Reading Comprehension

Read the following passages, and choose the best answer that can answer the question.

　　You may think that English dictionaries have been used for many, many centuries. In fact, an English dictionary like the kind you use today wasn't made until the time of the Qing Dynasty. Three men did most of the important early work on dictionaries：Samuel Johnson, Noah Webster, and James Murray. These men spent nearly all of their lives trying to collect words for their dictionaries. For them, it wasn't only a job; it was a wonderful journey. The largest dictionary in the world is the Oxford English Dictionary, or OED for short. The idea for this dictionary came from an important meeting in Britain in 1857. Twenty－two years later, Oxford University asked James Murray to be the editor of its new dictionary.

　　Murray had never been to college. At the age of fourteen, he left his village school in Scotland and taught himself while working in a bank, hater he became a great teacher. After Oxford gave him the job, Murray had a place built in the garden behind his house to do his work. Part of it was one meter underground. In winter it felt like a barn, he had to wear a heavy coat and put his feet in a box to keep warm. Every morning, Murray got out of bed at five o'clock and worked several hours before breakfast. Often he would work by candle light into the evening. Murray hoped to finish the new dictionary in ten years. But after five years, he was still adding words for the letter A! Then others went to work with Murray, including his two daughters. He worked on the dictionary until he was very old. Forty－four years later, in 1928, other editors finished it. It included more than 15, 000 words in twelve books. And you thought your English dictionary was big!

1．The first English dictionary like we are using today ________.

[　　]

A．was edited in China in the Qing Dynasty

B．has been used for many centuries

C．was completed by James Murray

D．was made in the 20th century

2．What's the meaning of the underlined sentence?

[　　]

A．The editors liked their jobs very much.

B．Making dictionaries was more than their job, it took their whole lives to complete the tasks.

C．Editing dictionaries was like taking a wonderful journey.

D．It was only a job for the editors to make dictionaries.

3．Which of the following statements about the Oxford English Dictionary is NOT true?

[　　]

A．It was completed by James Murray and some other people.

B．It was decided to make such a dictionary in 1857.

C．The dictionary was completed twenty－two years after it was decided to be made.

D．It took James Murray more than 5 years to add words to letter A.

4．In the last paragraph, “barn” probably is ________.

[　　]

A．a hotel to live in

B．a nice house to look at

C．a place for animals to stay in

D．a room to keep cold out

5．The main purpose of writing this passage is to ________.

[　　]

A．tell us why the first English dictionary was made

B．introduce who James Murray was

C．tell us how the first English dictionary was made

D．introduce us three people－ Samuel Johnson, Noah Webster, and James Murray

Reading Comprehension

Read the following passages, and choose the best answer that can answer the question.

Like every language, American English is full of special expressions, phrases that come from the day－to－day life of the people and develop in their own way. Our expression today is “to face the music”.

　　When someone says, “Well, I guess I'll have to face the music,” it does not mean he's planning to go to the concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you didn't do this or that. Sour music indeed, but it has to be faced. At sometime or another, every one of us has had to face the music, especially as children. We can all remember father's angry voice, “I want to talk to you,” and only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!

　　The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young or old. It is at least 100 years old. And where did this expression come from? The first explanation comes from the American novelist, James Fenimore Cooper. He said, in 1851, that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on the stage. When they got their cue to go on, they often said, “Well, it's time to face the music.” And that is exactly what they did－facing the orchestra which was just below them. And an actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of an audience that might be friendly or perhaps hostile, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So the expression “to face the music” came to mean “having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice”

　　Other explanations about the expression go back to the army. When the men faced inspection by their leader, the soldiers would be worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean, shinny enough to pass inspection? Still the men had to go on and face the music of the band as well as the inspection. What else could they do?

　　Another army explanation is more closely related to the idea of facing the results and accepting the responsibility for something that should not have been done. As, for example, when a man is forced out of the army because he did something terrible, he is dishonored. The band does not play. Only the drums tap a sad, slow beat. The soldier is forced to leave, facing such music as it is and facing the back of his horse.

1．According to the passage how many ways does the phrase “to face the music” come from?

[　　]

2．What's the meaning of “to face the music?”

[　　]

A．To face something far less pleasant.

B．To face the stage.

C．To face the back of one's horse.

D．To face one's leader.

3．In which condition would we face the music?

[　　]

A．When we are playing basketball.

B．When we are making a speech in public.

C．When we are having a party.

D．When we are talking with somebody.

4．The underlined word in the third paragraph means ________.

[　　]

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

[　　]

A．The explanation to the phrase “to face the music” is closely related with the army life.

B．When a man is forced out of the army, the band doesn't play.

C．The first explanation to the phrase “to face the music” comes from an American novelist.

Reading Comprehension

Read the following passages, and choose the best answer that can answer the question.

