It is possible that in 50 years the only tigers in the world will be in zoos. One
hundred years ago there were  maybe 100,000 tigers in the world. Today scientists are not sure how many are left, as it is difficult to count them. There rnay be only between 5,000 and 7,000 tigers in the world.
      Tigers are only found in Asia. Already they have disappeared from many
countries. There are no longer any Caspian(黑海的) tigers in Central Asia. They have died out in the two  islands  of Java (爪哇 ) and Bali (巴里) . The situation in some
parts of Asia is also very serious. There are perhaps only 100 Chinese tigers left. In
eastern Russia, the number is a little higher. There are about 450 tigers left. On the
island of Sumatra (蘇門答臘) , which has many thick forests , there are maybe 500
tigers.
      Why has the number fallen so quickly? The first reason is that tigers are
meat-eaters. They need a lot of land to find enough food. Also they live in forests and many of these have been cut down. At one time, tiger shooting was a sport ,
especially in India. Local(當(dāng)?shù)氐? people some- times kill tigers because they kill their cows. The other reason is that dead tigers are used for Traditional Chinese Medicine. All parts of the body are used, including the bones and whiskers (須) . People who
take TCM think chat these medicines will make them live longer.
      How can we protect the tigers that are left? First, some wildlife parks have been
created. In these reserves (自然保護(hù)區(qū) ) ,local people may not kill tigers and the
forests may not be cut down. And 145 countries have agreed to stop selling tiger
parts for medicine. With luck , the tigers can be protected in the few areas of the
world where they still live.             

1. Which part of the world has the most tigers today?

A. Central Asia.          
B. Fastern Russia.
C. Sumatra.              
D. China.

2. Why arc there fewer tigers today?

A. Forests are needed for cows.
B. Tigers don't like living in forests.
C. Tigers have been killed for TCM and to protect other animals.
D. People still kill tigers for sport.

3. The third paragraph tells us that         .

A. only two parts of the tiger's body are used in TCM
B. all parts of the tiger's body are used in TCM
C. people have kept tiger's body parts for a long time
D. scientists know that TCM gives people a longer life 

4. Which of these plans will not protect tigers?

A. Stop local people from killing tigers.
B. Protect cows from tigers.
C. Stop selling tiger's body parts for TCM.
D. Stop cutting down forests.

5. What's the best title for the passage?

A. Killing the tigers
B. Saving the tigers
C. Fewer and fewer tigers left
D. More and more tigers needed

                         Different Customs and Cultures
     If an American is satisfied with you, he will put his thumb and forefinger into a
circle. That means OK. But in Brazil, the very sign is considered to be rude. In
Poland, a guest usually presents flowers to his hostess. The number must be an odd (奇數(shù)) one. Besides, the hostess isn't  expected to remove the cover of the bunch of
flowers. And usually, red rose is a sign of love.
     Usually we nod to express our agreement and shake our heads to show
disapproval. To our surprise these body movements mean the opposite in Bulgaria(保加利亞).
     The differences in customs and cultures in the world are really noticeable. We
should learn more about them to avoid embarrassment(窘迫). Then, would you
please remember: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

1. In Poland, if a man gives some odd red roses to a woman as a present, it means
that he     .       

A. will invite her to a dinner party
B. has not been in love with her
C. will invite her to a ball
D. has fallen in love with her

2. If a Brazilian puts his thumb and index(食指)into a circle, it shows that he        you.

A. will be friends with
B. is not satisfied with
C. is willing to help
D. is satisfied with

3. In Poland, it is            for the hostess to remove the cover of the bunch of flowers somebody presented to her.

A. impolite                      
B. polite
C. expected                      
D. great      

4. In Bulgaria, if a man nods, it means that he           with you.

A. will have a talk                  
B. disagrees
C. will shake hands                
D. agrees

5. The sentence "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. " means that           .

A. we should learn from the Romans
B. we should work as the Romans do
C. we should obey its customs when we are entering a country
D. we have been Romans

     People use money to buy food, books, bicycles and hundreds of other things they need When they work, they usually get paid in money. 
     Most of the money used today is made of metal or paper. But in ancient time
people often used all kinds of things as money. One of the first kinds of money was
shells.
     In China, cloth and knives were used as money. Elephant tusks, monkey tails and
salt were used in some parts of Africa. Rice was also a kind of money used by the
ancient people in some islands. Cows and other animals were used as money, too.
     The first copper coins were made in China. They were round and had a square
hole in the centre. Different countries had used different metals for their money. Later some countries began to make coins of gold and silver. But gold and silver were
heavy to carry when people need a lot of coins to buy something expensive. The
Chinese were the first to use paper money. The first paper money looked more like a note from one paper to another than the paper money used today.   

1. We use          as money today.

A. paper                            
B. shells      
C. gold and silver                
D. copper coins

2. People gave up gold and silver coins because              .   

A. they were too heavy
B. they would be for future use       .
C. they were easy to slip off
D. they were useless     .                

3.          first used paper money.

