Fear filled the eyes of the silent farmhand as he took a second glance skyward. He had not been mistaken. There it was growing larger and larger in all of its black ugliness. Like a giant funnel(漏斗) made of billowing cloth that could not hold its shape, it loomed(隐约出现) larger and larger. The man no longer could control his panic as he rushed toward the house. If he could only have enough time to warn the others of the awful danger bearing down on them. His plan of action was clear. He would first awaken the others, and then he would rush to the ban and lead the animals to the comparative safety of the storm cedar(地窖). His breath was coming in sobs now as he bent down and grabbed a large stone that he hurled at the upper story window. He shouted, “Hurry ! Get up ! ” as he stumbled against the door and pushed it open. “Hurry, if you want to live, hurry! A twister! ”(龙卷风)

1．The other people were mostly likely in ________.

A．the kitchen

B．the barn

C．the bedroom

D．the cellar

2．The man was ________.

A．a coward because he cried

B．a coward because he ran away

C．brave because he tried to run to the cellar

D．brave because he tried to save others

    The office has always been a place to get ahead. Unfortunately, it is also a place where a lot of natural resources start to fall behind. Take a look around next time you’re at work. See how many lights are left on when people leave. See how much paper is being wasted. How much electricity is being used to run computers that are left on? Look at how much water is being wasted in the restrooms. And how much solid waste is being thrown out in the rubbish cans. We bet it’s a lot.

    Now, here are some simple ways you can produce less waste at work. When you are at the copier, only make the copies you need. Use both sides of the paper when writing something less important. Turn off yore lights when you leave. Use a lower watt bulb in your lamp. Drink your coffee or tea out of your mugs instead of single-use cups. Set up a recycling box for cans and one for bottles. And when you’re in the bathroom brushing your teeth or washing your face, don’t 1et the tap run．Remember，if we use fewer resources today．we’ll save more for tomorrow．

1.　　   The main purpose of the passage is to tell people ________.

A. the disadvantages of working in an office

B．the waste produced in an office

C．to save resources when working in an office

D．how to save water in a restroom．

2．How many kinds of waste are mentioned in the passage?

A. Two．

B．Three．

C．Four．

D．Five．

3．From the passage we can infer that in the office ________.

A. using computers is a waste of resource

B．many people don’t turn off the computers after using them

C．computers are run by electricity

D．a computer is not a must for working

4．It is suggested that we use both sides of the paper at the copier because ________.

A. we are short of paper

B．the priming is not important

C．we should save paper

D．we have to pay for the paper

5．The underlined word “mugs” is most likely to be________.

A．a machine that makes coffee

B．a container that can be used again and again

C．a paper product for tea

D．Something that can only be found in an office

    With hate in their eyes, they watched their destined victim appear from his cabin. He was small and dark, but rather delicate-looking for a sea captain who possessed huge whiskers and a mustache. The score was finally to be settled.  The two intruders lurched in the shadows, nervously fingering their knives. The captain paced slowly back and forth on the deck, enjoying the clean clear moonlight and the soft splash of the waves against the stem. Swiftly and suddenly the two men leapt upon the captain, thrusting their knives into his tired body, forever silencing their hated enemy. They had waited for years for this moment.

1．The main purpose of this passage is to ________.

A．describe the difficult life of seamen

B．describe a sea captain having whiskers and a mustache

C．tell the story of a murder

D．describe a clear moonlit night

2．You can infer from this passage that the two intruders intended to ________.

A．apologize for their past behavior

B．go to jail

C．murder an innocent man

D．avenge a past wrong

    The road was busy to the Los Angeles airport. Our bus driver, Jin signaled(打信号) to change ways so that he could overtake a slow- moving car ahead of us. Just as he got ready to pass, the driver of the car put her arm out of the window, showing a move left, but she didn’t. After a minute she pulled her arm back in. When we tried to pass her a second time, the women again held out her hand, only to take it back a minute later.“Good heavens make up your mind,” Jin shouted angrily.

　　 Finally, after four unsuccessful starts, we sped past her ear. I looked down to see the woman painting her fingernails red．As she finished each nail, she waved her arm out of the window to let it dry.

1．The woman driver ahead of them ________.

A．signed to turn left

B．wouldn’t drive after them

C．painted her fingernails as she drove

D．made fun of them

2． The word “overtake” in the passage means ________.

A．pass

B．keep up with

C．run

D．fall behind

3．We can conclude from the passage that the woman driver ________.

A．painted the fingernails of her right hand.

