The invention of the electric telegraph gave birth to the communications industry. Although Samuel B. Morse succeeded in making the invention useful in 1837, it was not until 1843 that the first important telegraph line was constructed. By 1860 more than 50,000 miles of lines connected people east of the Rockies. The following year, San Francisco was added to the network.
The national telegraph network strengthened the ties between East and West and contributed to the rapid expansion of the railroads by providing an efficient means to monitor schedules and routes. Furthermore, the extension of the telegraph, combined with the invention of the steam-driven rotary printing press by Richard
M. Hoe in 1846, revolutionized the world of journalism. Where the business of news gathering had been dependent upon the mail and on hand-operated presses, the telegraph expanded the amount of information a newspaper could supply and allowed for more timely reporting. The creating of the Associated Press as a central wire service in 1846 marked the arrival of a new era (纪元) in journalism.
71. The main topic of the passage is .
A. the history of journalism B. the origin of the national telegraph
C. how the telegraph network contributed to the expansion of railroads
D. the contributions and development of the telegraph network
72. The word "gathering" in line 11 refers to .
A. people B. information
C. objects D. substances
73. The author's main purpose in this passage is to .
A. compare the invention of the telegraph with the invention of the steam-driven rotary press
B. propose new ways to develop the communications industry
C. show how the electric telegraph affected the communications industry
D. criticize Samuel B. Morse
74. This passage would most likely be found in a .
A. U.S. history book B. book on trains
C. science textbook D. computer magazine
75. It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. Samuel Morse did not make a significant contribution to the communications industry
B. Morse's invention did not immediately achieve its full potential (潜力)
C. the extension of the telegraph was more important than its invention
D. journalists have the Associated Press to thank for the birth of the communications industry
Forget famous goal celebration such as “The Robot” by Peter Crouch and “The Dive” by Juergen Klinsmann, here comes the South African “Diski dance”. The Diski dance, which is performed through heading and kicking an imaginary ball, may be a goal celebration to watch in the following matches.
South Africa’s Siphiwe Tshabalala and his teammates performed this different dance when they celebrated his goal against Mexico in the opening World Cup game on Friday. The dance is already popular on YouTube and many soccer fans may want to learn the moves.
Even South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has learnt the Diski dance which could be better than Cameroon Roger Milla’s corner flag dance celebration in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. US actor John Travolta performed the dance shortly after landing his Boeing 707 at Lanseria airport, north of Johannesburg, on Wednesday morning.
Goal celebrations are now part of the biggest sporting event and players plan them in advance just in case they find the back of the net. In football, a goal celebration is the practice of celebrating the scoring of a goal. The celebration may be performed by the goal-scorer, his or her teammates, the manager or coaches and the supporters of the team.
The Robot goal celebration was so popular that England fans were surprised when Crouch, an English international footballer, said that he wouldn’t be doing it any more unless England won the World Cup.
The word Diski is the word used by the local people for soccer and may also describe the local style of football which focuses on dribbling(带球) and other tricks.Besides “Diski dance”, how many types of goal celebrations are mentioned in the passage?
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
The underlined part “find the back of the net” in Paragraph 4 means .
| A．score a goal | B．win the match | C．take a rest | D．take part in a match |
What do we learn about the word “Diski”?
| A．It has become the most popular sports word in the world now. |
| B．It was used to show how people were good at dribbling. |
| C．It was used to describe a football which was imagined by footballers. |
| D．It was probably mainly used in South Africa before the South Africa World Cup. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．All the footballers should have their own goal celebrations. |
| B．Goal celebrations play an important role in football games. |
| C．Famous goal celebrations all appeared in the World Cup games. |
| D．Footballers often don’t plan their goal celebrations ahead of time. |
When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend on new clothes. Think about the kind of clothes you really need. Then look for those clothes you really need. Then look for those
clothes on sale.
