Almost every family in America or England buys at least one copy of a newspaper every day. Some
people buy as many as two or three different papers.
     Why do people read newspapers?
     Newspapers supply us with news about events in our hometowns, in our country and in other parts
of the world. Today we can read about important things that took place in foreign countries on the same
day they happened, even in countries far away. But hundreds of years ago, news of things took months
or even years to travel from one country to another. In those times, news was often passed from one
person to another andnever entirely true. Newspapers today supply us with more than just what
happened in our country or in other countries.  If we want to know what the weather will be like, we
can read the weather reports. If we want to find out what films are being shown, or what plays or
concerts we can go to we can look in the newspapers.
     In many countries people put notices in newspapers if they are trying to get a job, hunting for a house
or rooms that they can rent, or even when looking for a person who is lost.               

1. This article tells us           .

A. most people read newspapers
B. all people read newspapers
C. every person in America or England reads newspapers
D. all families read newspapers

2. Newspapers supply us with _      .

A. only home news
B. only world news
C. home news and world news
D. important things

3. Which is NOT true according to the passage?

A. The habit of reading newspapers is found among most people.
B. Newspapers not only supply us with news from all over the world but also give us a lot of useful information.
C. Hundreds of years ago news was not wholly true because it was told in spoken words.
D. If you have no place to live in, you can put notice in a newspaper and then you will certainly get a room to live in.

4. Things such as          can be found in newspapers.

A. weather reports and film or concert guides
B. requirements for a job or a house
C. information about a lost person
D. all of the above

1. Local newspapers have

A. a circulation as large as that of national newspapers
B. a daily circulation of 13 million
C. a slightly smaller circulation
D. an even larger circulation

2. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Every town and country area has at least one paper of its own.
B. Nearly all towns and country areas have their own papers.
C. There is a paper, national or local, in each town and country area.
D. A lot of distant town and country areas do not have their own papers.

3. In the writer's opinion, the editor must remember that no paper can possibly succeed without         .

A. advertisements
B. interesting reports
C. a great deal of national news
D. an excellent sales manager

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. A great deal of local news is supplied by the clubs and churches.
B. Local readers are much interested in local news.
C. These papers are written almost entirely for local readers.
D. These papers are likely to get out of date quickly.

1. The best title for this passage is          .   

A. Computer Newspapers Are Well Linked
B. Newspapers of the Future
C. Newspapers Are out of Fashion
D. New Communication Technology

2. It might take 30 to 40 years for computer newspapers to replace traditional newspapers because        .

A. it is technologically impossible now
B. computer newspapers are too expensive
C. there is strong resistance from both the general population and professional joumalists
D. traditional newspapers are more convenient

3. Joumalists are not eager to accept computer newspapers because       .

A. they don't know how to use computers
B.it will take time to leam the new technology
C. they doubt about the news technology
D. they have been trained to write for traditional newspapers

4. We can infer from the passage that            .

A. all technological changes are good
B. all technologies will eventually replace old ones
C. new technologies will eventually replace old ones
D. traditional newspapers will exist for another century

    A common concern we often hear with regard to single children is whether one child necessarily
means a lonely child. Many single-child parents feel a dilemma (進(jìn)退兩難) associated with their
decision to have only one child. There are no other children in the family for the child to associate with
(交往) , and this may lead to the child feeling lonely at times, especially during vacations.
     Another common argument against having just one child is that an only child may be more spoiled
than one with brothers or sisters. Many people believe that a single child will not have leamed to
negotiate with others, and respect the give-and-take involved in many relationships. Some think this
may leave the child less able to interact(交往) well with people his or her own age than one who has
been raised with brothers or sisters.
       However,for some single-child parents, particularly those with busy careers, the pressures of giving
time and energy to a second child can seem too great, resulting in them selecting to have no more children.  For other parents, the financial burden of having a second child may be the prime consideration. Still
others believe that,       , the parents can give, and the child can receive, more quality time and attention.
This often leads to increased self-respect which, combined with increased independence, can lead to the
child being more confident.
1. What is the best title of the passage? ( Please answer within 10 words. )
                                                                                 
2. Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?
   Many single-child parents feel it hard to decide  whether to have only one child.
                                                                                 
3. Please fill in the blank in the third paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. ( Please answer within 10 words. )
                                                                                 
4. Would you like to have a brother or sister in your  family?  Why?  ( Please answer within 30 words. )
                                                                                 
5. Translate the underlined sentence in the second paragraph into Chinese.
                                                                                 

     Foreign drivers will have a pay on-the-spot fines of up to ￡900 for breaking the traffic law to be carried
our next month.
     If they do not have enough cash or a working credit card, their vehicles will clamped (扣留) until they
pay law takes effect, because the money would be returned if the driver went to court and was found not
guilty. In practice, very few foreign drives are likely to return to Britain to deal with their eases.
     Foreign drivers are rarely charged because police cannot take action against them if they fail to appear
in court, Instead, officers often merely give warnings.
     Three million foreign-registered vehicles enter Britain each year. Polish vehicles s make up 36 percent,
French vehicles 10 percent and German vehicles 9 percent.
     Foreign vehicles are 30 percent more vehicles entre Britain each year. Polish vehicles make up 36 percent.
French crashes caused by foreign vehicle rose by 47 percent between 2003 and 2008. There were almost
400 deaths and serious injuries and 3,000 slight injuries form accidents caused by foreign vehicles in 2008.
     The new Law is party intended to settle the problem of foreign lorry drivers ignoring limits to weight and
hours at the wheel. Foreign Lorries are three times more likely to be in a crash than British Lorries. Recent
spot checks found that three quarters of Lorries that failed safety teats were registered overseas.
     The standard deposit for a careless driving offence -such as driving too close to the vehicle in front or
reading a map at the wheel-will be ￡300. Deposits for speeding offences and using mobile phones will be
￡60. Foreign drivers will not get points as punishment added to their licenses, while British drivers will.

1. The first paragraph serves as a(n) _____.

A. explanation
B. introduction
C. comment
D. background.

2. The foreign drivers who break the traffic law and do not pay on the spot are likely to be forted up to _____.

A. ￡60
B. ￡300
C. ￡900
D. ￡980

3. We can learn from the passage that _____.

A. many foreign drivers have been fined by Britain police
B. 300,000German vehicles enter Britain every year
C. 25percent of foreign vehicles entering Britain have failed safety tests
D. British drivers will be punished with points and fines for breaking the traffic law

4. The new traffic law is mainly intended to _____.

A. limit the number of foreign vehicles entering Britain
B. increase the British movement's additional income
C. lower the rate of traffic accidents and injuries
D. get foreign drives to appear in count

     Top lists are lecturing people on everything from"100 books to read ".
     Aren't you just tired of being told what to do with your time?
     Now you have a list to end all lists!
     Take a look at the following two examples from the list of "101 things not to do":
     Swim with Dolphins (海豚)?
     Swimming with dolphins is one of the world's most profitable tourist activities. However, every
dolphin will welcome having their busy ,tiring day interrupted by tourists screaming pushing around them
in the water. Worse yet, when dolphins get too near to the boats loaded with tourists, they could get
caught up in ropes and killed by propellers(螺旋槳).
     Here's a little secret. Dolphins look like smiling at you, but actually they're just opening mouths.
     Here's a little secret. Dolphins look like smilingat you, but actually ther're just opening their mouths.
     Go to See the Mona Lisa?
    There must be something about the mysterious (神秘的) smile. The 6 million people who visit the lady
in the Louvre every year can't all be wrong, after all. But they can be quite annoying, standing in front of
you, holding up their cameras to prevent you from seeing anything. In fact,it is hard for you to see the
painting clearly because you have to stay away from it for security reasons. After queuing for hours, many
tourists can remain in front of the painting only for 15 seconds at most.
     If the mysterious lady in the picture knew her fate, she wouldn't just be smiling, she'd laughing.
So, still long to see the Mona Lisa? If you want to find out more about the list, read 101 Tings NOT to
Do Before You Die. Visit www.not2dobeforeidie.co.uk and buy the book at a 20％ discount.

