Often we take for granted the many household items we use every day. It is difficult to imagine there was a time in the past when these inventions did not exist. Actually, several of the most common inventions have been with us for quite some time. Inventions like toothbrush, contact lenses（隱形眼鏡）, and credit cards came into use long ago.

   The first toothbrush was introduced in China in the late 1400s but it was only 300 years later that this simple tool came into common use in Europe. By the nineteenth century, a variety of paste and powder cleaners were available throughout Europe as dental(牙齒的) care became more widespread. The first tube of toothpaste hit the market in Great Britain in 1891.

 There is evidence to show that the first contact lenses were actually suggested by an astronomer, Sir John Herschel, in 1827. However, SirJohn Herschel was never able to create a working model of his idea. It was not until 1887 that a Swiss doctor from Zurich, Dr. Eugen Frick, came up with a workable process for producing precision (精密)lenses. Dr. Frick designed a new method for producing contact lenses,and the Zeiss factory in Germany  began to produce contact lenses.

 Credit cards have also been available for many years. They have been in use in the United States since the 1920s. At first, these cards were only used to buy gas in the quickly growing automobile service industry. Then, in the 1950s, Diners Club introduced the first general-purpose credit card. Today, credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, and American Express are commonly used by travelers around the world.

    While it may be true that some of the greatest inventions and discoveries in history came about by chance, the majority of inventions that simplify our lives today came about through careful research and patient study. Of course, it still holds true that even with all the comforts of modern technology, inventors continue to search for ways of helping all of us get out of doing those necessary but tedious (乏味的) tasks which we still face. As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

1.From the second paragraph we can learn that _____.

A. toothbrushes came into common use in Europe in the 17th century

B. people could enjoy a variety of paste and powder cleaners in the 18th century

C. more and more people paid attention to dental care throughout Europe in the 19th century

D. the English could use different kinds of tubes of toothpaste in the early 19th century

2.All of the following made a contribution to the invention and use of contact lenses EXCEPT _______.

A. Diners Club                       B. Sir John Herschel

C. Dr Eugen Frick                    D. the Zeiss factory

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the fourth paragraph?

A. Credit cards have a history of about two hundred years.

B. Three kinds of credit cards are being used in the USA.

C. The use of credit cards is closely related to the economic development.

D. American Express is only used by American travelers now.

4.The last paragraph mainly tells us that ______.

A. the greatest inventions came about by chance

B. inventions came about through careful research and patient study

C. inventors still continue to make inventions

D. necessity is the mother of invention

 

Often we take for granted the many household items we use every day. It is difficult to imagine there was a time in the past when these inventions did not exist. Actually, several of the most common inventions have been with us for quite some time. Inventions like toothbrush, contact lenses（隱形眼鏡）, and credit cards came into use long ago.
The first toothbrush was introduced in China in the late 1400s but it was only 300 years later that this simple tool came into common use in Europe. By the nineteenth century, a variety of paste and powder cleaners were available throughout Europe as dental(牙齒的) care became more widespread. The first tube of toothpaste hit the market in Great Britain in 1891.
There is evidence to show that the first contact lenses were actually suggested by an astronomer, Sir John Herschel, in 1827. However, SirJohn Herschel was never able to create a working model of his idea. It was not until 1887 that a Swiss doctor from Zurich, Dr. Eugen Frick, came up with a workable process for producing precision (精密)lenses. Dr. Frick designed a new method for producing contact lenses,and the Zeiss factory in Germany  began to produce contact lenses.
Credit cards have also been available for many years. They have been in use in the United States since the 1920s. At first, these cards were only used to buy gas in the quickly growing automobile service industry. Then, in the 1950s, Diners Club introduced the first general-purpose credit card. Today, credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, and American Express are commonly used by travelers around the world.
While it may be true that some of the greatest inventions and discoveries in history came about by chance, the majority of inventions that simplify our lives today came about through careful research and patient study. Of course, it still holds true that even with all the comforts of modern technology, inventors continue to search for ways of helping all of us get out of doing those necessary but tedious (乏味的) tasks which we still face. As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
【小題1】From the second paragraph we can learn that _____.

A．toothbrushes came into common use in Europe in the 17th century

B．people could enjoy a variety of paste and powder cleaners in the 18th century

C．more and more people paid attention to dental care throughout Europe in the 19th century

D．the English could use different kinds of tubes of toothpaste in the early 19th century

【小題2】All of the following made a contribution to the invention and use of contact lenses EXCEPT _______.

