As a boy, Charles Robert Darwin collected anything that caught his interest: insects, coins and interesting stones. He was not very clever, but Darwin was good at doing the things that interested him.
His father was a doctor, so Darwin was sent to Edinburgh to study medicine, and was planned to follow a medical career. But Charles found the lectures boring. Then his father sent him to Cambridge University to study to be a priest. While at Cambridge, Darwin’s interest in zoology and geography grew. Later he got a letter from Robert FitzRoy who was planning to make a voyage around the world on a ship, the Beagle. He wanted a naturalist to join the ship, and Darwin was recommended(推荐). That voyage was the start of Darwin’s great life.
As the Beagle sailed around the world, Darwin began to wonder how life had developed on earth. He began to observe everything. After he was home, he set to work, getting his collection in order. His first great work The Zoology of the Beagle was well received, but he was slow to make public his ideas on the origin of life.
Later Darwin and Wallace, another naturalist who had the same opinions as Darwin, produced a paper together. Darwin’s great book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (《物种起源》) appeared. It attracted a storm. People thought that Darwin was saying they were descended from monkeys. What a shameful idea! Although most scientists agreed that Darwin was right, the Church was still so strong that Darwin never received any honors for his work.
Afterwards, he published another great work, The Descent of Man. His health grew worse, but he still worked. “When I have to give up observation, I shall die,” he said. He was still working on 17, April, 1882. He was dead two days later.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Charles Darwin’s ideas |
B.Charles Darwin’s works |
C.Father of modern biology: Charles Darwin |
D.The greatest scientist: Charles Darwin |
Darwin’s father sent him to Edinburgh to _____.
A.make him like natural history |
B.make him become a doctor |
C.let him change his hobbies |
D.have him give up his collection |
According to the passage, Charles Darwin’s whole life was changed by _____.
A.his study at Cambridge University |
B.his collection of coins |
C.the naturalists at Cambridge |
D.the voyage of the Beagle |
The underlined part “they were descended from monkeys” probably means “_____”.
A.they gave monkeys life |
B.they were different from monkeys |
C.they were developed from monkeys |
D.they had to live with monkeys |
Which is the right order about Charles Darwin according to the passage?
a. He published another great work, The Descent of Man.
b. His father sent him to Cambridge University to study to be a priest.
c. His first great work The Zoology of the Beagle was well received,
d. He got a letter from Robert FitzRoy who was planning to make a voyage around the world on a ship.
A.acbd | B.bdca | C.bcda | D.abdc |
Volunteers, as an essential part of a successful world exposition, are a major channel for the public to join in, serve and share the world exposition and a means to show the image of the host country and city. The following information is about the volunteer for the World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China.
I.Basic Requirements for Volunteers
● Be willing to join in voluntary services of Expo 2010;
● Age limit: Expo Site volunteers must be born before April 30, 1992 and Expo City Voluntary
Service Station volunteers before April 30, 1994;
● Obey the laws and regulations of the PRC;
● Be able to participate in training and relevant activities before the opening of Expo 2010;
● Have necessary knowledge and skills needed by the position;
● Be in good health to meet the requirements of voluntary positions.
II.Further Information for Volunteers
● Source
Residents of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese, and foreigners can all apply to be the volunteers.
● Signup methods
Applicants may log in onto the official websites for online signup.They may also consult or connect with the Expo Volunteer Stations.
● Time
May 1 - December 31, 2009
III.Volunteer Training
Volunteer training includes general training, special training and position training.General training is carried out through internet, while special training and position training are provided through classroom lectures and field practice.
IV.Volunteer Types
● Expo Site volunteers refer to those offering voluntary services to visitors and the Organizer in the Expo Site, mainly including information, visitor flow management, reception, translation and interpretation, assistance for the disabled, and assistance in media service, event and conference organization and volunteer management.
● Information booth volunteers are stationed in the Expo's information booths at key transportation centers, commercial outlets, tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels and cultural event places outside the Expo Site.They offer services including information, translation, interpretation and even first aid.If you were born in April 1993, where can you be a volunteer
A.In the Expo City. | B.In the host country. |
C.In the Expo Site. | D.In Chinese mainland |
Which of the training will be done on the Internet
A.Position training. | B.General training. |
C.Classroom training. | D.Special training. |
Which of the following service is offered by information booth volunteers?
A.Visitor flow management. | B.Helping the disabled |
C.Assistance in media service. | D.Emergency First aid. |
阅读理解E
Do you have a sore throat, a running nose and a headache? Do you keep coughing and sneezing? If you do, the chances are that you have a cold or perhaps flu---but which one? Although both colds and flu are caused by viruses, they are very different illnesses.
Colds, which usually last about a week, affect the nose most. They commonly cause a running nose and sneezing. Sometimes, they cause a headache, a cough and slightly aching muscles.
Flu is a much more serious illness and is caused by different groups of viruses. People with flu usually get all the symptoms(症状) described above. However, they also get a high fever, a dry cough and much worse aching. Fever is one of the characteristic symptoms of the flu for all ages. The symptoms also last much longer. Sometimes they don’t disappear for at least two weeks.
Flu can be a deadly disease. The elderly(年长的), who are weaker and less healthy than most younger people, can die from flu. This is one reason why old people are advised to have a flu injection(预防针) before the start of winter when flu is most common. This injection is inexpensive and definitely(明显地)worth it.
