The world's first subway was built in London in 1863. at the time, the government was looking for a
way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with
people that it was almost impossible for hore carriages to get around. The city officials were interested
in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of Londin and travel easily to work each day. If
people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to get to and from work, they would
settle down outside of the city. This would help ease the pressure of too many people living in the poor
parts in London. From these problems, the idea of the london underground, the first subway system, was
born.
     The plans for building the underground met with several problems and delays, but the first track was
finally opened in January 1863. a steam train pulled the cars along the first underground track which was
six kilometers long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to
comfortable seats and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engin
soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and black powder, as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put
in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding the
underground did become popular. It carried nine million riders in its first year.
     Modern subways have come a long way since the early days of the London Underground. Today there are 94 large underground rapid transit systems around the world. The busiest of these subway systems is
the Tokyo Metro which opened in 1927. This efficient subway has two billion riders per year, and "
pushers" work on the platforms during busy traffic hours to help push riders onto trains. At times, subway
cars have been packed with up to 300 people! Shopping malls built in high traffic stations where riders
move from one train to another have also helped the popularity of subways in Tokyo. Stations like the
famous Ginza Sugo Eki Ginza Consolidated Station include underground department stores,
suprermarkets, restaurants, and specialty shops. Shoppers never have to go above ground!
1. What is the best title for this passage? (within 10 words)
______________________________________________________________________
2. What does "Shoppers never have to go above ground!"(in Para 3) mean? (within 10 words)
______________________________________________________________________
3. Which sentence can be replaced by the following one:
"Although there were such prolems, people loved to take subways."
______________________________________________________________________
4. What problems led the British government to build the London Underground? (within 10 words)
______________________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

     If you can read a clock, you can know the time of the day. But no one knows what time itself is. One
way to think about time is to imagine a world without time. But there could be no movement, because time and movement cannot be separated.
     In early human history, the only changes that seemed to repeat themselves evenly were the movements of objects in the sky. The most easily seen result of these movements was the difference between light and darkness. The sun rises in the eastern sky, producing light. It moves across the sky and sinks in the west,
causing darkness. The appearance and disappearance of the sun was even and unfailing. The periods of
light and darkness it created were the first accepted periods of time. We have named each period of light
and darkness one day. People saw the sun rise higher in the sky during the summer than in winter. They
counted the days that passed from the sun’s highest position until it returned to that position. They counted 365 days. We now know that is the time Earth takes to move once around the sun. We call this period of
time a year.
     They also developed a way to use the changing faces of the moon to tell time. The moon was “full”
when its face was bright and round. The early humans counted the number of times the sun appeared
between full moons. They learned that this number always remained the same---about 29 suns. We now
know this period of time as one month.
     Early humans hunted animals and gathered wild plants. They moved in groups or tribes form place to
place in search of good. Then, people learned to plant seeds and grow crops. As hunters, people did not
need a way to measure time. As farmers, however, they had to plant crops in time to harvest them before winter. They had to know when the seasons would change. So, they developed calendars.
     No one knows when the first calendar was developed. But it seems possible that it was based on
moons, or lunar months.
1. The underlined word “unfailing” (in para.2) is closest in meaning to "_____".
A. reliable    
B. everlasting
C. limited
D. changing
2. Which of the following is NOT the method early people used to tell time?
A. Sun position    
B. Sun lightness
C. Moon shape
D. Planting crops
3. Why did people invent the first calendar to measure time?
A. Because early humans hunted animals and gathered wild plants.
B. Because early farmers had to grow and harvest crops in time.
C. Because early people had to search for food in groups.
D. Because early humans moved in groups or tribes from place to place.
4. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Why early people developed calendars is not clear
B. When the first calendar was developed remains unknown.
C. What early people based the first calendar on is certain.
D. How early people counted a day is still unknown.
5. It can be concluded from the text that ______.
A. time and movement are loosely related even at present days
B. the light and darkness differences of the sun were the only movements in sky
C. the period of twenty-nine suns is called one month
D. early humans first accepted periods of time created by the moon.

