The Invention of the telephone
In the nineteenth century, the invention of the telegraph made it possible to send noises, signals, and even music over wires from one place to another. However, the human voice __1__ this way. Many inventors tried to find a __2__ to send a voice over wires, and in 1876 some of their efforts were crowned with success. ___3___ American inventors, Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray, __4__ at almost the same time. The United States Supreme Court finally had to decide which of the two __5__ the first inventor of the telephone. The Court decided __6__ Bell's favor.
Born in Edinbrug, Scotland, Bell grew up in a family __7__ was very interested in teaching people to speak. His grandfather had been an actor who left __8__ to teach elocution; his father was a teacher __9__ deaf-mutes learn how to speak.
However, probably none of the __10__ inventions gave Bell the same feeling of triumph __11__ he had on the day when he spilled some acid from his batteries. It was after he had worked for months to find ways to send something more __12__metallic twangs over the wires. Thinking Watson, __13__, was in the next room, Bell called, "Mr.Watson, __14__. I want you." Watson was not in the next room. He was down in his laboratory, __15__ to the receiver. To Watson's surprise, he heard the words perfectly. He ran to tell Bell the news: the wires had carried Bell's voice perfectly.
EXERCISE:
1. A) had never traveled B) never had traveled
C) was never traveled D) never was traveled
2. A) solution B) key C) way D) mean
3. A)Two B) The two C) The two of D) Of two
4. A) was succeeded B) have succeeded
C) succeeded D) was succeeding
5. A) was B) to be C) being D) having been
6. A) at B) on C) to D) in
7. A) that B)where C) in which D) who
8. A) a theatre B) theatre C) theatres D) the treatre
9. A) which was helped B) that was helped
C) who helped D) who has helped
10. A) later B) latter C) lately D) afterwards
11. A) like B) to C)which D) as
12. A) of B) / C) as D) than
13. A) being his helper B) was his helper
C) his helper D) to be his helper
14. A) come here B) come up C) go away D) go down
15. A) besides B) beside C) next D) by
Key: ACACADADCADDCAC
Hitchhiking
When I was in my teens and 20s, hitchhiking was a main form of long-distance transport. The kindness or curiosity of strangers ___B__1____ me all over Europe, North America, Asia and southern Africa. Some of the life-givers became friends, many provided hospitality ___D__2_____ the road.
No only did you find out much more about a country than __A___3_____ traveling by train or plane, but1 there was that element of excitement about where you would finish up that night. Hitchhiking featured importantly in Western culture. It has books and songs about it. So what has happened to ____C__4_____?
A few years ago, I asked the same question about hitching in a column on a newspaper. __A__5_____ of people from all over the world responded with their view on the state of hitchhiking.
“If there is a hitchhiker’s __D__6_____it must be Iran,” came one reply. Rural Ireland was recommended as a friendly place for hitching, __B__7_____ was Quebec, Canada—“if you don’t mind being berated for not speaking French.”
But while hitchhiking was clearly still alive and well in many parts of the world, the ___C__8____ feeling was that throughout much of the west it was doomed (消亡).
With so much news about crime in the media, people assumed that anyone on the open road without the money for even a bus ticket must present a danger. But do we __D__9____ to be so wary both to hitch and to give a lift?
In Poland in the 1960s, ___A__10____a Polish woman who e-mailed me, “the authorities introduced the Hitchhiker’s Booklet. The booklet contained coupons for drivers, so each time a driver ___B__11_____who had picked up somebody, he or she received a coupon. At the end of the season, ___C__12_____who had picked up the most hikers were rewarded with various prizes. Everybody was hitchhiking then.”
Surely this is a good idea for society? Hitchhiking would increase respect by breaking down __B___13____between strangers. It would help fight __A___14_____warming by cutting down on fuel consumption as hitchhikers would be using existing fuels. It would also improve educational standards by delivering instant ___D__15____in geography, history, politics and sociology.
1. A. made B. took C. traveled D. crossed
2. A. in B. over C. at D. on
3. A. when B. after C. before D. if
4. A. the books B. them C. it D. the songs
5. A. Hundreds B. Hundred C. Thousand D. Dozen
6. A. sky B. space C. map D. heaven
7. A. like B. as C. for D. since
8. A. big B. large C. general D. little
9. A. have to B. must C. should D. need
10. A. according to B. owing to C. due to D. with respects to
11. A. sent B. picked up C. collected D. helped
12. A. passengers B. hikers C. drivers D. strangers
13. A. fences B. barriers C. gaps D. walls
14. A. global B. world C. entire D. whole
15. A. discussions B. debates C. consultations D. lessons
The White House
?We got up early this morning and __1__ a long walk after breakfast. We walked through the business section of the city. I told you yesterday that the city was larger__2__ I thought it would be. __3__ the business section is smaller than I thought it would be. I suppose that's__4__ Washington is a special kind of city. __5__the people in Washington work for the government. A bout 9:30 we went to the White House. It's__6__ to the public from 10 till12, and there was a long line of people waiting to get in. We didn't have to wait very long, because the line moved __7__quickly.
The White House is really white. It is painted every year. And it seems very white, because it's got beautiful lawns all around it, ____8____many trees and shrubs. The grounds__9__ about four square blocks. I mean, they're about two blocks long__10__ each side. Of course, we didn't see the whole building. The part__11__the President lives and works is not open to the public. But the part we saw was beautiful. We went through five of the main rooms. One of them was the library, on the ground floor. On the next floor, there are three rooms named__12__ the colors that are used in them: the Red Room, the Blue Room, and the Green Room. The walls are covered with silk__13__. There are__14__ old furniture, from the time__15__ the White House was first built. And everywhere there are paintings and statues of former presidents and other famous people from history.
1. A) made B) did C)took D) got
2. A) than B) as C) so D) like
3. A) But B) Yes C) So D) Then
4. A) since B) as C) because D) because of
5. A) Much of B) Most of C) A lot D) Lots
6. A) open B) opening C) being opened D) opened
7. A) pretty B) little C) much D) very much
8. A) / B) having C) with D) together
9. A) include B) cost C) cover D) spread
10. A) by B) on C) for D) with
11. A) which B) what C) that D) where
12. A) by B) for C) after D) before
13. A) cloth B) clothes C) clothing D) cloths
14. A) Much pieces of B) many pieces of C) many a D) a great many
15. A) that B) which C) who D) when
key: CAACB AACCB DCABD