Chess （棋）must be one of the oldest games in the world. An Arab traveller in India in the year 900 wrote that it was played “long, long ago”. Chess was probably invented in India and it has been played everywhere from Japan to Europe since 1400. The name “chess” is interesting. When one player is attacking the other's king, he says “check”. When the king is caught and cannot move anywhere, he says “checkmate”, which means “the king is dead”, and he wins.

　　Such an old game changes very slowly. The rules have not always been the same as they are now. For example, at one time the queen could only move one square at a time. Now she is the strongest piece on the board. It would be interesting to know why this has happened!

　　Chess takes time and thought, but it is a game for all kinds of people. You don't have to be a champion （冠军）in order to enjoy it. It is not always played by two people sitting at the same table. The first time the Americans beat the Russians was in a match played by radio. Some of the chess masters are able to play many people at the same time. The record was that one man played 400 games! It is said that some people play chess by post. This must make chess the slowest game in the world.

(1) Chess was played ________.

[　　]

A．in India long before 900

B．much earlier in Arab than in India

C．in Japan and Europe before 1400

D．earlier of all the games

(2) One player wins the game when ________.

[　　]

A．he attacks the player's king

B．the other player's queen is caught

C．the other player's king cannot move anywhere

D．he says “check” to the other player

(3) As the rules for the game have been changed, now the queen ________.

[　　]

A．is much bigger in size than other pieces

B．has the same power as the king

C．is not allowed to move in the square

D．is the most powerful one of all

(4) The writer of the passage seems to tell us that ________.

[　　]

A．it's not easy to become a champion in a world chess match

B．most people play chess not for a championship but for fun

C．anybody who enjoys playing chess can be a champion

D．no one really likes the game of chess unless he gains a championship

(5) Which of the following is UNTRUE?

[　　]

A．People could send letters to play chess.

B．Once the Russians played a chess match against the Americans by radio.

C．One of the best players in the world had a record of beating at least 400 men at a time.

D．A few good players can play chess with a number of players at the same time.

　　Have you ever wondered why different animals or pests have their particular colours? Colours in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.

　　Birds, especially seagulls are very fond of locusts, but birds can't easily catch locusts because locusts change their colours together with the change of the colour of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But when crops are ripe, locusts take on exactly the same brown colour as crops have. Some other pests with different colours from plants are usually easily found and eaten by their enemies. So they have to hide themselves in terror for lives and appear only at night.

　　If you study the animal life in any part of the world, you will find the main use of colouring is to protect themselves. Bears, wolves and other beasts move quietly through forests. They are usually invisible to the eyes of hunters, because they have the colour much like the barks（树皮）of trees.

　　An even more strange act remains to be noticed. A kind of fish living in seas can send out a kind of very black liquid when it faces danger. While the liquid is over, its enemies cannot find it, and it quickly swims away. Thus, it has existed up to now though it is not powerful at all.

(1) This passage mainly talks about ________.

[　　]

A．the change of colour in locusts

B．the protective colouration of animals and pests

C．how a certain sea fish protects itself

D．animals or pests can dye themselves different colours

(2) Locusts are ________ but they aren't easily wiped out by their enemies because ________.

[　　]

A．animals;they are powerful enough

B．beasts;they are dangerous to their enemies

C．pests;they take on the same colours as crops

D．birds;they fly very fast

(3) The pests that have different colours from plants usually appear at night because ________.

[　　]

A．their enemies can easily find them and eat them

B．they have the habit of coming out in darkness

C．it's easy for them to destroy plants in darkness

D．birds take their rest when night comes

(4) Bears and wolves have the same colours as the barks of trees because ________.

[　　]

A．they fear other beasts

B．they like brown or grey colours

C．they enjoy walking through forest quietly

D．the colours help prevent themselves from being noticed

　　Amtrak（美国铁路客运公司）was experiencing a downswing in ridership（客运量）along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham, were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.

　　At one time, trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast, very luxurious, and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However, times change and the automobile became America's standard of convenience. Also, air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore, the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west.

　　Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder, etc.). These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive, the Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad, enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route.

(1) What's the author's purpose in writing this passage?

[　　]

A．To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speed and convenience.

B．To stress the influence of the automobile on America's standard of convenience.

C．To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion.

D．To illustrate the important role of persuasive communication in changing consumer attitudes.

(2) It can be inferred from the passage that the drop in Amtrak ridership was due to the fact that ________.

