1 . If you’re looking for more than just a great travel destination, and interested in attending a world-famous festival while you’re on holiday, the following list can be helpful.

Burning Man, Nevada, United States

The week-long annual festival takes place in the middle of the desert. It lasts from the last Monday in August to the first Monday in September. The main event is burning a large wooden statue. It has no single purpose, but calls for participants to express themselves, and supports community, art, self-expression, self-reliance, communal effort and so on. Gift giving between participants is also a key principle of the festival.

Tomorrowland, Boom, Belgium

Tomorrowland is the largest annual electronic music festival in the world. Starting in 2005, it quickly became one of the most important music festivals in the world with hundreds of thousands of visitors. The festival is just several days long and takes place during July or August.

San Fermin, Pamplona, Spain

The San Fermin festival is held every year from noon of July 6 till midnight of July 14. The most famous event is the encierro (斗牛), or the running of the bulls, which starts at 8：00 every day of the festival. More than a million people from the world attend the festival every year.

Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

The largest funfair in the world spans for 16 days starting from late September every year. The world-famous festival has been around since early 19th century. It is held in Theresienwiese in central Munich and is best known for the massive amount of beer that is served to the attendees. Millions of liters of beer are served, and they go along great with the German sausage Weisswurst and other local foods.

1. In which festival do people attach importance to giving gifts?

A．Burning Man.

B．Tomorrowland.

C．San Fermin.

D．Oktoberfest.

2. What do San Fermin and Oktoberfest have in common?

A．They have a long history.	B．There are sports and beer.
C．They are world famous.	D．They take place in spring.

3. In which column of a newspaper may we read the passage?

A．Health.

B．Travelling.

C．Sports.

D．Art.

2 . When I first entered university, my aunt, who is an English professor, gave me a new English dictionary and advised me to use it. I was _______ to see that it was an English-English dictionary, also known as a monolingual (单语的) dictionary. Although it was a dictionary intended for non-native learners, none of my classmates had one and, to be honest, I found it extremely _______ to use at first. I would _______ words in the dictionary but still could not fully understand the meanings. I was used to the _______ English-Chinese dictionaries, in which the words are _______ both in English and Chinese. I really wondered why my aunt gave me such _______ to make things so difficult for me. Now, I understand that monolingual dictionaries are_______ in learning a foreign language.

As I _______, there is, in fact, often no perfect equivalent (对应物) between two _______ in two languages. My aunt even ________ that even a Chinese “equivalent” can never give you the ________ meaning of the word in English! Therefore, she insisted that I read the definition of a word in a monolingual dictionary when I wanted to get a better ________ of its meaning. Gradually, I have come to see what she ________.

Using a monolingual dictionary has helped me in another important way. This dictionary uses a(n) ________ number of words, around 2, 000, in its definitions. When I read these definitions, I am ________exposed to the basic words and learn how they are used to explain objects and ideas. Because of this, I can express myself more easily in English.

1.

A．worried

B．sad

C．surprised

D．nervous

2.

A．difficult

B．interesting

C．important

D．practical

3.

A．look over

B．look up

C．take down

D．take up

4.

A．new

B．familiar

C．informed

D．confusing

5.

A．explained

B．expressed

C．described

D．created

6.

A．appreciation

B．courage

C．advice

D．power

7.

A．more natural

B．better

C．more convenient

D．easier

8.

A．checked out

B．broke down

C．found out

D．turned up

9.

A．words

B．names

C．ideas

D．characters

10.

A．hoped

B．declared

C．complained

D．dreamt

11.

A．exact

B．basic

C．translated

D．expected

12.

A．understanding

B．practice

C．expression

D．consideration

13.

A．wanted

B．preferred

C．meant

D．suffered

14.

A．extra

B．average

C．total

D．limited

15.

