I fell in love with England because it was quaint(古雅的)－all those little houses, looking terribly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls' house. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved London. I’ve slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it’s an ugly town now.

Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentleman, fair play, and good manners. The fair play is gone, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good manners—people shut doors heavily in your face and politeness is disappearing.

I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. You’re forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafes are not terribly nice.

As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb on taxis because I will not take public transport after 10 p. m.. I used to use it, but now I’m afraid.

The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that’s typically French. In Middleses I had a neighbour who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone.

1. The writer doesn’t like London because she__________.

A. is not used to the life there now

B. has lived there for seventeen years

C. prefers to live in an old-fashioned house

D. has to be polite to everyone she meets there

2. Where do people usually meet their friends in England?

A. In a cafe.　　   　　　　    B. In a restaurant.　　       C. In a nightclub.　　   D. In a pub.

3. The underlined word “it” in Para. 4 refers to__________.

A. a taxi　　  　　　　　　 B. the money　　  　　  C. a bomb　　  　　　　  D. public transport

4. The writer took her neighbour to France for Christmas because he__________.

A. felt lonely in England　　　　

B. had never been to France

C. was from a typical French family　　　　

D. didn’t like the British idea of family

All of us eat every day, but most of us don't understand nutrition(营养). We often make mistakes in talking about good diet.

For example, many people think that foods such as rice, bread and potatoes will make one grow fat. In fact, these foods are very good to one’s health. They are good sources of many vitamins. And in comparison with steak(牛排) and beef, they contain less amount of calories(热量).

Some people don’t like canned or frozen vegetables, because they think fresh vegetables cooked at home are always better. This is again wrong. In fact, whether the vegetables are good or not depends more on how they are prepared. Overcooking, for example, destroys many good qualities of vegetables. Vegetables cooked in too much water can lose a large amount of vitamins.

It is widely believed extra vitamins provide more energy. But taking more than the body needs doesn’t make it function better.

It is also wrong to say that vegetables grown in poor, worn-out soil are lower in vitamins than vegetables grown in rich soil. The vitamins in our foods are in the plants themselves. They don’t come from the soil. However, the minerals(矿物质) in a plant depend on the minerals in the soil.

In short, there are many false ideas about nutrition. We need to correct them.

1. This passage is mainly about __________.

A. nutrition　　  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. vitamins　　  　　　　

C. vegetables　　  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. health

2. Rice, bread and potatoes do good to people’s health mainly because__________.

A. they make people fat

B. there are a lot of vitamins in them

C. they contain less amount of calories compared with steak and beef

D. both B and C

3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Many people know almost everything about nutrition.

B. Food such as rice, bread and potatoes make people fat.

C. Vegetables grown in poor worn-out soil may have the same amount of vitamins as vegetables grown in rich soil.

D. Extra vitamins provide less energy.

4. The point of the passage is that__________.

A. the minerals in a plant depend on the minerals in the soil

B. people make mistakes when talking about good diet

C. taking more vitamins than the body needs doesn’t make it function better

D. vegetables cooked in too much water can lose a large amount of vitamins

FIRE INSTRUCTIONS

THE PERSON DISCOVERING A FIRE WILL:

1. OPERATE THE NEAREST FIRE ALARM. (This will cause the Alarm(警报器) Bells to ring, and also send a signal to the telephone switchboard operator who will immediately call the Fire Brigade)

2. ATTACK THE FIRE WITH AVAILABLE(现有的)EQUIPMENT(器材), IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.

FIRE ALARM BELLS

The Fire Alarm Bells will ring either in the area of A Block(街区)(Workshops and Administration<行政的>Offices)or in the area of B Block(Teaching)and C Block(Sports Hall). Those in the area where the Alarm Bells are ringing should take action as indicated below. Others should continue with their work.

ON HEARING YOUR FIRE ALARM:

1. Those in class: will go to the Assembly(集合)Area under instructions given by the teacher.

2. Those elsewhere: will go to the Assembly Area by the most sensible route, and stay near the Head of their Department.

ASSEMBLY AREA

The Assembly Area is the playing field which is south of the sports Hall. Here names will be checked.

