Today, roller skating (滑旱冰) is easy and fun. But many years ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, people never tried skating on wheels. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work was making instruments. In his free time he liked to play the violin. Merlin was a man with many ideas and many dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to go to an important party. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think. He wanted to find a way to make a wonderful entrance at the party. Merlin had an idea. He thought that he would attract a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make he roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skate shoes. Merlin was very proud of them. He dreamed of arriving at the party and skating into the room while playing the violin. He was sure that everyone would be very surprised.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room, playing his violin. Everyone was really surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skating. He rolled on, playing the violin. Then, with all eyes on him, Merlin hit into a huge mirror on the wall. The mirror broke into many pieces with a very loud noise. But nobody forgot Merlin’s wonderful entrance after that.
【小题1】 The story tells us that people began to enjoy roller-skating ______.

A．before the year 1750	B．before the invitation
C．because of Joseph Merlin	D．because it was dangerous

【小题2】People called Merlin a dreamer because ___________.        

A．he slept and dreamed a lot	B．he was full of different ideas
C．he was a talented violinist	D．he always made people’s dreams come true

【小题3】 ___________ made Merlin think of skating on wheels.

A．Merlin’s work	B．Merlin’s violin
C．A huge mirror	D．An important party

【小题4】 What was Merlin’s problem after he rolled into the room?

A．He couldn’t stop his roller-skating.

B．He couldn’t attract a lot of attention.

C．Everyone was surprised at him.

D．He couldn’t play the violin while rolling.

【小题5】 The text is mainly about_________.

A．a strange man

B．an unusual party

C．how roller skating began

D．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century

At Yale University, enrollment in basic Chinese in 2005 grew rapidly, and for the first time professors can remember, large numbers of freshmen were arriving with enough knowledge of the Chinese language to start in second- or third-year Chinese language class, rather than basic Chinese.
The American interest in China is not just at the university level. In the 2006 school year, high-school students will be offered an Advanced Placement test, which is one of the national exams American students take for university admission, in Chinese. This is the first time Chinese is offered in the Advanced Placement test, which is usually limited to the most important subjects that high school students take.
What is surprising is that earlier last year, an organization that tracks university students surveyed high schools throughout America, asking if they planned to offer the language courses that prepare students for the language Advanced Placement test. They expected that only a hundred high schools, mostly in California, New York, and a few other places with large immigrant populations, would show interest in each of the new language programs. Although that was true for the courses in Italian, Russian and Japanese, it was not true for the Chinese language course. There were thousands of American high schools that indicated that they planned to build their Chinese programs to levels where students could take the Advanced Placement exam for Chinese language. The demand for courses in Chinese is rising so rapidly that it is rapidly overtaking all other foreign languages except Spanish.
【小题1】 According to the passage many freshmen at Yale University today       .

A．know enough basic Chinese

B．needn’t learn Chinese any more

C．take courses in the Chinese language

D．go to university to study Chinese

【小题2】 For university entrance, the American high-school students       .

A．have to learn Chinese	B．learn more than one foreign language.
C．take the Advanced Placement Test	D．used to have a test in Chinese

【小题3】 We can learn from the passage that        .

A．Chinese will overtake all foreign languages in American high schools

B．Americans will know more about China and its people

C．the U.S. government pays much attention to language studies

D．Chinese may take the place of English in American universities

阅读理解B
Alexander the Great was a mighty(强大的) king and conqueror(征服者). He was one of the greatest military geniuses(军事天才) the world has ever known. He was born in Pella, Macedonia. Alexander grew to be a handsome, brilliant(卓越的) man. Aristotle, the famous philosopher（哲学家）, came from Greece to teach him---geography, politics, literature, medicine and science. Alexander’s father, King Philip II of Macedon, taught him to plan and win battles.
The young prince became King when he was 20. He then began the series of marches that continued until he ruled almost all of the then-known world. On his great war horse, Bucephalus, he first took over Greece. He went on to conquer southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, Egypt and India. On his way he crushed(征服) the Persian Empire, and was made King of Egypt and Asia. He and his troops traveled over 11,000 miles(17,700 km). He spread Greek customs and ideas wherever he went.
In India his men refused to go further. They were tired and frightened, and wanted to go home. Worn out, Alexander agreed to turn back. He died of fever in Babylon, at the early age of 33.
【小题1】Alexander and his troops traveled and fought probably ________ then.

A．by ship	B．by simple truck
C．on their horses	D．on foot

【小题2】What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?

A．He spread Greek customs and ideas wherever he went.

B．He began great marches and ruled a lot of countries.

C．How he took over one country after another.

D．In which order he crushed these countries after another?

