The English, as a race, are very different in many ways from all other nationalities, including their closest neighbors, the French, the Belgians and the Dutch. It is claimed that living on an island separated from the rest of Europe has much to do with it. Whatever the reasons are, it may be fairly stated that the Englishman has developed many attitudes and habits which distinguish him from other nationalities.
Broadly speaking, the Englishman is a quiet, shy, reserved person who is fully relaxed only among people he knows well. In the presence of strangers or foreigners he often seems restrained, even embarrassed. You have only to witness a city train any morning or evening to see the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or having a light sleep in a corner, and no one speaks. In fact, to do so would seem most unusual. An Englishman, pretending to be giving advice to overseas visitors, once suggested, “On entering a railway carriage, shake hands with all the passengers.” Needless to say, he was not being serious. There is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior which, if broken, makes the person immediately suspected.
In many parts of the world it is quite normal to show openly extremes of enthusiasm, emotion, excitement, etc, often accompanied by appropriate gesture. The Englishman is somewhat different. Of course, an Englishman feels no less deeply than anyone of a different nationality, but he tends to display his feelings far less. This is reflected in his use of language. Imagine a man commenting on the great beauty of a young girl. A more emotional man might describe her state “Oh, she is a goddess”, whereas an Englishman might just say “Oh, she’s all right.” An Englishman who has seen a highly successful and enjoyable film recommends it to a friend by commenting, “It’s not bad you know”, or on seeing some very unusual scenery he might convey (表达) his pleasure by saying, “Nice, yes, very nice.” The overseas visitor must not be disappointed by this apparent lack of interest and involvement. Instead, he must realize that “all right,” “not bad,” and “nice,” very often have the sense of “first-class,” “excellent,” “beautiful”. This unique style of language use is particularly common in England, and is known as restrained statement.
【小题1】According to the passage, the English are different from other nationalities in _______.

A．habits

B．attitudes

C．character

D．all of the above

【小题2】The underlined word “restrained” in the second paragraph probably means “_______”. 

A．calm and controlled	B．polite and friendly
C．nervous and quiet	D．silent and kind

【小题3】In Britain, if you don’t want other people to think you are strange, you’d better _______.

A．talk with others as much as possible

B．behave just like the English do

C．say nothing about yourself

D．shake hands with everyone you meet

【小题4】If an Englishman says “all right”, it may mean “_______”.  

A．not bad

B．correct

C．quite right

D．wonderful

【小题5】From the passage, we can infer that an Englishman _______.

A．doesn’t like to show his feelings so much

B．has less emotion than people of other nationalities

C．finds it easy to express his emotion

D．likes to have a joke with strangers

Language is always changing. In a society where life continues year after year with few changes, the language does not change either. The earliest known languages had difficult grammar but a small, limited vocabulary. Over the century, the grammar changed, and the vocabulary grew. For example, the English and Spanish people who came to America during the sixteenth century gave names to all the new plants and animals they found. In this way, hundreds of new words were introduced into English and Spanish vocabularies. Today life is changing very fast, and language is changing fast too.
There are several major language families in the world. Some scientists say there are nine main families, but other scientists divide them differently. The languages in each family are connected, and scientists think that they came from the same parent language. About 3 percent of the people in the world speak languages that are not in these major families.
【小题1】The early language had ________.

A．a lot of problems	B．words and easy grammar
C．words but no grammar	D．grammar but not many words

【小题2】In the next few hundred years we can expect language to _____.

A．stay exactly the same	B．change a great deal
C．change only a little	D．ask more words and drop some grammar

【小题3】What this article shows is that _____.

