Many people seem to think that science fiction is typified by the Bug-eyed Monster, embodying every feature that most people find unpleasant. This is unfortunate because it degrades a worthwhile literary endeavor. Instead, the basic interest of science fiction lies in the relation between man and his technology and between man and the universe. Science fiction is a literature of change and a literature of the future, and the aspects of human life that it considers make it well worth reading and studying for no other literary form does quite the same things. What is science fiction? To begin, the following definition should be helpful: science fiction is a literary subgenre which postulates(以…為前提) a change (for human beings) from conditions as we know them and follows the implications of these changes to a conclusion.
The first point that science fiction is a literary subgenre is a very important one, but one which is often overlooked. Specifically, science fiction is either a short story or a novel. There are only a few dramas which could be called science fiction; the body of poetry that might be labeled science fiction is only slightly larger. To say that science fiction is a subgenre of prose fiction(小說) is to say that it has all the basic characteristics and serves the same basic functions in much the same way as prose fiction in general, that is, it shares a great deal with all other novels and short stories.
Everything that can be said about prose fiction, in general, applies to science fiction. Every piece of science fiction, whether short story or novel, must have a narrator, a story, a plot, characters, setting, and language. The themes of science fiction are concerned with interpreting man’s nature and experience around him. Themes in science fiction are constructed and presented in exactly the same ways that themes are dealt with in any other kind of fiction. They are the result to a particular combination of a narrator, story, plot, character, setting, and language. In short, the reasons for reading and enjoying science fiction, and the ways of studying and analyzing it, are basically the same as they would be for any other story or novel.
【小題1】 From the first paragraph, we can infer that science fiction has been most popular in modern society because ____.

A．with the growth of literacy, the size of the reading public has increased

B．competition from television has created a demand for more exciting fiction

C．science fiction is easier to understand than other kinds of fiction

D．the increased importance of technology has given science fiction an increased relevance

【小題2】 According to the definition in the passage, a fictional work that places human beings in a prehistoric world inhabited by dinosaurs____.

A．cannot be called science fiction because it does not deal with the future

B．cannot be called science fiction because it doesn’t deal with technology

C．can be called science fiction because it deals with man’s relation with the world

D．can be called science fiction because it places people in an environment different from the one we know

【小題3】 Science fiction is called a literary subgenre because____.

A．it is not important enough to be a literary genre

B．it cannot be made into a dramatic presentation

C．it shares characteristics with other types of prose fiction

D．it has a great number of readers keen on reading

【小題4】 One implication of the final sentence in the passage is that____.

A．the reader should turn next to commentaries on general fiction

B．there is no reason for any reader not to like science fiction

C．the reader should compare other novels and stories to science fiction

D．those who can appreciate prose fiction can appreciate science fiction

【小題5】An appropriate title for this passage would be____.

A．Man and the Universe	B．Toward a Definition of Science Fiction
C．A Type of Prose Fiction	D．The Bug-Eyed Monster

                                                                               B
Pingyao, located (坐落于) in the center of Shanxi Province, is a famous historic cultural city of China and a world cultural heritage (遺產(chǎn)) site. It is 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan on the Fen River.
People lived in Pingyao during the New Stone Age. Its long period as a county government seat (縣衙) has left Pingyao with lots of historic buildings and sites, with a 2,700-year history. Ninety-nine of them are under government protection, including Zhengguo Temple, Shuanglin Temple and Pingyao Ancient City.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, businessmen organized commercial (商業(yè)的) groups that did business nationwide. Shanxi Province had some of the most important ones and Pingyao was their center. In 1823, a store, known as Rishengchang (Sunrise Prosperity), traded in bank checks (支票) rather than in silver or gold coins. It was the beginning of modern Chinese banking. Branch (分支) banks were soon set up in major cities in China and other parts of Asia, leading to great development in Pingyao. Its lacquer ware (漆器) became well known as well.
In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional houses and commercial buildings, 3,797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are in good condition. Not only do the houses in Pingyao show Shanxi’s history and culture, but this large number is valuable for studying its history, customs, ancient buildings and art. Most of these houses are still used as homes and shops of local people.
In 1997, Ancient Pingyao City was listed in World Heritage List as “World Culture Heritage Site”(世界文化遺產(chǎn)).
【小題1】What does the underlined word “them” (in Paragraph 2) refer to?

A．Historic buildings and sites.	B．The three temples.
C．The county government seats.	D．The 2,700-year history.

