It happened to be a beautiful summer afternoon, and Mr. Phillip was taking a walk in the downtown area of Paris, capital of France.

       When he turned to a street corner, he heard the voice of a lovely French singer coming from a nearby restaurant. The sweet music attracted him, so he went into the restaurant to hear it better. Mr. Phillip sat down quietly at a table near the door. Noticing the waiter come over, he ordered a glass of French wine.

The waiter returned with the glass of wine and put it on the table. Mr. Phillip started drinking the wine slowly and watching other people in the restaurant. There were three customers sitting at a table near him. He could tell by their accents that one of them was an American, one an Englishman and the third man was a funny-looking stranger. The polite waiter served each of the three men a glass of beer. By chance, each glass had a fly in it.

Out of curiosity, Mr. Phillip watched carefully what they were going to do. To his amusement, he found that each of them took a quite different attitude. The American picked up his glass, took a hard look at the fly, and then poured the fly and half of his beer on the floor. The Englishman looked into the glass, noticed the fly and reached for a spoon, with which he took the fly out of the beer and drank the rest of it. And the stranger noticed the fly in the beer, picked it with his fingers, squeezed (挤压) it carefully in order to save every drop of beer, then drank it up.

21. Mr. Phillip went into the restaurant to _____.

A. have something to eat after the walk  B. wait for a friend there

C. enjoy the pleasant music           D. meet his three friends there

22.  The restaurant where Mr. Phillip had a drink must be _____.

A. a first-class one           B. a rather dirty place

C. expensive and comfortable  D. a place where only beer was served

23. Of all the three customers at the table, _____.

A. the American liked the beer best

B. the Englishman wasted half of his beer

C. the stranger was the cleverest

D. the stranger drank the most from the glass

Dick was a twenty-year-old man. His father was a teacher and taught chemistry in a middle school and his mother worked in a shop. They live a happy life until his parents died one night when suddenly an earthquake broke out. Luckily his sister took him to see their aunt in the city and they did not stay at home. Everything was destroyed in the earthquake and the two children got into trouble. Thanks to their aunt who was not rich enough, they grew up but they lived a hard life. His sister was so sad that she became a nun(修女). After he finished middle school, he was introduced to an owner of a hotel and began to work there.

One day the young man fell to the ground while he was cleaning a window on the second floor. He was sent to the hospital and the doctor looked him over. One of his legs was broken and he had to be in hospital. He said to the nurse. “I’m a poor man, madam. Arrange a third-class ward(安排一个三等病房) for me, please.”

“Can’t anybody help you?”

“No, madam,” answered Dick. “I have only a sister. She’s a nun and she’s poor, too.”

“I don’t think so,” the nurse said angrily. “Nuns usually marry God. And God is the richest in the world, you know!”

“Well, then,” Dick said with a smile. “Please arrange a first-class ward for me and post the bill to my brother-in-law.”

24. The sister and brother lived a hard life because ________.

A. they had to look after themselves       B. they were too young

C. they were hurt in the earthquake       D. they lost all

25. After Dick finished middle school, ________.

A. he began to work in the hotel 　　    B. he began to look for a job

C. he broke his leg　　　　             D. he stayed at home

26. Dick asked the nurse not to arrange a first-class ward for him because _________.

A. he hadn’t got enough money to pay for the bill       B. he wanted to save some money for his sister

C. he liked to stay with the poor                       D. he used to live in a simple room

27. Which of the following is true?

A. Dick had a rich brother-in-law.

B. The nurse would arrange a first-class ward for Dick.

C. The nurse would post Dick’s bill to God.

D. The nurse would arrange a third-class ward for Dick.

VENICE, a small, waterside city in northeast Italy, boils with happiness and excitement once every year. Between February 21 and March 4, carnival(狂欢节) hits the streets.

For most people, carnival means large parties and feasting(盛宴). But in Venice, it also means traditional masks and clothes.

These costumes（服装） were first meant to hide personal identities（身份）. Then, different social classes could mix in a sea of happiness.

Along the waterways, people greeted each other with: “Good morning, Mrs. Mask!”

Today, people in Venice still dress up in the strangest of ways—as armed soldiers, butchers and fishermen, for example.

