It is estimated that some seven hundred million people, about half the world’s  adult population, are unable to read or write, and there are probably two hundred and fifty million more whose level is so slight that it is hardly called literacy(有文化).
Recently the attack on illiteracy had been stepped up. A world plan has been drawn up by a committee of UNESCO experts in Paris, as part of the United Nations Development Decade（十年计划）,and an international conference of the subject has also been held. UNESCO stresses that functional literacy is the aim. People must learn the basic skills of responsible citizenship, the ability of reading notices, newspapers, timetables, letters, price-lists to keep simple records and accounts, to select the importance of the information gathered, and to fill in the forms.
The major areas of illiteracy are in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. In Africa there are at least one hundred million illiterate people, which is eighty to eighty-five percent of the total population. In Europe the figure is about twenty-four million; most of them are in Sothern Europe, with Spain, Italy, Portugal, Yugoslavia heading the list (the United Kingdom has about seven hundred thousand).
UNESGO is eager for each country in the world, poor or rich, to wipe out illiteracy.
【小题1】The author implies that this world plan is to______.

A．be carried out in the major areas of illiteracy like Africa.

B．be realized in the years

C．be drawn up by Parisian experts

D．be discussed at an international conference

【小题2】The world plan mentioned in the passage aims at____.

A．asking African countries to take the lead in attacking illiteracy

B．strengthening the function of the UNESCO

C．helping illiterate people learn functional reading and writing

D．training responsible citizens

【小题3】According to the passage, which of the following countries has the most illiterate people?

A．England

B．France

C．Sweden

D．Spain

【小题4】Which of the statements is true?

A．The major areas of illiteracy are in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America.

B．In the USA there are at least one hundred million illiterate people,

C．the United Kingdom has about seven hundred million illiterate people

D．In Europe the figure is about twenty-four million; most of them are in Northern Europe.

London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time，the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work， they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This  would  help ease(减轻) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems，the idea of the London Underground，the first subway system，was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays，but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30，000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed)， and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However， the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰)， as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems，riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.
【小题1】How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？

A．It made the tunnels larger.

B．It put fans in the tunnels.

C．It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels.

D．It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.

【小题2】What led the British government to build the London Underground？

A．Traffic jams and pollution.

B．Population and pollution.

C．Overcrowding and traffic jams.

D．The poverty and subway problems.

【小题3】Which of the following is TRUE？

A．To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway.

B．There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened.

C．The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.

D．There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.

【小题4】The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.

A．be troublesome	B．become popular and fashionable
C．keep up with	D．seize

Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes— they are failing because the “ academic” classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art— there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge — certainly not a good preparation for the real world.
【小题1】Music and drama are not included in the high-school curriculum mainly because________.

A．the school committee pays no attention to them

B．the school is afraid of losing financial support

C．the students are not interested in both of them

D．the state standardized test is more important.

【小题2】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The sufficiency of the classes determines students’ performance in the mastery test

B．students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons

C．The school committee completely influences students’ attitude towards the arts

D．Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today’s school system.

【小题3】We can learn that music and art can ________.

A．make students round-shaped people in future

B．provide students with analytical thinking

C．motivate students in creativity and expression

D．prevent students graduating from high school

【小题4】The best title of the passage can be ________.

A．Who Killed Music and Drama?

B．Can Curriculum Go Without Music?

C．Why is Music So Important?

D．How To Prepare For the Real World?

Englishmen speak British English and Americans speak American English. A student is learning to speak British English. He often asks himself, “Can Americans understand me when I speak British English?” Learners often ask “What’s the difference between British English and American English?”Certainly there are some differences between British and American English. The Englishmen say “Have you a pen?” While Americans say “Do you have a pen?” The pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans often sound “r” in words like “bird” and “hurt”. The British speakers don’t sound the “r” in these words. There are differences in spelling. For example, “colour” and “neighbour” are British while “color” and “neighbor” are American. These differences in grammar, pronunciation and spelling are not important, however. For the most part, British and American English are the same language. When Englishmen and Americans are talking with each other, they don’t need an interpreter(翻译). Maybe some day they need, but not now.
【小题1】Between British and American English, _______.

