Most rain forests lie close to the equator(赤道),where the climate is often mild and there are long hours of sunshine.The warmth of the land heats the air above,causing it to rise and tiny drops of water to fall as rain.The rainfall can reach at least 98 inches a year.This wet,warm world with plenty of sunlight is perfect for plants to grow,so the trees grow fast with green leaves all the year round.The trees themselves also have an effect on the climate.They gather water from the soil and pass it out into the air through their leaves.The wet air then forms clouds,which hang over the treetops like smoke.These clouds protect the forest from the daytime heat and night-time cold of nearby deserts,keeping temperatures fit for plant growth.
Rain forests slightly farther away from the equator remain just as warm,but they have a dry season of three months or more when little rain falls.Tree leaves fall during this dry season and new leaves grow when the wet season or monsoon(雨季) begins.Thus these areas are known as the “monsoon forest”.
Another type of rain forest grows on tropical mountains.It is often called the “cloud forest” because clouds often hang over the trees like fog.
The rain forest is the ideal place for the growth of many different trees.Most of them depend on animals to eat their fruits and spread their seeds.When the fruits are eaten,the seeds inside them go undamaged through animals’ stomachs and are passed out in their droppings.The seeds lying on the forest floor then grow into new trees.The climate of the rain forests near the equator is _______.
| A．mild,wet and windy | B．hot,rainy and foggy |
| C．hot,wet and cloudy | D．warm,wet and sunny |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．tree leaves are green all the time in the monsoon forest |
| B．there is a dry season in the cloud forest on tropical mountains |
| C．clouds help the plants in the rain forest near the deserts to grow |
| D．the formation of climate in the rain forest has little to do with the trees |
According to the passage,_______ play the most important role in the spreading of seeds.
| A．animals | B．droppings | C．fruits | D．winds |
This passage is most likely to be found in _______.
| A．a travel guide | B．a story book |
| C．a technical report | D．a geography book |
People express their personalities in their clothes, their cars, and their homes. Our diets can also show our personalities because we might choose certain food to tell people something about us.
For example, some people mainly enjoy high quality food, such as caviar (鱼子酱) and lobster (龙虾), and they eat only in expensive restaurants – never in cafeterias or bars. They know about the “better things in life”.
Some people choose not to eat meat. Vegetarians often have more in common than just their diet. Their personalities might be similar too. For instance, vegetarians in the United States and Canada may be creative people, and they might not enjoy competitive sports or jobs. They worry about the health of the world, and they are probably strongly against the war.
Some people eat mostly fast food. One study shows that many fast-food eaters have a lot in common, but they are very different from vegetarians. They are competitive and good at business. They are also usually in a hurry. Many fast-food eaters might not agree with this description of their personalities, but it is a common picture of them.
Some people also believe that people of the same astrological sign（星座）have similar food personalities. Aries (born under the sign of Aries, between March 21 and April 20) usually like spicy foods, with a lot of onions and pepper. People with the sign of Taurus (April 21 to May 22) prefer healthful fruits and vegetables, but they often eat too much. Sagittarius (November 22 to December.22) like traditional food from many different countries.
What is your food personality?Why do some people mainly eat high quality food?
| A．They want to show off their wealth. | B．Food can show off their social position. |
| C．They want to enjoy better things in life. | D．They are wiser than any other persons. |
A vegetarian may be a person________.
| A．who is believed to be a peace – lover | B．who values the importance of success |
| C．who cares little about the future of the world | D．who shows his power to make money |
From the passage, we can draw a conclusion that_____________.
| A．food is just a mirror of the human history |
| B．we can know a person from what he eats |
| C．people are particular about the food they eat |
| D．what people eat may change their personalities |
Dear Cassy,
Thanks for reminding me by e-mail that you want to baby-sit our children. Although you are only 12 years old, my wife and I would be willing to consider your application（申请）if you can meet(满足) a few requirements:
1）Send us three letters from teachers who will prove that you have never failed to follow instructions perfectly in class and never failed to hand in your homework on time.
2）Send us a note from two doctors who will prove that you are in perfect health, have never been sick, and never will be sick.
3）Send us a document from your physical education teacher or team coach that proves that you can do each of the following: Run two miles in less than four minutes, climb an oiled rope to a height of twenty feet in thirty seconds while balancing a glass of water on your nose, and walk in bare feet over hot coals and broken glass without injury.
4）Send us notarized（得到公证的）letters from at least two mental health experts saying that you have never had an envious thought towards other people.
5）Play and defeat five expert chess players while blindfolded（蒙着眼睛）after going without sleep for 48 hours.
