閱讀理解
     The Channel is the name given to the stretch(伸展) of water which separates England and France.
Ferries(輪渡) operate all year round to carry people across the Channel, and they are busy most of the
year. January is the only quiet month nowadays. As well as summer holiday-makers, there are day trippers and coach traffic, not to mention lorries and other commercial vehicles. Some ferries carry cars and their
passengers, while others also connect train passengers with the continental rail network.
     The biggest hazard for the ferry is the wind. The crew listens to BBC weather reports four times a day. Or they sometimes get gale(wind) warnings from local radio station.
     Crossing the Channel by ferry is a bit like trying to cross Oxford Street on a busy afternoon, according to one ferryboat captain. The ferries from Folkstone and Dover to Calais and Boulogne have to cross the main flow of traffic. This consists of ships traveling through the Channel to and from Northern Europe.
There may be four hundred ships making the journey at any one time, and they all pass through a "choke
point" which is only fifteen miles (twenty-five kilometers) wide. The cross-channel ferries have to sail right
through the middle of all this traffic.
1. The passage is mainly concerned with _____.
A. cross-channel ferries
B. the weather on the Channel
C. the English Channel
D. what crossing the Channel by ferry is like
2. You may find the Channel not so busy on __________.
A. May 1st
B. February 25th
C. January 2nd
D. September 5th
3. The word "hazard" is closest in meaning to ________.
A. friend
B. danger
C. enemy
D. safety
4. We can infer(推斷) from the passage that _______.
A. if there is a gale warning from the BBC, the ferries will stop operating.
B. the traffic on the Channel is very busy only in winter
C. ferries are busiest in the afternoon
D. the crew of the ferry listens to the weather reports four times a day
5. Where does this passage most probably appear?
A. In a dictionary.
B. In a novel.
C. In a transportation magazine.
D. In a geography textbook.

閱讀理解

閱讀理解

閱讀理解
     Learners report two main difficulties in reading, which may be linked. There are too many unknown
words and as a result reading is simply not a pleasure. For some students, even reading in their own
language is a chore.
     Having a wide vocabulary is essential to making sense of written language. Of course, this is a circular
argument, because the more you read the more vocabulary you learn and the more words you know the
more easily you can read. Don't make the mistake of reading with your dictionary beside you, looking up
every single new or doubtful word. This is laborious and prevents you from practicing the skill of
prediction.
     Sometimes in reading you find a word you know but the sense doesn't seem to fit in. This is not
surprising because words have so many meanings and degrees of meaning. What is more, part of their
meaning is shaped by the words around them. Keep looking at the surrounding words and asking yourself "what sort of meaning would make sense here?"
     The more that people study the reading process, the better they can pass on to language learners a
range of advice to choose from. People have learned to read in all kinds of ways. Here is some information that could help you plan to be a better reader in the foreign language you are studying.
     1)Work out the general meaning first
     When people read in a new language they often feel they must take a detailed approach, focusing on
every word, particularly those they don't know. They read as if they were using a microscope, looking
carefully at each of the small pieces(the individual words), but not necessarily seeing the whole picture at
first. This is called the "bottom-up" approach. Other readers try to look first at the big picture(the
"top-down" approach), attending to individual bricks only as necessary, a process that involves some
intelligent guesswork. Generally this second approach is recommended by successful learners.
     2)Interactive reading
     Another way of thinking about reading is to describe it as an interactive process, where the text brings
something to you and you bring something to the text. Readers bring together all their knowledge of the
world with what they see on the page in front of them. That is why, when reading in our own language, we don't need to read every word. We add meaning which is not actually stated.
     3)From supported reading to independent reading
     Language learners start by needing considerable support as they read. Textbooks supply this support in the form of introductions that summaries the contents, glossaries, pictures, explanations of new grammar
points. In your reading you need to move gradually from this support to reading more the text itself.
1. This passage is mainly about ________.
A. how to use a dictionary
B. how to improve English writing
C. how to be a better English reader
D. how to increase English vocabulary
2. The word "chore" in the first paragraph maybe means ______.
A. an important aspect  
B. an easy question
C. a difficult and tiring thing      
D. something special
3. Successful learners recommend ______.
A. trying to look first at the big picture        
B. looking carefully at each of the small pieces
C. focusing on every word            
D. "bottom-up" approach
4. If you come across a new or doubtful word when you are reading, you can ______.
A. just miss it and let it be              
B. make sense of it with the help of dictionary
C. look it up in the dictionary each time      
D. keep looking at the surrounding words

