阅读理解

　　We have all experienced days when everything goes wrong. A day may begin well enough, but suddenly everything seems to get out of control. It seems as if a single unimportant event may cause a number of things to happen. Let us suppose that you are preparing a meal and keeping an eye on the baby at the same time. The telephone rings and this means your troubles are beginning. While you are on the phone, the baby pulls the table-cloth off the table, destroying your half prepared meal. You hang up hurriedly and attend to your baby. Meanwhile, the meal gets burnt. As if this were not enough to bring you to tears, your husband arrives, unexpectedly bringing three guests to dinner.

　　Things can go wrong on a number of people on the road. During the rush hour one evening two cars hit each other and both drivers began to argue. The woman driver behind the two cars happened to be a learner. She suddenly went into a panic (恐慌) and stopped her car. This made the driver following her stop suddenly. His wife was sitting beside him holding a large cake. As she was thrown forward, the cake went right through the window and landed on the road. Seeing a cake flying through the air, a truck driver had to stop his truck all of a sudden. The truck was carrying empty beer bottles and hundreds of them slid off the back of the truck and on to the road. This led to yet another angry argument. Meanwhile, the traffic piled up behind. It took the police nearly an hour to get the traffic to move again. In the meanwhile, the truck driver had to sweep up hundreds of broken bottles. Only two dogs were enjoying themselves from the accident, for they were happily having what was left of the cake. It was just one of those days!

1．According to the author's opinion, ________.

[　　]

A．a small matters may cause great trouble

B．accidents may happen anytime

C．troubles always come in groups

D．anyone may have trouble any day

2．When the telephone rings, ________.

[　　]

A．you'd better have your baby a little distant from your table before going to answer the phone

B．your trouble is sure to come

C．you'd better just let it ring all the way

D．you should never go to answer it in a hurry

3．Who was responsible for the accident on the road?

[　　]

A．The truck driver.

B．The woman driver.

C．The two drivers who hit each other.

D．It was not clearly mentioned.

4．From the story we can see ________.

[　　]

A．such accidents are rather common

B．such accidents are rather strange

C．no one can explain why such accidents happen

D．some drivers are too careless

阅读理解

　　In November 1965, New York was blacked out by an electricity failure. The government officials promised that it would not happen again. Pessimists(悲观者) were certain that it would occur again within five years at the lastest. In July 1977, there was a repeat performance which produced different degrees of disorder throughout the city of 8,000,000 people. In 1965, the failure occurred in the cool autumn and at a time of peace and good situation. In 1977, the failure was much more serious because it came when the number of people out of work was large and the city was suffering from one of its worst heat waves.

　　In 1965, there was little stealing during the darkness, and fewer than 100 people were caught by the police. In 1977, hundereds of stores were broken into and stolen. They broke shopwindows and helped themselves to jewellery, clothes or television sets, nearly 400 people were sent to the police but far more disappeared into the darkness of the night. The number of the policemen at hand was far from enough and they were wisely stopped from using their guns against the mobs(暴徒)that were far more than them and that included armed men.

　　Hospitals had to treat hundreds of people cut by glass from shop windows. Banks and most businesses remained closed the next day. The blackout started at 9:33 p. m. when lightning hit and knocked out vital cables(关键的电缆). Many stores were thus caught by surprise.

　　The vast majority of New Yorkers, however, tried to help strangers, handed out candles, and tried to get through the dark world without traffic lights, refrigerators, water and electrical power. For 24 hours, New York realized how helpless it was without electricity.

1．Look at the 1st paragraph, who were right, the government officials or the pessimists?

[　　]

2．In what way was the blackout of 1977 different from that of 1965?

[　　]

A．There was much more disorder.

B．This time the electricity supply failed.

C．It was quite unexpected.

D．It came in the cool autumn.

3．Why did many persons manage to escape the police?

[　　]

A．The police could not see them in the darkness.

B．Many of them carried guns.

C．There were not enough policemen to catch them all.

D．They were hidden inside big buildings.

4．The 1997 New York electricity failure lasted ________.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　When you can't sleep, the answer may be as simple as some warm milk.

　　Dear Rosie,

　　I have had trouble falling asleep at night lately. It's starting to affect my work and my social life because 1 am often very tired during the day. What can I do?

GIA P.

