Driving a car at a high speed along a highway seems to be fun. You only need to follow the bright traffic signs beside the highway and it will take you where you wish to go. But to a London taxi driver, driving is not an easy job. A taxi driver needs to have not only good driving skills but also a good knowledge of the city of London, from the loneliest street to the popular restaurant around. He has to be at the service of all kinds of passengers (乘客) at all times.
A London taxi driver said the following about his job.
During the night it is usual for him to stop two or three times for some food. He said, “I never drink when I’m working, otherwise I’d lose my license (驾驶执照).”
He normally goes home between two and three o’clock in the morning. There are times he has to stay longer and try to make more runs. He said, “That’s the worst thing about working for yourself. If you don’t make money, no one is going to give it to you. ”
London taxi drivers not only “take” but also “give”. Every summer hundreds of poor children from London go for a day at the sea ― by taxi! There rides are paid by the taxi drivers. At the sea, they are met by the mayor (市长) , and a lunch party is also held for the taxi drivers and the children. After a happy day’s running around the beaches and visiting the market there, the children go home again by taxi, free of charge of course!
【小题1】London taxi drivers try to make more runs sometimes mainly because __________.

A．they make a living by driving

B．they prefer to work for themselves

C．they want to help more passengers

D．they are used to working deep into the night

【小题2】How do London taxi drivers “give”?

A．They give the poor children a lunch party at the sea each summer.

B．They give poor children the chance to meet the maor.

C．They pay for some poor children’s rides for a day’s tour each summer.

D．They play with some poor children at the sea for a day each summer.

【小题3】Which of the following words can be used to describe London taxi drivers?

A．Brave and careful

B．Rich and generous

C．Modest and easy-going

D．Hard-working and kind

【小题4】The passage is most likely to be found from __________.

A．an advertisement of a taxi company

B．an online travel guide

C．a website about the taxi drivers in London

D．a report about living conditions in London

Henry was an office worker in a big city. He worked very hard and enjoyed traveling in his holidays.
He usually went to the seaside, but one year he saw an advertisement in a newspaper. “Enjoy country life. Spend a few weeks at West Hill Farm. Good food，Fresh air，Horse riding，Walking，Fishing，Cheap and interesting.”
“This sounds a good idea,” he thought. “I’ll spend a month at West Hill Farm. I think I can enjoy horse riding, walking and fishing. They’ll make a change from sitting by the seaside and swimming.”
He wrote to the farmer. In the letter he said that he would like to spend all of July there. Then on the first of July, he left for West Hill Farm.
But four days later, he returned home.
“What was wrong with West Hill Farm?” his best friend, Ed, asked him. “Didn’t you enjoy country life?”
“Country life was very good,” Henry said. “But there was another problem.”
“Oh. What?”
“Well,” he said, “the first day I was there a sheep died, and we had roast mutton for dinner.”
“What's wrong with that?” Ed asked. “Fresh meat is the best.”
“I know, but on the second day a cow died, and we had roast beef for dinner.”
“Lucky you!”
“You don't understand,” Henry said. “On the third day a pig died and we had roast pork for dinner.”
“A different meat every day,” Ed said loudly, “ and you are complaining!”
“Let me finish,” Henry said. “On the fourth day the farmer died, and I didn't dare (敢)stay for dinner!”
【小题1】How did Henry find out about the farm?

A．He saw it in a newspaper advertisement.

B．His best friend told him.

C．He wrote to the farmer.

D．Maybe he learned it from the radio.

【小题2】Henry came back home several days later because ______________.

A．he didn't like the country life at all

B．the farmer wasn’t friendly to him

C．his holiday was over

D．he thought he might have to eat the farmer

【小题3】“…and you are complaining!”, the word “complain” means __________.

A．夸奖

B．说三道四

C．抱怨

D．故弄玄虚

【小题4】Which of the following sentences is true?

A．Ed could eat a different kind of meat every day.

B．Henry thought he could enjoy a change.

C．Henry couldn't think of anything else to do, so he went to the farm.

D．The farmer died because of the bad meat he ate.

【小题5】Which is the best title for the passage?

A．What a beautiful farm!	B．Have a good time.
C．A short holiday	D．Henry and the farmer.

