Laptop computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.

    Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a $10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to“speak”with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees-anywhere at all!

    Because of the many changes in computer technology, laptop used in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.

    At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said,“Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we’re giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything.”

    1. The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to ________.

    A. use for their schoolwork　　　　  B. access the Internet

    C. work at home　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. connect them to libraries

    2. Why is the word“speak”in the second paragraph in quotation marks (引号)?

    A. They don’t really talk.　　　　　　  B. They use the computer language.

    C. Laptops have speakers.　　　　    D. None of the above reasons is correct.

    3. Which of the following is true about Westlake College?

    A. All teacher use computers.　　　　　　  B. 1500 students have laptops.

    C. It is an old college in America.  D. Students there can do everything.

    4.“A window on the world”in the last paragraph means that students can ________.

A. attend lectures on information technology

B. travel around the world

C. get information from around the world

D. have free laptops

    5. What can we infer from the passage?

A. The program is successful.

B. The program is not workable.

C. The program is too expensive.

D. We don’t know the result yet.

I was a freshman in college when I met the Whites. They were completely different from my own family, yet I felt at home with them immediately. Jane White and I became friends at school, and her family welcomed me like a long-lost cousin.

In my family, it was always important to place blame when anything bad happened.

“Who did this?” my mother would scream about a dirty kitchen.

“This is all your fault, Katharine, ”my father would insist when the cat got out or the dishwasher broke.

From the time we were little, my sister, brothers and I told on each other. We set a place for blame at the dinner table.

But the Whites didn’t worry about who had done what. They picked up the pieces and moved on with their lives. The beauty of this was driven home to me the summer Jane died.

In July, the White sisters and I decided to take a car trip from their home in Florida to New York. The two older sisters, Sarah and Jane, were college students, and the youngest, Amy, had recently turned sixteen. Proud of having a new driver's license（驾照），Amy was excited about practicing her driving on the trip. She showed off her license to everyone she met.

The big sisters shared the driving of Sarah’s new car during the first part of the trip, but when they reached less crowded areas, they let Amy take over. Somewhere in South Carolina, we pulled off the highway to eat. After lunch, Amy got behind the wheel. She came to a crossroads with a stop sign. Whether she was nervous or just didn’t see the sign no one would ever know, but Amy continued into the crossroads without stopping. The driver of a large truck, unable to stop in time, ran into our car.

Jane was killed immediately.

I was slightly injured. The most difficult thing that I’ve ever done was to call the Whites to tell them about the accident and that Jane had died. Painful as it was for me to lose a good friend, I knew that it was far worse for them to lose a child.

When Mr. and Mrs. White arrived at the hospital, they found their two daughters sharing a room. Sarah had a few cuts on the head; Amy’s leg was broken. They hugged us all and cried tears of sadness and of joy at seeing their daughters. They wiped away the girls' tears and made a few jokes at Amy as she learned to use her crutches（拐杖）.

To both of their daughters, and especially to Amy, over and over they simply said, “We’re so glad that you’re alive.”

I was astonished. No blame. No accusations.

Later, I asked the Whites why they never talked about the fact that Amy was driving and had run a stop sign.

Mrs. White said, “Jane’s gone, and we miss her terribly. Nothing we say or do will ever bring her back. But Amy has her whole life ahead of her. How can she lead a full and happy life if she feels we blame her for her sister's death?”

They were right. Amy graduated from the University of California and got married several years ago. She works as a teacher of learning-disabled students. She’s also a mother of two little girls of her own, the oldest named Jane.

