Bill Gates was born on October 28th, 1955. He and his two sisters grew up in Seattle. Their father, William H. Gates Ⅱ, was a Seattle attorney （律师）. Mary Gates, their late mother, was a school teacher.

　　Gates attended public elementary school before moving on to the private Lakeside School in North Seattle. It was at Lakeside that Gates began his career in personal computer software, programming computers at age 13.

　　In1973, Gates entered Harvard University as a freshman, where he lived down the hall from Steve Ballmer, who is now Microsoft's president. While at Harvard, Gates developed a version （版本） of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer--the MITS Astair. In his junior year, Gates dropped out of Harvard to devote his energies full-time to Microsoft, a company he had started in 1975 with his boyhood friend Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desk-top and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers.

　　Gates' foresight and vision have led to the success of Microsoft and the software industry. He plays an important role in the technical development of new products. Much of his time is devoted to meeting with customers and staying in contact with Microsoft employees around the world through e-mail.

　　In the dozen years since Microsoft went public, Gates has donated more than $ 800 million to charities （慈善机构）, including $ 200 million to the Gates Library Foundation to help libraries in North America take advantage of new technologies and the Information Age.

（1）Where did Bill Gates begin his career in personal computer software?

[　　]

A．At public elementary school.

B．At the private Lakeside School.

C．At Harvard University.

D．At Microsoft Company.

（2） Why did he drop out of Harvard?

[　　]

A．To change school.

B．To spend all his energies to Microsoft.

C．To find a full-time job.

D．To earn money.

（3） Why did they begin developing software for the personal computer?

[　　]

A．Because they thought the personal computer would be welcomed by every family.

B．Because they thought the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desk-top.

C．Because they thought the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desk-top and in every home.

D．Because personal computers have been popular.

（4） How does Gates spend much of his time?

[　　]

A．Meeting with people.

B．Travelling around the world.

C．E-mailing some friends.

D．Meeting with customers and e-mailing Microsoft employees.

（5） What does the word “donated” mean?

[　　]

　　In Kansas City, Missouri, a computer helps fire fighters. The computer, which works very fast, has information about all the 350,000 street addresses in the city. Within two or three seconds after a call is received, the computer provides necessary information for the fire fighters. The information is then sent to them by radio from the computer centre in the City Hall. The exact place of the burning building and its size, type and any other details are clear to them.

　　The Kansas City computer system also has a medical record of each of the city's 900 fire fighters. This kind of information is especially useful when a fire fighter is injured. With the information, doctors at hospital can treat the injured fire fighters more quickly and easily.

　　The fire fighters themselves greatly appreciate （感激） the computer's help. They know about possible danger ahead of them and can prepare for it. Many times the computer information helps to save lives and property （财产）. Sometimes the lives are those of fire fighters themselves.

　　Mike Horan, a fire fighter captain, says, “I feel as if the computer is watching over me to help me if I get hurt.”

（1） Which of the following is the best title of the text?

[　　]

A．Large Computers in Kansas, Missouri.

B．Computers Help Fire Fighters.

C．Important Information for Fire Fighters.

D．The Speed of the Computers.

（2） What is the best help if you want to know the information about the street address in Kansas?

[　　]

（3） The fire fighters can get information about a burning place which is sent by ________.

[　　]

（4） Why can the doctors treat the fire fighters quickly and easily?

[　　]

A．The hospital has a very good computer.

B．The fire fighters can know about possible danger early.

C．The computers can prepare everything for them.

D．Medical records in the computers help them a lot.

（5） From Mike Horan's words, we can learn that the fire fighters themselves ________.

[　　]

A．are being taken care of by the computers

B．have been saved by the computers many times

C．always get hurt in saving people's lives

D．are trying hard to stop a fire burning

　　Washington is the capital of the United States. It's the center of national government. It's a busy, working city with a large population. But what is more, Washington is also a city of history and culture.

　　Washington was created in 1790, when Congress (the highest lawmaking body of the U. S. A.) decided to place the nation's new capital in the east of the country. It was built half-way between the northern and southern states of America. And of course it was named after George Washington, the first President of the United States.