There are labels(标签) inside all new clothes. The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes. The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water. A sweater label may tell you to wash in cold water. The label on a coat may say “dry clean only”, for washing may ruin this coat. If you do as the directions on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time.
Many clothes today mus
t be dry cleaned. Dry cleaning is expensive. When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned. You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed.
You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made. Well-made clothes last longer. They look good even after they have been washed many times. Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily better made. They do not always fit better. Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes.If you want to save money, you had better buy clothes that ________.
| A．don’t fit you | B．don’t last long | C．need to be dry cleaned | D．can be washed |
The labels inside the clothes tell you ________.
| A．how to keep them looking their best | B．how to save money |
| C．whether they fit you or not | D．where to get them dry cleaned |
The first thing for you to do before you buy clo
thes is ________.
| A．to look for well-made clothes | B．to see how much money you can spend on it |
| C．to know how to wash them | D． to read the labels inside them |
The best title for the passage should be ________.
| A．Buy Less Expensive Clothes | B．Taking Enough Money When Shopping |
| C．Being a Clever Clothes Shopper | D．Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes |
Every year mobile phones develop. Imagining what they will look like and be able to do in 2020 is really a challenge. To help, experts have outlined three major mobile trends that they believe will have become reality by then.
Our phones will be so smart in 10 years’ time that they’ll know everything about our situation and warn us when something needs our attention. This is the top prediction of both Nokia and Google. They predict that our cars and home appliances will be able to communicate with our mobile. For example, fridges will tell your mobile to tell you to pick up milk on the way back from work. While driving, your mobile will suggest that you take a different route because there’s a road accident up ahead.
The second trend is in gesture-based controls. People who know the iPhone’s touch-sensitive screen are already familiar with the technology. It translates hand movements into actions on-screen. But gestural communications will make the phone more convenient to use and may completely replace touchpads. According to industry insiders, the most immediate step forward in gestural technology will be in voice recognition. It’s believed voice recognition technology will speed up communications. It is quicker to speak than type. Eventually, phone screens will disappear.
The third major development will change our understanding of a mobile phone. From a single phone, the mobile will be developed into multi-part devices. It is opposite to the current trend in which mobile phones are combining the functions of cameras, music players and game consoles. The prediction is based on the idea that the world will become more wireless and all these—cameras, music players and game consoles—will be wirelessly connected. Mobile phones won’t need to contain these devices because users will be able to control them wirelessly through their phones.The first paragraph serves as .
| A．a lead-in | B．a conclusion | C．a summary | D．a supporting fact |
Which of the following is most likely to be the appearance of a mobile phone in 2020?
 |
From the text, we can learn that the future mobile phones will .
| A．drive cars for us |
| B．be controlled by the users’ voices |
| C．be controlled by home appliances |
| D．be very big together with separated multiple parts |
The text mainly tells us .
| A．three major trends of mobile phones |
| B．what mobile phones will look like in 2020 |
| C．the future mobile phones are gesture-based |
| D．some new functions of the present mobile phones |
A recent report on online education, made by SRI International for the Department of Education, has a serious academic (学术的) title, but a most interesting conclusion: “ Students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”
The report examined the research on online and traditional classroom teaching from 1996 to 2008. Some of it was in K-12 settings, but most of the studies were in colleges and adult continuing education programs.
Over the 12 years, the report found 99 studies in which there were comparisons of online and classroom performance for the same courses. The result of the Department of Education’ s research showed that usually, students doing some or all of the course online would rank a little higher than the classroom students with little but meaningful difference.
“The importance of the study lies in showing that online learning today is not just better than nothing — it actually tends to be better than traditional instruction.” said Barbara Means, the study’ s lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International.
This hardly means that we’ll be saying goodbye to classrooms. But the report does suggest that online education could be set to develop sharply over the next few years.
Until fairly recently, online education totaled to little. That has really changed with the arrival of webbased video, instant (即时的) messaging and teamwork tools.
