阅读提升

（一）

A

NEW YORK—The man known as the French “Spiderman” climbed The New York Times building on Thursday to draw attention to global warming， and six hours later another climber made the same climb.

Alain Robert， 45， the first person to climb the 52-story skyscraper （摩天大厦）， told reporters ahead of the climb on the UN World Environment Day that his aim was “to raise awareness of global warming since this is one of the main problems for our time”.

His manager Julie Cohen said she knew nothing about the second climber. She added that Roberts climbs were without risk and he was a professional climber.

Robert climbed without equipment except for climbing shoes. He was greeted at the top by police who arrested him.

The second climber was also immediately arrested at the top by police. His climb at the height of the evening rush hour drew crowds and was shown live on at least one TV station.

Several people in the crowd shouted “jump” when he stopped part of the way up to rest but there was a loud cheer as he reached the top. Wearing red pants， black climbing shoes and a white T-shirt that read “Malaria （疟疾） No More”， the man laughed as he was led away by the police from the building.

“We dont look at him as a modern Spiderman，” said James Coil， a member of the police emergency services unit. “We look at him as somebody who not only puts his life at risk but is one of members of the public as well.”

Martin Edlund， director of “Malaria No More”， which aims to prevent the one million yearly deaths from malaria， said the climber had nothing to do with them， but they appreciated his enthusiasm.

1. When was Alain Robert arrested at the top of the building by police？

A. In the early morning. B. In the late afternoon.

C. In the evening. D. About at noon.

2. We learn from the text that Roberts climb was ___ .

A. cheered by the police B. forbidden by the government

C. supported by the owner of the skyscraper D. laughed at by the people watching him

3. The second climber did the same thing as Robert to ___ .

A. show that he was as good as Robert B. draw peoples attention

C. do something for peoples health improvement D. make himself well known in the world

4. What can we infer from the underlined sentence？

A. Risk is popular in the USA.

B. The Americans like to go in for risks.

C. The actions like the two mens are forbidden in the USA.

D. The USA government is not against the actions of risk.

B

The Belgian city of Ghent has declared Thursdays meat-free days. Should cities around the world join in the activity？

People usually associate politicians， particularly in these troubled times， with hot air. But rather than sent off poisonous gases in Ghent—the progressive Belgian city—have come up with a unique plan to reduce the citys greenhouse gas emissions.

Youve probably heard of fish Fridays. Well， the Flemish （佛兰德） university town of some 200，000 people has now introduced a weekly “Veggie Thursday”.

By encouraging public officials， school children and ordinary citizens to go voluntarily veggie one day a week， the city hopes to improve public health and reduce our impact on the environment and animals. In fact， according to the UNs Food and Agriculture Organisation （FAO）， “The livestock （畜牧） branch works as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems， at every extent from local to global.”

And if the idea catches on， the impact could be great. “If everyone in Flanders （population： six million） does not eat meat one day a week， we will save as much CO2 in a year as taking half a million cars off the road，” said the Ethical Vegetarian Association spokesperson. Imagine if every city in the world followed suit！

So even though I ate out in Brussels yesterday， I went for a veggie choice： a delicious Lebanese mezze. Dont get me wrong； Im not vegetarian. In fact， I love eating carnivorous （肉类的） food.

Although traditional Belgian food is quite rich and fatty， Ghent has a surprisingly large number of delicious veggie restaurants and veggie choices on menus， but Brussels easily beats it for its unbelievable range of foods.

“There has been an increase in demand for vegetarian dishes at my restaurant over the past few years，” Wim Vandamme， a Ghent restauranteur said. “The selection of vegetarian dishes we offer has also grown considerably，” Vandamme said that his customers were eating veggie mainly for their own health， then comes animal protection， and finally， the environment.

5. Who put forward “Veggie Thursday”？

A. The travellers of the Belgian city. B. The scientists and doctors.

C. Many people of the Flemish university town. D. The author.

6. According to the passage， one of the most significant causes to the most serious environment problems is ___ .

A. meat-eating day B. meat-free days

C. the livestock branch D. rich and fatty food

7. What can we know from the passage？

A. The author is a vegetarian. B. The author likes to eat meat.

C. The cars can be removed by vegetarians. D. The city of Ghent has less progress.

8. According to the passage， we can know that ___ .

A. the author is healthier than before

B. Ghent has few veggie choices on menus

C. More people chose vegetarian dishes last year

D. People eat veggie mostly because of the enviroment

C

Contrary to what many experts say， Chinese scientists have found no evidence in the middle and eastern part of the Himalayas that glaciers （冰川） are either receding （减弱） rapidly or melting fast.

“The glaciers in the region are melting comparatively slowly，” said Zhang Wenjing， a leading scientist from an international Himalayan expedition team.

In the 1980s， some overseas experts forecast that the Himalayan glaciers would melt away completely in 50 years， and experts in China predicted that glaciers in west China would disappear around the year 2020.

Zhang， who works in the Chengdu Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment under the Chinese Academy of Sciences， said， “Those predictions may be extremely pessimistic—so far glaciers in the middle and eastern part of the Himalayas have not decreased on any large scale.”

