Some people were queuing outside the Scalar Theatre for tickets for a very popular show. They had to wait for several hours, and during that time they were entertained by a young man who was playing very nicely on a trumpet. The queue enjoyed his music and put quite a lot of money in the box that he had on the ground in front of him.
At last one of the people in the queue said to him, “You play too well to be a beggar.” “I’m not a beggar”, the young man said. “I’m studying to be a trumpet player in a big band, and I have to practise several hours every day, so I thought it would be nice to do it in the fresh air instead of in my small room on days when the weather was nice—and also to get a bit of money at the same time.” 1. The tickets for the show___.
A. were difficult to buy B. were easy to get C. were sold out in a short while D. were not to be sold out
2. Why were there so many people waiting outside the Scala Theatre? Because ___. A. there was a young man playing very nicely on a trumpet
B. part of the show at the theatre was a popular entertainment by the young man who played the trumpet C. the show was very popular D. the weather was nice 3. The young man ___.
A. was a beggar B. played better than the usual beggars
C. played the trumpet in the band at the Scala Theatre
D. played in his small room in good weather with his windows open to get fresh air 4. The young man could ___ by doing so.
A. get some money B. practise playing on the trumpet C. get fresh air D. all of the above.
5. The people were willing to give the money to the young man because ___. A. they felt great sympathy for him B. they were entertained by him C. he always played on the trumpet D. they wanted to help him
Passage 2
A young man went to a town and worked there. He did not have a wife and a servant did the work in his house.
The young man liked laughing a lot. He nailed the servant’s shoes to the floor on Monday, and then laughed, because he put his feet in them and fell down.
The servant was not angry, but smiled.
Then the young man put brushes in his bed on Tuesday. The servant got into bed and hit the brushes with his feet. He was afraid. The young man laughed loudly again. Again the servant was not angry, but smiled.
Then on Wednesday the young man said to his servant, “You’re a nice, kind man. I am not going to be unkind to you again.”
The servant smiled and said, “And I’m not going to put any more mud from the street in your coffee.”
1. The young man went to a town ___.
A. to study B. to work C. to see his relative D. to spend his holiday 2. He played a joke on the servant because .
A. he hated him B. he was not satisfied with the food the servant prepared for him C. he wanted to get pleasure D. he liked to show off himself
3. When the young man played a joke on him, the servant was not angry but smiled because ___. A. he liked the young man’s action B. making the young man laugh is his job C. he was afraid to be fired D. he thought he shouldn’t be angry with a child 4. What did the servant do in return to the young man?
A. He stole something from the house. B. He gave a smile to the young man. C. He had a fight with him. D. He put mud into the young man’s coffee. 5. Why did the young man stop playing jokes on the servant? Because ___.
A. the servant showed kind and nice behaviour to him B. the servant told him the truth C. he wanted to be a good man D. his father told him to do so Passage 3
One day a lawyer’s wife fell ill, and he went to get a doctor. The doctor willingly came to see the woman and to do what he could for her, but before he went into the house, he made a short stop. He knew that the lawyer was famous for not paying his bills, even if they were due(正当的). He therefore said to the man. “But if I save your wife, I am afraid you may not pay me.”
“Sir,” replied the lawyer. “Here I have $ 500, whether you cure my wife or you kill her. I’ll give you all this.”
The doctor was reassured(使消除疑虑) and went into the house. When he reached the woman’s
bedside, it soon became clear to him that he could do little. She was seriously ill, and though he prescribed(开药方) her medicine, she soon died.
He told the lawyer he was very sorry, and then asked for the money which he had promised. “Did you kill my wife?” asked the lawyer. “Of course I didn’t,” said the doctor. “Well! Did you cure my wife?” asked the man. “I’m afraid that was impossible,” replied the doctor. “Well, then since you neither killed my wife nor cured her, I have nothing to pay you.” 1. One day a lawyer’s wife fell ill, and the lawyer ___. A. cured his wife B. got a doctor for her
C. got some medicine for her illness D. promised to pay $ 500 to the doctor 2. Before entering the lawyer’s house the doctor stopped for a while, because ___. A. the doctor wanted to ask something about his wife’s illness B. the doctor thought it impossible to save the woman
C. the doctor was afraid that the lawyer would refuse to pay him D. the lawyer was too poor to pay his bills
3. Because the lawyer’s wife was seriously ill, the doctor ___.
A. couldn’t do much and didn't save her life B. tried his best and saved her at last C. had to do everything he could for her D. had to spend a lot of time to cure her 4. After that the doctor ___.
