In this century the traditional American family is constantly faced with the threat of breakdown. Some sociologists suggest that one little noticed cause may be the introduction of the TV dinner.

Before the appearance of television seats, the American dinner was a big event for the family. In many homes dinner time may be the only time when everyone got together. A typical dinner was usually in three stages. In the preparation stage, the children and Father frequently helped with setting while Mother put the last touches on the roast. In the eating stage, family members shared the day’s experiences and more than food was consumed. In this stage families got to know one another and made joint decisions around the dinner table, and thus the family solidarity（團結）was strengthened. In the cleaning up stage, children or Father again gave their hands, so that their significance to the home community was clear. Unfortunately, all of these have been erased by a product―the television set.

By the beginning of the 1980s, the typical American family dinner was just twenty minutes long. The speed up of this once leisurely experiences is clearly connected to the overall pace of modern life and maybe a model of the modern life is the TV dinners―meals designed to be consumed between the opening and closing credits of a half hour program. The once family affair has now become nothing more than the use of a fork and knife.

64. According to the passage, the American family is now threatened by       .

A. poverty       B. having few children     C. poor living conditions          D. separation

65. In the past, Americans tended to        .

A. spend more time eating their food at dinner table

B. eat more food than they have today

C. spend more time talking about their day’s experience at dinner table

D. talk so much that they forgot to eat

66. The shortening of the dinner time in America is related to        .

A. the TV programs                                   B. the pace of modern life

C. the wide use of household appliances       D. the popularity of fast food

67. The best title for this passage might be       .

A. Talk At Dinner Table                     B. TV Dinner

C. Pace Of Modern Life                    D. Problems Caused By TV

Sam, an unemployed piano tuner, said it was only the second thing he had ever won in his life. The first thing was an Afghan blanket at a church raffle（抽獎）when he was 25 years old. But this was much bigger: it was $120,000! He had won the Big Cube, a state lottery game. To win, a contestant must first guess which number a spinning cube will stop on. The cube has six numbers on it: 1X, 10X, 50X, 100X, 500X, and 1000X. If he is correct, the contestant must then guess which of two selected variables（變量）is going to be greater. So, just guessing which number appears on the cube does not guarantee that you will win any money.

Sam correctly guessed 1000X, but he still had to choose between two variables. One variable was the number of cars that would run the stop sign at Hill Street and Lake Avenue in six hours. The other variable was the number of times that a teenage boy would change TV channels in a three-hour period. This was a tough decision.

Finally, Sam flipped（擲）a coin. It came up heads, so Sam picked the teenager. He picked right. The stop sign was run only 76 times, but the teen clicked 120 times. Sixty-year-old Sam jumped for joy, for he had just won 1000 times 120, or $120,000. Sam dreamily left the lottery studio. Talking excitedly on his cell phone while crossing the street, he got hit by a little sports car.

Sam is slowly getting better. He was in the hospital for a month. His hospital bill was $109,000. And the insurance company for the little sports car’s owner charged Sam for $10,000 worth of repairs. Also, Sam still has to pay federal taxes on his winnings. Sam doesn’t play the state lottery any more. He says it’s better to be unlucky.

60. According to the passage, “the Big Cube” is ________.

A. a TV program                                               B. a lottery game

C. a quiz show                                                  D. a real-life show

61. In order to win “the Big Cube”, a person must ______________.

A. guess the correct number on the cube             B. guess two selected variables

C. accomplish two tasks assigned to him             D. select between two variables

62. What is true about Sam?

A. He was a sixty-year-old man with a job to tune pianos for others.

B. He picked the first number by using a coin to help him make the decision.

C. He was hit by a little sports car when he was going out of the lottery studio.

D. His big prize was hardly enough to cover all the expenses after his accident.

63. Which is the most suitable title of this story?

A. Sam and the Lottery Game                             B. How to Win a Lottery Game

C. It’s Better to Be Unlucky                             D. Good Luck Doesn’t Come Easy

My wife and I spent two weeks in London last year. We went there in the autumn. We think it is the best season to visit England. The weather is usually good and there aren’t too many tourists in October.

We stayed in a small hotel in the West End. It was convenient as we did most of our sightseeing on foot. Taxis were too expensive, we couldn’t understand the bus routes, and my wife didn’t like traveling under the ground. She said it made her feel sick.

We went to look at the places which all tourists visit. We saw Buckingham Palace and the National Gallery. We went shopping in Oxford Street and spent too much money. What we liked most, though, was going to the theatre. We didn’t have the chance to see such wonderful plays at home. A lot of people say English food is bad. We didn’t think so. It is true that most of the restaurants are French or Italian or Chinese, but we had some very good meals.

In fact, we enjoyed our holiday so much that we have already booked again for this year. We are going to take our umbrellas, though. I’m sure we’ll need them sometimes.

56. The couple chose a small hotel in the West End to stay in because _________.

A. taxis were too expensive          

B. they could go sightseeing on foot

C. the underground made the wife feel sick

D. all the above

57. The couple had some difficulty in ________.

A. booking in the hotel                       B. finding the bus routes

C. going sightseeing on foot               D. having meals

58. Generally speaking, the couple _________the trip to London.

A. were satisfied with                         B. disliked

C. were a bit unhappy about                D. regretted

59. Which of the following is NOT true about the couple?

A. They thought English food was bad.

B. They will visit London again.

C. They visited London last October.

D. They didn’t take their umbrella last year.

 Mrs. Green, including her husband and three children, lived in a city,   36    was very near the countryside. She worked   37  a teacher and gave music lessons at a school. Of course she was fond of    38    

Mrs. Green had a good voice and she  39    her classes exciting. But she had a   40   point. Some of her notes（音調）were so high that they sounded like a door which needed   41   . In order to improve her notes, she took   42   chance（機會）that she could find to practise.

As her house was not big, she couldn't practise    43   in it. So she usually left home, walking and singing  44   the country road. She practised her high notes   45   walking. However, each time she heard a person or a car    46   along the road, she  47   singing. She did not want her high notes to be   48  , for she was shy.

One afternoon a fast open car came up to her so   49   and so fast that she didn't  50   it until the car was only a few meters. She was practising some of her  51   and most difficult notes at that time. As the car passed by, she saw a   52   expression come over the driver's face. He stopped suddenly to  53  all the tires（輪胎）carefully.

Mrs. Green felt it shy to tell the driver what the   54   he had heard really was. The driver found   55   wrong, got back into the car and drove off.

Could it be in the room ______ we had a talk last night _____ you left your keys?

A. where; that     B. in which; where     C.      that; where       D. where; where

To learn to swim well, _____________.

A. much practice is needed by one              B. much practice is needed

C. one needs much practice                       D. one is needed much practice

－They used to be good friends but now they are like strangers.

－How________this________?

A. did; come about                              B. did; happen to

C. was; ended up                                D. was; happened

 ______,there must have been 20000 people there, that is, there are______20000 people there.

A. On total; a total of      B. In total; a total of

C. In total; the total of    D. On total; the total of

－You look very tired. Didn't you sleep well last night?

－No, I________until after midnight to see the New Year in.

A. stayed in                     B. stayed at                C. stayed up                D. stayed with

Working for the country, one must learn to_______all his knowledge with the whole scientific world.

A. permit                 B. give                C. share               D. devote