A gang of thieves stole US $10.5 million from a company on Tuesday in London. It was the largest theft（盗窃）in Britain's history.

　　The thieves left used beer glasses and wine bottles in the lobby（休息室）of the company. They seemed to be in no hurry. It took two and a half hours to rob the company.

　　The police were hunting the gang, believed to be six men. One police officer said that the gang might find the mountain of cash（现金）hard to deal with.“We think the money will remain hidden near London until the gang feels it is safer to move.”he said.

　　A reward（赏金）for US $750000 was offered for information leading to the capture（捕获）of the thieves.

　　It was said seven employees of the company had been“threatened”（威胁）with having petrol poured over their heads and set fire if they didn't co-operate with the thieves.

(1)The used beer glasses and wine bottles in the lobby showed ________.

[　　]

A．the thieves used beer glasses and wine bottles to help them steal the money

B．the thieves were quite sure of themselves and there was no need to hurry

C．the thieves took a lot of beer and wine with them

D．the thieves had had a good meal in the company

(2)According to the police officer ________.

[　　]

A．there was no place for the thieves to hide the money

B．the thieves found it hard to hide the money

C．it was difficult for the thieves to spend the money right away

D．the thieves had no way to spend the money

(3)A reward of US $750000 was offered to those ________.

[　　]

A．who could give information on how the thieves stole the money

B．who could tell the police about the place where-abouts the thieves

C．who could give some news to the police

D．who could recognize the six thieves

(4)Why didn't the employees do anything to stop the thieves?

[　　]

A．Because they were afraid of being punished.

B．Because they thought it better to co-operate with the thieves.

C．Because they were few and the thieves were many.

D．Because they were poured with petrol over their heads.

　　“My kids really understand solar and earth heat energy,”says a second-grade teacher in Saugus, California. “Some of them are building solar

collectors for their energy course.”These young scientists are part of City Building Educational Program (CBEP), a particular program for kindergarten through twelfth grade that uses the stages of city planning to teach basic reading, writing and math skills, and more.

　　The children don't just plan any city. They map and analyze（分析）the housing, energy, and transportation requirements of their own district and foretell its needs in 100 years. With the aid of an architect（建筑师）who visits the classroom once a week, they invent new ways to meet these needs and build models of their creations.“Designing buildings of the future gives children a lot of freedom,” says the teacher who developed this program, “They are able to use their own rich imagination and inventions without fear of blame, because there are no wrong answers in a future context. In fact, as the class enters the final model-building stage of the program, and elected' official' and 'planning group' make all the design decisions for the model city, and the teacher steps back and becomes and adviser.”

　　CBEP is a set of activities, games, and imitations that teach the basic steps necessary for problem-solving; observing, analyzing, working out possible answers, and judging them based on the children's own standards.

(1) The Program is designed ______.

[　　]

A．to direct kids to build solar collectors

B．to train young scientists for city planning

C．to develop children's problem-solving abilities

D．to help young architects know more about designing

(2) An architect pays a weekly visit to the classroom_________.

[　　]

A．to find out kids' creative ideas

B．to discuss with the teacher

C．to give children lectures

D．to help kids with their program

(3) Who is the designer of the program?

[　　]

(4) The children feel free in the program because___________.

[　　]

A．they can design future buildings themselves

B．they have new ideas and rich imagination

C．they are given enough time to design models

D．they need not worry about making mistakes

　　Under normal conditions the act of communication requires the presence of at least two persons: one who sends and one who receives the communication. In order to communicate thoughts and feelings, there must be a conventional system of signs or symbols which mean the same to the sender and the receiver.

　　The means of sending communications are too numerous and varied for systematic classification, therefore, the analysis must begin with the means of receiving communication. Reception of communication is achieved by our senses. Sight, hearing, and touch play the most important roles. Smell and taste play very limited roles, for they cannot receive intellectual expression from fully developed systems of signs and symbols.

　　Examples of visual communication are gesture and mimicry（模仿）. Although both frequently accompany speech, there are systems that rely solely on sight, such as those used by deaf and dumb persons. Another means of communication visually is by signals of fire, smoke, flags and flashing lights. Feelings may be simply communicated by touch, such as by handshaking or backslapping, although a highly developed system of hand-striking has enabled blind, deaf, and dumb persons to communicate intelligently. Whistling to someone, applauding in a theater, and other forms of communication by sound rely upon the ear as a receiver. The most fully developed form of auditory communication is, of course, the spoken language.

