“Sesame Street” has been called “the longest street in the world”. That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American’s exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969.

In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation’s pre-school children, from every kind of economic(經濟的), racial(種族的), and geographical group.

Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from “Sesame Street” are in the same class with children who have not watched the program.

Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional(偶然的) viewers. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly.

The programs all use songs, stories, jokes, and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters.

Why has “Sesame Street” been so much more successful than other children’s shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories(理論) of its creators, the support by the government and private(私人的) businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more.

1. “Sesame Street” is actually _______.

A. a street in the US            B. a program for children

C. a program for teachers      D. a program for students

2. Children who often watch the program _______.

A. can have problems in school    

B. will find it a great help

C. will take no interest in their studies

D. will be well educated

3. What is special about the program?

A. It offers great fun.

B. It makes children feel able to learn.

C. It is shown at different hours during the week.

D. Children learn and enjoy themselves while watching.

4. Why is “Sesame Street” so popular in the world?

A. Because it is supported by the government and businesses.

B. Because it uses a variety of skillful tricks.

C. Because mothers watch it along with their children.

D. Because it makes every child watching it feel able to learn.

5. The best title for this passage can be _______.

A. TV Programs                                 B. Educating Children

C. Sesame Street                                D. A Great Success

Professor Smith ___ China yesterday.

A. arrived at  B. arrived in   C. get go    D.reached for

Professor Li, who I ____ abroad, still teaches in Peking University.

A. think went          B. think to have gone      C. thought went          D. thought had gone

According to the literary review, Shakespeare ____ his charities live through their language in his plays.

A. will make       B. had made      C. was making         D. makes

　　Lucky is the man who has no “skeleton in his closet”. When a man has done something in his life that he is ashamed of, that he wants to hide, he is said to have a “skeleton in his closet”. Some people may have more than one skeleton.

　　As we have noted many times, it is hard to find out how these expressions begin. Sometimes, we get some hard facts. But more often we have to depend on guesswork. And that is true of this phrase, which came from England.

　　Before 1932, English law did not permit a doctor to cut open a dead human body for scientific examination, unless it was the corpse(尸體) of an executed(處決) criminal.

　　But when it became legal, more and more doctors demanded skeletons for a more scientific study of medicine. It was helping in the advance of modern medicine. The demand had become so strong that men began to rob tombs and sell skeletons to doctors at high prices.

　　We are told that a doctor would usually buy just one skeleton for scientific study. It became very important in his work. But he had to keep it hidden because most people objected to keeping such a thing. As a rule, the doctor would keep his skeleton in some dark corner where it could not be seen, or hide it in a closet.

　　After a time, people began to suspect(懷疑) every doctor of hiding a skeleton in the closet. From this suspicion, the phrase “a skeleton in the closet” took on a broader, more general meaning to describe anything that a man wanted to keep others from discovering. It could be proof of a criminal act, or something much less serious. Well, that is one theory.

　　One writer, however, believes that the phrase might have come from something that really happened. It is his guess that a hidden closet in some old English country home may have turned up a real skeleton, clear proof of some old family shame or crime. Well, one man’s guess is as good as another. But this sounds like a story by the great French novelist, Balzac.

　　Baizac tells us of a man who suspected his wife of having a lover. The husband comes home by surprise. But she hears him and quickly hides her lover in the closet of her bedroom. He enters her room and asks her if she is hiding her lover. He says he will not open the door to the closet if she promises him there is no one there; He will believe her. She answers firmly that she is not hiding anyone in the closet.

　　The husband then begins to build a solid brick wall against the closet. His wife watches, knowing that her lover will never come out alive. But she will not change her story and admit her guilt.   

1. Which of the following situations is suitable for using the phrase “skeleton in the closet” ?

　　A. You have stolen something precious and don’t want it discovered.

　　B. You are a doctor and have to keep a skeleton for research.

　　C. If you have cut open a dead human body for scientific examination you should keep the skeleton secret.

　　D. You have done a crime or done something foolish, but you want to keep other from discovering it.

2. From the text we know that there are _______ theories about how the phrase “skeleton in the closet” came into being.

　　A. one 　　　　　      B. two 　　　　　      C. three 　　　　D. four

3. In Chinese the world “skeleton” means _______.

　　A. 尸體 　　　　　B. 標本 　　　　　C. 收藏 　　　　D. 骷髏

4. Which of the following is right according to the text?

　    A. In the 20th century, doctors realized the importance of anatomy(解剖) in the development of medicine.

　　B. The doctors of the ancient times liked to collect as many skeleton as possible.

　　C. The thieves stole skeletons from tombs in order to help the doctors.

　　D. It was legal that corpses of anybody were cut open for scientific examination in history.

5. From the story Balzac told we know that the wife’s lover must have become _______.

A. a corpse 　　　　B. a phrase 　　　　C. a skeleton 　　　D. a secret

Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful(有壓力的) conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.

Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting(轉移注意力) us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support — money aid, material resources, and needed services — that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems.

1. Interpersonal relationships are important because they can _______.

A. make people live more easily

B. smooth away daily problems

C. deal with life changes

D. cure types of illnesses

2. The researches show that people's physical and mental health _______.

A. lies in the social medical care systems which support them

B. has much to do with the amount of support they get from others

C. depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles

D. is related to their courage for dealing with major life changes

3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “cushions” ?

