Born into a poor family，two of the Durers' children still had a dream for art，but they knew their father could not afford to send either of them to the academy(院校)．
After discussions，the two boys finally agreed to toss a coin．The loser would go to the nearby mines and support his brother while he attended the academy．Then，when the winner completed his studies，he would support the other brother，either with sales of his art work or，if necessary，by working in the mines．So they tossed a coin．Albrecht Durer won the toss and went to Nuremberg．Albert went to the dangerous mines and financed his brother，whose work at the academy was almost an immediate success，and by graduation，he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his works．
When the Durer family held a dinner to celebrate Albrecht's homecoming， Albrecht drank a toast to his brother，“Now，Albert，it is your turn to go to Nuremberg and follow your dream，and I will take care of you．”
Albert wiped the tears from his cheeks，glanced at the faces he loved，and said softly，“No，brother．It is too late for me．Look….look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been broken at least once，and lately I have been suffering from arthritis(关节炎)so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast，much 1ess make lines on canvas(画布)with a pen or a brush．No，brother …for me it is too 1ate．”
Therefore，Albrecht took pains to draw his brother’s injured hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward．The entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and named it “The Praying Hands”．The passage is mainly about
| A．the early life of Albrecht Durer |
| B．the story behind “The Praying Hands” |
| C．the sacrifice Albrecht made for his brother |
| D．a young man showing his talent through effort |
According to the two brothers’ agreement，．
| A．they let the coin decide who would go to the academy first |
| B．the winner would work at the academy in exchange for the loser’s help |
| C．the loser would go to the mines and earn money to pay for his own education |
| D．the winner would work in the mines after graduation in return for the loser's support |
Albert refused his brother’s offer because．
| A．he was too old to learn drawing |
| B．he suffered an accident. |
| C．he was not used to holding a pen or brush |
| D．his hands were out of shape as a result of hard work |
The artist created the masterpiece “The Praying Hands”
| A．to show kindness to his poor brother |
| B．to encourage people to realize their dreams |
| C．in praise of his brother’s sacrifice and love |
| D．in honor of his brother as a symbol of working people |
Drinking wine in moderation improves the IQ and may boost mental agility in old people,according to Japanese researchers.
A study of the effects of alcohol on the middle aged and elderly found the average IQ of men who drink wine (whether made from grapes or rice) was 3.3 points higher than that of men who do not imbibe.
Similarly,the IQ of women drinkers showed an improvement of 2.5 points over their teetotal sisters.The findings are part of an ongoing study by Japan’s National Institute for Longevity into the links between human intelligence and what we eat and drink.
The tests measured general knowledge,powers of judgment and concentration in drinkers and non-drinkers over 40,all living in Aichi prefecture,central Japan,and sharing the same income level-roughly￡50 000 a year—and educational background.All were university graduates.
But while wine-drinkers appeared to be brighter,the same was not true of those who drank deer,shochu (a local gin) and whisky.
“The benefits of wine and sake (rice wine) in raising IQ could be due to substances they contain,such as polyphenol,which are believed to slow the ageing process,” Hiroshi Shimokata,head of epidemiology research,said.
It was premature to conclude,he added,that drinking wine or sake slowed the deterioration of brain functions in the elderly,or warded off senility.The research does,however,suggest that this is one way to stay mentally alert longer.
But there is a sobering caveat:drinking too much may make you dimmer.“People who drink more than 540 milli-litres (a little over a pint) of sake or wine a day had lower intelligence quotients than those who did not drink at all,”Hiroshi Shimokata said.“Moderation is very important.”Which one is the topic of the passage?
| A．Drinking wine in a large amount improves the IQ of old people. |
| B．Drinking wine in a reasonable amount raises the IQ of old people. |
| C．Drinking wine in moderation does good to any one. |
| D．Drinking wine helps improve the IQ of women. |
According to the passage,which of the following is NOT wrong?
