Xu Shu was much valued by Liu Bei for his strategic talents. After several victories on the battleground against Cao Cao, Xu was made the chief military advisor. Cao Cao was greatly surprised at the news. “If you want this person,” one of his advisors said, “you can bring his mother to Xuchang and send a forged letter in his mother's handwriting, asking Xu Shu to desert Liu Bei and come here. As Xu is well-known for a strong filial（孝顺的） affection, surely he will come.” This plot worked. For Xu, on receiving the letter, cried tearfully, asking Liu Bei for an immediate departure. Feeling sad, though, Liu persisted in his stay for another night, during which the two aired their sad feelings.

The next day Liu laid a banquet outside the city for Xu. Holding the latter's hand, Liu said,  “After we separate today, only heaven knows when and where we will meet again.” He wept bitter tears.

After setting off on his way, Xu suddenly turned his horse and returned. “I almost forgot an important matter.” He said to Liu. “Ten kilometers from Xiangyang City, in a place called Long zhong, there is a talent called Zhuge Liang. Do you want to meet him？” Liu expressed his willingness at once, but also aired doubt about whether Zhuge Liang was as talented as Xu. “He tells positions of stars in the heavens,” Xu assured him, “and recognizes everything on earth. He knows a person's real nature at the first meeting----the number one talent under the heaven. If you have him as your military advisor, you'll have the country under your name.” Liu suggested a visit to Zhuge by Xu on his behalf. At this, the latter shook his head in disapproval. “You must go and offer your invitation personally, and his acceptance depends entirely on your sincerity.” With these words said, Xu turned his horse and left. Later, Liu paid three trips to Zhuge's straw house, another favorite story among Chinese people.

The underlined word “forged” in Paragraph 1 probably means__________.

A. forced                          B. false                             C. friendly                        D. touching

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Zhuge was able to tell a person’s personality at first sight.

B. No sooner did Xu receive the letter than he departed for Cao Cao.

C. Liu showed little interest in visiting Zhuge because he was doubtful of the stranger’s ability.

D. Liu showed his disapproval when Xu advised him to call on Zhuge in person.

The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.

A. There was no doubt that Zhuge was competent as a military advisor

B. No one would be better than Zhuge in terms of giving military advice

C. Zhuge was such a talent that he could make the country named after Liu

D. With the help of Zhuge, Liu would be able to rule the whole country

The paragraph following the last one most probably deals with __________.

A. why people considered Zhuge as a talent

B. the difficulty Xu met with on the way to meet his mother

C. the plot Cao Cao made to bring Xu’s mother to Xuchang

D. how Liu sincerely invited Zhuge to assist him in military affairs

The text is developed in the order of __________.

A. space                           B. logic                             C. time                            D. cause and result

The Man of Many Secrets — Harry Houdini — was one of the greatest American entertainers in the theater this century. He was a man famous for his escapes — from prison cells, from wooden boxes floating in rivers, from locked tanks full of water. He appeared in theaters all over Europe and America. Crowds came to see the great Houdini and his “magic” tricks.

Of course, his secret was not magic, or supernatural powers. It was simply strength. He had the ability to move his toes as well as he moved his fingers. He could move his body into almost any position he wanted.

Houdini started working in the entertainment world when he was 17, in 1891. He and his brother Theo performed card tricks in club in New York. They called themselves the Houdini Brothers. When Harry married in 1894, he and his wife Bess worked together as magician and assistant. But for a long time they were not very successful. Then Harry performed his first prison escape, in Chicago in 1898. Harry persuaded a detective to let him try to escape from the prison, and he invited the local newspapermen to watch.

It was the publicity(宣传) that came from this that started Harry Houdini’s success. Harry had fingers trained to escape from handcuffs and toes trained to escape ankle chins. But his biggest secret was how he unlocked the prison doors. Every time he went into the prison cell, Bess gave him a kiss for good luck — and a small skeleton key, which is a key that fits many locks, pass quickly from her mouth to his.

Harry used these prison escapes to build his fame. He arranged to escape from the local prison of every town he visited. In the afternoon, the people of the town would read about it in their local newspapers, and in the evening every seat in the local theater would be full. What was the result? World-wild fame, and a name remembered today.

1. According to the passage, Houdini’s success in prison escapes depends on _______.

A. his special tricks and supernatural powers

B. his unusual ability and a skeleton key

C. his magic tricks and unhuman powers

D. his wisdom and magic tricks

2. In the fourth paragraph, the underlined word “this” refers to _______.

A. his first prison escape                     B. the year 1898

C. the publicity                                  D. Harry Houdini’s success

3. It can be inferred from the passage that Houdini became famous _______.

A. in 1894                                         B. before he married

C. at the age of 17                       D. when he was about 24

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. A Skeleton Key                       B. A Man of Many Secrets

C. World-wild Fame                          D. Great Escape 

The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read beneath an old willow tree. Not   36__   with life, I was down. A young boy out of breath   37   me, all tired from play. He stood right before me with his head tilted（倾斜的） down,   38   with great excitement, “Look what I found!”