【小题3】 Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．He died in his late thirties.

B．Bucephalus was probably a big ship.

C．He conquered all the countries then known in the world.

D．Alexander was very ready to listen to anybody including his officers and soldiers.

【小题4】What’s the best title of this passage?

A．How Alexander the Great Became King?

B．Great Tragedy

C．Good Education Makes a Great Man

D．Alexander the Great

You know Australia is a big country, but you may not know how easy it is to get around. The untouched beaches that go for miles and deserts that touch the horizon are just there, waiting to be reached and explored. The following are the different ways you can explore our vast country.
Getting around Australia
Air
Flying is the best way to cover large distances in a short time. You can spend more time on the Australia's can't-miss landscapes and relaxing lifestyle. Moreover, competition among airlines makes great flying fees available for you.
Drive
Australia has a vast network of well-maintained roads and some of the most beautiful touring routes in the world. You have no difficulty finding car rental companies at major airports, central city locations, suburbs and attractions.
Bus
Bus travel in Australia is comfortable, easy and economical. Buses generally have air conditioning, reading lights, adjustable seats and videos. Services are frequent, affordable and efficient.
Rail
Train travel is the cheapest and gives you an insight into Australia's size and variety, all from the comfort of your carriage. Scheduled services are a great way to get quickly between our cities and regional centers.
Ferry(轮渡）
The Spirit of Tasmania runs a passenger and vehicle ferry service between Melbourne and Tasmania nightly. Extra sen ices are running during summer rush hours. Sea-link ferries connect South Australia and Kangaroo Island several times a day. Ferries connect suburbs in our capital cities.
Walk
With easy-on-the-feet pedestrian.(行人)streets, walking is a great way to get around our cities.
Besides all the above, you can also experience some of the longest: tracks and trails in the world in central Australia——impressive journeys of a thousand kilometers or more that can take several weeks to complete.
【小题1】The underlined word "untouched" in Paragraph 1 means  .

A．secure

B．special

C．natural

D．artificial

【小题2】Which of the following is true about travelling in Australia?

A．You can easily rent a car to explore its beautiful touring routes.

B．More travellers make the flying fees among airlines higher than before.

C．Taking a bus tour is the most comfortable, economical and efficient way.

D．Train services can offer you more comfort than any other means of transport,

【小题3】Ferry service between Melbourne and Tasmania usually runs  ?

A．several times a day	B．only at night hours
C．between different cities	D．only during rush hours

【小题4】From the passage, we know that.

A．travelling in central Australia is time-consuming

B．central Australia has the world's shortest railway line

C．pedestrian walking is a great way to travel between cities

D．you have no choice but to walk over 1,000 kilometers in central Australia

England is the largest country in Britain. Its capital is London, which is on the Thames. The port of London is one of the greatest ports in the world. Ships from all countries go up and down the Thames. They bring food to the people of Britain. Then they take British machines and other things back to the ports from which they come.
There are many scenic spots in the West of England. The lakes here are the most beautiful in England. There are trees, flowers and green grass round them.
The water is almost always very still，and you can see the green hills ,the brown mountains and everything else round the lake upside-down in the water. There are boats on all the larger lakes, which take people from one side to the other. There are always a lot of boats on the lakes in summer.
Travelers from many countries of the world go to the west of England in summer. There are boat races on the largest lakes, and people from many places in Great Britain and Europe come to see them. Young people travel from one place to another on their bicycles, or walk from one lake to another.
【小题1】 The port of London       .

A．only takes business within the country

B．is greater than the others in the world

C．is the busiest in the world

D．plays an important part in transportation

【小题2】 The upside-down scenes can be seen in the lakes because      .

A．the water is very still	B．you have a good sight
C．there is a good light	D．you stand near them

【小题3】 Young Londoners go to see      .

A．beautiful lakes on foot

B．boat races by bicycle

C．the port of London in their cars

D．the still water in the lake by air

Beijing has started a battle to get rid of "Chinglish" (Chinese English). The "Language Mandarins" of Beijing have decided that Chinglish is a disease for China's modernizing claim and must be obliterated before the city hosts the Olympic Games in 2008.
A road sign on the Avenue of Eternal Peace (Chang'an Street) ,for example, advises: "To Take Notice of Safe; The Slippery Are Very Crafty", a warning that the sidewalk was slippery(滑). Another sign in a Beijing park reads: "Little grass is smiling slightly, please walk on sidewalk. "
Li Honghai, the city official in charge of the battle, said," Linguistic perfection (语言美) is becoming increasingly important with the rise in the number of the foreigners flowing into the city."
However, not everyone shares the disdain (蔑视) of the Beijing government for the mixed language. "The choice of words is pretty much. One can either choose the verbs, adverbs, nouns or whatever one likes," explained one Hong Kong linguist on an Internet website.
So many examples exist that several Internet sites have been set up to collect Chinglish phrases. Many come from English instructions on packages such as a candle marked with "Keep this candle out of children" and a model boat—curiously named Posh Sailboat—which means, "Please don't place it in dusty play."
If the battle against Chinglish is successful, Chinese will also turn their attention to the English-language versions of newspapers, which play an even more important role in teaching right English.
【小题1】The underlined word "obliterated" refers to           .