TURIN, ITALY

　　Dear Gia,

　　Try these things to help you sleep well at night:

　　1．Don't get into bed unless you're tired. Read or watch TV until you feel drowsy;

　　2．Don't pay bills or do work on your bed. You will begin to associate the bed with activities;

　　3．Don't drink caffeinated coffee, tea or soft drinks for four hours before your regular time;

　　4．Have a hot bath or shower to help you relax;

　　5．Drink a cup of herbal tea or warm milk. Warm drinks can make you sleep;

　　6．Play soft music. This will take your mind off the day's activities. It also screens out street sounds which can distract;

　　7．Encourage your body to relax. When in bed, begin to breathe deeply and slowly. Concentrate only on your breathing. You will be asleep in no time. If these tips don't help, consult your doctor.

　　Do you need some advice? Send your to:

　　New English Digest　　www.Learning-bug. Com

　　c/o　　　　ASK ROSIE

1．What's the main problem with Gia?

[　　]

A．She's so tired of work she can't sleep well.

B．She goes to bed so late she can't fall asleep.

C．She has troubles with social life and can't sleep well.

D．She can't sleep well and feels tired in the daytime.

2．According to Rosie, what should Gia NOT do after supper?

[　　]

A．Watch TV as late as possible.

B．Go on working even if she feels asleep.

C．Take some medicine.

D．Drink hot tea or coffee.

3．Which of the following is probably the column where we may read this in a magazine?

[　　]

A．NEW ENGLISH DIGEST

B．ASK ROSIE

C．LETTERS FROM ITALY

D．GIA'S PROBLEM

阅读理解

　　The young people who talk of the village as being“dead”are talking nothing but nonsense, as in their hearts they must surely know.

　　No, the village is not dead. There is more life in it now than there ever was. But it seems that“village life”is dead. Gone forever. It began to decline(变弱)about a hundred years ago. When many girls left home to go into service in town many miles away, and men also left home in increasing numbers in search of work, and home was where work was. There is still a number of people alive today who can remember what “village life”meant in the early years of the present century. It meant knowing and being known by everybody else in the village. It mesas finding Your entertainment in the village of within walking distance of it. It meant housewives tied to the home all day and every day. It meant going to bed early to save lamp - oil and coal.

　　Then came the First World War and the Second World War. After each war, new ideas, new attitudes, new trades and occupations were revealed(展示)to villagers. The long - established order of society was no longer taken for granted. Electricity and the motorcar were steadily operating to make“village life”and“town life”almost alike. Now with the highly developed science and technology and high - level social welfare for all, there is no point whatever in talking any longer about“village life”. It is just a life, and a better life.

　　Finally, if we have any doubts about the future, or about the many changes which we have seen in our lives, we have only to look in at the school playground any mid - morning; or see the children as they walk homeward in little groups. Obviously these children are better fed, better clothed, better educated, healthier, prettier and happier than any generation of children that ever before walked the village street.

1．By saying that village is not dead, but“village life”is dead, the writer suggests that ________.

[　　]

A．those young people who talk of the village as being“dead”are wrong

B．the two statements are against each other

C．“village life”today is rather uninteresting

D．“village life”today is no longer like what it used to be

2．It was ________ that“village life”began to take a sharp turn.

[　　]

A．about a century ago

B．during the two world wars

C．with electricity and motorcars introduced into the village

D．only recently

3．The expression“…there is no point whatever in talking about…”in paragraph 3 means that ________.

[　　]

A．there is no end to the talking about…

B．it is harmful to talk about…

C．it is not meaningless to talk about…

D．there is no reason for talking about…

4．From the passage we can see that the writer's attitude toward“village life”is ________.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Modern supermarkets sell nearly everything. Housewives usually need things like household goods, tinned food, fish, meat, fruit and vegetables. The busy housewives do not have to travel all the way to the crowded markets to get food or provisions. They can get all they want from the supermarkets, which are usually air - conditioned. The prices at the supermarkets are fixed and the housewives need not have to bargain.

　　It is not true, however, to say that things in the supermarkets are very expensive. Some things may cost a little bit more but generally the prices of things are not much higher than those in small shops or market stalls.

　　The advantage is that housewives can do their shopping very comfortably in one place. They do not have to go from one place to another. They can buy everything they need and save time and trouble.

1．In supermarkets, things ________.

[　　]

A．are much dearer

B．cost not much more than elsewhere

C．are much cheaper than elsewhere

D．are always better

2．Tha advantage of shopping in supermarkets is ________.

[　　]

A．housewives get a special discount

B．housewives can buy nearly everything they need

C．housewives can bargain

D．housewives are given free gifts

3．When housewives buy from supermarkets, ________.

[　　]

A．they waste a lot of time

B．they have to spend more money

C．they save time and trouble

D．they buy more than they need

4．It is comfortable inside the supermarkets because ________.

