Today, when a man steps on to the moon, or something new and important happens, the world learns about it immediately. What did the newspapers say about that first flight in 1903? Strangely enough, they said hardly anything about it at all. There are only a few reports about it in the papers. These reports said very little. Some of the things they said were not even correct.

In 1904 the Wrights built a second machine. They called it “Flyer No. Two”. They invited some reporters to a field near Dayton to watch them fly. Unfortunately, there was some mechanical(机械的) trouble with the plane and it did not fly at all that day. The newspapermen went away. They were disappointed and did not come back. The Wrights went on with their work. In 1905, they built an even better machine, “Flyer No Three”. They were able to stay upon the air for half an hour and more in the machine. Farmers and travelers on the road around the Dayton often saw them flying, but when three people told newspapermen about it, they refused to believe them.

The Wrights offered “Flyer No. Three” to the United States government. The government was not interested. They seemed to think the Wrights wanted money in order to build a plane. They did not understand the Wrights had already done this, and flown it as well. Experts were still saying that mechanical flight was impossible. At the end of 1905, the two brothers took their planes to pieces. The parts were put into a huge wooden box. It seemed nobody was interested.

1.The reporters were disappointed in 1904 because________.

A．the Wrights did not invite them

B．the plane could not stay long in the air

C．the plane did not fly at all that day

D．they had wanted to see a better machine

2.The U．S. government could not understand that________.

A．the Wrights had already built a machine that could fly

B．experts still thought flight was impossible

C．the Wrights wanted more money to build an airplane

D．“Flyer No. Three” was now in a wooden case

3.The Wrights took their plane to pieces because________.

A．they planned to go to Europe

B．nobody was interested

C．the government didn't give them any money

D．the newspapermen didn't report their flights

4.What does the underlined word “Flyer” mean?

A．Pilot.             B．Drive.            C．Plane.            D．Kite.

5.Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Today, people are very interested in new things.

B．People in the past talked little about new things.

C．Reporters are now as interested in new happening as in the past.

D．People in the past even told each other wrong things.

C
Amelia Earhart's (1897-1937) childhood was not the typical girl’s. She liked nothing better than to explore the banks of the Missouri River, where she climbed trees and hunted rats with her rifle (步枪). She also built her own roller coaster(过山车 ).
The exciting life of the American aviation (航空)pioneer is dramatized in the movie Amelia, which is due to come out on October 23.
After Earhart paid a pilot $1 to take her up for a short fly in his plane, aviation became her love and career.
As she later explained, “Never do things others can do and will do, if there are things others cannot do or will not do.”
Earhart found herself a flying teacher and started to learn to fly. She took all sorts of jobs to pay for the lessons and to buy a second-hand plane on her 24th birthday.
In 1932, Earhart flew solo across the Atlantic. She became the first woman to make the solo crossing. She also made a flying suit for women and went on to design other clothes for women who led active lives. “Now and then women should do for themselves what men have already done —— occasionally what men have not done ——thereby establishing themselves as persons, and perhaps encouraging other women toward greater independence of thought and action.” she said.
When she was nearly 40, Earhart was ready for a final challenge—to be the first woman to fly around the world. However, in mid-flight, she and her navigator (导航员) disappeared in bad weather.
Earhart will be forever remembered as a brave pioneer for both aviation and for women.
59. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. A movie about Earhart’s exciting life has come out.
B. Earhart never did things others could and would do.
C. Earhart’s love for aviation came after she flew a plane for a short time.
D. In Earhart's opinion, women should think and act more independently.
60. The underlined word in paragraph 2 means ____.
A. presented           B. adopted            C. published          D. created
61. From the passage we can know that ____.
A. Earhart showed most interest in adventure trips to the Missouri River during her childhood
B. Earhart s ambition was to fly across the Atlantic
C. Earhart challenged herself constantly
D. Besides flying, Earhart also designed planes and clothes
62. You can probably find this article in        .
A. a booklet            B. a newspaper       C. a guide book      D. an advertisement

From Europe and Asia to the Middle East, many expressed amazement that the US could overcome centuries of racial conflict and elect an African-American president.

Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, said Obama gave the world __31___   courage to dream.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf — the first woman ????___32___  (elect) to head an African country — said she did not expect to see a black American president  ___33____  her lifetime.

“All ____34____ (Africa) now know that if you persevere（坚持）, all things are possible,” she said.

In Indonesia, where Obama lived  ___35____  child, hundreds of students at his former elementary school erupted in cheers when he  ____36____  (declare) winner, pouring into the courtyard  ___37___  they hugged, danced in the rain and chanted “Obama! Obama!”

“I remember in the class book, all students were writing down  ___38___  goals and wishes. Some said they wanted to be lawyers, soldiers, pilot and doctors,  ____39___  he was the one who said he wanted to be president,” said Dewi Asmara, a former classmate. “We never understood  ___40___  was on his mind that day.

When I was seven my father gave me a Timex, my first watch. I loved it, wore it for years, and haven’t had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago. Why? Because I don’t need one. I have a mobile phone and I’m always near someone with an iPod or something like that. All these devices（装置）tell the time—which is why, if you look around, you’ll see lots of empty wrists; sales of watches to young adults have been going down since 2007. 

But while the wise have realized that they don’t need them, others—apparently including some distinguished men of our time—are spending total fortunes on them. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Breitling command shocking prices, up to £250.000 for a piece.

This is ridiculous. Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars. Expensive clothes hang better than cheap clothes. But these days all watches tell the time as well as all other watches. Expensive watches come with extra functions—but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea or need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole? So why pay that much of five years’ school fees for watches that allow you to do these things?

If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five-pound note. Instead the Swiss reinvented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds’ worth of advertising, as a message about the man wearing it. Rolexes are for those who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family; a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world. 

Watches are now classified as“investments”(投资). A 1994 Philippe recently sold for nearly £350, 000, while the 1960s Rolexes have gone from £15, 000 to £30, 000 plus in a year. But a watch is not an investment. It's a toy for self-satisfaction, a matter of fashion. Prices may keep going up—they’ve been rising for 15 years. But when fashion moves on, the owner of that £350, 000 beauty will suddenly find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Timex.

1.It seems ridiculous to the writer that_______________.

A．people dive 300 meters into the sea

B．expensive clothes sell better than cheap ones

C．cheap cars don’t run as fast as expensive ones

D．expensive watches with unnecessary functions still sell

2.What can be learned about Swiss watch industry from the passage?

A．It’s hard for the industry to beat its competitors.

B．It targets rich people as its potential customers.

C．It wastes a huge amount of money in advertising.

D．It’s easy for the industry to reinvent cheap watches.

3.Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Watches? Not for Me!                    B．My Childhood Timex

C．Timex or Rolex?                        D．Watches—a Valuable Collection