A. got nothing but the money for the medicine
B. got nothing but the money the lawyer had promised C. got nothing from the lawyer D. wanted nothing from the lawyer because he didn't cure the patient 5. From the story, we know __.
A. the lawyer was very clever B. how the lawyer’s wife died C. the doctor was stupid enough to be fooled
D. the lawyer was dishonest and that he fooled the doctor Passage 4
Mr. Smith gave his wife ten pounds for her birthday—ten pretty pound notes. So the day after her birthday, Mrs. Smith went shopping. She queued(排队) for a bus, got on and sat down next to an old lady. After a while, she noticed that the old lady’s handbag was open. Inside it se saw a wad(卷，叠) of pound notes exactly like the ones her husband had given her. So she quickly looked into her own bag, the notes were gone! Mrs. Smith was sure that the old lady who was sitting next to her had stolen them. She thought she had to call the police, but, as she disliked making a fuss and getting people into trouble, she decided to take back the money from the old lady’s handbag and didn’t say anything. She looked round the bus to make sure nobody was watching, and then she carefully put her hand into the old lady’s bag, took the notes, and put them in her own bag.
When she got home that evening, she showed her husband the beautiful hat she had bought. “How did you pay for it?” he asked.
“With the money you gave me for my birthday, of course,” she replied.
“Oh, what’s that, then?” he asked as he pointed to a wad of ten pound on the table. 1. Mr. Smith gave his wife ten pound ___.
A. for her to buy a hat B. as her birthday present C. for her to buy a bag D. for her to spend on her birthday 2. In the bus, Mrs. Smith ___.
A. lost her ten pound notes B. took the old lady as a thief C. cut the old lady’s bag open D. couldn't find a seat 3. “fuss” perhaps means “____”.
A. unnecessary nervous excitement or activity (大惊小怪) B. happy feelings C. loud noise D. calling for help
4. She looked round the bus before she put her hand into the old lady’s bag, because __. A. she was afraid that the others would took her as a thief B. she wanted to steal the money
C. she wanted to make sure whether there was a policeman in the bus D. she didn’t want to get people into trouble 5. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE? A. Mrs. Smith took the old lady’s money by mistake. B. Mrs. Smith left her money at home.
C. Mrs. Smith bought the hat with the money her husband gave her. D. The money in the bag was the old lady’s. Passage 5
Early on Saturday morning Ann brought her nephew(侄子) Sam to her friends, Bill and Kate, and asked them to look after him for the day. Sam, an independent boy of six years old, had black hair and was wearing a pair of jeans(工装裤) and a bright yellow shirt.
At eleven o’clock Bill took Sam into town. Sam walked along behind Bill, looking at the windows of all the shops they passed. After lunch they went to the park and walked about. The whole place was very crowded. Bill stopped to buy some chocolate. When he turned round to give some to Sam,
the boy wasn’t there. Bill ran round calling Sam, but he couldn’t find him. About an hour later, just in front of a shop, he saw the black hair, the pair of jeans and the bright yellow shirt. The boy looked as if he was waiting for someone to come out of the shop. Bill ran across the road, took the boy by the hand and hurried off, as it was quite late. The boy began to cry and pull hard, but Bill, who didn’t know much about children, couldn’t understand a word the boy was saying. All the boy made a lot of noise.
When they got home at last, Bill went straight to the kitchen, with the boy still crying. At the door Bill stopped in amazement. There, sitting at the kitchen table with Kate, was a small boy with black hair, in a pair of jeans and a bright yellow shirt. 1. “an independent boy” means a boy ___.
