閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從36—55各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C、D）中，選出最佳選項。
The Orkney Islands are about 14 kilometres from the north coast of Scotland. They are mostly low-lying, except for Hoy which has the highest sea cliff(峭壁) in Britain. The   36 and the climate are good in Orkney,  37 there are a lot of farms.
To get to Orkney you have to fly or go by  38 . Ships bringing passengers come from Aberdeen every week. They also bring food, machines and so on. Most Orkney farmers   39  cows or sheep. Because of this, grass is the most  40 crop on the islands. One of the islands has sheep which  41 sea plants   42  grass---they are  43 , but very strong and healthy.
Many people in the Orkney Islands are fishermen. Some go a long way out to  44 to catch large fish,   45 others catch  46 like crabs(螃蟹) and lobsters(龍蝦)，near the shore. The islanders  47 the crab meat and then pack it and send it to the  48 . They do not cook the lobsters. They send them  49 to restaurants in many of the large  50 of Europe. Most of the islands have their own  51 but of course some of them are very small---with only one group of children from five to ten years old. In fact there are  52 young people at all on the quietest islands. Usually they go the main town of Kirkwall,  53 modern lives.
Some people come from other parts of Britain to find a  54 life on the islands. Everyone is very friendly and they all know each other. Things are changing slowly, but the old way of life   55 continues.
36．A．land         B．hill         C．mountain     D．forest
37．A．yet          B．but          C．or           D．a(chǎn)nd so
38．A．train        B．bus        C．boat         D．car

39．A．feed         B．buy         C．kill         D．like
40．A．useless      B．harmful      C．important    D．unimportant
41．A．drink        B．eat          C．produce      D．plant

42．A．instead of   B．instead      C．for          D．with
43．A．small        B．big          C．large        D．tall
44．A．field        B．sea          C．sky          D．space
45．A．when         B．since            C．while           D．for
46．A．birds        B．tigers           C．lions            D．shellfish
47．A．cook         B．burn            C．sell            D．buy
48．A．desert       B．ship            C．island          D．mainland
49．A．a(chǎn)lone        B．a(chǎn)live            C．a(chǎn)bout            D．a(chǎn)sleep
50．A．libraries    B．lakes            C．cities           D．banks
51．A．zoos         B．colleges        C．schools         D．universities
52．A．very few     B．a(chǎn) lot of        C．a(chǎn) great many    D．a(chǎn) number of
53．A．live         B．to live         C．living          D．lives
54．A．happy        B．busy            C．quiet            D．noisy
55．A．a(chǎn)lso         B．still            C．never            D．nearly

On the coast of Brazil lies its most famous city Rio de Janeiro. Rio is a beautiful pace to visit. It is full of exciting parades, historical architecture and natural beauty.
The most famous time of year in Rio is the spring when the samba schools organize a giant parade of dance, music and costumes. Samba is a type of fast Brazilian music, which is perfect for dancing. The carnival lasts two days and over 20 samba schools perform, a total of 70,000 people in brightly coloured costumes, all dancing and singing! It is a magnificent spectacle and millions of people watch the carnival on television around the world.
Rio de Janeiro is a religious city and it is full of churches. Some, like the former Imperial Church, were built over 400 years ago while others, like the Metropolitan Cathedral, are very modern. The Metropolitan Cathedral was built in 1976 and is so large that 20,000 people can stand inside at one time!
Another important religious site in Rio is the Corcovado hill. On the top of the hill, along with a small church, stands a 30-metre high statue of Jesus with his arms stretched out. From this point you can see every part of the city.
59.小題1:Brazilian carnival is             .

A．a(chǎn) type of Brazilian music	B．a(chǎn) parade of 70,000 people dancing
C．a(chǎn) parade of millions of people on television
D．the name of a samba school

60.小題2:The Metropolitan Cathedral                   .

A．was built 400 years ago	B．is on Corcovado Hill
C．is a religious city	D．was built in 1976

61.小題3:The Corcovado Hill is famous for           .

A．the samba parade	B．the beautiful beaches
C．the statue of Jesus	D．the small church

　　ARIEL, West Bank: A suicide bomber blew up near Israeli soldiers outside a Jewish settlement in the West Bank yesterday, killing at least three people and wounding about 30 others, the settlement's mayor and rescue workers said.
　　"A suicide bomber came and there were many soldiers...and he blew himself up." said Ron Nachman, mayor of the settlement of Ariel. "Soldiers were among the casualties. "People on the spot said the bomber blew up after soldiers eating at a food stand in a petrol station at the entrance of the settlement found him. According to some people on the spot accounts reported by Israeli media, a soldier shot and wounded the bomber, who then exploded.
　　The Magen David Adorn ambulance service said at least three people were killed and at least 30 wounded in the blast, which set the bomber burning at Ariel, about 25 kilometers east of Tel Avi v.
　　A fire brigade official said: "The bomber was still burning when we got there and we put out the fire immediatelly."
　　Meanwhile, a blast shook homes in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp early yesterday, damaging buildings but causing no injuries, Palestinian sources said. They said the bomb was planted outside the home of a member of Palestimian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction in Ain el-Hilwch camp, and exploded while the family was sleeping.
　　小題1:Some of people including ________were killed or wounded in the blast accident.

