Since his first appearance in 1989,Mr Bean has achieved a massive following around the world-he's now
recognised as the most popular British comedy export since Benny Hill-with some people even thinking of
him as a sex symbol. 
                                                              
     His visual humour and elaborate sight gags transcend linguistic frontiers, and have earned comparisons
with the great silent movie star Buster Keaton-although apparently his character was based on the work of
French comic genius JacquesTati. And now he's making a movie: accompanied by his beloved Teddy he's
off to L.A.to cause a whole feature film's worth of mayhem in "Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie".
     It's a funny thing when you think about it. Whenever someone sees the British actor Rowan Atkinson
in a movie, they would immediately say, "Oh look, it's Mr Bean!"There is really no doubt that Rowan Atkinson
is most known for playing Mr Bean, that dumb but likeable character. And that Mr Bean, has starred in a
series of short films, that many have enjoyed very much. 
                                                                  
     Mr Bean is a man, who is most known for his stupidity. He is always wearing a brown jacket, white shirt,
red tie and dark brown trousers. He also carries an adorable little teddy bear who he calls "Teddy". He also
has a penchant (倾向) for driving around in yellow Mini Coopers, and has a huge dislike for blue three-wheeled
cars. He also has a sort of girlfriend called Irma Gobb, although it is not the most steady of relationships.
     What this man does is pretty much what every single human being does, but he does this with the most
bizarre (奇异的) and stupid ways possible. For instance, when he's going to the beach, when he is putting
on his swimmers, he does it without taking off his trousers. Another example is when he is late for a dentist
appointment, he gets dressed while driving in the car. And while he does this, he remains silent. But when he
does talk, which isn't often, it's usually with a very deep and croaky (哇哇叫的) voice, and speaks gibberish
(快速而不清楚的言语) as well.
     This is what makes Mr Bean so likeable to watch. The humor in this show is absolutely brilliant. There
are so many memorable moments in this show, such as getting rid of a revolting (令人厌恶的) meal in a
restaurant by hiding it in many things, and role-playing the various roles of Joseph, Mary and Jesus at
Christmas. It's a real shame that there weren't a lot of episodes. There should have been more!
     But overall, whether you think of Mr Bean as a comedy genius or just a stupid idiot, there's no doubt that
he has done a lot for comedy, and is one of the most recognizable characters in television.

【个性思考】 What do you think of Mr Bean?
     In my view __________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

     Eragon: Benina the Scenes of the New Movie
     Eragon is just a regular farm boy in a land called Alagaesia-until he finds a dragon's egg.
     In the new movie Eragon, based on the book by Christopher Paolini, evil strangers working for an evil
king come looking for the egg and kill Eragon's family. With the help of dwarfs, and Saphira the dragon,
Eragon must learn how to defeat the king and save his laud.
     Designer Dragon
     Animators (动漫画家) couldn't exactly model Saphira after a real dragon. So they got inspiration from
animals. Michael McAlister says when Saphira is on the ground, she walks a little like a lion. In the air, she's
a cross between a condor (秃鹰) and a fighter jet. And her eyes are part lizard, part dinosaur, and part human.
     Success Story
     Author Christopher Paolini started writing Eragon when he was 15 years old. Now 23, Paolini gives you
tips to achieve your dreams before you grow up!
     -Research First
     "Learn about what you want to do," Paolini says. He read books about creating characters and plots before
he started writing.
     -Get Support
     Paolini kept his writing a secret from everyone but his parents. That way, no one could tell him he was too
young to be an author. "Find people who will support and encourage you," he says.
     -Practice
     Whether they're writers, musicians or athletes, successful kids put lots of energy into their talent. "To rise
to the top, make your skill your daily focus," Paolini says.
     -Don't Quit
     "So many times when I was writing Eragon, I was an inch away from giving up," he says, "I'm so glad I
didn't." Instead, he spent three and a half years writing and rewriting until it was ready for publication.