　　We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. But most mistakes are about people. “Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?” “When I got that great job, did Jim really feel good about it, as a friend? Or did he envy(嫉妒) my luck?” “And Paul－why didn't he pick up that he was friendly just because I had a car?” When we look back, doubts like these can make us feel bad. But when we look back, it's too late.

　　Why do we go wrong about our friends or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meaning. And if we don't really listen we will miss the meaning behind the words, Suppose someone tells you, “You're a lucky dog,” that's being friendly. But “lucky dog”? There's a bit of envy in those words. Maybe he doesn't see it himself. But bringing in the “dog” bit puts you down a little. What he may be saying is that he doesn't think you deserve your luck.

　　“Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for” is another noise that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem as part of your life as a whole. But is he? Wrapped(包起来) up in this phrase is the thought that your problem isn't important. It's telling you to think of all the starving people in the world when you haven't got a date for Saturday night.

　　How can you tell the real meaning behind someone's words One way is to take a good look at the person talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Does what he says agree with the tone of voice? His posture(姿态)? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save another mistake.

1．This passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．how to make friends

B．what to do when you listen to others talking

C．how to avoid mistakes when you communicate with people

D．why we go wrong with people sometimes

2．According to the author, the reason why we go wrong about our friends is that ________.

[　　]

A．we fail to listen carefully when they talk

B．we tend to doubt what our friends say

C．people usually state one thing but mean another

D．people tend to be annoyed when we check what they say

3．What does the underlined word in the second paragraph refer(指的是) to ________.

[　　]

A．being friendly

B．a bit of envy

C．lucky dog

D．your luck

4．When we listen to a person talking, the most important thing for us is to ________.

[　　]

A．notice the way the person is talking

B．take a good look at the person talking

C．think about his tone, his posture and the look in his eyes

D．examine the real meaning of what he says based on his manner, his tone and his posture

5．Which of the following sentences is true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Some mistakes we make at any age are always about the money.

B．If someone says to you that you are a lucky dog, perhaps there's a bit of envy in those words.

C．We can get the meaning behind someone's words if we don't listen carefully.

D．There is only one way to tell the real meaning behind someone's words.

Reading Comprehension

Read the following passages, and choose the best answer that can answer the question.

STEVENAGE, England－An amateur(业余) football goalkeeper made the save of his life on Tuesday when he caught a two－year－old girl who fell 12 meters from window of her parents room. Paul Edmonds, 28, was returning from a football game when he saw little Kayleigh hanging on to the window ledge(沿) by her fingertips and he sprinted to below the window just in time to catch her when she dropped. “It's a wonder. He's a hero to us. He saved her life.” Kayleigh's 28－year－old mother, Karen Grant, said from her home in Stevenage, Southern England. She told us how she entered the room just in time to see her daughter, who had climbed onto the window ledge, fell out.

1．The football goalkeeper is said to have made “the save of his life” on Tuesday because ________.

[　　]

A．he saved his won life

B．he saved a girl's life as well as her mother's

C．he caught a falling girl, which was much, greater than any saves he had ever made

D．be caught a key ball, which prevented his team from being defeated

2．Which of the following might have happened before this?

[　　]

A．The girl had quarreled(争吵) with her parents.

B．The girl had been left alone in the room.

C．The girl had told her mother she would kill herself.

D．The girl had told the man to wait below.

3．What do we know about Paul Edmonds?

[　　]

A．Where he was going when all this happened.

B．Whether he was older than Karen Grant.

C．His job.

D．Whether his team had won the game that day.

4．The word “sprint” in the passage perhaps means ________.

[　　]

A．to jump as high as possible

B．to observe as carefully as possible

C．to walk long distance as quickly as possible

D．to run a short distance at full speed

5．Choose the best headline for this newspaper article.

[　　]

A．What Parents!

B．What a girl!

C．What a Catch!

D．What a Football Goalkeeper!

Reading Comprehension

Read the following passages, and choose the best answer that can answer the question.

　　In the movie Cast Away, Tom Hunks plays a man named Chuck Noland. Chuck is a businessman who is always so busy that he has little time for his friends. He is a successful manager in a company that sends mail all over the world. One day Chuck is on a f light across the Pacific Ocean when suddenly his plane crashes. Chuck survives the crash and lands on a deserted island.

　　On the island, Chuck has to learn to survive all alone. He has to learn how to collect water, hunt for food, and make fire. Perhaps the most difficult challenge is how to survive without friends. In order to survive, Chuck develops a friendship with an unusual friend－a volleyball he calls Wilson.

