People need to relax and enjoy themse1ves.One way they can have a good time is to watch a baseball
game or another sports event. Even thousands of years ago, groups of people gathered to watch skilled
athletes (运动员). 　　
     Over 2000 years ago in Greece, certain days in the year were festival days. These were holidays when
people stopped work and enjoyed themselves. They liked to watch athletes take part in races and other games
of skill. 　　
     The most important festival was held every four years at the town of Olympia. It was held in honor of the
Greek god Zeus(Zus). For five days, athletes from all parts of the Greek world took part in the Olympic Games. At the Olympic Games, people could watch them box, run, jump and so on. There was a relay race between
two teams of men in which a lighted torch (火矩) was passed from runner to runner. The Olympic Games
were thought to be so important that cities which were at war with one another had to stop fighting. People
were allowed to travel to the games safely. Thousands of people came to Olympia from cities in Greece and
from her colonies(殖民地)in Africa, Asia and Italy. They met as friends to cheer their favorite athletes and to
enjoy themselves.

1. What happened in Greece over 2000 years ago? 　

A. People stopped work and enjoyed themselves. 　　
B. The cities there were often against one another. 　　
C. People watched baseball games. 　　
D. People didn't go to any games at all. 　

2. What were those countries in Africa?

A. Friends
B. Enemies
C. Colonies
D. Other cities 　　

3. What did people do at the games? 　

A. They fought.
B. They just talked to friends. 　　
C. They cheered for good athletes.
D. They tried to find friends. 　　

4. Greek cities then were fighting so they_____. 　

A. were weak
B. were strong 　　
C. couldn't go to other cities freely
D. could see each other 　　

5. The best title for the story is "_____". 　　

A. Greece at War
B. Together for the Games
C. Stop Fighting
D. Sport

     Weddings in the United States vary as much as the people do. There are church weddings with a great
deal of fanfare (仪式上用的短曲); there are weddings on mountain-tops with guests barefooted; and there
have been weddings on the ocean floor with oxygen tanks for the guests. But many weddings, no matter
where or how they are performed, include certain traditional customs.
     Before a couple is married,they become engaged. And then invitations are sent to those who live nearby,
their close friends and their relatives who live far away. When everything is ready, then comes the most
exciting moment.
     The wedding itself usually lasts between 20 and 40 minutes. The wedding party enters the church while
the wedding march is played. The bride carrying a bouquet (花束) enters last with her father who will "give
her away." The bridegroom enters the church from a side door. When the wedding party is gathered by the
altar, the bride and bridegroom exchange vows (誓言). It is traditional to use the words "To have and to hold
from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to
cherish, till death do us part". Following the Vows, the couple exchange rings. Wearing the wedding ring on
the fourth finger of the left hand is an old custom.
     After the ceremony there is often a party, called a "reception", which gives the wedding guests an
opportunity to congratulate the new couple.
     The car in which the couple leaves the church is decorated with balloons,streamers and shaving cream.
The words "Just Married" are painted on the trunk or back window. The bride and bridegroom run to the car
under a shower of rice thrown by the wedding guests. When the couple drives away from the church, friends
often chase them in cars, honking and drawing attention to them. And then the couple go on their honeymoon.

1. This passage is written mainly to let us know something about _____.

A. health and lifestyle
B. science and technology
C. culture and custom
D. education and entertainment

2. Why do the wedding guests throw a lot of rice at the bride and bridegroom when they run to the car?

A. To wish them good luck.
B. To make fun of them.
C. Not mentioned.
D. To draw attention to them.

3. Which of the following is TRUE of American weddings?

A. They are always held in churches whoever they are.
B. The bride's father is usually present to lead his daughter to the bridegroom and give her to him.
C. Only bridegrooms send rings to brides.
D. Brides needn't make vows before bridegrooms.