1. The movie Eragon is about _____.

A. the true friendship between a farm boy and some animals
B. the struggle between a farm boy and some bad people
C. a boy's interesting experience
D. an imaginary story between a farm family and a king

2. Saphira the dragon was modeled after _____ kinds of animals.

A. less than two
B. at most three
C. at least four
D. more than ten

3. Christopher Paolini's experience tells us that _____.

A. it's important to learn about what we decide to do
B. we can only depend on ourselves to be a successful person
C. genius is more important than regular practice to successful people
D. failure is the mother of success

     If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big
cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
    While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United
States will give him a passing thought.  It's nothing personal.  Most Americans don't even remember the
birthdays of their own national heroes.
    But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius.  In many ways he has become a
bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
    In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western
universities.  More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80
countries.  These schools teach both Chinese language and culture.  The main courses of Chinese culture
usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学).  Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners
philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese.So they will be
ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States.Businessmen who hope
to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.  
     So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well. 
     Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius
and Chinese culture to the West.
     As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.

1.  The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ________.

A. . provide some key facts about Confucius
B. attract the readers' interest in the subject
C. show great respect for the ancient thinker
D. prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations

2. We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students______.

A.  have a great interest in studying Chinese
B. take an active part in Chinese competitions
C. try to get high scores in Chinese exams
D. fight for a chance to learn Chinese

3. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Forgotten Wisdom in America
B. Huge Fans of the Chinese Language
C. Chinese Culture for Westerners
D. Old Thinker with a Big Future

4. The passage is likely to appear in ________.

A. a biography
B. a history paper
C. a newspaper
D. a philosophy textbook

     No one knows exactly how the earth began. However, according to a widely accepted theory, it
began   1  a "Big Bang". Then the earth exploded loudly and produced water vapor and many gases, 
   2  (make) the earth's atmosphere. And then as the earth cooled down, water appeared and stayed 
   3  the surface. It was the presence of water    4   allowed the earth to dissolve harmful gases and acids
into the oceans and seas,   5  made it possible for life to develop. And the   6    (appear) of small plants
encouraged the development of early shellfish and all sorts of fish. Next, green plants began to grow on
land.    7   were followed by land animals. Later, reptiles appeared for the first time, after which dinosaurs developed. However, they suddenly disappeared. Therefore, mammals   8   (rise) on the earth. Finally,
humans appeared and spread all over the earth. However, they are putting too much carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere, making the earth too hot to live on. So   9   life will continue on the earth will depend on
whether this problem can    10  

     Some of my earliest childhood memories are of the beach-in the hot sun, building sandcastles, burying Dad
in the sand.
     Now the coast has a strangely-pleasant and relaxing attraction. I look forward to a windy clifftop (崖顶)
walk or a rainy day rockpicking just as much as those rare moments when I get to a short sleep in the sun. But
there's nothing more pleasurable than turning up at a beach to find it deserted.
     These are my favorite secret beaches-ones either not well known or take a bit of effort to get to. Most of
those listed scored highly in the Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide 2009; the others are too secret
even for them.
     Sennen Cove is just a mile northeast of Land's End, the westernmost point of mainland England. It's a
beautiful spot, with white sands, deep green sea and amazing sunsets over the Isles (群岛) of Scilly, 28 miles
away.
     The west-facing beach is popular with surfers, with bigger waves and winds often found at the Gwenver
end. There's a beach restaurant with good views of the bay and the sunsets.
     The smallest of Isles of Soilly, Bryher is a mile long, half a mile wide-and a natural wilderness of unbelievable
scenery. Walk along the narrow sandy roads to the eastern seaboard and you come to two quiet beaches.
     Green Bay has views over to the palm (棕榈]) trees of Tresco's Abbey Gardens, and a little further south is
Rushy Bay, a beautiful beach facing the deserted island of Samson.
     On Bryher, farm shops sell locally grown produce, and they trust you to leave the money in the pot. It's that
kind of place.

1. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. The author is a tourist guide in a tourist agency.
B. The author likes walking on a windy clifftop most.
C. The author wrote the article to advertise for the beaches.
D. The author loves beaches that are not known to most people.

