In many countries the standard of living enjoyed by their people has increased rapidly in recent years. Sadly, not everyone in these countries is so fortunate and many people in rich countries are homeless.
The reasons for homelessness are various, but poverty（贫穷）is undoubtedly one of the main causes. The homeless people may have become jobless and then been unable to pay their rent and so no longer have a roof over their heads. Often, the fact that unemployed people get help from the government prevents this from happening, but not always.
Some homeless people are mentally ill and have no one to look after them. Some are young people who, for one reason or another, have left home and have nowhere to live. Many of them have had a serious disagreement with their parents and have left home, choosing to go to a city and live on the streets. Sometimes they have taken such action because they have been unable to get on with a step-parent.
Many homeless people get into the habit of begging to get enough money to stay alive, but many of the general public refuse to give anything to beggars. Often they are moved on by the police, being accused （指控），whether rightly or wrongly, of forceful begging . There are many who disrespect homeless people.
Some cynics（愤世嫉俗的人）declare that homeless people choose to live the life which they lead. But who would willingly choose to live in a shop doorway, under a bridge or in a cardboard box?According to the text, what causes some people to be homeless?
| A．Lack of money. |
| B．The increased standard of living. |
| C．No government help. |
| D．Agreement with their parents. |
It can be inferred from the text that________.
| A．the homeless are willing to live under a bridge or in a cardboard box |
| B．you will not find homeless people in countries with a high standard of living |
| C．the unemployed who receive help may still be among homeless |
| D．the mentally ill live on the streets because they want the company of other homeless people |
In paragraph 2 , “a roof over their heads ”most probably means _________.
| A．a cap | B．a car | C．a home | D．a covering |
The author thinks that the homeless people are _________.
| A．admirable | B．respectable |
| C．troublesome | D．Pitiful |
"Shark on the bait （诱饵） !" shouted Andre Harman, pointing to a spot a few yards behind the outboard motors． His voice gave no indication of panic, but the crew suddenly became tense and fixed their eyes on the water． Slowly, smoothly, Andre drew in the bait．The shark followed． No one asked what kind of shark it was． Everything about it, from its color to its shape, tells that it was a great white shark．
Andre lifted the bait aboard． Placing himself between the two motors, he dropped his right hand into the water just as the great head reached the first motor．“My goodness Andre!” I said． His hand seized the big nose, moving it away from the tube of the motor, guiding the shark's head up as it rose out of the water． Andre's hand held the nose, touching it gently． No one spoke． No one breathed． The moment seemed endless． In fact, it lasted less than five seconds before Andre pulled his hand back．
Still nobody spoke． Then Andre smiled and said: "The first time was an accident． I was just trying to move the shark away from the motor． Sharks are attracted to motors by r．heir electrical signals and have a habit of biting them to see if they are eatable． " Andre has worked with great white sharks for years． "My hand landed on its nose, and it sort of paused, so I kept it there, and when I did let go, the shark bit and bit as if it was searching for whatever it was that had attracted it．"
Nearly every encounter （遭遇） we had had with the great whites had been totally illogical． The more we learned, the more we realized how little was really known about them in the past years． Back then, it was generally accepted that great whites ate people by choice． Now we know that almost every attack on a human is an accident in which the shark mistakes a human for its normal food． Back then, we thought that once a great white smelt blood, it would lead to death． Now we know that nearly three-quarters of bite victims survive, perhaps because the shark recognizes that is has made a mistake and doesn't return for a second bite．The author said, "My goodness! Andre ! " when ________．
| A．Andre was about to fall into the water |
| B．Andre was about to touch the shark |
| C．Andre was followed by the shark |
| D．Andre was bitten by the shark |
What does the author think of the encounters with great whites________.
| A．Exciting． | B．Educational． |
| C．Frightening | D．Reasonable |
Most bite victims survive in shark attacks because________.
| A．they are taught how to fight off sharks |
| B．sharks discover they are no threats |
| C．they manage to swim to safety |
| D．sharks stop attacking them |
For many years, women could only be seen on the seat behind the men operating the two-wheeled motorcycle. Now more and more women are taking the front seat. More than twenty million people in the United States ride motorcycles.
Since 1998 the number of female（女性）bikers has risen sharply. Lady Sport Riders began in 1999 in Washington. The women formed the organization to share their love of motorcycle riding. But later it wanted to be more than just an organization for women to gather and ride motorcycles, so it started to organize events that help national health organizations and women’s shelters. It also permits women to share a strong sisterhood, and gives financial awards to poor students. Like other motorcycle clubs, the members of Lady Sport Riders also help their community.
Different from male riders, female riders ride for more than fun. This sport gives women a sense of freedom and control. Female riders have helped change motorcycle culture. More than five years ago manufacturers began making equipment especially for women. Some bikes now have smaller, softer seats and controls that are easier to reach. Modern clothes for riding now look good and still provide protection. In the past, women rode motorcycles that traveled at a moderate speed. Now theirs are as powerful as the ones men ride. Safety is very important when riding because the risk (危险) of injury is high. So the women wear protective clothing and equipment at all times, especially for the head.
