If you ever visit an English village, make sure to look out for morris dancing. Undoubtedly one of the strangest traditions of English culture, morris dancing is a form of folk dancing that dates back to the 15th century. If you ever get the opportunely, you really have to see it.

Men and women wearing old-fashioned, shabby clothing dance in the streets of towns and villages across the country during the holiday periods. Women wear long, frilly(有褶皱边的) skirts and men wear short trousers with bells attached to them. They dance to traditional folk music which is often played on traditional musical instruments.

Some groups carry heavy black sticks which they beat against each other while they dance. Other groups wave handkerchiefs in the air while they perform. The dances are usually performed near a pub so that when it’s over, the dancers and audience can sing some traditional folk songs over a pint of beer. The celebrations will often continue long into the night, by which point most people are too drunk to think about performing again.

Morris dancing is a great English tradition but it’s facing a big crisis. As the years go by, fewer and fewer young people are joining morris dancing groups. The dancers are getting older and older and eventually, if nothing is done to change this trends, the tradition will die out within the next few decades.

If you’ve ever had the fortune to see morris dancing, you may understand why teenagers aren’t rushing to sign up. Putting it to the point, it’s not exactly the coolest thing for an 18-year-old to be doing. Why dress up in bells and funny costumes when you could be going clubbing? Or playing sport? Or doing anything else?

However, it would be a great shame to lose such a fun and lively part of England’s history and culture. It’s important to look after some traditions and customs especially when it’s something as harmless and happy as morris dancing. So here’s a toast to the next generation of would-be morris dancers! Let’s hope they don’t leave it too late.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The origins of morris dancing

B. The popularity of morris dancing

C. The protection of morris dancing

D. The introduction of morris dancing

2.What to we know about morris dancers?

A. They dance in pubs late into the night

B. They sing folk music while they dance

C. They wear long dresses with bells attached

D. They perform with sticks or handkerchiefs

3.What is the present situation of morris dancing?

A. It is losing appeal among young people

B. It is keeping pace with people’s demand

C. It is witnessing great changes in history

D. It is being criticized by modern people

4.What does the author think about morris dancing?

A. It help stay healthy

B. It is fun for teenagers

C. It deserves mole attention

D. It is too old-fashioned

1.From Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, we know the main character .

A. is a writer for Time magazine

B. is a survival of one polar exploration

C. has left a lot of diaries and accounts

D. has formed a close friendship with Alfred Lansing

2.If you want to know more about teamwork, you can read .

A. Dogs Don't Tell Jokes B. Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage

C. Winners Never Quit D. The Alchemist

3.What do we know about The Alchemist?

A. It has an everlasting influence on its readers

B. It gives people magical power over their dreams

C. It tells a story of how to find treasures

D. It is mainly about the wisdom of listening to others

Our library offers different types of studying places and provides a good studying environment.

Zones

The library is divided into different zones. The upper floor is a quiet zone with over a thousand places for silent reading, and places where you can sit and work with your own computer. The reading places consist mostly of tables and chairs. The ground floor is the zone where you can talk. Here you can find sofas and armchairs for group work.

Computers

You can use your own computer to connect to the wi-fi specially prepared for notebook computers; your can also use library computers, which contain the most commonly used applications, such as Microsoft Office. They are situated in the area known as the Experimental Field on the ground floor.

Group-study places

If you want to discuss freely without disturbing others, you can book a study room or sit at a table on the ground floor. Some study rooms are for 2-3 people and others can hold up to 6-8 people. All rooms are marked on the library maps.

There are 40 group-study rooms that must be booked via the website. To book, you need an active University account and a valid University card. You can use a room three hours per day, nine hours at most per week.

Storage of Study Material

The library has lockers for students to store course literature. When you have obtained at least 40 credits(学分), you may rent a locker and pay 400 SEK for a year’s rental period.

Rules to be Followed

Mobile phone conversations are not permitted anywhere in the library. Keep your phone on silent as if you were in a lecture and exit the library if you need to receive calls.

Please note that food and fruit are forbidden in the library, but you are allowed to have drinks and sweets with you.

1.The library’s upper floor is mainly for students to .

A. read in a quiet place B. have group discussions

C. take comfortable seats D. get their computers fixed

2.Library computers on the ground floor .

A. help students with their field experiments

B. contain software necessary for schoolwork

C. are for those who want to access the wi-fi

D. are mostly used for filling out application forms

3.What condition should be met to book a group-study room?

