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A

New research shows that Earth will have more than nine thousand million people by two thousand fifty. The world population is at present about six point four thousand million.

The research is from the Population Reference Bureau, a private group based in Washington. It says most growth will take place in developing countries in Africa and western Asia.

India is expected to pass China as the world’s most populated nation. By the middle of the century, the report says, India will have over one and one-half thousand million citizens, an increase of fifty percent.

China has one point three thousand million people at present. The Population Reference Bureau says the population should increase about ten percent by two thousand fifty.

Most developed nations will see a drop in their populations. The only big exception is expected to be the United States. The report says the United States will remain the third biggest nation. The population is close to three hundred million now. It is expected to reach four hundred twenty million. The report says this will be because of immigration（移民）and low death rates among babies.

Between now and two thousand fifty, Niger is expected to be the fastest growing country. The biggest decrease(下降) is expected in Bulgaria.

The study is based on information from governments and the United Nations. Researcher Carl Haub wrote the report. He examined infant(婴儿) death rates, life expectancy, birth rates and the age structure of nations. The study also considered family planning use and, for the first time, rates of AIDS.

Mister Haub says most growth will take place in countries with young populations and traditionally large families. He points to Nigeria and Japan as two nations that are moving in opposite directions in terms of population.

1. The best title for the text is likely to be _____.

  A. World Population and the Development of Industry

  B. Developed Country and its Population

  C. Developing Country and its Population

  D. World Population by 2050

2. In which of the following countries is the biggest decrease expected in the growth of the population?

  A. India.      B. Egypt.      C. China        D. Japan   

3. Most developed nations will see a fall in their populations except the US because _____.

  A. the country doesn’t try to control the population growth

  B. infant death rates are low

  C. people all over the world move there and settle down

  D. both B and C

4. How many more people is India likely to have than China by 2050 according to the report?

  A. 750 million.  B. 75 million     C. 70 million      D. 200 million

B

Half-Truths

   Be care of those who use the truth to deceive（欺骗）. When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can create a false impression.

   For example, someone might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery(彩票). It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!”

   This guy’s a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought two hundred tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser!

   He didn’t say anything that was false, but he purposely(故意) omitted important information. That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.

   Dishonest candidates(候选人) in political campaigns often use this tactic(策略). Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term(任期), her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents runs an ad saying, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”

   Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the truth. An ad might show off, “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation.

   This kind of dishonesty happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.

1. Which statement is true according to the article?

  A. Whenever telling the truth, people are really lying.

  B. One can get rich in a flash by getting lottery tickets .

  C. All governors help their states.

  D. The truth can be used in dishonest ways.

2. The underlined word “omitted” in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.

  A. spent money  B. left out  C. told about  D. exposed

3. The author clearly wants people to _____.

  A. think carefully about what they read and hear

  B. learn to tell half-truths

  C. trust no one but the best friends

  D. vote for female candidates

4. Another suitable title for this selection would be _____.

  A. Telling the Truth                     B. Everyone Lies

  C. Lying With the Truth              D. Trust Nobody

 

C

Several interesting American museums tell about health subjects. One is the Doctor Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry. It is at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. That is where the first college in the world to train dentists began. The museum tells about the history of the medical treatment of teeth. Visitors can see some frightening devices that once were used to remove infected(受感染的) teeth. They also can see sets of teeth made of animal bone. They were made for a famous American -- the first President, George Washington.

Most people do not consider a visit to the dentist their idea of a good time. However, the director of the museum says he wanted to make the museum a fun place to visit. He says he also wants to teach visitors about the importance of taking care of their teeth.

Another museum collects devices that help people hear. The Kenneth W. Berger Hearing Aid Museum is at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. The museum has more than three-thousand hearing aids from around the world. They include old and strange devices. Some hearing aids were made to look like other objects. That is because in the past many people did not want anyone to know they were wearing a hearing aid.

