We grew up with the familiar toy bricks (积木) that gave us the imagination to build towers and castles. Generations have been attracted by this toy that lets children and adults alike create anything and everything. But with over 200 millions sets being sold a year in over 100 countries, the question remains — where did Lego actually come from?
Lego was born from the creative mind of Danish carpenter (木匠), Ole Kirk Christiansen, back in the early 1930s. He established a small business in Denmark. He and his team built a variety of household goods like ironing boards along with wooden toys. The Lego name was adopted in 1934, formed from the Danish words “Leg Godt” or “play well”, which means “I study” or “I put together” in Latin.
Christiansen’s company continued to make wooden toys until 1942 when fire struck — the entire Lego factory burned to the ground. Unwilling to give in, the factory was rebuilt and the production line restarted soon after. By 1954, Christiansen’s son, Godtfred, had become the junior managing director of the Lego Group. It was during his conversation with an overseas buyer that he was struck by the idea of a toy system.
For over 30 years, the Lego Company made only toys and related goods. Then, in 1968, the company opened its first Legoland in Denmark. Combining the Lego building bricks with a computer, the Robotics Invention System 1.5 is now the most advanced toy in the Lego Company, which is targeted at users aged twelve and above, and that includes any parents or grandparents that want to join in.
Now the Lego Company is expanding its production lines to include lights, cameras and so on. Lego Company has done a lot to entertain many children around the world. The author presents the text by ________.
| A．telling an interesting story |
| B．showing the process in different stages |
| C．introducing a practical method |
| D．describing many different activities |
Which of the following is NOT true about the Robotics Invention System 1.5?
| A．It is the most advanced toy in the Lego Company. |
| B．It combines the Lego building bricks with a computer. |
| C．It is intended for users aged twelve and above. |
| D．It is the most expensive toy invented since 1968. |
What is the correct order of the following events in the development of Lego?
a. The entire Lego factory burned to the ground.
b. The company and its products adopted the name Lego.
c. The company opened its first Legoland in Denmark.
d. Godtfred had become the junior managing director of the Lego Group.
| A．cadb | B．cbad | C．abcd | D．badc |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．The Lego Company expands its production lines with computers. |
| B．The author thinks highly of Lego, which entertains many children. |
| C．The name Lego means “I put together” in the Danish language. |
| D．Lego enjoys the greatest popularity among children of 12. |
B
To: manager@ tastytreat.com.ca
Date: Monday, 7 October, 3:34p.m.
From: raymondyuen@ canada.net
Subject: Complaint
Dear Mr. Price,
I have eaten in your restaurant many times and have always been happy with the food and service. This makes what happened last Saturday even more disappointing.
It was my son’s birthday so we booked a no-smoking table at your restaurant for 7:30 p.m. We arrived on time but were told that our table was not yet ready. At 8:00 p.m., we were given a table in the smoking section. I asked to move but I was told that there were no other tables. A lot of people were smoking so it was uncomfortable and unhealthy.
Our first waitress, Janet, was very polite and helpful. She gave us free drinks for waiting so long. Our food also came quickly and looked fresh and tasty. When my wife had eaten most of her meal, she found a dead cockroach (蟑螂) in her vegetables. She was shocked and wanted to leave. At first, the waitress told us it was a piece of garlic(蒜). When we told her that garlic does not have legs, she apologized and took the food away.
We asked for the bill, expecting not to pay for my wife’s meal. Nobody came. After 15 minutes, I asked to see the manager. The head waiter told us that you were on holiday. I complained again about the horrible cockroach. He told me Janet had finished work. He didn’t believe my story and gave me a bill for three meals. I argued with him but was forced to pay.
The waitress, Janet, was always friendly, but I would like an apology from your impolite head waiter and a full refund (退款) for our meal. It cost $68. Until then, I will not be eating at your restaurant or recommending it to anyone.
You can contact me at 742-3254 or through e-mail if you want more information.
Thank you for your attention.