The real promise of online education, experts say, is providing learning experiences that are more suitable for individual (个体的) students than is possible in classrooms. That allows more “learning by doing,” which many students find more attractive and useful.
“We are at a turning point in online education,” said Philip R. Regier, the leader of Arizona State University’ s Online and Extended Campus program.
The biggest near-term growth, Mr. Regier predicts, will be in continuing education programs.What do we know from the passage?
Most of the studies were done in high schools.
The report was based on more than 100 studies.
The studies were carried out for more than 20 years.
The difference between online and traditional teaching is not big.We can learn from the passage that __________.
traditional education will come to an end
traditional education is not popular any longer
online education didn’ t develop rapidly until recently
middle schools are facing the choice between online and traditional teachingWhich is NOT the reason why many students prefer online learning?
Online teaching is more suitable for individuals.
Classroom teaching is not practical and useful.
Students can learn by doing in online courses.
Online teaching is more interesting.Which do you think is the best title for the passage?
Study finds that online education beats the classroom
Why is online education on the rise?
A report on online education
Classroom teaching is out
I was sleeping in my room when my bed started shaking and a loud noise was heard. I woke up and my mom was screaming my name. Next moment I was running along with my younger sister, mom and dad. Before I ran out of the door, I realized my elder sister hadn’t come out yet. So I screamed her name at the top of my voice. My mom said she had gone to her class. Then the four of us, along with many others, were running on the staircase. We lived on the seventh floor, so I thought we would not be able to make it and the building would fall before we managed to reach even the fourth floor. My dad’s head was injured by something falling down. I did try to put my hand over his head. When we reached the sixth floor, the building split into two. We had no way to get down.
The next thing I remember is silence. There were around 30 people on the staircase and none could react. Five minutes later, someone opened the door of the sixth-floor flat. We all went in. We were wondering how would get down. From the balcony of the sixth-floor flat, I saw people standing on the ground floor. All eyes were stuck on us. I could see my elder sister crying.
Our first hope of surviving came when a worker climbed a rope to where we were. That was the first time we thought maybe we could get down. Half an hour passed and we were still trapped. Finally RSS people arrived with ropes. They got people down one by one. My biggest worry was how my dad would get down. Finally after two and a half hours, we all got down.
That day we saw the power of nature. It has taken more than two years to build the flats and it took just one and a half minutes to destroy the structure.What is this passage mainly about?
| A．Ways to survive an earthquake. |
| B．Reasons why earthquakes happen. |
| C．The love of parents in an earthquake. |
| D．The writer’s experience in an earthquake. |
When the building split into two, the writer and his family ____________.
| A．were still sleeping |
| B．were trapped on the sixth floor |
| C．were looking for a family member |
| D．were running on the staircase of the seventh floor |
The first time the writer thought they would probably survive was when .
| A．he was encouraged by people on the ground floor |
| B．someone opened the door of the sixth-floor flat |
| C．a worker climbed up on a rope |
| D．RSS people arrived with ropes |
The earthquake made the writer realize that .
| A．there is always hope for people |
| B．the power of nature is really great |
| C．natural disasters can happen any time |
| D．human beings are strong in natural disasters |
You’re lost in the world of dreams and sleep. You roll over, smiling as you come across a swimming pool filled with chocolate. And then, your wonderful dream becomes a nightmare when someone is screaming, “Get up!” It’s just what every teenager goes through each morning!
Now, there seems to be one school that finally understands that requiring teens to show up at 9 am is not just cruel but also harmful to both the kids and the school.
The Monkseaton High School in North Tyneside, Britain, recently decided to experiment to see if there is any difference in student behavior if they just pushed back the start of their day by one hour, from 9 am to 10 am. And the results are surprising.
Since carrying out the later start, Monkseaton has seen a 28% drop in truancy, even hardly any lateness, and best of all, higher test scores. One of the reasons is that the teenagers are much happier to have the extra hour of sleep, but there is also a scientific reason behind why they need the extra sleep.