B．had nothing important to do

C．was a pretty girl

D．was not good at driving

    Most musicians agree that the best violins were first made in Italy. They were made in Gremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. These violins sound better than any others. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins. But they aren’t the same. Musicians still prefer the old ones.  No one really knows why these old Italian violins are so special, but many people think they have an answer.

    Some people think it is the age of the violins. They say that today’s violins will also sound wonderful someday. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only those from Gremona are special. So age cannot be the answer. There must be something different about Gremona or those Italian violin makers.

    Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood．The wood of the violin is very important. It must be from certain kinds of trees. It must not be too young or too old．Perhaps the violin makers of Gremons knew something special about wood for violins.

    But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this was the secret of the Italians. Maybe they understood more than we do about how to cut the wood.

    Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists measured these old violins very carefully. They can make new ones that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish, which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. No one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish. So no one can make the same varnish today.

    There may never be other violins like the violins of Gremona．Their secret may be lost forever. Young musicians today hope this is not true. They need fine violins. But there aren’t very many of the old violins left. Also, the old violins are very expensive. Recently, a famous old Italian violin was sold for about US $ 300,000!

1. This passage is about

A．making violins

B．musical instruments

C．scientific ideas

D．the old Italian violins

2. The best violins ________.

A．are made with modern techniques

B．were lost many years ago

C．were made in Italy 200 years ago

D．were made by scientist

3.  Some people think that modern violins

A．will sound better in the future

B．will sound worse in the future

C．sound wonderful naturally

D．will never be as old as those from Gremona

4. Violins made today

A．look the same as the old ones

B．sound the same as the old ones

C．are better than the old ones

D．have the same varnish as the old ones

5. Some scientists believe the old Italian violins have a special ________.

A．sound

B．shape

C．surface

D．size

　　 People in the United States honor their parents with two special days; Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to he responsible(有责任感的) citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with childcare.

　　 These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes (象征) a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead．Many people attend religious(宗教) services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(基地). On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues (烧烤) for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.

    Another tradition(传统)is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts. ” Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.

1. Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?

A．Parents bring up children.

B．Parents give love and care to children.

C．Parents educated children to be good persons.

D．Parents pass away before children grow up.

2. We can infer from the text that “carnation is _________.

A．a kind of hand- made cards

B．the special clothes for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

C．a kind of flower showing love and best wishes

D．what people have to wear when they have family parties

3. What do you think "florists" do?

A．They sell flowers.

B．They make and sell bread.

C．They offer enough room for having family parties.

D．They sell special gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

　　 Car racing is not only for the rich people with racing cars! With an old car, enough courage, and a little luck, you can go stockcar racing.

　　 In a stockcar race, cars start and then hit one another. A stock - car drive doesn’t want to be faster than the other cars, he wants to hit them and stop them! Here he needs courage.

    A race is thirty minutes, with a five - minute break in the middle. Many car stop working after five or ten minutes; sometimes all of them stop working. Then the drivers have work to do. During the break friends can come and help, but they must repair the car in these five minutes. Time is very important.

    The break ends. How many cars can restart? Here a driver sometimes needs a little luck to help him. But that is stock - car racing: a driver, and old car, courage and a little luck!

1. You win at stock- car racing if your car ________.

A．runs faster than all the other cars

B．heavily hits all the other cars

C．passes all the other cars in 30 minutes

D．still runs at the end of the race

2. The purpose of the break in the middle of the race is to let ________.

A．the audience takes a rest

B．friends cheer for the driver

C．the drivers fix their cars

D．the judges examine the cars

3. Stock- car racers need courage because ________.

A．they have to drive very fast

B．they have to hit other cars

C．their cars might stop working

D．their cars might get damaged

4. The purpose of the stock- car race is ________.

A．to have fun

B．to sell old cars

C．to see who is the luckiest

D．to give the poor people a chance

    Springfield, Mass, May 2——Protesters (抗议者) marched outside America’s largest handgun maker Saturday to demand safeguards (保护) cut down on the thousands of gun deaths that happen each year.

    “We are holding the gun industry responsible(有责任) because they have refused to design, advertise and market their products to save the lives of children,” said Arlene Locicero. Locicero, whose daughter was one of the six people killed in a 1993 shooting on a Long Island train, was among 150 people protesting outside Smith & Wesson.

    Shoes Used in Protest

    The protest was one of several planned to be held Saturday outside the country’s largest gun- makers in Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia.

    Protesters laid out 5,285 pairs of shoes to show the number of young people aged 19 and under who died from gun shots in 1995.

    The protesters wanted gun makers to make guns childproof(防儿童的), put on clear warning on guns, reduce production and raise prices.

    Congress Considering Bill

    Congress(议会) is now considering a bill to educate parents about proper gun storage.

