A famous American John Muir said in 1898: “The Grand Canyon… as unearthly (神秘的) in the color and grandeur (壮观) of its architecture as if you had found it after death on some other star.” Like Muir, those of us who stand along the rim are prompted to wonder about the unearthliness and the forces that created and are still changing this place.
After more than 100 years of studies, many things are still mysterious. Today visitors come by the thousands -- the great and simple of the earth -- all in a spirit of wonder. Travelers come from every state of the Union, from every country in Europe and Asia.
From the depths of the canyon comes welling silence. Seldom can you hear the roar of the river, for all sounds are swallowed in this gulf of space. “It makes one want to murmur.” A woman once whispered to her companion. This silence is not the silence of death; rather, it is a presence. It is like a great piece of music. But music made of man works up to a climax (高潮) and stops.
Now, visitors to the South Rim alone may number 18,000 in a single day. Some of that number will travel by mule train down Bright Angel Trail to the canyon's floor, cross the raging river by a suspension bridge (吊桥) and walk to the North Rim. Though the two rims face each other across only 12 miles, it is a journey of 214 miles by car from one to the other. Nor can you visit the North Rim except in summer; some 1,200 feet higher than the South Rim, it is snow covered much of the year except in July and August.
But there is no day that you may not visit the South Rim and find the sun warm on your face and the air perfumed with the incense (香气) of smoke from an Indian hearth (香炉). No wonder an American writer and journalist said, “I came here an atheist (无神论者), and departed a devout （虔诚的）believer.”What is it that attracts so many travelers to the Canyon?
| A．The unearthliness and the grandeur of its architecture. |
| B．The presence of American super stars. |
| C．The saying made by American writers and journalists. |
| D．The roaring of the river in the Canyon. |
What does the underlined word “simple” refer to?
| A．peaceful stream | B．land surface | C．common people | D．tamed animals |
If you want to visit the North Rim from the South Rim, which of the following won’t be the way of traveling for you?
| A．By train. | B．By animal. | C．By car. | D．On foot. |
The last sentence “I came here an atheist, and departed a devout believer.” implies that ______.
| A．natural wonders such as the Canyon have some effect on human activities |
| B．all visitors to the Grand Canyon are God believers |
| C．atheist can’t see the magnificence of the Grand Canyon |
| D．the Grand Canyon is an unearthly sight that only God could create |
Pat O’Burke was a poor Irishman with a large family, and one morning, waking up very early from cold and hunger, he decided to go shooting in a wood near his cottage. The wood belonged to Lord Northwood, a rich gentleman, Pat had no right to go there, but in it there were swarms of rabbits and flocks of birds that were good to eat, and Pat determined to take the risk. Suddenly he saw the owner, with a group of friends, coming towards him in the wood. There was a look of anger on Lord Northwood's face as he caught sight of the gun in Pat's hands. Pat's heart sank with fear, but he saw there was no hope of escape, so he walked boldly (大胆) up to the group and said to Lord Northwood, “Good morning, sir, and what has brought you out so early this morning?” Lord Northwood, rather surprised, said he and his friends were taking a little exercise to get an appetite(食欲) for their breakfast. Then, looking at Pat with suspicion(怀疑), he said, “but why are you out so early in the morning?” “Well, sir” said Pat, “I just came out to see if I could get a breakfast for my appetite.” The whole crowed burst into laughter at Pat's ready wit(机智，风趣), and with a smile Lord Northwood walked on, leaving Pat to try his luck with the rabbits.This is a story about _____.
| A．a rich man who owned a big wood |
| B．a poor Irishman who lived all by himself |
| C．a clever man who tried to get something to eat |
| D．an Irish hunter with a large family |
There was a look of anger on Lord Northwood's face. Why?
| A．He was not expecting Pat at this early hour. |
| B．He knew Pat was coming for shooting. |
| C．He didn't like the poor Irishman at all. |
| D．Pat had not told him he would come. |
Why was Lord Northwood surprised?
| A．He had not expected such a bold question from Pat. |
| B．He wondered why Pat didn't run away. |
| C．Pat wasn't afraid of him. |
| D．Pat had a gun in his hands. |
What made the whole crowd burst into laughter?
| A．Pat's funny looks | B．Pat's interesting remarks |
| C．Pat's quick and humorous response | D．Pat's promise to leave fight away |
Guess the meaning of the underlined word “right”.
| A．对的 | B．右边 | C．正好 | D．权利 |
Do you always understand the directions on a bottle of medicine? Do you know what is meant by “Take only as directed”? Read the following directions and see if you understand them.
To reduce pain, take two tablets with water, followed by one tablet every eight hours, as required. For night time and early morning relief take two tablets at bedtime. Do not take more than six tablets in twenty-four hours.
For children six to twelve years old, give half the amount. For children under six years old, ask your doctor’s advice.