The school’s decision to push back the time was based on the research done by Oxford Professor Russell Foster, who pointed out that teenagers and adults have different sleep cycles, explaining why teenagers go to bed late and wake up late.
While adults are wide awake and ready at 8 am, teenagers are not fully awake until 10 am, sometimes even noon. Teachers may argue that their students perform better in the morning, but in fact, it is because they are in the zone while their students are still sleepy, making the students easier to control. Memory tests prove that the more difficult classes should be in the afternoon when teenagers are most wide awake.
The Monkseaton school officials are encouraged by the results and plan on voting to make it a permanent change.What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．Get up early, teenagers! |
| B．Finally, a school understands teenagers. |
| C．Why do teenagers stay up late? |
| D．Difference between teens and adults. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “truancy”?
| A．grades | B．subject s | C．absence | D．classes |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Teenagers and adults have the same sleep cycle. |
| B．Teenagers are fully awake at 10 am. |
| C．Teenagers are much happier to sleep than study. |
| D．Teenagers need the extra sleep also for a scientific reason. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The Monkseaton school is satisfied with the result of experiments. |
| B．It is cruel for the teenagers to show up at 9 am. |
| C．The Monkseaton school plans to change the school time forever. |
| D．Teenagers perform better in the morning than in the afternoon. |
Researches show what we already suspected: Three out of four babies who died of SIDS(婴儿猝死) involved co-sleeping. We’ll say it again. The safest course is not to sleep with babies.
We know the argument: Bad parenting, not co-sleeping, is to blame for the dozens of babies’ deaths. Some parents stick to co-sleeping because it helps them bond with their newborns. They say those who give co-sleeping a bad name either had been drinking, used drugs or were too tired to notice that they rolled over on their children.
But, most of the cases did not involve drugs or alcohol. There’s a “but” 
here, however. Submitting to a test for drugs or alcohol in these cases is voluntary, so it’s difficult to know with certainty.
Organizations like the Black Health Coalition and others have explained the safe way to co-sleep. While we understand those arguments, we also know that mistakes can happen and that it only takes one time for something to go terribly wrong. The risk outweighs the benefit.
In all likelihood, parents will continue to co-sleep, and some will do so without ever having an incident, but babies are too vulnerable(易受伤的) for parents to take such chances. Therefore, the best place for babies to sleep is in their own beds, on their backs, with no pillows, blankets or toys. No parent wants a tragedy(悲剧) to occur. The best way to make sure the tragedy doesn’t happen is to allow babies to sleep alone in their own cribs(摇篮). According to the author, most of the SIDS cases happened because of ________.
| A．drugs |
| B．co-sleeping |
| C．drinking |
| D．bad parenting |
Some parents think sleeping with their babies can ________.
| A．keep the babies healthy |
| B．give co-sleeping a good name |
| C．prevent themselves from drinking |
| D．develop a good relation with their babies |
The author holds the opinion that ________.
| A．parents can sleep with babies, but cautiously |
| B．co-sleep helps to bring babies closer to parents |
| C．parents can’t take chances to sleep with their babies |
| D．accidents only happen to those careless parents |
Which of the following best describes the structure of the text?
| A．① | B．①② | C．① | D．① |
↙↘ ↓ ↙↓↘ ↙↓↓↘
②③④ ③④ ②③④ ②③④⑤
↘↙ ↓ ↘↓↙
⑤ ⑤ ⑤
The “Sepik Spirit”, constructed in 1989, is built specially to suit the demands of a shallow riverboat for guiding inland waterways. Its shallow draft allows passengers into distant corners of the Sepik Region and areas not otherwise accessible to larger boats. It was refurbished(装修) in early 2006 to ensure that the Sepik Spirit meets the expectations of the modern travellers. The refurbishment includes new interior and improved noise resistance.
