Edmund Halley was an English scientist who lived over 200 years ago. He studied the observations(观察）of comets(彗星) which other scientists had made. The orbit(轨道) of one particular comet was a very difficult mathematical problem. He could not figure it out. Neither could other scientists who dealt with such problems.

However, Halley had a friend named Newton, who was a brilliant mathematician. Newton thought he had already worked out that problem, but he could not find the papers on which he had done it. He told Halley that the orbit of a comet had the shape of an ellipse(椭圆形).

Then Halley set to work. He figured out the orbits of some of the comets that had been observed by scientists. He made a surprising discovery. The comets that had appeared in the years 1531, 1607, and 1682 all had the same orbit. Yet their appearances had been 75 to 76 years apart.

This seemed very strange to Halley. Three different comets followed the same orbit. The more Halley thought about it, the more he thought that there had not been three different comets, as people thought. He decided that they had simply seen the same comet three times. The comet had gone away and had come back again.

It was an astonishing idea! Halley felt certain enough to make a prediction (预测)of what would happen in the future. He decided that this comet would appear in the year 1758. There were 53 years to go before Halley’s prediction could be tested.

In 1758 the comet appeared in the sky. Halley did not see it, for he had died some years before. Ever since then that comet had been called Halley’s Comet in his honour.

1. Edmund Halley figured out the orbit of _______.

A. some different comets appearing several times

B. the same comet appearing at different times

C. three different comets appearing three times

D. several comets appearing at the same time

2. Halley made his discovery _______.

A. by doing experiments

B. by means of his own careful observation

C. by using the work of other scientists

D. by chance

3. Halley made a surprising, but correct prediction in the year _______.

A. 1704　　　　　　　　 B. 1705　　　　　　　　 C. 1706　　　　　　　　 D. 1707

4. This passage in general is about _______.

A. Halley and other scientists　　　　　　   B. the orbit of a comet

C. Newton and Halley　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Halley and his discovery

5. According to the passage, which one is not true?

A. Newton figured out the orbit of the comet.

B. Halley figured out the orbit of the comet first.

C. Newton gave Halley some help.

D. Halley died before 1758.

A scientist warned yesterday of the fire danger in a type of foam(泡沫) materials widely used for furniture. He said that within two minutes of a chair-catching fire there would be flames 15 feet high. It would take only another minute to envelope the whole room.

Mr. Kenneth Jones, the scientific officer of the North-Eastern Forensic (法庭的) Science Laboratory told an inquest (问询会) at Wakefield, Yorkshire, “The spread of fire is frighteningly fast, and choking smokes are giving off.”

He warned that it was a waste of time to try to put out this type of flame. The best thing was to get out of the room and shut the door to prevent from dying of the choking smokes.

Mr.Jones said that in a house where a four-year-old boy died there was a three-piece bedroom set with this foam filling. He said, “Some half million tons a year are produced for 500 million armchairs. ”

But the danger has been recognized and is being dealt with. A new product has just been developed in which the fire danger is reduced and will be put into use in a few months.

An accident death was recorded on Richard Jolley, of Wakefield, who died in his bedroom of the choking smokes.

1. A scientist pointed out that certain types of armchairs _______.

A. were widely used and supplied

B. were very safe

C. would give off choking smokes

D. should not be used because they were very dangerous

2. If an armchair of this type caught fire, _______.

A. things fifteen feet away would catch fire too

B. the whole room would be on fire within three minutes

C. the whole room would be on fire within only one minute

D. the fire would last three minutes

3. Mr. Kenneth Jones was speaking _______.

A. at the North-Eastern Forensic Science Laboratory

B. at a meeting of fore-preventing officers

C. because he was asked for information

D. in his office at Wakefield, Yorkshire

4. Mr. Jones said that with a fire of this kind _______.

A. it was no use trying to put it out

B. much time might be wasted

C. it would take a very long time to put it out

D. it was necessary to put it out immediately

5. Soon there will be a new filling for armchairs which will be _______.

A. completely safe　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. dangerous if they catch fire

C. not so easy to catch fire　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. safe and widely produced

Secretary

Jenny loves office work but it’s hard on her figure. All those sandwich lunches and her sweet tooth added up to extrapounds till Jenny started slimming (减肥) with Bisks.

