James Cleveland Owens was the son of a farmer and the grandson of black slaves. His family moved to Cleveland when he was 9. There, a school teacher asked the youth his name.

“J. C. , ” he replied.

She thought he had said “Jesse”, and he had a new name.

Owens ran his first race at age 13. After high school, he went to Ohio State University. He had to work part time so as to pay for his education. As a second-year student, in the Big Ten games in 1935, he set even more records than he would in the Olympic Games a year later.

A week before the Big Ten meeting, Owens accidentally fell down a flight of stairs. His back hurt so much that he could not exercise all week, and he had to be helped in and out of the car that drove him to the meeting. He refused to listen to the suggestions that he gave up and said he would try, event by event. He did try, and the results are in the record book.

The stage was set for Owens’ victory at the Olympic Games in Berlin the next year, and his success would come to be regarded as not only athletic but also political. Hitler did not congratulate any of the African-American winners.

“It was all right with me, ” he said years later. “I didn’t go to Berlin to shake hands with him, anyway. ”

Having returned from Berlin, he received no telephone call from the president of his own country, either. In fact, he was not honored by the United States until 1976, four years before his death.

Owens’ Olympic victories made little difference to him. He earned his living by looking after a school playground, and accepted money to race against cars, trucks, motorcycles, and dogs.

“Sure, it bothered me, ” he said later. “But at least it was an honest living. I had to eat. ”

In time, however, his gold medals changed his life. “They have kept me alive over the years, ”he once said. “Time has stood still for me. That golden moment dies dead. ”

1. Owens got his other name “Jesse” when ________________.

A. he went to Ohio State University

B. his teacher made fun of him

C. his teacher took “J. C.” for “Jesse”

D. he won gold medals in the Big Ten meet

2. In the Big Ten meet, Owens ________________.

A. hurt himself in the back

B. succeeded in setting many records

C. tried every event but failed

D. had to give up some events

3. We can infer from the text that Owens was treated unfairly in the US at that time because ________________.

A. he was not of the right race

B. he was the son of a poor farmer

C. he didn’t shake hands with Hitler

D. he didn’t talk to the US president on the phone

4. When Owens says “They have kept me alive over the years”, he means that the medals ________________.

A. have been changed for money to help him live on

B. have made him famous in the US

C. have encouraged him to overcome difficulties in life

D. have kept him busy with all kinds of jobs

5. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A. Jesse Owens, a Great American Athlete

B. Golden Moment—a Life-time Struggle

C. Making a Living as a Sportsman

D. How to Be a Successful Athlete?

Perhaps it was his own lack of adequate schooling that inspired Horace Mann to work so hard for the important reforms in education that he accomplished. While he was still a boy, his father and elder brother died, and he became responsible for supporting his family. Like most of the children in his town, he attended school only two or three months a year. Later, with the help of several teachers, he was able to study law and become a member of the Massachusetts bar, but he never forgot those early struggles.

While serving in the Massachusetts legislature（立法机关）, he signed a historic education bill that set up a state board of education. Without regret, he gave up his successful legal practice and political career to become the first secretary of the board. There he exercised an enormous influence during the critical period of reconstruction that brought into existence the American graded elementary school as a substitute for the older district school system. Under his leadership, the curriculum（课程）was restructured, the school year was increased to a minimum of six months, and mandatory schooling was extended to age sixteen. He was also instrumental（起作用的）in improving salaries for teachers and creating school libraries.

Mann’s ideas about school reform were developed and distributed in twelve annual reports to the state of Massachusetts that he wrote during his tenure（任期）as secretary of education. Considered quite radical at the time, the Massachusetts reforms later served as a model for the nation. Mann was recognized as the father of public education.

During his lifetime, Horace Mann worked tirelessly to extend educational opportunities to the children of poor laborers. In one of his last speeches he summed up his philosophy of education and life: “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity. ”Surely, his own life was an example of that philosophy.

