In 1819 a German, Augustus Siebe, developed a way of forcing air into the head-covering by a machine operated above the water. Finally, in 1837 he invented the “hard-hat suit” which was to be used for almost a century. It had a metal covering for the head and an air pipe attached to a machine above water. It also had small openings to remove unwanted air. But there were two dangers to the diver inside the “hard-hat suit.” One was a sudden rise to the surface, caused by too great a supply of air. The other was the crushing of the body, caused by a sudden dive into deep water. The sudden rise to the surface could kill the diver; a sudden dive could force his body up into the head covering, which could also result in death.

During the 1940s diving underwater without a special suit became popular. Instead, divers used a breathing device and a small covering made of rubber and glass over part of the face. To increase the swimmer’s speed another new invention was used – a piece of rubber shaped like a giant foot, which was attached to each of the diver’s own feet. The manufacture of rubber breathing pipes made it possible for divers to float on the surface of the water, observing the marine life beneath them. A special rubber suit made diving comfortable, even in icy water.

The most important advance, however, was the invention of a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus which is called a “scuba.”

Invented by two Frenchmen, Jacques Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan, the scuba consists of a mouthpiece joined to one or two tanks of compressed air which are attached to the diver’s back. The scuba makes it possible for a diver-scientist to work 200 feet underwater – or ever deeper – for several hours. As a result, scientists can now move around freely at great depths, learning about the wonders of the sea.

1.The first major break-through in the invention of diving devices was in _______.

A.    1940s

B.    1837

C.    1680

D.    1490

2.    The giant foot made of rubber is a device to ____________.

A.    make diving easier and more comfortable

B.    increase the diver’s speed

C.    be used together with the hard-hat suit

D.    enable the diver to float on the surface

3.    Which of the following is NOT correct about the scuba?

A.    It is a machine that pumps air to underwater swimmers.

B.    It contains one or two tanks of compressed air.

C.    It contains a mouthpiece and an air tank.

D.    It was invented by two Frenchmen.

4.    A scuba makes it possible for ___________________.

A.    the divers to stay at great depth as long as they like

B.    swimmers to breathe in air under the sea

C.    scientists to work no more than 200 feet below water

D.    divers to come up to the surface whenever he wants to

5.    This article is meant to ___________________.

A.    discuss a solution to a particular problem

B.    comment on a series of inventions

C.    describe the development of a certain device

D.    show the way to breathe under water

Until men invented ways of staying underwater for more than a few minutes, the wonders of the world below the sea were almost unknown. The main problem, of course, was air. How could air be supplied to swimmers below the surface of the sea? Pictures made about 2,900 years ago in Asia show men swimming under the surface with air bags tied to their bodies. A pipe from the bag carried air into the swimmer’s mouth. But little progress was made in the invention of diving devices(设备) until about 1490, when the famous Italian painter, Leonardo da Vinci, designed a complete diving suit..

In 1819 a German, Augustus Siebe, developed a way of forcing air into the head-covering by a machine operated above the water. Finally, in 1837 he invented the “hard-hat suit” which was to be used for almost a century. It had a metal covering for the head and an air pipe attached to a machine above water. It also had small openings to remove unwanted air. But there were two dangers to the diver inside the “hard-hat suit.” One was a sudden rise to the surface, caused by too great a supply of air. The other was the crushing of the body, caused by a sudden dive into deep water. The sudden rise to the surface could kill the diver; a sudden dive could force his body up into the head covering, which could also result in death.

During the 1940s diving underwater without a special suit became popular. Instead, divers used a breathing device and a small covering made of rubber and glass over part of the face. To increase the swimmer’s speed another new invention was used – a piece of rubber shaped like a giant foot, which was attached to each of the diver’s own feet. The manufacture of rubber breathing pipes made it possible for divers to float on the surface of the water, observing the marine life beneath them. A special rubber suit made diving comfortable, even in icy water.

The most important advance, however, was the invention of a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus which is called a “scuba.”

