I received pictures of my daughter floating (漂浮) on a lake in California. Right there under the sun during the hottest time of the day, she has only her swimsuit to cover her.

    When I showed it to my students, it was as if I had shown them scenes from a horror (恐怖) movie.

    “But she will get dark,” they said.

    “That’s what she wants,” I told them. “We think darker skin (肤色) is beautiful.”

     They looked at me in disbelief. It was as if I came from the moon.

     For years, American girls spend their summer trying to get as tanned (晒黑) as possible. In China, on the other hand, girls use umbrellas all year round.

    What in the world is going on?

    The pale skin we think looks unattractive (不漂亮) is what Asian women want. Both groups want to meet their culture’s standard (标准) of beauty.

    In the US, if you can afford to go on vacation in the summer, you head for a river, a lake or a beach, where you try to get as much sun as possible. If you are rich you take a winter vacation in some sunny spot. Your winter tan shows your wealth.

    In China, once upon a time, the few wealthy were the ones who didn’t have to work out in the hot sun. So the whiter the skin, the richer the woman. The folk opera performers who play these ladies wore lots of white makeup (妆容). The tradition survives to this day.

    So it comes naturally that none of my students wishes to follow the Western ways in this regard.

    But now I am noticing that a new business – the tanning booth (美黑店) – started up in China. I admire those brave enough to define（给…下定义）their own idea of beauty, but I do wonder what their grandmothers would have to say to them about it!

1.The students were shocked at the picture the writer showed them because ______.

A. they thought it shameful for a girl only to wear a swimsuit 

B. the writer’s daughter was wearing very little while out in the sun

C. it is dangerous for a girl to be out on a lake alone

D. with the powerful sunlight the writer’s daughter would have got a suntan

2. According to the article, which kind of woman meets the American standard of beauty?

   A. Women with blond hair.                                        B. Women with a slim figure.

   C. Women with tanned skin.                                        D. Women with pale skin.

3. In the US a winter tan usually means the person _____.

   A. is hard-working                                           B. doesn’t have to work

   C. has a lot of money and spare time                          D. is from a very poor family

4.The writer ______ the tanning booth started up in China.

   A. is not interested in                                                       B. doesn’t understand

   C. doesn’t like                                                                       D. has mixed feelings about

 

February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.

    On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.

    But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.

     Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.

Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?

    A. Because there were few women in his country at that time.

    B. Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.

    C. Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.

    D. Because he wanted to control the birth rate.

Valentine was put into prison because ______.

    A. he killed one of the soldiers           B. he stole a lot of food

    C. he didn’t obey the emperor’s order      D. he didn’t want to be a soldier

The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.

    A. students in China send cards to their teachers

    B. it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

    C. it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

    D. Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now

The best title for this passage should be ______.

    A. Valentine’s Day   B. A Brave Priest   C. Valentine’s Day in China   D. A Romantic Man

第II卷(非选择题 共35分)

注意：将答案写在答题卡上，写在本试卷上无效。

第三部分：写作(共两节，满分35分)

第一节：短文改错 (共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)

假如英语课上老师要求同学们交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出应加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在其下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。

2．只允许修改10处，多者(从十一处起)不计分。

China is an ancient civilization with cultures dating back more than 4，000 year．Basic elements for the modern world such as paper，gunpowder，paper money，or compasses originated in China．Today，China is again at the forefront of world，with Chinese goods reach all parts of the world．The Chinese culture have also fascinated many people．In the Shaolin Monasteries，the Great Wall of China or the Forbidden City of Beijing，China has its unique arts and architectures that what draw thousands of visitors every year．The Chinese food is equal popular around the world and it is loved by much non-Chinese．But in China，the food can found in great varieties and is different in region to region．So join us and experience all these．

 

BEIJING, Feb 13 — Never has China's economic growth attracted so much global attention. The shock waves from the financial crisis (危机) that started in the United States have spread across the entire world, sending developed nations, including Japan and those of Europe, into serious recession(衰退). The world is now holding out hope that China, with its massive potential, will serve as the engine to fuel global economic growth.

