Beijing Opera is also called Peking Opera. It came into being after 1790 when the famous four Anhui opera troupes(戏班) came to Beijing. Its music and singing(唱腔) come from Xipi and Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei. Its costumes are all fascinating and artistic. It is the highest expression of the Chinese culture. It’s full of famous stories, beautiful facial paintings, and wonderful gestures and fighting. This kind of opera is very popular with Chinese people.
There are four main roles in Beijing Opera: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. Sheng is the leading male(男性) actor. For example, a Wusheng is a soldier or fighter. A Xiaosheng is a young man. A Laosheng is an old man. Dan is the female(女性) role. Jing, mostly male, is the face-painted role and Chou is the comedy actor or clown.
Stories in Beijing Opera are very interesting. Some of them are from the history book, but most of them are from the literature, especially famous novels. The people in the story usually have some disagreements. They become angry and unhappy. They are sad and lonely. Sometimes they are nervous and worried. Then they find a way to make peace. The stories usually end with happiness and laughter and people are all happy in the end.
小题1:Beijing Opera’s singing is from ____________.

A．Anhui and Hubei	B．Beijing and Anhui
C．the history book	D．the literature and novels

小题2:The second paragraph of the reading is about the _________ of Beijing Opera.

A．stories

B．roles

C．gestures

D．paintings

小题3:From the reading, we know the role Chou most probably has a (n) _________ feature.

A．honest

B．funny

C．dull

D．serious

小题4:Which of the following is the role Sheng?

A．

B．

C．

D．

小题5:Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Peking Opera is full of different gestures.

B．There are only four roles in Beijing Opera.

C．Beijing Opera is the most popular in the world.

D．The people in the story usually are in agreement.

In China, very few children make pocket money,      , in western countries, most kids make pocket money bythemselves. They make money in many different      . When kids are very young, their parents help them sell the fruitsof their own trees to neighbours. Kids may also help      do housework to make money at home. When they      sixteen, they can make money by sending newspapers or by working in fast food restaurants,       during the summerholidays.
There are many      of making pocket money by kids themselves. First of all, they learn the       of money byworking hard so that they will not waste any. Secondly, they learn to       money to buy things they need or want, suchas books, pencils, movies and even clothes they like. Thirdly, they learn to      the daily life problems by helping theirparents or others. Making pocket money is        for children when they grow up. That is why parents encourage theirkids to make pocket money.

小题1:	A．Also B．Anyway C． However D．Besides

小题2:	A．ways B．levels C． homes D．countries

小题3:	A．teachers B．friends C． parents D．neighbours

小题4:	A．get B．have C． catch D．reach

小题5:	A．really B．hardly C． properly D．especially

小题6:	A．choices B．advantages C． problems D．lessons

小题7:	A．fun B．value C． message D．purpose

小题8:	A．count B．waste C．manage D．change

小题9:	A．give up B．look up C． deal with D．meet with

小题10:A.helpful R. careful  C.  beautiful   D. successful

National parks are large of areas of public land . They give a safe home for local plants and animal . They help keep the air and water clean . They also give us the best trips . Today ,there are nearly 7，000 national parks around  the world . Forbes has listed 12 of the most beautiful ones in the world that will surprise  you with their  amazing landscape ,geographic wonders and colorful plants and animals .
The Grand Canyon National Park of the US is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World . It is best known for its size and depth . It is 446 kilometers long ,up to 29 kilometers wide ,and 1. 6 kilometers deep . The immensity of the canyon makes people think big . Every year ,about 5million people visit here . Taking a tour in the South Rim offers vistors the park’s full views,while the North Rim shows beautiful wild flowers .
If you love animals ,you’ll like the Serrengeti Natinoal Park in Tanzania . The “Big Five ”live here . They are the lion . African elephant ,African leopard ,black rhinoce and African buffalo . The name  “Big Five ”came from the five animals that were the hardest to catch . Now they are what people most want to see in the wild . If you visit the park ,you should never miss the migration of over 1. 5million wildebeests and 250，000 zebras every year. This is the most famous site of the park .
小题1:Which is NOT right about national parks according to Paragraph 1?

A．Anational park is public land that covers a large area.

B．Wild plants and animals are protected in national parks.

C．Forbes has listed twelve of the world’s largest national parks.

D．National parks are attractive because of their natural beauty.

小题2:The underlined word“immensity”refered to_______.