1. According to the passage,swimming with dolphins________.

A. is the world's most popular tourist activity
B. gives fun to both tourists and dolphins
C. will make tourists busy and tired
D. can cause danger to dolphins

2.what does the author think about going to see the Mona Lisa?

A. Tt is wrong to go and see the mysterious smile.
B. It is not as satisfying as expected.
C. Fifteen seconds in front of the painting is enough.
D. Queuing for hours is worthwhile.

3.The list of "101 things not to do"is made most probably because its author_______.

A.thinks it boring to do the things suggested by other lists
B.believes other lists are not humorous enough
C.intends to persuade people to read more lists
D.wants to provide a list different from other lists

43.What is the main purpose of the passage? 

A.To advertise a book
B.To introduce a website 
C.To comment on popular lists
D.To recommend tourist activities.

     All over my garden I've planted nothing but roses, sweet and - if looked at far away-bright with color
like sunset clouds, I'd be very happy if anyone of my visiting friends should desire to pick and take some
for their homes. I trust that any friend of mine carrying the rose would disappear into the distance feeling
that his emotions had been rekindled (重燃).
     A close friend came for a visit the other day. I know her to be a lover of flowers and plants. And for that
reason I told her at her departure that she should pick a bunch of roses to grace her bedroom. I promised
that the smell of the roses would be wafted far, far away.
     That girl friend of mine, tiptoeing into the garden in high spirits, smelt here and there, but in the end she
didn't pick a single rose. I said there were so many of them that she would pick as many as she'd like to; I
told her that I was not a flower farmer and didn't make a living out of them. Saying so I raised the scissors
for the sacrifice of the flowers, but she stopped me, crying no, no, no!
     To cut such beautiful roses would hurt one, she said. With her hands seizing at my sleeves, she told me
that by no means should they be cut. Roses are the smiling face of the earth, and who could be so
iron-hearted as to destroy a smile so charming?
     My mind was thoroughly shocked: the ugly earth, the rough earth, the plain earth-it is for the reason
of that smile that it wins the care and pity of people.

1. The underlined word"wafted" in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to "______".

A. moved
B. lost
C. destroyed
D. felt

2. The writer plants nothing but roses in her garden probably because ______.

A. she can make money out of them
B. her friends like them
C. she enjoys the roses very much
D. the roses can rekindle her friends' emotions

3. Why did the writer's close friend refuse to pick a single rose?

A. Because the roses were not beautiful.
B. Because she did not like this kind of roses.
C. Because the writer did not want to give her any.
D. Because she loved the roses very much.

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

A. A lovely rose garden.
B. The smiling face of the earth.
C. The pity of people to the roses.
D. A lover of flowers.

     Your twelve thousand 'Smart' watches were received by our company this morning. However,
we wish to make a number of complaints concerning the serious delay in delivery and your failure to
carry out our instructions regard to this order.
     It was firmly pointed out from the beginning that the delivery date had to be less than six weeks
from the original order in order to satisfy our own customers' requirements. While we understand tha
t delays in production are occasionally unavoidable, we must point out that the major reason why the
order was placed with your company was that we were assured by you of its simplicity, and that your
existing stocks were sufficiently high to ensure immediate shipment. Late delivery of the goods has
caused us to disappoint several of our most valued customers, and will have an unfavorable effect on
future orders.
     The second complaint concerns the difference in colour between the watches we ordered and those
delivered. It was stated clearly in the order that watches in combinations of green/purple and orange/
purple only were required. However, only half the watches in the delivery received are of the colours
specified. Our Hong Kong agent informed you of the importance of following our instructions exactly,
since we consider there to be only a limited market in this country for watches of other colors at the
present time. Any watches that are not of the specified colours will, of course, be returned to you.
     We are also somewhat concerned about the rather poor quality of the goods received, since it is
obvious that the watches that finally arrived have been made from not good enough materials and have
been produced to a lower standard than those in the sample. We have also found that a number of the
watches do not appear to be working. Whether the latter problem is due to poor production, or damage
in transportation is not yet clear, but we should like to point out that we feel this matter to be entirely
your fault.
     As a result of the above problems, therefore, we feel that the most suitable course of action is to
return to you unpaid any of the goods considered unsatisfactory. We shall also, of course, be forced
to reconsider whether any further orders should be placed with your company.
     We look forward to your early reply.
                                                                                                                       Yours sincerely,
                                                                                                                              John Smith

