Magic (魔术) is believed to have begun with the Egyptians, in 1700 BC. A magician named Dedi of Dedsnefu was reported to have performed for the pharaoh (法老), or the king. H
e was also known to have ente
rtained (使娱乐) the slaves who built the pyramids. The “Cups and Balls” trick that he was particularly good at is still performed by magicians all over the world today.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also fascinated by the idea of magic. Actually, one of their main interests was the art of deception (欺骗). This explains why at that time the priests even built magic devices into their temples. These devices made it possible for doors to open by themselves and wine t
o flow magically out of statues’ mouths. This was done mainly to make peopl
e believe that the priests had unusual power.
Magic however, was not well accepted before the 1800s. Magicians were thought to be freaks(怪物) and, were only allowed to perform in a circus. It was in the 19th century that the magician Robert Houdin came along and changed people’s views and attitudes about magic. It was because of Robert Houdin that many magicians were able to add Dr. or MD to their names. Today magicians try hard to find new ways to show their practiced skills. Magic is now entertainment for families all over the world.What is the best title for the passage?
A．Magical Trick s |
B．A Great Magician |
| C．Magic as Entertainment | D．The History of Magic |
The underlined word “fascinated” in Paragraph 2 means _______.
| A．amused | B．encouraged | C．attracted | D．moved |
In ancient Greece, what did the priests do to show people they had unusual power?
A．They performed magical  tricks to entertain people. |
| B．They made the statues in the temples drink wine as they wished. |
| C．They treated the people with wine flowing down from statues’ mouths. |
| D．They built magic devices in the temples to make doors open by themselves. |
What did people think of magic before the 1800s?
| A．Magic should be used only in temples. |
| B．Magic could only be performed in a circus. |
C．Magic was performed by freaks and doctors. |
| D．Magic was the major daily activity for the pharaohs. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Magic began about 3,700 years ago. |
| B．Dedi of Dedsnefu performed magic for kings only. |
| C．Robert Houdin was the first magician to perform magic. |
| D．The “Cups and Balls” trick has been performed for about 1,700 years. |
When I was learning calligraphy my teacher told me a story.
A calligrapher taught handwriting. One of his students who often practised handwriting with old sheets of newspapers complained that he made very little progress though he had learned it with the calligrapher for a long time. His teacher said to him, “Try to use the best paper. Maybe you’ll write better. ”
The student did as he was told. It really worked. He made headway not long afterwards and felt curious. He asked his teacher about the reason. The calligrapher answered, “When you used old newspapers to practice handwriting，you would think you were writing a draft（草稿）. It didn’t matter if you wrote badly as old newspapers were plenty in supply. In that case you wouldn’t pay much attention to it. Now you use the best paper you’ll treasure it. Each time you write you feel strongly about the rarity (稀少) of chances and you’ll devote to it with all your heart and soul; you’ll do the handwriting much more attentively than otherwise practising it. Of course you’ve made rapid progress.”
Indeed，we spend our ordinary days just as they are worthless “old newspapers”. We don’t care if we scrawl and waste them, thinking that they will come endlessly --- those “old newspapers” are inexhaustible. In such a mood we may each day pass by opportunities but fail to catch any of them.
Life is not a military exercise but an actual war in which real weapons are used. In everyday life there’s no chance for us to draw a draft. That’s because what we call “draft” actually is the answer sheet we write that cannot be changed. Every day of our life is something new. Let us take every day as a sheet of best paper.The calligrapher in the story told the student to write on the best paper because he thought _______.
| A．the student would practice more carefully on the best paper |
| B．it was comfortable to write on the bet paper |
| C．the student had enough money to buy the best paper. |
| D．the student could write more on the best paper. |
The student didn’t make much progress at first because _________.
| A．he regarded his writing on old newspaper just as a draft |
| B．he was too poor to buy better paper to write |
| C．he didn’t follow his teacher’s advice |
| D．he was not used to the calligrapher’s teaching manner |
We learn from the passage that _________.
| A．the student finally gave up |
| B．the student made rapid progress by persisting more carefully |
| C．the calligrapher was strict with his students |
| D．old newspaper is not useful |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．What teachers say is always true. |
| B．Success calls for attentiveness. |
| C．Handwriting is easy to practice. |
| D．New things are always better than old ones. |
The writer wants to tell us that _________.
| A．there are some good ways to practice handwriting |
| B．life is like old newspaper |
| C．we should learn from the student in the story |
| D．life will not give us a chance to draw a draft |
Childhood is a time （1）_____ there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. (2)_____ is impossible that he will ever again in his life (3)________(give) so much without having to do anything in return. But a child hashis pains; he is not so free to do (4) _____he wishes to; he is continually being told not to do something, or being punished (5)_____ what he has done wrong.