Henry found a job in a bookstore after he finished middle school. He wouldn't do anything but wanted to get rich. It was a cold morning. It _______ （snow） and there was thin ice on the streets. Few people went to buy the books and the young man had nothing  ______ （do）. He hated to read, so he watched the traffic. Suddenly he  ______ （see） a bag fall off a truck and it landed by the other side of the street. “It _____  （be） full of expensive things.” Henry said to himself. “I have to get it right now, or others  ______  （take） it away.” He went out of the shop and ran across the street. A driver saw him and began to whistle （鸣笛）， but he didn't hear it and went on  ______ （run）. The man drove to the side, hit a big tree and  ______ （hurt） in the accident. Two weeks later Henry was taken to court. A judge asked if he heard the whistle when he was running across the street. He said that something was wrong with his ears and he could hear nothing. “But you  ______  （hear） me this time,” said the judge. “Oh, I'm sorry. Now I can hear with one ear.” “ ______ （cover） the ear with your hand and listen to me with your deaf one. Well, can you hear me?” “No, I can't, sir.” “You  ______   （tell） lies. There is nothing wrong with either of your ears.” The judge said.

 

2.26-meter-tall Yao Ming made his NBA debut（初次登台）on October 23, 2002 and got 6 points for the Houston Rockets in the game. The next day, he got 13 points（得分）in another game.

   Yao Ming , 22, has been a star in China for some time, but it is still under question as to whether he can play well in the NBA. Yao Ming said, “When you watch it on TV, it looks very easy. But when you are playing in the NBA, it is really tough.” He said that joining the Houston Rockets was a new start and a new challenge. “I hope that through very hard work I can make everyone happy and help the Rockets win more games,” he said

   Yao Ming speaks some English. Both he and his teammates can understand each other. They don't think there is a language problem.

While Yao Ming faces this new challenge,  the people of Houston have shown great interest in him and they hope Yao Ming will bring new energy （活力） to the Rockets. The team has started having lessons to learn more about China, and many people who work for the Rockets have learned to speak some Chinese.

1.On October 23, 2002, Yao Ming played his______ game in the NBA

A. first    B. second    C. third    D fourth

2.Yao Ming got __________ points in the two games for the Houston Rockets in October ,2002.

　　A. 6　　　 　B.13　　　　C.19　　　D.23

3.Yao Ming thinks that _____.

    A. it is boring to play basketball                 

B. playing in the NBA is not easy

    C. it is difficult to watch NBA games on TV       

D. he is an NBA star

4.From the passage we can learn that ________.

A. Yao Ming will work hard for his team

B. Yao Ming often watches TV

　　C. Yao Ming is the best player in the team

D. The Rockets has lost several games

 

Learning Chinese may seem difficult to foreigners outside China. However, Daisy Raffan, an
36   girl in Britain, hopes to bring the   37   to the young people.
Daisy has   38   an online learning website to teach the language to as   39   people as possible, all over the world.
With China’s fast development in the world, Daisy thinks   40   important for people to learn the language sooner rather than later.
Daisy has been learning Putonghua   41   the age of five. Two years ago,   42   she decided to pass on what she had learned, she   43   the idea for the website, kidschineseclub.com.
She said: “People are afraid to learn Putonghua. One of the main reasons is that they think it’s an   44   language to learn, but I have had fun   45   it .And I hope what I have done is easy and fun.”
Her   46    offers a series of lessons, which are videos of Daisy teaching a group of students on topics from greetings and numbers to Chinese culture.
Daisy’s website has   47   the support of several important persons —the teenager says she has received a letter praising(赞扬) her work from Gordon Brown,   48   is the British Prime Minister(首相).
She said: “I wrote to him and told him what I was doing and got a letter   49  . He said that what I was doing was a really good idea. I thought it was amazing. I was excited that   50   was supporting what we’re doing.”

【小题1】

A．18 years old B．18-year-old C．18-years-old D．18 year old

【小题2】

A．language B．idea C．information D．gift

【小题3】

A．put up B．showed up C．set up D．thought up

【小题4】

A．much B．more C．many D．most

【小题5】

A．that B．this C．them D．it

【小题6】

A．for B．at C．since D．in

【小题7】

A．before B．after C．if D．although

【小题8】

A．came out B．came on C．came over D．came up with

【小题9】

A．impossible B．interesting C．excellent D．easy

【小题10】

A．does B．do C．doing D．to do

【小题11】

A．e-mail B．magazine C．essay D．website

【小题12】

A．won B．made C．given D．beaten

【小题13】

A．whom B．which C．who D．/

【小题14】

A．in B．back C．down D．up

【小题15】

A．someone such important B．so important someone C．such important someone D．someone so important