Yours sincerely,
Raymond Yuen
69. We learn from the text that last Saturday Mr. Yuen _____.
A. was satisfied with the restaurant. B. was disappointed with the restaurant
C. had to wait for his food D. ate for the first time at the restaurant
70. The writer had to pay the bill because _______.
A. the head waiter would not believe his story
B. the manager was on holiday
C. Janet didn’t believe there was cockroach in the vegetables
D. his wife had eaten most of her meal
71. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A. Mr.Yuen demanded that the head waiter apologize to him.
B. Mr.Yuen asked for a full refund for their meal.
C. Mr.Yuen will not eat at the restaurant any more.
D. The head waiter was not as polite as Janet.
Section B
Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
A
After my husband died suddenly from a heart attack, my world crashed around me. My six children were all under 10, and I was burdened with the responsibilities of earning a living, and caring for the children. I was fortunate to find a wonderful housekeeper to care for the children during the week, but from Friday nights to Monday mornings, the children and I were alone.
One Friday evening I came home from work to find a big pretty German Shepherd(牧羊犬) on our doorstep. This dog seemed to intend to enter the house. The children liked “German” immediately and begged me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement. That night I slept peacefully for the first time in many weeks.
The following morning we made phone calls and checked lost-and-found ads for German’s owner, but with no results.
On Sunday I had planned to take the children on a picnic. Since I thought it best to leave German behind in case his owner came by, we drove off without him. When we stopped to get gas, we were amazed to see German racing to the gas station after us. No way was he going to be left behind.
Monday morning I let him out for a run. He didn’t come back and we were all disappointed. We were convinced that we would never see him again. We were wrong. The next Friday evening, German was back on our doorstep. Again he stayed until Monday morning, when our housekeeper arrived.
This pattern repeated itself every weekend for almost 10 months. We grew more and more fond of German. We took comfort in his strong, warm presence, and we felt safe with him near us. As German became part of the family, he considered it his duty to check every bedroom to be sure each child was cozy in bed.
Each week, between German’s visits, I grew a little stronger, a little braver and more able to handle; every weekend we were no longer alone and enjoyed his company. Then one Monday morning we patted him on the head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. We never saw German again.
65. The dog first came to the family when________.
A. it was needed most B. the writer became strong enough
C. the writer was away on a business trip D. the writer was busy on the weekday
66. The family planned to go on a picnic without the German Shepherd because_______.
A. it was too wild to control B. it was too young to walk so far
C. the owner might come by to pick it up D. it might spoil the trip
67. The writer was ________ the German Shepherd.
A. afraid of B. grateful to C. cruel to D. annoyed with
68. Which of the following can’t be used to describe the dog?
A. Loyal B. Beautiful. C. Lovely. D. Wild.
(B)
Make sure you don’t miss Australia’s largest and most exciting kite-flying festival this year, which promises to be a great day out for the whole family. The skies will come alive with hundreds of kites of all shapes and sizes from local and international kite makers and fliers.
It’s not just the experts who can fly their kites — come down and fly your own. If you don’t have a kite, you can buy one from one of the stalls in the park, or better still, make one at one of our kite-making workshops.
Then there’s the multicultural entertainment program in the Pavilion Courtyard Amphitheatre of great music, dance and performance. The headline act this year is Rastawookie. Their music is a fusion (结合) of many different styles from South America, the Caribbean and western countries. There will also be free music and dance workshops, so why not try your hand at one of these? For the children there will be additional rides, face painting, jugglers (变戏法者), stilt walkers, and clowns. After all these activities, you probably can’t wait to eat. Choose from one of our fabulous multicultural food stalls offering food and drinks from all over the world or for something simpler — nothing could be better than a good old-fashioned sausage!
There’s so much to do and so much to see, so if you’re up for a great day, then the only place to be on Sunday, September 9th is down at Bondi Beach for Sydney’s most exciting, fun and family-friendly festival.
60. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The kite-flying festival is the largest festival in the world.
