She stared at the painting, wondering where she___ it.

A. saw   B. has seen   C. sees   D. had seen

I called Hnnah many times yesterday evening, but I couldn’t get through. Her brother _____on the phone all the time!

A. was talking  B. has been talking C. has talked  D. talked

--- I’m sure Andrew will win the first prize in the final.

--- I think so. He ___________ for it for months

A. is preparing      B. was preparing

C. had been preparing    D. has been preparing

The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated(估計) to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.

In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate(足夠的) working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.

The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.

1. What would be the best title for this passage?

A. The Difficulties of Learning English

B. International Communications

C. The Standard Varieties of English

D. English as a World Language

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English.

B. There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world.

C. It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of English.

D. People learn English for a variety of reasons.

3. According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?

A. It was popular during Shakespeare’s time.

B. It is used in former British colonies.

C. It serves the needs of its native speakers.

D. It is a world language that is used for international communication.

4. What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?

A. The ability to read a newspaper.

B. It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation.

C. Being a multilingual.

D. Being a native speaker.

5. What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?

A. Those geographically close to the United States.

B. Those interested in the culture of the United States.

C. Former colonies of Great Britain.

D. Countries where international conferences are held.

In every school there is a “top” crowd that sets the pace, while the others follow their lead. Let’s say the top crowd decides that it is smart to wear bright red sweaters. Pretty soon everybody is wearing a bright red sweater. 

There is nothing wrong with that, except the fact that on some people bright red sweater is extremely unbecoming. The situation can even become dangerous, if the top crowd decides that it is smart to drink or to drive cars at seventy miles an hour. Then the people who follow the lead are endangering their lives. They are like the sheep being led to the butcher. 

Now, chances are that you have come across situations like these more than once in your life; chances are that one time or another you probably did something you knew to be wrong. You may have excused yourself by saying, “Gee, the crowd does it.” Well, let the crowd do it, but don’t do it yourself. Learn to say, “No.”

Develop your own standards and your own judgment. If you know the crowd is planning something you disagree to, have the courage to bow out mannerly. You’ll have the satisfaction of standing on your own two feet. 

1. Which is the best title for this passage? 

A. Follow the Lead.      B. Top Crowd.      C. Being Yourself.   D. Bright Red. 

2. The author doesn’t think it good wearing red sweaters if ________. 

A. the crowd does it                           B. you can’t afford them

C. you don’t look good in red              D. the situation isn’t safe

3. According to the passage, people who follow the crowd ________. 

A. sometimes do things against their better judgment

B. make mistakes blindly

C. are willing to put their lives in danger 

D. will in the end become pace-setters

How many men do housework? Recently a European commission(委員會) tried to find out people’s ideas and reactions to the women’s movement. As part of their survey(調(diào)查), they asked many men and women the question, “Who does the housework?” The men answered very differently from the women!

The housework they asked people about was: preparing meals, washing dishes, cleaning the house and babysitting. 48% of British husbands said they did these things. 37% of Danish(丹麥的) men helped in the house. But only 15% of Italian men said they did the housework; many of them said they never helped at all! 

But there was an interesting point of view from the wives. According to British wives, only 38% of their husbands helped in the house. And Italian wives said that their husbands hardly ever helped. The Italian and British men did not tell the truth! The Commission found that Danish men were the most truthful husbands; their answers were the same as their wives’ answers. 

Do the men you know help in the house? Do you think the survey gives a true picture in your experience? Write and tell us what you think. 

1. The survey was carried out in _______.

A. Britain         B. Italy          C. Denmark      D. Europe

2. The subject for the survey is_______. 

A. how many boys do the housework?

B. who does the housework at home

C. how many women do the housework?

D. who are more diligent, wives or husbands

3. From the passage we can see that _______.

A. there are more husbands who did the housework than wives

B. husbands do half of the housework all the time

C. there are more wives who do the housework than husbands

D. wives do almost all the housework at home

4. More _______ husbands help in the house than _______ husbands.

A. British; Danish         B. Italian; Danish      

C. Danish; British         D. Italian; British

With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone(克隆) the animal and save the endangered species(物種). That’s a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”.

Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.

It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.

This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.

The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.

“The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.

“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”

1. The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to _______.

A. make efforts to clone the endangered pandas

B. save endangered animals from dying out

C. collect DNA of endangered animals to study

D. transfer the nuclear of one animal to another

2. According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of _______.

A. available panda eggs                B. host animals

C. qualified researchers                D. enough money

3. The best title for the passage may be _______.

    A. China’s Success in Pandas Cloning                                 

       B. The First Cloned Panda in the World

       C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas

       D. China —the Native Place of Pandas Forever

4. From the passage we know that _______.

    A. Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog

       B. scientists try to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit

       C. Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches

       D. about two thousand of species will probably die out in a century

Puppies for Sale 待售的小狗

A store owner was putting a sign above his door that read “Puppies For Sale”. Signs like that have a way of   1   small children, and   2   enough, a little boy appeared under the store owner’s sign. “  3   are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.

       The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30    4   $ 50.”

       The little boy   5   in his pocket and pulled out some   6  . “I have $ 2.37,” he said. “  7   I please look at them?”

       The store owner   8   and whistled and out of the kennel (狗窩) came a lady, who ran down the aisle (過道) of his store   9   by five puppies. One puppy was   10  . Immediately the little boy singled out the puppy and said, “What’s   11   with that little dog?”

       The store owner explained that the veterinarian (獸醫(yī)) had   12   the little puppy and had discovered that it didn’t have a hip socket. It would always walk slowly and with difficulty. It would always be lame. The little boy became   13   “That’s the little puppy that I want to buy.”

       The store owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

       The little boy got quite upset. He looked   14   into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger and said, “I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay   15   price. In fact I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month    16   I have him paid for.”

       The store owner answered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is   17   going to be able to jump and play with you like the other puppies.”

       To his surprise, the little boy reached   18   and rolled up his pant leg to show a badly twisted, crippled (殘疾的) left leg   19   by a big metal brace (支架). He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who   20  !”

1. A. absorbing        B. attracting            C. bargaining            D. greeting

2. A. sure                 B. luckily         C. surprisingly     D. interestingly

3. A. What            B. How come     C. When                D. How much

4. A. on             B. at             C. to              D. between

5. A. put            B. arrived        C. reached         D. filled

6. A. coin                 B. note                C. value          D. change

7. A. Can           B. Shall           C. Will           D. Must

8. A. performed       B. smiled         C. disagreed       D. announced

9. A. applied         B. guided         C. followed        D. linked

10. A. falling behind  B. setting foot   C. lending a hand D. putting forward

11. A. the price            B. the matter      C. the weight            D. the name

12. A. tested         B. studied        C. examined       D. experimented

13. A. excited       B. shocked       C. worried         D. disappointed

14. A. straight       B. deeply         C. closely          D. totally

15. A. half            B. lower          C. higher           D. full

16. A. unless         B. after                C. until           D. once

17. A. always        B. often           C. no              D. never

18. A. up           B. down           C. out             D. over

19. A. supported       B. assisted        C. adjusted         D. surrounded

20. A. encourages    B. cooperates      C. understands      D. Recognizes

---What is he like ?  --- He is ____

A. well  B. healthy  C. healthy and good  D. honest

He’d like __ by air to Egypt, ___ he?

A.to go, hadn't  B.going, wouldn't  C.to go. Wouldn't  D. going, shouldn't