Bitcoin and other so﹣called cryptocurrenciest （加密货币） have been all over the news lately． Apparently， the idea of money that's not tied to a specific bank or a specific country is appealing to many． But it's worth remembering that the banking system that we now all live with is just that： A modern invention． Not so long ago， money was almost always created and used locally， and bartering was common． （In fact， it still is common among many online local networks， like the Buy Nothing Project．）．
In the past， money's makeup varied from place to place， depending on what was considered valuable there． So while some of the world's first coins were made from a naturally occurring hybrid of gold and silver called electrum （金银矿）， objects other than coins have served as currency， including beads， ivory， livestock， and cowrie shells． In West Africa， bracelets of bronze or copper were used as cash， especially if the transaction was associated with the slave trade there． Throughout the colonial period， tobacco was used to replace coins or paper bills in Virginia， Maryland and North Carolina， even though it was used elsewhere in the colonies and extensively throughout Europe and the U． K．
Today， on an island in the Pacific， a specific type of shell still serves as currency and some people there are even hoarding （储存） it， just like Bitcoin moguls， convinced that one day， it will make them wealthy beyond imagination． On Malaita， the most﹣populated island that's part of the Solomon Islands， shells are accepted at most places in exchange for goods．
"How much tuna （金枪鱼） you can get for your shells depends on their color and shape，" Mary Bruno， a shop owner from the small town of Auki， on Malaita， told Vice． "One strip of darker shells might get you about two cans of smaller tuna， but the red ones are worth more． For the red ones， one strip might get enough tuna to feed a big family for a long time．"
Just like a mintthat creates coins， there's only one place on the island where the shells， which are polished and strung together to form 3﹣foot﹣long ropes， are made． The strips of red， white， and black shells all come from Langa Langa Lagoon， where artificial islands were long﹣ago built by locals to escape from the island﹣dwelling cannibals． Once marooned （困住） out on their islands， locals needed a currency to use among themselves， and so the shell currency was born．
Using shells for money was common throughout the Pacific islands as late as the early 1900s， but Malaita is unique in that they are still used today． And just like cryptocurencies， there are those who think the islanders are smart to invest in this type of money， which is reported to have risen in value over the last three decades． It might seem strange to hoard a bunch of processed， strung﹣together shells， but what is a pile of dollars？ Just a specially printed piece of paper and hemp that we've assigned value to and probably less durable over time than those shells．
（1）According to the passage， which of the following is TRUE？
| A． |
Money was created and was widely used in the world． |
| B． |
Tobacco was used as coins or paper bills in American in the past． |
| C． |
The ingredients of world's first coins may be the combination of gold and silver． |
| D． |
Using shells for money has been out of date in the world． |
（2）The word "mint" in paragraph 5 is closest in the meaning to " "．
| A． |
a kind of money that can exchange |
| B． |
the leaves of a mint plant used fresh or candied |
| C． |
a place to produce and polish shells |
| D． |
a factory that produces currency |
（3）What's opinion of the author towards shells for money？
| A． |
Reasonable． |
| B． |
Imaginary． |
| C． |
Convenient． |
| D． |
Inventive |
（4）Which of the following might be the best title of the passage？
| A． |
The History of Biteoin |
| B． |
Shells Still Money |
| C． |
The Currency Is of Great Use |
| D． |
Some Shells |
One August afternoon, Richard Allen dropped off his last passenger, Mrs. Carey. Lifting two grocery bags, he followed her across the yard and stood on the step of her house. Glancing up, he saw a large wasp（黄蜂）nest under the roof. Allen had heard that wasps can become more likely to sting（sting, stung, stung蜇）in summer. He mentioned this to Mrs. Carey, who had opened the door.
“Oh, they don’t bother me,” she said lightly. “I go in and out all the time.”
Anxiously, Allen looked at the nest again-to see the wasps flying straight at him. “Hurry!” he shouted to Mrs. Carey. “Get in!”
She stepped quickly inside. Allen ran for his mini-bus. Too late; they were upon him. Just as he jumped aboard, half a dozen red spots showed on his arm, and he felt more on his back and shoulders.
As he was driving down the road, Allen felt as if something was burning at the back of his neck, and the “fire” was spreading forward toward his face. An immediate anxiety took hold of him. Allen knew that stings could cause some persons to die. But he had been stung the previous summer and the after-effects soon passed. However, what he didn’t know was that the first sting had turned his body into a time bomb waiting for the next to set off an explosion.
Miles from the nearest medical assistance, Allen began to feel his tongue thick and heavy and his heartbeat louder. Most frightening, he felt his breathing more and more difficult. He reached for the radio mike（话筒）,trying to call the mini-bus center, but his words were hardly understandable. Signals were also poor that far out. He knew a rescue team was on 24-hour duty at the Amherst Fire Department’s north station. So his best chance was to make a run for it.
Rushing down the mountain, Allen tried not to panic, focusing his mind on each sharp turn. He was almost through the last of them when he felt sure he was going into shock（休克）.Just then he reached for the radio mike again.
“Call fire station,” he shouted, concentrating to form the words. “Emergency. Bee sting. Emergency. There in ten minutes.”
“Five-ten,” the center replied.
Hold on, Allen thought. Keep your eyes open. Breathe. Keep awake.
At last he reached the station. Two firemen ran out. Allen felt their hands grasp him before he hit the ground. You made it, he thought.It is mentioned in the passage that wasps are more likely to attack when_____.
