Opened in 1971, the Magic Kingdom was the first theme park at Walt Disney World. All Disney World theme parks are open 365 days a year, although opening and closing times for each park are different from day to day. If  you are traveling without kids, try to visit it on a school day to avoid the largest crowds. If you need to visit it during a school vacation, try at least to avoid the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July.
If you are not staying at a Disney World hotel, avoid visiting the Magic Kingdom on its Extra Magic Hours days. The hotel guests get into the park early on those days, increasing the waiting time for visitors who arrive at the normal opening time.
Buy your Walt Disney World tickets online at Disney World’s website. There will be some advice on picking the right ticket. See the guide to Disney World tickets. You will also need to call in advance to make lunch or dinner reservations (预订). Disney accepts reservations, through 1-407-WDW-DINE, up to 180 days in advance. Time does pass quickly, so you should call six months before your trip to get a lunch reservation in the castle. We suggest you should have your lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table for your tour. If you can’t get the reservation, ask for the Liberty Tree Tavern instead.
Keep in mind that to reach the Magic Kingdom, you must park at Disney World’s Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) parking lot, take a tram (有轨电车), and then take a boat across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom.
【小题1】We learn from the passage that ______.

A．children are not allowed to visit Disney World on New Year’s Day

B．Disney World theme parks have the same opening and closing times

C．a single adult had better visit the Magic Kingdom on a school day

D．the Magic Kingdom was the earliest theme park in the world

【小题2】If you want to have dinner in the Walt Disney World, you can ______.

A．see the guide to Disney World tickets to reserve a table

B．make a call to reserve a table for dinner in advance

C．use 1-407-WDW-DINE to reserve about 3 months in advance

D．go to Cinderella’s Royal Table or the Liberty Tree Tavern at any time you like

【小题3】Which of the following is TRUE according to passage?

A．Disney World theme parks will be closed on Christmas Day.

B．The only way to get Walt Disney World tickets is to buy them online.

C．Visitors have to reach the Magic Kingdom by tram and then boat.

D．The Magic Kingdom has Extra Magic Hours every day.

【小题4】What would be the best title for this passage?

A．The History of the Magic Kingdom

B．A Brief Introduction to the Magic Kingdom

C．Advice on Making a Trip to the Magic Kingdom

D．The Most Important Theme Park at Walt Disney World

He almost didn’t see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front her Mercedes and got out.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt.
He said, “I am here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened, had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were many people who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.
【小题1】This story most probably took place_______.

A．in a garage

B．on a highway

C．in a busy street

D．near a gas station

【小题2】When the man approached the old lady, the first thing he did was to______.

A．ask what was wrong with her car

B．get the old lady out of her car

C．change her tire as soon as possible

D．make her know he wanted to help her

【小题3】The underlined part in Paragraph 6 suggests that________.

A．the old lady had got ready to pay the man

B．the old lady was grateful to the man

C．the man had a lot of difficulty changing the tire

D．the man didn’t stop changing the tire

【小题4】Which of the following words can best describe the man?

A．Warm-hearted and sensitive.

B．Careful and serious.

C．Thoughtful and helpful.

D．Generous and open-minded.

【小题5】It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______________.

A．the man was happy after helping the old lady

B．the man received a lot of money from the old lady

C．the man made the old lady feel cold and depressed

D．the man felt extremely frustrated all the way home

In the US, people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without 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 time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Serving in restaurants is 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.
【小题1】Which statement is true?

A．American people like sitting with people they don’t know.

B．A hostess always seats a small group at a large table.

C．American people never sit with people they don’t know.

D．American people will not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking.

【小题2】What is served before you order?

A．bread

B．butter

C．coffee

D．cold water

【小题3】What do American people always do when servings are too large for them?

A．They take the food home with a doggie bag for their dogs.

B．They leave the food on the table and go away.

C．They take the food home with a doggie bag and enjoy the food later.

D．They ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food for them.

【小题4】Sunday dinner is_______.

A．a dinner in the evening	B．A big noon meal
C．a big lunch on Sunday	D．A supper on Sunday

One silly question I simply can’t stand is “How do you feel?” Usually the question is asked of a man in action—a man on the go, walking along the streets, or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He’ll probably say, “Fine, I’m all right,” but you have put a bug  in his ear—maybe now he’s not sure. If you are a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk, that he overlooked(忽略) that morning. It starts worrying him a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else “How do you feel?” Every question has its time and place. It’s perfectly acceptable, for instance, to ask “How do you feel?” if you’re visiting a close friend in the hospital. But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying to take a train, or sitting at his desk working, it’s silly to ask him that silly question. When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays, was in his eighties, someone asked him. “How do you feel?” Shaw put him in his place. “When you reach my age”, he said, “either you feel all right or you’re dead.”
【小题1】According to the writer, greetings such as “How do you feel?” _______.