4. Which of the following is the correct order in which the following events happen?
    a. sending invitation
    b. going on honeymoon e.attending the wedding
    d. giving a reception
    e. getting engaged

A. e-b-c-d-a
B. e-c-d-a-b
C. b-c-d-a-e
D. e-a-c-d-b

     Friendship Day in India falls on the first Sunday of August every year. It is celebrated with many activities.
     Young people in India spend the day with their closest friends and have fun together. Most youngsters in
India plan a movie or have a meal with their friends. Many friends may go on a drive to tourist places or go
camping. Some friends go to the supermarket for shopping. On Friendship Day, most stores offer discounted
(打折的) prices for customers and it is the perfect day to buy something for friends.
     Some friends go to parties that are organized by many restaurants in order to attract youngsters. Such
parties are very enjoyable. You can get food at a discounted price. Some friends just decide to meet up (碰头,
相聚) at someone's home and talk about their happy time. The time good friends spend sitting together and
talking over a cup of coffee is unforgettable.
     Long-distance friends call up each other on this day and wish each other with warm feelings. Some of
them even plan to meet up on this day. Yet some others plan a surprising visit just to see their friend gasp (喘
息) in shock!

1. When is Friendship Day celebrated in India?

A. On August 2nd every year.
B. On the third weekend of August every year.
C. On August 1st every year.
D. On the first weekend of August every year.

2. According to the text, which of the following is the most popular way that youngsters in
    India celebrate Friendship Day?

A. Traveling with friends
B. Seeing a film with friends
C. Dancing with friends
D. Going shopping with friends.

3. How many ways of friends spending Friendship Day together are discussed in Paragraph 3?

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

4. The underlined phrase"a surprising visit" in Paragraph 4 refers to"____".

A. a visit to a friend who hasn't expected it
B. a visit to a friend who has dreamed of it for a long time
C. a visit to a friend who tries to avoid it
D. a visit to a friend who lives in a faraway place

     "Let's go Dutch, shall we?" Jim said after a dinner to his friends in a restaurant. What does Jim mean?
     Long ago, there was a kind of dinner called Dutch treat. At a Dutch treat, the invited guests were expected
to pay for their own share of the food and drink. Now, Dutch treat means when friends go out to have fun,
each person pays his or her own share.
     There are many other expressions related with "Dutch" in American English. However, most of them were
first used in England in the 17th century. At that time, the British and the Dutch were war enemies. So when
British people talked about something wrong or bad, they would like to use the word"Dutch".
     A common expression heard a few years ago was in Dutch. A friend may tell you,"You are in Dutch. The
teacher is angry with you. Be careful!" When a soldier took Dutch leave, he left the army without permission.
Dutch courage was the false courage produced by the effects of drinking wine.
      There is one expression that did come from the Dutch. That is to talk like a Dutch uncle. The Dutch were
known for the strict and serious way they educated their children.

1. What did people mean by saying "Let's go Dutch"?

A. The guests should leave first.
B. Each person should pay his or her own bill.
C. The food should be better next time.
D. People should go to another restaurant.

2. According to the passage, the British in the 17th century ______.

A. first used the word "Dutch"
B. were mistaken for Dutch people
C. got along well with the Dutch people
D. used the word "Dutch" for something bad

3. If your friend says that he is in Dutch, he most probably means that ______.

A. he is happy
B. he is lucky
C. he is in trouble
D. he is on vacation

4. If someone spoke to you in a very serious way, you may say that he ______.

A. was like a Dutch uncle
B. would take a Dutch leave
C. had Dutch courage
D. had a Dutch treat

     About three hundred words in the English language come from the names of people. Many of these words
are technical words. When there is a new invention of discovery, a new word may be coined (杜撰) after the
inventor or scientist.
      It is interesting to observe how many common words have found their way into the language from the
names of people. Lord Sandwich, who lived from 1718-1792, used to sit at the gambling (赌博) table eating
bread with meat in between. As the Lord was the only one among his friends who ate bread in that way, his
friends began to call the bread "sandwich" for fun. Later on,the word became part of the English language.
      The word "boycott" means to refuse to have anything to do with somebody or something. It comes from
a man called Captain Boycott. He was a land agent in 1880 and he collected rents and taxes for an English
landowner in Ireland. But the Captain was a very harsh (苛刻的) man. He treated his poor tenants (佃户) very
badly. His tenants decided not to speak to him at all. Eventually word got back to the landowner and the
Captain was removed (免除). The word "boycott" became popular and was used by everyone to mean the kind
of treatment that was received by Captain Boycott.

1. A few hundred ________ come from the names of people.

A. new inventions
B. languages
C. English words
D. new discoveries

2. "Sandwich" is a word coined (杜撰) by ________.

