Europe is now the biggest market for organic food in the world, having grown by 25 percent a year over the past 10 years. Denmark’s agriculture minister is herself an organic farmer. The UK market for organic food grew by 55 percent in 2000, while the food market as a whole grew by only one percent. Yet only seven percent of British shoppers account for nearly 60 percent of organic sales. However popular the idea of organic farming may be, it is still an interest for only a few people.
So what makes the idea of organic farming popular? Organic farming means farming with natural materials, rather than with man-made fertilizers or pesticides(杀虫剂). Organic farmers rely on many methods — such as crop rotation (农作物的轮作) and the use of resistant（有抵抗力的）varieties, because they are necessary for organic farmers to compensate for the shortage of man-made chemicals.
Organic farming is often supposed to be safer than traditional farming for the environment. Yet after a long research on organic farming worldwide for a number of years, science continues to be against this opinion. The House of Commons committee on agriculture stated that, even with complete research work, it would fail to find any scientific evidence to prove “that any of claims made for organic farming is always true”.
However, the talk about the benefits of organic farming is going on. This is partly because many people depend on their individual farm, the soil, the weather, and so on.The first paragraph mainly tells us _________.
| A．organic farming has been performed only in Europe over the past 10 years. |
| B．governments of European countries have cared less about organic farming. |
| C．organic farming isn’t so popular as expected. |
| D．European countries need organic food more than the other countries in the world. |
The underlined words “compensate for” in the second paragraph probably mean “_________”.
| A．argue for | B．care for |
| C．make up for | D．pay for |
What can we know about organic farming?
| A．It refers to farming with natural materials, instead of chemical fertilizers. |
| B．It refers to farming with chemical fertilizers rather than natural fertilizers. |
| C．It refers to farming with soil rather than any other thing. |
| D．It refers to growing crops with man-made fertilizers and pesticides. |
According to the third paragraph, _________.
| A．organic farming is safer than traditional farming for the environment. |
| B．the idea that organic farming is safer has not been proven by science. |
| C．organic farming is accepted by the UK’s House of Commons committee. |
| D．organic farming is preferred to traditional farming. |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
| A．The UK’s agriculture minister is an organic farmer. |
| B．Organic farming is popular with young people. |
| C．Farmers try every means to improve the organic sales system. |
| D．Ninety-three percent of British shoppers don’t buy organic products. |
B
People come in all shapes and sizes，colors and races (种族). Some speak differently while others act differently.
My mother is in a wheelchair. I would like to say something about this special woman I call "Mommy".
My mom does what a mom needs to do every day. She picks me up from school，drives me to meetings，cooks dinner，and helps me with my homework. This is just part of what makes her great，though.
She is my best friend and can immediately notice when I am unhappy. She helps me solve problems that my friends do not understand. Mommy makes me laugh when times are tough. I look forward to coming home because I know there is someone there who cares about what I have done.
Mommy has always tried to be like a "normal" mom. But I think my mother is a wonderful woman and she doesn’t need to change. She teaches me life lessons that no teacher or friend can. She shows me how to accept everyone for what is inside，rather than what is on the outside.
You may have realized that all the qualities (品质) I admire have nothing to do with what she looks like. Everyone could be the way she is，but most are not.
I want everyone to look beyond the surface and see what is inside others. You may fail to notice someone who is very special like my mom because you cannot accept their outside features. What’s the function of Paragraph 1？
| A．To tell us that people are born to be different. |
| B．To show the main idea of the passage. |
| C．To suggest we enjoy what we have. |
| D．To lead to the topic of the passage. |
Which of the following words can best describe the writer’s mother？
| A．Ugly. | B．Normal. | C．Useless. | D．Wonderful. |
We can know from Paragraph 5 that
| A．the writer’s mother has tried to be like a normal mom |
| B．the writer expects his mother to change |
| C．the writer has no teachers or friends |
| D．the writer accept everyone for what is inside |
What can we learn from the passage？
| A．Most people accept who they are. |
| B．People admire the writer’s mother very much. |
| C．The writer doesn’t mind her mother’s disability. |
| D．The writer’s mother is a normal person in fact. |
The writer writes the passage to
| A．encourage his mother to be happy |
| B．tell us that everyone acts differently |
| C．tell us to respect the disabled around us |
| D．tell us to look beyond the surface and see what is inside people |
A
Before I started school, people felt that I was not going to be successful. At the age of four I started speech lessons because basically I could not speak well enough for anyone to understand me. The story goes downhill from here.
The first grade was a struggle. I not only had difficulty speaking, but also felt nervous about the fact that I was expected to learn to read and I just couldn’t do it. The second grade was not much better. I still struggled with the inability to read. It was in the third grade that the school district built a new school close to my home. I remember going there with my parents and helping to get the school ready so that we could move to the new one. However, things were still not much better as far as my schooling was concerned and did not get better for the next two years.
It was in the fifth grade. Mrs. Wakefield was my teacher, and if ever there was a teacher that deserved a gold star, it was her. She did not make me feel defeated. On the contrary, she did her best to let me know that I could be whatever I wanted to be. And that is just what I did.
