If you make a five-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean, your ship enters a different zone and time changes one hour. Traveling west, you set your clock back; traveling east, you set it ahead. Each day of your trip iseither twenty-five or twenty-three hours.

If you travel by ship across the Pacific, you cross the International Date Line. By agreement, this is the point where a new day begins. When you cross the line, you change your calendar(日历) the full day, backward or forward. Traveling east, today becomes yesterday; traveling west, it is tomorrow!

1. The best title for this selection is_______.

A. A Trip Across the Atlantic

B. How Time Changes around the World

C. Crossing the International Date Line

D. How Time Zones Were Set Up

2. The International Date Line is the name for_______.

A. the beginning of any new time zone

B. the point where time changes by one hour

C. the point where a new day begins

D. any time zone in the Pacific Ocean

3. If you cross the ocean going east, you set your clock_______.

A. ahead one hour in each new time zone

B. ahead one time for the whole trip

C. back one full day for each one full day

D. ahead by twenty-three hours

Their citizens find pen-friends in the twin towns. They exchange newspapers and stamps. The school teachers discuss teaching methods with the teachers in the twin town. Officials visit the twin town for celebrations. Ordinary citizens travel to the twin town, too, but not very often if it is far away.

Sometimes, schools even exchange school classes for two or three weeks! For example, German middle school students study for a while at the school in their twin town in Britain, staying with British families. A few months later, their British friends come to study in Germany.

Some towns even arrange exchange visits for theatre groups, choirs(歌唱队)and orchestras(管弦乐队). Others send lectures to the twin towns who tell the people there all about their own town, and show photos and slides.

Some towns organize exhibitions to show works of art, for example, paintings by artists from their twin town. Many British towns are so pleased with the results of the twinning that they set out to find more than one twin town!

Tonbridge, a middle-sized town in Kent, for example, has twin towns in Germany and in France. Richmond near London has links with Germany, France and a town in former Yugoslavia!

Town twinning can help to make friends and helps people to help each other. It helps students to improve the language skill, and it contributes(有助于)to international peace and understanding.

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?

A. Twin towns exchange newspapers and stamps.

B. Twin towns exchange business trade.

C. Schools in the twin towns exchange school classes for a period of time.

D. Lectures are sent to the twin town who tell the people there about their own town.

2. Twin towns develop ________________.

A. between European countries and China

B. in the English speaking countries

C. in the same country

D. between different countries

3. How many countries are mentioned in the passage?

A. 3. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　   B. 6.

C. 5. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　   D. 4.

4. One of the advantages of town twinning is ________________.

A. to earn more money

B. to set up schools

C. to improve students’ language skills

D. to develop industry and agriculture

When cold weather comes, many birds move to warmer places to find food. Some fishes give birth in warm water and move to cold water to feed. The most famous migration(迁移)is probably the migration of fish, which is called “salmon”. This fish is born in fresh water but it travels many miles to salt water. There it spends its life. When it is old, it returns to its birthplace in fresh water. Then it gives birth and dies there. In northern Europe, there is a kind of mouse. They leave their mountain homes when they become too crowded. They move down to the low land. Sometimes they move all the way to the seaside, and many of them are killed when they fall into the sea.

Recently, scientists have studied the migration of a kind of lobster(龙虾). Every year, when the season of bad weather arrives, the lobsters get into a long line and start to walk across the floor of the ocean. Nobody knows why they do this, and nobody knows where they go.

So, sometimes we know why humans and animals move from one place to another, but at other times we don’t. Maybe living things just like to travel.

1. Most animals move from one place to another at a certain time to________________.

A. give birth

B. enjoy warmer weather

C. find food more easily

D. find beautiful places

2. The fish called “salmon” spends a long life in________________.

A. salt water

B. rivers

C. fresh water

D. its birthplace

3. The lobsters move________________.

A. to the fresh water

B. to the sea floor

C. at a certain time

D. to find more food

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Animals move in order to find food more easily.

