Warner Brothers is an American company that produces movies and television shows. It started as a small family business operated by four brothers — Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner. In nineteen-oh-three, the brothers began their business by traveling throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania showing movies using a projector (放映机). By nineteen-oh-seven, they opened a movie theater in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Within ten years, the Warner brothers started producing movies, and moved that part of the business to California.
　　In nineteen eighteen, their first complete picture was called “My Four Years in Germany.” The film was based on a book by the United States’ ambassador to the court of Kaiser Wilhelm. In nineteen twenty-five, they began to work to include the technology for sound in their movies.
　　Two years later, Warner Brothers Pictures released the first major movie with sound, or “talking picture.” It was called “The Jazz Singer” and it was a huge success. In the nineteen thirties, the company made several films that were highly praised, including “Little Caesar,” “The Public Enemy”, “The Gold Diggers” and “Forty-Second Street.”
　　The Warner Brothers’ success continued in the nineteen forties with movies like “The Maltese Falcon,” and “Casablanca.” Movies during this time starred popular actors like Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Gary Cooper and Bette Davis. The company continues to produce popular movies today.
　　By the nineteen seventies, the Warner Brothers studios had also become well set up in television. In nineteen ninety, Warner Communications combined with Time Incorporated to form Time Warner Incorporated.
In two thousand one, the company combined with America Online. The company now includes film production, cable television networks, music and publishing. This year, the company announced a deal with the CBS Corporation to form a new television broadcast network. The CW began broadcasting this month.
【小题1】According to the text, at the beginning of their business the four brothers __________.

A．started a movie theater

B．started to produce films

C．were projectionists

D．settled their business in California

【小题2】The Warner Brothers produced its first talking picture in ___________.

A．1918

B．1925

C．1927

D．1930

【小题3】According to the text, which of the following is not sound film?

A．The Maltese Falcon

B．Casablanca

C．Forty-Second Street

D．My Four Years in Germany

【小题4】We can see from the text that ___________.

A．The Warner Brothers has closed.

B．The Warner Brothers has expanded（扩张） its business greatly since it was set up.

C．The CW doesn’t belong to the Warner Brothers.

D．People in the U.S. can’t buy music records produced by the Warner Brothers.

There have been many great inventions, things that changed the way we live. The first great invention was one that is still very important today- the wheel. This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distances.
For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that had as much effect(影响) as the wheel. Then in the early 1800’s the world started to change. There was little unknown land left in the world. People didn’t have to explore(探测) much anymore. They began to work instead to make life better.
In the second half of the 19th century many great inventions were made. Among them were the camera, the light and the radio. These all became a big part of our life today.
The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions. The helicopter in 1909. Movies with sound in 1926. The computer in 1928. And jet planes in 1930. This was also a time when a new material was first made. Nylon came in 1935. It changed the kind of clothes people wear.
By this time most people had a very good life, Man has a desire to explore again, the world was known to man but the stars were not. Man began looking for ways to go into space. Russia made the first step. Then the United States took a step. Since then other countries, including China and Japan, have made their steps into space.
In 1969 man took his biggest step from the earth. Americans first walked on the moon. This is certainly just a beginning thought. New inventions will someday allow us to do things we have never yet dreamed of.
【小题1】This passage talks mainly about________.
A. why cars were very important        
Ｂ. when light was invented
C. which country made the first step into space 
D. how inventions effect people’s life
【小题2】Nylon came out nearly at the same time as _______.

A．radio

B．camera

C．jet planes

D．movies

【小题3】Which of the statements is not true?

A．The wheel was the first great invention that is still very important today. For hundredsof years after that there were many other inventions having as much effect as the wheel.

B．America, Russia, Japan and China began to explore the stars before1969.

C．In the early 1800’s people began to work instead of exploring more unknown land to make life better.

D．New invention will change our life greatly in the future.

【小题4】What does “ a desire” mean in the sentence “Man had a desire to explore more.”?　

A．a good way

B．a new invention

C．a strong wish

D．a wonderful idea

【小题5】Man didn’t have a desire to explore a lot_______.

A．at the beginning of the 1800’s	B．in the 1960’s
C．since the 1900’s	D．from the 1800’s to the 1960’s

 Warner Brothers is an American company that produces movies and television shows. It started as a small family business operated by four brothers — Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner. In nineteen-oh-three, the brothers began their business by traveling throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania showing movies using a projector (放映机). By nineteen-oh-seven, they opened a movie theater in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Within ten years, the Warner brothers started producing movies, and moved that part of the business to California.

　　In nineteen eighteen, their first complete picture was called “My Four Years in Germany.” The film was based on a book by the United States’ ambassador to the court of Kaiser Wilhelm. In nineteen twenty-five, they began to work to include the technology for sound in their movies.