When the child has become a young man and this young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work on his own if he wants to live (6)________ (comfort). If he spends most of his time (7) ________(play) about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go (8)________ (hunger). If, however, he works hard, (9)________(keep) out of trouble and has good health, he can have the great happiness of building up for himself his own position in (10)________ (social).
Published in 1896 and one of the most memorable horror stories ever written, Dracula, by Irish writer Bram Stoker,is the story of a vampire（吸血鬼）,someone who lives on human blood. Stoker wrote the book after reading stories about Central European vampires and set his novel in Transylvania. Even today,there are readers of the book who believe that Transylvania is a mythical（神话的）country,a figment（虚构）of Stoker’s imagination. Nothing could be further from the truth. Transylvania is part of modern-day Central European country Romania,and the country does indeed have a history of mythological vampires.
However,Romanians are always puzzled by the description of the novel’s central character, Count Dracula,a tall,elegant aristocrat（贵族）with impeccable（完美的）manners who also happens to speak very good English. This is a world away from the images of vampires that they have grown up with. Romanian vampires are half-human creatures who live solitary lives in the forests,not aristocrats living in castles with well-stocked libraries.
So where did Stoke get the image for his Dracula? The answer becomes clearer when one learns of his relationship with a man called Henry Irving,the greatest British stage actor of his time.
Stoker was working as a civil servant in his home city of Dublin when he first met Irving. Bored with his tedious life and work, Stoker took every opportunity to visit the theatre and for a while was the drama critic for the Dublin Evening Mail. One of the reviews he wrote was of a performance of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet,with Irving in the lead role.
Irving was so pleased with Stoker’s review of his performance that he asked to meet him. Stoker couldn’t believe his luck when one night,he was invited to a dinner party where Irving was the guest of honour. Irving entertained the assembled dinner guests with some renditions（表演）of famous poems and speeches from Shakespeare.
Stoker was already writing the first chapters of Dracula and began to base the central character on Irving,in the vain hope that if it ever became a stage play, Irving would play the central character. Sadly,Irving never did,but the two men became close friends,and in 1878 Stoker left the civil service and became Irving’s manager in London.Bram Stoker set his novel in Transylvania because .
| A．it is in modern-day Romania |
| B．Transylvania is a mythical country |
| C．he wanted to tell a true story |
| D．he had read stories about vampires from the area |
The central character of the novel .
| A．is very similar to the vampires that Romanians know about |
| B．Is completely different from the vampires Romanians know about |
| C．Has impeccable manners,like a real Romanian vampire |
| D．Is puzzled by the comparison with Romanian vampires |
What was Stoker’s hope?
| A．That the book would become a stage-play. |
| B．That Irving would play the central character in the stage play. |
| C．That he could live in London. |
| D．That Irving would work for him. |
Uganda is a country in East Africa and,as in many such countries,a high percentage of the population,about 80 percent,are village-dwellers living in huts,which are often no bigger than a garage. The walls of the huts are made of mud,which is held together by reeds and sticks,and the roofs of the older ones are thatched（覆盖）with grass,although an increasing number of newer village houses have roofs made from corrugated（波纹形的）iron.
Several generations of the same family live together in the huts,which are usually divided into two sections by a curtain. The inner section,the one furthest from the open door of the hut,is where everyone sleeps and food is prepared and served in the outer part. If the family owns chickens or goats,they are kept in a small room attached to the main house.
Food is usually prepared on open fires although some people prefer to cook inside. However,this is quite dangerous and also means that the walls of the hut are stained by smoke and the atmosphere is acrid. The family sit in a circle on mats while they eat.
Newer village houses are almost always made of corrugated iron and are bigger,with one or two separate bedrooms and the kitchen in a smaller building beside the main house. But,old or new,the houses are not powered by electricity,and all homes are lit by paraffin（石蜡）candles called “tadobba”.