6)Wait patiently（耐心地）for two years while we have investigators（调查）certify（确保）that all your documents（文件）are real.
Your loving and trusting friends,
The SmithsThe Smiths send their message to Cassy by .
| A．e-mail | B．a letter | C．a newspaper | D．a report |
According to the first paragraph,.
| A．the Smiths must have had an advertisement made, saying that they want someone to look after their children |
| B．the Smiths have informed Cassy that they need some children |
| C．the Smiths have promised to provide what Cassy asked for |
| D．the Smiths would be very glad if Cassy can meet their requirements |
What is the attitude of the Smiths about hiring the 12-year old girl to look after their baby?
| A．The Smiths try to tell her how to baby-sit children. |
| B．The Smiths don’t think a girl is good for the job. |
| C．The Smiths don’t want to hire her. |
| D．The Smiths are willing to offer her the job. |
Which of the requirements mentioned by the Smiths do you think Cassy can meet?
| A．All of them | B．Half of them |
| C．None of them | D．Most of them |
Our 16-year-old daughter started to smoke last Christmas. It killed me to see that lovely girl with a cigarette(香烟) in her mouth. I told her how I felt. Martha continued to smoke, saying, “It's my life,” and so on. I told her if she didn't stop smoking, I wouldn't send her to college. She agreed to give it up.
Last night there was cigarette smell on Martha's breath. She had to say she had broken her word. Now I must do what I've said to punish(惩罚) her.
Martha is unusually bright and wants to teach children. I'm working full-time to put her older sister through school and would do the same for Martha. My husband's pay is good, but with prices going up all the time we could never educate the girls unless I kept on working.
My theory(理论) is that if smoking is more important to Martha than college, I'm a fool to work to put her through college.Why did the mother feel sad?
| A．Because her daughter failed to go to college. |
| B．Because her daughter tried to kill her. |
| C．Because her daughter promised to smoke no more. |
| D．Because her daughter got used to smoking. |
The mother warned that if Martha didn't give up smoking, she would ______.
| A．refuse to give Martha any money |
| B．not be Martha's mother |
| C．refuse to pay for Martha's college education |
| D．not let Martha teach children |
What did Martha really do after mother warned her?
| A．She failed to keep her promise. |
| B．She kept her promise. |
| C．She managed to give up smoking. |
| D．She broke something her mother gave her. |
The mother said that ______.
| A．Martha was usually a stupid girl |
| B．though Martha's father received high pay, it was not enough for their two girls' college education |
| C．as everything was becoming more and more expensive, the two girls had to work hard to pay for their education |
| D．she liked Martha's sister but hated Martha |
About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and — WHUMP! — it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! SCREECH...!!!! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. “That’s my new car. That brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"
"Please, mister, please....I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!" begged the boy. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. "It’s my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled of the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. "Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman," Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”
Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow (咽下) the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining Jaguar XKE — a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.
57. The boy threw a brick at the businessman’s car because ____________.
A. the businessman drove at a high speed B. he envied the new car very much
C. he wanted to ask for some money D. he wanted to get help from the driver
58. Which of the following is the right order of the story?
a. The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car. b. The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.
c. The younger brother begged Josh for help.
d. Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair. e. Josh shouted at the younger brother.
A.b, a, e, c, d B. a, c, d, b, e C. b, a, c, e, d D. a, c, b, e, d
59. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Josh would accept the money from the kids. B. The two kids were Josh’s neighbors.
C. Josh was a kind-hearted man. D. Josh’s new car broke down easily.
60. According to the passage, the underlined sentence in the last paragraph means ____________.
A. trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life
B. driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous
C. trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble
D. protecting oneself from being hurt
The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum, she made us read about artists and painting styles. It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?
First we had to read about ancient Egyptians and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly (鬈曲的) hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldn't see what was so great about art.
On our last visit to the museum, something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it, a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother' s expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldn't stop looking at this painting ! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.
53. The aim of the mother' s plan was to _________.
A. take them to visit the museum B. introduce them to the world of art
C. ask them to read about artists D. show them different painting styles
54. What was the writer' s experience in the museum before the last visit?
A. She came to feel her mother' s love. B. She liked many paintings.
C. She hardly enjoyed herself. D. She could understand the pictures of fat babies.
55. What made the writer go through a change that summer?
A. One of Mary's paintings. B. A strange way of painting.
C. Artists in the Middle Ages. D. Her mother' s instruction.
56. From the text, we can see _________.
A. the importance of curiosity B. the effect of art
C. the value of learning D. the power of family education