Nowadays everybody seems to think that they know English. Many people speak it but few speak it really well. Practice is necessary in speaking English well.
Reading is also one of the things that will help you to speak English better. Read whenever you can and whatever you like! Read papers and Internet sites that you like in English every day. Then, you will see that the number of known words is increasing and you are able to speak with more skills. Then you will have made the foundations（基础）and a good basis of English. It is not good to stop and get stuck there.
Going to England or an English speaking country is a good choice, but many people cannot afford it. If you cannot go, reading and speaking with your friends will also help you to practice your English. However, I think that it is very good to visit some English speaking country to see and test your knowledge in everyday life. You will feel the everyday usage of the language in its natural environment. There your level of English is going to improve even faster. Your ability to speak English is better. Nothing can match the excitement and happiness when a native speaker tells you that your English is very good!
Finally, in order to speak English well, you must be persistent（坚持的）and do it every day. It is like playing the piano. Pianists play it every day and so should you. Include English in your life and you will see where it is going. Practice, practice! Read, write and improve your language skills and you are on your way when you will be able to speak it with more and more confidence! Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Improve Your Language Skills | B．How to Speak English Well |
| C．Speaking English | D．Practice, Practice |
What does the writer suggest doing about reading?
| A．Trying to improve your vocabulary. |
| B．Keeping on reading when you have time. |
| C．Stopping when you have a good basis of English. |
| D．Looking up every unknown word when reading. |
In the writer’s eyes, the essential way to improve your speaking skills is .
| A．practicing | B．going abroad |
| C．reading | D．writing |
According to the passage, what may make the author excited?
| A．Reading papers and Internet sites. | B．Having a good basis of English. |
| C．Going to an English speaking country. | D．A native speaker’s praise. |
1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business .But he was not a good artist.So he invented a very simple camera (照相机).He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden .That was the first photo.
The next important date in the history of photography was 1837. That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his studio. He used a new kind of camera and a different processs. In his pictures, you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest details. This kind of photograph was called a daguerreotype.
Soon, other people began to use Daguerre's process. Travellers brought back daguerreotypes from all around the world. People photographed famous buildings, cities and mountains.
In about 1840, the process was improved. Now photographers could take pictures of people and moving things. The process was not simple. The photographers had to carry lots of film and processing equipment. But this did not stop the photographers, especially in the United States, where from the 1840s daguerreotype artists were popular in most cities.
Mathew Brady was a well-known American photographer. He took many pictures of famous people. The pictures were unusual because they were very life-like and full of personality.
Brady was also the first person to take pictures of war. His 1862 Civil War pictures showed dead soldiers and ruined cities. They made the war seem more real and more terrible
In the 1880s, new inventions began to change photography. Photographers could buy film readymade in rolls. So they did not have to make the film immediately. They could bring it back to their studios and develop it later, meaning that they did not have to carry lots of equipment. And finally, the invention of the small handheld camera made photography less expensive.
With the small camera, anyone could be a photographer. People began to use cameras just for fun. They took pictures of their families, friends and favourite places. They called these pictures "snapshots".
Photographs became very popular in newspapers in the 1890s. Soon magazines and books also used documentary photographs. These pictures showed true events and people. They were much more real than drawings.
Photography had turned into a form of art by the beginning of the 20th century. Some photographs were not just copies of the real world. They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.The passage is mainly about______________.
| A．the invention of cameras |
| B．a kind of new art -- photography |
| C．the development of photography |
| D．the different uses of cameras in history |
The first pictures of a war were taken by ____________.
| A．a French photographer in the 1840s |
| B．an American photographer in the 1860s |
| C．a German reporter in the 1880s |
| D．a French artist in the 1890s |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the photography in the 19th century?
| A．It was mainly based on the invention of the first photograph. |
| B．Photographers were popular in the United States because they carried lots of equipment. |
| C．Photographers used to make film themselves and developed it immediately after taking a photo. |
| D．Small handheld cameras made it possible for anyone to become a gifted photographer. |
In which order are the following statements mentioned in the passage?
a. Photographs became popular in newspapers.
b. Photographers carried processing equipment when taking pictures.
c. The invention of small handheld cameras made photography easier.
