Six Chinese Characters
Dear students,  our country has a long history.  Chinese characters usually have more than one meaning and some of them are particularly loved by Chinese people.  Here are the top six lucky ones.  Please note we use "pinyin" here because "pinyin" is the Chinese spelling system for the characters. For example, "fu" is the "pinyin" for good luck in Chinese.  "pinyin" "fu" is only the phonic   (语音的 )  part of the character and if you want to know the meaning of good luck "fu",  you must read the Chinese character福 because "fu" also represents  (代表)  other Chinese characters that sound the same.
1.福  "fu" means blessing,  good fortune,  good luck. Chinese character福 "fu" is one of the most popular ones used during Chinese New Year. It is often displayed upside down on the front door of a house or an apartment.  The upside down福"fu" means good luck comes since the character for upside down in Chinese sounds the same as the character for "come".
2.禄 "Iu" means prosperity.
It is used to mean official's salary(薪水 ) in feudal (封建的 ) China.
3. 寿 "shou" means longevity.
Chinese character寿  "shou" also means life,  age or birthday.
4.喜 "xi" is happiness.
The doubled character喜 "xi" means double happiness. It is usually displayed everywhere at Chinese weddings.
5.财  "cai" is wealth or money.
Chinese often say "money can make a ghost turn a millstone". It is to say money really can do a lot of things. But, still-money can’t buy everything.
6.和  "he" means harmomous.
People's harmony is an important part of Chinese culture. When you have harmomous
relations with others,   things will be a lot easier for you.
小题1: What does the word "character" mean in this passage?

A．性格

B．汉字

C．角色

D．特征

小题2:We use              to show how to read the Chinese characters.

A．"pinyin"	B．spelling
C．Chinese	D．letters

小题3: What does the upside down福  "fu" mean?

A． It means coming .

B． It means that good luck comes .

C．It means good fortune.

D．It means that "fu" is upside down.

小题4:Which sentence is right according to the passage?

A．Money is a ghost.

B．Money can buy everything.

C．Money is everything.

D．Money isn’t everything.

小题5: After reading the passage,  can we say that sound "he" only means harmony?

A．No, we can't.	B．Yes, we can.
C．I know several words read as "he".	D．Yes, you can.

Fashion is       of culture. the Tang costume stands        Chinese history and fashion culture. It       Tang costume when China became known to other countries         the Han and Tang dynasties. From then on, people called Chinese clothes Tang costumes .
Chinese fashion is not only different from western fashion,        from that in other Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. The beautiful silk knots and the other decorations on Tang style clothes are popular all over the         now
Today people can  design the Tang costume as          formal or casual clothes . it         both the wearer's personal style and         rich traditional culture. So we say the Tang costume is very        and very different from western-style suits.
小题1:A. filled  B. full C. made
小题2:A.for  B. to   C. in
小题3:A. was called  B. is called    C.call
小题4:A. before  B. among    C. during
小题5:A. and also    B. but also C. and
小题6:A. world   B. country  C. nation
小题7:A. either  B. neither  C. both
小题8:A. express B. expressed    C. expresses
小题9:A. Japan’s    B. Korea’s C. China’s
小题10:A. interesting    B. attractive   C. new

Do you know something about the Akuapem people? They live in eastern Ghana (加纳), where the sunshine hugs all the time. They are very friendly. Now let’s have a look at how the Akuapem people receive a visitor.
A visitor is often welcomed warmly in a family of Akuapem. After the visitor is welcomed into the house, he is offered a seat and water at the very beginning, for the host (主人) thinks that the visitor must have come from a very long trip and is in need of water. Then the host family greet the visitor by saying “Akwaaba.” More interestingly, if there is a group of visitors, the host will greet the visitors from right to left. And the host shakes only with his right hand, because the left hand is regarded dirty according to the Akuapem people.
Next, the visitor is asked how his trip was and why he has come. While the conversation is going on, the wife and children, especially girls, are cooking food for the visitor. The visitor can choose the food. After the visitor has finished eating, the host and the visitor continue their conversation. Usually this is a short one since the visitor is getting ready to say goodbye.
When the visitor is leaving, he is often given some food to take along. He is also accompanied (陪伴) by one of the children to the nearest station. The child who accompanies the visitor will not come back home until the visitor leaves safely.
No matter if he is a close friend or just a passer-by (过路人), this is always the way that the friendly Akuapem people receive a visitor.
B）阅读表达。阅读第I卷第三大题D篇短文，根据短文内容回答下列问题。（共5小题，计10分）
小题1:What is the visitor offered at first by the family of Akuapem?
______________________________________________________________
小题2:Why does the host shake only with his right hand?
______________________________________________________________
小题3:Who are cooking food while the host is chatting with the visitor?
______________________________________________________________
小题4:When will the child who accompanies the visitor to the station come back home?
______________________________________________________________
小题5:What does the article mainly talk about？
______________________________________________________________

