3 . Kong Zi, also called Confucius (551－479 B．C.), and Socrates (469－399 B．C.) lived only a hundred years apart. During their lifetimes there was no contact between China and Greece, but it is interesting to look at how the world that each of these great philosophers came from shaped their ideas, and how these ideas in turn, shaped their societies.

Neither philosopher lived in times of peace, though there were more wars in Greece than in China. The Chinese states were very large and feudal, while the Greek city­states were small and urban. The urban environment in which Socrates lived allowed him to be more radical (激进的) than Confucius. Unlike Confucius, Socrates was not asked by rulers how to govern effectively. Thus, Socrates was able to be more idealistic, focusing on issues like freedom, and knowledge for its own sake. Confucius, on the other hand, advised those in government service, and many of his students went on to government service.

Confucius suggested the Golden Rule as a principle for the conduct of life. “Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you.” He assumed that all men were equal at birth, though some had more potential (潜能) than others, and that it was knowledge that set men apart. Socrates focused on the individual, and thought that the greatest purpose of man was to seek wisdom. He believed that some had more potential to develop their reason than others did. Like Confucius, he believed that the superior class should rule the inferior (下层的) classes.

For Socrates, the family was of no importance, and the community of little concern. For Confucius, however, the family was the centre of society, with family relations considered much more important than political relations.

Both men are respected much more today than they were in their lifetimes.

1. What made some people different from others according to Confucius?

A．Family.	B．Potential.
C．Knowledge.	D．Community.

2. This passage is organized in the pattern of ________.

A．time and events

B．comparison and contrast

C．cause and effect

D．definition and classification

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the first paragraph?

A．Socrates and Confucius had much in common.

B．Confucius had much influence on Socrates’ ideas.

C．The societies were influenced by the philosophers’ ideas.

D．There were cultural exchanges between China and Greece.

4. Socrates shared with Confucius the idea that________.

A．all men were equal when they were born

B．the lower classes should be ruled by the upper class

C．the purpose of man was to seek freedom and wisdom

D．people should not do to others what they did not want others to do to them

4 . The following four famous paintings—from Jan van Eyck’s portrait to Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece—have stood the test of time.

The Arnolfini Portrait

The Arnolfini Portrait of Jan van Eyck, an oil painting on wood produced in 1434, in which a man and a woman hold hands with a window behind him and a bed behind her, is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces in the National Gallery, London. This painting is as visually interesting as it is famed. It is also an informative document on fifteenth-century society, through Jan van Eyck’s heavy use of symbolism—while husbands went out to engage in business, wives concerned themselves with domestic duties.

The Starry Night

During his 12—month stay at the mental hospital near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France between 1889 and 1890, Vincent Willem van Gogh painted The Starry Night, an oil on canvas(帆布), a moderately abstract landscape painting of an expressive night sky over a small hillside village. When the Museum of Modern Art in New York City purchased the painting from a private collector in 1941, it was not well known, but it has since become one of Van Gogh’s most famous works.

The Harvesters

The Harvesters is an oil painting on wood completed by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in 1565. It depicted the harvest time which most commonly occurred within the months of August and September. Nicolaes Jonghelinck, a merchant banker and art collector from Antwerp, commissioned this painting. The painting has been at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City since 1919.

Guernica

Guernica, a large black-and-white oil painting, was painted by the Cubist Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso in 1937. The title “Guernica” refers to the city that was bombed by Nazi planes during the Spanish Civil War. The painting depicted the horrors of war and as a result, has come to be an anti-war symbol and a reminder of the tragedies of war. Today, the painting is housed at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.

1. Which of the following paintings was produced earliest?

A．Guernica.	B．The Harvesters.
C．The Starry Night.	D．The Arnolfini Portrait.

2. Who created the painting describing the harvest season?

A．Pieter Bruegel the Elder.	B．Vincent Willem van Gogh.
C．Jan van Eyck.	D．Pablo Picasso.

3. What do we know about The Starry Night?

A．It was an oil painting on wood.

B．It depicted the painter’s life in mental hospital.

C．It wasn’t widely recognized before 1941.

D．It was given away to the museum by a private collector.

5 . One of the best-known American writers of children’s books is Alfred Strong, or Doctor Strong, as he is better known to readers everywhere. Now, an art show called “Doctor Strong From Then to Now” is travelling around the United States. The pictures and drawings show the history of Doctor Strong.

Doctor Strong first became famous almost fifty years ago when his first children’s book was published. Since then, he has written forty-five books that have sold more than one hundred million copies around the world.

