Unit 3

(1)

Every morning, two people come to the park. They like to feed the pigeons. John and Margaret used to work in the city. Five years ago, John got very sick. He needed to find something to help him relax. His wife looked for something they both could enjoy doing. Margaret learned to love birds when she was living in England. She knew the pigeons needed to be fed. It was a way to be kind to them. It was a way to be kind to herself and John. John says it is very relaxing when he is feeding the birds. It takes his mind off everything else. John and Margaret feed the pigeons about 40 loaves of bread, 20 pounds of corn and 125 pounds of birdseed every month. They spend about 100 a month on the birds. They do not mind it a bit. Margaret says the birds know the couple will never hurt them. They know they will always get help from the couple. Feeding the pigeons has become important to both John and Margaret. John says feeding the birds has taught him to relax. Margaret says they love it so much because everyone wants to be useful. She says that makes people feel better all day.

1．What is the best title for the passage?

A．Pigeon People B．People and Pigeon

C．Feeding Pigeons D．John and Margaret

2．When John feeds the pigeons, it makes him ________.

A．fall asleep B．relax C．work harder D．feel sick

3．Why did they start feeding the pigeons?

A．The birds were starving.

B．John had been sick and needed to relax.

C．No one else would take care of the birds.

D．Margaret had loved pigeons for a long time.

4．How do John and Margaret feel about the money they spend each month?

A．They are very rich.

B．They wish others would help.

C．They can only do this for one month.

D．They are happy to do it.

(2)

(BEIJING) — China will launch its first lunar probe this week, an official said Monday — weeks after regional rival Japan put one in high orbit over the moon in a big leap forward in Asia’s undeclared space race. The rivalry is likely to be joined soon by India, which plans to send its own lunar probe into space in April, 2008.

The launch window for China’s Chang’e 1 orbiter has been set for Wednesday through Friday, with the prime time being 6 p. m. (6 a. m. EDT) Wednesday, said Li Guoping, a spokesman for the China National Space Administration. “The orbiting of the moon is a high - tech project of self - innovation, and it will set the technological foundation for the development of China’s space exploration. ” The Chang’e 1 — named after a legendary Chinese goddess who flew to the moon — would be launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province in southwestern China. Pre - launch inspections have been completed and they fully fulfill the technical requirements. The Chang’e will orbit the Earth while technical adjustments are made, and by Nov. 5, it will enter the moon’s orbit, Li said.

The goal is to analyze the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface, he said, adding that it will use stereo (立体的) cameras and X - ray spectrometers to map three - dimensional images of the surface and study the moon’s dust. It will transmit its first photo back to China in the second half of November. “Then it will work for one year of scientific exploration, ” Li said.

“The mission has a very strong scientific emphasis, ” said Sun Kwok, professor of physics and dean of science at the University of Hong Kong. “It’s not just about technology. It’s more than just launching a satellite, it’s more than putting the first satellite in orbit. It’s very good for China being a major power, it shows that China is moving more and more into the international space community. ”

1．It can be concluded that ________ countries in Asia have made plans to send their own lunar probe into space.

A．Two B．Three C．Four D．Five

2．According to the passage, Chang’e 1 ________.

A．is a high - tech satellite cooperated with the foreign countries

B．is a high - tech satellite designed by Chinese independently

C．will be launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

D．will enter the moon’s orbit before technical adjustments are made

3．According to the passage, the Chang’e 1 will ________.

A．send its first photo back to China after it has entered the moon’s obit in about ten days

B．analyze the chemical and mineral composition of the inside moon

C．use stereo cameras and X - ray spectrometers to map two - dimensional images of the surface

D．transmit the dust of the moon back to China in the second half of November

4．What is the best title of the passage?

A．China’s First Satellite — Chang’e 1

B．The Great Effect of Chang’e 1

C．The Chang’e Will Orbit the Earth

D．China to Launch Lunar Probe

(3)

Sarah and Brian have traveled by air from London to Sydney, Australia. Sarah has promised her mother that she will ring her to let her know that they have arrived safely. This is something she has done ever since she was a child. Brian thinks it is a silly idea to ring so far, to spend so much, and to say so little.

