Britain won World War II, but at great costs. It lost its naval supremacy forever to .

听力原文： The young people who talk of the village as being "dead" are talking nothing but nonsense, as in their hearts they must surely know. [32] The village is not dead. There is more life in it now than there ever was. But it seems that "village life" is dead. Gone for ever. It began to decline about a hundred years ago, when many girls left home to go into service in town many miles away, and men also left home in increasing numbers in search of work. There are still a number of people alive today who can remember what "village life" meant. [33] It meant knowing and being known by everybody else in the village, It meant finding your entertainment in the village of within walking distance of it. It meant housewives tied to the home all day and every, day. It meant going to bed early to save lamp oil and coal.

[34] Then came the First World War and the Second World War. After each war, new ideas, new attitudes, new trades and occupations were revealed to villagers. The long-established order of society was no longer taken for granted. Electricity and the motorcar were steadily operating to make "village life" and "town life" almost alike. Now with the highly developed science and technology and high-level social welfare for all, there is no point whatever in talking any longer about "village life". [35] It is just life, and a better life.

(33)

A．Because young people can't remember the villages.

B．Because the two World Wars destroyed many villages.

C．Because there are no job opportunities in villages.

D．Because it seems that village life is gone tor ever.

With a profound sadness I have just said farewell to one of my best friends who is now lost to me forever. He has bought a television set.

The man who buys a television set departs from the world of living men and enters another word of shadows. I do not blame my friend. The real world, I suppose, is just too much for him as it is for millions of others.

My friend does not realize, of course, that he is in full retreat from actuality. He supposes, on the contrary, that he is boldly advancing into the fierce current of these times by bringing the world, with all its events and human figures, into his living room. That is the great current illusion. The shadows are mistaken for things.

Now, television is a wonderful invention. I have no word to say against it, so long as it is confined to other people's houses where, in my weaker moments, I may see it occasionally free. But it brings no one closer to life. It merely inter- poses a gaudy curtain between lift and the spectator. It is only the latest gadget contrived by thoughtful men to make sure that nobody does any real thinking for himself.

My friend will answer that he will now receive the best thoughts of the ablest minds in the world and see their faces as they deliver them. He will see events as they unfold at first hand, with a time lag of half a second or less.

Of course, he will. But he won't understand anything better. He will understand less than ever. For the grim, inescap- able fact of human understanding is that it must be private, must come from within and cannot be plastered on like stucco from the outside. A man may secure knowledge from others. He will never secure understanding. Though it is presented in a million different versions, the paramount problem of modern man is to find a satisfactory participation in modern life. And it is there that he is most obviously failing.

He can turn a screw on the assembly line, but as the finished automobile comes off at the end, he has no satisfaction in its creation. Or if he works in a white collar he can add up all the figures of business on an adding machine without once touching the realities a life as the country storekeeper touches them. He swarms in his multitudes to watch hockey game but he does not play hockey.

In other words, for the essential purposes of life, modern man is becoming a spectator, not a participant, a customer not a creator, a consumer in the main and only incidentally a producer. Thus by a law as old as Eden he becomes sick under a hectic outward flush. His physical diet is better than ever but he sickens by a secret malnutrition of the soul.

According to the author, his friend has bought a television in order to_____.

A．know the current events

B．entertain himself at leisure time

C．escape from the reality

D．kill time

You might think the largest library in the world would be in Europe. But it isn't. It's in Washington D.@C@It's called the Library of Congress(国会).

President John Adams started the library in 1800 for members of Congress. He wanted them to be able to read books about law. The first 740 books were bought in England. They were simply set up in the room where Congress met. Then Thomas Jefferson sold Congress many of his own books. He felt Congress should have books on all subjects, not just on law. This idea changed the library forever.

The library is a huge storehouse. Thomas Edison's first movie and Houkini's magic(魔术) books as well as many pictures, movies, globes and machines are preserved (保存)there. And it is the proud owner of the world's best collection of humorous(幽默)books. Experts(专家)in every field work there. Hundreds of people call every day with all kinds of questions. Many of them get answers right over phone.

The first step in starting the Library of Congress was ______.

A．buying Thomas Jefferson's books

B．buying books from England

C．putting up the library building

D．asking experts in every field to work there

On September 11, it seemed like New York and the people who lived there had changed forever.These days, however, it ’s become obvious that, at least in one way , New Yorkers haven ’t changed at all.

New Yorkers are famous for not agreeing on anything. Arguments, both good-natured and not,erupt(爆发) daily on everything from politics to food, world events to the price of vegetables. However,for a brief moment, a half-dozen architectural models managed to unite New York public opinion. Themodels were of proposed designs of buildings to replace the fallen World Trade Centre, and theoverwhelming reaction was: “They stink ” ( 糟透了).

Soon after the September 11 attack, the property ’s owners had considered the ida of rebu ilding thetowers exactly as they had stood there. But critics pointed that the original designs were rather dull andtheir size made them impersonal and intimidating(令人畏惧的). Instead, they recommended acollection of smaller buildings including office space, retail stores and restaurants, and a memorial tothe buildings and the people who died in them.

The public reaction to the models was almost completely negative, but that ’s where the agreementended. Some thought the new designs were too big, while others felt they weren’t big enough. Somecomplained they were too impersonal and didn ’t reflect the humanity of the people who had died, whothers said they weren ’t impressive enough. Some suggested a more modern exterior, while some saidit was already too modern and should have a more traditional look. With these ongoing disagreements,it’s likely that the reconstruction will take longer than expected.

1. What is mainly discussed in this passage?

A. The debate on how to design buildings to replace the World Trade Centre is endless.

B. Proposed models have been accepted after heated arguments.

C. New Yorkers are well known for debating daily on various kinds of issues.

D. More people agree to rebuild the towers exactly as they had stood before.

2. What can we learn about New Yorkers according to this passage?

A. New Yorkers are very impersonal.

B. New Yorkers have changed their life style. after the September 11 attack.

C. New Yorkers managed to unite public opinions.

D. New Yorkers like to argue with each other for everything.

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to this passage?

A. Someone suggested that the new building should have a more traditional look.

B. Someone suggested that the new building should include a memorial.

C. People’s reaction to the models was positive.

D. Some thought the new designs were too big.

4. The reconstruction will take longer time because _______.

A. designers have not made models

B. people have not reached an agreement

C. it is dangerous to construct high buildings in New York

D. the property owners are afraid that companies will not move in

5. The word “exterior (Para.4)” is closest in meaning to _______.

A. entrance

B. design

C. appearance

D. materials

W： Have you found your book yet?

M：______

A.No. But I didn't remember where I had put it.

B.No. I am not sure what I have done with it.

C.Not yet. And I’m sure I have lost it for ever.

D.Still not. It seemed to me I shall never get it back.