The American expression "shoo-in" means someone or something that seems sure to win a race or
competition.
    Before a big football game, supporters of each are certain to argue (争论) about which side will win.
    Sometimes, however, one team appears so much stronger than the others that everyone agrees it will win.
The stronger team is a shoo-in. there is no way that it can lose.
    The expression "shoo-in" comes from horse racing. It comes from the word "shoo". That is not the shoe
we wear on our feet. It's another word, S-H-O-O. To shoo is an expression hundreds of years old that means
to force an animal to move in a desired direction.
    Many years ago dishonest (不诚实) riders sometimes agreed secretly to control their horses so that one
chosen horse would win the race. All but one of the riders would hold back their horses. The chosen rider
would shoo his horse ahead of the others, and win the race.
     The other riders would secretly bet (打赌) large amounts of money that the chosen horse would win. The
public (公众) soon learned about such races. They began to call the winner of such a race a "shoo-in".
     These days, people use shoo-into describe (描述) any athlete (运动员) or competitor that seems certain to
win, even without cheating.
      American runner Edewin Moses won more than hundred races before he ran the hurdle race (跳拦赛) in
the 1984 Olympic Games. Everyone said Moses was a shoo-in, and that he could not lose. And they were
right. He won the gold medal.

1. One of the dishonest riders was sure to win the race because ________.

A. be used to be the best in riding
B. the public had belief in him
C. he could not control his horse easily
D. the other riders had agreed to fail in the race

2. The reason why American runner Edewin Moses was regarded as a "shoo-in" is ________.

A. due to his honest in the races he ran in
B. due to his great effort (努力) shown in more than one hundred races
C. that he won over 100 competitions before the 1984 Olympic Games
D. that the old meaning of "shoo-in" had changed

3. Which of the following statements is not true?

A. "shoo-in" came from the word "shoo".
B. The US runner Moses was worthy of (配的上) a shoo-in.
C. The public did not know they were being cheated.
D. Some runners bet a lot of money on the chosen horse.

4. The main idea of the passage is that "shoo-in" is ________.

A. used for anyone or anything that is certain to win a game
B. used to admire (钦佩) a person who seems to be sure to win a race
C. a word used to describe a dishonest person
D. used for any athlete or competitor that seems too clever to be cheated

5. In the last paragraph the author means to tell us ________.

A. who Edewin Moses was
B. Moses won a lot of races
C. Moses was the best runner in America
D. We can use "shoo-in" to describe an excellent runner

     For Chinese, it's time for dragon boat racing and Zongzi. But in South Korea, wrestling and swing play
are the highlights. However, both events go by the same name-the Dragon Boat Festival. It falls on May 5th
of the lunar calendar.
     One festival, two cultures. Does one nation have the right to call it its own? It has been reported that
South Korea will ask the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO联合国教
科文组织) to make the celebration its cultural heritage (文化遗产). If successful, people from other countries
may see the Dragon Boat Festival as a Korean creation.
     As the birthplace of the yearly event more than 2,000 years ago, China is not happy with the situation (情
况). "It would be a shame if another country successfully made a traditional Chinese festival part of its own
cultural heritage before China," said Zhou Heping, deputy cultural minister. The Ministry of Culture is even
thinking of making its own application (申请) to UNESCO, covering all traditional Chinese festivals, including
the Dragon Boat event.
     "I don't like some of the food eaten at the festival, but I am shocked by South Korea's move," said Jin
Yutong, a Senior One student."We should protect the cultural heritage left by our ancestors (祖先)."
     It is thought that the festival is held in memory of the great poet Qu Yuan (340-278BC), who lived in the
State of Chu during the Warring States Period. Qu was known to be a patriot (爱国者) and admired by
ordinary people. He is said to have jumped into Miluo River, because he had lost hope in his country's future.
When people heard about Qu's death, they sailed up and down the river searching for his body. They also
beat the drums to fright away fish and threw Zongzi into water. These were supposed to stop the fish from
touching Qu. Dragon boat racing is said to have come from the search for the poet's body.
     Over the years, the Dragon Boat Festival has spread throughout the world. In Japan and Vietnam, as well
as South Korea, the festival has mixed together with, and become part of the local culture.
     With this in mind, some experts say that it is meaningless to argue (争论) about which country the festival
belongs. "Everyone can say that it came from China," said Long Haiqing, an expert from Hunan Province.
"But if the whole nation can protect the culture heritage together, they will all benefit."

1. Which of the following country is NOT mentioned about the Dragon Boat Festival spreading?

A. Japan
B. Vietnam
C. South Korea
D. the United States

2. From the passage, we can see Chinese people's attitude (态度) toward the Dragon Boat Festival is that
    _____. 

A. they do not like it
B. they want to protect it because it is their cultural heritage
C. it is a shame to protect it
D. they won't agree South Korea takes it as its own festival

3. Racing boats to celebrate the festival comes from the story that _____.

A. people searched for Qu Yuan's body by boat
B. people searched for Qu Yuan's boat
C. Qu Yuan enjoyed boating
D. Qu Yuan liked building boats

4. What can we infer (推断) from the last two paragraphs?

A. The festival is celebrated in the same way all over the world.
B. It matters a lot whose cultural heritage the festival is.
C. It is good for the Chinese people to protect the cultural heritage.
D. South Korea does not recognize that the festival is from China.