Nor is there any running water in the houses. Some villages have their own well,but in many cases,collecting water involves a long and arduous walk to a river or spring,carrying plastic containers or pots made of clay.
Children are the ones who have to fetch water,and they have to do this early in the morning before they go to school,or in the evening when they come home. They often have to climb high hills or walk through valleys with narrow paths through dense vegetation. It is no surprise that they grow up muscular and fit after such daily exercise,walking for several kilometres carrying such heavy weights.Most Ugandans live .
| A．with their whole family in large mud houses in the countryside |
| B．in towns in small houses made of mud and iron |
| C．in villages in small houses made of wet earth,grass and wood |
| D．With their parents and children as well as their chickens and goats |
Where is food usually prepared?
| A．In the kitchen. |
| B．On the floor in the middle of the house. |
| C．On fires in front of the hut. |
| D．In a small room attached to the main house. |
How are the old and new houses the same?
| A．Both of them have roofs made of corrugated iron. |
| B．Neither of them have a garage or kitchen. |
| C．Neither of them have electricity,lights or running water. |
| D．Both of them have water inside but no electric light. |
The majority of Ugandan children have to .
| A．go to a well or a river and often carry it for a long distance |
| B．do a lot of work cooking and carrying water |
| C．collect water on the way home from school |
| D．get water out of their own well |
Edward Sims was born in 1892. He was the fifth child and only son of Herbert and Dora Sims. Herbert was a blacksmith(铁匠), and had a thriving trade making horseshoes. He was determined that his first-born son would follow him into the blacksmith. For this reason, Edward had to leave school at the age of 12,and worked with his father.
However, Edward was not cut out to be a blacksmith. Although he has an athletic body, he didn't have strong arms like his father, and he felt dizzy in the heat of the smithy. When he tried to find alternative employment, he found it difficult because he had never learnt to read or write.
One day, he went for an interview at a solictior’s office. The job was a runner, taking documents from the office to other offices in the city. The solicitor was pleased to see that Edward was physically fit, but when he discovered that the young man couldn't read or write, he decided against employing him. "How can you deliver documents to other offices," he asked, "if you can't read the addresses on them?"
Bitterly disappointed, Edward left the building and went to wait for a tram to take him back to the suburb where his father’s smithy was. Next to the bus stop, a man was selling newspapers from a stand .
"Excuse me, son?" he said. "Would you look after my stand for a moment?"
For the next 20 minutes, Edward sold newspapers, lots of them. When the man came back, he was so delighted with his new assistant's honesty, that he offered him a job. Edward took it immediately.
In the next few months, the two men progressed from working on newspaper stands to selling newspapers, tobacco,confectionery（糖果点心）and other goods in a shop. Then they opened a second shop, and a third. Eventually, they had a chain of 25 shops in three cities.
Edward became very rich, so he employed a tutor to teach him to read and write. The tutor was amazed at what Edward had achieved. "Imagine what you could do if you’d been able to read and write when you were younger!" he said.
“Yes!” said Edward. “I could have run myself to exhaustion delivering documents for a solicitor!”What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Success of illiterate newsboy |
| B．Local blacksmith becomes famous |
| C．The thriving trade of the blacksmith |
| D．Reading and writing-the road to success |
What can you infer from the underlined expression “not cut out to be” in the second paragraph?
| A．Edward Sims did not like being a blacksmith. |
| B．Edward Sims did not like working with his father. |
| C．Edward Sims was not strong enough and it made him feel ill. |
| D．Edward Sims was good at it but wanted to do another job. |
When Edward applied for the job as a runner for a solicitor, .
| A．the solicitor turned him down because he wasn’t intelligent enough |
| B．the solicitor offered him the job because he was so fit |
| C．the solicitor gave him the job but told him he had to learn to read |
| D．the solicitor didn’t offer him the job because he couldn’t read |
Which of the following is NOT ture about Edward Sims?
| A．He was such a good salesman that he went on to own 25 newsagent shops with another man. |
| B．The newspaperman liked him so much he gave him a job. |
| C．He ran himself into exhaustion delivering papers. |
| D．He learnt to read and write. |