A. there are huge noises
B. strangers are approaching
C. the hottest season comes around
D the air is filled with food smellAllen didn’t know that if stung by wasps again, he would______.
| A．have no after-effects |
| B．suffer from sharper pain |
| C．become more sensitive |
| D．surely lose his life |
Allen failed at his first attempt to send his message to the mini-bus center because _______.
| A．he was in a state of shock |
| B．his radio equipment was poor |
| C．he was unable to speak clearly |
| D．no one was on duty |
Which would be the best title for the passage？
| A．A Race Against Death |
| B．Wasps, Bloody Killers |
| C．Allen, A Helpless Driver |
| D．War Against Wasps |
Hotlines have become common in China. Some radio broadcasting stations use hotlines to encourage the listeners to take part in the talk shows.
That’s a good idea. Yet, the fact is, some people do nothing but break the whole program.
Some people know little about the topic under discussion. Sometimes they do not even know what the host is talking about. So the host has to tell the caller what the show is about. Usually the caller will ask a few questions which express his hope and show his ignorance (无知). Then the host has to answer and explain—how silly this is! It wastes a lot of time.
It seems that some people phone the hotlines for fun. They just want to let the listeners hear them. They don’t care what the topic is, whether they themselves are interested or how silly they appear to be.
I’m totally bored by those people. It’s necessary for radio stations to improve the hotline programmers. In my opinion, if a caller does not know what is going on, the operator should not let the caller take part in it.The sentence “some people do nothing but break the whole program” may tell us that _____.
| A．radio stations use hotlines in a wrong way |
| B．it is a fact |
| C．it is a good idea |
| D．some people have unclear thoughts |
Some calls waste the host’s time __________.
| A．because the host works hard |
| B．because of the caller’s ignorance |
| C．because the host likes talking to the caller |
| D．because of a lot of questions raised by the caller |
Dolphins（海豚）are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this, they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time―at least twenty or thirty years. Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.
Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.
There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903, Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area－except for The Penguin.
Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them. Dolphins are different from many other animals in that they _____.
| A．live in groups | B．have large brains | C．are warm-blooded | D．have their own language |
Which of the following does the dolphin use to help it find its way around?
| A．Its nose. | B．Its ears. | C．Its mouth. | D．Its eyes. |
Why did the sailors off the coast of New Zealand look for Jack?
| A．He was lonely and liked to be with people. |
| B．They enjoyed playing with him. |
| C．He was seriously wounded. |
| D．They wanted his help. |
By telling the story of Jack, the writer wanted to show that _____.
| A．dolphins are friendly and clever | B．people are cruel to animals |
| C．Jack is different from other dolphins | D．dolphins should be protected by law |
Today our lives are changing faster than at any time in history. Here we report on three important changes that will have a big impact on our everyday lives in the future．
The cashless society
Cash and bank-notes will disappear almost completely. They will be replaced by smart cards, namely plastic cards: microchip（微芯片）processors（处理器）loaded with some money. When we pay for goods，the shop assistant will put our smart card into a payment terminal（终端）and money will come into his card from our card. When all the money is used up，we will be able to reloadit by putting it into a telephone，dialing our bank account and money will be put into the card from the account.
Interactive telephones
Talking computers will play an important part. They will recognize speech, ask us what information we need, look through a database，and put the information into speech．If we want to book a flight or pay a bill by phone, we will interact with a talking computer to do so. Human telephone operators will be used only for more complex operations such as dealing with complaints or solving special problems.
Traffic jams in cities will be reduced because drivers will use electronic route maps to find the quickest route to their destination. Electronic systems will start changing motorists for driving in cities．As soon as motorists have to pay to drive in cities, they will stop using their cars and use public transport instead. Speed control systems will be built into cars. These systems will automatically（自动地）regulate the speed of the car to take account of traffic and weather conditions and prevent accidents. It will be many years before these changes bring results but when they do，there will be a titanic improvement in road safety.
With the development of science and technology, more and more advanced things will be invented or created. Life in the future is undoubtedly different from that at the present. Cash and bank-note will disappear because .
| A．they will be out of use sooner or later |
| B．they will be replaced by plastic cards convenient to use |
| C．we can load money from the bank |
| D．they will be rejected by payment terminals |
What will you do if the money in your card is used up?
| A．Go to the bank to deposit some money. |
| B．Put the card into a telephone and dial the bank account. |
| C．Buy a new card. |
| D．We don’t know. |
Which of the following would be the best subtitle for the fourth paragraph?
| A．Future cars | B．Speed control systems | C．Intelligent cars | D．Traffic jams |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．When we buy tickets for flying somewhere else, we can have a talk with the computer. |
| B．If you make a complaint, you can use human telephone operation. |
| C．Drivers will stop using their cars and use public transport in order to prevent accidents. |
| D．The help of electronic route maps will decrease traffic jams. |
The underlined word “titanic” in Paragraph 4 means .
| A．huge and great | B．the name of a ship | C．slight | D．increasing |
The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖的) roof cottages around a church, a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white, the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings―these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.
Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts（工艺）practised in the British Isles. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.
Thatching is a solitary（独自的）craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practised toady has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, keeping and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often unwilling to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to get the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat.Which of the following remains a special feature of the English countryside?
| A．Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses. | B．Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings. |
| C．Cottages with thatched roofs. | D．Churches with cottages around them. |
What do we know about thatching as a craft?
| A．It is a collective activity. |
| B．It is practised on farms all over England. |
| C．It is quite different from what it used to be. |
| D．It is in most cases handed down among family members. |
Thatched houses are still preferred because of _________.
| A．their style and comfort | B．their durability |
| C．their easy maintenance | D．their cheap and ready-made materials |
People in developing countries also live under thatch because ________.
| A．thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction |
| B．thatched roof houses are the cheapest |
| C．thatch is an effective defense against the heat |
| D．they like thatched houses better than other buildings |