A Tour City ------- Pompeii
Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii (庞贝,意大利那不勒斯附近一座古城) , Italy. They see the sights that Pompeii is famous for ------ its stadium and theatre, its shops and restaurants. The tourists do not, however, see Pompeii’s people. They do not see them because Pompeii has no people. No one has lived in Pompeii for almost 2000 years.
Once, Pompeii was a busy city of 22,000 people. It lay at the foot of Mount Vesuvius (维苏威火山) , a grass-covered volcano (火山). Mount Vesuvius had not erupted (爆发) for centuries, so the people of Pompeii felt safe. But they were not.
In August of AD 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted. The entire top of the mountain exploded, and a huge black cloud rose into the air. Soon stones and hot ash began to fall on Pompeii. When the eruption ended two days later, Pompeii was buried under 20 feet of stones and ashes. Almost all of its people were dead.
For centuries, Pompeii lay buried under stone and ash. Then, in the year 1861, an Italian scientist named Ginseppe began to uncover Pompeii. Slowly, carefully, Ginseppe and his men dug. The city looked almost the same as it had looked in AD 79. There were streets and fountains, houses and shops. There was a stadium with 20, 000 seats. Perhaps the most important of all, there were everyday objects, which tell us a great deal about the people who lived in Pompeii. Many glasses and jars had some dark blue colour in the bottom, so we know that the people of Pompeii liked wine. They liked bread, too; metal bread pans were in even bakery (面包房). In one bakery there were 81 round, flat loaves of bread ------- a type of bread that is still sold in Italy today. Tiny boxes filled with a dark, shiny powder tell us that women liked to wear eye-makeup .
Ginseppe has died, but his work continues. One-fourth has not been uncovered yet. Scientists are still digging, still making discoveries that draw the tourists to Pompeii.Why do large numbers of people come to Pompeii each year?
| A.To visit the volcano. | B.To shop and eat there. |
| C.To watch sports and plays. | D.To see how Pompeiians lived |
Why did the city uncovered look almost the same as it had looked in AD 79?
| A.Because Ginseppe and his men dug it slowly and carefully. |
| B.Because the city was buried alive and remained untouched. |
| C.Because scientists successfully rebuilt the city with everyday objects. |
| D.Because nobody had lived in the city ever since the volcano erupted. |
What do we know about the Pompeiians who lived 2000 years ago?
A .They lived more or less the same as Italians now do.
B They liked women wearing all kings of makeup.
C They enjoyed a lazy life with drinking and eating.
D They went back to Pompeii after the eruption in AD 79.
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In spite of millions of dollars spent on “educational research”, children are not taught the most basic skills of learning, even the most basic of these: how to use a dictionary. In fact, a search of educational books for children found no book that told them how to use a dictionary or that one should. Written for children at 8 to 12-year-olds, this fully illustrated book will teach your child:
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It includes a section for parents and teachers showing you how to use this book with children. Buy this book and give it to your children to unlock their education. What’s more, you’ll just pay 50% for it before May 1, 2006.Some information of the four books were illustrated in order to _________.
| A.help readers understand them | B.persuade readers to buy them |
| C.reduce the cost of them | D.make them suitable to different readers |
Which one is the book written for 8 to 12 years old to use a dictionary?
| A.Basic Study Manual | B.Study Skills for Life |
| C.Learning How to Learn | D.How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children |
If you buy the four books on April 1, 2006, you will have to pay _________ for them.
| A.$ 129.38 | B.$ 111.93 | C.$ 64.69 | D.$ 34.90 |
The purpose of the passage is to _________.
| A.introduce the four books to readers | B.help children to learn English |
| C.enrich students knowledge about nature | D.sell the four books to students |
One evening I went out and left my 17-year-old son and his girlfriend in charge of his 8-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister. I left with complete confidence that the older children would do a wonderful job of babysitting the younger children and the younger children would do a wonderful job of accompanying(陪伴)the older ones. Later, I discovered that I was completely wrong.
I had decided to return home earlier than planned so that my son and his girlfriend could go out. I called home with this happy news. But instead of hearing his cheerful, grateful voice on the other end of the line, all I heard was the sound of a telephone ringing.
It was, I should point out, after 10 p.m., when the two younger children should have been in bed, and when the two older children should have been answering the phone. “I’ll give him a lesson, ” I said.I decided they must be outside.Why they might be outside at 10:30 on a winter night I had no idea, but it was the only explanation I could come up with.
Finally, in desperation(绝望), I called his girlfriend’s house. His girlfriend answered. “Yes,” she said brightly, “He’s right here.”
