1 . Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street. Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, and the life of American people. Most of the radio programmes are music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in many places. Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tape. Some of the money from these tapes goes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk (民间) music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys (牛仔) who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
1. Which of the following is talked in this passages?| A．popular, folk and country music | B．pop music, folk music |
| C．pop music and western music | D．folk, pop and classical music |
| A．are loved by all the young people | B．make a CD or tape |
| C．make much money | D．are wanted to sing on the radio |
| A．common life of Americans | B．school life in America |
| C．life of cowboys | D．country life and love stories |
| A．Everyone in America wants to meet pop singers wherever they go. |
| B．Students with cars in America like to listen to music while driving. |
| C．Adult drivers in America listen to music all the time while driving. |
| D．Most students in America like popular music. |
2 . The story of English language is a story of change.The old English language, or old English, is quite different from Modern English.If we do not study old English, we can’t understand it.Some of the words are the same, but many are not used now.The story of the English language begins some time after the year 400 AD.At this time, some people came to England from North-west Europe.There were many groups of people.They were called Angles (盎格鲁人), Saxons(撒克逊人)and Jutes(朱特人),whose language, old English, is like some of the modern language of North-West Europe.In old English, the ending had many meanings.They showed past time and present time and many other things.In Modern English, most of these endings are gone.This is the biggest difference between Old and Modern English.
1. What does the first sentence of the passage mean?| A．English is a language that has changed a lot as time passes by. |
| B．The story of English language often changes. |
| C．The old English language has changed into Modern English. |
| D．The story of English language is one of how people change the language. |
| A．2,500 years | B．2,300 years | C．more than 1,600 years | D．more than 400 years |
| A．Old English | B．North-West Europe | C．North-West English | D．English |
| A．The endings of words gave different special meanings. |
| B．It was spoken by many groups of the people from North-West Europe. |
| C．Its words are very different from those Modern English. |
| D．It is easy for most English-speakers today to understand the language. |
3 . Almost all theme park accidents can be prevented．Here, based on coverage of theme park safety, are some tips to help you and your family stay safe on your next visit．
If you are visiting with a child, take a moment to explain the ride to them, and tell them how they should behave．They are depending upon you to keep them safe．Set a good example for them by following the rules of the park, and make sure that they know you expect them to follow those rules, too．
Tell them to stay seated, to hold the grab bar or put their hands in the laps, and not to stick their knees and feet outside a ride vehicle．Make them look to you for the okay to get on or off a ride, too．
And never put a crying child on a ride．If your child starts to cry, let others pass you in line until your child is calmed．Or, gently exit the queue and find something more relaxing to do．
Young kids can’t keep an adult’s pace in a theme park．Let them take plenty of breaks．
“Kids get tired,” said TPI reader Matt Johnson, a father of four．“Tired kids make parents even more tired．And tired kids and parents may get hurt — physically and emotionally．” He advises that parents plan a mid-day break, perhaps a swim back at the hotel, to avoid mid-day heat and crowds．“You will see cranky families having a miserable time while you are refreshed and having a great evening．”
1. The second paragraph tells readers that ________．| A．children should be trained to be more independent |
| B．adults should set a good example to behave well in a theme park |
| C．adults should tell children some safety rules firstly |
| D．there is a danger to take young children to visit a theme park |
| A．tell him to be relaxed | B．give up the present activity |
| C．make him share your interest | D．encourage him to be brave |
| A．he doesn’t like to visit a theme park with his children |
| B．not all the families are relaxed or happy when they visit a theme park |
| C．parents with many children may be tired of visiting a theme park |
| D．visitors should arrange everything carefully before starting |
4 . While some customs like setting off fireworks and counting down the last few seconds seem universal, many countries have their own unique New Year’s Eve traditions.
Denmark: Break plates
A Danish tradition is to throw plates and dishes against friend’s and neighbor’s front doors. It’s a bit of a popularity contest as the bigger the pile of broken china is the next morning, the more friends and good luck you’ll have in the coming year.
Germany: Pouring lead
In Germany, people melt small pieces of lead in a spoon over a candle, then pour the liquid into cold water. The shapes from the lead pouring are supposed to reveal what the year ahead will bring. If the lead forms a ball, luck will roll one’s way, while the shape of a crown means wealth; a cross means death and a star will bring happiness.
Spain: Twelve grapes of luck
In Spain, one New Year’s tradition is to eat 12 grapes, one for each month of the coming year, to secure prosperity (繁荣). You need to eat one grape with each bell strike at midnight. The tradition dates from 1909 when farmers in Alicante came up with this idea to sell more grapes after an exceptional harvest.
Philippines: Round food, round clothes, round everything
In the Philippines, the start of the new year is all about the money. The locals believe that surrounding themselves with round things (to represent coins) will bring money or fortune. As a result, clothes with dots are worn and round food is eaten.