“If there were an accident, ” he says, “they’d know soon enough. Bad news travels fast. ”

But Sarah has promised that she would ring. “Besides, ” she says, “it doesn’t cost much when you consider that it’s the other side of the world. It’s only six pence per second. ”

“If you’re on that telephone for less than one minute, I’ll eat my hat, ” Brian says. “And one minute’s nearly four pounds. ”

“That’s no more than you’d pay for a new hat. ” Sarah replies.

She has asked the man at the hotel desk to get her the number. The telephone rings. Sarah picks it up.

“Hello, Mum. Is that you? ” she says.

“Six pence per second, ” Brian reminds her.

“Hello, love. ” It is Mrs. Lee, Sarah’s mother, speaking from London. “My word, you do sound clear. You could be in the next room. It’s a better line than when you used to call me from the University. Do you remember? I used to shout and still you couldn’t hear me sometimes. And just think, you’re on the other side of the world. ”

“Yes, Mum, ” Sarah puts in, “I just wanted to ring to…”

“I remember how you used to ring when you went to Betty’s house to tea, when you were a little girl. And then when you used to go to camp with the Guides… ” Mrs. Lee is a great talker.

“Nearly four pounds, ” says Brian. Sarah manages to tell her mother that it is time to say goodbye.

“Yes, all right, ” says Mrs. Lee. “But you will write, won’t you, like you used to do when you were at University… ”

Once again, Mrs. Lee speaks fondly of the past, and there is no stopping her.

“Four pounds fifty, ” says Brian. Finally, Sarah cuts her mother short, promises to write, and rings off.

“There! That wasn’t long, was it? ”

“Four pounds, ninety pence, ” Brian replies. “And you didn’t even say that we’ve arrived!”

1．Sarah is telephoning home to ________.

A．tell her mother some bad news

B．say that she and Brian have arrived safely

C．report an accident to her mother

D．say that she and Brian have left London

2．Brian thinks that ________.

A．it is too expensive to ring so far and to say so little

B．it is silly not to have a long conversation

C．Sarah’s mother will have heard the bad news already

D．it is silly that it costs so little to ring so far

3．Sarah does not think it expensive to ring, considering that ________.

A．it only costs four pounds and ninety pence

B．it is even more expensive to buy a new hat

C．she has telephoned home since she was a child

D．she will be speaking from one side of the world to the other

4．When Mrs. Lee hears Sarah’s voice ________.

A．she thinks that she is in the next room

B．she has to shout to make herself heard

C．she is surprised at how clear she sounds from so far away

D．she is surprised that Sarah and Brian have already arrived

(4)

Mr. and Mrs. Hooper have lived in Manchester all their lives. Mr. Hooper has worked in a bank there for a number of years. Now he is about to retire, and he and Mrs. Hooper are looking for a cottage in the country. A house agent takes them to a cottage on the edge of what he calls a “nice, quiet village”. But Mr. Hooper remarks that the road through the village seems to be very busy.

“Well, we’re in the middle of the holiday season, of course, ” the house agent replies. “It isn’t always as noisy as this. ”

Just then, the noise of a train is heard.

“What on earth is that noise? ” Mr. Hooper demands. “It sounded like an express train. ”

But the agent thinks it must be thunder.

“The sky’s getting very dark over there, ” he says. “I think we shall have rain before very long. ”

The agent rings the door - bell. The house owner, Mrs. Wheeler, comes to the door, followed by her young daughter, Julie. Mrs. Wheeler invites the Hoopers into the sitting - room. Mrs. Hooper says what a pleasant little room it is. Mr. Hooper agrees with her that it is a little room.

“And what are all those voices that I can hear? ” he asks, the agent supposes that they must belong to the birds singing in the trees; there are so many trees and birds in that part of the country. But Julie knows better.

