阅读理解

　　Greenwich is on River Thames, five miles from the center of London, and its history is two thousand years old. The first English people were fishermen there, and named the place Greenwich, meaning “green village”. Later the English kings and queens lived at Greenwich in their beautiful palaces.

　　The name of the earliest palace was Placentia. Its windows were made of glass－the first in England. Henry Ⅷ lived there. He knew that English must be strong at sea. So he started two big ship yards at Greenwich, and for 350 years the ships which were made there were the best in the world.

　　But trouble was coming to Greenwich. In 1649, a war started in England and for eleven years there was no king. The men who had worked for him at Placentia decided to live in the place themselves. They sold all its beautiful things, and bought small pieces of the palace garden with money. Finally, the war ended and the King Charles II came back. But Placentia was falling down. So King Charles built a new and bigger palace, which is now open to public.

　　At this time Charles was worried about losing so many of his ships at sea：their sailors did not know how to tell exactly where they were. So in 1675, Charles made John Flamsteed, the first astronomer in England, try to find the answer. Flamsteed worked in a new building on the high ground in Greenwich Park. From it, with a telescope which he made himself, Flamsteed could look all around the sky. And he did night after night, for twenty years. Carrying on Flamsteed's work a hundred years later, an astronomer called Harrison finally made a clock which told the time at sea, and helped sailors to know where they were. You can see Harrison's clock, still working, in Greenwich's museum of the sea. Because of Flamsteed's work, every country in the world now tells its time by Greenwich time.

1．What kind of trouble came to Greenwich in 1649?

[　　]

A．A war started in England.

B．Placentia was destroyed.

C．Ship yards were built.

D．King Henry died.

2．Charles made John Flamsteed try to find ________.

[　　]

A．how to tell the time

B．how to build ships

C．a way for sailors to tell their position at sea

D．a place to set up a telescope

3．Who made the first clock which could tell the time at sea?

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Insurance(保险) is the sharing of risks. Nearly everyone is exposed(面临) to risk of some sort. The house owner, for example, knows his property can be damaged by fire; the ship－owner knows that his vessel(商船) may be lost at sea; the breadwinner(养家糊口的人) knows that he may die at an early age and leave his family poorer. Cm the other hand, not every house is damaged by fire nor every vessel lost at sea. If these persons each put a small sum into a pool, there will be enough to meet the needs of the few who do suffer loss. In other words, the losses of the few are met from the contributions of the many. This is the basis of insurance.

　　Those who pay the contributions are known as insured and those who administer(管理) the pool of contributions as insurers.

　　The legal basis of all insurance is the policy, which is a printed form of contract(合同) on paper of the best quality. It states that in return for the regular payment by the insured of a named sum of money, called the premium(保险费) which is usually paid every year, the insurer will pay a sum of money or compensation(补偿) for loss, if the risk or event insured against actually happens.

　　The premium for an insurance naturally depends on how likely the risk is to happen, as suggested by past experience. If companies fix(确定) their premium too high, there will be more competition in their branch of insurance and they may lose business. On the other hand, if they make the premium too low, they will lose money and may even have to drop out of business. So the ordinary forces supply and demand keep premium at a level satisfactory to both the insurer and the insured.

1．According to the writer, insurance is possible because ________.

[　　]

A．everyone at some time suffers loss

B．only a small proportion of the insured suffer loss

C．nearly everyone suffers loss

D．only insured people suffer loss

2．By “the pool of contributions” the writer means ________.

[　　]

A．money paid by the insured

B．money paid by the insurers

C．the cost of administering insurance

D．the amount of each premium

3．A policy is ________.

[　　]

A．a check to be cashed at the bank

B．a legal agreement

C．a particular kind of insurance

D．money paid by the insured

4．Insurance premiums do not become too high because ________.

[　　]

A．not many people suffer loss

B．not many people insure themselves

C．insurance companies compete with each other

D．they are fixed according to how likely the risk of loss to happen

5．According to the writer, insurance is ________.