　　There are many tourist sights in Washington. Perhaps the most important tourist sight is the Capital Building. This houses tile Congress.

　　Another world-famous building in Washington is the White House. This is the home and office of the President of the United States. Most visitors are, however, surprised by how small the White House actually is.

　　Washington is also a great culture city. The Library of Congress contains one of the largest library collections in the world. The Smithsonian Museum holds the nation's largest collection of cultural materials. And the John F. Kennedy Center is a famous center of art and culture. It has many great musical and theatre performances throughout the year.

(1) The writer mainly talks about ________.

[　　]

A．Washington

B．the history of Washington

C．buildings and sights in Washington

D．the history and culture of Washington

(2) From the passage we know that Washington is situated in ________.

[　　]

A．the east of the U. S. A.

B．the center of the U. S. A.

C．the east, on the middle point from north to south, of the country.

D．the east and half-way away from the north

(3) The White House impresses the people most for ________.

[　　]

A．its white colour

B．its size

C．it as the home and office of the president

D．its History

(4) The writer introduces Washington in the order of ________.

[　　]

A．population, history and culture

B．history and culture

C．general introduction, history, sights and culture

D．general introduction, history, sights, building and culture

　　Last week I was watching the evening news on television. The news was about a prize for some scientific discovery. I forgot what it was. The announcer, his name was Ralph Story, said something that caught my attention. “All great discoveries,” he said, “are made by people between the ages of twenty-four and thirty.” Being a little over thirty myself I wanted to disagree with him. Nobody wants to think that he is past the age of making any discovery. The next day I happened to be in the public library and spent several hours looking up the ages of famous people and their discoveries. Ralph was right.

　　First I looked at some of the scientific discoveries. One of the earliest discoveries, the famous experiment that proved that bodies of different weights fall at the same speed, was made by Galileo when he was twenty-six. Madame Curie started her research that led to a Nobel Prize when she was twenty-eight. Einstein was twenty-six when he published his world-changing theory of relativity. Well, enough of that. Yet I wondered if those “best years” were true in other fields.

　　Then how about the field of politics? Surely it took the wisdom of age to make a good leader. Perhaps it does, but look when these people started their careers. Winston Churchill was elected to the House of Commons at the age of twenty-six. Abraham Lincoln gave up the life of a country lawyer and was elected to the government at what age? Twenty-six!

　　But why don't best years come after thirty? After thirty, I guess, most people do not want to take risks or try new ways. Then I thought of people like Shakespeare and Picasso. The former was writing wonderful works at the ripe age of fifty, while the latter was still trying new ways of painting when he was ninety! Perhaps there is still hope for me.

(1) What did the writer do to prove Ralph was wrong?

[　　]

A．He compared scientific discoveries by young people.

B．He went to the bookstore to buy a lot of books.

C．He searched for useful information in books.

D．He looked at some discoveries by old people.

(2) After his research, the writer ________.

[　　]

A．believed what Ralph said and became uneasy

B．argued more forcefully with the TV announcer

C．was sure that he was right to disagree with Ralph

D．doubted more strongly about Ralph's words

(3) How did the writer most probably feel in the end?

[　　]

(4) What can we draw from the passage?

[　　]

A．Some old people have also made scientific discoveries.

B．People can not make useful discoveries when old.

C．People at twenty-five or thirty are creative.

D．People can be creative at all ages but young people are better.

　　Industrial pollution is not only a problem for the countries of Europe and North America. It is an extremely serious problem in some developing countries. For these countries, economic growth is a very important aim. They want to introduce industries, and so they put few controls on industries that cause pollution. Cubatao, an industrial town of 85,000 people in Brazil, is an example of the connection between industrial development and pollution. In 1954, Cubatao had no industry. Today it had more than twenty large factories, which produce many pollutants. The people of the town are suffering from the poisonous matters in their surroundings, and the bad effects can be clearly seen. Birth shortcomings are extremely common. Among children and grown-ups, lung problems are sometimes twelve times more common in Cubatao than in other places.

