Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot colour. Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair. They are red hot when they are very angry about something. The small hottasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their colour and their fiery(辣的) taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health.
The colour black is often used in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day. A blacklist (黑名单) is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.
The colour green is natural for trees and grass. But it is，an unnatural colour for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the colour of the back side of the paper money.Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT________.
| A．something unfair |
| B．small hottasting peppers |
| C．the person who is very angry |
| D．popular music like Dixieland jazz |
People use “in the pink” to express they are in good health because________.
| A．the expression has a very long history |
| B．the color pink makes people feel happy |
| C．people think the colour pink is gentler than red |
| D．healthy babies are born with nice pink skin |
When we say someone feels a little green, it means he/she________.
| A．enjoys himself in boating | B．is hit by a high wave |
| C．has a stomachache | D．likes trees and grass |
In the writer's eyes, what is related to a black day?
| A．Being sent a beautiful gift. |
| B．Passing a very difficult test. |
| C．Being refused during an important interview. |
| D．Being invited to an exciting party. |
The writer wants to tell us________in American everyday expressions.
| A．the most popular colours |
| B．different meanings of colours |
| C．how to use colours correctly |
| D．why Americans like to use colours |
You can see lots of kangaroos (袋鼠) in Australia, and not only in zoos but also outside the cities and towns. You can see them everywhere. Kangaroos are very popular in Australia. They have very strong legs, so they are very good at jumping. Their tails （尾巴） are very strong, too, so when they want to have a rest, they rest on their tails. Kangaroos are also good at looking after their babies. Mother kangaroos keep their babies safe in their pockets.There are many kangaroos _____.
| A．from Australia | B．in America | C．in Australia | D．from America |
Where can we see kangaroos in Australia?
| A．in cities | B．in towns | C．in parks | D．everywhere |
Why are kangaroos very good at jumping?
| A．because they are very healthy |
| B．because they have strong tails |
| C．because they have strong legs |
| D．because they have big pockets |
How do kangaroos rest when they want to rest?
| A．on their legs | B．on their hands | C．on their tails | D．on their back |
What are kangaroos good at doing?
| A．they are good at looking after their babies |
| B．they are good at jumping |
| C．they are good at resting on their tails |
| D．A, B and C |
Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder than it is today. People didn’t have modern machines. There was no modern medicine, either.
Life today has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. Water pollution has made our rivers and lakes dirty. It kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us talk louder and become angry easily. Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution. It is bad for all living things in the world.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. We need to do many other things. We should put waste things in the dustbins instead of on the ground. We can go to work by bus or with our friends in the same car. If there are fewer people driving, less pollution will be made. Rules are not enough to solve the problems. Every person must help to fight pollution.Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder than it is today because _____.
| A．there were not any modern machines | B．there was no modern medicine |
| C．there were not many people | D．both A and B |
What is the most serious problem in today’s life?
| A．water pollution | B．air pollution | C．noise pollution | D．pollution |
Why do people speak louder now than before?
| A．people are stronger | B．people are afraid of nothing |
| C．there is much noise | D．people have problem in hearing |
What does the writer ask readers to do?
| A．each country should make its own rules to fight pollution |
| B．every person must help to fight pollution |
| C．all people should take buses |
| D．we should control the population |
From the passage, we know that _____.
A. the pollution is not serious
B today people don’t talk in loud voice
C. we have to drink dirty water
D. people are making rules to control pollution
The world is not hungry, but it is thirsty. It seems strange that nearly 3/4 of the earth is covered with water while we say we are short of water. Why? Because about 97% of water on the earth is sea water which we can’t drink or use for watering plants directly. Man can only drink and use the 3% the water that comes from rivers and lakes. And we can’t even use all of that, because some of it has been polluted.
Now more water is needed. The problem is: can we avoid a serious water shortage later on? First, we should all learn how to save water. Secondly, we should find out the ways to reuse it. Scientists have always been making study in this field. Today, in most large cities water is used only once and then runs to the sea or rivers. But it can be used again. Even if every large city reused its water, still there would not be enough. What could people turn to next?
