There have been many great inventions, things that changed the way we live. The first great invention was one that is still very important today -the wheel. This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel a long distance.
For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that had as much effect (作用) as the wheel. Then in the early 1800's the word started to change. There was little unknown land left in the world. People didn't have to explore（探索） much anymore. They began to work hard to make life better. In the second half of the 19th century many great inventions were made. Among them were the camera, the electric light and the radio. These all became a big part of our life today. The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions. The helicopter (直升飞机) in 1909. Sound movies in 1926. The computer in 1928. And jet planes in 1930. This was also a time when a new material was first made. Nylon came out in 1935. It changed the kind of clothes people wear.
By this time most people had a very good life. Of course new inventions continued to be made. But man now had a desire to explore again. The world is known to man but the stars are not yet. Man began looking for ways to go into space. Russia made the first step. Then the United States took a step. Since then other countries, including China and Japan, have made their steps into space.
In 1969 man took his biggest step away from the earth. Americans first walked on the moon. This is certainly just a beginning thought. New inventions will some day allow us to do things we have never yet dreamed of.This passage talks mainly about ___________.
| A．why cars were very important |
| B．when light was invented |
| C．which country made the first step into space |
| D．how inventions effect people’s life |
Nylon came out nearly at the same time as__________.
| A．radio | B．camera | C．jet plane | D．movies |
Which of the statement is not true?
| A．For hundreds of years after wheel there were many other inventions having as much effect as the wheel. |
| B．America, Russia, Japan and China began to explore the stars before 1969. |
| C．In the early 1800’s people began to work instead of exploring more unknown land to make life better. |
| D．New invention will change our life greatly in the future. |
What does “a desire” mean in the passage?
| A．a good way | B．a new invention |
| C．a strong wish | D．a wonderful idea |
Man didn’t have a desire to explore a lot ______________.
| A．at the beginning of the 1800’s |
| B．in the 1960’s |
| C．since the 1900’s |
| D．from the 1800’s to the 1960’s |
Tom and Edward are brothers. They are very different(不同的) in many aspects(方面). Tom likes basketball very much. It’s very interesting for him. He likes tennis, too. But he doesn’t like soccer. He thinks it’s difficult and boring.
Edward, his brother, likes soccer best. He thinks it’s so exciting and interesting. He plays it every day, and he has a collection of four tennis balls. But he doesn’t like tennis.
They also like different food. Tom likes eggs and fruits. Apples are his favorite. But Edward likes meat(肉) and vegetables, and broccoli is his favorite.
But they also have the same hobbies. They like rock music very much. They like Beatles very much. They can also play the drums and the guitar well. They make(组建) a band with their best friend, Cindy. The band’s name is Sea. The people around like their band very much.Who likes broccoli best?
| A．Edward | B．Tom. | C．Cindy. | D．We don’t know. |
Why does Tom like basketball?
| A．Because it’s exciting. |
| B．Because it’s interesting. |
| C．Because it’s relaxing. |
| D．Because it’s exciting and interesting. |
What instruments can Tom and Edward play?
| A．The guitar. |
| B．The drums. |
| C．The guitar and the drums. |
| D．The violin. |
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填写表格 (每空限填一词)。
How do you feel when you have to make a speech in front of class? What about when you go to a birthday party? Do you get really shy?
Shyness means feeling nervous or frightened when you’re around other people. Experts (专家) have found that more than 80 percent of middle school students feel afraid to be the centre of attention. Some kids are born shy. Some become shy later because of their life experiences.
It’s OK if it takes you a while to feel yourself again when you go to a new place or meet new people. In fact, everybody gets a little shy sometimes. It’s just a case of how much.
Most people have red faces and talk in broken sentences when they get shy. But some become so shy that they won’t go to a restaurant because they are too nervous to order and pay the bill (账单). Some are afraid of meeting new people, so they seldom go outside. This kind of shyness can be bad for a person.
If shyness doesn’t stop you from doing something you want to do, being shy isn’t a very big problem. Some experts say shy people are quieter and cleverer because they think more and talk less. Shy people are also good at working with others because they think more for other people. Some great people in history were shy, too.
You see, being shy isn’t all bad. But remember not to let good chances pass by just because of it! If you have to sing a song at a birthday party or practice your spoken English in front of others, just do it! There’s nothing to be afraid of.