A．great size

B．natural wonder

C．colorful view

D．unusual beauty

小题3:______kinds of animals are mentioned in the passage.

A．Five

B．Six

C．Seven

D．Eight

小题4:The best title for the passage may be “_______”.

A．Taking a tour in the Grand Canyon

B．Travelling to the Serengeti National Park

C．Seven National Wonders of the World

D．Stepping into the wonders of the wildlife

小题5:If the writer continues the article ,he would most likely write about _______.

A．ways to keep the air and water clean

B．more national parks in the world

C．his wonderful trip to the Grand Canyone

D．famous historic wonders in Africa

What opinions did experts have about movements and transportation throughout history?
Take a look.
 
 
小题1:Which of the following experts was a science fiction writer?

A．Lord Kelvin

B．Lee Deforest

C．Leonardo da Vinci

D．Jules, Verne

小题2: Leonardo da Vinci’s opinion was that _________.

A．airplanes would never fly

B．no person would ever reach the moon

C．people would fly in a machine with an overhead propeller

D．people would be able to travel under water in airtight ships

小题3: How many experts’ opinion proved right according to the passage?

A．One

B．Two

C．Three

D．Four

World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. Life changed for everybody, including women and children because of the war. Millions of people lost their lives during the war. The Diary of a Young Girl was a record of that time. The book was written by a girl named Anne Frank.
Anne Frank was born in Germany in June 1929. Because the German Nazi(纳粹分子) hated the Jews(犹太人) and warned to kill them, her family had to move to another country. In July 1942, they went into hiding in a secret place in her father's office. During that difficult time, Anne kept writing diaries until she and her family were discovered by the Nazis in August 1944. They were caught and sent to a Nazi camp. The next year, her mother died. In the same year, she and her elder sister died of illness, before the war ended.
After the war, her father collected her diaries and the book The Diary of a Young Girl came out in 1947. It has been put into over 30 languages since then. The book has been read by people all over the world. In her diary, Anne wrote down her thoughts, her feelings, her hopes and her dreams for the future, "I want the diary to be my friend, and I'm going to call this friend Kitty." "I can't spend all day complaining because it's impossible to have any fun! ... Every day, I feel the beauty of nature and the goodness of the people around me. With all that, why should 1 be sad?"
The Diary of a Young Girl has also become a symbol of the greatness of the human spirit. It is called one of the wisest and most moving records on war.
小题1:In which year did Anne die of illness?

A．In 1939.

B．In 1942.

C．In 1944.

D．In 1945.

小题2: According to the passage, "Kitty" is ________.

A．her diary

B．her elder sister

C．her mother

D．her hiding place

小题3:Which of the following is true?

A．Anne was lazy, sad and complained all day.

B．The book is mainly about Anne's school life.

C．Anne loved life though she was in difficult time.

D．The book has been put into nearly 30 languages.

小题4: From the passage, we can infer(推断) ________.

A．Anne was born in Germany	B．Anne was a Jew
C．Anne's father collected the diaries	D．Anne was a Nazi

Naturally, American schoolchildren love holidays. And they get a lot of them each year.
Besides having national holidays such as Thanksgiving and Presidents’ Day off from school, students get longer breaks in the spring and during the summer holidays .In fact, kids in US only go to school for about 180 days a year .To students, holidays are perfect .However, parents think there are advantages and disadvantages.
On the one hand, school holidays allow families to spend time together. Many American parents take time off from work during June ,July or August to travel with their children on vacation either in US or a foreign country. On the other hand, schoolchildren get much more time off school than parents get vacation time. This means that parents with young children may have to pay more in babysitting or daycare costs. As well, the long summer holidays mean that students sometimes get bored .
Besides going on trips with their parents, American students enjoy taking part in different kinds of activities during the holidays. For example, some kids enjoy summer camps and outdoor adventure(冒险) holidays. Such trips are great for adventurous students. They also have a lot to offer students who aren’t usually interested in traditional PE activities. You can do courses in survival(生存) skills, for example. Students learn how to make a camp in the forest, which wild food they can eat and how to find their way back to the center.
Students who are not excited about summer camps and outdoor adventure may take part in courses in computer game design, filmmaking and photography during the holidays. Finally, the traditional school trip to foreign countries is always popular. Students can practice their foreign language skills and experience everyday life in a different culture.
小题1:How long are kids in the US at school every year?

