The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. One hundred thousand people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.
The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King's baker in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window in the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
By eight o'clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul's and the Guildhall among them.
Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire. People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat.
The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect, wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow; but he did build more than fifty churches, among them was new St Paul's.
The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.
It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that ______.
| A．many famous buildings were destroyed |
| B．the birds in the sky were killed by the fire |
| C．some people lost their lives |
| D．the King's bakery was burned down |
Why did the writer cite (引用)Samuel Pepys’ words?
| A．Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire. |
| B．Because Pepys also wrote about the fire. |
| C．To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire. |
| D．To show that poor people suffered most. |
Which of the following were reasons for the rapid spread (扩散)of the big fire?
(a) There was a strong wind.
(b) The streets were very narrow.
(c) Many houses were made of wood.
(d) There was not enough water in the city.
(e) People did not discover the fire earlier.
| A．(a) and (b) |
| B．(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) |
| C．(a), (b), (c) and (d) |
| D．(a), (b) and (c) |
Can trees talk? Yes, but not in words. Scientists have reason to believe that trees do communicate (交际) with each other. Not long ago, researchers learned some surprising things. First a willow tree attacked in the woods by caterpillars (毛虫) changed the chemistry of its leaves and made them taste so terrible that they got tired of the leaves and stopped eating them. Then even more astonishing, the tree sent out a special smell---a signal (信号) causing its neighbors to change the chemistry of their own leaves and make them less tasty.
Communication, of course, doesn’t need to be in words. We can talk to each other by smiling, raising our shoulders and moving our hands. We know that birds and animals use a whole vocabulary of songs, sounds, and movements. Bees dance their signals, flying in certain patterns that tell other bees where to find nectar (花蜜) for honey. So why shouldn’t trees have ways of sending message?It can be concluded from the passage that caterpillars do not feed on leaves that ______.
| A．are lying on the ground | B．have an unpleasant taste |
| C．bees don’t like | D．have an unfamiliar shape |
The willow tree described in the passage protected itself by ______.
| A．growing more branches | B．communicating with birds and bees |
| C．changing its leaf chemistry | D．shaking caterpillars off |
According to the passage, the willow tree was able to communicate with other trees by ______.
| A．waving its branches | B．giving off a special smell |
| C．dropping its leaves | D．changing the colour of its trunk |
According to this passage, bees communicate by ______.
| A．making special movement | B．Telling one another |
| C．smelling one another | D．making unusual sound |
Reading can provide lots of fun for children and teens during summer vacation. Children who read during the summer are better prepared for school when they return to classes in the fall. Public libraries throughout Wisconsin will host summer events to encourage children and young adults to include reading in their summer fun.
●All Star Readers
The Milwaukee Public Library will host its 2007 Summer Reading Club for kids from 3 to 18. Signing up starts on June 1 at all Milwaukee public libraries and bookmobile sites.
Children aged 6 to 12 are invited to become “All Star Readers” at the Milwaukee library when they sign up for the Summer Reading Club. Children can score a point by reading 10 books or 1,000 pages. When they reach the reading goal, they will win a bag full of prizes.
●Sparkey Spots the Ball
Children up to 5 years old can join the read-to-me club, “Sparkey Spots the Ball”. They will receive their own reading folders to record the books read to them by parents, brothers and sisters or relatives. Once they have listened to 20 books, they will win a baseball and a coupon（优惠券）for McDonald’s ice cream.
●X-treme Read
Teens between the age of 13 and 18 can join in their own reading program called “X-treme Read”. Teens can read to win movie passes, CDs and more.
The library also plans extreme bike races by C4BMX at four libraries in June and July. Check with your local library or Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for the exact dates, times, and places of the demonstrations (集会).Students who take part in the reading club can _________.
| A．take part in extreme bike races |
| B．get a good mark in the final exam |
| C．get better prepared for the new term |
| D．finish their homework ahead of time |
In order to become “All Star Readers” and win a lot of prizes, you _________.
| A．should be 19 years old |
| B．should be at least 5years old |
| C．must read at least 1,000 pages or 10 books |
| D．should listen to 20 books. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
| A．Children up to 5 can not join in the read –to- me club. |
| B．Children can score two points by reading 10 books or 1,000 pages.. |
| C．Teens between the age of 6 and 12can join in “X-treme Read”. |
| D．There are extreme bike races by C4BMX at four libraries in June and July. |
In which club will they win a baseball and a coupon for McDonald’s ice cream.?
