Hans was an honest fellow with a funny round good-humored face. Living alone, every day he worked in his garden. In all the countryside there was no garden so lovely as his. All sorts of flowers grew there, blooming in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower’s place, so that there were always beautiful things to see, and pleasant odors to smell.
Hans had many friends, the most devoted being the Miller. So devoted was the rich Miller to Hans that he’d never go by his garden without plucking a large bunch of flowers or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with fruits. The Miller used to talk about noble ideas, and Hans nodded and smiled, feeling proud of having such a friend.
The neighbors thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave Hans anything in return, though he had hundreds of sacks of flour, many cows and sheep, but Hans never troubled his head about these, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things about the unselfishness of true friendship.
In spring, summer, and autumn Hans was very happy, but when winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to sell, he suffered from cold and hunger. Though extremely lonely, the Miller never came to see him then.
“There’s no good in going to see Hans while the snow lasts.” The Miller said to his wife, “When people are in trouble they shouldn’t be bothered. So I’ll wait till the spring comes when he’s happy to give me flowers.”
“You’re certainly very thoughtful,” answered his wife, “It’s quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship.”
“Couldn’t we ask Hans up here?” said their son. “I’ll give him half my meal, and show him my white rabbits.”
“How silly you are!” cried the Miller. “I really don’t know what’s the use of sending you to school. If Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I am his best friend, and I’ll always watch over him, and see that he’s not led into any temptation. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me for some flour. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they shouldn’t be confused. The words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.” He looked seriously at his son, who felt so ashamed that he hung his head down, and grew quite scared, and began to cry into his tea.
Spring coming, the Miller went down to see Hans. Again he talked about friendship. “Hans, friendship never forgets. I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life. See, how lovely your roses are!”
Hans said he wanted to sell them in the market to buy back his things which were sold during the hard time of the winter.
“I’ll give you many good things. I think being generous is the base of friendship.” said the Miller. “And now, as I’ll give you many good things, I’m sure you’d like to give me some flowers in return. Here’s the basket, and fill it quite full.”
Poor Hans was afraid to say anything. He ran and plucked all his pretty roses, and filled the Miller’s basket, imagining the many good things promised by the Miller.
The next day he heard the Miller calling: “Hans, would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?”
“I’m sorry, but I am really very busy today.”
“Well,” said the Miller, “considering that I’m going to give you my things, it’s rather unfriendly of you to refuse. Upon my word, you mustn’t mind my speaking quite plainly to you.”
Poor Hans was driven by his friendship theory to work hard for his best friend, leaving his garden dry and wasted.  
One evening Hans was sitting by fire when the Miller came.
“Hans,” cried the Miller, “My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I’m going for the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it’s such a bad windy night. It has just occurred to me that you can go instead of me. You know I’m going to give you my good things, so you should do something for me in return.”
“Certainly,” cried Hans. He struggled into the stormy night, and got the doctor to ride a horse to the Miller’s house in time to save the boy. However, Hans got lost in the darkness, and wandered off into a deep pool, drowned.
At Hans’ funeral, the Miller said, “I was his best friend. I should walk at the head of the procession.” Every now and then he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.
【小题1】From the passage, we can learn that Hans ______.

A．was extremely wise and noble	B．admired the Miller very much
C．was highly valued by the Miller	D．had a strong desire for fortune

【小题2】Hans worked a lot for the Miller because he ______.

A．was treated as a best friend by the Miller

B．owed the Miller many valuable things

C．was convinced of the Miller’s noble talk

D．intended to show off his unselfishness

【小题3】What’s the main cause of Hans’ tragedy?

A．True friendship between them.	B．Blind devotion to a friend.
C．A sudden change of weather.	D．A lack of formal education.

【小题4】The author described the Miller’s behavior in order to ______.

A．warn the readers about the danger of a false friend

B．show the friendship between Hans and the Miller

C．entertain the readers with an incredible joking tale

D．persuade people to be as intelligent as the Miller

I HEAR America beeping(嘟嘟响)．

 Beep，says my cellophane when it gets a text message．

  Beep，says my microwave oven when my sandwich  is warmed up． 

 Sometimes  I long for a natural sound：a bird singing，dog barking，children laughing， anything to drown out  the maddening beeps that have become the soundtrack(配乐)to modern life．

  My cellophane? It isn’t enough that its ring tone offerings seem to stretch from  “annoymg” toextremely “annoying”． It also has to beep whenever someone texts messages me． 

