In Britain in the 1890s there was a postcard “craze(热潮)”. People formed clubs and collected and exchanged postcards. Even Queen Victoria had her own private collection.
When Edward was the king, the British had a cheap and good postal system. If anyone wanted to tell a friend that they were coming for tea in the afternoon, they would send a postcard in the morning. “Drop me a card” was as common then as “give me a ring” as now.
In 1902 an important step was taken. The government said that half of the side that was used for the address on the postcard could be used for messages, and the whole of the other side could be used for a picture. It was then that the simple postcard, as we know now, was created.In Britain in the 1890s, _______.
A.people were interested in sending cards |
B.people were interested in playing cards |
C.people were interested in collecting postcards |
D.people were interested in buying postcards |
Which statement is TRUE?
A.Postcards were not used in the 19th century. |
B.It was not until 1902 that the simple postcard as we know was created. |
C.Postcards were used only for collection in the 1890s. |
D.There was no message on the old postcard. |
Choose the best title for the passage.
A.Postcards Old and New |
B.Postcard Clubs in the 1890s |
C.Creation of the Present Postcard |
D.Postal System in Britain |
Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical(挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.
1.Why did the author feel bitter about her father when she was a young adult?
A. He was silent most of the time. B. He was too proud of himself.
C. He did not love his children. D. He expected too much of her.
2.When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel ______.
A. nervous B. sorry C. tired D. safe
3.What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?
A. More critical. B. More talkative.
C. Gentle and friendly.. D.Strict and hard-working
4.The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to ______.
A. the author’s son B. the author’s father
B. the friend of the author’s father D. the café owner
Ms Lo could hardly bear her sorrow when she received the call that her husband had died in a car accident. Her pain quickly turn to shock---- the car involved in the accident was driven by a friend. That friend, Henry Lee, had chosen to remain silent on the accident details in court. Her shock soon turned to extreme anger when Lee decided not to let out what had happened.
Her husband, Mr. Tan, was 21 when he died after an accident outside Las Vegas KTV at Havelock Road. That night, he was discussing supper plans with a group of friends, which included Lee. Later, Mr. Tan was found unconscious on the ground, next to the car driven by Lee. Mr. Tan died in the hospital a few hours later. Due to drinking driving, Lee was fined $3,000 and banned from driving for two years last month.
Lee, Ms Lo and her husband were colleagues at Asia Pacific-Breweries(APB).
She only heard of the accident and her husband’s death the next morning after the accident as she had switched off her band-phone that night. She told The New Paper, “Receiving the call, I thought it was a joke. I thought he had got his friend to call me to ask me out.” Ms Lo had moved out to live alone for three weeks because of a disagreement with her husband. “The next time I saw him was at the mortuary.(太平间)” She said that Lee went to visit her some days ago but didn’t apologize to her. “He looked sorry but he didn’t speak to me. I wanted to forgive him, but now I have no chance to tell him.” she said.
Ms Lo, who was a human resource manager in APB, left the company after the accident. She is now working in a photo studio.
1.Why Ms Lo was made pretty angry?
A. Her husband was knocked down by his friend
B. Henry Lee drove their car in the car accident
C. She was informed only after the accident occurred
D. The person involved did not tell the truth in court
2.Ms Lo hadn’t seen her husband for three weeks because______.
A. they did not sign a contract
B.she began working in a photo studio
C.there was a quarrel between them
D.she was busy writing a paper
3.Why did Ms Lo leave APB for another job?
A. To escape the pain caused by the accident.
B. To find out facts related to the accident.
C. To force Henry Lee to let out the truth.
D. To avoid meeting the dishonest man.
Apply to an American College
Earlier, we explained how to begin a search for schools by going to one of the American educational advising centers around the world. We also discussed the rules for entering the United States. And we talked about programs that can be completed online.
But if your goal is to come to the United States to study, then it is time to make a list of colleges or universities that interest you. Be sure to choose more than one. Directors of foreign student admissions say students should apply to at least three schools.
Some students want to attend a small college. Others want to go to a big university. If a really big university appeals to you, then there are ones like Ohio State. That university in Columbus, Ohio, in the Midwest, has almost fifty-two thousand students. There are students this year from around one hundred fifty countries.
Ohio State provides international students with an application on its Website. You can pay the application charge online with a credit card. Or you can print the forms and mail them with the payment.
Many colleges and universities have their applications and also their catalogs online. You should start on your applications at least two years before you want to begin studies.
Completing a college application can take some time. But answering all the questions is not enough. Another important step is taking admissions tests. The SAT is the college entry test that American high school students most commonly take.
