--- Were you late for the film?

　　    --- Yes. Half of it ______ by the time we ______ the cinema.

　　  A. was show; reached              B. had been shown; reached

　　   C. was on; had reached            D. had been on; had reached

Workplaces all over the UK are preparing for Christmas and all the traditions and customs that come with it. But will this Christmas be a cause of happiness and celebration, or of disappointment and embarrassment?

At this time of year, colleges show their appreciation of each other by doing a “Secret Santa”. Secret Santa involves people who work together buying gifts for each other without saying who they are from.

Co-workers all write their names on pieces of paper, then organize a lottery in which each worker picks a colleague’s name at random. He then has to buy a present for that colleague, usually on a small budget of five or ten pounds.

Since the givers are unknown, the quality of presents can vary greatly. In an Internet survey of Secret Santa presents, the gifts that people received range from tickets to the opera to an air freshener for a car.

Another common workplace tradition is the office Christmas party, at which workmates put on their best clothes and enjoy lots of free wine.

Most parties go without a hitch, but sometimes the alcohol cause party-goers to behave in a way that they later regret.

The BBC invited people to share their most embarrassing Christmas office party stories, and received hundreds of funny ones. For example, a man split his trousers while dancing; a drunken lady spent the whole night with the edge of her dress folded into her pants, and later looked at photos that proved it at work.

But the funniest story must be that of Stuart Vanies, who got so drunk that he put his boss’s head into the toilet. Unsurprisingly, he was fired the very next day.

1. How many Christmas traditions are mentioned?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

2. We learn from this article that for Christmas ____________________.

A．few people buy presents for their colleagues in Britain

B．British workers write their names on the presents they give their colleagues

C．people usually give their colleagues presents of high quality

D．British workers buy their presents based on an agreed budget

3.The underlined phrase “without a hitch” in the sixth paragraph means _______________.

A．quite smoothly	B．without a result
C．with some difficulty	D．quite unexpectedly

4.The examples in the last two paragraphs are to ______________________.

A．show that most British people enjoy drinking wine

B．advise readers not to drink wine at parties

C．prove that funny things often happen at office Christmas parties

D．criticize the bad habits of the British

 

OSLO — Excited with pride, Norwegians sang in the streets of Oslo on Sunday, celebrating Norway’s National Day and the country’s Eurovision Song Contest victory.

   Hundreds of Norwegians sang along to Alexander Rybak’s winning song Fairytale as they walked in the country’s traditional National Day parade (游行) celebrating the Norwegian constitution.

   Alexander Rybak — called “Alexander the Great” by the Norwegian media — won a great victory in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) by gaining the most votes in its 53-year history in Moscow on Saturday.

   Alexander has played violin and piano since he was five years old, and he also composes his own music and sings. In 2006 he won the Norwegian talent show Kjempesjansen with his own song Foolin. Alexander has performed with one of the world’s most celebrated violinists, Pinchas Zukerman, won the Anders Jahres Culture Price and has been the concertmaster for Norway’s largest symphony orchestra (交响乐队) for youths, Ung Symfoni.

   Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said there was clearly something special about the 23-year-old and his folk music. “This is a phenomenal performance by a young and talented musician,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.

   Rybak is expected to draw a large crowd of fans to Oslo’s Gardermoen airport when he arrives next Sunday, after having invited all his countrymen from the stage in Moscow.

   With Rybak’s win, Norway will host next year’s Eurovision finals, a show that reaches a television audience of over 100 million people. Norway’s Minister of Culture, Trond Giske, promised that Norway would put on a splendid show next year but without spending as much as Moscow, which spent 24 million euros this year. “I don’t think that is necessary,” he told national broadcaster NRK.

   The win was Norway’s third. The Nordic country also won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1985 and 1995.

1.What do Norwegians usually do on the country’s National Day?

   A. Sing Fairytale.   B. Have a parade.  C. Hold a song test.  D. Watch the ESC. 

2.Which of the following statements about Rybak is TRUE?

   A. He has a lot of fans all over the world.

   B. He is the first Norwegian to win the ESC.

   C. He is called “Alexander the Great” when he was born.

   D. He showed a great talent for music before this ESC.

3.The underlined word “phenomenal” in Para. 5 means “____”.

    A. very unusual and impressive    B. too special to be understood

   C. with an educational purpose     D. able to draw a large audience

4.What’s Trond Giske’s opinion?

    A. Norway will host next year’s Eurovision finals.

    B. It doesn’t require too much money to win the finals.

    C. Norway is determined to win next year’s Eurovision finals.

    D. It doesn’t require a lot of money to make the finals splendid.

5.The main idea of the text is that ______________________________.

