St.Patrick's Day is Ireland's greatest national holiday as well as a holy(神圣的) day.Each year, millions of people world－wide celebrate this __1__on March 17, the date of St.Patrick's death.It is a happy holiday for the Irish living in Ireland and __2__.The day is celebrated with parades(游行), speeches, festival dinners, and dances.__3__ is the colour of the day, with thousands of little cloth shamrocks(三叶草) on.

   St.Patrick was born in Britain to __4__ parents near the end of the fourth century.At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders(入侵者)  __5__ his family's wealth.So he had to __6__ a shepherd, outdoors and away from people.__7__lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion(宗教) and became a Christian.

The first St.Patrick's Day parade  __8__ not in Ireland, but in the United States.Irish soldiers in the British army __9__ through New York City on March 17, 1762 with Irish music.Since then, St.Patrick's Day parades have become a way for Irish Americans to show their  __10__every year.In 1948, President Truman  __11__the New Year City's St.Patrick's Day parade, which was a __12__moment for many Irish people whose fathers and grandfathers had to fight against people who disliked them to find  __13__ in America.

It was in Boston where the Day was first celebrated in a public way. __14__ since 1762, the New York City's parade on St.Patrick's Day has __15___ more than one million people each year.

Meanwhile, the city of Chicago has __16__ a special tradition of colouring the river water green.It started in 1962 when 100 pounds of green paint was __17__ its rivers, enough to keep them green for a week.The __18__ has continued till today.Now, 40 pounds of a green food colouring keeps the rivers green for only a few hours.Historically, __19__the shamrocks and things green has become a __20__ symbol of declaring the Irish national and cultural identity(特性)．

1．A.holiday　　B．festival　　　C．honor　　　D．date

2．A.places    B．abroad       C．England    D．aboard

3．A.Green    B．Blue        C．Grass       D．Red

4．A.poor     B．cruel       C．unhealthy      D．wealthy

5．A.giving   B．stealing      C．attacking      D．processing

6．A.serve in  B．stand for     C．work as       D．act for

7．A.Feeling  B．Keeping     C．Remaining     D．performing

8．A.held up   B．took place  C．was occurred   D．happened

9．A.advanced  B．marched  C．processed  D．progressed

10．A.existence   B．anger  C．struggle  D．importance

11．A.led        B．attended  C．joining  D．acting

12．A.responsible  B．forgettable  C．proud  D．unthinkable

13．A.reception  B．acceptance  C．refusal  D．resistance

14．A.Celebrated          B．Completed

C．Held             D．Performed

15．A.attempted  B．drawn   C．driven   D．employed

16．A.developed  B．created   C．built   D．invented

17．A.added up  B．added up to  C．added to  D．risen to

18．A.custom   B．tradition   C．habit  D．practice

19．A.making up          B．dressing in

C．wearing           D．having

20．A.abstract  B．practical  C．false  D．powerful

In ancient Greece the most famous festival for athletes was the Olympic Games. These games took their name from the religious (宗教信仰) centre of Olympus, in southern Greece. The Games were held every four years at the end of June. Athletes, judges and spectators came from all over the known world to watch and compete.

After a solemn (神圣的) opening ceremony, the first event was the four-horse chariot (战车) race. As many as forty chariots thundered round and round the stadium. Because of collisions (碰撞.) , and the strain of covering the nine-mile race, very few chariots ever finished the race. Winning it was a great honor. At the Olympic Games there were also races on foot, horse races, wrestling, boxing matches and the pentathlon.

"Pente" is Greek for five and "athlon" Greek for contest, the pentathlon was five different
events combined. Competitors had to run, contest the long jump, throw the discus(铁饼)and the
javelin 标枪) and wrestle (摔跤). The athlete who won three of the five events was the winner.
The winners each received a crown (头冠) of olive (橄榄) leaves as their prize. They went back
to their cities wearing the crown. When they arrived home they were welcomed as heroes and
given special honors.
1. The best title for this passage is .