A. India                
B. America
C. France                
D. China

4. African people used _       as money in ancient time.

A. cloth and knives
B. cows and other animals
C. copper coins
D. tusks, monkey tails and salt

5. The best title for this passage is            .

A. Paper Can Be Used as Money
B. Africa Money Forms
C. The History of Money
D. Money in Ancient Time

                                                              The Inventions
       Paper was first made in the year 105. It was made by a Chinese named Cai Lun.
       For over 500 years paper was made only in China. People in Japan learned of paper around the year
   600. As years went by, people in other places began to make paper.
       The lead pencil is not made of lead. It is made of graphite. People found graphite in 1564. They
  thought it was a kind of lead. Today we still call pencils "lead pencils". The first pencils were made by
  putting strings around sticks of graphite.
       The first wooden pencils were made by Kasper Faber in Germany in 1761.
       Erasers like those we use today were first made in France by a man named Magellan in 1752. It was
   Hyman L. Lipman who first put eraser on the ends of pencils. And that is how the pencils came to be.

1. How many years earlier was paper made in China than in Japan?

A. About 100 years.          
B. About 400 years.
C. more than 500 years.      
D. 495 years.

2. Germans made paper _____.

A. earlier than Japan          
B. later than Japan
C. as early as Japan          
D. as late as Japan

3. At first pencils were made of _____.

A. wood                    
B. lead
C. sticks                    
D. strings and graphite

4. Kasper Faber was _____.

A. an Englishman            
B. a Frenchman
C. a German                
D. an American

5. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Paper was first made in China.
B. Graphite isn't a kind of lead.
C. The first wooden pencils were made in Ger many.
D. Hyman L. Lipman made the first erasers.

     The first thing that man invented for sports was the ball.
     In ancient Egypt, everywhere, throwing stones was the game that children loved most. But it was bad
to hurt a child throwing a rock. While looking for something less dangerous to throw, the Egyptians made
the first ball.
     At first, balls were made of grass of leaves held together by vines  (藤條). Later they were made of
pieces of animal skin sewed together and filled with feathers.
    Even though the Egyptians were warlike, they found time for peaceful games, each with its own set of
rules. Maybe they played ball more for instruction than for fun. Ball playing was thought of mainly as a way to teach young men the speed and the skill they would need for war.

1. The best title for the story is             .   

A. The First Ball Games
B. The Children's Game
C, Egyptian Sports
D. The Need for War        

2. The ball was probably first invented by _          .   

A. children              
B. man
C. young men          
D. Egyptians

3. The first balls were probably made of              .  

A. rocks                
B. feathers
C. animal skin            
D. grass or leaves

4. The Egyptians thought that ball playing was            .     

A. only for fun        
B. mainly for invention
C. a dangerous game    
D. a peaceful game

5. The Egyptians were fond of              .      

A. basketball playing       
B. baseball playing
C. ball playing
D. badminton playing

     From the time we were babies we have been taught manners. We are taught how to hold a knife and
fork and not to talk with our mouths full. We are taught how to shake hands and when to stand and when
to sit and the way to introduce people.
     Sometimes good manners in one place are very bad manners somewhere else. Almost everywhere
eating together means that people are very friendly to each other. But in parts of Polynesia(波利尼西亞)
it is bad manners to be seen eating beside each other. So they politely turn their backs to each other when
they are taking food.
      Some East Africans spit four times as a kind of blessing(祝福). They do it to show that they want a
sick person to get well or to bless a newborn baby. In most other places, spitting means something
completely different. It usually shows an unhealthy habit. In many countries, it may mean that you hate
someone.
     When we go to visit someone we say "Hello!"Or"How are you?" or things like that. But if you are
visiting an East African village, everyone will be very careful not to pay attention to you. The polite thing
there will be for you to go quietly, without speaking to anyone, and sit beside your friend. You should
wait until he has finished what he is doing and then he will begin talking to you.
     In a village in Arab, a visitor will walk behind all the tents until he gets to the one he wants to visit. If
he passes in front, he will be invited into each tent and asked to eat. It is rude to refuse.
1. From this passage we know ______. 
A. it's good manners to use a knife and fork to eat
B. it's bad manners to stand and talk
C. it's good manners not to talk with our mouths full
D. how to shake hands when we introduce people
2. In many places, spitting may mean______.
A. you give a new-born baby the blessing
B. you want a sick person to get well
C. you hate someone
D. you show your love to your relatives or friends
3. If you visit an East African village, you ______.
A. should say"Hello!"or"How are you?"to others
B. should talk to the villagers quietly
C. should be very careful and not to pay any attention to others
D. must wait until your friend has finished his work and then begin to talk to him
4. Which of the following is right?
A. Spitting four times is a way of blessing for some East Africans.
B. You should talk to an East African as soon as you see him or her.
C. Eating together is always a symbol of friendship.
D. You are supposed to turn your back to others when you are eating in China.
5. If you are visiting a village in Arab, ______.
A. you will walk all the tents until you get to the one you want to visit
B. the host will offer you meals whenever you come
C. you'd better carry a tent with you
D. you are supposed to offer a helping hand in repairing the villagers' tents