A．languages change fast	B．languages really don't want to change
C．language really with changes in society	D．Spanish and English change

Several recent studies have found that being randomly assigned to a roommate of another race can lead to increased tolerance but also to a greater likelihood of conflict.
Recent reports found that lodging with a student of a different race may decrease prejudice and compel students to engage in more ethnically diverse friendships.
An Ohio State University study also found that black students living with a white roommate saw higher academic success throughout their college careers. Researchers believe this may be caused by social pressure.
In a New York Times article, Sam Boakye – the only black student on his freshman year floor -said that "if you're surrounded by whites, you have something to prove."
Researchers also observed problems resulting from pairing interracial students in residences.
According to two recent studies, randomly assigned roommates of different races are more likely to experience conflicts so strained that one roommate will move out.
An Indiana University study found that interracial roommates were three times as likely as two white roommates to no longer live together by the end of the semester.
Grace Kao, a professor at Penn said she was not surprised by the findings. "This may be the first time that some of these students have interacted, and lived, with someone of a different race," she said.
At Penn, students are not asked to indicate race when applying for housing.
"One of the great things about freshman housing is that, with some exceptions, the process throws you together randomly," said Undergraduate Assembly chairman Alec Webley. "This is the definition of integration."
"I've experienced roommate conflicts between interracial students that have both broken down stereotypes and reinforced stereotypes," said one Penn resident advisor (RA). The RA of two years added that while some conflicts "provided more multicultural acceptance and melding (融合)," there were also "jarring cultural confrontations."
The RA said that these conflicts have also occurred among roommates of the same race.
Kao said she cautions against forming any generalizations based on any one of the studies, noting that more background characteristics of the students need to be studied and explained.
【小题1】What can we learn from some recent studies?

A．Conflicts between students of different races are unavoidable.

B．Students of different races are prejudiced against each other.

C．Interracial lodging does more harm than good.

D．Interracial lodging may have diverse outcomes.

【小题2】What does Sam Boakye's remark mean?

A．White students tend to look down upon their black peers.

B．Black students can compete with their white peers academically.

C．Black students feel somewhat embarrassed among white peers during the freshman year.

D．Being surrounded by white peers motivates a black student to work harder to succeed.

【小题3】What does Alec Webley consider to be the "definition of integration"?

A．The school randomly assigns roommates without regard to race.

B．Students of different races are required to share a room.

C．Interracial lodging is arranged by the school for freshmen.

D．Lodging is assigned to students of different races without exception.

Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast（盛宴）. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies（殖民地）began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed（宣布）the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbors. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
【小题1】Thanksgiving Day is celebrated      .

A．in spring

B．summer

C．in autumn

D．in winter

【小题2】The first to celebrate thanksgiving were      .

A．some people from England	B．the American Indians
C．Sarah Josepha Hale	D．Governor Bradford

【小题3】The passage mainly tells us      .
A. how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A.
B. how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated
C. that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday
D. how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places

A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders (想知道): Can I communicate with Americans? Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the differences between British and American English? How important are these differences?
Certainly! there are some differences between British and American English. ‘There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you a pen?” Americans say “in the hospital!” and “Do you have a pen?”. Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound theirs in words like “bird” and “hurt”. Speakers of British English do not sound theirs in these words. There are differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, “colour” and “honour” are British, “color” and honor” are American.
These differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary are not important, however. For the most part, British and American English are the same language.
【小题1】According to this passage, a student who is learning to speak American English might be afraid that_______.

A．British people cannot understand him

B．American people cannot understand him

C．the grammar is too hard for him

D．the spelling is too hard for him

【小题2】American English and British English are different in ________.

A．spelling

B．pronunciation

C．grammar

D．all of the above

【小题3】What is not mentioned (提及) in the passage?

A．Whether there are differences between British English and American English.

B．Whether British English and American English are one language or two.

C．How the differences between British English and American English came about.

D．How important the differences are.

【小题4】Most ________ say “Do you have a watch?”

A．British people

B．Americans

C．children

D．teachers

【小题5】According to this passage, British people and Americans have _________ difficulty in understanding each other.

A．little

B．much

C．some

D．great

Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is the color of most growing plants, too.
Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet finished or plants that are not ripe.
For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns had not yet developed. A century or so later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in war (战争). By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today--a person who is new in a job.
About one hundred years ago, greenhorn was a popular expression in the American west. Old-timers used it to describe a man who had just arrived from one of the big cities in the east. The greenhorn didn’t have the skills that he would need to live in the hard, rough country.
Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from the early nineteen hundreds.
A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.
The Green Revolution (革命) is the name which was given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural (农业的) scientists who had green thumbs.
【小题1】According to the passage, a greenhorn means________ now.