“If that was the situation， the lakes under the glaciers would be flooded，” said Zhang.

Although acknowledging the effects of global warming， Zhang said the glaciers in the Himalayas and other parts of western China would not melt in the coming decades or even centuries.

Zhang said that another widely reported forecast—that the icecap in the South Pole would soon melt totally—was also too pessimistic.

The Antarctica icecap measures 13 million square kilometers. “With average temperatures at 30 degrees centigrade below zero， a lot of heat is needed to make it melt，” Zhang said.

He said that the Earths temperature would not continue to rise indefinitely （无限期地）， and a new “cold period” would come in several hundred years.

At the end of 2004， China had more than 47，000 glaciers， covering an area of 59，000 square kilometers.

The team launched a month-long expedition on Monday with a team of 12 Chinese experts and 7 scientists from India， Nepal and Bhutan.

The researchers will compare the physical geography， geology， ecosystem and economic development of the southern and northern slopes of the Himalayas.

9. What was some overseas experts idea according to the passage？

A. In the western and eastern part of the Himalayas glaciers were melting fast.

B. Glaciers in west China would disappear around the year 2020.

C. The Himalayan glaciers would melt away in 50 years.

D. The Antarctica icecap was melting totally.

10. What kind of attitude does the underlined word “pessimistic” in Paragraph 4 suggest？

A. Positive. B. Negative. C. Objective. D. Subjective.

11. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage？

A. Because of the effects of global warming， the South Pole will melt soon.

B. There were 59，000 glaciers covering 47， 000 square kilometers in China in 2004.

C. The expedition team mentioned was made up of Chinese experts and overseas scientists.

D. The lakes below the glaciers are often flooded.

12. What should be the best title of the passage？

A. Different Opinions on Glaciers B. No Serious Melting of Himalayan Glaciers

C. The Glaciers Are Melting Fast D. The Effects of Global Warming on Glaciers

D

Have you ever listened to young children talking on the playground？ They are always boasting. They say things like， “My Dads car is bigger than your Dads，” and “My Mom is smarter than yours.” They particularly like to boast about their families.

There were three little boys， Harry， Ted and Gavin， who were always boasting. Gavin was the worst. Everything about his family was always the best or the biggest or the most expensive.

Whatever the others said， he could always go on better. One day when they were walking to school， Harry said， “My father had a bath twice a week，” Ted spoke next. “Thats nothing，” he said. “Having a bath twice a week is dirty. My father has a bath every day， sometimes twice a day.” Ted looked at Gavin. Now it was his turn. But what could he say？ “This time，” Ted thought， “Im going to win.” Gavin didnt know what to say. He couldnt say that his father had a bath three times a day. That was silly. He walked on in silence. Ted smiled at Harry， and Harry smiled back. They were sure that for once they had beaten Gavin. They reached the school gates. Still Gavin said nothing. “Weve won，” Ted said to Harry， but he spoke too soon. On the way home， Gavin said， “My Dad is so clean that he doesnt have to bathe at all.”

13. According to the passage， the meaning of the underlined word “boast” in Paragraph 1 is to ___ .

A. singing a nice song B. talking big

C. going on better D. having a bath three times a day

14. What did Harry boast about？

A. The number of times his father had a bath every week.

B. The size of the bathroom in his home.

C. His fathers expensive car.

D. His mothers family.

15. Who boasted the most？

A. Ted. B. Harry and Ted. C. Harry and Gavin. D. Gavin.

16. What does “he spoke too soon” in the last paragraph mean？

A. He spoke quickly. B. He should have spoken earlier.

C. He was wrong. D. He couldnt be understood.

E

17. Which of the following tickets on sale begin on the same day？

a. Bateaux Lunch Cruise

b. Kids Eat Free Card London

c. Tower of London Admission

d. London Eye Flight Ticket

A. b， c， d. B. a， b， d. C. a， b， c. D. a， c， d.

18. Which ticket on sale has the shortest time for booking？

A. Kids Eat Free Card London. B. London Eye Champagne Flight.

C. Dungeon Admission Ticket. D. London Eye Flight Ticket.

19. If you are a music lover， you would like to buy a ticket at ___ .

A. London Dungeon B. Bateaux London

C. British Airways London Eye D. Kids Eat Free

20. Where most probably can you read this passage on a website？

A. News report. B. Science and technology.

C. Sports and Entertainment. D. Travel and culture.

（二）

A

There is a story about British poet Samuel Coleridge. He was writing a poem when he was interrupted by a knock at the door. That was an age before telephones. Someone was delivering a message. When Coleridge got back to his poem， he had lost his inspiration. His poetic mood had been broken by the knock on his door. His unfinished poem， which could otherwise have been a masterpiece， would now never be more than a fragment （片段）. This story tells us how unexpected communication can destroy an important thought， which brings us to the cell phone.