A. A group must consist of 8 people

B. Three-hour use per day is the minimum

C. One should first register at the university

D. Applicants must mark the room on the map

4.A student can rent a locker in the library if he .

A. can afford the rental fee B. attends certain courses

C. has nowhere to put his books D. has earned the required credits

All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.

1.They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when their player or team wins.

2.Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China. Egypt or Italy!3.Think how many lovers to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada.

Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet.4.Water-skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.

People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends.5.One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace.

A. And think of people in cold countries

B. Sports help to train a person's character

C. Not a few people participate in different sports competitions themselves

D. Many people like to watch others play games

E. People aren’t inventing new sports or games

F. Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere take part in them

G. People are inventing new sports or games all the time

In 2012, I had just recovered from a serious illness when I received an invitation to a writer’s conference in Orlando, Florida. My family persuaded me that a(n)______might be just what the doctor ordered, so off I______.

Arriving in the Sunshine State was rather tiring, but I______to catch a taxi to my______and settle in. The next morning, I took another______to the shopping centre to buy a few souvenirs.______I went to a cafe to have lunch, but all the tables were______. Then I heard a friendly voice saying, "You can______my table."

I gratefully sat down with the______lady and we had a happy lunch together. As the______drew to a close she asked how long I would be in Orlando. I had already told her that I hadn't______a car, and hadn't realized how______taking taxis would he. After a while she said, "My dear, don't use any more taxis. I'm retired and it would be my pleasure to______you wherever you wish." I told her that I couldn't put her to that______,but she brushed aside my protests(反对). She asked me where I was______and the next morning she was waiting at my apartment at the______time to take me to Disney World. She spent some time with me before leaving me to______alone. At the end of the day, she______to take me back to my accommodation. I______her money but she refused to take any.

I'll never forget that wonderful lady who, through her______, filled my brief holiday in Florida with wonderful memories.

1.A. holiday B. ceremony C. operation D. experiment

2.A. kept B. went C. dropped D. knocked

3.A. intended B. promised C. managed D. deserved

4.A. hospital B. company C. university D. accommodation

5.A. colleague B. passenger C. suitcase D. taxi

6.A. Instead B. First C. Later D. Once

7.A. classified B. occupied C. decorated D. painted

8.A. share B. reserve C. set D. possess

9.A. old B. poor C. innocent D. stubborn

10.A. journey B. meal C. speech D. interview

11.A. donated B. repaired C. hired D. guided

12.A. convenient B. worthwhile C. unfortunate D. expensive

13.A. inspire B. entertain C. call D. drive

14.A. business B. argument C. trouble D. challenge

15.A. working B. staying C. moving D. shopping

16.A. appointed B. limited C. favourite D. regular

17.A. digest B. explore C. perform D. calculate

18.A. forgot B. refused C. returned D. preferred

19.A. sent B. lent C. offered D. owed

20.A. confidence B. dignity C. curiosity D. kindness

“It’s never too late and you are never too old to start something new!” says Englishtown______Ellen Rema. Ellen began to learn English at the age of 50, and in just a few years, she had made______progress!

Ellen chose to study at Englishtown because no evening classes were______in the German countryside where she lives. At Englishtown, she joins______classes online and speaks with live native English-speaking teachers.

In 2001, Ellen began with the first level of Englishtown and quickly______. “I spent hours and hours studying.” she said. “Maybe I wanted too much in a short time. I finished all my______after 2 years and studying English isn’t all about hard work. It should also be______! I really like the online conversation classrooms, in which I can learn so much about other cultures and traditions. I am open for all______.” Ellen has been able to______her English to use by visiting England five times! “I'm very thankful to Englishtown because most of the English I know was learned here,” Ellen says. “My life has______with Englishtown.”

1.A. professor B. friend C. student D. reporter

2.A. amazing B. challenging C. discouraging D. disturbing

3.A. satisfied B. offered C. attended D. represented

4.A. conversation B. composition C. listening D. reading

5.A. dropped B. brushed C. awarded D. progressed

6.A. channels B. schedules C. courses D. papers

7.A. fun B. waste C. weakness D. wonder

8.A. measures B. topics C. timetables D. fashions

9.A. take B. set C. make D. put

10.A. ruined B. started C. changed D. turned

I was at the Indian grocery store with my cart totally full to check out. There was an African American man in his1.(sixty) behind me. I told him he could go before me2.he had just two items in his hand, and he was all smiles and added, as if3.(make) fun of me. “Thanks! Why don’t you pay for my stuff too,” and laughed. I felt a little4.(embarrass) and thought that the man had a wonderful sense of humor.

