For years and years people have been saying that the railways are dead．“We can do without railways” people say，as if motorcars and planes made the railways unnecessary．We all keep hearing that trains are slow，that they lose money，that they’re dying．But this is far from the truth．In these days of expensive oil，the railways have become highly competitive with motorcars and planes．If you want to carry people or goods from place to place，they’re cheaper than planes．And they have much in common with planes．A plane goes in a strange line and so does a railway．What is more，it takes you from the heart of a city into the heart of another．It doesn’t 1eave you as a plane does，miles and miles from the city center．It doesn’t hold you up as a car does，in endless traffic jams．And a single train can carry goods which no plane or motorcar could ever do．Far from being dead，the railways are very much alive．Modern railway lines give you a smooth，untroubled journey．Where else can you eat well，sleep in comfort，feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are traveling at speed at the same time? And we are only at the beginning．For we have just entered the age of super-fast trains, traveling at 1 50 miles an hour and more．Soon we will be wondering why we spent so much on motorways we can't use because we have not enough money to buy the oil and planes we can't fly in for the same reason.

Some people think the railways are dead for many reasons except that ______   ．

  A．planes and motorcars will take the place of trains  B．oil is expensive today

  C．trains are slow                              D．railways lose money

The writer’s idea seems to be that ______   ．

  A. we can do without railways    B．trains have much in common with motorcars and planes

  C．motorcars and planes are not as good as trains D．trains are as good as motorcars and planes

According to the writer，which of the following is NOT true?

  A．It is cheaper to travel by train than by plane．

  B．The railway station is usually at the center of a city．

  C．When you get off the plane you will find yourself right in the city center．

  D．No motorcar or plane can carry as many goods as a train does．

From the underlined sentence at the end of the passage，we can infer that    ．

  A．1ess and less people will take planes and motorways in the future

  B．the people have known that the train is better than planes and motorways

  C．trains will be more popular in the future

  D．nobody likes spending much money on motorways

For many in the United States,Arab-Americans are an invisible part of the population．Though Arab-Americans as a community have made great contributions to American society in fields from literature to politics to medicine,many Americans know very little about Americans of Arab backgrounds．

       Arab history in the United States goes back to the late 1800’s when large numbers of Arab immigrants first began making their journey to a land known simply as“Amreeka”．

       Historians generally describe Arab immigration to America in two waves．The first wave took place between 1860 and 1924．The first wave consisted of Lebanese and Syrian,and some Egyptian immigrants．These new immigrants,who were mostly Christian,came to America in search of better opportunities．Even the doomed Titanic,which set sail for America in 1912,had close to a hundred Arab passengers aboard．The majority of Arab-Americans today are descendents of the first wave of immigrants;they are the third or more generation Americans．

       The second wave of immigrants followed after World War Ⅱ,caused by political unrest in the Middle East．This second wave of immigrants consists of mainly Arab Muslims（穆斯林）and continues to this day．

       Arab-Americans make up 3 million of the population in the United States,according to demographers．And quite different from popular belief,64 percent of them are American-born．Eighty-two percent of Arab-Americans are US citizens．

       Arab-Americans are beyond the national average in both education and income．Education is important among Arab-Americans;82 percent have high school diplomas,36 percent have bachelor’s degrees or higher,and 15 percent have graduate degrees．The-median（中位數(shù)的） average income among Arab-Americans is $39 580,which is higher than the US average．

What would be the best title for the text?

       A．Arabs in America．                               B．The Two Arab Immigration Waves to America．

       C．Arab-Americans,Contributions to America．

       D．Arab-Americans,Education and Income．

The first wave of immigrants took place because______．

       A．all Arabs were Christian at that time                   

       B．Arabs wanted to hunt for a better development

       C．the Second World War broke out                        

       D．Arabs wanted to gain higher income

The writer of this passage mentioned Titanic______．

       A．to tell us that taking ship at that time was dangerous

       B．because Titanic became a well-known disaster

       C．to show us there were many Arabs flocking into America at that time

       D．to inform us that Arabs are brave enough

From the last paragraph we can infer that______．

       A．Arab-Americans are much more clever than native Americans

       B．Arab-Americans are hard-working people

       C．the higher education you receive,the higher income you will get in America

       D．Arab-Americans play the most important role in the American average in both education and income

"What’s in a name?”According to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet，there is not too much.“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. "But Shakespeare may have been wrong. In most cultures，names matter a great deal.

Americans choose names for their children with care. Parents usually think about the impression a name gives，not its meaning. Most Americans would consider a “Jennifer” more attractive than a“Bertha"，for example. The last name，or，surname，must also be considered when choosing a first and middle name. A name like Lester Chester Hester would sound poetic，but odd. Parents would avoid names that remind them of people they don’t like. On the other hand，people might name their children after a respected elderly relative or even a famous person. The popularity of certain names can change with each new generation. Names that were once common，like Fanny or Elmer，sound old-fashioned today. But other names—like John and David，Mary and Sarah—have stood the test of time and continue to be favorites.

People in Ameica don’t always call their friends and relatives by their given names. Instead，they often use nicknames. Sometimes nicknames are short forms of a longer name. For instance，a girl named Elizabeth may be called Lisa，Beth or Betsy. As children grow up，they may decide for themselves which nickname they wish to be called.

