Text 1 To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains. But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against rain. Its first use was as a shade against the sun. Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese, way back in the eleventh century B.C. We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor and authority. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by royalty or by those in high offices. In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in common use in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against rain were the ancient Romans. During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered a symbol of power and authority. By16800 the umbrella appeared in France and later on in England. By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe. Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn't until the twentieth century that women's umbrellas began to be made in a whole variety of colors.
1. The first use of umbrella was as ______.
A.protection against rain
B.a shade against the sun
C.a symbol of power
D.a symbol of honor
A B C D
B
[解析] 本题的依据是第1段的最后一句话：Its first use was a shade against the sun。因此B项为正确答案。
2. ______ were the people who first used umbrellas.
A.Chinese
B.Romans
C.Greeks
D.Egyptians
A B C D
A
[解析] 本题的依据是文章第2段的最后一句话：Probably the first to use it were the Chinese，因此A项为正确答案。
3. The umbrella was used only by royalty or by those in high offices ______.
A.in Europe in the 18th century
B.in ancient Egypt and Babylon
C.in the Far East in ancient times
D.during the Middle Ages
A B C D
C
[解析] 本题的依据是文章第3段的最后一句话：In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by royalty or by those in high offices。因此C项为正确答案。
4. According to the passage, which of the following is not true?
A.Women enjoy using umbrellas with varied kinds of colors nowadays.
B.The inventor of the umbrella is unknown.
C.Once ordinary people had no right to use umbrellas.
D.Umbrellas were popular and cheap in ancient times.
A B C D
D
[解析] 综观全文，只有D项文中并未提及，因此D项是正确答案。
5. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.When Was the Umbrella Invented?
B.The History of Umbrella
C.Umbrella—A Symbol of Honor
D.Who Used Umbrella First?
A B C D
B
[解析] 从文中内容可知，作者是在按照时间顺序讲述伞的历史，因此B项是正确答案。
Text 2 Adam Smith, writing in the 1770s, was the first person to see the importance of the division of labor and to explain part of its advantages. He gives as an example the process by which pins were made in England. "One man draws out the wire; another strengthens it; a third cuts it; a fourth points it; a fifth grinds it at the top to prepare it to receive the head. To make the head requires two or three operations. To put it on is a separate operation, to polish the pins is another. And the important business of making pins is, in this manner, divided into about eighteen operations, which in some factories are all performed by different people, though in others the same man will sometimes perform two or three of them." Ten men, Smith said, in this way, turned out twelve pounds of pins a day or about 4,800 pins per worker. But if all of them had worked separately and independently without division of labor, none of them could have made twenty pins in a day and perhaps not even one. There can be no doubt that division of labor is an efficient way of organizing work. Fewer people can make more pins. Adam Smith saw this but he also took it for granted that division of labor is in itself responsible for economic growth and development and that it accounts for the difference between expanding economies and those that stand still. But division of labor adds nothing new; it only enables people to produce more of what they already have.
1. According to the passage, Adam Smith was the first person to ______.
A.take advantage of the division of labor
B.introduce the division of labor into England
C.understand the effects of the division of labor
D.explain the causes of the division of labor
A B C D
C
[解析] 本题的依据是文章第1段的第1句话：was the first person to see the importance of the division of labor and to explain part of its advantages。C项中的understand等于原文中的see，因此C项为正确答案。
2. Adam Smith saw that the division of labor ______.
A.enabled each worker to make pins more quickly and more cheaply
B.increased the possible output per worker
C.increased the number of people employed in factories
3. Adam Smith mentioned the number 4,800 in order to ______.
A.show the advantages of the division of labor
B.show the advantages of the old craft system
C.emphasize how powerful the individual worker was
D.emphasize the importance of increased production
A B C D
A
[解析] 本题可参照此句的下一句：without division of labor, none of them could have made twenty pins in a day and perhaps not even one。从中可知，作者用这一数字显示分工的优越性。因此A项为正确答案。