We have already entered a golden age of little white lies about our cell phones， and this is actually a healthy， protective development. “I didnt hear it ring” or “I didnt realize my phone had shut off” are among the lies that we tell to give ourselves space where were beyond reach. In fact， we have “Do Not Disturb” signs on the doors of hotel rooms， so why must we feel guilty when it comes to cell phones？ Why must we apologize if we decide to shut off the phone for a while？

Cell phones make long-distance communication common， but also endanger our time. Now， time alone or a conversation with someone next to us without being interrupted by a phone is something to be cherished. Sometimes， even cell phone devotees （爱好者）， myself usually included， cant help wanting to throw their phone away.

But we dont and wont， and there is really no need. We have to develop a healthy contempt （轻视） for the rings of our own phones. Ease yourself of making and receiving cell phone calls. If we dont talk to the caller right now， we surely will shortly later. A cell phone call deserves no greater priority than a random word from the person next to us. The call on my cell phone may be the one-in-a-million from Steven Spielberg—who has finally read my novel and wants to make it his next movie， but most likely it is not， so Id better think about the idea that I just had for a new story， or the slice of pizza Ill eat for lunch.

1. The writer tells us the story in Paragraph 1 to ___ .

A. direct readers attention to the main topic

B. show how important inspiration is to a poet

C. encourage readers to read the works of the poet

D. emphasize the disadvantage of not having a cell phone

2. The writer thinks telling “white lies” on the cell phones is ___ .

A. a way of showing that you dont like the caller B. natural for us to keep our secret

C. basically a good way to protect ones privacy D. something we should feel guilty about

3. According to the text， whats the most annoying problem caused by cell phones？

A. People fail to notice anything else.

B. People cant answer the cell phones.

C. Cell phones interrupt peoples private time.

D. With cell phones， its impossible to be unreachable.

4. What does the last paragraph suggest？

A. You should have lunch before you answer a call.

B. A person who calls us from afar deserves more attention.

C. Coleridge once called to talk about the authors novel.

D. Never let cell phones interfere too much with your life.

B

Americans are worse at spelling than Britons （英国人）， with more than half unable to spell “embarrassed”， “liaison” and “millennium”.

Despite the popularity of school spelling competitions， adults in the US performed poorly in a survey comparing how English speakers on both sides of the Atlantic deal with commonly misspelled words. 62% of Americans got “embarrassed” wrong， against 54% of Britons who struggled with the word in a survey last year. Adults in the US performed less well on most of the ten words tested， including “millennium” （52% wrong， against 43% in the UK）， “liaison” （61% to 54%） and “accommodation” （42% to 36%）. Only “definitely” and “friend” were spelt correctly by more Americans.

Professor Edward Baranowski of California State University said that the results showed the terrible drop-out rates （辍学率） of the US high schools. “This certainly puts a final pressure upon the universities， which must devote lots of resources to remedial （补救的） education，” he said. Jack Bovill of the Spelling Society， which studied the research， said the high misspelling rates in both countries showed the need for the English spelling system to be modernized to improve spelling ability. “When asked， only a quarter of adults thought they had a problem with spelling. The answers in the test prove that this is far from the case，” he said. “What is holding the UK and the USA back is the irregular spelling system.” The US survey involving a sample of 1，000 adults was carried out online last month， with the method based on a survey of 1，000 Britons in April last year.

5. Whats the best title of the passage？

A. Britons are Worse at Spelling than Americans B. The Serious Effect of the High Drop-out Rates

C. Americans are Worse at Spelling than Britons D. Poor Education of America and Britain

6. Which of the following words is the least likely to be misspelled by Americans ？

A. Embarrassed. B. Millennium. C. Liaison. D. Definitely.

7. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean？

A. The case needs to be looked into. B. Americans are bad at spelling.

C. The situation is not too serious. D. The practical case is much worse.

8. How do people improve the spelling ability according to the passage？

A. Control the drop-out rates of high schools.

B. Make the English spelling system modernized.

C. Put much more pressure on the universities.

D. Devote more resources to improving the quality of education.

C

I was at a basement in my college dormitory， when this girl came up to me and said， “Do you have a quarter？ Im one short of putting my laundry in the dryer.”

I stopped to think about it for a few seconds and took a few moments to consider whether Id be willing to give a quarter away. I found myself judging her， thinking about why she didnt bring 4 quarters down from her room with her， as if shed have planned to be one short so she could ask someone else for it. Obviously that was not the case， but there I went again， judging the intention of others the way I judge myself when I do wrong things like stealing money， or lying.

I responded， “Yeah， I think I have one.” After fully aware that I had 3 since I just used two dollars to buy a drink worth 1. 25 from the vending machine （自动售货机）. “Here you go，” I said with a smile. “Thanks！” she responded， mentioning that shed have cleaned clothes to wear the next morning. “Its fine. This happens to me all the time！” I said， wanting to feel like the good person she obviously thought I was.

A few moments later she returned and put a dollar bill next to where I was sitting. “I found this in the laundry room，” she said. “Why are you giving this to me？” I asked. “Oh， because you were a good person to me， so Im just returning the favor.”

Its just a dollar， but I felt moved. Because I hadnt given that quarter with such nice thoughts， the way she gave that one dollar to me. I felt like it was the first time I ever received something greater in return for something so small that I had given. I saw the power of kindness and generosity in a new way.