[　　]

A．costly but worth buying

B．cheap but not necessary

C．useful but too risky

D．useful and necessary

阅读理解

　　Edward is entering a university and has to decide what foreign language to study, since he needs 12 credits(学分) to graduate. He studied Japanese by himself in high school and even had a chance to use some of it when he took a trip to Tokyo one summer. He enjoyed his trip very much and thought that maybe some day he would like to work for an international company based in Japan.

　　The reason the university requires students to study a foreign language is that they feel that it makes the students more educated. Edward does not feel that this should be the main reason for studying a foreign language. He thinks that being able to communicate with people from different cultures is far more important than just impressing people with your knowledge.

　　After considering the possibilities of studying German or French so that he could travel in Europe with little difficulty, he finally makes up his mind to continue his study of Japanese. He feels that being good at Japanese would make it much easier for him to be accepted if he decides to work and live in Japan for some time.

1．One of the reasons for Edward to study a foreign language is that ________.

[　　]

A．he had just graduated from a high school

B．he had just decided to enter a university

C．he wants to impress people with his knowledge

D．he needs certain credits to graduate

2．Which of the following has nothing to do with his final decision to continue his study of Japanese?

[　　]

A．The university requires students to study that language.

B．The university thinks that a foreign language makes the students more educated.

C．Edward studied Japanese by himself and used it when he traveled in Tokyo.

D．He hopes that some day he may work for a company in Japan.

3．For Edward, ________ is less important than the rest.

[　　]

A．to travel in a foreign country

B．to work and live in another country

C．to show people that you are very learned

D．to communicate with people from other cultures

4．Edward first considers the possibilities of studying German and French, but he chooses Japanese. This shows that he ________.

[　　]

A．is afraid of difficulties

B．does not like French or German

C．is particular for his study and his future job

D．is not hardworking and only likes daydreaming

5．The best title for this passage is ________.

[　　]

A．Traveling in Europe

B．Working and Living in Japan

C．How to Study Japanese

D．Choosing a Foreign Language

阅读理解

　　My husband and I are Danish(丹麦人). As a matter of fact, many of my ancestors were English：I was born in England and was originally of British nationality. My parents were killed in a car crash when I was a baby, so I was brought up in Denmark by my grandmother and educated in Danish schools so that Danish is really my native language.

　　We arrived in England last February at five o'clock on a Wednesday morning after a rough crossing. Waves were seemed as high as mountains rocked the boat from side to side. We were both sick on the journey and a fine drizzle(毛毛雨) met us as we got off the boat. To make matter worse, Klaus, my husband, left his camera on the ship; I lost my handbag (which was never been found to this day), and we nearly forgot to tip the taxi－driver, who complained about our luggage and seemed to be in a thoroughly bad temper. Few visitors can have experienced such an unfortunate beginning to their say, and we certainly felt like going straight home again.

　　We stayed for a week in a hotel, and were then lucky enough to find a furnished(有家具的) flat in the suburbs of London. It is not so convenient as our flat in Copenhagen (哥本哈根), but it is less expensive than some we saw in advertisements. Klaus is studying at the local Technical College and, in addition, he often attends public lectures at the University of London on as many subjects as possible, chiefly to improve his English. He is a qualified en gineer who has been employed for several years in a factory. Our two children have joined us and they are being educated in an English private school. I am working as a part－time nurse in hospital, and I have so much to do that I have almost no leisure time.

1．The writer said that Danish is really her native language because ________.

A：she is Danish by birth

B．her grandmother was Danish

C．Danish was the first language she learned

D．she went to school in Denmark

2．Which of these ideas is not suggested about the writer's arrival in England?

[　　]

A．It was bitterly cold.

B．It was still dark.

C．Neither the writer nor her husband was really well.

D．The weather was unpleasant.

3．Why does the writer say that they certainly felt like going straight home again?

[　　]

A．Because they didn't like the weather in London.

B．Because they had had too much trouble.

C．Because they had lost their luggage.

D．Because the taxi－driver was unkind to them.

