To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain, Its first use was as a shade against the sun! Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese in the eleventh century BC.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in commonly used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England.
By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe. Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made, in a whole variety of colors.According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient__________.
| A．China |
| B．Egypt |
| C．Greece |
| D．Rome |
Which of the following statements is not true about the umbrella?
| A．No one exactly knows who the inventor of the umbrella was |
| B．The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun. |
| C．The umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century |
| D．In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. |
A strange feature of the umbrella’s use is that it was used as__________.
| A．protection against rain |
| B．a shade against the sun |
| C．a symbol of honor and power |
| D．women’s decoration (装饰) |
In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain_____________.
| A．during the Middle Ages |
| B．by the eighteenth |
| C．in Rome |
| D．in Greece |
This passage talks mainly about_______________.
| A．when and how the umbrella was invented |
| B．why the umbrella was so popular in Europe |
| C．the development of the umbrella |
| D．The history and use of the umbrella |
“Homestay is a form of study abroad program. It allows the visitor to rent a room from a local(当地的) family to better understand the local lifestyle. It also helps to improve the visitor’s language ability,” said a teacher during a school meeting last term. “Students who wish to learn more about foreign cultures or to get foreign experience should join this kind of holiday. I am sure you won’t be disappointed.”
After this special meeting, I always thought about this kind of holiday. Last month, I had a chance at last to go on such a holiday with some of my schoolmates and we went to London, a place where I had wanted to go since years ago.
As we were still young, we had a group leader who planned things for us and looked after us. After we got to London, we went to stay with different families. I was lucky that my host family(寄宿家庭) was a white couple who had a daughter about my age. They treated me as a daughter of their family during my stay there. They were interested in me and I learnt a lot of things from them, too.
The holiday was filled with activities every day. After breakfast, a local teacher would come to take us in his car. Then we would have classes or go on a sight-seeing trip to different places of interest like the Big Ben, the London Bridge, and the Buckingham Palace. We would go back to our own homes after the activities.
The holiday was a valuable experience for me. I enjoyed every minute of it. Yet, time really flew fast. Three weeks later, we had to leave “home” for Hong Kong.In the “homestay” program, a visitor can _____.
| A．learn more about holidays | B．understand his culture better |
| C．improve the language ability | D．take part in foreign meetings |
The writer had wanted to visit London since _______.
| A．last month | B．a long time ago |
| C．the special meeting | D．her stay abroad |
The writer’s host family ______.
| A．was very kind to her | B．went sight-seeing with her |
| C．had two white daughters | D．was interested in her activities |
From the passage, we know that the writer ______ in London.
| A．wished to stay a little longer |
| B．had a wonderful time |
| C．had classes in many interesting places |
| D．helped the teacher take the students in a car |
(正面) 
(背面)Where can you find such a card?
| A．a bus station | B．a park | C．a bank | D．a hotel |
How many buses can reach the hotel?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．One |
What can a guest do if he gets lost?
| A．He can take Bus 507 to the hotel |
| B．He can wait until the light is green. |
| C．He can call the hotel at the phone number on the card. |
| D．He can visit the website. |
Which of the following is true?
| A．The card can be used to open the door. |
| B．Open the door when the red light is on. |
| C．A guest can keep the card when he checks out. |
| D．If the card is lost, a guest will have to pay for it. |
Empathy(同情心) lets us feel another person’s pain and drives us to help. Do any other animals feel empathy? Scientists recently found that rats(老鼠) do, too.
Most people don’t like rats. In many people’s eyes, rats are only bad. But Jean Decety and his partners at the University of Chicago did an experiment. It showed that rats are kind, warm-hearted animals. They can feel each other’s pain.
Scientists placed pairs of rats in plastic cages(笼子) for two weeks. During this time they got to know each other. Then they put one of the rats from each pair into a small container(容器) in the cages. The small container had a door. It was so designed as to fall to the side when the free rat touched it. Many of the trapped(困住的) rats squeaked(吱吱叫) to show their discomfort. The other rats of the pairs could see their suffering(受苦的) friends clearly.
In most pairs, the free rats would become very worried about their friends. They kept trying to save their friends again and again throughout the month. Scientists put the rats’ favorite chocolate in the cages, but the rats didn’t eat it until they had saved their friends successfully. Scientists also found that female rats seemed to act more empathetic than male rats.
