阅读理解：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　A special firefighting team from Tahsis that is on standby in Duncan to fight wildfires had their truck and all their gear stolen Tuesday night from the motel where they are staying.

　　The Red Devils Fire Crew didn't hear the thieves take the vehicle, even though the rented white Ford F-350 Diesel was taken from its parking space right outside their door.

　　The fire crew was on 20-minute standby for any forest fires on Vancouver Island.

The Ministry of Forests has supplied the Red Devils with enough borrowed gear to do their job, but without their specialized equipment, the task is much harder.

　　Still, fire crew member Derrick Kasper averred, “We'll go in our bare feet if we have to.”

　　The team figures they've lost about $ 7,000 worth of equipment. They will be keeping their replacement gear locked in their hotel room to prevent further losses.

　　Police say it isn't clear whether the Devils' truck was intentionally targeted.

1．The firefighting team is special because ________.

[　　]

A．they had their truck and gear stolen

B．they are staying in a motel

C．they are prepared to fight forest fires

D．they have specialized equipment

2．Which of the following is TRUE according to the report?

[　　]

A．The thieves had been prepared for the stealing of the truck and gear.

B．The firefighting team was formed on an island to protect it from wildfires.

C．All the equipment is not in the possession of the firefighting team.

D．Gear is so important to the firefighters that they cannot work without it.

3．The underlined word “motel” (Paragraph 1) refers to a kind of ________.

[　　]

　　阅读理解：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　Imagine you are a left-hander, Suddenly everything in the world is changed. The dour locks are on the wrong side and turn the wrong way.

　　Twenty-five million Americans wake up every day in just such a sorry situation. There are one in ten of us who are left-handed and must face the world designed for the right-handed majority.

　　Why we are left-or right-handed remains a secret. We know that nearly two out of three lefties are men and that left-handedness runs in families. According to one study almost half of the children of two left-handed parents will be left-handed. The Scots-Irish family Kerr produced so many left handers that in 1470 the family built its house stairway with a reverse twist (盘旋).

　　On the other hand, heredity (遗传) alone cannot explain lefties. At least 84 percent of them are born of two right-handed parents. And in 12 percent of twins, one will be right-handed, the other left.

　　Perhaps the greatest puzzle of all is not why some people are left-handed, but rather why so few are. In fact, almost equal numbers of individuals (个人) will favor either the right or the left. However, scientists are trying to set things right and they are beginning to study the many ways left-handers differ from right-handers by considering how their brains work.

1．How many of the Americans are left-handers?

[　　]

2．Which of the following is NOT true?

[　　]

A．A left handed man may have a right-handed twin brother.

B．The greater part of left-handers have right-handed parents.

C．One in ten of Americans are left-handed.

D．Most people will prefer the right to the left.

3．From the passage, we can see that________.

[　　]

A．there is at least a left-hander in every American family

B．left-handers are generally cleverer than right-handers

C．most people all over the world are right-handers

D．left-handers lead an uncomfortable life

4．In Paragraph 3, the underlined word “runs” means ________.

[　　]

5．Why so few people are left-handed________.

[　　]

A．has nothing to do with heredity

B．is not known to scientists

C．has little to do with the working of their brains

D．is that left-handers are mainly twins

　　阅读理解：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　The Times of London has launched an important new service-E-paper. It's radically (根本的) different from the current on-line service, but exactly the same as the printed newspaper bark in Britain. The News, Sport, Business section, T2, The Game (every Monday), the classified ads, even the crossword are all laid out just as in the paper. It's the actual paper… without the paper. To try a free demonstration, click the button below.

　　Now you can access The Times newspaper as it is printed from 5 am GMT on the day of publication. For the first time, wherever you are outside the UK, you can get today's newspaper on your screen for just 24 pence per day.

　　In addition to the new E-paper, subscribing (订阅) to Times Online gives you the complete Newspaper Edition Headline List, as well as full access to the Times Online website and all associated online services.

　　Your subscription now brings you daily access to:

　　The new E-paper edition

　　The Times Online website and services

　　The Newspaper Edition Headline List

　　You can pay in any one of the following ways:

　　One off monthly subscription: ￡7.50

　　Monthly payment scheme: ￡6.50 per month

　　Annual payment scheme: ￡75.00 per year

1．Where can this ad be found?

[　　]

2．The underlined sentence “It's the actual paper.… without the paper” means ________.