4．Klaus attends University of London in order to ________.

[　　]

A．further his studies in the field of engineering

B．learn to be an engineer

C．learn more English

D．gain additional knowledge

5．From what the writer tells us in the passage we can infer that her two children ________.

[　　]

A．were not with her when she arrived in England

B．had been in England for some time when she arrived

C．spoke very good English

D．had to help their mother with the house work

阅读理解

　　Everyone has an ambition to travel. But those who cannot do so themselves might find it interesting to work in a travel agency, arranging journeys for other people. Brian Lawley does this, working in a small travel agency in an industrial city. Most of his work is concerned with holidays, both at home and abroad. Every autumn, the agency sends out hundreds of booklets full of attractive, colored photographs, describing the holidays their customers will be able to have the next year. Soon, people begin to come into the office to book their holidays：perhaps a week's skiing in Austria in January, perhaps a cruise(巡游) to the Caribbean in February, perhaps a seaside holiday in Spain in May, or a tour of North Africa. Brian often has to advise people on what holidays will be suitable for them, and they always have a lot of questions. Last year, for example, a lady of eighty－two wanted to book for a mountaineering holiday in Alps(阿尔卑斯), and Brian had great difficulty in persuading her that it would not suitable. In the end, she decided to go for a Mediterranean cruise instead.

　　Arranging journeys for people who have travel abroad on business is often very complicated, but Brian enjoys this work. For example, last spring Mr. Perry, a director of a local chemical firm, went on a business trip, and Brian arranged it all for him. First Mr. Perry traveled to London by train, and stayed overnight in a hotel near the airport, because his plane left early the next morning. He flew to Frankfurt, Germany, where he spent the morning, discussing business. Then he went on by train to Zurich(苏黎世), where he stayed for the night. After a meeting the next morning, he caught a plane for Tokyo and spent two days there before going on to America. He had business in Seattle(西雅图), Chicago and New York, and stayed one day in each of those places. From New York, he flew back to London and then home by train. The next day, he telephoned the agency to thank Brian for arranging everything so well for him.

1．Who would like to work in a travel agency?

[　　]

A．People who live in an industrial city.

B．People who would like to travel but cannot.

C．Ambitious people.

D．The people who go on holidays abroad.

2．When do the customers come into the office to book their holidays?

[　　]

A．Early in the morning.

B．Every year.

C．In January.

D．Shortly after receiving the booklets.

3．How long do you suppose Mr. Perry's journey lasted?

[　　]

A．It lasted about five days.

B．It lasted about eight days.

C．It was about eleven days.

D．It was about a fortnight.

4．What country is Mr. Perry's home place?

[　　]

5．Mr. Perry telephoned the agency to thank Brian because ________.

[　　]

A．Mr. Perry got everything he needed in the journey

B．Brian arranged everything so well for him

C．the agency sent Mr. Perry abroad on business

D．Brian helped him in the travel agency

阅读理解

　　We don't plan to cry, but it just happens. In fact when we feel sad or angry, a good cry is almost impossible to resist. But if you didn't know what crying was, you'd have to wonder why some strong feelings started water streaming from people's eyes and why they seemed to feel better afterwards.

　　Now a US researcher has found there may be more in crying than we think. William H. Frey II, author of “Crying：The Mystery of Tears”, believes it may really be one of the body's clever self－repair mechanisms(机制). Crying may be a way of getting rid of the byproducts(副产品) of stress(压力), he says.

　　He has found that tears contain some chemicals which can cause stress. One of these is the hormone prolactin(激素) which is set free when one is feeling stressed. Since women have more of this than men, that might explain why they usually cry more, he suggests.

　　Unsurprisingly, Dr. Frey's study seemed to prove that most people feel better after a good cry. And sex has nothing to do with it－the result was true for women and men. So, next time when you feel like bursting into tears, go ahead. If Dr. Frey is right, you'll be doing yourself a favor.

1．The best title of this passage would be ________.

[　　]

2．According to the author, we feel like crying because ________.

