The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it kept the America from being discovered by the people of Europe.

　　The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the pacific, but it is still very large. It is more than 4,000 miles (6,000 km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at its narrowest it is about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) wide.

　　There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is. But suppose no more rain fell into and no more water was brought to it by rivers. It would take the ocean about 4,000 years to dry up. On the average the water is a little more than 2 miles (3.2 km) deep, but in some places it is much deeper. The deepest spot is near Puerto Rico. This "deep" measures 30,246 feet --- almost six miles (9.6 km).

　　Several hundred miles eastward from Florida there is a part of the ocean called the Sargasso Sea. Here the water is quiet, for there is little wind. Today the Atlantic is a great highway. It is not, however, always a smooth and safe one. Storms sweep across it and pile up great waves. Icebergs float down from the Far North across the paths of ships. We now have such fast ways of travelling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller. Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days. Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!

1. From the third paragraph, we can learn that ______ .

A. the Atlantic will dry up in 4,000 years' time

B. no river flows into the Atlantic ocean　　　

C. it's hard to imagine how much water there is in the Atlantic ocean

D. the Ocean floor is rather flat

2.Suppose it's February 27th, 2000. You take a steamship to cross the Atlantic to North America, when will you probably get there?

A. On March 2nd　         B. On March 3rd 　　

C. On February 28th 　　　  D. In eight hours' time

3. What can you learn from the last paragraph of the passage ?

A. The Atlantic has grown smaller than it used to be.

B. The Atlantic had grown wider than it used to be.

C. Fast ways of travelling make the ocean grow smaller.

D. Fast ways of travelling make the ocean seem to grow smaller.

The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it kept the America from being discovered by the people of Europe.

　　The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the pacific, but it is still very large. It is more than 4,000 miles (6,000 km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at its narrowest it is about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) wide.

　　There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is. But suppose no more rain fell into and no more water was brought to it by rivers. It would take the ocean about 4,000 years to dry up. On the average the water is a little more than 2 miles (3.2 km) deep, but in some places it is much deeper. The deepest spot is near Puerto Rico. This "deep" measures 30,246 feet --- almost six miles (9.6 km).

　　Several hundred miles eastward from Florida there is a part of the ocean called the Sargasso Sea. Here the water is quiet, for there is little wind. Today the Atlantic is a great highway. It is not, however, always a smooth and safe one. Storms sweep across it and pile up great waves. Icebergs float down from the Far North across the paths of ships. We now have such fast ways of travelling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller. Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days. Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!

From the third paragraph, we can learn that ______ .

A. the Atlantic will dry up in 4,000 years' time

B. no river flows into the Atlantic ocean　　　

C. it's hard to imagine how much water there is in the Atlantic ocean

D. the Ocean floor is rather flat

Suppose it's February 27th, 2000. You take a steamship to cross the Atlantic to North America, when will you probably get there?

A. On March 2nd　         B. On March 3rd 　　

C. On February 28th 　　　  D. In eight hours' time

What can you learn from the last paragraph of the passage ?

A. The Atlantic has grown smaller than it used to be.

B. The Atlantic had grown wider than it used to be.

C. Fast ways of travelling make the ocean grow smaller.

D. Fast ways of travelling make the ocean seem to grow smaller.

C
　　Several years ago I worked in an office, which I had a locust tree growing outside the window. It had grown into a tall tree and must have been there for a long time. The tree blocked the view and made the office seem dull, unfortunately this happened to be the room assigned to me and I was depressed by it for quite some time.
　　When the first spring came, everything was green except the locust tree. Secretly, I was very happy because I had thought it had died.
　　One morning when I opened the window for fresh air, I unexpectedly smelt a familiar sweet scent floating into my office but I couldn’t name it. Suddenly, I realized it was the locust tree! The tree that I thought dead was blossoming in full glory.
　　From then on, I usually came to the office very early to see dew forming on the locust tree blossoms and every year was eager to see spring again.
　　During summer, the green leaves provided shade protecting me from the harsh sunlight, but allowing enough light in to make it pleasant. In autumn, the leaves turned into many different colors. Its beauty touched my soul. Many times I thought to take photos but never did. Then I had to leave in a hurry. Later in life it became a great regret that I had not done so.
　　Actually, many times in our lives, we think we own something, therefore we don’t cherish it. We don’t feel regretful until we lose it one day! Moreover, sometimes, we have to accept the things we don’t want and need to discover the hidden beauty to find unexpected joy!
59．The author of the passage employed a writing way ________.
A．of holding and releasing            B．that released first, then held
C．that held first, then released         D．that was not holding or releasing
60．What the author wanted to tell us is that ________.
A．not being delighted for what you have got and not feeling pity on the lost
B．think twice before you leap
C．treat everything calmly
D．cherish what you’ve owned
61．The reason the author came to the office early is ________.
A．to enjoy the dew                 B．to finish her work early
C．to do some cleaning              D．to avoid the burning sun
62．The underlined word “so” in the fifth paragraph perhaps refers to ________.
A．that I couldn’t see the tree any longer    B．that I should have taken some photos
C．that I had to leave                   D．that the tree died

