When a Swedish ship that sank in 1628 was recovered from the port of Stockholm, historians and scientists were overjoyed with the chance to examine the remains of the past. The ship construction showed how ships were built and operated during the seventeenth century. In this way, artifacts, objects made by human beings, provided a picture of daily life almost 400 years ago.
Underwater archaeology __the study of ships, aircraft and human settlements that have sunk under large bodies of water is really a product of the last 50 years. The rapid growth of this new area of study has occurred because of the invention of better diving equipment .Besides the Swedish ship wreck(殘骸）,underwater archaeologists have made more exciting discoveries such as the  5000-year-old boats in the Mediterranean Sea.
Underwater archaeology can provide facts about the past. In ancient ports all over the world are ships sunken in the past 6,000 years. There are also sunken settlements in seas and lakes telling of people way of life and their systems of trade in ancient times. Underwater archaeologists want to study these objects to add to the world’s knowledge of history, but they have to fight two enemies. One enemy is treasure hunters who dive for ancient artifacts that they can sell to collectors. Once sold, these objects are lost to experts. The second enemy is dredging machines(挖掘機(jī)）often used to repair ports. These machines destroy wrecks and artifacts or bury them deeper under sand and mud. By teaching the public about the importance of underwater “museums” of the past, archaeologists are hoping to get support for laws to protect underwater treasures.
小題1:What purpose does Paragraph 1 serve in the passage?

A．To provide background information of the topic

B．To attract readers’ attention to the topic

C．To use an example to support the topic

D．To offer basic knowledge of the topic

小題2:The aim of underwater archaeology is to    .

A．exploit water bodies

B．search for underwater life

C．study underwater artifacts

D．examine underwater environment

小題3:Underwater archaeologists are worried because_____.

A．sea hunters have better diving equipment

B．their knowledge of world history is limited

C．dredging machines cause damage to the ports

D．sold artifacts can hardly be regained for research

小題4:What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce a young branch of learning.

B．To discuss the scientists’ problems.

C．To explain people’s way of life in the past.

D．To describe the sunken ships.

Today anyone will accept money in exchange for goods and services.People use money to buy food, furniture,books,bicycles and hundreds of other things they need or want. When they work, they usually get paid in money.
Most of the money today is made of metal(金屬) or paper. But people used to use all kinds of things as money. One of the first kinds of money was shells.
Shells were not the only things used as money. In China , cloth and knives were used. In the Phillipine Islands, rice was used as money for a long time. Elephant tusks,monkey tails and salt were used as money in parts of Africa.
The first metal coins were made in China. They were round and had a square hole in  the centre.People strung(串聯(lián))them together and carried them from place to place.
Different countries have used different metals  and designs for their money. The first coins in England were made of tin(錫).Sweden and Russia used copper(銅)to make their money. Later some countries began to make coins of gold and silver.
But even gold and silver were inconvenient if you had to buy something expensive. Again the Chinese thought of a way to improve money. They began to use paper money. The first paper money looked more like note from one person to another than the paper money used today.
Money has had an interesting history from the days of shell money until today.
小題1:The main use of money is that _________.

A．people use it to buy things to eat

B．people accept money only in exchange for clothes

C．people accept money in exchange for goods and service

D．people will accept money for giving our goods to others

小題2:What did the first Chinese metal coins look like?

A．They had square hole in the centre.

B．They were just like shells.

C．They were round like the moon.

D．They were round with a square hole in the centre.

小題3:Who thought of a way to use paper money first?

A．The Chinese	B．The Russian
C．The Sweden	D．The English men

小題4:The best title of this passage should be ________.

