A well-dressed man came to a famous jewelry shop. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl for his wife’s birthday. The price didn’t matter. Since business had been very good for him that year. After examining a nice black one that cost $5000, he paid for the pearl in cash, shook hands with the jeweler, and left.
A few days later the man returned and said that his wife liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like it. It had to be exactly the same size and quality, because she wanted a pair of earrings made, “Can you give me any advice on how to get such a pearl? ” said the man. The jeweler regretfully replied, “I would say it’s exactly impossible to find one exactly like that pearl.”
The rich man insisted that the jeweler advertise in the newspapers, offering $ 25,000 for the matching pearl. Many people answered the advertisement but nobody had a pearl that was just right.
Just when the jeweler had given up hope, a little old lady came into his store. To his great surprise, she pulled the perfect pearl from her purse. “I don’t like to part with it,” she said sadly, “I got it from my mother, and my mother from hers. But I really need the money. ”
The jeweler was quick to pay her before she changed her mind. Then he called the rich man’s hotel to tell him the good news. The man, however, was nowhere to be found.He paid $ 5,000 for the black pearl without bargaining because ______.
A.he loved his wife deeply |
B.the jeweler’s business had been successful |
C.he was anxious to get it |
D.he wanted to make the jeweler believe him |
He told the jeweler to get him another pearl that must be ______.
A.exactly the same size as the black one |
B.exactly as big and nice as the black one |
C.exactly as expensive as the black one |
D.exactly the same quality as the black one |
Many people answered the advertisement because they wanted _______.
A.to see the perfect pearl |
B.to sell their own pearl at a high price |
C.to get in touch with the rich man |
D.to help the rich man’s wife |
The little old lady was probably________.
A.the man’s partner | B.short of money |
C.unwilling to sell the pearl | D.the man’s wife |
The jeweler couldn’t find the man anywhere because ______.
A.his wife had found another perfect pearl already |
B.he happened to be out at that time |
C.he got $ 20,000 by cheating and had run away with the money |
D.he was angry with the jeweler for waiting too long |
We are all busy talking about and using the Internet,but how many of us know the history of the Internet?
Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s.At that time,computers were large and expensive .Computer networks didn’t work well. If one computer in the network broke down,,then the whole net-work stopped.. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the net-work was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way computer network system would keep on working all the time.
At first the Internet was only used by the government, but in the early 1970s,universities, hospitals and banks were allowed to use it too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was difficult to use. By the start of the 1990s, computers became cheaper and easier to use . Scientists had also developed software that made “surfing” the Internet more convenient.
Today it is easy to get on-line and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mail is more and more popular among students.
The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of people’s life.The Internet has a history of more than _____ years.
A.sixty | B.ten | C.forty | D.twenty |
A new network system was set up to ______.
A. make computers cheaper |
B. make itself keep on working all the time |
C. break down the whole network |
D. make computers large and expensive |
At first the Internet was only used by _____.
A.the government | B.scientists |
C.hospital and![]() |
D.schools |
_____ made “surfing” the Internet more convenient.
A.Computers | B.Scientists |
C.Software | D.Information |
Which of the following is true ?
A. In the 1960s, computer networks worked well. |
B. In the early1970s, the Internet was easy to use. |
C. Sending e-mail is now more popular among students than before. |
D. Today it’s still not easy to get on-line. |
Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members, especially their parents, don't know them as well as their friends do. In large families, it is often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice.
It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or many friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children's growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members.
However, parents often try to choose their children's friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of "choice" is an interesting one. Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who choose your friends?
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
Have you got a good friend your parents don't like?Many teenagers think their_____ know them better than their parents do.
A.friends | B.teachers | C.brothers and sisters | D.classmates |
When teenagers stay alone, the usual way of communication is to_____.
A.go to their friends | B.talk with their parents |
C.have a discussion with their family | D.talk with their friends on the phone |
Which of the following is different in meaning from the sentence "Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends."?
A.Some parents may even not allow their children to meet their good friends. |
B.Some parents may even ask their children to stay away from their good friends. |
C.Some parents may even not let their children meet their good friends. |
D.Some parents may want their children to stop to meet their good friends. |
The passage suggests (暗示) that _______.
A.Parents cannot choose friends for their children successfully. |
B.Perhaps some children's friends are chosen by their parents. |
C.Children won't let their parents choose friends for them. |
D.Parents often try to choose their children's friends for them. |
Which of the following do you think is right according to the passage?
A.Parents should like everything their children enjoy. |
B.In a![]() |
C.Parents should![]() |
D.Teenagers can only go to their friends for help. |
Perhaps the most wonderful building put up in the 19th century was the Crystal Palace(水晶宫)which was built in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal Palace was different from all the other buildings in the world, for it was made of iron and glass. It was one of the biggest buildings of all the time and a lot of people from many countries came to see it. Plenty of goods were sent to the exhibition from all parts of the world. There was also a great deal of machinery on show. Though in those days, traveling was not as easy as it is today, steamboats carried thousands of visitors across the Channel from Europe. On arriving in England, they were taken to the Crystal Palace by train. There were six million visitors in all, and the money from the exhibition was used to build museums and colleges. Later, the Crystal Palace was moved to the South London. It remained one of the most famous buildings in the world until it was burnt down in 1936.