A. Lord Sandwich
B. the friends of Lord Sandwich
C. inventors
D. scientists

3. The tenants did not like ________.

A. to collect rents and taxes
B. the English landowner
C. the harsh land agent
D. to speak

     Tea drinking was common in China for nearly one thousand years before anyone in Europe had ever heard
about tea. People in Britain were much slower in finding out what tea was like, mainly because tea was very
expensive. It could not be bought in shops and even those people who could afford to have it sent from
Holland did so only because it was a fashionable curiosity. Some of them were not sure how to use it. They
thought it was a vegetable and tried cooking the leaves. Then they served them mixed with butter and salt.
They soon discovered their mistake but many people used to spread the used tea leaves on bread and give
them to their children as sandwiches. Tea remained scarce and very expensive in England until the ships of
the East In-dia Company began to bring it direct from China early in the seventeenth century. During the next
few years so much tea came into the country that the price fell and many people could af-ford to buy it. At the
same time people on the Continent were becoming more and more fond of tea. Until then tea had been drunk
without milk in it, but one day a famous French lady named Madame de Sevigne decided to see what tea tasted
like when milk was added. She found it so pleasant that she would never again drink it without milk. Because
she was such a great lady her friends thought they must copy everything she did, so they also drank their tea
with milk in it. Slowly this habit spread until it reached England and today only very few Brit-ons (British
people) drink tea without milk. At first, tea was usually drunk after dinner in the evening. No one ever thought
of drinking tea in the afternoon until a duchess (公爵夫人) found that a cup of tea and a piece of cake at three
or four o'clock stopped her getting" a sinking feeling" as she called it. She invited her friends to have this new
meal with her and so, tea-time was born.

1. Which of the following is true of the introduction of tea into Britain?

A. The Britons got expensive tea from India.
B. Tea reached Britain from Holland.
C. The Britons were the first people in Europe who drank tea.
D. It was not until the 17th century that the Britons had tea.

2. This passage mainly discusses _______.

A. the history of tea drinking in Britain
B. how tea became a popular drink in Britain
C. how the Britons got the habit of drinking tea
D. how tea-time was born

3. Tea became a popular drink in Britain ______.

A. in eighteenth century
B. in sixteenth century
C. in seventeenth century
D. in the late seventeenth century

4. We may infer from the passage that the habit of drinking tea in Britain was mostly due to the
     influence of _________.

A. a famous French lady
B. the ancient Chinese
C. the upper social class
D. people in Holland

     Valentine's Day (情人节) is named for Saint Valentine an early Christmas churchman who reportedly
helped young lovers. Valentine was killed for his Christian beliefs on February 14 more than 1700 years ago,
but the day that has his name is even earlier than that.
      More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Romans celebrated a holiday for lovers. As part of the celebration,
girls wrote their names on pieces of paper and put them in a large container. Boys reached into the container
and pulled one out. The girl whose name was written on the paper became his lover or sweet heart for a year.
     Lovers still put their names on pieces of paper and they sent each other Valentine's Day cards that tell of
their love. Sometimes they also sent gifts, like flowers or chocolate candy. Americans usually send these gifts
and cards through the mail system. But some used another way to send this message. They have it printed in a
newspaper. The cost is usually a few dollars. Some of the messages are simple and short"Jane, I love you very much". Others say more. This one, for example,"Dan, Roses are red. Violets are blue. I hope you love me as
much as I love you. Forever. May."
      Most of the newspapers that print such messages are local, but USA Today is sold through-out the United
States, and 90 other countries as well. This means someone can send a Valentine message to lover in a far-away city or town almost anywhere in the world. These messages cost 80 dollars and more. An employee of USA
Today says readers can have a small heart or rose printed along with their messages this year. Will this kind of
Valentine's Day message reach the one you love? Well, just make sure he or she reads the newspaper.

1. When was the day named after Valentine?

A. More than 1700 years ago before Valentine's death
B. More than 2000 years ago
C. On February 24
D. It is not mentioned in the passage.