[　　]

A．information in E-paper can be received free of charge

B．information in E-paper is given without being printed

C．information in E-paper cannot be found in any other papers

D．information in E-paper is limited to only a few fields

3．It can be inferred from the advertisement that________.

[　　]

A．the more papers you subscribe to, the less you will have to pay

B．the longer your subscription to the paper is, the less you will have to pay

C．the Times newspaper is printed in different parts of the world

D．what happen in the late afternoon will appear in the same day's Times

　　阅读理解：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　The film starts out as a normal day at a typical American high school. Friends chat in the dining room and boys play football. But there's a big surprise when the movie ends with two students going crazy in the school-shooting and killing people.

　　This is “Elephant”.Filmed in just 2D days, it stars real high school kids. American director Gus Van Sant had no ready made lines (台词). The student actors made up their own dialogue, with Van Sant asking them to base their characters on their own lives.

　　Although it may not sound very high quality, the film won the Palmed' Or(金棕榈奖) for Best Film and the award for Best Director at the Cannes film festival in France on May 25.

　　The film is based on the shootings at a high school in the US, where two boys killed 13 people and then them-selves in 1999.

　　The title of the movie refers to the old expression about a problem that's as hard to ignore (忽略) as an elephant in the house.

　　The film takes a close look at a few hours in the lives of the victims (受害者) and the killers. It shows how high school is a different experience for everyone－fun and friendly, or hard and lonely.

　　In many ways, the two boys, who carry out the shooting, act like ordinary kids. They joke around with one boy's mother as she serves them cakes and play the piano. But, there are hints (暗示) of the anger they feel inside. One of the boys is bullied (欺负) at school. The other plays violent video games. But Van Sant isn't blaming their killings on either bullying or violent games. In fact, the film doesn't offer any reason for why school violence happens.

　　“I didn't want to explain anything. It's up to the audience to draw its own conclusions,” said the 51-year-old director.

1．The description of a normal day at an American high school in the first paragraph ________.

[　　]

A．shows what life is like in American high schools

B．shows that the film was set in an American high school

C．serves to introduce the unexpected, dramatic ending of the film

D．suggests that some kind of danger is hidden in the setting

2．The lines of the film were________.

[　　]

A．created by student actors

B．given by the director

C．carefully designed by professional people

D．thought out while acting

3．The film doesn't tell why the school shootings happen________.

[　　]

A．because the mental problems of the high school students are hard to present

B．but there are some hints of the reasons

C．because life itself is the maker of problems

D．because this leaves much food for thought

4．The headline of the story “Hard to Miss This Elephant” ________.

[　　]

A．cleverly includes the title of the film

B．makes one want to find out what this elephant is

C．suggests that this award-winning film has caught people's attention

D．does all the above

　　阅读理解：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　What will the classroom look like in the years to come? Will teachers disappear, to be replaced by learning machines? Will children need to go to school at all, when technology can deliver the learning experience to their laptop (便携式电脑)?

　　The government is showing a keen interest in such issues. It's even given Southwark 7.5 million pounds to up-date Kingsdale School, where the brief includes plans to use space more creatively. And then there's the Classroom of the Future project. A dozen local education authorities(权威) in England are spending 10 million pounds obtained from Gordon Brown's cash to develop rooms that will, as the government hopes, “shape design of classrooms in the future.”

　　“We've been given a free hand, ” says Mark Dudek, an architect with the Education Design Group. He's been working with Yewlands School in Sheffield, a tough comprehensive school where the building will have to stand up to some sufficient(充足的) usage. “What we have in mind will allow different groups of children to work at their own pace in their own areas.”

　　It's a point made by mast of the schools involved in the project. The Devon Classroom of the Future will be built at Chulmleigh School, one of the most isolated(偏远的) schools in the country.

　　“In reality technology will disappear,” says Chulmleigh headteacher Barrie Cooper. “It will become old-fashioned. This is as much about environment and atmosphere as it is about blackboards. We want to create a space for learning. For me that's the vision of the furniture, space that can be used in different ways.” And he is against the vision of the laptop-delivered learning experience that makes the school obsolete(过时的).

1．From Paragraph 2, we can see the government's keen interest is________.

[　　]

A．creating new teaching methods

B．delivering the learning experience to laptop

C．designing new classrooms for the future

D．repairing old schools like Kingsdale School

2．What does Mark Dudek mean by saying “We've been given a free hand” in Paragraph 3?