1. The author of the passage is ________________.

A. Mrs. White’s niece

B. Jane’s school friend

C. the Whites’ cousin

D. Sarah’s friend from college

2. How did the author’s parents differ from the Whites?

A. The author’s parents were less caring.

B. The author’s parents were less loving.

C. The author’s parents were less friendly.

D. The author’s parents were less understanding.

3. How did the accident happen?

A. Amy didn’t stop at a crossroads and a truck hit their car.

B. Amy didn’t know what to do when she saw the stop sign.

C. Amy didn’t slow down so their car ran into a truck.

D. Amy didn’t get off the highway at a crossroads.

4. The accident took place in ________________.

A. Florida

B. California

C. South Carolina

D. New York

5. The Whites did not blame Amy for Jane’s death because ________________.

A. they didn’t want Amy to feel ashamed and sorry for the rest of her life

B. Amy was badly injured herself and they didn’t want to add to her pain

C. they didn’t want to blame their children in front of others

D. Amy was their youngest daughter and they loved her best

6. From the passage we can learn that ________________.

A. Amy has never recovered from the shock

B. Amy changed her job after the accident

C. Amy lost her memory after the accident

D. Amy has lived quite a normal life

　　A sailing ship model in a small-necked bottle is fascinating and puzzling to most landlubbers． They wonder how anyone could ever get the ship into the bottle． Making ships in bottles is a traditional art． In time past it filled the lonely hours of many a sailor on a long voyage． The first step was to construct the ship's hull, making sure it was narrow enough to go through the neck of the bottle． Then the sailor added the masts, spars, and other parts of the superstructure --- all hinged so that they could be collapsed and later drawn upright by threads extending forward through the ship's bow．

　　The sailor formed a putty "sea" inside the bottle and painted it with long, thin brushes． Before this sea was dry, he inserted the ship into the bottle． He pressed it into place． Then he carefully pulled the various threads, raising the superstructure into position． Finally, he sealed the tiny holes through which the threads ran, and snipped the telltale ends of thread．

1．The most puzzling thing about a ship in a bottle is that the______．

A．ship seems too large to pass through the neck of the bottle

B． ship seems too delicate to last for so many years

C．sea in the bottle appears to move

D．bottle seems too small to hold the ship

2．It is likely that the art of making ships in bottles______．

A．was developed by sailors　　 B． has been practiced for many years

C．has often been practiced on board ships D． All of the above

3．Before the sailor constructed the ship's masts, he made the______．

A． bottle B． hull C． thread D． putty sea

4．The sailor used hinges to______．

A．make the superstructure collapsible B． attach the doors of the cabins

C．make the hull narrow enough to fit D． hold the ship in the putty

5．The sailor used long, thin paintbrushes probably because they______．

A．were the right shape to reach inside the bottle

B．held more paint than thick brushes

C．wet the putty sea more thoroughly

D．wouldn't be likely to upset the ship in the bottle

6．Which did the sailor do last?

A．He made the sea inside the bottle． B． He tied threads to the superstructure．

C．He put the ship into the bottle．　　 D． He painted the sea．

7．The sailor snipped the ends of the threads so that they wouldn't______．

A．interfere with the ship's movement B．become tangled with the mast

C．loosen and allow the superstructure to collapse

D．give away the secret of how the ship was made

8．This article about ships in bottles deals mainly with their______．

A．appearance B． history C． construction D． value

　　In many countries today, laws protect wildlife． In India the need for such protection was realized centuries ago．

　　About 300 B． C． an Indian writer described forests that were somewhat like national parks today． The killing of game beasts was carefully supervised． Some animals were fully protected． Within the forest, nobody was allowed to cut timber, burn wood for charcoal, or trap animals for their furs． Animals that became dangerous to human visitors were trapped or killed outside the park, so that other animals would not become uneasy．

　　The need for wildlife protection is greater now than ever before． About a thousand species of animals are in danger of extinction, and the rate at which they are being destroyed has increased． With mammals, for instance, the rate of extinction is now about one species every year;fromA． D． 1 to 1800, the rate was about one species every fifty years． Everywhere, men are trying to solve the problem of preserving wildlife while caring for the world's growing population．

