The Black Country is about 10 miles from Birmingham. It's made up of four districts: Dudley, Walsall,
Sandwell, and Wolverhampton.
     Historically, it was famous for industry, which explains 1______ the area is called the Black Country. It
got its name during the industrial revolution, 2______ factory pollution turned the local skies black and coal
dust from the mines made the soil the same colour. Dudley, which is 3______ (probable) the heart of the
Black Country, has a history 4______ (date) back over 1 000 years, and its famous castle has been there 
5______ about the 8th century.
     People from the Black Country are very friendly. 6______ their local dialect, which comes from the old
"Middle English", can be very difficult to understand. I still remember taking 7______ visiting friend from
Canada to a local Black Country pub for lunch. 8______ the waitress could even finish describing the menu,
my friend looked at me with his eyebrows (眉毛) 9______ (raise). When I asked what he wanted to order,
he just shook his head in disbelief and asked if the waitress whom I 10______ (speak) to just now was
actually speaking English!

     It was about 11:15 pm on the passenger ship California. The night was freezing cold and the water was
filled with ice from the North Pole, making it difficult for the ship to sail on.
     In the radio room, operator Cyril Evans listened to the radio-talk between a nearby passenger ship and
the telegraph station on the Canadian island of Newfoundland. Evans interrupted it and said, "We're stopped
and surrounded by ice. Be careful as you pass through these waters." The radio operator on the nearby ship
replied, "I'm too busy to talk now. I have many messages to send to the telegraph station." Twenty minutes
later, as he turned off his radio and went to bed, Evans could still hear the ship sending its passengers'
telegrams.
     Earlier in the evening the California's captain, Stanley Lord, had seen another ship approaching. It looked
about the size of his own, but attempts to contact the ship failed. It lay dark and mysterious about 10 miles
away. At 12:40 am there appeared a sudden flash of light just over the mystery ship. Captain Lord, thinking
the ship might need help, ordered his officers to signal the ship by lamp. There was no reply. Three more
rockets then exploded, none appeared to go higher than halfway up the mast of the mystery ship. Then at
about 2:00 am it turned and slipped into the darkness.
     In the light of the dawn there was no mystery ship, but 20 miles away was the scene of a great disaster.
Unfortunately, the mystery ship had stopped directly in front of the California, preventing people on board
from seeing clearly. If this ship had not been there, Captain Lord would have recognized that the rockets
were SOS rockets that came not from the mystery ship but from a more distant ship which the California
could not see. If Cyril Evans had kept his radio on for just 30 minutes more he would have heard SOS signals
coming from that distant ship he spoke with the night before. That ship was the Titanic which was sinking
fast, leaving 1 500 0f its passengers dead. It was April 14,1912.

1. From whose point of view is the story told?

A. People on the Titanic.
B. People on the California.
C. People at the telegraph station.
D. People on Newfoundland.

2. Why were the rockets really fired?

A. To celebrate the journey.
B. To signal for help.
C. To contact the Titanic.
D. To warn other ships.

3. What is the main function of the last paragraph of this passage?

A. It shows how unlucky the Titanic was.
B. It describes how the Titanic sank.
C. It indicates that the people on the California were careless.
D. It lists how many people died in the disaster.

4. How many ships are mentioned in the passage?

A. One.
B. Two.
C. Three.
D. Four.

5. From the passage we know that _____.

A. the rockets were fired from the mystery ship
B. Cyril Evans went to bed earlier than usual that night
C. the Titanic started sinking at dawn the next day
D. the Titanic sent out many telegrams that night

     The English language is changing fast,thanks to the rapid progress of technology. We all have a rapid
choice:We can either bury our heads in the sand and spend the rest of our lives wishing Shakespeare were
alive and well. Or we can embrace (拥抱) the new English,enter into the spirit of the Internet age called
Weblish.
     "You can't keep away from it, for the simple reason that whenever a new variety of language comes
along,it inevitably (不可避免地) influence the language as a whole." Says Dr David Crystal, honorary
professor of linguistics (语言学家) at the University of Wales in Bangor, whose book "Language and the
Internet" has just been published.
     The trouble with keeping up with the new English is not so much that there are so many new words
but that the old words no longer mean what we thought they did. In the past, if someone said they did
not have Windows,you would have to suppose they lived in a cave. These days, it is probably because
they use a Mac (which is a computer, not a rain coat). Spam is as disliked as it ever was, but whereas
it once meant an unappetizing (引不起食欲的) canned meat. It now stands for unwanted "junk" email.
Spellings are changing, too. Not only is text-messaging playing "hvc with vrbs" (havoc (混乱) with
verbs), but the conventions (常规) of email communication place little emphasis on "perfect speaking".
     Weblish loves to see nouns happily become verbs ("please bookmark this site"), and verbs become
nouns ("Send me the download"). Verbs and prepositions are regularly thrown together to become new
nouns or adjectives(dial-up, logon, print-on, pull-down, upload), while others are created from simply
pairing nouns: cyberspace, emit Internet, hyperlink, metatag, netspeak.

