There have been many great inventions or things that changed the way we live. The first great invention was the one that is still very important today——the wheel. This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distance.

For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that as much effect as the wheel . Then in the early 1800s the world started to change. There was little unknown land left in the world. People didn’t have to explore much any more. They began to work instead to make life better.

In the second half of the 19^th century many great inventions were made. Among them were the camera, the light and the radio. These all play a big part in our daily life today.

The first part of the 20^th century saw more great inventions. The helicopter in 1909, movies with sound in 1926, the computer in 1928, jet planes in 1930. This was also a time when a new material was first made. Nylon came out in 1935. It changed the kind of clothes people wore.

The middle part of the 20^th century brought new ways to help people get over diseases. They worked very well. They made people healthier and allowed them to live longer. By the 1960s most people could expect to live to be at least 60.

By this time most people in developed countries had a very good life. Of course new inventions continued to be made. But man now had a desire(渴望) to explore again. The earth was known to man but the stars were not. Man began looking for ways to go into space. Russia made the first step. Then United States took a step. Since then other countries , including China and Japan, have made their own steps into space.

In 1969 man took his biggest step away from earth. Americans first walked on the moon. This is certainly just a beginning, though. New inventions will some day allow us to do things we have never yet dreamed of.

1. This passage talks mainly about         .

   A. why cars were very important

   B. when light was invented

   C. how inventions affect people’s daily life

   D. which country made the first step into space

2.According to the passage man didn’t have a desire to explore a lot         .

   A. at the beginning of 1800s             B. in the 1960s 

   C. since the 1900s                     D. from the 1800s to 1960s

3.In the 1800s, people began to work in order to make      

   A. explorations    B. their life better     C. discoveries      D. a trip to space

4. Nylon came out of five years later than        .

   A. radio          B. camera           C. jet planes          D. movies

5.People can live longer lives because        that help cure diseases have worked very well.

   A. doctors        B. new ways         C. medicines       D. new hospitals

阅读下面短文， 把A---D四个句子填入文中空缺处， 使短文内容完整、正确，然后完成第70小题。( 每小题2分 ，共10分 )

   More and more people around the world are joining in dangerous sports. Some people climbed the highest mountains, some traveled into unknown parts of the world, some sailed small boats across the largest sea.      1.   

   Bungee jumping ( 蹦极 ) and motorcycle racing are quite dangerous sports. Bungee jumping only lasts a few minutes or even seconds. You jump from a high place , 200 meters above the ground , and there is a rubber band ( 带子 ) tied to your legs.   2.  

About 2,000,000 people around the world have tried bungee jumping.

Why do people join in these dangerous sports? Some scientists say that it is because modern life has become safe and it is not interesting.    3.     They had to go out and look for food, and life was like a fight but was interesting.

    4.     They live and work in safe places, buy food in shops, and there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill.

5.Which of the following is WRONG?

A. People like to join in dangerous sports because they need excitement.

B. Traveling into unknown parts of the world is not a dangerous sport.

C. In bungee jumping, you jump down with a rubber band tied to your legs.

D. In the past, people lived in danger because the living condition was poor.

Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities. Of course, there have always been people who have looked for adventure(冒险)---those who have climbed the highest mountains, traveled into unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans. Now, however, there are people who look for an immediate excitement from a risky(冒险的) activity which may only last a few minutes or even seconds. I would consider bungee(蹦极) jumping to be a good example of such an activity. You jump from a high place(perhaps a bridge or a hot-air balloon) 200 meters above the ground with an elastic(有弹性的) rope tied to your ankles. You fall at up to 150 kilometers an hour until the rope stops you from hitting the ground. It is said that about 2 million people around world have now tried bungee jumping. Other activities which most people would say are as risky as bungee jumping include jumping from tall buildings and diving into the sea from the top of high cliff(悬崖).
For the reasons, some psychologists explain that many people think their life in modern societies has become safe and boring. Not very long ago, people’s lives were constantly(持续的) in danger. They had to go out and hunt for food, diseases could not easily be cured, and life was a continuous battle (战争)for survival.
Nowadays, according to many people, life offers little excitement. They live and work in comparatively safe conditions; they buy food in shops; and there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill. The answer for some of these people is to look for danger in activities such as bungee jumping.
【小题1】Are there many people who are taking part in the dangerous sports?
【小题2】How many kinds of dangerous sports does the writer refer to?
【小题3】How long does a bungee jumping usually last?
【小题4】What do many people think of their life nowadays?
【小题5】What does the writer tell us in the last two paragraphs?