[　　]

A．trains were not suitable for short distance passenger transportation

B．trains were not the fastest and most convenient form of transportation

C．trains were not as fast and convenient as they used to

D．trains could not compete with planes in terms of luxury and convenience

(3) To encourage consumers to travel by train, DDB Needham emphasized ________.

[　　]

A．the freedom and convenience provided on trains

B．the practical aspects of train travel

C．the adventurous aspects of train trips

D．the safety and cleanliness of train trips

(4) The train ads were placed among family-oriented TV programs involving nature and America because ________.

[　　]

A．they could focus on meaningful travel experiences

B．they could increase the effectiveness of the TV programs

C．their profits could be increased by some 15 percent

D．most travel-lovers and nervous fliers were believed to be among the audiences

　　A new era is upon us. Call it what you will: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society. It all translates to a fundamental change in the way we work. Already we're partly there. The percentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallen dramatically in the Western World. Today the majority of jobs in America, Europe and Japan (two thirds or more in many of these countries) are in the service industry, and the number is on the rise. More women are in the work force than ever before. There are more part-time jobs. More people are self-employed. But the breadth of the economic transformation can't be measured by numbers alone, because it also is giving rise to a radical new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Long-held notions about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between individuals and employers--all these are being challenged.

　　We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may be ahead. No one looking ahead 20 years possibly could have foreseen the ways in which a single invention, the chip, would transform our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, digital communications and factory robots, Tomorrow's achievements in biotechnology, artifical intelligence or even some still unimagined technology could produce a similar wave of dramatic changes. But one thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even more vital, and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write. The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing routine tasks will be valued above all else. If you cast your mind ahead 10 years, information services will be predominant. It will be the way you do your job.

(1) A characteristic of the information age is that ________.

[　　]

A．most of the job opportunities can now be found in the service industry

B．manufacturing industries are steadily increasing

C．people find it harder and harder to earn a living by working in factories

D．the service industry is relying more and more on the female work force

(2) One of the great changes brought about by the knowledge society is that ________.

[　　]

A．the difference between the employee and the employer has become insignificant

B．people have to change their jobs from time to time

C．most people have to take part-time jobs

D．people's traditional concepts about work no longer hold true

(3) By referring to computers and other inventions, the author means to say that ________.

[　　]

A．people should be able to respond quickly to the advancement of technology

B．the importance of high technology has been overlooked

C．future achievements in technology will bring about inconceivable dramatic changes

D．computer science will play a leading role in the future information services

(4) The future will probably belong to those who ________.

[　　]

A．give full play to their brain potential

B．possess and know how to make use of information

C．involve themselves in service industries

D．cast their minds ahead instead of looking back

　　Have you ever been afraid to talk back when you were treated unfairly? Have you ever bought something just because the salesman talked you into it? Are you afraid to ask someone for a date?

　　Many people are afraid to assert themselves（表现自己）. Dr Alberti, author of “Stand Up, Speak Out, and Talk Back”, think it's because their self-respect is low. “Our whole set-up is designed to make people distrust themselves,” says Alberti. “There's always'superior'around--a parent, a teacher, a boss--who knows better”. These superiors often gain when they chip away at your self-image.”

　　But Alberti and other scientists are doing something to help people assert themselves. They offer “assertiveness training” courses--AT for short. In the AT course people learn that they have a right to be themselves. They learn to speak out and feel good about doing so. They learn to be aggressive（敢作敢为的）without hurting other people.

　　In one way, learning to speak out is to overcome fear. A group taking an AT course will help the timid person to lose his fear. But AT uses an even stronger motive（动机）--the need to share. The timid person speaks out in the group because he wants to tell how he feels.

　　Whether or not you speak up for yourself depends on your self-image. If someone you face is more “important” than you, you may feel less of a person. You start to doubt your own good sense.

　　You go by the other person's label. But, why should you? AT says you can get to feel good about yourself. And once you do, you can learn to speak out.

(1) The problem the writer talks about is that ________.

[　　]

A．some people buy things they don't want

B．some people are afraid of speaking up for their rights

C．there are too many chiefs and not enough “Indians”

D．some people think too highly of themselves

(2) The cause of the problem talked about in this passage is that ________.

[　　]

A．some people have a low self-image

B．there is always someone around who “knows better”

C．salesmen talk people into buying things they don't want

D．people don't share enough

(3) The effect of our set-up on people is often to ________.

[　　]

A．make them distrust themselves

B．make things more favourable for “superiors”

C．keep them from knowing as much as their “superiors” know

D．help them to learn to speak up for their rights

(4) AT is one solution to the problem in this passage. One thing AT doesn't do is ________.

