The sun is a star. It appears to be bigger than any other star. That is because it is near us; but the other stars are far away. The sun shines because it is very hot，but the moon shines because it reflects the sun's light. It is like a big mirror. If we visited the moon，we should see the earth. It is also like a mirror and it reflects the light of the sun.

　　Does the sun ever get dark during the day? It does so when the moon hides it. Sometimes the moon goes in front of the sun. We can watch its edge when it slowly crosses the sun's disc5. Everything gets darker and darker; then，at last，we cannot see any part of the sun's disc. The moon is hiding it completely. That is a total eclipse of the sun; sometimes only part of the sun's disc is hidden; that is not a total eclipse. It is a partial eclipse of the sun.

　　Questions 1 to 5 are based on the passage above.

　　1.The passage is mainly about____.

　　A.the old astronomers

　　B.eclipse of the sun

　　C.the eclipses in Babylon and Egypt

　　D.the correlation between the sun and the earth

　　2.We can conclude from the passage that_____.

　　A.all people are afraid of eclipse of the sun

　　B.the old astronomers could watch the stars easily with telescopes

　　C.the old astronomers had mo interest in the sky

　　D.the date of eclipse could be forecast

　　3.The war mentioned in the third paragraph ended because_____.

　　A.the astronomers used their great power to stop it

　　B.an eclipse killed the soldiers on both sides

　　C.the war took so long time that the soldiers felt tired

　　D.a partial eclipse of the sun happened during one of the battles

　　4.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

　　A.The sun is very hot because it shines.

　　B.The moon can shine because it is a star.

　　C.Other stars appear to be smaller than the sun because they are far away.

　　D.The earth cannot reflect the light of the sun because it isn't a real mirror.

　　5.It can be concluded that an eclipse of the sun happens because_____.

　　A.the moon passes between the sun and the earth

　　B.the sun gets dark during the day

　　C.the earth's shadow falls on the moon

　　D.no light from the sun can reach the moon

　　試題解析

　　1.選B.本題為主旨歸納題。本文主要介紹了日食對動物和人類的影響以及日食發生的原因，都和日食有關。所以選B.

　　2.選D.本題為推斷題。原文第一段說“Astronomers know the dates of eclipses……”，由此可知，日食發生的日期可以推測出。

　　3.選D.本題為主要細節題。從第三段可知，日偏食發生后，雙方士兵以為天神發怒了，“So they stopped fighting,and ended their long war.”，所以D選項是戰爭結束的原因。

　　4.選C.本題為文章細節正誤題。第四段說“It appears to be bigger than any other star.That is because it is near us;but the other stars are far away.”，由此可知他星球看上去比太陽小是因為它們離我們很遙遠。

　　5.選A.本題為主要細節正誤題。聰最后一段可知，當月亮在地球和太陽之間，遮擋住太陽時，太陽就變黑了，這稱為日食，所以A選項為正確答案。B選項為干擾項，它只是日食的現象，而不是原因。

　　In the last two hundred years there have been great changes in the method of production of goods. This is now also true of the building industry; for mechanization has been introduced. System building can save both time and money. The principle of system building is that the building is made from a set of standard units. These are either made at the building-site or at a factory. Some designers, in fact, are standardizing the dimensions of rooms. They are made in multiples of a single fixed length, usually ten centimeters. This is called a modular (標準件的) system, and it means that manufactures can produce standardized fittings at a lower cost. The most important fact about system building is its speed. A ten-storey flat, for example, can be completed in four months.

　　There are several new methods of system building. One is the panel method. In this case, the construction company sometimes erects a factory on the site. The walls and floors of the building, called panels, are cast in a horizontal or vertical position. Conduits for electrical wires and sleeves for pipes are cast in the panels when they are being made. The moulds for making these castings are situated all around the building.

　　After the concrete panels are cast, they are allowed to set and harden for a week. Next they are lifted by a tower crane on to any section of the building. There the panels are cemented together at their joints and the floor covering is laid.

　　After the panels have been cemented together, the crane lifts a case into the area. It contains all the fittings to be installed, such as wash-basins, radiators and pipes. Finishing tradesmen, such as plumbers, plasterers, painters and electricians, follow behind to complete the work.

　　In some building developments, in some countries, whole flats with internal features like their bathrooms, bedrooms and connecting stairs, and weighing as much as twenty tons, are carried to the building-site ready-made. A giant overhead crane is used to lift them into position. In the future, this method may become more widespread.

　　1. The main difference between panel method and the method discussed in the last paragraph is_______.

　　A. the latter uses ready-made internal features

　　B. panels are cast in a level position

　　C. the former is used to build walls and floors while the latter to construct bathrooms or bedrooms

　　D. the former is more expensive than the latter

　　2. Which of these statements is TRUE of system building?

　　A. It employs more men. B. It is difficult and dangerous.

　　C. It can save both time and money. D. It means less mechanization.

　　3. According to the passage, the principle of system building is that_______.

　　A. construction methods are safer

　　B. buildings are made from a set of standardized units

　　C. similar buildings can be produced

　　D. all units are produced on the site

　　4. The usual fixed length in the modular system is_______.

　　A. twenty centimeters B. ten millimeters

　　C. fifty centimeters D. ten centimeters

　　5. What lifts the concrete panels onto the building?

　　A. Cranes. B. Man-power.

　　C. Pulleys. D. Hydraulic jacks.

　　參考答案： 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. A