Webster disliked the way certain words had been borrowed from other languages but had not been respelled. The result, he said, was a disordered mixture of letters, many of which were not pronounced the way they looked, and others of which were not pronounced at all.

Webster advised Americans to simplify their spelling. For example, he insisted that “head” should be spelled “hed” and “bread” should be spelled “bred”. Most of Webster’s suggestions did not catch on, but his textbooks sold millions of copies.

1. The passage is mainly about______.

A. Webster’s devotion to American English

B. three books of Noah Webster

C. a simple way of spelling

D. American pronunciation

2. According to Webster, Americans should______.

A. not borrow words from British English

B. not read books written in British English

C. improve their own way of spelling

D. give up British pronunciation

3. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

A. Webster published three textbooks.

B. Certain words borrowed from other languages still remain the same in spelling.

C. Most of Webster’s suggestions were carried out.

D. Webster wanted to free Americans from British English.

4. According to the passage, the books Webster wrote dealt with(论述)all of the following EXCEPT______.

A. spelling　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. pronunciation

C. grammar　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. British English

The fire started on Sunday morning in the houses of the king’s baker in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window in the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery into a small hotel next door. Then it spread(蔓延)quickly into Thames. That was the beginning.

By eight o’clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St. Paul’s and the Guildhall among them.

Samuse Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire. People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their house until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat.

The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.

After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect(建筑师), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow, but he did build more than fifty churches, among them the new St. Paul’s.

The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.

1. The fire began in______.

A. a hotel　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. the palace

C. Pudding Lane　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Thames Street

2. The underlined word “family” in the second paragraph means______.

A. home

B. children

C. wife and husband

D. wife and children

3. It seems that the writer of the passage was most sorry for the fact that______.

A. some people lost their lives

B. the birds in the sky were destroyed

C. many famous buildings were destroyed

D. the King’s bakery was burned down

4. How was the fire put out according to the passage?

A. The King and his soldiers came to help.

B. All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed.

C. People managed to get enough water from the river.

D. Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down.

5. Which of the following were reasons for the rapid(迅速)spread of the big fire?

(a)There was a strong wind.

(b)The streets were very narrow.

(c)Many houses were made of wood.

(d)There was not enough water in the city.

(e)People did not discover the fire earlier.

A. (a) and (b)

B. (a), (b) and (c)

C. (a), (b), (c) and (d)

D. (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e)

If it is a matter of right answers, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such routine(日常的)work? Our job should be to help the child when he tells us that he can’t find the way to get to measure their own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know.

1. According to the passage, the best way for children to learn things is by______.

A. listening to skilled people’s advice

B. asking older people many questions

C. making mistakes and having them corrected

D. doing what other people do

2. Which of the following does the writer think teachers should NOT do?

A. Give children correct answers.

B. Allow children to make mistakes.

C. Point out children’s mistakes whenever they are found.

D. Let children judge their own work.

3. According to the writer, teachers in school should______.

A. allow children to learn from each other

B. point out children’s mistakes whenever they are found

C. correct children’s mistakes as much as possible

D. give children more book knowledge

4. The passage suggests that learning to speak and learning to ride a bicycle are______.

A. different from learning other skills

B. the same as learning other skills

C. more important than other skills

D. not really important skills

5. The title of this passage could probably be______.

A. Let Us Teachers Stop Work

B. Let Us Make Children Learn

C. Let Children Correct Their Exercises

D. Let Children Learn by Themselves

Language learning begins with listening. Individual children vary greatly in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and late starters are often long listeners. Most children will “obey” spoken instructions sometime before they can speak, though the word “obey” is hardly accurate(准确的) as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.

Any attempt to trace(探索) the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves out as particularly indicative of(表示) delight, suffering and so on. But since these cannot be said to show the baby’s intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new sounds to their sound collection. This self-imitation(模仿) leads on to deliberate(深思熟虑的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.

1. By “…challenges explanation” the author means that______.

A. no explanation is necessary for such an obvious phenomenon

B. no explanation has been made up to now

C. it’s no easy job to provide an adequate explanation

D. it’s high time that an explanation was provided

2. The author’s purpose in writing the second paragraph is to show that children______.

A. usually obey without asking questions

B. are passive in the process of learning to speak

C. are born cooperative

D. learn to speak by listening

3. The third paragraph is mainly about______.

A. the development of babies’ early forms of language

B. the difficulties of babies in learning to speak

C. babies’ strong desire to communicate

D. babies’ intention to communicate

4. From the passage we learn that______.

A. early starters can learn to speak within only six months

B. children show a strong desire to communicate by making noises

C. imitation plays an important role in learning to speak

D. children have various difficulties in learning to speak

5. The best title for this passage would be______.

A. How Babies Learn to Speak

B. Early Forms of Language

C. A Huge Task for Children

D. Noise Making and Language Learning

Song Zuying, one of China’s most popular sopranos(女高音歌手), will give a performance at Musikverein Golden Hall in Vienna, Austria, on November, 23.