1. It is common for people to think it uneasy to pay a visit to ____.

  A. the University of Maryland   B. the Museum of Dentistry 

C. the Hearing Aid Museum     D. the dentist

2. The text mainly tells about _____.

  A. museums in the US                   B. interesting American museums

  C. American museums with health subjects  D. the history of the medical treatment of teeth

3. What do we learn about George Washington from the text?

  A. He once visited the National Museum of Dentistry.

  B. He considered the Museum of Dentistry a fun place to visit

  C. His artificial teeth were collected in the National Museum of Dentistry.

  D. His teeth seemed to be made of animal bone.

4. The underlined word “devices” in the first and last paragraph probably means _____.

  A. means     B. strategies      C. tools       D. desires

 

D

Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote a very famous story called Tarzan of the Apes.

This story tells about a shipwreck(船只失事) on the West coast of Africa. The passengers on the ship include a certain Lord and Lady Greystoke from England. Lord and Lady Greystoke are the only survivors of the shipwreck.

Lord Greystoke builds a kind of shelter high up in the trees - a treehouse - for his pregnant(有孕的) wife and does his best to make them comfortable in their new jungle home. Lady Greystoke gives birth to a boy. They call the boy John. Unfortunately, she dies and leaves Lord Greystoke to take care of the baby on his own. Lord Greystoke is killed by a huge ape(猿人) that comes to see the strange house in the trees. The baby is left all alone. Fortunately, a female ape, whose baby has recently died, finds the human baby alone in the treehouse. Even though the baby is white and hairless, she feels a mother's love for it and begins to feed and take care of it. She becomes John's mother. John - who later takes the name Tarzan, never having known his real identity(身份) — grows strong and powerful living among the apes. He has the advantage of human intelligence and finally grows up to be leader of the apes and, in the end, lord of the jungle.

The book tells many stories of Tarzan's adventures in the jungles, his fights with savage animals, his encounters with other human beings (many of whom are as dangerous as the animals) and his re-discovery of his true identity.

1. How many people have escaped from the shipwreck on the African coast?

  A. One.   B. Two.      C. Three.       D. Four.

79. What is the meaning of the underlined word “survivors” in the second paragraph?

  A. People who are lucky enough to exist in spite of an accident.

  B. People who are unlucky not to exist because of an accident.

  C. People who enjoy taking adventures so much as to lose their lives.

  D. People who die from a shipwreck because of bad weather.

2. Which of the following statements is true about John?

  A. He is Lord Greystoke.         B. He is a large ape.

  C. He is Tarzan.                          D. He is brought up by a male ape.

3. The text doesn’t tell us, but we can infer that ____.

  A. Tarzan is able to live on only because of the death of the baby ape

  B. John’s father is killed by an ape that come across him in his house

  C. John has been trying to know his real identity while living with apes

  D. animals have their nature of kindness while humans have some ways of cruelty

E

Prince Lucian of Tolland was angry. He was eager to correct this injustice(非正义). His enemy, the ruler of Capanavia, was holding Tolland citizens hostages(人质) on the borders of their country. Prince Lucian would have to offer all his resources to saving them. The challenge was fierce. There was a huge mountain to climb and a thick jungle to pass before reaching the place where the hostages were held.

    "The news is not good!" the Prince told his advisors. "However, we can succeed. Call together the military department and let's plan a surprise attack!"

    "Yes, sir!" his subjects responded with eagerness.

    At the meeting, the Prince selected ten of his most trusted leaders to develop a plan. They worked for hours until they agreed to the steps they should take. They planned to gather supplies and employ soldiers within one week. Then, they would set out on their formal effort to rescue the hostages.

    The men went back to their towns and announced the need for military. They received a greater response than they ever expected. Thousands gathered to help rescue their fellow citizens. By the time they all returned to the capital city, there were 750,000 people ready to go.

    Word came to the enemy about the large army congregating（集合）. It struck fear in their minds. "We can never survive against so many warriors!" they feared. They worried and planned, but knew they were outnumbered. In the end, they decided to set the captives free.

1. The best title for the text is _____.

  A. Courage and Victory                B. Justice and Injustice 

C. Prince and his Soldiers               D. Bad News for Prince

2. The underlined word “captives” in the last paragraph means _____.

  A. citizens   B. leaders               C. soldiers     D. hostages

3. According to the text, which of the following is the best description about Prince Lucian?

  A. just, confident and inspiring          B. helpful, powerful and warlike

C. patient, fearless and helpless           D. humorous, courageous and challenging

4. Tolland succeeded in the end because _____.

  A. Prince Lucian had made up his mind to fight with enemy

  B. many citizens eagerly responded to Prince’s call

  C. the enemy was frightened at the mention of Prince Lucian

  D. the enemy was friendly treated by Prince Lucian

 

A

A brother and a sister have been reunited (团圆) after 60 years, thanks to a letter in the Welwyn and Hatfield Times (WHT).