1．This account states that the need for protecting wildlife_______．

A．was realized centuries ago B． is greater now than ever before

C．Both A and B D． Neither A nor B

2．The example of man's concern with wildlife protection dates back to______．

A．500 B． C．　　B． 300 B． C．　　 C．A． D． 1　　D．A． D． 1800

3．The story says that in forests of long ago______．

A．hunters were given permits to hunt game B． tigers only were to be killed

C．the killing of game beasts was supervised　　D． no killing of beasts was allowed

4．Cutting timber in these forests was______．

A．carefully supervised　　 B． not allowed

C．allowed to nobles only　　D． limited to smaller trees

5．Caring for animals in these forests included______．

A．taking dangerous animals out of the park before killing them

B．employing men to look after ill or injured animals

C．Both A and B　　

D．Neither A nor B

6．The article gives present and past rates of extinction for______．

A．amphibians B． birds C． mammals D． reptiles

7．According to the last sentence, men trying to preserve wildlife are thinking about______．

A．more national parks　　　　B． stricter laws against hunting

C．the needs of lumber men　　D． the needs of people

8．Implied but not stated:

A．The growth of the world's population has meant greater danger to wildlife．

B．About a thousand species of animals are in danger of extinction．

C．The rate of extinction of mammals is lower now than it was fromA．D． 1 to 1800．

D．Hunters who kill endangered species are severely punished by law．

　　A few birds care for their eggs without sitting on them． In Australia, the male mallee fowl builds an incubator nest out of rotting vegetation covered with soil． As the vegetation decays, it gives off heat． The male pokes his beak into the middle of the pile and tests the temperature． If the temperature isn't an even 92° Fahrenheit, he adjusts it by adding or removing soil．

　　The female spends most of her time watching him, but sometimes she helps him． About once a week she lays another egg inside the nest．

　　The pair maintain their nest for several months． When the chicks begin to hatch -- one by one -- they dig their own way out of the nest and dash into the bush to fend for themselves． Although mallee fowl take great care of their eggs, no mallee fowl has ever been seen with a brood of chicks．

1．Most birds' eggs are hatched by heat from_______．

A．the sun's raysB．incubators

C．their parents' bodies　　D．None of the above

2．The heat in a mallee fowl nest comes from the_______．

A．beak of the male　　B．vegetation decaying under the soil

C．rays of the sun　　 D．body of the female

3．Temperature adjustments within the nest are made by_______．

A．adding more soil B． removing soil C． Either A or B　　D． Neither A nor B

4．The article does not tell_______．

A．how the male removes soil from the nest　　B．why the female seldom helps the male

C．why the nest must be a certain temperature D．Any of the above

5．Mallee fowl eggs hatch_______．

A．all together　　 B． individually

C．in twos or threes D． in small clutches

6．When a chick hatches, it______．

A．must dig its way out of the nest B．can fend for itself

C．needs assistance from its parents D．Both A and B

7．A brood of mallee chicks is never seen because the female lays only one egg every_______．

A． dayB． weekC． fortnightD． month

8．Because of the way mallee fowl care for their eggs, the_______．

A．adults cannot live in the nest themselves B． adults do not need to work hard

C．female is kept very busy　　 D． male has no work to do

　　One of the first books printed in English was about hunting with hounds and with birds． The book must have been in great demand: a revised edition was printed ten years later in 1496． It added a section on angling, also a popular sport． At the time many people believed the writer was Dame Juliana Berners, the prioress of a nunnery．

　　The section on falconry described fourteen classes of birds． Each was suitable to a particular rank． The emperor with his eagle headed the list． Then came king, prince, duke, earl, baron, knight, squire, lady, young man: these were entitled to the knife-winged falcons of various breeds． The author also noted hawks "of a meaner kind．" One was named for each remaining class: yeoman, poor man, priest, and holywater clerk． From the list, it seems that almost everyone shared in this royal sport．

1．The author gives no details about the book's_______．

A．time of publication B．supposed author

C．place of printing　　D．popularity with readers

2．Besides falconry, the first edition told about_______．

A．hunting with hounds B． angling C． archery D． Both B and C

3．The classes of birds were listed according to_______．

A．their hunting abilities　　 B． their cost

C．the ranks of their owners D． the speed of their flight

4．The pair heading the list was_______．

A．king and peregrine B．emperor and eagle

C．lady and merlin　　 D．yeoman and goshawk

5．Ranks entitled to knife-winged falcons totaled_______．

A． 8　　B． 9　　 C． 10　　 D． 11

6．The best hawk "of a meaner kind" would be listed for_______．

A．a young man B． the yeoman C． the squire D． the priest

7．The name of the person last in rank indicated that________．

A．he worked, for the yeoman on a farm

B．his work was connected with the church

C．he did not belong to the priesthood D． Both B and C

8．In the book, women were_______

A．given only one listing　　 B． listed as lady and prioress

C．listed with titles suitable to their husbands' ranks D． placed last on the list