May Day is the day when we celebrate the end of winter and the arrival of spring. It’s a time of new life, with new leaves on the trees and wildflowers growing in the woods and fields. On that day, children in Britain and other parts of Europe often make May baskets and hang them on a neighbor’s door as a gift of love and friendship.
Here are the steps of making this kind of basket.
Step 1  Food paper into a cone(圆锥形) and stick it to keep the shape.
Step 2  Cut top of the cone with scissors.
Step 3  Make two holes on opposite sides of the cone. Leave 5cm form the top.
Step 4  Pass ribbon(彩带) through holes and tie it to create a basket handle.
Step 5  Fill your basket with different kinds of flowers.
根据以上制作步骤重新排列A、B、C、D四副图片的顺序，并将其编号填入小题中。

Why do children in Europe make May baskets? Because they want to ____.

Bookstores are second homes for readers. Although many people can now buy books online, many readers still like the feeling in bookstores. They can touch(触摸) the books and smell the print.
In China, there are many special bookstores. Sanlian Taofen Bookstore became the first 24-hour bookstore in Beijing at the beginning of April. Popular Holdings in Shanghai is a film-themed bookstore. It has film books and posters. Eslite Bookstore in Taiwan often has activities like talks with famous writers.
At the same time, bookstores outside China can be very colorful, too. Scarthin Books is a small bookstore in the UK. It sells new and second-hand books. There are more than 100,000 books lying on the shelves of the store’s 12 rooms. Bart’s Books in the US is a good place to enjoy the sunshine(阳光) while reading books. It’s an outdoor bookstore. Bookshelves are on the street. When the store is closed, people can still buy books. They just put money into the door’s coin box. Where can you find a café, bar and bookstore in just one place? The answer is probably El Pendulo in Mexico. Books line(排列成行) the walls of the store. On the second floor, visitors can order everyday meals in the café and drinks from the bar. In order to keep cool, there are green plants and trees inside. Does it look like a park?

小题1:______ special bookstores inside China are mentioned(提到) in the passage.

A．2	B．3
C．5	D．6

小题2:Scarthin Books is ______.

A．a 24-hour bookstore	B．an outdoor bookstore
C．in the US	D．small

小题3: People can still buy books at ______ when it’s closed.

A．Bart’s Books	B．Popular Holdings
C．Eslite Bookstore	D．El Pendulo

小题4: Readers can ______ at El Pendulo.

A．talk with famous writers	B．order meals
C．enjoy the sunshine	D．buy film posters

小题5: There are ______ inside El Pendulo in order to keep cool.

A．12 rooms	B．bookshelves
C．green plants and trees	D．coin boxes

Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules, planning your next move, acting as a team member------these are all “game” ideas that you will have throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Some games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dreams that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and teamwork.
Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as adults. For example, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones. It can be very helpful to exercise their hands and eyes, which is needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in the friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for a whole country, not just the athlete who has got it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that brings people together. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it------some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He set up an organization which can provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a hopeful future.
Next time, when you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in your life.
小题1:The underlined part “translate life into exciting dreams” in Paragraph 2 most probably
means that games can ________.

A．describe life in an exciting way

B．turn real-life experiences into a play

C．change people’s views of sporting events

D．teach children something useful and important

小题2:What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The whole country.

B．The gold medal.

C．The event.

D．The game.

小题3:According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?

A．It means a lot for a whole country.

B．It proves how excellent the winners are.

C．It helps the country out of natural disasters.

D．It brings the winners satisfaction and money.

小题4:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．The most famous games are the Olympic Games.

B．People around the world play soccer just for fun.

C．The game called bones can be helpful to the Arabian children.

D．Nicolette Iribarne gives poor children a chance for a better life.

小题5:What is the passage mainly about?

A．The popular games.

B．Games and real life.

C．The advantages of games.

D．Children’s games and the future.

