Text Comprehension: I. Decide whether the following statements are true or false according to the texts you have learned. 1. The policemen were relaxed when they were told that Herbert was not a burglar. ( ) 2. I had already accepted the job in London before I asked my parents for permission. ( ) 3. My parents loved me so much that they wouldn’t let me leave home. ( ) 4. Local weekly papers contain not only local but also national news. ( ) 5. The British people can buy national newspapers everywhere in the country on the day they are published because they are interested in current affairs. ( ) 6. Herbert had expected to come home from France when his family went to the seaside. ( ) 7. All the energy on the earth comes from the sun. ( ) 8. If you know just one English conversation on the weather you will be witty and pleasant. ( ) 9. The British people seem to be found of hail, snow and hurricane as they are likely to comment favorably on them. ( ) 10. Electrical energy can be produced from the sun directly. ( ) 11. Stamps were once used as a money-raising device. ( ) 12. The boy who could not write his name thought highly of himself. ( ) 13. The teacher asked the boy to write his name because she wanted to disgrace him. ( ) 14. Civilized people eat a greater variety of food than primitive people do. ( ) 15. According to the texts, food, clothing and shelter are three basic human needs. ( ) 16．For years and years, astronomers have been trying to find out the distance from the earth to the sun with no result. ( ) 17. You can finish the journey from the earth to the sun in the electric train, but you will feel very tired when you reach the sun. ( ) 18. According to the text, not all women agree with all of the goals of women’s liberation. ( ) 19. Women’s liberation movement is also concerned with attitudes and beliefs such as the question of women’s roles. ( ) 20. According to the text, you can learn something from the puzzle. ( ) 21. The first crossword puzzle came into existence in the form of a diamond on December 21, 1913. ( ) 22. Museums were not only storehouses for collections. ( ) 23. The government of France had lent the painting of Mona Lisa to the United States in 1963. ( ) 24. Albert Einstein got some of his ideas from dreams. ( ) 25. Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre in her dreams. ( ) 26. Dr. Sandra Lomax thinks that making an omelette is much easier for a robot than recognizing a bad egg. ( ) 27. The director of UAS believes that in the next five to ten years new forms of machines will be used more in ordinary homes than in industry. ( ) 28. After a long while I began to wonder if we were going to stay in the tube for the rest of our lives. ( ) 29. After twenty minutes of waiting, most of the passengers were looking annoyed because they were going to be late for work.. ( ) 30. A procrastinator is a person who always postpones unimportant work. ( ) 31. Procrastinators live a happy life, for they need not worry about anything. ( ) 32. The winner of the Derby is the rider. ( ) 33. The big race on Derby Day usually lasts until 3:20 p.m. ( ) 34. It was not until 1940 that penicillin was widely used in treating many infections. ( ) 35. Had it not been for Fleming’s failure to place a cover on one of his plates, Penicillin would not have been found half a century ago. ( ) 36. Actual postage stamps were a relatively new invention. ( ) II. Multiple-choice questions: The Times is ______than The Daily Mirror. A. better B. worse C. more popular D. more serious 2. Sir James Chalmers has been called the father of the postage stamp because _______ A. he reformed the postal system B. he inaugurated the penny system C. he invented the adhesive stamp D. he suggested payment of postage by the sender 3. Energy from ______ has been used by people for a long time to make work easier. A. winds B. animals C. the sun D. flowing water 4. All of the following may be energy sources in a hundred years’ time except _______ A. solar heat B. garbage and manure C. coal and oil D. nuclear energy 5. According to the text, all the following famous people’s pictures had been printed on the early postage stamps except _______ A. Benjamin Franklin’s B. George Washington’s C. Sir Rowland Hill’s D. Queen Victoria’s 6. With regard to food, what do people in advanced societies have in common with primitive people? _________ A. They have the same need for food B. They need the same kind of food C. Their food is of the same kind D. They grow the same kind of food 7. According to the text, the sentence “ I spelled my name in a wild rush of letters” means I spelled my name ________ A. in a wild way B. very quickly C. letter by letter D. desperately 8. According to the text, “material comforts” means _______ A. articles made of special materials that make people comfortable B. costly or expensive goods C. things that make life easy D. something valuable 9. According to the text, which of the following statements is true? _______ A. Someone set off to the sun in an aircraft carrier when Washington became president of the United States. B. It would take the jet airliner 15 years non-stop to reach the sun. C. Jupiter is not so far away from the earth and it has no moon D. Little is known about Uranus, Neptune and Mercury. 10. Which of the following statements can explain the sentence “Although I could not leave my ‘name’ there, I would certainly leave my footprints on the moon, any way.” ________ A. I would leave my footprints on the moon although I could not write my name on it. B. I would leave my footprints on the moon although I could not be known as the first person landing on the moon. C. I would leave my footprints on the moon although I could not actually land on the moon. D. I could not be famous for my visit to the moon because I would leave my footprints on the moon. 11. Which of the following sentences has NOT the same meaning with “I tried very hard to collect my senses…” ________ A. I wanted to have control of my senses. B. I tried to pull myself together C. I tried to calm down myself D. I tried to be conscious enough 12. The sentence “Papers in Britain are perhaps less extreme than in some countries.” Means ______ A. the British papers are relatively moderate B. the British papers are relatively conservative C. the British papers are relatively radical D. A and C 13. Which of the following statements is NOT the aim of women’s liberation movement? _______ A. to make it possible for a woman to decide what she wants to do. B. to make it possible for a woman to do the best and the most she possibly