The British usually expect one or two snowfalls each year but the amount of snow rarely affects everyday life. However, this week Britain has had the worst snow it has seen in around 18 years. Some places had more than 30cm in a day.

The bad weather caused severe disruption. More than 3000 schools had to close as teachers and pupils were unable to get to school. School children weren’t too unhappy about it though as they headed out to play the snow, building snowmen, having snowball fights, sledging and some even snowboarding and skiing.

In London, bus services were withdrawn for a day and tubes and trains were cancelled. Major motorways in the country had to close. Many people were unable to get to work and it is thought the cost of this lost labor is around &1 billion (10 billion yuan) to businesses and the economy.

Anyone who wanted to leave the country had problems too. Runways were closed at all the UK’s major airports because of the amount of snow. Hundreds of flights were cancelled leaving some passengers stranded at airports.

So why is the UK so ill-prepared for snow? The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, explained that there aren’t enough snow –ploughs（铲雪机）and gritters（撒沙机）and it doesn’t make sense to buy such equipment when it snows so infrequently.

The south-east of England was the hardest hit at the beginning of the week but the snow is now moving northwards where the chaos continues.

More ice and snow is forecast throughout the week and the advice from travel and weather organizations is to stay indoors unless you really need to venture out!

1. Which of the following facts is FALSE according to the passage?

A．More than 3000 schools had to close for the heavy snow.

B．Major motorways in the country had to close for the bad weather.

C．Runways were closed at all the UK’s major airports for the amount of snow.

D．The government organized to clear the snow away with snow-ploughs and gritters.

2. What does the underlined phrase venture out probably mean in last paragraph?

A．go out                                B．search out

C．take no risks                           D．stay indoors

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．School children seemed happy to head out to play in the snow though schools had to close.

B．The cost of the lost labor reached around 10 billion yuan to businesses and the economy.

C．Hundreds of flights couldn’t land because the runways were closed at major British airports.

D．Tubes and trains in London were cancelled, but drivers were still driving in main motorways.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A．The heavy snow is what the British have been expecting for 18 years.

B．The heavy snow has been a very rare heavy one in the UK for 18 years.

C．The heavy snow doesn't please school children at all.

D．The government isn’t ill-prepared for snow.

5.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Harsh Winters Visit Britain

B．Heavy Snow Hits the UK

C．Bad Weather Causes Chaos Just in London

D．Heavy Snow Causes Disruption Only in Motorways

Those boys _____ many times not to go on line, but it doesn’t make any difference.

A．have told          B．told              C．have been told     D．were being told

Read the following reviews for movies that are showing at the moment. And then answer questions.

Happiness(Romance) ★★★★

Happiness tells the story of two people (Lisa Turbot and Danny Roy) who work for different advertising companies. They talk on the phone all the time and don't like each other. But then they correspond by email and fall in love. This movie will be very popular with teenagers and people who like romances. It also has beautiful music.

I Scream (Thriller) ★★

In I Scream, Paul (Colin Jacks) is a young man who joins a thriller club. Each of the members tries to frighten the others. Paul is told to stay in an old house for the night. Everyone who has tried to stay in the house before has died. This movie is very frightening but also quite silly. It doesn't make sense for Paul to stay in the house when things start to go wrong. Only for people who like thrillers.

Paul's Heroes (Comedy) ★★★

This is a very funny war movie set in World War Two. Six soldiers (including Sammy Turblow) have to get to Italy to take secret messages to the American army there. During the movie, they dress up as women and fight with Italian workers. You can guess the ending, but it's great fun getting there.

______________ (Drama) ★★★★

This is a very good drama with Jack Ross, who pays a hard-working truck driver. His wife becomes ill and he has to find a doctor who can help her. In his travels he meets Dr. Lloyd (Phil Driver) who has found the cure for the illness, but Jack Ross has only twelve hours to get the medicine back to his wife on the other side of America. This is an excellent movie, which is very exciting.

1..Which of the four movies is the least popular with people?

   A. The 1^st one.           B. The 2^nd one.          C. The 3^rd one.          D. The 4^th one.

2.. The underlined word "correspond" can be replaced by ______________.

   A. date              B. exchange          C. write               D. communicate

3..A thriller is most probably a film which tells something _______________.

A. frightening         B. instructive            C. humorous         D. interesting

4.. Which of the following is the best title for the fourth film?