She will perform her most famous songs such as “Spice Sister(《辣妹子》)”“Flying Song of Motherland(《大地飞歌》)”“Beautiful Life(《好日子》)”，and of course, “Jasmine(《茉莉花》)”, the Chinese song most familiar to the Western world.

Led by Li Xincao, chief conductor with the China National Symphony Orchestra(中国国家交响乐团), the concert will also include erhu artist Song Fei and bamboo flutist(竹笛演奏家)Zhang Weiliang.

Inclusion of the two traditional Chinese instruments will increase the traditional Chinese flavor(特色) of the performance.

The concert marks her second overseas concert after a successful appearance at the Sydney Opera House last December, and makes her the first soprano of the traditional Chinese vocal style to give performances abroad.

Song’s concert in Sydney was part of the 30th anniversary celebration of diplomatic relations between Australia and China, and was staged with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra.

“It’s an honor to sing at the Sydney Opera House and the Musikverein, ”Song said.

“The Australian audience impressed me greatly as I had not expected that foreigners would love Chinese traditional songs so much. They called me ‘Chinese jasmine’, ”Song recalled.

Known for her sweet, smooth voice and emotional singing style, the 37-year-old soprano has enjoyed great popularity in China for a decade(十年).

1. Which of the following songs is recomposed in many other types of music in the Western world?

A. Spice Sister.

B. Flying Song of Motherland.

C. Beautiful Life.

D. Jasmine.

2. According to the passage Song Zuying gave her first overseas concert in______.

A. Vienna, Austria

B. Vienna, Australia

C. Sydney, Austria

D. Sydney, Australia

3. The underlined word “diplomatic” in Paragraph 6 means______.

A. 友好的

B. 深厚的

C. 文凭的

D. 外交的

Bangkok.

In general, the more Westernized the place is, the more likely you will be expected to leave a tip. Some top-end restaurants will add a 10% service charge to the bill. If not, waiters will appreciate you tacking  on(附加) the 10% yourself. However, If you’re eating at a lower-end(低档的) restaurant a tip is not necessary. If you’re staying at one of Bangkok’s many five-star hotels, expect to tip the porter 20 to 50 baht, depending on how many bags you have. Taxis are now metered in Bangkok. Local custom is to round the fare(车费) up to the nearest five baht.

Hong Kong

Tipping is customary in this money-mad metropolis(大都市). Most restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill, but the extra money often ends up in the pocket of the owner. If the service is good, add another 10% to the bill, up to HK $100 in an especially nice restaurant. For HK $10 hotel porters should do it at all but the nicest hotels where a new KH $20 bill may be more acceptable. When in a taxi, round up(凑整数) to the nearest dollar.

Kuala Lumpur

Tipping in Malaysia is limited to the expensive Westernized hotels, which often add a 10% service charge to your meal or hotel room. If you are at a hotel restaurant, expect a 10% service charge. But at local restaurants, there’s no need to add a tip. At five-star hotels, one or two ringgit will content a porter. At lower-end buildings don’t feel you have to tip. Loke Bangkok, many taxis are now metered(打表) so you can just round up to the nearest ringgit.

Seoul

Tipping is not part of Korean culture, although it has become a matter of course in international hotels where 10% service charge is often added. If you’re at a Korean barbecue joint(烧烤处), there’s no need to add anything extra. But a nice Italian restaurant may require a 10% contribution. If you’re at a top-end hotel, so expect to pay 1 000 Won per bag. Taxi drivers don’t accept a tip. Keep the change for yourself.