If you have a cold or flu, you must always deal with used tissues(手巾纸) carefully. Don’t leave dirty tissues on your desk or on the floor. Someone else has to pick these up and viruses could be passed on. And finally, remember to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze! You don’t want to see the small drops of liquids blown(喷) out of your nose and mouth when you sneeze, do you? Disgusting(令人作呕), eh? Now you can understand why it’s a good idea to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze! In paragraph 4, we learn that ________.
A.flu injection can cause death |
B.most old people die from flu |
C.flu can kill old people easily |
D.flu is most common in summer |
Dealing with used tissues properly(正确地) is important because ________.
A.it helps keep your classroom tidy |
B.it prevents the spread of colds and flu |
C.people hate picking up dirty tissues |
D.picking up lots of tissues is hard work |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Both colds and flu last the same time. |
B.Both colds and flu can be prevented by injection. |
C.Both colds and flu are caused by the same viruses. |
D.Both colds and flu have an aching symptom. |
Which is probably the best title for the passage?
A.Colds and Flu |
B.The Different Symptoms of a Cold and Flu |
C.Prevention Is Better Than Cure |
D.Cover Your Nose and Mouth When Sneezing |
阅读理解D
The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay(黏土) or small stones. They are not flat, either. They often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plants’ life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants.
The deserts of the world are not uninhabited(无人居住的). People also live outside oases(绿洲), but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, put them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable, no man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water.According to the passage, deserts are mostly made up of ________.
A.clay | B.rock | C.stones | D.sand |
The underlined word “hospitable” has the meaning of being ________.
A.kind | B.brave | C.cruel | D.strange |
In the desert ________.
A.It rains in spring only. |
B.it rains for a short time every month |
C.the rainfall is just enough for the plants |
D.there is some rain, but far from enough |
People live ______.
A.only inside the oases | B.both inside and outside the oases |
C.only outside the oases | D.in places with regular rainfalls. |
阅读理解C
Robots are smart. With their computer brains, they help people work in dangerous places or do difficult jobs. Some robots do regular jobs. Bobby, the mail carrier, brings mail to a large office building in Washington D.C. He is one of the 250 mail carriers in the United States.
Mr. Leachim, who weighs two hundred pounds and is six feet tall, has some advantages as a teacher. One is that he does not forget details. He knows each child’s name, the parents’ names and what each child knows and needs to know. In addition(另外), he knows each child’s pets and hobbies. Mr. Leachim does not make mistakes. Each child goes and tells him his or her name, then dials an identification number. His computer brain puts the child’s voice and number together. He identifies the child without mistakes. Then he starts the lesson.
Another advantage is that Mr. Leachim is flexible. If children need more time to do their lessons, they can move switches. In this way they can repeat Mr. Leachim’s lesson over and over again. When the children do a good job, he tells them something interesting about their hobbies. At the end of the lesson the children switch Mr. Leachim off.The first paragraph of the passage tells us ________.
A.human beings are not as smart as robots |
B.robots can help people in many different ways |
C.robots will take the place of man to rule the earth |
D.we can only use robots to do some regular jobs |
Mr. Leachim’s ________ makes him a good teacher.
A.advantages | B.knowledge | C.appearance | D.energy |
The word “flexible” in the last paragraph means ________.
A.not strict | B.not hard |
C.changeable | D.suitable |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. There are 250 robot teachers in the United States.
B. Bobby works in a large office building in Washington D.C.
C. Mr. Leachim is run(开动) and controlled by electricity.
D. The lessons taught by Mr. Leachim are given on a TV set.
阅读理解B
Alexander the Great was a mighty(强大的) king and conqueror(征服者). He was one of the greatest military geniuses(军事天才) the world has ever known. He was born in Pella, Macedonia. Alexander grew to be a handsome, brilliant(卓越的) man. Aristotle, the famous philosopher(哲学家), came from Greece to teach him---geography, politics, literature, medicine and science. Alexander’s father, King Philip II of Macedon, taught him to plan and win battles.
The young prince became King when he was 20. He then began the series of marches that continued until he ruled almost all of the then-known world. On his great war horse, Bucephalus, he first took over Greece. He went on to conquer southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, Egypt and India. On his way he crushed(征服) the Persian Empire, and was made King of Egypt and Asia. He and his troops traveled over 11,000 miles(17,700 km). He spread Greek customs and ideas wherever he went.
In India his men refused to go further. They were tired and frightened, and wanted to go home. Worn out, Alexander agreed to turn back. He died of fever in Babylon, at the early age of 33.Alexander and his troops traveled and fought probably ________ then.
A.by ship | B.by simple truck |
C.on their horses | D.on foot |
What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?
A.He spread Greek customs and ideas wherever he went. |
B.He began great marches and ruled a lot of countries. |
C.How he took over one country after another. |
D.In which order he crushed these countries after another? |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.He died in his late thirties. |
B.Bucephalus was probably a big ship. |
C.He conquered all the countries then known in the world. |
D.Alexander was very ready to listen to anybody including his officers and soldiers. |
What’s the best title of this passage?
A.How Alexander the Great Became King? |
B.Great Tragedy |
C.Good Education Makes a Great Man |
D.Alexander the Great |