The history of newspapers is an often-dramatic chapter of the human experience g

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The history of newspapers is an often-dramatic chapter of the human experience going back some six centuries.In Renaissance Europe handwritten newsletters circulated(发行) privately among merchants,passing along information about everything from wars and economic conditions to social customs and “human interest” features.The first printed newspaper appeared in Germany in the late 1400s in the form of news pamphlets(小册子) or broadsides.
In the English-speaking world,the earliest predecessors(前身) of the newspaper were corantos,small news pamphlets produced only when some event worthy of notice occurred.The first successively published title was The Weekly News of 1622.The first true newspaper in English was the London Gazette of 1666.
In America the first newspaper appeared in Boston in 1690,entitled Public Occurrences.Published without official permission,it was immediately suppressed(查禁).Its publisher was arrested,and all copies were destroyed.The first successful newspaper was the Boston News-Letter,begun by postmaster John Campbell in 1704.By the eve of the Revolutionary War,some two dozen papers were issued at all the colonies.At the war’s end in 1783 there were forty-three newspapers in print. The Bill of Rights in 1791 at last guaranteed freedom of the press,and America’s newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs.By 1814 there were 346 newspapers.
In the 1830s,advances in printing and papermaking technology led to an explosion of newspaper growth—the emergence(出现) of the “Penny Press”;it was now possible to produce a newspaper that could be sold for just a cent a copy.The cheap newspaper helped people to get more interesting reading materials easily.In 1850,there were 2526 different papers.By the 1910s,all the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged.
小题1:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Handwritten newsletters came out publicly in Renaissance Europe.

B．The first printed newspaper was seen about six hundred years ago.

C．The first successively published newspaper in the English-speaking world was corantos.

D．In America the first newspaper was successful as soon as it appeared.

小题2:What does the underlined phrase “Penny Press” in the last paragraph mean?

A．People can press pennies easily.

B．People can produce newspapers with little cost.

C．It is a penny factory.

D．The name of the press owner is Penny.

小题3:What is the main reason for newspapers in the USA increasing so fast in the 1830s?

A．The pass of the Bill of Rights in 1791.

B．Newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs.

C．Advances in printing and papermaking technology.

D．All the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged

小题4:Which of the following is NOT a newspaper?

A．Public Occurrences.

B．The Boston News-Letter.

C．The Bill of Rights.

D．The London Gazette.

答案

小题1:B
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:C

解析

小题1:由第一段第一句话和最后一句话可推知答案。
小题2:由最后一段第一、二句话可推知答案。
小题3:由最后一段第一句话可得知答案。
小题4:The Bill of Rights意为“人权法案”，是一项法律。

举一反三

Tom Becker has won the 2007 Waterstone"s children"s book prize with his first novel, Darkside, receiving a cheque for £1,000 and the promise of display in branches of the book store across the country.
The 25-year-old author described winning as an "unbelievable feeling". "I didn"t think my book would be on the shortlist and stood a chance of winning, and it"s amazing to receive such an important award at the beginning of my writing career. Needless to say I am absolutely made up." he said.
The novel, inspired by film noir（黑色电影）, fantasy（幻想）and a fascination（迷恋）with the dark side of the 19th century, is for children between the ages of nine and 12. It tells the story of a boy, Jonathan Stirling, who discovers a similar world filled with vampires（吸血鬼）and werewolves（狼人）. This alternative reality has a clearly Victorian air, and is ruled by a descendant（后裔）of Jack the Ripper. Soon hunters from the other side begin searching for Jonathan, who finds himself driven into their world.
Waterstone"s head children"s buyer, Wayne Winstone, thought highly of Becker"s "huge" achievement. He said: "Tom Becker"s writing style attracts you in the same way that Darren Shan"s does with his mix of adventure and the supernatural.
"I have a feeling that Tom has real potential（潜能）and could be one of the big names in children"s writing in the future."
This year"s shortlist also included Michael Broad"s Jake Cake, Philip Caveney"s Sebastian Darke and Siobhan Dowd"s A Swift Pure Cry. Last year"s prize was won by Julia Golding with The Diamond of Drury Lane.
小题1: How did Tom Becker feel at the news that he had won the prize?

A．He was proud of his ability of making up stories.

B．He was shocked and didn’t believe it was true.

C．He was very surprised and delighted.

D．He had expected he would win the prize.

小题2:Why was Tom Becker’s novel successful according to Wayne Winstone?

A．Because his novel was inspired by film noir, fantasy and a fascination.