“It’s the primary school down the road, ” she says. “The children are playing in the playground. Sometimes they sound as if they’re next door. ”

The agent suggests that they go into the dining - room. “It’s beautifully quiet here at the back of the house, ” he says. At this, a second train is heard.

“I’m certain that was an express train, ” says Mr. Hooper.

“I’m sure there’s thunder in the air, ” says the agent. “It’ll rain soon, you mark my words. ” But Julie puts him right again. It was not the express train, she says, it was the stopping train to Leeds. The express train would be along in five minutes.

The agent showed the Hoopers into the garden. Mr. Hooper has no sooner said what a small garden it is, than an airplane is heard taking off. Mrs. Hooper is surprised by how low it is flying, and says she thinks it ought not to be allowed. The agent looks at the sky and wonders why it has not yet begun to rain.

“It wasn’t just flying low, ” says Julie. “It was taking off from the airport, just over there. You can see it from the bedrooms. ” “Would you like to see the bedrooms? ” the agent asks, hopefully.

“No, thank you, ” Mr. Hooper replies. “I think we’ll get back to Manchester before it rains. ”

1．Mr. Hooper wants to buy ________.

A．a nice, quiet cottage in the country

B．a quiet cottage somewhere on the edge of Manchester

C．a quiet cottage in another country

D．a cottage from which he can still travel to work

2．When Mr. Hooper hears a train, the agent says that it is ________.

A．the noise of thunder

B．the sound of the Wheelers’ doorbell

C．the traffic on the road because of the holiday season

D．the sound of a stopping train to Leeds

3．What Mr. Hooper says about the sitting room suggests that he thinks ________.

A．it is a pleasant, quiet little room

B．it is rather smaller than he would like

C．it is a very noisy room because of the trains

D．it is a dark room because of all the trees

4．Julie says that the “voices” that Mr. Hooper can hear ________.

A．are the sounds of the birds in the trees

B．are the voices of the people who live next door

C．sound like children in a school playground

D．are the voices of children at a school nearby

(5)

A “Secret” Never To Forget

I recently wrote autobiography in which I recalled many old memories. One of them was from my school days, when our ninth - grade teacher, Miss Raber, would pick out words from Reader’s Digest to test our vocabulary.

Today, more than 45 years later, I always check out “It Pays to Enrich Your Word Power” first when The Digest comes each month. I am impressed with that idea, word power. For Reader’s Digest knows the power that words have to move people — to entertain, inform, inspire. And The Digest editors know that the big word isn’t always the best word. Take just one example, a Quotable Quote from the February 1985 issue: “Time is a playful kitten. She creeps up on you and drinks the day like a bowl of milk. ”

Nineteen words — only two of them more than one syllable (音节) — yet how much they convey! That’s usually how it is with Reader’s Digest. Small and simple can be profound.

As chairman of a foundation to restore the Statue to Liberty, I’ve been making a lot of speeches lately. I try to keep them fairly short. And I use small but vivid (生动的) words: words like “hope”, “guts”, “faith”, “dreams”. Those are words that move people and say so much about the spirit of America.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against using big words when it’s right to do so. But I have also learned that a small word can work a small miracle — if it’s the right word, in the right place, at the right time. It’s a “secret”

that I hope I never forget.

1．What does this passage mainly tell us?

A．It tells us about a secret of the author.

B．It tells us about the power of small words.

C．It tells us about the author's autobiography.

D．It tells us about the author's views on Reader's Digest.

2．How old was the author when he wrote this passage?

A．About 45. B．About 54. C．About 60. D．About 65.

3．Which of the following is the author's view on vocabulary?

A．Big words have less power than small words.

B．Small words are always the best words.

C．We should use small words if possible.

D．Only simple words can move people.

4．What might his autobiography be like?

A．It might be difficult to understand.

B．It might be easy to understand.

C．It might be a very thick magazine.

D．It might be a very thin book.

Unit 3

(1)ABBD (2)BBAD (3)BADC (4)AABD (5)BCCB

unit3