A．a young cow or ox whose horns have not yet developed

B．a soldier who has not had any experience in war

C．a person who is new in a job

D．a man who doesn’t have the skills to live in the country

【小题2】The meaning of the underlined word “ripe” in the second paragraph is ________.

A．未完成的

B．成熟的

C．青涩的

D．老练的

【小题3】Which of the following about the Green Revolution is NOT right?

A．If there weren’t the Green Revolution, we would have no rice to eat.

B．The expression “the Green Revolution” appeared several years ago.

C．Because of the Green Revolution, we have more kinds of rice and other grains.

D．Agricultural scientists with green thumbs started the Green Revolution.

【小题4】We can know from the passage that _______.

A．all growing plants is green

B．green is the most important color in nature

C．a person with a green thumb can make plants grow well

D．the expression “a green thumb” has a history of two hundred years

【小题5】The main idea of the passage is ________.

A．a greenhorn	B．a green thumb
C．the Green Revolution	D．the word “green” and its story

If you ask most Americans, they would say their favorite season of the year is summer. The weather is warm. They do not have to wear heavy clothes to keep warm. Young people do not have to go to school. They can do many activities outside, like playing sports and swimming at the beach or the pool. They like the sunshine during the day and the warm summer nights. People have written and recorded hundreds of songs about summer. These are some of our favorites.
One of the most famous songs about summer is from George Gershwin’s opera “Porgy and Bess”. He wrote the music in nineteen thirty-five. The opera takes place in the southern United States. It opens with these words: “Summertime and the living’ is easy. Fish are jumping’ and the cotton is high.” Leontyne Price sings the song.
The nineteen fifties and sixties produced many songs about teenagers enjoying their summer vacation from school. The songs are about having fun, swimming in the ocean, driving in cars. However, for some teenagers, summer vacation was not all fun and games. Some of them had to work to earn money.
【小题1】Why did people write and record so many songs about summer?

A．Summer is warm.

B．They do not have to wear heavy clothes to keep warm.

C．They can do many activities outside.

D．They like summer.

【小题2】Which of following statements is NOT true?

A．There are 1950s or 1960s songs about teenagers enjoying their summer vacation from school.

B．Many songs are about teenagers having fun in summer.

C．Teenagers have not only fun and games but other things in summer.

D．Some teenagers have to work to earn money in summer

【小题3】Please choose an appropriate title for the passage.

A．Summer.

B．Children in Summer.

C．Summer and Children.

D．Songs about Summer.

What’s delicious to eat and comes in a variety of colors? Eggplant! And no, it has nothing to do with chickens! This strangely named vegetable is, however, as versatile as an egg．It can be steamed, fried, and baked．It can be eaten by itself or combined with meats and other vegetables．
Eggplant was first grown in India in the 5th century B．C．．Its popularity soon spread to China and then throughout Asia．Finally, during the Middle Ages the vegetable made its way to Europe．At that time, eggplant was not the shiny purple vegetable most people know today．Instead, it’s like a white egg．Due to this egg - like appearance, eggplant got its name．In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a “mad apple．” This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one' s health．People actually thought eggplant could cause madness and cancer．
Fortunately today people know that eggplant doesn't cause insanity or cancer．In fact eggplant is so healthy that it may prevent cancer．In addition, the brain and the heart benefit from this super vegetable．Since it's high in fibre, eggplant can improve digestion．
Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant in the world today．Depending on its location, eggplant may be purple, green, orange or yellow - white．And it can be as small as a tomato or as large as a cucumber．Dish varieties range from simple to complex, with all of them being delicious．
Today, thousands of people gather in Loomis, Calif, for the annual Loomis Eggplant Festival．The main activity at the festival is eating delicious eggplant dishes．There is plenty more to do and see, though．Recipe contests, arts and crafts, performers, races and children's activities all “egg – cite” festival - goers．Most people at the festival would agree—eggplant is an “egg—cellent” vegetable．
【小题1】Eggplant got its name because of its _____．

A．appearance

B．taste

C．color

D．value

【小题2】Which of the following does NOT belong to the qualities of eggplant?