| A．2007 Summer Reading Club | B．Sparkey Spots the Ball |
| C．X-treme Read | D．All Star Readers |
A year ago, at the annual pre-Grammy party, Whitney Houston, the great star, walked on stage and closed the evening with a brilliant performance．
Last Saturday, Houston was once again the focus before the Grammy, but her presence was a regrettable one．Earlier that day, the pop music's former queen was found dead in her hotel room．She was 48．This, no doubt, is sad news to the whole music industry and her fans all over the world．
At her peak(巅峰), Houston was the golden girl of the music world．From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists．She impressed audiences with her effortless, powerful and peerless performance．
Besides multi-million record sales, Houston made countless hits such as The Greatest Love of All, I Have Nothing, and the mostly famous I Will Always Love You．She also influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey．
But by the end of her career, there was a shocking fall for this superstar．Houston had been addicted to(上瘾) drugs．Her album sales declined (下降) and the hits stopped coming and her once beautiful voice became hoarse （嘶哑的）, unable to hit the high notes as she used to．
In 2009, Houston staged a successful comeback with the album I Look To You, which fell on top of the charts．But hoarse voice, canceled concerts, and continuous illness-Houston's comeback trail wasn't smooth at all．In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2009, Houston admitted: "It (show business) is too much for me and I wanted out．"
Now that Houston has finally taken a break from all the chaos(混乱), may she rest in peace．Whitney Houston died ______．
| A．shortly before the Grammy this year | B．earlier last Sunday |
| C．a year ago | D．at the annual pre-Grammy party |
The underlined word "peerless" in Paragraph 3 most probably means ______．
| A．having no power | B．having no equal |
| C．requiring no effort | D．leaving no impression |
The cause of the fall of Whitney Houston was that _____．
| A．her album sales declined |
| B．show business was too much for her |
| C．her fans no longer love her |
| D．she had been addicted to drugs |
According to the passage, which is not Houston’s achievement?
| A．She made countless hits such as I Have Nothing. |
| B．She influenced a generation of younger singers. |
| C．She became the focus before the Grammy this year. |
| D．She staged a successful comeback in 2009. |
Here is the Eight O’clock News.
…
Chinese people spent about 120 billion yuan during the first three days of the May Golden Week last year. This year it has increased to 140 billion yuan.
The children of Beijing No.2 Middle School sang with students from Toronto in Canada to celebrate（庆祝）the 20th anniversary. They had been sister schools since 1986. They spent about two weeks together in Beijing. They visited the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. They took a lot of photos in Beihai Park.
Have you ever got tired of heavy shopping bags? A new shopping assistant robot which was invented by a Japanese company could be the answer. The helpful robot can follow you around and carry several bags. The robot was tested at a shopping center in February 2006.
About 500 people from different countries were in the 2006 “Rock Paper Scissors (剪刀)” World Match in Canada. This event was founded in 1842. It is said that playing this game is fun, and also a good way to solve problems among people.
…
And now it’s time for Morning Music.The students from Canada and Beijing No. 2 Middle School didn’t _________.
| A．take photos | B．visit places of interest |
| C．sing songs | D．have a football match |
Which of the following is NOT talked about in the news?
| A．The robot can help with shopping bags. |
| B．A Japanese company invented the robot. |
| C．The robot was tested at a shopping centre. |
| D．There are such robots in people’s homes now. |
The underlined word “anniversary” means_________.
| A．No.2 Middle School |
| B．yearly return of the date of an event |
| C．university |
| D．the new beginning of something important |
Which of the following is a game?
| A．Shopping assistant robot. | B．May Golden Week. |
| C．Rock Paper Scissors. | D．A visit to the school. |
Have you ever thought of taking a train and having an adventure？Riding the train can be a real adventure. That is how I feel every time I take Amtrak. I often take a four-hour trip to visit my children. Every time I take this trip I never know what will happen.
Last week when I was on the train, there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation—in another language. It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train. I think it was annoying.
Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two-day trip by train. She said her two daughters were worried at the thought of driving for three days to reach her home, although she had no trouble driving. The train ride was the only choice for her. She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.
She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents. That is a very good question. Both of us are old and have children. She asked that same question from time to time.
There are always many people on the train from all walks of life, different countries, and many languages. Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and learn all kinds of cultures. If you get hungry, you can buy food in the food car at any time. If you need to use the restroom, there is always one for you.
It surely beats driving the car, which has to stop for food and restrooms. And it is better than taking the bus.According to the passage, the purpose of the author’s train ride was ______.
| A．to do business | B．to see her children |
| C．to visit places of interest | D．to see her old friends |
In the author’s opinion, on the train Amtrak ______.
| A．the services are quite good | B．the food is terribly expensive |
| C．all the passengers are polite | D．all the passengers are American |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．A painful experience on the train | B．A wonderful lady |
| C．Train ride—a cultural experience | D．The history of Amtrak |
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