A Magnesium(鎂) is another mineral we now get by collecting huge amount of ocean water and treating it with chemicals, although man first got it from the treatment of rocks. In a cubic mile of seawater there are about four million tons of magnesium. Since the means used to get magnesium was developed about 1941, production has increased a great deal. It was magnesium that made possible the wartime growth of the plane industry, for every plane made in the United States (and in most other countries, too) has about half a ton of magnesium metal. And it has many uses in other industries where a lightweight metal is most wanted, besides its long-standing utility (效用) as a material that does not carry electricity, and its use in printing inks and medicine.

1. What was the paragraph about which this passage follows?

A. The place where magnesium was found. B. Unusual qualities of magnesium.

C. A different mineral collected from seawater. D. The use of chemicals in treating seawater.

2. What is the main topic of this passage?

A. Uses of seawater. B. Treatment of seawater.

C. Chemical qualities of magnesium. D. Sources and uses of magnesium.

3. The new means of getting magnesium directly led to ______.

A. the development of using seawater B. increased plane production

C. improved medicine D. the development of cheap ink for printing

4. Why is magnesium important to industry?

A. It is strong. B. It conducts(傳導) heat well. C. It weighs little. D. It is inexpensive to produce.

5. During the past fifty years the demand for magnesium has _______.

A. slowed down greatly B. remained the same C. increased slightly D. risen greatly

B The sky usually looks light blue. But if you went to the top of the highest mountain, went to the top of the highest mountain, where there is less air between you and the sun to scatter the sunlight, the sky would be deep, dark blue. And if you rode in a rocket high above the earth, where there is no air at all to scatter the sunlight, the sky would be so dark that it would be black.

Sometimes the sky doesn't look blue. At sunrise and sunset, the light from the sun sometimes is scattered in such a way that you see red, orange, and other colors in the sky.

1. The sky usually looks light blue because _____.

A. the sun is light and blue B. the air is light and blue

C. the air scatters the sunlight D. the sunlight is blue

2. The sky looks dark blue when _____.

A. there is less air between you and the sun B. there is high mountain

C. the mountain is highest D. you climb a mountain

3. The sky looks black if ______.

A. you ride in a rocket B. the rocket is high in the sky

C. the rocket is high above the earth D. there is no air to scatter the sunlight

4. Sometimes the sky doesn't look blue because ______.

A. the sun is rising B. the sun is setting

C. the air has different colors D. the light from the sun is scattered in a different way

5. A good title for this passage would be _______.

A. The Sky Looks Blue B. Why the Sky Looks Colorful

C. The Beautiful Sunlight D. Something About the Air

C More and more often we heard of people talking about Karaoke(卡拉OK). But what on earth it is about, still remains a question for many people.

Karaoke is a sort of acoustic equipment(音響設備) which was invented in Japan around the middle of the 1970's. It means "a band without people" in Japanese. In fact, it is just a music tape without words. This equipment first appeared in some public houses and snack bars (快餐店), and mainly for the customers to enjoy themselves. Most of the music in Karaoke was popular music. Therefore, at times, when anyone felt like it, he might sing songs to the accompaniment (伴奏) of the music that came from the equipment.

Shortly after its invention, Karaoke was spread (流傳) to the whole world. It was introduced to China and was welcomed by many people. Although you are not a good singer, or even sometimes you may sing out of tune, you can always enjoy yourself by singing Karaoke.

1. In this passage "band" means "group of persons ________."

A. who play games on the sports ground B. who play music together

C. living in the same neighbourhood D. doing things together under a leader and with a common purpose

2. Karaoke is just a ______

A. cassette tape with only music B. cassette tape recorder

C. band from Japan D. voice recording equipment

3. People went to public houses and snack bars ______when Karaoke appeared.

A. to have a good time B. to have something to drink

C. to get something to eat D. to buy the equipment

4. Karaoke was spread to the whole world ________.

A. as soon as it was invented B. long before C. not long after it was invented D. before long

5. The main idea of this passage is ______.

A. all persons like to play Karaoke B. to introduce Karaoke to the people

C. Karaoke is a wonderful equipment D. Karaoke is used everywhere including snack bars

D Beijing's sky watchers will no doubt be excited when they see with their own eyes a bright comet (彗星) all night long. Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) was first observed by Hyakutake, a Japanese amateur astronomer, on January 30, 1996. It can be seen with the naked eyes over China, Europe and other northern areas as nightly through the last week of March and first ten days of April. On March 25, it was closed to the earth--about 15 million kilometres or one-seventh the distance between the earth and the sun.