1. What is believed to bring good luck for the coming new year in Denmark?| A．A red candle. | B．Round food. | C．Broken china. | D．A lead cross. |
| A．A way to make coins. | B．An act to keep power. |
| C．A desire to be popular. | D．An idea to gain profit. |
| A．Fashion. | B．Travel. | C．Culture. | D．Entertainment. |
5 . "Confidence" is probably one of the most noticeable quality in the Americans. They show confidence in the way they talk, the way they smile, the way they dress and the way they walk. Living and competing with all these confident American students, I find it extremely important to be confident as an international student and teacher. As a student, being confident means you should dare to raise your hand whenever a question or a point comes to your mind. Don't mind if it sounds simple or silly. Otherwise you will never get a chance to speak in class at all. What's worse, the professors may think you are not prepared for the discussion or you do not have your own opinion on the topic — this is the last comment any gradate would not like to receive.
Being confident for me as a foreign teacher means calmly asking the student to repeat what he or she has said if I did not get it. Pretending to understand what you actually did not may just bring yourself uneasiness or even shame. But the time I most need to be confide is when my students come to my office and bargain about the grades I have given for their speeches (The course I'm teaching here is Public Speaking.) Modesty is a quality highly valued in China, but it won't be of much help here if you want to survive and succeed in a good American graduate program.
1. What should we do most if we want to compete with American students?| A．Be quite confident. | B．Be polite and friendly. |
| C．Have more discussions. | D．Know what they think about. |
| A．gives a silly or simple answer | B．tries to seize any chance to speak in class |
| C．shows no interest in the | D．is considered to have no opinion of his own |
| A．he asks a student to repeat what he has said | B．the students bargain with him |
| C．he pretends to know what he doesn't | D．he has to give a speech |
6 . Earthquake rescue robots have experienced their final tests in Beijing Their designers say with these robots, rescuers will be able to buy more time to save lives during an earthquake.
This robot, looking like a helicopter, is call the detector (探测器) bot. At about 4 metres long, it took about 4 years to develop the model. Its main functions are to collect information from the air, and deliver goods of up to 30 kilos to people tapped by an earthquake.
This robot is equipped with a high 360degree panoramic (全景的) camera. It can work day and night and also be able to send the latest pictures from the quake area.
Dr Qi Juntong, from Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, "The most important feature of this robot is that it doesn't need distant control. We just set the information on it, and then it takes off, and lands by itself. It flies as high as 3,000 metres, and as fast as 100 kilometres per hour."
This robot has a different function---it can change as the environment changes. Its main job is to search for any signs of life in places where human rescuers can't go.
The robot is equipped with a camera that can wok in the dark, as well as a detector that not only finds people, but can also detect poisonous gas.
Another use for the rescuers is the supply bot, with its 10mertong pipe. People trapped in the ruins will be able to get supplies including oxygen and liquid.
Experts have said that the robots will be produce, and serve as part of the national earthquake rescue team as soon as next year.
1. We can learn from the passage that the earthquake rescue robot_________.| A．is unable to deliver goods | B．is designed to predict the earthquake |
| C．can send pictures even at night | D．can be used to clear away poisonous gas |
| A．has a unique shape | B．has more functions |
| C．is equipped with more advanced cameras | D．can work by itself once given the information |
| A．a remote control | B．a detector | C．a long pipe | D．a helicopter |
7 . In the world today, all of the people need recreation. We cannot work all the time if we are going to keep healthy and enjoy life.
Everyone has his own way of relaxing. Perhaps the most popular form is to take part in sports. There are team sports, such as basketball and football. There are also individual sports, such as swimming and running. Skating and mountain climbing are the most popular recreation for people who like to be outdoor. Not everyone who enjoys sports likes to take part in them. Many people like watching them on TV or listening to them on the radio. So many people like some forms of recreation, such as watching TV, singing and dancing. It doesn’t matter whether we like indoor recreation or take part in outdoor sports. It is important for everyone to relax from time to time and enjoy some forms of recreation.
1. People want to take part in sports in order to ____.| A．keep healthy and enjoy life | B．make friends |
| C．find a good job | D．make more money |
| A．watching TV | B．singing and dancing |
| C．listening to the radio | D．skating and mountain climbing |
| A．basketball is a kind of team sport |
| B．everyone who enjoys sports should take part in them |
| C．different people have different ways of relaxing |
| D．indoor recreation is not as important as outdoor sports |
8 . A thief returned a mobile phone and thousands of yuan he had stolen from a woman after receiving twenty-one text messages from her, a local newspaper reported.
Pan Aiying, a Chinese teacher at Wutou Middle School in Qihe County, in East China’s Shandong Province, didn’t think her text messages would help to get her belongings back.