1. The best title of this passage would be _____.

A. Technology and English
B. Newly invented English Words
C. Keep Up with the Latest Weblish
D. Keep Up with the Latest Development in

2. We can infer from the first paragraph that _____.

A. all people welcome weblish English
B. weblish causes fear among people
C. some people wish Shakespeare were still alive
D. people may have different opinions towards weblish 

3. The author thinks the main difficulty for people in keeping up with weblish is that _____.

A. there are so many new words
B. old words take on new meanings
C. the technology is changing too fast
D. weblish words are full of spelling mistakes

4. Dr. David Crystal would probably agree that _____.

A. people should not accept weblish
B. weblish will destroy the English language
C. people should know something about weblish
D. weblish can cause misunderstandings among people

     The Lego Group had a very low beginning in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter (木匠)
from Denmark. Christiansen began creating wooden toys in 1932. Two years later, he came upon the Lego
name by putting together the first two letters of the Danish words Leg and God, which mean "play well."
The name could be interpreted as "I put together" in Latin; it is also similar to the Greek verb meaning
"gather" or "pick up".
     In 1947, the company enlarged to making plastic toys. At first, the use of plastic for toy production
was not highly regarded by salesmen and consumers of the time. Many of the Lego Group's shipments
were returned, following poor sales. However, Christiansen's son, Gottfried Kirk Christiansen, saw the
great potential (潜能) in Lego bricks to become a system for creative play-As the junior managing director
of the Lego Group, he spent years trying to improve the "locking" ability of the bricks and made the bricks
more versatile (多用途). In 1958, the modem interlocking brick design was finally developed and patented
(获得专利).
     Today Lego is sold in more than 130 countries. Every minute 33,824 Lego bricks are made, and kids
around the world spend 5 billion hours a year playing with Lego. There will be more than 400 million
people playing with Lego bricks this year. On average, every person in the world owns 62 Lego bricks,
and about seven Lego sets are sold every second.
     This year Lego fans all over the world are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the tiny building blocks.
Though already 50 years old, Lego is still the same product it was in the 1950s.
     Bricks bought then are still compatible (兼容的) with present bricks and that is probably the reason
the toy has never fallen out of favor.

1. Which of the following is true about the name Lego?

A. It is a combination of Greek and Latin words.
B. It was created by Ole Kirk Christiansen's son.
C. It was created in 1947 for naming the plastic toys.
D. It came from Danish words meaning "play" and "well."

2. When did the Lego brick become as a creative form of toy?

A. 1958.
B. 1947.
C. 1934.
D. 1932.

3. Which of the following is true in describing the popularity of Lego?

A. More than 5 billion people in the world own Lego sets.
B. Children spend an average of 62 dollars on Lego bricks each year.
C. People in the world spend 400 million hours playing with Lego every year.
D. The Lego Group now produces more than 30 thousand toy bricks every minute.

4. What is most likely the reason why Lego still remains popular?

A. Old Lego bricks may still be connected to new ones.
B. The company hasn't changed its name since 1 947.
C. The material for the bricks has proved to be safe.
D. The price of the toy is relatively, reasonable.

     The largest-ever chariot pit (战车坑) of relics with carts and horse bones has been discovered in Henan
Province. It may lead to the uncovering of chariot pit groups that could be a key to understanding Chinese
civilizations that existed more than 2,000 years ago.
     Experts said the relics are dated more than 300 years earlier than the famous warriors (武士) in Shaanxi
Province. What excited the experts were two othe r projects that located two huge pits with similar features.
     "It is absolutely a miracle. the se relics indicate that the re could be a tomb group in this area, which is likely
to be important for China's archaeological (考古学的) studies," said Ma Juncai, a leading relic researcher in the
province.
      In ancient China, carts, sheep, spoons and so on were buried to ensure that dead people had a happy
afterlife. the number and quality of the sacrifices indicated the social status of the dead. the custom was carried
into the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qinshihuang's tomb, located near Xi'an, the capital of Shanxi Province, is
accompanied by thousands of wood or clay figures of warriors and horses. the tomb is probably the most
well-known. 
     The discovered pit measures 10.4 meters long, 8.4 meters wide and 5 meters deep. It holds 20 carts in
different sizes. the smallest one is 1.05 meters long and 1.3 meters wide.
     Experts think that 40 horses are likely to be found as well. Careful plans need to be made to deal with the
demanding uncovering."the clay is very weak and a small misstep can destroy the whole project. That's why
we need to take every step very carefully to protect the se cherished cultural relics," Ma said.

