Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. The lead story in tonight’s news concerns the fire which destroyed the major part of Columbia College at 4 a.m. this morning. In only five minutes, more than six hundred girls came out of their dorms to watch their college burn to the ground in the freezing December weather. Fortunately, there were no injuries resulting from the fire. According to the college president, plans are already made to raise more than three million dollars to rebuild the college.
Here is the news from Washington. President Clinton says he is troubled by a scientist’s desire to clone a human and is urging Congress to pass a ban (禁令) on such experiments for at least five years. In his weekly radio address, Clinton noted Chicago-area physicist Richard Seed’s announcement that he is ready to set up a clinic to clone human babies. President Clinton said that the need for passing laws that would ban human cloning for at least five years is more urgent than ever.
A brief look at the weather for the weekend tells us to expect light showers on Saturday and Sunday. The high Saturday will be in the lower 40’s. On Sunday, we can expect the high to be about 65. That’s this evening’s news. Good night from Channel 9 news. Your better news station, and from Alan King, your reporter.
1. When did the fire at Columbia College take place?
A. In December.                        B. In March. 
C. In November.                        D. In April.
2. What does President Clinton hope Congress do?
A. To pass a ban on doing experiment in labs. 
B. To ban cloning humans forever.     
C. To pass laws to support cloning babies.
D. To pass a ban on human cloning quickly.
3. What will the weather be like on weekend?
A. There will be a strong wind.           B. The weather will be fine.
C. It will be freezing cold.               D. It will be rainy.

For many years, no one could communicate with people who had been born without hearing. These deaf people were not able to use a spoken language.
But, beginning in the 1700s, the deaf were taught a special language. Using this language, they could share thoughts and ideas with others. The language they used was a language without sound. It was a sign language.
How did this sign language work? The deaf were taught to make certain movements using their hands, faces, and bodies. These movements stood for things and ideas. People might move their forefingers across their lips. This meant, “You are not telling the truth.” They might tap their chins with three fingers. This meant “my uncle.”
The deaf were also taught to use a finger alphabet (字母). They used their fingers to make the letters of the alphabet. In this way, they spelled out words. Some deaf people could spell out words at a speed of 130 words per minute.
Sign language and finger spelling are not used as much as they once were. Today, the deaf are taught to understand others by watching their lips. They are also taught how to speak.
1. The deaf “talked” to other people __________.
A. by moving their hands, faces and bodies
B. by shouting and singing
C. without using any letters         
D. without using any language
2. The deaf could spell out words __________.
A. by reading them aloud
B. by going here and there
C. by expressing the letters with their fingers
D. by watching others
3. Now, the deaf are trained to __________.
A. write sentences quickly
B. understand others by lip-reading
C. be good at mind-reading
D. keep alone happily
4. The story as a whole is about __________.
A. learning to spell                      B. teaching the deaf to speak   
C. how the deaf communicate             D. understanding Indian sign language

Well, Mrs. Evans, I’ve done my best to look after David. I’ve tidied his room up every day, got him a meal together whenever he needed one and made sure he’s always had a clean shirt to put on. It’s not been easy, with two of my own to worry about, as well. David had the best of attention, I must say. But now because I asked him to give up bringing that American friend to his home he has got quite miserable and unfriendly. He comes in at all hours and his behavior---- well, it’s quite hard to put up with---- and it’s all because of this friend. I’m sure he’s a bad influence. You see, David’s a visitor and doesn’t fully understand our ways.
He used to study most evenings. He’s got through quite a bit of work. He did up his room quite nicely, with bookshelves and large posters. He’d ask Mr. Smith and me up for a drink and cheer us up with songs from his country. He’s very good at the guitar, you know.
I don’t want to appear as if I’m running after him, but it’s about time we made it up. I’m sure he’s upset because I told him off. It might be a good idea to take him out for a meal, perhaps even with his friend. I don’t know whether it will do any good but we can try. I’m glad I’ve had this little chat with you, Mrs. Evans, and I’ll let you know how I get on.
1. Mrs. Smith believes that David is not the cause of the quarrel but that the main cause is __________.
A. Mr. Smith                                       B. too much homework
C. David’s behavior                              D. David’s friend
2. Mrs. Smith wants to make up the quarrel by _______.
A. cooking a meal                                B. inviting David and his friend out
C. running after David                          D. giving them drinks
3. David’s present attitude to Mrs. Smith is ________.
A. unfriendly             B. cheerful      C. very attentive         D. incomprehensible
4. David is ________.
A. an American friend     B. a singer   C. a visiting student             D. Mrs. Smith’s son