A．removed	B．exploited
C．translated	D．beautified

【小题2】From the passage, we know that           .

A．everyone shares the disdain for the mixed language

B．all the people don't share the disdain for the mixed language

C．Chinglish usually communicates in many cases

D．several Internet sites have been set up to clear the Chinghsh phrases

【小题3】We can infer that the English-language version of newspapers           .

A．should be in duty to teach normal English

B．should report the above battle

C．should be paid more attention to

D．should collect more Chinglish phrases

【小题4】Which of the following signs is Chinglish?

A．Watch your step. Slippery sidewalk.

B．Keep off the grass, please.

C．Tourists do not enter.

D．No smoking, please.

Forget famous goal celebration such as “The Robot” by Peter Crouch and “The Dive” by Juergen Klinsmann, here comes the South African “Diski dance”. The Diski dance, which is performed through heading and kicking an imaginary ball, may be a goal celebration to watch in the following matches.
South Africa’s Siphiwe Tshabalala and his teammates performed this different dance when they celebrated his goal against Mexico in the opening World Cup game on Friday. The dance is already popular on YouTube and many soccer fans may want to learn the moves.
Even South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has learnt the Diski dance which could be better than Cameroon Roger Milla’s corner flag dance celebration in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. US actor John Travolta performed the dance shortly after landing his Boeing 707 at Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg, on Wednesday morning.
Goal celebrations are now part of the biggest sporting event and players plan them in advance just in case they find the back of the net. In football, a goal celebration is the practice of celebrating the scoring of a goal. The celebration may be performed by the goal-scorer, his or her teammates, the manager or coaches and the supporters of the team.
The Robot goal celebration was so popular that England fans were surprised when Crouch, an English international footballer, said that he wouldn’t be doing it any more unless England won the World Cup.
The word Diski is the word used by the local people for soccer and may also describe the local style of football which focuses on dribbling(带球) and other tricks.
【小题1】Besides “Diski dance”, how many types of goal celebrations are mentioned in the passage?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

D．5.

【小题2】The underlined part “find the back of the net” in Paragraph 4 means                  .

A．score a goal

B．win the match

C．take a rest

D．take part in a match

【小题3】What do we learn about the word “Diski”?

A．It has become the most popular sports word in the world now.

B．It was used to show how people were good at dribbling.

C．It was used to describe a football which was imagined by footballers.

D．It was probably mainly used in South Africa before the South Africa World Cup.

【小题4】What can we infer from the passage?

A．All the footballers should have their own goal celebrations.

B．Goal celebrations play an important role in football games.

C．Famous goal celebrations all appeared in the World Cup games.

D．Footballers often don’t plan their goal celebrations ahead of time.

The national assistance system for poor college students is getting more effective as proved by fewer phone calls to the hotline of the National Center for Student Assistance Administration.
"Poor college students and their parents are getting more satisfied with the national assistance system," said Ma Wenhua, deputy director of the administration, on Saturday. Over the past three years, the hotline received 8,488 calls. Statistics show 62 percent of the calls were made to ask about the funding policy, while 38 percent (3,200 calls) complained local colleges had failed to abide by the rules to support the students.
Complaints were seen a year-on-year decrease from 2006 to 2008. Ma said some poor families might still overlook what they should do to get support for their child. To ensure education equality, the government has introduced a set of favorable policies to help poor students, such as scholarships, grants(助学金), student loans, tuition waivers(学费全免) and the work-study programs under which poor students are helped out in libraries, teachers' offices or service departments to earn money.
Statistics show the government spent 29.3 billion yuan last year to aid college students, up 7.6 percent from the previous year. Around 40 million persons of college students received the national aid.
The Ministry of Education of the government would ensure that no students drop out of colleges or universities because of poverty.
Among the 20 million students in the country's public and private universities and colleges last year, about 20 percent came from poor backgrounds, official figures show.
【小题1】The national assistance system is set up ___.

A．for parents and students to complain

B．to help poor college students

C．for poor students to get free education

D．to help students find jobs

【小题2】The underlined phrase "abide by" in the second paragraph probably means ____.