　　BetweenA．D． 700 and 1100, northern rovers called Vikings explored most of the known world ． They even crossed the Atlantic and reached the shores of North America． Yet they had no compasses or other modern instruments． How did they find their way?

　　The Vikings stayed near coasts whenever they could． In open seas they navigated by the sun． On cloudy days they used sun stones． Sun stones were probably pieces of a crystal now called cordierite． This substance has the power to filter sunlight． Peering through a sun stone, a sailor could find out where the sun was and thus plot his ship's latitude．

　　Today sky compasses are used to guide some Scandinavian jets across polar regions, where a magnetic compass would be of no use． Though more complex, the sky compass works in the same way as the sun stones used by the Vikings more than a thousand years ago．

1．The Vikings did their exploring about_________．

A．100 years ago B．400 years ago C．1000 years ago D．2000 years ago

2．The Vikings traveled mostly_______．

A．by aircraft B． in ships C． on foot D． on horseback

3．Coastlines often helped the Vikings_______．

A．discover good hunting areas B． hide from their enemies

C．keep away from rocks　　 D． find their way

4．The Vikings used sun stones to_______．

A．determine their latitude　　 B．measure the temperature

C．predict the coming of storms D． Both A and B

5．Sun stones were used when_______．

A．the night was dark B．the day was clear C． clouds hid the sun D． no winds blew

6．Cordierite is a material that ________．

A． is no longer found on earth B． may have been used by the Vikings

C．can filter the sun's rays　　D． Both B and C

7．Sky compasses are used in polar regions because________．

A．radar is useless at the poles B． the days are so short

C．magnetic compasses won't work there D． sun stones are no longer available

8．The last paragraph shows that________．

A．a principle used by the Vikings is still in use today

B．cordierite is composed of three different metals

C．the Vikings lived in what is now Scandinavia

D．the Vikings usually followed the lines of latitude to their destinations

　　A traveler once visited a city where every one wore blue． Puzzled, he went to a dyer and said, "Please dye this handkerchief red．"

　　"I don't know how to dye red．"

　　"Then dye it green．"

　　"I can't dye green． There are forty master dyers in this city, and every one of us can dye only blue．"

　　"I can dye all colors," said the traveler．

　　"Hire me and I'll teach you my art．"

　　"We never admit a stranger to our craft," said the dyer．

　　The traveler made the same offer to the other master dyers, but none would hire him． So he began his own dye shop． Folks soon crowded round asking, "What are all these beautiful colors called?"

　　He answered, "This is red and that yellow," and so on． Everyone began bringing him cloth to dye． When the master dyers saw this, they quickly apologized for their past insults, begging him to hire them and teach them his art．

1． To the traveler, the strangest thing about the city was that__________．

A．it seemed old-fashioned　　 B．everyone wore the same color

C．there were forty master dyers D．the dyers did not use machines

2．The purpose behind the traveler's visit to the first dyer was to_________．

A．have his handkerchief dyed yellow　　 B． have all his clothes dyed blue

C．see if the dyer could dye different colors D． sell the dyer some new materials for dyeing

3．None of the dyers would hire the traveler because he_________．

A．made fun of themB． wanted too much money

C．knew nothing about dyeing D． was a stranger

4．The people's questions showed that they_________．

A．liked the traveler's work　　　　B． knew little about colors

C．were satisfied to wear only blue　　 D． Both A and B

5．Soon the traveler was__________．

A．asking the mayor for a dye shop　　 B． taking away all the other dyers' customers

C．learning to dye many shades of blue D． begging the people to stop bringing him cloth