The microwave? A bell rings when it's finished heating my food．But is that enough? No．If I don’t rush to it right away, it starts beeping，like an impatient child tugging(用力拉) at my sleeve(袖子)．

 The smoke detector(探测器) is the worst offender．When its batteries are in need of replacement，it 1ets out a series of chirps．The things that don’t beep buzz(嗡嗡响)．And for some reason，beeping and buzzing is beneath them，they clear their throats and perform a symphony． Like my TV, each time I turn it on, it performs an aria(咏叹调)：La di da di dum．Salutions! Here I am! Same thing when I turn it off: La di da di dum．Good bye, kind sir! Until the next time

But at 1east I know where each of these sounds is coming from．That isn’t always the case．For weeks, my wife and I were awoken in the night by a beeping．There，in the stillness， we went through the possible suspects．Could we have a text message? Could it be any of the devices(装置)able to make a sound? Curling iron, rice cooker, smoke detector, TV set，clock radio．．．

The only way to tell was to chase the sound down ，but no sooner  would we pull on our bathrobes than the beeping would stop. We didn’t hear it every night but often enough that we would climb into bed wondering whether our sleep  would be interrupted by that maddening sound，that beep．

  Finally,early one morning，my wife found it：in the study,under a desk，a big plastic cube that was plugged into the wall．It was an uninterruptible power supply that we’d inherited(继承)from my wife’s mother．We’d never known it was capable of speech． 

I think it just wanted someone to talk to.

14．What does the writer truly mean by saying“I hear America beeping”?

A．American people like devices that beep．

B．Americans are crazy about sending text messages．

C．In modern society people are dependant on technology．

D．The soundtrack to modern life is no longer natural．

15．Why couldn’t the author and his wife find the source of the noise in their house in the beginning?

A．There were too many devices for them to check．

B．They were unwilling to get up at midnight．

C．They had never known that thing could beep too．

D．The noise didn’t come every day．

16．After reading this passage，we can probably tell the author    ．

   A．enjoys being surrounded by beeps  B．has a touch of humor in his writing

C．tries to avoid using anything that beeps

D．understands the beeping is designed to be user-friendly

Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.

  The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy alcohol(酒) in this country if you are under l8 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.

  Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don’t make unnecessary noise, particularly at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.

  Thirdly, crossing the road. Be careful. The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings(人行横道) and do not take any chances when crossing the road.

  My next point is about litter(throwing away waste material in a public place). It is an offence(违法行为) to drop litter in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a litter bin.

  Finally, as regards smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco(烟草) if you are under l6 years of age.

  I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact your local police station, who will be pleased to help you.

  Now, are there any questions?

1.The main purpose of this speech would be to      .

A. prepare people for international travel

B. declare the laws of different kinds

C. give advice to travelers to the country

D. inform people of the punishment for breaking laws

2.How many laws are there discussed in the speech?_______

A. Three.    B. Four.    C. Five    D. Six

3.From the speech we learn that        

A. In this country, if you are under l8 years of age, you may not buy alcohol, but your friend can buy it for you.

B. You may not buy cigarettes or tobacco unless you are above l6 years of age.

C. Because the traffic moves on the left side of the road, you must use pedestrian crossings when crossing the road.

D. You can’t make noise except at night.

4.The underlined word “contact’’ in the seventh paragraph means       .

A. keep in touch with  B. get in touch with    C. join          D. report

5.Who do you think is most likely to make the speech?

A. A policeman.      B. A lawmaker.       C. A teacher.      D. A lawyer.

 

It was a party. I was 18 and it was fresher(大一新生) week. I was at the beginning of a course in English Literature and full of enthusiasm for my subject. She was also 18 and enrolled in a course in physics.
“Your major is of no use to society. What will you do with it when you graduate, other than teach? Plus, you’re going to be poor your whole life,” she said. “You have no soul and your degree is boring. I don’t care how much money you’re going to earn. I’d rather be poor and don’t mind being a teacher. If I love my work I’ll have something far more meaningful than a big bank account!” came the reply.
And so it went, back and forth, neither of us giving the other an inch, each of us stubbornly committed to our prejudice. We were both ignorant, but our ignorance was also society’s ignorance. It had always been that way. Scientists mocked(嘲笑) humanists; humanists laughed at scientists. Back in the 1960s, the physicist-turned novelist C. P. Snow labeled the sciences-humanities divide “a problem of ‘the two cultures’” . He said it was bad for society. The modern world needed well-rounded people.
I think I know better now, but it would have helped if we had been encouraged to think a little more outside our science and arts “boxes”.
That’s why I believe it is healthy that China is beginning a debate on whether it’s wise for young people to have to choose which direction their careers – and lives – will take at such an early age. At the moment, in their second year of high school, students must choose either the sciences or the humanities. After making the choice, they focus their energies on passing the appropriate college entrance exam.
But now, people in China are asking: Is this forced, early decision good for young people or society? Young people need time to explore, to discover where their real talents and interests lie. There are more than just a few middle-aged people out there, stuck in jobs they hate because they made the wrong choice at the wrong time.
And from the point of view of society, isn’t it better for students to delay a while before they decide what to study? Scientists can benefit from learning to develop the critical skills associated with the humanities; students in the humanities, surely, only stand to gain by finding out a little more about science and technology, which are so important to the future of a developing country like China.
With any luck, in the future young people fresh to college will be better informed about the possibilities of education than people of my generation.
【小题1】The author describes what happened at a fresher party to ________.