【小題2】 Which of the following about Pingyao is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Its location.

B．Its tourism.

C．Its business.

D．Its history.

【小題3】During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Pingyao was a leading center in _____.

A．growing rice and corn .	B．raising cattle.
C．commercial trade.	D．making gold coins.

【小題4】If you want to know about the history of banking in China, which of the following places should you visit?

A．Sunrise Prosperity.	B．Zhengguo Temple.
C．A lacquer ware store.	D．A commercial house.

Animals like the lion are known as carnivorous (meat-eating) animals. They feed on smaller animals. But many other animals eat grass or plants. They are called herbivorous (plant-eating) animals.
You may be surprised to learn that there are carnivorous plants as well as carnivorous animals. Plants that grow in poor soil need other food. They trap (catch by a trick) small insects (昆蟲) and take their bodies as food.
The pitcher plant (豬籠草) is a common carnivorous plant. This plant has a clever trap like a pitcher or jar. It even has a lid to keep out of the rain. The mouth of the pitcher is covered with something sweet like honeydew(蜜露). Insects come to the plant to feed on the honeydew. When they have eaten all that is round the mouth, they go into the pitcher to look for more. There is more honeydew deep in the pitcher and they go down to feed on it. The inner wall of the pitcher is covered with fine hairs. These hairs point downwards so that the insects cannot climb out of the pitcher. They are trapped in it. They die there, and their bodies are taken as food by the plant.
【小題1】Animals are divided into two kinds.

A．carnivorous animals and meat-eating animals

B．herbivorous animals and plant-eating animals

C．carnivorous animals and herbivorous animals

D．meat animals and plant animals

【小題2】Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Tigers, lions and other meat-eating animals are called carnivorous animals.

B．Zebras, elephants and common farm animals are known as herbivorous animals.

C．All plants get food only from the soil.

D．It is something like honeydew in the pitcher that insects come to food on.

【小題3】From this passage, we can mainly learn that       .

A．Not all plants are carnivorous

B．All plants are herbivorous

C．Not all animals are carnivorous

D．Carnivorous plants can also be found

【小題4】The text mainly talks about ___________________.

A．carnivorous animals	B．herbivorous animals
C．small insects	D．pitcher plants

【小題5】What kind of magazine can we find the text?

A．Biology

B．Geography

C．Physics

D．Chemistry

The Iceberg Was Only Part ofIt
What doomed the Titanic is well known, at least in outline. On a moonless night of April 15, 1912, the ship hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic ,with 1,500 lives lost.
A century later many people presented new theories to explain the real reason for the disaster. Now two new studies argue that rare states of nature played major roles in the disaster.
The first says Earth’s nearness to the Moon and the Sun — a proximity not matched in more than 1,000 years — resulted in record tides that help explain why the Titanic met with so much ice, including the fatal iceberg.
Recently, a team of researchers found an apparent explanation in the heavens. They discovered that Earth had come unusually close to the Sun and Moon that winter, enhancing their gravitational pulls on the ocean and producing record tides. The rare orbits took place between December 1911 and February 1912 — about two months before the disaster came about. The researchers suggest that the high tides refloated masses of icebergs traditionally stuck along the coastlines of Labrador and Newfoundland and sent them adrift into the North Atlantic shipping lanes.
And a second, put forward by a Titanic historian from Britain, contends that the icy waters created ideal conditions for an unusual type of mirage(海市蜃樓) that hid icebergs from lookouts whose duty was to watch carefully for danger ahead and confused a nearby ship as to the liner’s identity, delaying rescue efforts for hours.
Most people know mirages as natural phenomena caused when hot air near the Earth’s surface bends light rays upward. In a desert, the effect prompts lost travelers to mistake patches of blue sky for pools of water. But another kind of mirage occurs when cold air bends light rays downward. In that case, observers can see objects and settings far over the horizon. The images often undergo quick distortions — not unlike the wavy reflections in a funhouse mirror.
Now, scholars of the Titanic are debating these new theories. Some have different opinions on it. Over all, though, many experts are applauding the fresh perspectives. 
【小題1】The underlined word "It" in the title probably refers to _______.