A. living alone B. habitually taking actions or decisions alone C. earns enough money to live on D. not controlled by others 2. The boy in front of a shop looked as if he was waiting for ___. A. Ann B. Bill C. his mother
D. someone to come out of the shop
3. Bill couldn’t understand what the boy was saying because ___.
A. he didn’t know much about children B. the boy was crying and making noises C. the boy was too afraid to speak clearly D. the boy wasn’t Sam 4. The small boy sitting at the kitchen table was ___.
A. a new boy B. Sam C. Kate’s nephew D. a boy we don’t know about 5. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A. Ann brought her nephew Sam to Bill and Kate on Saturday morning. B. Sam disappeared when Bill stopped to buy some chocolate.
C. Sam came back by himself D. Sam liked Kate better than Bill Passage 6
It was Monday, Mrs. Smith’s dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house. Considering that there was no better way, Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it: “Give my dog half a pound of meat.” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently: Take this to the butcher(卖肉者), and he’s going to give you your lunch today.”
Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher’s shop. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady’s handwriting and presently did as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up immediately.
At midday(正午), the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more.
The next day, the dog came again exactly at midday. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at the paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers(顾客).
But, the dog came again at four o’clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher’s more surprise, it came for the third time at six o’clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He said to himself, “This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today?”
Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it! 1. Mrs. Smith treated her little dog quite ___.
A. cruelly B. kindly C. badly D. unfairly
2. It seemed that the dog knew well that the paper its master gave it ___. A. might do it much harm B. could do it much good C. would give the butcher some meat D. was worth many pounds 3. The butcher did not give any meat to the dog ___. A. when he found the words on the paper were not very clear B. because he happened to have sold out all the meat in his shop C. before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs. Smith D. until he was paid enough by Mrs. Smith 4. From its experience, the dog found that ___.
A. only the paper with Mrs. Smith’s words on it could bring it meat B. the butcher would give the meat to it whenever he saw it C. a piece of paper could bring him half a pound of meat D. Mrs. Smith would pay for the meat it got from the butcher 5. At the end of the story, you’ll find that ___. A. the butcher found himself cheated by the smart animal B. the dog was clever enough to write on the paper C. the dog dared not go to the butcher’s any more D. the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog Passage 7
Few animals besides monkeys have hand-like paws. The monkey, like man, has an opposable thumb----that is, it can place its thumb opposite its other fingers. By pressing its first finger against its thumb a monkey can pick up things as tiny as a flea(跳蚤)。 Because other animals
lack this thumb, it is difficult for them to pick up small things and carry them.
The monkey’s ability to grasp rice with its paw often leads to its capture. Hunters put some rice inside a coconut(椰子果), leaving a hole in the shell of the nut. The monkey has no trouble sliding its paw through the hole. But it can’t draw the paw out while it is holding the rice with its paw.
Since it is often too stupid or greedy to open its hand, the monkey is unable to free itself from this simple trap (圈套).
1. According to the passage, not many animals have .
Paws with fingers. B. Paws with thumbs.
C.Paws without fingers. D. Paws without thumbs and fingers. 2. An opposable thumb is a thumb that can .
A. Pick up things. B.Be place against the other fingers.
C.Press against the opposite thumb. D.Press against anything.
3. A monkey can pick up small objects by pushing its thumb against .
A. One of its fingers. B.All its fingers. C.Its paw. D.The objects.
4. Hunters can catch monkeys by a coconut trap because monkeys .
A. are too greedy for the coconut they have found. B. Have trouble finding out the rice.
C. Usually keep their paws closed to hold the rice. D. Like to eat rice but not the coconut.
5. The success or failure of a coconut trap depends on .
A. What kind of rice is in the coconut?
B. How many holes are in the coconut shell. C. How large the coconut is.
D. Whether the monkey will give up the rice.
Passage 8
When Sanford began reading Professor Matthews’ instructions for the essay of the midterm, he was confident that he would get a high grade. Sanford read the five essay topics and decided to spend ten minutes on each. He finished the exam early and used the extra time to reread his essays. After changing a few words, Sanford was confident that he had done well.
