The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it kept the America from being discovered by the people of Europe.
The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the pacific, but it is still very large. It is more than 4,000 miles (6,000 km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at its narrowest it is about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) wide.
There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is. But suppose no more rain fell into and no more water was brought to it by rivers. It would take the ocean about 4,000 years to dry up. On the average the water is a little more than 2 miles (3.2 km) deep, but in some places it is much deeper. The deepest spot is near Puerto Rico. This "deep" measures 30,246 feet --- almost six miles (9.6 km).
Several hundred miles eastward from Florida there is a part of the ocean called the Sargasso Sea. Here the water is quiet, for there is little wind. Today the Atlantic is a great highway. It is not, however, always a smooth and safe one. Storms sweep across it and pile up great waves. Icebergs float down from the Far North across the paths of ships. We now have such fast ways of travelling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller. Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days. Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!From the third paragraph, we can learn that ______ .
| A．the Atlantic will dry up in 4,000 years' time |
| B．no river flows into the Atlantic ocean |
| C．it's hard to imagine how much water there is in the Atlantic ocean |
| D．the Ocean floor is rather flat |
Suppose it's February 27th, 2000. You take a steamship to cross the Atlantic to North America, when will you probably get there?
| A．On March 2nd | B．On March 3rd |
| C．On February 28th | D．In eight hours' time |
What can you learn from the last paragraph of the passage ?
| A．The Atlantic has grown smaller than it used to be. |
| B．The Atlantic had grown wider than it used to be. |
| C．Fast ways of travelling make the ocean grow smaller. |
| D．Fast ways of travelling make the ocean seem to grow smaller. |
Don’t invite crime--take basic, sensible precautions. Your house and possession are valuable and must be properly protected. When you buy a lock, you buy time --- and this is the one thing a burglar can’t afford. Most thieves are casual opportunists to whom the best deterrents（遏制性因素） are delay and noise which could mean discovery.
When you leave it, lock it!
First of all, fit security locks to all doors and windows and a safety chain on the front door. Secondly, use them! If you have any ladders or tools, don’t leave them lying about in the garden, lock them away. “Safe” or “secret” places for keys and valuables are not reliable - nine times out of ten, they are the first place a thief will look.
When you move house...
When you move into a new home even if it is fitted with security locks, change them. You don’t know who else may have keys.
Never let strangers into your house. An official - looking cap is not enough, ask for proof of identity and look at it carefully - if you are still not satisfied, don’t let the person in.
Valuables need special protection
Valuables should really be given special protection - preferably by leaving them with your bank. A small security safe works too, but not to the most determined burglar. It is also important to keep an up - to - date list of valuables and their descriptions. In the case of fine art, paintings, or jewelry, color photographs can sometimes be of assistance to the police if you are unfortunate enough to have them stolen. Enter the details on the back of the pictures. But don’t keep such documents in your house, keep them at the hank or with your insurance company.
Going on holiday?
Don’t talk about your holidays and future plans loudly in public. Do remember to cancel the milk and newspapers and also to draw curtains back.
Operate a “Good Neighbor” program to ensure that mail is taken in, the house is checked regularly and that lights are put on.
Call at your local police station and tell them you are going away. Make sure that they know how to contact you in case of trouble.
Don’t leave cash or valuables in the house—take them with you or put them in the bank．How should you deal with your ladders or tools?
| A．You should leave them in the yard． |
| B．You should put them in the safe place and lock the door． |
| C．You should lean them against the tree in the yard． |
| D．You should take them apart． |
When moving into a new house，you are supposed to_______．
| A．stop using the original lock |
| B．buy a safe |
| C．never let officials into your house unless he wears an official cap |
| D．stay away from strangers |
In case of your jewelry being stolen，you should do the following Except__________．
| A．taking a color photo of it |
| B．keep them at the bank |
| C．keep the picture in your house |
| D．keep them with your insurance company |
When you are away for holidays，you_________．
| A．should cancel your mail |
| B．shouldn’t leave your keys to your neighbors |
| C．shouldn’t make it known that your home is empty |
| D．should ask the police to check your house regularly |
An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that the “accident of evolution” had created.
“What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself. As he was walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7 - foot grizzly（灰熊）charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing. He ran even faster, so scared that tears were coming to his eyes. He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.
At that instant the atheist cried out “Oh my God!”
Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. Even the river stopped moving.
As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky,“ You deny my existence for all of these years; teach others I don’t exist; and even credit creation to a cosmic （宇宙的）accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this difficulty? Am I to count you as a believer?”
The atheist looked directly into the light. “It would be hypocritical（伪善的）of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as Christian now, but perhaps could you make the bear a Christian？”“Very well,” said the voice.
The light went out. The river ran again. And the sounds of the forest resumed.
And then the bear dropped his right paw... brought both paws together... bowed his head and spoke, “Lord, for this food which I am about to receive, I am truly thankful.”According to the passage, the “accident of evolution” refers to the following Except ________.
| A．rivers | B．God |
| C．trees | D．the 7 - foot grizzly |
It can be inferred from the passage that an atheist is a person ________.
| A．who believes that there is God | B．who likes to do good needs |
| C．who makes a living by selling wood | D．who denies the existence of God |
What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To tell a real interesting story. |
| B．To give practical advice. |
| C．To convince readers of the existence of God. |
| D．To entertain readers. |
Thoughts claim our attention continuously, and waste our time and energy on unimportant and useless matters. They actually rule our life. We have become so used to this slavery, that we take it for granted, and have become unconscious of this habit, except on certain occasions.
While breathing, we do not need to pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation. We become conscious of the process of breathing only when we have some difficulty with breathing, such as when our nose is blocked, due to a cold, or when we are in an unventilated(不通风的) room.