A．the greatest difference is in spelling

B．there are differences in many ways

C．people can’t understand each other

D．students don’t know the difference

【小题2】When a student is asking himself “Can Americans understand me when I speak British English?” it shows that_______.

A．he wants to learn American English

B．he doesn’t like British English

C．he hasn’t spoken to any American so far

D．he is going to spend more time on American English

【小题3】43. The differences between British and American English are not important because______

A．everyone knows the differences

B．people talk to each other very often

C．Englishmen and Americans get along well

D．British English and American English are the same language

【小题4】“Have you a pen” and “Do you have a pen?” show a difference in______

A．grammar

B．spelling

C．pronunciation

D．listening

【小题5】At the end of the passage the writer wants to tell us _______.

A．British and American English will be two different languages some day

B．Englishmen and Americans will never need an interpreter while talking

C．there will be no more differences between British and American English

D．the differences between British English and American English will grow larger

One thing the tour books don’t tell you about London is that 2,000 of its residents are foxes. They ran away from the city about centuries ago after developers and pollution moved in. But now that the environment is cleaner, the foxes have come home, one of the many wild animals that have moved into urban areas around the world.
“The number and variety of wild animals in urban areas is increasing,” says Gomer Jones, president of the National Institute for Urban Wildlife, in Columbia, Maryland. A survey of the wildlife in New York’s Central Park last year tallied the species of mammals, including muskrats, shrews and flying squirrels. A similar survey conducted in the 1890s counted only five species. One of the country’s largest populations of raccoons (浣熊) now lives in Washington D.C., and moose (驼鹿) are regularly seen wandering into Maine towns. Peregrine falcons(游隼) dive from the window ledges of buildings in the largest U.S. cities to prey on (捕食) pigeons.
Several changes have brought wild animals to the cities. Foremost is that air and water quality in many cities has improved as a result of the 1970s pollution-control efforts. Meanwhile, rural areas have been built up, leaving many animals on the edges of suburbs. In addition, urban wildlife refuges (避难处)have been created. The Greater London Council last year spent￡750,000 to buy land and build 10 permanent wildlife refuges in the city. Over 1,000 volunteers have donated money and cleared rubble from derelict lots. One evening last year a fox was seen on Westminster Bridge looking up at Big Ben.
For peregrine falcons, cities are actually safer than rural cliff dwellings (悬崖栖息地). By 1970 the birds had died out east of the Mississippi because the DDT had made their eggs too thin to support life. That year, scientist Tom Cade of Cornell University began raising the birds for release in cities, for cities afforded abundant food.
Cities can attract wild animals without turning them harmful. The trick is to create habitats where they can be self-sufficient but still be seen and appreciated. Such habitats can even be functional. In San Francisco, the local government is testing different kinds of rainwater control basins to see not only which ones retain (保持) the cleanest water but which will attract the most birds.
【小题1】The first paragraph suggests that ________.

A．environment is crucial for wildlife

B．tour books are not always a reliable source of information

C．London is a city of fox

D．foxes are highly adaptable to environment

【小题2】Which of the following is NOT a reason that wildlife is returning to the cities?

A．Food is plentiful in the cities.

B．Wildlife is appreciated in the cities.

C．Wildlife refuges have been built in the cities

D．Air and water quality has improved in the cities

【小题3】The underlined word “tallied” in Para. 2 means __________.

A．distinguished

B．described

C．counted

D．excluded

【小题4】It can be inferred from the passage that _________.

A．Londoners are putting more and more wild animals into their zoos.

B．Londoners are happy to see wild animals return to their city

C．Londoners are trying to move wild animals back to the countryside

D．Londoners have welcomed the wild birds, but found foxes a problem

【小题5】What is the passage mainly about?

A．Wildlife returning to large cities

B．Foxes returning to London

C．Wild animals living in zoos

D．A survey of wildlife in New York

In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what “keeping up with the Joneses” is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbors.
The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighborhood. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants. Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbors.    
It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They had to move back to an apartment in New York City.
Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbors. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it “Keeping up with the Joneses” because “Jones” is a very common name in the United States. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.
People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are “Joneses” in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.
【小题1】Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ______.

A．want to be as rich as their neighbours

B．want others to know or to think that they are rich

C．don’t want others to know they are rich

D．want to be happy

【小题2】It can be inferred from the story that rich people like to ________.