[　　]

A．there are large fans

B．the buildings are big and airy

C．they are air - conditioned

D．they are built underground

阅读理解

　　Halloween is an autumn holiday that Americans celebrate every year. It means“Holy evening”and it comes every October 31, the evening before All-Saints' Day. However, it's really a church holiday; it's a holiday for children.

　　Every autumn, when the vegetables are ready to eat, children pick large orange pumpkins. Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!

　　The children also put on strange masks and frightening clothes every Haloween. Some children paint their faces to look like monsters(怪物). Then they carry boxes or bags from house to house, they say, “Trick or treat! Money or eat!”The adults put a treatmoney or candy in their bags.

　　Some children think of other people on Halloween. They carry boxes for UNICEF(The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund). They ask for money to help poor children all around the world. Of cause, every time they help UNICEF, they usually receive a treat for themselves, too.

1．The Americans celebrate All-Saints' Day on ________.

[　　]

2．Which of the following can explain the word“pumpkin”?

[　　]

A．a kind of round, orange vegetable

B．a kind of round, orange fruit

C．an unusual frightening mask

D．a kind of special clothes

3．On Halloween children do the following things except ________.

[　　]

A．they wear strange mask and frightening clothes

B．they paint their faces and carry boxes or bags from door to door

C．they begged from house to house

D．they put candles in the pumpkins

4．What will happen to the money which children have collected from the people?

[　　]

A．Some of the money will go to UNICEF.

B．Children will keep the money to their parents.

C．The money will be handed to their parents.

D．The article doesn't say anything about it.

5．The best title for the passage probably is ________.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　The interview has been going on for about 20 minutes and everything seems to be going well. Then, suddenly, the interviewer asks an unexpected question.“Which is more important, law or love?”

　　Job applicants in the West increasingly find themselves asked strange questions like this. And the signs are that this is beginning to happen in China.

　　Employers want people who are skilled, enthusiastic (热情的) and devoted. So these are the qualities that any reasonably intelligent job applicant will try to show no matter what his or her actual feelings are. In response, employers are increasingly using questions which try and show the applicant's true personality.

　　The question in the first paragraph comes from a test called the Kiersey Personality Sorter. It is an attempt to discover how people solve problems, rather than what they know. This is often called aptitude testing.

　　According to Mark Baldwin of Alliance, many job applicants in China are finding this type of questions difficult. When a Chinese person fills out an aptitude test he or she will think there is a right answer and they may well fail because they try to guess what the examiner wants to see.

This is sometimes called the prisoner's dilemma (窘境). Applicants are trying to act cleverly in their own interest. But they fail because they don't understand what the interviewer is looking for. Remember that in an aptitude teat, the correct answer is always the honest answer.

1．The writer wrote the passage to ________.

[　　]

A．give you a piece of advice on a job interview

B．tell you how to meet a job interviewer

C．describe an aptitude test

D．advise you how to find a good job

2．According to the writer, in an aptitude testing, Chinese job interviewer should ________.

[　　]

A．not tell the truth

B．learn to tell what they really think

C．be more enthusiastic

D．try to find out what the examiner really wants to know

3．From the passage, we know that ________.

[　　]

A．job applicants are always asked such questions ________.

B．more Chinese applicants fail to find a job

C．applicants should not act as reasonably as a prisoner

D．aptitude testing is becoming popular the world wide

阅读理解

　　Are the British people Europeans? This may seem a strange question to Africans and Asians, who tend to think of all white men as Europeans. But the British, when they are in Britain, do not regard themselves as Europeans. The Europeans, to them are those rather excitable foreigners from the other side of the English Channel, who have never learnt how to speak English. Europe is the“Continent”: a place full of interest for English tourists, but also the source of almost all the wars in which Britain has ever been involved. Thus, although geographically speaking Britain is a part of Europe, yet the fact that it is a separate island has made its people feel very ,very insular (隔绝的). They feel, and in many ways are, different from the rest of Europe, and they sometimes annoy continental nations by failing to support them, or even to understand them, in time of need.

　　Where did the British people come from? This is an extraordinary interesting question, since they are a mixture of many different races, and all these races invaded(侵略)Britain at various times from Europe. Nobody knows very much about Britain before the Romans came during the first century B. C. , but there had been at least these invasions before that. The first of these was by a dark-haired Mediterranean race called the Iberians. The other two were by Celtic tribes(部落): first the Caels, whose descendants(子孙) are the modern Scots and Irish, some of whom still speak the Caelic language; and then the Britons, who gave their name to the whole island of Britain. These were the people whom the Romans conquered. The Romans gave the Britons a good deal of their civlization, but they never settled in Britain in very large numbers, so the British race survived until the overthrow of Roman Empire by the“barbarians”, i. e. the numerous Germanic tribes which overran (越过) the whole of Western Europe.