　　It is true that Brazil, like many other countries, had laws against pollution, but these laws are not carried out strictly enough. It is cheaper for companies to take no notice of the laws and pay the fines than to buy the expensive equipment that will reduce the pollution. It is clear, therefore, that economic growth is more important top the government than to the health of the workers. However, the responsibility does not completely lie in the Brazilian government. The example of Cubatao shows that international companies are not acting in a responsible way either. A number of the factories in the town are owned by large companies from France, Italy, and the US. They are doing things in Brazil that they would not be able to do at home. If they caused the same amount of pollution at home, they would be severely punished or even put out of business.

(1) Developing countries don't have strict pollution controls because ________.

[　　]

A．the new industries they want to introduce do not cause much pollution

B．pollution is not a serious problem for developing countries

C．they don't realize that the balance of nature will be destroyed by some pollutants

D．if they put stricter controls on industries, fewer companies would build new plants in developing countries.

(2) The author's purpose in naming Cubatao is to show that ________.

[　　]

A．industry can develop very fast in developing countries

B．the pollution problem in Brazil is extremely serious

C．industries growth can cause pollution problems for developing countries

D．pollution is killing many people and destroying the whole economy of Brazil

(3) How is the health of the population of Cubatao?

[　　]

A．There are more heart diseases among people who live near chemical factories.

B．More people suffer from lung disease because of poisonous matters.

C．Their health is affected by pollutants the way as that of other Brazilians.

D．Babies there are found not as bright as those who live in other places.

(4) Some foreign companies like to set up their plants in Brazil because they ________.

[　　]

A．think Brazil is suitable for them to invest in Brazil

B．will not be severely punished if they cause pollution in Brazil

C．can make much money and they do not have to pay Brazilian workers much

D．can act in an irresponsible way in Brazil where there are no pollution laws

　　If it takes Kate twenty seconds to add 12 and 26, while Terry can do the sum in a quarter the time on his pocket calculator, how much better grades will Terry get than Kate in the maths exam?

　　Pocket calculators are as cheap to buy as a pair of shoes, and as essential （必不可少的）to thousands of school children as a pencil and eraser. Schools have tried to limit their use, by allowing them in science lessons, to save time, but by not allowing them to be used in maths classes. When children do their homework, a pocket calculator is a must. Nowadays in Britain, calculators can be used freely in school examinations, and already in many schools the only sound to be heard during a mathematics examination is the sound of children tapping out their answers.

　　Many parents feel that their children are not being given a basic understanding of the facts of maths. “The process（过程）of addition, division（除）, subtraction（减）and multiplication（乘）is part of a training in logic（逻辑）which is important for every child. It teaches them to take series of steps necessary in coming to a conclusion”, says a local maths teacher. “With a calculator, the child can reach the right answer, but have no idea at all how he got there.” Another teacher in the same school disagreed. “Of course the children understand the principles（原理）behind what they do on the calculator. It makes no difference to the mental processes they go through, except to make them much faster, and less boring.”“It's far easier to teach them to grasp the idea of division and multiplication by making them understand which button they need to push than to talk about apples being cut in pieces,” said another teacher, who uses he calculators to keep the interest of his class.

　　In any case, the pocket calculator is here to stay; it's taking the strain（过度劳累） out of mental arithmetic in all sorts of ways…

(1) We can infer from the context that the word “eraser” means ________.

[　　]

(2) From the passage we learn that ________.

[　　]

A．in Britain pupils are encouraged by schools to use pocket calculators

B．parents use the calculators to keep the interest of their children

C．people have different opinions（看法）on whether pocket calculators should be used in maths classes

D．all the teachers agree that pocket calculators should be used in classes but not in school examinations

(3) As a local maths teacher says, children can reach the right answer with a calculator, but they ________.

[　　]

A．really don't know how they can get better grades

B．have no idea how to use the calculator properly

C．can't understand whether the answer is right

D．don't know how they get it

(4) Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

[　　]

A．Calculators used to be as cheap as a pair of shoes.

B．Some schools don't allow the students to use pocket calculators in maths class.

