Passage 11

Very few people were coming to eat at the White Rose Restaurant, and its owner didn’t know what to do. The food in his restaurant was cheap and good, but nobody seemed to want to eat there.

Then he did something that changed all that, and in a few weeks his restaurant was always full of men and their lady friends. Whenever a gentleman came with a lady, a smiling waiter gave each of them a beautiful menu. The menus looked exactly the same on the outside, but there was an important difference inside. The menu that the waiter handed to the man gave the correct price for each dish and each bottle of wine; while the menu that he handed to the lady gave a much higher price! So when the man calmly ordered dish after dish and wine after wine, the lady thought he was much more generous than he really was!

1. To whom did the waiter give a beautiful menu when a gentleman and his lady friend came into the restaurant?

A. The gentleman     B. The lady    C. Both of them      D. Neither of them

2. Were the menus for the guests the same?

 A. Yes, they were                   .

B. No, they weren’t

C. They were the same on the outside but different inside

D. They were different on the outside but the same inside

3. Why could the male guest remain calm when he ordered dish after dish?

A. Because the prices of the dishes were reasonable.

B. Because he could have some discount

C. Because he was rich

D. Because he knew that the lady would like to share the cost with him.

4. What did the lady think of her friend after a meal at this restaurant?

A. She thought he wanted to impress her.

B. She thought he only pretended to be generous

C. She thought he was very rich

D. She thought he was very generous

5. What does the story mainly suggest?

A. Knowledge of customer psychology helps promote business.

B. A restaurant owner should design different menus for different guests.

C. All men pretend to be generous before their lady friends.

D. People like to go expensive restaurants.

Passage 12 

Science fiction writers have often imagined humans going to live on the Mars. But these days, scientists are taking the idea seriously. It has a great deal to recommend it, since it might solve the problem of overcrowding on the earth. But obviously, it would not be worth making the effort unless people could live there naturally. If the atmosphere were like that of the earth, this might be possible. But in fact it is mostly carbon oxides( 氧化物). Apart from that, there are other problems to be overcome. For example, the temperature would have to be raised from 6 degrees below zero to 15 degrees above it. Scientists who study Mars have laid down the program that they can follow. To begin with, they will have to find out whether life has ever existed on the planet of Mars in the past. Secondly they will have to make a reliable map of its surface. And finally, they will have to make a list of the gases. Above all, they will have to discover how much nitrogen（氮） it possesses. Since nitrogen is four fifths of the air we breathe, they are surprisingly optimistic about raising the temperature on Mars and believe it could be down in hundred years. It will take a bit longer, though, to transform the atmosphere so that human beings could live there. Scientists estimate this will take one hundred thousand years.

6.Why are scientists interested in Mars?

A. Because people might have to migrate there someday.
B. Because it is very much like the earth.
C. Because it is easier to explore than other planets.
D. Because its atmosphere is different from that of the earth.

7.What must be done if a man can live on Mars?

A. Its chemical elements must be studied.　　　　　　
B. Its temperature must be lowered.

C. Big spaceships must be built.　　　　　　　　　　

D. Its atmosphere must be changed.

8.Why do scientist want to find out whether there is sufficient nitrogen on Mars?

A. It influences the surface temperature of Mars.
B. It protects living beings from harmful rays.
C. It keeps a planet from overheating.
D. It is the main component of the air people breathe.

9.What is the prospect of people living on Mars?

A. Man will probably be able to live there in 200 years.
B. Scientists are rather pessimistic about it.
C. Man will probably be able to live there in 100,000 years' time.
D. Scientists are optimistic about overcoming the difficulties soon.

10. Which one is the most suitable title of this passage?

A.     Atmosphere on Mars

B.      Science Fictions about Mars

C.      Live on Mars—a Dream

D.     Difference between Mars and the Earth