The Erie Canal was the first important national waterway built in the US. It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie Troy to Albany on the Hudson River. It joined the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. The canal served as a route over which industrial goods could flow into the west, and materials could pour into the east. The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation’s largest city.

The building of the canal was paid for entirely by the state of New York. It cost $ 7 143 789, but it soon gained its price many times over. Between 1825, when the canal was opened, and 1882, when toll charges(过运河费) were stopped, the state collected $121 461 891.

For a hundred years before the Erie was built, people had been talking about a canal which could join the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The man who planned the Erie Canal and carried the plan through was De Witt Clinton. Those who were against the canal laughingly called it “Clinton’s Ditch(沟)”. Clinton talked and wrote about the canal and drew up plans for it. He and Governor Morris went to Washington in 1812 to ask for help for the canal, but they were unsuccessful.

Clinton became governor of New York in 1817, and shortly afterwards, on July 4, 1817, broke ground for the canal in Rome, N.Y. The first part of the canal was completed in 1820. As the canal grew, towns along its course developed fast. The length of the canal is 363 miles.

1. We can see that the Erie Canal ________.

A. joined the Great Lakes together

B. crossed New York from north to south

C. played an important part in developing New York City

D. was the first waterway built in the US

2. It can be inferred that ________ into the Atlantic Ocean.

A. the Great Lakes flow　　　　　　　　B. the Hudson River flows

C. Lake Erie flows　　　　　　　　　　D. the Erie Canal flows

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

A. The Erie Canal brought profits of over $114, 000, 000.

B. It’s 363 miles from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

C. The West was more advanced than the East when the canal was built.

D. Many other states helped New York built the canal.

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

A. Clinton broke ground for the canal at both ends.

B. Clinton started building the canal before he became governor.

C. All parts of the canal were completed at the same time.

D. Construction of the canal took eight years.

D
Work is a very important part of life in the United States. Americans spend most of their lives working. For most Americans, their work defines them. They are what they do. What happens, then, when a person can no longer work?
Most Americans stop working at the age of sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult. Retirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire, but leaving one’s job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Retirement can also bring financial problems. Many people depend on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five have to have savings in the ban or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation is forcing prices higher each year. Social Security checks alone can not cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance, but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities.
Of course, many senior citizens are happy with their retirement. They have time to spend with their families or to enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executive Association, even help old people to get started in new businesses. Many retired citizens also belong to “Golden Age” groups. These organizations plan trips and social events there are many other opportunities for retirees.
68．Which of the following could be the title of the passage?
A．“Golden Age” groups       　     B．The American Opinion of Work
C．The Importance of Work in America     D．The Problems in Retirement in America
69．Which of the following is NOT true about the retirees?
A．Some retirees feel happy as they can have more time to enjoy themselves.
B．Some retirees have to be careful with their money because of the rising prices.
C．Some retirees like to work without being paid.
D．Some retirees find work in new businesses.
70．It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A．the Americans show their value through their work
B．the American government pays little attention to the life of the retirees
C．the retirees’ former employers offer some assistance to the retirees
D．the Americans can not find much time to travel before their retirement
71．What does the paragraph following the passage most likely discuss?
A．An explanation of why the retirees feel lost.
B．The difficult situation the retirees have.
C．A different opinion of the physical and emotional needs of the retirees.
D．A description of other activities the retirees can have.

I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.
　　Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more abiding emotion.
　　Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends.
I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to glamorous parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”.
But in memoir（回忆录） after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children and profound loneliness.
The way people stick to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually reduces their chances of ever obtaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very endeavors that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, civic or charitable work, and self-improvement.
【小题1】What does the author want to tell us? He wants to tell us             .

I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.

　　Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more abiding emotion.

　　Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends.

I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to glamorous parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”.

But in memoir（回忆录） after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children and profound loneliness.

The way people stick to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually reduces their chances of ever obtaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.

As a result, many people avoid the very endeavors that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, civic or charitable work, and self-improvement.

1.What does the author want to tell us? He wants to tell us             .

2.What is many intelligent people’s viewpoint about happiness?

3.What does the underlined word “equate” in the second paragraph mean? It means    .

4.According to the passage, the author may agree        .

Children find meanings in their old family tales.

When Stephen Guyer’s three children were growing up, he told them stories about bow his grandfather, a banker,　 1　 all in the 1930s, but did not lose sight of what he valued most. In one of the darkest times　 2　 his strong-minded grandfather was nearly　 3　 , he loaded his family into the car and　 4　 them to see family members in Canada with a　 5　 ,“there are more important thins in life than money. ”

The 6　 took on a new meaning recently when Mr. Guyer downsized to a　 7　 house from a more expensive and comfortable one. He was 8　　 that his children ,a daughter, 15, and twins, 22, would be upset. To his surprise, they weren’t　 9　　 , their reaction echoed （共鸣） their great-grandfather’s. What they 10　 was how warm the people were in the house and how 11　　 of their heart was accessible.

Many parents are finding family stories have surprising power to help children　 12　 hard times. Storytelling expects say the phenomenon reflects a growing 13　　 in telling tales, evidenced by a rise in a storytelling events and festivals.

A university　 14　 of 65 families with children aged from 14 to 16 found kids’ ability to Ks15　 parents’ stories was linked to a lower rate of anger and anxiety.

The 16　 is telling the stories in a way children can 17　　 . We’re not talking here about the kind of story that　 18　 , “When I was a kid, I walked to school every day uphill both ways, barefoot in the snow. ” Instead, we should choose a story suited to the child’s 19　 , and make eye contact （接触） to create “a personal experience”,. We don’t have to tell children

20 they should take from the story and what the moral is . ”

1. A. missed　 　 B. lost　 C. forgot 　 D. ignored

2. A. when　 B. while C. how　 D. why

3. A. friendless　 B. worthless C. penniless D. homeless

4. A fetched　 　 B. allowed　 C. expected D. took

5. A. hope　 B. promise　 C. suggestion 　 D. belief

6. A. tale　 B. agreement　 　 C. arrangement 　 D. report

7. A. large　 B. small　 　 C. new　 D. grand

8. A. surprised B. annoyed C. disappointed D. worried

9. A. Therefore B. Besides C. Instead D. Otherwise

10. A. talked about　 　 B. cared about C. wrote about D. heard about

11. A. much B. many C. little　 D. few

12. A. beyond　 B. over　 C. behind 　 D. through

13. A. argument B. skill　 　 C. interest D. anxiety

14. A. study　 　 B. design　 C. committee　 D. staff

15. A. provide　 B. retell　 C. support D. refuse

16. A. trouble　 B. gift C. fact　 D. trick

17. A. perform　 B. write C. hear D. question

18. A. means　 　 B. ends C. begins 　 D. proves

19. A. needs B. activities 　 C. judgments　 　 D. habits

20. A. that　 B. what　 C. which　 　 D. whom