It’s the Year of the Rat!

Millions of people crowded onto trains and buses across China on Wednesday. They were hurrying home to be with their families for the country’s most important holiday, the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival. Thursday marked the end of the Year of the Pig, and the beginning of the Year of the Rat. But for a while, it looked as if severe winter weather in some regions of China would put a deep freeze on the celebrations. Due to dangerous conditions, airlines, railways and highways across the country were forced to shut down for the past few weeks. Many travelers were worried that they would not make it home for the holidays. Luckily, the crisis started winding down just in time for some roads and railways to reopen on Lunar New Year’s Eve.

More than one billion people worldwide celebrate the Lunar New Year. In China, people from Beijing to Guangzhou enjoy a holiday. Businesses and government offices are closed. Many people go to temples to pray for good fortune for the future. The Lunar New Year is celebrated at the second new moon after the winter solstice（冬至）.

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the Chinese celebrate with fireworks, family gatherings, and festivals. One of the most popular ways to celebrate the holiday is with the lion dance. The lion is considered a holy animal. During celebrations, dancers dressed as lions（or holding up elaborate paper lions in the air）perform to bring good luck to the people they visit at their homes or businesses. People often wear red, which symbolizes fire. Legend has it that fire can drive away bad luck. The 15-day New Year season is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon dances and visits to friends and families. The celebrations end with the Lantern Festival, when brightly colored lamps are hung in parks around China.

49. When the Spring Festival comes, trains and buses are usually crowed because________.

A. millions of people hurried to go abroad for travelling

B. millions of people are hurrying home to get together with their folks

C. at this time the transportation cost is at the lowest point

D. million of people hurried to send firecrackers to their home

50. Why were many travellers worried whether they would go home for the Year of the Rat?

A. Because a deep freeze hit some regions of China.

B. Because many transportation companies have a holiday

C. Because some roads and railways won’t reopen in a long time.

D. Because businesses and government offices are closed.

51. Where do people usually go to beg for their good luck?

A. Government offices                      B. Business offices

C. Temples                                             D. Beijing

52. In order to bring good luck to the people they visit, dancers dress themselves________.

A. as lions to have a dance  　　B. as tigers to have a dance

C. as rats to have a dance   　　D. as cats to have a dance

 

　Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for 36.________ hands. Most people were reluctant（不情愿） to work on 37._______ along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful 38.________that raged across the Atlantic， wreaking havoc（浩劫，灾难） on the buildings and crops. As the farmer 39.________ applicants for the job， he 40._________ a steady stream of refusals.

　　41._________， a short， thin man， well past middle age， approached the farmer. “Are you a good farmhand？” the farmer asked him.

　　“Well， I can 42._________ when the wind blows，” answered the 43.________ man.

　　Although 44._________ by this answer， the farmer， desperate（不顾一切的） for 45.________， hired him. The man worked well around the farm， 46.________ from dawn to dusk， and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

　　Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. 47._________ out of bed， the farmer grabbed（抓起） a lantern and 48.________ next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He 49.________ the little man and yelled， “Get up！ A storm is coming！ Tie things down before they blow away！”

　　The little man 50________ in bed and said 51.________， “No sir. I told you， I can sleep when the wind blows.”

　　Enraged by the response， the farmer was tempted to 52.________ him on the spot. Instead， he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his 53.________， he discovered that all of the haystacks（干草垛） had been covered with tarpaulins（油布）. The cows were in the barn， the chickens were in the coops（鸡笼）， and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.

　　The farmer then understood what his hired hand 54.__________， so he returned to his bed to also sleep 55.________ the wind blew.

36.A.hired            B.applied  C.took        D.got

37.A.field            B.garden   C.farm        D.park

38.A.winds           B.storms   C.huricane     D.flood

39.A.interviewed      B.trained   C.saw         D.visited 

40.A.accepted        B.received   C.refused      D.offered

41.A.Surprisingly     B.Luckily     C.Obviously    D.Finally

42.A.work        B.do       C.sleep       D.help   

43.A.strong       B.young     C.little      D.kind

44.A.pleased     B.satisfied     C.surprised    D.puzzled

450.A.help        B.pleasure     C.man        D.work

46.A.happy       B.sad         C.tired        D.busy

47.A.Coming      B.Leaving     C.Jumping     D.Going

48.A.ran          B.rushed      C.went        D.moved

49.A.beat         B.shook       C.shouted      D.stroke

505.A.put on        B.rolled over   C.got up       D.sat    

51.A.firmly        B.happily      C.delightly    D.angrily

52.A.kill          B.instruct      C.fire         D.inform

53.A.surprise       B.joy         C.regret       D.sadness

54.A.expected      B.prepared     C.offered      D.meant

55.A.when        B.as           C.after        D.while

It’s the Year of the Rat!

Millions of people crowded onto trains and buses across China on Wednesday. They were hurrying home to be with their families for the country’s most important holiday, the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival. Thursday marked the end of the Year of the Pig, and the beginning of the Year of the Rat. But for a while, it looked as if severe winter weather in some regions of China would put a deep freeze on the celebrations. Due to dangerous conditions, airlines, railways and highways across the country were forced to shut down for the past few weeks. Many travelers were worried that they would not make it home for the holidays. Luckily, the crisis started winding down just in time for some roads and railways to reopen on Lunar New Year’s Eve.

More than one billion people worldwide celebrate the Lunar New Year. In China, people from Beijing to Guangzhou enjoy a holiday. Businesses and government offices are closed. Many people go to temples to pray for good fortune for the future. The Lunar New Year is celebrated at the second new moon after the winter solstice（冬至）.