1. In which of the following cities is it unnecessary to tip the taxi-drivers?

A. Bangkok.　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. Hong Kong.

C. Kuala Lumpur.　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Seoul.

2. Which of the following is not the unit of money?

A. Charge.　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. Baht.

C. Won.　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. Ringgit.

3. From the text, we can infer tipping comes from______.

A. Hong Kong

B. the West

C. Asian countries

D. Bangkok

4. The writer seems______.

A. to tell the readers how to travel

B. to give the readers some advice on how to tip

C. to ask the readers to go on a travel to Asian cities

D. to make the trip more pleasant

During the meal, you should be careful not to leave a spoon in a soup bowl, a coffee cup or other dish. The coffee spoon should be on the saucer(碟子), and the soup spoon should be on the plate under the bowl. When you are having soup, make as little noise as you can and use the side of your spoon, not the front. Do not pick up your soup bowl to drink the last drops of your soup from the bottom of the bowl.

Very often, there are only one main course and a salad, followed by something sweet. If you haven’t had enough, say“Oh, it’s delicious. ”and ask for some more chicken, steak, or whatever you have just had. The hostess will be very happy that you like her cooking and will give you more. But if you follow the Chinese way of being polite and say, “No, thank you. ”when the hostess offers you more, you may starve later. Americans will never force you to eat more. Yet it is not polite to keep silent and not to talk to the person next to you. It is good manners to use your silverware(银餐具) carefully so that they don’t make any noise. When the coffee comes, drink it from your cup. The coffee spoon should be put on the saucer while you are drinking. And smoking, of course, is rarely seen at a dinner table. Well, when the meal is finished, the guests put their napkins on the table and stand up. The men help the ladies move their chairs.

After the dinner, the guests usually stay for an hour or two, and then they would say, “Well, I’m afraid I must get going now. ”The host and hostess would, of course, ask everyone to stay longer. “What? Already? Won’t you have some more coffee?  ”The guests might say, “I’d love to, but I have to be up early tomorrow. Thank you for a most enjoyable evening. Good night. ”

If you stay overnight or for the weekend, it is nice to send a thank-you note to the host or hostess the following day, very often with a small gift such as a box of chocolates or some flowers as a sign of thanks for their hospitality(好客).

Questions:

1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. To make the hostess happy, you should ask for more food even if you are full.

B. During the dinner, you’d better make as little noise as possible.

C. It’s polite to leave a spoon in a soup bowl.

D. Never talk with people at table.

2. What does the underlined word ‘course’ mean?

A. A series of lessons.

B. Any of the separate parts of a meal.

C. A moment in time.

D. Direction or the routine.

3. The passage implies that______.

A. Chinese customs are similar to American ones

B. if you are polite, the hostess will make you eat more food

C. different nations have different customs

D. Chinese are more hospitable(好客的) than Americans

The building will stand for America’s freedom and pride. The tower will be 1 776 feet tall, which is the same as the year America signed the Declaration of Independence. The tower’s twisted shape symbolizes(象征) the Statue of Liberty, and the narrow top represents the statue’s arm holding the Torch of Freedom.

“The Freedom Tower will be a proud new symbol of our country, and a monument to our two lost buildings, ”Governor George Pataki said. “The design had to be a modern, safe, and environmentally creative office tower showing that Lower Manhattan is still the financial(金融的) capital of the world. ”

But clearly the design is mainly Mr. Childs’ work. He is a famous architect. The plan of the building follows the Manhattan streets.

The World Trade Tower was lost on Sept. 11, 2001. That painful fact was strengthened today by news that the restaurant of Windows on the World may return. Mr. Childs imagined dinners looking up through overhead windows.

Freedom Tower will have 2. 6 million square feet of office space—more than the Empire State Building—with a total area of about 2. 8 million square feet. It would be built by the Tishman Construction Company, which constructed the twin towers.

Mr. Silverstein said today that Governor Pataki had asked that the first stone of the Freedom Tower be laid by the third anniversary (周年纪念) of the attack.

“We have to continue to think about it, ”the governor said. “The middle of September is possible. It obviously has nothing to do with the meeting, which will be long gone. ”

“This is not a political structure, ”Mr. Pataki said, “and it will not be a political event. ”

The next important event for the Freedom Tower is on Sept. 11, 2006, when the steel structure is completed.

Mr. Silverstein said that he would do his best to meet the deadline(最后期限). He said the tower ought to be completely finished in 2008 or 2009 to be followed yearly by the four other office buildings planned around the site.

1. The Freedom Tower __________.

A. will be built where the World Trade Center once stood

B. was designed on December 20, 2003

C. will be built as the financial capital of the world

D. was designed to be as tall as the World Trade Center

2. The Freedom Tower will be built 1 776 feet tall for the purpose__________.

A. to be the tallest building in the world

B. to stand for the proud feeling of Americans

C. to match the Statue of Liberty

D. to be the monument of the founding of USA

3. The author tells us in the 4th paragraph that__________.

A. architect Mr. Childs also designed the whole construction of the Manhattan streets　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 

B. Mr. Childs worked out the design alone

C. the design of the Freedom Tower follows the construction style of Manhattan streets

D. the design of Manhattan streets is better than that of the Freedom Tower

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. The Empire State Building was also built by the Tishman Construction Company.