     I've been writing for most of my life. The book Writing Without Teachers introduced me to one
distinction and one practice that has helped my writing processes greatly. The distinction is between the
creative mind and the critical mind. While you need to employ both to get to a finished result, they cannot work in parallel no matter how much we might like to think so.
     Trying to criticize writing on the fly is possibly the single greatest barrier to writing that most of us meet with. If you are listening to that 5th grade English teacher correct your grammar while you are trying to
seize a fleeting(稍纵即逝的) thought, the thought will die. If you capture the fleeting thought and simply
share it with the world in raw form, no one is likely to understand. You must learn to create first and then
criticize if you want to make writing the tool for thinking that it is.
     The practice that can help you pass your learned bad habits of trying to edit as you write is what Elbow calls “free writing”. In free writing, the objective is to get words down on paper non-stop, usually for
15-20 minutes. No stopping, no going back, no criticizing. The goal is to get the words flowing. As the
words begin to flow, the ideas will come from the shadows and let themselves be captured on your
notepad or your screen.
     Now you have raw materials that you can begin to work with using the critical mind that you've
persuaded to sit on the side and watch quietly. Most likely, you will believe that this will take more time
than you actually have and you will end up staring blankly at the pages as the deadline draws near.
     Instead of staring at a blank screen start filling it with words no matter how bad. Halfway through your available time, stop and rework your raw writing into something closer to finished product. Move back and forth until you run out of time and the final result will most likely be far better than your current practices.
1. When the author says the creative mind and the critical mind “cannot work in parallel” (Line 4, Para. 1)
in the writing process, he means ________.
A. no one can be both creative and critical
B. they cannot be regarded as equally important
C. they are in constant conflict with each other
D. one cannot use them at the same time
2. What prevents people from writing on is ________.
A. putting their ideas in raw form
B. attempting to edit as they write
C. ignoring grammatical soundness
D. trying to capture fleeting thoughts
3. What is the chief objective of the first stage of writing?
A. To organize one's thoughts logically.      
B. To choose an appropriate topic.
C. To get one's ideas down.              
D. To collect raw materials.
4. One common concern of writers about “free writing” is that ________.
A. it overstresses the role of the creative mind
B. it takes too much time to edit afterwards
C. it may bring about too much criticism
D. it does not help them to think clearly
5. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. It introduces the author’s writing method.
B. It tells us something about the creative mind.                                                    
C. It stresses the importance of critical mind.
D. It shows the difficulties to write on the fly.

     The Beatles were the most influential band in pop history. In their 8year, 12album history, Paul
McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr altered (改变) popular culture dramatically. And it wasn't just the suits and changing lengths of hair the four Liverpool boys wore that had such an
impact, but what they seemed to stand for. The world saw them as the voice of a new generation, one with a very different attitude to life.
     Their influence was at its height in the 1960s, but their music continues to stir listeners today. However, up until recently one aspect of the Beatles was struck in Yesterday: The music had never been remastered (重新灌录). But on September 9 that situation came to an end, with the release of the entire band's music in a digital makeover. It is probably the biggest reissue (重新发行) in pop music history, said British newspaper the Financial Times.
     The albums were remastered at Abbey Road Studios in London, the location where the band produced much of their work. The cover of their last album, Abbey Road of 1969, featured the four young men
striding (大步行走) across a zebra crossing on Abbey Road itself. It is one of the most famous of all
Beatles images.
     Recently, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album, hundreds of Beatles lovers gathered there to
show their appreciation.
     Pop groups come and go. The boy band pursued by screaming fans one year will be forgotten the next. But the Beatles are one of the few groups whose music seems to have endured (持久). Why? Paul
McCartney's biographer Barry Miles has an explanation: "They were the first rock band… and they just
happened to be the best. They were the first band to play stadiums, to have their own products. They were groundbreaking in every way," he says.
1．Why did the Beatles change popular culture?
A．Because of the suits of the four Liverpool boys.
B．Because of changing lengths of hair the four Liverpool boys wore.
C．Because of their albums.
D．Because of their different attitude to life.
2．Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the second paragraph?
A．The Beatles influenced people at its height in the 1960s.
B．Their music Yesterday had never been remastered.
C．The entire band's music in a digital makeover will be remastered.
D．On September 9, their music came to an end.
3．What is their last album?
A．Yesterday.  
B．Abbey Road of 1969.
C．Come Together.  
D．In My life.
4．What is NOT the reason why their music can endure?
A．They were the first rock band.
B．They were the best one.
C．They were the first band to play stadiums and to have their own works.
D．They wore special suits.
5．What's the main idea of the passage?
A．What is the Beatles?
B．Legendary band stays on top in digital times.
C．The origin of the Beatles.
D．Why is the Beatles popular with people?

     Canadian culture was heavily influenced by British culture and traditions. Now one can also notice the
influence of American culture. Over the years, lots of people have moved to Canada. There has been a
healthy change of Canadians’ ideas that has resulted in the development of certain special features in
Canada. The people of Canada have always been proud of their diverse cultural backgrounds.
     Art: Canada has some of the most wonderful classical works of art. In the year 1930, artists began
developing their own personal style. The “Group of Seven” is considered to be the first group of native
artists to create their own style.
     Language and religion: Because of its diverse cultures, Canada has two official languages, English and
French. There is ________. A number of people in Canada have confirmed that they have no religious
belief, though there are many other groups that follow Protestantism as a religion.
     Literature: The literature of Canada basically shows the different cultural influences of other countries.
Some of the early works were divided according to the region of Canada from which the author came, but there were also authors who gave a humorous touch to serious contents. A number of authors have been awarded for their literature works.
     Music: Music in Canada has seen many developments in styles along the way. Many Canadian
musicians have earned worldwide fame. From folk music to rock, Canadian music continues to entertain
people. In recent years, music from Asia and Africa has found quite a fan following in Canada.
1．What is the main idea of the text? (no more than 3 words)
________________________________________________________________________
2．Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words. (no more than 3 words)
________________________________________________________________________
3．What does the word “their” (Line 7, Paragraph 1) refer to? (no more than 2 words)
________________________________________________________________________
4．Canadian culture has been influenced by the culture of many other countries and areas. List all of them mentioned in the text. (no more than 6 words)
________________________________________________________________________
5．What is the attitude of Canadian towards the music from Asia and Africa recently? (no more than 5 words)
________________________________________________________________________