A．It can be cooked in various ways．	B．It is helpful in digesting．
C．It may prevent cancer．	D．It is valuable and priceless．

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

A．Eggplant can be eaten to cure cancer

B．Eggplant used to taste bitter．

C．India produce the most eggplant in the world today．

D．Eggplant has a history of nearly 1,000 years．

【小题4】Most people come to the Loomis Eggplant Festival to_____．

A．see arts and crafts	B．enjoy food with eggplants
C．take part in recipe contests	D．promote eggplant

As the world watched the twin towers of the World Trade Center come under attack, a common phrase was repeated:” It looks like a movie.”
But this time there was no superman to save the people or the famous building. The attack destroyed one of the world's highest skyscrapers and left 5,000 people dead or missing.
Movie fans have become used to such events after years of Hollywood films showing disasters, terrorism and danger. The Empire State Building, the White House, New York City and even the American president himself have all been threatened(威胁) by terrorist attacks in these exciting films. The film” True Lies”, released in 1994, is considered to be a good example of this kind of movie. The special effects, including explosions and missiles, make the action look like a real thing.
　“Independence Day” in 1996 took this type of movie one step further by blowing up the White House. This science fiction(科幻) movie is about a war between human beings and aliens from another planet. In the movie, the World Trade Center towers are destroyed.
Violence has become a major part of Hollywood movies. And this is what people enjoy. Soon after the attacks, many famous film companies stopped the planned releases of some of their new movies, especially if their films showed terrorist attacks or plane crashes. “Swordfish” was top of the American box office in June. But the movie's story was frighteningly similar to the Sept. 11 disaster. The film would have been stopped in American and British cinemas after the attack. But it's unlikely that Hollywood will stay quiet for long. It is already waiting for the feeling in America to calm down.
【小题1】What is the main subject of the newspaper article?

A．The relationship between the Sept. 11 attack and Hollywood films.

B．The effect of the Sept. 11 attack and Hollywood films.

C．The response Hollywood made to the Sept. 11 attack.

D．The result of Hollywood films showing violence and disasters.

【小题2】Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Hollywood made a lot of money out of the film “Swordfish” in June.

B．Hollywood stopped making films showing terrorism and disasters after the Sept. 11 attack.

C．“Swordfish” was not allowed to be shown after the Sept. 11 attack.

D．The World Trade Center was destroyed because no superman came to save I t.

【小题3】From this article we know that _____.

A．Hollywood is a film making center making films of violence and disasters.

B．too many Hollywood films showing terrorism and disasters resulted in the Sept. 11 attack.

C．people who were used to the Hollywood films were not shocked at the Sept. 11 attack.

D．in fact, the Sept. 11 attack had nothing to do with Hollywood films.

Although English is not as old as Chinese , it is spoken by many people around the world every day. English speakers are always creating new words and we are often able to know where most words come from.
Sometimes, however, no one may really know where a word comes from.  Did you ever think about why hamburgers are called hamburgers, especially when they are not made with ham?  About a hundred years ago, some men went to America from Europe.  They came from a big city in Germany called Hamburg.  They didn’t speak good English, but they ate good food.  When some Americans saw them eating round piece of beef, they asked the Germans what it was.  The Germans didn’t understand the question and answered, “We come from Hamburg.”  One of these Americans owned a restaurant, and had an idea.  He cooked some round piece of bread and started selling them.  Such bread came to be called “hamburgers”.  Today, “hamburgers” are sold in many countries around the world.
Whether this story is true or not, it certainly is interesting.  Knowing why any word has a certain meaning is interesting, too.  This reason, for most English words, can be found in any large English dictionary.
【小题1】Hamburg is ____________

A．a kind of food	B．a round piece of beef
C．the name of a village	D．a city in Germany

【小题2】According to the passage, ___________.

A．few Americans like hamburgers

B．hamburgers are made with beef

C．hamburgers are made with ham

D．hamburgers were first sold about a century ago

【小题3】According to the writer, which of the following can often be found in any large English dictionary?

A．Where all the new words come from.

B．Where those Germans came from.

C．The reason why a word has a certain meaning.

D．The reason why English is spoken around the world.

【小题4】From the story, we can know that the word “hamburger” comes from ___________.

A．China because it has a long history

B．English because Germans don’t speak good English

C．The round piece of beef which those people from Hamburg were eating

D．English speakers because they always create new words