　　The means of communication mentioned so far have two features in common：they last only a short time and the persons involved must be relatively close to each other. Therefore, all are restricted in time and space.

(1) The author explains he will deal. with reception of communication first because _______.

[　　]

A．communication actually takes place when the message is received

B．there are more means of receiving than of sending communication

C．reception of communications involves use of the senses

D．it is difficult to organize by the means of sending communication

(2) Persons who cannot see, hear, or speak are able to communicate through a system of ________

[　　]

(3)A form of visual communication often used with a type of auditory communication is _______

[　　]

(4) The author specifically mentions that speech is________.

[　　]

A．often used when communicating by touch

B．necessary for satisfactory communication by all the people

C．the only highly developed system of communication

D．the most fully developed form of communication based on hearing

　　Reading is very important to help you learn English. To learn as much as you can from reading, you need to read different kinds of English. This book provides not only different kinds of English but also a good way to check your reading ability.

　　There are four parts in the book:

　　Part 1 is Messages：In this part somebody wants to send information in writing to somebody else. There is a test on timetables and a test on text messages.

　　Part 2 is People：In this part all the tests are about people. For example, there is an informal letter between friends. There is formal（正式的）English in biography（传记）. There is a job application as a model to help with your writing, as well as testing your reading.

　　Part 3 is Places: In this part, too many different kinds of English are shown, some informal and some formal. There is the informal English of a holiday postcard. There is also the formal English in a letter of complaint.

　　Part 4 is Things: You will find some descriptive writing in this part. There are descriptions of clothes and of a computer.

　　You can do these tests in any order you like, or you can do all the tests with a formal or informal text. I enjoyed writing this book and I hope you enjoy using it.

(1) We can find the introduction to a product in_______.

[　　]

(2) Which of the following is most probably written in informal English?

[　　]

A．A letter of complaint.

B．A computer handbook.

C．A letter to a friend

D．A story of a president

(3) The passage is most probably written for______.

[　　]

(4) What is the best title of the book?

[　　]

A．Test Your Reading

B．Help with Your Writing

C．Learn Different Kinds of English

D．Practise English in Different Ways

　　In Washington D. C., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a very special address. It is the address of the White House, the home of the President of the United States.

　　Originally the White House was gray and was called the Presidential Palace. It was built between 1792 and 1800. At this time, the city of Washington itself was being built. It was to be the nation's new capital city. George Washing-ton, the first President, and Pierre Charles L' Enfant, a French engineer, chose the place for the new city. L' Enfant then planned the city. The President's home was an important part of the plan.

　　A contest was held to pick a design for the President's home. An architect named James Hoban won. He designed a large three-story（三层）house of gray stones.

　　President Washington never lived in the Presidential Palace. The first President to live there was John Adams, the second President of the United States, and his wife Mrs. Adams did not really like her new house. In her letters, she often complained about the cold. Fifty fireplaces were not enough to keep the house warm.

　　In 1812 the United States and Britain went to war. In 1814, the British invaded（侵略）Washington. They burned many buildings, including the Presidential Palace.

　　After the war James Hoban, the original architect, partially（部分地）rebuilt the President's home. To cover the marks of the fire, the building was painted white. Before long it became known as the White House.

　　The White House is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States. Every year more than 1.5 million visitors go through the five rooms that are open to the public.

(1) ______is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

[　　]

A．The address of Washington D.C.

B．The address of the White House

C．The original name of the White House

D．The address of George Washington's home

(2) The Presidential Palace was________.

[　　]

A．painted white at first

B．made of white stones

C．made of gray stones

D．two-story house of gray stones

(3) The President's home and the city of Washington were _______.

[　　]

A．built by the British

B．built at the same time

C．built by the French

D．built by the Americans

(4) The first President to live in the Presidential Palace was_________.

[　　]

A．George Washington

B．the third President of the United States

C．John Adams and Mrs. Adams

D．James Hoban

　　My parents were in a huge argument, and I was really upset about it. I didn't know who I should talk with about how I was feeling. So I asked Mom to allow me to stay the night at my best friend's house. Though I knew I wouldn't tell her about my parents' situation, I was looking forward to getting out of the house. I was in the middle of packing up my things when suddenly the power went out in the neighborhood. Mom came to tell me that I should stay with my grandpa until the power came back on.

