To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain, Its first use was as a shade 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 in the 11th century B C．
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． In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office．
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade． And the umbrella was in commonly used in ancient Greece． But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans．
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared． Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century． And again it was considered as a symbol of power． By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England．
By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe．
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 women’s umbrellas began to be made , in a whole variety 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 shade against the sun
C．a symbol of honor and power D．women’s decoration （装饰
4.In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain_______________．
A． during the Middle Ages B． by the 18th C． in Rome 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
No one really knows how and why people change as they get older． Also, no theory sufficiently（足够细心地） explains all the changes of the aging process． Aging is a complex and varied process that varies in how it affects（影响） different people and organs． In fact, even in one person , different organ systems “age “ at a different rate．
At a certain point in our lives, our body systems will begin to weaken ． It may become more difficult for us to see and hear． The slow change of aging causes our bodies to lose some of their ability to bounce back from disease and injury． In order to live longer , we have always tried to slow or stop this change that leads us toward the end of our lives．
Many factors（因素） decide our health ． A good diet plays an important role． The amount and the type of exercise we get are another two factors． Our living condition is yet another． But scientists studying the aging problem want to know: Why do people grow old? They hope that by studying the aging medical science they may be able to make the length of life longer．
There is nothing to be afraid of as the old age comes． Many consider the later part of life to be the best time for living． Physical activity may become less, but often we get better understanding of the world and ourselves．
What we consider the old age now may only be middle-aged some day soon． Who knows ,with so many advances in medical science happening so quickly, life length may one day be measured in centuries ,rather than in years!
1.The underlined phrase “bounce back ”means “__________．”
A． jump backward B． run fast C． prevent D． recover
2.In order to make people live longer, scientists _______according to the text．
A． teach people how to eat properly
B． discover how important the exercise is to one’s health
C． study the ways to slow or stop the process of aging
D． invent new medicine to slow down the process of aging
3.Many consider the later part of life to be the best time of living because they__________．
A． consider their lives have been very successful
B． have come through the battle of life safely
C． know more about themselves and the outside world
D． can have a good rest and enjoy themselves
4.How many factors which decide our health are mentioned in the text?
A． Two B． Four C． Five D． Six
Many people go to school for an education． They learn languages, history, geography, physics, chemistry and mathematics． Others go to school to learn a skill so that they can make a living． School education is very important and useful． Yet no one can learn everything from school． A teacher, no matter how much he knows, cannot teach his students everything they want to know． The teacher’s job is to show his students how to learn． He teaches them how to read and how to think． So, much more is to be learned outside school by the students themselves．
It is always more important to know how to study by oneself than to memorize （记住） some facts or a formula （公式）． It is usually quite easy to learn a certain fact in history or a formula in mathematics． But it is very difficult to use a formula in working out a maths problem． Great scientists, such as Einstein, Newton and Galileo didn’t get everything from school． But they were all so successful． They invented so many things for mankind．
Above all, they knew how to use their brains．
1.Whether he is more ________or less, a teacher can’t teach his students everything they want to know．
A． important B． useful C． difficulty D． knowledgeable
2.A teacher’s job is mainly to train his students to master the ability of __________．
A． learning by themselves B． making a living
C． reading and thinking D． studying all the subjects
3.The reason for scientists’ success is that _______．
A． they read books that were not taught at school
B． they worked all their lives
C． they wasted not a single moment
D． they knew how to use their brains
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、Ｂ、Ｃ和Ｄ）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并涂在答题卡上。
One day an ordinary dog appeared in the ticket office at Campiglia, a busy railroad station on Italy’s main line． A ticket agent named Elvio 1the strange dog in a friendly way, so the dog decided to stay． 2that day on, the dog became Elvio’s shadow and was 3Lampo．
Lampo kept Elvio company inside the 4office． When the weather was warm, he would 5himself in the sun on the train platform． When it came time for Elvio to 6home on the train at night, Lampo ran after the train for a long way and then 7gave up and went back to the station．
One night 8Elvio was riding home on the train, he noticed that Lampo was lying at his feet． 9that the conductor would see the dog on the train and 10at him, Elvio pushed Lampo under a seat． Luckily, the conductor did not 11the dog． Lampo came home with Elvio and met his12． Then, after a short visit, Lampo 13the last train and went back to the station． Lampo quickly learned all of the train schedules． He 14ride home from work with Elvio every night and then ride back to the station alone． Every morning, Lampo arrived at Elvio’s house 15to walk his young daughter, Mivna, to school． The faithful dog would then take another train to Campiglia to spend time with his16,then travel again to accompany Mivna home from 17at 11:30．
Soon Lampo began to take the train all over18． Lampo became 19among the men who worked on the railroad, as his journeys became more frequent, complicated and mysterious． No one could 20why he could travel or how he always found the right train back to Campiglia． People decided that Lampo was a unique dog．
One day Lampo was seen lying dead on the tracks． A year later a life-sized statue of Lampo was set up at Campiglia station．
1.A． greeted B． discussed C． helped D． kissed
2.A． Since B． For C． From D． Towards
3.A． honored B． named C． announced D． remembered
4.A． work B． meeting C． reception D． Ticket
5.A． teach B． enjoy C． find D． appreciate
6.A． return B． take C． forget D． leave
7.A． joyfully B． luckily C． sadly D． happily
8.A． after B． before C． until D． as
9.A． Nervous B． Afraid C． Worried D． Astonished
10.A． laugh B． throw C． call D． shout
11.A． observe B． notice C． hear D． accompany
12.A． family B． house C． railroad D． platform
13.A． went B． got C． boarded D． came
14.A． should B． used to C． would D． could
15.A． in short B． in length C． in favor D． in time
16.A． master B． guest C． slave D． friend
17.A． station B． home C． school D． play
18.A． America B． Europe C． Rome D． Italy
19.A． complicated B． famous C． frequent D． popular
20.A． explain B． show C． suggest D． tell
In the dark forest _______, some large enough to hold several English towns．
A． stand many lakes B． lie many lakes
C． many lakes lie D． many lakes lies
In modern tomes, people have to learn to ____________ all kinds of pressures although they are leading a comfortable life．
A． keep with B． start with C． meet with D． live with