[　　]

A．crying is one of our habits

B．we can't control it

C．crying is one of the body's self－repair mechanisms

D．we can get the by－products of stress by crying

3．According to the passage, men seem less likely to cry than women because ________.

[　　]

A．their bodies contain less hormone prolactin

B．their tears contain more chemicals

C．they are not so full of feelings as women

D．the chemicals in their tears can't cause stress

4．The author advised us ________.

[　　]

A．to plan to cry very often

B．not to cry any more

C．to go outdoors without hesitation

D．to cry as we want to

5．Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Good cries can make most people feel better.

B．Only women can feel better after crying.

C．It is easy to understand that people feel better after a good cry.

D．When a person feels sad or angry, most probably he cries.

阅读理解

　　If we were asked exactly what we were doing a year ago, we should probably have to say that we could not remember. But if we had kept a book and had written in it an account of what we did each day, we should be able to give an answer to the question.

　　It is the same in history. Many things have been forgotten because we do not have any written account of them. Sometimes man did keep a record of the most important happenings in their country, but often it was destroyed by fire or in a war. Sometimes there was never any written record at all because the people of that time and place did not know how to write. For example, we know a good deal about the people who lived in China 4000 years ago, because they could write and leave written records for those who lived after them. But we know almost nothing about the people who lived even 200 years ago in Central Africa, because they had not learned to write.

　　Sometimes, of course, even if the people cannot write, they may know something of the past. They have learned about it from older people, and often songs and dances and stories have been made about the most important happenings, and these have been, sung and acted and told for many generations, for most people are proud to tell what their fathers did in the past. This we may call “remembered history”. Some of it has now been written down. It is not so exact or so valuable to us as written history is, because words are much more easily changed when used again and again in speech than when copied in writing. But where there are no written records, such spoken stories are often very helpful.

1．Which of the following ideas is not conveyed in the passage?

[　　]

A．“Remembered history”, compared with written history, is less reliable.

B．Written record of the past plays a most important role in our learning of the human history.

C．A written account of our daily activities helps us to remember the events that happened in the past.

D．Where there are no written records, there is no history.

2．We know very little about what happened in Central Africa 200 years ago because ________.

[　　]

A．there was nothing worth being written down at that time

B．people there had not known how to write in those days

C．the written records were perhaps destroyed in a fire

D．people there ignored the importance of keeping a record

3．“Remembered history” refers to ________.

[　　]

A．history based on a person's imagination

B．stories of important happenings passed down from mouth to mouth

C．songs and dances about important events in the past

D．both B and C

4．“Remembered history” is regarded as valuable only when ________.

[　　]

A．it is written down

B．it proved to be true

C．no written account is available

D．people are interested in it

5．It can be inferred from the passage that we could have learned much more about our past than we do now if our ancestors had ________.

[　　]

A．kept a written record of every past event

B．not burnt their written records in wars

C．told exact stories of the most important happenings

D．made more songs and dances

阅读理解

　　Sometimes a book can help change history. One book that certainly did was Uncle Tom's Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was a book that spoke out against slavery.

　　As Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote her book, there were over 3.5 million slaves in the United States. Slaves were usually in the cotton－growing states of the South. The Northern States had ended the slavery. Yet, most Northerners were not strongly against slavery. They did not mind that slavery continued in the South.

　　Stowe decided to make people understand that slavery was very bad. Each night after putting her six children to bed, she worked on her book. She told the story of an old slave, Tom, and Simon Legree, a slave owner. She also told how the slaves tried to run away for freedom. Uncle Tom's Cabin first came out in 1852. Over 300,000 books were sold out in a year.

　　People had different ideas about the book. In the North, many people finally believed that slavery must be ended after they read the book. In the South, many people were very angry at the people in the North. By 1861 the two parts of the country were at war. The Civil War, which lasted until 1865, finally brought an end to slavery at last.

　　Of course, there were many things that made the Civil War happen. Yet, Uncle Tom's Cabin surely played a part. Stowe met President Lincoln in 1862. As Lincoln took her hand, he said, “So you are the little woman who started the big war.”