1. Which of the following titles would best express the main topic of the passage?

A. The Father of American Public Education

B. Philosophy of Education

C. The Massachusetts State Board of Education

D. Politics of Educational Institutions

2. Which of the following describes Horace Mann’s early life?

A. He attended school six months a year.

B. He supported his family after his father died.

C. He was an only child.

D. He had to study alone, without help.

3. Which of the following statements best represents Mann’s philosophy?

A. Think in new ways.

B. Help others.

C. Study as much as possible.

D. Work hard.

I hear many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling. I wish it were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own two feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are all taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents. Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching at (attempting to seize) one another’s hands for reassurance.

They claim they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But somehow they all end up crowded round listening to the same record. Their reason for thinking or acting in thus-and -such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon(蚕茧) into a larger cocoon.

It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market. These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be. And many of today’s parents have come toward high marks for the popularity of their children. All this adds up to a great barrier for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.

But the barrier is worth climbing over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you don’t care to share at once with your classmates. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come with the people who respect you for who you are. That’s the only kind of popularity that really counts.

1. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to tell _______.

A. readers how to be popular with around

B. teenagers how to learn to decide things for themselves

C. parents how to control and guide their children

D. people how to understand and respect each other

2. According to the author, many teenagers think they are brave enough to act on their own, but, in fact, most of them _______.

A. have much difficulty understanding each other

B. lack confidence

C. dare not cope with problems single-handed

D. are very much afraid of getting lost

3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. There is no popularity that really counts.

B. What many parents are doing is in fact hindering their children from finding their own paths.

C. It is not necessarily bad for a teenager to disagree with his or her classmates.

D. Most teenagers claim that they want to do what they like to, but they are actually doing the same.

4. The author thinks advertisements as _______.

A. convincing　　　　　　   B. instructive　　　　　　    C. influential　　　　　　　　 D. authoritative

5. During the teenage years one should learn to _______.

A. differ from others in as many ways as possible

B. get into the right season and become popular

C. find one’s real self

D. rebel against parents and popularity waves

Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. His father was a doctor. His mother was a singer who had given up her career to marry.

Ernest learned about nature, hunting, and fishing from his father. The Hemingways spent their summers on Walloon Lake in Northern Michigan, and Ernest was soon able to shoot, fish, and swim very well. He entered first grade a year younger than usual, so he had to work hard to keep up with his older classmates. Ernest read a great deal. He especially liked adventure stories and science. He learned to play the cello(大提琴) so he could take part in family concerts. In high school he got straight A's, edited the school paper, and played in the orchestra(管弦乐队). Some of his stories were printed in the school annual(年报).

After high school Ernest got a job as a reporter for the Kansas City Star. But World War Ⅰ was on in Europe, and Ernest wanted very much to go. He tried to enlist, but his eyesight was too poor. So he joined the Red Cross and was sent to Italy. He was wounded when distributing supplies to frontline troops and returned home a hero.

In 1953 Hemingway’s short novel The Old Man and the Sea (1952), about an old Cuban fisherman, was given a Pulitzer Prize. The book also brought Hemingway the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. Hemingway had been living in Cuba but he left in 1960 and settled in Ketchum, Idaho. He was ill and depressed. On July 2, 1961, he shot himself.

1. This passage is most likely taken from _______.

A. a newspaper report　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. biography

C. a history book　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. a magazine

2. Which of the following adjectives can best describe Hemingway according to the second paragraph?

A. Versatile (多才多艺的). 　　　　　　　　　　    B. Haughty.

C. Clever. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. Honest.

3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Ernest Hemingway was the most important writer of the 20th century.

B. Hemingway was once a doctor.

C. Hemingway was an excellent student in high school.

D. Hemingway’s long novel The Old Man and the Sea was given a Pulitzer Prize.

4. Why couldn't Hemingway join the army when World War Ⅰ was on in Europe?

A. Because his parents didn’t allow him to enlist.

B. Because he was too weak.

C. Because he had poor eyesight.

D. Because he was wounded.

5. What can you infer from the last paragraph?

A. Hemingway led an unhappy life in old age.

B. Hemingway was murdered.

C. Hemingway didn’t like Cuba.

D. Hemingway was given the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1954.

If you want to become a better reader, what should you know about speed, or rate of reading?

Some people who read very rapidly may say, “I am a rapid reader. I can read an entire book in one evening. ”Someone who reads slowly may say, “I read slowly, but I know what I read. I don’t miss a thing. ”

The rapid reader may be a good reader when he reads a story book for fun. But he may not be able to slow down enough to read directions carefully. He may read so rapidly that he does not take time to understand fully the ideas and information which it is important to remember.