　　Chuck learns a lot about himself when he is alone on the island. He realizes that he hasn't been a very good friend because he has always been thinking about himself. During his five years on the island, Chuck learns how to be a good friend to Wilson. Even though Wilson is just a volleyball, he becomes fond of him. He talks to him and treats him as a friend. Chuck learns that we need friends to share happiness and sorrow, and that it is important to have someone to care about. He also learns that he should have cared more about his friends. When he makes friends with Wilson, he understands that friendship is about feelings and that we must give as much as we take.

　　A volleyball is certainly an unusual friend. Most of our friends are human beings, but we also make friends with animals and even things. For example, many of us have pets, and we all have favorite objects such as a lucky pen or a diary. The lesson we can learn from Chuck and all the others who have unusual friends is that friends are teachers. Friendship helps us understand who we are, why we need each other and what we can do for each other.

1．What was the most difficult problem for him on the deserted island?

[　　]

A．To make a fire.

B．To collect water.

C．To make a tent for him to live in.

D．To survive without friends.

2．What kind of person was he when he was a businessman?

[　　]

A．He was a person who always cared for others.

B．He was a person who was strict with himself.

C．He was a person who always thought about himself.

D．He was a person who had no friends at all.

3．What is the most important factor to keep friendship according to Chuck?

[　　]

A．A friend should always depend on others.

B．A friend should care about others and give as much as he takes.

C．A friend should always take from others.,

D．A friend should always share others' happiness.

4．According to the passage ________ can be our friends.

[　　]

A．anything

B．only people who have a lot in common with us

C．only things we need

D．only people who can help us

5．The writer wrote this passage to ________.

[　　]

A．introduce us a touching story

B．tell readers the importance of friendship and how we should understand friendship

C．introduce us a famous actor Tom Hunks

Reading Comprehension

Read the following passages, and choose the best answer that can answer the question.

　　Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don't give friendship back. That is why some friendships don't last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules：be honest; be generous; be understanding.

　　Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you don't tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven't been honest you may lose your friend's trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.

　　Generosity means sharing and makes a friendship grow. You don't have to give your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to friends. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing then you help your friend know you better.

　　Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with problems. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem' can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend's place so you can understand the problem better.

　　No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends; you must practice honesty, generosity and understanding.

1．Some friendships don't last long because ________.

[　　]

A．there are too many people who want to make friends

B．those (who never give others friendships) receive no friendship from others

C．those who give others friendship receive friendship from others

D．they don't know friendship is something serious

2．According to the passage honesty is ________.

[　　]

A．something countable

B．the base of friendship

C．as important as money

D．more important than anything else

3．The underlined word “Generosity” means in Chinese ________.

[　　]

4．Which of the following isn't mentioned in the passage?

[　　]

A．Always tell your friend the truth.

B．Sharing your mind with your friend is of great value.

C．Discussing your problems with your friend often helps to solve the problem.

D．A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend.

5．The best title of this passage is ________.

[　　]

A．Honesty Is the Best Policy

B．A Friend In Need Is a Friend Indeed

C．How To Be a Friend

D．Three Important Points In Life

　　Texas was biggest state before Alaska became the forty-ninth state in 1959．One good way to understand the size of Texas is to learn about its weather. Different parts of the state have different kinds of weather.

　　Laredo in Texas is one of the hottest cities in the US in summer. The best time to visit Laredo is in the winter, when it is pleasantly warm.

　　Amarillo gets very cold in winter. There is sometimes more snow in Amarillo than in New York, which is a northern city. Summers are better. but sometimes it gets quite hot. The best time to visit Amarillo is in the autumn when it is cool.

　　If anyone asks you about the weather in Texas, ask him, “What part of Texas do you mean?”

1．The passage mainly tells us ________.

[　　]

A．what the weather is like in the US

B．how big the biggest city in the US

C．the weather in Texas is quite different

D．Texas is one of the biggest states in the US

2．From this passage we may know ________.

[　　]

A．Texas is the biggest city in the US

B．Alska is the biggest city in the US

C．there are not less than 49 states in the US

D．Texas became a state of the US after Alaska

3．According to the passage, Texas probably lies in the ________ of the US.

[　　]

4．Which of the following diagrams(图表) give the correct relationships between Texas, Laredo and Amarillo?

[　　]

A．

B．

C．

D．

阅读理解

　　A strange thing happens to nearly everybody at night. They turn off the lights, pull up the covers and close their eyes. Six or seven sleeping hours later, they wake up again. Strange, isn't it?

　　Sleep puzzles science. Scientists and doctors would rather talk about why one can't fall asleep. They are not sure what causes sleep. The best conditions for sleep are good health and a meal neither too big nor too small. No worries and a comfortable place are important, too.

　　Strange things happen during sleep. For example, they move often. You would feel tired if you didn't. You also dream. Parts of your brain are still awake when you dream. Dreaming happens when the memory and imagination in parts of your brain are still awake. Experiments have shown that most of us dream in color. Bad dreams may be caused by stomachache. Don't worry if you dream. Some great stories and poems were begun while their writers slept.