A．Diners Club	B．Sir John Herschel
C．Dr Eugen Frick	D．the Zeiss factory

【小題3】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the fourth paragraph?
A. Credit cards have a history of about two hundred years.
B. Three kinds of credit cards are being used in the USA.
C. The use of credit cards is closely related to the economic development.
D. American Express is only used by American travelers now.
【小題4】The last paragraph mainly tells us that ______.

A．the greatest inventions came about by chance

B．inventions came about through careful research and patient study

C．inventors still continue to make inventions

D．necessity is the mother of invention

Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners（小餐館）for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners today for the same reasons.

A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It wasn’t a real diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.

Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.

Diners today look similar to  the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.

Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.

1.A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. Why is the word “diner” in quotation marks(引號(hào))？

A.Because it is spelled differently from “ dinner”

B.Because the first diner was not what it is now

C.Because diner was a new word

D.Because it is a special kind of restaurant

2.What meals did the first diners serve?

A. only breakfast    B. Only lunch   C. Only night-meals  D. All of the above

3.According to paragraph 3, diners changed in __________

A. Two ways      B. three ways     C. four ways       D. five ways

4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Diners existed before a fast-food restaurant

B．The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee

C．Burger King is a fast-food restaurant

D．Sandwiches became bigger

5.The main idea of the passage is that ______________.

A. The diner is a traditional , popular place to eat in the United States

B.Samuel Johns built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside

C.American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers

D.Diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways

 

Drinking small amount of hard Japanese rice wine apparently never hurt 114-year-old Kamato Hongo.She is now the world’s oldest living person, according to Guinness World Records.

“Hongo inherited（繼承）the title Monday after the death of the previous record holder, Maud Farris-Luse ,of Coldwater , Mich.,”the record-keeping company said on its website.Farris-Luse was 115 years and 56 days old then.

“Hongo, born on Sept .16,1887, was raised on a farm and counts drinking Japanese rice wine among her favorite things ─ along with black salt, pork ,sashimi（生魚(yú)片）and green tea,”according to Guinness. “She also likes traditional Japanese dancing.”

“The key is not storing up stress,”said her 45-year-old grandson Tsuyoshi Kurauchi. “If you do that, you can eat or drink anything.”

“Hongo mothered seven children, more than 20 grandchildren, and even outlived her eldest daughter, who died two years ago while in her 90s,”according to Kurauchi, who described Hongo as a “warm, caring grandmother”.

She lived in a nursing home in Kagoshima, a city about 615 miles southwest of Tokyo on the island of Kyushu, which has reputation for record-breaking longevity among its residents.

Hongo was born in the nearby town of Isen, home to the late Shigechiyo Izumi, who also held the Guinness record as the world’s oldest person. He died in 1986 at the age of 120.

Recently , another Kyushu resident was regarded as the world’s oldest man. Retired silkworm farmer Yukichi Chuganji graduated into the spot on Jan . 4 with the death of his predecessor, Antonio Todde of Italy. Chuganji turns 113 on Saturday.

There are an estimated 15,000 Japanese over the age of 100, and women make up about 80 percent of the total.

The sentence “The key is not storing up stress.”in Paragraph 4 means “ ___________”.

A. The most important is to mind everything that has been done.

B. The most important is to forget the unpleasant things.

C. The most important is to reduce the heavy load of learning and work.

D. The most important is to remember what brings you unhappiness.

Who is considered to be the world’s oldest man alive in the passage?

A. Maud Farris-Luse.                B. Shigechiyo Izumi.

C. Yukichi Chuganji.                D. Kamato Hongo.

Which of the following is not true about Kamato Hongo?

A. She is the world’s oldest person alive.

B. She loves drinking Japanese rice wine.

C. She is fond of traditional Japanese dancing.

D. She cares about everything that happens around her.

 The passage mainly talks about ___________________ .

A. the fact that women are living longer than men

B. something about the Japanese oldest living lady

C. the fact that Kagoshima is famous for longevity

D. the secret of living longer

Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners（小餐館）for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners today for the same reasons.

   A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It wasn’t a real diner. It was only a food cart(手推車(chē)). People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.

   Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent(永久的) buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.

Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.

   Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.

A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. Why is the word “diner” in quotation marks(引號(hào))？

A. Because it is spelled differently from “ dinner”

B. Because the first diner was not what it is now

C. Because diner was a new word

D. Because it is special.

What meals did the first diners serve?

A. Only breakfast  B. Only lunch   C. Only night-meals  D. All of the above

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Diners existed before a fast-food restaurant.

The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee.

C. Burger King is a fast-food restaurant.

D. Sandwiches became bigger.

The main idea of the passage is that ______________.

A. The diner is a traditional , popular place to eat in the United States.

B. Samuel Johns built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside.

C. American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers.

D. Diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways.