B
Although man has known asbestos for many hundreds of years, it was not until 160 years ago that it was mined for the first time on the North American continent. H. W. Johns, owner of a New York City Supply Shop for roofers, was responsible for he opening of that first mine.
Mr. Johns was given a piece of asbestos which had been found in Italy. He experimented with the material and then showed its surprising powers to his customers. After putting on a pair of asbestos gloves, which looked much like ordinary work gloves, he took red-hot coals from the fireplace and played with them in his hands. How astonished the customers were to discover that he was not burned at all. You can well imagine that he had increasing business in asbestos roofing materials. However, because it was very expensive to transport them from Italy to the United States, Mr. Johns sent out a young scientist to seek a source nearer home. This young man found great vein in the province of Quebec in Canada.
Ever since 1881 Quebec has led the world in the production of this unusual mineral, which is made up of magnesium, silicon, iron, and oxygen. When it is mined, the asbestos is heavy, just as you would expect a mineral to be. When it is separated, a strange thing happens; the rock breaks down into fine, soft, soapy fibers .
Scientists do not know why the rock can be separated easily into threads,but they have found thousands of uses of this fireproof material, of the so-called “cloth of stone”.
60. Which title best expresses the main idea of this passage?
A. Asbestos mined in Canada B. Fireproof matter
C. A “wonder” mineral D. A new roofing material
61. Johns proved his ability as a salesman by_______.
A. going into roofing business
B. carrying asbestos from Italy
C. sending a trained scientist
D. showing the use of asbestos gloves
62. Which is the most important character of asbestos that the author wants to show us?
A. It is like thread. B. It feels soapy.
C. It burns easily. D. It is unusually heavy.
63. The author’s main purpose in writing this passage was to _______.
A. show the need for more scientists
B. compare asbestos with other minerals
C. increase the sales of asbestos
D. present facts about asbestos
Valentine’s Day is named for Saint Valentine, an early Christmas churchman who helped young lovers. Valentine was killed for his Christian beliefs on February 14 more than 1700 years ago, but the day which 
is named after him is even earlier than that.
More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Romans celebrated a holiday for lovers. As part of the celebration, girls wrote their names on pieces of paper and put them in a large container. Boys reached into the container and pulled one out. The girl whose name was written on the paper became his lover or sweet heart for a year.
Now, lovers still put their names on pieces of paper and they sent each other Valentine’s Day cards that tell of their love. Sometimes they also send gifts, like flowers or chocolate candies. Americans usually send these gifts and cards through the mail system. But some use another way to send this message. They have it printed in a newspaper. The cost is usually a few dollars. Some of the messages are simple and short, “Jane, I love you very much”. Others say more. This one, for example, “Dan, Roses are red. Violets are blue. I hope you love me as much as I love you. Forever, May.”
Most of the newspapers that print such messages are local, but USA Today is sold throughout the United S
tates and 90 other countries. This means someone can send a Valentine message to the lover in a far-away place almost anywhere in the world. These messages cost 80 dollars and more. An employee of USA Today says readers can have a small heart or rose printed along with their messages this year. Will this kind of Valentine’s Day message reach the one you love? Well, just make sure he or she reads the newspaper. When was the day named after Valentine?
| A．More than 1700 years ago before Valentine’s death. | B．More than 2, 000 years ago. |
| C．On February 14. | D．It is not mentioned in the passage. |
Which of the following is Wrong about the ancient Romans holiday in the text?
| A．Girls put paper with their names into a container. |
| B．Boys and girls became sweet hearts by chance. |
| C．Girls and boys chose life lovers in the holiday. |
| D．It was celebrated as a holiday for lovers. |
Now lovers celebrate Valentine’s Day _________.
| A．like what the ancient Romans did | B．by sending gifts to each other |
| C．by printing newspapers | D．by spending lots of money |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．The ancient Roman girls were more easy-going. |
| B．Valentine was killed for not helping the government. |
| C．USA Today helps readers to send roses with printed messages. |
| D．Valentine was honored for his Christian belief and warm heart. |
The text is written to _________.
| A．tell us something about Valentine’s Day | B．advertise for USA Today |
| C．tell us that Americans are open to express love | D．sell roses on Valentine’s Day |
Tsai Chin Chung is one of Taiwan’s most famous cartoonists, and his cartoons are enjoyed by people in many different countries in Asia. His books of cartoons have now become best sellers in Singapore, Malaysia, and even Japan.
As soon as he could hold a pencil, Tsai Chin Chung lived only for drawing. Every day he practised drawing people and things around him and from his favorite stories.
When he was only 15 years old, he left home to work for a publisher in Taipei. He worked hard to draw pictures for books. Two years later, he left his job and started to work on drawing cartoon series, which he liked better. He made up his mind to succeed as a cartoonist.
Now Tsai Chin Chung has achieved something unusual for a modern cartoonist. He has become extremely successful at changing Chinese literature (文学) and philosophy (哲学) into humorous comic stories. In this way, he has made the Chinese classics (古典文学) known to thousands of people.