B. The migration of the fish called “salmon” is the most famous migration.

C. Living things move from one place to another because they like to travel.

D. Sometimes we know why and how living things move from one place to another, but sometimes we don’t.

In history, the real cowboy was a simple farm worker on horseback. He spent twelve to fourteen hours a day outdoors working with cows. The work was dirty, tiresome and not very well paid. In the winter, most cowboys had to find other jobs. They were seldom alone. Most of them worked in teams of eight to ten.

People could raise beef cattle at low cost in the western states and send them by train to the eastern markets. But someone had to look after the cattle on the open land and get them to the nearest railroad. This was the job of a cowboy. Sometimes the railroad was more than a thousand kilometers away and it could take as long as six months to move the cattle. The cowboy moved the cattle slowly so that the cattle would not lose weight.

Most cowboys were young, unmarried men. A cowboy’s horse was his most important tool. A good horse made the job of moving cattle much easier. A good cowboy understood cows and knew how to control them. At night, he sang to the cows to keep them calm.

The cowboy quickly received popular praise. Historians say that was because the cowboy appeared during a time of change in American life. In the late 1800’s America was changing from a nation of farms to one of factories and cities. The cowboy seemed free and more independent than other Americans.

Today, the life of real cowboys has changed greatly. One change has been the use of trucks. There is no need for the modern cowboy to sleep on the ground. Modern cowboys are better paid. They are likely to be married. Today, cowboys are found in almost every state of the United States. Some of them are farmers or teachers or truck drivers. Some work for big companies. But at night and on weekends they become cowboys. Most have less than a thousand cows, and some have only two or three. Those part-time cowboys increase the total production of meat, keeping beef price low. Most modern cowboys do not make much money from raising cattle. Many do it because they love the cowboy life.

1. In the past, the cowboy’s work________________.

A. was covered with dirt

B. cost much labor

C. was less paid

D. All of the above

2. The cowboys quickly receive popular praise because they appeared________________.

A. in the western parts of the United States

B. in the eastern markets every year

C. in the time of great changes in America

D. in the early 1800’s

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A. The modern cowboys not only use their horses but also their trucks.

B. The modern cowboys still have to sleep on the ground outdoors.

C. The modern cowboys are badly paid.

D. Most modern cowboys don’t love their work.

People have different preferences(偏爱)for gardening. Some may enjoy having their own flower gardens and cutting flowers for their homes. Some may prefer to grow fruit and vegetables for food. Many like keeping plants in their homes, which is light work. With flowers or plants in a room, the house can be more beautiful.

There are different things to be done in a garden in different seasons. There is time to sow, to cut off branches and to do many other jobs. Besides, you must also have some knowledge about the soil in your garden, and about fertilizers(化肥)and weed killers, if you want to get high yields.

Today, indoor gardening is more and more popular. Hundreds of plants are grown indoors. To keep the indoor plant healthy, you have to follow certain rules. In heated rooms, plants need plenty of moisture(水分). They have to be carefully watered and leaves should be sprayed. Potted plants are better to be kept on window sills. The sun and daylight help to keep the leaves green. Fresh air is also needed if the weather is good.

1. In which of the following do we consider fresh air very important?

A. Keeping plants inside houses.

B. Cutting off branches.

C. Learning how to use weed killers.

D. Fertilizing the soil.

2. The work in a garden will take your whole life to learn because________________.

A. the seasons are quite different

B. gardening is so popular

C. there is much knowledge involved

D. many people have preference for it

3. The following are considered important when plants are kept indoors except ________________.

A. sunlight　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. moisture

C. seasons　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   　　   D. fresh air

4. If you want to get high yields in your garden, you should________________.

A. learn all the details about the species of your plants

B. have knowledge about the soil, fertilizers and weed killers

C. water your plants and always keep them green

D. keep your plants away from too much sunlight

The Universal Postal Union helps each letter get to the right place as quickly as possible. It sets up rules about the size and weight of letters, postcards and small packages. It has rules that all countries must follow about international postal rates.

One hundred years ago international mail did not move so smoothly. One country did not always accept another country’s letters. Letters from some countries were too large to fit into the mailboxes of other countries. Letters traveled by many different routes. Some were lost along the way.