Every lunchtime she’d have a Bisks chocolate bar with a glass of milk. It filled her up and satisfied her longing for sweet things. And it was all so convenient. She watched what she ate at her other meals and soon she was losing weight. Now Jenny’s feeling and looking so good even her boss notice the difference.

That was her proof that Bisks work.

Housewife

A lively little girl and a hungry husband meant Elizabeth always cooked big, filling meals. And when she cooked them, she couldn’t resist eating them, which led to her weight out of hand. So Elizabeth tried slimming with Bisks.

Bisks offered her 24 different flavours of biscuits and chocolate, some sweet and some savoury(咸辣的). When she ate them instead of a meal they were really filling and satisfying. She hardly ever felt hungry and soon she began to lose weight.

Now Elizabeth’s back to what she weighed at her wedding.

And she knows that Bisks work.

Student

Sue’s first year at college was her first opportunity to cook for herself. Only she didn’t. She ate whatever the dining room had to offer. Pretty soon, Sue had a weight problem. A problem she worked out with Bisks.

Sue had Bisks instead of a meal—easy because there was nothing to cook. The Bisks flavours were so delicious. She really enjoyed them. And she ate more sensibly at her other meals.

In a few weeks Sue had lost her extra weight. Now she’s even taking a class in cooking!

That’s proof that Bisks work.

1. What is the passage?

A. A story. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. A book review.

C. An advertisement. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. A scientific article.

2. Bisks suit Jenny because _______.

A. they filled her up and satisfied her sweet tooth

B. they were easy to eat

C. they were cheap

D. they satisfied her boss

3. When did Sue start going to cooking lesson?

A. When she entered college.

B. When she had a weight problem.

C. When she didn’t enjoy Bisks.

D. When she’d lost her extra weight.

4. The main purpose of the passage is to_______.

A. give proof that Bisks work in slimming

B. ask people to pay attention to their figures while working

C. show people how many different flavours of biscuits and chocolate Bisks can offer

D. ask people not to cook by themselves

5. From the passage, we can infer that the writer clearly aims at _______.

A. young readers　　　　   B. women readers　　　　 C. men readers　　　　　　　　　　 D. old readers

Sam and Joe were astronauts. There was once a very dangerous trip and the more experienced astronauts knew there was only a small chance of coming back alive. Sam and Joe, however, thought it would be exciting though a little dangerous. “We’re the best men for the job, ” they said to the boss. “There may be problems, but we can find the answers. ” “They’re the last people I’d trust, ” thought the boss. “But all the other astronauts have refused to go. ”

Once they were in space, Joe had to go outside to make some repairs. When the repairs were done, he tried to get back inside the spaceship. But the door was locked. He knocked but there was no answer. He knocked again, louder this time, and again no answer came. Then he hit the door as hard as he could and finally a voice said, “Who’s there?” “It’s me! Who else could it be?” shouted Joe. Sam let him in all right but you can imagine that Joe never asked to go on a trip with Sam again!

1. Most of the astronauts were unwilling to go on the trip because _______.

A. it wasn’t exciting enough

B. they weren’t experienced enough

C. they thought they might be killed

D. there was little chance of being selected

2. Why were Sam and Joe chosen?

A. The boss wanted them to get more experience.

B. The boss trusted them more than anyone else.

C. They were the last people who were fit to go.

D. They were the only men who offered to go.

3. What did Sam and Joe think the trip would be like?

A. It would be exciting. 　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. It would be long and tiring.

C. There wouldn’t be any danger. 　　　　　　  D. There would be serious problems.

4. Joe didn’t want to work with Sam again probably because he thought Sam_______.

A. didn’t know how to operate door

B. was less experienced than he was

C. didn’t know how to do repairs

D. was very slow and possibly deaf

5. The writer tells the story to _______.

A. show the dangerous side of the astronauts’ life

B. show the funny side of the astronauts’ life

C. make people laugh

D. make people think

Computer people talk a lot about the need for other people to become“computer-literate”. But not all experts agree that this is a good idea.