| A．Every wine drinker’s IQ is 3.3 points higher than that of men who don’t drink. |
| B．The IQ of women drinker is 2.5 points lower than that of the non-drinking women. |
| C．Drinking beer and whisky cannot improve one’s IQ. |
| D．Drinking wine can only do good to the IQ of rich old people. |
The reason why wine and sake can improve IQ is that _________.
| A．wine and sake have special taste |
| B．wine and sake can make us excited |
| C．wine and sake contain substances considered to slow the ageing process |
| D．wine and sake contain something believed to prevent us from ageing |
From the text,it seems that we can conclude _________.
| A．the more wine we drink,the brighter we are |
| B．the less wine we drink,the brighter we are |
| C．drinking wine less than 540ml a day,we’ll become dimmer |
| D．drinking wine in moderation,we’ll become brighter |
Life on-line can be a much richer experience when you aren’t restricted to just written words and still pictures.Even if you’re new to the Net,you’ve probably heard about multimedia on-line—listening to audio,watching animations and videos,even playing in three-dimensional space.Sound and movement make information come alive.
To experience it,you’ll need special pieces of software called plug-ins.The term “plug-in” refers to a small,add-on piece of software which extends the capabilities of your web browser,like Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer,turning your computer into a radio or TV.
When you arrive at a web page which contains a file requiring a plug-in which you don’t have,you will usually receive a message asking if you want to get it by downloading it and installing it into your computer.Most of the time,the installation will be automatic.
Occasionally,you’ll run into a downloaded file which needs to be decompressed or un-zipped before installation.Once installed,plug-ins run automatically,without you having to do anything.
Many multimedia controls still need to be obtained from the developer but are installed automatically.
Shockwave is a good example of this.All you need to do is go to the Macromedia site and click on the link to install the ActiveX control.The rest happens automatically.The next time you go to a “Shocked” website,the Shockwave control loads and plays the movie.
Most plug-ins and controls can be downloaded for free on the Internet,although not all will work with every system.Some of them,for instance,only work with Windows 95.Plug-ins can help us to do all of the following except _________.
| A．listening to music |
| B．watching animations and videos |
| C．playing three-dimensioned games |
| D．searching for information on the net |
The correct explanation about “plug-in” is _________.
| A．a radio or TV connected with a computer |
| B．a small,add-on piece of hardware which improves your web browser |
| C．a small,add-on piece of software which can turn your computer into a radio or TV |
| D．a small,add-on piece of software like Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer |
When we go to a “shocked” website a second time,_________.
| A．we should go to the Macromedia site and click on the link to install the Active X control |
| B．the shockwave control loads itself and plays the movie for us |
| C．we will be asked whether to download the shockwave control or not |
| D．we have to buy the shockwave control and load it |
Most of the time,how can we get a plug-in before automatic installation?
| A．We have to buy it from the developer. |
| B．We have to borrow it from the developer. |
| C．We have to rent it from the developer. |
| D．We can obtain from the developer without paying. |
How Good Are US Drivers?
The CBS-TV“National Drivers’ Test”，showed that many US drivers have a lot to learn.Here’s why.
CBS picked 1799 sample drivers to take the test in TV studios in New York，Philadelphia，Chicago，and Los Angeles.More than two out of five of the drivers failed the test.And the average score was the lowest passing mark—51 points out of a possible 80.
Chicago drivers did best with an average of 53 points.Los Angeles drivers came next with 52 points.New York and Philadelphia drivers got 50 points—a failing score.Drivers with 50 points or less were rated“poorly informed”by the judges.
Here are some of the test results:
1.Are men drivers better informed than women ones?
Yes.Men averaged 52 points.Women got an average of 49.
2.Are older drivers better informed than younger drivers?
No.Drivers under 26 averaged 52 points.Drivers from 27 to 45 averaged 51.Drives over 45 failed with a 48-point average.
3.Does education make a difference?
Yes.College graduates averaged 52 points.High school graduates averaged 50.Those without high school diplomas(毕业证) got 48.And people who had taken driver education courses scored an average of 53 points—three more than those who hadn’t.
4.Does driving experience make a difference?
