What might the future be like? Here are some predictions: things to come, things to go.
The Spring Festival, the most important Chinese holiday when everyone returns home, has caused headaches for millions of Chinese. More than 2 billion people travel at the same time, making getting travel tickets and the journey difficult. But in 28 years, Spring Festival travel may not be a problem at all. China plans to build more than 120,000 kilometers of railway and a fast transportation network that will serve 90% of 
the population by 2020. And because most of China will be cities, people will not have to go to other places to find a job, so it will no longer be a problem.
Newspaper will come to an end in 2043. In the future, digital(数字的) newspapers will be sent to personal web tools through Internet. Readers can discuss topics with journalists and editors. Information will move faster.
Oil is running out faster than expected. But scientists have found something else for oil as fuel(燃料). Coal, natural gas, solar power, nuclear power and even water can take the place of oil as sources of energy(能源).
Schools will go electronic(电子化). Computers will be imp
ortant and popular among the students. Everything will be in the computer and students will not need to bring books to school. They will find information on the Internet. A computer will be the students’ library, schoolbag and connection to the outside world. There will be robot teachers, they will check homework on computers and communicate with the students’ parents through e-mail. And school buses will be like spaceships, comfortable and safe.More than 2 billion people have a hard time returning home during .
| A．Christmas Day | B．National Day |
| C．the Spring Festival | D．the Mid-autumn Festival |
The newspapers will disappear .
| A．in 28 years | B．by 2020 | C．by 2053 | D．in 33 years |
__________ is not mentioned in the passage as sour
ces of energy.
| A．Coal | B．Wind | C．Nuclear power | D．Water |
From the passage we can know in the future.
| A．the Spring Festival travel may still be a problem |
| B．90% of the population will live in the city |
C．robot  teachers will check homework |
| D．readers can discuss topics with each other through Internet |
What’s the main idea of the last paragraph? .
| A．Schools will go electronic | B．Computers will be important |
| C．There will be robot teachers | D．School buses will be like spaceships |
It began with a red paper clip and ended with a house. Kyle MacDonald, a 26-year-old Canadian, got a three-bedroom house through 14 trades (交换) that started with a single red paper clip.
Encouraged by Kyle’s successful experience, now more and more young people around the world are starting their own trading activities. They set up websites where people can trade things they don’t usually use with other people. A website called Peerflix allows people to trade their used DVDs. These traders usually prefer face-to-face trading, which means they don’t have to worry about who is going to pay for the delivery (递送).
Last year, a young girl in Beijing decided to follow the example of Kyle. She started with a paper clip and hoped to get a house in the end. After several trades she now has a piano which is more than 10,000 yuan. But she may still have a long way to go.
You may be puzzled about why people are doing this. In fact, everyone in the trade activities gets things that are useful to them. Just as Kyle said, “What’s more important to a man dying of thirst in the desert — one million dollars or a glass of water?” Kyle’s words probably show why these trades are poplar among young people.
4. Where can people trade things they do not usually use according to the passage?
A. On the Internet. B. In Beijing. C. In Canada. D. In the desert.
5. Why are trading activities popular among young people?
A. Because they can make a lot of money by trading with other people.
B. Because the traders can get things that are useful to them.
C. Because young people love trading activities.
D. Because many young people want to get a house.
6. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. If you begin with a paper clip, you will finally get a house by trading.
B. A young girl in Beijing got a house through trading.
C. A glass of water is more important than one million dollars.
D. Many traders like face-to-face trading because they don’t have to pay for the delivery.
David came from a poor family. When he finished his high school, however, he was given a wonderful present. “Some of my friends got new clothes and a rich boy even got a new car,” he remembered, “My dad reached into his trousers pocket and took something out. I held out my hand, and his present dropped into it — a nickel (五分镍币).”
Dad said to me, “Buy a newspaper with that. Read every word of it. Then turn to the classified section (分类栏目) and get yourself a job. Get into the world. It’s all yours now.” I always thought that was a great joke my father had played on me until a few years later when I was in the army, sitting in a foxhole (战壕), and thinking about my family and my life. It was then that I realized that my friends had got only new cars, or only new clothes. My father had given me the whole world. What a great present!
1. When David left school, he received ______ as a present.
A. a new car B. new clothes C. a newspaper D. hardly anything
2. What did David become a few years later?
A. A college student. B. A rich person. C. A soldier. D. A newspaper reporter.
3. The title of the passage may be ______.
A. How to be a Soldier B. How to find a Job C. A Great Joke D. A Great Present
An old man was going home late one night with his horse and cart after a day’s hard work. When he was not far from his house, the light on the cart went out. He tried but could not mend (修理) it. He was near his home, and so he went along the road without a light. When a policeman saw this, he stopped the old carter.