One pioneer, in particular, who disagrees, is David Tebbutt, the founder of Computertown UK. Although many people see this as a successful attempt to bring people closer to the computer, David does not see it that way. He says that Computertown UK was formed for just the opposite reason, to bring computers to people and make them “people-literate”.

David Tebbutt thinks Computertowns are most successful when tied a computer club but he insists there is an important difference between the two. The clubs are for people who have some computer knowledge already. This frightens away non-experts, who are happier going to Computertowns where there are computers for them to experiment on, with experts to encourage them and answer any questions they have. They are not told what to do, they find out. The computer experts have to learn not to tell people about computers, but have to be able to answer all questions people ask. People don't have to learn computer terms(术语), but the experts have to explain in plain language. The computers are becoming “people-literate”.

1. Which of the following is David Tebbutt’s idea on the relationship between people and computers?

A. Computer learning should be made easier.

B. There should be more computer clubs for experts.

C. People should work harder to master the use of computer.

D. Computers should be made cheaper so that people can afford them.

2. We can infer from the text that “computer-literate” means _______.

A. being able to afford to buy a computer

B. being able to write computer programs

C. working with the computer and finding out its value

D. understanding the computer and knowing how to use it

3. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to the idea that Computertowns _______. 

A. help to set up more computer clubs

B. bring people to learn to use computers

C. bring more experts to work together

D. help to sell computers to the public

4. David Tebbutt started Computertown UK with the purpose of _______.

A. making better use of computer experts

B. improving computer programs

C. increasing computer sales

D. popularizing computers

5. What does Computertown refer to in the passage?

A. A town where computers are made.

B. A place where people can learn how to use computers.

C. The name of a town.

D. A computer room.

“Privacy” is translated as“yin si” in Chinese. Traditionally, in the Chinese's mind, "“yin si” is associated with what is closed or unfair. If someone is said to have“yin si”, meddlers(好事者)will be attracted to pry(打探)into his or her affairs. So people always state that they don't have“yin si”.

On the contrary, Americans often declare their intention to protect their privacy. Their understanding of privacy is that others have no right to pry into things that belong to themselves and have nothing to do with others. One who is too curious and who spreads rumors is said to violate the right to privacy.

In the evening, Sonia and I went to a bar for dinner. In China, when people mention bars, something bad usually comes to mind. But here, the bar was a quiet and tastefully laid out place. People spoken softly, afraid of interrupting their neighbors, and sat face to face as they drank, sometimes three or five persons sitting together.

This sort of atmosphere was totally different from my preconception（传统观念）, so I wanted to take a picture. Sonia stopped me:“Don’t you see these people are pouring out their hearts? Maybe they are colleagues, friends, or secret lovers. They came here looking for a peaceful place free from interruption by others. They wouldn’t want to leave any trace of their having come here. So taking their pictures would be a serious violation of their right to privacy.

Is there privacy between husband and wife? One of Sonia's friends married a talented Chinese man, but recently she became so angry that she wanted to a divorce（离婚）. The reason was that her husband had opened one of her letters and looked through her purse. The husband didn’t realize that this is not tolerated in the US. He thought being a couple was like being one person; why couldn’t he see the letter or the contents of the purse? Truly, everyone, even those living as a couple, needs room－not only in three-dimensional(三维的)space, but in the heart.

