How do you pay for things? Do you usually use cash(现金), or do you like to pay by credit card(信用卡)? If you are like a lot of people, you probably have at least one credit card. Also, you might use it more often than you probably should.
Credit cards first became popular in the 1920s, At that time, businesses, such as hotels and companies, gave credit cards to their best customers(顾客). Unlike today's credit cards, customers could only use these cards at the Store or business that gave out the card. Customers had to pay for things in full. They couldn't pay for something a little at a time.
In 1950, a businessman named McNamara started a credit card company — Diners Club. Unlike earlier credit cards, this card could be used by customers at many restaurants. Customers liked the card because they didn't have to carry a lot of cash with them. Restaurant owners liked the card, too. Why? They found out that customers usually spent more money when they could pay by credit card.
In its first year of business, Diners Club issued 200 cards, The customers who got the cards from the Diners Club could use them at 27 different restaurants. Today, Diners Club has about 8 million customers, and they can use their cards in over 7. 6 million businesses in more than 200 countries.What can we know about the earlier credit cards from the passage?
| A．They could be used everywhere. |
| B．Customers had to pay for things in full. |
| C．They were very popular before the 1920s. |
| D．Everyone could get this kind of credit card. |
The underlined word "issued" here probably means " ".
| A．showed | B．took | C．borrowed | D．provided |
This passage is mainly about .
| A．part of the development of credit cards |
| B．how to use cash |
| C．the number of people who use credit cards in the world |
| D．how credit cards help businessmen |
In the 13th century(世纪), the famous Italian traveller, Marco Polo, travelled a long way to China.During his stay in China, he saw many wonderful things. One of the things he discovered was that the Chinese used paper money. In western countries, people did not use paper money until the 15th century. However, people in China began to use paper money in the 7th century(世纪).
A Chinese man called Cai Lun invented(发明) paper almost 2,000 years ago. He made it from wood. He took the wood from trees and made it into paper. He then put these pieces of paper together and made them into a book. Now paper still comes from trees. We use a lot of paper every day. If we keep on wasting（浪费）so much paper, there will not be any trees left on the earth. If there are no trees, there will be no paper. Every day, people throw away about 2,800 tons(吨) of paper in our city. It takes 17 trees to make one ton of paper.This means that we are cutting nearly 48,000 trees every day. Since it takes more than 10 years for a tree to grow, we must start using less paper now. If we don't, we will not have enough time to grow more trees to take the place of those we use for paper.
So how can we save paper? We can use both sides of every piece of paper, especially when we are making notes. We can choose drinks in bottles instead of those in paper packets. We can also use cotton handkerchiefs (手帕) and not paper ones. When we go shopping, we can use fewer paper bags. If the shop assistant gives us a paper bag, we can save it and reuse it later.
Everyone can help to save paper. If we all think carefully, we can help protect(保护) trees. But we should do it now , before it is too late.When he was in China, Marco Polo_________.
| A．discovered Cai Lun invented paper |
| B．learned to make paper |
| C．saw many wonderful things |
| D．read a lot of books |
. People in western countries first used paper money in the______ century.
| A．17th | B．15th | C．13th | D．7th |
About _____ tons of paper is thrown away every day in our city.
| A．1,700 | B．2,000 |
| C．2,800 | D．48,000 |
Which of the following is NOT the way of saving paper?
| A．To use both sides of every piece of paper. |
| B．To use the paper bags from shops more than once. |
| C．To use cotton handkerchiefs instead of paper ones. |
| D．To grow more trees. |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Saving Paper |
| B．The History of Paper |
| C．Cotton Handkerchiefs Back Again |
| D．Cai Lun, the Great Inventor |
All schools have their own rules (规则). The rules change from one school to another. Some schools are much stricter（严格） than others. There are also some rules that are strange or funny to us. Here are some funny school rules:
Strict Japanese rules
Most schools ask students to wear uniforms, such as sports suits or skirts. But Japanese schools even have rules about the colour of underwear! They also need that girls' socks should be folded(折叠) in a certain way and boys' heads should be shaved(剃).
Other Japanese schools tell students that they can't go to the movies after sunset.
Different shoes in the USA
At some American schools, students have to change their shoes when they go into the schools every day. This makes sure students won't fall over on the floors and keeps the schools clean.
No strange hair in the UK
Students can’t have strange hairstyles in some British schools. But they can wear certain hairstyles during the World Cup years. There were two students who had special hairstyles during the 2002 World Cup. After the World Cup, their teachers asked them to go to the barber's at once. How many strange or funny school rules are mentioned(提到) in this passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
Students in Japanese schools should wear_______.
| A．uniforms | B．indoor shoes |
| C．shirts | D．strange hairstyles |
Why do students in the USA have to wear indoor shoes?
| A．Because in that way they won't hurt if they fight. |
| B．Because in that way they will feel comfortable. |
| C．Because in that way they won't fall and can keep the schools clean. |
| D．Because in that way they won't make any noise when walking. |
Which country's schools have rules about students' hair?
| A．Schools in Japan only. |
| B．Schools in the USA and the UK. |
| C．Schools in Japan and the UK. |
| D．Schools in the UK only. |
What's the best title of the passage?
| A．Different school uniforms | B．Different hairstyles |
| C．Different shoes | D．Different school rules |
Many people like to watch TV. Watching TV is one of the most important activities of the day. TV brings the outside closer to people’s homes. Some people say the world is smaller than before because of TV.