PROCEDURE(步骤）

1. Move quietly.

2. Do NOT stop to collect your personal belongings.

3. Do NOT attempt to pass others on your way to the Assembly Area.

4. Do NOT use the lift.

FIRE ALARMS

Fire Alarms are situated as follows:

1. Administrative Offices

At the Reception Desk; at the east end of the connecting corridor; outside the kitchen door; back of the stage in the Main Hall.

2. Teaching Block

At the bottom of both stairways and on each landing.

3. Workshops

Outside Machine Shop No. 1; Engineering Machine Shop No. 2.

4. Sports Hall

Inside the entrance lobby.

1. This passage gives advice on fire safety for________________.

A. people using a new kind of equipment　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  

B. workers in an engineering factory

C. young children at school　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

D. students at college

2. When a person discovers a fire, what is the first thing he should do?

A. Attempt to put it out himself. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

B. Telephone the switchboard operator.

C. Start the alarm bells. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

D. Contact the Fire Brigade.

3. Everyone in the block where the fire bell has rung must gather together ________________.

A. in another block　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. in the administration office

C. in one of the playing fields　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. in the Sports Hall

4. Imagine you are a typist in the administration office. When a fire breaks out in the Sports Hall, what shouldn’t you do according to the fire instructions?

A. Look for the fire fighting equipment. 　　　　　　　　   B. Go quickly to the Assembly Area.

C. Go to the reception desk. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. Carry on with the work you are doing.

5. Imagine you are a teacher. What is your first duty in case of fire?

A. To check the names of your students from a list.

B. To lead your students out of the building.

C. To get detailed instructions from your Head of Department.

D. To patrol (巡查)the stairways and landings.

Full-time university students spend all their time studying. They don’t do other work. Their course usually lasts for three or four years. Medical students have to follow a course lasting for six or seven years. Then they graduate as doctors. In Britain full-time university students have three terms of about ten weeks in each year. During these terms they go to lectures or they study by themselves, their vacations are long. But, of course they can use them to study at home.

Some universities, like Oxford and Cambridge in England, are residential. This means that during the university terms the students live in the universities.

Other universities are non-residential. Some of the students at these universities can live in a university hotel, but many live at home or in lodgings(寄宿舍)and have to travel daily to their lectures. Large cities often have universities of this kind. Sometimes the students have to spend quite a lot of time on their journeys.

Full-time students are also called internal students, because they spend all their time at universities. There are also external students who cannot attend the university full-time but who are studying for its examinations. They are part-time students. They have to do other work during the day, usually to earn their living, and they study in the evening.

External students are often older than full-time internal students. Sometimes they can attend lectures in the evening, but many of them have to study by correspondence. They write at home the work that is set by their tutors(指导教师). Then they have to post their work to their tutors and the tutors post corrections and advice back to them.

In some countries, “Universities of the Air” can now help students to receive degrees. After special lectures on radio or television, these students, too, have to send set work for correction by correspondence. However, for a few weeks each year they can attend special vacation courses at universities.

1. ________________have to study at university for six or seven years.

A. All the students　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. Medical students

C. Full-time students　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Part-time students

2. Medical students all become doctors________________.

A. when they graduate

B. before they graduate

C. after they work in the hospital for six or seven years

D. while they are studying at universities

3. The residential students are those who________________.

A. live at home　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. go to school every day

C. live in a university　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. have to do other work

4. The part-time students________________.

A. work for a living in the daytime and study in the evening

B. are internal students

C. are residential students

D. have to attend lectures during the day

5. Correspondence is a course________________.

A. for older students

B. for internal students

C. for the residential students

D. those students send their work by post to their tutors

In the early part of the twentieth century, racism was widespread in the United States. Many African Americans were not given equal opportunities in education or employment. Marian Anderson(1897~1993) was an African American woman who gained fame as a concert singer in this climate of racism. She was born in Philadelphia and sang in church choirs during her childhood. When she applied for admission to a local music school in 1917, she was turned down because she was black. Unable to attend music school, she began her career as a singer for church gatherings. In 1929, she went to Europe to study voice and spent several years performing there. Her voice was widely praised throughout Europe. Then she returned to the U. S. in 1935 and became a top concert singer after performing at Town Hall in New York City.

