As people slowly learn to cure diseases, control floods, prevent hunger, and stop wars, fewer people die every year. As a result, the population of the world is becoming larger. In 1925 there were about 2 billion people in the world; today there are over 6 billion.

When the number rises, extra mouths must be fed. New lands must be brought under development, or land already farmed must be made to produce more crops. In some areas the land is so over-developed that it will be difficult to make it provide more crops. In some areas the population is so large that the land is divided into too tiny units to make improvement possible with farming methods. If a large part of this farming population went into industrial work, the land might be farmed much more productively (多产地) with modern methods.

There is now a race for science, technology, and industry to keep the output of food rising faster than the number of people to be fed. New types of crops, which will grow well in bad weather, are being developed, so there are now farms beyond the Arctic Circle in Siberia and North America. Irrigation (灌溉) and dry-farming methods bring poor lands under the plough. Dams hold back the waters of great rivers, which can provide water for the fields in all seasons and provide electric power for new industries. Industrial chemistry provides fertilizer to suit different soils. Every year, some new methods are made to increase or to protect the food of the world.

The author says that the world population is increasing because _____.

A. there are many rich valleys and large fields

B. farmers are producing more crops than before

C. people are living longer due to better living conditions

D. new lands are being made into farmlands

The author says that in areas with large populations, land might be more productively farmed if _____. 

A. the land was divided into smaller pieces

B. people moved into the countryside

C. industrial methods were used in farming

D. the units of land were much larger

We are told that there are now farms beyond the Arctic Circle. This has been made possible by _____. 

A. growing new types of crops

B. irrigation and dry-farming means

C. providing fertilizers 

D. destroying pests and diseases

Why is the land divided into tiny units in some areas?

A. There are too many people living there.

B. It saves more natural resources there. 

C. It prevents crops from serious diseases there.

D. Farmers can grow various kinds of crops there.

Why do some people use dams to hold back waters from great rivers? 

A. To develop a new kind of dry-farming methods.        

B. To prevent crops from floods.

C. To provide water and electricity in all seasons.           

D. To water poor lands in bad weather. 

As you can see,the number of cars on our roads______rising these days.

A.was keeping                                   B.keep

C.keeps                                      D.were keeping

As young students, you have many dreams. These dreams can be very big, such as winning the Nobel Prize; they can also be small, such as becoming one of the best students in your class.

    Once you find a dream, what do you do with it? Do you ever try to make your dream real?

    Andrew Matthews, an Australian writer, tells us that making your dreams real is life’s biggest challenge. You may think you’re not very good at some school subjects, or that it’s impossible for you to become a writer. Those kinds of ideas stop you from realizing your dream.

    In fact, everyone can realize his dream. The first thing you must do is to remember what your dream is. Don’t let it leave your heart. Keep telling yourself what you want every day and then your dream will come true faster. You should know that a big dream is, in fact, made up of many small dreams.

    You must also never give up your dream. There will be difficulties on the road to your dreams. But the biggest difficulty comes from yourself. You need to decide what is the most important. Studying instead of watching TV will help you to get better exam results, while saving five yuan instead of buying an ice cream means you can buy a new book.

As you get closer to your dream, it may change a little. This is good as you have the chance to learn something more useful and find new hobbies.

The biggest difficulty on the road to your dreams comes from _____________________.

   A. yourself           B. your friends        C. your school        D. your parents.

Which of the following isn’t mentioned in this passage?

A. You may think you’re not good at some school subjects.

B. Making your dreams real is life’s biggest challenge.

C. You must never give up your dream.

D. Listening to English more can help you realize your dream.

.How do you make your dream come true faster?

  A. Remember what your dream is.                B. Don’t let your dream leave your heart.

C. Keep telling yourself what you want every day.    D. A, B and C.

The best title (标题)of this passage is _________________________.

  A. How to become a writer                   B. How to make your dream real

 C. A big dream is made up of small dreams       D. Everyone can realize his dream

As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping (录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”

The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings (兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”

66．The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.

       A．show the relationship between parents and children

       B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table

       C．report on the findings of a study

       D．give information about family problems

67．Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ____________.

       A．they are busy serving food to their children

       B．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table

       C．they have to pay more attention to younger children

       D．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family

68．By saying “Middle children are invisible” in Paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.

       A．have to help their parents to serve dinner

       B．get the least attention from the family

       C．are often kept away from the dinner table

       D．find it hard to keep up with other children

69．Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question _________.

       A．why TV is important in family life

       B．why parents should keep good order

       C．why children in small families seem to be quieter

       D．why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life

70．Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

       A．It is important to have the right food for children.

       B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.

       C．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.

       D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner

As a palace, the Tower of London．was a great place to live．As a prison, it, wasn't so nice ——especially since so many prisoners lost their heads．Today tourists can explore 5the Tower in the

United Kingdom．Here are some reasons why the Tower was and still is a cool place．

Ravens（渡鸦） are like superheroes．

Well, sort of．Legend says if the ravens that live on the Tower grounds ever leave, the Tower will fall apart．No one knows when the ravens first showed up, but Charles II took the legend so seriously that in the 1670s he gave an official order that six ravens be kept there all the time．Today

there are still always six．

You might have lived at a zoo．

In 1204, King John kept a collection of animals, including lions and elephants．About 50 years later, King Henry III received a polar bear．the bear was kept on a piece of rope so it could fish from the Thames River that flows by the Tower．

       If you lived at the Tower today, your mom or dad might be in charge．

The 35 Yeoman Warders（伦敦塔卫士）and their families are among the few still allowed to live at the Tower．Established in 1509 a;? bodyguards! for the king, today they give tours and  manage the day-to-day details of the Tower．They're called "beefeaters," possibly because their job once allowed them to eat beef from the king's; table．

       You need a secret password at night．

Called the "Word," the password changes every 24 hours and is a must-have to enter the Tower

after hours．It's written on a piece of paper and delivered to the Yeoman on duty for, the night．

You could find buried gold．

       In 1662, a goldsmith（金匠） named John Barfcstead supposedly hid more than $40,000 worth of stolen gold somewhere on．the Tower grounds．Many have searched for the gold, but it has never

been found．

Charles II decided to keep six ravens in the Tower probably because ____,．         ;

       A．he loved animals a lot                 

       B．he believed ravens helped protect the Tower

       C．he wanted to train the ravens to watch the prisoners  

       D．he thought the Tower was a cool place for the ravens to live                        

According to the passage, the Yeoman Warders ______． 

       A．have to part from their families to work at the Tower            

       B．are  currently working as bodyguards for the king                                

       C．sometimes serve as tour guides          

       D．are fond of eating beef                            

Which of the following is TRUE about the Tower of London?   

       A．King Henry III kept lions and elephants in it．   

       B．It stands on the bank of the Thames River．

       C．Nobody is allowed to enter it at night．         

       D．It is also used as a prison nowadays．