On December 18, 1620, passengers on the British ship Mayflower came on shore at modern – day Plymouth, Massachusetts, to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony.
The famous Mayflower story began in 1606, when a group of reform-minded people in England built their own church, which was separate from the state – supported Church of England. Because of this, they were forced to leave the country and settle in Netherlands. After 12 years of struggling to adapt and make a hard living, the group sought financial backing from some London merchants to set up a colony in America.
On Septmeber 6,1620, one hundred and two passengers – called Pilgrims (朝圣者) by William Bradford, a passenger who would become the first governor of Plymouth Colony – crowded on the Mayflower to begin the long, hard journey to a new life in the New World. On November 11,1620, the Mayflower landed at Provincetown Harbor. Before going on shore, 41 male passengers – heads of families, single men and three male servants – signed the famous Mayflower contract, agreeing to form a government chosen by common election and to obey all laws made for the good of the colony.
Over the next month, several small leading teams were sent on shore to collect firewood and hunt for a good place to build a settlement. Around December 10, one of these groups found a harbor they liked on the western side of Cape Cod Bay. They returned to the Mayflower to tell the other passengers, but bad weather prevented then reaching the harbor until December 16. Two days later, the first group of Pilgrims went on shore. After exploring the region, the settlers chose a cleared area once controlled by members of a local Native American tribe (部落). The tribe had abandoned the village several years earlier, after an outbreak of European disease.
That winter of 1620 – 1621 was really hard, as the Pilgrims struggled to build their settlement, find food and take care of the sick. By spring, 50 of the original 102 Mayflower passengers were dead. The remaining settlers made contact with returning members of the Native American tribe and in March they signed a peace treaty (条约) with the tribe chief. In the spring time, helped by the locals, the Pilgrims were able to plant crops – especially corn and beans – that were necessary to their survival.
On April 5,1621, the Mayflower and its crew left Plymouth to return to England. Over the next several decades, more and more settlers made the voyage across the Atlantic to Plymouth, which gradually grew into a successful shipbuilding and fishing center.
1．A group of English were forced to leave their country in 1606 because          .
A．their belief was different from the official Church
B．they built their own churches in a foreign country
C．they lacked financial support from the government
D．they were ambitious to build the colony in America
2．How many days did the sea journey to Provincetown Harbor last?          .
A．103   B．96     C．66     D．35
3．Several leading teams were sent in order to        .
A．hunt for food for the passengers     B．control local Native Americans
C．build a settlement for the passengers      D．explore the region for their settlement
4．From the passage we know that         between 1620 – 1621.
A．52 Mayflower passengers died of some illnesses   
B．Pilgrims had a good relationship with the locals
C．Plymouth turned a main center for shipbuilding   
D．Pilgrims tried to plant corns and beans in winter

BEIJING , March 9 --- The central government will require an additional three years of use for official vehicles for ministers and governors to reduce the costs of purchasing new cars, media have reported.
The new rule has been applied among all Party and government departments nationwide, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday. The new rule has not yet been made public, said Li, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee.
Under the old rules, the cars used by minister-level officials could be replaced as often as every five years, Li said. These officials will also keep the same cars when they assume new posts, he added.
The new rule also reiterated(重申) that officials ranking below minister-or-governor-levels should not be allocated cars. The cars possessed by their departments should be used on demand.
“It violates the rules for lower-ranking --- even county-level-officials to be allocated cars,” Li said.
Purchases of vehicles for official use have been heavily investigated, as they account for a large expenditure (花费) of public funds every year.
A survey on the Web news www.ifeng.com found 64 percent of respondents believed the new rule will be difficult to carry out because it is related to officials’ interests.
“Local government departments had halted(中断) approvals for requests for such vehicles and had started to work on new quotas(指标) under the new rules,” Li said. “The future reform of official vehicle use will introduce market mechanisms and monetization.”
Premier Wen Jiabao said in the annual government work report on Saturday that expenditures on such vehicles will not increase in 2011 compared with a year ago.
Beijing’s standing deputy mayor Ji Lin last week said the municipal (市政的) government will release the number of vehicles for official use in the capital as early as at the end of this month.
Earlier this month, the Minister of Finance had published a rule regulating the budgets for such vehicles.
【小题1】What is the purpose of the new rule allocating vehicles among officials?

BEIJING—Seven prestigious universities in China announced Sunday that they would begin using the same independent exam —besides the national one —to test students hoping to gain entrance to them in 2011.

The seven are Peking University, Beihang University, Beijing Normal University, Nankai University, Fudan University, Xiamen University and Hong Kong University.

Students who want to gain entrance to any of the seven universities will only have to sit one independent exam, according to the joint announcement.

“This will help lighten the students’ load, otherwise they must take several exams for different universities ,”said the announcement.

Passing the exam could result in more than one interview chance, giving the students more opportunities to choose their favorite universities.

China’ s college entrance exam system is undergoing reform as universities aim to select students based on independent criteria rather than just using the results of the national exam.

In 2003, Peking University and another 21 universities were allowed to pilot (试用) the reform by using their own criteria to independently select five percent of their students.

Now nearly 80 universities across the country have the right to select talented students based on their own exams.

Education experts regard universities selecting students according to independent examinations as conducive (有助的) to better understanding where the students’ talents lie.

Although this may be the case, it has also created problems as students may sit many different exams as they often apply for a number of universities.

