A

To American visitors, Iceland is a very interesting country, partly because it is different in so many ways from he or she is used to seeing at home. There are quite a few things that are not done, or that do not exist on the island---quite a few “No’s”.

There is no pollution, for instance, No dogs are permitted in Reykjavik, the capital. There is no television on Thursdays or during the entire month of July, and only three hours of black-and-white TV the rest of the time. There is no hard liquor(烈酒) on Wednesdays and no beer at any time. There is no handguns; only one jail of thirty-five cells(狱室)in the entire land---an admirable figure, even for a small country of 313,376 people

There is no army, air force or navy. There is no tipping for anything. There are no large stores open on Saturdays or Sundays. Since Iceland is situated just under the Arctic Circle, there is no darkness in summer and no daylight in winter. But thanks to Culf Stream, the climate is rather mild, with temperatures ranging from 34 degrees to 52 degrees in July.

The rules on television liquor and guns are the result of government decisions. But the absence of pollution is due in great part to the fact that Iceland gets its power from the enormous geyser and the thousands of hot springs that come out of the ground. They provide all the energy needed by the country. In fact, Iceland uses only 3 percent of all its available power.

Iceland has been described as a democratic independent country where more fish are caught and more books published per person than anywhere else in the world. The Icelanders have always felt a particular love for literature. They composed their first books in the ninth and tenth centuries AD. These works were poems and tales about the kings, heroes, and heroines of Iceland and Norway. At first, the stories were memorized and passed from generation to generation. They were finally written down between1140 and 1220. The Icelanders have never stopped writing ever since. “Rather shoeless than bookless,” they proudly say.

21. American visitors enjoy visiting Iceland probably because_______.

A. no dogs are permitted in the capital    B. the police do not carry handguns

C. the climate is rather mild               D. it is very different from America

22. The following statements are true EXCEPT________.

A. there are no soldiers in Iceland         B. the Icelanders don’t drink beer

C. there is no tip of any kind             D. there are no crimes in Iceland

23. There is no pollution in Iceland mainly because_______.

A. Iceland uses only 3 percent of all its available power

B. the Icelanders use hot water from the ground below as their energy

C. it is located just under the Arctic Circle

D. it is a democratic independent country

24. “Rather shoeless than bookless” means_______.

A. they prefer not to have shoe or books

B. they would rather have shoes on than write books

C. they prefer travelling to reading

D. they regard books more important than shoes.

B

Last July, my 12-year-old car died on California’s Santa Ana Freeway. It was hour before sunset, and I was 25 miles from home. I couldn't reach anyone to pick me up, so I decided to take a bus. Not knowing the routes, I figured I’d just head east. A bus pulled up, and I asked the driver how far she was going. “Four more lights,” she said. There was another bus I could take from there. This clearly was going to be a long night. She dropped me off at the end of her route and told me which bus to look for. After waiting 30 minutes, I began to think about a very expensive taxi ride home. Then a bus pulled up. There was no lighted number above its windshield. It was out of service. But the door opened, and I was surprised to find that it was the same driver. “I just can’t leave you here,” she said. “This isn’t the nicest place. I will give you a ride home.” “You will drive me home in the bus?” I asked, perplexed. “No, I’ll take you in my car,” she said. “It’s a long way,” I protested. “Come on,” she said. “I have nothing else to do.” As we drove from the station in her car,, she began telling me a story. A few days earlier, her brother had run out of gas. A good Samaritan(乐善好施者)picked him up, took him to a service station and then back to his car. “I’m just passing the favor along,” she said. When I offered her money as a thank you, she wouldn’t hear of it. “That wouldn’t make it a favor,” she said. “Just do something nice to somebody. Pass it along.”

25. Why did the writer say that he would have a long night?

A. He wondered how long he had to wait for the next bus.

B. No driver would give him a ride.

C. He didn’t know the routes.

D. He perhaps would have to take a taxi.

26. Why did the writer change his mind after waiting for 30 minutes at the end of the route?

A. No bus would come at the time.         B.A taxi ride would be more comfortable.

C. He became impatient and a bit worried.   D. He knew the driver would never return

27. The bus driver drove the writer home later because________.

A. she happened to go in the same direction

B. she wanted to do something good for other people

C. her brother told her to do so

D. she wanted to earn more money