People express their personalities in their clothes，their cars，and their homes．Because we might choose certain foods to “tell" people something about us，our diets can also be an expression of our personalities．For example．some people earn mainly gourmet(供美食家享用的)foods，such as caviar(魚子醬)and lobster(龍蝦)，and they eat only in expensive restaurants(never in cafeterias or snack bars)．They know about the “better things in life．’’

    Human beings can eat many different kinds of foods，but some people choose not to eat meat．Vegetarians often have more in common than just their diet．Their personalities might be similar too．For example, vegetarians in the United States and Canada may be creative people，and they might not enjoy competitive sports or jobs．They worry about the health of the world，and they are probably strongly opposed(反對的) to war．

    Some people eat mostly fast food．One study shows that many fast—food eaters have a lot in common with one another，but they are very different from vegetarians．They are competitive and good at business. They are also usually in a hurry．Many fast—food eaters might not agree with this description of their personalities，but it is a common picture of them．

    Some people also believe that people of the same astrological sign(星座)have similar food personalities．Aries(born under the sign of Aries，between March 21 and April 20)usually like spicy(辛辣的)foods，with a lot of onions and pepper．People with the sign of Taurus(April 21 to May 22)prefer healthful fruits and vegetables，but they often eat too much．Sagittarius(November 22 to December 22)like ethnic foods from many different countries．Aquarius(January 21 to February l 9)can eat as much meat and fish as they want, but sugar and cholesterol are sometimes problems for them．

    What is your food personality?

1．Why do some people mainly eat gourmet foods?

      A．Because they want to show off their wealth．

      B．Because foods can show their social position．

      C．Because they want to enjoy the better things in life．

      D．Because they are wiser than any other person．

2．According to the passage，a vegetarian may be a person _______ ．

      A．who is a peace--lover

      B．who values the importance of success

      C．who cares little about the future of the world

      D．who shows their gifts in earning money

3．According to the passage，if you were born on January 30，you may choose ______ ．

      A．food which tastes spicy               B．a(chǎn)pples，bananas．carrots and so on

      C．foods from different countries          D．meat and fish

4．From the passage，we can draw a conclusion that______.

      A．foods are used as a mirror of the human history

      B．you can know a person from what he eats

      C．people are particular about the foods they eat

      D．what people eat may change their personalities

As the English language has changed at a fast speed in this century, so has the use of the English language.

After the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was founded in 1927, the particular style of speech of the BBC announcers was recognized as Standard English or Received Pronunciation (RP) English. Now, most people still consider that the pronunciation and delivery of BBC announcers is the clearest and most understandable spoken English.

English has had a strong relationship with class and social position. However, since the Second World War there has been a clear change of the attitude towards speech snobbery（語言上的優(yōu)越）, and marks of class distinction, such as styles of speech, have been gradually got rid of, especially by the younger generation.

As the need has arisen, new words have been invented or found from other languages and introduced into English. Similarly, old words and expressions have been put aside as their usefulness has become less or the fashions have passed．This also happens to styles and ways of speech which became fashionable at a particular time.

By the end of the 1960s it became clear that it was not necessary to speak Standard English or even correct grammar to become popular, successful and rich. The fashionable speech of the day was no longer the special right of a special class but rather a defiant（不服的）expression of classlessness.

The greatest single influence of the shaping of the English, language in modern times is the American English. Over the past 25 years the English, used by many people, particularly by those in the media, advertising and show business, has become more and more mid-Atlantic in style, delivery and accent.

In the 1970s, fashion favored careless pronunciation and a language full of jargon, slang and “in” words, much of which can’t be understood by the outside world．What is considered modern and fashionable in Britain today is often not the kind of English taught in schools and colleges.

1．Which of the following is NOT true?

       A．The use of the English language has not changed much in this century.

       B．the BBC announcers speak Standard English.

       C．English has no relationship with class and social position now.

       D．Young people don’t like the special right of a special class.

2．What does the author imply by saying “there is has been a clear change of the attitude towards speech snobbery (Para 3)?

       A．People all speak English like BBC announcers.

       B．There is a great change of the attitude about how English should be spoken.

     C．Some people still believe their way of speaking is much better than that of others.

      D．Most people don’t believe their way of speaking is much better than that of others.

3．According to the author, there was a trend in the US for the young people ____.

       A．to speak Standard English.                                                             

       B．to speak English without class distinction

       C．to speak English with class distinction   

       D．to speak English with grammar mistakes

4．It can be concluded from the passage that ____.

       A．Standard English is taught only in school and colleges

       B．the young English are defiant because they refuse to speak Standard English.

       C．the English language is not influenced by American English in the last 25 years

       D．there has been a great change in the English language in this century

Recently I was asked, “Are we anywhere near the day when you can climb into a car on Long Island, program it to take you to your niece’s house in Chicago, hit enter, and after the first hundred yards, once you hit a main road, the car takes over automatically and you just sit back and enjoy the ride?”

It is a question I worry about. But I had to answer truthfully, “Absolutely. We are without a doubt near the day.” Look, we’re already doing it with airplanes.

Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk takes off at an air base in the US, climbs to 50,000 feet, flies to Australia, and lands at an Australian air base, where there is a grandstand filled with military officials,－with no human pilot .

The necessary technology is already here. We have radar technology that can be tied to cruise（巡航）control and brakes, which automatically adjust your speed based on following distance and preprogrammed settings. It’s still a little bit raw, but it does work great. The technology can allow cars and trucks to follow each other in very closely spaced roads.

