Passage 53

　　For many people the subject of hiccups (嗝) is a joke, but for Harry Mendes, a fifteen-year-old schoolboy from Birmingham, it was something quite different.

　　His hiccups began one Sunday lunchtime and continued day and night for two weeks. After the first week, Harry's parents took him to hospital, but it took another week for the doctors to cure his attack.

　　Harry, who is now back at school, described what happened to him.

　　“When I began to hiccup, I drank a glass of water but that didn't do any good. That evening I had hiccups every four seconds. We tried everything to stop them. I held my breath and drank cold drinks. My father even tried to give me a shock but that didn't work either.”

　　After a week of sleepless nights, he went to hospital. The doctors took an X-ray of his chest but they couldn't find anything wrong.

　　“They gave me some medicine and my hiccups slowed down, but it was another week before the medicine worked completely and my hiccups stopped.”

　　Harry was very lucky. The world record holder is the American farmer Charles Osborne, who hiccupped for sixty-eight years. He stopped in 1990 at last, but nobody knows why.

　　1.Harry's hiccups lasted ____.

　　A. a week B. fourteen days C. twenty-eight days D. one month

　　2.His hiccups started after he ____.

　　A. drank a glass of water B. went to hospital

　　C. ate an Indian meal D. finished his homework

　　3.His parents decided to take him to hospital when he ____.

　　A. hiccupped for four seconds B. held his breath

　　C. hiccupped at night D. couldn't stop hiccupping

　　4.His hiccups completely stopped one week after the doctor ____.

　　A. gave him some medicine B. took an X-ray of his chest

　　C. gave him a shock D. let him drink cold drinks

　　5.What does “shock” in this passage mean？

　　A. 震惊 B. 休克 C. 喷嚏 D. 哈欠

　　Passage 54

　　For several years, Americans have enjoyed tele shopping --- watching TV and buying things by phone. Now tele-shopping is starting in Europe (欧洲). In a number of European countries, people can turn on their TVs and shop for clothes, food, toys and many other things.

　　Tele shopping is becoming popular in Sweden, for example. The biggest Swedish company sells different kind of things on TV in 15 European countries, and in one year it made $100 million. In France there are two about $20 million a year to buy things through those channels.

　　In Germany, until last year tele-shopping was only possible on one channel for 1 hour every day. Then the government (政府) allowed more tele-shopping. Other channels can open for tele-business, including (包括) the largest American tele-shopping company and a 24—hour tele- shopping company. German businesses are hoping this new tele shopping will help them sell more things.

　　Some people like tele-shopping because it allows them to do their shopping without leaving their homes. With all the problems of traffic in the cities, this is an important reason. But at the same time, other Europeans do not like this new way of shopping. They call tele-shopping “Junk (垃圾) on the air”. Many Europeans usually worry about the quality (质量) of the things for sale on TV. Good quality is important to them, and they believe they cannot be sure about the quality of the things on TV.

　　The need for high quality means that European tele-shopping companies will have to be different from the American companies. They will have to be more careful about the quality of the things they sell. They will also have to work harder to sell things that the buyers cannot touch or see in person.

　　1.Teleshopping is ______ in Europe.

　　A. not popular B. growing C. not possible D. cheap

　　2.People like tele-shopping because it is _____.

　　A. very interesting B. cheaper C. easier D. more popular

　　3.Some Europeans don’t like tele-shopping because they ______.

　　A. don’t like to buy things B. don’t watch TV

　　C. believe the things on TV are expensive D. think the things sold on TV are bad quality

　　4.In Germany, tele-shopping may _______.

　　A. help businessmen get more money B. keep the shops open longer

　　C. have fewer buyers D. bring better TV programs

　　5.The best title of this passage is _______.

　　A. American Tele-shopping B. Tele-shopping Companies

　　C. Tele-shopping in Europe D. Tele shopping—Junk on the air

　　Passage 55

　　Hundreds of years ago, life was harder than it is today. People didn’t have modern machines. There was no modern medicine, either.

　　Life today has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. Water pollution has made our rivers and lakes dirty. It kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us talk louder and become angry more easily. Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution to all living things in the world.

　　Cars, planes and factories all pollute our air every day. Sometimes the polluted air is so thick that it is like a quilt (被状物) over a city. This kind of quilt is called smog.

　　Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. Factories must now clean their water before it is thrown away, and they mustn’t let dirty smoke go into the air.

　　We need to do many other things. We can put waste things in the dustbin and do not throw them on the ground. We can go to work by bus with our friends in the same car. If there are fewer people driving, there will be less pollution.