For years John Hannant kept a photo of his sister, hoping they would meet again. Margery, the eldest of three children, had signed up for the Royal Air Force as part of the war effort, when John was still a baby.

The family lost touch and as years passed only a single letter gave any information about her. The information was enough for a WHT reader to recognize Margery and put the family back in touch.

John, 67, said he had been searching for a long time and a friend suggested writing to the paper.

“That’s the one that made it, the letter to your paper a few months back,” he said. “It’s like a dream come true. The last time we ever heard from Margery was in 1953 after the floods. She wrote home to know if we were all right. My sister Dorothy wrote back, but Margery had moved again and never got the letter.

Having retired (退休) from his job as gardener at Park House, Mr Hannant decided to take action once and for all.

He and his wife Doreen traveled to Margery’s home in Chelwood Avenue, Hatfield, which she shares with her husband Jack Cooke.

Now 88, she is recovering after several months in hospital, but immediately recognized her brother. John said, “At first it was exciting. It’s something I never thought was going to happen.” As well as finding his sister, John has also discovered he now has a nephew and a niece.

1. What is the best title of the passage?

A. Mr Hannant’s moving experience.

B. Help from the Welwyn and Hatfield Times.

C. Brother and sister reunited after 60 years.

D. The Hannant family that lost touch with each other.

2. Margery left her family because ____________.

A. she attended the air school            B. she joined the air force

C. she had to feed her family              D. a big flood hit her hometown

3. Margery was out of touch with her family for _______ years.

A. 55                   B. 60                  C. 67                  D. 88

 

B

	u      GONE WITH THE WIND Author: Margaret Mitchell ￥25 (in bookstores) ￥18 (online) Gone With the Wind is a best-seller, which tells a story that happened in the American Civil War. Scarlett O’Hara is a woman in the story who is full of energy. She is strong and saves her family but is very selfish at the same time.
u      A LITTLE PRINCESS Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett ￥18.3 (online) Motherless Sara Crewe was sent home from India to school at Miss Minchin’s .Her father was very rich and she lived a rich and comfortable life. Then her father died and Sara lost everything. She had to learn to do with her changed life. Her strong character made her able to fight successfully against her poverty (贫穷) and the scorn (嘲笑) of her fellows. It’s an excellent book with 4 tapes for children.
	u      PETER PAN Author: J.M Barrie ￥15 (in bookstores) ￥12 (online)    It is a children’s story full of imagination and adventures, which is about Wendy, John, and Michael Darling’s adventures in Never—Never Land with Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up. The children are happy and lovely. (with 2 tapes)
u      UNCLE TOM’S CABIN Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe ￥20 (in bookstores)    The most famous novel in American history, Uncle Tom’s Cabin talked about the struggle (斗争) between free states and slave states during the American Civil War and is as powerful today as when it first came out 150 years ago.
	u      THE SECRET GARDEN Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett ￥35 (in bookstores)  ￥30 (online) Mary Lennox, a sickly orphan (孤儿), finds herself in her uncle’s dark house. Why are so many rooms locked? Why is one of the gardens locked? And what is that crying she hears at night? Through the power of hope, friendship, and the magic (魔法) of nature, the brave girl brings the house and a long-lost garden back to life.

 

1. All of the following books have children as their main characters (主角) except _________.

A. PETER PAN                       B. GONE WITH THE WIND    

C. A LITTLE PRINCESS               D. THE SECRET GARDEN

2. We can know from the passage that _________.

A. there are only three books with tapes

B. we can buy 5 kinds of the above books in bookstores

C. two of the above books are written by Frances Hodgson Burnett

D. THE SECRET GARDEN is ￥5 cheaper in bookstores than online

3. Mary brings the house and a long-lost garden back to life with the help of _________.

a. the power of hope  b. friendship    c. her uncle      d. nature’s magic

A. abc                    B. acd                  C. bcd                 D. abd

4. Which of the following about the books is mentioned in this passage?

A. What Sara did to help her fellows.

B. Why Peter Pan wouldn’t grow up.

C. What kind of woman Scarlett is.

D. How Marry Lennox came into her uncle’s house.

 

C

What do you usually do when a flying insect lands on your arm? You may blow it away. But what if that insect is a ladybug (瓢虫)? It is possible that you would let it stay. What is it about ladybugs that we like?