9. What was the girls problem？

A. She didnt know the time. B. She didnt have enough money.

C. She couldnt operate the dryer. D. She didnt know where the dryer was.

10. What does the underlined word “laundry” most probably mean in this passage？

A. Place where clothes are washed. B. Machine with which to wash clothes.

C. Clothes that are washed. D. Place where clothes are sold.

11. How much did the girl have on her？

A. 1 quarter. B. 2 quarters. C. 3 quarters. D. 1 dollar.

12. How did the author feel when the girl gave him the money？

A. Pleased. B. Worried. C. Excited. D. Surprised.

D

Imagine living in a place where you and your brother are the only kids， where everyone lives in tents， and where wild animals walk or run past day and night. And theres a fire burning all the time for warmth and cooking.

Madison McNutt， 12， and his brother Wilder， 8， live in the southern African country of Botswana at Wild Dog Research Camp， where their father studies wild dogs and other big predators （捕食者）. Their mother works with local children， teaching them about conservation of the natural world.

Boys Tent

The boys live in their own tent attached to their parents， several feet off the ground like a tree house. The camp toilet is a hole in the ground， and everyone showers and bathes outside under the stars. Sometimes at night the boys spot animals like hyenas （土狼） that come to the camp for a drink. Sometimes there is a lot of excitement.

Wildlife

“The wildlife at night is very dangerous，” says Wilder. “So you have to be extremely careful.” “Last night some hyena killed an impala in camp. They made a huge ruckus （骚动） and I was up for about two hours listening to the noise.”

School

The boys attend class in camp about four months out of the year. Madisons favorite part of the day is when school gets out. “Then I can do other things， like going out with some of the students to research cheetahs or wild dogs or lions or hyenas.”

Favorite Animals

Madison， who wants to train dogs for the movies when he grows up， likes the wild dogs most. “They are very social animals and are always nice to each other.” Both boys have learned a lot about the animals their father works to understand and protect.

13. The purpose of this passage is to ___ .

A. encourage people to go camping in Africa B. call on more people to protect wild animals

C. introduce people a good way of spending holidays D. introduce people the life at Wild Dog Research Camp

14. Madison McNutt and Wilder ___ .

A. stay with local children in the camp B. live in a tree house off the ground

C. have known much about wild dogs D. have the same favorite animals

15. What can be inferred from the passage？

A. They can take a bath in a special tent.

B. The two boys mother is a teacher in the local school.

C. The two boys school time of a year in camp isnt too long.

D. The two boys father wants them to be scientists.

16. Which of the following statements is TRUE？

A. Campers should take care at night because of dangerous wildlife.

B. Wilder likes the leopard because they are social animals.

C. Campers seldom see animals in the day in the camp.

D. The two boys father is a wild lion researcher.

E

“Soon， youre going to have to move it out！” cried my neighbor on seeing the largest tomato plant known to mankind or at least known in my neighborhood.

One tiny 9-inch plant， bought for $1.25 in spring， has already taken over much of my rose bed， covering much of other plants， and is well on its way to the front door.

Roses require a good deal of care， and if it werent for the pleasure they give， it wouldnt be worth the work. As it is， I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year. Bushes must be pruned （剪枝） in early spring， leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later. It was the space available in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant. A big mistake！

Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out to be even more perfect for tomatoes. The daily watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing （施肥） have turned the little plant into a tall bush. The cage I placed around it has disappeared under the thick leaves.

Now when harvesting the fruit， I have to find the red ones among the leaves， which means I almost have to stand on my head， and once found， I have to reach down and under to pick the tomatoes. I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June. But they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light.

Here I am faced with a painful small decision： To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that offers ten to twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and treasured roses. Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind， Ill think about that tomorrow.

17. What are the requirements for the healthy growth of roses？

A. A lot of care and the right soil. B. Frequent pruning and fertilizing.

C. Tomato plants grown alongside. D. Cages placed around the roots.

18. The writer planted the tomato because ___ .

A. it needed only $1.25 to plant B. the soil was just right for it

C. there was room for it in the garden D. the roses branches needed covering

19. This year the writers roses were ___ .

A. removed from the rose bed B. picked along with the tomatoes

C. mostly damaged by too much sunlight D. largely hidden under the tomato plant

20. In the situation described in the text， one good thing is that ___ .

A. the roses cost the writer little money

B. the writer has a daily harvest of tomatoes

C. someone will help the writer make the decision

D. the writer can now enjoy both the roses and tomatoes

（三）

A

The very wealthy English Baron Fitzgerald had only one child， a son， who understandably was the apple of his eye. His wife died when the child was in his early teens. So Fitzgerald devoted himself to fathering the kid. Unfortunately the son died in his late teens. Meanwhile， Fitzgeralds wealth greatly increased. He spent a lot on art works of the masters. Later Fitzgerald himself became seriously ill. Before his death， he had carefully prepared his will as to how his wealth would be settled—to sell his entire collection at an auction （拍卖）. Because of the large quantity and high quality of his collection， a huge crowd of possible buyers gathered for the auction. Many of them were museum directors and private collectors eager to bid （出价）.Before the auction， the art works were shown， among which was a painting of Fitzgeralds son by an unknown artist. Because of its poor quality， it received little attention. When it was time for the auction， the auctioneer gaveled （敲槌） the crowd to attention. First the lawyer read from Fitzgeralds will that the first art work to be auctioned was the painting of his son.

