Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.

　One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.

　　Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.

　On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!

The text is mainly about_________.

　  A. a strange man

　  B. an unusual party

　  C. how roller skating began

　  D. how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century

　People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he________.

　  A. often gave others surprises　　　　  B. was a gifted musician

　  C. invented the roller skates　　 　　  D. was full of imagination

　 Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to_______.

　  A. impress the party guests　　　　　  B. arrive at the party sooner

　  C. test his invention　　 　　　　　　  D. show his skill in walking on wheels

　 What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?

　  A. The roller skates needed further improvement.

　  B. The party guests took Merlin for a fool.

　  C. Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.

　  D. Merlin got himself into trouble.

As you research music, you will find music that is familiar to you. You will find music which tells of interesting places and exciting things to do. You will find music which expresses feelings that are often your own.

Music is an expression of the people. As you research, you will find music of people at work and play. You will find music expressing love of the country, love of nature, and love of home.

Music is also an expression of the composer(作曲家). The composer expresses his own musical ideas. He studies the materials of music and discovers ways of using them. He looks for new kinds of musical expression.

Music can suggest actions and feelings which we all share. We can enjoy playing and singing music, dancing and listening to the music of the people and the composers of different times and places.

In the first paragraph, the author tells us to_______.

A. find entertainment(娛樂) in music   B. be friendly to music

C. express your feelings in music  D. discover the things and places in music

From the second paragraph, we know that ________.

A. if we love music, we will love the country, nature and home

B. music sings of the country, nature and home

C. you may listen to music at work or at play

D. music can express how people live, work and think

By means of music, the composer wishes that ________.

A. you would study with them

B. you would share his feelings and ideas

C. you would express your own feelings

D. you help discover ways of using music and new kinds of musical expression

The last paragraph shows that music makes it possible ________.

A. the music can express actions and feelings at the same time

B. bring understanding between people of different times and places

C. that people can enjoy playing and singing music, dancing and listening to the music at the same time

D. that people of different time and places can get together

Which of the following statements is NOT true. Music expresses ________. A. the feelings of our own      B. people’s love of the country

C. the composer’s feelings     D. people’s musical ideas

Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well—she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."

Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.

"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."

Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London 1 was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all 1 need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."

Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been leaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing—watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now." （08上海卷）

When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a______life.

A. satisfying                B. tough                      C. meaningless                    D. boring

The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______.

A. Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant                                                     

B. Kathy persuaded her to do so

C. Zoe got tired of the city life                                                                             D. Zoe loved Wales more than London

How docs Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?

A. Tiresome and troublesome.                                                                 

B. Romantic and peaceful

C. Mentally exhausting but healthy                                                          

D. Physically tiring but rewarding.

Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed.                                                  

B. Where there is a will, there is a way.

C. A misfortune may turn out a blessing.                                         

 D. Kill two birds with one stone.

I close my eyes and can still hear her—the little girl with a ___1___ so strong and powerful we could hear her halfway down the block. She was a(n)  ___2___ peasant who asked for money and ___3___ gave the only thing she had——her voice. I paused outside a small shop and listened. She brought to my mind the ___4___ of Little Orphan Annie. I could not understand the words she  ___5___, but her voice begged for ___6___. It stood out from the noises of Arbat Street, pure and impressive, like the chime of a bell. She sang ___7___ an old-style lamp post in the shadow of a building, her arms extended and ___8___ thrown back. She was small and of unremarkable looks. Her brown hair ___9___ the bun(發(fā)髻) it had been pulled into, and she occasionally reached up to ___10___ a stray piece from her face. Her clothing I can’t recall. Her voice, on the other hand, is ___11___ imprinted in my mind.

I asked one of the translators about the girl. Elaina told me that she and hundreds of others like her throughout the ___12___ Soviet Union add to their families’ income by working on the streets. The children are unable to ___13___ school, and their parents work fulltime. These children know that the consequence of an ___14___ day is no food for the table. Similar situations occurred during the Depression(蕭條) in the United States, but those American children were ___15___ shoeshine boys of the ___16___. This girl was real to me.