1. What is the main idea of the text?

A. The understanding of “privacy” is different in China and America.

B. There is privacy between husband and wife in America.

C. Everyone has the right to privacy.

D. Everyone in every country needs room for himself.

2. Sonia stopped me when I wanted to take a picture in the bar because_______.

A. taking pictures in a bar was not allowed in America

B. taking pictures in a bar would interrupt the neighbors

C. people who came here are colleagues, friends or secret lovers

D. taking pictures in a bar would violate other people’s right to privacy

3. One of Sonia’s friends wanted a divorce because_______.

A. she thought her husband was not clever enough

B. her husband always opened her letter

C. her husband didn’t respect her right to privacy

D. her husband always looked through her purse

4. Which of the following statements is NOT the Americans’ understanding of privacy?

A. Privacy is connected with something that is unfair and bad.

B. Other people have no right to pry into his or her affairs.

C. There is privacy even between couples.

D. The right to privacy shouldn’t be violated by others.

5. According to this text, we can infer that in America we can do all the following except_______.

A. declaring that we have privacy

B. asking your friends about their marriage

C. going to a bar with friends

D. taking pictures in a national park

We lost two super stars in 1977，Neither man's admirers have been able to understand the success of the other one.

Both Bing Crosby and Elvis Presley reached fame when quite young and became very rich. And both developed their own musical styles-styles which were at first not accepted but later studied as new forms of popular songs. The difference between the two mirrors the changing values in American life. Crosby was singing to wartime America. His admirers always said how “relaxing” he was. When Presley began singing, the whole country had become relaxed and easy-going. Its young people, without any memory of troubled times, were hungry for excitement. They welcomed Elvis, who was bringing something new and exciting. Crosby's songs, sweet and sentimental(伤感的), were saying something; their “message” was as important as the music. Although many of Presley’s songs were sentimental too, it was mostly the sound that moved the audiences. Rock'n'roll was just “sounds”. Songs stopped being songs and turned into noise. The Crosby generation has trouble with rock’n’ roll because it makes the mistake of trying to understand the words, while the Presley generation has trouble with Crosby because it finds the music unexacting and the words empty.

1. Elvis Presley belonged to _______.

A. a younger generation than Crosby’s

B. an older generation than Crosby’s

C. a more relaxed age than Crosby’s

D. the same age as Crosby’s

2. Both Crosby and Presley were singers of _______.

A. wartime America　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. popular songs

C. rock’n’roll　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. songs with words

3. To Crosby’s admirers, rock’n’roll may sound _______.

A. sentimental　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. noisy

C. exciting　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. mistaken

4. The difference of the two singers’ styles may be sign of _______.

A. how much values have changed in American life

B. how deeply we now distrust the value of words

C. how far America has been away from troubled times

D. how different the two styles are

5. In which circumstances（情景) are you most likely to hear one or two Crosbies?

A. Seeing an American movie produced in the 1940’s.

B. Attending a concert of rock’n’roll.

C. In a shop selling records of American music.

D. At an exhibition of modern American life.

Women work harder at university and get better degrees as a result, according to a study at Brunel University.

The research, which followed 200 students in four years, found that women consistently(一贯地) out-performed men in their studies even though they had started their courses with almost identical(完全相同的) A-level grades.

An analysis(分析) of the results showed that, while 65 percent of female graduates were rewarded(授予奖赏), only 35 percent of males did as well. Girls are known to outperform boys at school, but this research shows that the trend continues at university.

Fiona Smith who led the study said, “The survey shows that the difference has to do with school in general. ”

“It also shows something about the inequality for working women in terms of pay and promotion(晋升). Women work harder at school, harder at university, and do better at both, yet they still receive less pay. ”

The survey found that female students were more faithful, less likely to miss lectures, and more likely to believe that their marks reflected their ability than male students. Female students were also more likely to ask for and receive support from their professors.

Women were also likely to choose their universities because they liked the courses being offered.

In contrast, men were more likely than women to miss lectures due to “other affairs” and  “laziness”, and to believe that playing sports was an important part of university life.

Generally people think that women's success comes from more emphasis(强调)on coursework, but the survey shows that female geographers at Brunel did better in their exams than in their coursework.