    Ed Shults, Smith & Wesson’s President, said his company already sells guns with locks and takes many of the measures suggested by the protesters.

    However, “There is no proper training of those who are using handguns.” He said gun owners must learn the importance of safe storage that keeps away from children.

1. This piece of news is mainly about ________.

A．what people demanded in reducing deaths caused by guns

B．the protest held against owning guns

C．a bill how gun owners should store their guns

D．why children should not have guns

2. According to the protesters, who should be blamed most for the great number of gun deaths?

A．The government.

B．Children.

C．Gunowners.

D．Gunn makers.

3. From the news report we can see that on May2 ________.

A．only people in Massachusetts held a protest

B．protests were held at least in five states

C．gun companies promised to do what pro- testers had required

D．people saw the shoes of all those who died of gun shots in 1995

4. What Ed Shults said suggest that ________.

A．people should not have guns before they have some training

B．they will set up training centers for gun owners

C．gun owner should learn to use their guns properly

D．they have done enough to prevent gun deaths

　　 Collecting coins (or numismatics to the more seriously minded) is one of the world’s popular hobbies. Although you can begin collecting coins at any age, most numismatists will recall their hobbies being stimulated in childhood．My interest was kindled as a ten - year- old child when I was presented with a small tin of old coins by the boyfriend of an elder sister. I wasn’t rich all of a sudden but I was certainly impressed by possessing objects that were so many times older than myself. Such is the fascination of coins for old and young alike.

    Many people are astonished to heat that coins issued before the birth of Christ- representing sixty generations of human life- can be bought for just a few dollars. Owning something which has literally passed through the hands of so many of our ancestors (祖先) is instantly appealing. When such a coin is not only rare but beautiful, it is not surprising that collectors will pay thousands of dollars to own it. Australia’s own coins, although so much more recent than, say, Roman coins, can still be very valuable. For example, in March1992 an Australian 1920 sovereign was sold for$287,000 at a London auction.

    Coins speak to us from the past. If we care to study them we can learn more about how our ancestors used to think. But perhaps most interestingly, we can discover how people dealt with one another. Basically, coins represent the value put objects which we own and want to trade, now or at some future date. We can call this complex system currency(货币). Australia, like few other countries in the world can trace its history through its currency.

1. The word closest in meaning to “was kindled” as it is used in the passage is ________.

A．began

B．dived

C．filled

D．went

2. After receiving the coins as a young child, the author felt ________.

A．suddenly very rich

B．a desire to spend them all

C．moved by owning very old objects

D．an overwhelming sense of discovery

3. If something is “instantly appealing” it is ________.

A．wildly exciting

B．immediately pleasing

C．invariably interesting

D．strangely curious

4. Australia’s coins can be valuable even though ________.

A．they have been passed down through generations

B．they are not very old

C．the currency has changed

D．the currency system is complex

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

A．Coin collecting has always been an expensive hobby.

B．Numismatics appeals to both children and adults

C．Coins were not issued before the birth of Christ.

D．Australia is unique in that it can trace its history through coins.

    Decision- thinking is not unlike poker—it often matters not only what you think, but also what others think you think and what you think they think you think. The mental process(过程) is similar. Naturally, this card game has often been of considerable interest to people who are, by any standards, good thinkers.

    The great mathematician John yon Neumann was one of the founders of game theory. In particular, he showed that all games fall into two classes: there is what he called games of “perfect information”, games like chess where the players can’t hide anything or play tricks: they don’t win by chance, but by means of logic and skills. Then there are games of “imperfect information”, like poker, in which it is impossible to know in advance that one course of action is better than another.

    One mistaken idea about business is that it can be treated as a game of perfect information. Quite the reverse. Business, politics, life itself are games which we must normally play with very imperfect information. Business decisions are often made with many unknown and unknowable factors (因素) which would even puzzle(困惑) best poker players. But few business people find it comfortable to admit that they are taking a chance, and many still prefer to believe that they are playing chess, not poker.

1. The subject discussed in this text is ________.

A．the process of reaching decisions

B．the difference between poker and chess

C．the secret of making good business plans

D．the value of information in winning games

2. An important factor in a game of imperfect information is ________.

A．rules

B．luck

C．time

D．ideas

3. Which of the following can be used in place of “Quite the reverse”?

A．Quite right.

B．True enough.

C．Most unlikely.

D．Just the opposite.

4. In the writer’s opinion, when making business decisions one should ________.

A．put perfect information before imperfect information

B．accept the existence of unknown factors

C．regard business as a game of chess

D．mix known and unknown factors