Ballet is a precise and beautiful form of dancing that is performed in a theatre. A kind of ballet first appeared
in Italy in the 1400s, but ballet as it is danced today began in France. During the reign of King Louis XIV, in the
1600s, it was officially recognized as a form of art. The French Royal Academy of Dance was founded in 1661
to promote ballet.
     Traditional, or classical, ballet follows strict rules and traditions. There are standard positions for the arms,
legs and hands, and special movements that make the dance flow smoothly.
     Classical ballet uses orchestras (交响乐团), fine scenery and splendid costumes. Many ballets tell a story,
but the dancers do not speak any words. They act out the story, using their bodies. The person who arranges
the dance movements is called the choreographer (舞蹈指导).
     Some ballets are very famous. They have been danced for many years. Giselle, a story of a tragic young
village girl who dies in love-stricken grief, was first performed in 1841. Two other long-time favourites are
Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. These two ballets are as famous for their music as for their dancing.
     Modern ballets often look very different from classical ones. They include freer, more modern dance steps.
Sometimes, instead of telling a story, they dwell on certain moods or themes. Special effects may be produced
with lighting, rather than scenery.

1. Ballet first turned up in _____ and it was officially thought of as a form of art in _____.

A. Italy in the 1600s; in France in 1400
B. Italy in the 1400s; in France in 1400
C. Italy in the 1400s; in France in 1600
D. Italy in the 1600s; in France in 1600

2. Which statement is not true according to the passage?

A. Classical ballet follows strict rules and traditions.
B. Many ballets tell a story, and the dancers sometimes need to speak on the stage.
C. Many ballets tell a story, but the dancers do not speak any words.
D. The ballets always use their bodies to act out the story.

3. _____ are as famous for their music as for their dancing.

A. Swan Lake and Giselle
B. Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake
B. Sleeping Beauty and Giselle
D. Traditional and modern ballets

4. The underlined phrase "dwell on" in the last paragraph might mean "_____".

A. tell sth. in detail
B. live in
C. live on
D. tell sth. in general

     Everything has a name. All people, places and things have names. For example, Jenny is the name of a
student from England. England is the name of her country. Cities and towns have names, too. Schools and
office building also have names. All things have names. Names are important.
     Names are different all over the world. In Jenny's class, Jenny must learn the names of students from all
over the world. This is very difficult because the names are different.
     In the USA, most people have a first name, a middle name, and a last name. Parents choose the first and
middle names for their baby. There are names for boys and names for girls. For example, John, Peter, Tom
and Mike are all names for boys. Elizabeth, Betty, Susan, and Mary are all names for girls. The last name is
the family name. Usually it is the father's family name. In a family, the mother, the father, and the children
usually have the same last name.
     Names are different all over the world. They can be long or short, but they are always very important.

1. Why does everything have a name? Because _____.

A. it is very interesting to have a name
B. it is very easy to be remembered
C. it is very easy to be told from others
D. both B and C

2. It is difficult to learn names all over the world because _____.

A. there are many different languages
B. the names in different countries are different
C. some names are very short, some are very long
D. there are many names all over the world

3. Which of the following is true?

A. It's difficult to learn the names because they are different.
B. There is no difference between girls' names and boys' names.
C. Jenny doesn't want to learn the names very well.
D. It's easy for Jenny to learn the names of her classmates.

