Farming was once the chief way of life in nearly every country. People cannot live without food, and nearly all their food comes from crops and animals raised on farms. Not many people farm for a living any more, but farming remains the most important work in the world.
Before the nineteenth century, the typical American family lived on a small farm. They raised pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, and planted corn, fruits, garden vegetables, and wheat. Everyone worked long and hard, but the results were often poor. Families barely harvested enough food for themselves. This situation began to change during the last half of the 1800's and it changed remarkably(明显地) in the next century.
Scientific methods and labor-saving machinery have made farming increasingly productive. The development of improved plant varieties and fertilizers has helped double and even triple the production of some major crops. More scientific animal care and animal raising have helped increase the amount of meat and products that animals produce. At the same time, the use of tractors and other modern farm equipment has sharply reduced the need for farm labor.
As farming has become less important as a way of life in the United States, it has become more important as a source which offers materials to industry. Today's successful farmers are experts not just in agriculture but also in accounting, marketing, and finance. Farms that are not run in a similar way have great difficulty surviving.
1. We are told in the first paragraph about ____.
A. the history of farming B. the importance of farming
C. the development of farming D. the changes of farming
2. Which of the following describes American farming before the 19th century?
A. Farmers didn’t work hard on their farms.
B. Farmers used tractors to help them.
C. Farming was the main way of living for most people.
D. Farmers could supply materials to industry.
3. Crop production has increased greatly now thanks to all the following EXCEPT __.
A. scientific methods B. labor- saving machinery
C. farmers’ hard work D. chemical fertilizers
4. The passage mainly talks about_____.
A. the advantages of American farming B. the changes in American farming
C. the situation of American farms D. how rapidly farming has developed
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other forever. He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry. “Why not?” he asked.
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we’re on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a very good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir,” they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.
1.One evening, the director sent his camera crew out _________.
A. to film a scene on the sea B. to find an actor and an actress
C. to watch a beautiful sunset D. to meet the audience
2. Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?
A. Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset.
B. Because he was angry with his crew.
C. Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset.
D. Because it was his secretary’s suggestion.
3. The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ______.
A. it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine
B. when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening
C. it was more moving than a sunrise
D. the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset
4. After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands ______.
A. because he was moved to tears
B. as he saw everything in the film moving backwards
C. as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined
D. because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine
5. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. The crew had to follow the secretary’s advice.
B. If you want to see a sunrise, the east coat is the place to go.
C. The camera crew wasn’t able to film the scene the first day.
D. The director ordered his crew to stop filming the “sunset”.
Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on neighboring farms fell into conflict(冲突) . It was the first serious one between them in 40 years of farming peacefully side by side. In the end, they fell apart.
One morning, a man with a carpenter’s toolbox came for some work. The elder brother said, “I have a job for you. Look at the farm across the creek（河沟）. My younger brother lives there. It was he who used his bulldozer（推土机）to dig the creek last week to spite(刁难) me. So I want you to build me a fence, an 8 – foot – high fence, in order not to see his place any more.” The carpenter smiled and said, “I see. I’ll try to do a job that satisfies you.” Then the elder brother went downtown.
At sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide! To his surprise, there was no fence there at all! Instead, there was a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work! He saw his younger brother coming to him with the hands outstretching. The brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hands. They turned to see the carpenter lift his toolbox on his shoulder.
“No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other work for you,” said the elder brother.
“I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have so many more bridges to build.”
1.What was the life like for the two brothers before the conflict?
A．They lived a poor life. B．They lived in peace.
C．They never spoke to each other. D．They lived on the same farm.
2.It can be learned that the carpenter was ________.
A．unwilling to obey the farmer B．fond of building bridges
C．unable to build a fence D．willing to help others
3.The best title for this passage is ________.
A．A Fine Piece of Work B．A Carpenter
C．A Conflict between Two Brothers D. Two Brothers
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．The elder brother used his bulldozer to dig a creek.
B．The elder brother helped the carpenter build the bridge.
C．The brothers were both satisfied with the carpenter’s work.
D．The carpenter planned to build an 8-foot - high fence as asked to.
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
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，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Once upon a time there was a group of tiny frogs that held a running competition. The 21___ was to reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd had 22__ around the tower to see the race and cheer on the 23__ .
The race began, 24__ , no one in the crowd really 25__ that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard 26__ such as, “They will never 27__ it to the top.” or “There is no 28__ that they will succeed. The tower is too high!”
The tiny frogs began 29__ , one by one, except for those who were climbing 30__ in different paces.
The crowd continued to yell, “It’s too difficult! 31_ will make it!”
32__ tiny frogs got tired and gave up, 33__ one continued higher and higher.
34___ , everyone else had given up climbing the tower, except for one tiny frog. After a lot of 35__ , he was the only one who reached the top! Then all the other tiny frogs 36__ wanted to know how this one frog 37__ to do it?
A competitor asked the tiny frog how he had found the 38__ to succeed and reach the goal. It turned out that the winner was 39__ !
Never listen to other people’s tendencies to be negative or pessimistic…because they 40__ your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you--- the one you have in your heart!
1. A. wish B. goal C. plan D. idea
2. A. looked B. walked C. turned D. gathered
3. A. competitors B. holders C. actors D. performers
4. A. Generally B. Probably C. Actually D. Basically
5. A. wondered B. believed C. guessed D. hoped
6. A. statements B. conclusions C. arguments D. explanations
7. A. achieve B. spot C. encourage D. make
8. A. problem B. chance C. doubt D. favor
9. A. giving up B. cheering up C. escaping D. settling down
10. A. faster and faster B. higher and higher
C. farther and farther D. stronger and stronger
11. A. No one B. Everyone C. Anyone D. Someone
12. A. Fewer B. Less C. More D. Larger
13. A. and B. but C. so D. or
14. A. At the same time B. At each time C. At no time D. In the end
15. A. step B. attempt C. effort D. jump 16. A. naturally B. weightlessly C. sadly D. strangely
17.A. managed B. planed C. intended D. started 18. A. energy B. force C. strength D. power
19. A. deaf B. violent C. foolish D. religious
20. A. send B. pass C. keep D. take
_______ parents say and do has a life-long effect on their children.
A. That B. Which C. What D. As
His illness ________ his absence．So don’t scold him．
A．showed B．accounts for C．explains D．gives out