The Sepik Spirit holds 18 passengers in 9 twin bedrooms each with private bathroom. Onboard facilities include a dining room, living room, bar, video and covered upper observatory deck(甲板). The entire boat is air-conditioned. Because the Sepik Spirit
is designed to operate in this unique environment, she is the ideal size for exploration. This, combined with small passenger numbers, allows the travellers an excellent experience to little visited areas.
Day trips from the Sepik Spirit are done in an 18-seater riverboat, also designed for the operation. Their open-air design gives the travellers a sense of place, a feeling for the river and its people.
Areas that the Sepik Spirit and her guests may visit are the Karawari River, Blackwater Lakes, Chambri Lakes, the Middle Sepik and the Upper Sepik. The river banks where the boat operates are dotted with many large traditional villages each with its own unique “Haus Tambaran” or spirit house decorated with ancestral figures. Mix with the friendly people and experience a culture that meets very few outsiders.
Please E-Mail if you want to know more about us.
Please note that private touring and transfers are not available on the Sepik Spirit.
Please note that Sepik Spirit departure and termination(终结，终点) points sometimes change without notice.
AIR TRANSFER COST: US$375.00 one wayThe “Sepik Spirit” is a riverboat ________.
| A．specially designed and built for the local transportation |
| B．built and refurbished in 1989 |
| C．providing good conditions for a small number of tourists |
| D．traveling in the day only |
The Sepik Spirit boat is most possibly named after ________.
| A．a person |
| B．an animal |
| C．a building |
| D．a river |
A passenger chooses to travel on the Sepik Spirit most possibly because
he is interested in ________.
| A．boat making |
| B．river traveling |
| C．the unique scenery and culture in this area |
| D．the excellent conditions and service of the boat |
Which of the following factors about taking the Sepik Spirit is right?
| A．You can send an E-mail for further information. |
| B．You can rent the boat for yourself if you please. |
| C．The schedule of the boat trip will be strictly followed. |
| D．A Sepik Spirit trip will cost you US$375.00 one way. |
阅读理解 A
As you research music, you will find music that is familiar to you. You will find music which tells of interesting places and exciting things to do. You will find music which expresses feelings that are often your own.
Music is an expression of people. As you research, you will find music of people at work and play. You will find music expressing love of the country, love of nature, and love of home.
Music is also an expression of the composer(作曲家). The composer expresses his own musical ideas. He studies the materials of music and discovers ways of using them. He looks for new kinds of musical expression.
Music can suggest actions and feelings which we all share. We can enjoy playing and singing music, dancing and listening to the music of the people and the composers of different times and places.In the first paragraph, the author tells us to ________.
| A．be friendly to music |
| B．find entertainment in music |
| C．express your feelings in music |
| D．discover the things and places in music |
From the second paragraph, we know that ________.
| A．if we love music, we will love the country, nature and home |
| B．you may listen to music at work or at play |
| C．music sings of the country, nature and home |
| D．music can express how people live, work and think |
The last paragraph shows that music makes it possible ________.
| A．that people of different time and places can get together |
| B．to bring understanding between people of different times and places |
| C．that people can enjoy playing and singing music, dancing and listening to the music at the same time |
| D．that music can express actions and feelings at the same time |
Which of the following statements is NOT true? Music expresses
| A．people’s musical ideas | B．people’s love of te country |
| C．ehe composer’s feelings | D．the feelings of our own |
阅读理解C
Robots are smart. With their computer brains, they help people work in dangerous places or do difficult jobs. Some robots do regular jobs. Bobby, the mail carrier, brings mail to a large office building in Washington D.C. He is one of the 250 mail carriers in the United States.
Mr. Leachim, who weighs two hundred pounds and is six feet tall, has some advantages as a teacher. One is that he does not forget details. He knows each child’s name, the parents’ names and what each child knows and needs to know. In addition(另外), he knows each child’s pets and hobbies. Mr. Leachim does not make mistakes. Each child goes and tells him his or her name, then dials an identification number. His computer brain puts the child’s voice and number together. He identifies the child without mistakes. Then he starts the lesson.
