John was given the same suitcase his father and grandfather ___ with them to school. 

A. took    B. had taken   C. were taking    D. would take    

By the time he realizes he ____into a trap, it’ll be too late for him to do anything about it.

A. walks     B. walked     C. has walked    D. had walked

So long as teachers fail to distinguish (differ) between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”.

Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to plan cleverly the most efficient(有效的) system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also a public activity: It can be seen and observed.

Learning to read involves all that each individual does to understand the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.

If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the long search for knowledge? Smith has one principle rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children.”

When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher and learner fulfill them properly, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is got rid of. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the chance to solve the problem of learning to read by learning.

1. The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that_______. 

A. too much time is spent in teaching about reading

B. reading tasks are given with little guidance

C. it is one of the most difficult school courses

D. students spend limited hours in reading

2. The teaching of reading will be successful if _______. 

A. teachers can make their teaching activities observable

B. teachers can teach their students how to read

C. teachers can improve conditions at school for the students

D. teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading

3. The word “scrutiny” (Paragraph 3) most probably means “_______”.

A. unbelief           B. control             C. inquiry             D. observation

4. The main idea of the passage is that_______.

A. reading is more complicated than believable

B. reading ability is something gained rather than taught

C. teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible

D. teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read

There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.

People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend(hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing(批評(píng)) and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation(模仿). It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.

Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact(接觸) with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.

1. People who are unhappy _______.

    A. always consider things differently from others

       B. usually are affected by the results of certain things

       C. usually misunderstand what others think or say

    D. always discover the unpleasant side of certain things

2. The phrase “sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means “_______”.

       A. have a good taste with social life            B. make others unhappy

       C. tend so scold others openly                            D. enjoy the pleasure of life

3. We can conclude from the passage that _______.

    A. we should pity all such unhappy people

       B. such unhappy people are dangerous to social life

       C. people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness

       D. unhappy people can not understand happy persons

4. If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should _______.

       A. prevent any communication with them

       B. show no respect and politeness to them

       C. persuade them to recognize the bad effects

       D. quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes

5. In this passage, the writer mainly _______.

    A. describes two types of people

    B. laughs at the unhappy people

       C. suggests the unhappy people should get rid of the habits of unhappiness

    D. tells people how to be happy in life

A businessman must keep records of the money he takes in and the money he spends. The work of keeping such records is called bookkeeping. The work of deciding how the records should be set up is called accounting. An accountant also finds out, by studying the records, whether or not a business is doing well. The accountant must know many things about the business.

Suppose a man owns a small clothing store, he keeps records that show that he spent money for newspaper advertising and for suits, shirts, shoes, and neckties to sell to his customers. He had to pay a young man to help him in the store. He also paid rent and had other expenses.

At the end of the year, he must take an inventory. That is, he counts how many pieces of clothing he has on hand. Then he must find out exactly how many he sold, how much money he took in, and how much money he spent in running the business. If he took in more than he spent, he made a profit for the year. If he spent more than he took in, he suffered a loss. He depends on his store accounting records to get all this information.

The owner of a small clothing store can keep records without much trouble. But a big oil company or a big bank has many difficult accounting problems. The company must know how much money is to be paid by its debtors and how much it owes other companies for supplies. It must know how much it has lost in depreciation, or wear and tear of its equipment. All of this information must be kept in the company’s accounts. Big companies employ many accountants.

After a company’s accountants finish their yearly count, their work must be officially examined. Experts from outside company double-check the records to be sure the accounts are correct.

1. According to the passage, a clothing store owner needs to keep records of the money he spends for ______.

A. clothing only                          B. newspaper advertising  

C. all necessary expenses              D. housing

2. After taking an inventory, if the owner found that he had got more money than he had spent, he made _______.

A. a profit     B. a loss         C. an income     D. an interest

3. A small store owner can usually keep records _______.

A. with difficulty                B. easily          

C. without any help              D. without working

4. In big companies, after the accountants finish the yearly count, _______.

A. the work will be well done              B. no one will check it

C. the records will be finished      D. experts will check the records

Space travel is definitely bad for astronauts’ bones, reducing their bone density(密度) after only a month of weightlessness, according to French research published on Friday.

Laurence Vico and his fellow workers at St Etienne University called for more research into the effects of microgravity, after their study of 15 astronauts from the Russian MIR station showed bone loss continued throughout space flights.

“Bone loss was especially striking in four astronauts, ” the scientists reported in the Lancet Medical Journal.

They measured the bone mineral density (BMD) of bones in the forearm(前臂) and lower leg of the astronauts who had spent one to six months in space.

The BMD loss was significant in the tibia(脛骨) of the lower leg, a weight-bearing bone, but barely changed in the radius(橈骨) of the forearm. “Our results indicate the need to investigate not only different bones, but also different areas of the same bone since not all sites of the skeleton (骨架) are similarly affected by space conditions, ” they added.

Without gravity the body isn’t bearing any weight so there is no need for calcium (鈣) which makes bones strong, and it becomes empty into the bloodstream.

The research team suggested in future scientists should try to determine if the loss of bone density was only on weight-bearing bones on longer flights, also the possible recovery after returning to Earth.