　　Rules are not enough. Every person must help to fight pollution.

　　1.Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder than it is today because _______.

　　A. there were not modern machines B. there was no modern medicine

　　C. both A and B D. there were not many people

　　2.______ is the biggest pollution in today’s life.

　　A. Water pollution B. Air pollution C. Noise pollution D. Pollution

　　3.The most serious kind of pollution is ________.

　　A. noise pollution B. air pollution C. water pollution D. A, B and C

　　4.Factories must clean their water ________.

　　A. before they are thrown away B. when they are thrown away

　　C. after it is thrown away D. before it is thrown away

　　5.From the passage, we know that _______.

　　A.a few years ago, there was no smog at all

　　B.today people don’t have to talk to each other loudly

　　C.we can drink water from the polluted rivers and lakes

　　D.people are making rules in order to (为了)fight pollution

　　Passage 56

　　Building a house costs quite a lot of money. Suppose you plan to build a house. Your first step will be to find a right piece of land. Your choice (选择) will depend on many different things. You will probably try to find a sunny place, with pleasant surroundings (环境) near shops and bus stops, not too far from your friends and the place where you work.

　　　Next you will find a good builder, and together with the builder you will work out a plan. The builder will draw the plan. It will show the number of rooms, their position and size, and other parts, which must be noticed, such as windows, doors, and electric outlets. The builder will work out how much money is needed to build your house .He will work out the cost of the wood, bricks, the glass, and everything else that must be used in building the house. Later on, when he starts to build, this estimate (预算) must be corrected and revised (修订).His estimate is based on existing prices, but prices of such things may change, and many other things may happen between the time when he makes the estimate and the time when he builds the house.

　　When the builder gives his estimate, you may wish to change your plan. (You may also wish to change your builder, if his estimate is too high!) You may find that the house you wanted at first costs too much, or that you can spend a little more and add something to your plan. The builder's estimate depends on the plan, but the final plan depends on the builder's estimate.

　　1.The best title of this passage is ___________.

　　A. Building a House Costs Much Money B. Estimate Is Important

　　C. Planning a House D. Depend on the Builder

　　2.The first thing for a person to build a house is _________.

　　A. to get as much money as possible B. to find a suitable piece of land

　　C. to work out a plan D. to make an estimate

　　3.The phrase “draw a plan” in this passage means _________.

　　A. making a picture of a building or a room B. making a plan

　　C. working out a plan D. pulling a picture out of a room

　　4.When the builder starts to build a house, his estimate will have to be corrected and revised because _________.

　　A. it is wrongly worked out by a workman

　　B. the future owner of the house thinks the estimate is so high that he cannot afford the building.

　　C. The prices of building materials and the expenses (费用) of labor may be different from the original prices and expenses

　　D. Estimates are usually mistaken in the beginning

　　5.What is the relationship(关系) between the estimate and the plan?

　　A. The plan depends on the estimate.

　　B. The estimate depends on the plan.

　　C. The plan has nothing to do with the estimate.

　　D. The estimate and the plan depend on each other.

　　Passage 57

　　Do you love the holidays, but hate the increase (增加) in weight (体重) that follows? You are not alone.

　　Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods. But many people are worried about the weight that comes with these delicious foods.

　　With proper (合适的) planning, it is possible to control your weight. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don’t have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following advice may be of some help to you.

　　Do not miss meals. Before you leave home for a party, have a small, low-fat meal or fast food. This may help you to keep you from getting too excited before the delicious foods.

　　Begin with clear soup and fruit or vegetables. A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full. Use a small plate; a large plate may make you eat more than enough.

　　Better not have high-fat foods. Choose lean (瘦的) meats. Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables.

　　If you have a sweet tooth, try mints (薄荷) and fruits. They do not have fat like cream and chocolate.

　　Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help you burn off excess calories (多余的热量).

　　1.Holidays are happy days with pleasure but they may ______.

　　A. bring weight problems B. bring you much trouble in your life

　　C. make you worried about your life D. make you hate delicious foods

　　2.Enjoy your holidays without putting on weight, and you’d better ______.

　　A.drinking much water and have vegetables only

　　B.not eat much food in high fat

　　C.not take part in the parties

　　D.turn away from delicious foods

　　3.According to the passage, ______ is a necessary part to stop you from putting in weight.

　　A. vegetables B. water C. salad D. taking exercise

　　4.Many people can’t help putting on weight after the holidays because they ______.