“The results are the first to show that rats take action in response to another’s trouble,” Decety said. “Monkeys and chimpanzees have similar behavior. But unlike those animals, rats can be ready used in laboratory studies. They will help us to learn which parts of the brain lead to empathy and helping behavior and whether empathy is natural.” A person with empathy is often _____.
| A．kind-hearted | B．clever | C．active | D．strong |
Why didn’t the free rats eat the chocolate at first?
| A．Because they were not hungry at that time. |
| B．Because chocolate was not their favorite food. |
| C．Because they wanted to save the trapped rats first. |
| D．Because they were afraid that the chocolate was bad. |
Which of the following animals were NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Monkeys. | B．Chimpanzees. | C．Rats. | D．Cats. |
What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．Rats can feel other animals’ pain. |
| B．Chocolate is rats’ favorite food. |
| C．Rats are empathetic and can feel each other’s pain. |
| D．Female rats are more empathetic than male rats. |
A capsule inn is a kind of cheap and small hotel where people just sleep in rectangular containers(容器). After experiencing popularity in Japan for more than 30 years, capsule inns have now entered the Chinese market. This new style is becoming popular with many visitors, but some are less than what they expected. The capsule inn covers an area of more than 300 square meters, with 68 very small bedrooms for guests to rest. Each room is 2.2 meters long and about 1 meter wide.
As small as the capsules are, they provide more than enough daily necessities(必需品) for visitors. They do have plenty of functions. Each includes independent power sockets, clocks, lights, and flat screen televisions. People can also enjoy wireless Internet service. The basic fee(费用) for each capsule is 28 yuan, and guests will be asked to pay an extra 4 yuan every hour. The highest cost could reach 88 yuan per day.
Ta Zan, capsule inn Manager, said, “Capsule inns are similar to Internet cafes. When they first appeared more than 10 years ago, people thought they might not succeed. But now it’s a common thing in our lives.” He believes that more capsule inns will open around the nation very soon. He is sure about the future of his business.How much will you pay if you want to stay in a capsule inn for 12 hours?
| A．88 yuan | B．76 yuan | C．28 yuan | D．4 yuan. |
What does the underlined word “functions” mean in Chinese?
| A．价格 | B．功能 | C．方法 | D．需求 |
For whom, a capsule inn is a good choice while traveling around?
| A．A family who like to cook by themselves. |
| B．A young student who likes watching TV or surfing on the Internet. |
| C．An old man who would like to stay in a big house with his wife. |
| D．A business man who wants to have a meeting with others. |
Why does the manager compare(比较) his inn to Internet cafes?
| A．Because he thinks they are similar in shape. |
| B．Because he knows Internet cafes were popular 10 years ago. |
| C．Because he thinks capsule inns are a common thing in our lives. |
| D．Because he believes both will have good development. |
A great man married a woman and they had a little lovely girl.
When the little girl was growing up, the man usually hugged her and said, “I love you, little girl.” The Little girl would say, “I’m not a little girl any more.” Then the man would laugh, “But to me, you’ll always be my little girl.”
The little girl later left her home and went into the world. No matter where she was, the man would call her and say, “I love you, little girl.”
One day the little girl received an unexpected phone call. The great man became ill. He couldn’t talk, smile, walk, hug or dance.
So she went to the side of the great man. He looked at her and tried to speak, but he could not. She sat next to the great man, and drew her arms around his useless shoulders(肩膀). Her head on his chest(胸膛), she thought of many good memories. She felt sad as she couldn’t hear the words of love that had comforted her.
And then she heard from within the man, the beat of heart. The magic happened. She heard what she wanted to hear. His heart beat out the words that his mouth could no longer say… I love you, little girl… I love you, little girl.When the little girl said, “I’m not a little girl any more.” , the great man ______.
| A．felt sad | B．was happy | C．was angry | D．couldn’t stand |
What did the man do after the little girl left her home?
| A．He left her wife. |
| B．He learned to sing and dance |
| C．He left his home and went into the world. |
| D．He would call her and showed his love to her. |
The little girl went to her father because ______.
| A．he became ill |
| B．she missed her parents |
| C．she made lot of money outside |
| D．she didn’t get his father’s calls |
What can we learn from what the girl had done after seeing his father?
| A．She knew his father would die soon. |
| B．She felt sorry for leaving his father. |
| C．She loved her father deeply too. |
| D．She was sure his father would be well soon. |