Every day millions of letters go from one country to another. Letters mailed in Italy are received in Japan. Letters mailed in Canada are received in Africa. On the letters are many different kinds of stamps，bought in different countries．
The Universal Postal Union helps each letter get to the right place as quickly as possible. It sets up rules about the size and weight of letters，postcards，and small packages（包裹）. It has rules that all countries must follow about international postal rates（费用）．
One hundred years ago，international mail did not move so smoothly. One country did not always accept another country’s letters. Letters from some countries were too large to fit into the mailboxes of other countries. Letters travelled by many different routes（路线）．Some were lost along the way．
Sometimes the person who sent the letter could pay only part of the postage. The person receiving the letter had to pay the rest．
The United States was the first to suggest that all countries work together to settle the questions of international mail. In 1974，men from twenty-four countries met in Switzerland to form the Universal Postal Union．Today，more than 120 nations belong to this union. From its office in Switzerland，the union helps the mail to move safely and quickly around the world．From the story we can infer that ＿＿＿＿＿＿．
| A．mail is important to all countries |
| B．not enough letters are sent all over the world |
| C．all the letters must go to Switzerland first |
| D．all stamps look exactly the same |
The Universal Postal Union was formed ___________________ .
| A．to help move mail quickly around the world |
| B．to give many men a chance to work |
| C．to help men meet in Switzerland |
| D．to look for the lost letters along the way |
The underlined word “postage” in this passage means __________ .
| A．money paid when you buy a stamp |
| B．money spent on an envelope |
| C．the charge for carrying a letter by post |
| D．the pay a postman receives for his work |
This passage is mainly about ______________ .
| A．different kinds of stamps in different countries | B．an organization that makes rules |
| C．international mail | D．the size and weight of letters |
A jobless man applied for the position of “office boy”at Microsoft.The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
“You are employed.”he said.”Give me our e-mail address and I’ll send you the application to fill in ,as well as date when you may start.”
The man replied,”But Idon’t have a computer,neither an e-mail.”
“I’m sorry,”said the HR manager,”If you don’t have an e-mail,that means you do not exist.And who doesn’t exist cannot have the job.”
The man left with no hope at all.He didn’t know what to do, with only ten dollars in his pocket.He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10kg tomatoes.He then sold the tomatoes from door to door.In less than two hours,he succeded to double his capital,He repeated the operation three times,and returned home happily with 60 dollars.
The man realized that he can survive in this way,and started to go every day earlier,and return late,Thus,his money doubled or tripled every day.Shortly,he bought a cart,then a truck,and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.Five years later,the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US.
He started to plan his family’s future and decided to have a life insurance He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan.
When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his e-mail,The man replied,”I don’t have an e-mail.”
The broker answered curiously,”You don’t have an e-mail,and yet have succeeded to build an empire.Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?”The man thought for a while and replied,”Yes,I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!”Why can’t the man have the job at Microsoft?
| A．Because he didn’t have an e-mail |
| B．B Because he was lazy. |
| C．Because he didn’t pass the test |
| D．Because he didn’t have a computer |
The underlined word “triple”can be replaced by_______.
| A．become 3 times | B．become large | C．increase quickly | D．decrease quickly |
According to the passage,which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The man is one of the biggest food retailers in the world. |
| B．The man didn’t give up though he failed the interview. |
| C．He started his career by selling tomatoes in the supermarket. |
| D．Those who have e-mails can work at Microsoft. |
The man can be described as ______.
| A．helpful and considerate | B．smart and hardworking |
| C．positive and generous | D．stubborn and unselfish |
Which proverb can best describe the story?
| A．Where there is a will,there is a way. | B．Accidents will happen. |
| C．Misfortune may be an actual blessing. | D．No pains,no gains. |
The sun had gone behind a cloud. I was very tired and wanted nothing in the world so much as to be at home. At last I got to the gate of Hide Park. But this was worse than ever; there were buses there—high and terribly red cars, taxis and still more buses in an endless line. Everywhere there were people hurrying past or waiting to get into the buses, while I stood lost in the middle of them.
I was ready to cry. In despair, I crossed the street on to an “island”, where I found a policeman. I took my last bit of courage in both hands and said, “Please, sir, where is Addison Road?” He began to explain, but when he saw that I couldn’t understand he became helpless, too. “Are you French at school?” A few minutes later, he smiled and raised his hand. How wonderful! The traffic stopped. Even the red buses stood still and waited until I had crossed the road.That is the most probable reason why she was tired out.
| A．it had been very hot by then |
| B．the writer had been standing lost for a long time |
| C．the writer had been completely lost |
| D．the writer had been wandering in the park for a long time |
Because the writer was made so worn out, .
| A．she wanted nothing on earth but her home |
| B．she thought it perfect to stay at home |
| C．she would never leave her home at all |
| D．she didn't get to the park on time. |
In this passage “island” means .
| A．a piece of land surrounded by water |
| B．a raised place in a busy street where people may be safe from traffic |
| C．a safe place that can only be used by policemen |
| D．a safe place that nobody can use without permission |
Why did the traffic stop? Because .
| A．all the drivers could understand French |
| B．perhaps a certain driver had broken the traffic rules |
| C．all the drivers knew the policeman very well |
| D．the policeman was directing the traffic |
In which country do you think the story happened?
| A．Switzerland. | B．France. | C．England. | D．A certain non-English speaking country. |
There was a time when the owners of shops and businesses in Chicago had to pay large sums of money to gangsters(匪徒)in return for “protection”. If the money was not paid immediately, the gangsters would quickly put a man out of business by destroying his shop. Getting “protection money” is not a modern means. As long ago as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the remarkable discovery that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters.