A．About 180 days .	B．About 280 days .
C．About 200 days .	D．About 300 days .

小题2: What does the underlined word “They” refer to in the third paragraph?

A．Some kids.	B．Different traditional PE activities
C．Parents	D．Summer camps and outdoor adventure.

小题3:Which of the following is ture ?

A．Both parents and students think school holidays are perfect.

B．Parents can take care of their young children during all the holidays.

C．Students enjoy taking part in different kinds of activities during holidays.

D．Students don’t like to have school trips to foreign countries during holidays.

小题4:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．School Trips in the US.	B．School Holidays in the US.
C．School activities in the US.	D．Outdoor Adventure in the US

Naturally ,American schoolchildren love holidays .And they get a lot of them each year .Besides having national holidays such as Thanksgiving and Presidents; Day off from school ,students get longer breaks in the US only go to school for about 180 days a year.To students ,holidays are perfect .However ,parents think there are advantages and disadvantages .
On the one hand ,school holidays allow families to spend time together .Many American parents take time off from work during June,July or august to travel with their children on vacations either in the US or in a foreign country .On the other hand ,schoolchildren get much more time off school than parents get vacation for an time.This means that parents with young children may have to pay more in the babysitting or day care coats.As well ,the long summer holidays mean that students sometimes get bored.
Besides going on trips with their parents ,American students enjoy taking part in different kind s of activities during the holidays .For example ,some kids enjoy summer camps and outdoor adventure holidays .Such trips are great  adventurous students .They  also have a lot to offer students who aren’t usually interested in traditional PE activities .ou can do courses in survival skills ,for example .Students learn how to make a camp in the forest ,which wild food they can eat and how to find their way to make a camp in the forest,which wild food they can eat and how to find their way back to the center.
Students who are not excited about summer camps and outdoor adventure may take part in courses in computer game design ,film making and photography  during the holidays .Finally ,the traditional school trip to foreign countries is always popular .Students can practice their foreign language skills and experience every day life in a different culture.
小题1:How long are kids in the US at school every year?
About 180 days     B.About 280 days
C.About 200 days   D.About 300 days
小题2:What does the underlined “they “refer to in the third paragraph?

A．Some kids	B．Different traditional PE activities
C．Parents	D．Summer camps and adventures

小题3:Which of the following is true ?

A．Both parents and students think school holidays are perfect.

B．Parents can take care of their young kinds of activities

C．Students enjoy taking part in different kinds of activities during holidays .

D．Students don;t like to have school trips to foreign counties during holidays .

小题4:What would be the best title for the passage ?

A．School Trips in the US .	B．school Holidays in the US .
C．School Activities in the US.	D．Outdoor adventure in the US

This is an online discussion group where people can post(发布) comments about a topic.
Read the post from the travel forum(论坛).

Answers To All Your travel
Jun, Korea(韩国) Posted, 5 days ago	Question: First trip to the USA For my new job, I will travel to the United States next month and meet my American boss. This will be my first trip there. I’m worried about correct business behavior and manners. My boss invited me to his home for dinner. Do you have any advice?
Sue, Miami Posted, 3 days ago	Re: First trip to the USA It’s a good idea to bring a small gift or something from your country. Don’t be surprised if your boss opens the gift right away. In the USA, people often open a gift when they receive it. In Korea, that is not polite, but it’s common in the USA.
Sam, Los Angeles Posted, 2 days ago	Re: First trip to the USA Americans use their hands to eat some kinds of food, such as pizza and fried chicken. Watch your American hosts, and do what they do.
Kathryn, New York Posted, 12 hours ago	Re: First trip to the USA In Korea and Japan, it’s the custom to remove your shoes before entering a house. In the United States, you usually don’t take your shoes off. Once I was travelling in Japan and entered a house with my shoes on by mistake. Oops!
Lee, Korea Posted, 2 hours ago	Re: First trip to the USA Many Americans are very informal（非正式的）at home. One time I went to an American business partner’s home for dinner, I was surprised that everyone stood and talked in the kitchen while the husband and wife were cooking dinner. Besides, unlike in Korea, everyone took part in the dinner table conversation, even the man’s wife and children.
Andrew, Washington Posted, 1 hour ago	Re: First trip to the USA I agree with Lee. You probably won’t speak about business during dinner, so my advice is to know some   topics of conversation. For example, you can talk about travel, food, music, or sports. But you’d better not question about age.