2. What is the cost of printing a message to show one's love? It's _______.

A. a few dollars
B. a few dollars in a local newspaper and 80 dollars in USA Today
C. 80 dollars, and more
D. very expensive

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. The ancient Roman girls were more open and easy - going than boys
B. Valentine was killed for helping lovers
C. Readers of USA Today can send roses to their lovers along with printed messages
D. Valentine was honored by people for his firm Christian belief and warm heart

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To briefly introduce the origin of Valentine's Day and the modern style.
B. To advertise for USA Today.
C. To tell you that Americans are open to express their love.
D. To sell roses on Valentine's Day.

     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, these 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 (*训练) 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 (涉及) 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. Harvard
B. Yale 　　　
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. Modern languages the Harvard taught in 1825 were ______. 　　

A. Latin and Greek 　　
B. Latin, Green, 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. many new subjects 　 　
C. law and something about medicine 　　
D. the subjects that interested students

5. On the whole, the passage is about _______. 　　

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

     Beijing has started a battle to get rid of"Chinglish" (Chinese English ). The "Language mandarins" of Beijing
have decided that Chinglish is a disease for China's modernizing claim and must be obliterated before the city
hosts the Olympic Games in 2008.
     A road sign on the Avenue of Eternal Peace (Chang'an Street ), for example, advised: "To Take Notice of
Safe ; The Slippery are Very Crafty, "a warning that the sidewalk was slippery. Another sign in a Beijing park
reads:"Little grass is smiling slightly, please walk on sidewalk".
      Li Honghai, the city official in charge of the battle, said: "Linguistic perfection (语言美) is becoming
increasingly important with the rise in the number of the foreigners flowing into the city."
     However, not everyone shares the disdain (蔑视) of the Beijing government for the mixed language. "The
choice of words is pretty much. One can either choose the verbs,adverbs, nouns or whatever one likes,"
explained one Hongkong linguist on an Internet website.
     So many examples exist that several Internet sites have been set up to collect Chinglish phrases. Many
come from English instructions on packages such as a candle marked with "Keep this candle out of children"
and a model boat-curiously named Posh Sailboat-which means"Please don't place it in dusty play."
     If the battle against Chinglish is successful, Chinese will also turn their attention to the English-language
versions of newspapers, which play an even more important role in teaching right English.

1. The underlined word "obliterated" refers to _____.

A. removed
B. exploited
C. translated
D. beautified

2. From the passage, we know that _____.

A. everyone shares the disdain for the mixed language
B. all the people don't share the disdain for the mixed language
C. Chinglish usually communicates in many cases
D. several Internet sites have been set up to clear the Chinglish phrases

3. We can infer that the English-language versions of newspapers _____.

A. should be in duty to teach normal English
B. should report the battle above
C. should be paid more attention to
D. should collect more Chinglish phrases

4. Which of the following signs is Chinglish?

     Manhattan is the heart of New York City. It is really an island, which is only 13 miles long and 2 miles
wide. Seen from the air, it look like a long finger. From the sea it is just like a picture we often see.
     Manhattan has some wonderful sights. What is the easiest way to see them? First, get a map of New
York City, which is often supplied free at gas stations and tourists offices. You can take a bus tour, but a
better way to see the sights is to walk, and you'll walk with your head thrown back so that you can look at
the tall buildongs rising like steep cliff(悬崖) on_____ of the streets.
     It is not easy to get lost here. The streets of New York from squares called blocks. Nearly all the streets
are in the straight lines, running from east to west. Those from north to south are called avenues. Most of the
avenues and streets have only numbers. The famous fifth Avenue is the dividing line between the east and
west in Manhattan. Here you'll see the Empire State Building. On the 102nd floor, over 1,400 feet above the
ground, it is possible for you to see the area in which one in ten of all the people in America live. You can also
look down at the other huge skyscrapers, the United Nations' buildings, the Statue of Liberty (自由女神像) in
the harbor, Broadway---the longest street in the world but not the straightest, and the greatest ships in the
world's biggest port.

1. What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words.)
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?
A street known as the Fifth Avenue divides Manhattan into two parts---the east and the west.
__________________________________________________________________________
3. Please filll in the blank in the second paragraph with proper words and phrases to complete the sentence.
(Please answer within 10 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
4. Which is the better way to see the sights in Manhattan---to take a bus or to walk? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence in the last paragraph into Chinese.
__________________________________________________________