So you want to have a tarantula(狼蛛)as a pet? You want to join the fastest growing hobby in the US? Read this beginner’s guide to learn the most important facts.

What is a tarantula? Tarantulas are primitive spiders(远古的蜘蛛). They are usually hairier and larger than normal spiders.

Why keep tarantulas? Tarantulas are really interesting pets. They don’t need much space, they aren’t expensive to feed, they live a long time, they don’t make much mess, and they aren’t dangerous.

When did people start keeping tarantulas as a hobby? They started in the 1970s when the ‘Mexican Redknee’ was brought to the US. By the 1990s there were about 200 different kinds of tarantulas in the US, but some are better for beginners than others. Good beginner tarantulas include the ‘Pink Zebra Beauty’ and the ‘Brazilian Black and White’ because they are not as dangerous as some of the other ones.

How do I look after a tarantula? You can keep tarantulas in 10 gallon, glass boxes. They need a water bowl in the box and you should feed them once a week. Tarantulas eat insects, small mice and lizards. You can buy these(already dead)from a pet shop. You only need to clean the glass box about once every six months.

Can I get my tarantula out of its box and hold it? No! A tarantula is not a pet like a dog, a cat or a rabbit and they do not like being held in your hands. Keep it in the glass box and watch it.

Are tarantulas dangerous? Nobody has ever died from a tarantula bite, but some kinds of tarantula could give you a bad bite. Usually they prefer to run away from you than to bite you.

How can I find out more? Look for a club near you for people who keep tarantulas as a hobby. You can also find some information about it on the Internet or find some books.

44. Some tarantulas are better for beginners than others because __________.

A. they don’t need much space                            B. they don’t make much mess

C. they are not as dangerous as other ones            D. they aren’t expensive to feed

45. What do tarantulas NOT eat?

A. Insects                      B. Lizards                     C. Big mice                   D. small mice

46. Which pet don’t like being held in our hands?

A. A cat           B. A rabbit                           C. A dog                       D. A tarantula

47. How often should you clean the glass box for a tarantula?

A. Once a week       B. Once every six months    C. Once a day               D. Once a year

阅读理解：

　　Before her operation, Anna's eyesight was so bad that she could not see that alarm clock by her bedside.“I need glasses to find my glasses,”said Anna. Her glasses were as thick as a Coke bottle, and she said she was ready for anything that offers a better view of the world. So when she learned about the surgical(外科)way to correct near-sightedness, she needed no persuasion to accept the treatment.

　　It has been about four years since she had the operation on both of her eyes. She remains pleased with the results.“I had perfect vision only a day after the operation. It was as if I had never been short-sighted,”said Anna.

　　Being seriously shortsighted, Anna experienced some side-effects at first. The first was a tendency for the eye to water, especially when sleeping. It was a part of the healing process and lasted only a week. The second side-effect was a discomfort when looking at bright lights in the dark. It lasted six months and it did not harm her ability to drive at night.

　　Now the operation can be done with a laser guided by a computer instead of a diamond knife. With the operation, most patients will notice the improvement within 24 hours.“You can experience the operation today and throw away your glasses tomorrow,”said Dr. Karas, who has been operating on thousands of patients for over five years.

　　This operation has been around for more than twenty years and has been performed on millions of patients around the world. It has been studied by eight American universities for years, and the results are quite satisfactory. However, it is not yet known whether glasses will be out of use in the near future.

1．The word“eyesight”in the first paragraph means ________.

[　　]

2．In the passage the side-effects ________.

[　　]

A．mean great harm to one's health

B．cause other diseases

C．are the signs of getting well

D．make the patient uncomfortable

3．This operation has been around for more than twenty years. The word“around”means ________ in this sentence.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　It was a cold wet night. The taxi driver hadn't had one passenger(乘客)all day. When he went by the railway station, he saw a young man from the country coming out, carrying two big bags. “Aha! ”thought the taxi driver, “here's the right person to make good this bad day. ”He quickly stopped the taxi and opened the door.

　　Driver: Where do you want to go, sir?

　　Young Man: To the Park Hotel.

　　When the taxi driver heard that, his hopes of getting a lot of money disappeared. The Park Hotel was hardly two kilometers away. The young man would give him fifty cents at most. Only fifty cents ! Then he had an idea of taking the young man by a longer route----going all around the city and then back to the Park Hotel. This he did, and after a long time the taxi finally arrived at the hotel.

　　Driver: You should pay me fifteen dollars ,sir.

　　Young Man: What? Fifteen dollars? Do you think I'm a fool? You're trying to cheat(骗)me.

　　Driver: How dare you say I…

　　Young Man: You must think I don't know my way around.

　　Driver: But…

　　Young Man: Only last week I took a taxi from the station to this hotel. I know how much I should pay.

　　Driver: Oh…oh…all right. Now…now look…uh…

　　Young Man: I think I should call the policemen.

　　Driver: Oh, no! Please don't do that! I have a sick wife and four hungry children.

　　Young Man: All right! This time I'll forget it.

　　Driver: Oh, thank you ,sir. And you are right. The trip isn't worth fifteen dollars.

　　Young Man : You don't have to tell me that. I may come from the country, but I'm as clever as you city people.

　　Driver : Yes, sir.

　　Young Man : I just won't be cheated. I won't pay you a cent more than I paid the other taxi last week…thirteen dollars !

1．Why did the taxi driver tell the young man he had a sick wife and four hungry children?

[　　]

A．He didn't want the young man to call the policemen.

B．He wanted to let the young man know he had a big and happy family.

C．He was going to ask the young man to visit his family.

D．He wanted to let the young man know they were not afraid of the policemen.

2．From the story we know that the taxi driver ________.

[　　]

A．was an honest man

B．was very busy that day

C．got far more money than he should get for the trip

D．didn't get a cent more than he should get for the trip

3．From the story we know that the young man ________.

[　　]

A．was as clever as city people

B．knew how much he should pay for the trip

C．had been cheated by another taxi driver the week before

D．wanted to get a lot of money in the city

4．Which of the following would be the best title(标题)of the story?

[　　]

A．City People and Country Men

B．Going to the Park Hotel

C．A Passenger and a Taxi Driver

D．Clever or Foolish?