China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true. There are millions of cars. However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors---silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It’s fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks(人行道). Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide.
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather accompanied my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn’t want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?
| A．Because they are traditional and safe. |
| B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive. |
| C．Because they are colorful and available. |
| D．Because they are fast and environment friendly. |
The author decided to buy a bicycle because he intended __________.
| A．to ride it for fun | B．to use it for transport |
| C．to experience local skills | D．to improve his riding skills |
How did the author feel about his street crossing?
| A．It was boring. | B．It was difficult. |
| C．It was lively. | D．It was wonderful. |
Which of the following best describes the author’s biking experience?
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills. |
| B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding. |
| C．The author was praised by the other bikers. |
| D．The author took great pleasure in biking. |
History is full of cases where dreams have been a pathway to creativity and discovery.A striking example is provided by Dr.Otto Loewi，a pharmacologist and winner of a Nobel Prize.Loewi had spent years studying the chemical transmission of nerve impulses (脉搏)．A tremendous breakthrough in his research came when he dreamed of an experiment three nights in a row.The first two nights he woke up and wrote down the experiment quickly and untidily on paper.But the next morning，he couldn't tell what the notes meant.On the third night，he got up after having the dream.This time，instead of making notes he went straight to his laboratory and performed the crucial experiment.Loewi later said that if the experiment had occurred to him while awake he would have rejected it.
Loewi's experiment gives some insight into using dreams to produce creative solutions.Inhibitions (拘谨) are reduced during dreaming，which may be especially useful in solving problems that require a fresh point of view.
Being able to take advantage of dreams for problem solving is improved if you “set” yourself before retiring.Before you go to bed，try to think intently about a problem you wish to solve.Bury yourself in the problem by stating it clearly and reviewing all relevant information.Then use the suggestions listed in the previous section to catch your dreams.Although this method is not guaranteed to produce a novel solution or a new insight，it is certain to be an adventure.About half of a group of college students using the method for a week recalled a dream that helped them solve a personal problem.The main idea of this passage is that ________.
| A．very little is really known about the meaning of dreams |
| B．it is possible to “catch” one's dreams by planning before going to sleep |
| C．dreams can be useful in producing creative solutions to one's problems |
| D．Loewi's experiment helped in the study of transmision of nerve impulses |
The first paragraph is mainly organized by ________.
| A．classifying types of experiments |
| B．summarizing the work of one researcher |
| C．comparing and exploring historical cases |
| D．telling in time order about one man's research |
If Loewi had thought of the experiment while awake，he would have ________.
| A．asked someone else to do it |
| B．thought it was a bad idea |
| C．tried it out on his own |
| D．thought it was a wise idea |
The author probably thinks that ________.
| A．Loewi should not have conducted his experiment |
| B．dreaming is of very little value to most people |
| C．inhibitions may stop someone thinking of useful ideas |
| D．college students should not try out dream experiments |
The music of your teenage years probably will stay with you for the rest of your life.I think music is deeply connected with memory because of the emotions it awakens.Music also helps to mark time because of the way the fashions and stars of pop culture come and go.I often connect some summers with particular records (唱片 ) that came out while I was on holiday.But what's really the best way to record your youth? Is it your favorite song, or a picture of the singer?
In my teenage years, one of the special things about Britain was the huge amount of information about music.There were 3 weekly newspapers about music：Sounds, Melody Maker and the New Musical Express.Buying records was expensive and it also meant making a choice.So it was wise to read about music instead, and in some ways, it was actually better as well.It was possible for a group to get onto the front cover of one of the music papers without even having made any records—but they needed things to say for the reporters to write about.In fact, the best pop stars of the 1980s were people whose main talent was exactly that.They weren' t great musicians or singers and they weren't especially goodlooking, but they had some unusual acts or habits and a nice way with clever phrases.They were ideal for filling music papers.
When The Face magazine first came out in May, 1980, it was meant to be a rock magazine.I have given away or sold all the records I bought as a teenager, but I think my old copies of The Face will stay with me for ever.Although it started out as a source of information about music, the writers quickly realized that it wasn't really the music that was important—it was the way people spoke and acted, and, above all, the way they looked.According to the author，music can NOT ________.
| A．improve memory | B．awaken emotions |
| C．mark time | D．stay in the mind |
We can infer that during the author's teenage years，________.
| A．there were few records for customers to buy |
| B．some songs he heard while on holiday impressed him |
| C．he spent most of his holiday time on music |
| D．he loved one pop song the most |
According to Paragraph 2，during the author's teenage years，________.
| A．people had few chances to buy records |
| B．it was hard to judge whether records were good or not |
| C．it was not an easy thing for teenagers to get records |
| D．the choice of buying records only depended on newspapers |
The underlined word “that” in Paragraph 2 means that ________.
| A．people could get onto the music papers without having made any records |
| B．people's talent was not what reporters needed to write about |
| C．reporters wrote about the talents of pop stars |
| D．people read about music |
Depressed people can be very difficult to be around，and yet they need more than the usual amount of support and understanding from their friends and family.
The anger and lack of concern that a depressed person may have for people close to him or her can be very disturbing to someone who's trying to help.At such times，the sincerity of a friend or a family member is questioned when the depressed person doesn't feel worthy of someone's friendship.Withdrawal from others can make it nearly impossible to encourage a depressed person to enter into activities that may help pull him or her out of the depression.