When we walked past her I gave her money. It was not out of pity ___17___ rather admiration. Her smile of ___18___ did not interrupt her singing. The girl watched us as we walked down the street. I know this because when I looked back she smiled again. We ___19___ that smile, and I knew I could never forget her courage and ___20___ strength.

1. A. will B. strength      C. voice  D. determination

2. A. American       B. Chinese      C. Japanese     D. Russian

3. A. in return B. in turn       C. by hand      D. in silence

4. A. voice      B. image C. story   D. looks

5. A. said B. murmured  C. used    D. sang

6. A. attention B. love    C. help    D. mercy

7. A. across     B. from   C. under  D. from underneath

8. A. hands     B. feet     C. head   D. face

9. A. fell out   B. escaped      C. did up D. tied to

10. A. remove B. tear     C. cut off       D. dress

11. A. never    B. permanently      C. occasionally       D. sometimes

12. A. latter    B. rich    C. former       D. great

13. A. attend   B. finish  C. leave   D. enjoy

14. A. unhappy      B. unsatisfied  C. unusual      D. unsuccessful

15. A. faced    B. real     C. faceless      D. visible

16. A. twenties       B. thirties       C. forties D. teens

17. A. and      B. while  C. but     D. or

18. A. contempt     B. pity    C. bitterness    D. thanks

19. A. stopped B. shared C. won    D. exchanged

20. A. full      B. inner   C. brave  D. fighting

The flag, the most common symbol(象征) of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings, ships and other vehicles related to a country.

The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive(原始的)artifact. It is, rather, the product of thousands of years' development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.

Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers .People's food supplies were similarly vulnerable. Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.

Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems(圖騰) before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.

 These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked: The king of China around 1000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe ,where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.

The best title for the passage would be______.

A. Power of the National Flag         B. Uses of Flag

C. Types of Flags                     D. Development of the National Flag

The underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 3 means_____

A. impossible to make sure of         B. difficult to find

C. likely to be protected             D. easy to damage

The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because______

A. they were believed to stand for natural forces

B. they could bring good luck to fighters

C. they were handed down by the ancestors

D. they could tell wind direction

What does the author know of the first national flag?

A. He thinks it came from            B. He believes it was made in Egypt

C. He doubts where it started.    D. He knows when it was sent to Europe

What was the author most probably talk about next?

A. The role of China in the spread of the national flag.

B. The second ancestor of the national flag.

C. The use of modern flags in Europe   

D. The importance of modern flags

One August afternoon, Richard Allen dropped off his last passenger, Mrs. Carey. Lifting two grocery bags, he followed her across the yard and stood on the step of her house. Glancing up, he saw a large wasp（黃蜂） nest under the roof. Allen had heard that wasps can become more likely to sting (sting, sting, stung蜇) in summer. He mentioned this to Mrs. Carey, who had opened the door.

“Oh, they don’t bother me,” she said lightly. “I go in and out all the time.”

Anxiously, Allen looked at the nest again—— to see the wasps flying straight at him. “Hurry!” he shouted to Mrs. Carey. “Get in!”

She stepped quickly inside. Allen ran for his mini-bus. Too late; they were upon him. Just as he jumped aboard, half a dozen red spots showed on his arm, and he felt more on his back and shoulders.

As he was driving down the road, Allen felt as if something was burning at the back of his neck, and the “fire” was spreading forward toward his face. And immediate anxiety took hold of him. Allen knew that stings could cause some persons to die. But he had been stung the previous summer and the after-effects soon passed. However, what he didn’t know what that the first sting had turned his body into a time bomb waiting for the next to set off an explosion.

Miles from the nearest medical assistance, Allen began to feel his tongue thick and heavy and his heartbeat louder. Most frightening, he felt his breathing more and more difficult. He reached for the radio mike（話筒）, trying to call the mini-bus center, but his words were hardly understandable. Signals were also poor that far out. He knew a rescue team was on 24-hour duty at the Amherst Fire Department’s north station. So his best chance was to make a run for it.

