Almost every machine with moving parts has wheels, yet no one knows exactly when the first wheel was invented or what it was used for. We do know，however，that they existed over 5,500years ago in ancient Asia.
The oldest known transport wheel was discovered in 2002 in Slovenia. It is over 5，100 years
old. Evidence suggests that wheels for transport didn't become popular for .while, though . This could be because animals did a perfectly good job of carrying farming tools and humans around.
But it could also be because of a difficult situation. While wheels need to roll on smooth surfaces, roads with smooth surfaces weren't going to be constructed until there was plenty of demand for them. Eventually, road surfaces did become smoother, but this difficult situation appeared again a few centuries later. There had been no important changes in wheel and vehicle design before the arrival of modern road design.
In the mid-1700s,a Frenchman came up with a new design of road--a base layer (层)of large stones covered with a thin layer of smaller atones. A Scotsman improved on this design in the 1820s and a strong, lasting road surface became a reality. At around the same time, metal hubs(the central part of a wheel came into being, followed by the Wheels were invented in 1967, sixty years after the appearance of tarmacked roads(泊油路). As wheel design took off, vehicles got faster and faster.
1.What might explain why transport wheels didn’t become popular for some time?
A.Few knew how to use transport wheels.
B.Humans carried farming tools just as well.
C.Animals were a good means of transport.
D.The existence of transport wheels was not known.
2.What do we know about road design from the passage?
A.It was easier than wheel design.
B.It improved after big changes in vehicle design.
C.It was promoted by fast-moving vehicles.
D.It provided conditions for wheel design to develop.
3.How is the last paragraph mainly developed?
A.By giving examples.
B.By making comparisons.
C.By following time order.
D.By making classifications.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The beginning of road deaign.
B.The development of transport wheels.
C.The history of public transport.
D.The invention of fast-moving vehicles.
While Andrew was getting ready for work one Friday morning, he announced to his wife that he had finally decided to ask his boss for a salary raise. All day Andrew felt nervous and anxious as he thought about the upcoming showdown. What if Mr. Larchmont refused to grant his request? Andrew had worked so hard in the last 18 months and landed some great accounts for Braer and Hopkins Advertising Agency. Of course, he deserved a wage increase.
The thought of walking into Larchmont’s office left Andrew weak in the knees. Late in the afternoon he was finally courageous enough to approach his superior. To his delight and surprise, the ever-frugal（一向节俭的）Harvey Larchmont agreed to give Andrew a raise!
Andrew arrived home that evening—despite breaking all city and state speed limits—to a beautiful table set with their best china, and candles lit. His wife, Tina, had prepared a delicate meal including his favorite dishes. Immediately he figured someone from the office had tipped her off!
Next to his plate Andrew found a beautiful lettered note. It was from his wife. It read: “Congratulations, my love! I knew you’d get the raise! I prepared this dinner to show just how much I love you. I am so proud of your accomplishments!” He read it and stopped to reflect on how sensitive and caring Tina was.
After dinner, Andrew was on his way to the kitchen to get dessert when he observed that a second card had slipped out of Tina’s pocket onto the floor. He bent forward to pick it up. It read: “Don’t worry about not getting the raise! You do deserve one! You are a wonderful provider and I prepared this dinner to show you just how much I love you even though you did not get the increase.”
Suddenly tears swelled in Andrew’s eyes. Total acceptance! Tina’s support for him was not conditional upon his success at work.
The fear of rejection is often softened and we can undergo almost any setback or rejection when we know someone loves us regardless of our success or failure.
1.What was Andrew’s plan that Friday?
A. To request a wage increase from his boss.
B. To get a job with the Braer and Hopkins Advertising Agency.
C. To celebrate his success with his wife at home.
D. To ask his boss to come for dinner.
2.On his way back home, Andrew _________.
A. felt weak in the knees B. was punished by the traffic policeman
C. was too eager to share the news D. couldn’t wait to enjoy a meal
3.Which of the following statements about the story is FALSE?
A. Andrew was afraid that his request would lead to disaster.
B. Andrew had worked very hard and done his part for the company.
C. Andrew’s boss agreed to his request.
D. One of Andrew’s colleagues had told his wife the good news.
4.Why did Tina prepare a grand dinner for Andrew that day?
A. She was confident of his getting a pay raise.
B. She meant to show her support whatever the result would be.
C. She believed that her husband was the best in his company.
D. She wanted to express her gratitude for his devotion to the family.
5.We can conclude from the text that ______.
A. we should never be afraid to ask for what is due to us
B. work hard and you will be rewarded
C. many fears turn out to be unfounded
D. unconditional love brings courage and strength
A recent survey shows the number of people who shop in stores________，while far more are shopping online.
A．decrease B．decreases C．is decreasing D．are decreasing
As________tourist attraction，the Summer Palace does have________strong attraction to visitors from home and abroad.
A．the；/ B．the；a C．a；/ D．a；the
From space, the earth looks blue. This is about seventy-one percent of its surface is covered by water.
A. why B. how C. because D. whether
Many grownups ________ challenging conversations with their children later this month to help them recover from the panic.
A．have had B．have C．will be having D．will have had
