Language is always changing. In a society where life continues year after year with few changes, the language does not change, either. The earliest known languages had difficult grammar but a small, limited vocabulary. Over the century, the grammar changed, and the vocabulary grew. For example, the English and Spanish people who came to America during the sixteenth century gave names to all new plants and animals they found. In this way, hundreds of new words were introduced into English and Spanish vocabularies. Today life is changing very fast, and language is changing fast too.
There are several major language families in the world. Some scientists say there are nine main families, but other scientists divide them differently. The languages in each family are connected, and scientists think that they came from the same parent language About 3 percent of the people in the world speak languages that are not in these major families.
1.The early language had ______.
A. a lot of problems B. words and easy grammar
C. words but no grammar D. grammar but not many words
2.In the next few hundred years we can expect language to ______.
A. stay exactly the same B. change a great deal
C. change only a little D. add more words and drop some grammar
3.What this article shows is that ______.
A. languages change fast B. languages really don’t want to change
C. language changes with changes of society D. Spanish and English change
4.From this article we can see that ______.
A. language can change very slowly or very quickly
B. if we don’t change, then our language won’t change, either
C. we should give our plants new names
D. English and Spanish are the only languages that have changes
No one is glad to hear that his body has to be cut open by a surgeon（外科医生） and part of it taken out． Today， however， we needn't worry about feeling pain during the operation． The sick person falls into a kind of sleep， and when he awakes， the operation is finished． But these happy conditions are fairly new． It is not many years since a man who had to have operation felt all its pain．
Long ago， operation had usually to be done while the sick man could feel everything． The sick man had to be held down on a table by force while the doctors did their best for him． He could feel all the pain if his leg or arm was being cut off， and his fearful cries filled the room and the hearts of those who watched．
Soon after 1770， Josept Priestley discovered a gas which is now called “laughing gas”．Laughing gas became known in America．Young men and women went to parties to try it． Most of them spent their time laughing，but one man at a party，Horace Wells，noticed that people didn't seem to feel pain when they were using this gas．He decided to make an experiment on himself．He asked a friend to help him．
Wells took some of the gas，and his friend pulled out one of Well’s teeth．Wells felt no pain at all．
As he didn't know enough about laughing gas， he gave a man less gas than he should have． The man cried out with pain when his tooth was being pulled out．
Wells tried again，but this time he gave too much of the gas，and the man died．Wells never forgot this terrible event．
1.It is ___________since a man being operated felt all the pain.
A.a few more years B.not long C.few years D.two thousand years
2.Long ago, when the sick man was operated on, he___________.
A.could feel nothing B.could not want anything
C.could feel all the pain D.could do anything
3.Using the laughing gas, the people did not seem to___________.
A.be afraid of anything B.feel pain C.want to go to the parties D.be ill
4.If a man took less laughing gas than he should have when an operation went on he___________.
A.felt nothing B.felt very comfortable C.still felt pain D.would die
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给四个选项（A、B、C、D）中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
My mother seemed to be able to make dolls (洋娃娃) out of anything. She made some dolls for me and my two elder sisters. I 1playing with them, but still, secretly, I hoped for a store-bought 2like the one our rich cousin had. Her doll 3open and close its blue glass eyes and even say "Mamma". I 4stopped admiring it and hoping to have one.
However, my dream 5came true when I was six. One day my father came back from his business trip with three 6dolls! They were much smaller than our cousin’s doll and their eyes were just painted ones, but I did not 7such differences. They were 8"store-bought" dolls. We each chose one and I named 9Misako.
Soon my sisters and I became10. Our "children" kept us 11all day. We gave them a bath, 12them, brushed their hair, took them out for a walk and put them to bed. Several months later, they got more like real children — their 13and bodies became dirtier; their dresses got stained; their hair less smooth.
But, by then, 14interests seemed to have moved into 15toys. Their dolls were abandoned (被抛弃) and in bad condition. One had 16one of her arms, and 17was one-legged. "You can 18them if you want," my sisters said to me. Thus, I had 19_ dolls. They were more or less handicapped (残疾) and they often looked at me as if they needed me to 20them. I enjoyed this feeling of being needed — being the only one in the world who could protect them with a lot of love. Indeed, they made the rest of my childhood days very happy.
1.A. wanted B. expected C. hoped D. enjoyed
2.A. doll B. toy C. girl D. baby
3.A. might B. should C. could D. dared
4.A. often B. never C. sometimes D. seldom
5.A. immediately B. firstly C. hardly D. finally
6.A. beautiful B. lovely C. store-bought D. new
7.A. care about B. care for C. think about D. worry about
8.A. total B. real C. like D. true
9.A. my B. one C. them D. mine
10.A. sisters B. fathers C. friends D. mothers
11.A. free B. busy C. hard D. tired
12.A. wore B. put on C. dressed D. wash
13.A. faces B. legs C. arms D. hands
14.A. my B. their C. my sisters’ D. my doll’s
15.A. tiny B. different C. curious D. humorous
16.A. lost B. wounded C. cut D. damaged
17.A. the other B. another C. it D. other
18.A. look out for B. take care of C. pay attention to D. have a look at
19.A. two B. few C. many D. three
20.A. teach B. feed C. satisfy D. help
Coming into the room, I found them ______ at the table, _____ chess.
A. seated; playing B. seating; playing C. seat; play D. seated; played
If you ______ go, at least wait until the rain stops.
A. can B. must C. should D. would
I ______ her, but I never could.
A. ought to help B. must help C. must have helped D. ought to have helped