A. The Most Famous Festival in Ancient Greece

B. The Olympic Games

C. The Religious Centre of Greece

D. The Crown of Olive Leaves

2. This passage doesn't tell us in ancient Greece.

?A. who came to compete in the Olympic Games

B. how the Olympic Games got its name

C. how often the Olympic Games was held

D. why the people held the Olympic Games

3. The first thing done at the Games was .

A. the opening ceremony B. the four-horse chariot race

C. wrestling D. boxing matches

4. Which of the following statements is not true?

A. Olympus is in southern Greece.

B. The religion played an important part in the life of Greek people.

C. A person who wore the crown of olive leaves was an excellent athlete.

D. All the athletes from all over the known world would receive the crowns at the
Olympic Games.

5. The word "pentathlon" means .

A. 五项全能冠军　 B. 五种运动 项目的名称

C. 五种运动项目的名称 D. 五种橄榄头衔

III. Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
She's open-minded and I'm conservative(保守的). She loves vegetables and I prefer doughnuts. She saves ducks and I eat them. We are very best friends, completely ___(50)___ in everything we do, but true soul mates to the core.
It's truly an unusual relationship. Pat and I started out with the same ___(51)___ in Catholic(天主教) school, but over the years Pat could no longer handle the guilt and completely ___(52)___ her ideas, while I remain a Catholic and practice religiously.
___(53)____ our relationship sometimes has its ups and downs, it has lasted longer than any of our marriages, and ___(54)___, all of our disagreements work themselves out. We ___(55)___ our inner thoughts and dreams, and we know that our deepest darkest secrets are sacred.（神圣的）
When my father was dying, I ___(56)___ endless hours in the hospital. Pat visited ___(57)___, lifting my spirits in the midst of the sadness. Even my dad, in his final days, __(58)____ about Pat's native energy healings, after she performed one in his room, and he questioned if it was Santeria（古巴的一种宗教）—Cuban black magic. Those were the days I truly understood the meaning of ___(59)___, as she brought my Bombshell friends in, filled with gifts designed to make me laugh.
I didn't have time for new friends ___(60)___ Pat brought these Bombshell women into my life. On this day, I understood why my friend brought us all together. The compassion(同情，怜悯) and ___(61)___ I received from these women is a feeling I will ___(62)___ for the rest of my life.
Dad died that same night my friends came to see me, and Pat stood with my family at his bedside as he ___(63)___ his last breath. As my family embraced in a(n) ___(64) ___ farewell, I was thankful to God for bringing Pat into my life.
50. A. common                    B. opposite                  C. consistent                       D. same
51. A. interests                    B. ambitions                C. beliefs                          D. wishes
52. A. transformed                      B. kept                         C. develop                           D. promote
53. A. As                      B. if                             C. Though                           D. once
54. A. hardly                       B. unfortunately           C. especially                        D. finally
55. A. have                         B. share                       C. speak out                        D. change
56. A. spent                        B. kept                         C. lasted                              D. took
57. A. rarely                       B. specially                   C. carefully                         D. frequently
58. A. played                             B. joked                       C. showed                           D. brought
59. A. surprise                     B. help                        C. friendship                       D. joy
60. A. whom                        B. which                      C. because                           D. when
61. A. gifts                          B. friends                       C. love                   D. responsibility
62. A. emphasize                  B. admire                            C. value                              D. enjoy
63. A. got back                    B. took                         C. held                                D. let out
64. A. emotional                  B. amazing              C. shocking              D. unexpected

III. Reading Comprehension

Section A

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

She's open-minded and I'm conservative(保守的). She loves vegetables and I prefer doughnuts. She saves ducks and I eat them. We are very best friends, completely ___(50)___ in everything we do, but true soul mates to the core.

It's truly an unusual relationship. Pat and I started out with the same ___(51)___ in Catholic(天主教) school, but over the years Pat could no longer handle the guilt and completely ___(52)___ her ideas, while I remain a Catholic and practice religiously.

___(53)____ our relationship sometimes has its ups and downs, it has lasted longer than any of our marriages, and ___(54)___, all of our disagreements work themselves out. We ___(55)___ our inner thoughts and dreams, and we know that our deepest darkest secrets are sacred.（神圣的）

When my father was dying, I ___(56)___ endless hours in the hospital. Pat visited ___(57)___, lifting my spirits in the midst of the sadness. Even my dad, in his final days, __(58)____ about Pat's native energy healings, after she performed one in his room, and he questioned if it was Santeria（古巴的一种宗教）—Cuban black magic. Those were the days I truly understood the meaning of ___(59)___, as she brought my Bombshell friends in, filled with gifts designed to make me laugh.

I didn't have time for new friends ___(60)___ Pat brought these Bombshell women into my life. On this day, I understood why my friend brought us all together. The compassion(同情，怜悯) and ___(61)___ I received from these women is a feeling I will ___(62)___ for the rest of my life.

Dad died that same night my friends came to see me, and Pat stood with my family at his bedside as he ___(63)___ his last breath. As my family embraced in a(n) ___(64) ___ farewell, I was thankful to God for bringing Pat into my life.

50. A. common                    B. opposite                  C. consistent                       D. same

51. A. interests                    B. ambitions                C. beliefs                          D. wishes

52. A. transformed                      B. kept                         C. develop                           D. promote

53. A. As                      B. if                             C. Though                           D. once

54. A. hardly                       B. unfortunately           C. especially                        D. finally

55. A. have                         B. share                       C. speak out                        D. change

56. A. spent                        B. kept                         C. lasted                              D. took

57. A. rarely                       B. specially                   C. carefully                         D. frequently

58. A. played                             B. joked                       C. showed                           D. brought

59. A. surprise                     B. help                        C. friendship                       D. joy

60. A. whom                        B. which                      C. because                           D. when

61. A. gifts                          B. friends                       C. love                   D. responsibility

62. A. emphasize                  B. admire                            C. value                              D. enjoy

63. A. got back                    B. took                         C. held                                D. let out

64. A. emotional                  B. amazing              C. shocking              D. unexpected