       A. takes place of                                B. makes up of

       C. lessens the effect of                        D. gets rid of

4. Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work in spare time is an example of _______.

       A. instrumental support                       B. informational support

       C. social companionship                      D. the strengthening of self-respect

5. What is the subject discussed in the text?

A. Interpersonal relationships.             B. Kinds of social support.

C. Ways to deal with stress.                 D. Effects of stressful conditions.

As the saying goes, nothing succeeds like success. People like to deal with a successful person. Why? You see there must be a reason why the person has achieved success. And most obviously it is because he is expert at what he is doing.

When given a chance, people would deal with the best. Naturally, the best way to produce a success is to do a lot of work. Your achievement and the fame it leads to will make it known to the public how good you really are. People will know this by your completed record or simply by recognizing it upon seeing you in action. Just as it becomes quite obvious that a man is a full-time tennis player when you see him play on the tennis court, it will become obvious that you are skilled in your work when people see you do your work. But many other image building ways are practical in producing a success image, as will be discussed in the following…

1. People like to deal with a successful person probably because _______.

A. they hope to know the secret of being successful

B. they don’t believe what he has achieved

C. they are eager to show respect to him

D. they feel uncertain if he is an expert

2. How can we know how good a person is at his work?

A. Work with him.

B. Study how he has achieved success.

C. Just look at him doing his work.

D. Watch him playing tennis on the tennis court.

3. The passage mainly tells that _____.

A. success image may come after success

B. people like to deal with a successful person

C. there are many image building ways

D. success image is or has been built in one’s work

(1—3 ACB)

Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists call this the water cycle.

   There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapour in clouds condenses(凝結). Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers, lakes, and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day, however, you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle(水坑) or pond in a mist(薄霧) above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth, and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail(冰雹) fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapour in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist(潮濕) in the tropics(熱帶) than in the cold polar regions.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Water cycle.                                 B. Water vapour.

C. How rain forms.                      D. Water, vapour, rain.

2. How many ways of the water returning to the air are discussed in the text?

A. Two.                  B. Three.        C. Four.        D. Five.

3. Whether water vapour can be seen or not depends on _______.

A. how much water is evaporated         B. how good your eyes are

C. in which way water is evaporated           D. climate or weather

4. From the passage we get to know _______.

A. there is more water vapour in the air in the tropics than in cold polar regions

B. there is more water vapour in the air in cold polar region than in the tropics

C. it gets more rain in the tropics than in cold polar regions because there is less vapour

D. the amount of water vapour in the air depends on how often it rains

My Forever Valentine 我永遠的“情人”

Valentine’s Day was the time my father chose to show his love for the special people in his life. Over the years I fondly (天真的) thought   1   him as my “Valentine man”.

My first recollection of the   2   he could bring to Valentine’s Day came when I was six. That morning at the breakfast table I found a card and a gift-wrapped package at my chair. The card was   3   “Love, Dad” and the gift was a ring with a small piece of red glass to   4   my birthstone, a ruby (紅寶石). There is   5   difference between red glass and rubies to a child of six, and I remember   6   that ring with pride that all the cards in the world   7   not surpass (超越).

  8   I grew older, the gifts gave   9   to heart-shaped boxes filled with my   10__   chocolate and always included a   11   card signed “Love, Dad”. In those years my thank-you became   12   of a perfunctory (敷衍) response. The cards seemed less   13  , and I took for granted that the Valentine would   14   be there. I had   15   my hopes and dreams in receiving cards and gifts from “significant others” and “Love Dad” just didn’t seem quite   16  .

His final card remains on my desk today. It’s a   17   of how special fathers can be and how important it has been to me over the years to know that I had a father who continued a   18_        of love with simple acts of understanding and an ability to express happiness over the people in his life.

Those things never   19  , nor does the memory of a man who never   20   being my Valentine.

1. A. of           B. about             C. up            D. over

2. A. memory     B. magic      C. puzzle         D. presents

3. A. read               B. Written      C. shown         D. signed

4. A. recover       B. resemble    C. represent     D. replace

5. A. much         B. little        C. great        D. less

6. A. having        B. owning      C. wearing       D. watching

7. A. could         B. did          C. must        D. should

8. A. Because      B. Since       C. When              D. As

9. A. room          B. way         C. honour        D. seat

10. A. favorite           B. lovely      C. dear         D. precious

11. A. usual        B. common     C. strange        D. special

12. A. less          B. little        C. more        D. much

13. A. important     B. beautiful    C. familiar       D. standard

14. A. surely       B. always            C. regularly     D. often

15. A. let         B. kept         C. placed         D. remembered

16. A. suitable     B. enough       C. effective      D. sacred

17. A. signal       B. certificate   C. Consequence D. reminder

18. A. tradition          B. hobby      C. habit        D. custom

19. A. lose          B. die           C. miss         D. appear

20. A. thought     B. wanted       C. tried         D. Stopped

He ___ be in the garden.He must be in the room.

‘A. can't  B.mustn’t   C. will not   D. may not