Imagine the situation. You are driving along a desert or on a mountain. You have no idea where you are. You passed the last house two hours ago. Then your car breaks down.   小题1: You have no mobile phone. What should you do? Well, next time take a GPS with you. This invention may be able to help you.   小题2:  It can find your position to within 20 metres. A GPS cannot start your car, but at least you will know where you are.
GPS, which means Global Positioning System, is a small radio receiver. It looks like a mobile phone.  小题3:  We also find GPS devices in cars, planes, or boats. Some of these devices have electronic maps, so you know where you are.   小题4:
Some people think that in the future the GPS will be as common as the mobile.   小题5:  here are also new uses for the GPS. Perhaps they will become like watches. Everyone will have one and you will never be lost again.

A:It is a device(装置) which uses satellites to find the user’s position. B: For example, in a city they can tell you the name of the street. C:It is night and it is cold. D: There are three parts to the Global Positioning System. E: You can hold it in your hand, or put in your pocket. F:They are becoming cheaper and more and more accurate(精确的).

       Mary loved small animals. One morning while she was walking in the forest, she found           weak birds in the grass. She took them home and put them in a small cage (笼子). She cared them with love and the birds both grew      . They thanked her   a wonderful song every morning.
But something happened one day. Mary left the door of the      open. The larger bird flew from the cage. She thought that it would       . As it flew close, she grasped (紧抓) it. She was very excited to catch it.        she felt strange. She opened her hand and looked sadly at the       bird. Her great love had killed the bird!
The other bird was moving back and forth (来回) in the cage. Mary could       its great need for freedom (自由). It wanted to fly into the clear and blue             . At once, Mary took the bird      the cage and let it fly away. The bird circled once, twice, three times…
小题1:A. some              B. several                C. two
小题2:A. small             B. strong                 C. thin
小题3:A. with                 B. for                C. about
小题4:A. house             B. room             C. cage
小题5:A. come back       B. die out                C. fly away
小题6:A. Suddenly             B. Usually           C. Easily
小题7:A. living          B. interesting            C. dead
小题8:A. take                 B. feel               C. say
小题9:A. river                B. trees              C. sky
小题10:A. out of           B. out from           C. away of

India is next to China. Like China, India is a developing Asian country. They have a lot in common. They are both big countries with different languages and different kinds of food. They both have a lot of farmers and are both the fastest growing countries in the world.
The two countries both do well in IT business. China is strong in hardware while India is strong in software. Indian software business has been growing very fast since the 1990s. Today India sells software and services to nearly 95 countries around the world.
In the coming years, China and India have similar problems. Both of them have a large population. China has about 1.3 billion people and India has about 1 billion. That’s one-third of the world’s population. The two countries need to keep growing fast provide jobs for billions of people every year.
小题1:China and India have a lot in common Except that      .

A．they are both big countries

B．they both have the same culture

C．they have different languages

D．they are both the fastest growing countries

小题2:What does India sells to many countries around the world today?

A．Software.	B．Televisions.
C．Computers.	D．Hardware.

小题3:There are about       people in China and India in all.

A．1 billion	B．1.3 billion
C．1.4 billion	D．2.3 billion

小题4:What do China and India need to provide for their people every year?

A．Food.	B．Cars.
C．Jobs.	D．Houses

小题5:Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Both China and India are Asian countries.

B．China has more people than India.

C．India is very strong in hardware.

D．One-third of the people in the world live in China and India.

Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.
In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on December 31st-January 1st. People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal（正式的）clothes, and the may drink champagne（香槟）at midnight. During the first minutes of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the new year by waking up early to watch the sun rise. They welcome the new wear with the first light of the sunrise.
Many cultures also do special things to get rid of（摆脱）bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh（重新）. Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.
Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year’s Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the tear. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck-but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them!
小题1: The reading is mainly about_____.

A．the meaning of “Happy New Year!”

B．several different New Year traditions

C．what to eat on New Year’s Day

D．why people dress up nicely on New Year’s Day

小题2: It’s clear that_____.

A．some cultures celebrate New Year in the morning

B．the Western people celebrate New Year only on New Year’s Day

C．people in Ecuador go to parties on December 31st-January 1st

D．no cultures do special things to celebrate New Year

小题3:In some cultures, people throw things into rivers or oceans to_____.

A．bring good luck	B．keep away bad luck
C．forget everything	D．plan for the next year

小题4:To have a happy new year,_____.

A．friends talk to each other in special ways

B．families make big dolls filled with old clothes

C．some people get up early to watch the sunrise

D．Europeans eat 365 grapes on New Year’s Day

小题5: When eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, people think_____.

A．one pea brings one day of luck

B．black-eyed peas are the best medicine

C．the peas are too black and taste bad

D．the peas are helpful to count numbers