Lady Sport Riders believes women have earned their place in the sport of motorcycle riding. When speaking of male motorcyclists, the members of the club say, “They Made the Game. We Came to Play!”What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．The number of female motorcyclists is now larger than that of male riders. |
| B．Motorcycle riding used to be considered a male sport. |
| C．Female motorcyclists are more skilled at riding than male riders. |
| D．More and more women have an adventurous spirit. |
In the beginning, Lady Sport Riders was organized to .
| A．allow women to take up motorcycling |
| B．offer help to national health organizations |
| C．share their great interest in the sport of motorcycling |
| D．supply financial help to poor students |
What do men motorcyclists mainly expect to get from motorcycling?
| A．Strength and power. |
| B．Pleasure from this sport. |
| C．Money and fame. |
| D．A sense of freedom. |
Compared with the past, the present equipment makes riding more ______ for women.
| A．difficult | B．expensive |
| C．risky | D．pleasant |
In many countries the standard of living enjoyed by their people has increased rapidly in recent years. Sadly, not everyone in these countries is so fortunate and many people in rich countries are homeless.
The reasons for homelessness are various, but poverty（贫穷）is undoubtedly one of the main causes. The homeless people may have become jobless and then been unable to pay their rent and so no longer have a roof over their heads. Often, the fact that unemployed people get help from the government prevents this from happening, but not always.
Some homeless people are mentally ill and have no one to look after them. Some are young people who, for one reason or another, have left home and have nowhere to live. Many of them have had a serious disagreement with their parents and have left home, choosing to go to a city and live on the streets. Sometimes they have taken such action because they have been unable to get on with a step-parent.
Many homeless people get into the habit of begging to get enough money to stay alive, but many of the general public refuse to give anything to beggars. Often they are moved on by the police, being accused （指控），whether rightly or wrongly, of forceful begging . There are many who disrespect homeless people.
Some cynics（愤世嫉俗的人）declare that homeless people choose to live the life which they lead. But who would willingly choose to live in a shop doorway, under a bridge or in a cardboard box?According to the text, what causes some people to be homeless?
| A．Lack of money. |
| B．The increased standard of living. |
| C．No government help. |
| D．Agreement with their parents. |
It can be inferred from the text that________.
| A．the homeless are willing to live under a bridge or in a cardboard box |
| B．you will not find homeless people in countries with a high standard of living |
| C．the unemployed who receive help may still be among homeless |
| D．the mentally ill live on the streets because they want the company of other homeless people |
In paragraph 2 , “a roof over their heads ”most probably means _________.
| A．a cap | B．a car | C．a home | D．a covering |
The author thinks that the homeless people are _________.
| A．admirable | B．respectable |
| C．troublesome | D．Pitiful |
Reading is very important to help you learn English. To learn as much as you can from reading, you need to read different kinds of English. This book provides not only different kinds of English but also a good way to check your reading ability.
There are four parts in the book:
Part 1 is Messages: In this part somebody wants to send information in writing to somebody else. There is a test on timetable and a test on text messages.
Part 2 is People: In this part all the tests are about people. For example, there is an informal letter between friends. There is formal(正式的) English in biography(传记). There is a job application as a model to help with your writing, as well as testing your reading.
Part 3 is Places: In this part, too, many different kinds of English are shown, some informal and some formal. There is the informal English of a holiday postcard. There is also the formal English in a letter of complaint.
Part 4 is Things: You will find some descriptive(描写的) writing in this part. There are descriptions of clothes and of a computer.
You can do these tests in any order you like, or you can do all the tests with a formal or informal text. I enjoyed writing this book and I hope you enjoy using it.We can find the introduction to a product in ___________.
| A．part 1 | B．Part 2 | C．Part 3 | D．Part 4 |
Which of the following is most probably written in informal English?
| A．A letter of complaint. |
| B．A letter of a friend |
| C．A computer handbook. |
| D．A story of a president. |
The passage is most probably written for _________.
| A．students | B．test designers |
| C．test-takers | D．teachers |
The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was not that we could take drawing classes or painting classes but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum, she made us read about artists and painting styles(风格). It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?
First we had to read about ancient Egyptians(古埃及人) and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly (鬈曲的) hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldn’t see what was so great about art.
On our last visit to the museum, something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it, a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother’s expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldn’t stop looking at this painting! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.The aim of the mother’s plan was to _________.
| A．take them to visit the museum |
| B．introduce them to the world of art |
| C．ask them to read about artists |
| D．show them different painting styles |
What was the writer’s experience in the museum before the last visit?
| A．She came to feel her mother’s love. |
| B．She could understand the pictures of fat babies. |
| C．She liked many paintings. |
| D．She hardly enjoyed herself. |
What made the writer go through a change that summer?
| A．Artists in the Middle Ages. |
| B．A strange way of painting. |
| C．One of Mary’s paintings. |
| D．Her mother’s instruction. |
From the text, we can see _________.
| A．the importance of curiosity |
| B．the power of family education |
| C．the value of learning |
| D．the effect of art |