Doctor Strong’s books are known for their easy use of words and colorful, hand-drawn pictures. These drawings bring life to his imaginary creatures. The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and hundreds of others.

The San Diego Museum, in California, organized the art show. It included about three hundred Doctor Strong’s original drawings and some of his writings.

Most of Doctor Strong’s books, although written in a funny way, have serious messages. For example, in Mc Elligot’s Pool, he describes the danger of pollution. He discusses the arms race in The Butter Battle Book, written in nineteen eighty-four.

Doctor Strong is almost eighty-four years old now. He says he never planned to write stories just for children. He says he writes stories that interest people of all ages. He says he uses easy words so that everyone, even a child, can understand.

1. Doctor Strong is a famous ________in the United States.

A．doctor

B．artist

C．writer

D．reader.

2. Doctor Strong first became famous in ________.

A．his eighties when an art show was travelling around the United States

B．his fifties when his drawings and writings were published

C．nineteen eighty-four wen his book MeEligor’s Pool was published

D．his thirties when his first book was published

3. Doctor Strong’s books are very popular in America because ________.

A．they are stories about animals such as cats, elephants and so on

B．they are written in easy words with colourful pictures

C．he organized the art show in California

D．they are written in a funny way

4. What does the underlined word “imaginary” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．unreal

B．interesting

C．lively

D．terrible

5. His purpose in writing many such books is ________.

A．to show his original pictures and drawings

B．to organize a special art show of his own

C．to make his readers laugh or smile when they read his books

D．not only to interest people but to expose some serious social problems

6 . Elixir

written by Eric Walters

Twelve-year-old Roth becomes a friend of Dr. Banting and his assistant, Mr. Best, who are in search of a cure for diabetes (糖尿病). She finds herself torn between her sympathy for the animals being experimented on and her friendship with Banting and Best．

George Washingtion Carver

written by Elizabeth Macleod

Meet the “Peanut (花生) Specialist”, George Washington Carver, the inventor and professor who made over 325 products out of peanuts.Through his agricultural research, he also greatly improved the lives of countless black farmers in the southern United States. See also Macleod’s Albert Einstein: A Life of Genius．

The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations

written by Alootook Ipellie & David MacDonald

Explore more than 40 ideas necessary to Inuit survival. From ideas familiar to us today to inventive concepts that shaped their lives, celebrate the creativity of a remarkably intelligent people. Also see other books; The Chinese Thought of It by Tingxing Ye and A Native American Thought of It by Rocky Landon and David MacDonald．

Made in Canada:101 Amazing

Achievements written by Bev

Spencer

What things do we use daily that have a Canadian connection? Here are 101 common things that wereinvented in Canada or by a Canadian, including the Blackberry, alkaline (碱性) batteries and the Blue Box

recycling program．

Newtonand the Time Machine

written by Michael McGowan

Ten-year-old boy Newton has invented a time machine to see dinosaurs up close. But it disappears on a test run with his two huge friends, King Herbert and Queen Certrude, in it! Can he save them before time runs out?

1. Which of the following best describes Roth’s feeling in Book 1?

A．Painful.

B．Curious.

C．Frightened.

D．Disappointed.

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Animals are mentioned in Book 1 and Book 5.

B．Book 3 introduces 40 inventive concepts.

C．Alkaline batteries were invented by Dr. Banting.

D．George Washington Carver was a black farmer in the US.

3. If you are interested in native Americans, you may read the book by          .

A．Elizabeth Macleod	B．Eric Walters
C．Rocky London & David MacDonald	D．Bev Spencer

7 . A new study suggests that dark markings on the planet Mars represent sand — not water. The research in 2015 suggested that lines on some Martian hills were evidence of water. Yet American scientists now say these lines appear more like dry flows of sand. If water is present, it is likely to be a small amount. Water in liquid form would be necessary for microbial (微生物的) life.

NASA, the American space agency, said more research is needed. Michael Meyer is the lead scientist for NASA’s Mars exploration programme. He noted that the latest study does not reject the presence of water. But he admitted, “It just may not be as exciting as the idea of rivers going down the sides of cliffs (悬崖).”

The new findings come from a team led by Colin Dundas of the United States Geological Survey. His team measured 151 of these lines in 10 areas. Most of the lines end with slopes (倾斜) between 28 degrees and 35 degrees. These measurements are similar to active sand dunes (沙丘) on both Mars and Earth. A small covering of dust that moves and sometimes becomes lighter might help explain the markings. They usually appear in the Martian summertime, and then disappear until the next year. If these lines are dry, this suggests that recent Mars bas not had large amounts of liquid water. Dundas and his research team say that many questions remain.

