American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing.
After World War II, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts（转移）to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents（居民）became wealthier. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs（郊区）。
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s , many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying . Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.
【小题1】What does the author think of cities all over the world?

A．They are alive.	B．They are hopeless.
C．They are similar.	D．They are different.

【小题2】Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War II?

A．Because older American cities were dying.

B．Because they were richer and needed more space.

C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society.

D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city.

【小题3】According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities      .

A．are faced with housing problems.	B．are forced to move to the suburbs.
C．want to sell their buildings.	D．need more money for daily expenses.

【小题4】We can conclude from the text that       .

A．American cities are changing for the worse.

B．people have different views on American cities.

C．many people are now moving from American cities.

D．the population is decreasing in older American cities.

Despite the fact that it has never been seen almost everyone is familiar with the legendary unicorn(独角兽). Descriptions of unicorns have been found dating from ancient times. The great philosopher Aristotle theorized that there were two types of unicorn--- the so-called Indian Ass and the Oryx, a kind of antelope. Unicorns are often used in the logo of a noble family, town council or university as their special sign. Even Scotland is represented by a unicorn.
According to the legend, anyone attempting to catch a unicorn had to be extremely careful as it was very fierce and dangerous. A clever trick suggested by unicorn-trappers, in order to catch this amazing animal without being hurt by its horn, was for the hunter to stand in front of a tree and then to move quickly behind it as the unicorn dashed angrily. Hopefully, the creature could then be caught when its horn was stuck in the tree.
When hollowed out and used as a drinking-cup, the unicorn’s horn was said to have the power to offer protection against person. It was believed that nobody could be harmed-by drinking the contents of a unicorn’s horn. Right up until the French Revolution in 1789, the French court was said to have used cups made of “unicorn” horn in order to protect the king. In addition, the horn was said to have medicinal value, so much so that it could be sold for more than ten times the price of the same weight of gold. What, then, was “unicorn” horn? We know at times the rhino(犀牛) was confused with this legendary creature. A drinking-cup supposedly made of “unicorn” horn was discovered to be made of the horn of a rhino.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE of the unicorn?

A．It was not historically recorded

B．Its horn was first used in France

C．It was similar to the Indian Ass and the Oryx

D．It could be the symbol of a university

【小题2】To catch a unicorn, the unicorn-trappers had to try all of the following EXCEPT ____.

A．attracting the unicorn to attack

B．making use of the tree as a defense

C．hiding quickly behind the unicorn

D．having the unicorn horn stuck in the tree

【小题3】 The last paragraph is mainly about ____.

A．the functions of the unicorn horn

B．the users of the unicorn horn

C．the price of the unicorn horn

D．the comparison between the unicorn horn and the rhino horn

The Louvre Museum is one of the largest, oldest, most important and famous museum in the world. It is famous for holding several of the world’s most valuable works of art. Its collections’ number is over 380,000 objects, though not one of the world’s largest collections, arguably one of the finest. The art treasures of the Louvre Museum cover 5,000 years and are displayed in over 10 kilometers of galleries. The oldest artifact in the museum is 9,000 years old. Mona Lisa(1503-1506), painted by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. The artist’s use of very deep space in the background with a half-length portrait is typical of Renaissance painting style. This painting hangs in the Louvre, Paris. It is one of the most famous collections in the Louvre.
On November 8th, 1793, the Louvre was opened as a public museum.
It is open from 9 am to 6 pm all days except Tuesdays. The entrance fee is 7.5 before 3 pm. It is free under 18 years old. The Louvre Museum in Paris had a record number of visitors in 2005. About 7.3 million people visited the art museum in 2005.
【小题1】 After reading the first paragraph, we can come to the conclusion that ____.

A．The Louvre Museum is the only largest, oldest, most important and famous museum in the world

B．The Louvre Museum has the world’s largest collections

C．The oldest artifact is over 9,000 years old

D．The Louvre Museum is priceless

【小题2】Which of the following statements is true?

A．Mona Lisa is typical of Renaissance painting.

B．Mona Lisa is painted by a Canadian.

C．Light space in the background is used in Mona Lisa.

D．All the above.

【小题3】 Which of the following statements leads us to the conclusion that The Louvre Museum is popular?

A．The art treasures of the Louvre Museum cover 5,000 years.

B．It is famous for holding several of the world’s most valuable works of art.

C．The Louvre Museum in Paris had a record number of visitors in 2005.

D．The entrance fee is 7.5 before 3 pm.