　　A. can’t control themselves B. go to too many parties

　　C. enjoy delicious foods D. can’t help turning away from the foods

　　5.Excess calories can be found in your body in the form of (以……的形式) ________.

　　A. energy B. fat C. food D. water

　　Passage 58

　　Is there anything more important than health? I don't think so. “Health is the greatest wealth (财富),” wise people say. You can't be good at your studies or work well when you are ill.

　　If you have a headache, toothache, backache, earache or bad pain in the stomach, if you complain of a bad cough, if you run a high temperature and have a bad cold, or if you suffer from high or low blood pressure (血压), I think you should go to the doctor.

　　The doctor will examine your throat, feel your pulse, test your blood pressure, take your temperature, sound your heart and lungs, test your eyes, check your teeth or have your chest X-rayed.

　　After that, he will advise some treatment, or some medicine. The only thing you have to do is to follow his advice.

　　Speaking about doctor’s advice, I can't help telling you a funny story.

　　An old gentleman came to see the doctor. The man was very ill. He told the doctor about his weakness, memory loss and serious problems with his heart and lungs. The doctor examined him and said there was no medicine for his disease.

　　He told his patient to go to a quiet place for a month and have a good rest. He also advised him to eat a lot of meat, drink two glasses of red wine every day and take long walks. In other words, the doctor advised him to follow the rule: “Eat at pleasure, drink with measure and enjoy life as it is.” The doctor also said that if the man wanted to be well again, he shouldn't smoke more than one cigarette a day.

　　A month later the gentleman came into the doctor’s office. He looked much more cheerful and much happier. He thanked the doctor and said that he had never felt a healthier man.

　　“But you know, doctor,” the man went on saying, “it's not easy to begin smoking at my age.”

　　1.The writer thinks that　　　　.

　　　A. health is more important than wealth B. work is as important as studies

　　　C. medicine is more important than pleasure D. nothing is more important than money

　　2.The doctor usually tells his patient what to do　　　　.

　　　A. without examining the patient B. after he has examined the patient

　　　C. if the patient doesn't take medicine D. unless the patient feels pain

　　3.The underlined part means “　　　　”.

　　　A. he was feeling better than ever B. he wasn't a healthy man

　　　C. he was feeling worse than before D. he will be well again

　　4.From the last sentence of the passage, we learn the man　　　before the doctor told him not to smoke more than one cigarette a day.

　　　A. was a heavy smoker B. didn't smoke so much

　　　C. didn't smoke D. began to learn to smoke

　　5.Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

　　　A. The doctor usually tests his/her blood pressure when a person is ill.

　　　B. The man told the doctor he couldn't remember things.　　

　　C. The man thanked the doctor.

　　D. The man didn't follow the doctor’s advice

　　Passage 59

　　When you are ill, you must be unhappy because your body becomes hot, and there are pains all over. You don’t want to work. You stay in bed, feeling terrible.

　　What makes you ill? It is germs (细菌). Germs are everywhere. They are very small and you can’t see them with your eyes, but you can find them with a microscope. They are very small and there could be hundreds of them on or in a very small thing.

　　Germs are always in dirty water. When you look at dirty water under a microscope, you will see them in it. So your parents will not let you drink dirty water.

　　Germs are found not only in dirty water, they are also found in air and dust. If you cut your finger, and if some of the dust goes into the finger, it will become big and red, and you will have much pain in it. Sometimes they will go into your body and you will have pain everywhere.

　　1.The writer thinks that you’ll _____ when you are ill.

　　A. feel hot B. not want to work C. not feel happy D. A, B and C

　　2.You can see germs ________.

　　A. when you are ill B. only when you use a microscope

　　C. when you cut your finger D. everywhere around you

　　3.A microscope is used for ______.

　　A.making very big things look much smaller

　　B.making very small things look much bigger

　　C.helping you see things clearly

　　D.killing germs

　　4.Your parents don’t let you drink dirty water because _____.

　　A. water will make you sick B. there are many germs in it

　　C. you can see germs in it D. it will make your finger become big and red

　　5.In this story, the word “microscope” means ______ in Chinese.

　　A. 眼镜 B. 放大镜 C. 显微镜 D. 镜子

　　6.The writer talks about __________.

　　A. how to keep dirty water clean B. how to take care of your fingers

　　C. how to find germs D. what makes you ill

　　Passage 60

　　If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they become weak; when you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way.

　　When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.

　　If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his own fault (过错). But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame (受责备), and few of us know that it is just his own fault.

　　Have you ever found that some people can’t read or write but usually they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write them down in a little notebook. They have to remember days, names, songs and stories; so their memory is the whole time being exercised.