4. According to the writer, Adam Smith's mistake was in believing that division of labor ______.
A.was an efficient way of organizing work
B.was an important development in methods of production
C.certainly led to economic development
D.increased the production of existing goods
A B C D
C
[解析] 本题的依据是文章最后一段的第3句话：Adam Smith saw this but he also took it for granted that和文章的最后一句话But division of labor adds nothing new; it only enables people to produce more of what they already have。因此C项是正确答案。
5. Which of the following could serve as an appropriate title for the passage?
A.Adam Smith, the English Economist
B.The Theory of Division of Labor
C.Division of Labor, an Efficient Way of Organizing Work
D.Adam Smith, the Last Discoverer of Division of Labor
Text 3 With the start of BBC World Service Television, millions of viewers in Asia and America can now watch the Corporation's news coverage, as well as listen to it. And of course in Britain listeners and viewers can tune in to two BBC television channels, five BBC national radio services and dozens of local radio station. They are brought sport, comedy, drama, music, news and current affairs, education, religion, parliamentary coverage, children's pragrammes and films for an annual licence fee of 83 pounds per household. It is a remarkable record, stretching back over 70 years—yet the BBC's future is now in doubt. The Corporation will survive as a publicly-funded broadcasting organization, at least for the time being, but its role, its size and its programmes are now the subject of a nation-wide debate in Britain. The debate was launched by the Government, which invited anyone with an opinion of the BBC—including ordinary listeners and viewers—to say what was good or bad about the Corporation, and even whether they thought it was worth keeping. The reason for its inquiry is that the BBC's royal charter runs out in 1996 and it must decide whether to keep the organization as it is, or to make changes. Defenders of the Corporation—of whom there are many—are fond of quoting the American slogan "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The BBC "ain't broke", they say, by which they mean it is not broken (as distinct from the word "broke", meaning having no money), so why bother to change it? Yet the BBC will have to change, because the broadcasting world around it is changing. The commercial TV channels—TV and Channel 4—were required by the Thatcher Government's "Broadcasting Act" to become more commercial, competing with each other for advertisers, and cutting costs and jobs. But it is the arrival of new satellite channels—funded partly by advertising and partly by viewers' subscriptions-which will bring about the biggest changes in the long term.
1. The world famous BBC now faces ______.
A.the problem of new coverage
B.an uncertain prospect
C.inquiries by the general public
D.shrinkage of audience
A B C D
B
[解析] 从文章第1段的内容可知，随着BBC(英国广播公司)国际电视服务节目的开播，亚洲和美洲数以百万计的人不仅可以收听还可以收看到该公司新闻报道，据此可知A项的“新闻报道范围的问题”和D项“观众人数的减少”不是BBC现在面临的问题。C项不正确，文中第4段提到了“调查、质询”，但那是政府为了解普通大众的意见所采取的行动，并不是BBC现在面临的问题。从文章第3段的内容可知，不过，如今的BBC前途悬而未决。据此可知，现在的BBC：前途不确定。B项的“不确定的前途”与文中的“the BBC's future is now in doubt (如今，BBC的前途悬而未决)”的意思相符，因此B项为正确答案。
2. In the passage, which of the following about the BBC is not mentioned as the key issue?
A.Extension of its TV service to Far East.
B.Programmes as the subject of a nation-wide debate.
C.Potentials for further international co-operations.
3. The BBC's "royal charter" (Line 4, Para. 4) stands for ______.
A.the financial support from the royal family
B.the privileges granted by the Queen
C.a contract with the Queen
D.a unique relationship with the royal family
A B C D
C
[解析] 本题中，A、B、D三项都与文意不符。从文章第4段的最后一句话可知，政府做这样的调查的原因是——BBC持有的皇家契约将于1996年到期，政府必须决定是维持该公司的原状还是实行改革。据此可知，“royal charter”应该是指“BBC与皇家签订的合约”。C项的“指的是与女王签订的合约”与文中“the BBC's royal charter runs out(BBC持有的皇家契约将到期)”的意思相符，因此C项为正确答案。