C．How to add, divide, subtract and multiply is a question of maths.

D．It's easy to calculate with a calculator.

(5) The author stands for the opinion that ________.

[　　]

A．students should be allowed to use pocket calculators freely except in maths classes

B．since the pocket calculator has been created, it should be made use of

C．pocket calculators shouldn't be used by students in maths classes

D．Terry should get grades four times better than Kate's

　　Farmer Ed Rawlings smiles as he looks at his orange trees. The young oranges are growing well in Florida's weather. Warm sunshine and gentle rains, along with Ed Rawlings' expert care, will produce a good crop of oranges this year.

　　But Ed has to fight against Florida's changeable winter weather. In January and February, temperatures can destroy Ed's entire orange crop. Having farmed in Florida for the past 35 years, Ed Rawlings is prepared for the frosts（霜）. When temperatures drop below freezing, Ed tries to save his crop by watering his orange trees. The water freezes and forms a thin layer（层）of ice on the trees. Strange as it may sound, this thin layer of ice actually keeps the fruit warm.

　　What happens is simple. When the trees are watered, the water loses heat and becomes ice. The warmth of the heat it loses is sucked in by the fruit and keeps its temperature at a safe level. Ed Rawlings has effectively used this method to save many orange crops.

　　But Ed still faces some difficulties. The trees should be watered at the exact moment the temperature drops to the freezing point. Also, just the right quantity of water must be used. Too much water can form a thick layer of ice that will break the trees' branches. Another difficulty is that wind blows away the heat. So Ed has to worry about not only when but also how often his trees should be watered, and how much water should be used.

　　Computer technology may help Ed Rawlings with some of these worries. With equipment, air and soil temperatures and wind speed can be measured. The information is fed into a computer which can tell when temperatures drop to freezing. The computer can correctly decide the quantity of water to be used and how frequently the trees should be watered. Ed Rawlings will find looking after his orange trees a lot easier with the help of a computer, and we'll all have the benefits (or advantages) of computer-age oranges.

(1) The passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．a farmer's expert care for his orange trees

B．the different uses of computer

C．growing oranges in Florida's changeable weather

D．different ways of frost protection

(2) Ed tried to protect his crop by ________.

[　　]

A．using a wind machine to drive away the cold air

B．equipping his orange trees with a computer

C．watering it at the proper time

D．picking his fruit at the first sign of frost

(3) In the writer's eyes, computers ________.

[　　]

A．are too expensive for small farmers

B．can be a valuable tool for the farmer

C．can be used to help oranges grow bigger

D．cannot take the place of the farmer's experience and judgement

(4) Which of the following is NOT NECESSARY for Ed Rawlings to do?

[　　]

A．He should water the orange trees as soon as the temperature drops to the freezing point.

B．He should decide the quantity of water for the orange trees.

C．He has to water the orange trees more often in January and February.

D．He has to judge how often he should water the orange trees.

(5) According to the passage, the computer technology can ________.

[　　]

A．get rid of the need for frost protection

B．help the farmer get a better harvest

C．tell the farmer why outdoor temperature changes

D．prevent the temperature from dropping to the freezing point

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出一个最佳答案.

　　Judo (柔道) and Karate (空手道) are sports for self-defence. They began in the eastern part of the word, but now many Americans enjoy them too. In fact, schools for teaching them have been opened all over the United States and Canada.

　　Players in both sports use only their hands, arms, legs and feet. However, the two sports are quite different. In Karate, players hit each other with the open hand and with the closed fist (拳头). They also use foot for kicking. In Judo, players are more likely to throw each other. Then they try to touch and pin (按住) each other down. They also move their arms and legs in large circles. Karate moves, on the other hand, are short and quick. Players stand away from each other. They only touch one another with quick punches (猛击) and kicks.

　　Can a Karate player beat a Judo player? It depends on the players. One sport is not better than the other. They are both very good forms of self-defence. Both aim toward control of the mind and body. A wise old man in Japan had a good answer to the question. He said: “We don't say the other martial arts of soldiers are bad．The mountain does not laugh at the river because it is lowly, nor does the river speak ill of the mountain because it can't move about.”