The very slow reader may be a good reader when he reads directions for making something. But he may take altogether too much time to read a simple story that is meant to be enjoyed but is not important enough to be remembered.

So you see neither the reader who reads everything rapidly nor the one who reads everything slowly is really a good reader.

If you wish to become a better reader, here are four important things to remember about rate, or speed of reading.

1. Knowing why you are reading and what you are reading to find out will often help you to know whether to read rapidly or slowly.

2. Some things should be read slowly throughout. Examples are directions for making or doing something; science and history books, which are full of importance. You must read such things slowly to remember each important step and understand each important idea.

3. Some things should be read rapidly throughout. Examples are simple stories meant for enjoyment; news, letters from friend’s items or bits of news from local or home town papers, telling what is happening to friends and neighbors.

4. In some of your reading, you must change your speed fast to slow and slow to fast, as you go along. You will need to read certain pages rapidly and then slow down and do more careful reading when you come to important ideas, which must be remembered.

1. Is a slow reader or a rapid reader really a good reader according to this passage?

A. A slow reader　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.A rapid reader.

C. Both. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. Neither.

2. How fast should you read?

A. Rapidly. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. Slowly.

C. It depends on what we are reading. 　　   D. 200 words a minute.

3. What should be read slowly?

A. Something full of important information.

B. Newspapers and magazines.

C. Letters.

D. Novels.

4. What should be read rapidly?

A. Directions for making something.

B. Text book.

C. Science and history books.

D. Story books, newspapers, letters and so on.

5. What is the important rule you should keep in mind about speed of reading?

A. Read as fast as possible.

B. Fit your speed to your needs.

C. Read as slowly as possible.

D. Keep a speed at 200 words a minute.

Cigarette smoking is a widespread habit in the United States today. About forty-three percent of the adult men and thirty-one percent of the adult women smoke regularly. It is quite encouraging to note, however, that millions of people have given up the smoking habit. Seventy-five percent of the male population and forty-six percent of the female population have smoked cigarettes at some time during their lives, but twenty-six percent of these men and eleven percent of these women have stopped smoking. The number of persons who have given up smoking is increasing.

Men as a group smoke more than women. Among both men and women， the age group with the highest proportion(比例) of smokers is the age group 24~44.

Income, education and occupation(职业) play a part in determining a person's smoking habits. City people smoke more than people living on farms. Well-educated men with high incomes are less likely to smoke cigarettes than men with fewer years of schooling and lower incomes. On the other hand, if a well-educated man with a higher income smoke at all, he is likely to smoke more packs of cigarettes every day.

The situation is somewhat different for women. There are slightly more smokers among women with higher family incomes and higher education than among the lower income and lower educational groups. These more highly educated women tend to smoke more heavily.

Among teenagers(青少年) the picture is similar. There are fewer teenage smokers from upper-in-society, well-educated families, and from families living in farm areas. High school students who are preparing for college are less likely to smoke than those who do not plan to continue their education after school. Children are most likely to start smoking if one or both of their parents smoke.

1. Why does the author say that cigarette smoking is a widespread habit in America?

A. Because over seventy percent of Americans smoke cigarettes.

B. Because more than seventy percent of American adults smoke today.

C. Because no small proportion of American adult men and adult women smoke regularly.

D. Because more and more American young people start smoking.

2. What notable thing makes the author feel quite encouraging?

A. The number of smokers no longer increases.

B. Those who smoke less.

C. Those who smoke have given up smoking habit.

D. Not a few people who once smoked have stopped smoking.

3. Who in the United States smoke most according to the passage?

A. Adult men. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. Men at the age of 24 to 44.

C. Adult women. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. Young people.

4. Who are less likely to smoke cigarettes?

A. Well-educated men with high income.

B. More highly educated women.

C. Men with low education and low income.

D. Women with high family income.

5. Who among the teenagers are likely to smoke?

A. Children from well-educated families.

B. Those living in farm areas.

C. Those who don’t want to receive higher education.

D. Those whose parents once smoked.

Increased population increases the need for natural resources and also increases waste products. Making a new useful product out of a waste product decreases out need for natural resources. Recycling means using something over again after it has been used once.