As societies develop, their members start to see things not so much according to what they need, but according to what they want. When people have enough money, these wants become demands.
Now, it' s important for the managers in a company to understand what their customers want if they are going to develop effective marketing strategies (策略). There are various ways of doing this. One way at supermarkets, for example, is to interview customers while they're doing their shopping. They can be asked what they prefer to buy and then the results of the research can be studied. This provides information on which to base future marketing strategies. It' s also quite normal for top managers from department stores to spend a day or two each month visiting stores and mixing freely with the public, as if they were ordinary customers, to get an idea of how customers act.
Another way to get information from customers is to give them something. For example, some fast food restaurants give away tickets in magazines or on the street that permit customers to get part of their meal for nothing. As well as being a good way of attracting customers into the restaurants to spend their money, it also allows the managers to get a feel for where to attract customers and which age-groups to attract.
Another strategy used at some well-known parks such as Disneyland is for top managers to spend at least one day in their work, touring the park dressed as Mickey Mouse or something like that. This provides them with a perfect chance to examine the scene and watch the customers without being noticed.
【小题1】The text is designed for _______

A．customers

B．salesmen

C．researchers

D．managers

【小题2】Which of the following can help managers get useful information?

A．Visiting customers themselves.

B．Giving customers free food on the street.

C．Visiting parks as ordinary customers.

D．Asking customers questions at supermarkets.

【小题3】What does the word "this" underlined in the last sentence refer to?

A．Visiting Disneyland.	B．Wearing attractive clothes.
C．Acting Mickey Mouse.	D．Dressing up and walking around.

【小题4】The main idea of the text is _________.

A．how to find out customers' social needs

B．how to develop marketing strategies

C．how to do market research

D．how to encourage customers to spend more money

Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while — then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendships between us flower more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending (延伸) sometimes deeply into both families.
Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality (好客) easily.
Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don’t show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time. This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time. Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends. The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine. They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves treated hospitably(好客).
For the Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!
【小题1】The writer of this passage must be ______.

A．an American

B．a Chinese

C．a professor

D．a student

【小题2】 Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their families.

B．Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives.

C．Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy.

D．Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break.

【小题3】 From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be ______.

A．warmly welcomed at the airport

B．offered a ride to his home

C．treated hospitably at his home

D．treated to dinner in a restaurant

【小题4】 The underlined words “generous with our time” in Paragraph 3 probably mean ______.

A．strict with time	B．serious with time
C．careful with time	D．willing to spend time

【小题5】 A suitable title for this passage would probably be “______”.

A．Friendships between Chinese

B．Friendships between Americans

C．Americans’ hospitality

D．Americans’ and Chinese’s views of friendships

The most important holiday in spring, especially for Christians, is Easter. This Christian holiday is not on the same date every year，but it’s always on a Sunday. It can be any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Many people celebrate Easter by buying new clothes. Children celebrate by hunting for colored eggs that their parents have hidden around the house. People also give Easter baskets filled with candy and other goodies to one another to celebrate the day.
But the holiday is more than new clothes and good things to eat. On Easter, many people go to church to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection（复活）from the dead. Most people color Easter eggs. Some people hide them. Others just eat them. But no matter what one does with Easter eggs，they are an important Easter tradition throughout the Western world. People from many different cultures celebrate Easter. In both America and Belgium, children look for Easter eggs hidden on lawns and in bushes. In America, children believe the eggs are hidden by the Easter bunny (兔子).But in Belgium, the hidden eggs are supposed to have fallen from church bells. In Bulgaria (保加利亚), red Easter eggs are lucky in churches. Bulgarian families also hit these Easter eggs together to see whose is the strongest. The winner looks forward to good fortune that year. Still dozens of other Easter traditions exist. In parts of Austria，for example，children sing from door to door and are rewarded with colorful eggs.
【小题1】Easter comes _______.

A．on the same date every year

B．on Sunday on March 22

C．on Sunday on April 25

D．on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25

【小题2】To celebrate Easter, people ___________.

A．go shopping, hide colored eggs and children hunt for them

B．give Easter baskets filled candy and goodies to one another

C．buy new clothes, hide colored eggs and children look for them around the house

D．both B and C

【小题3】For Christians the more important thing to do on Easter is________.

A．going to church to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection

B．buying new clothes

C．eating delicious food and paint color eggs

D．exchange beautiful gifts each other

【小题4】People from different cultures have different ideas about Easter egg _________.

A．In both American and Belgium, children hunt for Easter eggs hidden in rooms and in bushes

B．In Belgium, the hidden eggs are thought to have fallen from doorbells

C．In American, children believe the eggs are hidden by the Easter bunny

D．In America, the hidden eggs are supposed to have fallen from doorbells

【小题5】In some places of Austria, children sing from door to door for_______.

A．blesses	B．Easter eggs
C．candy and goodies	D．Easter bunny

Perhaps the most extraordinary (奇特的) building put up in the nineteenth century was the Crystal Palace (水晶宫) which was built in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal Palace was different from all the other buildings in the world, for it was made of iron and glass. It was one of the biggest buildings of all the time and a lot of people from many countries came to see it. Plenty of goods were sent to the exhibition from all parts of the world. There was also a great deal of machinery on show. Though in those days, traveling was not as easy as it is today, steamboats carried thousands of visitors across the Channel from Europe. On arriving in England, they were taken to the Crystal Palace by train. There were six million visitors in all, and the money from the exhibition was used to build museums and colleges. Later the Crystal Palace was moved to the South London. It remained one of the most famous buildings in the world until it was burnt down in 1936.
【小题1】The Crystal Palace was built up              .

