阅读理解

It was a very hot summer Sunday. Most of the neighbors were indoors with air-conditioners and color TVs going on. Suddenly, there was a power failure. After about half an hour, most houses had lost their pleasing coolness and people began to come outdoors in search for a gentle breeze. Before long, everyone was sharing all kinds of soft drinks and iced tea or coffee. Food began to appear, someone brought some small tables, and a natural block party developed. All around me, people were talking and laughing, and no one seemed to care that the power is still off. Nor did the spirit of the party die with the end of the evening. We since have organized a block football team and a number of clubs. Ever since that power failure, our neighborhood had been a more pleasant place to live in.

1．On that particular day people came out in order to ________.

[　　]

2．From this passage we can infer that people in this neighborhood ________.

[　　]

A．like to have block parties on Sundays

B．often have power failures on Sundays

C．are all close friends

D．get on better than before

3．Which of the following statements is TRUE?

[　　]

A．The air-conditioners and color TVs were broken one night.

B．It is the power failure that brought people in the neighborhood together.

C．The block party didn't stop until the next morning.

D．The power failure lasted for about half an hour.

4．The best title of this passage should be ________.

[　　]

A．The Pleasure of the Power Failure

B．The Trouble of the Power Failure

C．The Harm of the Power Failure

D．The Unexpected Gains of the Power Failure

Window

　 Bill and John, both seriously ill, lived in the same room at Marie Hospital. John lived next to the only window of the room and was allowed to 21 in his bed and watch for an hour every day. But Bill had to spend all his time 22 on his back.

　 They became friends soon and talked for hours every day. They spoke of their families, their children, their hobbies, and their 23 in the American army. Each day John would sit up and 24 to his roommate Bill what he could see outside the window.

　 Through John's description, Bill's world was 25 　and brightened by all the activities and colors of the outside world. The window overlooked a beautiful park with a lovely 26, John told Bill. Ducks played on the water 27 children sailed their model boats. And a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As John described all these 28 , Bill would close his eyes and 29 　the picturesque scene. Bill was recovering 30 .However, John became weak day by day.

　 Late one night, Bill was lying in bed 31 　the ceiling when John began to cough seriously. Then doctors and nurses rushed to the room. Thirty minutes later, John 32 coughing. Now, there was only silence-- 33 silence.

　 The following morning, Bill was moved to the bed next to the window at his request. Slowly and 34, he supported himself up on one elbow to take the first look. But to his 35 , he could see nothing but a 36 　wall.

Only at that moment did he begin to realize that the pursuit of happiness was a matter of 37. It was a positive attitude we chose to express. It was not a gift that got 38 　to our doorstep each morning, nor did it come through the window. It was an inward journey. Whether a man is happy or not depends on his own thoughts 39 anything outward.

　 So Bill began to describe the 40 　world to his new roommate that he saw through the only window of the room.