A．soldiers	B．mayor
C．rescue workers	D．a(chǎn) fire brigade official

　　　小題2:The suicide bomber blew himself up because________.

A．there was something wrong with his brains

B．a(chǎn) soldier shot and wounded him

C．he couldn't see the settlement's mayor

D．he wanted to make himself known

　　小題3:What does the underlined word "casuahies" probably mean in the second paragraph?________

A．sufferers

B．killers

C．passersby

D．losers

　　小題4:It can be concluded that the passage is most probably part of a （n）________.

A．a(chǎn)nnouncement	B．a(chǎn)dvertisement
C．news report	D．science research

　For almost forty years the Empire State Building in New York City was the world's tallest skyscraper（摩天大樓）. The building reaches a height of 1, 250 feet. It has 102 floors. The use of steel frames made its height possible. Steel walls can rise height without needing to be thick. Steel frame construction is strong. All plates are fixed firmly together by metal bolts（螺栓）called rivets （鉚釘）. When set in place, rivets are usuall red- hot. One end is already rounded. A riveter uses a special hammer to shape the other end. Then the rivet cools. It holds the plates firmly. High winds can move this strong building. A wind of a hundred miles an hour has caused it to move almost one and a half inches.
　小題1:The writer says that the Empire State Building ________.

A．hasn’t been finished

B．is in New York City

C．is the tallest skyscraper in the world now

D．had fewer floors than the New World Trade Center

　　　小題2:In steel -frame building, the bottom walls________ .

A．must be very thick

B．must be rounded

C．a(chǎn)re usually red - hot

D．do not need to be thick

　　　小題3:Rivets are described as being ________.

A．picked up by tools when red -hot

B．hit by tools when red - hot

C．usually caught in a hole

D．usually put in place when red - hot

Of Chinese secondary school students top ten heroes,Mao Zedong,ranks number one and Olympic track gold medal winner,Liu Xiang,ranks fifth,according to a survey conducted by All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF).
Late Chinese leaders,Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai,and revolutionary martyrs,Liu Hulan and Dong Cunrui,all have remained important heroes in the eyes of Chinese teenagers aged 13 to 18.
Meanwhile,the 2004 Olympic track and field star,Liu Xiang;model police chief,Ren Changxia;Hong Kong action star,Jackie Chan,and China’s first astronaut Yang Liwei,have ascended to be the new stars among the students.
“The coexistence of old and new models in youth’s hearts reveal the new era’s character,” said Han Xiangjing,president of “China Women” magazine attached to ACWF.
The respondents also chose their parents as heroes,ranking number two.
“This reflects that young students’ selection standards of heroes have changed to be more human oriented,emotional and personalized,”Han said.
Reasons given by the surveyed students for this choice are:“parents are the people I love and indispensable to me”and“they consistently guide,encourage and support me.”
The survey was conducted in six provinces and cities across China,including Beijing,Shanghai,Henan,Shanxi,Liaoning and Hunan.Students completed 1018 questionnaires;443 polled were boys and 575 were girls.
小題1:This passage most probably appears _________.

A．in a newspaper	B．in a magazine
C．in a history book	D．in a report

小題2:This passage mainly talks about _________.

A．a(chǎn) survey about teenagers’top 10 heroes

B．why teenagers regard their parents as heroes

C．different heroes in teenagers’eyes

D．All-China Women’s Federation

小題3:How many heroes of the top 10 can be found in the passage?

A．10.

B．9.

C．8.

D．7

小題4:Which of the following is NOT the reason why teenagers choose their parents as heroes?
A.Their parents are the people they love very much.
B.Their parents are indispensable to them.
C.Their parents have done something great and successful.

There are many types of reports.A report is simply an account of something that has happened.The commonest are news reports.We get them in newspapers，over radio and on television.Sometimes cinemas also show us newsreels.
The main purpose of a newspaper is to provide news.If you examine a newspaper closely，you will find that there are all types of news:accidents，floods，fires，wars，fashions(服裝)，sports，books，etc.The news covers everything that happens to people and their surroundings.Sometimes there are news items which are very amusing.
A news report is usually very short，except when it is about something very important，but it contains(包含) a lot of information.It is also written in short paragraphs.The first paragraph is in fact a summary(總結(jié)) of the news item.It gives all the necessary information，what，when，where，how and why.The other paragraphs give full details of the subject.There may also be interviews with people.The words actually spoken by them are within inverted commas(引號).
Often there are photographs to go with the news to make it more interesting.
小題1:The easiest way to get today’s news is_________.