A．show one’s consideration for others

B．are a good way to make friends

C．are proper to ask a man in action

D．generally make one feel uneasy

【小题2】The question “How do you feel?” seems to be correct and suitable when asked of  _______.

A．a man working at his desk

B．a person having lost a close friend

C．a stranger who looks somewhat worried

D．a friend who is ill

【小题3】George Bernard Shaw’s reply in the passage shows his _______.

A．cheerfulness	B．cleverness
C．ability	D．politeness

【小题4】“You’ve put a bug in his ear” means that you’ve _______.

A．made him laugh

B．shown concern for him

C．made fun of him

D．given him some kind of warning

A man was selling medicine at a fair（集市）．At first he sold bottles of a cure（药剂）for colds（感冒）for just a dollar a bottle．
Many people wanted to buy it and the man's young assistant moved quickly through the crowd collecting money and handing out bottles of the cure．
Then，when he had a big crowd， the man held up a very small bottle．
“And now，ladies and gentlemen,” he shouted，“Here is the medicine you have been waiting for．The cure for old age．Drink just one bottle of this and you will live forever.”?
“And，ladies and gentlemen,” the man continued，“I'm not going to charge you a hundred dollars a bottle for this wonderful medicine．I'm not going to charge you fifty dollars a bottle．I'm not going to charge you twenty-five dollars a bottle. Now，ladies and gentlemen，I'm going to charge you just ten dollars a bottle. Think，my friends，for ten dollars you can live forever.”?
Most of the people in the crowd did not believe this．
One person shouted，“If it can make you live forever，why don't you drink it?”
Then another person cried，“Yes，you look as if you're at least sixty years old．?
“Thank you，sir，thank you,” the man answered，“I'm so glad you said that． My real age is three hundred and twenty-nine.”?
The crowd laughed at this but there were still some people who wanted to believe the man. One of them spoke to the man's assistant as she passed by, “Is that true？”?he asked．“Is he three hundred and twenty-nine？”?
“Don't ask me,” the assistant said，“I've only worked for him for a hundred and fifty years.”?
【小题1】What did the man sell at first at the fair？

A．a cure for colds

B．bottles

C．a cure for old age

D．a medicine that made people live forever

【小题2】How much did the man charge for the cure for old age？

A．one dollar a bottle

B．twenty-five dollars a bottle

C．ten dollars a bottle

D．fifty dollars a bottle

【小题3】What does the word “assistant” mean in this passage？

A．仆人

B．朋友

C．同伴

D．助手

【小题4】What does this passage really mean？

A．The cure for old age is very useful and not so expensive．

B．The man is not honest，and neither is his assistant．

C．The cheaper the medicine is，the more people will buy．

D．The two men are very honest，and they would like to help people live forever．

As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have. It is likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen a washing machine and a microwave oven. Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need. You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week.
Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for. Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world. They feel that the long hours work culture to make more money is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes. Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting is one of them. Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year.
One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz. They used to work in central London. He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank. They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs, leaving their two children with a nanny. Most evenings Daniel wouldn’t get home until eight or nine o’clock and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings. They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by.
Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales. “I always wanted to have a farm then,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift. It’s taken some time getting used to, but it’s been worth it. We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays. However, I think it’s made us stronger as a family, and the children are much happier.
Liz, however, is not quite sure. “I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours. I’m not really a country girl, but I suppose I’m gradually getting used to looking after the animals. One thing I do like, however, is being able to see more of my children. My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much, or you might not do it at all.”
【小题1】The passage tells us that       .

A．people seldom work long hours to make money

B．people hardly buy more things than necessary

C．people are sure everything they own is in the right place

D．people realize there is more to life than just making money

【小题2】When Daniel was a reporter, he ______.  

A．lived in central London	B．was well paid
C．missed his children	D．disliked his job

【小题3】Daniel and Liz both agree that the move to the farm ______.

A．was easy to organize	B．was extremely expensive
C．has improved family life	D．has been a total success

【小题4】The underlined word “downshifting” in the 2^nd paragraph refers to    ______.

A．repairing your car by yourself

B．spending money carefully

C．moving out to the countryside to live a simpler and better life

D．living in a big house in the suburbs and dining out once a week

The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added -- a communications blackout caused by solar storms.
　　After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
　　Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
　　"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
　　At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. "A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is the greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.
　　Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.
　　The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
　　Professor Richard Harrison, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advanced warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem," he said.
【小题1】The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to____________ during the 2012 Olympics.

A．the extinguishing of the Olympic torch

B．the collapse of broadcasting systems

C．the transportation breakdown in London

D．the destruction of weather satellites

【小题2】According to the passage, scientists are convinced that __________.

A．the sun’s activities have little to do with the earth

B．the London Olympic broadcasting will be possibly influenced by the 2012 peak of sunspots

C．the 2012 Olympic Games are during the solar maximum of throwing out greatest number of sunspots

D．solar explosion will cause strong storms on the earth

【小题3】What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?

A．The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.

B．The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.