Racism again affected Anderson in 1939. When it was arranged for her to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington, D. C. ,  and the Daughters of the American Revolution opposed it because of her color. She sang instead at the Lincoln Memorial for over 75 000 people. In 1955,  Anderson became the first black soloist to sing with the Metropolitan Opera of New York City. The famous conductor Toscanini praised her voice as “heard only once in a hundred years”. She was a U. S. delegate to the United Nations in 1958 and won the UN peace prize in 1977. Anderson eventually triumphed over racism.

1. According to this passage, what did Marian Anderson do between 1917 and 1929?

A. She studied at a music school. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

B. She sang for religious activities.

C. She sang at Town Hall in New York. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

D. She studied voice in Europe.

2. Toscanini thought that Marian Anderson________________.

A. had a very rare voice 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

B. sang occasionally in public

C. sang only once in many years 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  

D. was seldom heard by people

3. Anderson’s beautiful voice was first recognized________________.

A. at the Lincoln Memorial　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 

B. in Washington, D. C.

C. in Europe 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

D. at the United Nations

4. This passage shows that Anderson finally defeated racism in the U. S. A. by ________________.

A. protesting to the government 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

B. appealing to the United Nations

C. demonstrating in the streets　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

D. working hard to perfect her art

5. What is the meaning of the word “triumph” in the last sentence?

A. Fail. 　　　　　　    B. Succeed. 　　　　　　    C. Try. 　　　　　　    D. Give in. 

Norah wins big at Grammy Awards

Norah Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. The 23-year-old American jazz singer, who found her voice in the small clubs of New York, dominated(统治)the 45th annual Grammy Awards—the music industry’s most prestigious(赫赫有名的)award ceremony.

She seemed as surprised as everyone else that her first album, “Come Away With Me”, was such a big success. It won her the most wanted awards, including Album of the Year(年度最佳专辑), Song of the Year and Best New Artist.

“I can’t believe this, I feel really blessed and really lucky to have this year, ”said the wide-eyed girl at the ceremony.

Jones grew up in Texas, US, with her mother. Her parents separated before she was born. She began singing in church choirs(唱诗班)at the age of five and started piano lessons two years later.

At the age of 15, Jones entered the High School for the Performing Arts in Washington. She won Best Jazz Singer and Best Original Composition(最佳原创作品)at the 1996 and 1997 Student Music Awards.

She had always enjoyed singing, but felt the piano would be a more solid foundation in life. So Jones chose to study jazz piano music at the University of North Texas for two years before taking a trip to New York City.

The trip started out as a summer vacation. But Jones soon realized she wanted to stay for a while, “The music scene in New York is so huge and exciting. Everything opened up for me. I couldn’t leave, ”she said.

Jones became friends with local songwriters and was inspired(激励)to write her own songs. She began to sing and play the piano in a band. She got her break in 2001 and released “Come Away With Me”the following year.

The album is a blend(融合)of jazz, country and folk-pop. It has now sold more than 6 million copies around the world and has won much praise from the music industry. “She makes an album that people will remember in 20 years. ”said American country singer Faith Hill.

What is jazz?

Jazz is generally thought to have begun in New Orleans, US. It developed in the latter part of the 19th century from African work songs, songs of sorrow and hymns(赞美诗). The character of jazz is spontaneous(自然的)and emotional. It is usually played by small bands made up of a cornet(短号), clarinet(单簧管), trombone(长号)and guitar.

1. Norah Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. From this sentence, we can see she was ________________that night.

A. tired　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. having difficulties going to sleep

C. excited　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. too busy to sleep

2. What does the writer mean by saying“…who found her voice in the small clubs of New York” in the first paragraph?

A. She once lost her voice and after some medical treatment in New York, she found her voice.

B. Her experiences in those clubs helped her realized she was a good singer.

C. She started to sing in those clubs.

D. Her experiences in those clubs helped her develop her singing style.

3. At the end of Paragraph 3, the writer uses the description “wide-eyed” to show Norah was________________.

A. a girl with big eyes　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. very surprised

C. inexperienced　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. opening her eyes wide

4. Put the events listed below in the correct order.

a. Norah started learning the piano. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  

b. She won Student Music Awards.

c. She studied jazz piano music. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

d. She sang in church choirs.

e. She took a trip to New York.

A. abcde　　　　　　　　　　   B. dabce　　　　　　　　　　   C. dcabe　　　　　　　　　　   D. abdce

5. At the end of the last paragraph but two(倒数第二段), the writer mentions that “she got her break in 2001”. What does it mean?

