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     The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September, 1666. In four days it destroyed
more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. Over
one hundred people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.
     The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King's baker (面包師) in Pudding Lane. The baker,
with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window into the roof. A strong wind blew the fire
from the bakery (面包房) into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was
the beginning. 
     By eight o'clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning
along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St
Paul's and the Guildhall among them.
     Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire, "People threw their things into the river. Many
poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat."
     The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path
of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
     After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect (建筑師), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new
houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow, but he did build more than fifty churches, among them
the mew St Paul's.
     The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not
just of the past.

1. From the passage, we can learn that the fire began in _____.

A. a hotel　　　
B. the palace　　
C. Pudding Lane　　
D. Thames Street

2. The underlined word "family" in the second paragraph means _____.

A. wife and husband　　
B. wife and children　
C. home
D. children

3. It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that _____.

A. many famous buildings were destroyed
B. some people lost their lives
C. the birds in the sky were killed by the fire
D. the King's bakery was burned down

4. Why did the writer cite (引用) Samuel Pepys?

A. Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire.
B. Because Pepys also wrote about the fire.
C. Because he wanted to give the reader a clearer picture of the fire.
D. Because he wanted to show that poor people suffered most.

5. How was the fire put out according to the text?

A. The King and his soldiers came to help.
B. Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down.
C. All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed.
D. People managed to get enough water from the river.

     Crossing Texas and Mexico, the Big Bend region is high in biodiversity (生物的多樣性). It's a place so
untamed that if something doesn't bite, stick, or sting, it's probably a rock.
     You know you have arrived in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert when it feels as if you have fallen off
the edge of the earth and into the rabbit hole. Nothing is as it appears. Moths (蛀蟲) are the size of birds.
Are those twin pillars (柱) of black rock (a landmark known as Mule Ear Peaks) ten miles (16 kilometers)
away or fifty (80 kilometers)? Visibility (能見度) reaches more than a hundred miles on a clear day, and
since there are few roads or buildings to use as milestones, distance is difficult to judge. 
    This is a place where water runs uphill, where rainbows have to wait for rain. The line between myth (虛
構(gòu)的故事) and reality is unclear. Stare long enough at the Chisos Mountains or the Sierra del Carmen, the
two mountain ranges, known as sky islands, which lie on the land, and they rise and float above the plain.
    The vast Chihuahuan Desert is a land of no people. There is always the chance you'll die of thirst. The
"You Can Die" possibilities are endless, and keep some visitors-350,000 a year to Big Bend National Park,
built in 1944-from coming back. Those who do return are left to think of the remarkable courage of the
brave few who have managed to survive in this terrible environment.

1. The underlined word "untamed" in Paragraph 1 means "_____".

A. untouched
B. wild
C. unchanged
D. fresh

2. Why do the twin pillars of black rock seem ten or fifty miles away?

A. They were put so far away.
B. They lie across the Chihuahuan Desert.
C. It is difficult to judge the distance, with few milestones.
D. One lies in the Chisos Mountains, the other in the Sierra del Carmen.

3. How many years are there since the Big Bend National Park was built?

A. 350,000 years.
B. 350 years.
C. 66 years.
D. 44 years.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A. The natural wonders of the Chihuahuan Desert.
B. Everything you see is not what it seems in the Chihuahuan Desert.
C. The terrible environment of deserts in Texas and Mexico.
D. A special place where none who go can return.

5. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. There are all kinds of living things in the Chihuahuan Desert.
B. No people live in the Big Bend region.
C. Nothing is as it appears in the Big Bend region.
D. Traveling in the Big Bend region is dangerous.

    On February 3rd, 1949, New York Harbor (港) was an exciting place. Many people were there to greet a
ship from France. On the ship were 49 French railroad boxcars (火車車廂) filled with gifts from the people
of France to the people of America. These boxcars were from the famous Merci Train (Merci: a French word
meaning "thank you").
    After World War II (二戰(zhàn)), a lot of factories, roads and farms in France had been destroyed. Many French
people had no jobs or money and had little to wear and little to eat. In the winter of 1947, a train was sent
across the United States, stopping in cities and towns along the way. At every stop, people gave whatever they
could. Factories gave clothing and medicine. Farmers gave food. Families gave money. Even school children
gave away their pocket money (零用錢). All the things were then taken to France by ship.
    By 1949, the French had begun to recover (恢復(fù)) from the war. The Merci Train was their way of saying
"thank you" to America. French people had filled the boxcars with gifts. Most of them were personal, like hand-
made toys, children's drawings, or postcards. But the boxcars themselves were perhaps the most meaningful
of the gifts. On each car, the French people had painted the pictures of all their 40 provinces with an American
eagle on the front. The boxcars were taken to each state of America, where they were warmly greeted. 
    Now many of the states still keep their boxcars. Gifts sent by the French people can still be seen in some
museums. The Merci Train came out of the war, but it now reminds the world that countries can also work
together in peace (和平).