      Can you remember the day when you spoke your first word? If you can, you are unusual.
      Try to imagine what first few months of your life were like. I am sure you just spent most of your time
eating, sleeping and crying. As you grow older, you were awake more of the time. It took your parents more
time to play with you and talk to you. You watched and listened curiously. You began to know that people
made certain sounds to go with certain things.
     Then you began to try making the sounds you heard. And step by step you were able to make the right
sound for one thing.
     On that day yon came to understand the secret of language. The secret is that a certain sound means a
certain thing. One sound might be as good as another. But it is no good as a word unless everybody agrees
on its meaning. Only when a group of people use the same set of sounds of things, can they understand each
other. Then, and only then do these people have a LANGUAGE. 
     After you found the secret of language, you learned words. Some of the words meant things, such as
BOOKS, CHAIRS and SHOES. Some words meant doing things, such as GO and SWIM. And other words
describe things, such as GOOD and DIRTY. Soon you learned to put words together to express one's idea,
such as "I want to go out and play with my friends." This is language. By means of language people can
communicate. So we say languages are means of communication.

1. When you were a little baby, you _____.

A. made sounds to let people know that you wanted to eat
B. spent most of your time talking with your parents
C. could not hear any sound around you
D. spent most of your time eating,playing and crying

2. The secret of language means _____.

A. one sound might be as good as another
B. people can hear your sounds
C. a certain sound is for a certain thing
D. there is a special sound for each person

3. The aim in using language is _____.

A. to get everything one wants from others
B. to find the secret of the language
C. to share ideas, opinions, news, etc with one another
D. to describe the language

     When people talk about the civilization of ancient Babylon, the Hanging Gardens must be brought into
their discussion. It was not until the reign (统治时期) of Naboplashar (625-605 BC) of the Neo-Babylonian
Dynasty that the Babylonian civilization reached its top honor. The ancient city of Babylon must have been
a wonder to travelers. Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC), son of Naboplashar, then came to power and ruled
for 43 years. It is he who is believed to have built the legendary Hanging Gardens. The Gardens were built
to please his homesick wife. She found the dry, flat ground of Mesopotamia boring. In the place where she
grew up, there was green grass and mountainous plains. The King wanted to recreate her homeland.
     A lot of people still believe in the existence of the Hanging Gardens, despite the fact that most descriptions
of the Gardens come from Greek historians while Babylonian records remain silent on the Hanging Gardens.
Even the historians who gave detailed descriptions of the Hanging Gardens never saw them.
     Modern historians argue that it was Alexander's soldiers that made up the story. When they reached the
rich land and saw Babylon, they were impressed with the beautiful scenery. When they later returned to their
poor homeland, they told about the amazing gardens in Babylon. And it was the imagination of poets and
ancient historians that mixed up all these elements to produce one of the world's wonders.
     Some of the mysteries surrounding the Hanging Gardens were not solved until the twentieth century.
Archaeologists are still struggling to gather enough evidence before reaching the final conclusions about the
location of the Gardens, their water supplying system, and their true appearance. Some recent researchers
even suggest that the Hanging Gardens were built by Senaherib who ruled 100 years earlier than
Nebuchadnezzar II did.

     In the US, people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don't know. If you are sitting
at a table with people you don't know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without first asking if it will
disturb them.
     At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water before you order. You
may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
     Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing times for stores or restaurants,
though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
     Servings in restaurants are often large, too large for many people. If you can't finish your meal but
would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a "doggie bag". It may have a picture
of a dog on it, but everybody knows you're taking the food for yourself. Supper and dinner are both
words for the evening meal. Some people have "Sunday dinner". This is an especially big noon meal.
     Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip
of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants,
a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you
your change.

1.Which statement is TRUE?

A. American people like sitting with people they don't know.
B. Americans prefer smoking to tap water at the restaurants.
C. Bread and butter and coffee are free at American restaurants.
D. American people usually will not smoke unless they ask for permission.

2.What are the opening and closing times for stores and restaurants in the US?  

A. There are no rules for stores and restaurants.    
B. You can enter a bar at any time in the US.    
C. Stores may be o pen around the clock in large cities.    
D. Restaurants may be open 24 hours a day in every city.

3.What do American people always do when servings are too large for them?

A. They leave the food on the table and go away.
B. They ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food.
C. They take the food home with a "doggie bag" for their dogs.
D. They take the food home with a "doggie bag" and enjoy the food later.

4.What can you learn about "tips" according to the passage?

A. Customers often add tips to their check.   
B. Tips are left on the table when customers leave. 
C. People are not expected to pay tips in addition.      
D. The price of the meal usually includes the tip.