A．the Titanic	B．the cause of the disaster
C．the record tide	D．a(chǎn)n unusual mirage

【小題2】According to Theory First, what was the right chain of causes leading to the Titanic’s disaster?
① record tides’ forming and icebergs’ being refloated
② icebergs’ being drifted into the North Atlantic shipping lanes
③ the Earth’s strange closing to the Sun and the Moon
④ increasing of the gravitational force on the ocean

A．①→②→③→④

B．②→③→④→①

C．④→③→②→①

D．③→④→①→②

【小題3】According to Theory Second, the disaster happened to the Titanic mainly because______.

A．the freezing weather made the watcher not be able to watch clear

B．the mirage made the watcher not find icebergs and a nearby ship delay rescuing

C．the mirage on the sea attracted the watcher and made him forget his work

D．the high tides drove the icebergs float so fast that the watcher didn’t respond to them

【小題4】What is the chief function of the sixth paragraph?

A．to explain to the readers the ways of the mirage forming

B．to infer the possibility of the mirage appearing

C．to summarize the various kinds of the mirage

D．to analyze the conditions of the mirage arising

【小題5】This passage is organized generally in the pattern of________.

A．comparison and contrast	B．conclusion and proof
C．time and events	D．definition and classification（分類)

Going Zero Waste means more than just managing the rubbish we create．It means reducing it too．While it might seem like a difficult thing to do, it's well worth it．And what better time to start than Christmas?
We need to copy the way Nature wastes nothing．Many things are created by human society that we know will soon become useless and be thrown out．How many plastic bottles or even PCs end up in the rubbish bin? Instead，we should design products that can be more easily repaired，reused and recycled．
Kamikatsu, a Japanese village，has already gone Zero Waste．The 2，000 villagers compost their leftovers，and recycle everything else．There are 34 different boxes at the re-cycling centre! Residents grumble about the inconvenience，but they also see the benefits．
People who live Zero Waste lives are careful about what they do．They never take more than they need．Reusing plastic bags at supermarkets is a great way to reduce waste．And those who plan before they shop avoid having to throw food out later．Also，it’s best not to go food shopping when you’re hungry：You’ll be sure to buy too much!
Let’s think about how to enjoy a Zero Waste Christmas．By sending recyclable cards，we can help our friends and family reduce waste．And what better way to enjoy the spirit of Christmas than with a real tree that can be replanted in the spring?
Going Zero Waste requires us to think more about what happens before and after we act．It takes ambition，and it's not always easy．But just think how good it would be，both for ourselves and for the environment, if we never had to waste anything．
【小題1】When is this passage probably written?

A．After a Christmas．	B．Before Zero Waste starts．
C．Before a Christmas．	D．When Zero Waste is very popular．

【小題2】What should we do to reduce waste according to the passage?

A．To stop using plastic bottles or even PCs．

B．To create more things that can be repaired quickly．

C．To avoid sending cards on Christmas．

D．To copy the way Nature wastes nothing．

【小題3】If we want to live Zero Waste lives we should do the following except        .

A．taking no more than we need

B．reusing plastic bags

C．not going food shopping when we’re hungry

D．not making a plan before we shop

【小題4】What’s the main purpose of this passage?

A．To enjoy a clean Christmas．

B．To complain about the pollution．

C．To educate people to behave well．

D．To call on people to attend Zero Waste．

We don’t know how different our life will be in the future. We can only try to imagine it.

At first we think about human relationship. In the year 2050, we will use computers almost every day. We will make new friends through the Internet—even our husbands or wives will be met in this way. It will be much faster and easier for us. On the other hand, our relationships with people won’t be as important as they are today-we will feel a little lonely.
Computers will also help us in many other activities in 2050. For example, they will be used by the children at school to make their learning easier. In addition, there will be much more other machines which will play a similar role as computers, like robots which will do the housework for us.
Spending holidays will also be completely different. Traveling to other planets or to the moon will be available for everyone. Means of transport will, of course, change, too. We will use solar-powered cars, which will be much more environmentally friendly.
We could expect that the faster technological progress would lead to a more polluted environment. But it isn’t true. We will pay more attention to protecting the environment. And, scientists will probably find cures for many dangerous diseases, like cancer or AIDS. Therefore, our surroundings as well as health will be in better condition.
Although we can’t predict the exact changes which will be made in the world, we often think about them. We worry about our and our children’s future; we have expectations, hopes as well as fears. But I think we should be rather sanguine about our future. We should be happy and believe good things will happen.
【小題1】Why will people probably feel a little lonely in 2050?

A．Because the number of people will become much smaller.