Sometimes the person who sent the letter could pay only part of the postage. The person receiving the letter had to pay the rest.

The United States was the first to suggest that all countries work together to settle the question of international mail. In 1874, men from twenty-four countries met in Switzerland to form the Universal Postal Union.

Today, more than 120 nations belong to this union. From its office in Switzerland, the union helps the mail to move safely and quickly around the world.

1. The passage does not say so, but it makes you think that________________.

A. international mail is important to all countries

B. not enough letters are sent all over the world

C. all the letters must go to Switzerland first

D. all stamps look exactly the same

2. Which statement does this passage lead you to believe?

A. Countries around the world need each other’s help.

B. Most people do not put enough postage on letters.

C. It is not possible for letters to get lost on the way.

D. Some of the letters are too large to be put into the mailbox.

3. The word “postage” in this passage means “________________”.

A. money paid when you buy a stamp

B. money spent on an envelope

C. the charge for carrying a letter by post

D. the pay a postman receives for his work

Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated(忍耐)the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny programs. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain.

As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

1. Doctors have proved the following except that________________.

A. smiling does good to health

B. laughter can be tolerated

C. there is a way to reduce pain

D. laughter can work the muscles in the feet

2. The main idea of the passage is________________.

A. laughter and physical exercises have similar effects on the human body

B. smile can produce the same effects as laughter

C. pain can be reduced by laughter

D. laughter is the best medicine

3. The students who________________ tolerated the pain for the longest time.

A. listened to different radio programmes

B. could produce a kind of chemical

C. don’t have stress of pain

D. listened to a funny programme

4. The underlined word “diminish” is similar to________________.

A. test　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. stop

C. reduce　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    　　   D. increase

5. Doctors hold laughter clinics________________.

A. to give better condition to their patients

B. in order to improve patients’ health

C. to make patients smile

D. to prove smile and laughter have the same effect

I woke up around 6:30 this morning, on my ninth day in hospital since I caught SARS.

Glancing over at my roommate, Xiao Huang, a 27-year-old employee of a Beijing software company, I saw he was also awake.

After a light breakfast, a nurse came in and took my temperature. It was 36. 6 centigrades. We’re at Changxindian Hospital in Southwestern Beijing, a newly named SARS patient hospital.

It seems I am now recovering as my fever has gone down in recent days. When I first got the disease, I spent four days with a temperature above 39. 5 centigrade—at one point it reached 40. 1 centigrade.

At 8:30 a. m. , a nurse took a blood sample and X-ray of my chest. Then my daily treatment began with the help of the experts from Guangdong and WHO.

Before the first bottle finished, my wife rang me. I talked with her on my mobile phone. It has become a major connection with the outside world. Several friends also called me in the morning.

I am feeling great these days—no fever, no headache and no pain in the chest, which are all symptoms(症状)of SARS. My slight cough is gone since I began taking a new round of medicines yesterday. The doctor told me that I may be set free from hospital in two weeks and a half.

1. Where is the hospital the writer stays at?

A. In the south of Beijing.

B. To the east of Beijing.

C. In the southwest of Changxindian.

D. In the southwest of Beijing.

2. How long does the writer have to stay altogether in the hospital before he is sent home?

A. Seventeen days.

B. Nine days.

C. More than thirty days.

D. More than twenty-five days.

3. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A. When he first got the disease, his temperature once reached 41.5 centigrade.

B. His medical treatment came after he had breakfast.

C. He lived in a room of the hospital alone.

D. He talked with his wife by fax.

4. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the symptoms of SARS?

A. Having a high fever.

B. Having a headache.

C. Feeling pain in the chest.

D. Feeling cold all day.

Since I took office I’ve done everything in my power to protect our children from harm. We’ve worked to make their streets and their schools safer, to give them something positive to do after school and before their parents get home. We’ve worked to teach our children that drugs are dangerous, illegal and wrong.