I told the lady at the check out not5.(change) him. I said I would pay for him. He said, “No, no, no, I was just kidding.” And I6.(reply) with a smile, “Yes, yes your wish is heard. Please let me do it!”

As we talked outside, he told me that the Indian herbs(草药)7.he had bought8.(be) for his friend so I should take the money. I said to him, “It is good that it is not for you. Now you can pay it forward to somebody else.” He thanked me and promised he would.

9.(eventual), I went home10.my car full of groceries and my heart full of warmth and kindness.

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文，文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

A musician friend of me once went on an English course during his summer holidays. What he really wants to do was to improve his ability to think and react quick in spoken English. He said speaking a foreign language always made him to feel nervous, even if after three years of study. One of the teacher on the course had very strong views on music, but was not afraid to express them in the lessons. My friend spent most of the class time argue about music with a teacher. When his course finished, he found that his nervousness in English has completely disappeared, and he was speaking far fluently than before.

假定你是李华，你的加拿大网友Peter成立一个网上“读书俱乐部”，邀请世界各地中学生参加。假定你对读书特感兴趣，希望加入该俱乐部，请用英文写一封自荐信。要点如下：

1.你对此事情的看法，并表达积极参加的愿望；

2.陈述自己的有利条件，如痴迷于读书，中英文阅读和写作能力强等；

3.若成为会员，会给其他会员提供更多帮助并使自己读更多的书。

注意：1.不要逐词逐句地翻译；

2.为使语句连贯，可以适当增加细节；

3.词数100左右，开头和结尾已给出，不计入总数。

Dear Peter,

I’m Li Hua. I’d like to join your “Reading Club” on the Internet. ……

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Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

Winter begins in the north on December 22nd. People and animals have been doing what they always do to prepare for the colder months. Squirrels (松鼠), for example, have been busy gathering nuts from trees. Well, scientists have been busy gathering information about what the squirrels do with the food they collect.

They examined differences between red squirrels and gray squirrels in the American state of Indiana. The scientists wanted to know how these differences could affect the growth of black walnut (黑胡桃) trees. The black walnut is the nut of choice for both kinds of squirrels. The black walnut tree is also a central part of some hardwood forests.

Rob Swihart of Purdue University did the study with Jake Goheen, a former Purdue student now at the University of New Mexico. The two researchers estimate that several times as many walnuts grow when gathered by gray squirrels as compared to red squirrels. Gray squirrels and red squirrels do not store nuts and seeds in the same way. Gray squirrels bury nuts one at a time in a number of places. But they seldom remember where they buried every nut. So some nuts remain in the ground. Conditions are right for them to develop and grow the following spring. Red squirrels, however, store large groups of nuts above ground. Professor Swihart calls “death traps for seeds”.

Gray squirrels are native to Indiana. But Professor Swihart says their numbers began to decrease as more forests were cut for agriculture. Red squirrels began to spread through the state during the past century.

The researchers say red squirrels are native to forests that stay green all year, unlike walnut trees. They say the cleaning of forest land for agriculture has helped red squirrels invade Indiana. Jake Goheen calls them a sign of an environmental problem more than a cause.

1.The study done by Rob Swihart and Jake Goheen is to ________.

A. find out the living conditions for squirrels

B. learn squirrels’ influence on black walnut trees

C. do something to get rid of squirrels

D. save the forests in the American state of Indiana

2.The difference between gray squirrels and red squirrels mainly lies in ________.

A. the way they gather the walnut

B. the time they have winter sleep

C. the place they have winter sleep

D. the place they store the walnuts

3.When Professor Swihart says “death traps for seeds”, he actually means that ________.

A. red squirrels eat more nuts than gray squirrels

B. gray squirrels and red squirrels will have severe fights

C. nuts above the ground will not develop into plants

D. seeds can be traps for other animals in the forest

4.According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A. The black walnut is equally attractive to both gray and red squirrels.

B. Gray squirrels do more harm to the forest than red squirrels.

C. Red squirrels and gray squirrels have helped the spread of walnut trees.

D. The cleaning of forest land benefits red squirrels directly.