C

　　Several years ago I worked in an office, which I had a locust tree growing outside the window. It had grown into a tall tree and must have been there for a long time. The tree blocked the view and made the office seem dull, unfortunately this happened to be the room assigned to me and I was depressed by it for quite some time.

　　When the first spring came, everything was green except the locust tree. Secretly, I was very happy because I had thought it had died.

　　One morning when I opened the window for fresh air, I unexpectedly smelt a familiar sweet scent floating into my office but I couldn’t name it. Suddenly, I realized it was the locust tree! The tree that I thought dead was blossoming in full glory.

　　From then on, I usually came to the office very early to see dew forming on the locust tree blossoms and every year was eager to see spring again.

　　During summer, the green leaves provided shade protecting me from the harsh sunlight, but allowing enough light in to make it pleasant. In autumn, the leaves turned into many different colors. Its beauty touched my soul. Many times I thought to take photos but never did. Then I had to leave in a hurry. Later in life it became a great regret that I had not done so.

　　Actually, many times in our lives, we think we own something, therefore we don’t cherish it. We don’t feel regretful until we lose it one day! Moreover, sometimes, we have to accept the things we don’t want and need to discover the hidden beauty to find unexpected joy!

59．The author of the passage employed a writing way ________.

A．of holding and releasing            B．that released first, then held

C．that held first, then released         D．that was not holding or releasing

60．What the author wanted to tell us is that ________.

A．not being delighted for what you have got and not feeling pity on the lost

B．think twice before you leap

C．treat everything calmly

D．cherish what you’ve owned

61．The reason the author came to the office early is ________.

A．to enjoy the dew                 B．to finish her work early

C．to do some cleaning              D．to avoid the burning sun

62．The underlined word “so” in the fifth paragraph perhaps refers to ________.

A．that I couldn’t see the tree any longer    B．that I should have taken some photos

C．that I had to leave                   D．that the tree died

B

Have you ever been to the beautiful country of Holland and its capital Amsterdam? Anyone who has traveled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing: Amsterdam’s story is a tale of two cities—one during the day and a completely different one at night.

　　During the day, the largest city in Holland sits quietly on the Amstel River. You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi. But when the sun goes down, the partying begins. In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke.

　　Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam. And they’re all within a short taxi ride of each other. For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events. Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there. And there’s the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall.

But at night party-seekers come to the square. Hip hop or funk music is heard there. So if you come, be ready to dance. The clubs don’t close down until 4 am.

And while you’re there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city. Don’t worry about getting lost. Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions. And you’ll notice that half the people in the streets are on bicycles they rent.

　　Amsterdam also has a well-planned canal system. For about 10 dollars, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise (巡游) the "Venice of the North".

　The city has a historic past. One impressive place to visit is the Anne Frank House on Nine Streets. It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II. Visitors can view Anne’s original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years.

59. The following means of transport are available to visitors in Amsterdam EXCEPT __________.

A. a carriage.                B. a bicycle.                 C. a canal bus.                     D. a water taxi.

60. When getting lost, a visitor can ask natives for directions in           .

A. only Dutch             B. Dutch or English              C. only English          D. Spanish and English

61. What can you learn about by visiting the Anne Frank House?

A. The happy experience of a girl survivor.     B. The glorious past of Amsterdam.

C. The hard life of the Jewish in World WarⅡ.    D. The hobbies of the Dutch.

62. The passage is intended to           .

A. call up people’s memories of World WarⅡ    

B. tell readers what A Tale of Two Cities is about

C. instruct visitors what to do and see in Holland

D. offer readers some information about Amsterdam