Some people just go by the initials of their first and middle names，like B. J, or R. C. And of course，people may call their children or their sweethearts other special nicknames. Often they have a “sweet” flavor，like Honey or Sugar. What’s in a name? A world of significance. So if you’re choosing an English name for yourself，take care to choose a good one. A made—up name could sound strange to native English speakers. And a translation of your Chinese name may not make an appropriate name，either. But a good name can leave a positive and lasting impression.  As an American politician once said，“In real life，unlike in Shakespeare，the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears.”

What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. People change names in order to be popular with the new generanon.

B. Names will change by themselves in order to be popular.

C. Some names may no longer be popular among the new generation.

D. No names can stand the test of time.

When choosing names，you should stick to the following principles EXCEPT that

A. the impression a name gives is more important than its meaning

B. you can name after a well-known person

C.surname should be paid attention to

D.you can create a name that is special

The author will name a newly born baby girl________.

A． Bertha         B. Fanny            C. Yunyun       D.Elizabeth

What is the main idea of this passage?

A. Names have great significance to Americans.

B.Names change when time goes by.

C. Chinese people should be careful when choosing their English names.

D.Roses smell sweet by any other name.

For many in the United States,Arab-Americans are an invisible part of the population．Though Arab-Americans as a community have made great contributions to American society in fields from literature to politics to medicine,many Americans know very little about Americans of Arab backgrounds．

    Arab history in the United States goes back to the late 1800’s when large numbers of Arab immigrants first began making their journey to a land known simply as“Amreeka”．

    Historians generally describe Arab immigration to America in two waves．The first wave took place between 1860 and 1924．The first wave consisted of Lebanese and Syrian,and some Egyptian immigrants．These new immigrants,who were mostly Christian,came to America in search of better opportunities．Even the doomed Titanic,which set sail for America in 1912,had close to a hundred Arab passengers aboard．The majority of Arab-Americans today are descendents of the first wave of immigrants;they are the third or more generation Americans．

    The second wave of immigrants followed after World War Ⅱ,caused by political unrest in the Middle East．This second wave of immigrants consists of mainly Arab Muslims（穆斯林）and continues to this day．

    Arab-Americans make up 3 million of the population in the United States,according to demographers．And quite different from popular belief,64 percent of them are American-born．Eighty-two percent of Arab-Americans are US citizens．

    Arab-Americans are beyond the national average in both education and income．Education is important among Arab-Americans;82 percent have high school diplomas,36 percent have bachelor’s degrees or higher,and 15 percent have graduate degrees．The-median（中位數(shù)的） average income among Arab-Americans is $39 580,which is higher than the US average．

What would be the best title for the text?

    A．Arabs in America．   B．The Two Arab Immigration Waves to America．

    C．Arab-Americans,Contributions to America  D．Arab-Americans,Education and Income．

The first wave of immigrants took place because______．

    A．all Arabs were Christian at that time    B．Arabs wanted to hunt for a better development

    C．the Second World War broke out   D．Arabs wanted to gain higher income

The writer of this passage mentioned Titanic______．

    A．to tell us that taking ship at that time was dangerous

    B．because Titanic became a well-known disaster

    C．to show us there were many Arabs flocking into America at that time

    D．to inform us that Arabs are brave enough

From the last paragraph we can infer that______．

    A．Arab-Americans are much more clever than native Americans

    B．Arab-Americans are hard-working people

    C．the higher education you receive,the higher income you will get in America

    D．Arab-Americans play the most important role in the American average in both education and income

“What’s in a name?”According to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, there is not too much. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. ”But Shakespeare may have been wrong. In most cultures, names matter a great deal.

Americans choose names for their children with care. Parents usually think about the impression a name gives, not its meaning. Most Americans would consider a“Jennifer”more attractive than a “Bertha”, for example. The last name, or, surname, must also be considered when choosing a first and middle name. A name like Lester Chester Hester would sound poetic, but odd. Parents would avoid names that remind them of people they don’t like. On the other hand, people might name their children after a respected elderly relative or even a famous person. The popularity of certain names can change with each new generation. Names that were once common, like Fanny or Elmer, sound old-fashioned today. But other names—like John and David, Mary and Sarah—have stood the test of time and continue to be favorites.

People in America don’t always call their friends and relatives by their given names. Instead, they often use nicknames. Sometimes nicknames are short forms of a longer name. For instance, a girl named Elizabeth may be called Lisa, Beth or Betsy. As children grow up, they may decide for themselves which nickname they wish to be called. Some people just go by the initials of their first and middle names, like B. J. or R. C. And of course, people may call their children or their sweethearts other special nicknames. Often they have a “sweet” flavor, like Honey or Sugar. What’s in a name? A world of significance. So if you’re choosing an English name for yourself, take care to choose a good one. A made-up name could sound strange to native English speakers. And a translation of your Chinese name may not make an appropriate name, either. But a good name can leave a positive and lasting impression. As an American politician once said,“In real life, unlike in Shakespeare, the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears.”

What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?

     A. People change names in order to be popular with the new generation.

B. Names will change by themselves in order to be popular.

C. Some names may no longer be popular among the new generation.

D. No names can stand the test of time.

When choosing names, you should stick to the following principles except that _________.

A. the impression a name gives is more important than its meaning

B. you can name after a well-known person

C. surname should be paid attention to               

D. you can create a name that is special

The word “initial” in paragraph 3 probably means          .

A. nickname            B. the first letter        C. short form        D. title

The author will name a newly born baby girl             .

A. Bertha               B. Fanny             C. Yunyun          D. Elizabeth

What is the main idea of this passage?

A. Names have great significance to Americans.    

B. Names change when time goes by.

C. Chinese people should be careful when choosing their English names.

D. Roses smell sweet by any other name.