Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago in 1954 to a Mexican American family. As the only girl in a family of seven children, she often felt like she had “seven fathers,” because her six brothers, as well as her father, tried to control her. Feeling shy and unimportant, she retreated(躲避) into books. Despite her love of reading, she did not do well in elementary school because she was too shy to participate.

In high school, with the encouragement of one particular teacher, Cisneros improved her grades and worked for the school literary magazine. Her father encouraged her to go to college because her thought it would be a good way for her to find a husband. Cisneros did attend college, but instead of searching for a husband, she found a teacher who helped her join the famous graduate writing program at the University of Iowa. At the university’s Writers’ Workshop, however, she felt lonely----a Mexican American from a poor neighborhood among students from wealthy families. The feeling of being so different helped Cisneros find her “Creative voice.”

“It was not until this moment when I considered myself truly different that my writing acquired a voice. I knew I was a Mexican woman, but I didn’t think it had anything to do with why I felt so much imbalance in my life, but it had everything to do with it! That’s when I decided I would write about something my classmates couldn’t write about.”

Cisneros published her first work, The House on Mango Street, when she was twenty-nine. The book tells about a young Mexican American girl growing up in a Spanish-speaking area in Chicago, much like the neighborhoods in which Cisneros lived as a child. The book won an award in 1985 and has been used in classes from high school through graduate school level. Since then, Cisneros has published several books of poetry, a children’s book, and a short-story collection.

Which of the following is TRUE about Cisneros in her childhood?

A. She had seven brothers.     B. She felt herself a nobody.

C. She was too shy to go to school.

D. She did not have any good teachers.

The graduate program gave Cisneros a chance to _____.

   A. work for a school magazine        B. run away from her family

   C. make a lot of friends              D. develop her writing style

According to Cisneros, what played the decisive role in her success?

   A. Her early years in college.           B. Her training in the Workshop.

   C. Her feeling of being different.        D. Her childhood experience.

What do we learn about The House on Mango Street?

   A. It is quite popular among students.

   B. It is the only book ever written by Cisneros.

   C. It wasn’t success as it was written in Spanish.

   D. It won an award when Cisneros was twenty-nine.

The children were ________ by all the toys in the shop window.

1. A.
   fascinating
2. B.
   fascinated
3. C.
   fascination
4. D.
   fascinate

The Chinese New Year is a great holiday to choose to celebrate Chinese culture with your child. Here are few fun ways to bring a bit of fun and   1   into your home through the festivities of the Chinese New Year.

1.Add a lucky red door. Red is a traditional color of   2  . It's an important part of the Chinese New Year to   3  on doing what one can to bring about good luck for the New Year. If you don't want to  4   the door red, how about wrapping it up like a present with red wrapping paper. If changing your front door's color is not workable, how about the door to your child's bedroom?

2.Eat. A huge part of most cultures is that of food and the Chinese New Year is not   5  , it's eating jiaozi at midnight on New Year's Eve, or longevity noodles on day seven of the festivities to    6  long life. The Chinese New Year celebrations mean many fancy meals that your child will   7  .

3.Create a lantern. Sara Naumann, the Guide to China Travel, shares a bit about the legend of the Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao, which occurs on the   8  day of the Chinese New Year festivities. It's a   9  that includes an emperor, a young woman who misses her family, and tricking the God of Fire. Your kids should love this story. After   10  it with them, or while reading the story, enjoy making your own paper lantern to display.

4.Give lucky money. The Guide to Mandarin Language shares that another very popular   11  during the Chinese New Year is that of the gift of red envelopes with   12  in them. These gifts are given to children and usually follow a bit of superstition（迷信） in that the money needs to be given in even amounts and never contain   13  numbers, such as four. Therefore, four dollars is not a good gift. The envelopes are also decorated with lucky symbols and New Year   14  .

5.Give a small gift. The giving of simple gifts is also an appropriate way to   15  the Chinese New Year. What better gift than that of a children's book about the Chinese New Year or the Chinese Culture.

6.Make some noise. Just like in America, the Chinese use   16  in ringing in their New Year. In the Chinese culture it began as a way to   17   away any demons（鬼） that threaten to bring a profitable and lucky New Year, but today it's also about excitement and   18  . Consider setting off a few firecrackers of your own, if allowed in your area. If not, make a cute firework picture with a bit of glitter and glue. A pretend firecracker is another great craft that could also be considered a festive way to decorate your New Year table.

7.Sing Happy Birthday to your dog. The second day of the Chinese New Year is   19  the birthday of all dogs. Why not   20  your child to throw Fido a birthday celebration? Perhaps an extra ride in the car or new chew toy is in order? I know my dog would appreciate a few extra belly rubs too.

(    ) 1. A. tradition           B. culture             C. civilization       D. habit

(    ) 2. A. wealth              B. disaster             C. belief                      D. luck

(    ) 3. A. focus                      B. accuse              C. adapt                D. mind

(    ) 4. A. boil                 B. paint                C. wash                D. purchase

(    ) 5. A. same                B. similar             C. common           D. different

(    ) 6. A. come about       B. take about         C. bring about       D. get out

(    ) 7. A. bore                 B. destroy             C. enjoy                      D. absorb

(    ) 8. A. last                  B. first                 C. second              D. next

(    ) 9. A. play                 B. story                C. novel                      D. history

(    ) 10. A. sharing           B. listening           C. reading             D. making

(    ) 11. A. invention               B. story                C. race                 D. tradition

(    ) 12. A. food                      B. clothes             C. money              D. jewels

(    ) 13. A. unclear           B. unlucky            C. unfair               D. uncertain

(    ) 14. A. wishes            B. signs                C. presents            D. happiness

(    ) 15. A. spend             B. envy                C. buy                  D. celebrate

(    ) 16. A. firecrackers     B. songs                      C. dances              D. goods

(    ) 17. A. take                      B. scare                C. get                   D. burn

(    ) 18. A. fun                B. relax                C. sleep                D. travel

(    ) 19. A. fixed              B. named              C. considered               D. marked

(    ) 20. A. order              B. accompany       C. tease                D. allow

第三部分阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)

    阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在

答题爷上将该项涂黑。

Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World

  Welcome to the world—famous house where William Shakespeare was born in l564 and

where he grew up The property(房产)remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until

1806 .The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world ,for over 250 years.

  ◆Enter through the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly—

praised exhibition Shakespeare's World，a lively and full

introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare

  ◆Stand in the rooms where Shakespeare grew up

  ◆Discover examples of furniture and needlework from

 Shakespeare’s period

  ◆Enjoy the traditional(传统的)English garden，planted

 with trees and flower mentioned in the poet’s works

pThe Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car

parks shown on the map；nearest is Windsor Street(3 minutes’

Walk)

㊣The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre，

its exhibition．and the garden are accessible (可进入的)to wheelchair users

⊙The Shakespeare Coffee House(opposite the Birthplace)

1．How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children？

A．￡9.80．       B．￡12.00．        C．￡14.20．        D．￡16.40．

2．Where is the nearest parking place to Shakespeare’s Birthplace？

    A．Behind the exhibition hall．

    B．Opposite the Visiturs’Centre．

    C．At Windsor Street．

    D．Near the Coffee House．

3．A wheelchair user may need help to enter       ．

    A．the House       B．the garden     C．the Visitors’Centne      D．the exhibition hall