He came on the phone.I was not my usual calm, patient. After all, one of the rules of survival for modern parents is that you can’t trust modern teenagers. “Where are the children?” I said. He said they were with him. They had done nothing wrong. My son had taken the younger children over to his girlfriend’s house just for ice cream and cake. Well, it turns out that I shouldn’t have believed it. It was only part of the truth.
The following Saturday evening we were at my parents’ home, celebrating my birthday. My oldest son gave me the children’s gifts — a series of lovely color photographs of my children, dressed in their best clothes, and wearing their most wonderful expressions. They are pictures to treasure a lifetime, all taken by the father of my son’s girlfriend.The author went out and left her eldest son in charge of the younger children because________.
| A.she knew that his girlfriend was a good baby-sitter |
| B.she believed he could take good care of the younger ones with the help of his girlfriend |
| C.the older children have always loved the younger ones |
| D.she could not find a baby-sitter on that winter night |
Shortly after the author left home one evening, she discovered that _________.
| A.her son had brought his girlfriend home |
| B.her son had left home with his girlfriend |
| C.she shouldn’t have completely trusted her son |
| D.she should have taken the children along with her |
“It was only part of the truth.” implies that the children not only enjoyed ice-cream but also _________.
| A.had their pictures taken | B.received some gifts |
| C.had a birthday party | D.showed off their best clothes |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A.An Evening Out | B.Modern Teenagers |
| C.Mother and Children | D.A Precious Birthday Gift |
David: Where would you live if you could choose?
Jane: It’s very difficult to say.
David: What would you do if you lived in Paris?
Jane:
David: You’d soon get tired of it.
Jane: I wouldn’t live in New York. It is too noisy.
David: How about Los Angeles?
Jane:
David: It is said the sun shines every day in Los Angeles. I’d like to live there.
Jane:
David: I would also like to live in a city with a lot of good friends.
| A.I’d like to live there, too |
| B.And what about the United States? |
| C.Los Angeles wouldn’t be a bad idea. |
| D.Would you like to live alone? |
E. If I were very rich, I’d certainly choose Paris.
F. As a matter of fact, I’d live in any city where I had friends.
G. Oh, I’d have a house by the Seine, and I could enjoy the scenery.

London, Dec.17 (Xinhua) “Drivers on London Underground trains have started reading out sayings from great thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi , Frindrich Engels, and Albert Einstein in a bid to cheer up passengers ,” officials said. As well as the usual announcements urging passengers to “mind the steps” and warning of delays, the sayings such as “ an ounce ( 盎司) of action is worth a ton of theory” have taken the place of commercial ad in the underground carriages .
New York, Oct.8 (Xinhua) Once as a famous actor, now the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to abandon textbooks in favor of digital ones. He plans to launch this program in August next year when California’s high-school pupils will have access to online math and science text. But some teachers wonder whether his idea of getting rid of textbooks might end up costing more not less, with digital textbook going for $300.
Amsterdam, Nov.30 (Xinhua) A few cups of coffee a day may not only help to put off the disease—dementia(痴呆) but also can treat it, according to Dr. Arendash, who led the research. After giving mice with memory damage water containing caffeine, he found the mice developed better memories and quick thinking. The reason is that caffeine is a safe drug for most people. It easily enters the brain and directly affects the disease process. He suggested people should drink five eight–ounce cups of ordinary coffee, two cups of strong ‘coffee shop’ coffee, 14 cups of tea, or 20 cola drinks to get the same amount of 500 milligrams of caffeine.What’s the purpose of putting up sayings on the underground carriages in London?
| A.to help passengers to kill time. |
| B.to encourage passengers to learn. |
| C.to lift the spirits of passengers. |
| D.to make money as a commercial ad. |
What can we conclude from the second news?
| A.digital textbooks will replace traditional textbooks. |
| B.online math is already available to high-school pupils . |
| C.digital textbooks are convenient to carry anywhere. |
| D.Not all the teachers support their governor’s idea. |
Which of the following statements is true from the third news?
| A.The more coffee you drink, the less chance there will be for dementia. |
| B.Caffeine can make mice become more and more intelligent and energetic. |
| C.Caffeine can affect the process of the disease—dementia and treat it. |
| D.Caffeine is a safe drug for all the people for everyday use so enjoy it. |
Honey(蜂蜜)from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest(巢)and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper一a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax (蜂蜡) in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees’ nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?
| A.It's small in size. | B.It's hard to recognize. |
| C.It's covered with wax. | D.It's hidden in trees. |
What do the words "the follower" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A.A bee. | B.A bird. | C.A beekeeper. | D.A honey seeker. |
The honey guide is special in the way____________。
| A.it gets its food | B.it goes to church |
| C.it sings in the forest | D.it reaches into bees' nests |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A.Wild Bees | B.Wax and Honey |
| C.Honey-Lover's Helper | D.Beekeeping in Africa |