changed，and whatever men can do，woltllen call do，too

A .Age had　 B Ages have　 C．Times have　 D Time has

       Could you imagine your parents choosing your husband or wife for you? And can you imagine not setting eyes on him or her until your wedding day? This situation is common in India, the Middle East and many parts of Africa．Marriage customs around the world often differ from our own．We don’t realize that people in other places often get married in very different ways and with different motives．

       In many countries, marriage is a practical matter．A marriage provides a safe and stable home for the husband and wife．It also joins two families, which benefits the couple’s parents and makes them happy．Marriage also brings children, making sure the couple will be taken care of in old age．Because a marriage is important for the whole family, some cultures don’t let young people choose whom to marry．

       Just as there are many different reasons for marriage, there are also many different wedding rituals．Every culture has its own ways of bringing good luck to the happy couple．In a typical Western wedding, the bride seeks good luck by wearing “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”．Something old represents the past．Something new represents success in the future．Something borrowed reminds the bride she can get help from her friends and family．And something blue reminds her to be true to her husband．

       In Poland, one wedding tradition is not only lucky, but also very practical．The wedding guests pin money to the bride’s dress while she is dancing．The money is meant to bring luck and to help the young couple build their new life．In Bermuda, the young couple plants a tree in the yard of their new home．Once they move in, they take good care of the tree and make it grow．The planting of the tree is a good metaphor（比喻） for marriage．A truly good marriage is something that grows with care．

Which of the following statements does NOT support the idea that marriage is a practical matter?

       A．The couple may have a safe home through their marriage．

       B．The parents had better help their children choose whom to marry．

       C．A marriage benefits the couple’s parents and makes them happy．

       D．A marriage brings children who will take care of the couple when they are old．

The underlined word “rituals” （Para．3） means 　　　．

       A．forms　   B．customs   C．traditions　      D．ceremonies

Although cultures differ in different countries, one thing in common when a young couple gets married is that 　　　．

       A．people wish them to take care of each other

       B．people wish them to get practical benefits from the marriage

       C．people wish them to have good luck in their new life

       D．people wish them to make money at the wedding ceremony

Which of the following statements best summarizes（总结） the subject of this passage?

       A．People across the world get married in different ways and for different reasons．

       B．Every culture has its own ways of bringing good luck to the young couple．

       C．A truly good marriage is something that grows with care．

       D．In many countries, marriage is a practical matter．

Rising above the names

　　 I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice.

　 “Mom，come here！There's this lady here my size！”

　　 The mother rushed to her son；then she turned to me to apologize.

　　 I smiled and told her，“It's okay.”Then I talked to the boy，“Hi，I'm Darryl Kramer.How are you？”

　　 He studied me from head to toe，and asked，“Are you a little mommy？”

　 “Yes，I have a son，”I answered.

　 “Why are you so little？”he asked.

　 “It's the way I was born，”I said.“Some people are little.Some are tall.I'm just not going to grow any bigger.”After I answered his other questions，I shook the boy's hand and left.

　　 My life as a little person is filled with stories like that.I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.

　　 It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness.I stand three feet nine inches tall.I was born an achondroplasia dwarf(侏儒)．Despite this，I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.

　　 I didn't realize how short I was until I started school.Some kids picked on me，calling me names.Then I knew.I began to hate the first day of school each year.New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.

　　 But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life.I decided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage.What I lacked in height，I made up for in personality.

　　 I'm 47 now，and the stares have not diminished as I've grown older.People are amazed when they see me driving.I try to keep a good attitude.When people are rude，I remind myself，“Look what else I have－a great family，nice friends.”

　　 It's the children's questions that make my life special.I enjoy answering their questions.My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers(a person of the same age，class，position，etc.)，whatever size and shape they come in，and treat them with respect.

1．Why did the mother apologize to the author?

A．Because the boy ran into the author.

B．Because the boy laughed at the author.

C．Because the boy said the author was fatter than him.

D．Because the mother thought the boy's words had hurt the author.

2．When did the author realize that she was too short?

A．When she grew up.

B．When she was 47 years old.

C．When she began to go to school.

D．When she met the boy in the supermarket.

3．Which of the following word can best replace the underlined word“diminished”？

A．Dismissed. 　　　　 B．Increased.

C．Decreased. 　　　　 D．Discriminated.

4．How does the author feel about people's stares?

A．Angry. 　　　　　　 B．Calm.

C．Painful. 　　　　　 D．Discouraged.

June 8th, 2004

　　Tian'anmen. Square. Forbidden City. The Ming Tombs. Summer Palace. The Great Wall Peking Duck. Street of Bars.

　　I feel like I've been run over by a tractor. Beijing has too much history. It's completely overpowering. I think my friend is just as blinded by the pure brightness of China's long past. Oh… the glory of ancient China still exists. I think out of all the places I visited, I like the Great Wall the best. We climbed, and climbed and climbed. Parts of it were basically straight up. We were out of breath all the way up. But it was all worth it. One sight of the length and lasting power of this monument of humankind blew the wind out of me. From our point of vision, the wall was endless; travels as far as the eye could see.

　　On a totally unrelated topic, people here really like to use umbrellas and spit(not in that order). A great majority of the women here hold these little colored umbrellas--in fear of darkening the skin. I feel so out of place. I'm really brown. My mom calls me a black cat. One thing I can't get used to is people smoking in the restaurants and stores. Smoking is forbidden in most buildings in America unless there is a specified area . The food, however, is unbelievable. Salivating（流口水）became common.　　I heard the National Entrance Exam ended today or yesterday. I'm still shocked at the idea of having so many exams crowded into two days. Thankfully, we didn't have to go through with it. Instead, we had to deal with the SATs. I had the chance to talk with a few students of my age. I really admire these students. They get the spirit of“patience and perseverance”.

(1) What reminded the author of his brown skin?

[　　]

A．Umbrellas used on the Great Wall.

B．The women on the Great Wall.

C．The steep part of the Great Wall.

D．The author's mother.

(2) What puzzled the author most according to the passage?

[　　]

A．The ancient Chinese buildings.

B．The Great Wall.

C．Chinese food.

D．The way the National Exam held in China.

(3) Which of the following is an unpleasant experience during the writer's visit in China?

[　　]

A．Climbing the Great Wall.

B．Eating Chinese food.

C．Smoking is not forbidden in some public places.

D．So many students took part in the National Exam.

(4) What's the writer's attitude towards the Chinese students?

[　　]