   A. A Hard-working Truck Driver.              B. Medicine.

C. A Strange Illness.                        D. Twelve Hours.

B
Wolves are in the news these days, especially with the controversial（有争议的）Alaskan Wolf Hunting Festival being a focus of public attention. Since these animals are getting more attention in the outer world, they may be more likely to show up in your inner world and may take on many forms and have many meanings.
Wolves live in a pack（狼群）and they have a leader, a guide who is responsible for directing the pack and keeping it safe. If a wolf appears in your dream and you have a positive relationship with the wolf, it may suggest your own leadership abilities. Wolves in dreams may also mean the need for trusting your own internal leader-the soft howl from the bottom of your own heart.
While wolves certainly do howl, it is till unknown why they howl at the moon. The wolf’s how is actually a form of communication. Wolves may howl as a form of making friends, or as a warning, or to indicate that they are last and need help. Is your dream wolf howling? If so, what emotions exist in the dream? Do you feel lost and in need of guidance, do you feel like you’ve lost your “pack”? Do you feel the need to let others know they are crossing your land? Or are you simply filled whit a sense of joy that can only be expressed in a howl?
Wolves can be experienced hunters, and often appear in folk stories as something harmless when in fact it is there to do great harm. Are there any wolves in sheep’s clothing in your life? Often we have intuition（直觉）about people or situations, feelings that these people or situations should be avoided, but we ignore them based on their harmless outer appearance. Wolves in dreams could be signs that there are hidden dangers in your life. Never ignore your intuition because it doesn’t make any sense. Your intuition exists to guide and protect you and it can discover a wolf  long before it removes its woolen suit.
60．Why does the author mention “Alaskan Wolf Hunting Festival” in the first paragraph?
A．to support the main idea of the text       B．to introduce the topic of the passage
C．to show his pity for the wolves       D．to prove wolves are getting more attention
61．What does “your inner world” refer to in the first paragraph?
A．hearts       B．feelings    C．thoughts  D．dreams
62．According to the text, wolves howl for the following reasons EXCETP       .
A．to communicate with other wolves   B．to ask for help
C．to share how they feel             D．to admire the moon
63．The passage is mainly about        .
A．wolves and their behaviours    B．explanations of people’s dreams
C．different types of wolf       D．hidden dangers in our dreams

In a world where comparisons happen non-stop, it is difficult to look outside yourself and to ever be content with who you are. There's always someone who's a bit better. The only solution is to reach inside and measure against what Warren Buffett calls your own inner yardstick. There is no more accurate measure for comparison than who you were yesterday, last week or last decade, when you were at your best.

Nothing useful ever comes from comparison to others. Either you see yourself as better than someone and you get lazy, or you see someone else as better than you and you feel like all your hard work is for nothing. It is a fool's game. None of us are inherently above or below the person next to us. We are who we are. Not one of us is exactly alike. The only direct and honest comparison is within yourself. Everything else is apples to oranges.

My opinion is that you are only allowed to compare yourself to someone else if their life situation is the same as your own. Good luck finding that match. And one thing is for sure. No matter how hard you work and how dedicated you are, there will always be someone who can run a little faster, jump a little higher, score a little better or look a little nicer in a swimsuit. And if there's not, you can bet someone is coming up fast behind you. So how can you always win in life? Become your best competitor.

The following are the reasons why you are your own best competitor.

1. You will always be motivated.

Having an image of your most recent past limits is the perfect thing to push you to the next level. If you ran 7 flights of stairs yesterday, then do 8 today. Who cares if the guy next to you did 15? It doesn't make a bit of difference. You are a more fit person today than you were yesterday. Your own progress is all you need.

2. You will continuously be your personal best.

If you commit to a slightly higher standard of yourself every day, you will always be at the top of your game. And that game will only get better. But if for some reason you fall off your mark, you will always have the past image of your best performance to show you what you're capable of. Once you've done it, you know what's possible and then it's just a matter of doing it again.

Through the passage the writer advises the readers to ________.

A. avoid comparison with others                 B. work much harder

C. pay attention to others’ progress                  D. make full use of motivation

If you want to be content with yourself, according to the author, you should ________.

A. see yourself better than others                B. measure accurately  

C. compare with yourself                           D. be honest with yourself

Which of the following is certain to happen according to the author?

A. Finding someone else who is in the same life situation as you are.

B. Finding someone who runs faster and jumps higher than you.

C. Finding someone who is hiding right behind you.

D. Finding someone who almost always wins in their life.

What can help you up to higher level in your life according to the passage?

A. Comparing yourself with the guy next to you.

B. Thinking about your own progress.

C. Promising to play a game every day.

D. Thinking of your most recent past limits.