B．Because there will be less face-to-face communication.

C．Because people won’t like making friends with each other.

D．Because people won’t communicate with each other much often.

【小題2】The third paragraph mainly tells us ________.

A．computers will do all the things for human beings

B．how people will use computers to communicate with each other

C．machines like computers and robots will help people a lot

D．how people will use robots to do the housework

【小題3】According to the passage, which of the following will happen in 2050?

A．The relationship between people will be more important than that of today.

B．The way of spending holidays will be the same as that of today.

C．It won’t be difficult for people to travel to other planets.

D．Our environment will be much more polluted with a growing number of cars.

【小題4】What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．How people will communicate in the year 2050.

B．What our life will be like in the year 2050.

C．How people will travel and spend their holidays in the year 2050.

D．What high technology will appear in the year 2050.

The weather predictions for Asia in 2050 read like a story from a doomsday movie．
Many experts and green groups fear they will come true unless there is a united global effort to hold back greenhouse gas outpouring．In the decades to come, Asia—home to more than half the world's 63 billion people—will change from one climate extreme to another, with tired farmers battling droughts, floods, disease, food shortages and rising sea levels．
"It's not a pretty picture," said Steve Sawyer, climate policy adviser with Greenpeace in Amsterdam．Global warming and changes of weather patterns are already occurring and there is more than enough carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to drive climate change for decades to come．
Already, changes are being felt in Asia but worse is likely to come．Sawyer and top climate bodies say, and could lead to mass migration and widespread human disasters．According to predictions, icebergs will melt faster, some Pacific and Indian Ocean islands will have to evacuate or build sea defenses, storms will become stronger and insects and water-borne diseases will move into new areas as the world warms．
All this comes on top of rising populations and demand for food, water and other resources．Experts say environmental worsening such as deforestation and pollution will likely enlarge the results of climate change．
In what could be a sign of the future, Japan was hit by a record of 10 typhoons and tropical storms this year, while two - thirds of Bangladesh, parts of Nepal and large areas of northeastern India were flooded, affecting 50 million people, destroying livelihoods and making tens of thousands ill．
The year before, a winter cold strike and a summer heat wave killed more than 2,000 people in India．
【小題1】This passage is mainly about ____ ．

A．present situation and predictions of environmental problems in Asia.

B．the weather predictions for Asia in the future and the reasons

C．how to improve our environment

D．reasons why the world will no longer be suitable for us to live in

【小題2】In the future the Asian farmers will have to face the following except ____ ．

A．food shortages

B．droughts

C．wars

D．floods

【小題3】The underlined word "doomsday" in the first paragraph may mean____ ．

A．the hell

B．the end of the world

C．a(chǎn) great world war

D．disaster

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Asian climate will change greatly．

B．Some islands may be flooded in the future．

C．More than 50 million people have been ill in Asia the year before．

D．People may meet with some new diseases borne from water．

Bamboo（竹） is one of the nature’s most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist recorded one bamboo plant that grew almost 1.5 meters in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe（歐洲）. There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo that grow around the world on both mountains and plains.
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters（厘米）wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Many Asian countries have been using bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for building new buildings. As a matter of fact, the cables(繩索) hold up the hanging bridge across the Min River in Sichuan are made of bamboo. The bridge has been in use for more than 1,000 years, and is still holding strong.
In Africa, engineers are teaching poor farmers how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap ways to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. It seems that bamboo is one of the best things they can use. Bamboo pipes and drills(鉆) can help to make the poor thirsty fields be watered.
【小題1】How is bamboo like grass?

A．It is thin and easy to cut.

B．It grows everywhere.

C．It grows quickly after it’s cut short.

D．It is short and green.

【小題2】The underlined sentence “while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across.” means “Some other bamboo plants may grow to be very _______.”

A．short

B．strong

C．thick

D．tall

【小題3】From the text we know ______.

A．All people call bamboo plant trees

B．a(chǎn) bamboo plant may grow 4.5 meters in three days

C．the bamboo plant changes its colors when it grows

D．a(chǎn) bridge held by bamboo cable was built thousands of years ago

【小題4】Why did the engineers teach the poor farmers in Africa to make use of bamboo?

A．Because it is cheap.	B．Because it is colorful.
C．Because it drills fast.	D．Because it is used by Asians.

【小題5】Which of the following is NOT true?

A．There are many different kinds of bamboo with different colors.