A．repeatedly

B．nearly

C．immediately

D．anxiously

5 . An obstacle usually refers to a difficulty or problem that prevents you from achieving something. Whether it was in your past, or you’re presently facing an obstacle, you have to resolve it. Some people avoid obstacles or deny their existence. Others let obstacles control them, and they feel defeated. Your attitude towards obstacles will define the outcome of whether you rise from the challenge, or remain stuck in it. Here are some more great things to love about obstacles.

First, obstacles give you purposes. Sometimes obstacles can reset your goals. You might have always had a particular way of doing things, or wanted to pursue certain goals; but when you’re faced with setbacks or difficulties, you’re forced to re-think, and re-examine your path. You may end up focusing on something new and exciting. Or, you may concentrate on something that you otherwise wouldn’t have if not for the particular setback. By having to overcome an obstacle, you’ll be fulfilling a purpose, rather than just going through the motions. Second, obstacles prepare you for the unexpected. Obstacles serve as guides for where to go next. Even though obstacles can bring out many negative emotions in us, such as frustration, anger, or sadness, it’s important to realize that they don’t stop you from reaching your intended goals. Instead, they, in a way, give you time to stop and think if perhaps there is a new and better path to take and what you can prepare for what will happen along the way. Obstacles shift your perspective. 

Obstacles whether you like them or not are unavoidable. Life will never stop throwing you new obstacles. So, the best thing to do is know how to better see and deal with these obstacles, and transform them into opportunities for self-improvement. The more you’re able to see obstacles as being an advantage to your life, the better you’ll be at managing them.

Accepting obstacles will be rewarding. It will make you constantly change and adapt to new situations, allowing you to grow into a better version of yourself.

1. What determines the outcome of obstacles you face?

A．Your own attitude.	B．Your quick adaptation.
C．Your adequate preparation.	D．Your optimistic perseverance.

2. What does the underlined part probably mean?

A．Acting enthusiastically.	B．Acting half-heartedly.
C．Being more motivated.	D．Being more determined.

3. How would obstacles result in benefits?

A．They prevent your negative emotions.	B．They give you advantages over others.
C．They make you think quickly and critically.	D．They allow you to view things from new angles.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Avoiding obstacles does harm to life.	B．Loving obstacles benefits a lot.
C．Obstacles are actually unavoidable.	D．Obstacles are double-edged swords.

6 . Born in the United States, I, with black hair and yellow skin, am an American. Yes, I am a US citizen. Yet I   ________ early in my childhood that I was very different.

It wasn’t until ________ in the early years of primary school that I noticed this difference. Some kids in my class asked me ________ I could speak Chinese. It seemed strange to me that they would be interested in this part of my ________ . I answered “yes” and expected them to say nothing else about it.

To my surprise, they were ________ to hear me say something in Chinese. When I did so, they said, “Wow, that’s cool!” I had always thought of it as just a strange ________ that came from China.

I ________ what had happened that day when I got home. I went into the bathroom to wash my hands as I usually did. I looked myself in the mirror—the same face was ________ from that morning, but it didn’t ________ the same to me. For the first time, I felt different from the others in my ________ .

That day I discovered a part of my life that was ________ — in culture and tradition — from the one I was   ________ .

Now I know that we must all remember our ________ , but we must also continue to explore, realizing that   ________ is different, with our own beliefs, opinions, traditions and lifestyles. Recognizing these differences should   ________ respect for one another.

1.

A．deserved

B．discovered

C．impressed

D．proved

2.

A．one moment

B．one evening

C．one day

D．one year

3.

A．why

B．how

C．when

D．if

4.

A．life

B．manuscript

C．secret

D．program

5.

A．critical

B．amused

C．appreciative

D．eager

6.

A．tradition

B．comment

C．language

D．reply

7.

A．wrote down

B．thought about

C．talked about

D．forgot about

8.

A．out

B．up

C．next

D．there

9.

A．maintain

B．seem

C．act

D．burst

10.

A．family

B．class

C．team

D．association

11.

