Dear Sir,
I am writing to express my concern about the plans to build a motorway near our village.
Haldersham is one of the loveliest villages in England. It is peaceful and quiet, and it is situated in a very attractive valley. There are also several beautiful countryside walks in the surroundings, with a view of many rare trees and plants.
Most of the people who live in Haldersham have moved here from other places, often from London and other big cities. They have bought houses here to live in a place far away from the noise and the stress of the big city. They paid a lot of money for their houses, but they knew they would get a high quality of life for it.
If the planned motorway is built, life in Haldersham will change greatly. There will be a lot of noise around us, and nobody will want to go on the walks. House prices will certainly go down, because nobody will want to buy houses in a place close to a motorway. Haldersham will become an ugly place.
I don’t think any of the people living in this beautiful village want that, and we all believe exposure to noise pollution can have a direct influence on our health. So, let’s all tell the politicians who support the motorway plans what we think about them!
Yours faithfully,
Hilary Riley
1. Many people move to Haldersham because ______.

A．it has a good environment

B．it is not far away from big cities

C．they want to be a help to the village

D．they prefer to study rare plants in this area

2. According to Hilary Riley, a motorway will ______.

A．cause high house prices

B．bring people stress

C．provide a convenient life

D．affect the quality of life

3. What’s the purpose of the letter?

A．To give an introduction of Haldersham.

B．To show grateful thanks to the politicians.

C．To express disapproval about the motorway.

D．To offer suggestions on building the motorway.

I want to share with you a story from 28 years ago. My dad was a used car salesman. Every Thursday night, he would head off to Shreveport, LA for an auction (拍卖会). Most of the time, I drove a car over there for him so he could sell it at the auction.

One day I was riding with my dad when he noticed a hitch-hiker(搭便车的人) with a backpack. Without hesitation, he pulled the car over and offered him a ride. Dad asked him his name, and proceeded to talk to him about all sorts of things. Dad asked him where he was going. The hitch-hiker told him that he was heading for the   west. I can’t recall why but he told Dad a lot of things that had occurred to him and that persuaded him to make that decision. He talked about the tragic events that occurred to him several years before. He was low in spirits, but I could see that the hitch-hiker’s attitude was changing as someone was really listening to him.

We drove 45 minutes before the hitch-hiker got off. We pulled over and Dad told him to keep his head up and things would start looking up for him soon. He reached into his pocket and handed the hitch-hiker a twenty-dollar bill. The guy smiled. He nearly lit up right there on the cold, dark highway.

We drove on and my dad did not say a single thing. I was still completely amazed by   what I had just witnessed. I was always told by everyone never to pick up a hitch -hiker and yet my dad did it every single time he saw one. While reflecting upon that story I came   to understand that just one single kind act could change someone’s life, and I am sure that my father’s deed made that poor man’s day.

4. What made the hitch-hiker become less upset?

A．The writer’s father offering him a free ride.

B．The writer’s father really listening to him.

C．The writer’s father agreeing to drive him to his destination.

D．The writer’s father talking to him about all sorts of things.

5. The underlined words “that decision” in Para. 2 refer to______.

A．catching the car	B．heading for the west
C．talking about his experiences	D．driving 45 minutes

6. Which of the following words CANNOT be used to describe the father?

A．Willing to help.	B．Easy-going.
C．Far-sighted.	D．Full of sympathy.

7. The author wrote the text mainly to ______.

A．show his respect for his father	B．tell a story of his father
C．prove his father is the best teacher	D．advise people to learn from their father

There are probably no people on Earth who like to gossip as much as the British. If prying into (打探) other’s lives were an Olympic sport, then Team GB would surely take the gold medal.

And when the British can’t watch the lives of real people, they have another source of entertainment to fall back on — the soap opera. British soap operas are very different to US TV dramas. For one, they are normally longer running. The two most popular, Coronation Street and East-enders, have been running for 48 and 24 years respectively. Both are broadcast several times a week, so remarkably there have been more than 7,000 episodes of Coronation Street.

The most obvious difference is that, unlike US dramas, the British soap operas focus on the real world. There is little glamour (魅力), the stars are rarely rich, and they normally have boring jobs. Perhaps the appeal is that the lives of the characters often mirror the lives of the audience — but with some drama added. This means the viewer can relate to the characters and feel the pain and happiness they go through on the show.

Because these soap operas last for decades, the cast is ever changing. The shows rarely focus on one or two main characters. Like the real world, people come and go all the time. However, there are exceptions. Coronation Street’s William Roach, 76, has played the role of Ken Barlow since the very first episode of the show in 1960, and he is still a regular.

The choice of which soap opera you follow is often cultural: People from the north of British tend to watch Coronation Street as it is set in Manchester. People from the south generally prefer East-enders, which is set in the east of London. The show is generally considered grittier and is aimed at a younger audience.

8. What is the main difference between American dramas and British soap operas?

A．American dramas are longer.

B．British soap operas are longer.

C．American dramas deal with dangerous things.

D．British soap operas deal with real people.

9. Why do British people like to watch such operas?

A．They can find their own life from the operas.

B．They can enjoy the operas in their free time.

C．They can watch the operas for many years.

D．They care about the fate of the characters in the operas.

10. The underlined world “episodes” in the 2nd paragraph probably means ______.

A．plays

B．pages

C．issues

D．parts

11. One characteristic of British operas is that ______.

A．the characters play the same role for a long time.

B．the characters in the play often change

C．people don’t know what will happen next

D．there is only one or two characters in them

There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little whisky(威士忌) at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited there in 1873 she wrote in her diary, “I never saw a lovelier spot,” And she didn't even go fishing.

Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments, this quiet land of lakes and grass mountains changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange, the rivers, teeming with fish, can turn into streams of gold. As you settle down with just a people and a basket on the bank of River Orchy, near the Inverlochy Castle, any frustration will float away as gently as the circling water. It's just you and purple, pink, white flowers, a perfect harmony. If you are a new comer to fishing, learning the basics from a fishing guide may leave you with a lifetime's fun. For many, fishing is more than a sport; it is an art.

Scotland offers interesting place where you can rest after a long day's fishing. Set against a wild mountain and hidden behind woodland, the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the Nevis is a perfect place to see the beauty of Scotland's mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest of mountains, and reaching its 1342-metre top is a challenge. But it's not just what goes up that matters; what comes down is unique. More than 900 metres high, on the mountain's north face, lies an all-important source of pure water. Its name comes form the Gaelic language "usqueb" or "water of life"; and it is the single most important ingredient(原料) in Scotland's best known whisky.

12. The story of Queen Victoria is to show that                 .

A．the queen is rich in tour experience

B．the Castle is a good place to go in Scotland

C．tasting whisky is better than going fishing

D．1873 is a special year for the queen

13. How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed?

A．By giving descriptions.	B．By following time order.
C．By analyzing causes.	D．By making comparisons.

14. What is Ben Nevis special for?

A．The Inverlochy Castle Hotel.

B．The beauty of its surroundings.

C．The water from the mountain.

D．The challenge up to its top.

15. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce Scottish traditions to tourists.

B．To show the attractions of Scotland to readers.

C．To explore geographical characteristics of Scotland.

D．To describe the pleasures of life in Scotland.