     GPS can also changes speed with location. Let’s say you’re in a state with a 75-mph limit and you cross into a state with a 65-mph limit. GPS knows that and can adjust your speed accordingly.

     It’s not out of the question to imagine that someday soon you’ll be able to start the car, make proper settings, then turn the front seats around and play cards and eat lunch as if you’re riding on a train. All in perfect comfort and safety, all the way to that niece’s place in Chicago.

     If asked to estimate just how far time is, I’d say a working system is ten years out, practice maybe 20 years.

1．The purpose of the question asked in the first paragraph probably is ____.

       A．to draw reader’s attention to his theory

       B．to introduce the topic to be discussed in the passage

       C．to describe the car in the future

       D．to prove that his idea is right

2．What’s the key technology to automatically car driving according to the passage?

       A．The technology of airplanes.                 B．The technology to be developed in the future.

       C．The technology of satellites.                  D．The technology of radar and GPS.

3．What does the author think of the change in car driving?

       A．It’s a terrible thing to come.                  B．It’s a wonder to drive such a car.

       C．It’s a pity to give up the skill of driving. D．It’s very likely to come true in the future.

4．Which of the following may be the best title for this passage?

       A．Driving is dead?                                   B．Comfortable car driving

       C．Will new technology change cars?         D．Cars is in the future.

Pets are no strangers to the White House. Many of America’s presidents have been animal lovers. In recent times, White House pets have been tame dogs and cats. Long ago, however, presidential pets, like our nation itself, were wilder!

In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson lived in the White House. Passersby often caught sight of his pet bears. Explorers had discovered these fierce bears, caught a pair of small ones, and sent them to Jefferson. While the President was excited about his bears, his enemies in Congress constantly laughed at his pets, calling the White House “The President’s Bear Garden.”

By 1825, the bears were long gone from the White House scene. Now the building was home to President John Quincy Adams and his crocodile. The green beast actually belonged to General Lafayette, a French hero who had helped the United States win the Revolutionary War. When Lafayette asked Adams babysat the huge crocodile. First lady Louisa Adams was busy raising thousands of silkworms. She used the silk from the silkworms to make cloth for her dresses.

When President Martin Van Buren moved into the White House in 1837, he brought his tigers with him. At least, Van Buren said the tigers were his. The Sultan of Oman had sent the tigers when Van Buren was elected, so Congress argued the tigers belonged to the American people. A fight over the tigers continued for months. In the end, Congress sent someone to seize the tigers and put them in a zoo.

Twenty years later, President James Buchanan received another valuable gift when he was in his first year in the White House. This time, the King of Siam sent several elephants! Buchanan had no desire to share his building with the big creatures, so he sent them to the zoo. Buchanan did, however, keep another gift－a pair of birds. They were a fitting symbol of presidential power.

1．According to the passage, we can infer that ____.

       A．the pets the Presidents raised were all huge ones

       B．the Presidents owned were all for their favorite ones

       C．the Presidents kept the pets not only at home but in the zoo

       D．the Presidents’ pets were not only cared about by their families

2．How did the presidents mentioned get their unusual pets?

       A．They got them in the forest.                  B．They bought them at the market.

       C．The pets were given to them by others.  D．Their family members offered them the pets.

3．What similar political effect did Jefferson’s bears and Van Buren’s tigers have?

       A．The pets made them happy and gay.     

       B．It took them too much time to look after them.

       C．It made people believe that they were animal lovers.

       D．It brought about dissatisfaction with them in Congress.

4．President James Buchanan got elephants, while President Bill Clinton, who came to power about ____ years later, kept dogs as pets.

       A．nearly two handed                               B．over one hundred and forty

       C．a(chǎn)bout one hundred                             D．a(chǎn)round forty-five

A: Come in. What can I do for you?

B: Professor Smith, are you giving your advanced maths (1)c______ again next term?

A: Yes, I’m (2) p______ on it.

B: I (3) w______ if I could take the course. I know it’s a senior course and I’m only a (4) j______, but …

A: You’re a bit young. I’ve allowed seniors to take the course and they usually have a hard time (5) k______ up.

B: I know, but maths is my (6) f______ subject. Last term I took Professor Baker’s course and I didn’t find it (7) h______ for me.

A: I (8) s______. Well, I’ll speak to Professor Baker, (9) i______ he think you’re ready, I’ll let you take it.

B: Thank you, Professor Smith, that’s (10) r______ very nice of you.

Don’t you think being caught cheating in          exam could ruin our future? I’m afraid it is simply not worth        risk.

A．the; a B．the; 不填  C．a(chǎn)n; the      D．a(chǎn)n; 不填

         , Jim talks a lot about his favorite pop singers after class.

A．Quiet as may he be in class                          B．Quiet as he may be in class

C．Be quiet as he may in class                          D．As he may be quiet in class

A vast area north of the Yangtze River        by the first heavy snow of the new year, causing difficulties to the post – festival road transport.

A．were affected   B．has affected     C．had affected     D．was affected

Have you ever felt your cheeks get hot, your palms sweaty or been afraid to         your teachers’ eyes when they are about to call on someone?

A．take on     B．look into   C．turn to      D．look up

--- Thank you ever so much for your timely help.

---             .

A．Glad to hear that                                         B．With pleasure

C．Think nothing of it                                      D．All right