Colleges and universities also require international students to take the TOEFL — the Test of English as a Foreign Language.
If you have a general question for our Foreign Student Series, write to special @ voanews. com.
1.What purpose does Paragraph One serve in the passage ?
A. To provide background information of the topic.
B. To attract readers’ attention to the topic.
C. To remind the readers of some related aspects of the topic.
D. To offer basic knowledge of the topic.
2.According to this passage, “Ohio State” is ________.
A. one of the states in America
B. the name of a Website
C. another name for “Columbus, Ohio”
D. a university in America
3.Besides a college application, you are required to take ________test(s) if you’ re not an American.
A. one B. two C. three D. four
4.The passage mainly deals with _________.
A. how to pay the application charge
B. the rules for entering for American colleges and universities
C. some information on applications for American colleges and universities
D. when to start one’s applications for American colleges and universities
第三部分:阅读理解 (共两节,满分40分)
第一节(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One night about nine o’clock, Dr. Eyck, a surgeon, had a phone call from Dr. Haydon at the hospital in Clens Falls. The surgeon was asked to go there at once to operate on a very sick boy who shot himself while playing with a gun.
The doctor was soon on his way to Clens Falls. It was 60 miles away. And it was snowing heavily in the city. The surgeon thought he could get there before 12 o’clock.
A few minutes later, the doctor was stopped by a man in an old black coat. Gun in hand, the man ordered the doctor to get out. Then the man drove the car down the road, leaving the doctor in the falling snow.
It was after 2 o’clock in the morning when the doctor arrived at the hospital in Clens Falls. Dr. Haydon told him that the boy had died an hour before.
The two doctors walked by the door of the hospital waiting room. There sat the man in the old black coat with his head in his hands.
“Mr. Cuninghan,” said Dr. Haydon to the man, “This is Dr. Eyck. He is the surgeon who walked all the way from Albany to save your boy.”
1.Dr. Haydon asked Dr. Eyck to come to Clens Falls because ________.
A.Dr. Eyck knew the boy was wounded by a shot
B.The boy needed the help of a surgeon
C.Dr. Eyck was the boy’s father
D.Dr. Eyck was Haydon’s friend
2.The surgeon was late because ________.
A . he was stopped by the police
B.the weather was rather terrible
C.Clens Falls was too far from Albany
D.his car was taken away
3.Choose the right order of the following events given in the story.
a.Dr. Eyck was asked to come to the hospital in Clens Falls.
b.Dr. Eyck arrived at the hospital.
c.The boy shot himself.
d.The boy died.
e.The man in an old coat reached the hospital.
f.Dr. Eyck was robbed of his car.
A. c,e,f,a,b,d B. a,c,f,d,b,e C. c,a,f,e,d,b D. a,c,f,e,d,b
4.The boy could have been saved if ________.
A .he had not been sent to the hospital
B. his father hadn’t arrived in time
C.Dr.Eyck had arrived earlier than the man
D.Dr. Eyck had arrived there two hours earlier
The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit-card fraud. Your card information could even be for sale in an illegal website. Websites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with card. On line, shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they thought they bought. The thieves then go shopping with your card number—or sell the information over the Internet.
Computer hackers have broken down security system and that raises questions about the safety of card-holder information.
Several months ago, 25,000 customers of CD universe, an on-line music retailer (批发商), were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a website after the retailer refused to pay US $157,828 to get back the information.
Credit-card firms are now fighting against online fraud. Master-card is working on plans for web-only credit-card, with a lower credit limit. The card could be used only for shopping online. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated.
Ask about your credit-card firm’s online rules: Under British law, cardholders are responsible for the first US $ 78 of any cheating spending.
And shop only at secure sites: Send your credit-card information only if the website offers advanced secure system.
If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand comer of your screen. The website address may also start https://—the extra "s" stands for secure. If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone.
Keep your password safe: Most on-line sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your password with care.
1. The underlined word “fraud” in the first paragraph probably means_____________.
A. cheating B. sale C. payment D. use
2. According to this passage most people worry about shopping on the Internet because___________.
A. many stolen credit-cards are sold on the Internet every day
B. fraud on the Internet happens very often
C. many websites break down every day
D. there are too many illegal websites on the Internet
3. Thieves usually get the information of the credit-card, ______.
A. because many customers lost their cards
B. by paying money for people working in the information companies
C. because the customers tell them their password
D. by stealing the information from websites
4. The best title for the passage might be________.
A. How to Beat Online Credit-card Thieves
B. How to Shop on the Internet
C. Never Use Credit Cards without an Advanced Computer
D. Why Thieves Steal Credit-card Information