　　So if you want to have a good memory, learn from the people: practice remembering.

　　1.The main reason for one’s poor memory is that _________.

　　A.his father or mother may have a poor memory

　　B.he does not use his arms or legs for some time

　　C.his memory is not often used

　　D.he can’t read or write

　　2.If you do not use your arms or legs for some time, ______.

　　A. you can’t use them any more

　　B. they will become stronger

　　C. they become weak but they slowly become strong again

　　D. they become weak and won’t become strong until you use them again

　　3.Which of the following in NOT true?

　　A.Don’t learn how to read and write if you want to have a better memory.

　　B.Your memory, like your arms or legs, becomes weak if you don’t give it enough chance for practice.

　　C.Your memory works in the same way as your arms or legs.

　　D.A good memory comes from more practice.

　　4.Some people can’t read or write, but they usually have better memories, because ______.

　　A. they have saved much trouble

　　B. they have saved much time to remember things

　　C. they have to use their memories all the time

　　D. they can’t write everything in a little notebook

　　5.The best title for this passage _________.

　　A.Don’t Stop Using Your Arms Or Legs

　　B.How To Have A Good Memory

　　C.Strong Arms And Good Memory

　　D.Learn From The People

　　Passage 61

　　If you get into the forest with your friends, stay with them always. If you don’t, you may get lost. If you really get lost, this is what you should do. Sit down and stay where you are. Don’t try to find your friends—let them find you by staying in one place.

　　There is another way to help your friends or other nearby people to find you. Give them a signal (信号) by shouting or whistling (吹口哨) three times. Any signal given three times is a call for help.

　　Keep up shouting or whistling always three times together. When people hear you, they will know that you are not just making noise for fun. They will let you know that they have heard your signal. They give you two shouts, two whistles, or two gun-shots (枪声). When someone gives you a signal, it is an answer to a call for help.

　　If you don’t think that you will get help before night comes, try to make a little house---cover up to the holes with branches (树枝) with lots of leaves. Make yourself a soft bed with leaves and grass.

　　What should you do if you get hungry or need drinking water? You would have to leave your little house to look for a river. Don’t just walk away. Pick off small branches and drop them as you walk so that you can find your way back. The most important thing to do when you are lost is—stay in one place.

　　1.If you lost in the forest, you should _______.

　　A.stay where you are and give signals three times

　　B.walk around the forest and shout so that your friends could hear you

　　C.try to find your friends as soon as possible

　　D.try to get out of the forest and shout for help

　　2.If you want to let people believe that you are not just making noise for fun, you should _______.

　　A. tell people that you are lost B. keep up shouting or whistling

　　C. shout at the top of your voice D. shout or whistle three times

　　3.When you hear two shouts, or whistles, or gunshots, __________.

　　A. you should shout more loudly B. you can whistle three times

　　C. it is an answer to your call for help D. you should try to run to them

　　4.When you want to leave your place to get drinking water, you should ________.

　　A.just go to the river

　　B. find some glasses or bottles before you go

　　C. make a fire so that you can have some tea

　　D. leave marks so that you can find your way back

　　5.This passage mainly tells you __________.

　　A.when you hear a signal always three times, it is a call for help

　　B.What you should do if you get lost in a forest

　　C.any signal given twice means an answer to a call for help

　　D.how you can live longer in a forest

　　Passage 62

　　Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories, destroying (摧毁) fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged (破坏) that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.

　　A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.

　　“I was eating with my wife and children,” he said, “When we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him, safe but very frightened.”

　　Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.

　　“There was no time to take anything,” she said, “A few minutes later, the roof came down.”

　　Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded (水淹的) area and the welfare department (福利机构) brought them food, clothes and shelter.

　　1.How many homes altogether (总共) were damaged in the storm?

　　A. Fourteen B. Twenty-one C. Twenty-nine D. Thirty-six

　　2.Where was Mr. Tan when the storm first began?

　　A. He was in bed. B. He was inside the house.

　　C. He was outside the house. D. He was on the roof.

　　3.Mrs. Woo and her family didn’t get hurt because _________.

　　A.her husband knew there would be a storm

　　B.they were all outside the house when the storm became worse

　　C.she felt the house was moving

　　D.the welfare department helped her

　　4.The underlined word “shelter” in this passage means ______.

　　A. something to eat B. something to wear

　　C. somewhere to study D. somewhere to stay

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

　　A. A Terrible Storm B. A Lucky Woman

　　C. Good Soldiers D. Clever People