C．It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.

D．The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections.

【小题4】According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.

A．take images of the solar system

B．provide early warning of thunderstorms

C．keep track of solar activities

D．improve the communications on Earth

【小题5】Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer

B．Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger

C．Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race

D．Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled

If there is one thing I’m sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It’s not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives — the big political stories, the coverage（报导）of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though. It’s already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic（基因）engineering. In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do — as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
It’s quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted（传送） electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact, I’m pretty sure that how it will happen in the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read — sports and international news, etc.
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media. They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn’t happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound in the air. And as for the Internet, it’s never really pleasant to read something just on a screen. 
【小题1】What is the best title for the passage?

A．The Best Way to Get News.

B．The Changes of Media.

C．Make Your Own Newspaper.

D．The Future of Newspaper.

【小题2】In the writer’s opinion, in the future, _______. 

A．more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news

B．newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer

C．newspapers will cover more scientific researches

D．more and more people will prefer watching TV to reading newspapers

【小题3】From the passage, we can infer _______. 

A．newspapers will win the competition among the different media

B．newspapers will stay with us together with other media

C．television will take the place of newspaper in the future

D．the writer believes some media will die out

【小题4】The phrase “feed off” in the last paragraph means ______.

A．depend on

B．compete with

C．fight with

D．kill off

Dear Teresa Silva,
The official of the university has reported to us that you are an English major who meets the high standards for membership in Sigma Tau Delta. As is known, Sigma Tau Delta was founded in 1924 at Dakota Wesleyan University. It is an international collegiate honor society for students of English. It presently has over 850 chapters in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Over 9,000 new members are admitted into the organization annually.
Sigma Tau Delta’s purpose is to promote literature and writing and to advance the study of the written word. Members gather annually in the spring at the international meeting to present papers and share experiences and ideas within the English subject. The Society offers tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships, awards, as well as publication chances in its journals The Rectangle and The Sigma Tau Delta Review.
It is our pleasure if you can complete the application for Sigma Tau Delta membership. If you would like to be included in this spring’s induction (入会) ceremony, please complete the application form, and include amount to cover both local and international fees. Your completed form must be received by date to be considered for the upcoming induction ceremony.
We congratulate you on your outstanding academic record and hope you will join us as a Sigma Tau Delta member. If you want to get more information, please visit our website www.sigmataudelta.org, or give us a call. The phone number is 583-2864.
Sincerely,
Emily Lister
【小题1】According to the passage, Sigma Tau Delta ______.

A．deals with language learning

B．opens its door to all the students of English

C．changes its members every year

D．mainly takes charge of scientific publications

【小题2】At the annual meeting, members of Sigma Tau Delta have the chance to ______.

A．meet all the chapter leaders

B．receive tens of thousands of dollars

C．share experiences and views

D．choose a particular subject as a major

【小题3】This passage is basically a letter of _____.

A．introduction

B．congratulation

C．thanks

D．invitation

Have you ever wished that you could make your little sister’s teddy bear talk to her? Or have you ever wanted to bring a puppet (木偶) to life? If so, you may be interested in learning the art of ventriloquism (腹语术). A ventriloquist can make an ordinary object seem to be alive by giving it a personality, movement, and speech.
Your object can be a puppet, or a doll. Give your new “friend” a name, and then decide on the personality that he will have. The next step is to give your friend movements that agree with the personality you have chosen.
Now you can learn to make your “friend” talk. A ventriloquist will control his mouth and lips so that it will appear that his voice is coming from the object he is using. This will take practice, but you can do it.
First, decide on a voice that is different from your own. It could be higher or lower than yours, or could even have a special accent. Then, find a clean teaspoon and hold the handle between your front teeth. Now, using the voice you created for your friend and holding the handle of the teaspoon tightly between your teeth, look into a mirror and talk. Practicing with the spoon in your mouth will help you learn to keep your mouth from moving. Now try telling a joke in your normal voice and have your friend speak in his voice. Practice those words until you can say them without your lips moving at all.
Ventriloquism is fun. It also requires hard work to become good at it. The most important thing to do is practice. But if you are willing to take the time to give your friend an interesting personality, to practice lively movements, and to work on good mouth control, then you will be well on your way to becoming a ventriloquist!
【小题1】According to the text, a ventriloquist           .

A．is a person who can make puppets

B．needs to work with another person

C．can speak without using his mouth

D．can make an object seem to speak

【小题2】You need to hold the handle of a teaspoon between your front teeth so that           .

A．your voice will change

B．your mouth won’t move

C．you can look humorous

D．you can feel your mouth’s movements

【小题3】If you want to be good at ventriloquism, you         .

A．need to spend much time practicing

B．must learn from famous ventriloquists

C．should learn at least one special accent

D．must have a great doll to practice with

【小题4】What would be the best title for the text?

A．How to tell jokes

B．How to make puppets

C．Secrets of ventriloquism

D．Tips on making friends