Rushing down the mountain, Allen tried not to panic, focusing his mind on each sharp turn. He was almost through the last of them when he felt sure he was going into shock（休克）. Just then he reached for the radio mike again.

“Call fire station,” he shouted, concentrating to form the words. “Emergency. Bee sting. Emergency. There in ten minutes.”

“Five-ten,” the center replied.

Hold on, Allen thought. Keep your eyes open. Breathe. Keep awake.

At last he reached the station. Two firemen ran out. Allen felt their hands grasp him before he hit the ground. You made it, he thought.

It is mentioned in the passage that wasps are more likely to attack when _______.

 A. there are huge noises          B. strangers are approaching

C. the air is filled with food smell  D. the hottest season comes around

Allen didn’t know that if stung by wasps again, he would _______.

A. have no after-effects   B. suffer from sharper pain

C. surely lose his life     D. become more sensitive

Allen failed at his first attempt to send his message to the mini-bus center because _______.

A. he was unable to speak clearly   B. his radio equipment was poor

C. he was in a state of shock       D. no one was on duty

Which would be the best title for the passage?

 A. Allen, A Helpless Driver  B. Wasps, Bloody Killers

C. A Race Against Death    D. War Against Wasps

Boxing was long viewed sickly. Generally forbidden by law in earlier days, the fighting was usually done with bare fists, and matches often lasted forty or fifty rounds.

In 1882 John L. Sullivan, a fighter of great power, won the world heavyweight championship from Paddy Ryan in a bare fisted battle marked by hitting, scratching, and biting without any rule. Five years later, while fighting Patsy Cardiff at Minneapolis, Sullivan broke his right arm in the third round, but he continued fighting to the sixth round and won. In 1889, Sullivan defeated Jade Kilrain with his bare fists in another championship fight, winning twenty thousand dollars and a diamond prize medal. His admirers talked then of running him for the next governor, but he traveled to Australia for a boxing tour instead, coming back only to lose his title in a twenty-one-round match with a young Californian named James J. Corbett.

“Gentleman James” victory in this match marked a turning point, for it showed scientific boxing was over strength. But Corbett’s title ended in 1897, when another boxer, Bob Fitzsimmons, in less than three seconds, achieved his feats and then Fitzsimmons knocked out an Irishman, won the heavyweight championship of the world, and invented the terrible “solar plexus punch.”

Boxing matches in the early days were ________.

A. short and bloody       B. usually spare-time competitions

C. governed by strict rules     D. cruel

Sullivan held the world’s heavyweight title for ________.

A. at least seven years    B. only a year

C. five years   D. twenty-one years

Sullivan’s fight with Kilrain was ________.

A. the first boxing championship match

B. a bare-fisted championship fight

C. the last boxing match to be fought bare-fisted

D. a six-round match

Sullivan was so popular that his admirers ________.

A. encouraged him to be a governor

B. raised twenty thousand dollars for him

C. advised him to take boxing tour of Australia

D. refused to believe he could be defeated

Superconducting Materials

       The stone age, The Iron Age. Entire epochs have been named for materials. So what to call the decades ahead? The choice will be tough. Welcome to the age of superstuff(超級材料). Material science -- once the least sexy technology – is bursting with new, practical discoveries led by superconducting ceramics that may revolutionize electronics. But superconductors are just part of the picture: from house and cars to cook pots and artificial teeth, the world will someday be made of different stuff. Exotic plastics, glass and ceramics will shape the future just as surely as have genetic engineering and computer science.

       The key to the new materials is researchers’ increasing ability to manipulate substances at the molecular level. Ceramics, for example, have long been limited by their brittleness. But by minimizing the microscopic imperfections that cause it, scientists are making far stronger ceramics that still retain such qualities as hardness and heat resistance. Ford Motor Co. now uses ceramic tools to cut steel. A firm called Kyocera has created a line of ceramic scissors and knives that stay sharp for years and never rust or corrode.