　　Two years later, Warner Brothers Pictures released the first major movie with sound, or “talking picture.” It was called “The Jazz Singer” and it was a huge success. In the nineteen thirties, the company made several films that were highly praised, including “Little Caesar,” “The Public Enemy”, “The Gold Diggers” and “Forty-Second Street.”

　　The Warner Brothers’ success continued in the nineteen forties with movies like “The Maltese Falcon,” and “Casablanca.” Movies during this time starred popular actors like Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Gary Cooper and Bette Davis. The company continues to produce popular movies today.

　　By the nineteen seventies, the Warner Brothers studios had also become well set up in television. In nineteen ninety, Warner Communications combined with Time Incorporated to form Time Warner Incorporated.

In two thousand one, the company combined with America Online. The company now includes film production, cable television networks, music and publishing. This year, the company announced a deal with the CBS Corporation to form a new television broadcast network. The CW began broadcasting this month.

1.According to the text, at the beginning of their business the four brothers __________.

A．started a movie theater

B．started to produce films

C．were projectionists

D．settled their business in California

2.The Warner Brothers produced its first talking picture in ___________.

A．1918             B．1925             C．1927             D．1930

3.According to the text, which of the following is not sound film?

A．The Maltese Falcon

B．Casablanca

C．Forty-Second Street

D．My Four Years in Germany

4.We can see from the text that ___________.

A．The Warner Brothers has closed.

B．The Warner Brothers has expanded（扩张） its business greatly since it was set up.

C．The CW doesn’t belong to the Warner Brothers.

D．People in the U.S. can’t buy music records produced by the Warner Brothers.

 

There have been many great inventions, things that changed the way we live. The first great invention was one that is still very important today- the wheel. This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distances.
For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that had as much effect(影响) as the wheel. Then in the early 1800’s the world started to change. There was little unknown land left in the world. People didn’t have to explore(探测) much anymore. They began to work instead to make life better.
In the second half of the 19th century many great inventions were made. Among them were the camera, the light and the radio. These all became a big part of our life today.
The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions. The helicopter in 1909. Movies with sound in 1926. The computer in 1928. And jet planes in 1930. This was also a time when a new material was first made. Nylon came in 1935. It changed the kind of clothes people wear.
By this time most people had a very good life, Man has a desire to explore again, the world was known to man but the stars were not. Man began looking for ways to go into space. Russia made the first step. Then the United States took a step. Since then other countries, including China and Japan, have made their steps into space.
In 1969 man took his biggest step from the earth. Americans first walked on the moon. This is certainly just a beginning thought. New inventions will someday allow us to do things we have never yet dreamed of.
【小题1】This passage talks mainly about________.
A. why cars were very important        
Ｂ. when light was invented
C. which country made the first step into space 
D. how inventions effect people’s life
【小题2】Nylon came out nearly at the same time as _______.

A．radio

B．camera

C．jet planes

D．movies

【小题3】Which of the statements is not true?

A．The wheel was the first great invention that is still very important today. For hundredsof years after that there were many other inventions having as much effect as the wheel.

B．America, Russia, Japan and China began to explore the stars before1969.

C．In the early 1800’s people began to work instead of exploring more unknown land to make life better.

D．New invention will change our life greatly in the future.

【小题4】What does “ a desire” mean in the sentence “Man had a desire to explore more.”?　

A．a good way

B．a new invention

C．a strong wish

D．a wonderful idea

【小题5】Man didn’t have a desire to explore a lot_______.

A．at the beginning of the 1800’s	B．in the 1960’s
C．since the 1900’s	D．from the 1800’s to the 1960’s

根据短文内容和首字母提示，在下文空格处填入适当的词使短文完整。（每空一词）

Because of different reasons, I could neither go abroad nor attend a language course to improve my English. So, I finally (66)d    ___ to read books in English. I chose Irving’s novel A widow for One Year.

　　What was my experience (67)l    __? Very challenging（有挑战性的）! At the beginning, I tried to stop thinking in Chinese about (68)w    ___ I was reading. I just kept reading instead of looking up the new words in the dictionary. At first it seemed to be (69)i   __ to read and understand without using a dictionary, but then I began to get the meaning (70)s    __. Finally, I was so interested in the wonderful characters and the surprising plot of the novel (71)t   __ I completely forgot that I was reading the book in English.

 　　(72)R    __ this novel was very good for my English learning. I found that Irving’s way of writing was very clear and easy to read. This made me feel really satisfied and encouraged me to read (73)m    __ other books (not only by Irving). I discovered that when you read a book in English you will stop thinking in your mother tongue at some point. It’s just as if you were there, inside the story, among the characters who speak English in the book.

Reading Irving’s novel also enabled me to learn a large (74 )n    __ of new words and expressions used in different contexts. It is really a good (75)w______ to improve our English.