4. What names are for girls?

A. George, Linda, Susan
B. Tom, Jill, Candy
C. Elizabeth, Betty, Mary
D. Peter, Jeff, Jack

                                                                The Mississippi
     The Mississippi is a great river whose relationship with man goes way back beyond its discovery in the
16th century. The River Indians used it as a highway and as a source of food, and it was they who gave it
its name-"misi" meaning "great" and "sipi" meaning "water". When the length of its branch, the Missouri, is
added to it, the Mississippi becomes greater. 1_____. From the source of the Missouri to the tip of the delta
(三角洲), it is 2480 miles long.
     Great rivers are likely to suffer floods. In 1927 the Mississippi flooded 26 thousand acres, sweeping
away farms, towns, everything in its path. In 1938 its floods drowned or killed 200 people and made millions
homeless. Today the river has largely been controlled. 2_____.
     Industries have spread down some of the waterways of the delta, but otherwise the delta is a remote place,
the homeland of a little colony of French Canadians that the British drove out of Nova Scotia in the 18th
century. They still speak French, mixed with English, Indian, Spanish and Negro idioms. They keep to
themselves, farming the rich soil of the delta. 3_____. 
     4_____. Pioneers who first reached its banks wondered not only where it went, but what lay beyond. In
1764 the French founded a city on the right bank of the river, and named it after their king, Louis XV. This
city, named St. Louis, became the jumping-off place for the adventurous men and women who opened up
the Great Plains, and the way to the Far West.
     Some 40 years earlier, at the beginning of the 18th century, the French had founded another city just above
the Mississippi delta, New Orleans. 5_____. New Orleans is one of the great ports of the world, and one of
the greatest terminals for both sea and river traffic.

A. It was the Mississippi that made the city what it is
B. Levees, high banks built of earth, hold back the flood waters
C. Therefore, as we know, it's the third longest river in the world
D. It is known that the "Great Water" has also been a frontier river
E. However, they paddled up and down the Mississippi in their boats to seek their fortune
F. The "Great Water" always remains a thread, for the streets of the city are below the'level of the river
G. They call themselves Cajuns, who have actually been leading fairly primitive lives and preserving their own
     traditions

     The Great Wall of China is one of Beijing's biggest draws for tourists; despite its fame and ubiquity
in postcards across the world, it rarely fails to attract tourists at the first proper sight.
     Yet the authorities open only certain sections of the wall as fit for viewing, and few get to visit the
unauthorized sections. Fewer still are aware of the existence of at least one part of the Wall that remains
in almost original condition, nearly 1, 500 years after construction of legendary fortification began. But
there's a good reason for this-it's underwater.
     American journalist Steven Schwankert has been diving since age 10. It was through his setting-up
of a diving school that Schwankert came to explore some of lesser-known areas of China's Iakes-and
discovered the underwater Wall under a reservoir.
     "The most fascinating piece of diving I ever did in China must be the Great Wall. I managed to find
out about it via the Internet It wasn't difficult to get to Pan Jiakou in Hebei Province, near the East Qing
Tomb about 4 hours' drive from Beijing. Why do I want to dive the Great Wall? Why do people want to
walk on the Great Wall? It's the same answer."
     There are, however, advantages of visiting the Great Wall in a diving suit over being on foot. The
water acts as a preservative by preventing the kind of mass tourism that has brought trouble on other
parts of the Wall. "Unlike the people who walk in the Wall, we as divers never need to actually touch it.
I've dived twice there, the last time in July. I found that the water then was much deeper than it was
before-13 meters deep.." When he first dived, parts of the Wall were visible above the surface. Now
even the guard tower is completely submerged. "It's better that the Wall is deep under water, as there
are lots of boats coming in and out around that area. Their wave action could potentially damage the
brickwork. So, the deeper, the better."

1. Steven Schwankert is most interested in _____.

A. collecting photos of the Wall
B. walking along on the Wall
C. diving the underwater Wall
D. visiting some famous lakes

2. What does the underlined word "submerged" in Paragraph 5 most probably mean?

A. Damaged by water.
B. Washed by water.
C. Preserved by water.
D. Covered by water.

3. What is the topic discussed in the last paragraph?

A. Advantages of walking on the Great Wall.
B. Advantages of visiting the underwater Wall.
C. The reasons why the Wall is deep under water.
D. The reasons why the underwater Wall is protected.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A. The underwater Wall will sink deeper year by year.
B. Diving the Wall is popular with divers all over the world.
C. DiVing is a good way to visit the Wall without causing much damage.
D. More and more tourists will come to visit the underwater Wall in China.