  A. the Eurovision Song Contest belongs to the world

  B. National Day is being celebrated in Norway

  C. Crazy fans expect to meet their idol at the airport in Norway

  D. Norway celebrates a Eurovision win on National Day.

 

 

“Soon，you’re going to have to move out!”cried my neighbor as soon as he saw the largest tomato plant known to mankind，or at least known in my neighborhood．

    One tiny 9-inch plant，bought for $ 1．25 in the spring．has already taken over much of my rose bed，covering much of other plants，and is well on its way to the front door．

    Roses require a good deal of care，and if it weren’t for the pleasure they give。it wouldn’t be worth the work．As it is．I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year．Bushes must be pruned (剪枝) in early spring，leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later．It was the space available (可利用的) in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant．A big mistake．

    Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out be even more perfect for tomatoes．The daily watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing (肥料) have turned the little plant into a tall bush．The cage I placed around it as the plant grew has long since disappeared under the thick leaves．

    Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold．First．I have to find the red ones among the leaves，which means I almost have to stand on my head．and once found I have to reach down and under，pick the tomatoes and withdraw(缩回)my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won．I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June． But they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light．

  Here I am faced with a painful small decision：To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and treasured roses．Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind．I'll think about that tomorrow．

What are the requirements for the healthy growth of rose?

       A．A lot of care and the right soil．           B．Frequent pruning and fertilizing．

       C．Tomato plants grown alongside．    D．Cages placed around the roots．

The writer planted the tomato because           ．

       A．it cost only$1．25         B．the soil was just right for it

       C．there was room for it in the garden         D．the roses’branches needed to be covered

This year the writer’s roses were          ．

       A．removed from the rose bed           B．picked along with the tomatoes

       C．mostly damaged by too much sunlight  D．1argely hidden under the tomato plant

By saying“the prize so dearly won”in paragraph 5，the writer wants to        ．

       A．show the difficulty in picking the tomatoes

       B．show the hardship of growing the roses

       C．express her liking for the roses

       D．express her care for the tomatoes

In the situation described in the text，one good thing is that             ．

       A．the roses cost the writer little money

       B．the writer has a daily harvest of tomatoes

       C．someone will help the writer make the decision

       D．the writer can now enjoy both the roses and tomatoes

 

Paris in the springtime was, is and always will be, something rather special. Why not experience it for yourself with this excellent break for four days? This attractive city has something to offer to everyone and with prices at just £129.

Your break begins with comfortable bus transfer (运送) from local pick-up points and travel to Paris is via cross-channel ferry, arriving at your hotel in the evening. The Ibis is an excellent quality hotel with private facilities in all rooms: satellite TV, radio, telephone and alarm clock. It has a bar and restaurant and is situated about two miles south of Notre Dame, enabling you to explore Paris with ease.

The following day, after continental breakfast (included), the bus takes you on a comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will see the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, L’Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, in fact almost every famous landmark you have ever heard of. You then leave Paris and take a short drive to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the home of Louis XIV. The tour ends mid-afternoon back in Paris where you will have the remainder of the day at your leisure. In the evening there is a “Paris by Night” tour showing you the beautiful buildings with bright lights.

Day three takes you to Montmarter, perhaps the most attractive quarter. In the afternoon you are free to explore this beautiful city as you wish, perhaps having a pleasant voyage on the River Seine, wandering around the beautiful gardens or looking among the antique shops（古董店）. In the evening you will have the opportunity to visit the best nightclub in the city, the splendid Paradis Latain. On the final day it’s back to the UK via channel ferry.

Included in the price of £129 per person :

●Return comfortable bus travel to Paris

●Return ferry crossings

●3 nights housing in a twin bedded room in a Central Paris hotel with private facilities

●Continental breakfast during your stay

●Guided sightseeing tour of “Paris by Day” and “Paris by Night”

●Visit to the Chateau of Versailles (admission not included )

●Tour around Montmartre

1. What is the purpose of this passage?  

A. To show the price of traveling to Paris . 　　

B. To tell tourists the routes to Paris.

C. To introduce the city of Paris.            

D. To attract tourists to Paris.

2. During the stay in Paris, the tourists will _________.

A. have a “Paris by Night” tour on the first evening

B. live in a hotel two miles away from Paris

C. have free time for half a day

   D. have a pleasure voyage on the River Seine together

3. What does the underlined word “quarter” mean in the passage?

A. An area.                     B. A period of time.

C. A coin worth 25 cents.          D. One of four equal parts.

4. According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A. The Palace of Versailles is not in the center of Paris.

B. The tourists can telephone in the Ibis without paying.

C. It will take you a long time to get to Montmartre from Paris.

D. The tourists will spend the night in the antique shops on the third day.

5. This passage is probably written for _____

   A. Asians           B. Australians         C. Chinese        D. Englishmen