d. Daguerre invented a kind of photograph called daguerreotype.
e. Brady took pictures of famous people.
| A．e,a, d, b, c | B．d, b, e, c, a |
| C．b, e, c, a, d | D．d, c, e, a , b |
Photography can also be an art form because artists can ____________.
| A．take anything they like |
| B．keep a record of real life |
| C．take photos of the famous |
| D．show ideas and feelings in pictures |
Pigs are always considered dirty animals because they roll in mud．But in fact they prefer being quite clean．They cover themselves with mud to help stay cool．During cooler weather, they prefer to stay clean．So do elephants,who also cover themselves in dust or mud to keep cool． When they find a place with clean water they will take a bath，using their long noses to give themselves—or each other—a nice shower
Some animals use dust to get clean．Chinchillas (南美洲栗鼠) have very fine fur． They don`t like to take water baths because water is not warm enough for them．So, instead, they roll around in fine dust．The dust helps to keep their fur and skin dry．This protects them from disease
Usually, a small bird is a light meal for a crocodile．But when a crocodile wants its teeth cleaned．it lies on the ground with its mouth open．The crocodile bird goes in and picks out any parasites(寄生虫)between the crocodile`s teeth or under its tongue．The crocodile gets its mouth cleaned，and the crocodile bird gets dinner．
You wouldn`t think fish would need baths．But some undersea parasites live under the fish`s skin．“Cleaner”fish，like the wrasse(隆头鱼)，help take them away．The wrasse stands on its head and dances to signal a big fish that it is ready to go into the cleaning business．The big fish will stop moving and open its mouth wide so the wrasse can swim inside and pick out parasites and bits of food．The passage is mainly about how animals．
| A．stay clean | B．help each other |
| C．get their food | D．Take baths |
What can we learn from the first paragraph about pigs?
| A．They can help each other take baths． |
| B．They are dirtier during cooler weather． |
| C．They prefer taking baths to rolling in mud． |
| D．They like to stay cool and clean． |
Chinchillas use dust to get clean for the following reasons EXCEPT that．
| A． dust can dry their fur and skin |
| B．They are not good at swimming |
| C．Water is too cold for them |
| D．Dust is good for their health |
From Paragraphs 3 and 4，we earl know that．
| A．some animals can get clean from others`help |
| B．Most animals are friendly to each other |
| C．small animals couldn`t get food from big ones |
| D．All of the animals prefer to stay clean |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the wrasse
| A．is often eaten by other fish |
| B．1ikes under other fish`s skin |
| C．is a small kind of fish |
| D．1ikes taking baths |
Moving to a new city and state was difficult for me, especially in winter. Little did I know that a Colorado snowstorm would greet me after I had been in my new home for only a week.
I just missed home. But more than the old house and the beach, I missed Stacey, my best friend. And I missed our lovely tea. Going to a sweet little tearoom, we had discovered was a special treat for us. The place was a Victorian dream, with delicate teacups and tablecloths with flower prints. The hat shelf near the front door swept us back to childhood. Stacey and I became little girls, trying on different hats until we found the perfect one for our dress-up tea party. We would then choose a lovely table and order our tea. That was a precious time, filled with laughter between scones（煎饼） and sharing our lives between tiny cucumber sandwiches.
Springtime descended upon Denver, and the sun lightened my heart. But I still fought loneliness almost every day. I decided to explore the Denver area. While my husband went to the office, I took time to see what our new area had to offer.
One day, I was walking along the street when suddenly the words "Tea Leaves" caught my eye. A tea room? Here, in the land of loneliness and pain?
I walked through the doors, and tears came to my eyes. It was a beautiful room, not Victorian, but simple and lovely.
I sat down and ordered a pot of tea, a cucumber sandwich, and some scones.It felt silly and wonderful --- and it felt like home. For the first time since moving, I felt as if this new city and state could be, would eventually be, my home. I would come back here and bring new friends. When Stacey visited, we would come here.
