D
Holidays

One year our family decided to have a special celebration of Mother’s Day, as a token of appreciations for all the sacrifices that Mother had made for us. After breakfast we had arranged, as a surprise, to hire a car and take her for a beautiful drive in the country. Mother was rarely able to have a treat like that, because she was busy in the house nearly all the time.

    But on the very morning of the day, we changed the plan a little, because it occurred to Father that it would be even better to take Mother fishing. As the car was hired and paid for, we might as well use it to drive up into the hills where the streams are. As Father said, if you just go driving without object, you have a sense of aimlessness, but if you are going to fish there is a definite purpose that heightens the enjoyment.

So we all felt it would be nicer for Mother to have a definite purpose . Father had just got a fishing rod the day before, which he said mother could use if she wanted to. Only Mother said she would much rather watch him fish than try to fish herself.

    So we got her to make up a sandwich lunch in case we got hungry, though we were to come home again to a big festive dinner.

    Well, when the car came to the door, it turned out that there was not as much space in it as we had supposed. It was plain that we couldn’t all get in.

    Father said that he could just stay home and put in the time working in the garden. He said that there was a lot of rough dirty work that he could do, like digging a trench for the garbage, which would save hiring a man, and so he said that he’d stay home; he said that we were not to let the fact that he had not had a real holiday for three years stand in our way. He wanted us to go right ahead and not to mind him.

    But of course we all felt that it would never do to let Father stay home, especially as we knew he would make trouble if he did. The two girls, Anne and Mary, would have stayed and helped the maid get dinner, only it seemed such a pity,for the two girls were eager to show their new hats on a lovely day like this. But they said that Mother had only to say the word and they’d gladly stay home and work. Will and I would have dropped out, but unfortunately we wouldn’t have been any use in preparing the dinner.

1.The author’s family decided to celebrate Mother’s Day specially to _______.

A. show love for their mother                     

B. show gratitude to their mother

C. show respect for their mother                  

D. to make up for a previous appointment

2.According to Paragraph 2, we know that the plan was changed because________.

A. Father proposed to go fishing out       

B. we thought that driving out is boring

C. we failed to hire a car to go out         

D. the car was not big enough

3.What problem did we find when the car arrived?

A. The car was too old to drive on mountain roads.          

B. The car was larger than we expected.

C. The car was too small to accommodate us all.                 

D. The car was too plain looking.

4.Why didn’t the author drop out of the activity?

A. Because his sisters didn’t join in.                                       

B. Because he needed to have dinner.

C. Because he couldn’t cook the dinner.                                                 

D. Because he hadn’t had a real holiday for three years.

5.Which of the following proverbs describes the text best?

A. Everything comes to him who waits.                        

B. Changes always go beyond plans.

C. Better late than never.                                         

D. Once on shore, one prays no more.

Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii, Italy. They see the sights that Pompeii is famous for-its stadium and theatres, its shops and restaurants. The tourists do not, however, see Pompeii’s people. They do not see them because Pompeii has no people. No one has lived in Pompeii for almost 2000 years.
Once, Pompeii was a busy city of 22,000 people. It lay at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, a grass-covered volcano. Mount Vesuvius had not erupted for centuries, so the people of Pompeii felt safe, But they were not.
In August of AD 79 , Mount Vesuvius erupted. The entire top of the mountain exploded, and a huge black cloud rose into the air. Soon stones and hot ash began to fall on Pompeii . When the eruption ended , Pompeii was hurried under 20 feet of stones and ashes. Almost all of its people were dead.
For centuries, Pompeii lay buried under stone and ash. Then, in the year 1861,an Italian scientist named Ginseppe began to uncover Pompeii. Slowly, carefully, Ginseppe and his men dug. The city looked almost the same as it had looked in AD79 , There  were streets and fountains, houses and shops, There was a stadium with 20,000 seats , Perhaps the most important of all, there were everyday objects, which tell us a great deal about the people who lived in Pompeii. Many glasses and jars had some dark blue color in the bottom, so we know that the people of Pompeii liked wine, They liked bread, too; metal bread pans were in the bakery .In one bakery there were 81 round , flat loaves of bread –a type of bread that is still sold in Italy today . Tiny boxes filled with a dark, shiny powder tell us that women liked to wear eye-makeup.
【小题1】Why do large numbers of people come to Pompeii each year?

