The area south of the Thames at Greenwich has a long history. Throughout time different buildings have been constructed on the same site. The Palace of Placentia, an English Royal Palace built in 1447, no longer exists apart from a few remains under the present buildings.

The grand buildings on the South Bank of the Thames at Greenwich were designed by Sir Christopher Wren, most famous for St. Paul’s Cathedral. The buildings were finally completed in 1745, although some parts started to be used as early as 1705. They’re now part of a university — having served as a naval（海军）hospital and a naval college and the setting for several cinemas.

But the buildings stand on a site which has a much longer history, of which now only a part remains that is below the ground. For nearly two hundred years, from around 1450 to 1650, Greenwich was one of the main royal palaces of England. Some of the most famous English rulers, such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, not only lived there, but also were born there.

Henry VIII put an armory（兵工厂）there, and there were also gardens, a great fountain (喷泉) and a mass of buildings. The Palace was also in a strategic location, because at the time either side of Greenwich on the Thames were important Royal Dockyards (船厂).

Eventually, though, the Palace fell into disrepair. In 1664, the King at the time, Charles II, decided to replace it with completely new buildings in a modern style. Only a cellar (地窖) from the former Royal Palace now remains, under one of the new buildings. Its red brick, typical of the 16th century, contrasts (对比) sharply with the white stone above it.

    Would you like to join us to have a good view of Greenwich?

1.We can learn from the passage that the Palace of Placentia _____.

A. had served as a university                B. was constructed with white stones

C. was designed by Christopher Wren         D. was of particular importance in a war

2. The buildings on the South Bank of the Thames at Greenwich now _____.

A. are in need of repair                     B. differ from those in the 16th century

C. were designed in the style of Elizabeth I     D. have a history of more than half a century

3.According to the passage, when did the Palace of Placentia disappear from the ground?

A. In the late 1400s.                    B. In the early 1600s.

C. In the late 1600s.                     D. In the early 1700s.             

4.Where can we most probably read this passage?

A. In a science report.                   B. In a personal diary.  

C. In a geography textbook.              D. In a travel magazine.

1.I don’t want to set down a _________(系列)of facts in a diary as most people do.

2.If you want to read quickly and well, you should increase your _____________(词汇量).

3.People from England made ____________(航海)to conquer other parts of the world..

4.I said hello to her ,but she ____________(不理睬)me completely.

5.Don’t be __________(关心) about your son very much. He has grown up.

6.It took the rest of the winter for her to r________ from her heart operation.

7.After he come back from abroad, he decided to s_______ in his hometown .

8.One of the d____________ of the job is the long working hours.

9.She kept a travel j_________ during her trip to China.

10.I p____________ my husband not to drink too much at that time.

“Sesame Street” has been called “the longest street in the world.” That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American’s exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969. ?

In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation’s pre-school children, from every kind of economic, racial(种族的), and geographical group. ?

Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from “Sesame Street” are in the same class with children who have not watched the program. ?

Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional(偶尔的）viewer. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly. ?

The programs all use songs stories, jokes and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters. ?

Why has “Sesame Street” been so much more successful than other children’s shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories of its creators, the support by the government and private businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more. ?

1. “Sesame Street” is actually______. ?

2.Children who often watch the program______. ?

3.What is special about the program?

4.Why is “Sesame Street” so popular in the world?

5.The best title for this passage can be______. ?

Flying over a desert in an airplane, two scientists looked down with trained eyes at trees and bushes．After an hour's flight, one of the scientists wrote in his notebook, "Look here for probable metal." Walking across hilly ground, four scientists reported, "This ground should be searched for metals." From an airplane over a hilly wasteland a scientist sent back by radio one word "Uranium".

None of the scientists had X-ray eyes: they had no magic powers for looking down below the earth's surface．They were merely putting to use one of the newest methods of locating minerals in the ground -- using trees and plants as signs that certain minerals may lie under the ground on which the trees and plants are growing.

This newest method of searching for minerals is based on the fact that minerals deep in the earth may affect the kind of bushes and trees that grow on the surface.

At Watson Bar Creek, a mineral search group gathered bags of tree seeds．Boxes were filled with small branches from the trees．Roots were dug and put into boxes．Each bag and box was carefully marked．In a scientific laboratory the parts of the forest trees were burned to ashes and tested．Each small part was examined to learn whether there were minerals in it.

Study of the roots, branches and seeds showed no silver．But there were small amounts of gold in the roots and a little less gold in the branches and seeds．The seeds growing nearest to the tree trunk had more gold than those growing on the ends of the branches.

If the trees indicated that there was no gold in the ground, the scientists wouldn't spare money to pay for digging into the ground.

1.Scientists were flying over a desert or a hilly wasteland or a mountain region to _____.

2.The study of trees, branches and roots indicated that ______.

3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as part of a tree that can help the searchers?

4.Which of the following might be the best title for this passage?

About five states in Nigeria will experience a total eclipse (日蚀) of the sun on March 29, 2006, according to a forecast by the Ministry of Science and Technology this week.

An eclipse occurs in one of two ways: when the moon passes between the earth and the sun so that all or part of the sun cannot be seen for a time, or when the earth passes between the moon and the sun so that you cannot see all or part of the moon for a time. The first case is a solar eclipse or eclipse of the sun, which occurs as the earth enters the shadow of the moon. The second describes a lunar eclipse or eclipse of the moon, which happens when the moon enters the shadow of the earth.

More than 60 percent of Nigerians are uneducated, and eclipses in some parts of the country in the past have caused commotions in which people have been killed and property destroyed. Some Nigerians believe an eclipse is punishment from the gods for evil doing.

The March 29th eclipse would be the fifth in Nigeria’s history, and it is expected to last for 30 minutes -- 9:15AM to 9:45AM, according to the official prediction. Nigeria witnessed eclipses in 1898, 1947, 1959, and 2001.

The shadows in an eclipse have a central dark part called umbra, and a less dark external section called penumbra. In the umbra, all the sun’s light is cut off, and this is called total eclipse; while in the penumbra, only a part of the light from the sun is cut off from the moon, and it is called partial eclipse.

Five Nigerian states -- Oyo, Kwara, Niger, Zamfara, and Katsina -- are expected to have total eclipse, while other parts of the country will experience partial eclipse.

43. This passage is mainly written to ________.

A. predict a eclipse of the sun in Nigeria

B. compare a eclipse of the sun with a eclipse of the moon

C. provide information on a coming eclipse of the sun in Nigeria

D. show that people in Nigeria receive little education

44. If this passage is taken from a newspaper, which section is the passage probably from?

A. Entertainment.          B. Economy.          C. Education.         D. Science.

45. The best title for this passage is ________.

A. What Is an Eclipse

B. How Foolish People in Nigeria Are

C. Nigeria Expects Solar Eclipse

D. Solar Eclipse Happens on March 29, 2006