A．to go to the cinema	B．to watch a color TV
C．to read today’s newspapers	D．to listen to the music over radio

小題2:Newspapers sell well mainly because_________.

A．they cost very little

B．they are easy to get

C．they have got pictures to go with the news

D．they provide all sorts of news in them

小題3:This passage mainly talks about _________.

A．different types of reports

B．news reports

C．happenings to people and their surroundings

D．the length of a news reports

More than 12 300 people were killed and tens of thousands left homeless after a powerful undersea earthquake unleashed giant tsunami waves that crashed into the coasts of south and southeast Asia.
The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra early on Sunday was the biggest in 40 years.It triggered waves that reared up into walls of water as high as 10 meters(30 feet) as they hit coastlines in Indonesia,Sri Lanka,India and Thailand.
Aid agencies rushed staff,equipment and money to the region,warning that bodies rotting in the water were already beginning to threaten the water supply for survivors.
Rescue workers also spoke of bodies still caught up on trees after being flung inland by the waves.
“I just couldn’t believe what was happening before my eyes,”Boree Carlson said from a hotel in the Thai resort of Phuket.
“As I was standing there,a car actually floated into the lobby and overturned because the current was so strong,”said the 45-year-old Swede.
“I heard an eerie sound that I have never heard before.It was a high pitched sound followed by a deafening roar,”said a 55-year-old Indian fisherman who gave his name as Chellappa.
“I told everyone to run for their life.”
In Indonesia,an archipelago of 17 000 islands,one official said nearly 4500 people had died.The worst affected area was Bands Aceh,the capital of Aceh Province,where 3000 were killed.More than 200 prisoners escaped from a jail when the tsunami knocked down its walls.In Sri Lanka（斯里蘭卡）,the death toll also reached 4500 and 1 million people,or 5 percent of its population,were affected.It was the worst natural disaster to hit Sri Lanka.Hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans sheltered in schools and temples overnight,and officials expected the death toll to rise further once rescuers resumed searches after daybreak.In southern India,where at least 3000 were estimated to have died,beaches were littered with submerged cars and wrecked boats.Shanties on the coast were under water.
Thai government officials said at least 392 bodies had been retrieved and they expected the final toll to approach 1000.
The earthquake,of magnitude 8.9 as measured by the U.S. Geological Survery (news-web sites),struck at 7:59 a.m.(1959EST).It was the world’s biggest since 1964,said Julie Martinez at the USGS(news-web sites).
The tsunami was so powerful it smashed boast and flooded areas along the east African coast,3728 miles away.
小題1:What does the underlined word “tsunami” probably mean?

A．Tidal wave.	B．Wave.
C．Earthquake.	D．A man who kills many persons.

小題2:What does the passage mainly talk about？

A．Asian tsunami kills many people,and many more become homeless.

B．An earthquake happens.

C．The tsunami was so powerful that it smashed boats and people.

D．It was the biggest earthquake in 40 years.

小題3:The sea waves hit coastlines in _________.

A．Indonesia

B．Sri Lanka

C．India and Thailand

D．All of above

The UN Security Council was created in 1945. It is made up of 10 rotating (輪值的) members and five permanent members, which have a veto, the power to stop a resolution (決議). Most UN members now consider the organization's structure outdated． But any changes need the agreement of two-thirds of the 191 members, and no veto from any of the five permanent council members.
Last year, Japan, Germany, Brazil and India formed a lobbying (游說) group to get permanent council seats. But North and South Korea have doubts about Japan, Italy opposes Germany for a seat, Pakistan is against India's candidacy (候選資格) and Mexico and Argentina frown on Brazil.
A wave of emotion swept through China last week as millions voiced their opposition to Japan's permanent membership of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. By last Friday over 22 million Chinese had signed an online petition (請愿) against Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the council.
According to major Chinese websites, such as sina.com, more than 170,000 overseas Chinese also signed． This is the first online activity of its kind．
The petition was started by US-based Alliance for Preserving the Truth of the Sino-Japanese War (抗日戰(zhàn)爭史實維護會). They want Japan to apologize for crimes during World War II. The group also plans to present the petition to the UN this autumn.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said he didn't think the petition shows anti-Japanese feeling. He believed instead it is a request for Japan to take a responsible attitude towards history.
小題1:What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．Function of the UN in world affairs.	B．Members of the UN.
C．Facts about the UN Security Council.	D．Reform of the UN Security Council.

小題2: Which statement is true according to the text?

A．Four countries, such as Japan, Germany, Brazil and India are applying for joining the UN.