1. Many people crowded at New York Harbor on February 3rd, 1949 to _____.

A. start a trip by ship
B. meet their families
C. have a big party
D. welcome the Merci Train

2. In 1947, a train stopped in cities across America in order to _____.

A. give away clothing and food
B. get more soldiers for the war
C. show exhibitions from the museums
D. collect things to help French people

3. The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 3 refers to (指) _____.

A. the boxcars
B. the gifts
C. the American people
D. the French people

4. The French people painted their 40 provinces and an American eagle on each boxcar because _____.

A. it could show the friendship between the two countries
B. they thought France was stronger than America
C. the boxcars would be more beautiful
D. they were very good at painting pictures

5. The passage is mainly about _____.

A. American museums where the boxcars kept
B. the story of the Merci Train
C. gifts that American people liked
D. World War II

    Many large cities in the United States have an area called Chinatown. Each of them was set up by people
who came from China. For example, Chinatown in San Francisco, California, began in the 1840s. The Chinese
immigrants came to America to look for gold. Then the area they lived in later became known as Chinatown.
    Chinatowns were also set up in cities in the western states of Oregon and Washington during the middle of
the 19th century. Many Chinese immigrants in these areas helped build the first railroad system across the
United States. However, after the work ended in 1869, many Chinese moved to the eastern and middle parts
of the United States.
    Chinatowns can also be found in cities outside the United States. For example, the first Chinese immigrants
in London arrived in the late 18th century. They were men who worked for the East India Company. Later,
the Chinese immigrants opened small stores and restaurants there.
    Today, many people visit Chinatown. It has special Chinese gates and walking areas for visitors. Chinatowns
around the world are not only places where Chinese people live and work. They are also places where visitors
can learn more about Chinese culture and traditions.

1. In the 1840s, a large number of Chinese people went to America to _____.

A. build the railway
B. build Chinatowns
C. work for the East India Company
D. look for gold

2. What does the underlined word "immigrants" mean?

A. 移民
B. 運(yùn)動員
C. 建筑師
D. 教練

3. According to the passage, the earliest Chinatowns in Oregon were set up about _____ years ago.

A. 200
B. 160
C. 100
D. 300

4. Visitors come to Chinatowns because _____.

A. the food there is cheap
B. they can learn more about Chinese culture
C. they want to know about the earliest immigrants from China
D. they want to live there

5. What does the passage mainly tell us?

A. The history of Chinatowns in the world.
B. The visitors in Chinatowns.
C. The Chinese culture and traditions.
D. The Chinese immigrants' hard work in America.

    Thousands of years ago, birthdays were considered special days. On birthdays, the bad spirits were able
to harm you and change your life. It was believed that the only way to solve the problem was to have your
friends and family around you, so that good wishes and presents would keep the bad spirits away. Also,
noisemakers were thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits.
    The custom of lighting candles was created by people believing that the gods lived in the sky. By lighting
candles and torches, they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods, so they could be answered. Blowing
out the candles and making a wish were thought to be another way of sending a signal or a message.
    This is how the way we celebrate our birthdays came about. But different cultures celebrate in different
ways. 
    The birthday story in the Bible that we know best is about the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem. For nearly
2000 years since that day, the Christian world has been honoring this birth. The day many Englishmen
celebrate is, of course, Christmas. There are other references to birthday parties. King Pharaoh celebrated his
birthday by making a feast for his court followers. That was over 4000 years ago. The story of King Herod
tells that on his birthday he made a supper for his lords, high captains and other special friends in Galilee.

1. According to the passage, good wishes and presents given by one's friends and family on his birthday
    can _____.

A. cheer him up
B. prove that he's a popular person
C. bring him a big fortune
D. push bad spirits away

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The custom of lighting candles originated with the gods.
B. The gods celebrate their birthdays by lighting candles.
C. People send messages to the gods by lighting or blowing out the candles.
D. The gods will help people realize their dreams on their birthdays.

3. The two ancient kings' ways of celebrating their birthdays show _____.

A. how great the two kings were
B. how different cultures celebrate in different ways
C. the two kings' excellent cooking skills
D. that their court followers were awarded the special honors

4. The passage is mainly about _____.

A. the functions of the noises made on birthdays
B. how to scare away the bad spirits on birthdays
C. the origin of a famous day Christmas
D. how birthdays came about

