Happy April Fool’s Day! In celebration of the day, we have put together a list of some of the greatest hoaxes (恶作剧) in history. They are the lies that have been designed for innocent people who are ready to believe them.
▲INSTANT COLOR TV
In 1962 there was only one TV channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. The station’s Kjell Stepson, appearing on the news to announce that thanks to a newly developed technology, all viewers could now quickly and easily transform their existing sets to display color reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon (尼龙) stocking over their TV screen, and they would begin to see their favorite shows in color. Reportedly, hundreds of thousands of people, were taken in. Actual color TV transmission only started to appear in Sweden on April 1, 1970.
▲SAN SERRIFFE
In 1977 the British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven –page supplement(增刊) in honor of the tenth anniversary of San Serriffe, a small republic located in the Indian Ocean. A series of articles affectionately asked for more information about the beautiful holiday spot. Few noticed that every thing about the island was made up.
▲NIXON FOR PRESIDENT
In 1992 American National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation program announced that, Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for President again. His new campaign slogan was, “ I didn’t do anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.” Accompanying this announcement were audio clips(片断) of Nixon delivering his election speech. Listeners responded immediately to the announcement, flooding the show with calls expressing shock and anger. Only during the second half of the show did the host John Huckleberry reveal that the announcement was a practical joke. Nixon’s voice was copied by comedian Rich Little.Which of the following countries in NOT mentioned in the text?
| A．India | B．The UK | C．The United States | D．Sweden |
Who worked as a host on the radio?
| A．Kjell Stepson | B．Rich Little | C．Richard Nixon | D．John Huckleberry |
When did the small republic San Serriffe come into being?
| A．In 1962 | B．In 1977 | C．In 1992 | D．Never |
Where can we probably read this article?
| A．In the ad. | B．In a magazine | C．In a novel | D．In a news report |
We’ve used the wind as an energy source for a long time. The Babylonians and Chinese were using wind power to pump water for irrigating crops 4,000 years ago, and sailing boats were around long before that. Wind power was used in the Middle Ages, in Europe, to grind(磨碎) corn, which is where the term “windmill” comes from. 
We can use the energy in the wind by building a tall tower, with a large propellor（螺旋桨） on the top. The wind blows the propellor round, which turns a generator to produce electricity. We tend to build many of these towers together, to make a “wind farm” and produce more electricity. The more towers, the more wind, and the larger the propellors, the more electricity we can make. It’s only worth building wind farms in places that have strong, steady winds, although boats and caravans（大篷车）increasingly have small wind generators to help keep their batteries charged.
The best places for wind farms are in coastal areas, at the tops of rounded hills, open plains and gaps in mountains — places where the wind is strong and reliable. Some are offshore. To be worthwhile, you need an average wind speed of around 25 km/h. Most wind farms in the UK are in Cornwall or Wales. Isolated places such as farms may have their own wind generators. In California, several “wind farms” supply electricity to homes around Los Angeles.
The propellors are large, to obtain energy from the largest possible volume of air. The blades can be angled to cope with varying wind speeds. Some designs use vertical turbines (垂直涡轮机), which don’t need to be turned to face the wind. The towers are tall, to get the propellors as high as possible, up to where the wind is stronger. This means that the land beneath can still be used for farming.The first paragraph aims to introduce to us _______.
| A．the function of wind power | B．the source of wind power |
| C．the nations using wind power | D．the history of using wind power |
The best places for building the wind farm are places where _______.
| A．boats and caravans can often be seen | B．isolated farms don’t have enough electricity |
| C．there are less human activities | D．the wind is strong and reliable |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．wind farms will not take up too much farming land |
| B．wind farms need no fuel because wind is free |
| C．the blades can be angled to turn to face the wind wherever it comes from |
| D．the higher and larger the towers are, the stronger the wind is |
What can be a suitable title for the passage?
| A．Where to build a wind farm. | B．ABC of the using of wind energy. |
| C．How to make best use of wind. | D．Wind energy is the best energy. |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means______________________.