B．Some countries, such as North and South Korea, Italy, Pakistan, Mexico and Argentina propose ticking the four countries out of the UN.

C．If the countries’ bids for permanent membership of the Council are turned down, the opponent countries will take the place.

D．The UN Security Council is going to take in new members.

小題3:The underlined phrase “frown on” in the third paragraph can be replaced by _____.

A．a(chǎn)gree on	B．disapprove of
C．give a firm support to	D．say yes to

小題4:What’s the main reason for China’s opposition to Japan’s permanent membership of the
Council?

A．Japan is unwilling to admit to its crimes against the Chinese in the World War II.

B．Millions of people in Asia signed a petition against it.

C．The Chinese people have strong anti-Japanese feeling.

D．Japan is an irresponsible country that once had a history of invasion.

Almost 55,000 people who have had a major impact on British society are profiled in a new 60-volume book that has taken 12 years to compile.
It has cost more than ￡25million and taken 10,000 writers to update the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Murder victims Stephen Lawrence and James Bulger are among those joining the likes of Queen Victoria and Gandhi.
The new version of the dictionary, which was founded in 1882, costs ￡7,500 and takes up 12 feet of shelf space.
Projects director Robert Faber said Stephen Lawrence was included because his death triggered "dramatic developments in British policing and social policy".
Women make up 10% of the entries - double the previous share - and include Queen Elizabeth I, Dusty Springfield, Linda McCartney and Virginia Woolf, whose father compiled the first edition.
Alongside the famous names are lesser known individuals such as the inventor of snooker, army reservist(預備役軍人)Neville Chamberlain.
Stephen Lawrence and James Bulger were both included because of the "overwhelming soul-searching(真摯的自我反省、深思)and examination of education and social policy" which followed their deaths.
Mr Faber said: "These are not just people who were killed but people who had an impact. Jill Dando is there as much for her career but also because her death became a public event.
"So many of these people have seized the public imagination and have contributed to public debate." 
小題1: How much does a volume of the new version cost on average?

A．More than ￡25million.	B．More than ￡400, 000.
C．￡7, 500.	D．￡125.

小題2:How many women are profiled in the New Oxford Dictionary of National Biography?

A．About 5.

B．About 55.

C．About 550.

D．About 5500.

小題3: It can be inferred that Jill Dando _____.

A．died in a case of murder which drew the public much attention

B．isn’t included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

C．is the director of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

D．is included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography only for her death

小題4: _____ are collected in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

A．Those who were murdered in history	B．Those who have shaped Britain
C．Those who are famous all over the world	D．Those who live in Britain

Bored? Don't know what to do with your time? Get your friends or family together, go to the park or go hiking, do something fun —just don't turn on your TV.
The 10th annual TV-Turnoff Week starts on Monday. The TV-Turnoff Network, a nonprofit organization, began the program in 1994 to get children and adults to watch less television so that their time is spent doing more productive things. This year, millions of people will participate and find much more interesting things to do besides sitting in front of the television.
Experts are convinced（確信）that watching too much TV keeps kids from participating in healthy physical activities. The average household has a television on for 7 hours and 40 minutes a day! Kids spend more time watching TV than they spend in school. Turning off the TV gives you a chance to be with your family and friends. Going without it frees up valuable time that could be spent reading a good book, writing, drawing, or discovering something else that may interest you.
There are many organizations that support TV-Turnoff Week, including The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, YMCA, Girl Scouts USA, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America．Even First Lady Laura Bush is a supporter. "Television is no substitute for a parent. It doesn't help develop language skills; it's simply background noise," says Mrs. Bush.
Even kids who may not have liked going without TV have discovered the benefits. "I really didn't like TV-Turnoff Week except I did notice that my grades went up and I was in a good mood all week," said Drew Henderson, a student in Donora, Pennsylvania.
小題1:The TV-Turnoff Network started TV Turnoff Week to _____.

A．to get people to spend more time doing more productive things

B．to keep kids from participating in healthy physical activities

C．to advise people not to buy television sets

D．to persuade more people to join the organization

小題2:Which is not the advantage of turning off the TV?

A．Giving you a chance to be with your family and friends.

B．Sparing more time reading books.

C．Developing language skills.

D．Participating in healthy physical activities.

小題3:Laura Bush must be _____.

A．the first woman to support TV-Turnoff Week

B．the wife of American President

C．the first woman to organize TV-Turnoff Week

D．the first lady in the Boys and Girls Clubs of America

小題4: Drew Henderson’s words in the last paragraph imply that _____.

A．he doesn’t like TV-Turnoff Week

B．he doesn’t support TV-Turnoff Week at all

C．it’s unnecessary to have TV-Turnoff Week

D．he doesn’t support TV-Turnoff Week until he finds it does good to his study.