1. French scientists did their research on Russian astronauts, because _______.

A. they only cared for the Russian astronauts

B. they were not interested in their own astronauts

C. the Russian government invited them to do their research

D. the Russian astronauts worked in space for a long time

2. Scientists have found that _______.

A. the BMD loss may cause serious illness to astronauts

B. the BMD loss may cause some change in astronauts’ bodies

C. astronauts shouldn’t care about the BMD loss

D. astronauts should take some calcium before space travel

3. What cause the BMD loss to astronauts, according to this passage?

A. The food they eat in space.                     B. The drinks they take in space.

C. The temperature in space.                D. The gravity in space.

4. In the third paragraph, the word “striking” means ______.

A. unusual             B. simple               C. weak                 D. slow

The Colors of Friendship友誼的顏色

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel. Green said, “Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would ___1__.”

Blue interrupted, “You only think about the __2__, but consider the sky and the sea. __3__ the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. Without my peace, you would all be __4__.”

Yellow chuckled (笑道), “You are all so serious. I bring laughter, fun, and __5__ into the world.”

Orange started next to blow her trumpet, “I am the color of health and strength. I may be __6__, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. When I fill the sky __7__, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another __8__ to any of you.”

Red could stand it __9__ and he shouted out, “I am the ruler of all of you. I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to __10__ truth. I am also the color of passion and of love.”

Then came Purple and Indigo (深藍(lán)) …

The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own __11__. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder. Rain started to pour down __12__. The colors crouched (蜷縮) down __13__, drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor (叫嚷), rain began to speak, “You foolish colors, fighting __14__ yourselves, each trying to dominate __15__. Don’t you know that you were each made for a special purpose, __16__? Join hands with __17__ and come to me.”

Doing as they were told, the colors __18__ and joined hands. They formed a colorful rainbow. From then on, whenever a good rain ___19__ the world, a rainbow appears in the sky. They remember to __20__ one another.

1. A. stay                     B. leave                   C. go out                     D. die

2. A. earth                   B. moon                          C. star                         D. sun

3. A. That is                 B. I am                        C. It is                         D. This is

4. A. anything              B. nothing                   C. something            D. everything

5. A. warmth               B. sadness                    C. depression               D. anxiety

6. A. usual                   B. normal                    C. common             D. scarce

7. A. at midnight          B. at noon or at night     C. at sunrise or sunset   D. during the day

8. A. gift                         B. honor                          C. thought                   D. respect

9. A. for more                  B. any more                 C. very much                   D. no longer

10. A. turn to                      B. fight for                  C. struggle with            D. bend over

11. A. superiority          B. disadvantages           C. inferiority               D. weakness

12. A. gently               B. quietly                    C. violently                  D. peacefully

13. A. with care            B. in fear                     C. by chance               D. on purpose

14. A. among                   B. by                           C. for                          D. against

15. A. others               B. themselves               C. the other                  D. the rest

16. A. equal and simple  B. ordinary and similar  C. more or less          D. unique and different

17. A. each other          B. me                          C. one another              D. them

18. A. combined           B. separated                 C. united                     D. divided

19. A. cleans               B. washes                    C. brightens                 D. dampens

20. A. appreciate          B. quarrel with             C. ignore                     D. Praise

“Let’s go to the library, shall we?” “____”

A. NO, I can't   B.Yes, I will   C.Yes, thank you   D. NO, we’d better not

Some weak bridge may not ___ in an earthquake.

A,stay up  B. fall down  C. fell down   D. fell off

I needed to get some money so, after Christmas, I took a job in the clothes department at Graham's for the first fortnight of the January sale. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I'll never forget.

I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales; where did they all come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock(貨物) and the stock that people buy all the year round; some of these things are slightly reduced. Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn't sell last year; these are heavily reduced to clear them. Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in specially for the sales; these are put out at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the sale. Clever! Lastly, they buy in “seconds”(clothes not in perfect condition) for the sale and they are sold very cheaply.

When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building. This made me very nervous.

When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards, looking less

 confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand. The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in. I couldn't believe my eyes; this wasn't shopping, it was a battlefield! One poor lady couldn't keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind.

Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colours and styles they wanted. Quarrels broke out. Mothers were using their small child

ren to crawl(爬行) through people's legs and get hold of things they couldn't get near themselves.

Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose, each wanting to be the first served. Where had the famous English queue gone? The whole

day continued like that, but I kept my temper(脾氣)! I was taking money hand over fist and began to realise why, twice a year, ?Graham's? were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this.

In the sale fever, people were spending money like water without thinking whether they needed what they were buying. As long as it was a bargain it was OK.

You won't believe this but as soon as I got home I crashed out for four hours. Then I had dinner and went back to bed, fearing the sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale.

1.What kind of clothes is likely to be sold 5% cheaper?  

Last summer's clothes.

B.Clothes not in perfect condition.

C.Clothes bought in specially for the sales.     

D.Clothes for winter. 

2.Which of the following statements is true?        

A.The customers gave up the queuing, for which the English are famous.        

B.The customers kept their temper while looking for clothes they wanted.        

C.Small children enjoyed crawling through people's legs.        

D.The security guards were fearless of the crowd. 

3.In the author's opinion, why were Graham's happy to make their expensive store into a “battlefield”?

A.There were too many clothes and they wanted to clear them in the sales.

B.They were eager to show that they were clever at doing business.        

C.They could take the chance to raise the prices of all their clothes.        

D.They wanted to make more money by having sales. 

4.The expression “_________crashed out” means ________.

A.chatted with her friendsB.slept soundlyC.broke downD.dined out 

5.  What would be the best title for the passage?

A.The Best Bargain                B.Hunting for a Job

C.Sale Fever                      D.A Pleasant Fortnight