     The Parthenon in Athens is a building with a long and complex history. Built nearly 2 500 years ago as
a temple celebrating the Greek goddess Athena, it was for thousands of years the church of the Virgin Mary
of the Athenians, then a mosque (清真寺), and finally a ruin. The building was changed and the sculptures
much damaged over the centuries. By 1800 only about half of the original sculptural decoration remained.
     Between 1801 and 1805, Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which controlled
Athens, acting with the full knowledge and permission of the Ottoman authorities, removed about half of the
remaining sculptures from the fallen ruins and from the building itself. Lord Elgin loved Greek history and
transported the sculptures back to Britain. The arrival of the sculptures in London had a huge effect on the
European public, greatly increasing interest in ancient Greek culture and influencing contemporary artistic
trends. These sculptures were acquired from Lord Elgin by the British Museum in 1816 and since then they
have all been on display to the public, free of charge.
     Since the early 1980s, however, the Greek government has argued for the permanent removal to Athens
of all the Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum. They have also challenged the British Museum Board
of Trustees' legal title to the sculptures.
     The British Museum, however, insists that it exists to tell the story of cultural achievement throughout
the world, from the dawn of human history over two million years ago until the present day. The museum
considers itself an important resource for the world: the breadth and depth of its collection allows the world
public to re-examine cultural identities and explore the complex network of interconnected world cultures.
     It also says that, within the context of this unparalleled collection, the Parthenon sculptures are an
important representation of ancient Athenian civilization. Each year millions of visitors admire the artistry of
the sculptures and gain insights on how ancient Greece influenced-and was influenced by-the other civilizations
that it encountered.

1. For most of its history, people went to the Parthenon to _____.

A. admire the goddess Athena
B. pray to their god
C. search for sculptures
D. learn about its complex history

2. The underlined "it" (in Paragraph 4) refers to "_____".

A. the British Museum
B. the Greek government
C. the Parthenon
D. the British Museum Board of Trustees

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A. The sculptures introduced ancient Greek culture to the west.
B. Ancient Greek culture has greatly influenced world culture.
C. The British Museum has made much money from the Parthenon sculptures.
D. The British Museum is the place most capable of preserving these sculptures.

4. What can we learn about Lord Elgin from the passage?

A. He is greatly admired in Greece.
B. He worked for the Ottoman Empire.
C. He saved the Parthenon sculptures from being destroyed.
D. He had a deep interest in Greek culture.

5. The author's main intention in writing this passage is to tell _____.

A. the history of the Parthenon and its sculptures
B. what people can see in the British Museum
C. why the British Museum refuses to return the sculptures
D. the influence of Greece on British culture

     One of the min challenges facing many countries is how to maintain their identity in the face of globalization
and the growing multi-language trend "One of the main reasons for eco failure in many African countries is the
fact that, with a few important exceptions mother tongue education is not practiced in any of the independent
African states" said NeVille Alexander, Director of the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in south
Africa at the University of Cape Town.
     In response to the spread of English and the increased multi-language trends arising from immigration, many
countries have introduced language laws in the last decade. In some, the use of languages other than the national
language is banned in public spaces such as advertising posters. One of the first such legal provisions the 1994
"Toubon law" in France, but the idea has been copied in many countries since then. Such efforts to govern
language use are often dismissed as futile by language experts, who are well aware of the difficulty of controlling
fashions in speech and know from research that language switching among bilinguals is a natural process.
     It is especially difficult for native speakers of English to understand the desire to maintain the "purity" of a
language by law. Since the time of Shakespeare, English has continually absorbed foreign words into its own
language. English is one of the most mixed and rapidly changing languages in the world, but that has not been
a barrier to acquiring prestige and power. Another reason for the failure of many native English speakers to
understand the role of state regulation is that it has never been the Anglo-Saxon way of doing things. English
has never had a state-controlled authority for the language, similar, for example, to the Academie Francaise in
France.
     The need to protect national languages is, for most western Europeans, a recent phenomenon-especially the
need to ensure that English does not unnecessarily take over too many fields. Public communication, education
and new modes of communication promoted by technology, may be key fields to defend.