A．The Chinese money	B．The history of money
C．Some things about money	D．What is money

Happy April Fool’s Day．In celebration of the day, we have put together a list of some of the greatest hoaxes in history．They are the lies that have been designed for innocent people who are ready to believe them．
INSTANT COLOUR TV
In 1962 there was only one TV channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white．The station’s technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that thanks to a newly developed technology, all viewers could now quickly and easily transform their existing sets to display colour reception．All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their TV screen, and they would begin to see their favorite shows in color．Reportedly, hundreds of thousands of people were taken in．Actual color TV transmission only started to appear in Sweden on April 1, 1970．
SAN ERRIFFE
In 1977 the British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven-page supplement （增刊）in honor of the tenth anniversary of San Serriffe, a small republic located in the Indian Ocean．A series of articles affectionately described the geography and culture of this unknown nation．The Guardian’s phones rang all day as readers asked for more information about the beautiful holiday spot．Few noticed that everything about the island was made up．
NIXON FOR PRESIDENT
In 1992 American National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation program announced that Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for President again．His new campaign slogan was, “I didn’t do anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.” Accompanying this announcement were audio clips of Nixon delivering his election speech．Listeners responded immediately to the announcement, flooding the show with calls expressing shock and anger．Only during the second half of the show did the host John Hockenberry reveal that the announcement was a practical joke, Nixon’s voice was copied by comedian Rich Little．
小題1:The underlined phrase “taken in” in the 2nd paragraph means ________.

A．deceived

B．pleased

C．innocent

D．broadcast

小題2:What can be inferred from the text about Color TV?

A．The Swedish People didn’t watch color TVs until 1970．

B．The Swedish People began to watch color TVs in 1962．

C．Kjell Stensson was a TV host．

D．Not many people believed Kjell Stensson．

小題3:Which of the following statements about San Serriffe is True?

A．San Seffiffe is located in the Indian Ocean．

B．San Seffiffe became a republic in 1967．

C．San Seffiffe is a beautiful place．

D．San Seffiffe doesn’t exist．

小題4:We get to know from the passage that _____．

A．Richard Nixon didn’t win the election in 1992．

B．Richard Nixon didn’t do anything wrong

C．Richard Nixon was not liked by the American people

D．Richard Nixon asked Rich Little to speak for him

Do you know what the White House is? Perhaps some of you do，while others don't.
　　The White House is a house in Washington. The president of the U.S.A. lives in it. It's really white. But do you know why the White House is white? The story happened in 1812. That year England was at war with America. The British army got to Washington and set the president's house on fire. In 1814，in order to hide the marks of the fire，the stone walls of the president's house were painted white and it has been the "White House” ever since.
小題1:White House is a house for ___________.
A. the American people.
B. the soldiers of U.S.A.
C. the presidents of U.S.A.
D. the patients of U.S.A.
小題2:England fought with America in ____________.

A．1810

B．1812

C．1814

D．1916

小題3:The house is called "White House" because ____________.

A．it's covered with snow

B．the house is very clean

C．the stone walls of the house were painted white

D．they like white colour

小題4:The White House was painted white because ____________.

A．the house is old

B．the house is new

C．it was once on fire and was with marks

D．they have enough paint

小題5:"ever since" means ___________.

A．never

B．once

C．from then on

D．Before

February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest(牧師) in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
小題1:Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?

A．Because there were few women in his country at that time.

B．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.

C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.

D．Because he wanted to control the birth rate.

小題2:Valentine was put into prison because ______.

A．he killed one of the soldiers

B．he stole a lot of food

C．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order

D．he didn’t want to be a soldier

小題3: The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.

A．students in China send cards to their teachers

B．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

D．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now

小題4:What is the author’s feelings toward Valentine?.

A．Honor and respect.	B．Love and joy.
C．Praise and disbelief.	D．Sorrow and humor.

小題5:Which of the following can NOT be inferred from the passage?

A．Valentine’s Day is a Festival in honor of a person.

B．Valentine is a brave priest who died for what he believed in.

C．All the young people in the 3rd Century could not get married freely.

D．People at that time in Rome lived in a hard time under the control of the emperor.

Man has always wanted to fly. Some of the greatest men in history have thought about the problem. One of these, for example, was the great Italian artist, Leonardo da Vinci. In the sixteenth century he made designs for machines that could fly. But they were never built.,
Throughout history, other less famous men have wanted to fly. An example was a man in England 800years ago. He made a pair of wings from chicken feathers. Then he fixed them to his body and jumped into the air from a tall building. He did not fly very far. He fell to the ground and broke every bone in his body.
The first real step took place in France in 1783. Two brothers, the Mongolfiers, made a very large “hot air balloon”. They knew that hot air rises. Why not fill a balloon with it? The balloon was made of cloth and paper. In September of that year, the King and Queen of France came to see the balloon. They watched it carry the very first air passengers into the sky. The passengers were a sheep and a chicken. We do not know how they felt about the trip. But we do know that the trip lasted 8 minutes and that the animals landed safely. Two months later, two men did the same thing. They rose above Paris in a balloon of the same kind. Their trip lasted twenty-five minutes and they traveled about 8 kilometers.
小題1: Leonardo da Vinci        .