21. A. stand up　　 　B. sit up　　　　　 　C. set up　　 　　　　 D. stay up

22. A. lying　　　 　 B. depending　　　 C. going　　　　　 　 D. relying

23. A. service　　　 　B. advice　　　　　 C. appearance　　 　　D. violence

24. A. explain　　 　 B. complain　　　 　 C. describe　　　　 　 D. introduce

25. A. affected　　 　B. broadened　　 　　C. damaged　　　　 　D. expanded

26. A. tower　　　 　 B. lake　　　　　 　　C. statue　　　　　 　D. hill

27. A. while　　　 　 B. though　　　　 　C. unless　　　　 　 D. until

28. A. in addition 　　B. in general　　　 　 C. in brief　　　　 　　D. in detail

29. A. see　　　　　 B. remember　　　 　 C. imagine　　　　 　D. recognize

30. A. up to now　 　 B. little by little　　　 C. sooner or later　 　　D. one by one

31. A. thinking about 　B. staring at　　　 　 C. holding up　　 　　 D. fixing on

32. A. stopped　　 　 B. continued　　　　 C. avoided　　　　　 D. survived

33. A. deadly　　　 　B. dead　　　　　 　C. breathless　　 　 D. aimless

34. A. regretfully　 　　B. fortunately　　 　 C. particularly　　 　D. hopefully

35. A. surprise　　　 　B. delight　　　　 　C. relief　　　　　 D. anger

36. A. simple　　　 　B. blank　　　　　 　C. colored　　　　 D. painted

37. A. consideration 　B. expression　　　 C. choice　　　 　　D. practice

38. A. delivered　　　 B. decorated　　　　 C. devoted　　　　　 D. determined

39. A. more than　　 　B. better than　 　　C. other than　　 　　D. rather than

40. A. friendly　　　 　B. yearly　　　　 C. lively　　　　　　 D. likely

阅读理解

　　The dark, narrow streets of London were dangerous places for a lad to wander during the ruling of Charles Ⅱ (1660-1685). Bands of hoodlums(强盗), in the pay of some ships' captains, were found everywhere. Their job was to seize as many boys as they could find and carry them off to waiting ships in the harbor. Many a pale city lad would wake up from a drugged sleep, or a blow on the head, to find himself on the high seas, bound for the New World. There he might become a farmhand, an apprentice, or perhaps a household servant.

　　Thousands of unsuspecting youths were kidnapped who were never to return to the land of their birth. The traffic in young boys became, in time, a great public scandal, and this is the way it had come about.

　　America desperately needed colonists. At first, many people had come willingly, lured by tales of quick wealth and unlimited opportunity. But once they arrived, they found it to be a far rougher place than they had imagined. It was true that, there was opportunity, but hard work was needed to make it pay off. Many of the new colonists, hoping for easy fortuned, were not used to the difficulties of hard manual labour.

　　Nor could they manage the large farms by themselves. They needed help of every sort: for planting, for harvesting, for building their houses, etc. Some few skilled workers had come and set up shops--blacksmiths, carpenters, wheelwrights(修造轮子的工匠) and such--but they, too, were in need of help. Without apprentices and laborers, they could not possibly do all the work that the colonists required.

　　British shipowners offered free transportation to all those who would come, in return for an agreement to work for seven years without wages. Thousands of immigrants accepted the offer. After seven years of service they were farmers in their own right--and needed help. So there was an increasing need for workers. When the captains could not get colonists any other way, they hired hoodlums to seize any young boys they could lay hands on.

　　Over 100000 youngsters were taken to America in this way. Kidnapping became such an open scandal that in 1682 the London Council passed a law forbidding any person under fourteen to be bound into service without the knowledge and consent of his parents.

1．What shocked the London citizens in the late 17th century?

[　　]

A．The British shipowners needed hands in their business.

B．Bands of hoodlums wandered in the dark streets of London.

C．Many young boys turned to drugs and violence.

D．Many young boys were captured and shipped to America.

2．According to the passage, many British people were willing to settle in America because _____.

[　　]

A．they were poor and desperate

B．they thought they could find jobs easily and soon make a fortune

C．they were desperately tired of the bad conditions in London

D．they learned that skilled workers were badly needed there

3．According to the passage, the colonists were in need of hands for the following reasons except that _____.

[　　]

A．many rail tracks had to be built

B．there was a lot of work on the farms

C．many houses had to be built

D．there was a lot of work in various kinds of shops

4．Why did thousands of immigrants sign the agreement to work for seven years without pay?

[　　]

A．Because they had no money to pay for their voyage to the New World.

B．Because they could become farmers in their own right after their seven-year work.

C．Because they had no land of their own when they just arrived in America.

D．Because they were kidnapped and forced to sign it.

5．We can infer from the passage that the British government passed a law in 1682 because _____.

[　　]

A．the shipowners had seized a great fortune of the country apart from the young boys

B．it intended to stop the employment of the young workers under the age of fourteen

C．the public strongly condemned the kidnapping of young boys

D．it did not want to lose a lot of its young residents