The poor-quality painting didnt receive any bidders—except one—the old servant who had served the son and loved him， and who for emotional reasons offered the only bid. As soon as the servant bought the painting for less than one English pound， the auctioneer stopped the bidding and asked the lawyer to read again from the will. The crowd became quiet， and the lawyer read from the will， “Whoever buys the painting of my son gets all my collection.” Then the auction was over.

1. The English Baron Fitzgerald was ___ .

A. a museum director B. a master of art

C. an art collector D. an art dealer

2. Why did the old servant bid for the painting of Fitzgeralds son？

A. He was devoted to the family. B. He saw that no one bid for it.

C. He knew the content of the will. D. He found it cheap for him to buy.

3. We can infer that Fitzgeralds will came from ___ .

A. his desire to fool the bidders B. his invaluable love for his son

C. his sadness at the death of his son D. his regret of having no children to take over his wealth

4. The old servant benifited most from ___ .

A. his love of art B. his devotion to the family

C. his kindness D. his wisdom

B

“Improvements in national test results for 14-year-olds in English， maths and science have hit a plateau （停滞），” ministers have admitted.

Test results published yesterday show that there has not been an important change in SAT results in the past five years， following thirteen years of rising results since it was introduced.

About 21% of 14-year-old boys failed to register any level in the reading tests， meaning that one in five are reading below the level expected for a 14-year-old. Jim Knight， the school minister， said parents should encourage their sons to read books by introducing them to Jeremy Clarkson and Andy McNabs novels. Science results dropped two points to 71% and maths rose a point to 77%. It means that ministers have missed their target to get 85% of all pupils to the expected level in science and maths by last year， and to sustain （保持） that level this year. A second target， for 74% of 14-year-olds to get a level five or above in both English and maths by 2013， now looks increasingly out of reach. Yesterdays figures show 66% of pupils hit this target.

Knight said， “As we improve higher and higher， each extra gain is a bit more difficult for schools to achieve. That doesnt mean I dont think they can achieve that and weve got the right strategies to do so， but each of those gains is harder and thats why our targets are particularly ambitious. Im not using it to make excuses. Weve not hit the 85% target that we want to， and obviously were disappointed we didnt achieve this.”

“Its quite hard to step up for a lot of pupils from level four to five because they are having to engage with some of our classical authors， writing in a different style of language from what they might use at home or at school with their friends，” according to Knight.

5. If the passage is written in 2012， the SAT was introduced in ___ .

A. 1994 B. 1998 C. 2001 D. 2004

6. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？

A. Parents never encouraged their children to read books.

B. The percentage of all the SAT results decreased this year.

C. Its quite easy to achieve the second target by 2013.

D. Its difficult to increase most pupils reading levels now.

7. The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 4 refers to “___”.

A. ministers B. schools C. teachers D. students

8. Whats the best title of the passage？

A. Students Prefer Reading to Writing B. Education is in Trouble

C. Improvements in SAT Results Reach a Stop D. SAT—A Failed Testing System

C

HOLIDAY HOMES IN MALLORCA

Holiday apartments in Mallorca sailing and fishing port—quiet even in summer season. Beautifully situated （坐落于） apartments with views of sea and mountains， yet near to shops and restaurants. Cars and bicycles for hire. Sailing and sports clubs nearby. One-week stay costs ￡150.

ITALY IN COMFORT

Luxury carriage tours of Italy， out of normal holiday season. 21 days to visit 5 Italian cities starting from London May-1st， September. The tours are guided by Professor Martin Davis， Head of Italian Studies， London University. See the arts and culture of historic Italy.

KIBBUTZ HOLIDAYS IN ISRAEL

Working holidays on a co-operative farm in Israel. All nationalities are welcome for one to three months， if prepared to work mornings with Kibbutz members. Accommodation （住宿）， food and trips to historic sights all provided free—you pay only for the specially low cost—return flight.

TWO WEEKS ON THE CARIBBEAN ISLAND

Two-week holidays in Hotel Splendid（5-star）， on a lovely beach with golden sands and deep-blue sea. Tennis， golf， sailing and all water sports. Trips and tours around the island arranged. Near the town of Castries with lively evening entertainment—dancing to local bands.

1st November—31st March： ￡720 per person.

1st April—30th October： ￡850 per person.

Jack and his wife Mary， who have recently retired， want to see places of cultural and historic interest abroad， but Mary hates flying.

Michael， a young computer programmer， has been working hard and needs a holiday to have a rest in winter. He would like to go somewhere warm and sunny， where he can swim in the sea， and he enjoys sports and dancing.

Harry and Kate， both teachers， and their two teenage sons， have to take their holiday during the school summer holidays. There must be plenty for the boys to do， although Harry and Kate just want beautiful scenery， good food， wine and peace.