| A．The blades can increase wind speeds |
| B．The blades can decrease the wind speeds |
| C．The speed of blades can be changed. |
| D．The blades can be adjusted to face different wind speeds |
Below is adapted from an English dictionary
| figure/fīg ə / noun, verb ●noun 1. [C, often pl.] a number representing particular amount, especially one given in official information: the trade /sales figures 2. [C] a symbol rather than a word representing one of the numbers between 0 and 9: a six-figure salary 3. [pl] (informal) the area of mathematics that deals with adding, multiplying, etc 4. a person of the type mentioned: Gandhi was both a political and a religious figure in Indian history. 5. the shape of a person seen from a distance or not clearly 6. a person or an animal as shown in art or a story: a wall with five carved figures in it 7. [C] the human shape, considered from the point of view of being attractively thin: doing exercise to improve one’s figure 8. [C] a pattern or series of movements performed on ice: figure-skating [IDM] be/become a figure of fun: be/become sb. that others laugh at cut a…figure: (of a person) to have a particular appearance He cut a striking figure in his dinner jacket. put a figure on sth.: to say the exact price or number of sth. |
a fine figure of man/woman: a tall, strong-looking and well-shaped person figure of speech: a word or phrase used in a different way from its usual meanings in order to create a particular mental image or effect figurehead: someone who is the head or chief in name only (with no real power or authority) ●verb 1. to think or decide that sth. will happen or is true: I figured that if I took the night train, I could be in Scotland by morning. 2. to be part of a process, situation, etc. especially an important part: My opinion of the matter didn’t seem to figure at all. 3. to calculate an amount or the cost of sth.: We figured that attendance at 150,000. [PHRV] 1. figure in: to include (in a sum): Have you figured in the cost of hotel? 2. figure on: to plan on; to expect sth. to happen: I haven’t figured on his getting home too late. 3. figure out: to work out; understand by thinking: Have you figured out how much the trip will cost? [IDM] It/That figures! (informal): That seems reasonable, logical and what I expect. |
I didn’t really mean my partner is a snake; it was just a ______.
| A．figure of eight | B．figure head | C．figure of speech | D．a fine figure |
—She was coming late again.
—______! That’s typical of her.
| A．It figures her out | B．It figures | C．It cuts a poor figure | D．She is a figure of fun |
What does “watch my figure” in the sentence “Don’t tempt me with chocolate; I am watching my figure.” mean?
| A．add the numbers | B．have sports | C．try not to get fat | D．watch games |
No one can figure out the reasons for the Poland president plane crash in 2010. Here figure out means:_________
| A．watch out | B．work out | C．understand well | D．break out |
—Promise you don’t wear this kind of clothes? People will play a joke on you.
—I don’t care whether I am________. I just want to keep warm.
| A．a figure of fun | B．a healthy figure | C．a figure head | D．a bad figure |
Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet．Basically，Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile(简介)which can include your hobbies，hopes for the future，and So on．A photograph is optional，but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You can even narrow the search down to your area by zip code．Another advantage is that you can communicate by email before you meet in person．Thousands of people have met，fallen in love，and married through Internet dating．It is an excellent way for shy people to meet．It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others，and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in conventional dating and love，there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating．The person you have been talking to on the net may not be someone who he says that he is very aware that there are some people who misrepresent（歪曲）their appearance or private details，such as marital（婚姻的） status，income，and so on，for their own reasons．It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in , and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time．Nevertheless，taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.The purpose of writing the passage is to．
| A．persuade readers to go dating on the Internet |
| B．inform us how to date on the Internet |
| C．warn readers against web love |
| D．introduce Internet dating to US |
Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?
| A．A photo． | B．A profile． |
| C．Registration fee． | D．Business experience． |
One advantage of Internet dating is that．
| A．you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning |
| B．you’re sure to find a partner with the same interests |
| C．you’ll find absolutely reliable information of others |
| D．you’11 gain fame and money overnight |
The underlined word “pitfalls” in Paragraph 4 most probably means．
| A．rules | B．trends | C．problems | D．skills |
What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?
| A．Traditional dating． | B．Hidden advantages． |
| C．Safety measures． | D．Romantic love． |
Archaeology as a profession faces two major problems. It is the poorest of the poor. Only small sums are available for excavating(挖掘)and even less is available
for publishing the results and preserving the sites once excavated. Yet archaeologists deal with priceless objects every day. Besides, there is the problem of unlawful excavation, resulting in museum-quality pieces being sold to businessmen at the highest price..