Another advantage is that Mr. Leachim is flexible. If children need more time to do their lessons, they can move switches. In this way they can repeat Mr. Leachim’s lesson over and over again. When the children do a good job, he tells them something interesting about their hobbies. At the end of the lesson the children switch Mr. Leachim off.The first paragraph of the passage tells us ________.
| A．human beings are not as smart as robots |
| B．robots can help people in many different ways |
| C．robots will take the place of man to rule the earth |
| D．we can only use robots to do some regular jobs |
Mr. Leachim’s ________ makes him a good teacher.
| A．advantages | B．knowledge | C．appearance | D．energy |
The word “flexible” in the last paragraph means ________.
| A．not strict | B．not hard |
| C．changeable | D．suitable |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. There are 250 robot teachers in the United States.
B. Bobby works in a large office building in Washington D.C.
C. Mr. Leachim is run(开动) and controlled by electricity.
D. The lessons taught by Mr. Leachim are given on a TV set.
I have to admit: I don’t flush(冲) the toilet every time I go to the bathroom. In fact, I firmly believe “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.”
I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that I work at home. Alone (well, except for the cats and dog). All day. And I drink a lot of water, which makes for many trips to the bathroom.
Another thing I have to admit: I also try to use very little toilet paper. I wash my hands after, though. Every time. (So maybe the water I don’t use flushing makes up for the water used to wash my hands?)
Ironically, my husband, who only uses toilet paper when necessary, always flushes. But he doesn’t seem to mind that I don’t flush every time. Or, at least not enough to file for divorce. Yet.
Posted by Juliet Farmer
Jun 14, 2010 at 10:21 PM
Comments (2)
When I’m at home alone I do not flush every time I pee(小便). My husband hates that, though, so when he’s home, I flush a little more often. I grew up doing that because I had a family that lived with huge tanks and you have to do it that way because it’s easier on the system, so it doesn’t bother me. I do flush when I’m out in public, at people’s houses that don’t have big tanks and when we have company!
CherBearCM, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:21 PM
Not always. But I have 4 children who are always hanging from the door knob（球形捏手） while I pee anyway. So I’m lucky I have time to wash my hands after. The average toilet uses 8 gallons of water per flush! Much less than what it takes to wash my hands after. (just saying)
luvbnmomnwife, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:32 PM CherBearCM doesn’t flush the toilet every time she pees ________.
| A．because she can’t afford so much water |
| B．because her husband doesn’t like that |
| C．when she is with her friends |
| D．when she is alone |
luvbnmomnwife seems to enjoy ________.
| A．washing hands after using the toilet |
| B．taking care of her four children |
| C．peeing with her kids watching |
| D．flushing the toilet after peeing |
The text is taken from ________.
| A．a newspaper |
| B．a website |
| C．a magazine |
| D．a handbook |
Which of the following titles best suits the text?
| A．Stop flushing your toilet! |
| B．Do you flush the toilet every time? |
| C．Don’t forget to flush the toilet after peeing! |
| D．Do you realize the importance of saving water? |
阅读理解B
Alexander the Great was a mighty(强大的) king and conqueror(征服者). He was one of the greatest military geniuses(军事天才) the world has ever known. He was born in Pella, Macedonia. Alexander grew to be a handsome, brilliant(卓越的) man. Aristotle, the famous philosopher（哲学家）, came from Greece to teach him---geography, politics, literature, medicine and science. Alexander’s father, King Philip II of Macedon, taught him to plan and win battles.
The young prince became King when he was 20. He then began the series of marches that continued until he ruled almost all of the then-known world. On his great war horse, Bucephalus, he first took over Greece. He went on to conquer southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, Egypt and India. On his way he crushed(征服) the Persian Empire, and was made King of Egypt and Asia. He and his troops traveled over 11,000 miles(17,700 km). He spread Greek customs and ideas wherever he went.
