Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy lean? It leans because of a mistake. It has leaned almost since the day the tower was built.
In 1173, the people of Pisa, Italy, wanted to build a bell tower. They wanted the tower to be the most beautiful bell tower in all of Italy. The city also needed a bell tower because the church did not have one.
However, there was a problem. As soon as the first floor of the building was finished, the tower started to lean. Builders tried to make the building straight again as they added more floors, but they couldn’t figure out how to make it stop leaning.
It took almost 180 years to finish the tower. Since then, the tower has leaned by another millimeter every year. Today, the Leaning Tower has eight floors and is 54.5 meters tall. By 1990, it was leaning by about 4 meters to one side. It was also slowly sinking into the ground. Many people became worried that it would soon fall apart.
In 1998, repair works began on the tower, and by the end of 2001, it had been moved back by 45 centimeters. The tower will still lean, however, so it will need to be repaired again---in another 200 years.
【小题1】why did the people of  Pisa want to build the tower?

A．They needed a new church

B．They wanted to build the tallest tower in Tower

C．They needed a bell tower.

D． They wanted to build a leaning tower.

【小题2】When did the tower begin to lean?

A．from the first day it was built	B．after the first floor was built
C．after the last floor was built	D．180 years after it was built

【小题3】When was the tower finished?

A．in 1173

B．in 1180

C．in 1353

D．in 1474

【小题4】Before being repaired,, the tower leaned every year by another _______

A．1 millimeter

B．45 centimeters

C．54.5 millimeters

D．4 meters

【小题5】Which of the following is NOT true about the tower?

A．It was sinking into the ground

B．People were worried it might fall apart

C．It was repaired between 1990 and 1998.

D．It will need to be repaired again in 200 years.

In white shirt, blue pants, black cloth shoes and two pigtails (辫子), Jingqiu gives off an air of great “pure beauty” in Zhang Yimou’s new movie Under the Hawthom Tree.《山揸树之恋》

The film tells the story of the sad romance of Jingqiu and a handsome young man named Laosan. Set at the end of the “cultural revolution” (1966-1976), the pair manage to fall in love although they come form different political environments.

Before it was released, moviegoers speculated (推测) on just what this “pure beauty” could be. Director Zhang complained of how long it had taken him to find the right girl for the part of Jingqiu—a character so innocent that she believes simply lying on the same bed with a man will make her pregnant.

It was 18-year-old Zhou Dongyu who stood out from the crowd. According to Zhang, Zhou has “eyes that are clear like a fountain on a mountainside”. Born of an ordinary worker’s family, the Shijiazhuang girl was in her final year of high school and working hard for a place in an art college.

While some teenagers consider such “pure beauty” illusory (虚幻的), others believe that it speaks of something soulful.

Purity is all about the innocence that shines through from within, thinks 16-year-old Tan Mengxi of Nanjing.

“Being pure can be simple, not having complicated thoughts and being inexperienced. However, it doesn’t mean an ignorant or naive (天真的) person. So, a person is pure in his or her nature if he or she is always enthusiastic and able to deal with difficult matters independently. This purity doesn’t pass with time,” she said.

1. What image does Jingqiu give to audiences in the movie Under the Hawthorn Tree?

    A. A simple girl.           B. A pure girl.         C. A romantic girl.         D. A silent girl.

2. What kind of girl looks pure according to the passage?

    A. A girl in red shirt, blue pants, black leather shoes and two pigtails.

    B. A girl has eyes that are clear like a fountain on a mountainside.

    C. A girl who was born into an ordinary worker’s family.

    D. A girl wears accessories and make-up.

3. What’s the opinion of Tan Mengxi about purity?

    A. It is of whether someone is ignorant or naive.

    B. Being pure can be simple, not having complicated thoughts and being inexperienced.

    C. It is of whether someone is always enthusiastic.

    D. Purity is a matter of internal quality and doesn’t pass with time.

4. Which do you think is the best title for the passage?

    A. What makes a pure girl?

    B. A debate on the movie Under the Hawthorn Tree

    C. Opinions on the character Jingqiu

    D. It’s hard to find the character Jingqiu

5. When did the story in the movie happen？

    A. In the 1960s             B. In the 1980s

    C. In the 1970s             D. In the 1990s.

 

 

In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the film-maker Walter Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney’s cartoon film for children. When Walter Disney heard Nash’s voice, he said, “Stop! That’s our duck!”

The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film, The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat and worn his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year he became a star after an eight minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audiences liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very easily. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey’s eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn’t a goody-goody, like Mickey.

