February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
| A．Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
| B．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. |
| C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people. |
| D．Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
Valentine was put into prison because ______.
| A．he killed one of the soldiers | B．he stole a lot of food |
| C．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order | D．he didn’t want to be a soldier |
The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A．students in China send cards to their teachers |
| B．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| D．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now |
The best title for this passage should be ______.
| A．Valentine’s Day | B．A Brave Priest | C．Valentine’s Day in China | D．A Romantic Man |
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get alongswimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘Dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets ─ to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.The underlined word “swimmingly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．early | B．sweetly | C．quickly | D．smoothly |
Some cats and dogs may fight when ______.
| A．they are cold to each other | B．they look away from each other |
| C．they misunderstood each other’s signals | D．they are introduced at an early age |
What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
| A．They eat and sleep each other. |
| B．They observe each other’s behaviors. |
| C．They learn to speak each other’s language. |
| D．They know something from each other’s voices. |
It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs ______.
| A．have common interests | B．are less different than was thought |
| C．have a common body language | D．are less intelligent than was expected |
What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
| A．We should learn to live in harmony. |
| B．We should know more about animals. |
| C．We should live in peace with animals. |
| D．We should learn more body languages. |
An old woman had two large pots, one on each end of a pole. She carried the pole with the pots across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full pot of water. At the end of the long walk from the well to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half-full.
For two years this happened daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection.
One day, the cracked pot spoke to the woman by the well: “I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled: “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your crack, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. And every day while we walk back, you water them.”
“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, I would not have this beauty.”
Each of us has our own cracks. But it’s these cracks that make our lives together so interesting and meaningful.What does the underlined word “crack” mean?
| A．Very narrow space between two things or two parts of something. |
| B．Line of division where something is broken, but not into separate parts. |
| C．Fault in an idea, system, or organization. |
| D．Sudden sharp noise like the sound of a stick being broken. |
How did the cracked pot feel about itself at first?
| A．Proud. | B．Disappointed. | C．Annoyed. | D．Embarrassed. |
Where were the flowers growing?
| A．On both sides of the path. | B．In the woman’s house. |
| C．On the perfect pot’s side of the path. | D．On the cracked pot’s side of the path |
Which is the correct order of the following events?
① The woman picked the flowers and decorated the table.
② The woman told the truth to the cracked pot.
③ The cracked pot talked to the woman about its crack.
④ The woman found a crack on one pot.
⑤ The woman planted some flower seeds.
| A．④⑤①③② | B．⑤④③②① |
| C．④③①②⑤ | D．④⑤③①② |
What does the passage mainly want to tell us?
| A．Never laugh at imperfection. | B．No pains, no gains. |
| C．Imperfection makes life meaningful. | D．It’s never too late to learn. |
More than 200 scientists have completed a twoyear study to identify the most natural and undeveloped areas on Earth. Their findings are reported in a new book called Wilderness：Earth’s Last Wild Places. The book describes 37 wilderness areas around the world. Each has an area greater than 10,000 square kilometers. The study considered only areas where at least 70% of all plants are native.
North and South America are home to the largest number of wilderness areas. There are 16 such areas, from southern Argentina to Alaska and northern Canada. Africa has 8 wilderness areas, including the thick forests and the grasslands. Australia and New Guinea (几内亚) share 6 areas. Europe has 3 areas and Asia has 2.The Arabian Desert and Antarctica also are considered wilderness areas.
The largest wilderness area is the Boreal Forest (北方森林)．It extends for 16million square kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. The Boreal Forest extends across Alaska, Canada, northern Europe and Russia. The smallest of the 37 wilderness areas is the Sundarbans. It is the world’s largest tidal mangrove forest (红树林)．It covers 10,000 square kilometers of land at the mouth of the Ganges River in India and Bangladesh (孟加拉国)．
The study found that wilderness areas cover about 46% of the Earth’s land surface. However, they are home to less than 2.5% of the world’s population. Nineteen of the wilderness areas have only about one person for each square kilometer. Native people usually live in these areas.
