To us, it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains. But in fact the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain. Its first use was as a shade(遮蔽)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, back in the eleventh century BC.
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 power(权力). In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office or by royal people such as the kings or queens.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. The umbrella was in common use in ancient Greece, but it is believed that the first people in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans. During the middle ages in Europe, the use of the umbrella almost disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it became a symbol of power.
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 the umbrellas for women began to be made in all kinds of colors.
1.According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient_______.
A．China B．Egypt C．Greece D．Rome
2.Which of the following statements is not true about the umbrella?
A．No one exactly knows who the inventor of the umbrella was
B．The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun.
C．The umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century
D．In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade.
3.A strange feature of the umbrella’s use is that it was used as__________.
A．protection against rain
B．a symbol of honor and power
C．a shade against the sun
D．women’s decoration
4.In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain_______________.
A．during the Middle Ages B．in Rome
C．by the 18th D．in Greece
5.This passage talks mainly about_______________.
A．when and how the umbrella was invented
B．why the umbrella was so popular in Europe
C．the development of the umbrella
D．The history and use of the umbrella
There was a boy and his family was very rich. One day his father took him on a trip to a place. He wanted to show his son how poor people were there. They spent several days on a farm. There were many poor families living on the farm.
On their way home, the father asked the son, “How was the trip?” “It was great, Dad,” the son answered. “Did you notice how poor people were there?” asked his father. “Oh, yes,” said the son. “So, tell me,” said his father. The son said, “Well, we have one dog and they have four. We have a pool in our garden, while they have a river that has no end. We have expensive lanterns (灯), but they have stars above their heads at night. We have only a small piece of land to live on, while they have the endless fields. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have high walls around our houses to protect us, but they don’t need walls, because their friends will protect them.”
The father had nothing to say. Then the boy added, “Thank you, Dad, for letting me see how poor we are.”
1. The father wanted to show his son ________.
A. how people on the farm worked
B. how poor people were on the farm
C. how beautiful the farm was
D. how far it was from the city to the farm
2.How often did they go to the farm?
A. Once a week. B. Twice a month.
C. Every year. D. The writer doesn’t tell us.
3.When the father asked the son how the trip was, the son thought it ________.
A. great B. tiring C. terrible D. boring
4.According to the boy, people on the farm can see ________ at night.
A. expensive lanterns B. a lot of cars
C. stars above their heads D. many horses
5. Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
A. The boy was from a very poor family.
B. The father and the son spent several weeks on a farm.
C. People on the farm have high walls around their houses.
D. The boy thought that people on the farm lived a happy life.
Friends play an important role in our life. Most people hope that their friends will always be there. They friendship to last forever. , even the best friendship can end.
As time goes by, many friendships end because of a(n) _ in personality or way of life. The friendship slowly loses importance and finally_ _.
Tommy wrote, “I didn’t even know the friendship was over until I caught myself thinking of Alan as a former friend.”
Peter explained. “We _ seeing each other less and less. The friendship was just over.”
Sometimes friendships_ _ suddenly from a disagreement or move to another place.
Alice said, “The end of our friendship was a gradual thing. I moved from one side of the city to the other. Since then we _ made a phone call. We met less and less. At last our friendship ended.”
Jack said, “ When I moved to Seattle after college, our friendship died. Both of us were always_ with new jobs, so we didn’t keep _ touch with each other. Our friendship was so dead that I didn’t call him _ _ I went home.”
Yet the biggest problem to a friendship is change. Lillian Rubin in her book Just Friends say, “Generally it’s _ _ that friends will accept each other if they both remain what they were when they met, or change in similar directions. If they change or grow in different ways, the friendship most likely lost.”
No matter why, when, or how friendships end, there is always _ _ pain of loss. When nothing can be _ to keep the friendship, it is important to forget the pain. Then move on _ _ new friendships.
May new friendships bring you pleasure and happiness!
1.A. hope B. expect C. decide D. prefer
2.A. Unfortunately B. Luckily C. Then D. So
3.A. interest B. experience C. change D. Suggestion
4.A. forgets B. disappears C. appears D. improves
5.A. finished B. practiced C. continued D. started
6.A. break down B. break away C. break off D. break in
7.A. often B. seldom C. always D. never
8.A. struggling B. satisfying C. pleased D. fed
9.A. at B. by C. on D. in
10.A. even if B. while C. before D. since
11.A. strange B. true C. false D. impossible
12.A. will be B. is C. will D. to be
13.A. little B. some C. any D. no
14.A. thought B. checked C. carried D. done
15.A. to ask for B. forming C. to build D. beginning
---Don’t smoke here, please. ---______.
A. I don’t B. sorry, I won’t
C. No way D. I will
---To achieve a bright future, we should ___ study hard ___ keep in good health.
---I agree with you.
A. not only, but also B. not, but
C. neither, nor D. either, or
---I have great ___ in learning physics and I’m so worried. Could you help me?
---Sure, I’d be glad to.
A. interest B. fun C. trouble D. question