The sea seems to have the best answer. There is a lot of water in the sea. All that needs to be done is to get the salt out of the sea water. This is expensive, but it’s already in use in many parts of the world. Scientists are trying to find a cheaper way of doing it. So you see, if we can find a way out, we’ll be in no danger of drying up.The world is thirsty because ___________.
| A．3/4 of the earth is covered with water |
| B．we have enough sea water |
| C．we haven’t used all the water in rivers and lakes |
| D．about 97% of water on the earth can’t be drunk or used for watering plants directly |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．3% of drinkable water on the earth is from rivers and lakes. |
| B．75% of water on the earth is in the sea. |
| C．97% of the earth is covered with water. |
| D．3% of water on the earth is sea water. |
From the passage we learn that __________.
| A．if every city reuses its water, we’ll be in no danger of drying up |
| B．man can only drink and use about 25% of water on the earth |
| C．today in most large cities water is used only once |
| D．water can be used only once |
The dream of flying into outer space, cherished by the Chinese people for centuries, will soon come true.
China launched its fourth unmanned spacecraft （飞船）“Shenzhou Ⅳ” on December 30 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu Province. It was the 27th consecutive（连续的 ）and successful launch of China - made rockets since October 1996. This launch has made it more realistic for China to send a person into space on its own following Russia and the USA.
Qi Faren，leading designer of the spacecraft system, said all the functions （功能） designed for manned flights have withstood （经受住）the test of three previous, successful launches and return landings of the “Shenzhou” spaceships.
China launched the “Shenzhou Ⅰ ”, “Shenzhou Ⅱ ”and “Shenzhou Ⅲ ”spacecrafts in 1999,2001 and 2002 respectively.
“Shouzhou Ⅳ” was to make it a more comfortable place in which astronauts can live and work. All parts of the application system for manned flight are aboard the “Shenzhou Ⅳ”craft in all test flights.
China’s manned flight programme began in 1992. A number of unmanned test flights will be launched before Chinese astronauts are sent into space.
Leading scientists in charge of China’s manned space programme said the successful launch of the “Shenzhou Ⅳ” laid a solid foundation for the country’s future task of sending Chinese astronauts to outer space.
The spacecraft returned to the earth on January 5, after completing seven experiments in space.
Officials at the centre said that“ Shenzhou Ⅴ”, a manned spacecraft, is expected to be launched later this year.How many countries can send a person into space on its own by now？
| A．Not mentioned. | B．3. | C．4. | D．2. |
.China’s manned flight programme began in ________.
| A．1992 | B．October 1996. | C．1999 | D．January 2003 |
As a matter of fact, ________ .
| A．“Shenzhou Ⅴ ”has been launched |
| B．“Shenzhou Ⅳ” was a manned spacecraft |
| C．“Shenzhou Ⅲ ”and“ Shenzhou Ⅳ” were not launched in the same year |
| D．the dream of man flying into outer space has come true in China |
.Which is the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．The Successful Launching of “Shenzhou Ⅳ ”. |
| B．The Landing of “Shenzhou Ⅳ ”. |
| C．Chin a’s Manned Flight Programme. |
| D．The Third Country Sending a Person into Outer Space. |
America is growing older. Fifty - eight years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. To day, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect（影响）American society in many ways—education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society—one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior（行为） is suitable（合适）at various , ages.
A person s age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn’t as strong as it used to be. It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29 - year - old university president or a 35 - year -old grandmother, or a 70 year - old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.
Many people say, “I am much younger than my mother— or my father— was at my age. ”No one says“Act your age” any more. We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America ________ .
| A．has made people feel younger |
| B．has changed people’s social position |
| C．has changed people’s understanding of age |
| D．has slowed down the country’s social development |
The underlined word “one” refers to ________ .
| A．a society | B．America |
| C．a place | D．population |
“Act your age” means people should ________ .
| A．be active when they are old |
| B．do the right thing at the right age |
| C．show respect for their parents young or old |
| D．take more physical exercise suitable to their age |
If a 25 - year - old man becomes general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it ________ .
| A．normal | B．wonderful |
| C．unbelievable | D．unreasonable |