A. She got a rest that year.

B. She made some changes that year.

C. She reached a high point that year.

D. A lucky chance appeared and she made some achievement that year.

Giving Back

Fair Way

The Westborough High School golf team had taken the official photos with the state prize. The other teams, disappointed, were on the bus heading home. And then Westborough instructor Greg Rota noticed something wrong in one of the score cards. A 9 had been recorded as A 7. They were not the state prize winner; Wobum High had won. “No one would have known, ”said Wobum’s instructor, Bob Doran. For Rota, it wasn’t a difficult decision:“The prize wasn’t ours to take. ”

Coin Stars

“College students are lazy, but they also want to help, ”says University of Pennsylvania graduate Dana Hork. So she made it easy, placing cups in rooms where students could leave their spare coins, and handing out cups to first-year students to keep in their rooms. Her “Change for Change” effort has collected $40 000 for charities(慈善机构），which were decided upon by students.

Never Forgotten

A school in Massachusetts received a $9. 5 million check from Jacques LeBermuth. But it took officials several days of digging to discover his connection to the school. Records showed the LeBermuth came from Belgium and studied in the school in the 1920s. When his family fell on hard times, he was offered free room and board. LeBermuth became a trader, owned shares of AT&T and lived off the earnings until he died, at age 89.

1. What did Greg Rota probably do in the end?

A. Took photos of Doran. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 

B. Had a meeting with Doran.

C. Returned the prize to the organizer. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  

D. Apologized to Wobum High School.

2. Greg Rota’s decision shows that he was ________________.

A. honest　　　　　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. polite　　　　　　　　

C. careful　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. friendly

3. The underlined word  “Change”  in the second paragraph means ________________.

A. Idea　　　　　　　　  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. Decision　　　　　　　　  

C. Cups　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. Coins

4. What did the school officials do after receiving the check from Mr. LeBermuth?

A. They tried to find out why he gave them the money.

B. They went to Belgium to pay their respects to him.

C. They dug out the records that were buried underground.

D. They decided to offer their students free room and board.

5. Jacques LeBermuth gave the money to the school because ________________.

A. the school asked for it

B. he had no need for that much money

C. the school had helped him in the past

D. he wanted to be remembered by the students

Marianne, a schoolgirl, was learning to play the piano, and day after day her father stood behind her as she practiced. How patient and kind her father was, and how cleverly he showed Marianne how to play some particularly difficult pieces! She was  making progress and that was excellent.

And there, almost lost in the big chair, sat Wolfgang, her 4-year-old brother, who never had to be told to keep quiet when Marianne was practicing.

One evening the father patted Marianne on the shoulder, saying she had done very well. At the moment, Wolfgang climbed on his father’s knee and begged to be allowed to play the pretty piece Marianne had now mastered. What a joke that was! Picking up his baby son, the father laughed, tapped the tiny nose and said, “Look at your small hands. Why, you cannot span(够着) the notes yet. You must wait, little man!”

There was no end of fun during tea, and Marianne had to tell her mother about Wolfgang wanting to play one of the classics. After dinner Marianne helped clear away the dishes when the father lit his pipe.

But the pipe went out. He was on his feet, “Listen!” he said in an astonishing voice. “Listen! Marianne is playing that piece much better than ever,”he added.

But Marianne was washing pots in the kitchen.

His wife following, he walked quietly upstairs. The lamp in one hand, his pipe in the other, he pushed open the door, and there was little Wolfgang playing in the darkness. “I love it so!” whispered the child.

It was the beginning of Mozart’s life of music.

1. Wolfgang ________________ when his sister was practicing.

A. was always making noises 　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　

B. was able to keep quiet

C. often fell asleep　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　 

D. felt uncomfortable and bored

2. Why didn’t the father allow Wolfgang to play the piece Marianne had been practicing? Because he thought ________________.

A. it was too difficult a piece for the little boy to play well

B. his baby son was not old enough to learn to play the piano

C. Wolfgang had no gift for music

D. it is much too tiring to teach a little child

3. “But the pipe went out. He was on his feet. ”From this description, we know the father was quite ________________.

