Comera is the only place in the world which has a whistle language. We do not know how and why it began because we do not know the complete history of the island. But we can certainly imagine the reasons for the beginning of the whistle language. There are many deep valleys on the island. A person on one side of valley can not easily shout to a person on the other side. But he can whistle and be heard from four miles away, and the record is seven miles. The people who live on the island usually have good teeth, and this helps them to whistle well. They must also have good ears so that they can hear other whistlers.

We can understand why the whistle language continues. It is very useful on the island, and quite easy to learn. When somebody is hurt or ill, the whistle language takes the place of telephone. If the sick person is a long way from the town, boys and men pass the news from one to another. A boy guarding cattle on a hillside whistles to a man fishing from his boat. The last one is able to describe the trouble fully and exactly to the doctor in town. People help each other in the same way when a car breaks or a cow is lost.

The whistle language is hundreds of years old, and probably it will continue to live for hundreds of years more. Radio and TV often kill the special ways of speaking in the different parts of a country. But on Comera you are nobody if you cannot whistle. Perhaps soon after TV arrives on the island, the people there will be whistling the news and other facts and opinions.

49. If a person on Comera island is ill,      .

  A. others will phone the doctor in town

  B. whistle language will pass the news to the doctor

  C. his family will take him to the doctor

  D. people will take him to the hospital

50. From the passage we know radio and TV       at that time.

  A. killed the special way of speaking

  B. whistled all the news and opinions

  C. helped Comera people to communicate

  D. did not appear on Comera island yet

51. Comera island is special in that      .

  A. it attracts visitors every year

  B. no visitors have ever been there

  C. people there have special ears to hear whistles

  D. people there use the whistle language to communicate with each other

52. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

  A. It is not easy for a person to live on Comera island if he cannot whistle.

  B. The whistle language can only be found in Comera.

  C. The whistle language has been used for hundreds of years on the island, but will not be used any longer.

D. The record shows that one best whistler can be heard by others seven miles away.

When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.

He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.

During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall.

Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.

Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.

The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.

Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.

1.“the talk of the town” means _________ .

2.What does the author think about Tom Thumb’s wedding?

3. Which of the following is the best clue to the fact that Tom was smart?

4. It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because ________ .

5. What does the author imply in the last paragraph?

The Wife-carrying World Championship has been celebrated in a small town in central Finland since 1992. in 1992, the people of the town decided that it was time to restart some long-forgotten traditions. Back in the late 1800s, there was a robber called Rosvo-Ronkainen in that area. He was said to only accept men as members of his gang who proved their worth in challenges. At that time, it was also a common practice to steal women from neighboring villages.

The Wife-carrying World Championship is becoming increasingly popular. A large number of competitors, people, and journalists from Finland to Canada attend the Wife-carrying World championship every year.

The event is well-known for its warm and humorous atmosphere. The Wife-carrying World Championship is held on a 253.5 meters long official track. The track has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle, about a meter deep.

There are a few basic rules and the winning team is the couple who complete the course in the shortest time. The wife to be carried may be your own, or your neighbor’s. the minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49kg. if she is less than 49kg, the wife will be given a heavy bag to carry. Each time a competitor drops his wife, that couple will be fined 15 seconds.

Along with the Wife-carrying World Championship, there is also a team competition. The distance is the same but three men in the team carry the wife in turns. At the exchange point the carrier has to drink the official “wife-carrying drink” before continuing the race. A special prize is awarded to the team with the best costumes.

Alongside with the Wife-carrying World Championship, there are bands playing music, a wife-carrying dance and other forms of entertainment.

1.According to the passage, the Wife-carrying World championship ___________.

2. The Wife-carrying World championship is famous because ___________.

3. If a husband drops his wife three time in the competition, he will be fined ________.

4. compared with the Wife-carrying World championship, the team competition _______.

5.The passage is written mainly to ____________.

Like a growing number of young women in Vietnam’s northern part city of Haiphong, Pham Thi Hue was infected with HIV by her husband, one of the town’s many drug users．But instead of being shamed into silence, as Vietnamese with HIV and AIDS are, the 25-year-old tailor and mother of one went public, appearing on television and at conferences．Her business suffered and her neighbors insulted （辱骂）her, but Hue has now become the public face of Mothers and Wives, an HIV/ AIDS support group established in Haiphong by a Norwegian nongovernmental organization and her neighborhood’s People’s Committee．Last year, she founded a smaller group named after a local flower．People who need advice on treatment or help preparing bodies for burial can dial a hot line and get assistance from able and sympathetic（同情的）HIV victims．“We gather to support each other,” Hue says．“When we are sick, what we need most is encouragement and comfort from people who understand our situation and are willing to share our happiness, as well as our sadness．”

On a hot and damp night last month, Hue welcomed into her small home a very thin woman, also a tailor, who was HIV positive．The woman tearfully told Hue that she had not told anyone about her condition, fearing that she would lose customers and that her daughter would be insulted at school．Hue became the wise elder, offering medical and personal advice．

40．What did Pham Thi Hue do after she was infected with HIV?

         A．She kept silent

         B．She worked as usual

         C．She stayed at home and cried every day．

         D．She went public and gave help to others．

41．It can be inferred from the passage that the group Pham Thi Hue founded is made up of____．

     A．drug users                                                  B．HIV victims

         C．all kinds of patients                                   D．poor people

42．From the passage we can learn that Pham Thi Hue is a woman who is_______．

         A．weak and kind   B．foolish and idle

         C．brave and helpful                                          D．cautious and energetic

SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND

         Captain Good Fellow

 Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Good Fellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00, Free.

                     Walking Tour of the Town

 Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!

                     Films at the Museum

 Two European films will be shown Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898

                      International Picnic

 Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 pm.

                     Take Me out to the Ballgame

 It’s October, and tonight is your last chance to see the Redbirds this year. Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold；don’t forget sweaters and jackets.

                     Do You Want to Hear “The Zoo”

 “The Zoo”, a popular rock group from Australia, will give their first US concert tomorrow night at 8:00 at Rose Hall, City College

1.You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arab food____.

         A. at the front entrance of City Hall                   B. at the Ballgame

         C. at 5:00 pm                                    D. at Central Park on Saturday

2. The Redbirds ballgame_____.

         A. is in the afternoon    B. is outside                  C. is at the gate         D. might be cold 

3.“The Zoo” is _____.

         A. a park with lots of animals                       B. US concert

         C. a music group                                 D. going to give the concert at 8:00 am