9. Michael would most enjoy ___ .

A. spending two weeks in Hotel Splendid on the Caribbean Island

B. visiting five Italian cities starting from London

C. seeing the historic sights in Israel

D. driving a car or bicycle along the seaside in Mallorca

10. The best holiday for Jack and Mary would be ___ .

A. the leisurely 21-day carriage tour B. the working holidays for 1 to 3 months on a farm

C. the splendid 14-day trip around the island D. the one-week stay in a holiday apartment

11. Harry and Kate and their sons would like ___ .

A. a holiday working on a farm in Israel B. a holiday visiting ancient cities by coach in Italy

C. a holiday on a lovely beach on the Caribbean island. D. a holiday apartment in the fishing port in Mallorca

12. Which will you choose for your holiday if you are an artist？

A. Italy in comfort. B. Kibbutz holiday in Israel.

C. Holiday homes in Mallorca. D. Two weeks on the Caribbean island.

D

People bury treasure to stop other people from taking it. They choose a quiet place， dig a deep hole and bury the treasure in it. Then they make a map of where the treasure is or write down other clues （线索） that will help them or someone else to find it again.

In Britain a few years ago； a writer wrote about some treasure that he had buried. He put clues in the story to help readers find it. Thousands of people hunted for the treasure. They dug holes all over Britain， hoping to find it.

One of the most popular adventure stories ever written is Robert Louis Stephensons Treasured Island， an exciting story about a young boy， Jim Hawkins， who is captured by pirates and later finds some buried treasure.

Then there is the true story about a man who had to travel overseas for a year. He did not trust banks， so he buried his life savings in a park. Then he went away. On his return， he went straight to the park. But the park was no longer there. In its place there was a huge building.

And then there was the man who buried his savings， all in bank notes， in a waterproof （防水的） bag. When he dug it up years later， there was nothing left. Worms and insects had eaten the bag and everything in it.

And of course， these are stories about people who bury things and either forget where they have buried them or lose the map.

Although it is true that people sometimes lose their money because a bank fails， banks are still the safest place to keep our savings and treasures.

13. People who bury treasure usually ___ .

A. do not trust banks B. have a little money

C. want to live in a quiet place D. expect to lose it

14. The writer in Britain ___ .

A. really hadnt buried anything

B. started a nationwide treasure hunt

C. had lost his treasure and needed help to find it

D. caused trouble because people dug holes everywhere

15. Treasure Island is ___ .

A. a story about pirates B. about the adventures of Jim Hawkins

C. the most popular story ever written D. a well-known fairy tale

16. The man who buried his money in a park ___ .

A. thought his money was safer there than in a bank B. travelled on the sea for a year

C. got his life savings back again D. stayed away longer than he expected

E

Perhaps the most famous theory， the study of body movement， was suggested by Professor Ray Birdwhistell. He believes that physical appearance is often culturally programmed. In other words， we learn our looks—we are not born with them. A baby has generally unformed face features （特征）. A baby， according to Birdwhistell， learns where to set the eyebrows （眉毛） by looking at those around—family and friends. This helps explain why the people of some areas of the United States look so much alike， New Englanders or Southerners have certain common face features that cannot be explained by genetics （遗传学）. The exact shape of the mouth is not set at birth， it is learned after. In fact， the final mouth shape is not formed until well after new teeth are set. For many， this can be well into grown-ups. A husband and wife together for a long time often come to look somewhat alike. We learn our looks from those around us. This is perhaps why in a single country there are areas where people smile more than those in other areas. In the United States， for example， the South is the part of the country where the people smile most frequently. In New England they smile less， and in the western part of New York State still less. Many Southerners find cities such as New York cold and unfriendly， partly because people on Madison Avenue smile less than people on Peachtree Street in Atlanta， Georgia. People in largely populated areas also smile and greet each other less in public than people do in small towns.

17. Ray Birdwhistell believes physical appearance ___ .

A. has little to do with culture B. has much to do with culture

C. is ever changing D. is different from place to place

18. According to the passage， the final mouth shape is formed ___ .

A. before birth B. as soon as ones teeth are newly set

C. sometime after new teeth are set D. around 15 years old

19. Ray Birdwhistell can tell what area of the United States a person is from by ___ .

A. how much he or she smiles B. how he or she raises his or her eyebrows

C. what he or she likes best D. the way he or she talks

20. This passage might have been taken out of a book dealing with ___ .

A. physics B. chemistry

C. biology D. culture

（四）

A

One evening after dinner， Mr and Mrs Tisich called a family meeting. “Weve had to make a difficult decision，” Mr Tisich announced. “You see， your mother has been offered a post as co-director of a television station in Chicago. Unfortunately， the station is not here. After thinking long and hard about it， weve concluded that the right decision is to move to Chicago.”

Marc looked shocked， while his sister Rachel breathlessly started asking when theyd be moving. “Its surprising， but exciting！” she said. Marc simply said， “We cant go—I cant leave all my friends. Id rather stay here and live with Tommy Lyons！”

The Tisichs hoped that by the time they moved in August， Marc would grow more accustomed to the idea of leaving. However， he showed no signs of accepting the news， refusing to pack his belongings.

