It seems that the Englishmen just cannot live without sports of some kind. A famous French humourist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. Wherever you go in this country, you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men shall always remain boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?

　　Taking all amateur (业余) and professional sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. It is called soccer in the United States. The game originated (起源于) in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier, though as an organized game, or "association football", it dates only from the beginning of the 19th century.

　　The next is rugby, which is called "football" in the United States. It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players than eleven. In rugby, an oval-shaped ball is used which can be handled as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.

　　In summer, cricket is the most popular sport. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.

　　Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15th century, but it was from England that it spread to practically every country in the world　　Table tennis, or "ping-pong", surely is not played on a great scale as it is in China or Japan. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19th century from America and are gaining popularity. Horse-back riding, swimming, rowing and golf all attract a lot of people.

41．The main purpose of Paragraph 1 is to tell us that the English ___________.

　　A．are all sports lovers           B．behave like children

C．like to kick a ball around       D．can remain young all their lives

42．According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about football and rugby?

　　A．They differ in the shape of the ball.

　　B．They are played by different numbers of players.

　　C．They both can be handled.

　　D．They both can be kicked.

43．The game that was never played in Britain until the late 19th century is _________.

　　A．basketball    B．tennis    C．rugby    D．football

My hometown is a pretty city，so people there are    
kind and  polite. With coming of spring，grass and 　　　    
trees turn green，and flowers grew in many colors.　         
In summer, the sea under the blue skies is even more　       
beautiful. After autumn arrives，the city looks as an 　      
old man with leaves fallen from the trees. In winter，　     
a lot of white birds come to my city for food. I　can　      
wait more patiently above the sea for quite a long　　　     
time. While they find fish come to the surface, they　　     
fly down immediate and catch them without delay.             
That is my city, and I love it so much.

It seems that the Englishmen just cannot live without sports of some kind. A famous French humourist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. Wherever you go in this country, you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men shall always remain boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?
　　Taking all amateur (业余) and professional sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. It is called soccer in the United States. The game originated (起源于) in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier, though as an organized game, or "association football", it dates only from the beginning of the 19th century.
　　The next is rugby, which is called "football" in the United States. It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players than eleven. In rugby, an oval-shaped ball is used which can be handled as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.
　　In summer, cricket is the most popular sport. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.
　　Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15th century, but it was from England that it spread to practically every country in the world　　Table tennis, or "ping-pong", surely is not played on a great scale as it is in China or Japan. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19th century from America and are gaining popularity. Horse-back riding, swimming, rowing and golf all attract a lot of people.
41．The main purpose of Paragraph 1 is to tell us that the English ___________.
　　A．are all sports lovers           B．behave like children
C．like to kick a ball around       D．can remain young all their lives
42．According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about football and rugby?
　　A．They differ in the shape of the ball.
　　B．They are played by different numbers of players.
　　C．They both can be handled.
　　D．They both can be kicked.
43．The game that was never played in Britain until the late 19th century is _________.
　　A．basketball    B．tennis    C．rugby   D．football