A．live outside New York City	B．live in New York City
C．live in apartments	D．live with many neighbours

【小题3】What’s the author’s attitude to keeping up with the Joneses?

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

There is no doubt about it. The best way to learn new words is to do it unconsciously. I don’t mean while you’re unconscious. I mean while you are unconscious of the fact that it is sinking in.
That is how I learnt the 30,000 words in my vocabulary by living in an English-speaking world, mother tongue. I just pick them up. But some of them may be misunderstood. Now, to misunderstand does not mean not to understand. To misunderstand is to understand but incorrectly.
The 5% mislearnt of all the words we “know” will be the least frequently used words, as the more frequently used words are less likely to be mislearnt. Some of the misunderstanding may live with all our lives, without knowing that we got them wrong.
Many English teachers think that this natural method of learning words in one’s own mother tongue can be used for a second language learning. They teach their students how to play the Guessing Game. “There is no time to look up in your dictionaries all the new words you come across,” they will say. “You have to practice guessing what the word means from the context.”
This method of guessing in a second language learning does not work. It may succeed in many cases, but results in hundreds or thousands of wrongly-guessed meanings of words.
And what’s more, there are more separate meanings than there are words themselves. Our learners’ dictionaries usually have many meanings. A good dictionary is what makes self-learning possible.
Don’t guess! Look it up!
【小题1】 It is certain that the best way to learn new words is ______.

A．to learn them by oneself

B．to learn by living in an English-speaking world and using them frequently

C．to guess them from the context

D．to get more separate meanings of each word

【小题2】The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refers to ______.

A．the 30, 000 words

B．English teachers

C．misunderstood words

D．frequently used words

【小题3】Which of the following is most likely NOT true?

A．Some of the words the writer knows must have been misunderstood.

B．Most of the 30, 000 words the writer learned are frequently used ones.

C．How many words the writer got wrong are not known.

D．All the words the writer knows were learned by reading them.

【小题4】It can be inferred that ______.

A．when somebody is conscious, he or she usually can’t learn new words by heart

B．we must use the words as often as possible in order to master them

C．it’s the best way to learn new words that one should only guess their meanings from the context

D．only dictionaries can help us learn language well.

The English, as a race, are very different in many ways from all other nationalities, including their closest neighbors, the French, the Belgians and the Dutch. It is claimed that living on an island separated from the rest of Europe has much to do with it. Whatever the reasons are, it may be fairly stated that the Englishman has developed many attitudes and habits which distinguish him from other nationalities.
Broadly speaking, the Englishman is a quiet, shy, reserved person who is fully relaxed only among people he knows well. In the presence of strangers or foreigners he often seems restrained, even embarrassed. You have only to witness a city train any morning or evening to see the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or having a light sleep in a corner, and no one speaks. In fact, to do so would seem most unusual. An Englishman, pretending to be giving advice to overseas visitors, once suggested, “On entering a railway carriage, shake hands with all the passengers.” Needless to say, he was not being serious. There is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior which, if broken, makes the person immediately suspected.
In many parts of the world it is quite normal to show openly extremes of enthusiasm, emotion, excitement, etc, often accompanied by appropriate gesture. The Englishman is somewhat different. Of course, an Englishman feels no less deeply than anyone of a different nationality, but he tends to display his feelings far less. This is reflected in his use of language. Imagine a man commenting on the great beauty of a young girl. A more emotional man might describe her state “Oh, she is a goddess”, whereas an Englishman might just say “Oh, she’s all right.” An Englishman who has seen a highly successful and enjoyable film recommends it to a friend by commenting, “It’s not bad you know”, or on seeing some very unusual scenery he might convey (表达) his pleasure by saying, “Nice, yes, very nice.” The overseas visitor must not be disappointed by this apparent lack of interest and involvement. Instead, he must realize that “all right,” “not bad,” and “nice,” very often have the sense of “first-class,” “excellent,” “beautiful”. This unique style of language use is particularly common in England, and is known as restrained statement.
【小题1】According to the passage, the English are different from other nationalities in _______.

A．habits

B．attitudes

C．character

D．all of the above

【小题2】The underlined word “restrained” in the second paragraph probably means “_______”. 

