Asia is home to more than half of the world's population and three of the four most crowded countries are in Asia. China, India, and Indonesia alone have more than 2.5 billion people.

Until recently, most Asian nations fell behind the western countries in many fields. Government reform(改革), however, has led to important progress in each of these Asian countries. Across the area, education systems have been improved and economies（经济） have been growing. Most Asian countries now have a system of compulsory(义务的) education. Many countries have recently allowed private universities to be built, which was not allowed before. There are more chances for students to go to university now.

However, in Asia, there are still not enough chances for students to get higher education and many people prefer to go abroad for further study. As a result, India, China, South Korea, Japan and other Asian countries send thousands of students to study in the United States and Europe each year.

Part of the people in Asian countries can speak English, and English has become the most important language for business across the area. The percentage(百分比) is the largest in Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, SriLanka and South Korea. Many people in China, India and Malaysia can also speak English. Some countries have made English part of the primary and secondary education program. In some countries, children begin to study English even at the age of 4 or 5.

1.The population of Asia is about__________         .

   A. 2.5 billion  B. half of the world's population

C. 1.3 billion   D. 6 billion

2.Most Asian countries __________ the western countries in many fields.

    A. are better than             B. are more powerful than

    C. get greater progress than.    D. are not as good as

3.In the past, __________ was not allowed in many Asian countries.

    A. speaking English             B. moving to other countries

    C. building private universities     D. building middle schools

4.Why do so many students in Asia go to study in the USA and Europe?

A. Because they are rich.

B. Because there are not enough chances for students to get higher education in Asia.

C. Because they don't want to work hard.

D. Because they can speak English very well.

5.Which of the following is NOT true?

  A. There're more than 2.5 billion people in China, India and Indonesia.

  B. The economies in Asian countries are becoming worse.

  C. Education in Asia has had great changes.

D. In some Asian countries, English has become very important for business

 

Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.
In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on December 31st-January 1st. People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal（正式的）clothes, and the may drink champagne（香槟）at midnight. During the first minutes of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the new year by waking up early to watch the sun rise. They welcome the new wear with the first light of the sunrise.
Many cultures also do special things to get rid of（摆脱）bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh（重新）. Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.
Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year’s Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the tear. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck-but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them!
【小题1】 The reading is mainly about_____.

A．the meaning of “Happy New Year!”

B．several different New Year traditions

C．what to eat on New Year’s Day

D．why people dress up nicely on New Year’s Day

【小题2】 It’s clear that_____.

A．some cultures celebrate New Year in the morning

B．the Western people celebrate New Year only on New Year’s Day

C．people in Ecuador go to parties on December 31st-January 1st

D．no cultures do special things to celebrate New Year

【小题3】In some cultures, people throw things into rivers or oceans to_____.

A．bring good luck	B．keep away bad luck
C．forget everything	D．plan for the next year

【小题4】To have a happy new year,_____.

A．friends talk to each other in special ways

B．families make big dolls filled with old clothes

C．some people get up early to watch the sunrise

D．Europeans eat 365 grapes on New Year’s Day

【小题5】 When eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, people think_____.

A．one pea brings one day of luck

B．black-eyed peas are the best medicine

C．the peas are too black and taste bad

D．the peas are helpful to count numbers

As we know, there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let’s look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese about the dog, for example, “a homeless dog”, “a mad dog”, “a running dog” and “a dog catching a mouse” have negative(消极的) meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive(积极的) actions. For example, “you are a lucky dog” means you are a lucky person. And “every dog has its day” means each person has good luck sometimes. To describe a person’s serious illness, they say “sick as a dog”. The word “dog-tired” means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, “cat” is often used to describe a woman who is cruel(残酷的)。
The rose is regarded as a symbol (象征) of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose means love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.
The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used.
【小题1】“Every dog has its day.” Means “__________”

A．Everybody in the world is lucky.

B．Each person lives his own way of life.

C．If one works hard, he’s sure to succeed.

D．Everybody has a time in life to be lucky.

【小题2】Western people usually use “cat” to refer to “___________”.

A．a tired person

B．a brave man

C．a homeless person

D．an unkind woman

【小题3】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Words show differences in culture.

B．Chinese people prefer dogs to cats.

C．Western people think cats to be good friends.

D．Rose is the national flower of all western countries.

【小题4】What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Negative or Positive

B．Different Countries Have Different Culture

C．Rose Means the Same in Chinese and English

D．What Dog and Cat Mean in English and Chinese

Australia is the largest island in the world. It is a little smaller than China. 1t is in the south of the earth. Australia is big, but its population is small. The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai.
Enough laws (法律)have been made to fight against pollution. The cities in Australia have got little air or water pollution. The sky is blue and the water is clean. You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers. Plants grow very well.
Last month we visited Perth， the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flower exhibition (展览). There we saw a large number of wild flowers we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers. In spring every year Perth has the wild flower exhibition. After visiting Perth we spent a day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path(小路) at the foot of a hill. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves. Suddenly we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill. What we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path.
Australia is well-known for its sheep and kangaroos. After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep. Sheep, sheep, everywhere are sheep.
【小题1】Australia is ________.

A．the largest country in the world	B．larger than China
C．as large as Shanghai	D．not as large as China.

【小题2】Enough laws have been made to ________.

A．increase the population	B．grow more plants
C．fight against pollution	D．show wild flowers

【小题3】Perth is ________.

A．the capital of Australia	B．in the west of Australia
C．in the east of Australia	D．the biggest city in Australia

【小题4】In Perth you may visit a wild flower in ________.

A．October

B．January

C．May

D．July

【小题5】Which of the following sentences is true?

A．All the big cities in Australia are seriously polluted.

B．Australia is well-known for its sheep, kangaroos and large population.

C．We ran back to the car because we were in the middle of white sheep.

D．If you go to the town in Australia, you will see a large number of white sheep.

                           
      
【小题1】The people in        needn’t go to work on Fridays.

A．Canada

B．Scotland

C．Japan

D．Egypt

【小题2】If it is 8:00 a.m. in western Canada, the time is _______ in eastern Canada.

A．11:00a.m

B．2:00 p.m.

C．12:30 p.m.

D．4:00 a.m.

【小题3】While Canadian children are waking up, children in Scotland are ________.

A．having lessons

B．sleeping

C．watching TV

D．playing games