B．Because the novel was about the dark side of the 19th century.

C．Because his novel was intended for teenagers between the ages of nine and 12.

D．Because his writing style is attracting with the mix of adventure and the supernatural

小题3:Which of the following is WRONG according to passage?

A．The novel Darkside is Tom Becker’s first novel.

B．The novel Darkside will be on display all over the country.

C．Philip Caveney also won the prize in 2007.

D．Jonathan is a major character in the novel Darkside.

小题4:What can we infer from the passage?

A．Tom Becker is likely to be a most promising novelist in children’s writing in the future.

B．Darren Shan’s novels are all very popular with children between the ages of 9 and 12.

C．The Waterstone’s children’s book prize is an important prize for young novelists.

D．The novels of Michael Broad, Philip Caveney and Siobhan Dowd will be on the shortlist next year.

小题5:The best title for the passage is probably_______.

A．Tom Becker— a great writer for children

B．First-time author wins children’s fiction prize

C．An imaginary big prize

D．Tom Becker"s writing style

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The Growing Credit Crisis Forces Many Companies to Seek Government Help
On September fifteenth, Lehman Brothers, a one hundred fifty-eight year-old investment bank, sought legal protection from its creditors. It had failed to find a buyer after months of searching. With over six hundred billion dollars in debt, Lehman’s failure was the largest bankruptcv in United States history At the same time，the nation’s biggest insurance company，American International Group, had gotten into trouble selling credit default swaps These are contracts Similar to insurance that protect the holder against credit risk.
Credit rating agencies downgraded A.I.G because of concerns it could not honor its contracts. Unable to get new loans, A.I.G asked for government help The Federal Reserve agreed to loan A .I.G. eighty-five billion dollars in return for eighty percent of the company but it was not enough. By November, the government had extended a total of about one hundred fiftv billion doliars in aid to A .I.G—the most to any single company during the crisis.
As banks refused to lend, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson proposed a plan to loosen credit markets by buylng risky assets. Congress approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of Two. Thousand eight on October third The bill provided seven hundred billion dollars to buy hard to-value securltles from banks. But within weeks, the government changed plans. The Treasury moved to invest two handred fifty billion dollars directly in banks to help them lend money again.
Lack of credit not only hurt banks but manufacturers, too. Falling car sales threatened America’s carmakers The big three automakers—General Motors, Ford and Chrysler—told Congress that they needed loans or they faced bankmptcy. In December, President Bush offered G.M and Chrysler over seventeen billion dollars in loans.
As the year ended, the Federal Reserve tried to support economic growth by lowering its main interest rate to nearly zero for the first time. But there was one more bad surprise New York money manager Bernard Madoff admitted he had cheated investors out of fifty billion dollars. The news only added to the sense that two thousand eight was the worst economic year since the nineteen thirties.
小题1: Which of the following is NOT the problem in the passage Lehman Brothers was faced with?

A．lt is an Investment bank with more than one and a half centuries history.

B．It didn’t find a buyer after months of searching.

C．It has over six hundred billion dollars in debt.

D．Its failure was the largest bankruptcy in United States history.

小题2:The reason why A.I.G turned to the U.S government for help was that .
A. A.I.G would give eighty percent of the company in return for the loan
B. A.I.G couldn’t get new loans from credit rating agencies
C. the government extended a total of about one hundred fifty billion dollars in aid to A.I.G
D. the Federal Reserve agreed to loan A.I G eighty-five billion dollars
小题3:According to the passage, which of the following is probably NOT suffering from the lack of_______ .

A．Banks．

B．Manufacturers

C．Carmakers

D．Barbers

小题4:The last sentence of this passage indicates that the author’s attitude towards the U.S economy in 2008 is

A．pessimistic

B．optimistic

C．objective

D．subjective

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I came to live here where I am now between Wounded Knee Greek and Grass Greek. Others came too, and we made these little grey houses of logs that you see, and they are square, It is a bad way to live, for there can be no power in a square.
You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old days when we were a strong and happy people, all our power came to us from the respectful circle of the nation, and so long as the circle was unbroken, the people were getting rich. The flowering tree was the living center of the circle, and the circle of the four quarters nursed it. The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain, and the north with its cold and strong wind gave strength and continuous power. This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our brief. Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. Birds make their nests in circle, for theirs are the same as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same, and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves. Our places were like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation’s circle, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to nurse our children.
But the Wasichus (Indian word for “white people”) have put us in these square boxes. Our power is gone and we are dying, for the power is not in us any more. You can look at our boys and see how it is with us. Where we were living by the power of the circle in the way we should, boys were men at twelve or thirteen years of age. But now it takes them very much longer to be bull - grown.
小题1: According to the passage, the Indians _______.