4. The foremost reason why the BBC has to readjust itself is no other than ______.
A.the emergence of commercial TV channels
B.the enforcement of "Broadcasting Act" by the government
C.the urgent necessity to reduce costs and jobs
D.the challenge of new satellite channels
A B C D
D
[解析] 本题中，A、B、C三项都不是主要原因。从文章最后一段的内容可知，然而BBC将不得不实行改革，因为其周边的广播业正在发生变革；撒切尔政府的《广播法案》要求商业电视频道更加商业化，要它们互相竞争广告商，要它们降低成本，裁减员工；但是，从长远来看，正是新卫星频道的出现——部分资金来自于广告收入，部分来自于用户的收视费，才会带来最大的变革。据此可知，BBC不得不重新自我调整的主要原因是新卫星频道的出现。D项的“新卫星频道的挑战”与文中的“the arrival of new satellite channels will bring about the biggest changes in the long term(从长远来看，新卫星频道的出现才会带来最大的变革)”的意思相符，因此D项为正确答案。
Text 4 The United States is a country made up of many different races. Usually they are mixed together and can't be told from one another. But many of them still talk about where their ancestors came from. It is something they are proud of. The original Americans, of course were the Indians. The so-called white men who then came were mostly from England. But many came from other countries like Germany and France. One problem the United States has always had is discrimination. As new groups came to the United States they found they were discriminated against. First it was the Irish and Italians. Later it was the blacks. Almost every group has been able to finally escape this discrimination. The only immigrants who have not are the blacks. Surprisingly enough the worst discrimination today is shown towards the Indians. One reason the Indians are discriminated against is that they have tried so hard to keep their identity. Of course they are not the only ones who have done so. The Japanese have their Little Tokyo in Los Angeles and the Chinese a Chinatown in New York. The Dutch settlement in Pennsylvania also stays separate from other people. Their towns are like something from the 19th century. They have a different reason from the other groups for staying separately. They live separately for religious reasons rather than keep together in a racial group. Although some groups have kept themselves separate and others have been discriminated against, all groups have helped make the United States a great county. There is no group that has not helped in some way. And there is no group that can say they have done the most to make it a great country. Many people still come from other countries to help the United States grow. A good example is the American project that let a man walk on the moon. It was a scientist from Germany who was most responsible for doing that. It is certain that in the future the United States will still need the help of people from all racial groups to remain a great country.
1. Which of the following statements can best describe the main idea of this passage?
A.The United States is a country made up of many different races.
B.Discrimination is the most serious problem in the United States.
C.All races in the United States have helped make the country a great one.
D.The prosperity of the United States is mainly due to the hard work of the most discriminated races.
2. In the first paragraph the word "told" means ______.
A.separated
B.distinguished
C.revealed
D.made known
A B C D
B
[解析] 文中原句是：Usually they are mixed together and can't be told from one another。told是tell的过去分词，常与can，could，be able to连用，意思是“辨别，分辨，认出”。因此B项为正确答案。
3. This passage implies that discrimination is a problem which ______.
A.many races in the United States have experienced
B.will still be very serious in the United States in the future
C.has already been solved in the United States
D.is strongly opposed by many different races in the United States
A B C D
A
[解析] 本题的依据是文中第3段的As new groups came to the United States they found they were discriminated against. First...Later...Almost every group has been able to finally escape this discrimination。因此A是正确答案。
4. The main reason why the Indians are most discriminated against is that ______.
A.they have tried hard to keep their religions
B.they have tried hard to live together to keep their Indian customs
C.they are the only ones who have tried to keep their identity
D.they discriminate many other races
A B C D
C
[解析] 本题的依据是第4段的第1、2句话：One reason the Indians are discriminated against is that they have tried so hard to keep theft identity. Of course they are not the only ones who have done so，从中可知C项为正确答案。
5. The Dutch live separately in Pennsylvania ______.
A.to escape discrimination
B.to keep together in a racial group
C.to enjoy themselves in their own towns
D.for religious reasons
A B C D
D
[解析] 本题的依据是第4段的最后一句话：They live separately for religious reasons rather than keep together in a racial group。从中可知，荷兰人自成一体是出于宗教的原因，因此D项为正确答案。
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