A．calm and controlled	B．polite and friendly
C．nervous and quiet	D．silent and kind

【小题3】In Britain, if you don’t want other people to think you are strange, you’d better _______.

A．talk with others as much as possible

B．behave just like the English do

C．say nothing about yourself

D．shake hands with everyone you meet

【小题4】If an Englishman says “all right”, it may mean “_______”.  

A．not bad

B．correct

C．quite right

D．wonderful

【小题5】From the passage, we can infer that an Englishman _______.

A．doesn’t like to show his feelings so much

B．has less emotion than people of other nationalities

C．finds it easy to express his emotion

D．likes to have a joke with strangers

Summer in Europe is very nice for us to visit one of our favourite cities for a break. Below we have put together a short list of our favourite summer break locations（地方） that offer a great balance of culture, sunshine and fun.
Berlin, the second most populous city in the European Union, gets the third place on our list. It has three famous airports: Tegel International Airport, Tempelhof International Airport, and Schonefeld International Airport.
The capital of Germany is on this list not only because it is a fantastic place to go on holiday but also since it teaches a very important lesson to humanity（人，人性）. The Berlin Wall, the better part of which still remains well kept for educational and amusement（娱乐） aims, reminds us of the extra costs paid by everyone. Today, the undamaged part of the Wall, known as the East Side Gallery, shows striking murals(壁画)；if you are interested in this chapter(时期) of the city’s history, there is also a Berlin Wall Memorial you would want to visit. The Potsdamer Platz, divided into two by the Wall, is a newly developed area that is famous for a large shopping center and movie theatre complexes（混合体）, and adds a bit of modern colour to Berlin’s historical value.
Much like the other places that made the list, Berlin is also a city of art. The city has over one hundred and fifty museums in all, and a few of the ones providing an extraordinary experience include the Art Center Berlin Friedrichstrabe, the Museum of Indian Art, and the Museum of East Asian Art. Appreciating Berlin’s art is much like taking a university course in itself and it can only be truly appreciated in several trips.
【小题1】Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in this passage?

A．Berlin is a city with a large population in Europe.

B．Berlin has many parks and bridges.

C．Berlin is a city with many museums.

D．Berlin is the capital city of Germany.

【小题2】From the passage, visitors can enjoy         .

A．beautiful sights

B．striking murals

C．art museums

D．all the above

【小题3】What is the main idea of the third paragraph?

A．The reasons for Berlin to be chosen on the list.

B．Berlin’s modern developments.

C．Berlin’s historical feature.

D．The significance(意义)of the Berlin Wall.

【小题4】If Peter is interested in German history, he should visit         .

A．the Art Center Berlin Friedrichstrabe

B．the Museum of Indian Art

C．the Berlin Wall Memorial

D．movie theatre complexes

No one knows yet the accurate number of lives which have been lost in this terrible fire .But reports suggest that it is more than one hundred .
A wall of flames fifty feet high and at least one hundred and fifty miles wide is now racing towards the forests and rich farmlands of southern Victoria . Towns less than one hundred miles from Melbourne will be in danger unless the wind changes . People are rushing excitedly into the streets . The police have warned them not to see the fire but many people are doing so .
The cause of the fire is unknown . No rain has fallen in this part of Australia for three months , and the hot , north-west wind from the great central desert is blowing at more than thirty miles an hour .
The firefighters are travelling to the fire by road , rail and air . But it is not easy to get there . Flames and fallen trees have cut off or blocked roads and railway lines . The thick smoke often prevents them from finding the air strips (飞机跑道).
It is said that the fire has brought the greater danger to the country since the Second World War .
【小题1】By the time the article was written , the fire        .

A．had just broken out	B．had been put out
C．was spreading violently	D．was coming to an end

【小题2】The writer wrote this article mainly to tell people        .

A．the fire was terrible and dangerous

B．it was impossible to put out the fire

C．more than one hundred people died of the fire

D．to join in the fight against the fire

【小题3】In the 4th paragraph , the writer suggested that        .

A．the fire would soon be controlled by the firefighters

B．it would be very difficult to put out the fire

C．the government was paying great attention to the fire

D．the fire had caused great losses and the airport was in ganger

【小题4】The underlined word “ accurate” in the first sentence has the same meaning as        .

A．recent

B．whole

C．rough

D．exact