A.　　  angry　　   　　　　　　   　　　　　　  

B.　　  astonished　　　　　　  

C.　　  disappointed　　　　　　   　　   

D.　　 satisfied

4. Which of the following is not true?

A. Wolfgang was born a musician.

B. Wolfgang and Mozart refer to the same person.

C. The father would teach only his son afterwards instead of his daughter.

D. Little Wolfgang played the piece much better than his sister.

5. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Marianne practiced hard on the piano

B. How the father taught the daughter

C. The father was strict with the children

D. How Mozart began his music life

It is natural that young people are often uncomfortable when they are with their parents. They say that their parents don’t understand them. They often think that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are too serious and too strict with their children; and that they seldom give their children a free hand.

It is true that parents often find it difficult to win their children's trust and they tend(倾向于) to forget how they themselves felt when young.

For example, young people like to act on the spot without much thinking. It is one of their ways to show that they have grown up and they can face any difficult situation. Older people worry more easily. Most of them plan things ahead, at least in the back of their minds, and do not like their plans to be upset by something unexpected.

When you want your parents to let you do something, you will have better success if you ask before you really start doing it.

Young people often make their parents angry at their choices in clothes, in entertainment and in music. But they do not mean to cause trouble; it is just that they feel cut off from the older people’s world, into which they have not yet been accepted. That’s why young people want to make a new culture of their own. And if their parents do not like their music or entertainment or their way of speech, this will make the young people extremely happy.

Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to say “yes” to what you do. All you want is to be left alone and do what you like. It is natural enough, after being a child for so many years, when you were completely under your parents’ control.

If you plan to control your life, you’d better win your parents over and try to get them to understand you. If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility(责任), they will certainly give you the right to do what you want to do.

1. This article is particularly written for ________________.

A. parents

B. both parents and their children

C. young people

D. teachers

2. According to the text, young people tend to ________________.

A. ask for advice before they really start to do anything

B. does things without thinking carefully ahead

C. be very strict with themselves

D. think in the same way as their parents do

3. Older people tend to ________________.

A. remember how they themselves felt when they were young

B. act on the spot without thinking very carefully

C. plan things before they act

D. ask for advice from others

4. According to the passage, young people want to make a new culture of their own, because they ________________.

A. don’t feel they belong to the world of the older people

B. do not want to get into trouble

C. feel they are cleverer than the older people

D. want to show they have grown up

5. If a young man plans to control his own life, it’s better for him to do everything ________________.

A. according to his own wish　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

B. the way his parents do

C. under his parents’ control　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

D. with a high sense of responsibility

In the 1930s, a lot of people in the USA were out of work. Among these people was a man named Alfred Butts, he always had an interest in word games and so, to fill his time, he planned a game which he called “Lexico”. However, he was not completely satisfied with the game, so he made a number of changes to it and, in time, changed its name from “Lexico” to “Alph” and then to “Criss Cross”. He wanted to make some money from his new game but he didn't have any real commercial(商业的) success.

In 1939, Butts happened to meet a man called Jim Brunot who showed an interest in the new game. The two men worked together on developing the game and in 1948 it was offered for sale in the United States under its new name—“Scrabble”.

At first, it didn’t sell very well. In the first year it sold just 2 250 sets and by 1951 it had only reached 8 500 sets a year.

Then, in 1952 the manager of Macy's department store in New York, Jack Strauss, happened to play “Scrabble” while he was on holiday. He thought it was a wonderful game and, when he went back to work after his holiday, he insisted that Macy's should stock（储备）the game and make an effort to call the public's attention to it.

As a result, “Scrabble” became a big success in the United States and it soon spread to Australia and then to other English-speaking countries.

1. The text is mainly about ________________.

A. “Lexico”　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. three men

C. a word game　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. Alfred Butts

2. Alfred Butts invented the game “Lexico”________________.

A. to make himself famous

B. to make spelling simpler

C. when he was out of work and looking for a job

D. when he was playing word games to pass the time

3. Who made “Scrabble” popular?

A. Alfred Butts.

B. Jack Strauss.

C. Alfred Butts and Jim Brunot.

D. Jack Strauss and Jim Brunot.

4. When did Alfred Butts first put his game on the market?

A. In 1939.

B. In 1948.

C. Before 1939.

D. Between 1939 and 1948.