[　　]

A．Their hands are not tied by ropes.

B．They can go everywhere they want.

C．They are given full freedom in designing.

D．They are offered enough money in designing.

3．What is the point made by most of the schools involved in the project?

[　　]

A．Making use of advanced technology to change traditional teaching methods.

B．Making use of advanced technology to replace traditional classrooms.

C．Giving the researchers a free hand to design new classrooms.

D．Designing new classrooms with multiple functions and suitable for different pupils.

4．As for the idea of all students learning by Internet only, we can infer Barrie Cooper may consider it ________.

[　　]

　　阅读理解：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　Misery and setbacks are not always as terrible as one imagines. Hard times can offer new ways of looking at life that would otherwise never he known. And, if you are a writer, this can be the source of much of your success.

　　Popular British author, Charles Dickens' (1812－1870) family could hardly make ends meet (入不敷出) .They could only afford to send one of their six children to school.

　　Dickens was not that child. His parents chose to send a daughter, who had a talent for music, to an academy. Then at the age of 12, Dickens' life took another turn for the worse.

　　His father, a clerk, was placed in prison for unpaid debts. And, being the oldest male left at home, Dickens . took up work at a factory. His horrible experience there became the fuel for his future writing.

　　His father was freed three months later and inherited (继承) a small amount of money. Dickens was then sent to school.

　　From 1836 to 1837, he wrote a monthly series of stories. Thus the Pickwick Papers(《匹克威克外传》) came into being, which brought fame to the 23-year-old man.

　　Throughout his career, Dickens covers various situations in his novels. He wrote about the miserable lives of the poor in Oliver Twist (《雾都孤儿》), the French Revolution in Tale of Two Cities(《双城记》), and social reform in Hard Times (《艰难时世》). He also wrote David Copperfield (《大卫·科波菲尔》), a book thought to be based on his own life.

　　“I do not write bitterly or angrily: for I know all these things have worked together to make me what I am,”he once said.

　　His difficult childhood did shape the person he became, as well as his writing career. There are shades of young Dickens in many of his most beloved characters, including David Copperfield and Oliver Twist. Like the author, all these characters come from poor beginnings and are able to rise above their setbacks and achieve success. “Minds, like bodies, will often fall into an ill-conditioned state from too much comfort,” he once wrote.

　　On June 9th, 1870, aged 58, Dickens died, leaving one unfinished work. The words on his tombstone read: “He was a sympathizer (同情者) to the poor, the suffering and the oppressed (受压迫者), and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world.”

1．The underlined phrase “shades of” in the last paragraph but one means ________.

[　　]

2．How did Dickens see his childhood?

[　　]

A．He felt grateful for it.

B．He felt it a pity that things weren't in his favor.

C．He loved writing about it.

D．He chose to forget the bitterness about it.

3．From the story, we can see Dickens' attitude towards an easy life is ________.

[　　]

　　阅读理解：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　Facing a slowly reviving(复苏) economy and competition from unemployed workers, nearly one-third of this spring's 1,200,000 college graduates could remain jobless six months after receiving their diplomas(文凭)-a delay that may affect their earnings for years to come. Based on national projections, as many as 360,000 of them could still be looking for work as 2003 approaches. According to a long-term study, unemployment early in a career can be felt over a period of years because it delays the experience and training that typically lead to higher salaries.

　　The competition will be fierce for first-time job-seekers this year. Not only are there fewer openings, but the pool of candidates(候选人) is bigger. In addition to their classmates, graduates will be competing with jobless people formerly in the workforce for one to three years, some of whom may be willing in this uncertain economy to accept entry-level pay.

　　Firms surveyed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) plan to hire 20% fewer college graduates in 2001－2002 than in the spring graduates. In addition, 10% of college graduates typically remain unemployed and are not registered(注册) in graduate school six months after graduation, according to informal surveys by NACE.

　　Competition from laid-off (下岗) workers alone could extend the job search into the six-month range. College students are also facing the new business realities of increased outsourcing(外购), record downsizing, and cautious(谨慎的) employers careful for another sudden economic jolt(波动) such as that caused by Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Some enterprises' leaders do not see the economy recovering until 2003.

1．All of the following are the disadvantages caused by unemployment early on a career EXCEPT ________.

[　　]

2．The one that does not contribute to the fierce competition for first-time job-seekers this year is ________.

