四、阅读理解(每小题2分共40分)

(A)

The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖的) roof cottages around a church, a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white, the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings―these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.

Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts(工艺)practised in the British Isles. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.

Thatching is a solitary(独自的)craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practised toady has changed very little s ince the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wa les today, keeping and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.

In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often unwilling to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to get the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat.

56. Which of the following remains a special feature of the English countryside?

A. Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses. B. Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings

C. Cottages with thatched roofs.  D. Churches with cottages around them.

57. What do we know about thatching as a craft?

A. It is a collective activity.   B. It is practised on farms all over England.

C. It is quite different from what it used to be.  D. It is in most cases handed down among family members.

58. Thatched houses are still preferred because of _________.

A. their style and comfort B. their durability

C. their easy maintenance  D. their cheap and ready-made materials

59. People in developing countries also live under thatch because ________.

A. thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction

B. thatched roof houses are the cheapest

C. thatch is an effective defense against the heat

D. they like thatched houses better than other buildings

(B)

Today our lives are changing faster than at any time in history. Here we report on three important changes that will have a big impact  on our everyday lives in the future.

The cashless society

Cash and bank-notes will disappear almost completely. They will be replaced by smart cards, namely plastic cards: microchip(微芯片)processors(处理器)loaded with some money. When we pay for goods，the shop assistant will put our smart card into a payment terminal(终端)and money will come into his card from our card. When all the money is used up，we will be able to reload it by putting it into a telephone，dialing our bank account and money will be put into the card from the account.

Interactive telephones

Talking computers will play an important part. They will recognize speech, ask us what information we need, look through a database，and put the information into speech.If we want to book a flight or pay a bill by phone, we will interact with a talking computer to do so. Human telephone operators will be used only for more complex operations such as dealing with complaints or solving special problems.

_________

Traffic jams in cities will to find the quickest route to their destination. Electronic systems will start changing motorists for driving in cities.As soon as motorists have to pay to drive in cities, they will stop using their cars and use public transport instead. Speed control systems will be built into cars. These systems will automatically(自动地)regulate the speed of the car to take account of traffic and weather conditions and prevent accidents. It will be many years before these changes bring results but when they do，there will be a titanic improvement in road safety.

With the development of science and technology, more and more advanced things will be invented or created. Life in the future is undoubtedly different from that at the present.

60. Cash and bank-note will disappear because         .

A. they will be out of use sooner or later

B. they will be replaced by plastic cards convenient to use

C. we can load money from the bank

D. they will be rejected by payment terminals

be reduced because drivers will use electronic ro

ute maps

61. What will you do if the money in your card is used up?

A. Go to the bank to deposit some money.

B. Put the card into a telephone and dial the bank account.

C. Buy a new card.  D. We  don’t know.