What is more exciting is that there will be two more rare events in the sky, it is predicted (預言) that another comet, Hale-Bopp, found on July 23, 1995, by Americans Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp, is expected to pass over the northern part of Heilongjiang Province in March 1997. The comet, estimated to be 10X15 kilometres in size, will not return for 3000 years.

What is even more rare is that a total solar eclipse(日蝕) is expected to occur on March 9, 1997, over Mongolia, Siberia and Northern Heilongjiang Province. When the sky turns dark, people should be able to see the eclipse and the bright comet Hale-Bopp at the same time.

An observation trip to Mohe, Heilongjiang Province, is being organized for the March1997 Sky events, as well as a nationwide astro-photo competition.

March 29-31, 1996 Weekend

1. Beijing sky watchers will be excited because _______.

A. they have observed a comet by themselves

B. they expect to see the comet found by a Japanese amateur astronomer through telescope

C. they expect to see with their naked eyes the comet found by Hyakutake

D. they will see a comet through a telescope for the first time

2. The two more exciting and rare sky events will occur in March, l997 are ______.

A. comet Hale-Bopp and comet Hyakutake B. a comet and a lunar eclipse

C. a comet found by two Americans and a solar eclipse D. a solar eclipse and comet Hyakutake

3. Which of the following statements is not true?

A. Comet Hale-Bopp and Comet Hyakutake will pass over the northern part of Heilongjiang Province in 1997. B. March 25 was supposed to be the best time to observe Comet Hyakutake.

C. A total solar eclipse will occur in Mongolia.

D. A nationwide astro-photo competition will be organized in March, 1997.

4. According to the newspaper article we learn that Hyakutake ______.

A. is an expert in astronomy B. works as an astronomer

C. has a great interest in astronomy D. is made to observe comets in the sky

E Collecting coins (or numismatics to the more seriously minded) is one of the world's popular hobbies. Although you can begin collecting coins at any age, most mumismatists will recall their hobby being stimulated in childhood. My interest was kindled as a ten-year-old child when I was presented with a small tin of old coins by the boyfriend of an elder sister. I wasn't rich all of a sudden but I was certainly impressed by possessing objects that were so many times older than myself. Such is the fascination of coins for old and young alike.

Many people are astonished to hear that coins issued before the birth of Christ-representing sixty generations of human life--can be bought for just a few dollars. Owning something which has literaly passed through the hands of so many of our ancestors (祖先) is instantly appealing. When such a coin is not only rare but beautiful, it is not surprising that collectors will pay thousands of dollars to own it. Australia's own coins, although so much more recent than, say, Roman coins, can still be very valuable. For example, in March 1992 an Australian 1920 sovereign was sold for $287,000 at a London auction.

Coins speak to us from the past. If we care to study them we can learn more about how our ancestors used to think. But perhaps most interestingly, we can discover how people dealt with one another. Basically, coins represent the value put upon objects which we own and want to trade, now or at some future date. We can call this complex system currency(貨幣).Australia, like few other countries in the world, can trace its history through its currency.

1. The word closest in meaning to "was kindled" as it is used in the passage is ____.

A. begin B. dived C. filled D. went

2. If something is "instantly appealing" it is ______.

A. wildly exciting B. immediately pleasing C. invariably interesting D. strangely curious

3. Australia's coins can be valuable even though _______.

A. they have been passed down through generations B. they are not very old

C. the currency has changed D. the currency system is complex

4. The author feels that numismatics goes beyond mere collecting as it offers the hobbyist _____.

A. an understanding of the past B. eventual wealth

C. opportunities for overseas travel D. the chance to collect extremely old coins

5. According to the passage which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Coin collecting has always been an expensive hobby.