What’s going on in the other countries? How do people live in places far away? Is there a good sports game somewhere? What’s the life like in the deepest(最深的) part of the sea?
If you want to answer these and other kinds of questions, just turn on the TV. Turn it on and watch. You can see a lot and learn a lot. Of course, people can also learn through reading or listening to the radio. But with TV they can learn better and more easily. Why? Because they can hear and watch, too.
TV helps to open our eyes. TV also helps to open our minds(思想). TV often give us new ideas. We learn newer and better ways of doing something.Some people say the world is smaller than before because.
| A．TV makes the earth smaller and smaller |
| B．all people like to watch TV |
| C．watching TV is one of the most important activities of the day. |
| D．TV brings the outside world closer to people. |
We can when we watch TV.
| A．go to live in the other countries |
| B．answer TV many questions |
| C．get a lot of information |
| D．ask TV some questions |
People learn better through TV than through radio because.
| A．TV sets are bigger than radios |
| B．people can not only hear but also watch |
| C．without TV people can’t open their eyes |
| D．it’s easier to turn on TV than to turn on radio |
The sentence “TV also helps to open our minds” means:
| A．our minds can only be opened by TV |
| B．something is wrong with our minds |
| C．it can help us to increase(增长) our knowledge(知识) |
| D．TV is new to us |
This article(文章) tells us.
| A．it’s good to watch TV |
| B．not to watch TV any more |
| C．students shouldn’t watch TV at any time |
| D．to stop reading to watch TV |
Are you thinking about what to do in your free time ? Come and join us —Youth Club! Join in lessons and activities. It’s fun! For more information , call 34789256!
| Lessons |
Activities |
| Monday～Friday 6:00 p.m. ～7:30 p.m. Computer lessons for beginners |
Saturday and Sunday 8: 00 a.m. ～9:00 p.m. Basketball and volleyball playgrounds open |
| Monday and Wednesday 7:30 p.m. ～9:30 p.m. Dance lessons for dancer –lovers You can learn and enjoy wonderful dances |
Monday ～Sunday Swimming pool open |
| Tuesday , Thursday and Friday 6:30 p.m.～7:30 p.m. Cooking lessons Learn to cook delicious dishes from all over China |
The second and last Saturdays of every month 7:00 p.m. ～9:30 p.m. Concert time Enjoy Swedish rock , American jazz and beautiful songs from different parts of the world! |
On which of the following days can’t you have computer lessons ?
| A．Monday | B．Wednesday |
| C．Friday | D．Sunday |
Rose is free after 7:20 p.m. Which lessons can she take?
| A．Computer lessons. |
| B．Dance lessons. |
| C．Cooking lessons. |
| D．Both computer and cooking lessons. |
If Dick wants to swim after playing basketball, when can he go to the club ?
| A．Monday and Wednesday. | B．Monday and Sunday. |
| C．Saturday and Sunday. | D．Monday and Sunday. |
. How often can you enjoy music in the club ?
| A．Twice a month. | B．Twice a week. |
| C．Four times a month.. | D．Five days a week. |
If you want to know the cost of the lessons, you can to get the information.
| A．call 34789256 |
| B．only go to the club |
| C．read the ads above carefully |
| D．join the club and ask others |
When your dream is to become a footballer, nothing should get in your way—even if you have no feet.
Gabriel Muniz, an 11-year-old Brazil kid, was born without feet. Although his family thought he would have serious difficulties living a normal life, he started walking before he was one year old. His mother would go after him, expecting him to keep falling, but he never fell. It took him a while to make the jump from walking to playing football, but he did make it. And, in fact, there’s nothing he loves more than playing football. In his school, the skillful youngster(年轻人) is not only the best player in his school team but also the captain of his gym team.
He knows that his disability means he’ll never be able to play for a professional(专业的) football team. So Gabriel is hoping that football will one day become a Paralympics (残疾人奥运会的) sport. He proved to everyone there he could go head to head with any other boy. Watching him play is unbelievable. He’s fast and he’s got a big bag of tricks—he’s very skilled and he does everything he can to copy his hero, Messi so much that he is invited to go to Spain to meet his hero Messi and show his talent in the Barcelona Football Club.
His coach says he is proving the disability only exists(存在) inside our heads and he is challenging(挑战) the social norms.What’s wrong with Gabriel Muniz?
| A．He can’t see and hear anything. |
| B．He always gives trouble to his family. |
| C．He was born without feet. |
| D．He often argues with his partners. |
According to the passage we can know that Gabriel Muniz _______.
| A．thinks others laugh at him |
| B．is a professional football player |
| C．prefers playing for a club |
| D．is a skillful football player |
In the passage the underlined word “norms” has the same meaning of ______.
| A．disadvantage | B．habit |
| C．rule(准则) | D．progress |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
| A．The boy’s family was surprised he could walk well. |
| B．The boy wants to play football in the Paralympics. |
| C．The boy has too much difficulty living a normal life. |
| D．His coach has noticed the boy’s hard job and talent. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．the Power of the Dream | B．The Most Popular Sports |
| C．A Disability Boy and His Hero | D．Practice Makes Perfect |