　　I was really disappointed because I felt that we did not have much to talk about. But I knew he would be frightened alone in the dark. I went to his room and told him that I'd stay with him until the power was restored. He was quite happy and said“Great opportunity.”

　　“What is?”I asked.

　　“To talk, you and I,”he said.“To hold a private little meeting about what we're going to do with your mom and dad, and what we're going to do with ourselves now that we're in the situation we are in.”

　　“But we can't do anything about it, Grandpa,” I said, surprised that here was someone with whom I could share my feelings and someone who was in the same“boat”as I was.

　　And that's how the most unbelievable friendship between my grandfather and me started. Sitting there in the dark, we talked about our feelings and fears of life——from how fast things change, to how they sometimes don't change fast enough. That night, because the power went out, I found a new friend, with whom I could safely talk about all my fears and pains, whatever they may be.

　　Suddenly, the lights all came back on.“Well,”he said,“I guess that means you'll want to go now. I really like our talk. I hope the power will go out every few nights!”

(1) I wished to get out of the house because _______.

[　　]

A．I was angry about my parents' quarrel

B．I found nobody to share my feelings with me

C．I wanted to escape from the dark house

D．I planned to tell my friend about my trouble

(2) Grandpa was happy to see me because _______.

[　　]

A．be could discuss the problem with me

B．he had not seen me for a long time

C．he was afraid of darkness

D．he felt quite lonely

(3) What can be inferred from the passage?

[　　]

A．The grandchild was eager to leave.

B．They would have more chats.

C．The lights would go out again.

D．It would no longer be dark.

　　The black robin（知更鸟）is one of the world's rarest birds. It is a small, wild bird, and it lives only on the island of Little Mangere, off the coast of New Zealand. In 1967 there were about fifty black robins there; in 1977 there were fewer than ten. These are the only black robins left in the world. The island has many other birds, of course, of different kinds, large and small; these seem to multiply very happily.

　　Steps are being taken to guard those remaining and to increase their number. Detailed studies are going on, and a public appeal for money has been made. The idea is to buy another island nearby as a special home for wild life, including black robins. The organizers say that Little Mangere should then be supplied with the robin's food——it eats only one kind of seed. Thousands of the required plants are at present being grown in New Zealand. The public appeal is aimed at the conscience（良心）of mankind, so that the wild black robin will not die out or disappear from the earth in our time at least.

　　Is all this concern a waste of human effort? Is it any business of ours whether the black robin survives or dies out? Are we losing our sense of what is reasonable and what is unreasonable?

　　In the earth's long, long past hundreds of kinds of creatures have evolved（进化）, risen to a degree of success——and died out. In the long, long future there will be many new and different forms of life. Those creatures that adapt themselves successfully to what the earth offers will survive for a long time. Those that fail to meet the challenges will disappear early. That is Nature's proven method of operation.

　　The rule of selection——“the survival of the fittest”——is the one by which man has himself arrived on the scene. He, being one of the most adaptable creatures the earth has yet produced, may last longer than most. You may take it as another rule that when, at last, man shows signs of dying out, no other creature will extend a paw to postpone（推迟）his departure. For Nature, though fair, is a hard-hearted mistress. She has no favourites.

　　Life seems to have grown too hard for black robins. I leave you to judge whether we should try to do something about it.

(1) The black robins are getting fewer and fewer because________.

[　　]

A. there are too many other kinds of birds on the island

B．of lack of food

C．they can't multiply

D．there is no room for them on the island

(2) The creatures that _______ can survive.

[　　]

A．come across some challenges in their lives

B．don't come across any challenges in their lives

C．are protected by mankind

D．fit the surroundings perfectly

(3) What's the text mainly about?

[　　]

A．Nature is unfair to man.

B．What the earth offers makes man survive.

C．Everything will be selected by Nature including man.

D．Small animals will certainly survive for a longer time than man.

　　I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and award from the job. I also think my work is important. There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of career (职业).

　　I wasn't an excellent student because I didn't do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn't have much to offer. I just accepted that I wasn't the type to have a career.

　　I then found myself a job, looking after two little girls. It wasn't too bad at first. But the problems began when I agreed to live in, so that I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week, she'd give me time off the next. But unfortunately, it didn't often work out. I was getting extremely tired and fed up, because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children.