A．follow

B．break

C．bear

D．agree to

【小题3】From the passage, we know that ____.

A．students will drop out of university because of poverty

B．Chinese poor college students are more satisfied with national assistance system

C．more and more parents are complaining about their local colleges

D．college students are suffering from great economic pressure

To what degree can a computer achieve intelligence？The answer to this question may lie in a newly-developed US computer program called Smarter Child and the Internet.
If you ran into Smarter Child online, you would be surprised at this kid’s huge memory. It can recite many facts. For example, Smarter Child knows every baseball player in every team this season.
He knows every word in the dictionary and the weather in every major city areas across the US. However, if you ask Smarter Child other questions, you get strange answers. A question about Smarter Child’s age returns. “One year, 11 days, 16 hours, 7 minutes, and 47 seconds!” Asking where he lives gets, “In a clean room in a high-tech building in California.”
Smarter Child uses the vast information on the World Wide Web as his memory bank. To answer questions about spelling, for instance, Smarter Child goes to American Heritage Dictionary online. For the weather, he visits www.intellicast.com.
Some scientists believe that by joining the many systems of the Internet, an artificial being with the combined knowledge of, say, Albert Einstein, Richard Nixon and Britney Spears could be born. However, if Smarter Child wants to think and learn on his own like the boy-computer David in the movie A. I. Artificial Intelligence, he must overcome two problems.
The first is that computers find it difficult to read web pages because the files are labeled in different ways. That’s why programmers need to tell Smarter Child where to look for the weather. It would be a much more difficult task to let him find it himself.
Another problem is that while Smarter Child can process information more exactly and faster than any human, he lacks common sense—a basic grounding of knowledge that is obvious to any young child.
【小题1】From the text we can infer that www.intellicast.com is a website

A．where we people can find Smarter Child

B．which is specially designed to help Smarter Child

C．where weather forecasts are made

D．which is about artificial intelligence

【小题2】It is probably most difficult for Smarter Child to          .

A．learn the ability to tell right behaviors from wrong ones.

B．tell us how to spell a difficult word

C．provide us with a famous poem by Shakespeare

D．tell us how the American government is run

【小题3】The underlined  “it ” in Paragraph 6 refers to ________.

A．where to look for the weather	B．Smarter Child.
C．a much more difficult task	D．to read web pages

【小题4】Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．A New Web Child	B．Intelligence Development
C．Smarter Child	D．The Future of Internet

Some places in the world have strange laws. It’s important for you to know about them before going there.
Whoever likes to chew gum(口香糖) may have to leave Singapore. The government really wants to keep the city clean and will fine you for chewing gum.
Before you leave for the United Arab Emirates you’d better make sure you aren’t visiting during Ramadan(斋月). During that time you aren’t allowed to eat or drink in public. Tourists have been fined up to $275 for drinking in public.
Lovers spend so much time kissing each other goodbye at train stations that trains often start late. This law — no kissing your lover goodbye at train stations – is rather old, and isn’t in use today in France.
In Thailand it’s against the law to drive a car or motorcycle without a shirt on, no matter how hot it is. Punishments are different in different areas and can include warnings and tickets costing about $10. No joke -- the local police will stop you.
Studies in Denmark have shown that cars with their headlights on are more noticeable by other drivers than those with their headlights off. Drivers there are required to leave their headlights on even during the day, or they may face a fine up to $100.
Do you often buy things using coins? Don’t do it in Canada. The Currency Law of 1985 doesn’t allow using only coins to buy things. Even the use of the dollar-coin is limited (受限制的). The shop owner has the right to choose whether to take your coins or not.
Make sure you know about these laws before your next trip. Better safe than sorry.
【小题1】What is mainly talked about in the text?

A．How to make your trip around the world safe.

B．Why there are strange laws in the world.

C．Interesting places you can go to around the world.

D．Some strange laws you should know about for your trip.

【小题2】If you are driving a car in Thailand, _____.

A．the police will play a joke on you

B．you should wear your shirt even though it’s hot

C．the police will give you tickets costing about $10

D．you should always keep your headlights on

【小题3】What can we learn from the text?

A．Kissing goodbye at train stations isn’t allowed in France today.

B．The Singaporean government cares a lot about its environment.

C．Tourists in the United Arab Emirates shouldn’t eat in public.

D．You can turn your headlights off in daytime in Denmark.

【小题4】What do we know about the strange law in Canada?

A．It is a newly invented law

B．You aren’t allowed to use dollar-coins.

C．You will be fined if you use coins

D．Shop owners can decide if you can use coins.