can. C. to help these women improve their view of themselves. D. to help women obtain full equality with men in every aspect of life. 14. According to the text, a woman’s identity can be all of the following except ________ A. what she thinks of herself as a person B. who she thinks she is C. what the society thinks of her as a woman D. what she thinks she can do 15. Which group of phrases can describe the first puzzle best? _________ A. a diamond, a partner, clues, Arthur B. a precious stone, a word-cross, clues, Wynne C. a precious stone, fans, a word-cross, newspaper D. a jewel, 1913, a success, the world 16. Works of art on loan exhibitions are _______ private owners, art dealers or other museums. A. given as gifts by B. bought from C. rented from D. borrowed from 17. The main idea of the reading Servants of the Future is ________ A. Robots have already been used as “home-helps” for old people B. robots have to be programmed to do the simplest of tasks C. scientists differ in opinion as to when truly intelligent robots can be developed D. robots can be used both in industry and at home 18. According to the text, what can NOT be gained from visiting museums? ________ A. know about the world in which we live B. learn about the activities of man C. see wonderful examples of man’s creations D. explore valuable collections in other lands 19.The crossword puzzle is a very popular form of recreation, because ________ A. it does not need a partner B. nearly 90 per cent of the world’s newspapers publish crossword puzzles C. there are 30 million fans D. it has educational value 20. The problem Howe was trying to solve was ________ A. what kind of thread to use B. how to design a needle that would not break C. where to put the needle D. how to stop the thread from getting caught around the needle 21. Dreams are sometimes called “secret messages to ourselves” because ________ A. we can never understand the real meaning B. only specially trained people can understand them C. strange images are used to communicate ideas D. images are used which have no meaning 22. A London company called UAS has already developed machines that ________ A. can teach languages and look after patients in hospital B. can help old people do certain jobs in the house C. is controlled by a microcomputer “brain” D. can accept simple voice instructions 23. The phrase “to give him the sack” means _________ A. to give him the bag B. to criticize him C. to dismiss him D. to miss him 24. A railwayman said that the power had failed and _________ A. they were repairing it B. we were no longer worried C. we could not leave the train D. he walked for one end of the train to the other 25. Racing is ________ A. Britain’s national sport B. Britain’s most popular sport C. Britain’s local sport with horses D. Britain’s most popular sport with horses 26. The Derby is _______ A. a place B. Epsom C. the annual horseracing D. a local horseracing 27. The reason why penicillin was not put to use immediately after it was discovered is that _____ A. it changed constantly B. it was expensive C. it was not allowed to be used D. people did not know how to use it on humans 28. What surprised Fleming the next morning? ________ A. Some bacteria were killed by a kind of mould B. Some mould had grown on the plate C. A plate was not covered D. The bacteria were flourishing 29. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text? ________ Herbert came home a week earlier than he had expected to Herbert was so scared at the sight of the policemen’s coming that he forgot to put on his shirt. It was Herbert’s next-door neighbour who phoned the policemen. The policemen were disappointed because they thought they had caught a burglar. 30. Herbert made himself a cup of coffee when the policemen had all gone because ________ He was hungry after the bath He was trying to pull himself together He wanted to have a sound sleep after the incident He was relaxed and wanted to have a rest after the unexpected incident 31. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text? ________ Clive’s mother was possessive because Clive is her only child. Clive’s father was not good-tempered man. Clive was not an Englishman The head office of the bank in which Clive was working was in London. 32. Which of the following statements has not the same meaning with “…I wonder if I could stand up to it.” ________ I wonder if I could insist on leaving home I wonder if I had the courage to say “no” to my mother I wonder if I could accept my mother’s suggestion of not leaving home I wonder if I still wanted to leave home if my mother kept asking me not to 33. What is the meaning of the italicized phrase in the sentence “If you are a bit slow in picking things up, learn at least one conversation, it would do wonderfully for any occasion.” ______. take hold of and lift B. raise C. learn or acquire D. review 34. Which of the following statements is true according to the text? _______ You must never contradict anybody when discussed the weather because weather is an so important element concerning everybody’s private life. You can become a witty man of sharp intellect just by observing and discussing weather. Never complain about bad weather if your partner does not say anything about it. In England, you must be good at discussing the weather if you want to be a person with pleasant manners. 35. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text? ________ The word “procrastinate” comes from the Latin procrastinare. We should be realistic about what we can do and shouldn’t crowd the list with too many tasks. A procrastinator is someone who is always putting off the chores that he or she should be doing right now. There are people who rarely procrastinate. 36. People who rarely procrastinate ________. are realistic and seldom starts with difficult tasks. are lenient with themselves. are highly efficient and well organized. never sit up doing today’s unfinished work. Answers: I. Decide whether the following statements are true or false according to the texts you have learned. 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. F 6. F 7. F 8. T 9. F 10. F 11. T 12. T 13. F 14. T 15. F 16. F 17. F 18. T 19. T 20. F 21. T 22. T 23. T 24.T 25. F 26. T 27. F 28. F 29. T 30. F 31. F 32. F 33. F 34. F 35. T 36. T II. Multiple-choice questions: 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. C 5. C 6. A 7. B 8. C 9. B 10. B 11. B 12. A 13. D 14. C 15. B 16. D 17. C 18. D 19. A 20. D 21. C 22. B 23. C 24. A 25. D 26. C 27. D 28. A 29. B 30. D 31. A 32. C 33. C 34. D 35. C 36. C