B．Cables made of bamboo can last for over a thousand years.

C．Bamboo can be used for buildings, bridges and watering projects(工程).

D．Bamboo plants are able to grow well in any part of the world.

Now let’s look ourselves as a species in relation to ecosystem balance.Modern scientists believe that humankind, like other animals, evolved(進化) through millions of years of changes and adaptations to the environment and that our most direct evolutionary ancestor was probably an earlier species of the primate(monkey, ape) group. Despite this similarity with other creatures, however, the evolution of humankind differs from that of other species in one important and unique way.
In other species, evolution has led to specialization, both in the species abilities and in its place within the environmental structure. For example, the giraffe is much adapted to feeding on treetops, but it is also specialized and thus limited to feeding on trees and shrubs. Only with great difficulty can it bend down to graze on the ground. Similarly, the anteater is extremely well adapted to eating ants but is unable to catch or eat other animals. The same is true for countless other species.
For humankind it is opposite. Our evolution had led to a very generalized ability. Our highly developed intelligence and ability to make and handle tools mean that we can do almost anything. Humans evolved in such a way that we are able to move into every environment on Earth and even into space. No natural competitor offers great resistance, and other natural enemies such as disease have been controlled.
Said another way, we see in humankind a great imbalance between biological potential and environmental resistance. The result is the rapidly increasing world population, frequently referred to as the population explosion. Further, to support our growing population, natural ecosystems are being increasingly displaced by human habitations, agriculture, and other human supporting activities.
【小題1】From the passage we can infer that in the course of evolution _______.

A．humankind is very important to earlier species, such as the primate group

B．human beings are limited by the environment while animals are not

C．human beings become more and more different from each other

D．humankind has experienced a generalization rather than specialization in ability

【小題2】According to the passage, primate includes such animals as _______.

A．monkeys and anteaters	B．tigers and apes
C．a(chǎn)pes and monkeys	D．monkeys and giraffes

【小題3】According to the passage, evolution has made it possible for humans to _______.

A．increase the population

B．resist natural offers

C．go to the moon

D．cure all diseases

【小題4】According to the author, imbalance between biological potential and environ mental resistance has resulted in _______.

A．the population explosion

B．the destruction of human habitations

C．the growth of natural ecosystem

D．the specialization of humans

Recently a Beijing father sent in a question at an Internet forum (論壇) asking what "PK" meant.
"My family has been watching the 'Super Girl' singing competition TV program. My little daughter asked me what 'PK' meant, but I had no idea," explained the puzzled father.
To a lot of Chinese young people who have been playing games online, it is impossible not to know this term. In such Internet games, "PK" is short for "Player Kill", in which two players fight until one ends the life of the other.
In the case of the "Super Girl" singing competition, "PK" was used to refer to the stage where two singers have to compete with each other for only one chance to go up in competition ranking.
Like this father, Chinese teachers at high schools have also been finding their students' compositions using Internet words which are difficult to understand. A high school teacher from Tianjin asked her students to write compositions with simple language, but they came up with a lot of Internet words that she didn't understand.
"My 'GG' came back this summer from college. He told me I've grown up to be a 'PLMM'. I loved to 'FB' with him together; he always took me to the 'KPM'," went one composition.
"GG" means Ge Ge (Chinese pinyin for brother). "PLMM" refers to Piao Liang Mei Mei (beautiful girl). "FB" means Fu Bai (corruption). "KPM" is short for KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald's.                            
Some specialists welcome Internet words as a new development in language.
If you do not even know what a Kong Long (dinosaur, referring to an ugly looking female) or a Qing Wa (frog, referring to an ugly looking male) is, you will possibly be regarded as a Cai Niao!
【小題1】By writing the article, the writer tries to ________ .

A．explain some Internet language	B．suggest common Internet language
C．laugh at the Beijing father	D．draw our attention to Internet language

【小題2】What does the writer think about the term "PK"?

A．Fathers can't possibly know it.	B．The daughter should understand it.
C．Online game players may know it.	D．"Super Girl" shouldn't have used it.

【小題3】The examples of the Beijing father and the Tianjin teacher are used to show that Internet words ________ .

A．a(chǎn)re used not only online	B．can be understood very well
C．a(chǎn)re welcomed by all the people	D．cause trouble to our mother tongue

【小題4】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A puzzled father	B．Do you speak Internetish?
C．Keep away from Internetish	D．Kong Long or Qing Wa?