In his hand was a flower, and what a   39   sight, with its petals（花瓣） all worn－not enough rain, or too little light.   40   him to take his dead flower and go off to play, I   41   a small smile and then shifted away. But instead of   42  he sat next to my side and placed the flower to his nose and declared with   43  , “It sure smells pretty and it’s beautiful, too. That’s why I   44   it; here, it’s for you.”

The flower before me was dying or dead. But I knew I   45   take it, or he might never leave. So I reached for the flower, and   46  , “Just what I need.” But instead of placing the flower in my hand, he   47  it mid－air without reason. It was then that I   48   for the very first time the boy was   49  .

I heard my voice shake, tears shone like the sun   50   I thanked him for picking the very best one. He smiled, and then ran off to play,   51   of the effect he’d had on my day.

I sat there and   52  how he managed to see a self-pitying woman beneath an old willow tree. How did he know of my self-indulged(放纵的)  53  ? Perhaps from his heart, he'd been blessed with true   54 .

  55   the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see, the problem was not with the world; the problem was me. And for all of those times I myself had been blind, I vowed to see beauty, and appreciate every second that's mine.

36．A．excited     B．inspired    C．content     D．disappointed

37．A．approached      B．overlooked       C．understood       D．recognized

38．A．telling      B．saying      C．informing D．talking

39．A．unique      B．rough       C．bothering  D．pitiful

40．A．Wanting   B．Demanding      C．Persuading       D．Inviting

41．A．presented  B．adjusted    C．forced      D．delivered

42．A．declining  B．accepting  C．panicking  D．quitting

43．A．surprise    B．embarrassment C．sympathy  D．sorrow

44．A．took  B．pulled       C．attained    D．picked

45．A．should      B．can    C．may  D．must

46．A．announced       B．replied      C．declared    D．whispered

47．A．grasped    B．held  C．caught      D．seized

48．A．observed   B．confirmed C．noticed     D．concluded

49．A．strange     B．blind C．deaf  D．unimaginable

50．A．once  B．after  C．as      D．since

51．A．unaware   B．unbelievable     C．regretful   D．regardless

52．A. doubted     B. felt     C. found  D. wondered

53.   A. embarrassment   B. depression  C. hopelessness      D. effort

54.   A. sense  B. hearing      C. sight   D. ability

55．A．In     B．From C．Before      D．Through

Superconducting Materials

       The stone age, The Iron Age. Entire epochs have been named for materials. So what to call the decades ahead? The choice will be tough. Welcome to the age of superstuff(超级材料). Material science -- once the least sexy technology – is bursting with new, practical discoveries led by superconducting ceramics that may revolutionize electronics. But superconductors are just part of the picture: from house and cars to cook pots and artificial teeth, the world will someday be made of different stuff. Exotic plastics, glass and ceramics will shape the future just as surely as have genetic engineering and computer science.

       The key to the new materials is researchers’ increasing ability to manipulate substances at the molecular level. Ceramics, for example, have long been limited by their brittleness. But by minimizing the microscopic imperfections that cause it, scientists are making far stronger ceramics that still retain such qualities as hardness and heat resistance. Ford Motor Co. now uses ceramic tools to cut steel. A firm called Kyocera has created a line of ceramic scissors and knives that stay sharp for years and never rust or corrode.

      A similar transformation has overtaken plastics. High-strength polymers now form bridges, ice-skating rinks and helicopter rotors. And one new plastic that generates electricity when vibrated or pushed is used in electric guitars, touch sensors for robot hands and karate jackets that automatically record each punch and chop. Even plastic litter, which once threatened to permanently blot the landscape, has proved amenable to molecular tinkering. Several manufacturers now make biodegradable forms; some plastic six-pack rings for example, gradually decompose when exposed to sunlight. Researchers are developing ways to make plastics as recyclable as metal or glass. Besides, composites – plastic reinforced with fibers of graphite or other compounds – made the round-the-world flight of the voyager possible and have even been proved in combat: a helmet saved an infantryman’s life by deflecting two bullets in the Grenada invasion.

       Some advanced materials are old standard with a new twist. The newest fiberoptic(光学纤维的) cable that carry telephone calls cross-country are made of glass so transparent that a piece of 100 miles thick is clearer than a standard window pane.

       But new materials have no impact until they are made into products. And that transition could prove difficult, for switching requires lengthy research and investment. It can be said a firmer handle on how to move to commercialization will determine the success or failure of a country in the near future.

How many new materials are mentioned in this passage?

A Two      B Three    C Four    D Five

Why does the author mention genetic engineering and computer science?

A To compare them with the new materials.

B To show the significance of the new materials on the future world.

C To compare the new materials to them.

D To explain his view point.

Why is transition difficult?

A Because transition requires money and time.

B Because many manufacturers are unwilling to change their equipment.

C Because research on new materials is very difficult.

D Because it takes 10 years.

Where lies success of a country in the New Age of superstuff?

A It lies in research.      B It lies in investment.

C It lies in innovation.    D It lies in application.