A．don’t have modern instruments in their homes

B．refused to move from round places

C．lived in round places, but were forced to live in square houses

D．lived in round places, but then decided to move into square houses

小题2:Two things being compared in the passage are _______.

A．the Indians’ past and present living conditions

B．the Indians’ past and modern beliefs

C．the Indians’ old and new power

D．people and nature

小题3:In the second paragraph “the four quarters” refers to _______.

A．the four rooms of the Indian’s house

B．the four kinds of natural power

C．the four seasons

D．the four directions

小题4:According to the author, once the Indians moved into square houses, _______.

A．they had to move to other houses

B．boys took more time to grow into men

C．they forgot the old way of life

D．everyone was not happy

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When you are in another country, it is important to know the language, but it is equally important to know how to communicate nonverbally(非语言地), before saying anything by making gestures. According to a pioneer in nonverbal communication, only 30 to 35 percent of our communication is verbal. When people don"t know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world.
In the United States, for example, nodding your head up and down means “yes”. In some parts of Greece and Turkey, however, this motion can mean “no”. In Southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying “I"ve heard you”.
In ancient Rome, when the emperor wanted to spare someone"s life, he would put his thumb up. Today in the United States, when someone puts his / her thumb up, it means “Everything is all right”. However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there.
In the United States, raising your clasped hands above your head means “I’m the champion” or “I’m the winner”. It is the sign prizefighters make when they win a fight. When a leading Russian statesman(政治家) made this gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner. In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship.
In the United States, holding your hand up with the thumb and index finger in a circle and the other three fingers spread out means “Everything is O.K.” and is frequently used by astronauts and politicians. In France and Belgium, it can mean “You’re worth nothing.”
There are other nonverbal signals that people should be aware of when they go to another country, such as the distance to maintain between speakers. Americans usually feel comfortable when speaking with someone if the distance between them is about eighteen inches to arm’s length. Anything closer makes them feel uncomfortable.
When talking to Americans, it is also important to make eye contact. If you look down when talking to an American, he / she may feel that you are embarrassed, afraid, or trying to hide something.
In addition to knowing how to communicate nonverbally in a country, it is important to know what you and he cannot discuss. In the United States, there are certain topics to avoid when you first meet someone, For example, don’t ask people their age, weight, religion, marital status(婚姻状况), how much money they earn, or how much something costs. You can talk about work, the weather, traffic problems, sports, food, news of the day, where one lives, consumer subjects (computers, car repairs, and so forth), and travel or vacation plans.
These few examples illustrate that your actions can speak louder than your words. In a particular cultural contest, what you say and what you don’t say are equally important.
小题1:Which of the following is true?

A．People all over the world only communicate verbally.

B．Most of our gestures have no meaning at all.

C．Some people think that 65 to 70 percent of our communication is nonverbal.

D．Gestures are the most common way to common way to communicate.

小题2:As we can see from the passage there are ______ kinds of nonverbal communication signals.

A．four

B．five

C．six

D．seven

小题3: Please paraphrase the clause“…your actions can speak louder than your words.

A．Your deeds are better than your words

B．What you do is better than what you say

C．You try to show your best manners

D．you are better understood by your gestures than through your words

小题4:The main idea of the passage is that when you are in another country, ______.

A．it is unimportant to know the language

B．it is important to know what you can talk about to a foreigner

C．to know how to communicate nonverbally is as important as to know the language

D．to communicate the rough gestures is more important than to know the language

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The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated(估计) to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate(足够的) working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.
小题1:What would be the best title for this passage?

A．The Difficulties of Learning English

B．International Communications

C．The Standard Varieties of English

D．English as a World Language

小题2:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English.

B．There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world.

C．It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of English.

D．People learn English for a variety of reasons.

小题3:According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?

A．It was popular during Shakespeare’s time.

B．It is used in former British colonies.

C．It serves the needs of its native speakers.

D．It is a world language that is used for international communication.

小题4:What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?

A．The ability to read a newspaper.

B．It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation.

C．Being a multilingual.

D．Being a native speaker.

小题5:What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?

A．Those geographically close to the United States.

B．Those interested in the culture of the United States.

C．Former colonies of Great Britain.

D．Countries where international conferences are held.

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