1. Neville Alexander believes that _____.

A. mother-tongue education is not practiced in all African countries
B. lack of mothertongue education can lead to economic failure
C. globalization has led to the rise of multi-language trends
D. globalization has resulted in the economic failure of Africa

2. The underlined word "futile" (in Paragraph 2) most probably means "_____".

A. useless
B. practical
C. workable
D. unnecessary

3. Why do many English-speaking countries not support the language protection efforts described in the
    passage? 

A. They think language protection laws are ineffective.
B. They want their language to spread to other countries.
C. They have a long history of taking words from other languages.
D. It reduces a language's ability to acquire international importance.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A. English has taken over fields like public communication and education.
B. Europeans have long realized the need to protect their national languages.
C. Most language experts believe it is important to promote a national language.
D. Many aspects of national culture are threatened by the spread of English.

5. The best title for the passage is _____.

A. Fighting against the rule of English
B. Globalization and multi-language trends
C. Protecting local languages and identities 
D. To maintain the purity of language by law

     [l]Every language has its own special words and expressions. And a story can be told about each of them.
Hot is a simple, easily understood word. So are most of the expressions made with the word hot. But not always, as we shall see.
     [2]The words hot potato, for example, give you no idea at all to the meaning of the expression, hot potato.
The potato is popular and many Americans like baked potatoes. Imagine trying to carrv a hot potato in your
hand. It would be difficult, even painful, to do so. Some publicly argued problems are high1y emotional. The
problems must be treated carefully, or they will be difficult and painful if an elected official has to deal with
them. One such hot potato is taxes. Calling for higher taxes can mean defeat for a politician. And yet, if taxes
are not raised, some very popular government programs could be cut. And that also can make a politician very
unpopular. The questions must be dealt with carefully, the same way you would handle any other hot potato.
     [3]Another expression is not so hot. If you ask someone how she feels, she may answer "not so hot."
What she means is she does not feel well. Not so hot also is a way of saying you do not really like somethin.
You may tell a friend that the new play you saw last night is not so hot. That means ______.
     [4]A hot shot is a person, often a young person, who thinks he can do anything. He is very sure he can
succeed. But often he fails. The expression was born in the military forces. A hot shot was a soldier who fired
without aiming carefully. 
     [5]Hot is a word that is often used to talk about anger. A person who becornes angry easily is called a
hothead. An angry person's neck often becomes red. We say he is hot under the collar.

1. What is the text mainly about? (within 8 words)
    ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with a proper sentence. (within 8 words)
    ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one? As you would deal with other 
    difficult problems, you must be careful with these ones.
    ____________________________________________________________________________________
4. List three situations where "hot" expressions can be used accordmg to the text. (within 30 words).
    ____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 into Chinese.
    ____________________________________________________________________________________

     Neatness and personal cleanness have been around for ages and have become an important part of everyone's
daily routine. You might think that all modern societies would have the same neatness and personal cleanness
practices. After all, doesn't everybody take baths? Most people do recognize the need for cleanness, which is
the basis for health. Neatness practices include all the little things people do to make themselves look their best,
such as combing their hair and putting on makeup. However, while most modern people agree that these things
are important, people in different cultures take care of themselves in different ways.
     There used to be an old joke in America that people should take a bath once a week, whether they need one
or not. In fact, though, Americans generally take a bath or more commonly, a shower every day. But in contrast
to some cultures, most Americans get their shower in the morning so that they can start the day frcsh.
Americans are known for having very sensitive noses. In America, body smell is socially unacceptable. For that
reason, Americans consider it a must to use special lotion (浴液) to prevent the smell. Ladies often add a touch
of perfume. Men may spray on after-shave cream or manly-smelling perfume.
     Some of the cultural varieties in neatness practices result from physical differences between races. Whereas
many Asian men have little facial hair, Westerners have a lot. As a result, most American men spend some time
each day shaving or tidying their facial hair to keep it nice. American women, on the other hand, generally prefer
not to be hairy at all.
     Americans put great value on both neatness and personal cleanness. For some people, taking care of
themselves has become almost a religion. As the old saying goes, "Cleanness is next to godliness." Whether or
not being clean and neat-looking brings one closer to God, it certainly at least brings one closer to others.
Americans look down on people who don't take care of themselves, or who "let themselves go."