Yes.Drivers with three or more years of experience averaged 51 points.Drivers with less experience averaged 49.
Here are some surprising facts brought out by the test:
1.More than one out of three drivers did not know that a blinking red light means a full stop.
2.Three out of ten drivers did not know that an octagonal(eight-sided)sign means stop.
3.More than two out of three drivers did not know what to do when being“tailgated(追尾)”.
The answer:slow down，drive to the right，and let the driver behind pass.
The results of the test were turned over to the National Safety Council(委员会).They will help future safety planning.The author’s purpose is to_________.
| A．prove that men are better drivers than women |
| B．give you safe driving directions |
| C．tell you the results of a national drivers’ test |
| D．require you to get an education |
From the information in this article，which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Older drivers are better informed than younger drivers. |
| B．Experience makes a difference among drivers. |
| C．Most drivers failed the test. |
| D．Most people don’ t know what a blinking red light means. |
The test covered the following areas about drivers except_________.
| A．education | B．years of driving experience |
| C．sex | D．health |
Which of the following as a group was rated“poorly informed”by the judges?
| A．Men. | B．High school graduated drivers. |
| C．Drivers from 27-45 years of age. | D．Drivers with 3 or more years of experience. |
When in 1789，George Washington became the first president of the United States，there was no permanent(永久的)capital in which to house the government.During the Revolutionary War seven different cities had served as the national capital.In addition，members of congress(国会)could not agree as to where this permanent capital should be located.Some officials wanted it in the north，others wanted it in the south.Each of the states hoped that the capital might lie within its own state lines.At last it was decided that the capital should occupy a section(区域)by itself，separate from any of the states.The place chosen was situated on the Potomas River.The land belonged originally(原先地) to the state of Maryland，but Maryland agreed to the national government.The section was named the District of Columbia after Christopher Columbus.The city itself was named Washington，after George Washington.Work was begun on the new capital in 1791.In the year 1799 Congress occupied the new capital building at the same time the White House was opened as the home of all future presidents.Before the year 1800，the capital of America had been located in_________.
| A．Maryland | B．Washington | C．New York | D．several cities |
Why was it decided that the capital should be separated from any of the states?Because_________.
| A．the District of Columbia was on the borders(边境) of several states |
| B．the District of Columbia was in the center of America |
| C．Maryland insisted that the capital lie in its own state |
| D．each of the states wanted the capital might lie within its own state |
Presidents of the United States live in_________.
A.the capital building C.Maryland C.New York D.the White HouseWhich of the following statements is true?
| A．Capital is the place for presidents to live in. |
| B．Capital should be the largest city in the country. |
| C．It took nine years to build the capital of Washington. |
| D．Since 1791，Washington has been the capital of the United States. |
There are many types of reports.A report is simply an account of something that has happened.The commonest are news reports.We get them in newspapers，over radio and on television.Sometimes cinemas also show us newsreels.
The main purpose of a newspaper is to provide news.If you examine a newspaper closely，you will find that there are all types of news:accidents，floods，fires，wars，fashions(服装)，sports，books，etc.The news covers everything that happens to people and their surroundings.Sometimes there are news items which are very amusing.
A news report is usually very short，except when it is about something very important，but it contains(包含) a lot of information.It is also written in short paragraphs.The first paragraph is in fact a summary(总结) of the news item.It gives all the necessary information，what，when，where，how and why.The other paragraphs give full details of the subject.There may also be interviews with people.The words actually spoken by them are within inverted commas(引号).
Often there are photographs to go with the news to make it more interesting.The easiest way to get today’s news is_________.
| A．to go to the cinema | B．to watch a color TV |
| C．to read today’s newspapers | D．to listen to the music over radio |
Newspapers sell well mainly because_________.
| A．they cost very little |
| B．they are easy to get |
| C．they have got pictures to go with the news |
| D．they provide all sorts of news in them |
This passage mainly talks about _________.
| A．different types of reports |
| B．news reports |
| C．happenings to people and their surroundings |
| D．the length of a news reports |