Farmers once thought ladybugs were a good lucky sign. A ladybug in the field meant the crops would be successful and that the weather would be good. The farmers may have thought too highly of such a small bug, but in fact ladybugs do help out with the crops. They eat harmful insects.

Actually, it is not the adult ladybug that eats other insects. It’s the baby ladybug. When the baby ladybugs hatch (孵化), they are very hungry and will eat mites, aphids, mealy bugs, green flies, and other crop-destroyers. In the 1800s, ladybugs were brought all the way from Australia to California and set free among orange trees that were dying from being eaten by insects. They completely saved all the trees.

Ladybugs go about their daily business without worrying much about anything. Very few birds or insects will eat a ladybug because it gives off a dangerous fluid (液体). Ladybugs also protect themselves by playing dead. They fall off leaves and stay still until their attacker goes away.

So the next time you see a ladybug, think about what it may be doing. Maybe it is off to save an orange tree. Maybe its next move will be to roll off a leaf and play dead or stand up to a bird about 100 times its size. Maybe it’s letting you know that the weather will be good tomorrow. Who knows? Ladybugs are special that way.

1. Ladybugs were brought from Australia to California in the 1800s to _______.

   A. add more ladybugs to area                      B. report the weather for farmers

   C. act as a lucky sign of good crops      D. save orange trees by eating insects

2. From the passage we know that _______.

A. it’s the adult ladybug that eats most of the harmful insects

B. ladybugs often roll off a leaf and play dead to attack the birds

C. ladybugs can give off a dangerous fluid to protect themselves

D. the baby ladybug mainly eats mites, aphids, mealybugs, and oranges

3. The underlined phrase “stand up to” most probably means ________.

A. watch            B. support                C. admire         D. fight

4. Which of the following may the author agree with?

   A. Ladybugs do harm to nature.         B. Ladybugs are unusual insects.

   C. Ladybugs are dangerous insects.      D. Ladybugs eat more than they should.

 

D

If parents bring up a child with the aim of turning the child into a genius (天才), they will cause great damage to him. According to several leading educational psychologists (心理学家), this is one of the biggest mistakes that some parents make. Generally, the child will understand very well what the parents expect, and will fail. Unrealistic parents’ expectations (期望) can cause great damage to children.

　　However, if parents are not unrealistic about what they expect their children to do, but are hopeful in a reasonable way, the children may succeed in doing very well – especially if the parents are very supportive to their children.

　　Michael Li is very lucky. He is very fond of music and his parents help him a lot by taking him to concerts and private piano and violin lessons. They even drive him 50 kilometers twice a week for violin lessons. Although Michael’s mother knows very little about music, Michael’s father plays the trumpet (小号). However, he never makes Michael enter music competitions if he doesn’t like to.

　　Michael’s friend, Wiston Chen, however, is not so lucky. Although both his parents are successful musicians, they set too high a standard (标准) for Wiston. They want their son to be as successful as they are and so they enter him in every piano competition ever held. They are very unhappy when he doesn’t win. “When I was at your age, I used to win every competition I entered.” Wiston’s father tells him. Wiston is always afraid that he will disappoint his parents and now he always seems quiet and unhappy.

1. The main idea of this passage is __________.

A. how parents should bring up a child

B. how parents should make a child a musician

C. what aim of a child can be much easier to reach

D. what differences there are between two kinds of parents

2. Michael is lucky because __________.

A. his father is a musician himself

B. his parents are rich enough to have a car

C. his parents help him in a reasonable way

D. he doesn’t do anything that his parents allow him to

3. Wiston’s parents set so high a standard for him that _________.

A. he is afraid he may disappoint them  

B. he has to do his best in everything

　　C. he has made greater progress in music

D. he often wants to kill himself some day

4. According to the author’s opinion, _________.

   A. parents should be supportive to their children

B. unrealistic parents should take their children to private lessons

C. it is unimportant to let the children develop in the way they want

   D. all successful parents can train their children to succeed in everything