The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it kept the America from being discovered by the people of Europe.
Many wrong ideas about the Atlantic made early sailors unwilling to sail far out into it. One idea was that it reached out to “the edge of the world” . Sailors were afraid that they might sail off the earth. Another idea was that at the equator(赤道) the ocean would be boiling hot.
The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the Pacific, but it is still very large. It is more than 4,000 miles (6,000 km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at its narrowest it is about 2,00 miles (3,200 km) wide.
Two things make the Atlantic Ocean rather unusual. For so large an ocean it has few islands. Also, it is the world’s saltiest ocean.
There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is. But suppose no more rain fell into it and no more water was brought to it by rivers, it would take the ocean about more than 4,000 years to dry up. On the average, the water is a little more than two miles (3.2km) deep, but in some places it is much deeper. The deepest spot is near Puerto Rico. This “deep” measures 30,246 feet---almost six miles (9.6km).
One of the longest mountain ranges of the world rises from the floor of the Atlantic. This mountain range runs north and south down the middle of the ocean. The tops of a few of the mountains reach up above the sea and make islands.
Several hundred miles eastward from Florida there is a part of the ocean called the Sargasso Sea. Here the water is quiet, for there is little wind. In the days of sailing vessels(船) the crew were afraid they would be becalmed (can’t move) here. Sometimes they were.
Today the Atlantic is a great highway. It is, however, not always a smooth and safe one. Storms sweep across it and pile up great waves. Icebergs float down from the far North across the paths of ships.
We now have such fast ways of traveling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller. Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days. Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!
1.What caused people to be unwilling to explore the Atlantic?
A. There were no ships big enough to get across the Ocean.
B. Sailors were afraid of being lost in the Ocean.
C. The Atlantic Ocean was very unusual because it has few islands and the saltiest water.
D. Many incorrect ideas such as “the edge of the world”, “the equator with boiling hot water” made people think the Ocean was full of danger.
2.What is the main idea of the fifth paragraph?
A. How deep the water is.
B. How to measure the water in the Atlantic.
C. How much water the ocean holds.
D. How rain affects the Ocean water.
3.What does the underlined word “highway” mean?
A. High road B. Broad way C. Fast road D. Main water way
4.Why does the writer think “this big ocean seems to have grown smaller”?
A. The water in the ocean is becoming less.
B. We have more and more advanced traveling tools now
C. The distance between the ocean and us is shorter.
D. The steamship has a higher speed.
A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love(早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression(忧郁症). The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.
The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.
Dr. Marianm Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression.
She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.
Parents should watch for signs of depression---eating or mood changes---and if they see signs from their daughter or son, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity(成熟) gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.
1.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Puppy love may bring young people depression.
B .Parents should forbid their children’s love lives.
C. Romance is a two-edged sword for adults.
D. Romance is good for young people.
2.Which of the following is more likely to have depression?
A . Young people who have a strong sense of self.
B . Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior.
C. Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions.
D. Careless parents whose children are deep in love.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A .Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly.
B. Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents.
C .Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression.
D .The older a woman is, the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance.
4.What’s the author’s attitude towards puppy love?
A. Confused. B. Disapproving. C. Disinterested. D. Scared.
Beldon and Canfield are two seashore towns, not far apart. Both towns have many hotels, and in summer the hotels are full of holiday - makers and other tourists.
Last August there was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel in Beldon. The next day this news appeared on Page Two of the town’s newspaper, The Beldon Post.
FIRE AT SEABREEZE
Late last night firemen hurried to the Seabreeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a bedroom. The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire. We say again to all our visitors, "Please don’t smoke cigarettes in bed." This was Beldon’s first hotel fire for five years.
The Canfield Times gave the news in these words on Page One:
ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE
Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Seabreeze Hotel. An angry holiday-maker said, “ An electric lamp probably started the fire. The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels. When I turned the bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp.” We are glad to tell our readers that this sort of adventure does not happen in Canfield.
What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident. There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel 1st August: that is one fact. Do we know anything else? Yes, we know that firemen went to the hotel.
1.The Canfield Times used the headline like this in order to make its readers think _______.
A. this was the second fire at the Seabreeze Hotel
B. hotels in Beldon don’t often catch fire
C. hotels in Beldon often catch fire
D. Beldon was a good place except that hotels there are not quite safe
2.The Canfield newspaper gave a report just opposite to The Beldon Post by saying that ______.
A. the bedroom lamps were very old at some of the Seabreeze’s hotels
B. the firemen failed to save clothing, bedclothes and other things
C. the bedroom lights made funny noise when the fire took place
D. such accidents never happened in Canfield for the past five years
3.Which of the following are probably facts?
a. The fire broke out in a bedroom at the hotel.
b. A cigarette started the fire.
c. An old lamp started the fire.
d. The fire broke out at night.
e. There has never been a fire in Canfield.
A. b and c B. a and c C. a and d D. c and e
4.Which of the following BEST gives the main idea of this passage?
A. It was not easy to find out exact truth from newspapers
B. A fire broke out one night in Seabreeze Hotel
C. Two newspapers gave reports on the same matter
D. Beldon an Canfield are both good places for tourists in summer
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项 (A，B，C和D)，选出可以填入空白处的最佳答案。
Bill White’s father is a lawyer. In his 1time, he likes to get out in the country and take some 2of animals.
For a long time, Bill had wanted to go with his father on one of his 3. But his father didn’t take Bill along with him 4he was fifteen.
He and Bill drove to the farm which 5to his uncle in the afternoon. They 6the night there, so that they could 7out early the next morning. Uncle Steve and his son Larry, who was sixteen, were going to go out with them.
It was still dark when Bill heard the alarm 8the next morning. He wondered why it was running so early. He couldn’t remember 9he was. He turned over 10and looked at the clock. It was 5 o’clock. Then he 11that he was at the 12and that he was going out to take pictures with his father. He jumped out of bed and got 13quickly.
He ran downstairs. The others were already in the 14. Uncle Steve was cooking bacon and eggs. There was a pot of coffee on the stove. It 15good.
They ate breakfast quickly. They didn’t talk 16, because they didn’t want to 17up the other people in the house. They filled a thermos bottle 18hot coffee and took some sandwiches 19Aunt Grace, Uncle Steve’s wife, had made for them. They gathered their camera 20and started out.
1.A. busy B. spare C. enough D. limited
2.A. foods B. drawings C. paintings D. pictures
3.A. trips B. buses C. holidays D. mountains
4.A. after B. when C. until D. unless
5.A. led B. stuck C. got D. belonged
6.A. cost B. spent C. slept D. took
7.A. start B. begin C. walk D. step
8.A. telephone B. machine C. bell D. clock
9.A. where B. how C. who D. what
10.A. quickly B. sleepily C. quietly D. suddenly
11.A. imagined B. pronounced C. forgot D. remembered
12.A. mountain B. town C. farm D. station
13.A. dressed B. ordered C. eaten D. prepared
14.A. bathroom B. kitchen C. dining-room D. sitting-room
15.A. seemed B. felt C. tasted D. smelled
16.A. many B. soundly C. much D. highly
17.A. wake B. go C. put D. come
18.A. of B. with C. in D. by
19.A. that B. what C. after D. before
20.A. cover B. supply C. operator D. equipment
— Where have you been?
— I got stuck in the heavy traffic, or I ________ here earlier.
A. had arrived B. would have come C. would come D. was
—What do you think of their marriage?
—______, if I were Kate, I would not marry him.
A. Generally speaking B. I have no idea C. To be honest D. To my surprise