A．said that man would fly in the sky one day

B．built a kind of machine which never flew

C．drew many beautiful pictures of the birds

D．made designs of flying machines

小題2:Eight hundred years ago an Englishman        .

A．made a kind of flying machine

B．tried to fly with wings made of chicken feathers

C．wanted to build a kind of balloon

D．tried to fly on a large bird

小題3: In fact, the Englishman who tried to fly        .

A．lost his life	B．flew only 8 minutes
C．was not wounded	D．succeeded in flying

小題4:The very first air passengers in the balloon were      .

A．the King and Queen	B．two Frenchmen
C．two animals	D．the Mongolfiers

For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub．Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news．
As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved．Many of them have become historic sites．The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called " Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem" , which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England．
However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society．On a cold night, the pub's landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire．There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drinks available at an affordable price．
That's how things used to be．Things are beginning to change．It is said that the credit crunch （信貸緊縮） is causing 39 British pubs in a week to go out of business．People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer．Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs．
This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 11 p．m．．Previously, with 11 p．m．a(chǎn)s closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly．The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as "binge drinking" , and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities．
In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market．British pubs now offer something for everyone．A lot of pubs used to be "Working Men's Clubs" , meaning that women could not usually enter．Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems．Perhaps things are changing for the better after all．
小題1:British people have the habit of gathering in the pubs to _____．

A．have the hearty food

B．enjoy the historic sites

C．make themselves known

D．communicate with each other

小題2:The British pubs are allowed to stay open after 11p．m．to ______．

A．urge customers to drink quickly

B．a(chǎn)ffect the number of customers

C．help reduce social problems

D．give pub owners better income

小題3:We can learn from the last paragraph that the author _____．

A．is against the admission of too many women to the pubs

B．holds an optimistic attitude towards the future of the British pubs

C．thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems

D．holds the view that British pubs should offer everything you need

小題4:The passage mainly tells us ______．

A．the long history of British pubs

B．the present situation of British pubs

C．the reason why British people go to pubs

D．the disadvantages of running pubs in Britain

San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge. The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark.
The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars.
The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of the library grounds. Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff put out a nutty feast for the squirrels. Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over.
One day Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and that day’s coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety. The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of the City Council(市政會(huì)).The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge “Nutty Narrows.”
After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started Construction, They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum and lengths of fire hose(消防水帶). It cost 1,000.
It didn’t take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became know in newspapers all over the world.
In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.
Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project.
小題1:The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in order to ________.

A．offer squirrels a place to eat nuts

B．set up a local landmark

C．help improve traffic

D．protect squirrels

小題2:What happened over the coffee break discussion?

A．The committee got the Council’s blessing.

B．The squirrel bridge idea was born

C．A councilwoman named the bridge

D．A squirrel was found dead.

小題3:What does the underlined phrase “teaching them the ropes” probably means in the text?

A．passing them a rope

B．Directing them to store food for winter

C．Teaching them a lesson

D．Showing them how to use the bridge.

小題4:Which of the following is true of the squirrel bridge?

A．It was replaced by a longer one.

B．It was built from wood and metal.

C．it was rebuilt after years of use.

D．It was designed by Bill Hutch.

小題5:What can we learn about Amos Peters?

A．He is remembered for his love of animals.

B．He donated $1,000 to build the bridge.

C．He was a member of the City Council.

D．He was awarded a medal for building the bridge.

