Most young people enjoy some form of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling or swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. It may be a game of some kind of football, hockey, golf, or tennis, it may be mountaineering.

Those who have a passion for climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks on high mountains? This astonishment is caused probably by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure.

Mountaineering is a sport and not a game. There are no man-made rules, as there’re for such games as golf and football. There are, of course, rules of a different kind which it would be dangerous to ignore, but it is this freedom from man-made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to many people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods. If we compare mountaineering and other more familiar sports, we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a “team game”. We should be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no “matches” between “teams” of climbers, but when climbers are on a rock face linked by a rope on which their lives may depend on, there is obviously teamwork.

The mountain climber knows that he may have to fight forces that are stronger and more powerful than man. He has to fight the forces of nature. His sport requires high mental and physical qualities.

A mountain climber continues to improve in skill year after year. A skier is probably past his best by the age of thirty, and most international tennis champions are in their early twenties. But it is not unusual for a man of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in the Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they probably climb with more skill and less waste of effort, and they certainly experience equal enjoyment.

1. Mountaineering is a sport, which involves　　　　 .

A. hardship

B. physical risk

C. cold

D. all of the above

2. The main difference between a sport and a game lies in 　　　　 .

A. uniform

B. rules

C. activity

D. skills

3. Mountaineering is also a team sport because 　　　　 .

A. it involves rules

B. it involves matches between teams

C. it requires mental and physical qualities

D. mountaineers depend on each other while climbing

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Mountaineers compete against each other.

B. Mountaineers compete against other teams.

C. Mountaineers compete against nature.

D. Mountaineers compete against international standards.

5. What is the BEST title for the passage?

A. Mountaineering.

B. Mountain Climbers.

C. Mountaineering Is Different from Golf and Football.

D. Mountaineering Is More Dangerous than Other Sports.

 

阅读理解

    In the 1930's, a lot of people in the USA were out of work. Among these people was a man named Alfred Butts. He always has an interest in word games and so, to fill his time, he planned a game which he called“Lexico”. However, he was not completely satisfied with the game, so he made a number of changes to it and, in time, changed its name from“Lexico”to“Alph”and then to“Criss·Cross”. He wanted to make some money from his new game, but he didn't have any real commercial（商业性的）success.

　　In 1939, Butts happened to meet a man called Jim Brunot who showed an interest in the new game. The two men worked together on developing the game and in 1984 it was offered for sale in the United States under its new name--“Scrabble”.

　　At first, it didn't sell very well. In the first year it sold just 2,250 sets and by 1951 it had only reached 8,500sets a year.

　　Then, in 1952 the manager of Macy's department store in New York, Jack Strauss, happened to play“Scrabble”while he was on holiday. He thought it was a wonderful game and, when the went back to work after his holiday, he insisted that Macy's should stock（储备）the game and make an effort to call the public's attention to it.

　　As a result,“Scrabble”became a big success in the United States and it soon spread to Australia and then to other English-speaking countries.

（1）The text is mainly about _______.

[　　]

（2）Alfred Butts invented the game“Lexico” ________.

[　　]

A. to make himself famous

B. to make spelling simpler

C. when he was out of work and looking for a job

D. when he was playing word games to pass the time

（3）Who made“Scrabble”popular?

[　　]

A. Alfred Butts.

B. Jack Strauss.

C. Alfred Butts and Jim Brunot.

D. Jack Strauss and Jim Brunot.

（4）When did Alfred Butts first put his game on the market?

[　　]

A. In 1939.

B. In 1948.

C. Before 1939.

D. Between 1939 and 1948.

（5）What does the underlined word“call”mean in Paragraph 4?

[　　]

In October 1961 at Crowley Field in Cincinnati Ohio an old deaf gentleman named William E. Hoy stood up to throw the first ball of the World Series. Most people at Crowley Field on that day probably did not remember Hoy because he had retired(退休) from professional baseball 58 years earlier in 1903. However he had been an outstanding player and the deaf people still talk about him and his years in baseball.

William E. Hoy was born in Houckstown Ohio on May 23, 1862. He became deaf when he was two years old. He attended the Columbus Ohio School for the deaf. After graduation he started playing baseball while working as a shoemaker.

Hoy began playing professional baseball in 1886 for Oshkosh(Wisconsin) of the Northwestern League. In 1888 he started as an outfielder(外场手) with the old Washington Senators. His small figure and speed made him an outstanding base runner. He was very good at stealing bases during his career. In the 1888 major league season he stole 82 bases. He was also the Senators’ leading hitter in 1888. Hoy was clever and he threw right-handed and batted left-handed. On June 19,1889 he threw out three batters(击球手) at the plate from his outfield position.

The arm signals used by judges today to show balls and strikes began because of Hoy. The judge lifted his right arm to show that the pitch was a strike and his left arm to signal that it was a ball.

