From good reading we can derive pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.
With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters portrayed are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances. Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. When human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement.
One of the most valuable gifts bestowed by books is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart’s desire. Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger. We can climb lofty mountains, brave the perils of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mingle with the gay throngs of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read.
53．Why is it that we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?
A．No one has come to disturb us.
B．Everything is so quiet and calm around us.
C．The book we are reading is so interesting and attractive.
D．Our book is so boring that we are to finish it at a fast speed.
54．How would you account for the fact that people like their friends in books even more?
A．They are like human friends exactly.      B．They are unfamiliar types we like.
C．They never desert us.                 D．They are purely imaginary.
55．Which of the following is true according to the text?
A．Your wish to visit some far-off place can be realized thought the pages of the books.
B．To escape from the dull realities of everyday life you should take up reading.
C．Books can always help you live a colourful life.
D．You may obtain valuable experience from reading good books.
56．By saying “…the whole world is ours for the asking,” the author implies that___________.
A．in books the world is more accessible to us
B．we can ask to go anywhere in the world
C．we can possess everything in this world
D．we can make a round-the-world trip free of charge

From good reading we can derive pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.

With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters portrayed are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances. Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. When human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement. One of the most valuable gifts bestowed by books is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart's desire. Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger. We can climb lofty mountains, brave the perils of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mingle with the gay throngs of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read.

51. Why is it that we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?

A. No one has come to disturb you.

B. Everything is so quiet and calm around you.

C. The book you are reading is so interesting and attractive.

D. Your book is overdue; you are finishing it at a very fast speed.

52. How would you account for the fact that people like their acquaintances in books even more?

A. They resemble human friends exactly.     B. They are unfamiliar types we like.

C. They never desert us.                               D. They never hurt our feelings.

53. Which of the following is true?

A. Your wish to visit some far-off place can be realized through the pages of the books.

 B. To escape from the dull realities of everyday life you should take up reading.

 C. Books can always help you to live a colourful life.

 D. You may obtain valuable experience from reading good books.

54. The word “weary” means ______.

    A. “to attract someone’s attention”             B. “to distract someone’s attention”

 C. “to make someone very tired”                D. “to make someone interested”

55. “... the whole world is ours for the asking” implies that ____________.

A. in books the world is more accessible to us

B. we can ask to go anywhere in the world

C. we can make a claim to everything in this world

D. we can make a round-the-world trip free of charge

It was a quiet village in which there was a military camp（ 军营）. It was far from the towns and cities and there were some high mountains around. Of course, it was a  46   place for training the new   47   . Mr. White, an officer of forty, was strict with them and he  48   let them leave the camp.

Once Mr. White was ill in bed . He couldn’t  49  and a young officer, Mr. Hunt, began to train the new soldiers  50 him. He knew the young men well and  51 nine soldiers go to the nearest town to have a holiday. But night fell and  52  came back to the camp. He was worried about it and stood  53  . It was five to twelve when Mr. Hunt   54  to go to the town and see what was  55  to the young men. He  56   the car quickly and set off. At that moment the nine soldiers  57  . It seemed that they were all    58  . Of course they found the officer was  59  . “ I’m sorry, sir,” said the first soldier, “ I left the town  60  . But something was wrong with my  61  on my way here. I had to buy a horse and made it run fast.  62   ! It died and I had to run back. ”

And the other   63  soldiers said they were late for the same reason. It was the last soldier’s  64  . He said, “ I’m sorry, sir. I got on the bus on time, but …”

Hearing this, the officer became even angrier and stopped him at once. He shouted, “ If you say something was wrong with your bus, I’ll punish you at once !”

“ No, no, sir,” said the young man . “ My bus was all right, but the dead horses were   65 !

From good reading we can derive pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.

    With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters portrayed are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances. Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. When human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement.

    One of the most valuable gifts bestowed by books is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart’s desire. Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger. We can climb lofty mountains, brave the perils of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mingle with the gay throngs of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read.

53．Why is it that we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?

       A．No one has come to disturb us.

       B．Everything is so quiet and calm around us.

       C．The book we are reading is so interesting and attractive.

       D．Our book is so boring that we are to finish it at a fast speed.

54．How would you account for the fact that people like their friends in books even more?

       A．They are like human friends exactly.      B．They are unfamiliar types we like.

       C．They never desert us.                  D．They are purely imaginary.

55．Which of the following is true according to the text?

       A．Your wish to visit some far-off place can be realized thought the pages of the books.

       B．To escape from the dull realities of everyday life you should take up reading.

       C．Books can always help you live a colourful life.

       D．You may obtain valuable experience from reading good books.

56．By saying “…the whole world is ours for the asking,” the author implies that___________.

      A．in books the world is more accessible to us

       B．we can ask to go anywhere in the world

       C．we can possess everything in this world

       D．we can make a round-the-world trip free of charge

.

FROM 1964 to 1978, Dazhai, with a population of 500, was the most famous village in China. Millions of Chinese came to the Shanxi village to visit its terraced fields (梯田) and "splendid" irrigation systems.

It was not until 1978 when Guo Fenglian, head of the village, paid a visit to the US that China's model village found how far it had fallen behind those in developed countries.

"I was astonished at their modern equipment in harvesting, which could even separate big tomatoes with small ones," said Guo. "American farmers' life quality also impressed me a lot. Every day they had two cups of milk, which is something we don't have even in our wildest dreams."

"We have to learn their advanced technology and administration for our own development," said then first Deputy Prime Minister Deng Xiaoping who was planning China's reform and opening up policy then. "Through opening our doors, we would not only take advantage of foreign funds (资金), but also create job opportunities and cultivate (培养) talents."

In 1978 Japanese electricity giant Panasonic (松下) came to China as the first foreign business to invest (投资) here and its success attracted other world brands into exploring the Chinese market. So far China has for 15 years taken in the world's second biggest foreign investment, following the US, to help set the country in a fast growth.

However, China's 30-year road of reform was not always smooth. Doubts on the reform began to rise at the end of the 1980s as many people worried the country would turn to capitalism (资本主义).

"The criterion for our judgment is whether it helps develop socialist productive forces, whether it helps increase the overall national strength of a socialist country, and whether it brings about better living standards," said Deng.

"China's reform and opening up is a unique success story. It has brought benefit to both China and the world," said William Keller, chief manager of a Swiss pharmaceutical (制药的) company.

53. Guo Fenglian was ______ at the sight of the modern equipment in harvesting when she visited the US in 1978. 

A. shocked       B. delighted       C. excited       D. attracted

54. ______ was the first big country to invest in China. 

A. America  B. Japan   C. Swiss       D. Panasonic

55. Many people have doubts about the reform ________. 

A. in 1978             B. in 1980     

C. in 1981             D. at the end of the 1980s

56. According to remarks by Deng, which one is NOT the criterion for judging the success or failure of our work in various fields?

A. whether it helps develop socialist productive forces.

B. whether it strengthens the overall capacity of the country.

C. whether it brings about better investment and more profit.

D. whether it improves the peoples living standards.