Dr.  Smith said, “Most women feel that getting good grades is the most important part of university life. They believe that they need to work harder in order to compete in the male-dominated(男性主导的)environment they will encounter(遭遇) at work. Good grades are viewed as an insurance policy for success. Men, on the other hand, prefer going out and playing sports to academic work. ”

“This survey shows how important it is to get all young people working hard and teach them the value of higher education. ”

1. Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Girls are always better, both at school and at university.

B. Men were more likely than women to miss lectures due to “other affairs” and laziness.

C. Female students were more faithful and less likely to miss lectures.

D. Women work harder than men at university but seldom get better degrees as a result.

2. The cause of women performing better at university than men is that__________.

A. female students did better at school before entering university

B. women will not find jobs unless they work harder at university

C. women get more help and support from their teachers

D. more female students think good grades at university will benefit them in the future

3. The underlined word “It” in Paragraph five probably refers to__________.

A. a middle school phenomenon

B. the survey

C. the educational sex gap

D. the previously held opinion

4. The main purpose of the survey is__________.

A. to give the government some advice on higher education

B. to show the sex difference in higher education

C. to show us some information about higher education

D. to make all the students work hard and realize the importance of higher education

Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners（路边小餐馆）for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners for the same reasons.

A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It wasn’t really a diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich and boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools（凳子）, and people sat down while they ate.

Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in a diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favourite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent（永久的）buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.

Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.

Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.

1. A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. Why is diner in quotation marks(引号)?

A. Because it is spelled differently from “dinner”.

B. Because the first diner was not a real diner.

C. Because diner was a new word.

D. Because it is special kind of restaurant.

2. What meals did the first diners serve?

A. Only breakfast.　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

B. Only lunch.　　  

C. Only night-meals.　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

D. All of the above.

3. According to Paragraph 3, diners changed in__________.

A. two ways　　  　　　　　　

B. three ways　　  　　

C. four ways　　  　　　　　　

D. five ways

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

A. Diners existed before fast-food restaurants.

B. The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee.

C. Burger King is a fast-food restaurant.

D. Sandwiches became bigger.

5. The main idea of the passage is__________.

A the diner is a traditional, popular place to eat in the United States

B. Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside

C. American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers

D. diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways

Darby, Pennsylvania－A Pennsylvania woman spent the better part of an hour shopping at a neighbourhood grocery store without realizing that a passer-by had struck a knife into her neck.

Darlene Jones, 62, set out from home on foot when a running passer-by slapped（拍）her on the back of the neck－or so she thought. She kept on going, as if nothing had happened.

Jones walked to the Acme supermarket in the nearby community of Yeadon, just outside Philadelphia. She bought a package of Oreo cookies and a newspaper before making the half-mile return journey to her home.

Only after she got home did her daughter notice the handle of a kitchen knife sticking out of her mother’s neck. The daughter yanked（猛拉）out the blade, releasing a gush（涌出）of blood. She then rushed her mother to the hospital. She was in fair condition last Saturday.

“Five or six people walked right past her without even noticing, ” said Darby Police Chief Robert Smith.

1. Darlene Jones got her neck stabbed（刺）__________.

A. at home　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  

B. in the supermarket

C. in a neighborhood store　　　　 　　　　　　　　

D. on her way to do some shopping

2. Which order is right according to the passage?

a. Darlene Jones set off from home.

b. She was sent to hospital.

c. She bought something in the supermarket.

d. She was stabbed into by a knife.

e. Her daughter pulled it out.

A. a c d b e　　  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. e a b c d　　  　　   

C. a d c e b　　  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. c d e b a

3. A passer-by stuck a knife into Jones’ neck because__________.

A. she was a wicked woman who was disliked by most people

B. the passer-by was once hurt by her

C. the woman did some harm to him when she did some shopping

D. we don’t know the real reason

4. Jones went to the supermarket__________.

A. by car　　  　　　　   B. by bike　　  　　　　  C. on foot　　  　　　　  D. by train

5. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. A woman was hurt on her way to shopping.

B. Be careful of the passer-by.

C. Hurt could take place under any condition.

D. A brave old woman was admired by most people.