小题1: Jun posted a question in the forum, because _______.

A．he got a new job

B．he would meet his boss

C．his boss invited him to his home for dinner

D．he wanted to know business behavior and manners in the USA

小题2: What’s the meaning of the underlined word “remove”?

A．开除

B．移开

C．脱下

D．去掉

小题3:If you are invited to an American friend’s home, it’s NOT polite to________.

A．bring a small gift from your country	B．open the gift right away
C．enter the house with your shoes on	D．ask a person’s age

小题4: If you go to your American boss’s home for dinner, you _______.

A．shouldn’t use your hands to eat fried chicken

B．can’t stand and talk in the kitchen while the host is cooking

C．can’t talk with all the family members

D．probably won’t speak about business

小题5: We can know from the online discussion that ________.

A．different countries have different customs

B．Japanese have the similar customs with Americans

C．everyone may take part in the dinner table conversation in Korea

D．only people from Korea and America can answer Jun’s question

Libraries give kids a quiet and safe place to read and learn. For over 100 years, libraries have played an important role in Americans’ education. But how are these book-filled buildings changing with the times? You may be surprised to find out.
Benjamin Franklin famously founded (创建) America’s first lending library in 1731. But the public library system got its biggest development in the American history in the late 1800’s. Businessman Andrew Carnegie donated millions of dollars to help build free public libraries across the country. Between 1886 and 1919, Carnegie’s donations helped build 1,679 new libraries.
Carnegie believed that libraries could offer the chances to Americans, young and old. He knew that the more libraries there were, the more people would have opportunities to read and use books, speeches and news. 
If you can easily find a public library in your community(社区), you’ll get more chances. After all, the United States has 9,225 public libraries. Today, libraries keep growing. Seven tenths of the libraries have free Internet. It provides much more information and opportunities to ask for jobs online.
Libraries are also teaching kids about the fun of reading. The new program Read! Build! Play! adds reading into playtime. As kids listen to a book that is being read aloud, they use Legos (乐高积木) to build images(图像) from the story happily. Today’s libraries are always looking for creative programs to bring people into the library.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “The doors of wisdom(智慧) are never shut.” As long as the doors of public libraries are open, what he said is most certainly correct!
小题1: Benjamin Franklin founded the first lending library in _______.

A．1731

B．1800

C．1886

D．1919

小题2:How many public libraries have free Internet now?

A．2767.

B．6458.

C．9225.

D．1679.

小题3:The right order of the following statements is ______ .
①The public library system in America developed fast.
②The first lending library was founded.
③ Libraries provide information and chances to ask for job online.
④ Libraries try to bring people into the library by using creative programs.

A．②①③④

B．②③④①

C．③④①②

D．①②③④

小题4: The last paragraph mainly tells us_________.

A．libraries have played an important role in Americans’ education

B．public libraries in the US should never close the doors

C．the writer doesn’t agree with Benjamin Franklin

D．libraries help people to open the doors of wisdom

小题5: The best title for the passage is _______.

A．the libraries in the world

B．libraries and opportunities

C．libraries teach kids to read and learn

D．the development of the American libraries

Akuapem is in the eastern part of Ghana. The sun there shines all the time. The local people are very friendly and hospitable(好客的). Now let’s have a look at how 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, because the host assumes that the visitor must have come from a very long journey and need water. 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 Akuapem people think the left hand is not clean.
Next, the visitor is asked how his journey was and why he has come. While the conversation is going on, the wife and the children, especially girls, are preparing food for the visitor. The visitor can choose his favorite food. After the visitor finishes eating, the host and the visitor go on with their conversation. Usually this is short one because the visitor is getting ready to say goodbye.
When the visitor is leaving, he is often given some food. 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.
Whether he is a close friend or just a stranger, this is always how friendly Akuapem people receive a visitor.
小题1:The underlined word “assumes” here probably means “   ”.

A．thinks

B．remembers .

C．disagrees

D．follows

小题2:Which of the following is TRUE to the passage?

A．The host talks little with the visitor.

B．The child accompanies the visitor to the gate of the house.

C．The host offers the visitor a seat only.

D．The visitor takes some food with him when he leaves.

小题3: From the passage we know that Akuapem people are         .

A．noisy

B．friendly

C．impolite

D．quiet