Wilderness areas help to influence the world’s weather systems and rainfall. They are also home to many plants and animals. Population growth and the spread of agriculture and mining operations threaten wilderness areas. But just 7% of all such areas have some form of official protection.What does the author think of the wilderness areas around the world in the book?
| A．Unwanted. | B．Long-lasting. | C．Valuable | D．Perfect. |
The writer describes the wilderness areas to show that they ________.
| A．are worth the public support | B．can attract readers’ attention |
| C．need to be stressed as resources | D．are seen on every continent |
According to the 4th paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that the 37 wilderness areas are ________.
| A．deserted | B．crowded | C．uncontrolled | D．undeveloped |
As the result of the effect on nature, the wilderness areas on Earth should be ________.
| A．thought more of by the governments | B．explored as natural habitats very soon |
| C．further made full use of at present | D．discovered for their advantages of nature |
The purpose of writing this text is to tell us ________of the wilderness areas around the world.
| A．the importance | B．the situation | C．the development | D．the environment |
As the first woman Chancellor(总理) in German’s history, Angela Merkel topped Forbes magazine’s list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.She has even been compared to Margaret Thatcher and many people called her “Iron Lady”．
Merkel was born in Hamburg, West Germany, on July 17, 1954.Six weeks after she was born, her family moved to Templin. As a small child, Merkel quickly learned to speak but took longer to walk. “I was a stupid person when it came to moving？” Merkel said. “A normal person could do something naturally, but I had to think about it in my mind and practice.” As a teenager, she was the top student and graduated from high school with perfect marks. In 1973, Merkel went to the University of Leipzig, where she studied physics. At 32, she got her doctor’s degree in physics.
She stepped_into_politics in 1989.In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her scientific background and strong will proved very useful. In 2005 she became Germany’s Chancellor. She has been reelected to a second term as German Chancellor on September 27, 2009.
Through her political career, Merkel’s persistence (坚持) and patience helped her a lot. “She’s bright and openminded,” said Hubert Markl. “She is the person who wants to know exactly what is going on, and how never giving up will influence our society and future.”As a small child, Merkel was slow in ________.
| A．speaking | B．walking | C．learning | D．thinking |
The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 most probably means “________”．
| A．fought the government | B．began her scientific career |
| C．offered political guidance | D．became a government official |
We can infer from the passage that Angela Merkel ________.
| A．is a powerful woman with a strong will and determination |
| B．got her doctor’s degree in politics in University of Leipzig |
| C．has worked as German Chancellor since Sep.27, 2009 |
| D．showed her best talent as Minister for the Environment |
In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express ________.
| A．one must be brave in the political career |
| B．one should be patient when making decisions |
| C．persistence can help one’s dream come true |
| D．one can have a strong will when others haven’t |
What’s the author’s attitude toward Angela Merkel?
| A．Admiring. | B．Thankful. | C．Pitiful . | D．Dull. |
Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked．
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup（基因构成）as human beings．What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival．Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible．
Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for．Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger．With knowledge, we can lessen its effects．
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential （潜在的）resources to be found．Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later．Resources may be more than physical possessions．Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration．The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives．We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems．Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products （副产品）of technological developments in the space industry!
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us．While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers．The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive．Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist．
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets．It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future．Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph1?
| A．To express his doubts． | B．To compare different ideas． |
| C．To introduce points for discussion． | D．To describe the conditions on Earth． |
What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph2?
| A．Humans are nature-born to do so． | B．Humans have the tendency to fight． |
| C．Humans may find new sources of food． | D．Humans don't like to stay in the same place． |
The underlined word "spin-offs" in Paragraph 4 probably refers to______．
| A．survival chances | B．potential resources | C．unexpected benefits | D．physical possessions |
What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?
| A．Our genetic makeup． | B．Resources on the earth． |
| C．The adaptive ability of humans． | D．By-products in space exploration． |
Which of the statements can best sum up the passage?
| A．Space exploration has created many wonders． |
| B．Space exploration provided the best value for money． |
| C．Space exploration can benefit science and technology. |
| D．Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth. |