Dear Liz,

My stay in Thailand has certainly been the experience of my life.

       Life is busy and exciting. Bangkok is just like any other big city with a population of 10 million and heavy traffic. I’m very lucky because my host family is in a nice quiet area outside the city. There are Mr. and Mrs. Phairat, their son Sanan, who is 18, the daughter Chinda, who is 16, and Grandpa and Grandma.

       I, with Sanan and Chinda, go to an international school that teaches about 70 percent in English and 30 percent in Thai. I’ve learned some spoken language, but Thai writing is very difficult. The cooking lesson is my favourite. I’m learning all about Thai food and culture. People don’t use chopsticks here, but spoons and forks. After coming back, I’ll cook you a real Thai meal.

       Last weekend we visited some temples and then drove to Pattaya beach near Bangkok. I thought it was great, but Sanan and Chinda say that next month they’re taking me to Phuket Island, where the beaches are even more beautiful. The month after next, we’re going to travel to Mr. Phairat’s hometown in the north of Thailand. The Phairats own land there, and they have two elephants. I’m going to ride those elephants – and even wash them. Sanan and Chinda say it’s really fun.

       I’m amazed by everything in this country, especially by the elephants. Elephants are an important part of Thai culture and way of life. They have been a traditional symbol (象征) of Thailand for many years in times of war and peace. In the seventh century, a Thai king trained 20,000 elephants for battle.

       I’ll tell you all about my Thai boxing (拳击) lessons next time I write.

Mandy

51.  How many family members are there in Mandy’s host family?
A. 4                        B. 5                   C. 6              D. 7

52.  Mandy writes in her e-mail that the _________ lesson is her favourite.
A. Thai speaking          B. cooking            C. Thai writing      D. boxing    

53.  From the e-mail we know that Mandy is _________ when she stays in Thailand.
A. excited                            B. quiet                C. bored                   D. proud

54.  What is the possible subject of the e-mail?
A. Food culture in Thailand.                           B. Study trip in Thailand    .
C. Elephant riding in Thailand   .                 D. International schools in Thailand.

When Andrea Peterson landed her first teaching job, she faced the daunting task of creating a music program with almost no money for equipment or supplies in a climate where standards-based learning was the focus and music just provided a break for students and teachers.

For her drive and creativity in overcoming those challenges, she’s been name national teacher of the year.

Principal Waynes Kettler said he’s worked with many outstanding teachers in his 22 years as an educator, but Peterson is “just that one step above anybody I’ve ever worked with before.”

Kettler and others at Monte Cristo Elementary School talk about the ways she has introduced the learning from other classrooms into her music program and her creativity in working around things such as the lack of money for new music.

When students were reading S.E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders in their regular classroom, Peterson helped them write a 30-minute play with scenes from the book. Then they chose three Broadway tunes that focused on race, equality and social justice, the themes of the book. Peterson composed two other sons herself after classroom discussions about the play and the book.

The honor means a lot to residents of Granie Falls. It’s inspiring to know that people from small towns can even win national honors.

As national teacher of the year, Peterson will spend the next year outside classroom, as a national and international spokeswoman for education.

Not surprisingly, she is a big believer in the value of arts education. She said it’s essential for schools to offer classes such as art or music and physical education because for some kids one of those subjects is the only thing that motivates them to come back to school day after day.

The underlined word “daunting” in Paragraph 1 most probably means ___ .

A. discouraging   B. interesting   C. creative   D. unbearable

When Peterson began her teaching career, _____.

A. music was focus of learning in most schools.

B. the environment was favorable to music teaching.

C. the school lacked teaching facilities for music.

D. financial support for music programs was unavailable.

What is the most important reason that Peterson won the award?

A. She concerned herself with current social problems.

B. She motivated students to learn music with her creativity.

C. She has taught music at the elementary school for 22 years.

D. She made great efforts to arouse students’ interest in literature.

Which of the following is an example of Peterson’s way of teaching music?

A. She wrote plays on themes of race, equality and social justice.

B. She made use of the contents of other classes in her teaching.

C. She organized classroom discussions of Broadway tunes.

D. She helped students compose songs by themselves.

In Peterson’s opinion, ____.

A. art, music and PE classes are all important.

B. more subjects should be offered to students.

C. students should be motivated to attend art classes.

D. arts education is more important than other subjects.

It can be inferred from the text that ____.

A. Peterson’s honor was a surprise for the local people.

B. Peterson’s art classes attracted students back to school.

C. Peterson aroused the local residents’ passion for music.

D. Peterson will change her profession next year.

Red Roses

Red roses, as we think of them today, are the traditional symbol for love and romance and a time-honored way to say “I love you.” The red rose has long symbolized beauty and perfection, so a bouquet of red roses is the perfect way to express your deep feelings for someone special. For the budding relationship, a red rose bouquet can also signal the beginning of romantic intentions. They can send a message of commitment and an invitation to take the next step.

A.  Carnations

The meanings of carnations include fascination, distinction, and love. Like many other flowers, different messages can also be expressed with the flower’s different color varieties. Light red carnations, for example, are often used to convey admiration, whereas pink carnations are often given as a sign of gratitude. Today carnations are worn and gifted worldwide on Mothers Day and have become symbolic of purity, strength and endurance of motherhood. As a custom pink carnations are worn to honor living mothers and white carnations for the deceased mothers.

B.  Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums were cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. It was named from the Greek prefix chrys-, which means golden (the color of the original flowers), and –anthemion, meaning flower. Chrysanthemums can be yellow, white or even bright red. Many flower forms are available, spoon-shaped, threadlike or spiderlike. With its special meaning “Rest” associated with them, chrysanthemums are one of the traditional funeral flowers which you can even convey your sincere feelings for the deceased.

