The geographical location of a country and its physical characteristics are very important to its development and progress. he United States is very fortunate in this respect.
First of all, it has a good climate. In almost all sections of the country it is possible to live comfortably during the whole year. It is true that in the south it sometimes gets very hot, and in the north very cold. But the people who live in these regions become accustomed to the climate and never suffer very much when the weather is either very hot or very cold.
In a large country there is usually a great variety of different physical characteristics. In the United States, there are wide plains and high mountains, thousands of lakes and rivets of all sizes, cool forests and hot deserts, and a coastline several thousand miles long.
The many lakes and rivers, as well as the long coastline, have been of great importance to the development of the country, since they made possible the easy transportation of people and all the things people need. Transportation by water is still necessary and important. In modern times, however, trains, automobiles, trucks and airplanes are doing much of the work which was formerly done by ships and boats.
44．What are the principal physical characteristics of the United States？
A．Almost the same． B．Rather various．
C．Very good for farming． D．Suitable for transportation．
45．In what respect is the United States very fortunate？
A．Geographical location． B．Good climate．
C．Physical characteristics． D．Both A and C．
46．Why are rivers，lakes and coastlines important to the development of the U. S. A？
A．They make the climate better．
B．They provide people with a good many opportunities of employment．
C．They provide people with good transportation and whatever they need．
D．They make the scenery of the country more beautiful and attractive．
47．What was used for transportation in the distant past in the U. S. A. ?
A．Trains． B．Trucks．
C．Planes． D．Ships and boats．
London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(减轻) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3. 7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰), as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.
40. What led the British government to build the London Underground？
A. Traffic jams and pollution.
B. Population and pollution.
C. Overcrowding and traffic jams.
D. The poverty and subway problems.
41. How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？
A. It made the tunnels larger.
B. It put fans in the tunnels.
C. It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels.
D. It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.
42. The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.
A. be troublesome
B. become popular and fashionable
C. keep up with
D. seize
43. Which of the following is TRUE？
A. To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway.
B. There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened.
C. The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.
D. There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.
Einstein was born in 1879 in Germany. As a child, he was slow to learn to talk. As a pupil, he was backward. But when he was fourteen years old, he became clever. He taught himself maths from textbooks. He studied hard because he wanted to be a physicist.
In 1901, Einstein began teaching. In 1902 he continued his studies at the University of Zurich. Several years later, he formulated(系统地阐述)his famous Theory of Relativity(相对论).To most people the law of relativity is difficult to explain. But once Einstein explained it to a group of young students. He said,” When you sit with a good girl for two hours, you think it is only a minute. But when you sit on a hot stove for a minute, you think it's two hours. That is relativity."
After Hitler came into power in Germany, Einstein went to America. In 1940 Einstein became an American citizen. In 1955, Einstein's life ended at the age of seventy-six.
36. When Einstein was a pupil of twelve, he _______.
A. was not quick in learning to talk B. was poor in his studies
C. studied very hard D. hardly lagged behind
37. The law of relativity is_______ .
A. very hard for most people to understand
B. too hard for Einstein himself to explain
C. too hard to explain to anybody except Einstein
D. easy to understand only for the young students
38. Which of the following do you think is true?
A. The Germans owed their scientific progress to Einstein.
B. The Americans owed all their economic development to Einstein.
C. Einstein owed a great deal to the modern world.
D. Einstein made a very great contribution to modern science.
39. The title for this passage should be " _______ ".
A. Theory of Relativity B. An American Citizen
C. Albert Einstein D. Einstein's Contribution
完型填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
There are more than forty universities in Britain—nearly twice as many as in 1960. During the 1960s eight completely new ones more founded, and ten other new ones were created
__16__ converting old colleges of technology into universities. In the same period the__17__of students more than doubled, from 70, 000 to __18__ than 200, 000. By 1973 about 10% of men aged from eighteen __19__twenty one were in universities and about 5% of women.
All the universities are private institutions. Each has its __20__governing councils, _21__some local businessmen and local politicians as__22__as a few academics（大学教师）. The state began to give grants to them fifty years __23__, and by 1970 each university derived nearly all its __24__from state grants. Students have to _25_ fees and living costs, but every student may receive from the local authority of the place __26_ he lives a personal grant which is enough to pay his full costs, including lodging and _27__unless his parents are __28__. Most __29__take jobs in the summer _30__about six weeks, but they do not normally do outside _31__during the academic year. The Department of Education takes __32__for the payments which cover the whole expenditure of the __33__, but it does not exercise direct control. It can have important influence __34__new developments through its power to distribute funds, but it takes the advice of the University Grants Committee, a body which is mainly _35__ of academics.
16. A. with B. by C. at D. into
17. A. amount B. quantity C. lot D. number
18. A. more B. much C. less D. fewer
19. A. with B. to C. from D. beyond
20. A. self B. kind C. own D. personal
21. A. making B. consisting C. including D. taking
22. A. good B. long C. little D. well
23. A. ago B. before C. after D. ever
24. A. suggestions B. grades C. profits D. funds
25. A. make B. pay C. change D. delay
26. A. what B. which C. where D. how
27. A. living B. drinking C. food D. shelter
28. A. poor B. generous C. kindhearted D. rich
29. A. professor B. students C. politicians D. businessmen
30. A. at B. since C. with D. for
31. A. travel B. work C. experiment D. study
32. A. responsibility B. advice C. duty D. pleasure
33. A. government B. school C. universities D. committees
34. A. at B. to C. on D. form
35. A. consisted B. composed C. made D. taken
The boy lay on his back, with his teeth______, his right hand_______, and his glaring eyes ________ _straight upward.
|
A．set, rising, looked |
B．set, raised, looking |
|
C．setting, raised, looked |
D．to set, raising, looking |
Only when the war was over ____ return to his hometowns.
A have the soldiers B the soldiers C the soldiers did D did the soldiers