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the Chinese celebrate with fireworks, family gatherings, and festivals. One of the most popular ways to celebrate the holiday is with the lion dance. The lion is considered a holy animal. During celebrations, dancers dressed as lions（or holding up elaborate paper lions in the air） perform to bring good luck to the people they visit at their homes or businesses. People often wear red, which symbolizes fire. Legend has it that fire can drive away bad luck. The 15-day New Year season is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon dances and visits to friends and families. The celebrations end with the Lantern Festival, when brightly colored lamps are hung in parks around China.

44. When the Spring Festival comes, trains and buses are usually crowed because________.

A. millions of people hurried to go abroad for travelling

B. millions of people are hurrying home to get together with their folks

C. at this time the transportation cost is at the lowest point

D. millions of people hurried to send firecrackers to their home

45. Why were many travellers worried whether they would go home for the Year of the Rat?

A. Because a deep freeze hit some regions of China.

B. Because many transportation companies have a holiday.

C. Because some roads and railways won’t reopen in a long time.

D. Because businesses and government offices are closed.

46. Where do people usually go to beg for their good luck?

A. Government offices                B. Business offices

C. Temples                                 D. Beijing

47. In order to bring good luck to the people they visit, dancers dress themselves________.

A. as lions to have a dance  　　B. as tigers to have a dance

C. as rats to have a dance   　　D. as cats to have a dance

It’s the Year of the Rat!

Millions of people crowded onto trains and buses across China on Wednesday. They were hurrying home to be with their families for the country’s most important holiday, the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival. Thursday marked the end of the Year of the Pig, and the beginning of the Year of the Rat. But for a while, it looked as if severe winter weather in some regions of China would put a deep freeze on the celebrations. Due to dangerous conditions, airlines, railways and highways across the country were forced to shut down for the past few weeks. Many travelers were worried that they would not make it home for the holidays. Luckily, the crisis started winding down just in time for some roads and railways to reopen on Lunar New Year’s Eve.

More than one billion people worldwide celebrate the Lunar New Year. In China, people from Beijing to Guangzhou enjoy a holiday. Businesses and government offices are closed. Many people go to temples to pray for good fortune for the future. The Lunar New Year is celebrated at the second new moon after the winter solstice（冬至）.

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the Chinese celebrate with fireworks, family gatherings, and festivals. One of the most popular ways to celebrate the holiday is with the lion dance. The lion is considered a holy animal. During celebrations, dancers dressed as lions（or holding up elaborate paper lions in the air）perform to bring good luck to the people they visit at their homes or businesses. People often wear red, which symbolizes fire. Legend has it that fire can drive away bad luck. The 15-day New Year season is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon dances and visits to friends and families. The celebrations end with the Lantern Festival, when brightly colored lamps are hung in parks around China.

49. When the Spring Festival comes, trains and buses are usually crowed because________.

A. millions of people hurried to go abroad for travelling

B. millions of people are hurrying home to get together with their folks

C. at this time the transportation cost is at the lowest point

D. million of people hurried to send firecrackers to their home

50. Why were many travellers worried whether they would go home for the Year of the Rat?

A. Because a deep freeze hit some regions of China.

B. Because many transportation companies have a holiday

C. Because some roads and railways won’t reopen in a long time.

D. Because businesses and government offices are closed.

51. Where do people usually go to beg for their good luck?

A. Government offices                B. Business offices

C. Temples                                 D. Beijing

52. In order to bring good luck to the people they visit, dancers dress themselves________.

A. as lions to have a dance  　　B. as tigers to have a dance

C. as rats to have a dance   　　D. as cats to have a dance

When a group of children politely stop a conversation with you, saying: “We have to go to work now,” you’re left feeling surprised and certainly uneasy. After all, this is the 1990s and the idea of children working is just unthinkable. That is, until you are told that they are all pupils of stage schools, and that the “work” they go off to is to go on the stage in a theatre.

　　Stage schools often act as agencies（代理机构）to supply children for stage and television work. More worthy of the name “stage school” are those few places where children attend full time, with a training for the theatre and a general education.

　　A visit to such schools will leave you in no doubt that the children enjoy themselves. After all, what lively children wouldn’t settle for spending only half the day doing ordinary school work, and acting, singing or dancing their way through the other half of the day?

　Then of course there are times for the children to make a name and make a little money in some big shows. Some stage schools give their children too much professional work at such a young age. But the law is very tight on the amount they can do. Those under 13 are limited to 40 days in the year; those over 13 to 80 days.

　The schools themselves admit that not all children will be successful in the profession for which they are being trained. So what happens to those who don’t make it? While all the leading schools say they place great importance on children getting good study results, the facts seem to suggest this is not always the case.

　People would stop feeling uneasy when realizing that the children they’re talking to________.

　　  A. attend a stage school　　　　  B. are going to the theatre

　　  C. have got some work to do 　　  D. love singing and dancing

　　 In the writer’s opinion, a good stage school should ________.

　　  A. produce star performers

　　  B. help pupils improve their study skills

　　  C. train pupils in language and performing arts

　　  D. provide a general education and stage training.

　“Professional work” as used in the text means ________.

　　  A. ordinary school work　　　　　  B. money-making performances

　　  C. stage training at school 　 　  D. acting, singing or dancing after class

　 Which of the following best describes how the writer feels about stage schools?

　　  A. He thinks highly of what they have to offer.　　　　

　　  B. He favours an early start in the training of performing arts.

　　  C. He feels uncomfortable about children putting on night shows.

　　  D. He doubts the standard of ordinary education they have reached.