B. The Freedom Tower will mainly be used as a restaurant with many windows looking at the whole New York.

C. Mr. Silverstein is someone who can represent the Tishman Construction Company.

D. The Freedom Tower’s foundation will be over by the 3rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack.

Once there was a man called Samuel Wilson. He was born in Arlington, Massachusetts, on September 3, 1766. He was called“Uncle Sam”. When Sam Wilson was 14 years old, he joined the army and fought in several battles. At the end of the war, he went to live in Troy in the state of New York. He opened a meat-packing（肉食品包装）business there.

Sam Wilson worked hard and loved his country. Everyone in the city liked him. One day in 1812, a reporter from a newspaper visited his business. The reporter looked at some boxes of meat. He saw the letters“EAUS”on the sides of the boxes.

“What do those letters mean?”he asked one of the workers.

“The EA stands for ‘Edward Anderson’,”the workman replied.“The boxes of meat are for him.”“What about the letters US?”the reporter asked.

These letters really stood for “United States”, but the workman wanted to have a laugh.“Oh,”he said .“They stand for Sam Wilson. He owns this company. We call him ‘Uncle Sam’.”

The worker did not think that the reporter would believe him. But the reporter wrote a story about his visit to Sam Wilson’s business. He wrote that his workers called him“Uncle Sam”and that“Uncle Sam”meant the United States.

Many people liked using the name“Uncle Sam”as a nickname for the United States and soon everyone was using it. In 1961, almost 150 years later, the United States government made the nickname“Uncle Sam”official（官方的）.

1. This passage is mainly about_____.

A. why the USA is called“Uncle Sam”

B. how to carry boxes with goods to other countries

C. a businessman in Troy, New York State

D. why people called Sam Wilson“Uncle Sam”

2. Many people liked Samuel Wilson because_______.

A. a reporter wrote a story about him

B. his nickname was “Uncle Sam”

C. he worked hard and loved his country

D. he had a meat-packing business

3. The reporter became important in this story because he________.

A. visited Sam Wilson’s business

B. wrote about Sam Wilson and the letters“US”

C. was Sam Wilson’s best friend

D. was good at advertising Sam’s business

4. From this passage, we can infer that________.

A. most Americans don’t like the nickname“Uncle Sam”

B. the British soldiers liked calling Americans“Uncle Sam”

C. the reporter made Americans nicknamed“Uncle Sam”on purpose（故意地）

D. the United States government has agreed to use the nickname“Uncle Sam”

In an interview, Fields said, “When I was a child, my father always told me I should put down my guitar and do my homework. He wanted me to go to college and become a teacher as he and his brother were.”

Fields explained that he made a great effort to please his father, but often his love of music became too great and he would steal into a garden behind his house and play his guitar and make up song.

“I made it to Stanton College,” he laughed,“but I took accounting（会计）instead of teaching. And to pay my own way, I played the guitar and sang at a local nightclub.”

While Fieldswas still in his senior year（大学四年级）, an executive（总裁）of a record company came into the club as he was singing one of his own songs. The executive liked what he heard and signed the man to a contract（合同）.

Since graduating from Stanton College in 1973, Fields has spent his full time writing and singing songs. “My Heartache,”a song he wrote while in college, reached number seventeen in the top twenty hit songs of 1974 and in 1977 his song “Rambling”was the song for the movie of the same name.

1. According to the passage, Stanley Fields’__________.

A. parents were teachers

B. mother and brother were teachers

C. father and uncle were teachers

D. aunt and uncle were teachers

2. From this passage, we can learn that Fields_________.

A. wrote no songs before entering college

B. made up songs before entering college

C. began writing songs after attending college

D. had songs published before attending college

3. The underlined phrase “had their way” in Paragraph 1 most probably means“_______”.

A. done as they wished

B. found their way of punishing Fields

C. made conditions easy for Fields’ future

D. prevented Fields from going to college

4. What do you know about “My Heartache”?

A. It was a very popular song.

B. It was a song for the movie of the same name.

C. Fields’ heart was badly hit by someone.

D. Fields’ heart ached when he graduated.