A．show that he was ready to defend the subject he enjoyed

B．lead up his argument that the sciences-humanities divide is harmful

C．prove that doing something meaningful is better than having a lot of money

D．describe how fierce students of different majors can be when arguing with each other

【小题2】What was C. P. Snow’s attitude towards the sciences-humanities divide?
A. Indifferent.         B. Uncertain.        C. Positive.          D. Negative.
【小题3】In the sixth paragraph, an example mentioning middle-aged people is used to show that ________.

A．students should not make decisions too early

B．not all people have a talent for or are interested in the sciences

C．these people did not have the chance to make a choice earlier in life

D．the earlier young people make a decision, the better it will be for them

【小题4】According to the text, it is safe to say that ________.
A. sciences are more practical in the modern world
B. C. P. Snow was a novelist who became a physicist
C. future generations will be able to get more out of education
D. a command of both the sciences and humanities is important to society
【小题5】What’s the best title for the article?

A．The sciences or the humanities, which to choose?

B．High school education in China

C．Isn’t it better to delay the choice of the career direction?

D．A better time to decide what to study

Carnival(狂欢节) does not take place only in Louisiana. There are many celebrations around the world.

In Brazil, the celebration is supposed to go on from the Saturday before Mardi Gras (大斋节前的最后一天)to Mardi Gras Day, but in some Brazilian cities the celebration can last seven or eight days. Just like New Orleans, not many important things are decided in Brazil from New Year's Day to Mardi Gras Day because everyone is preparing for or celebrating carnival. Most Brazilian parades have a subject, which could be political or historical. The parades had to have a subject related to Brazil until 1996. Some cities in Brazil do not have a street carnival, but they might have an indoor party.

Bolivia has carnival parades for children and then more parades for adults. The children dress up in costumes and march in the streets. The adults make traditional dance groups and dance in the streets. But the main part of Bolivia's carnival is getting wet. Almost everyone gets wet from water balloons and water buckets. In Oruru, Bolivia, their carnival is held in the last ten days of the carnival season. People there join in dancing, but their main carnival event is a ceremonial parade that lasts for twenty hours and parades for four kilometers. Over 20,000 dancers are involved as well as 10,000 musicians. This parade attracts at least 400,000 people.

The carnival in Venice, Italy is often regarded as the most carefully prepared carnival and lasts ten days before Lent (大斋节). Many events are held in the canals including shows, concerts, dances and water processions(队列). The official ending to the celebration is the party held in St. Mark's Square.

1.What's the best title for the passage?

A．Ways of Carnival

B．Carnival Parades

C．Carnivals around the World

D．History of Carnival

2.From the passage we learn that in Brazil ____.

A．not all cities have a street carnival

B．all Brazilian cities celebrate carnival for a week

C．the parades should have a subject related to Brazil politics

D．people prepare for or celebrate carnival after Mardi Gras Day

3.The most important feature (特征)of the celebration of carnival in Bolivia is that ____.

A．people join in dancing

B．nearly all people are wet

C．children wearing costumes march in the streets

D．adult dance groups dance in the streets

4.Which of the following shows that the author pays special attention to the carnival in Bolivia?

A．The time of celebrating carnival in Bolivia is mentioned.

B．There are details and numbers about carnival celebrations in Bolivia.

C．People in the carnival celebration in Bolivia are mentioned.

D．Events or performances for carnival celebrations in Bolivia are told.

5.Which of the following areas or countries prepares the most carefully for their carnival?

A．Louisiana.

B．Bolivia.

C．Venice.

D．Brazil.