B. The majority of visitors are people out of Australia.
C. The kite-flying festival only reflects（反映）the culture of Australia.
D. Not only professional kite makers and fliers attend this festival.
61. What is the most important part of the entertainment program during the festival this year?
A. Tricks for children. B. Various styles of dance.
C. Rastawokie’s music. D. Shows preformed by visitors.
62. During the festival, the author recommends all the following places to go EXCEPT _______.
A. music and dance workshops B. parks for children
C. kite-making workshops D. food stalls
63. According to the passage, the kite-flying festival is suitable for ______.
A. the whole family who want to spend a day out
B. lovers who want to have a quiet day of their own
C. the elderly who want to take a walk
D. travelers who like adventure
第三部分：阅读理解：（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
(A)
What makes a house a home? A home is a place of companionship with people in it who love each other, who are harmonious (和谐的) and closer with one another than with those in the workplace or with classmates at school. A home is a place that’s so magnetic（有吸引力的） that it’s difficult to leave. In a home there is love, sharing and appreciation, and the members help one another.
I have seen families on the street. But if they live, sleep, talk, and eat together, they are a family, even if they are poorly off. You don’t need a roof to make a home. The truly homeless are some of the rich people who build multi-million-dollar houses and are too busy to really live in them. The truly homeless are those who have turned their home into a hotel lobby. The parents work and the children misbehave. They don’t talk and eat together every day. They rarely see each other. The truly homeless people are those with babysitters, caretakers, gardeners and maids. However, people are unaware of this, as they are too busy making money outside the home that they don’t live in. This is another way of looking at the rich and the homeless. Who is to be pitied?
Control of the computer and the Internet is also important to make a house into a home. If the computer is on all the time, the house turns into an office, even if everyone is at home. Many homes these days are just offices. Human communication has stopped. The computer eats up all the time that one should be giving to others within the home. Using the computer moderately gives us time for play and communication, not with a screen, but with other people.
56. Which of the following may serve as the best title for this passage?
A. How to make a house a home?
B. What makes a house a home?
C. Who are truly homeless?
D. What is a home for?
57. The purpose of the first paragraph is to _________.
A. tell us that where there is home there is love
B. tell us what people think a home is
C. tell us the author’s concept（理解）of home
D. tell us how to have a happy home
58. The underlined word “those” refers to ________.
A. people who build multi-million-dollar houses
B. people who have lost their family members
C. people who don’t spend time with the family
D. homeless families living on the street in America
59. Which of the following is FALSE according to the passage?
A. A home is a place where you are willing to stay.
B. Even the poorest people can have a happy home.
C. Computers and the Internet are important for a happy home.
D. Sometimes it’s the rich that should be pitied.
(E)
Everybody has to buy or sell things sometimes. Even students, who are usually not very rich, have to learn something about making purchases(买东西) intelligently. As a student you may find, for example that you need to buy a walkman or winter clothing. You may want to buy a television or a used car. Of course, you want to get good value for your money. If you are considering a major purchase, or any purchase, you should remember several important things.
◎Study first, and then decide what you want to buy. You can learn a lot just by reading books and advertisements.
Remember that a high quality product will probably last longer and work better. Of course,
for a superior(优良的) product you are expected to pay more. An inferior product may not give you the same quality, but the price should be low. Perhaps this seems obvious, but you know the quality. Don’t just look at the price. A poor quality product could be expensive. And a valuable one could be on sale at a greatly reduced price.
◎Don’t hurry. Take your time. After you decide what product you want, go to many different stores. If you cannot find the product you want, you may try to order it directly form the factory or ask the store to order it for you.
Look for a good deal. If you wait, you will probably find that your product will go on sale and
you may be able to save 10,20,or even 50 percent of the original price.
◎Finally, before you buy, make sure that the product is guaranteed(质量保证). If you find the lowest possible price, you will generally be happy with your purchase and also keep more money in the bank.
73. What’s the best title for this passage?
A. What products are of high quality B. Do shopping wisely as a student
C. How to save your money D. Take your time when shopping
74. The underlined word “inferior” (in paragraph 3) probably means “____”.
A. low in price B. produced by a small factory
C. low in quality D. produced by a large factory
75. If you cannot find what you want to buy in the stores, you may____.
A. wait until it arrives
B. place an order directly with the factory
C. save some money in the bank
D. get your money back from the factory