But China's real economic growth slowed sharply to 6.8 percent in the October-December quarter. For China, this rate of economic expansion must be as disappointing as negative growth is for Japan. Beijing has set an official goal of achieving a minimum annual growth rate of 8 percent -- a pace it regards as important to ensuring job security.

The Chinese government is apparently confident the nation will achieve the minimum growth target of 8 percent in 2009. At the World Economic Forum's annual meeting of political and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao stressed the Chinese economy began to show signs of recovery late last year.

Last week, however, the International Monetary Fund predicted that China's economic growth in 2009 will be 6.7 percent. China's economic outlook is likely to keep both hope and anxiety for the time being.

China's impressive economic growth has been fueled by swelling exports and massive investment (投资)in equipment to produce goods for overseas. But the US, Japanese and European economies, which have absorbed the bulk(数量) of China's exports, are expected to shrink simultaneous（同时）in 2009, for the first time since the end of World War II. For the first time since it started serious efforts to turn itself into a market economy in the 1990s, China is facing the challenge of maintaining healthy economic growth without depending on external demand.

Expansion of domestic (国内的) demand holds a key to China's success in tackling this challenge. Consumer spending accounts for only 35 percent of China's gross (总的)) domestic product. The ratio(比率) is considerably lower than the 70 percent for the United States and the nearly 60 percent for Japan. That is because the middle class - the group that should lead consumer spending - is still relatively small in China, where the benefits of the nation's strong economic growth in recent years have mostly eluded rural villages and low-income earners.

1.According to the report, in the last quarter of 2008, China's real economic growth was at least ______less than planned annual growth rate.

A. 6.7%       .     B.6.8%         C.1.3%           D. 1.2%

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. The financial crisis has had bad effects on many countries including China.

B. China's economic growth has been depending on exports.

C. If China intends to keep the same economic growth, it must increase goods for overseas.

D. Consumer spending in China is much lower than that of the US.

3.The underlined word in the last paragraph probably means____.

A. benefited           B. avoided       C. influenced        D. missed

4.What's the best title of the passage?

A. Economic change, the only hope for china.

B. China has attracted much global attention.

C. China, the engine to fuel global economic growth.

D. The financial crisis has influenced China's economy.

 

请认真阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。注意：每空格只填1个单词。

       The Auto Show, which is being held right now in Beijing, has risen to the top ranks of global auto industry events, as China has become the world's biggest auto market．For many Chinese youngsters, having a car has become a new lifestyle reflecting freedom and success

       First, there is the thrill of individual mobility and freedom, going from one place to another in their own time, and on their own terms．

       "I like the speed; I like the freedom; I can't imagine not having a car," Hou Mingxin, 39, owner of two cars, told the Financial Times．

       And these youngsters don't just want freedom through car ownership, but also a larger social circle．Thanks to the Internet, car owners can band together for leisure activities, such as going strawberry picking in the countryside．It is an activity that many car lovers would never have attempted without the benefits of a car．

       In China, the car is also a status symbol．"It's an opportunity to declare personal success," said Michael Dunne, a Shanghai-based managing director of J．D．Power and Associates, an auto industry group．"The small, environmentally-friendly models are not best sellers in China．The Chinese are crazy about big cars, a symbol of achievement," said Dunne．

       Thanks to a growing middle-class, and an increasingly developed network of roads, the number of car owners in China is rapidly increasing. China last year replaced the US and became the world's largest car market with 13.6 million vehicles sold．

       But the car craze(狂热) has raised environmental and traffic concerns. Many worry that car emissions could take pollution to a new level. Heavy traffic also troubles many Chinese cities.

       China is discovering the romance of the road just as developed countries seem to have lost it. “The younger generation in mature markets is unwilling to buy cars, especially in Europe and Japan," says Klaus Paur, of TNS Auto in Shanghai．

       In developed countries, owning a car can be expensive, with the parking fees car insurance and various taxes, said a 2008 article in US magazine Newsweek．

       "Having a car is so 20th century," Kimiyuki Suda, a young white collar worker from Tokyo told Newsweek．He mostly uses subways and trains．"It's not inconvenient at all．"