　　One Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification（资格证书）if I wanted to work with children. I didn't think I would be accepted because I didn't take many exams in school. She persuaded me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part-time course. I had to leave my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten.

　　Now I've got a full-time job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that you could have a career, even if you aren't top of the class at school.

(1) What is the author's present job?

[　　]

A．Working part-time in a college

B．Taking care of children for a family.

C．Helping children with their schoolwork.

D．Looking after children at a kindergarten.

(2) When staying with the two girls' family, the author______.

[　　]

A．was paid for extra work

B．often worked long hours

C．got much help from her boss

D．took a day off every other week

(3) Why did the author leave her first job?

[　　]

A．She found a full-time job.

B．She was fed up with children.

C．She decided to attend a part-time course.

D．She needed a rest after working extra hours.

(4) What has the author learned from her own experiences?

A．Less successful students can still have a career.

B．Qualifications are necessary for a career.

C．Hard work makes an excellent student.

D．One must choose the job she likes.

　　The first newspaper was written by hand and put up on walls in public places. The earliest daily newspaper was started in Rome in 59 B.C.. In the 700s the world's first printed newspaper was published. Europe didn't have a regularly published newspaper until 1609, when one was started in Germany.

　　The first regularly published newspaper in English was printed in Amsterdam in 1620. In 1621, an English newspaper was started in London and was published once a week. The first daily English newspaper was Daily Courant. It came out in March in 1702.

　　In 1690, Benjamin Harris printed the first American newspaper in Boston. But not long after it was first published, the government stopped the paper. In 1704,John Campbell, started Boston .Newsletter, the first newspaper published daily in the American colonies（殖民地）. By 1760, the colonies had more than thirty daily newspapers. There are now about 1800 daily papers in the United States.

　　Today, as a group, English language newspapers have the largest circulation（发行量）in the world. But the largest circulation for a newspaper is that of the Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun（《朝日新闻》）. It sells more than eleven million copies every day.

(1) Boston Newsletter was printed ______.

[　　]

A．by Benjamin Harris in 1609

B．in 1704

C．by the government in Boston

D．in 1760

(2) Which newspaper has the largest daily circulation in the world?

[　　]

A．A German newspaper.

B．An American newspaper.

C．A Japanese newspaper.

D．An English newspaper.

(3) What's the passage mainly about?

[　　]

A．The English language newspaper.

B．How to print newspapers.

C．How to start a newspaper.

D．The history of newspapers.

　　A linguist, an expert on languages, is always listening, never off-duty. I invited a group of friends round to my house, telling them that l was going to record their speech. I said I was interested in their regional accents, and that I would take only a few minutes. Thus, one evening, three people came to my house and were shown into my front room. In front of each chair there was a microphone（话筒）at head height, connected to a recorder in the middle of the floor. They sat down, rather nervously, and I explained that all I wanted was for them to count from one to twenty. Then we could relax and have a drink.

　　Turned on the recorder and each in turn counted from one to twenty in their best accents. When it was over, I turned the recorder off and brought round the drinks. The rest of the evening was spent in total relaxation. I joined them in talking and joking freely, leaving them only for a telephone call which lasted some time.

　　Or at least that was how it would appear. For, of course, the microphones were not connected to the recorder in the middle of the room at all but to another one in the bedroom. My friends, having seen the recorder before them turned off, paid no more attention to the microphones a few inches from their mouths, thus gibing excellent sound quality. It meant that I was able to get as natural a piece of talk as it would be possible to find.

　　I should add, perhaps, that I did tell my friends what had happened to them, after the recording was over, and asked them whether it should be destroyed. None of them wanted to—— but for some years after that, it always seemed that when it came to buying drinks, it was I who paid for them. I.inguistic research can be a very expensive business.

(1) The writer asked his friends to count from one to twenty because he ________

[　　]

A．wanted to record how they pronounced numbers in their regional accents

B．had to check if his recorder was working

C．wanted them to think that was all he wanted to record

D．wanted to discover who had the best pronunciation

(2) The writer left the room in the middle of the evening because _______.

[　　]

A．he had to make a phone call

B．he wanted the others to be relaxed

C．he wanted the others to have a talk without him

D．he didn't like talking with them

(3) The recording which the writer was able to make was ___________.

[　　]

(4) The writer recorded their talk __________.

[　　]

A．on the recorder in the middle of the floor

B．through hidden microphones

C．on a recorder in another room

D．in the front room