Many of the people who appear most often and most gloriously in history books are great conquerors and generals and soldiers, whereas the people who really helped civilization forward are often never mentioned at all.
We do not know who first set a broken leg, or launched a seaworthy boat, or calculated the length of the year; but we know all about the killers and destroyers. People think a great deal of them, so much so that on all the highest pillars in the great cities of the world you will find the figure of a conqueror or a general or a soldier. And I think most people believe that the greatest countries are those that have beaten in battle the greatest number of other countries and ruled over them as conquerors.
It is just possible they are, but they are not the most civilized. Animals fight; so do savages; hence to be good at fighting is to be good in the way in which an animal or a savage（野人） is good, but it is not to be civilized. Even being good at getting other people to fight for you and telling them how to do it most efficiently—this, after all, is what conquerors and generals have done—is not being civilized. People fight to settle quarrels. Fighting means killing, and civilized people ought to be able to find some way of setting their disputes other than by seeing which side can kill off the greater number of the other side, and then saying that that side which has killed most has won. And not only has it won, but because it has won, it had been in the right. For that is what going to war means; it means saying that might（權(quán)利） is right.
小題1:The author thinks that the conquerors and generals and soldiers ________.

A．only appear glorious in history books

B．a(chǎn)re greater than any other people

C．a(chǎn)re not as great as described in history books

D．do not really help civilization forward

小題2:As it is indicated in the passage, the figure of a conqueror or a general or a soldier is put on the highest pillars in the great cities of the world mainly because ________.

A．people respect them very much

B．they fought bravely to protect their cities

C．people think they fought too brutally（野蠻地）

D．they conquered many cities and countries

小題3:What is the writer’s attitude towards the countries that ruled over a large number of other countries ?

A．Positive.

B．Critical.

C．Ironic.

D．Respectful.

小題4:The author says that civilized people________.

A．should not have any quarrels to settle

B．should not fight when there are no quarrels to settle

C．should settle their quarrels without fighting

D．should settle their quarrels by killing the other side

To take the apple as a forbidden fruit is the most unlikely story the Christians（基督教徒）ever cooked up. For them, the forbidden fruit from Eden is evil（邪惡的）. So when Columbus brought the tomato back from South America, a land mistakenly considered to be Eden, everyone jumped to be the obvious conclusion. Wrongly taken as the apple of Eden, the tomato was shut out of the door of Europeans.
What made it particularly terrifying was its similarity to the mandrake, a plant that was thought to have come from Hell（地獄）.What earned the plant its awful reputation was its roots which looked like a dried-up human body occupied by evil spirits. Tough the tomato and the mandrake were quite different except that both had bright red or yellow fruit, the general population considered them one and the same, too terrible to touch.
Cautious Europeans long ignored the tomato, and until the early 1700s most of the Western people continued to drag their feet. In the 1880s, the daughter of a well-known plant expert wrote that the most interesting part of an afternoon tea at her father’s house had been the “introduction of this wonderful new fruit—or is it a vegetable?” As late as the twentieth century some writers still classed tomatoes with mandrakes as an “evil fruit”.
But in the end tomatoes carried the day. The hero of the tomato was an American named Robert  Johnson, and when he was publicly going to eat the tomato in 1820, people journeyed for hundreds of miles to watch him drop dead. “What are you afraid of?” he shouted. “I’ll show you fools that these things are good to eat!” Then he bit into the tomato. Some people fainted. But he survived and, according to a local story, set up a tomato-canning factory.
小題1:The tomato was shut out of the door of early Europeans mainly because ______.

A．it made Christians evil.

B．it was the apple of Eden

C．it came from a forbidden land

D．it was religiously unacceptable

小題2:What can we infer the underlined part in Paragraph 3 ?

A．The process of ignoring the tomato slowed down

B．There was little progress in the study of the tomato

C．The tomato was still refused in most western countries

D．Most western people continued to get rid of the tomato

小題3:What is the main reason for Robert Johnson to eat the tomato publicly?

A．To make himself a hero

B．To remove people’s fear of the tomato

C．To speed up the popularity of the tomato

D．To persuade people to buy products from his factory

小題4:What is the main purpose of the passage ?

A．To challenge people’s fixed concepts of the tomato

B．To give an explanation to people’s dislike of the tomato

C．To present the change of people’s attitudes to the tomato

D．To show the process of freeing the tomato from religious influence