Today, I want to talk to you about the historic opportunity we now have to protect our nation’s children from an even more deadly threat: smoking. Smoking kills more people every day than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, drugs and fires combined. Nearly 90 percent of those smokers lit their first cigarette before they turned 18. Consider this: 3 000 children start to smoke every day illegally, and 1 000 of them will die sooner because of it. This is a national tragedy that every American should be honor-bound to help prevent. For more than five years we’ve worked to stop our children from smoking before they start, launching a nationwide campaign to educate them about the dangers of smoking, to reduce their access to tobacco products, and to severely restrict tobacco companies from advertising to young people. If we do these, we’ll cut teen smoking by almost half over the next five years. That means if we act now, we have it in our power to stop 3 million children from smoking and to save a million lives as a result.

1. What has the author done in his power?

A. To look after our children.

B. To clean the street.

C. To teach our children.

D. To protect our children from harm.

2. Compared with other disasters, what kills more people every day?

A. Smoking. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. Car accidents.

C. Drugs. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. Murders.

3. How many children start to smoke every day illegally?

A. 1 000. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   　　   B. 3 000.

C. 90. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    　　D. 18.

4. For more than five years what have they done to stop their children from smoking?

A. To educate them about the dangers of smoking.

B. To reduce their access to tobacco products.

C. To restrict tobacco companies from advertising to young people.

D. Above of all.

5. How many children will be stopped from smoking if we act now?

A. one million. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    　　   B. 1.5 million.

C. 3 million. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   　　D. 3 000.

With the appearance of fast food chains from the West such as McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, the Chinese are being introduced to a diet that markedly increases the death rate from certain diseases in population.

The main killers in North America, the degenerative diseases such as heart attack and stroke as well as colon cancer, will become a way of death, not death, not life, in this country if the Chinese do not act quickly and compete with these health destroying food chains.

Scientific studies from all over the world show that a diet high in animal foods such as pork, beef, including sugar, white flour, white noodles and even white rice, undermines one’s health. Deposits of animal fat cling to the walls of arteries, blocking the blood supply to various organs.

This causes diseases in almost every organ, but in particular it damages two of the most vital ones, the heart and brain.

Compare these problems with the excellent health one may enjoy if one consumes good Chinese food. The cook goes out every day, procures great-tasting, fresh vegetables, then cooks them for just a few minutes so that their nutritional value is preserved and afterwards serves them in a most artistic and elegant fashion. Please cling to your traditional ways of eating. They are far superior to those of the West.

Certainly the fast food chains make lots of money, but who wants to fill the pockets of a foreign food chain that proceeds to ruin the health of the Chinese people?

Another reason Western fast food restaurants make money is that the food they serve, which comes from assembly lines, will not attract bugs or spoil easily.

How the Chinese could patronize these fast food places when the Chinese cook such pleasant food, not just in this country but over the entire world, is beyond my comprehension.

Western restaurants are clean and tastefully decorated. Moreover, these restaurants also do indeed have “good service and an inviting dining atmosphere”. However, Chinese food chains could do likewise if they would organize themselves as the Western chains do.

These lessons in management and decoration are the only ones worth learning from the invasion of this country by the Western fast food chains. In other words, only imitate the style of the restaurants, not the content of the food or the menus in any way, shape or form.

Do not let the desire for money destroy the wonderful tradition that China has established in producing absolutely fantastically tasty as well as healthful food.

1. They are fast food chains from the West except ________________.

A. McDonald’s

B. Kentucky Fried Chicken

C. Pizza Hut

D. Chinese food

2. A diet high in animal foods and refined foods will cause diseases, in particular it damages ________________.

A. the heart and brain

B. the walls of arteries

C. all organs

D. the blood

3. The reasons Western fast food restaurants make money are ________________.

A. assembly lines that will not attract bugs or spoil easily

B. clean and tastefully decorated

C. good service and an inviting dining atmosphere

D. above of all

4. What will be worth learning from the Western fast food chains?

A. The content of the food.

B. The menus.

C. The lessons in management and decoration.

D. Shape or form of the food.

5. In the passage, the author thinks________________.

A. Chinese should learn everything from Western fast food restaurants

B. Chinese should say no to Western fast food

C. Western fast food are good

D. Chinese food is bad