1．The purpose of the passage is to ________.

[　　]

A．talk about Europeans

B．discuss the origin of British people

C．argue for the superiority of British people

D．compare the Europeans with Africans and Asians

2．It can be known from the passage that ________.

[　　]

A．most people think white people are Europeans

B．there are many Africans and Asians living in Europe

C．white men are Europeans in the eyes of Africans and Asians

D．the British people think of themselves as Europeans

3．It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

[　　]

A．Europeans are those who are unable to speak English

B．Those who invaded Britain came from the other side of the English Channel

C．Britain is a place full of excitable foreigners

D．Britain is the source of almost all the wars in Europe

4．Which of the following might be discussed after this passage?

[　　]

A．The Germanic tribes which invaded Britain.

B．The civilization the Romans gave Britain.

C．The Romans who didn't settle in Britain.

D．The survival of the British people in the 1st century B. C. .

阅读理解

　　SYDNEY—Australia's highest mountain, whose name is already a trouble for school children to spell, could soon be renamed to correct a careless historical mistake.

　　The 2 228 metres peak(山峰) was named after the 18th century Polish national hero Kosciusko. But Australia's early surveyors made a mistake in the spelling and what should have been Mount Kosciusko went down on maps and in textbooks as Mount Kosciusko.

　　Now urged by Polish officials, the new south Wales Geographical Names Board has been asked to decide whether the peak should have it's missing Z returned.

　　The mountain was named by 19th century Polish explorer Paul, who decided to honour his national hero Kosciuszko.

　　Apart from giving map-makers a headache, the name change doesn't seem to trouble New South Wales officials.

　　Agnieszka, Poland's ambassador to Australia, said Kosciuszko was an international hero with a New York bridge named after him, although there is a town in the Mississipi Valley called Kosciusko, without the Z.

　　But she admitted that extra Z or not, Australians couldn't pronounce the name properly,“I'm afraid they will never be able to”, she said.

1．The first paragraph tells us that the name change ________.

[　　]

A．has been decided

B．has been decided by school children

C．hasn't been decided yet

D．has been decided by Kosciuszko

2．The first visitor to Australia's highest mountain was ________.

[　　]

3．In the United States, ________.

[　　]

A．we can find the same mistake

B．we can find a bridge called Kosciuszko with“Z”

C．we can find the same mountain

D．we can find many places named Kosciuszko

4．From the last part of this passage, we can guess ________.

[　　]

A．Australians spell words clearly

B．Australians won't change the name

C．Australians can't spell words clearly

D．Australians never pronounce strange foreign names correctly

阅读理解

　　Dear Sir,

　　I have to travel every day from So UK Road to the airport. Two buses travel along this route: the number 49 and the number 16. However, by the time the number 16 bus reaches So UK Road it is always full, so it is of no use to me. This leaves the number 49 which sometimes has empty seats on it.

　　The timetable states that there are buses from So UK Road to the airport every ten minutes. If this is so, why do I have to wait half an hour for a bus nearly every day?

　　The instructions state that if there are empty seats on a bus, the bus must stop at every stop where people are waiting. Why is it, therefore, that half-empty buses go straight past me when I am standing at the bus stop?

　　The instructions state that no bus may carry more than 40 seated passengers and 20 standing passengers. Yesterday I was the first to get off the bus when it reached the airport. I counted the other passengers as they got off. There were 129 of them.

　　Clearly printed on the back of every bus is a sign that says“maximum speed: 50 mph”. The distance from So UK Road to the airport is ten miles. Saturday morning a 49 bus traveled this distance in ten minutes, at an average speed of 60 mph. At times it must have done at least 80 or even 90 mph.

　　It is obvious that our bus companies have no respect for the instructions nor consideration for their passengers. Can nothing be done about this

Yours,

Weary Traveller

1．The writer prefers to take Bus No. 49 because it ________.

[　　]

2．According to the timetable, a 49 bus should travel through its route ________.

[　　]

3．The underlined word“this”in the last sentence of the letter refers to ________.

[　　]

4．The writer is not satisfied with that ________.

[　　]

A．buses are too crowded

B．bus drivers often go straight past without stopping

C．too few buses are traveling along this route

D．bus services are poor