To relieve students from such pressures, the national education outline (2010—2020) released in July this year encourages high-level universities to group together to use the same exams.

1.If students want to be admitted to the seven prestigious universities, they can______.

A．only pass the interview.

B．only take the national exam.

C．only take the independent exam.

D．either take the national exam or take the independent exam.

2.What’s the purpose of students sitting one independent exam to gain entrance to the seven universities?

A．It can reduce students’ load to take several exams.

B．The universities will have the same standard to test students.

C．There will be less trouble marking students’ test papers.

D．It can avoid fierce competition among these universities.

3.If students pass the independent exam, they will ______.

A．take the national exam.

B．have one or more interview chances.

C．be admitted to one of the universities.

D．he trained to be adapted to universities life and studies.

4.What is the advantage of universities selecting students according to independent examinations?

A．Students needn’t take the national exam.

B．Students ’education cost can be lowered.

C．Students’ abilities and talents can be better found.

D．It can encourage middle schools to recommend more qualified students.

Will Nanfang University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen announce a new beginning for China’s higher education reform? It’s too early to answer.But its presence is challenging the Ministry of Education.Even without the approval of the ministry it seems that the school is determined to move forward and enroll 50 students, so-called child prodigies(奇才), to begin classes on March l, 2011.On graduating in 2015, these students will receive a diploma unauthorized by the Ministry of Education-unlike the students of their age from the state-run universities.

The school is committed to modeling itself on Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, but if the government will not approve the school, the situation could cause a lot of trouble for those 50 students if they want to do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions.Other schools could turn their applications down for their unauthorized diplomas.

The difficulties, however, have not frightened students and their parents away.On Dec.18, 2010 more than 1,000 students and their parents visited Nanfang University of Science and Technology for interviews.

Private investment marks the school out from other higher learning institutions in the nation.Not a penny comes from the government. So the government will have no voice in how the school will be run.

The Ministry of Education has published a comprehensive plan for education reform and development between 2011 and 2020.The goal is to make China’s higher education internationally competitive.To accomplish this goal, the government should have the courage to let the educators who have big ideas try them out.The ministry should have applauded the independence the school in Shenzhen has shown and encouraged more to do likewise.

Education reform in China has reached a new and crucial stage.Nanfang University of Science and Technology has a long way to go to prove itself competitive rather than a diploma mill.

1.Over 1,000 students and parents visited the school because       .

    A．they believe that the school will have a bright future

    B．they believe the government is sure to approve the school

    C．the school models itself on Hong Kong University successfully

    D．they will never do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions

2.The trouble the students in the school may have is that       .

    A．the government will have no voice in the school

    B．they won’t receive any diploma when graduating from the school

    C．other schools are unlikely to accept their diploma from the school

    D．they will not learn how to be competitive

3.What does the author think of Nanfang University of Science and Technology?

    A．It is another kind of diploma mill.

    B．It’s impossible for the school to be competitive.

    C．It will never get the approval from the Ministry of Education.

    D．Its independence from the government may benefit the education reform.

4.What is the best title of the passage?

    A．University of New Style.              B．China’s Education Reform.

    C．Modeling Hong Kong University.       D．Authorized or Not?

When you arrive at the Shanghai Expo site, the first thing you will see is a huge red building in the ancient Chinese dougong(斗拱) architectural(建筑的) style. Built according to the concept of “Oriental Crown”, the China Pavilion(展厅) is the largest national pavilion at the Expo.

Themed “Search of the East”, the pavilion is divided into three sections. Footprint of the East on the top floor shows the change of Chinese cities; a Journey of Wisdom on the second floor, China’s four great inventions—the compass, paper, printing and gunpowder are displayed; and Blossoming(盛开的) City on the ground floor shows the scenery of future cities.

Take a lift, and you’ll be taken to the 8,500-square-meter top floor. There, in a film by Lu Chuan, you’ll see how Chinese cities have changed, especially over the past 30 years. The 10-minute movie is shown in a 600-seat theater.

The painting Along the River During Qingming Festival, is considered a national treasure. It describes life in Bianjing, which is today’s Kaifeng in Henan province. More than 1,000 years ago, it was the largest city in the world. Multimedia technology makes more than 1,500 characters of the painting walk and move along a 100-meter-long wall.

Four families are chosen from Zhejiang province to show their daily lives. Films of the families and furniture from the households are exhibited. At the pavilion, you’ll get insight into the daily lives of these families at different periods. The designers believe these will mirror the great changes Zhejiang has seen since China’s reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s.

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?

   A. Visitors can see the China Pavilion built in a modern style.

   B. The theme of the China Pavilion is “Oriental Crown”.

   C. Visitors can get to the top floor of the China Pavilion by lift.

   D. The China Pavilion is designed by famous film director Lu Chuan.

If a visitor wants to enjoy the scenery of future cities, he will go to ______.

   A. the top floor       B. the second floor   C. the ground floor    D. a 600-seat theater

The painting Along the River During Qingming Festival in the China Pavilion is attractive and special because ______.

A. it shows what life was like in Beijing, the capital of China.   

B. it shows the development of Chinese cities.     

C. it describes what happened in history.      

D. Visitors can see more than 1,500 characters of the painting walking along a 100-meter-long wall with the help of multimedia technology.

What’s the main idea of the article?

   A. A brief introduction to the China Pavilion.  B. The theme of the China Pavilion.        

   C. The films of the China Pavilion.          D. The structure of the China Pavilion.