      A similar transformation has overtaken plastics. High-strength polymers now form bridges, ice-skating rinks and helicopter rotors. And one new plastic that generates electricity when vibrated or pushed is used in electric guitars, touch sensors for robot hands and karate jackets that automatically record each punch and chop. Even plastic litter, which once threatened to permanently blot the landscape, has proved amenable to molecular tinkering. Several manufacturers now make biodegradable forms; some plastic six-pack rings for example, gradually decompose when exposed to sunlight. Researchers are developing ways to make plastics as recyclable as metal or glass. Besides, composites – plastic reinforced with fibers of graphite or other compounds – made the round-the-world flight of the voyager possible and have even been proved in combat: a helmet saved an infantryman’s life by deflecting two bullets in the Grenada invasion.

       Some advanced materials are old standard with a new twist. The newest fiberoptic(光學(xué)纖維的) cable that carry telephone calls cross-country are made of glass so transparent that a piece of 100 miles thick is clearer than a standard window pane.

       But new materials have no impact until they are made into products. And that transition could prove difficult, for switching requires lengthy research and investment. It can be said a firmer handle on how to move to commercialization will determine the success or failure of a country in the near future.

How many new materials are mentioned in this passage?

A Two      B Three    C Four    D Five

Why does the author mention genetic engineering and computer science?

A To compare them with the new materials.

B To show the significance of the new materials on the future world.

C To compare the new materials to them.

D To explain his view point.

Why is transition difficult?

A Because transition requires money and time.

B Because many manufacturers are unwilling to change their equipment.

C Because research on new materials is very difficult.

D Because it takes 10 years.

Where lies success of a country in the New Age of superstuff?

A It lies in research.      B It lies in investment.

C It lies in innovation.    D It lies in application.

The only way to travel is on foot

The past ages of man have all been carefully labeled（標(biāo)記）by anthropologists（人類學(xué)家）. Descriptions like ‘Palaeolithic(舊石器時(shí)代) Man’, ‘Neolithic Man’, etc., neatly（干凈地；整潔地） sum up whole periods. When the time comes for anthropologists to turn their attention to the twentieth century, they will surely choose the label ‘Legless Man’. Histories of the time will go something like this: ‘in the twentieth century, people forgot how to use their legs. Men and women moved about in cars, buses and trains from a very early age. There were lifts and escalators（自動(dòng)電梯，自動(dòng)扶梯）in all large buildings to prevent people from walking. This situation was forced upon earth dwellers（居民） of that time because of miles each day. But the surprising thing is that they didn’t use their legs even when they went on holiday. They built cable railways, ski-lifts and roads to the top of every huge mountain. All the beauty spots on earth were marred （糟蹋）by the presence of large car parks. ’

The future history books might also record that we were deprived（剝奪） of the use of our eyes. In our hurry to get from one place to another, we failed to see anything on the way. Air travel gives you a bird’s-eye view of the world – or even less if the wing of the aircraft happens to get in your way. When you travel by car or train a blurred image of the countryside constantly smears the windows. Car drivers, in particular, are forever obsessed with the urge to go on and on: they never want to stop.

Is it the lure of the great motorways, or what? And as for sea travel, it hardly deserves mention. It is perfectly summed up in the words of the old song: ‘I joined the navy to see the world, and what did I see? I saw the sea.’ The typical twentieth-century traveler is the man who always says ‘I’ve been there. ’ You mention the remotest, most evocative place-names in the world like El Dorado, Kabul, Irkutsk and someone is bound to say ‘I’ve been there’ – meaning, ‘I drove through it at 100 miles an hour on the way to somewhere else. ’

When you travel at high speeds, the present means nothing: you live mainly in the future because you spend most of your time looking forward to arriving at some other place. But actual arrival, when it is achieved, is meaningless. You want to move on again. By traveling like this, you suspend all experience; the present ceases to be a reality: you might just as well be dead. The traveler on foot, on the other hand, lives constantly in the present. For him traveling and arriving are one and the same thing: he arrives somewhere with every step he makes. He experiences the present moment with his eyes, his ears and the whole of his body. At the end of his journey he feels a delicious physical weariness. He knows that sound. Satisfying sleep will be his: the just reward of all true travellers.