[　　]

A．use the need of people to share

B．show people they have a right to be themselves

C．help people overcome fear

D．help people to assert themselves even if others suffer

　　These days, most people in Britain and the US do not wear very formal（正式的）clothes. But sometimes it is important to wear the right thing.

　　Many British people don't think about clothes very much. They just like to be comfortable. When they go out to enjoy themselves, they can wear almost anything. At theatres, cinemas and concerts you can put on what you like--from elegant（优雅的）suits and dresses to jeans（牛仔裤）and sweaters. Anything goes, as long as you look clean and tidy.

　　But in Britain, as well as the US, men in offices usually wear suits and ties, and women wear dresses or skirts (not trousers). Doctors, lawyers and business people wear quite formal clothes. And in some hotels and restaurants men have to wear ties and women wear smart dresses.

　　In many ways, American people are more relaxed than British people, but they are more careful with their clothes. At home, or on holiday, most Americans wear informal or sporty（轻便的）clothes. But when they go out in the evening, they like to look elegant. In good hotels and restaurants, men have to wear jackets and ties, and woman wear pretty clothes and smart hairstyles（发型）.

　　It is difficult to say exactly what people wear in Britain and the US, because everyone is different. If you are not sure what to wear, watch what other people do and then do the same. You'll feel more relaxed if you don't look too different from everyone else.

(1) Many British people wear freely when they ________.

[　　]

(2) Who of the following people don't usually wear suits and ties?

[　　]

(3) If you visit an American friend at his or hers in the evening, you may find that your friend wears ________.

[　　]

(4) If you are in a foreign country, the writer suggests you to wear ________.

[　　]

　　As you research music, you will find much that is familiar to you. You will find music which tells of interesting places and exciting things to do. You will find music which expresses feelings that are often your own.

　　Music is an expression of the people. As you research, you will find music of people at work, or at play. You will find music expresses love of the country, love of nature and love of home.

　　Music is also an expression of composer（作曲家）. The composer expresses his own musical ideas. He studies the materials of music and discovers ways of using them. He looks for new kinds of musical expression.

　　Music can suggest actions and feelings which we all share. We can enjoy playing and singing music, dancing and listening to the music of the people and the composers of different times and places.

(1) The title of this passage is ________.

[　　]

A．Let's Enjoy Singing and Dancing

B．Let's Research Music

C．Music--An Expression of the Composer

D．Music--A Suggestion of Feelings

(2) In the first paragraph, the writer tells us ________.

[　　]

A．to find pleasure and our feelings in music

B．how to research music

C．how to express your feelings in music

D．to discover the things and the places in music

(3) From the second paragraph, we know that ________.

[　　]

A．music sings of the country, nature and home

B．if we love music we'll love the country, nature and home

C．we may listen to music at work or at play

D．music can express how people live, work and think

(4) Through music, the composer ________.

[　　]

A．wishes you to study music with him

B．expresses his feelings and ideas

C．studies the materials of music

D．wants to discover ways of using music and new kinds of musical expression

(5) The last paragraph shows that music makes it possible ________.

[　　]

A．that music can express actions and feelings

B．that people can enjoy playing and singing music, dancing and listening to the music at present

C．to bring understanding between people of different times mid places

D．to make people of different times and places happy

　　As is true in all cultures, Americans first hear music in the context of family life. Much of that music comes from the records on the family radio or television, and this “canned” music is especially important in developing children's musical taste. People often say they were very strongly influenced by the kind of music they heard before they were old enough to have their own records or choose the station on the family radio. There is usually some live music in the family as well. Many mothers and grandmothers sing lullabies （催眠曲）, for example. These can be important since in America, as elsewhere, lullabies not only lull（催眠）a baby to sleep but promise, praise and teach cultural values. Sometimes lullabies are the only songs in a foreign language that American children with strong ethnic（种族的）backgrounds bear, since people often fall back on old, familiar languages for intimate songs.

　　Another important family context is the automobile, where families learn songs and sing together on weekends and vacations. This is not as surprising as it appears, for the family car has become one of the basic centers of family experience, and it is one of the important place where the family gathers for an extended period of time without outside disturbance. The family used to have to choose between making their own music in the car or being force-fed by the radio, but the recent invention of automobile cassette recorders and eight-track playback machines allows a family to have more control over what they hear when they drive.

(1) “Canned music” (Para.1) refers to ________.

[　　]

A．music passed down from older generations

B．recorded music in contrast to live music

C．modern music young people can enjoy

D．music children hear in an automobile

(2) The music children first hear is important in ________.