[　　]

A．reduction of position vacancies(空缺)

B．more job-seekers

C．competition from laid-off workers

D．falling pay

3．From Paragraph 3 we can learn that________.

[　　]

A．many firms intend to employ laid-off workers rather than college graduates

B．many firms intend to employ fewer college graduates because of the slowing reviving economy

C．more and more college graduates attend graduate school because of difficulty in job hunting

D．10% of college graduates cannot find a job after they leave campus

4．The main reason that delays college graduates' employment by half a year is ________.

[　　]

A．competition from laid-off workers

B．increased outsourcing

C．record downsizing

D．the economic jolt caused by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks

5．In his next paragraph, the author may talk about________.

[　　]

A．the economic influences caused by the Sept.11 terrorist attacks

B．how to help firms recover from recession(衰退)

C．how to help the economy recover from recession

D．how to help college graduates be successful in job seeking

　　阅读理解：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　By May 5, the Palestinians had accepted the plan, but Israel still wanted major changes to be made.

　　The latest fighting between the two states began in September 2000．Over the past 31 months, thousands of Palestinians and Israelis have been killed and injured. Israel and Palestine have fought against each other since Israel created its own state in 1948. When Israel won the 1967 war, it gained control of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Since then, the Palestinians have demanded these three areas be part of their state.

　　Mahmoud Abbas became Palestine's new prime minister after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was forced to agree to share his power. Both the US and Israel had refused to enter into peace talks with Arafat, whom they consider unreliable (不可靠的) .

　　The road map for peace leads in two directions: the safety of Israel and a state for the Palestinians.

　　The plan was written last December by the US, the United Nations, the European Union (欧盟), and Russia.

　　The first step is to stop the violence (暴力) on both sides. Palestinians would draw up a constitution (宪法) for their government. And Israelis living on land that was once Palestine would not build new homes. The second step calls for an international conference that draws up the creation of a Palestinian state. The final step aims for a lasting agreement between Israel and the Palestine, and the support of neighboring Arab states (阿拉伯国家).

　　US officials hope that both sides will follow the road to peace by 2005．But to take the first step will be no easy task. Hours before the plan was announced, a suicide bomber (自杀爆炸者) killed himself and three others in Tel Aviv, Israel. The next day, 12 Palestinians were killed and 15 others were injured in an attack by the Israeli army on Gaza City.

　　The Palestinians say that the two sides should be taking steps at the same time. But Israel demands the first step must be an end to Palestinian violence.

　　In the face of such disagreement, many analysts (分析家) don't believe the plan can ensure a peaceful future in the Middle East.

1．What is the main point of this story?

[　　]

A．The fighting between Israel and Palestine.

B．The long process(进程) for Israel and Palestine to achieve peace.

C．New chance and plan for peace in the Middle East.

D．International efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.

2．What lies at the root of the conflicts (冲突) between Israel and Palestine?

[　　]

A．Israelis and Palestinians have different beliefs.

B．Israelis live on land that once belonged to Palestinians.

C．The founding of Israel.

D．Disagreement on how to bring about peace.

3．Which of the following is NOT true?

[　　]

A．Israel and Palestine haven't taken steps to work for peace at the same time.

B．A new leader in Palestine has brought new hope.

C．The “road map” is sure to settle the disagreement between Israel and Palestine.

D．Israel and Palestine have different views about the new plan.

4．Which side do you think the writer is on?

[　　]

　　阅读理解：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　Testing has replaced teaching in most public schools. Pretests, drills, tests, and retests fill my own children's school week. They know that the best way to read a textbook is to look at the questions at the end of the chapter and then skim the text for the answers. I believe that my daughter Erica, who gets excellent marks, has never read a chapter of any of her school textbooks all the way through. And teachers are often heard to state proudly and openly that they teach to the mandated state test. Teaching to the test is a curious phenomenon. Instead of deciding what skills students ought to learn, helping students learn them, and then using some sensible methods of assessment(评价) to discover whether students have mastered the skills, teachers are encouraged to reverse the process. First one looks at a test, which is intended for money. Then one chooses the skills needed not to master reading, but to do well in the test. Finally, the test skills are taught.

　　The ability to read or write or calculate might imply the ability to do reasonably well on standardized tests. However neither reading nor writing develops simply through being taught to take tests. We must be careful to avoid mistaking preparation for a test of a skill with the acquisition (习得) of that skill. Too many discussions of basic skill make this misunderstanding because people are only interested in the test rather than concerned with the nature and quality of what is taught.