“I still think that Mars has great potential for having had life early on in its history,” Meyer said. “As long as that’s true, we also have a reasonable possibility of life still being on Mars. It just happens to be cryptic or well hidden.”

NASA currently has no robotic — either on Mars or in development — with the ability to climb steep slopes. The lack of such equipment has engineers coming up with ideas like Martian helicopters or planes without pilots.

1. What do American scientists find on Mars now according to their study?

A．A lot of little life.	B．An amount of water.
C．Some Martian hills.	D．Dark markings are sand.

2. When do the markings come out?

A．In Martian spring.	B．In Martian summer.
C．In Martian autumn.	D．In Martian winter.

3. What’s Meyer’s opinion about having life on Mars?

A．Doubtful.

B．Trustful.

C．Unconcerned

D．Objective.

4. What does the underlined word “cryptic” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Undiscovered.

B．Strange.

C．Magical.

D．Icy.

8 . Sunstroke is a condition that can quickly go from dangerous to deadly, especially if proper care isn’t given immediately.

Sunstroke, sometimes called heatstroke, is a result of the body temperature rising above the safe limit. This causes the body’s necessary functions to stop working.

It’s usually pretty easy to avoid sunstroke, as long as proper action is taken. In that case, you need to act as quickly as possible to return that person’s body to a safe temperature. Here are a few tips to help treat sunstroke.

Call for help

Call to get an ambulance as quickly as possible. This should be the first thing you do, especially if the sunstroke person has fainted (昏倒)。Also, call for help from anyone nearby if you’re in a public place. If there’s no one around, call someone nearby if they can get there sooner than an ambulance. Ask everyone to bring you as much water as possible, if there isn’t much nearby.

Get the person to a cooler area

If there’s a building nearby, aim for that. Anywhere with plenty of air conditioners and water is perfect. If a building isn’t available, bring the person to a well-shaded area.

Get the water flowing

If the person is still conscious, get him or her to drink water. If there’s a bathtub available, fill it with cool water and put the person in it.

If your water supply is limited, you have to save it. Dampen a towel or shirt and put it on the person’s body. Focus on the face, neck, and chest.

Fan the person

Getting moving air over the person cools him or her down. Use anything, a towel or sheet, a shirt, your hands, or a piece of board. This is where having many people around really helps, as they can combine to fan the entire body.

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?

A．Call for assistance from others.

B．Leave the sunstroke person in the shade.

C．Put a wet towel on the person’s face.

D．Help the person take some medicine.

2. When does a person get sunstroke?

A．When the body doesn’t function.

B．When proper care is given immediately.

C．When someone is exposed to the sun too long.

D．When the body temperature goes up beyond what one can bear.

3. The text probably comes from a(n)       .

A．guidebook	B．book review
C．medical magazine	D．official document

9 . Christmas is a time for eating great food, giving and receiving presents, and most importantly spending time with your family watching some classic Christmas movies.

The Grinch (2000)

This is a Christmas must-watch and one of Jim Carrey’s best performances. It was also originally a nursery tale book written by Dr Seuss. It’s the story of a green monster who wants to ruin Christmas but in the end discovers the power of love and generosity. I promise it’s a great film with plenty of laughs along the way.

Love Actually (2003)

While this is not a personal favourite of mine, people in the UK absolutely love this film. It has many featuring actors and actresses. It might be a little difficult to follow as there are complex plots, so I recommend watching a translated version. However, the heart-warming elements of the film make it worth watching.

Home Alone (1990)

This amusing masterwork is one of my favourite films of all time. It tells the story of a boy, Kevin, who is left alone in his house when his large family forgets to take him on vacation with them. While other family members are away, burglars try to rob the house and Kevin must protect his home by setting traps. The trips, falls and traps will have you laughing out loud as you watch an 8-year-oldboy beat two grown men.

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

You can’t have Christmas in an English-speaking country without watching this movie. It’s not funny like Home Alone or The Grinch, but it is incredibly touching. It’s about a man who claims to be Santa, but nobody believes him except a lawyer and a little girl. The storyline may seem a little childish but you can enjoy it at any age.

1. Which film is adapted from a fairy tale?

A．The Grinch.

B．Home Alone.

C．Love Actually.

D．Miracle on 34th Street.

2. What is Home Alone mainly about?

A．An unsuccessful family vacation.

B．A boy protecting his home by himself.

C．A terrible suffering of a little boy.

D．An 8-year-oldboy’s practical jokes.

3. Why is Miracle on 34th Street so popular?

A．Owing to its moving plot.

B．Because of its funny story.

C．Due to its childish storyline.

D．Because of its famous actors and actresses.