Reduce the amount if you suffer from restlessness or sleeplessness after taking the medicine. How many tablets at most can a person over 12 have in 24 hours?
| A．Three | B．Four | C．Six | D．Eight |
How many tablets should a nine-year-old child normally take in 24 hours?
| A．Half a tablet | B．One tablet | C．Two tablets | D．Four tablets |
What is the advice for one who can not sleep well after taking the medicine?
| A．Stop taking the medicine at bedtime | B．Continue to take the normal amount |
| C．Take more than the normal amount | D．Take less than the normal amount |
It can be inferred from the directions that this medicine ___________ .
| A．helps you to fall asleep quickly | B．may be dangerous to small children |
| C．cannot be taken if one feels sleepy | D．should not be taken by children under six |
This text is most probably taken from a _____________ .
| A．textbook | B．newsreel | C．doctor’s notebook | D．bottle of medicine |
Mr. Jackson was tired of living in his old house in the countryside and wanted to sell it and buy a better one. He tried to sell it for a long time, but was not successful, so at last he decided to go to an estate agent.
The agent advertised(登广告) the house straight away, and a few days later, the owner saw a very beautiful photograph of his house, with a wonderful description of his garden in an expensive magazine.
Having read the advertisement through, the house owner hurried to phone the estate agent, saying, “I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, but I've decided not to sell my house after all.” “Why?” the agent asked in a surprised voice. “Because from the advertisement in that magazine I can see it's just the kind of house I've wanted to live in all my life.” Mr. Jackson wanted to sell his house because _____.
| A．he needed some money to support his family |
| B．his house was too old to live in |
| C．he wanted some money to buy a new one |
| D．he didn't want to live in the house any longer |
The reason why Mr. Jackson went to the estate agent was _____.
| A．he had failed in selling his house by himself |
| B．he wanted the estate agent to help him to get a good price |
| C．he was sure that the estate agent could help him |
| D．he wanted the estate to advertise his house in the magazine |
At last Mr. Jones _____.
| A．was successful in selling the house |
| B．felt sorry to have lost a sale by his doing too good a job |
| C．was satisfied with what he had done in the advertisement |
| D．didn’t understand why Mr. Jackson had changed his mind |
What do you think of the advertisement in magazines?
| A．They are worth reading. |
| B．They usually make things far better than they really are. |
| C．They are a great help to those who want to buy something. |
| D．They describe things as they really are. |
What’s the meaning of “an estate agent” in paragraph one?
| A．a person who has a house to sell |
| B．a person who helps others to advertise houses in magazines |
| C．a person whose work is to sell houses for others |
| D．a person who likes beautiful houses |
My house is made out of wood, glass and stone. It is also made out of software.
If you come to visit, you’ll probably be surprised when you come in. Someone will give you an electronic PIN （个人身份号码）to wear. This PIN tells the house who and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it’s dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights nearest you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.
Of course, you are also able to tell the house if you want something. There is a home control console (控制台), a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you my car keys, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the keys. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.
I believe that ten years from now, most new homes will have the systems that I’ve put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I’ve put in today.
I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, “How will I live without them?” What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A．How to develop a new system. | B．The function of the PIN. |
| C．A home for the future. | D．Easy life in the future. |
What’s the purpose when the writer wrote the fourth paragraph?
| A．To let readers know why his ideas are new. |
| B．To let readers know how special his house is. |
| C．To explain the importance of the PIN and the console. |
| D．To explain more easily what the functions of the PIN and the console are. |
The writer’s new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because _____.
| A．it has been controlled by computers |
| B．you can make a telephone call anywhere |
| C．it has your favorite music following you |
| D．the writer is able to change his new idea into practice |
What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?
| A．An IT expert. | B．A famous doctor. |
| C．An idealist | D．An experienced teacher. |
What can’t be done in the writer’s new house?
| A．turns on the lights | B．play music |
| C．get a telephone call | D．go swimming |
We know that many animals do not stay in one place. Birds, fish and other animals move from one place to another at a certain time. They move for different reasons most of them move to find food more easily, but others move to get away from places that are too crowded. When cold weather comes, many birds move to warmer places to find food. Some fishes give birth in warm water and move to cold water to feed. The most famous migration（迁移）is probably the migration of the fish, which is called “salmon”. This fish is born in fresh water but it travels many miles to salt water. There it spends its life. When it is old, it returns to its birthplace in fresh water. Then it gives birth and dies there. In northern Europe, there is a kind of mice. They leave their mountain homes when they become too crowded. They move down to the low land. Sometimes they move all the way to the seaside, and many of them are killed when they fall into the sea.
Recently, scientists have studied the migration of a kind of lobsters（龙虾）. Every year, when the season of bad weather arrives, the lobsters get into a long line and start to walk across the floor of the ocean. Nobody knows why they do this, and nobody knows where they go. So, sometimes we know why humans and animals move from one place to another, but at other times we don’t. Maybe living things just like to travel.Most animals move from one place to another at a certain time to __________ .
| A．give birth | B．enjoy warmer weather |
| C．find food more easily | D．find beautiful places |
The fish called “salmon” spends a long life in __________ .
| A．salt water | B．rivers | C．fresh water | D．its birthplace |
The mice in northern Europe move when __________ .
| A．they give birth | B．the weather is bad |
| C．the place gets too crowded | D．they haven’t enough food |
The lobsters move __________ .
| A．to the fresh water | B．to the sea floor |
| C．at a certain time | D．to find more food |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Animals move in order to find food more easily. |
| B．The migration of the fish called “salmon” is the most famous migration. |
| C．Living things move from one place to another because they like to travel. |
| D．Sometimes we know why and how living things move from one place to another, but sometimes we don’t. |