When the morning of the move arrived， Marc was nowhere to be found. His parents called Tommy Lyonss house， but Mrs Lyons said she hadnt seen Marc. Mrs Tisich became increasingly concerned， while her husband felt angry with their son for behaving so irresponsibly.

What they didnt know was that Marc had started walking over to Tommys house， with a faint idea of hiding in the Lyonss attic （阁楼） for a few days. But something happened on the way as Marc walked past all the familiar landscape of the neighborhood； the fence that he and his mother painted， the tree that he and his sister used to climb， the park where he and his father often took evening walks together. How much would these mean without his family， who make them special in the first place？ Marc didnt take the time to answer that question but instead hurried back to his house， wondering if there were any moving cartons （纸板箱） the right size to hold his record collection.

1. The conflict in this story was caused by ___ .

A. Marc and Rachels different tempers

B. a quarrel between Tommy Lyons and Marc

C. Marcs disagreement with his parents about their move

D. Mr and Mrs Tisichs remark of Marcs irresponsibility

2. Marc and Rachels reactions to the move were similar in the way that both were ___ .

A. surprised B. angry and upset

C. anxious for more details D. worried about packing

3. The reason for Marcs going home was that ___ .

A. he did not want to be left behind B. he realized his family was important to him

C. he hoped to reach an agreement with his parents D. he wished to be a more responsible person

4. What would most likely happen next？

A. Marc would move records to the Lyonss house.

B. Mr and Mrs Tisich would call the police.

C. Marc would join his family for house moving.

D. Mr and Mrs Tisich would start searching for Marc.

B

TORONTO—Young adult filmmakers all hope to show their works in international festivals like Sundance and Toronto. But what about really young filmmakers who arent in film school yet and arent， strictly speaking， even adults？ They are at the heart of Wingspan Arts Kids Films Festival， tomorrow， in a setting any director might envy： Lincoln Center. Complete with “red carpet” interviews and various awards， the festival has much in common with events for more experienced moviemakers， except for the age of the participants： about 8 to 18.

“Whats really exciting is that its film for kids by kids，” said Cori Gardner， managing director of Wingspan Arts， a nonprofit organization offering youth arts programs in the New York area. This year the festival will include films not only from Wingspan but also from other city organizations and one from a middle school in Arlington， Virginia. “We want to make this a national event，” Ms Gardner added.

The nine shorts to be shown range from a Claymation biography of B.B. King to a science fiction adventure set in the year 3005. “A lot of the material is really mature，” Ms Gardner said， talking about films by the New York City branch of Global Action Project， a media arts and leadership-training group. “The Choice is about the history of a family and Master Anti-Smoker is about the dangers of secondhand smoke.” Dream of the Invisibles describes young immigrants feelings of both belonging and not belonging in their adopted country.

The festival will end with an open reception at which other films will be shown. These include a music video and full-length film whose title is Pressures.

5. Wingspan Arts Kids Film Festival ___ .

A. is organized by a middle school B. is as famous as the Toronto Festival

C. shows films made by children D. offers awards to film school students

6. Which of the following is TRUE of Wingspan Arts？

A. It helps young filmmakers to make money. B. It provides arts projects for young people.

C. Its a media arts and leadership-training group. D. Its a national organization for young people.

7. The underlined word “shorts” in Paragraph 3 refers to ___ .

A. short trousers B. short kids C. short films D. short stories

8. At the end of this film festival， there will be ___ .

A. various awards B. “red carpet” interviews

C. an open reception D. a concert at Lincoln Center

C

9. You may find the above advertisements ___ .

A. in a store window B. in a school magazine

C. in a newspaper D. on a company notice-board

10. The position of a（n） ___ is a part-time job.

A. florist B. artist C. preschool teacher D. dental nurse

11. Which of the following is the most important for the childcare job？

A. Cooking skills. B. Childcare experience.

C. The ability to start work in two weeks. D. The ability to work well with other people.

12. The office cleaners will be required to work about ___ hours a week.

A. 5 B. 10 C. 15 D. 20

D

What comes into your mind when you think about robots？ Do you imagine armies of evil metal monsters planning to take over the world？ Or， perhaps do you imagine of mechanical men who have been created as guards or soldiers by a mad genius （天才）？ Or maybe you think of man-like robots who act， think， and look like human beings. In fact robots are like these that have more to do with science fiction films than with real life. In the real world robots are machines that do jobs which otherwise have to be done by people. Robots are either operated by themselves or under the control of a person.

In a car factory， for example， robot machinery can put together and paint car bodies. On the sea bed remotely controlled underwater machines with mechanical arms can perform tasks which are too difficult for divers. Robot spaceship can explore the solar system and send back information about planets and stars.

Many robots have computer brains. Some robots are fitted with cameras， sensors （传感器）， and microphones which enable them to see， to feel， and to hear. And some robots can even produce an electronic speech.

All this does not mean that a robot can think and behave like a human being. Present day robots have to be programmed with a good deal of information before they can carry out simple tasks.