2. Which of the following maps can correctly describe the geography position? (LE= Land's End
    SC= Sennen Cove IS= the Isles of Scilly)

A.  B.  C.  D.

3. From the passage we can know that _____.

A. Bryher is the smallest island in the world
B. Samson is an island on which no man lives
C. Rushy Bay has views over to the palm trees
D. Green Bay is situated to the south of Rushy Bay

4. The best title for the passage is _____.

A. Secret Beaches on the British Isles
B. The Beautiful British Isles
C. The Most Pleasurable Place in Britain
D. My Experience of Searching Beaches

     As you research music, you will find music that is familiar to you. You will find music which tells of
interesting places and exciting things to do. You will find music which expresses feelings that are often your own.
     Music is an expression of the people. As you research, you will find music of people at work and play. You will find music expressing love of the country, love of nature, and love of home.
     Music is also an expression of the composer(作曲家). The composer expresses his own musical ideas. He studies the materials of music and discovers ways of using them. He looks for new kinds of musical
expression.
     Music can suggest actions and feelings which we all share. We can enjoy playing and singing music,
dancing and listening to the music of the people and the composers of different times and places.

1. In the first paragraph, the author tells us to_______.

A. find entertainment (娱乐) in music  
B. be friendly to music
C. express your feelings in music    
D. discover the things and places in music

2. From the second paragraph, we know that ________.

A. if we love music, we will love the country, nature and home
B. music sings of the country, nature and home
C. you may listen to music at work or at play
D. music can express how people live, work and think

3. By means of music, the composer wishes that ________.

A. you would study with them    
B. you would share his feelings and ideas
C. you would express your own feelings
D. you help discover ways of using music and new kinds of musical expression

4. The last paragraph shows that music makes it possible ________.

A. the music can express actions and feelings at the same time
B. bring understanding between people of different times and places
C. that people can enjoy playing and singing music, dancing and listening to the music at the same time
D. that people of different time and places can get together

5. Which of the following statements is NOT true. Music expresses ________.

A. the feelings of our own    
B. people's love of the country
C. the composer's feelings    
D. people's musical ideas

     Why does most of the world travel on the right side today? Theories differ, but there's no doubt
that Napoleon was a major influence. The French had used the right since at least the late 18th century.
Some say that before the French Revolution, noblemen drove their carriages on the left, forcing the
peasants to the right. Regardless of the origin, Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he
conquered, including Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Hitler, in turn, ordered right-hand traffic in
Czechoslovakia and Austria in the 1930s. Nations that escaped right-hand control, like Great Britain,
followed their left-hand tradition.
     The U.S. has not always been a nation of right-hand rivers; earlier in its history, carriage and horse
traffic traveled on the left, as it did in England. But by the late 1700s, people driving large wagons
pulled by several pairs of horses began promoting a shift to the right. A driver would sit on the rear
(后面的) left horse in order to wave his whip with his right hand; to see opposite traffic clearly, they
traveled on the right.
     One of the final moves to firmly standardize traffic directions in the U.S. occurred in the 20th
century, when Henry Ford decided to mass-produce his cars with controls on the left (one reason,
stated in 1908; the convenience for passengers exiting directly onto the edge, especially...if there is
a lady to be considered). Once these rules were set, many countries eventually adjusted to the
right-hand standard, including Canada in the 1920s, Sweden in 1967 and Burma in 1970. The
U.K. and former colonies such as Australia and India are among the western world's few remaining
holdouts. Several Asian countries, including Japan, use the left as well-thought many places use
both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive cars.

1. Why did people in Switzerland travel on the right? 

A. They had used the right-hand since the 18th century. 
B. Rich people enjoyed driving their carriages on the right. 
C. Napoleon introduced the right-hand traffic to this country.
D. Hitler ordered them to go to against their left-hand tradition.

