There have been many great inventions or things that changed the way we live. The first great invention was the one that is still very important today——the wheel. This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distance.
For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that as much effect as the wheel . Then in the early 1800s the world started to change. There was little unknown land left in the world. People didn’t have to explore much any more. They began to work instead to make life better.
In the second half of the 19^th century many great inventions were made. Among them were the camera, the light and the radio. These all play a big part in our daily life today.
The first part of the 20^th century saw more great inventions. The helicopter in 1909, movies with sound in 1926, the computer in 1928, jet planes in 1930. This was also a time when a new material was first made. Nylon came out in 1935. It changed the kind of clothes people wore.
The middle part of the 20^th century brought new ways to help people get over diseases. They worked very well. They made people healthier and allowed them to live longer. By the 1960s most people could expect to live to be at least 60.
By this time most people in developed countries had a very good life. Of course new inventions continued to be made. But man now had a desire(渴望) to explore again. The earth was known to man but the stars were not. Man began looking for ways to go into space. Russia made the first step. Then United States took a step. Since then other countries , including China and Japan, have made their own steps into space.
In 1969 man took his biggest step away from earth. Americans first walked on the moon. This is certainly just a beginning, though. New inventions will some day allow us to do things we have never yet dreamed of.
【小题1】This passage talks mainly about         .

Although many great people ever failed, they never_______ and managed to succeed.

A．set out           B．stayed up          C．kept on           D．gave up

阅读短文，根据短文内容选择所给问题的答案。

Rick is a good man. He makes birthday cakes in a store. His cakes are great and have very good prices, so many people buy his cakes. He makes friends with lots of his customers(顾客). They all like him very much. One evening, he wants to go home, but many of his old customers come in. Rick smiles(笑) to them, “I am sorry. It is late today. If you need cakes, please come tomorrow.” One of them takes out a nice cake and says to him, “You make so many great cakes for us. This birthday cake is for you. Happy birthday, Rick.”

1.Where does Rick work?

A. At school. B. In the classroom. C. In a store. D. At a party.

2.When the customers come, Rick _______________.

A. is making cake

B. wants to go home

C. is at home

3.His customers give(给) him ___________.

A. many cakes

B. a birthday cake

C. some vegetables

4.Rick’s customers like him because __________________.

A. his cakes are at a very good price

B. his cakes are big

C. he is a good friend

5.The customers come to Rick’s store because ______________.

A. they want to buy cakes

B. today is Rick’s birthday

C. Rick asks them to come

An old man lived in a nice house with a large garden. He took care of his  1 all the time, watering and fertilizing(施肥)them.  

One day a young man went by the garden. He looked at the beautiful flowers, imagining how happy he could be  2 he lived in such a beautiful place. Then, suddenly he found the old gardener was  3 . He was very surprised about this and asked, “You can’t see these flowers.  4 are you busy taking care of them every day?”  

The old man smiled and said “I can tell you four reasons. First, I was a gardener when I was young, and I really like this job. Second,  5 I can’t see these flowers, I can touch them.   6 , I can smell the sweetness of them. As to the last one, that’s you.”

“Me? But you don’t know me,” said the young man.

“Yeah, it’s  7 that I don’t know you. But I know that flowers are angels(天使) that everybody  8 . We enjoy the happiness these flowers have brought us.”

The blind man’s work opened our eyes and  9 our hearts, which also made his life  10 . It was just like Beethoven, who became deaf in his later life and wrote many great musical works. Beethoven himself couldn’t  11 his wonderful music, but his music has  12 millions of people to face their difficulties bravely. Isn’t it one kind of happiness?

1.                A．flowers         B．trees           C．vegetables D．grass

2.                A．after           B．as             C．before   D．if

3.                A．deaf           B．blind           C．smart D．strange

4.                A．What          B．Who           C．Why D．Which

5.                A．although        B．since           C．because  D．unless

6.                A．First           B．Second         C．Third D．Fourth

7.                A．true           B．hard           C．cool D．fair

8.                A．greets          B．knows          C．meets    D．doubts

9.                A．broke          B．hurt           C．pleased   D．treated

10.               A．emptier        B．busier          C．luckier    D．happier

11.               A．write          B．hear           C．play D．believe

12.               A．changed        B．directed        C．discovered D．encouraged