6．The master dyers begged the traveler to__________．

A．leave their city B． sell his secrets to them

C．apologize for past insults D． teach them his art

7．In the end the master dyers had to beg for something that________．

A．had been offered to them before B．belonged to them in the first place

C．would be of no use to them later D．All of the above

8．This story could be taken as a warning against____________．

A．refusing to learn new ways　　 B． wearing only red clothes

C．hiring a stranger D． visiting strange cities

　　Lake Titicaca, in the Andes mountain chain in South America, is the highest lake in the world． And for hundreds of years the boats called balsas were the highest boats in the world．

　　The balsas are made by the Aymara Indians who fish in waters more than two miles (about 12,700 feet) above sea level． The Indians wrap totora reeds into cigar-shaped bundles and lash the bundles together． The air trapped between the reeds makes a newly made balsa almost unsinkable． The fisherman may stand near the narrower, higher end of this craft as he poles it along;he may sit in the small hollow amidships as he paddles． With a favorable wind, a reed mat fastened to upright poles near the bow, or front, acts as a sail．

　　Though steamboats now sail these high waters, the balsas still have one great merit． If they are damaged, materials for repairing or replacing them are right at hand．

1．Lake Titicaca is in the____________．

A．Himalayas of Asia　　 B．Rocky Mountains of North America

C．Alpine chain in Europe D．Andes of South America

2．The lake's height above sea level is__________．

A．ten thousand feet　　　　B．over two miles

C．thirteen thousand feet　　D．over three miles

3．The reed used by the Aymara Indians is the__________．

A． bamboo B． papyrus C． sugarcane D． totora

4．The bundles of reeds lashed together for the boat are_________．

A．cigar-shaped B．pencil-shaped C．plank-shaped D．None of the above

5．With air trapped between the reeds, the craft is likely to be_________．

A． light B． strong C．easy to pilot D．hard to manage

6．The craft may be propelled by use of________．

A． a pole B． a paddle C． the wind D． All of the above

7．The story suggests that materials for repairing a steamboat________．

A．are easily obtained　　 B． have to be brought in from elsewhere

C．are needed more frequently than for reed boats D． are transported by plane

8．A reed boat cannot be repaired when________．

A．a rock cuts into one bundle of reeds　　 B． the lashing around a bundle breaks

C．the bundles of reeds become water soaked D． the sail is torn

　　A photograph taken in the Arctic shows a polar bear that is sitting on snow with a paw shading its eyes． But the polar bear, like most mammals, has another protection against the glare of sun shining on snow． Each eye has a third eyelid． These eyelids act as built-in sunglasses．

　　A mammal’s third eyelid is a thin, movable film or membrane． It can spread to cover most of the eyeball． Like the upper and lower eyelids, the membrane can protect the eye from dirt and other harmful materials as well as from too much light．

　　Man's third eyelid has largely disappeared． Its only traces are in the inner corner of the eye． There, a tiny fold of wet skin and a small, pinkish blob are all that remain of this membrane．

1．The first sentence is meant to show that polar bears______．

A．do not like being photographed

B．protect their eyes against bright sunlight

C．are not found in the Antarctic

D．have a third eyelid in each eye

2．Third eyelids act as sunglasses when they______．

A．keep water out of a mammal's eyes　　 B．make objects look smaller

C．make objects look larger D． shade the eyes against glare

3．The membrane forming the third eyelid is______．

A． movable B． thin C．Both A and B　　D．Neither A nor B

4．On a day without sunshine, the membrane would______．

A．spread to cover most of the eyeball　　B． cover very little of the eyeball

C．keep changing in its spreadD． become thicker

5．The story says that the membrane is a protection against______．

A． cold　　B． dirt C． Both A and B　　D．Neither A nor B

6．The only traces of man's third eyelid are found______．

A．below the upper eyelid　　 B．below the lower eyelid

C．in the inner corner of the eye D．in the outer corner of the eye

7．One protection for the eyes that is not named is______．

A． eyelashes B． eyelids　　 C． sunglasses D．None of the above