[　　]

A．shaping their likes and dislikes in music

B．learning language

C．developed their talent in music

D．maintaining their strong ethnic backgrounds

(3) Lullabies are usually sung in ________ in the passage.

[　　]

(4) The word “context” (Para. 1, Line 2) means ________.

[　　]

(5) The recent invention of automobile cassette recorders allows a family to ________.

[　　]

A．extend the period of time they spend in cars

B．have more choice in the music they hear

C．enjoy music without outside disturbance

D．have another place to get together

　　Hotlines have become common in China. Some radio broadcasting stations use hotlines to encourage the listeners to take part in the talk shows.

　　That's a good idea. Yet, the fact is, some people do nothing but break the whole programme.

　　Some people know little about the topic under discussion. Sometimes they do not even know what the host（主持人）is talking about. So the host has to tell the caller what the show is about. Usually the caller will ask a few questions which express his hope and show his ignorance（无知）. Then the host has to answer and explain--how silly this is! It waste a lot of time.

　　It seems that some people phone the hotlines in fun. They just want to let the listeners hear them. They don't care what the topic is, whether they themselves are interested in or how silly they appear to be.

　　I'm totally bored by those people. It's necessary for radio stations to improve the hotline programmes. In my opinion, if a caller doesn't know what is going on, the operator should not let the caller take part in it.

(1) The sentence,“Some people do nothing but break the whole programme.” may tell us that ________.

[　　]

A．radio stations use hotlines in a wrong way

B．it is a fact

C．it is a good idea

D．some people have unclear thoughts

(2) Which of the following is not true?

[　　]

A．Some people know little about the topic under discussion.

B．Some people do not know what the host is talking about.

C．Some people do not know what the show is about.

D．The writer tells us that the host is silly.

(3) The host has to answer and explain ________.

[　　]

A．for the host works hard

B．because of the caller's ignorance

C．for the host likes talking to the caller

D．because of a lot of questions raised by the caller

(4) The passage doesn't tell us the idea ________.

[　　]

A．that some listeners phone the hotlines in fun

B．that some people just want to he heard by others

C．that some people who don't care what the topic is must have realized that they appear to be silly

D．what the hotline programmes are

　　Instead of buying only fresh foods, Americans nowadays buy many more convenience foods. There are foods which are ready partly or completely prepared. Many of them are frozen, such as frozen dinner (TV dinners), heat-and-serve French fries, and frozen pizzas. There are also many canned (put in a can) convenience foods, such as ready-made spaghetti, soups, stews（炖熟的菜肴）and vegetables.

　　Convenience foods save time and trouble. They are popular with people who are busy or who don't like to cook or wash dishes. But they often cost more than fresh, unprepared foods and may contain artificial additives (a chemical added to the food). Also, many people feel they don't taste as good as home cooked foods.

Health Food and Co-ops

　　In the 1960s, a “back-to-the-earth”movement was started by young people in the United States. The movement was a reaction against the harmful effects of technology. From the movement came a new understanding of food and health. Many people now prefer natural and organic (chemical-free) foods to the prepared foods sold in health food stores and in food co-ops, which are small stores where customers help manage the store. In co-ops, food is usually not packaged. Customers bring their own bags and jars and（汲取）their food out of boxes or baskets.

The Diet Craze（节食热）

　　These days Americans are more and more, concerned with their weight. Perhaps as many as 70 million Americans are on weight dollar business. American supermarkets sell a variety of diet foods such as diet soft drinks, diet candy, and diet salad dressings. Dieters also spend money on diet pills, exercise machines, and jogging suits（慢跑服装）. Each year dozens of new diets are popularized. They have such names as the Miracle Diet (a super-natural even), the Nine Day Wonder Diet, and the Easy 24 Hour Diet. There is even one called the Ice Cretan Diet, which advises the dieter to eat only ice cream for lunch and dinner! For dieters who cannot lost weight on their own, there are many well-organized diet groups, which offer help and encouragement.

(1) Generally speaking, convenience foods in America ________.

[　　]

(2) Young people who started a “back-to-the-earth” movement ________.

[　　]

A．might be too foolish

B．should be praised for their action

C．might suffer from some disease

D．might get less money from their companies

(3) From the fourth paragraph, we can find that ________.

[　　]

A．the diet craze in the United States is unnecessary

B．rich American people should offer their money to the poor

C．business men are getting much money from the diet craze

D．fat Americans are too foolish to take too much food

(4) What's the writer's opinion on American diets?

[　　]