The use of cars is becoming more and more popular in the twentieth century. A large number of the world's population are now able to buy and use cars.
Having a car gives much mobility（活動(dòng)余地）, enabling the driver to move around freely. The owner of a car is no longer forced to depend on public transport（公共交通）and doesn't, therefore, have to work in a place near his home. Instead, he can choose from a greater variety of jobs and he could change his job frequently.
Travelling to work by car is also more comfortable than having to use public transport; the driver can use the heating in winter and the air conditioning in summer to meet his own need and preference. There is no discomfort caused by waiting for
buses, trains or underground trains etc. With the building of good fast motorways long distances can be covered rapidly and pleasantly. Also, for the first time in the century, many people are able to enjoy their free time to the full by making trips to the countryside or seaside at weekends. This feeling of independence and the freedom to go wherever you please is perhaps the greatest advantage（優(yōu)勢(shì)）of the car.
1. What does the writer think of the public transport?
A. It gives less mobility           B. It is not comfortable at all
C. It enables a variety of jobs       D. It is becoming more popular than before
2. Traveling by bus may be ______.
A. less comfortable than by underground train 
B. more comfortable than by other transport
C. less comfortable than by other public transport  
D. less comfortable than by car
3. What does the underlined word mean?
A. from time to time            B. with difficulty   
C. against his own will         D. never
4. What does the writer think of having a car of your own?
A. It offers lots of advantages.        B. It has lots of independence.
C. It gives the feeling of freedom.     D. It offers free trips.

Dear Earthmen,
I have enjoyed my stay on your interesting unusual planet. I think I understand the life on earth now and I would like to give you my impressions.
First of all you live in boxes. Every morning you leave your big boxes and get into smaller boxes on wheels. All these small boxes race around and around, and finally stop to rest. You then leave these boxes on wheels and go to very large tall boxes.
After testing all days you get back in your little boxes and return to your big boxes. There you sit and stare at tiny glowing boxes with moving pictures on the front.
Only one thing puzzles me. One day, I went to a football game. A bunch of angry boys fought over a little round ball. Everyone yelled for them to stop but they kept on fighting. They were angry, I suppose, about being cooped up（被關(guān)起來）in boxes all day.
Thank you earthmen for this chance to get to know you.
Gratefully,
The man from the Mars（火星）
1. The small boxes on wheels are ________.

When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a clerk in San Francisco. I was alone in the world, and had nothing to depend on but my brain and a clean reputation.
My time was my own after the afternoon board on Saturdays, and I would spend the time on a little sailboat on the bay. One day I sailed too far, and was carried out to sea. At nightfall, when hope was almost lost, I was picked up by a small boat, which headed for London. It was a long and stormy journey, and they made me earn my passage as a common sailor. When I stepped on land in London, my clothes were ragged and shabby, and I only had a dollar in my pocket. This money fed and sheltered me for 24 hours. During the next 24 hours I went without food and shelter.
About ten o’clock on the following morning, tired and hungry, I was walking along Portland Place, when a passing child, threw a big pear into the rubbish can. I stopped, of course, and stared at that muddy treasure. My mouth watered for it. My whole body begged for it. But every time I made a move to get it, some passing eyes noticed my purpose, and of course I straightened up, looked calm, and pretended that I hadn’t been thinking about the pear at all. The same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn’t get the pear. I was just getting desperate enough to face all the shame and get the pear, when a window behind me was opened, and a gentleman said, “Step in here, please.”
1. According to the passage, the young man _______.
A. had a great reputation for his good work
B. worked as a common sailor during the journey
C. was carried out to sea on purpose by a small boat
D. had nothing left in his pocket after landing in London
2. Why didn’t the man pick up the pear at once?
A. Because a gentleman stopped him and let him in.
B. Because he was not so hungry that he could wait.
C. Because the child was watching the pear.
D. Because he didn’t want others to take him as a beggar.
3. The underlined word “desperate” means “_______”.
A. driven by great need or pain to do something
B. being afraid of doing something for a certain reason
C. enjoying, showing, or marked by pleasure or joy
D. feeling sorry or sad about something

People nowadays buy a second home for different purposes. If you want to enjoy your vacation in a second home, then you should buy a second home where your family wants to stay during their vacation. And a second home is becoming very important from the real estate (房地產(chǎn)) point of view. It is one of the largest parts of the real estate business. If you want to invest (投資) in a second home, then you should buy one in a great location. When buying a second home, you should select a location where there are great attractions for tourists.
Investing in a second home is becoming very popular now that people have realized the great profit (利潤(rùn)) that can come from second homes. Also you can use your second home as your vacation home until you feel like selling it for a great profit. The price of the second home will always increase as the demand for second homes keeps increasing. Also you can use the second home for rent by buying a second home at a location where there are many attractions for tourists.
If you want to buy or sell second homes, you should contact GMAC Real Estate as it is offering different types of real estate services that will help you to buy and sell your second homes.
1.How many reasons for buying a second home are mentioned in Paragragh1?
A.One       B.Two       C.Three     D.Four
2. According to the author, the price of second homes will always go up because _________.
A.the number of second homes is going down
B.more people use the second homes for rent
C.most second homes are near great attracions      
D.the demand for second homes is increasing
3. The passage is most probably taken from ______.
A.an advertisement    B.a news report
C.a survey report     D.a government report