In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational film about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared—there were no more new cartoons.

   Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today’s children can still see the old cartoons on the television and hear that famous voice.

1.

 Who made Donald Duck cartoons?

　 A. Mickey Mouse.          B. Clarence Nash.

　 C. Walter Disney.       D. Pluto.

2.

When did the first Donald Duck film appear?

　 A. In 1933     B. In 1934     C. In 1966     D. In 1965

3.

Who was Clarence Nash?

　 A. A cartoonist.         B. A writer.　

 C. A film maker.          D. The man who made the voice for Donald Duck.

4.

Why did people like Donald better than Mickey Mouse?

　 A. Probably because he was lazy and greedy.　 B. Probably because he wasn’t a goody—goody like Mickey.

　 C. Probably because he lost his temper very easily.

　 D. Probably because he became angry with Mickey’s eight nephews.

 

On the night of May 9, 2011, musician Gao Xiaosong ran his car into three other cars in Beijing.
But it wasn’t just a car accident—he was drunk(喝醉的).
Now, Gao has to go to prison (监狱) for six months and pay a 4,000 yuan fine.
Gao is the first star to be punished under China’s new drunk driving law.
From May 1 on, drunk drivers will pay a fine, and be banned from driving for five years or even forever.
Drunk driving has become a serious social problem in China.According to the Ministry of Public Security (公安部), police caught more than half a million drunk drivers last year, a 68 % increase from 2009.
The new law sees drunk driving as a crime.
In the West, drunk driving is also a crime. In the US, for example, if the police catch a drunk driver, the driver will pay a fine, lose his or her license (驾照) and even go to prison. If the driver wants to drive again, he or she must do public service, and take part in educational programs.
You may think: drunk driving is a crime? Isn’t this law too unkind? But experts say, “Not at all.”
“It is to protect people’s rights to life and health,” Li Gang, lawyer in Chengdu, told China Daily. “Drunk driving is very dangerous. No matter what the results are, it should not be allowed.”
【小题1】Mr. Gao ran his car into three other cars because _________.

A．there was something wrong with his car

B．he went home too late

C．he drank too much wine

D．the road was too crowded

【小题2】What does the underlined word “fine” in the third paragraph refer to(指)?

A．Health.

B．Traffic.

C．Weather.

D．Money.

【小题3】When did the new law come into use?

A．On May 1, 2010.

B．On May 1, 2011.

C． On May 1, 2009

D．On May 9, 2011.

【小题4】What do experts think of the new law?

A．Drunk driving is a crime.

B．The law is not kind to drunk drivers.

C．Driving has become a serious problem.

D．The law is too strict.

【小题5】 Which of the following sentence is TRUE?

A．Li Gang from Chengdu doesn’t like the law.

B．In the US, drunk drivers will only lose their licenses.

C．There were more drunk drivers in 2010 than in 2009.

D．The law is to protect drivers’ rights to life and health only.

When my son, Mark, was in the third grade, he saved all his pocket money for over three months to buy holiday presents. The third Saturday in December Mark said he had made his list and had twenty dollars in his pocket.
I drove him to a nearby supermarket. Mark picked up a hand basket and went in while I waited and watched in the car. It took Mark over 45 minutes to choose his presents. Finally he came to the checkout counter (交款处) and reached into his pocket for his money. It was not there! There was a hole in his pocket, but no money. Mark stood there holding his basket, tears falling down his face.
Then a surprising thing happened. A woman came up to Mark and took him in her arms. "You would help me a lot if you let me pay for you," said the woman. "It would be the most wonderful gift you could give me. I only ask that one day you will pass it on. When you grow up, I  would like you to find someone you can help. When you help others, 1 know you will feel as good about it as I do now."
Mark took the money, dried his tears and ran back to the checkout counter as fast as he could. That year we all enjoyed our gifts almost as much as Mark enjoyed giving them to us.
I would like to say ’"thank you" to that very kind woman, and tell her that four years later, Mark went house to house collecting blankets (毯子) and clothes for the homeless people in the fire. And I want to promise her that Mark will never forget to keep passing it on.
【小题1】When did the story probably happen?

A．On Christmas Day.	B．Before Christmas Day,
C．On New Year’s Day.	D．After New Year’s Day.

【小题2】Why did the writer want to say ’’thank you" to the woman?

A．Because she bought Mark a nice present.

B．Because she always paid money for others.

C．Because she collected clothes for the homeless.

D．Because she taught Mark to help people in need.

【小题3】What’s the best title for this passage?

A．A big supermarket	B．A kind woman
C．A happy family	D．A wonderful gift