1．Before Uncle Tom's Cabin came out, most Northerners ________.

[　　]

A．were slaves in the South

B．did not know how bad slavery was

C．kept slaves in their homes

D．understood that slavery was wrong

2．While many Northerners agreed with Harriet Beecher Stowe, ________.

[　　]

A．many Southerners wanted war

B．many Southerners had not read the book

C．many Southerners were angry at her

D．some slaves tried to run away from the North

3．From the text we can see that ________.

[　　]

A．Stowe was a very young woman

B．Stowe's husband was dead when she wrote the stories

C．Stowe wrote her book with stories from her six children

D．Stowe could not work on her book at all during the day time

4．Uncle Tom' s Cabin was ________.

[　　]

A．a book about Harriet Beecher Stowe

B．a history book

C．a book that helped change history

D．a book about the American Civil War

5．Harriet Beecher Stowe ________.

[　　]

A．was a little woman who started the American Civil War together with Abraham Lincoln

B．was strongly against slavery

C．helped some slaves run away from the South

D．met Abraham Lincoln before the Civil War

阅读理解

　　The earth is not the only body that travels round the sun. With it are eight other planets, fellow members of the sun's family. Two of them are nearer while the other six are farther from the sun than the earth is. The farther they are, the longer trips they make round the sun. People noticed long ago that these traveling bodies moved round in the sky in certain paths.

　　We know that every little bit of matter in the universe pulls upon every other bit of matter. The pull between two bodies is proportional(成比例) to the product(乘积) of their masses. Because the sun is so large, the pulls between the sun and the planets are thus great. If it were not for these pulls, the planets would fly off into space. In the same way there is a pull between the earth and the moon, which keeps the moon traveling in its orbit (轨道) around our planet, the earth. The pull holds you to its surface, and pulls back the ball which you throw into the air. Of course the ball also pulls on the larger earth, but the earth is so much larger that the pull is not noticed.

1．The earth travels a larger circle around the sun than ________.

[　　]

A．six of the other planets

B．two planets in the same family

C．most planets in the universe

D．the moon

2．The planets move around the sun because of ________.

[　　]

A．the gravity of the sun only

B．the pull of the planets on one another

C．the pull between the planets and the sun

D．the proportional gravity

3．If objects didn't have gravity ________.

[　　]

A．the earth would not travel in the space

B．the moon would move away from the earth

C．the sun would not exist

D．the planets of the sun family form another family

阅读理解

　　It is only during the last few years that man has generally realized that in the world of nature a balance exists between all forms of life. No living thing can exist by itself：it is a part of a system in which all forms of life are joined together. If we change one part of the nature order, this will in its turn almost certainly bring about changes in some other part.

　　The cutting down of forests reduces the supply of oxygen. The killing of weeds and insects by chemicals leads to the wide－spread poisoning animals and birds. The throwing of waste products into the ocean does harm to life in the sea, while waste gasses change the chemical balance of the atmosphere.

　　And also we could go on, adding more examples, until in despair(绝望). We might feel like giving up the struggle to control and keep within limits these harmful human activities. Man is very clever at changing the world around him to satisfy his immediate needs, but not so clever at looking far ahead, or at thinking about what the future of his action might be.

1．The first paragraph mainly tells us that ________.

[　　]

A．everything in nature can't exist without the help of human beings

B．no living thing can exist naturally

C．all living things in nature depend on each other

D．man has well known the importance of the balance of nature for a long time

2．The examples given in the second paragraph are used to prove that ________.

[　　]

A．it is very important to protect forests

B．there are some living things which can exist all by themselves without change

C．all forms of life belong to a system in which all parts can be changed for one another

D．we cannot change one form of life or matter without disturbing the balance of nature

3．The third paragraph suggests that ________.

[　　]

A．man shouldn't think only about his immediate needs instead of the future results

B．man is very clever at planning his distant future

C．man often feels that he has to give up in despair

D．man is always anxious to control and keep his activities within limits