A．different

B．delighted

C．worthy

D．valuable

12.

A．persevering

B．expecting

C．living

D．probing

13.

A．blessings

B．spots

C．concepts

D．roots

14.

A．nobody

B．nothing

C．everyone

D．everything

15.

A．lead to

B．stick to

C．devote to

D．refer to

7 . What’s On?

Electric Underground

7.30pm－1.00am   Free at the Cyclops Theatre

Do you know who’s playing in your area? We’re bringing you an evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30 pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He’s going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.

Gee Whizz

8.30pm-10.30pm   Comedy (喜剧)at Kaleidoscope

Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He’s the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks(快餐).

Simon’s Workshop

5.00pm-7.30pm   Wednesdays at Victoria Stage

This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years’ experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.

Charlotte Stone

8.00pm-11.00pm     Pizza World

Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta(面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.

1. Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?

A．Jules Skye.

B．Gee Whizz.

C．Charlotte Stone.

D．James Pickering.

2. At which place can people of different ages enjoy a good laugh?

A．The Cyclops Theatre

B．Kaleidoscope

C．Victoria Stage

D．Pizza World

3. What do we know about Simon’s Workshop?

A．It requires membership card.	B．It lasts three hours each time.
C．It is run by a comedy club.	D．It is held every Wednesday.

4. When will Charlotte Stone perform her songs?

A．5.00pm-7.30pm.

B．7.30pm－1.00am.

C．8.00pm-11.00pm.

D．8.30pm-10.30pm.

8 . English is full of funny expressions that don’t always make sense. Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of each word, you may not understand the idiom because you don’t understand the culture behind it. Here are some English idioms based on animals.

When children jump around and act silly, their parents may tell them to stop “monkeying around”.To “monkey around” means to do things that are not useful or serious, or to simply waste time.

Many American families have and love pet dogs. But for some unknown reason, Americans use “dog” in a phrase that means to feel unwell. If you are “as sick as a dog”, you’re really, really sick.

Sometimes you may also hear cats mentioned in conversations, “I told you to keep that secret, but you have just ‘let the cat out of the bag’!” You probably guessed it — that idiom means to reveal a secret or tell facts that were previously unknown.

Dogs and cats don’t always get along, but they appear side by side in a commonly used idiom. When it rains heavily, people might say it’s “raining cats and dogs”．

Heavy rain often ruins people’s plans for outdoor activities. But on a lovely day, you can have a picnic. If a swarm (一群) of tiny bugs love your food and start to hover (盘旋) around you, it would be really annoying. That experience perfectly explains why people often tell someone who keeps bothering them to “stop bugging me”．

Idioms are very common in both spoken and written English. If you want to have a better understanding of English, you have to learn idioms.

1. According to Paragraph 1, which is right about idioms?

A．Expressions which are based on animals.

B．Expressions with rich cultural background.

C．Expressions that always make sense.

D．Expressions which are easy to understand.

2. What can “monkeying around” be used to describe?

A．Children jump around and waste time.

B．Children do something useful and serious.

C．Children play with monkeys with their parents.

D．Children spend time playing with their family pets.

3. What can be learned from the text?

A．Dogs and cats always get along nicely.

B．Bugs can be used to show your annoyance.

C．Americans believe cats can give away secrets.

D．Americans use the idiom “as sick as a dog” to describe a healthy man.

4. How does the text mainly develop?

A．By sharing experiences.

B．By making comparisons.

C．By giving examples.

D．By listing figures.

9 . During the winter of 1986 I was working at a construction site near Oakland, California. It is not ________ for construction workers’ hands to become very painful. My hands were no ________ that year. They were bleeding at the joints of the fingers and thumbs.