Because of his great achievement, several years ago Tsai Chin Chung was given a prize as one of the 10 Outstanding Young People of Taiwan. Since then, he has won many prizes, and his cartoons have become popular throughout Asia, America and Europe. So far, he has published more than 20 comic books. Ten of these are about ancient Chinese philosophers based on Chinese historical and literary classics.
Many of Tsai Chin Chung’s books of cartoons and comics have now been published in English in countries like Singapore. His books have also been translated into several other languages, including Japanese, Korean and Thai. Even publishers in France and Indonesia have recently signed agreements for permission to publish his cartoon series. Tsai Chin Chung first worked as ________.
| A．a book seller | B．a cartoonist |
| C．a writer of Chinese stories | D．an artist drawing pictures for books |
Tsai Chin Chung left his first job because he ________.
| A．preferred drawing cartoons | B．wanted to go back to school |
| C．enjoyed drawing pictures for books | D．wanted to be famous |
Tsai Chin Chung first became interested in drawing when he _______.
| A．left school | B．was a very small child | C．was 15 | D．started to be a cartoonist |
Half of the books he has published are related to _______.
| A．Chinese and foreign comics | B．countries in Asia, America and Europe |
| C．foreign languages learning | D．Chinese history and literature |
Because of his great achievements, Tsai Chin Chung _______.
| A．travelled a lot in Asia and Europe | B．went to live in Singapore | C．won an important prize in Taiwan | D．has become famous in Africa. |
Laptop computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.
Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1,500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a ＄10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also be able to use the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mails to “speak” with their teachers, classmates, and families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees—anywhere at all!
Because of the many changes in computer technology, laptops used in higher education, such as colleges and universities, are workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the laptops can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studyinghow laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.
At Westlake College, more than 80 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, “Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we’re giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything.”The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to ________.
| A．connect them to the Internet | B．use for their schoolwork |
| C．work at home | D．connect them to libraries |
The underlined word “speak” in the 2nd paragraph is in quotation marks(引号) because ________.
| A．they don’t really talk | B．they use the computer language |
| C．laptops have speakers | D．laptops can be used to speak with others |
Which of the following is True about Westlake College?
| A．All teachers use computers. | B．1, 500 students have laptops. |
| C．Students there can do everything. | D．It is an old college in America. |
The underlined “a window on the world” in the last paragraph means that students can ________.
| A．attend lectures on information technology | B．travel around the world |
| C．get information from around the world | D．have free laptops |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．The program is successful. | B．The program is not workable. |
| C．The program is too expensive. | D．The program isn’t accepted by teachers. |
Jack was so excited about getting a new b
ackpack because his old one had a broken zipper(拉链) and a hole in the bottom.
Jack’s elder brother took him to buy a new backpack. There were so many cool ones. How would he ever decide? He saw blue ones—his favorite color. He saw ones with his favorite action hero on the front. And then Jack saw a backpack with a black square design. When he opened it, he saw it had a hidden, secret small bag. He liked it, which made it different from others.
“This is the one,” he said, then carried it to the check-out counter.
That evening, Jack carefully filled his new backpack with his school thing
s. He put his special pen in the secret small bag. The next day in English class, Mr. Mack said, “Let’s write an essay about earthquakes!” Jack looked for his pen in his backpack, but he couldn’t found it! He rummaged through his desk and his pockets, but no pen.
Jack asked if anyone had seen his pen, but no one had. Mr. Mack lent him a pencil, but Jack was feeling anxious because he lost his pen. When he got home, Jack told his brother he couldn’t find his favorite pen. His brother said, “You must have put it in that secret small bag.”
Jack laughed and said, “That small bag was so secret that I forgot all about it.” Which backpack did Jack buy?
| A．A blue one. | B．One with a black square design. | C．One with an action hero. | D．A small one. |
Jack decided to buy that backpack because __________.
| A．it had his favorite color |
| B．he liked the black square design |
| C．the secret small bag made it special |
| D．his brother suggested he get that one |
The underlined word “rummaged” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”.
| A．forgot to look at | B．searched really well | C．turned sideways | D．threw away |
When Jack realized what he had done, he thought it was ________.
| A．funny | B．annoying | C．surprising | D．cool |
This text mainly tells us ________.
| A．a story of Jack’s old backpack |
| B．that Jack was studying earthquakes |
| C．that Jack was old enough to do shopping |
| D．a story of Jack’s pen and new backpack |
A few months ago, it wasn't unusual for 47-year-old Carla Toebe to spend 15 hours per day online. She'd wake up early, turn on her laptop and chat on Internet dating sites and instant-messaging programs – leaving her bed for only brief breaks. Her household bills piled up, along with the dishes and dirty laundry, but it took constant complaints from her four daughters before she realized she had a problem.
