It seems that the Englishman just cannot live without sports of some kind. A famous French humourist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. Wherever you go in this country you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men shall always remain boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?
Taking all amateur（业余）and professional sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. It is called soccer in the United States. The game originated in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier, though as an organized game, or “association football”, it dates only from the beginning of the 19th century.
The next is rugby, which is called “football” in the United States. It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players rather than eleven. The rugby, in which an oval-shaped ball is used can be handled as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.
In summer, cricket is the most popular sport. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.
Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15th century, but it was from England that it spread to practically every country in the world.
Table-tennis or “ping-pong” surely is not played on a great scale as it is in China or in Japan. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19th century from America and are gaining popularity. Horse-back riding, swimming, rowing and golf all attract a lot of people.
【小题1】The main purpose of paragraph one is to tell us that the English_______.

A．are all sports lovers	B．behave like children
C．like to kick a ball around	D．can remain young all their lives

【小题2】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about football and rugby?

A．They differ in the shape of the ball

B．They are played by different numbers of players

C．They both can be handled

D．They both can be kicked

【小题3】From the second and the third paragraph, we know that_____.

A．Americans love football most of all

B．British people love rugby most of all

C．Americans and British people may call the same thing differently

D．football originated in Britain in the 18th century

It seems that the Englishman just cannot live without sports of some kind. A famous French humourist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. Wherever you go in this country you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men shall always remain boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?

Taking all amateur（业余）and professional sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. It is called soccer in the United States. The game originated in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier, though as an organized game, or “association football”, it dates only from the beginning of the 19th century.

The next is rugby, which is called “football” in the United States. It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players rather than eleven. The rugby, in which an oval-shaped ball is used can be handled as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.

In summer, cricket is the most popular sport. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.

Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15th century, but it was from England that it spread to practically every country in the world.

Table-tennis or “ping-pong” surely is not played on a great scale as it is in China or in Japan. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19th century from America and are gaining popularity. Horse-back riding, swimming, rowing and golf all attract a lot of people.

1.The main purpose of paragraph one is to tell us that the English_______.

A．are all sports lovers	B．behave like children
C．like to kick a ball around	D．can remain young all their lives

2.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about football and rugby?

A．They differ in the shape of the ball

B．They are played by different numbers of players

C．They both can be handled

D．They both can be kicked

3.From the second and the third paragraph, we know that_____.

A．Americans love football most of all

B．British people love rugby most of all

C．Americans and British people may call the same thing differently

D．football originated in Britain in the 18th century

 

GCSEs not fit for purpose

GCSEs （General Certificate of Secondary Education，普通中等教育证书）encourage "teaching to the test" and may be past their sell-by date, according to Britain's leading business organization. The Confederation of British Industry（CBI） warns that the qualification is stopping teachers delivering an "inspirational classroom experience" and should be replaced.

John Cridland, the CBI director general, said industry faced a shortage of key skills, particularly in science and maths. The CBI（英国工业联合会）, which represents more than 240,000 companies, is also concerned about the 40% of young people who fail to achieve the benchmark of five good GCSE passes including English and maths. The percentage of pupils who reach this standard is the main measure of school success.

Speaking at the launch of a CBI inquiry into education, Cridland argued that abandoning GCSEs could help deliver a full education. "There's something about this GCSE limitation which produces a form of learning ------ teaching for the test.’’

"It frustrates teachers because it stops them delivering that inspirational classroom experience."

The CBI head suggested that raising the school leaving age to 18 – a change that comes into effect in 2015 – is an opportunity to reform the system. "It seems to me that we've raised the participation age to 18 and we're left with an education system that focuses on 16," said Cridland. More than 600,000 children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to take GCSEs this summer.

Many other countries do without a public exam at 16. Finland, the highest performing school system in Europe, has just one public exam, at 18, though children are regularly tested at younger ages.

1.What does the author intend to tell us in paragragh1？

A.“Teaching to the test” should be encouraged.

B. We should stop teachers delivering “inspirational experience”.

C. The current qualification is out of date and should be replaced.

D. The Confederation of British Industry should be replaced.

2.What’s the main idea of the passage？

A. The British GCSEs are no longer practical and should be reformed.

B. In the GCSEs system , teachers don’t have freedom.

C. Five good GCSEs is hard to achieve.

D. The British Education Department will reform education system.

3.The meaning of the underlined word “benchmark” in paragraph 2 may be ______.

A. success                       B. target               C. standard      D. excellent grades

4.Where can we find this article?

A．TV series                              B. radio news

C. newspaper education section        D. government report

 

阅读理解

　　The decision to further all or part of your studies outside your country is a serious one, and one which for most students will have a special life-long benefit. If you realize English will help you in your career and enrich your personal life, you will find that coming to England to study English is a very special experience that you will never forget. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to invite you to join our English Language courses. London is one of the world's outstanding cultural and trade centers. You will live in one of the world's great cities. It provides the perfect arrangements in which to learn and develop English language skills. The international body of the students attending courses at English Language Institutes in London provides an attraction because it is a good chance for you to enjoy other cultures in surroundings to develop personal character. As we prepare for the 21st Century, international communication has never been more important. To master a foreign language is becoming a useful tool for trade, industrial and professional success. Our aim at the English Language Institutes is to develop students' English language skills in friendly and helpful conditions.

　　Supported by computer, video and audio equipment, and using sound classroom, our team of teachers will guide you through your chosen course of study; you will receive excellent service and advice at every stage. Our out-of-class support staff will help you settle in and make the most of your stay in London. Truly, you will enjoy yourself in London end make friendships that will last a lifetime. I hope we can welcome you to this exciting world of London. Come and see us! Visit a class in any of the English language Institues. See for yourself why we encourage you to study in London.

1．The phrase“life-long benefit”in the first paragraph means ________ .

[　　]

A．advantages in study

B．good in daily life

C．good in all life

D．use in work

2．The writer invites you to join their English language course, because ________.

[　　]

A．London is really a good place for learning English

B．you can enjoy a special foreign culture

C．London is a great international trade center

D．computers can teach you to learn English well

3．The main purpose of the text is ________.

[　　]

A．to introduce something about London

B．to let known the importance of learning English

C．to tell us the skills of learning English

D．to tell us that education in London is free

4．This passage is a (an) ________.

[　　]