It is frequently difficult for a depressed person to carry on a conversation.Attempts to help may be met with defensiveness and verbal attacks.While being supportive and understanding，the friend of a family member must be careful not to do too many things for the depressed person.There is a very thin line between being supportive and being overly protective.Too much“doing for” can be a disservice(帮倒忙)．
You can best help a friend or relative who is depressed by considering the following points：
◆Do not moralize.Don't pressure him or her to “put on a happy face，” or to “snap out of it.” Often the person will feel even worse after hearing such words.
◆When you are alone with your depressed friend，you might say something like，“I've noticed lately that you seem down.I care about you and would like to listen to what you're thinking about.” Then be a good listener.
◆Don't say，“I know exactly how you feel.” You probably don't.But if you've had similar experiences，sharing those may help.Say things like，“This happened to me.It might help you.” Or “I know some of what you must be feeling.”
◆Urge him or her to get professional help if necessary.Offer to accompany your friend on the first visit if it will be easier for the person.．The above passage is mainly intended for ________.
| A．a doctor who works with a depressed person |
| B．a depressed person |
| C．one who lives with a depressed person |
| D．an expert who gives advice to a depressed person |
Too much “doing for” can ________.
| A．cause more severe depression |
| B．give the depressed person courage |
| C．result in defensiveness from the depressed person |
| D．be of no help to the depressed person |
What are you advised to say to a depressed person?
| A．Try to look happy and you'll be better. |
| B．I know exactly how you feel. |
| C．I had a similar experience.And it might help you. |
| D．Cheer up and get rid of your depression. |
We can infer from the second paragraph that a depressed person ________.
| A．is willing to appreciate the sincerity of a friend or a family member |
| B．has a sense of pride of his own |
| C．may do something unreasonable to your friendship |
| D．is likely to doubt the purpose of a friend or family member |
One of the biggest new bands in the UK is Arctic Monkeys.Their first two singles(单曲唱片)went straight to Number One in the charts(排行榜)and their first album “Whatever People Say I Am，That's what I'm No” has become a recordbreaking album.It's the fastest selling debut album(首张专辑)in UK chart history.
Arctic Monkeys are famous because of their great success.They achieved their success thanks to the Internet.Usually a new band signs to a record company and then it is through marketing that people buy their singles.The single sales then get the band into the charts and they become popular that way.
However，Arctic Monkeys became wellknown in a slightly different way.Back in 2003 when the band first started，they handed out CDs at their performing concert.Certain fans liked the music so much that they put the music up on the Web.The general public had access to this music because it was on the Internet and，because people liked the music，the band's popularity increased.The band's popularity was starting to get noticed by major radio stations in the UK.
Arctic Monkeys released(发行)their first single in October 2005.Before that，their music had only been available to download on the Internet.When they did finally release a single and an album，they both rose to the top of the charts.
Music fans welcome the use of the Internet this way—Arctic Monkeys became popular simply because people liked their music when they heard it.There were no ads.As music downloads continue to increase in popularity，we can expect to see more and more bands make it big in this way.Arctic Monkeys gained popularity through __________.
| A．giving away their CDs |
| B．the Internet |
| C．singing to a record company |
| D．marketing and advertisement |
．Before 2005，how can you get Arctic Monkeys' music?
| A．Going to their live music party. |
| B．Download their music from the Internet. |
| C．Buying their singles and albums in a shop. |
| D．Listen to it on the radio in the UK. |
Why did Arctic Monkeys become popular?
| A．People could hear their music often. |
| B．They didn't advertise their music. |
| C．People liked their music. |
| D．The marketing company did well. |
Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth.Finances were a constant concern for his family.The expenses of having a large family were too much for his father's salary.In fact, when Charles was just four months old, the family moved to a smaller home to cut expenses.
At a very young age, despite his family's financial situation, Charles dreamed of becoming a gentleman.However, when he was 12, it seemed his dream would never come true.He suffered a lot.Charles' education was unplanned, but he supplemented it with constant reading, particularly of the eighteenthcentury novels in his father's small library.He was poorly clothed, ill fed, forced to live in the cheapest place.
Also,12yearold Charles was removed from school and sent to work at a factory to help support the family.Charles was deeply marked by these experiences.This childhood poverty, although unknown to his readers until after his death, would be a heavy influence on Dickens' later views on social reform and the world he would create through his fiction.He knew those kinds of feelings.He was lost at that time when he worked hopelessly in the factory.That period was so bitter to the sensitive boy.When he was a successful, happy man, he could not look back upon it without tears in his eyes.
Luckily the situation improved within a year.Charles was released from his duties at the factory.As a boy, Charles Dickens' dream was __________.
| A．to be a writer | B．to be a gentleman |
| C．to work in a factory | D．to support his family |
Charles Dickens was removed from school because __________.
| A．he didn't like to go to school at all |
| B．he caused much trouble at school |
| C．he had to make money to support the family |
| D．he liked reading in his father's small library |
What greatly affected Charles Dickens when he was young?
| A．His constant reading. |
| B．His family's frequent move. |
| C．His leaving school to work. |
| D．His father's salary. |
What can we know about Charles Dickens?
| A．He received a good education when young. |
| B．He felt confused when working in the factory. |
| C．He worked in the factory for many years. |
| D．He started to work in the factory in 1826. |