閱讀理解
     1、American and British people use different greetings. In the USA the commonest greeting is "Hi". In Britain it is "Hello!" or "How are you?".  "Hi!" is creeping(不知不覺地進入) into British, too. When they are introduced to someone, the Americans say, "Glad to know you." The British say, "How do you do?" or "Pleased to meet you." When Americans say "Good-bye", they nearly always add, "Have a good day." or "Have a good trip." to friends and strangers alike. Britons are already beginning to use "Have a good day."
     2、The British usually use "got" in the sense of "have". The Americans hardly ever do.
     Am. E: Do you have a car, room, etc.? Yes, I do.
     Br. E: Have you got a car, room, etc.? Yes, I have.
     3、There are a number of differences between American and British English in the spelling of words,
e.g. check(USA) / cheque (UK). Many American words ending in "or", e.g. honor, labor are spelt in
British English with an "our," e.g. honour, labour. Many verbs in American English with "ize" or "izing"
forms, e.g. organize, realizing are spelt in Br. E with "ise" or "ising", e.g. organise, realising. In American
English, "practice" is used both for the verb and noun. In Br. E, the verb is spelt "practise", and the noun
"practice." In American English, one writes "traveler," while in British English, one writes "traveller".  
     4、It was once predicted that British and American English would become separate languages finally. But the opposite has happened. The links(聯(lián)系) between the two countries are so strong that linguistically(語言上地), and probably culturally(文化上地) too, they are closer together than ever.
1. The Americans hardly say "_____"
A. Good-bye. Have a good day!    
B. Glad to know you!    
C. Hi!    
D. Have you got a car?
2. What does the third paragraph talk about?
A.There are lots of differences in spelling between Am. E and Br. E.
B.Why do the Americans and the British use different spellings?
C.There are few differences in spelling between Am. E and Br. E.
D.  The different usages of words in Am. E and Br. E.
3. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The two languages will become separate languages.  
B. American English will be used more and more.  
C. The two languages will be closer and closer.      
D. British English will be used more and more.
4. The underlined word "predicted" means ______.
A. explained        
B. foretold          
C. considered      
D. proved

閱讀理解
     You never played the video dance game? Now such games are used to help lose weight!
     Like many other teenage boys, Jones loves sports. But at 5 feet, 175 pounds, he found his weight in
trouble. His doctor wanted him to lose 50 pounds so that he may be a good football game player by the
end of the summer.
     Jones chose the popular Dance Revolution video game at home to increase his activity. He had lost
about 10 pounds by changing his diet. Now, after two weeks' playing the game, he has lost another 10!
     A health study is being done by an insurance company. The company hopes that the game will lead to
better health and lower costs. "Obesity claims (肥胖索賠) last year cost us $ 77 million. We have to cut
those costs," said a member of the insurance group. The company provides a game console (游戲主機), a dance mat and software for the six-month, $ 60,000 study.
     The study is more than a commercial thing of an insurance company. It is widely supported by physical education and health professionals.
     In West Virginia, 43% of the nearly 6,000 children examined for heart disease risk were considered
over-weighted; more than 25% were too fat. "We are in a crisis of childhood obesity not only in West
Virginia but in America," said a researcher.
     Researchers are now looking at the potential for improving effects by using the game. A teacher in
West Virginia has been using the video games in her classes since last fall. She reported that the game does improve heart health as well as eye-hand coordination (協(xié)調(diào)能力), and her students take the video game as a great alternative to jumping rope or ball games.
     The US Education Department is putting the game in 20 schools to control childhood obesity. Well, are you going to try such to dance away your extra weight?
1. The insurance company is concerned about the health study because they ____.
A. care about children's future        
B. value medical science  
C. intend to reduce the obesity claims  
D. love dancing games
2. The underlined part is trying to tell us _____.
A. the study involves many insurance companies
B. the study is only an insurance company's business
C. the study is less important than the insurance company's money
D. it's not only the insurance company that is concerned about the study
3. It can be inferred that _____.
A. the government thinks highly of the dance game
B. in West Virginia, more than 25 % of the adults were too fat
C. a teacher is a failure in using the video game in her classes
D. the US Education Department isn't interested in the game
4. The most suitable title of the passage is _____.
A. Dance Away Your Weight    
B. Play the Video Dance Game  
C. Solve the Problem of Obesity  
D. Cut the Cost of Obesity Claims

Dear Betty,
     My roommate's family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted
the invitation, and I'm excited about going, but I'm a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my
country are different from those here, so I'm a little worried about making mistakes.
Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late?  At the dinner
table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I'm thankful for
their kindness?
                                                                                                                                       Yours,
                                                                                                                               Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
     It's a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you
can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
     You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don't get there early. If you are going to be more
than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
     Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don't know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch
the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don't be shy about asking the
person next to you; it's better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
     If you like the food, say so. Of course, you'll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their
kindness. It's also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
                                                                                                                                    Yours, 
                                                                                                                                     Betty