B. Numismatics appeals to both children and adults.

C. Coins were not issued before the birth of Christ.

D. Australia is unique in that it can trace its history through coins.

F Like most people your intelligence (智力) changes from season to season. You are probably a lot sharper in the spring than you are at any other time of the year. A well-known scientist, Ellsworth Huntington, concluded from other men's work and his own among peoples in different climates(氣候) that climate and temperature have a clear effect on our intelligence.

He found that cool weather is much better for creative (創造性) thinking than warm weather. This does not mean that all people are not so quick at learning in the summer as they are during the rest of the year. It does mean, however, that the intelligence of large numbers of people seems to be lowest in the summer.

Spring appears to be the best period of the year for thinking. One reason may be that in the spring man's intelligence is effected by the same factors (因素) that bring about great changes in all nature.

Autumn is the next-best season, then winter. As for summer, it seems to be a good time to take long holidays from thinking!

1. Huntington decided that climate and temperature have _____.

A. some effect on most people's intelligence

B. a great effect on everyone's intelligence

C. a great effect on the intelligence of those living in a hot climate

D. a deep effect on the intelligence of those living in a hot climate

2. One possible reason why spring is the best period for thinking is that ______.

A. it is the first season of the year B. it lasts longer than the other seasons

C. it has more sunny days than rainy days D. it is good for the growth of all nature

3. We may conclude that Huntington ________.

A. invented many things after he had drawn the conclusion

B. joined some other men research work

C. drew the conclusion only from his own experience

D. got support his work from peoples in different climates

4. Which of the following is the right order from the worst period to the best period of the year for

thinking? A. Summer--winter--autumn--spring. B. Spring--autumn--winter--summer.

C. Summer--autumn--winter--spring. D. Spring--summer--autumn--winter.

5. Which title best gives the main idea of the passage?

A. The Seasons of the Year. B. Climate and Temperature.

C. Intelligence and the Seasons. D. Great Changes in Nature.

G For thousands of millions of years the moon has been going round the earth. During this time, the moon has been the only satellite of the earth. Today, however, the earth has many other satellites all made by man. These man-made satellites are very much smaller than the moon. However, some of them will still be going round the earth thousands of years from now.

Man-made satellites do not fall because they are going too fast to do so. As they speed along, they tend(傾向) to go straight off into space. They pull out of the earth, or its gravity, which keeps them from doing this. As a result, they travel in an orbit round the earth.

If a man-made satellite travels about a certain height, it can keep going on and on round the earth, just like the moon. This is because it is above the atmosphere, and there is nothing to slow it down. If it travels lower than that it will be slowed down so much that it will fall to the earth.

Men have sent spaceship to the moon and to the two nearest planets Mars (火星) and Venus (金星). By putting a camera on board of the spaceship to the moon, men have been able to take photographs of the other side of the moon. This side is always hidden from us as the moon circles the earth. The photos were later transmitted(傳送) by radio to the earth. They showed that the other side of the moon is very much the same as the side that is turned towards us.

1. The moon is ______ the other satellites of the earth in size. A. much smaller than B. much bigger than C. less bigger than D. as big as

2. Man-made satellites travel in an orbit round the earth because _____.

A. they travel at a high speed B. they are very light in weight

C. the earth's gravity keeps them from going straight off into space D. both A and C

3. If a man-made satellite travels in the atmosphere, it will _______.

A. go straight off into space B. fall to the earth C. circle the earth forever D. both A and C

4. Photos show that the side of the moon hidden from us is _____ the side facing us.

A. brighter than B. different from C. the same as D. more beautiful than

5. We can only see one side of the moon because _______.

A. the moon has no gravity B. the moon keeps going round the earth

C. the moon goes side by side with the earth D. we haven't put a camera on board of the spaceship 新聞A Guangzhou (Xinhua)--12 people were killed and 20 injured early yesterday morning when they jumped from a burning train car into the path of an oncoming goods train in Southern China.