1. The producers of 'Smart' watches were given the order because they promised_______.

A. the designs were already prepared
B. there was enough space for shipment
C. they could produce enough watches quickly
D. they had enough ready-made watches to ship

2. The last sentence of paragraph 5 "We shall also, of course, be forced to …with your company"
suggests that _______.

A. the company may stop trading with the watch manufacturers.
B. the company will probably reduce the number of watches to be ordered in the future.
C. the writer is afraid their company might go out of business soon.
D. the company is probably willing to give the manufacturers another chance

3. The general attitude of the letter is ________.

A. firm but polite              
B. angry and impolite
C. reasonable but impolite      
D. regretful and polite  

Editor,
     Brockingham is run by people who are more interested in tourists than its residents. The problem is that
the people running the government refuse to accept new ideas. By banning all fast-food restaurants and
discount stores, they take away all the places kids can afford to shop.
     These people forget that when they were young, they could go to the South Street Soda Fountain and get
an ice-cream soda for 25 cents. Today you can't find an ice-cream soda anywhere in Brockingham for less
than $2! Where can kids go for a snack?
     There is not a single restaurant in Brockingham where a family of four can eat dinner for less than $100.
Add a 15% tip and sales tax and you have spent nearly $125 to eat a meal you could prepare at home for
about $12. Have you noticed that Brockingham families never dine in Brockingham?
     Fast-food restaurants are also a good place for school kids to get an after-school job. Fast-food restaurants
are busiest during the early supper hours when students are able to work, whereas the fancy food restaurants
cater to late-night diners. Working in one of these establishments requires working shifts that are too late for
most students.
     The City Council claims that local merchants, rather than national chains, should benefit from the tourist
business. I agree that it is important to support local businesses, but I think the fast-food restaurants would
encourage more people to shop in Brockingham.
     Another thing that disturbs me is that we must travel 25 miles to the nearest discount store. If I need a
tire for my bike, I have a choice of buying one at Surf and Peddle Sport Shop for $15 or driving to
Parkersburg Discount Center where I can buy the some kind of tire for $9. Again, I think the ban on all food
chains and discount houses is counterproductive for our city. Wes Woodrow 9th-Grade Student at
Brockingham High School

1. Why does Wes Woodrow write this letter to the editor?

A. Because the government bans all fastfood restaurants and discount stores in Brockingham.
B. Because the writer can't find an icecream soda anywhere in Brockingham for less than $2.
C. Because a family of four can't find a restaurant in Brockingham to eat dinner for less than $100.
D. Because the writer has to travel 25 miles to the nearest discount store.

2. From the letter we can infer that _____.

A. the writer used to buy a lot of icecream soda
B. the students refuse to work in fancy food restaurants
C. the government's ban benefits local merchants much
D. discount stores usually offer a discount of 40%.

3. The underlined word "counterproductive" in Paragraph 6 of the letter probably means _______.

A. cheap, not expensive
B. surprising, not expected
C. harmful, not helpful
D. doubtful, not sure

4. One way the writer of this letter tries to convince the reader is by _____.

A. complaining that someone has to drive him to Parkersburg
B. getting an after-school job in fast-food restaurant himself
C. suggesting that many businessmen have the same opinion
D. giving specific examples of the high costs in Brockingham