Shyness
| Meaning |
To feel |
|
| Causes |
To be the To be born shy To have |
|
| Effects |
To have red To talk in To be |
|
| Good effects |
To be quieter and To be good at |
|
| Advice |
To take hold of (抓住) good |
When you are reading something in English, you may often meet with a new word. What’s the best way to know it?
You may look it up in the English-Chinese dictionary. It will tell you a lot about the word: the pronunciation, the Chinese meaning and how to use the word. But how can you know where the word is thousands of English words? How to find it in the dictionary both quickly and correctly?
First, all the English words are arranged(安排) in the letter order. In the dictionary you can first see the words beginning with letter A, then B, C, D…. That means, if there are two words “desert” and “pull”, “desert” will be certainly before “pull”. Then if there are two words both beginning with the same letter, you may look at the second letter. Then the third, the fourth… For example, “pardon” is before “plough”, “judge” before “just”, etc.
Do you understand how to look up in the dictionary?
The dictionary will be your good friend. I hope you’ll use it as often as possible in your English study.This passage is about______.
| A．new words in writing |
| B．different dictionaries |
| C．the best way of reading |
| D．using an English-Chinese dictionary |
In the dictionary you may not find_______.
| A．how to pronounce the word |
| B．the spelling of the word |
| C．who used the word first |
| D．how to use the word |
In an English-Chinese dictionary, the last word______.
| A．begins with Z | B．begins with A |
| C．is a short one | D．is not often used |
Which group of words is in the right order in an English-Chinese dictionary?
| A．perhaps, produce, plenty |
| B．straight, subject, surprise |
| C．century, center, business |
| D．foreign, entrance, headache |
In the passage the writer tries to tell us that_______.
| A．we have to use a dictionary when we read something in English |
| B．an English-Chinese dictionary can tell us everything about a word |
| C．an English-Chinese dictionary can help us a lot in our English study |
| D．all English-Chinese dictionary are the same |
Which is more useful?(有用的)
Thomas is in Grade Two now. He goes to school from Monday to Friday. After school he must do some housework. He helps his parents on the farm(农场) on Saturdays and Sundays. So he doesn’t have any time to play soccer in the daytime. He often plays soccer with his friends in the moon (月亮).
It’s five in the afternoon. School is over. Thomas goes home and cooks for his family. After dinner he sees his friend Paul near his house and asks him to play soccer. The boy looks at the sky and sees the moon. Then he asks,” Which is more useful, the sun or the moon?”
“I think the moon is,” says Thomas. “We need light (光线) in the evening, because we see not the sun, but the moon!”Thomas’ parents are ________.
| A．workers | B．teachers | C．policemen | D．farmers |
Thomas must work on the farmdays in a week.
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
Thomas is busy in the daytime, so.
| A．he does some homework in the evening |
| B．he does some washing(洗) and cleaning in the evening |
| C．he plays soccer with his friends in the moon |
| D．he watches TV at home in the evening |
Thomas sees Paultoday.
| A．in the morning | B．in the afternoon |
| C．in the evening | D．at school |
Thomas only likes.
| A．the sun | B．the moon | C．Saturdays | D．Sundays |
What will the future be like? What do you think of it? Here are some answers from some students.
Roy Burns: I think life in the future will be better. Most people in the world will use “green cars” by 2020, so there will be less pollution and people will live to be 200 years old. As for space travel, I would say, we will travel to Mars(火星) and some other stars in about fifty years.
Helen Lester: If we don’t take good care of the earth now, our children and grandchildren will be born into a world with too much pollution. There will be fewer trees and more buildings, because there will be more people.
Kitty Smith: I agree with Helen Lester. Things will be worse. The weather in the future will be much hotter. Human beings will have to look for another planet to live on. What are the students doing?
| A．They are talking about space travel. |
| B．They are predicting the future. |
| C．They are talking about pollution. |
| D．They are predicting the weather in the future. |
How many things does Roy Burns predict?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Five | D．Six |
What does Helen Lester think life will be like in the future?
| A．People will live much longer. |
| B．People will have to live on the moon. |
| C．Everybody will drive a green car. |
| D．There will be more buildings and fewer trees. |
What does the underlined word “planet” mean in Chinese?
| A．太空站 | B．宇宙 | C．星球 | D．南极 |
Why does Kitty Smith think human beings will have to live on another planet?
| A．The earth will be too crowded for human beings to live on. |
| B．There will be too much pollution everywhere. |
| C．There will be too many people. |
| D．The earth will be too hot to live on. |