1．Sleep puzzles scientists because they are not certain ________.

[　　]

A．why one can't fall asleep

B．why one wakes up

C．both A and B

D．what causes sleep

2．The best conditions for sleep are ________.

[　　]

A．good health

B．a meal neither too big nor too small

C．no worries

D．good health, limited meal, no worries and a good place

3．You would feel tired during sleep if you ________.

[　　]

4．The best title for the passage is ________.

[　　]

A．How Can You Get Good Sleep

B．The Strangeness of Sleep

C．What Happens During Sleep

D．The Causes of Dream

阅读理解

　　Why must we pay taxes? The answer is that the government needs money for many things, for example, to pay its soldiers, sailors and airmen, to build roads, bridges, offices, schools, etc. and to buy goods from abroad; and only the people of the country can supply the money. One of the most important taxes is the income-tax which a person pays according to the amount of his income, whether he is a businessman, a doctor, a lawyer, a shopkeeper, a miner, or anything else. This is called a “direct” tax, because it is paid in money directly to the government.

　　Another tax is paid on goods such as watches, jewellery, new clothes, tobacco, wine, etc. When they are brought into a country, such a tax is paid as part of the price of these goods if they are later sold in shops. We call it “indirect” tax, because it is paid indirectly through the shopkeeper.

　　People usually complain about having to pay taxes, but they forget that the money is spent on the things that they and their families need. We need policemen to catch thieves, to see if men obey the laws, to direct traffic, etc. and they must be paid for what they do; children need education and there must be schools and teachers; we want our streets to be kept clean, and the wages of men who do this kind of work have to be paid. Above all, the country must always be ready to defend itself against attacking enemies, and we cannot have an army without paying for it.

　　Taxes, therefore, cannot be avoided. We buy our own food and clothes and pay for our own amusements, but there are several things that the State finds the money for, and that is necessary for us if our society is to continue. So we have no real cause to complain when we are asked to supply money to be spent for the good of ourselves and for our fellow-citizens.

1．“Indirect” tax means ________.

[　　]

A．the tax that one pays directly to the government

B．the tax that is not paid directly to the government

C．the tax that is paid as extra amount added to the price of certain goods

D．both B and C

2．Which of the following is TRUE?

[　　]

A．Taxes are paid to the sellers.

B．Income-tax is an "indirect" tax.

C．The tax on new clothes is paid in money directly to the government.

D．Tax is an amount of money that you have to pay to the government so that it can pay for public services.

3．People have no real reason to complain about having to pay taxes because ________.

[　　]

A．some shopkeepers are very rich

B．they need money to buy goods from abroad

C．their children need education

D．the money is spent on the things that they and their families need

4．“Taxes, therefore, cannot be avoided” means ________.

[　　]

A．people have to pay taxes to the government

B．you do not have to pay taxes on some goods

C．soldiers do not have to pay taxes

D．all goods have to be taxed

阅读理解

　　The law says women should have the chance of doing the same jobs as men and earn the same as them.

　　The reality is very different. Women lose because, 25 years after the Equal Pay Act, many of them still get paid less than men.

　　They lose because they do lower-paid jobs which men just won't consider. And they lose because they are the ones who interrupt a career to have children.

　　All this is reported in an independent study ordered by the Government's women's unit.

　　The biggest problem isn't equal pay in workplaces such as factories. It is the sort of work women do.

　　Make a list of low-paid jobs——then consider who does them.

　　Try nurses, secretaries, cleaners, clerks, teachers in primary schools, dinner ladies and child-care helpers. Not a lot of men among that group, are there? Yet some of those jobs are really important. Surely no one would deny that about nurses and teachers, for a start.

　　So why do we reward the people who do them so poorly? There can be only one answer－because they are women.

　　This is not going to be put right overnight. But the Government, which employs a lot of them, and other bosses have to make a start.

　　It is disgraceful that we have been in the 21st Century still treating women like second-class citizens.

1．Women should have the chance of doing the same jobs and be paid equally as men ________.

[　　]

A．after 25 years

B．according to the law

C．as a result of the Equal Pay Act

D．because women are as strong as men

2．We can learn from the text what the problem really matters is ________.

[　　]

A．that women interrupt a career to have children

B．what sort of work women do

C．because they are women

D．that an unfair pay women get in workplaces

3．Which of the following best describes the writer's idea?

[　　]

A．Women should get equal pay for work to that of men.

B．Women should strengthen themselves.

C．The Government ought to protect women against getting paid less than men.

D．Some of the jobs that women do are of great importance.

4．Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?

[　　]

A．Work To Give Women A Fair Pay

B．Time To Change The Situation

C．Equal Work, Equal Pay

D．Should Women Be Treated Like Second-class Citizens?