

D. We don't know the result vet.

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案.

　　Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.

　　The first kind of loneliness is temporary（暂时的）. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation-for example, a family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.

　　The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic（长期的）loneliness usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.

　　Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a personal social contacts, e.g. friends, family members, co-workers, etc. We depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their own popularity.

　　Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be a normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a very sad, and sometimes dangerous, condition.

（1）How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?

[　　]

A. Talk to friends.

B. Just ignore it.

C. Go to see a doctor.

D. Ask your teachers for guidance.

（2）“It”in the last sentence of the second paragraph refers to ________.

[　　]

A. temporary loneliness

B. situational loneliness

C. a new place

D. sleeplessness

（3）The topic of the 4th paragraph is that ________.

[　　]

A. one problem of loneliness is a person's social contacts

B. we depend on various people for different reasons

C. lonely people don't have many social problems

D. lonely people don't have many friends.

（4）Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people?

[　　]

A. Chronic loneliness can cause family problems.

B. Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness.

C. Chronic loneliness can not be overcome.

D. A, B, and C are all correct.

（5）What is the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A. Three Kinds of Loneliness.

B. Loneliness and Diseases.

C. Loneliness and Social Contacts.

D. Chronic Loneliness.

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案.

　　Michael, a typical（典型的）American, stays home on workdays. He plugs into his personal computer terminal in order to connect with the office. After work, he put on his headphones, watches a movie on his home video recorder, or plays baseball on the computer. On many days, Michael doesn't talk to any other human beings, and he doesn't see any people except the ones on television. Michael is imaginary, but his lifestyle is very possible. The inventions of modem technology seem to be cutting us off from contact with our fellow human beings.

　　The world of business is one area in which technology is isolating us. Experts say, for example, that many people will soon be able to work at home. With access to a large central computer, employees such as office clerks, insurance agents, and accountants could do their job at display terminals in their own homes. They would never have to actually see the people they're dealing with. In addition, the way employees are paid will change. Workers' salaries will be automatically paid into their bank accounts（账户）, making paper checks（支票）unnecessary. No workers will stand in line to receive their pay or cash their checks. Personal banking will change, too. Customers will deal with machines to put in or take out money from their accounts.

　　Another area that technology is changing is entertainment. Music, for instance, was once a group experience. People listened to music at concert halls or in small social gatherings. For many people now, however, music is an individual experience. Walking along the street or sitting in their living rooms, they wear headphones to build a wall of music around them. Movie entertainment is changing, too. Movies used to be social events. Now, fewer people are going out to see a movie. Many more are choosing to wait for a film to appear on television or are borrowing videotapes to watch at home. Instead of laughing with others, viewers watch movies in their own living rooms.

（1）After work, Michael likes to ________.

[　　]

A. listen to music at the concert hall

B. watch a movie in his living room

C. run a program on his computer in his office

D. play baseball with his workmates

（2）Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

[　　]

A. Clerks will be able to work at home.

B. One can play baseball on the computer.

C. One can listen to music without disturbing others.

D. One can borrow books from libraries at home.

（3）The sentence “Michael is imaginary, but his lifestyle is very possible” means ________.

[　　]

A. Michael is a person full of imagination and he can make his dreams come true

B. Michael is not a real person but the lifestyle does exist

C. Michael has ambitions but he can't make his dreams come true

D. Michael is a person full of imagination and his lifestyle is common nowadays

（4）What will the author most probably discuss after the last paragraph?

[　　]

A. Games and sports.

B. Personal banking.

C. Music and films.

D. International business.

（5）What is the main idea of the passage?

[　　]

A. We may no longer need to communicate with other human beings.

B. Modern technology seems to be separating human beings.

C. We may no longer need to work in the office.

D. Modern technology makes it possible for us to work and entertain ourselves at home.