1. What's the passage mainly about?

A. the dead people's sacrifices in ancient China.
B. China's archaeological studies.
C. the discovery of a large chariot pit in Henan.
D. the history of Chinese civilizations.

2. According to Ma Juncai, the uncovering of the three pits is a miracle because ______.

A. it shows the re may be a tomb group there
B. it's helpful in discovering Emperor Qinshihuang's tomb
C. the relics are dated such a long time ago
D. the relics are more than 300 years older than the ones in Shan'xi

3. It can be inferred from Paragraph 4 that ______.

A. all dead people had sacrifices in ancient China
B. the discovered pit is the most well-known in the world
C. the discovered pit dates back to the Qin Dynasty
D. Emperor Qinshihuang wanted to maintain his power after death

4. Careful plans for the uncovering are needed because ______.

A. anothe r 40 horses are likely to be found as well
B. the whole uncovering could be destroyed easily
C. experts are too busy to spare time for it
D. the government hasn't agreed to it

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. the discovery has drawn the leading experts' attention.
B. A lot of cultural relics have been discovered in Henan.
C. 40 horses have been discovered togethe r with the chariot pit.
D. the discovered carts in the chariot pit are similar in size.

     London's Chinese community (社区) dates back to the 18th century, when a small number of Chinese sailors moved to the city to work in Limhouse, east London. As time went on, other Chinese people
came to this area and Limhouse began to be known as "Chinatown". However, London's Chinese
community remained very small for many years: at the start of the 20th century, there were just 545
Chinese people in Britain.
     After the Second World War, many farmers in Hong Kong lost their jobs and came to London. As
Limhouse had been almost destroyed during the war, they settled in a different area-a part of central
London near Leicester Square. This area is now what Londoners call Chinatown.
     At first, the new immigrants (移民) found it difficult to get jobs. In the 1950s, however, a small
Chinese restaurant opened in London. Many British people visited it and said that Chinese food was
wonderful! Suddenly, Chinese restaurants and take-aways started opening in every part of the city.
Instead of too little work, the new Chinese immigrants now found that they had too much! They worked
as cooks, managers or waiters. Most of them enjoyed their lives and arranged their friends and relatives
to join them from overseas.
      As time went by, London's Chinese community became more and more successful. The sons and
daughters of the original restaurant workers studied and worked very hard. And most went on to get
highly paid jobs. Many Chinese families left Chinatown and moved to the more expensive outskirts.
Chinatown, however, is still as lively as ever.

1. When did the first Chinese immigrants come to London?
_________________________________________________.
How many Chinese people were there in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century?
__________________________________________________.
3.What happened in London in the 1950s?
__________________________________________________.
4. What did Chinese immigrants come to London to do in the 1950s?
__________________________________________________.
5. Where is London's Chinatown now?
__________________________________________________.

     Started in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest of all the many colleges and universities in the United
States.Yale,Princeton,Columbia and Dartmouth were opened soon after Harvard.
     In the early years, thers schools were much alike.Only young men went to college. All the students
studied the same subjects,and everyone learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Little was known about
science then,and one kind of school could teach everything that was known about the world.When the
students graduated,most of them became ministers or teachers.
     In 1782, Harvard started a medical school for young men who wanted to become doctors. Later,
lawyers could receive their training in Harvard's law school.In 1825, besides Latin and Greek , Harvard
began teaching modern languages, such as French and German.Soon it began teaching American history.
     As knowledge increased. Harvard and other colleges began to teach many new subjects. Students
were allowed to choose the subjects that interested them.
     Today, there are many different kinds of colleges and universities.Most of them are made up of
smaller schools that deal with special fields of learning. There's so much to learn that one kind of school
can't offer it all.

1.The oldest university in the US is       .