It is the same with thinking. We become conscious of the constant onslaught of our thoughts, and of our inability to calm them down, only when we need to concentrate, solve a problem or study. We are also aware of them when we have worries or fears.
Look at the following familiar situation. You need to study something for an exam. You sit comfortably on the sofa with the book in your hands and start reading. After a while you feel hungry and go to the kitchen to eat something.
You return to read, and then hear your people talking outside. You listen to them for several moments and then bring your attention back to the book.
After a while you feel restless and switch on the radio to listen to some music. You continue to read for a little while, and then remember something that happened yesterday, and you start thinking about it.
When you look at your watch, you are amazed to find out that one complete hour has passed and you have hardly read anything. And at this time, you feel you’re thinking.
This is what happens when one lacks concentration. Imagine what you could have accomplished if you could control your attention and focus your mind!When can you feel you are thinking?
| A．While breathing. | B．While not reading. |
| C．When you need to concentrate. | D．When you waste your time. |
Why does the author put forward the exam situation?
| A．To explain the course of thinking awareness. |
| B．To show how to get ready for an exam. |
| C．To present an example of concentration. |
| D．To emphasize the importance of reading. |
Where can you most probably find the above passage?
| A．In a guidebook of natural science. |
| B．In the front page of a newspaper. |
| C．In an advertisement part of a magazine. |
| D．In the section of psychology of a magazine. |
This passage is mainly about _______.
| A．the relationship between thoughts and breathing |
| B．how people’s thought and mind work |
| C．what happens when one wants to think |
| D．the ways to increase your thought |
1During the First World War, some Americans indirectly benefited because of the war. With two million white men fighting in Europe and no new immigrants entering the country, many jobs in the United States became available to blacks and women for the first time.
2Both groups proved their ability to do any kind of job. Women became railway conductors, brick layers, and factory workers. Their presence in traditionally male workplace produced many problems. Men were annoyed by women’s higher productivity and willingness to work for lower pay. Working mothers were often criticized for leaving their families. But many women welcomed the responsibilities. “It was not until our men were called overseas,” said one woman bank executive, “that we make any real onslaught on the realm of finance, and became tellers, managers of departments, and junior and senior officers.”
3Women who did not take jobs helped in the war effort in other ways. They made uniforms, rolled bandages, and campaigned for the sale of Liberty Bonds to help finance the war.
4American manufacturers offered jobs to large numbers of black Americans for the first time as a result of the war. Most factories were located in the North. To take advantage of these new job opportunities, many black families moved from their homes in the South to the Northern cities such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, Chicago, and Detroit.
5White Americans were of two minds about the role of black Americans in the war effort. On the one hand, black workers’ ability to learn new jobs quickly and do them well strengthened the home front, and the black men’s fighting ability helped the Allies win the war. However, many whites did not want to acknowledge that blacks were capable, effective workers. White soldiers returning from the war had no desire to compete for jobs with blacks on equal terms. At the same time, many blacks were not willing to a lesser role once the war had ended. Why could American women and backs find jobs during World War I?
| A．They were taken to serve the war. | B．They had their equal right at that time. |
| C．Workforce was in great need. | D．They had better productivities. |
Which of the following is Untrue according to the above passage?
| A．Blacks women were not allowed to fight in World War I. |
| B．All American women went to work during World War I. |
| C．Northern cities applied more blacks during World War I. |
| D．Women and blacks earned a lot during World War I. |
Which of the following is the main idea of the whole passage?
A. Americans benefited a lot from World Ward I.
B. World War I had strong effect on America.
C. Some Americans benefited from World War I indirectly.
D. U.S.A. women and blacks contributed much in World War I.Which of the following shows the right structures of the above passage?
| A．1→23→45 | B．1→2→3→4→5 |
| C．1→23→4→5 | D．123→4→5 |
It’s such a shame to lose a free throw. Playing in the court has pressure from the opponent, time, your teammates, the audience, and yourself. You have to shoot the ball despite all the pressures around. But with a free throw, you have the ball, no one will try to get it from you, and you have all the time to shoot the ball. But why is it that many players, even good shooters, miss most of their free throws? Maybe they need more practice or maybe they need to apply more ways to improve their free throw.
Improve your player or your free throwing skills by following the tips below:
Make it personal. The truth is, there is no rule on how one should handle and throw the ball in a free throw. What matters is that the player should shoot the ball from the free throw line no matter how he does it. So when trying to improve your free throw shooting, better stick to what works the best for you. Do not copy other people’s techniques. Make it your own and leave those techniques as theirs.
Formulate (公式化) a repetitive way of shooting the ball. A free throw should be personalized. But it should also be repetitive. You should be able to repeat your free throw techniques whether you are in your court or in another court, whether you are energized or tired. You can’t say you have a personal free throw technique if you can’t repeat it over and over again.
Shoot at the same position and distance for every free throw. Basketball courts may be located in different places or maybe marked with different paint colors. But all of these courts maintain the same distance from the ring to the free throw line. Familiarize your perfect position when making your free throws. That should help you do your perfect throw. Why do so many players fail to make a successful free throw?
| A．Because they don’t have any special skills |
| B．Because they are lacking in practice and tips. |
| C．Because they are not so familiar with rules |
| D．Because many of them are green hands. |
What can you do if you want to be a wonderful free thrower?
| A．Learn from others. |
| B．Form your own throwing skills. |
| C．Keep active in the court. |
| D．Learn to throw in different locations. |
The underlined word “ring” in the last paragraph may most probably mean “________”.
| A．sound | B．basket | C．ball | D．group |
Which of the following might serve as the best title of the above passage?
| A．How to play basketball successfully in the court. |
| B．How to improve your basketball throw skills. |
| C．How to gain more points in throwing. |
| D．How to improve your basketball free throwing. |