Have you ever seen a piece of recycled paper? About one third of all the paper products made each year are made from waste paper. For example, recycled paper is usually used to make paper sacks. Recycling paper, such as newspapers, reduces the number of trees that must be cut each year to make new paper.

Each person wastes a lot of solid waste. In the United States, the average is eight kilograms of waste each person each day. Most of the waste is garbage and rubbish. Finding places to dispose of solid wastes is a major problem.

In many cities, solid wastes are collected and the rubbish is burned in incinerator plants. Air pollution control devices are used to prevent pollution. Heat produced in the burning may be used to generate electricity. Waste that is not burned is taken to a dump. One kind of dump for the disposal of solid wastes is a sanitary landfill. This method involves burying the wastes and bulldozing soil over them. Parks, baseball fields, airports, and other developments may be built on completely filled landfills.

Recycling solid wastes decreases our need for methods of disposal. The metal in broken cars can be recycled and made into new steel. Worn-out rubber tires can be turned into new ones and used again. Plastics and other rubber products can be recycled. Metal cans and glass bottles can also be recycled. Increased recycling can help meet the increased demand for natural resources.

By recycling resources, people imitate nature. Elements important to life are naturally recycled. Nothing lasts forever. Wood decays, iron rusts, and concrete are worn away by wind and rain. All natural resources used by people eventually go back into the air, water, and earth.

1. What is the main cause of the increased waste according to the passage?

A. Expansion of cities.

B. Development of the paper-making industry.

C. Increased population.

D. Lack of recycling methods.

2. According to the passage, recycling paper is important because _______.

A. better paper sacks can be made out of waste paper

B. the prices of new paper are very high

C. trees are no longer available in the developed countries

D. more trees on the earth can be saved

3. A big problem of solid waste disposal is that _______.

A. solid wastes are poisonous

B. it is difficult to find places to dispose of solid wastes

C. the disposal process is too backward

D. we don’t have enough manpower to dispose of solid wastes

4. Which of the following can not be called recycling?

A. Making new paper from used paper.

B. Using worn-out rubber tires to make new ones.

C. Burying metal cans and glass bottles.

D. Producing new steel from metal in broken cars.

5. What is the writer’s attitude towards recycling?

A. The writer thinks that recycling is necessary and important.

B. The writer thinks it no use recycling.

C. The writer doubts whether recycling is useful to people.

D. The writer thinks that it is a waste of time and money recycling.

In many businesses, computer largely replaced paperwork, because they are fast, and do not make mistakes. And they are honest. Many banks say that their business is “untouched by human hands” and therefore safe from human temptation(诱惑). But they have no thought that the growing number of computer crimes(犯罪)show they can be used to steal.

Computer criminals(罪犯)don't use guns. And even if they are caught, it is hard to punish them because there is often no proof. A computer cannot remember who used it. It simply does what it is told. The head teller at a New York City bank used a computer to steal more than one and a half billion dollars in just four years. No one noticed this because he moved the money from one account(账户)to another. Each time a person he had robbed questioned the balance in his account, the teller said it was a computer mistake, then replaced the missing money from someone else’s account. This man was caught only because he was a gambler(赌徒).

Some workers use the computer’s power to punish their bosses they consider unfair. Recently, a large company fired its computer record assistant for reasons that were connected with her personal life rather than her job. She was given thirty days notice. In those thirty days, she robbed out all the company’s computerized records.

Most computer criminals have been common workers. Now police wonder if this is “the tip of iceberg”. As one official says, “I have the feeling that there is more crime out there than we are catching. What we are seeing now is all so poorly done. I wonder what the real experts are doing the ones who really know a computer works. ”

1. This passage is mainly about______.

A. computer crimes

B. stealing through computers

C. computer mistakes

D. punishment through computers

2. Business in many banks is declared to be safe because______.

A. paperwork is no longer needed

B. computers are honest

C. people are forbidden to work there

D. it is done through computers

3. The bank teller covered up his crimes______.

A. because no one had questioned him

B. because he had stolen money through computers

C. by lying money through computers

D. by lying to the police

4. The assistant robbed out all the computerized records______.

A. after she was dismissed

B. because she had been done wrong

C. by chance

D. because the company decided to dismiss her

5. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that______.