　　Recently, many schools have faced what could be called the crisis of comprehension or, in simple terms, the phenomenon(现象)of students with grammar skills still being unable to understand what they read. These students are quite good at test taking and filling in workbooks. However, they have little or no experience reading or thinking, and talking about what they read. They know the details but can't see or understand the whole. They are taught to be so concerned with grade that they have no time or ease of mind to think about meaning, and reread things if necessary.

1．The author gives an account of Erica's performance in her study in order to show ________.

[　　]

A．her cleverness in test-taking

B．the incompetence of teachers

C．there is something wrong with the current practice in teaching

D．the best way to read textbooks

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

[　　]

A．The phenomenon of teaching to the test has aroused curiosity in many educators.

B．Skills in general are not only useless but often mislead students.

C．Ability to read and write is one thing, and ability to do well on standardized tests is quite another.

D．Preparation for test of a skill does not necessarily mean the acquisition of that skill.

3．The author insists that ________.

[　　]

A．mandated state tests be replaced by some more sensible methods of assessment

B．teachers pay more attention to the nature and quality of what is taught

C．students not be concerned with grades but do more reading and thinking

D．main changes be brought about in the general teaching

4．By “crisis of comprehension” the author means many students ________.

[　　]

A．are too much concerned with grades

B．fail to understand the real goal of education

C．lack proper practice in grammar drills

D．are unable to understand what they read, though they do reasonably well on standardized tests

　　阅读理解：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项．

　　If you are hunting an opportunity(机会)to improve yourself in English, TOP ENGLISH CITY will be a smart choice. We are a member of “the International Language Workshop”, and enjoy both good reputation(声望)in English teaching and high quality of our teaching team. We are dedicated(致力于)to providing affordable, premium quality English training programs for those who want to improve both their English knowledge and their language skills.

　　In TOP ENGLISH CITY, you will be a top English-speaker among your competitors and enjoy the advantage that your competitors have not. You will be proud of being a member of TOP ENGLISH CITY.

　　Courses designed

　　Basic Studies…………………………………Sat. 8:00-10:00 a. m.

　　Intermediate Spoken English…………………Sun. 8:00-10:00 a. m.

　　Standard Spoken English ……………………Sat. 8:00-10:00 a. m.

　　Basic Business English ………………………Sun. 8:00-10:00 a. m.

　　Intermediate Business English ………………Sun. 7:00-9:00 p. m.

　　TOEFL Super Studies ………………………Sun. 7:00-9:00 p. m.

　　Children's Weekend …………………………Sun. 7:00-9:00 p. m.

　　For more information, please contact

　　Room 806, American Plaza, Tianhexi Rd. , 510150, Guangzhou

　　Tel: 86668888-8806

Part Ⅱ

　　A place for you to practice your English, to exchange your English-learning experiences, to know more about the culture of English-speaking countries, and to make more friends who can speak very good English.

　　You will have free talk, famous English films and songs appreciation(欣赏), English lectures and games; all are for you to improve yourself in English in the special, full-of-fun salon.

　　How to Join

　　We are a group with membership system. So if you want to join our group, please make an application(申请)to Tianhe Office of Top English City filling in the applying forms. You will be given a salon ID card, and become our formal member.

　　The Qualifications

　　You must be fluent(流利)in English-speaking or/and an English lover. Those who are now learning English in Top English City will be advantageous.

　　For more information please contact

　　Mr. Jiu Chan at 5147129198.

　　English Salon, your best friend! Join right now!

1．Which of the following can be the best title for Part Ⅰ?

[　　]

A．Top English, always be your smart choice!

B．If you want to learn English, we can teach you!

C．Top English, the best English!

D．We have what you want!

2．Which of the following courses can be learned by the same person?

[　　]

A．Basic Studies and Standard Spoken English.

B．Intermediate Spoken English and Basic Business English.

C．Standard Spoken English and TOEFL.

D．Intermediate Business English and TOEFL.

3．If you work in a joint venture(合资)company, you will probably take the ________ course.

[　　]

A．Standard Spoken English

B．Intermediate Business English

C．TOEFL Super Studies

D．Children's Weekend

4．If you want to join English Salon, you should at least ________.

[　　]

A．be a university graduate

B．be a student learning English in Top English City

C．be an English lover and can speak English well

D．make more friends and know more about the culture of the English-speaking countries