Sanford was shocked to discover that he had failed the midterm. He read Professor Matthews’ comments and soon understood the reason for his failure. Sanford had not read the instructions properly. Professor Matthews’ instructions clearly required a choice of two of the five essays. Therefore, each essay was worth fifty points. Sanford had written briefly about all five essays and had not developed any two of them as fully as he should according to the directions. 1. How many essay topics did Professor Matthews give to his students? ___ . A. Two B. Ten C. Five D. Seven 2. Sanford failed the midterm exam because ___ . A. the Professor had made a mistake
B. he had not written the essays according to the directions C. he was too confident D. he was always careless
3. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TURE?
A. When he had read Professor Matthews’ instructions for the essay of the midterm, Sanford
did not know how to do.
B. Professor Matthews’ essay topics seemed very easy to Sanford. C. Sanford wrote all of the essay topics, but he wrote mainly two of them. D. Sanford did not agree with Professor Matthews.
4. What's the meaning of the word “confident” in this passage?
A. Feeling sure. B. Feeling afraid. C. Feeling worried. D. Feeling doubted. 5. The passage tells us that ___ .
A. We must not write all the topics in an exam B. We must be confident in an exam C. We must choose two of the essay topics and develop them fully D. It is very important and necessary to read the directions carefully Passage 9
As a boy, Sanders was much influenced(影响) by books about the sea, but by the age of fifteen he had decided to become a doctor rather than a sailor. His father was a doctor. So he was often with the doctors and got along very well with them. When he was fourteen, he was already hanging around the hospital where he was supposed to be helping to clean the medicine bottles, but was actually trying to listen to the doctors’ conversations with patients in the next room.
During the war Sanders served in the army as a surgeon(外科医生). “That was the happiest time of my life. I was dealing with real sufferers and on the whole making a success of my job.” In Rhodes he taught the country people simple facts about medicine. He saw himself as a life-saver. He had proved his skill to himself and had a firm belief that he could serve those who lived simply, and were dependent upon him. Thus, while in a position to tell them what to do he could feel he was serving them.
After the war, he married and set up a practice deep in the English countryside, working
under an old doctor who hated the sight of blood. This gave the younger man plenty of opportunity(机会) to go on working as a life-saver.
1. When he was a small boy, books about the sea had made Sanders want to be ___. A. a surgeon B. an army man 2. At the age of 14, Sanders ___.
A. worked as a doctor by cleaning the medicine bottles B. met some doctors who were very friendly to him C. was interested in talking with patients D. remained together with the doctors 3. His experience in the Army proved that ___. A. he was good at medical operations on the wounded
B. he succeeded in teaching people how to save their lives themselves C. a doctor was the happiest man
D. his wish of being a life-saver could hardly come true 4. Having proved his skill to himself, Sanders ___. A. wanted to live a simple life like a countryman
B. came to realize that he was really working for his countrymen C. taught himself life-saving
D. was highly respected by the old doctor 5. When the war was over, he ___.
A. learned from an old doctor because he was popular B. started to hate the sight of blood while working
C. a sailor D. a life-saver
C. served the countrymen under an old doctor who needed someone to help him D. had few chances to be a “life-saver” because he was younger Passage 10
Jim was a young man in his early twenties who was studying to be a carpenter. He was a good worker, honest and worthy of trust, so his boss was pleased with him. As he was such a likable man and easy to deal with, he was popular with his workmates, too. They also made fun of him a great deal but he never got angry with them and would only laugh.
But Jim’s one great shortcoming was that he could never tell a lie, no matter how hard he tried, not even a little one. In fact, he was so honest and shy that he would blush even when he was telling the truth. He used to stand in front of the mirror and practise lying while looking himself in the eyes at the same time. But as soon as he saw his face starting to go red he had to look away.
One morning, however, he didn’t feel like going to work because he had been to a party the night before and it hadn’t ended till the early hours of the morning. And so far the first time in his life he decided to take the day off. He rang his boss, pretending to be a woman. “I’m afraid Jim can’t come to work today. He isn’t feeling very well.”