C
Have you noticed that the majority of human beings seem to focus on the negative? Bad news is often seen in the newspapers, television shows and magazines, but good news are often overlooked.
I saw a woman I was not very familiar with. She is a beautiful woman; every time I see her, I am struck by the smile on her face that can light up a whole room. So at one time I walked up to her and said, “You know, you are like liquid sunshine! Every time I see you, you give me so much joy.” I was not quite prepared for her reaction. She was blown away. Her eyes seemed about to shed tears, and she said, “That is so sweet! That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!” It was as if nobody had ever told her how beautiful her appearance was. I was extremely moved by the moment I had shared with this woman.
Why not take notice of the positive and spread a little sunshine? When you are looking for beauty, you will begin to see it more and more. When you discover it, don’t be afraid to appreciate it. Not only will it make them feel good, it will make you feel good as well. I truly believe the saying, “What goes around, comes around.” When you show kindness and sincerity, you will receive it back. You may even discover — much to your surprise — that you become the friend of someone you would never have expected to get along with.
65. The woman had tears in her eyes because __________.
A. the man’s behavior was so rude
B. she was nervous about the man’s words
C. the man told her the fact she didn’t know
D. she was so excited at the man’s praise
66. Which of the following can take the place of the underlined sentence in the third paragraph?
A. The wise appreciate one another. 
B. Respect yourself, or no one else will respect you.
C. There is kindness to be found everywhere.
D. Everybody should learn to praise others.
67. The best title for the passage probably is _____.
A. Pay attention to the positive   B. Everyone likes to be praised
C. Spread a little sunshine       D. Each of us has good points

B
YOU CAN HELP!
Everyone was born with his own built-in burglar(竊賊) alarm. It’s called the sense of sight and sound．Unfortunately, many of us go around with the alarm switched off.
We don’t see the stranger wandering outside the house next door.
We don’t notice the sounds from the flat upstairs.
(Weren’t they supposed to be on holiday?)
The police can only do so much to prevent crime. There never can be enough of them to guard every home in every town. So they need your help in fighting with the burglars，the vandals（恣意破壞者）, and the car thieves.
Not, of course, by setting out to have a go every time you see something suspicious. It’ll always be the job of the police to arrest criminals.
But by acting as a line of communication between them and your community, for instance, you probably know far more about your immediate neighborhoods than the police ever could.
A stranger in someone’s garden would probably be far more obvious to you than it would to even the local police, if, of course, you were on the look-out.
That’s the whole idea behind the Neighborhood Watch schemes, springing up around the country to create a spirit of watchfulness within a community, anything suspicious being reported to the police.
It’s early days yet, but results so far are very encouraging. The crime figures are already dropping in many of the areas running the scheme. And all due to people like you.
61. The underlined word “them” refers to “______”.
A. criminals          B. the police   C. neighbors   D. strangers
62. The advertisement points out that many people______.
A. are not ready to help the police   
B. are not as watchful as they could be
C. don’t look after their gardens well      
D. don’t tell their neighbors about their holidays
63. One of the ways we could help prevent crime is to______.
A. turn on the alarm system in our home 
B. try to stop criminals from escaping
C. look out for people behaving suspiciously 
D. inform the police if we hear noises upstairs
64. The purpose of the advertisement is to __________in their neighborhood.
A. ask people to join the police force
B. advise people how to protect their homes
C. warn people about the increasing risk of crime
D. encourage people to be on watch for possible crime

Signs in Chinese will be set up in public areas such as airports, to benefit Chinese travelers, the Italian Government announced in late February. Now many European countries are expected to follow this example.
Despite the different languages, travel across Europe has never been so simple. Just five years ago, if you wanted to visit Germany in the north and Spain in the south in one trip, you had to wait for weeks to apply for different visas from the two countries. You also needed a calculator because both countries had different money.
Today, with a Schengen Visa issued by any member country, you can travel across 15 European countries without stopping. Since 2002, within most of the EU, there is now just one type of money called the Euro. The Euro was designed to be the only money in the EU, and already makes it easier to shop around. If you drive, your driving license and car insurance policy are valid（有效的）in the other European countries. And you can use your mobile phone everywhere.
All the countries in the continent are melting into a united Europe under the EU. For Europeans and visitors, the result is that is more convenient to travel back and forth between the different countries. 
1.  What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To encourage us to travel across Europe.
B. To suggest that the whole world is melting into one like the EU.
C. To praise the tourism policy of the EU.
D. To introduce tourism conditions in the EU.
2. By saying the underlined sentence “Now many European countries are expected to follow this example”, the writer means that ________.
A. more signs will be set up in Chinese in European countries
B. more and more Europeans have a desire to know more about China
C. more and more Chinese people will go to travel across Europe
D. Chinese is now an important language in Europe
3. Compared to five years ago, traveling in Europe has become easier because ______.
A. you needn’t drive a car
B. you can use a calculator to exchange money
C. applying for different visas is much simpler
D. one visa is good enough for traveling in a number of countries
4. It can be inferred from the passage that _________
A. an increasing number of Chinese tend to travel to Europe
B. Chinese has become an important language in Europe
C. the Euro is the only money used in the EU now
D. it is always necessary to unite many countries into one