Invented by two Frenchmen, Jacques Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan, the scuba consists of a mouthpiece joined to one or two tanks of compressed air which are attached to the diver’s back. The scuba makes it possible for a diver-scientist to work 200 feet underwater – or ever deeper – for several hours. As a result, scientists can now move around freely at great depths, learning about the wonders of the sea.

1.The first major break-through in the invention of diving devices was in _______.

A.    1940s

B.    1837

C.    1680

D.    1490

2.    The giant foot made of rubber is a device to ____________.

A.    make diving easier and more comfortable

B.    increase the diver’s speed

C.    be used together with the hard-hat suit

D.    enable the diver to float on the surface

3.    Which of the following is NOT correct about the scuba?

A.    It is a machine that pumps air to underwater swimmers.

B.    It contains one or two tanks of compressed air.

C.    It contains a mouthpiece and an air tank.

D.    It was invented by two Frenchmen.

4.    A scuba makes it possible for ___________________.

A.    the divers to stay at great depth as long as they like

B.    swimmers to breathe in air under the sea

C.    scientists to work no more than 200 feet below water

D.    divers to come up to the surface whenever he wants to

5.    This article is meant to ___________________.

A.    discuss a solution to a particular problem

B.    comment on a series of inventions

C.    describe the development of a certain device

D.    show the way to breathe under water

Brenda Bongos was a happy, artistic girl. She had one big ambition—to play the drums in a band. But one big problem lay in her way. To be good enough to play in a band, Brenda had to practice a lot, but she lived next-door to a lot of old people. Many of them are sick. She knew that the sound of beating drums would really get on their nerves. So, she had tried playing in the strangest places: a basement, a kitchen, and even in a shower. But there was always someone it would annoy.

    One day, while watching a science documentary on TV, she heard that sound cannot travel in space, because there's no air. At that moment, Brenda Bongos decided to become a sort of musical astronaut.

    With the help of a lot of time, books and work, Brenda built a space bubble. This was a big glass ball connected to a machine which sucked out all the air inside. All that would be left inside was a drum kit（成套设备） and a chair. Brenda got into the space suit she had made, entered the bubble, turned on the machine, and played those drums like a wild child.

    It wasn't long before Brenda Bongos came very famous. Many people came to see her play in her space bubble. Shortly afterwards she came out of the bubble and started giving concerts. Her fame spread so much that the government suggested that she be part of a unique space journey. Finally, Brenda was a real musical astronaut, and had gone far beyond her first ambition of playing drums in a band.

    Years later, when asked how she had achieved all this, she thought for a moment, and said: ''If those old people next – door hadn't mattered so much to me, I wouldn't have found a solution, and none of this would have ever happened.''

1.Why did Brenda try to play in the strangest places?

A. Because she didn't want others to hear her play

B. Because she didn't mean to disturb others.

C. Because she didn't have her own room

D. Because she didn’t like her neighbors.

2.Brenda started to give concerts _______.

A. after she practiced in her space bubble

B. when she became part of the unique space journey

C. after she became a real musical astronaut

D. when people came to see her in the space bubble

3.Brenda became famous because _______.

A. she was good at music and science

B. she became a real musical astronaut

C. she invented a special way of practice

D. she played well and had a talent

4.Which of the following can be used to describe Brenda?

A. Kind, hardworking and clever

B. Brave, kind and hardworking.

C. Lovely, brave and kind

D. Nervous, kind and clever.

5.It can be inferred from the text that: " _______".

A. He laughs best who laughs last

B. It's never too old to learn

C. Two heads are better than one

D. One good turn deserves another

Brenda Bongos was a happy, artistic girl. She had one big ambition—to play the drums in a band. But one big obstacle lay in her way. To be good enough to play in a band, Brenda had to practice a lot, but she lived next-door to a lot of old people. Many of them are sick. She knew that the sound of beating drums would really get on their nerves. So, she had tried playing in the strangest places: a basement, a kitchen, and even in a shower. But there was always someone it would annoy.