For the past 22 years, I have been a fifth grade teacher. Because of Mrs. Wakefield’s influence on my life, I am now encouraging students who have had difficulties in their lives to believe that they can overcome any difficulty and become someone. I have won numerous awards up to now, such as Teacher of the Year. I owe it all to one fifth grade teacher who believed in me and challenged me to be all that I could be.The writer ______ when he was in the third grade.
| A．did better in reading | B．began speech lessons |
| C．went to a new school | D．received a high award |
We can learn from the passage that the writer ______.
| A．is a very successful teacher now |
| B．thinks teaching is a challenging job |
| C．has solved problems with his own effort |
| D．works in the same school with Mrs. Wakefield |
What is the writer’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To express his devotion to his work. |
| B．To show his respect to a special teacher. |
| C．To share his teaching experience with us. |
| D．To tell us his story of overcoming difficulties. |
How often one hears children wishing they were grown-ups and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets.
Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. What’s more, life is always presenting new things to the child — things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his parents. He is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is continually being told not to do things or being punished for what he has done wrong.
When the young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the great happiness of building up for himself his own position in society.According to the second paragraph, the writer thinks that __.
| A．life for a child is comparatively easy |
| B．a child is always loved whatever he does |
| C．if much is given to a child, he must do something in return |
| D．only children are interested in life |
After a child grows up, he __.
| A．will have little time playing |
| B．has to be successful in finding a job |
| C．can still ask for help in time of trouble |
| D．should be able to take care of himself |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．People are always satisfied with each part of their life. |
| B．Life is less interesting for old people. |
| C．Children are free to do what they want to do. |
| D．Adults should no longer rely on others. |
The underlined word "responsibilities" in the second paragraph means__________.
| A．duties | B．jobs | C．suggestions | D．desires |
The main idea of the passage is _________ .
| A．life is not enjoyable since each age has some pains |
| B．young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard |
| C．childhood is the most enjoyable time in one's life |
| D．one is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life |
Movie makers at one time worried that they might be put out of business by television. Recently, however, more and more people have been going to the movies. This may be partly because the economic situation in America has worsened. When at the movies, people forget their troubles, as they get involved in the story on the screen. Also, directors have recently been producing pictures that large numbers of people want to see.
Americans in the millions are returning to their love affair with the movies. Motion picture industry experts see two main factors responsible for this: an increased need by Americans to escape from economic worries and a large number of new movies with broad audience appeal.
Movie makers admit that their rising popularity is partly the result of poor economic conditions, which traditionally bring an increase in theater attendance. “When people are fearful about the future, they look for escape,” comments Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. “In a shaded theater, with a 65-foot screen, you lose yourself for two and a half hours and people find this beneficial.” What did movie makers worry about before?
| A．That no one would go to the cinema. |
| B．That movies couldn’t be a business any more. |
| C．That their movies might be played on television. |
| D．That people preferred watching TV to seeing films. |
Why are so many people going to see movies now?
| A．Because people now have much more money. |
| B．Because people have troubles. |
| C．Because people wanted to escape from real life. |
| D．Because watching movies is now much cheaper than watching TV. |
The main topic of American movies is about .
| A．economy | B．love | C．tradition | D．not mentioned |
According to the passage, which statement is True?
| A．At present, more and more people have been going to the movies. |
| B．Movies attracted people only by motion pictures. |
| C．Jack Valenti is anxiously looking for escape from movies. |
| D．Movie industry is welcome by Chinese people. |
What does the underlined word mean in the first paragraph?
| A．become bad | B．become popular | C．become attractive | D．become amazing |
Tourism wasn’t as important as it is today. In the past, only people with a good deal of money could travel on holidays to other countries. More people travel today than in the past because there is a growing middle class in many parts of the world; that is to say, people now have more money for travel. Special plane fares for tourists make travel less expensive and more attractive than ever before. One person doesn’t travel for the same reason as another. But most people enjoy seeing countries that are different from their own. They also like to meet new people and to taste new food.
Tourism causes many changes in a country and in people’s lives. People build new hotels and restaurants and train native men and women as guides to show visitors around interesting places. There’re new nightclubs and other amusements. International tourism is clearly a big business.In the old days _________ could travel to other countries.
| A．boys and girls, men or women, young or old |
| B．either kings or queens |
| C．both the poor and the rich |
| D．nobody but those who had money |
More people travel today than in the past because______________.
| A．people have become interested in traveling |
| B．traveling today is easier than in the past |
| C．people now have spare money for travel |
| D．great changes have taken place in the world |
What makes travel more attractive than before?
| A．Tourism won’t bring any changes in people’s minds. |
| B．People have some trouble in making journey. |
| C．With the development of tourism, great changes have taken place in many parts in the world. |
| D．Tourism causes only some changes in clothing. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．The Change of Tourism | B．Tourism |
| C．The Importance of Tourism | D．The Cause of Tourism Change |