I lifted my cup and made a silent toast. I toasted Stacey, whom I missed ly, and I toasted the sweet little tearoom that lessened my pain. The author's hometown ______________.
| A．never snows |
| B．is still warm in winter |
| C．has a long history |
| D．is in an area by the sea |
The underlined word "treat" in Paragraph 2 probable means ____________.
| A．delicious food | B．something pleasant |
| C．service | D．a kind of tea party |
We can know from Paragraph 3 that the author ______________.
| A．didn't adapt to the new life |
| B．felt comfortable in the new environment in spring |
| C．didn't feel lonely any more in spring |
| D．wanted to actively adapt to the new environment |
Which of the following about "Tea Leaves" is true?
| A．It made the author recall her childhood. |
| B．It looks silly and wonderful. |
| C．Cucumber sandwiches and scones are its specialties. |
| D．It touched the author. |
We can infer from the text that the author would probably ____________.
| A．open her own teahouse |
| B．ask the owner of the teahouse to decorate it like a home |
| C．make new friends in Denver |
| D．go back to her hometown to visit Stacey |
Ways to Deal with the Problem of Energy
There are different ways in which people try to deal with the problem of energy.One way is the greater production of common energy sources,such as coal,oil and gas.The trouble with these sources,however,is that they are not renewable.
Another way is energy conservation(节能),which means using energy more efficiently.In some very cold countries people build special houses to save energy.They place materials between the inside and the outside of the walls of the house to keep the cold out and warmth in.The house is heated by the lights,the body heat of the people and the other equipment in it.
Finally,renewable energy sources are used even though they are often expensive to develop.One form of these is geothermal energy.In certain parts of the world the temperature of the earth increases thirty degrees centigrate with each kilometer down.At six kilometers,therefore,it rises to nearly 200degrees.To get the heat,water is pumped down into the rocks and back up to the surface.Heat from the earth is already used in certain countries.The writer tells about “the special houses”because they______.
| A．show the excellent skills of the builders |
| B．serve as an example of the energy conservation |
| C．are heated by different sources of energy |
| D．are warmer than other types of energy |
The underlaned words”geothermal energy”in the third paragraph mean____.
| A．renewable source | B．underground source |
| C．heat inside the earth | D．temperature of the earth |
At a place where the surface temperature is 15degrees centigrade,how deep do you have to dig so as to get a temperature of 75 degrees centigrade?
| A．One km. | B．Two km. | C．Three km. | D．Four km. |
At five he was collecting old newspapers to make money.And when he was fifteen he signed his schoolmates up to start a baby-sitting circle(保姆中心).
Now 20,third- year Cambridge University student,Peter Blackburn is the managing director of company with a 30,000 pounds plan.And he thinks he will make more than $15,000 by next summer.
He set up Peter Blackburn Company last year to bring out a new color term-planner(学期计划)that now students all over the UK are using.
“I felt that most of the planners going around were pretty unimaginative,”he says.”I believed that I could do a better job and decided to have a go.”
Blackburn agrees that he is putting far more effort into business than his computer studies course at university.While fellow students are out with their friends,he keeps in touch with his business office in Lancashire by mobile phone.Before he set up the company he spent one holiday preparing a plan that would persuade the bank to lend him money.
“Most students work hard for a good degree because they believe that will help them get a job to support themselves,”he says.”I work hard at my company,because that is what will support me next year,after I leave college.”
Friends believe that Blackburn will make one million pounds within five years.
He is not quite so sure,however.”There is a lot to be done yet,”he says.When he was quite young,Blackburn______.
| A．already made a lot of money |
| B．already had a business brain |
| C．was already a managing director of a company |
| D．already set up his own business |
The underline expression in the fourth paragraph “have a go”means______.
| A．give up his job and have a new one |
| B．leave the company |
| C．have a try |
| D．develop my business quickly |
Which of the following best explains why Blackburn works hard at his company?
| A．He wants to do more business practice before he leaves college. |
| B．He wants to make more money before he leaves college. |
| C．He wants to get a good job like most students after he leaves college. |
| D．He depends on the company for his living in the future. |
Choose the right order of the facts given in the passage.
a.He spent his holiday preparing a plan.
b.He collected newspapers.
c.He set up his own company.
d.He asked the bank for money
e.He set up a baby-sitting circle
| A．e,b,c,a,d | B．b,e,a,d,c | C．b,e,d,a,c | D．b,e,c,a,d |