One day, while watching a science documentary on TV, she heard that sound cannot travel in space, because there's no air. At that moment, Brenda Bongos decided to become a sort of musical astronaut.

With the help of a lot of time, books and work, Brenda built a space bubble. This was a big glass ball connected to a machine which sucked out all the air inside. All that would be left inside was a drum kit (成套设备)and a chair. Brenda got into the space suit she had made, entered the bubble, turned on the machine, and played those drums like a wild child.

It wasn't long before Brenda Bongos came very famous. Many people came to see her play in her space bubble. Shortly afterwards she came out of the bubble and started giving concerts. Her fame spread so much that the government suggested that she be part of a unique space journey. Finally, Brenda was a real musical astronaut, and had gone far beyond her first ambition of playing drums in a band.

Years later, when asked how she had achieved all this, she thought for a moment, and said: "If those old people next - door hadn't mattered so much to me, I wouldn't have found a solution, and none of this would have ever happened."

1.Why did Brenda try to play in the strangest places?

A. Because she didn't mean to disturb others.

B. Because she didn't want others to hear her play.

C. Because she didn't have her own room.

D. Because she didn’t like her neighbors.

2.Brenda started to give concerts _______.

A. when people came to see her in the space bubble

B. when she became part of the unique space journey

C. after she became a real musical astronaut

D. after she practiced in her space bubble

3.Brenda became famous because _______.

A. she was good at music and science

B. she invented a special way of practice

C. she became a real musical astronaut

D. she played well and had a talent

4.Which of the following can be used to describe Brenda?

A. Lovely, brave and kind.

B. Brave, kind and hardworking.

C. Kind, hardworking and clever.

D. Nervous, kind and clever.

An African-American man named John Henry was the hero of former slaves and the people who built the railroads in the US in the 19th century.

John Henry was born a slave. He was known for his strength. Many people say he represents the spirit of growth in America during that period.

John Henry grew up in a world that did not let children stay children for long. Before he was six years old, he was carrying stones for workers building a nearby railroad. By the time John Henry was a young man, he was one of the best railroad workers in the country.

John Henry was asked to lead workers on a hard project, creating a tunnel through a mountain. The project required about 1,000 laborers and lasted three years. Hundreds of men became sick as a result of the hot weather and tiredness. John Henry was the strongest and fastest man. Concerned his friends might lose their jobs, he picked up their hammers and began doing their work. He worked day and night, rarely stopping to have a rest.

One day, a salesman came to the work area with a new drilling machine powered by steam. He said it could drill holes faster than twelve men working together.

John Henry looked at the machine and saw images of the future. He saw machines taking the place of America’s best laborers. He saw himself and his friends unemployed and sanding by a road, asking for food. He decided he would never let the machine take their jobs. Therefore, a competition between a man and a machine began .At first, the steam-powered drill worked twice faster. Then, John Henry started working with a hammer in each hand. He worked faster and faster. People cheered when the machine broke down and was pulled away. But they were sad to find John Henry fall to the ground, with blood spilling all around, and still holding a hammer in one of his hands.“I beat them,”he said. Then he took his last breath.

1.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?

A. Many children in those days starved to death.

B. Children at that time grew much faster.

C. Children in those days had to work like adults.

D. Children at that time couldn’t stay together.

2.Why did hundreds of workers become sick?

A. Because they had to work long hours.

B. Because the weather was hot and they were tired.

C. Because the project was too hard.

D. Because they didn’t have time to eat.

3.John Henry helped do his friends’ work      .

A. because he was the strongest and fastest man

B. for fear that his friends would lose their jobs

C. so that they could regain their strength

D. in order be the hero of the railroad workers

4.Which of the following best describes John Henry?

A. Kind and determined.                               B. Cautious and considerate.

C. Brave and strict.                                         D. Hardworking and stubborn.