A. Yale          
B. Harvard            
C. Princeton          
D. Columbia

2. From the second paragraph,we can see that in the early years,      .

A. those colleges and universities were the same
B. people,young or old,might study in the colleges
C. students studied only some languages and science
D. when the students finished their school,they became lawyers or teachers

3. Mondern languages the Harvard taught in 1825 were       .

A. Latin and Greek              
B. Latin,Greek,French and German
C. American history and German    
D. French and German

4. As knowledge increased,colleges began to teach       .

A. everything that was known     
B. law and something about medicine
C .the subjects that was known    
D. many new subjects

5. On the whole,the passage is about       .

A. how to start a university        
B. the world-famous colleges in America
C. how colleges have changed      
D. what kind of lesson each college teaches

     A. At the Spring Festival in China, people eat dumplings, fish and meat and may give children    1  
(lucky, luck) money in red paper.There are dragon dances and camivals, and families    2   (celebrate,
celebration) the Lunar New Year together. People love to    3   (get together, go together)to eat, drink
and    4   (have fun with,play with)each other.Festivals let us enjoy life,be proud of our    5   (customs,
habits)and forget our work for a little while.
     B.The writer's wife    6   (tries,was trying) on a hat but he did not like it. He sat down and waited for
her.Then they began    7   (arguing, argued) again. He had bought a tie the day before but his wife did not
like it. 'A man    8   (can never, can) have too many ties.'he said.His wife used exactly the same argument 'A woman can't have    9   (so, too)many hats,' and bought the hat.It    10   (looked like,looked) a
lighthouse.

以下是一些风景名胜及古迹的简介:
A
Kaiping Diaolou and Villages is famous for the Diaolou, multi-storied defensive village houses in Kaiping, Guangdong Province, which shows a combination of Chinese and Western structural and decorative
forms. They reflect close links between overseas Kaiping and their ancestral homes.
B
Hongcun is unique among all Chinese villages for its water system. Water is the main characteristic in this
village. Its two large ponds are connected to a series of flowing streams which pass by every house,
providing water for washing, cooking, and bathing.
C
Xidi village is a very beautiful village lying near Huangshan Mountain in Anhui Province. It is the perfect
place for visitors to see typical folk houses where villagers have lived as they have for centuries. It gives
visitors the rare opportunity to explore China's ancient culture, and arts.
D
Tangyue Village lies near the southern foot of Huangshan Mountain famous for its memorial archways
(gates). More than 250 arches were constructed here during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-
1911) dynasties. Over 80 of these magnificent arches are still in good condition.
E
Tunxi Ancient Street is the major gateway to Huangshan. It has restaurants and many unique things to
offer. The restored part of the Tunxi Ancient Street is particularly beautiful at night when the red lanterns
lining the river are lit, and create a very festive atmosphere. Tunxi Ancient Street also has one of China's
best antique markets.
F
The Old Summer Palace on the northwest of Beijing was rebuilt from ruins of Yuanmingyuan built in
1709. It was burned down by the British and French troops in 1860, partially rebuilt, and then destroyed
again by the forces of eight foreign powers in 1900.

以下是一些风景名胜及古迹的照片,请匹配照片及与其对应的简介:
1._____

Looking at the picture you can't help thinking of the fairyland existing in your imagination
2._____

The white walls and black roofs looks like a traditional Chinese painting come to life
3._____

Diaolou and Villages, the unique residential and defensive buildings in Guangdong's Kaiping
4._____

With the opening of the Jiuzhou scenery on Tuesday, about 80 percent of the Old Summer Palace will
be open to the public; visitors can take a boat ride from Fuhai Lake to Houhu Lake,
5._____

he seven Bao family arches have been a popular destination for centuries

     In the United States, a family has a mother, a father and their children. But this is not the only kind of
family group. In some parts of the world, a family group has many other members. This kind of large
family is called an "extended family", or a "joint family".
     A joint family includes all living relatives of either mother's or father's side of the family. It is made up
of grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins. They live together in large dwelling(住所,寓所) or in huts built close together.
     Long ago , early man probably lived in joint families .He had to be part of a large group in order to
survive .The members of the group helped one another hunt They worked together to protect themselves
from dangerous animals and other enemies.
     In China, people lived in joint families. When a son married, he and his wife lived at his parent's house .Unmarried daughters remained at home until they married .Chinese children felt very loyal to their parents. Younger members of a joint family always took care of the older ones.
In India and Africa ,some people still live in joint families .The members of a joint family share their
earnings and property .If one member of the group becomes ill or has bad luck ,the others help him, as in
the past ,the member of the joint family offer one another help and protection .

1. A joint family is a family that ________ .  

A. only has father and mother  
B. has father, mother and their children
C. only has children            
D. has parents, children and other members

2. People lived in joint families long ago because _________ .    

A. they had to live together in order not to be killed by dangerous animals or other enemies
B. they didn't build so many houses then
C. they thought it brought bad luck to live alone
D. they thought a large family could save grain (粮食)

3. Whom did Chinese children feel very loyal to?             

A. Married sons  
B. Unmarried daughters
C. Parents        
D. Younger members

4. The best title for this passage is " ________ ".  

A. A Large Family  
B. Joint Families
C. A Family with Father, Mother and Their Children
D. Small Families