"I was starting to feel like my whole world was falling apart – kind of slipping into a depression," said Carla. "I knew that if I didn't get off the dating sites, I'd just keep going," detaching (使脱离) herself further from the outside world.
Toebe's conclusion: She felt like she was "addicted" to the Internet. She's not alone.
Concern about excessive Internet use isn't new. As far back as 1995, articles in medical journals and the establishment of a Pennsylvania treatment center for overusers aroused interest in the subject. But as reliance on the Web grows, there are signs that the question is getting more serious attention: Last month, a study published in CNS Spectrums claimed to be the first large-scale look at Internet overuse. The American Psychiatric Association may also consider listing Internet addiction in the next edition. And scores of online discussion boards have popped up, on which people discuss negative experiences tied to too much time on the Web.
The new CNS Spectrums study was based on results of a nationwide telephone survey of more than 2,500 adults. Like the latest survey, this one was conducted by Stanford University researchers. About 6% of respondents reported that "their relationships suffered because of excessive Internet use." About 9% attempted to conceal "nonessential Internet use," and nearly 4% reported feeling " still occupied by the Internet when offline."
"The Internet problem is still in its early stage," said Maressa Orzack, a Harvard University professor. No single online activity is to blame for excessive use, he said. "They're online in chat rooms, checking e-mail, or writing blogs. The problem is not limited to porn (色情) or gambling websites.”
“Excessive Internet use should be defined not by the number of hours spent online but in terms of losses.”said Maressa Orzack. "If it's a loss where you're not getting to work, and family relationships are breaking down as a result, then it's too much."
Since the early 1990s, several clinics have been established in the U. S. to treat heavy Internet users. They include the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery and the Center for Internet Behavior.
The website for Orzack's center lists the following among the psychological symptoms of computer addiction:
● Having a sense of happin
ess or excitement while at the computer.
● Longing for more and more time at the computer.
● Neglect of family and friends.
● Feeling empty, depremssed or irritable when not at the computer.
● Lying to employers and family about activities.
● Inability to stop the activity.
● Problems with school or job.
Physical symptoms listed include dry eyes, backaches, skipping meals, poor personal hygiene (卫生) and sleep disturbances.
“People who struggle with Internet overuse maybe depressed or have other mood disorders.” Orzack said. When she discusses Internet habits with her patients, they often report that being online offers a "sense of belonging, and escape, excitement and fun," she said. “Some people say relief…because they find themselves so relaxed.”
Some parts of the Internet seem to draw people in more than others. Internet gamers spend countless hours competing in games against people from all over the world. One such game, called World of Warcraft, is cited on many sites by posters complaining of a "gaming addiction."
Andrew Heidrich, an education network administrator from Sacramento, plays World of Warcraft for about two to four hours every other night, but that's nothing compared with the 40 to 60 hours a week he spent playing online games when he was in college. He cut back only after a full-scale family intervention (干预), in which relatives told him he'd gained weight.
“There's this whole culture of competition that sucks people in with online gaming, ”said Heidrich, now a father of two. People do it at the expense of everything that was a constant in their lives." Heidrich now visits websites that discuss gaming addiction regularly “to remind myself to keep my love for online games in check”.
Toebe also regularly visits a site where posters discuss Internet overuse. In August, when she first realized she had a problem, she posted a message on a Yahoo Internet addiction group with the subject line:“I have an Internet Addiction.”
“I'm self-employed and need the Internet for my work, but I'm failing to accomplish my work, to take care of my home, to give attention to my children,”she wrote in a message sent to the group. “I have no money or insurance to get professional help; I can't even pay my loan and face losing everything.”
Since then, Toebe said, she has kept her promise to herself to cut back on her Internet use. "I have a boyfriend now, and I'm not interested in online dating," she said by phone last week. "It's a lot better now." What eventually made Carla Toebe realize she was spending too much time on the Internet?
| A．Her daughter's repeated complaints. |
| B．Tiredness resulting from lack of sleep. |
| C．The poorly managed state of her house. |
| D．The high financial costs adding up. |
What is the main idea of para4?
| A．A study claimed to be the first large-scale look at Internet overuse. |
| B．The American Psychiatric Association plans to list Internet addiction in its edition. |
| C．There are heated discussions about negative experiences over internet overuse. |
| D．There is a growing concern towards internet addiction. |
According to Professor Maressa Orzack, Internet use would be considered excessive if ______.
| A．it seriously affected family relationships |
| B．one visited porn websites frequently |
| C．too much time was spent in chat rooms |
| D．people got involved in online gambling |
According to Orzack, people who struggle with heavy dependence on
the Internet may feel ______.
| A．discouraged | B．pressured | C．depressed | D．puzzled |
Andrew Heidrich now visits websites that discuss online gaming addiction to _____.
| A．improve his online gaming skills |
| B．control his desire for online gaming |
| C．show how good he is at online gaming |
| D．exchange online gaming experience |
Which of the following best describes the tone(口吻) of the passage ?
| A．Humorous | B．Ironic | C．Objective | D．Casual |