C.  Sunflowers

Sunflowers turn their heads towards the sun and this is how they got their common name. They originated in Central and South America. Sunflowers are not only pretty to look at but sunflower seeds are power-packed with healthy fats, protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamin E – all important to the nutritional quality of your diet.

D.  Purple hyacinth

The language of flowers can be found as far back as the 14th century. Every flower has a special. Purple hyacinths are a meaningful gift, perfect for expressing feelings for a friend to convey the feelings like “You are a wonderful friend and I wish you peace, prosperity and happiness” or “I am sorry. Please forgive me.”

E.  Forget – me – not

The little blue Forget Me Not flower, though quite small in size, expresses sweet memories of true and faithful love, a soft cry – “Do not forget” the sunny and cloudy days of a deep relationship. Medicinally, this plant has a strong affinity for the respiratory organs, especially the let lower lung. In some countries, it is sometimes made into syrup and given for lung affections.

再阅读以下顾客信息，然后匹配顾客与适合他们的鲜花。

56.David has just heard that one of his friends he knows has lost a favorite relative and he knows that his friend really needs to be concerned at this moment. So he calls the flower shop for flower delivery as a way to show his friendship and support during this difficult time.

57．Mary has not met her mother since she moved to Paris after the graduation from Cambridge University. When Mothers’ Day is coming this year, she wants to send something special to help her express respect and thankfulness for the virtues of motherhood.

58.True love’s difficult to find, but Catherine is fortunate enough to have found it, so she intends to give her beloved a gift on the Anniversary Day, which his regarded as an emblem of loving remembrance, faithful love, constancy and undying hope.

59.Tony met Gloria at his friend’s graduation party last weekend, and fell into love with her at the first sight. He is planning to ask her for the first official date, expecting Gloria to receive them with a sparkle in her eyes.

60.Hebe has really got a reason to send flowers to her friend Carrie who was deeply hurt by her careless mistake. What she needs to do is make an apology, showing how regretful she is. For this special occasion, she is wondering what flowers will be appropriate to send.

II.阅读理解( 满分34分)
A couple from Minneapolis decided to go to Florida for a long weekend to warm themselves up during one particularly icy cold winter. They planned to stay at the very same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years ago. They both had jobs, so it was decided that her husband would fly to Florida on a Thursday, and his wife would follow him the next day. Upon arriving as planned, the husband checked into the hotel. There he decided to open his laptop(笔记本电脑) and send his wife an e-mail back in Minneapolis. However, he accidentally left off one letter in her address and sent the e-mail without noticing his error.
In the mean time: In Houston, a woman had just returned from her husband’s burial. He was a minister of many years who had been “called home to glory” following a heart attack. The woman checked her e-mail, expecting message from family and friends. Upon reading the first message, she fainted(昏厥)and fell to the floor. Her son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor and saw the computer screen which read:
To: My Loving Wife
From: Your Departed Husband
Subject: I’ve arrived!
I’ve just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then. Hope your journey is as uneventful(平静)as mine was.
P.S. Sure is hot down here.
1. Why did the couple decide to go to Florida for weekend?
A. To visit their family and friends         B. To escape from the cold winter
C. To escape from their busy work         D. To attend a friend’s funeral
2. What mistake did the husband make after checking into the hotel?
A. He checked into a wrong hotel           B. He forget to bring the laptop
C. He misspelled her wife’s address         D. He forgot to mail his letter
3. The expression “called home to glory” probably suggests that the man had______.
A. gone back to his hometown            B. called his family to say hello
C. been awarded an honor               D. died and gone to heaven
4. How did the woman probably feel after reading the e-mail?
A. Pleased       B. Inspired       C. Frightened         D. Moved
5. Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. The woman’s husband died of a heart attack
B. The woman liked to chat with her friends by e-mail
C. The couple held their wedding in Florida 20 years ago.
D. His wife wouldn’t go to Florida for his error.

I have been using the Internet since I was five years old, when my dad first sat me down in front of a computer and connected me the World Wide Web.
I’ve always felt like a master of the Internet world. AOL Instant Messaging, MSN, Gmail, Facebook, Myspace -- I’ve got it all under control. I thought there was nothing more to it besides checking my e-mail and wasting my time, until I was introduced to electronic commerce(e-commerce): business on the Internet.
Some online businesses are run from one-room home offices. Others have hundreds of employees (雇员) across the world. Have you ever heard of Amazon.com, Yahoo.com?
My friends often said they got cheap textbooks off Amazon.com, or had a good deal (交易) on Steve Madden shoes that were on sale at SteveMaden.com. Unfortunately for me, I continued my “e-commerceless” Web-surfing, not knowing about all the deals I was missing out on.
That is, of course, until my sister finally sold the idea to me.
“Why are all these packages arriving in the mail for you, Katy?” I asked her one day. Strange envelopes (信封) had been put on our doorstep for weeks now, each one always addressed to my sister; and we all know little sisters should never be getting more mail than their elders!
“Oh, it’s the things I ordered online!” she answered. I watched speechlessly as she opened them. There was no way our parents were letting her spend that much money- online or off!
“How much did all of this coat?”
“Oh, only about $15 in all!” She said excitedly. “Everything on eBay is on sale! It’s a way better than going to the mall.”
I felt as if there had been a store right in my backyard that I had never walked into! That week, I ordered a used Spanish textbook for my summer course online for 10 percent of the publishing price. A few days later, I bought an iPod protector and a book or two via the wonderful eBay.com.
【小题1】From the first two paragraph we can conclude that the author