When No. 247 Wuchang--Guangzhou passenger train was passing the Dayaoshan Tunnel (隧道) in Guangdong Province, South China at 00 ：17 hours yesterday, a fire caused by passengers' smoking broke out on No. 17 car. They wanted to extinguish(撲滅) fire. As the train stopped some frightened passengers jumped from windows.

12 people were crushed to death and 20 others injured by a northward passing goods train(No. 1766).

1. In which direction did the passenger train travel? A. Norhtward. B. Southward. C. Eastward. D. Westward.

2. When did the accident happen?

A. At 00:17 am. B. At 00:17 pm. C. At seventeen past one. D. At seventeen to one.

3. Where did the accident happen?

A. In Wuchang. B. In Guangzhou. C. In Hubei. D. In Guangdong.

4. For what did the passenger train stop?

A. To put out the fire. B. To let the passengers jump out.

C. To let the other train pass. D. To pick up some other passengers.

5. What was the cause of the fire?

A. A heavy rain. B. High temperature. C. Carelessness. D. Fear.

B * Zhu to attend Asem in London

China's new premier, Zhu Rongji is to

attend the Second Asia-Europe Meeting

(Asem) and visit Britain and France

between March 31 and April 7 in his first

foreign trip since taking office.

--Page 2

* Laid-off (下崗 ) workers

Beijing will take measure to help the

city's laid-off workers find new jobs this

year.

-- Page 3

* Family reform

China Daily carries a commentary (評論)

on family planning policy, which is crucial

(關系重大) to the country's future.

--Page 4

* Banking reform

The Shanghai branch of the People's

Bank of China is preparing to initiate

（開始著手）a series of reforms to improve

services.

-- Page 5

* Education reform

A complete reform in Chinese language

teaching is called for in primary and

secondary education.

--Page 9

* Healthy old man

Two Chinese World War II pilots keep

healthy in their 80s through regular

exercise programmes.

--Page 10

1. The above section may possibly appear on _____ of China Daily.

A. Page 3 B. Page 1 C. Page 4 D. Page 5

2.. From the headline we expect there will be _____ job chances for laid-off workers in Beijing this year.

A. fewer B. enough C. more D. no

3. Premier Zhu will go to Europe to ______.

A. attend Asem in Paris B. visit Britain and France from March to April

C. have his first foreign tripD. attend the meeting and pay an official visit to Britain and France as well

4. We can infer(推斷) that Chinese language teaching in primary and secondary schools at

present _______. A. is satisfactory B. meets the demand of the society

C. needs improvement D. interests students

C Are you interested in the following courses? Please read them and make a decision soon.

A. Understanding Computers

This twelve-hour course is for people who do not know very much about computers but who need to learn about them. You will learn what computers are, what they can and can't do, and how to use them.

Course Fee(費): $75 Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28 Sat. 9-11:50 a.m. Equipment Fee: $10.

Joseph Saunders is Professor of Computer Science at New Urban University. He has over twelve years of experience in the computer field.

B. Stopping Smoking

Do you want to stop smoking? Have you already tried to stop it but failed? Now is the time to stop smoking using the latest methods. You can stop smoking, and this twelve-hour course will help you do it.

Course fee: $30Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25 Mon. 4-7p.m.

Dr. John Goode is a practising psychologist (心理學家 ) who has helped hundreds of people stop smoking.

C. Typing(打字)

This course is for those who want to learn to type, as well as those who want to make their typing better. The course is individualized(單獨授課). You are tested in the first class and begin practising at one of eight different skill levels. This allows you to learn at your own speed. Each program lasts 20 hours. Bring your own paper.

Course Fee: $125 Materials Fee: $25

Two hours each evening for two weeks. New classes begin every two weeks.

This course is taught by a number of best business education teachers who have successfully taught typing courses before.

