15. What do we know about American roaches?

A. It’s not easy for people in Houston to collect roaches.

B. They all measure 2 inches and are often found in homes

C. They don’t bite and they are free of disease.

D. We have reasons to like them.

14. The underlined word “fastidious” probably means extremely ________.

A. clean　　 B. dirty 　　C. unpleasant　　 D. fast　　　　　　　　　　

13. For what does the museum pay for cockroaches?

A. For a marketing ploy. 　　　B. It’s devised to make fun.

C. People really need them. 　　D. For a new exhibit.

12. Alec appears quite friendly to Tess mainly because __________.

　 　 A. Tess is his distant relation　　　　 　　　　 B. Tess looks polite to him

　 　 C. Tess is a pretty girl　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　 D. Tess looks ridiculous

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D

　　 Get a reward for every bug you bring to live in new science museum exhibit.

In a city with trillions of American cockroaches(蟑螂), the Houston Museum of Natural Science has agreed to pay a quarter per bug－up to 1,000－as it seeks to populate a new insect exhibit alongside its Cockrell Butterfly Center.

Nancy Greig, the museum’s director insists the public payday for roaches isn’t just a marketing ploy(炒作).

“Absolutely, this wasn’t devised as a joke,” Greig said. “We needed more roaches for the exhibit, so I sent this message out to everyone in the museum asking people to bring them in. Well, someone decided to tell the press, and all hell has broken loose.”

“But we really do need cockroaches.”

“One might be forgiven for never considering how to catch a live cockroach. But it’s simple enough to fool them,” Greig said, “and even easier to catch them.” American cockroaches are the most common kind in Texas, measuring up to 2 inches long and invading homes.

Despite their less-than-attractive reputation, cockroaches actually aren’t that dirty. Greig even went so far as to call them “fastidious” saying they don’t enjoy rooting(用嘴拱食) in waste. They’re only dirty if, say, they used a sewer(下水道)line to gain access into a home.

The roaches collected by the museum will become part of a display in a new exhibit that showcases insects such as cockroaches, dung beetles and termites.

There’s more to like about roaches, too. They don’t bite, and they don’t carry diseases like a mosquito, so they’re generally safe to handle.

11. Why does Tess pay the visit to the d'Urbervilles?

A. To see Alec himself.　　　　　　　　　 B. To see Alec’s mother.

C. To confirm that they are of the same family.

D. To make known their relationship and seek help.

10. In the eyes of Tess, Alec is _______________.

A. forceful and daring　　　　　　　　　 B. unfriendly and talkative

C. a gentle and reliable man　　　　　　　 D. older than she had expected

9. How does Tess feel in the whole course of the meeting with Alec?

A. Excited and hopeful.　　　　　　　　 B. Nervous and uncomfortable.

C. Surprised but comfortable.　　　 　　 　D. Pleased but embarrassed.

8. It can be inferred that the following paragraph of the passage will talk about _________.

A. how Paula and Elyse found each other

B. how Paula and Elyse were separated when young

C. what their mothers were like

D. their mixed feelings when they saw each other

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 C

Tess still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward, when a figure came out from the dark door of the tent. It was a tall young man, smoking.

He had an almost black face, though red and smooth. His moustache was black with curled points, though he could not be more than twenty three or-four. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes.

“Well, my beauty, what can I do for you?” said he, coming forward. And seeing that she was quite at a loss, “Never mind me. I am Mr. d’Urberville. Have you come to see me or my mother?”

This differed greatly from what Tess had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified face. She tried to keep calm and answered- “I came to see your mother, sir.”

“I am afraid you cannot see her-she is ill in bed,” replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alee, the only son of the noble family. “What is the business you wish to see her about?”

“It isn’t business-it is-I can hardly say what!”

“Pleasure?”

“Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem…”

Tess’s sense of a certain ridicule was now so strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved(弯曲) towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.

“It is so foolish”, she stammered(急急巴巴地说). “I fear I can’t tell you!”

“Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear,” said he kindly.

“Mother asked me to come,” Tess continued; “and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not think it would be like this. I came, sir, to tell you that we are of the same family as you.”

“Ho! Poor relations?”

“Yes.”

“Stokes?”

“No; d'Urbervilles.”

“Ay, ay; I mean d'Urbervilles.”

“Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are d'Urbervilles. The local scholars hold the view that we are, and…and we have an old seal(印章) and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we’ve lost our horse by a bad accident; we can hardly make a living.”

　 “Very kind of your mother, I’m sure.” Alec looked at Tess as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. “And so, my pretty girl, you’ve come on a friendly visit to us, as relations?”

“I suppose I have,” looking less confident and uncomfortable again.

“Well-there’s no harm in it. Where do you live? What are you?”

　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　--Tess of the d'Urbervilles By Thomas Hardy

7. The underlined words “out of the blue” in the fourth paragraph can be replaced by ________.

A. unexpectedly　 　 　　B. accidentally　 　　 C. oppositely　 　　 　　　D. out of control　

6. Which of the following can we infer is the least common names of twins according to the passage?

A. Romulus and Remus.　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Jacob and Esau.

C. Mary-Kate and Ashley.　 　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Paula and Elyse.