________ work because of hurting hands is simply not a good choice in the construction industry. You grit your teeth(咬紧牙关), keep working, and finish the job. One morning I left for work at 5 a.m. and arrived at a ________. As I got out of my truck, I saw a newspaper delivery car and the driver struggling with newspapers. I took a second look, ________ that the man had no forearms. I was ________ to see him doing a job that would require a(n) physically gifted person. Still, he was somewhat having ________ with the larger bundles(捆)because his arms weren’t long enough.

On my way to pay for the gas, I stopped and asked him if I could ________ him. He politely ________ my offer. A few minutes later while I was refueling, he said, “Hey buddy, would you mind tying(系)my ________ for me?” As I was tying his shoes, he went on to explain that tying his shoes was the only thing he couldn’t do for ________.

I stopped and looked back at him as he was getting into his car. I looked down at my ________. Suddenly it hit me: I had been complaining about my hurting hands for weeks. That experience made a difference to my hurting hands. Every ________ when my hands start cracking and bleeding, I think back to that ________ in 1986. And just like magic, my hands don’t ________.

1.

A．easy

B．fair

C．unusual

D．certain

2.

A．exception

B．problem

C．wonder

D．sense

3.

A．Beginning

B．Stopping

C．Getting

D．Finishing

4.

A．factory

B．company

C．gas station

D．police station

5.

A．suggesting

B．ignoring

C．thinking

D．noticing

6.

A．nervous

B．afraid

C．happy

D．amazed

7.

A．difficulty

B．fun

C．words

D．relations

8.

A．disturb

B．approach

C．help

D．teach

9.

A．examined

B．accepted

C．considered

D．declined

10.

A．shoes

B．scarf

C．feet

D．tie

11.

A．others

B．himself

C．work

D．me

12.

A．legs

B．arms

C．shoes

D．hands

13.

A．week

B．night

C．month

D．winter

14.

A．encounter

B．incident

C．trip

D．party

15.

A．bleed

B．change

C．hurt

D．talk

10 . The Double Seventh Festival, also known as the Qixi Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival. Here is a beautiful story _______ it.

Long，long ago, there was a young man named Niulang(Cowherd), One day, he_______a   beautiful girl- Zhinu( Weaver girl)， the Goddess s seventh daughter. She had just run away from the_______ heaven(天国) to look for fun on Earth. Zhini soon_______Niulang, and they got married without telling the Goddess. Niulang worked in the field and Zhinu wove(织布) at home. They_______a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Unluckily, the Goddess soon found out the fact and_______ Zhinii to return to heaven. After Zhini left， Niulang was _______upset. With the help of his magic cow,Niulang flew to heaven with his children to look for his wife. The Goddess discovered this and was very_______Taking out her hairpin(发簪), the Goddess created a wide river in the sky to separate(分开) the two_______. From then on, Niulang and Zhini had to live________ on the two sides of the river. However,their true love________ all the magpies(喜鹊) in the world, ________once a year tens of thousands of   magpies would fly up to heaven to make a bridge- the bridge of magpies for the couple to meet each other. At last, the Goddess allowed ________ to meet each   other on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. That's________the Double Seventh Festival started. Today,   it is a great________for Chinese young people to express their love.

1.

A．through

B．behind

C．with

D．after

2.

A．met

B．told

C．thanked

D．missed

3.

A．boring

B．interesting

C．same

D．different

4.

A．looked forward to

B．parted with

C．turned down

D．fell in love with

5.

A．knew

B．lived

C．stayed

D．gave

6.

A．promised

B．waited

C．ordered

D．helped

7.

A．yet

B．ever

C．quite .

D．still

8.

A．angry

B．sorry

C．excited

D．satisfied

9.

A．friends

B．lovers .

C．parents

D．children

10.

A．back

B．away

C．halfway

D．apart

11.

A．surprised

B．changed

C．touched

D．protected

12.

A．so

B．but

C．though

D．because

13.

A．him

B．her

C．us

D．them

14.

A．how

B．when

C．what

D．where

15.

A．day

B．way

C．lesson

D．habit