1. Anthropologists label nowadays’ men ‘Legless’ because

       A . people forget how to use his legs.            B  people prefer cars, buses and trains.

       C  lifts and escalators prevent people from walking. D  there are a lot of transportation devices.

2. Travelling at high speed means

       A people’s focus on the future.   B a pleasure.

C satisfying drivers’ great thrill.  D a necessity y of life.

3. Why does the author say ‘we are deprived of the use of our eyes’ ?

       A  People won’t use their eyes.     B In traveling at high speed, eyes become useless.

       C  People can’t see anything on his way of travel.   D  People want to sleep during travelling.

4. What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?

       A Legs become weaker.   B Modern means of transportation make the world a small place.

       C There is no need to use eyes.    D The best way to travel is on foot.

5. What does ‘a(chǎn) bird’s-eye view’ mean?

       A  See view with bird’s eyes.    B  A bird looks at a beautiful view.

C It is a general view from a high position looking down.   D  A scenic place.

Christopher Reeve is best known as the man who played Superman always fighting against the forces of evil(邪惡). He came to ___1___ the victory of good over bad. Now he has taken on his ___2___ fight. 

In 1995, ___3___ riding his horse, Christopher Reeve was thrown to the ground. He broke his ___4___ and has been paralyzed ever since. He cannot move a muscle ___5___ his shoulder level and for six months after his accident he could not even ___6___ without help. ___7___, in spite of his terrible injuries, his goal is to carry on as ___8___ a life as he can. He now spends a lot of time traveling around America ___9___ for people who are in the same ___10___ as he is.

Over 215, 000 Americans suffer from spinal cord(脊髓) injuries, but 90% of them survive(幸存) and live to a great age. Almost ＄9 billion is spent every year ___11___ for these people, yet only ＄5 million is spent on the ___12___ to find a cure. Christopher Reeve is a very ___13___ man who, at the age of 9, will not accept that he will ___14___ walk again. He and many others believe that the only thing stopping ___15___ from finding a cure for their injuries is ___16___ for research. 

In 1996, he founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation(CRF) to raise funds(資金) for medical research to treat and find a cure for spinal cord injuries, and also to support programs that improve the quality of life for ___17___ people. Christopher Reeve makes the best of his ___18___. He has conquered his ___19___. He has even returned to the ___20___ world with a ＄5, 000 wheelchair that can be controlled by sucking or puffing on a straw.

1. A. show      B. play    C. stand for    D. win

2. A. hard       B. serious       C. interesting  D. own

3. A. when      B. before        C. after   D. by

4. A. shoulder        B. arm    C. back   D. hand

5. A. above     B. below        C. from   D. of

6. A. stand      B. work   C. breathe       D. think

7. A. And       B. however     C. Still    D. So

8. A. normal   B. pleased       C. easy    D. ordinary

9. A. caring    B. writing       C. looking      D. speaking

10. A. country B. illness        C. situation   D. part

11. A. treating        B. caring        C. serving       D. curing

12. A. research       B. patients      C. hospital      D. medicine

13. A. strong   B. young        C. determined        D. handsome

14. A. later     B. possibly     C. hardly        D. never

15. A. hospitals      B. scientists   C. chemists     D. patients

16. A. money  B. equipment  C. time    D. views

17. A. sick      B. disabled    C. ordinary     D. poor

18. A. spinalcord    B. illness        C. position      D. spirit

19. A. fear      B. spinalcord        C. disability    D. victory

20. A. business       B. movie      C. sports  D. pleasant