Then Sir John Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a group of soldiers and settled near Florence. He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto. Whenever the Italian city-states were at war with each other, Hawkwood used to hire his soldiers to those who were willing to pay the high price he demanded. In times of peace, when business was bad, Hawkwood and his men would march into a city-state and, after burning down a few farms, would offer to go away if protection money was paid to them. Hawkwood made large sums of money with this method. In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero .When he died at eighty, the Florentines gave him a state funeral and had his picture painted, which was in memory of “this bravest man”.What protection did Chicago gangsters give to those who paid them?
| A．They saved those people’s businesses from destruction. |
| B．They left those people’s business unharmed much. |
| C．They sent soldiers to serve them no matter what help they needed willingly. |
| D．They didn’t take those people’s lives |
Sir John Hawkwook's Italian name “Giovanni Acuto” was one which .
| A．he gave himself in order to become better known to the Italians |
| B．he earned through his sharp practice of selling his ‘protection’ |
| C．he needed so as to hire his soldiers to Italians |
| D．was given him in telling his services to the others’ |
The Italians regarded Hawkwood as a sort of hero .
| A．because they couldn’t help admiring his bravery and boldness(胆大) |
| B．as he aided the citizens in peacetime when business was bad for them |
| C．he had played an important role in their daily life |
| D．for he lived so long and was given a state funeral by the Florentines |
From the passage, we can guess the gangsters were those .
| A．who were of great importance to the poor |
| B．who made the businessmen do whatever they were in need of |
| C．who were always ready to be sent abroad |
| D．who did harm to others |
According to the writer, Hawkwood was .
| A．a sort of national hero | B．an experienced leader | C．a brave soldier | D．a noble gangster |
A group of senior high school students are playing outside on a basketball court. They are shouting with excitement. And they all have the same dream. They wish to play in the NBA, just like Huston Rocket’s Yao Ming. “Someday, there will be more Chinese players like Yao in the NBA,” said 15-year-old Xie Tao, a senior 1 boy at Shanghai No. 2 Middle School. Xie always watches Yao playing on TV. “He is a great player. He makes me proud to be Chinese,” he said.
Like Xie, 17-year-old Liu Yan at Beijing No. 22 Middle School is also a big NBA fan. “Since early May, I’ve not missed one game in the NBA,” said the senior 3 student.
Basketball is becoming popular in middle schools across the country. And more young players are starting to like the sport. More students are playing the game.
Jiang Hui, a basketball teacher at Beijing No. 2 Middle School, said that 85 percent of the students at this school like the sport. “Students are full of passion for the game,” Jiang’s team won the regional first prize in the 2004 National High School Boy’s Basketball League in march. The league is the first national basketball competition for high school students.
Playing basketball is a good way to exercise. But students also enjoy it for other reasons. For Li Yan, a Senior 2 at Shanghai No. 12 Middle School, basketball teaches him lessons in life. “When I am in a game, I feel more confident about my studies, “ he said. “ It also teaches me to have a good team spirit and to enjoy friendship.”The same dream of the group of senior high school students is to ______.
| A．to play in the NBA | B．be as tall as Yao Ming |
| C．watch Yao Ming playing on TV | D．visit Huston Rocket’s center |
How many students are mentioned in the passage?
| A．2. | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
Which school team won the regional first prize in the first national basketball competition for high school students?
| A．Shanghai No. 2 Middle School. | B．Beijing No. 22 Middle School. |
| C．Beijing No. 2 Middle School. | D．Shanghai No. 12 Middle School. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Basketball is becoming popular in middle schools in Chine. |
| B．The 2004 National High School Boy’s Basketball League was held in May. |
| C．Playing basketball is a good way to exercise. |
| D．Students enjoys playing basketball for a lot of reasons. |
Who learns to have a good team spirit from playing basketball?
| A．Xie Tao | B．Yao Ming | C．Jiang Hui | D．Li Yan |
Does eating a good breakfast improve school study? A study of more than 1,000 pupils in the city of Lawrence suggests it does.
Youngsters who took part in the breakfast program improved their scores in the tests much more than those who didn’t. Among those who attended the program, fewer were found late for school than those who didn’t. And much fewer were found absent from their classes.
“Starting the day with a meal appears to be quite helpful,” says Amy Sampson, a research professor, who carried out the experiment on the students for a year.
Students who miss breakfast may be losing out on important nourishment in fruit, milk, bread and so on. If you are in a hurry in the morning, get you some pieces of bread with some fruit or yogurt. In that case, you won’t have to go to the selling machines for some chips or candy bars.How many students in primary school are interviewed in Lawrence.
| A．1000 | B．over 1000 | C．less than 1000 | D．almost 1000 |
According to the passage, pupils who took part in the breakfast program ______.
| A．are clever than those who didn’t |
| B．are healthier than those who didn’t |
| C．were often late for school |
| D．made greater progress in the study than those who didn’t |
The breakfast program was carried out by _____.
| A．the Lawrence City government | B．teachers in a middle school |
| C．a professor | D．1,000 pupils |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Over 1,000 pupils took part in the experiment. |
| B．The experiment lasted a year. |
| C．A good breakfast can improve school study. |
| D．A good breakfast means eating a lot . |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Breakfast or not? | B．1,000 clever pupils. |
| C．How to keep fit? | D．How to become clever? |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号