For many years people talked about Hoy’s last ball game in 1903. He was playing for Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast Winter League. It was a memorable game because Hoy hit a wonderful ball which won the game. It was a very foggy day and therefore very hard to see the ball. In the ninth inning(棒球的一局) with two men out, Hoy managed to catch a fly ball to make the third out in spite of the fog. Los Angeles defeated their opposition and won the game.

　　After he retired Hoy stayed busy. He ran a dairy farm near Cincinnati for 20 years. He also became a public speaker and traveled giving speeches. Until a few years before his death he took 4-10 mile walks several mornings a week. On December 15, 1961 William Hoy died at the age of 99.

1. In which order did the following things happen in Hoy’s life?

　　a. Hoy worked as a shoemaker.

　　b. Hoy began to run a diary farm.

　　c. Hoy played a memorable game in the heavy fog.

　　d. Hoy threw the first ball of the World Series.

　　e. Hoy became deaf.

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

2. We can infer from the last paragraph that Hoy _______ in his late years.

　　A. became famous                       B. led a relaxed life

　　C. traveled around the world        D. was in good physical condition

3. This passage is mainly about _______.

　　A. a deaf player devoted to the game of baseball

　　B. baseball game rules and important players

　　C. the rise in the social position of the deaf people

　　D. where the baseball judge hand signals came from

4. What can be inferred from this passage?

　　A. Hoy was the greatest baseball player in his time.

　　B. Speaking and listening are not necessary in baseball games.

　　C. The judge had to study the hand signals very seriously.

    D. Hoy’s family encouraged him to become a baseball player.

Our life is changing.During the past hundred years,the car,the radio,the cinema,and now television have produced great　1　in the amusements with which people pass their　2　time.

A　3　years ago,people were in the habit of making their own amusements.When a group of people　4　,they talked,played cards or other games,or went out riding, shooting,or walking together.Most people could sing a little,or play some musical? instrument reasonably well；so at a party the guests amused each other.??5　　 , conversation(聊天) was an 　6　；amusing conversation could　7　people happy for hours.?

　　As for games such as football and cricket(板球),people were also in the habit of playing them themselves.Most of them did not play very well,but they　8　themselves and their friends.?

Nowadays we are amused by professional singers or players.Why listen to your friends singing when you can　9　the great singers of the world over the radio or on TV? Why play football with players who　10　very good when you can go to　11　some of the best players playing football in your country??

　　　12　an important match? Few people do this.You may just sit comfortably?13　and watch the game without the　14　of going outside.?

　　The art of conversation and the　15　of playing and singing by ourselves are?16　；people are becoming more and more lookers and listeners,and　17　doers and talkers. This change does people 　18　.It is　19　to do something personally than　20　to sit and watch others doing it.

1.A.harm　　　　　　 B.pleasure　　　　　　 C.changes　　　　　　 D.danger?

2.A.busy　　　　　　 B.free　　　　　　　　　　C.good　　　　　　　　 D.lazy?

3.A.hundred　　　　 B.thousand　　　　　　C.century　　　　　　　　　　 D.few?

4.A.walked　　　　　　B.played　　　　　　　　C.joined　　　　　　　　 D.gathered?

5.A.First of all　　　　B.Above all　　　　　　C.After all　　　　　　 D.At first?

6.A.art　　　　　　　　 B.interest　　　　　　 C.fun　　　　　　　　　　D.importance?

7.A.let　　　　　　　　 B.make　　　　　　　　 C.keep　　　　　　　　 D.cause?

8.A.enjoyed　　　　 B.played　　　　　　　　C.taught　　　　　　　　D.amused?

9.A.watch　　　　　　 B.become　　　　　　 C.hear　　　　　　　　 D.admire?

10.A.is　　　　　　　　 B.are　　　　　　　　　　 C.is not　　　　　　　　 D.are not?

11.A.join in　　　　　　B.play with　　　　　　C.watch　　　　　　　　D.find?

12.A.Acting　　　　 B.Enjoying　　　　　　 C.Seeing　　　　　　　　D.Playing?

13.A.at home　　　　 B.at a cinema　　　　 C.at a stadium　　　　D.at the playground?

14.A.problem　　　　 B.trouble　　　　　　 C.question　　　　　　 D.difficulty?

15.A.custom　　　　 B.habit　　　　　　　　 C.practice　　　　　　 D.interest?

16.A.growing　　　　 B.developing　　　　 C.dying　　　　　　　　 D.disappearing?

17.A.better and bette　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.worse and worse?

C.more and more　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.fewer and fewer?

18.A.more good than harm　　　　　　　　 B.either good or harm?

C.more harm than good　　　　　　　　　　 D.neither good nor harm?

19.A.good　　　　　　 B.better　　　　　　　　 C.bad　　　　　　　　　　D.worse?

20.A.always　　　　 B.seldom　　　　　　 C.sometimes　　　　 D.never??