(1)What is the main idea of the passage?

[　　]

A．Judo and Karate are good sports.

B．Many Americans enjoy Judo and Karate.

C．To tell the difference between Judo and Karate.

D．One sport is not better than the other.

(2)Which detail helps you to understand how to do Judo?

[　　]

A．Players throw each other.

B．Players pin each other down.

C．Players touch and move arms and legs in large circles.

D．All of the above.

(3)Which detail helps you understand how to do Karate?

[　　]

A．Players hit each other with open hands and closed fists.

B．Players touch each other.

C．Players use feet for kicking.

D．Both A and C．

(4)According to the passage, which of the following statements is correct?

[　　]

A．Players in Karate use only hands and feet.

B．Players in Judo use only arms and legs.

C．Players in both sports use only arms, legs, hands and feet.

D．Players in both sports use only open hands and closed fists.

(5)According to the wise old man in Japan, ________.

[　　]

A．karate is better than Judo

B．judo is better than Karate

C．both of them are better than military (军事) arts

D．both of them are very good forms of self-defence

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出一个最佳答案.

　　Fat on human beings is distributed (分布) in different ways. Some fat people have a large stomach and no waistline--which makes them look round, rather like apples. Others are fatter below the waist, which makes them appear pear-shaped (梨形的).

　　There are two types of fat: external fat (fat under the skin) and internal fat (fat inside the body wall). Doctors, who have been examining the relationship between health and fatness, have found that the 'pears' have less internal fat, but the 'apples' have more internal fat than external fat. This seems to be what causes the health problems.

　　The best treatment for fatness is to reduce the internal fat. But unfortunately it seems that dieting (节食) simply makes an apple-shaped person into a smaller apple and a pear-shaped person into a smaller pear. At the moment there is no known way of reducing the internal rather than extrnal fat.

(1)The text is mainly about ________ .

[　　]

(2)Which of the following people is most likely to have health problems?

[　　]

(3)When a pear-shaped person becomes thinner, he she loses more ________.

[　　]

A．internal fat than external fat

B．external fat than internal fat

C．fat above the waist

D．fat below the waist

阅读理解

  Lakeland, Flo. April 29--Two cars fell to the bottom of a 30-foot sinkhole（灰岩坑）that appeared so suddenly that the drivers could not avoid it.

　　No one was hurt, but the incident was the fifteenth of its kind reported in this area so far this year.

　　At a town 13 miles from Lakeland, two bedrooms of one house dropped into a hole 60 feet across and 35 feet deep. Part of the next house was dangerous over the hole. The people in both houses had to be taken to safety.

　　Sinkholes have been happening without warning in this part of Florida for years. So far there is no way to predict（预言）when or where one will appear. But when one does, others usually follow in the same area, usually along a straight line.

　　The worst sinkhole appeared in 1965. It was 70 feet across and 150 feet deep. It destroyed one house and damaged several others.

　　One hole, 15 feet deep, opened up this year in the middle of a highway 19 seconds after a car had driven by. Others in the same area happened at night, damaging houses, swallowing up trees and parts of streets and causing 23 frightened people to run away from their homes in nightclothes.

　　Sinkholes happen when the weather is very dry. The earth at the surface begins to drop into holes underneath. This is how a sinkhole is formed.

（1）Sinkholes do not happen

[　　]

A. after a rainstorm

B. in a straight line

C. when it is very dry

D. at night

（2）When one sinkhole appears, others usually follow _______.

[　　]

A. everywhere

B. on straight highways only

C. in the neighborhood

D. immediately

（3）Sinkholes take place because _______.

[　　]

A. there are large holes under houses

B. Lakeland has an underground lake

C. wet earth sucks in heavy things such as cars and houses

D. dry earth changes position and fills underground holes

（4）The main idea of this passage is that _______.

[　　]

A. sinkholes have caused damage in the Lakeland area

B. sinkholes always happen

C. drivers can not avoid sinkholes

D. sinkholes are of very large size