A. most of the computer criminals have been caught

B. computer experts are helping the police

C. computer criminals are difficult to catch because the police know little about computers

D. computer criminals are difficult to catch because they are computer experts

The English, as a race, are very different from ail other nationalities, including their closest neighbors, the French, Belgians and Dutch. It is claimed that living on an island separated from the rest of Europe has much to do with it. Whatever the reasons, 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 inhibited, 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 comer; no one speaks. In fact, to do so would seem most unusual. An Englishman, pretending to be giving advice to an overseas visitor, 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 suspect.

In many parts of the world it is quite normal to show openly extremes of enthusiasm, emotion, excitement, etc, often accompanied by appropriate gestures. The Englishman is somewhat different. Of course, an Englishman feels no less deeply than any other nationality, but he tends to display his feelings far less. This is reflected in his use of language. Imagine a men commenting on the great beauty of a young girl. Whereas a more emotional men might describe her as “an excellent jewel”, “extremely beautiful”, “precious”, the Englishman will taffy state “Um, 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 very unusual scenery he might convey his pleasure by saying, “Nice, yes, very nice.” The overseas visitor must not be disappointed  by this apparent lack of interest and involvement; he must realize that “all right”, “not bad”, and "nice", very often  have the sense of “first-class”, “excellent”, “beautiful”. This special use of language, particularly common in England, is known as restrained statement.

　　  1. If one doesn't want to be suspected in public, he had better

　　　　  A. behave relaxed　　　　　　　　 B. shake hands with all people he meets

　　　　  C. talk with others　　　　　　  D. keep quiet

　　  2. The word “inhibited” (Para. 2) most nearly means——.

　　　　  A. friendly　　　　　　　　　　  B. polite

　　　　  C. afraid　　　　　　　　　　    D. restrained (拘谨的)

　　  3. According to the passage, the Englishman——.

　　　　  A. has less feeling than other nationalities

　　　　  B. has emotions as deep as any other nationalities

　　　　  C. expresses emotion by use of his language

　　　　  D. likes to have a joke with foreign visitors

　　  4. An Englishman's saying “all right” usually has the sense of——.

　　　　  A. not bad　　　　　　　　 　　 B. quite right

　　　　  C. fairly good　　　　　　　　  D. very good

Children have their own rules in playing games. They seldom need a referee(裁判) and rarely trouble to keep scores. They don’t care much about who wins or loses, and it doesn’t seem to worry them if the game is not finished. Yet, they like games that depend a lot on luck, so that their personal abilities cannot be directly compared. They also enjoy games that move in stages, in which each stage, the choosing of leaders, the picking-up of sides, or the determining of which side shall start, is almost a game in itself.

Grown-ups can hardly find children’s games exciting, and they often feel puzzled at why their kids play such simple games again and again. However, it is found that a child plays games for very important reasons. He can be a good player without having to think whether he is a popular person, and he can find himself being a useful partner to someone of whom he is ordinarily afraid. He becomes a leader when it comes to his turn. He can be confident, too, in particular games, that it is his place to give orders, to pretend to be dead, to throw a ball actually at someone, or to kiss someone he had caught.

It appears to us that when children play a game they imagine a situation under their control. Everyone knows the rules, and more importantly, everyone plays according to the rules. Those rules may be childish, but they make sure that every child has a chance to win.

1. What is true about children when they play games?

A. They can stop playing any time they like.

B. They can test their personal abilities.

C. They want to pick a better team.

D. They don’t need rules.

2. To become a leader in a game the child has to__________.

A. play well

B. wait for his turn

C. be confident in himself

D. be popular among his playmates

3. What do we know about grown-ups?

A. They are not interested in games.

B. They find children’s games too easy.

C. They don’t need a reason to play games.

D. They don’t understand children’s games.

4. Why does a child like playing games?

A. Because he can be someone other than himself.

B. Because he can become popular among friends.

C. Because he finds he is always lucky in games.

D. Because he likes the place where he plays a game.

5. The writer believes that__________.

A. children should make better rules for their games

B. children should invite grown-ups to play with them

C. children’ s games can do them a lot of good

D. children play games without reasons