    The Peales were a famous family of American artists. Charles Willson Peale is best remembered for his
portraits of leading figures of the American Revolution. He painted portraits of Franklin and Jefferson and
over a dozen of George Washington. His life-size portrait of his sons Raphaelle and Titian was so realistic
that George Washington reportedly once tipped his hat to the figures in the picture.
    Charles Willson Peale gave up painting in his middle age and devoted his life to the Peale museum, which
he founded in Philadelphia. The world's first popular museum of art and natural science mainly covered
paintings by Peale and his family as well as displays of animals in their natural settings. Peale found the animals
himself and found a method to make the exhibits more lifelike. The museum's most popular display was the
skeleton of a huge, extinct elephant, which Peale unearthed on a New York farm in 1801.
    Three of Peale's seventeen children were also famous artists. Paphaelle Peale often painted still lives of
flowers, fruit, and cheese. His brother Rembrandt studied under his father and painted portraits of many
noted people, including one of George Washington. Another brother, Rubens Peale, painted mostly landscapes
and portraits.
    James Peale, the brother of Charles Willson Peale, specialized in miniatures (小畫像). His daughter Sarah
Miriam Peale was probably the first professional female portrait painter in America.

1. What is the main topic of the passage?

A. The life of Charles Willson Peale.
B. Portraits in the 18th century.
C. The Peale Museum.
D. A family of artists.

2. The author mentions in Paragraph 1 that Washington tipped his hat to the figures in the painting to show
     that _____.

A. Charles Willson Peale's painting was very lifelike
B. Washington respected Charles Willson Peale's work
C. Washington was friendly with Raphaelle and Titian Peale
D. the painting of the two brothers was very large

3. The underlined word "unearthed" is closest in meaning to "_____".

A. showed
B. dug up
C. invented
D. looked over

4. Which of the following is NOT the child of Charles Willson Peale?

A. Titian Peale.
B. Rubens Peale.
C. Raphaelle Peale.
D. Sarah Miriam Peale.

    Today, roller skating (滑冰) is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the
idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making
musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams.
People called him a dreamer.
    One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited.
As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had
an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room. 
    Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe.
These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party
on wheels while playing the violin.
    On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him.
There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he
ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot
Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!

1. The text is mainly about _____.

A. a strange man 　
B. an unusual party
C. how roller skating began
D. how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century

2. People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he _____.

A. often gave others surprises　　　　
B. was a gifted musician
C. invented the roller skates　　 　　
D. was full of imagination

3. Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to _____.

A. impress the party guests　　　　　
B. arrive at the party sooner
C. test his invention　　 　　　　　　
D. show his skill in walking on wheels

4. What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?

A. The roller skates needed further improvement.
B. The party guests considered Merlin as a fool.
C. Merlin succeeded beyond expectation (預(yù)期).
D. Merlin got himself into trouble.

    Can you understand the beginning of this essay? "My smmr hols wr CWOT. B4, we used 2go2 NY 2C
my bro, his GF & 3 kds FTF."
    The Scottish teacher who received it in class had no idea what the girl who wrote it meant. The essay
was written in a form of English used in cell phones text messages (文本短信). Text messages (also called
SMS) through cell phones became very popular in the late 1990s. At first, mobile phone companies thought
that text messaging would be a good way to send messages to customers, but customers quickly began to
use the text messaging service to send messages to each other. Teenagers in particular enjoyed using text
messaging, and they began to create a new language for messages called "texting".
    A text message is limited to 160 characters, including letters, spaces, and numbers, so messages must be
kept short. In addition, typing on the small keypad of a cell phone is difficult, so it's common to make words
shorter. In texting, a single letter or number can represent a word, like "r" for "are," "u" for "you," and "2" for
"to." Several letters can also represent a phrase, like "lol" for "laughing out loud." Another characteristic of
texting is the leaving out of letters in a word, like spelling "please" as "pls."
    Some parents and teachers worry that texting will make children bad spellers and bad writers. The student
who wrote the essay at the top of this page said writing that way was more comfortable for her. (The essay
said,"My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my
brother, his girlfriend, and their three kids face to face.")
    Not everyone agrees that texting is a bad thing. Some experts say languages always develop, and this is just
another way in which English is changing. Other people believe texting will disappear soon. New technology
for voice messages may soon make text messages a thing of the past.

1. This kind of texting is particularly popular in _____.

A. mobile phone companies
B. parents
C. customers
D. teenagers

2. Which characteristic of texting is NOT described in the passage?

A. Using letters to represents words.
B. Using phrases to represent essay.
C. Using letters to represent phrases.
D. Using numbers to represent words.

3. Which of the following was most probably the title of students' essay?

A. My Smmr Hols
B. CU in LA
C. My GF
D. My G8 Tchr

4. Why aren't some people worried about the effect of texting?

A. Not many people use texting.
B. Spelling in English is too difficult.
C. Teenagers quickly become bored with texting.
D. Texting will disappear because of new technology.

5. Which of the following will probably be the title of the passage?

A. Texting, a way to make words shorter
B. How does texting come into being
C. Texting and different attitudes towards it
D. Main characteristics of texting