1. We can infer from the first paragraph that _____.

A. everyone takes baths daily to get a nice look
B. people have the same neatness practices today
C. neatness practices may be affected by cultures
D. neatness means combing hair and doing makeup

2. Americans have a bath in the morning to _____.

A. begin an energetic day
B. refrcsh their sensitive noses
C. prevent their body smell
D. style their hair at home

3. According to the author, physical differences between races can cause differences in _____.

A. cultures
B. locations
C. religions
D. neatness practices

4. The underlined phrase in the last paragraph means "_____".

A. care much about themselves
B. give loose to themselves
C. stay away from other people
D. stay closer to other people

     On December 18, 1620, passengers on the British ship Mayflower came on shore at modern-day
Plymouth, Massachusetts, to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony.
     The famous Mayflower story began in 1606, when a group of reform-minded people in England built
their own church, which was separate from the state-supported Church of England. Because of this, they
were forced to leave the country and settle in Netherlands. After 12 years of struggling to adapt and make
a hard living, the group sought financial backing from some London merchants to set up a colony in America.
     On September 6, 1620, one hundred and two passengers-called Pilgrims (朝圣者) by William Bradford,
a passenger who would become the first governor of Plymouth Colony-crowded on the Mayflower to begin
the long, hard journey to a new life in the New World. On November 11, 1620, the Mayflower landed at
Provincetown Harbor. Before going on shore, 41 male passengers-heads of families, single men and three
male servants-signed the famous Mayflower contract, agreeing to form a government chosen by common
election and to obey all laws made for the good of the colony.
     Over the next month, several small leading teams were sent on shore to collect firewood and hunt for a
good place to build a settlement. Around December 10, one of these groups found a harbor they liked on the
western side of Cape Cod Bay. They returned to the Mayflower to tell the other passengers, but bad weather
prevented them reaching the harbor until December 16. Two days later, the first group of Pilgrims went on
shore. After exploring the region, the settlers chose a cleared area once controlled by members of a local
Native American tribe (部落). The tribe had abandoned the village several years earlier, after an outbreak of
European disease.
     That winter of 1620-1621 was really hard, as the Pilgrims struggled to build their settlement, find food and
take care of the sick By spring, 50 of the original 102 Mayflower passengers were dead. The remaining settlers
made contact with returning members of the Native American tribe and in March they signed a peace treaty (条
约) with the tribe chief. In the spring time, helped by the locals, the Pilgrims were able to plant crops-especially
corn and beans-that were necessary to their survival.
     On April 5, 1621, the Mayflower and its crew left Plymouth to return to England. Over the next several
decades, more and more settlers made the voyage across the Atlantic to Plymouth, which gradually grew into
a successful shipbuilding and fishing center.

1. A group of English were forced to leave their country in 1606 because _____.

A.their belief was different from the official Church
B. they built their own churches in a foreign country
C. they lacked financial support from the government
D. they were ambitious to build the colony in America

2. How many days did the sea journey to Provincetown Harbor last?

A. 103
B. 96
C. 66
D. 35

3. Several leading teams were sent in order to _____.

A. hunt for food for the passengers
B. control local Native Americans
C. build a settlement for the passengers
D. explore the region for their settlement

4. From the passage we know that _____ between 1620-1621.

A. 52 Mayflower passengers died of some illnesses
B. Pilgrims had a good relationship with the locals
C. Plymouth turned a main center for shipbuilding
D. Pilgrims tried to plant corns and beans in winter