A young man riding a motorcycle robbed her of her bag, in which there was her mobile phone, bank cards and 4,900 yuan, as she was riding her bicycle home on Saturday evening.
Pan said at first she considered calling the police, but then decided to try to persuade the young man to return her bag. Pan called her lost phone with her friend’s, but couldn’t get through. So she began sending messages.
“Hey, I’m Pan Aiying, a teacher from Wutou Middle School. You must be going through a difficult time. If so, I will not blame you.” Wrote Pan in the first text message, which got no answer. “Keep the 4,900 yuan if you really need it, but please return the other things to me. You are still young. To make mistakes is human. Correcting your mistake is more important than anything,” Pan wrote in another message.
She gave up hope after sending twenty-one text messages without any answer and planned to call the police the next morning. However, as she left her home on Sunday morning, Pan found her stolen bag lying in the courtyard. Nothing was lost.
“Dear Pan: I am sorry. I made a mistake. Please forgive me. You are so kind even though I stole from you. I’ll correct my ways and be an honest man,” said a letter left with the bag.
1. Where was Pan Aiying robbed?| A．In the school. | B．At home. |
| C．In the courtyard. | D．In the street. |
| A．Because she thought the police wouldn’t help her. |
| B．Because it was too late at that time. |
| C．Because she wanted to communicate with the thief first. |
| D．Because her friend asked her not to. |
| A．About two days. | B．About 12 hours. |
| C．About one day and a half. | D．About 24 hours. |
| A．the young man would not steal any more |
| B．Pan didn’t give up hope after sending 21 text messages |
| C．the young man would pay a visit to Pan personally |
| D．Pan teaches English in a middle school in Shandong Province |
9 . “Earthquake!” The word flashed in my brain. A roaring sound filled my ears. I tried to slide beneath my desk. The desk did a wild tap dance, slipping and sliding towards the centre of the room. I twisted my body and grabbed at the windowsill behind me, somehow kicking free of my dancing chair. I tried to stand. My legs skated away as if on a bucking escalator.
My fingers shook, grasped and held the windowsill tightly. Somewhere through the roar sounded the terrified scream of some wounded animal. I looked behind me and tried to steady my gaze on the other kids but the scene was a dizzy nightmare. Some of the class were sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by chairs and desks. One girl was screaming. A boy was trying to claw his way across the floor to the door in a crazy overarm crawl.
My grip froze me to the windowsill.
I cried aloud, “I’m going to die. I’m going to die. Save me. I’m not ready to die. I’m not ready!”
I hunched forward on my knees and pressed my face against my clenched (紧握的) fingers. I looked at the backs of my fingers and stupidly noticed the fragile pale hairs growing out of the pores. The fingers would soon cease to exist. Somehow the impending horror of my death was too terrible to even cry about.
Suddenly, I became aware that the rocking had ceased. Perhaps I wasn’t going to die.
1. The roaring sound was made by .| A．a wounded animal | B．people screaming |
| C．children running | D．an earthquake |
| A．afraid | B．angry |
| C．injured | D．impatient |
| A．injuries suffered by the narrator |
| B．effects of a bad nightmare |
| C．disorder in the classroom |
| D．narrator’s fear of death |
| A．panic | B．hope |
| C．sorrow | D．excitement |
10 . Many English learners have difficulty deciding what kind of English accent they want to have.A US accent,perhaps imitates(模仿) a Hollywood star speaker?Or maybe you want to imitate the British accent of a BBC news reader?
Young British people find the US accent attractive while young US people like a British accent.Especially when the person speaking is of the opposite sex(异性)!Let’s listen to what they have to say.
StephenYang,17,fromLondon,UK
A US accent is cute,especially when a girl speaks it.Whether it’s Jessia Alba speaking or the girl-next-door,the way US girls speak has a sweet tingle(感觉) that is really fashionable.A girl from Texas recently moved into our neighborhood.Her Texan twang(鼻音) had all the boys here on their knees within seconds of meeting her.
To me,accents reflect the attitudes,characteristics(特征) and lifestyles of the people.
JenniferSun,16,fromNewJersey,US
From watching English actors like Daniel Radcliffe,my friends and I have developed a soft spot(好感) for British men.Some are attracted to the qualities of English males,while others admire their sense of style.
Everyone,however,agrees that the most appealing aspect of an English man is his accent.For example,many American girls watch HarryPotter movies over and over again just to listen to the actors speak.
The English accent seems almost like art.
1. In Stephen Yang’s opinion,accents just show .| A．the beauty of the language |
| B．how the language is spoken |
| C．the fashion of the day |
| D．the cultural differences of the speakers |
| A．strange | B．exciting |
| C．attractive | D．fashionable |
| A．learn the acting skills of these stars |
| B．imitate the actors’ accents |
| C．learn the magic performed by HarryPotter |
| D．know more about British English |