Welcome to Banff, Canada’s first, most famous and arguably most fascinating national park. If you’ve come to ski or snowboard, we’ll see you on the slopes. Skiing is a local favourite too.
While you’re here, try other recreational activities available in our mountains. Popular choices include a Banff Gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain, bathe in the natural mineral waters at the Upper Hot Spring, horse-drawn sleigh ride, drive-your-own-team dog sled excursion, and snowmobile tour to the highland（but not in the national park）.
We also recommend you make time to enjoy simple pleasures. After looking around Banff Ave shops, walk a couple of blocks west or south to the scenic Bow River.
True ice skating on frozen Lake Louise where Ice Magic International Ice Sculpture Competition Works are displayed after Jan 25. You can rent skates in Banff or at the sport shop in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel.
Banff’s backcountry paths access a wilderness world of silence and matchless beauty—cross country skis and snowshoes provide the means. Banff sport shops rent equipment and clothes, or join an organized tour. Although we’ve been many times, we still find the cliffs and icefalls of our frozen canyons worth visiting.
Wildlife watching also creates satisfying memories. We have seen hundreds of the elk and bighorn sheep that attract visitors, yet they still arouse a sense of wonder. And the rare spotting of a cougar, wolf or woodland caribou takes our breath away.
See if simple pleasure work for your Fight in the snow with your kids, walk beside a stream or climb to a high place and admire the view.
—Banff Resort Guide Editors
【小题1】According to the passage, Banff’s backcountry is accessible by_______.
A. cross country skiing             B, horse-drawn sleigh riding
C. snowmobiling                   D. dogsledding
【小题2】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

D
　　BBC(May 11,2008) - Edinburgh Zoo makes plans to bring a pair of giant pandas from China to Scotland.Zoo representatives recently returned from China,where they signed a letter of intent(意向书) making a promise to bring giant pandas to Edinburgh.
　　It's been suggested that a breeding pair should be on loan(暂借) to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland(RZSS) for 10 years.It is hoped that they would give birth to cubs during that time.Edinburgh Zoo would be only the eighth Zoo in the Western hemisphere(半球) to care for the species if the project goes ahead.
　　Zoo chiefs said that looking after the endangered animals could benefit conservation.David Windmill,chief executive of RZSS,said,"Working with giant pandas means so much more to us than introducing a new species to our collection.It's an opportunity to work on a global level with other conservationists to gain a better understanding of giant pandas,the threats they face,and what we can do to ensure their survival."
　　At present there're only around 1,500 giant pandas in the wild.RZSS has been working on the project for almost a year,and hopes to have giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo by 2009 ,the year of the society's centenary(一百周年纪念日).
　　Mr.Windmil said that the project had received strong support from the UK and the Scottish government and that this must continue if the zoo was to reach an agreement with the Chinese.As part of the proposed agreement with the Chinese government,Edinburgh Zoo will collaborate(合作) on research projects benefiting conservation in the wild.
　　RZSS will also provide considerable money to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild.Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China and feed almost only on bamboo,which makes up 99% of their diet.
　　68.What is the best title for the passage?
　　　A.Edingburgh Zoo does research into giant pandas.
　　　B.Giant pandas live happy at Edinburgh Zoo.
　　　C.Edinburgh Zoo expects giant pandas from China.
　　　D.Scotland supports giant panda conservation.
　　69.If Edingburgh Zoo can borrow giant pandas,what will happen?
　　　A.RZSS will have a better understanding of living habits of giant pandas.
　　　B.RZSS will celebrate its centenary in 2009.
　　　C.Scotland will be the eighth country to have giant pandas.
　　　D.Edinburgh Zoo will be the eighth zoo to have giant pandas in the world.
　　70.At present what seems to be the key factor for giant pandas to successfully go to Edinburgh Zoo?
　　　A.RZSS's attitude.
　　　B.The Scottish government's attitude.
　　　C.Edinburgh Zoo's support.
　　　D.The Chinese government's attitude.