In India his men refused to go further. They were tired and frightened, and wanted to go home. Worn out, Alexander agreed to turn back. He died of fever in Babylon, at the early age of 33.Alexander and his troops traveled and fought probably ________ then.
| A．by ship | B．by simple truck |
| C．on their horses | D．on foot |
What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?
| A．He spread Greek customs and ideas wherever he went. |
| B．He began great marches and ruled a lot of countries. |
| C．How he took over one country after another. |
| D．In which order he crushed these countries after another? |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．He died in his late thirties. |
| B．Bucephalus was probably a big ship. |
| C．He conquered all the countries then known in the world. |
| D．Alexander was very ready to listen to anybody including his officers and soldiers. |
What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．How Alexander the Great Became King? |
| B．Great Tragedy |
| C．Good Education Makes a Great Man |
| D．Alexander the Great |
阅读理解D
The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay(黏土) or small stones. They are not flat, either. They often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plants’ life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants.
The deserts of the world are not uninhabited(无人居住的). People also live outside oases(绿洲), but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, put them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable, no man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water.According to the passage, deserts are mostly made up of ________.
| A．clay | B．rock | C．stones | D．sand |
The underlined word “hospitable” has the meaning of being ________.
| A．kind | B．brave | C．cruel | D．strange |
In the desert ________.
| A．It rains in spring only. |
| B．it rains for a short time every month |
| C．the rainfall is just enough for the plants |
| D．there is some rain, but far from enough |
People live ______.
| A．only inside the oases | B．both inside and outside the oases |
| C．only outside the oases | D．in places with regular rainfalls. |
Detectives often look for footprints when they try to solve crimes. Scientists use footprints, too—dinosaur footprints when they try to figure out how dinosaurs lived and moved.
Dinosaurs died out about 65 million years ago. Today scientists work to solve the mysteries of these ancient animals.
Footprints, or tracks(脚印), are an important way to learn about dinosaurs. Christian Meyer of the Natural History Museum in Basel, Switzerland, calls dinosaur tracks “the closest thing to a movie” of dinosaurs.
“They tell us something about the size of the animal, the way they were walking…they tell us something about their speed,” Meyer said.
Tracks also show that dinosaurs sometimes traveled in groups. Traveling in groups probably helped dinosaurs protect themselves from enemies. Plus, some meat-eating dinosaurs may have hunted in groups, much like wolves do today. Bein
g in a group could help dinosaurs work together to kill large animals.
Dinosaur footprints can be as small as a few inches across, but they can also be as big as a few feet across. Dinosaur footprints have been found throughout the world at ove
r 1,500 sites, including a T. Rex footprint in New Mexico. “Trackways” are groups of footprints.
And scientists aren’t the only ones finding dinosaur tracks—kids can, too! Eleven-year-old Mark Turner and nine-year-old Daniel Helm discovered dinosaur tracks in British Columbia, anada. Soon scientists began studying the tracks.
Scientists and other people interested in studying dinosaurs are working to save the trackways from activities like construction and mining.The passage mainly tells us that_______.
A. there were really dinosaurs on the earth millions of years ago
B. dinosaurs were the most frightening animals in the past
C. dinosaur footprints are important in learning about dinosaurs
C. why dinosaurs died out millions of years agoBy studying footprints scientists can know the following EXCEPT _______.
| A．how big the dinosaur was | B．what color the dinosaur was |
| C．how fast the dinosaur could run | D．how the dinosaur walked |
By working in groups, some meat-eating dinosaurs_______.
| A．made the hunting of large animals easily |
| B．could travel a long way without being lost |
| C．could protect themselves from being hunted by wolves |
| D．could get to a place faster |
From the last paragraph we can infer that some human activities like mining_______.
| A．are helpful to the study of dinosaurs |
| B．can help scientists solve many mysteries |
| C．can lead to the discovery of the footprints |
| D．can destroy the footprints of the dinosaur |
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