A．in the 1950s

B．in the 1900s

C．shortly before 1851

D．before 1951

【小题2】People from many countries came to the Crystal Palace mainly to            .

A．buy goods	B．visit an exhibition
C．travel around	D．enjoy the Crystal Palace itself

【小题3】What happened to the Crystal Palace in 1936?

A．It caught a terrible fire.

B．It disappeared suddenly.

C．It went to the South of London.

D．It was rebuilt.

【小题4】The Crystal Palace was famous to all because            .

A．it is the biggest building in the world

B．so many visitors had been there

C．it was made of iron and glass

D．it was burnt down at last

【小题5】The writer              .

A．thought the Crystal Palace very useful

B．sang high praise for the Crystal Palace

C．wanted the Crystal Palace to be rebuilt

D．was one of the visitors to the Crystal Palace

I travel a lot, and I find out different "styles" (风格) of directions every time 1 ask "How can I get to the post office?"
Foreign tourists are often confused (困惑) in Japan because most streets there don't have names in Japan. People use landmarks (地标) in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, "Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop."
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, "Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile."
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. "How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh," they answer, "it's about five minutes from here." You say, "Yes, but how many miles away is it?" They don't know.
It's true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, 'Sorry, I have no idea." But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers "I don't know." People in Yucatan believe that "I don't know" is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
【小题1】When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place they usually _________

A．describe the place carefully

B．show him a map of the place

C．tell him the names of the streets

D．refer to recognizable buildings and places

【小题2】What is the place where people measure distance in time?

A．New York.

B．Los Angeles.

C．Kansas.

D．Iowa.

【小题3】People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________

A．in order to save time	B．as a test
C．so as to be polite	D．for fun

【小题4】Which sentence is true according to the text?

A．There is no street names in Japan.

B．There is no landmarks in the countryside of American.

C．People in Yucatan always give wrong answers when asked the way.

D．People in Los Angeles measure distance in time, not miles when asked the way.

【小题5】What can we infer from the text?

A．It's important for travelers to understand cultural differences.

B．It's useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly.

C．People have similar (相似的) understandings of politeness.

D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.

In a few states where racial prejudice is serious, violence has so come to be taken for granted as a means of solving differences, that it is not even questioned. There are states where the white man imposes his rule by force; there are states where the black man protests by setting fire to cities and by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides, who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor of violence – as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fills you with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actual progress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basically unchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation of violence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves a problem but makes it more serious. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing. No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruins and wonder what hit us.
The truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and harder to get a hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because they advocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes into violent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the shabby houses at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we would have gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is weakened by having to mop up the mess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill the ideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutions are everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible, providing we work within the framework of the law.
Before we can even begin to reflect on peaceful co-existence between the races, we must appreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercise in communication, in exchanging information. "Talk, talk, talk," the advocates of violence say, "all you ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser." It's rather like the story of the famous lawyer who carefully explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judge complained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. "Possible, my lord," the lawyer replied, "none the wiser, but surely far better informed." Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite to wisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.
【小题1】  What is the best title for this passage?

A．Advocating Violence.

B．Violence Can Do Nothing to Reduce Race Prejudice.

C．Important People on Both Sides See Violence As a Legitimate Solution.

D．The Instincts of Human Race Are Thirsty for Violence.

【小题2】  Recorded history has taught us

A．violence never solves anything.

B．nothing.

C．the bloodshed means nothing.

D．everything.

【小题3】 According the author the best way to solve race prejudice is

A．law enforcement.

B．knowledge.

C．nonviolence.

D．Mopping up the violent mess.

Change Has Come to America
November, 04, 2008, Barack Obama
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain. Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
【小题1】 Why did Sen. McCain make a phone call to the writer?

A．To inform the writer of something important.

B．To share his happiness with the writer.

C．To congratulate the writer on his success.

D．To give him some good ideas on making a successful speech..

【小题2】  If Sen. McCain won the election, What would Palin do?

A．She would be a governor.

B．She would be the vice president-elect of the United States.

C．She would be the nation's next first lady.

D．She would be the campaign manager of Sen. McCain’s.

【小题3】 How many people did the writer thank in his speech?

A．5

B．6

C．7

D．8

【小题4】 What did the writer imply by saying “I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to?”

A．He is a failure rather than a success.

B．He still doesn’t know who this victory truly belongs to.

C．He thinks highly of his supporters.

D．He considers his success as people’s victory.