I would like to make a suggestion that would at once provide money for archaeology and reduce the amount of diggings against law. You might say that professionals excavate to get knowledge, not money. Moreover, ancient artifacts(古器
物) are part of our global cultural heritag
e(遗产), which should be there for all to appreciate, not sold at the highest price. I agree. Sell nothing that has scientific value. But, you might reply, everything that comes out of the ground has scientific value. Here,
we disagree. In theory, you may be correct in saying that every artifact has hidden scientific value.
People can not help appreciate every unearthed treasure but there is not enough money even to put the finds in good order; as a result, they cannot be found again and become as inaccessible as if they had never been discovered. Indeed, with the help of the Internet, sold artifacts could be more reachable than are the pieces stored in museum basements. Before sale, each could be photographed and the list of the purchasers could be maintained on the computer. A purchaser could even be required to agree to return the piece if it should become needed for scientific purposes. What’s the problems that archaeology as a profession has to face?
| A．Money and unlawful excavation | B．Effectively duplicates. |
| C．Scientific purposes. | D．Excavation law. |
To let most people enjoy ancient artifacts, the practical way could be_______.
| A．putting them in the museum | B．having sold artifacts returned |
| C．making use of the Internet | D．solving the money problem |
Which of the following four suggestions about archaeology is from the author?
| A．No selling of any unearthed ancient artifacts. |
| B．Some money should be raised for the purpose. |
| C．Selling some unearthed ancient artifacts and having them returned when needed. |
| D．Ancient artifacts, our global cultural heritage, should be evenly shared by us all. |
New York Times---( DINITIA SMITH )Tomorrow is the 433d anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. A recent survey shows that more people are watching him, reading him and studying him than ever before.
Consider the recent yearly conference of the Shakespeare Association of America in Washington, where more than 600 people who study or admire Shakespeare from 18 countries took in topics like ‘‘Whither Attribution Studies,’’ ‘‘Unpopular Shakespeare’’ and ‘‘Sex Me Here,’’ a talk on breast-feeding and Lady Macbeth.
‘‘The national media is saying that fewer students’ taking Shakespeare,’’ Barbara Mowat, the editor of The Shakespeare Quarterly, observed in a speech at the conference. ‘‘But Shakespeare is thriving.’’ The association’s membership has increased by a third since 1990.
The Shakespeare business is so good these days that W. W. Norton is introducing a huge new collections of the plays into the already crowded field just in time for tomorrow’s birthday anniversary. Priced at $44.95, ‘‘The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition’’ runs for 3,420 pages, offering introductions, illustrations and notes and three versions(版本) of ‘‘King Lear.’’
Today, movies and videos have made the plays even more accessible. Last year, ‘‘William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’’ was No. 1 at the box office when it opened, and it grossed nearly $50 million. In New York in January, crowds lined up in the freezing cold to see Kenneth Branagh’s four-hour ‘‘Hamlet.’’ The students select a scene and then have a violent discussion about it.’’ Influenced by films, professors are increasingly teaching students by having them perform the plays. Why people from 18 countries came to Washington this year?
| A．To celebrate Shakespeare’s 433d birth day only. |
| B．To watch some plays by Shakespeare as planned. |
| C．To celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday and study his works. |
| D．To discuss how to teach students using Shakespeare’s plays. |
What does the underlined word “ field” in the fourth paragraph refer to?
A. Washington D.C. B. Shakespeare Association.
C. The birthday anniversary. D. The Shakespeare business.Which of the many plays by Shakespeare was most popular the year before?
| A．King Lear. | B．Hamlet. |
| C．Macbeth. | D．Romeo and Juliet. |
What does the author want to prove by using so many examples about Shakespeare?
A. More and more people are becoming interested in Shakespeare.
B. Shakespeare business is being run well in America nowadays.
C. Plays by Shakespeare can be used at school for more studies.
D. Shakespeare belongs not only to Britain but also to the USA.