1. The typing course is for

A. beginners B. skilled typists C. unskilled persons D. both A and C

2. If one wants to learn basic computer program, he must pay

A. $75+$10 B. $50+$10 C. $30+$25 D. $35+$25

3. Everyone taking a typing course can _____.

A. work at his own speed B. type fast

C. learn much more than the others D. begin practising at the same level

D Dear editor,

You can find language pollution whenever you open a newspaper or turn on your TV set, listen to a popular song at various advertisements. Language pollution exists almost everywhere and can be seen in the following places:

1. Chinese characters are written in the complex(復雜的 ) form. Although simplified (簡化的) Chinese characters were accepted for use many years ago, it seems that more and more people like Chinese characters written in the complex form.

2. Many goods are produced in China but carry foreign names, which sound strange and have no meaning at all.

3. Words and expressions being used have a bad meaning. "Ba"(霸), which means bully in Chinese, is one example. Now there are a lot of goods, restaurants, even factories or firms, with "Ba" in their names.

4. There are too many incorrect grammatical expressions. Some films have strange names and incorrect grammatical structures(結構). "Al ni mei shang liang', which means "I love you without consulting", is grammatically incorrect and this kind of expression is now becoming popular.

Some language experts point out that language pollution must be done away with, which

is an idea shared by myself and many others. Fan Yongqian, Shanxi

1. The writer of the letter suggests that ______.

A. something be done to make our language pure (純正)

B. the Chinese language not have the word "ba"

C. everything have a good name and a good meaning

D. everybody try their best to stop pollution

2. What the writer wants to say is that ____.

A. great difference exists between the Chinese characters written in the complex form and simplified

form

B. our newspapers, TV programs, pop songs and advertisements are getting polluted

C. many people agree with the experts on language pollution in China

D. some film writers haven't studied Chinese grammar

3. The expression "do away with" in the last paragraph means "_______".

A. clean B. recycle C. get away D. end

4. What do you guess Fan Yongqian is? He or she probably is _____.

A. a language expert B. a singer of pop songs C. a reader D. an expert of grammar

5. Choose the best title for the passage.

A. More Attention to Grammar B. Pollution of Our Language

C. Experts' Good Advice D. Films with Strange Names

E A Help Wanted Advertisement Female Clerk Wanted

Interesting & Rewarding Position in Lee Garden Hotel, Aged 20-22, at least 2-year working experience, Salary according to experience will be between RMB 500 yuan and RMB 800 yuan per month. Transport can be provided from Town Centre. 5 days-40 hours/week plus other fringe benefits including shopping discount. Please contact Miss Li at 8491879.

1. According to the advertisement, Lee Garden Hotel wants to employ

A. women clerks who have been working for at least two years

B. men clerks aged from twenty to twenty-two

C. university graduates aged 20-22 D. middle school leavers aged between twenty and twenty-two

2. The employees in Lee Garden Hotel have to work ______.

A. from morning till night B. all day long without a rest

C. from Monday to Friday D. from Monday to Saturday

3. The newly-employed clerks ______ to be paid 500 yuan and 800 yuan monthly.

A. are considered B. are suggested C. are promised D. are allowed

F Many people think it is safer to fly in a plane around the world than to cross a busy city

street. Flying accidents are not very common; so when an air accident happens, the

newspapers put it on the front page. Look at the newspaper headline below:

GIRL FALLS 3000 METRES--AND LIVES TO TELL THE STORY!

1. According to the writer, why is an air accident usually reported on the front page of the newspaper?

A. Because flying accidents happen more often than car accidents.

B. Because air accidents rarely happen in our daily life.

C. Because flying is more dangerous than driving. D. Driving is more safer than flying.

2. Which of the following is not true?

A. The girl was 3000 metres up in the air before the accident happened.

B. The girl told the story about the accident to the news reporter.

C. The girl was the only passenger on board the plane who was alive after the accident.

D. The girl was so lucky that she was not killed in the accident.

A.CCDCD B.CADDB C.BAACC D.CCAC E. ABABB F. BDDAC G. BDBCB

A. BADAC B. BCDC C. DAA D. ACDCB E. ACC F. BB