“Where is your light?” asked the policeman. “No man may take a cart along the road at night without a light. You know that. You have broken the law (法律).”“I had a light, but it has just gone out,” said the old man.
“I don’t believe that story,” said the policeman. He took out a book and got ready to write. What’s your name and where do you live?” he asked.
“Please don’t take my name,” said the old man. “My home is just there. You can see it from here. I had a light nearly the whole way. I haven’t come far without a light.”
“You came all the way without a light. What’s your name?”
The carter quickly took the policeman’s hand and put it down on top of the light. The light was still hot and burnt the policeman’s hand. The policeman jumped and he was very angry. “Now, what do you think?” said the carter. “Did I come all the way without a light?”
1. In the passage the word “cart” is ____.
A. something like a car
B. something like a light
C. something pulled by a horse
D. something with a light
2. The old man drove home ____.
A. on the back of his horse
B. late one night
C. very late every night
D. with a policeman
3. Where did the policeman stop the old man?
A. Near the old man’s home.
B. At the traffic lights.
C. Under a road light.
D. Far from the old man’s home.
4. The cart was stopped by the policeman because ____.
A. the old man didn’t have a light
B. the policeman didn’t believe the old man’s words
C. the old man didn’t want to tell his name
D. the light on the old man’s cart was not on
5. What made the policeman believe the old man’s words?
A. He made the policeman touch the light.
B. He jumped and shouted angrily.
C. He made the policeman angry.
D. The light burnt the policeman’s hands.
Americans like traveling on vacations. Today more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small houses or inns instead of(而不是) hotels. They get a room for the night and breakfast for the next morning.
Rooms for the night in private homes with the breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years.
In the past five to ten years, these bed-and-breakfast places have become popular in the United States. Many of these America’s bed-and-breakfast inns are old historic buildings. Some bed-and-breakfast inns have only a few rooms. Others are much larger. Some inns do not provide（提供） telephones or televisions in the rooms while others do.
Staying at a bed-and-breakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel. Usually the cost is much less. Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone’s home. The owners are glad to tell about the area and the interesting places to visit. Many people who take such vocations say they enjoy the chance to meet local families.Americans like _______ on their vacations every year.
| A．to stay at home | B．traveling |
| C．to sleep at home | D．watching TV |
More and more travelers in the United States are spending nights _______.
| A．at hotels | B．at small houses or inns |
| C．in their cars | D．in the open air |
The bed-and-breakfast places have been popular in the USA _______.
| A．for less than five years | B．for one year |
| C．for over ten years | D．for a few years |
American travelers like staying at bed-and- breakfast inns because _______.
| A．these inns are cheap. |
| B．these inns are small and quiet. |
| C．they can meet and talk with local people |
| D．both A and C |
Once there was an old farmer, with a horse which was almost as old as himself. He set out one morning with his son to sell the horse before it died. Father and son walked, because the farmer did not want the horse to be too tired. They met two men on the road who said, "Why are you walking, farmer? You have a horse, It’s a long way to market(市场). " The farmer know that this was true, so he rode on the horse, while his son walked. Then they met two old women, "What are you doing up there, farmer? Can’t you see how tired the boy is?" So the farmer got down, and his son rode instead.
Next, three old men stopped them, one said, "Why are you walking, farmer? Get up, It’s too hot for an old man like you to walk today," So the farmer got up behind his son, and they rode on. Some time later, a young woman passed them, "Why aren’t you walking?" she asked, "It isn’t far to the market. Give your poor horse a rest." So the farmer, and his son, got down once again. It is a fact that you cannot please all the people all the time.
1. The farmer wanted to sell the horse ____.
A. before it was dead
B. before it become too tired
C. before it market was over
D. before it was as old as he was
2. The two men on the road ____.
A. asked how far it was to the market
B. said they thought the horse looked very tired
C. asked why the farmer was not riding on his horse
D. told the farmer’s son to get off the horse and walk
3. The two old women said it was wrong for ____.
A. the farmer to ride such a tired horse
B. the farmer to ride while his young son walked
C. the boy to ride instead of his father
D. only one person to ride such a long way
4. The farmer got up behind his son because ____.
A. the old man said it was too hot for him to walk
B. the three old men stopped them on the road
C. he did not know why he was walking
D. his son could not ride the horse by himself
5. The young woman was most sorry ____.
A. for the old man
B. for the farmer’s young son
C. that it was not far to the market
D. for the horse