2. Of all the countries below, the one that travels on the right is ______. 

A. Austria  
B. England  
C. Japan    
D. Australia

3. Henry Ford produced cars with controls on the left _______. 

A. in order to change traffic directions in the U.S.
B. so that passengers could get off conveniently
C. because rules at that time weren't perfect
D. though many countries were strongly against that

4. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? 

A. Before the French Revolution, all the French people used the right.
B. People in Britain and the U.S. travel on the same side nowadays.
C. The Burmese began to travel on the right in 1970.
D. All the Asian nations use the left at present.

5. What would be the best title for this passage?   

A. Who made the great contributions to the shift of traffic directions?
B. How cars have become a popular means of transportation?
C. How Henry Ford produced his cars with controls on the left? 
D. Why don't people all drive on the same side of the road?

     What is politeness? This sounds like a simple question. In daily life, we often make judgments
about what is polite and what is not polite. For example, to offer your seat to the elderly on a bus is
considered polite behavior, and to interrupt when someone is talking is considered impolite; to greet
someone the first time you meet him in the morning is polite and to stand up to reach for the dish you
want at a dinner table is impolite. So politeness can first of all be regarded as a phenomenon, an
observable social phenomenon.
     What I would like to propose is that as an observable social phenomenon, politeness is something
superficial, but to account for what is understood at the surface, we should dig into the depth where
different cultural values are rooted.
     When being complimented (赞美), an English-speaking person would readily accept the compliment
by saying something like "Thank you" to show his appreciation of the praise, but a Chinese speaker
would try to deny the truth of the compliment. They both think they are behaving properly. Yet neither
of them would think the other is being polite. The English speaker is being polite to the extent that by
accepting and showing appreciation of the compliment, and he avoids hurting the positive face of the
person who makes it; the Chinese speaker is showing modesty by denigrating himself, ignoring the fact
of the compliment paid to him. As has been mentioned, self-denigration has been at the core of the
Chinese understanding of politeness for over two thousand years. The Chinese, in order to show
modesty, will go to such lengths as to underrate what he himself has achieved and deny the truth of
a complimentary remark.

1. According to the first paragraph, politeness can be briefly described as_____.

A. proper social phenomena      
B. being modest
C. showing appreciation          
D. an observable social phenomenon

2. In the author's opinion, the nature of politeness lies in ________.

A. something superficial          
B. what is understood at the surface 
C. different cultural values        
D. the root of different thoughts

3. The underlined word "denigrate" in the passage means ________.

A. appreciate                    
B. deny 
C. ignore                     
D. compliment

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. Chinese speakers dislike being complimented.
B. English-speaking people are reluctant to accept compliment.
C. Chinese tend to show politeness and modesty by denying the truth of praise.
D. Chinese people think highly of British politeness while English people think poorly of
     Chinese politeness.

5. What's the author's attitude towards Chinese politeness?

A. Approving.    
B. Objective.  
C. Optimistic.  
D. Critical  

   The first newspapers were written by hand and put up on walls in public place. 1_____. In the 700's
the world's first printed newspaper was published. Europe didn't have a regularly published newspaper
until 1609, when one was started in Germany.
   The first regularly published newspaper in the English language was printed in Amsterdam in 1620. In
1621, an English newspaper was started in London and was published once a week. 2___________.
   3__________. But not long after it was first published, the government stopped the paper. In 1704,
John Campbell started The Boston Newsletter (波斯顿新闻通讯), the first newspaper published in the
American colonies. By 1760, the colonies had more than thirty daily newspapers. 4___________.
   Today, as a group, English language newspapers have the largest circulation (发行量) in the world.
5________. It sells more than eleven million copies every day.

A. The earliest daily newspaper was started in Rome in 59 BC
B. The first daily English newspaper was the Daily Courant (每日新闻). It came out in March 1702.
C. In 1690, Benjamin Harris printed the first American newspaper in Boston
D. There are now about 1,800 daily papers in the United States.
E. But the largest circulation for a newspaper is that of the Japanese newspaper Asahi Dhimbun (朝日新闻)
F. reading newspaper is a must for some people.
G. newspaper has a long history but not all of us know it.