59. According to the passage, the writer ________ .

A. often go to the beach with his daughter　　　　 B. is often troubled by his audience

C. met JoJo at the beach by accident　　　　　　 D. was unwilling to help James

58. Which of the following is not correct according to the passage? ______.

　　　 A．Parade is a most important event to observe Saint Patrick’s Day.

　　　 B．Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday.

　　　 C．Saluting the former president has become a main event on the occasion.

　　　 D．The Saint Patrick’s Day parade has a history of over two centuries.

答案：55-58 DADC

C

　　 One Sunday, I took my daughter to the seaside. On arriving at the beach, I saw JoJo, a wealthy man in hotel business. We sat down to chat in an open air cafe while I watched my daughter enjoy herself on the swings (秋千) in front of us.

　　 Suddenly, our conversation was interrupted by a stranger, who politely asked permission to speak to me privately. People often want to tell me something about my TV show.

We stood a bit away from my table. He said, “I’m James, the father of a 7-year-old girl who’s very sick. The doctors said that if　 she was treated in the UK, she would probably survive. But I’m poor, so can you help me, please?

I stared into the man’s eyes full of tears and asked how I could help. After I went back, JoJo asked me, “What’s wrong?” I told him about it and he was very sorry for that family.

All day I thought about James’ family. I even thought about making a special TV show to raise money for the sick child.

On Monday morning, JoJo walked into my office. Actually, JoJo was very busy, and I never imagined he would have the time to come and see me.

“Please, call the man and tell him I’ll pay all the expenses for the girl’s treatment,” JoJo said with a cheque in his hand. “I’ve been married for 35 years; I wasn’t lucky enough to have a child. Sometimes I feel lonely. I want to help this child.” I picked up the phone to call James.

Now James’ daughter is well and JoJo sometimes goes to visit her. I’m so happy that there are so good people on this earth.

57. The last paragraph is mainly about _____.

　　　 A．the cruel slave trade.　 　 B．Saint Patrick’s contribution.

　　　 C．activities during Saint Patrick’s Day　　 D．Ireland’s Patron Saint

56. What do you think is the official color of St. Patrick’s Day? ______.

　　　 A．Green　　　 B．Red.　 C．Black.　　　 D．Yellow.

55. What’s the best title of the passage?

　　　 A．History of Saint Patrick’s Day　　 B．An Official Holiday in US

　　　 C．The Largest Parade in the World　 D．Celebrations across the Country

54. In the last paragraph, the writer _____.

　　　 A．encourages readers to act out a play following the Harry Potter movies

　　　 B．persuades readers into reading their favorite book rather than Harry Potter series

　　　 C．states that seeing the Harry Potter movies is the best way to catch up the series

　　　 D．advises readers to wait for the publication of Book Seven patiently

答案：51-54 ABCD

B

On Saturday, millions of people around the world will celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, which honors Patron Saint (or main religious figure) of Ireland. Communities across the United States will host parades, parties, and other festivities to mark the occasion.

This year, cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago have organized massive events celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. In New York City, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to watch the Saint Patrick’s Day parade-the nation’s largest. It is one of the most watched parades in the world. Last year, almost 2 million spectators and more than 150,000 participants filled the streets. The parade, first held in 1776, is also one of the oldest.

Chicago also throws a big celebration. Every year, the Chicago River, which crosses the city, glows green as event organizers dump about 40 pounds of fluorescence, a powerful dye, into the water.

Boston keeps its parade rolling for three hours or more. It is the nation’s second-largest parade. The city will also salute one of its most famous former residents, President John F. Kennedy, by opening the exhibit "A Journey Home: John F. Kennedy and Ireland," at his official library.

Patron Saint lived in Britain in the early fifth century, when it was still part of the Roman Empire. He was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland when he was only 16．He eventually escaped slavery and turned to a life of religious devotion. He trained to become a minister and set out to spread Christianity throughout Ireland. After 30 years as a religious leader, Patrick died on March 17, 1461．Saint Patrick’s Day is always celebrated on March 17．In Ireland, it is an official holiday. ______.

53. Which statement is true according to the passage? _____.

　　　 A．Harry Potter series will be published on the Website.

　　　 B．Book Seven of Harry Potter series will be published before July 2007.

　　　 C．Book Seven is being written as planned years ago.

　　　 D．Harry Potter will come to the end of his life.

52. Muggles, Harry, Hermione and Ron could probably be _____.

　　　 A．the best friends of J. K. Rowling　　 B．the characters of the Harry Potter series

　　　 C．the fans of Harry Potter　 D．the publishers of the Harry Potter series

51. What’s the name of the last issue of the Harry Potter series? _____.

　　　 A．Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows　　　　　 B．Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

　　　 C．Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 　　　　D．Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling

70. Which of the following is NOT true?

　　　　　　　 A. People can visit Ellis Island free of charge.

　　　　　　　 B. The boats departure time from Battery Park is at 9:15 all the year round.

　　　　　　　 C. Ferry fees for children are cheaper than for adults.

　　　　　　　 D. Ferry fees for group visitors can be reduced.

答案：68-70 BCB

湖北省赤壁市蒲圻高中10-11学年高二上学期期中考试

A

Hey, all you Muggles, witches, and wizards-are you ready for the grand finale of the Harry Potter series? J. K. Rowling announced on Thursday the title for book seven-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Book seven in the Harry Potter series will pick up where book six, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, left off. With the last chapter of book seven, the magical adventures of Harry, Hermione, Ron, and friends will come to an end.

“I am alternately delighted and worried,” says Rowling on her official Web site. She made the announcement of the book title on the Web site. Rowling is currently busy putting the finishing touches on the book.

“I’m now writing scenes that have been planned, in some cases, for a dozen years or even more,” says Rowling. Rowling adds that she has been working very hard on this final installment in the series. With the title now set, she assured fans that she will indeed finish this book.　

“I both want, and don’t want, to finish this book,” Rowling says.

It’s not too late to catch up on the rest of the series. You can also reread your favorite books while waiting for the last one. The publication date for book seven has not been set. To make the waiting a little easier, there’s always the next Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is scheduled for release in July 2007.