The Crystal Palace was built up_________.
A.in the 1950s | B.in the 1990s |
C.shortly before 1851 | D.after 1851 |
People from many countries came to the Crystal Palace mainly to______.
A.buy goods | B.visit an exhibition |
C.travel | D.enjoy the Crystal Palace itself |
What happened to the Crystal Palace in 1936?
A.It caught a terrible fire. |
B.It disappeared suddenly. |
C.It was moved away to the south of London. |
D.It was rebuilt. |
The writer__________.
A.thought the Crystal Palace very useful |
B.thought highly of the Crystal Palace |
C.wanted the Crystal Palace to be rebuilt |
D.was one of the visitors who had visited the Crystal Palace |
The Crystal Palace was famous to all because__________.
A.it was the biggest building in the world then. |
B.it was made of iron and glass. |
C.so many visitors had been there. |
D.it was burnt down at last. |
Welcome to Adventureland!
Everyone loves Adventureland! The Parks and Exhibitions were built for you to explore(探索), enjoy, and admire their wonders. Every visit will be an unforgettable experience. You will go away enriched, longing to come back. What are you going to do this time?
The Travel Pavilion
Explore places you have never been to before, and experience different ways of life. Visit the Amazon jungle(丛林)village, the Turkish market, the Tai floating market, the Berber mountain house and others. Talk to the people there who will tell you about their lives, and things they make. You can try making a carpet, making nets, fishing…
The Future Tower
This exhibition shows how progress will touch our lives. It allows us to look into the future and explore the cities of the next century and the way we’ll be living then. Spend some time in our space station and climb into our simulator(模拟装置)for the Journey to Mars!
The Nature Park
This is not really one park but several. In the Safari Park you can drive among African animals in one of our Range Cruisers: see lions, giraffes, elephants in the wild. Move on to the Ocean Park to watch the dolphins and whales. And then there is still the Aviary to see…
The Pyramid
This is the center of Adventureland. Run out of film, need some postcards and stamps? For all these things and many more, visit our underground shopping center. Come here for information and ideas too.The Travel Pavilion is built to help visitors.
A.realize the importance of travelling |
B.become familiar with mountain countries |
C.learn how to make things such as fishing nets |
D.learn something about different places in the world |
If you are interested in knowing about what people’s life will be, you may visit.
A.The Travel Pavilion | B.The Future Tower |
C.The Safari Park | D.The Pyramid |
If you want to get a toy lion to take home, where will you most likely go?
A.The Pyramid. | B.The Nature Park. | C.The Future Tower. | D.The Travel Pavilion. |
It is natural that children are curious about the world around them. For example, they want to know how their hearts beat. They want to know why the ocean water tastes salty.
As children grow up, they become curious about different kinds of things. When they are babies, they are interested in the parts of their bodies and in the smiles of their mothers. They become interested in the physical world around them: the plants, the animals, the sky. Later, they become interested in the things that people have made: wheels, bicycles, cars. And when they are adults, their curiosity continues. Sometimes this curiosity leads to a career (生涯、职业) in science.
Scientists spend their lives trying to find out about the world.Those who work with the earth sciences study the earth, the oceans, and the skies. Other scientists who study living things work with the biological sciences. A third group of scientists study the physical sciences, e. g. physics, chemistry.
These scientists have already discovered a lot about our world.For example, they tell us why your heart beats fast when you run. They say that when you are quiet, your heart normally beats sixty-five or seventy-five times a minute. Your heart is a pump (泵) that pumps blood to all parts of the body. The blood carries oxygen and nutrition. When you run, your muscles work very hard and use the nutrition that the blood carries to them. The muscles need oxygen, too . So your brain sends a signal to the heart. The signal means that the muscles need more nutrition and oxygen. Then the heart beats fast and sends blood quickly to the muscles. It may beat 90 to 140 times a minute.
Of course, scientists cannot answer all of our questions. If we ask, “Why does the ocean water taste salty” scientists will say that the salt comes from rocks. When a rock gets very hot or very cold, it cracks. Rain falls into cracks. The rain then carries the salt into the earth and into the rivers. The rivers carry the salt into the ocean. But then we ask , “What happens to the salt in the ocean? The ocean does not get saltier every year.” Scientists are not sure about the answer to this question.
We know a lot about our world, but there are still many answers that we do not have, and we are curious.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A.People of different ages are interested in different things |
B.People in different countries are interested in different things. |
C.Men and women are curious about different things. |
D.People are curious in the same way. |
Scientists who work with the biological sciences study____.
A.the earth , the oceans and the sky | B.plants and animals |
C.man-made things | D.ocean water |
When you run, your muscles need ____.
A.more nutrition and oxygen | B.more signals | C.more salt | D.water |
A rock cracks _____.
A.in wet regions | B.in dry regions |
C.at very high or very low temperatures | D.when salty water falls in |
People are always curious because ____.
A.they cannot explain many things | B.they know nothing about the world |
C.they know little about the world | D.they want to be scientists |