13. Robots in real life can ___ .

A. behave like human beings B. control human beings

C. think by themselves D. help us with a lot of work

14. Robots can perform many tasks for human beings because ___ .

A. they have intelligence B. they are supplied with computer programs

C. they can imitate human beings D. they have the ability to learn new things

15. The robots in science fiction films and those in real life differ mainly in ___ .

A. mentality B. appearance C. material D. size

16. Which of the following is true about some of the robots according to the passage？

A. They are as creative as artists. B. They can eat and sleep like human.

C. They have human brains. D. They can help manufacture cars.

E

Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists （气象学家） call this the water cycle.

There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapor in clouds condenses （凝结）. Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers， lakes， and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day， however， you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle （水坑） or pond in a mist （薄雾） above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth， and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapour in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist （潮湿） in the tropics than in the cold polar regions.

17. What is the passage mainly about？

A. Water cycle. B. Water vapour.

C. How rain forms. D. Water， vapour， rain.

18. How many ways of the water returning to the air are discussed in the text？

A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five.

19. Whether water vapour can be seen or not depends on ___ .

A. how much water is evaporated B. how good your eyes are

C. in which way water is evaporated D. how the weather is

20. From the passage we know ___ .

A. there is more water vapour in the air in the tropics than in cold polar regions

B. there is more water vapour in the air in cold polar region than in the tropics

C. it gets more rain in the tropics than in cold polar regions because there is less vapour

D. the amount of water vapour in the air depends on how often it rains

Many robots have computer brains. Some robots are fitted with cameras， sensors （传感器）， and microphones which enable them to see， to feel， and to hear. And some robots can even produce an electronic speech.

All this does not mean that a robot can think and behave like a human being. Present day robots have to be programmed with a good deal of information before they can carry out simple tasks.

13. Robots in real life can ___ .

A. behave like human beings B. control human beings

C. think by themselves D. help us with a lot of work

14. Robots can perform many tasks for human beings because ___ .

A. they have intelligence B. they are supplied with computer programs

C. they can imitate human beings D. they have the ability to learn new things

15. The robots in science fiction films and those in real life differ mainly in ___ .

A. mentality B. appearance C. material D. size

16. Which of the following is true about some of the robots according to the passage？

A. They are as creative as artists. B. They can eat and sleep like human.

C. They have human brains. D. They can help manufacture cars.

E

Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists （气象学家） call this the water cycle.

There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapor in clouds condenses （凝结）. Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers， lakes， and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day， however， you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle （水坑） or pond in a mist （薄雾） above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth， and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapour in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist （潮湿） in the tropics than in the cold polar regions.

17. What is the passage mainly about？

A. Water cycle. B. Water vapour.

C. How rain forms. D. Water， vapour， rain.

18. How many ways of the water returning to the air are discussed in the text？

A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five.

19. Whether water vapour can be seen or not depends on ___ .

A. how much water is evaporated B. how good your eyes are

C. in which way water is evaporated D. how the weather is

20. From the passage we know ___ .

A. there is more water vapour in the air in the tropics than in cold polar regions

B. there is more water vapour in the air in cold polar region than in the tropics

C. it gets more rain in the tropics than in cold polar regions because there is less vapour

D. the amount of water vapour in the air depends on how often it rains

Many robots have computer brains. Some robots are fitted with cameras， sensors （传感器）， and microphones which enable them to see， to feel， and to hear. And some robots can even produce an electronic speech.

All this does not mean that a robot can think and behave like a human being. Present day robots have to be programmed with a good deal of information before they can carry out simple tasks.

13. Robots in real life can ___ .

A. behave like human beings B. control human beings

C. think by themselves D. help us with a lot of work

14. Robots can perform many tasks for human beings because ___ .

A. they have intelligence B. they are supplied with computer programs

C. they can imitate human beings D. they have the ability to learn new things

15. The robots in science fiction films and those in real life differ mainly in ___ .

A. mentality B. appearance C. material D. size

16. Which of the following is true about some of the robots according to the passage？

A. They are as creative as artists. B. They can eat and sleep like human.

C. They have human brains. D. They can help manufacture cars.

E

Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists （气象学家） call this the water cycle.

There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapor in clouds condenses （凝结）. Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers， lakes， and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day， however， you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle （水坑） or pond in a mist （薄雾） above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth， and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapour in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist （潮湿） in the tropics than in the cold polar regions.

17. What is the passage mainly about？

A. Water cycle. B. Water vapour.

C. How rain forms. D. Water， vapour， rain.

18. How many ways of the water returning to the air are discussed in the text？

A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five.

19. Whether water vapour can be seen or not depends on ___ .

A. how much water is evaporated B. how good your eyes are

C. in which way water is evaporated D. how the weather is

20. From the passage we know ___ .

A. there is more water vapour in the air in the tropics than in cold polar regions

B. there is more water vapour in the air in cold polar region than in the tropics

C. it gets more rain in the tropics than in cold polar regions because there is less vapour

D. the amount of water vapour in the air depends on how often it rains