Bars and cafes are filled with partygoers who come to show off their beautiful clothes. Their designs and creations are made by special studios. Ready-made costumes are not acceptable.

“In the months before the carnival we work overtime to meet the demand,” said a mask-maker. “Many kilometers of silk and lace(花边) are made into costumes. For shopkeepers, carnival is the best time of year.”

The Venice carnival dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time, the city was one of the wealthiest in Europe.

The tradition of celebrating with masks and costumes is thought to have been started by the “Stocking Companies”. These were groups of young men who organized parties and festivals and wore colourful stockings to distinguish(区分) themselves.

By the 18th century, the carnival had reached its top. It all came to an end when Napoleon controlled Venice in 1797. But in 1979, local people brought the old traditions back to life.

Now the Venice carnival attracts huge crowds from all over the world. This year, about 700, 000 people are taking part. Hotels were fully booked months in advance, and bars and restaurants overflow every day.

The city certainly benefits—a whole industry has been built up around the carnival’s masks and clothes.

“The Venice carnival is a magical time! It’s such a great experience,” said one French tourist.

28. What might you infer from the article?

A. People in Venice like to party.

B. There used to be strong feelings of social class in Venice.

C. Venice was a happy city.

D. Venice was a city of silk and lace.

29. When was the carnival the biggest?

A. In the middle ages.  B. In 1979.   C. In 1797.   D. In the 18th century.

30. Who started the tradition of wearing masks and costumes?

A. Napoleon.                                          B. The silk and lace makers

C. The hotel industry.                              D. Young men.

31. Why do the shopkeepers like the carnival time?

A. Because they can make many different kinds of masks.

B. Because they can make a lot of money during this time.

C. Because many people from all over the world come to Venice.

D. Because the city is a “sea of happiness”.

32. What would be the best title for this selection（节选）?

A. The story of how the carnival began in Venice.

B. How the carnival is celebrated in Venice.

C. The history of the carnival in Venice.

D. What to see and do during the carnival time in Venice.

Parents whose children show a special interest in a particular sport feel very difficult to make a decision about their children’s careers. Should they allow their children to train to become top sports men and women? For many children it means starting school work very young, and going out with friends and other interests have to take a second place. It’s very difficult to explain to a young child why he or she has to train five hours a day, even at the weekend, when most of his or her friends are playing.

Another problem is of course money. In many countries money for training is available from government for the very best young sportsmen and women. If this help can not be given, it means that it is the parents who have to find the time and the money to support their child’s development — sports clothes, transport to competitions, special equipment, etc.— can all be very expensive.

Many parents are worried that it is dangerous to start serious training in a sport at an early age. Some doctors agree that young muscles may be damaged by training before they are properly developed. Professional trainers, however, believe that it is only by training young that you can reach the top as a successful sports person. It is clear that very few people do reach the top, and both parents and children should be prepared for failure even after many years of training.

33. This article is most probably taken from _______.

A. a letter                                                B. an advertisement

C. a personal diary                                   D. a newspaper article

34. According to（根据） the passage, parents whose children show a special interest in sport ______.

A. try to get financial support from the government for their children’s training

B. feel uncertain if they should let their children train to be sports men or women training

C. have to get medical advice from doctors about training methods

D. prefer their children to be trained as young as possible

35. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. By starting young, you won’t have much time for your school work.

B. Early training may damage your muscles.

C. It’s very expensive for parents to support their child’s development in sports.

D. Most children may become professional sports men after a long period of training.

What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, red?   36   . Do you prefer grays and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be pessimist（悲观主义者）. At least, this is what psychologists（心理学家）tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference, as well as the effect that colors have on human beings.   37   . If you happen to love brown, you did so, as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly.

        38   . A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day.    39    . A black bridge over the Thames River, near London, used to be the scene of more suicides（自杀）than any other bridge in the area ----until it was repainted green . The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply. Perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.

         40   . It is an established fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or grey.

A.   Colors do influence our moods---there is no doubt about it.

B.   On the other hand, black is depressing.

C.   They tell us, among other facts, that we do not choose our favorite color as we grow up---we are born with our preference.

D.   The rooms are painted in different colors as you like.

E.   If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement.

F.    Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active.

G.   Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colors.