Mr. Fitzpatrick has given much attention to his “Weight reduction”(减轻体重) programs. Just last year, for example, when he was the main speaker at the company dinner, he said he put on twenty pounds instead of losing thirty he promised he would.

The year before that, he joined a health club. He exercised every day and ate less food. At the end of three months, however, he began making excuses about why he couldn’t go there more often.

After the health club failed to work, he joined Weight Watchers but stopped going because he was the only man there. And he hated following any of the diet programs. Fitz’s latest idea is to join a walking club to “walk off” the weight.

1. Mr. Fitzpatrick was ________ when spoke at the company dinner last year.

A. lighter than the year before

B. planning to go on a diet

C. heavier than the year before

D. with the Weight Watchers　

2. He did not stay with Weight Watchers because ________.

A. he couldn’t do as the diet programs required him

B. he felt uncomfortable being watched by women

C. the members of Weight Watchers were all women but him

D. both A and C　

3. Which of the following can best explain the main idea of the passage?

A. There is no good way to lose weight.

B. One can do nothing without a strong will.

C. There are different ways to lose weight.

D. Walking is the best way of losing weight.

Keys: 1. C2. D3. B

If you wish to become a better reader, here are four important points to remember about rate, or speed, of reading:

1. Knowing why you are reading—what you are reading to find out—will often help you to know whether to read rapidly or slowly.

2. Some things should be read slowly throughout. Examples are directions for making or doing something, arithmetic problems, science and history books, which are full of important information. You must read such things slowly to remember each important step and understand each important idea.

3. Some things should be read rapidly throughout. Examples are simple stories meant for enjoyment, news, letters from friends, items, or bits of news from local, or hometown, paper, telling what is happening to friends and neighbours.

4. In some of your readings, you must change your speed from fast to slow to fast, as you go along. You need to read certain pages rapidly and then slow down and do more careful readings when you come to important ideas which must be remembered.

1. According to the passage, your reading speed depends on ________.

A. whether the reading material is easy or difficult

B. what you are reading

C. what your purpose in reading something is

D. both B and C　

2. If one wants to be relaxed by reading, one should take up ________.

A. a story book

B. a book on science and technology

C. news, letters from friends

D. some material full of information　

3. Which of the following readings should you read slowly and carefully?

A. Fairy tales.

B. Aesop’s Fables.

C. Directions for use of a machine

D. An evening paper.　

4. Which of the following can best express the main idea of the passage?

A. How to decide your reading speed.

B. How to raise your reading speed.

C. How to improve your reading skills.

D. How to choose your reading materials.

Keys: 1. D 2. A 3. C 4. A

There were many beautiful buildings in ancient Rome, but the living conditions for ordinary people were bad. Most of their homes were so poorly made that they fell down or were fire hazards (=danger) with their steep, narrow wooden stairways. Most people were packed into apartment buildings that rose shakily (=unsafely) six to twelve floors above the ground. The apartments were rooms about three metres square, and each building housed about five hundred people.

These tall buildings faced each other across streets only three metres wide, so no sunlight reached the ground. Even so, apartments were costly, though cheaper places could be had outside Rome. But people wanted to be near their work and entertainment. So the streets became crowded and it was hard to move quickly. At night, the streets were filled with noise as food and supplies were brought into the city on wagons and carts.

1. In ancient Rome, most people lived in ________ apartments.

A. small and crowded B. clean and tidy

C. spacious and sunny D. tall and big　

2. The streets in ancient Rome were ________.

A. crowded and noisy B. wide and bright

C. narrow and dark D. both A and C　

3. People liked to live in Rome Because________.

A. the apartments were comfortable

B. the living expenses were low

C. they have no money to build houses outside the city

D. they wanted to enjoy the conveniences of the city　

3. This passage is mainly about ________ in ancient Rome.

A. the beautiful buildings

B. the living conditions of ordinary people

C. the streets and transportation

D. the food and daily supplies

Keys: 1. A 2. D 3. D 4. B

-George Banks was a clever journalist. He worked for a good newspaper, and he liked arguing very much. He argued with anybody, and about anything. Sometimes the people whom he argued with were as clever as he was, but often they were not.

He did not mind arguing with stupid people at all: he knew that he could never persuade them to agree, because they could never really understand what he was saying, and the stupider they were, the surer they were that they were right; but he often found that stupid people said very amusing things.

At the end of one argument which George had with one of these less clever people, the man said something which George has always remembered and which has always amused him. It was, “Well, Sir, you should never forget this: there are always three answers to every question: you answer, my answer, and the correct answer.”

1. It seemed to George as if ________.

A. it was more interesting to argue with as c