When Babbage was working at Cambridge, a new idea occurred to him. He wanted to construct a calculating machine to work out the solutions（解法）to maths problems not only with correctness but also with a speed beyond the power of any human mind. His machine could solve problems involving（涉及）long rows of figures in one continuous operation（运算）.
In 1822 Babbage exhibited his invention and won a prize from the government. After that, he immediately started to work on a larger machine designed to solve more difficult problems. Although he received some money left by his father, the money was not enough to support his design. He wrote to the government about his plan and was given ￡2500 to start with, a sum worth much more in those days than it is now.
Babbage continued his work in London for four years. Then his health broke down, and he had to take a long holiday abroad. When he returned to London in 1828, he was at the end of his resources. Many bills remained unpaid. His chief assistant and co-workers quarreled with him and left with many expensive tools. For one year no work was done. During this period, Babbage, whose mind was always active, suddenly thought of a completely new idea for the machine. He rushed to meet the government officials to explain his new idea. But this time, they were unwilling to help him. For eight years, they refused to say whether they wanted the machine or not, and their final answer was “No.”
From 1828 to 1839, Babbage held the position of professor at Cambridge very successfully. But his greatest work was the unfinished calculating machine which stood covered in dust in his house. It was the beginning of the modern computer.
1.The machine Babbage designed would solve difficult maths problems _________.
A. in one operation with few mistakes
B. in more than one operation without any mistakes
C. in more than one operation with slight mistakes
D. in one operation without any mistakes
2.Babbage failed to continue his research work in 1828 mainly because _______.
A. he was in poor health B. he almost ran out of money
C. his co-workers argued with him D. he spent all his money on his bills
3.Babage explained his new idea to the government officials, expecting that _________.
A. they would agree to his plan B. they would pay for his new idea
C. they would support him with money D. they would exhibit his new design
4.From the passage, we can infer that __________.
A. Babbage failed to be a famous scientist at Cambridge
B. Babbage always had new ideas but gave them up easily
C. Babbage always needed support from the government officials
D. Babbage was the first designer of the modern computer
When building houses, people used to think about not only the climate of the areas but also the building materials and the fashions for their houses. However, since electricity became more and more expensive, people began to pay much more attention to the energy they could get for their houses and the new ways they could find to protect their houses from both cold and heat.
Now, houses of an old yet new type have been widely built. In some parts of the world, people share their houses with their livestock（家畜）.During cold weather, they gather their cows, goats, or other animals and keep them on the first floor of their houses. The reasons are that the animals can be protected from the cold and that they can help to heat the houses as well. The body heat given off by the animals rises to the second floor of the houses, where people live. By sharing their houses with their livestock, people gain a source of heat.
People who live in or near cities do not usually keep livestock. However, home builders use the fact that heat rises. This natural law can be used in building houses in these areas. Instead of keeping livestock on the first floor, builders fill it with large rocks. As they are open to the sun’s rays during cold weather, these rocks take in heat. They also give off the heat, and, of course, the warm air rises into the living areas of the houses. So these houses are energy-saving.
House-building becomes a great challenge（挑战）to building designers and energy engineers. They try to meet this challenge by learning from old traditions and by using modern technology. And someday in the future, people will be able to live in more energy-saving houses.
1.What did people begin to consider as electricity was no longer cheap?
A. The climate of their areas. B. The energy for their houses.
C. The fashions for their houses. D. The building materials for their houses.
2.People in some areas gain a source of heat by _________.
A. keeping their livestock downstairs
B. protecting their livestock from the cold
C. sharing their houses only with their cows
D. living on the second floor with their livestock
3.The underlined words “natural law” in the third paragraph refer to the fact that ________.
A. heat raises the temperature in the houses
B. heat goes in the upward direction
C. heat goes up if temperature is raised
D. heat increases the temperature of rocks
4.From the passage, we can conclude that __________.
A. people will no longer consider building materials in the future
B. energy-saving buildings will become more popular in the future
C. almost all people will move into the houses heated by large rocks
D. energy engineers will devote themselves only to modern technology
阅读下面短文，撑握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Scott and his companions were terribly disappointed. When they got to the South Pole, they found the Norwegians（挪威人）had 1them in the race to be the first ever to reach it. After 2the British flag at the Pole, they took a photograph of themselves 3they started the 950-mile journey back.
The journey was unexpectedly 4and the joy and excitement about the Pole had gone out of them. The sun hardly 5. The snow storms always made it impossible to sight the stones they had 6to mark their way home. To make things 7. Evans, whom they had all thought of 8the strongest of the five, fell badly into a deep hole in the ice. Having 9along for several days, he suddenly fell down and died.
The four who were 10pushed on at the best speed they could 11. Captain Oates had been suffering for some time from his 12face; at night his feet swelled（肿胀） so large that he could 13put his boots on the next morning, and he walked bravely although he was in great 14. He knew his slowness was making it less likely that 15could save themselves. He asked them to leave him behind in his sleeping-bag, but they refused, and helped him 16a few more miles, until it was time to put up the 17for another night.
The following morning, 18the other three were still in their sleeping-bags, he said. “I am just going outside and may be 19some time.” He was never seen again. He had walked out 20into the snow storm, hoping that his death would help his companions.
1.A. hit B. fought C. won D. beaten
2.A. growing B. putting C. planting D. laying
3.A. after B. until C. while D. before
4.A. safe B. fast C. short D. slow
5.A. rose B. set C. appeared D. disappeared
6.A. taken up B. cut up C. set up D. picked up
7.A. easier B. better C. bitter D. worse
8.A. to B. upon C. as D. in
9.A. battled B. struggled C. speeded D. waited
10.A. left B. lost C. defeated D. saved
11.A. manage B. try C. employ D. find
12.A. ached B. frozen C. harden D. harmed
13.A. hardly B. never C. seldom D. nearly
14.A. pain B. fear C. trouble D. danger
15.A. all others B. some others C. others D. the others
16.A. away B. with C. off D. on
17.A. bed B. tent C. blanket D. sleeping-bag
18.A. while B. since C. for D. once
19.A. missed B. separated C. passed D. gone
20.A. patiently B. lonely C. alone D. worriedly
In the dark forests ________ some large enough to hold several English towns.
A. stand many lakes B. lie many lakes
C. many lakes lie D. many lakes stand
【详解】本题考查倒装结构，完全倒装。同时stand 和lie的区别。stand是突出的，lie是平躺的，湖不可能是突出的，所以此题应该选择lie。
There was never any time for Kate to feel lonely, ________ she was an only child.
A. ever since B. now that C. even though D. even as
Months ago we sailed ten thousand miles across this open sea, which _______ the Pacific, and we met no storms.
A. was called B. is called C. had been called D. has been called