Poor Jim was thankful that his boss couldn’t see him just at that moment because his hands were trembling(发抖) and his face was bright red.
“Thank you for letting me know,” said Mr. Woods, his boss, and then just as he was about to hang up, he said, “just a moment, madam, who’s speaking.”
“Oh!” he stammered (口吃的说), and going all out for making a voice like a woman, he cried in a voice: “This is my landlady speaking!”
1. Jim was ___.
A. mid-aged B. a teen-ager(青少年) C. over 25 D. between 20 to 25 2. He was a ___. A. skillful worker B. skillful carpenter
C. researcher studying how to be a carpenter D. being-trained carpenter 3. His boss was ___ with him.
A. displeased B. not pleased C. satisfied D. unpleased 4. His workmates used to ___. A. laugh at him B. cheat him C. beat him D. play with him 5. Telling lies always made him ___.
A. go blue B. go while C. go red D. feel hot 6. At the end of the story poor Jim let the cat ___. A. out of the bag B. out of the house C. into the bag D. into the house
Passage 11
As we all know, it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of the Independence. He
wrote it in two weeks, and after a few changes, it was accepted by the Congress. As a result, he became famous.
Born in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, a brilliant student at school and almost talented lawyer later, was much interested in politics.
Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia in 1779, and he was sent to France as the representative of the American government in 1784. Sixteen years later, at the age of 57, he was elected president after Washington and Adams.
Far from a handsome man, he was tall with long arms and big hands. Jefferson, who was an amusing talker in conversation but a poor speaker, was generally good-natured.
Jefferson was regarded as a defender of freedom on America. As a president, he protected the right of free speech. Interestingly enough, in his eight years as President, Jefferson never vetoed a bill which Congress had passed. He did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia.
Thomas Jefferson died on July the fourth, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American Independence. 1. From the passage we can infer that America won its independence in ___. A. 1786 B. 1776 C. 1842 D. 1800
2. How old was Thomas Jefferson when he became Governor of Virginia? A. He was 26. B. He was in his forties. C. He was 36. D. We don't know. 3. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Jefferson was not only very talented but also very handsome. B. Jefferson was not an easy person to get along with.
C. Jefferson was an amusing talker, but not good at speaking in public.
D. Not being politically-minded, Jefferson never vetoed a bill passed by the Congress. 4. Jefferson died when he was ____.
A.72 B. 73 C. 83 D. 92
5. Jefferson’s greatest contribution in American history should be that ___. A. he did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia B. he was strongly against the slavery C. he was for the right of free speech D. he wrote the Declaration of Independence Passage 12
In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the film-maker Walter Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney’s cartoon film for children. When Walter Disney heard Nash’s voice, he said, “Stop! That’s our duck!”
The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film, The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat and worn his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year
he became a star after an eight minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audiences liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very easily. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey’s eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn’t a goody-goody, like Mickey.
In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational film about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared—there were no more new cartoons.
Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today’s Children can still see the old cartoons on the television and hear that famous voice. 1. Who made Donald Duck cartoons?
A. Mickey Mouse. B. Clarence Nash. C. Walter Disney. D. Pluto. 2. When did the first Donald Duck film appear?
A. In 1933 B. In 1934 C. In 1966 D. In 1965 3. Who was Clarence Nash?
A. A cartoonist. B. A writer. C. A film maker. D. The man who made the voice for Donald Duck. 4. Where do today’s children see Donald Duck cartoons? A. In new cartoons. B. At the cinema. C. On television. D. In the theatre. 5. Why did people like Donald better than Mickey Mouse? A. Probably because he was lazy and greedy.
B. Probably because he wasn’t a goody—goody like Mickey. C. Probably because he lost his temper very easily.
D. Probably because he became angry with Mickey’s eight nephews.
Passage 1 ACBDB Passage 2 BCCDA Passage3 BCACD Passage 4 BBAAC Passage 5 BDABD Passage 6 BBCCA Passage 7 BBACD Passage 8 CBBAD Passage 9 CDABC Passage 10 DDCACA Passage 11 BCCCD Passage 12 CBDAB
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