1 . Some people have a very poor sense of direction.Unluckily，I am one of them.I have visited a place many times but I may still get lost there the next time.
When I was a little girl，I never dared to ask strangers the way.And so I used to walk around in circles and hope that by chance I would get to the place I was going to.
Now，I am no longer too shy to ask people for directions，but I often receive helpless or even wrong information.So I try to avoid giving people wrong directions.If anyone ever asks me the way somewhere，I would say，“Sorry，I am a stranger here.”
Once on my way to work I was stopped by a man.He asked me if I could tell him the way to the Friendship Building.I gave him my usual reply.But just as I walked on only a few steps，I realized that he had asked the way to my office building.However，I had no time to turn back and look for him.I was rushing to meet with someone at my office and I didn't want to keep him waiting.
When I just got to my office，the secretary(秘书) showed in the man who had asked me for directions.Imagine how embarrassed I was and how surprised he was when we saw each other at the first sight!
1. The writer always refuses to give people directions because ________．| A．she's a stranger to the city |
| B．she doesn't know the people |
| C．she has no time to help others |
| D．she's afraid of giving wrong directions |
| A．sell her something | B．ask her the time |
| C．make friends with her | D．ask for the direction |
| A．lives | B．studies |
| C．works | D．teaches |
| A．尴尬的 | B．困惑的 |
| C．激动的 | D．拮据的 |
| A．The writer is too shy to give others directions. |
| B．The writer has a very poor sense of direction. |
| C．The writer never got lost when she was young. |
| D．The man was quite nervous when he saw the writer. |
2 . We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays. There are different customs for each festival.
Tan Xiaodong, 15, Hong Kong, China
“It’ll soon be the Chinese New Year. Before it, we’ll clean the house and decorate (装饰) it for good luck. Every shop is going to close for a few days and we’ll go out a lot to celebrate on the streets. We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center. I love this festival.”
Wendy, 16, Sydney, Australia
“Australia Day is on 26th January and it’s an important holiday here. We always have a Monday off, so we celebrate for three days. My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over. Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there’s lots of music and dancing. What fun!”
Amy, 14, New York, the USA
“The first Thanksgiving was celebrated hundreds of years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help. It’s still a very important day for family members to be together. This year we’re going to visit my grandparents and we’ll eat a delicious meal of turkey. Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November every year.”
1. How many festivals are mentioned in the passage?| A．Two. | B．Three. |
| C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．do a lot of shopping | B．eat turkey |
| C．go to beach parties | D．see lion and dragon dances |
| A．have a picnic in the countryside |
| B．go to a swimming pool |
| C．have a party at school |
| D．clean the house and dance |
| A．A country. | B．A festival. |
| C．A kind of food. | D．A kind of drink. |
| A．Amy is from Sydney, Australia |
| B．different festivals have different customs |
| C．many people go out for a picnic with friends before the Chinese New Year |
| D．Thanksgiving Day is on 26th January in the USA |
3 . An extreme sport is a popular term for certain activities regarded as having a high level of danger. These activities often involve sped, height, and a high level of physical effort. In the past, young athletes would play baseball. Today，they want risk and excitement--the closer to the edge, the better. They snowboard over cliffs and mountains, or bike down steep mountains.
Extreme sports started as an alternative to more expensive sports such as golf. A city kid who couldn’t afford expensive sports equipment could get a skateboard and have fun, but now it has become a whole new area of sports, with specialized equipment and high levels of skill. There is even an Olympics for extreme sports, called the winter X-game, which includes snow. Mountain biking and ice climbing.
What makes extreme sports so popular? People love the risk. City people want to be outdoors on the weekend and do something challenging. The new equipment is so much better that people can take more risks without getting hurt. Sure there's a risk. Once you go mountain biking or snowboarding, it’s impossible to go back to bike riding or skiing. It's just too boring.
Now even the older crowd is staring to join in. Every weekend, groups of friends in their early
30s get together. On weekdays they work as computer programmers in the same office. On weekends they rent mountains together.
Extreme sports are certainly no for everyone. Most people still prefer to play basketball or watch sports on TV. But it has been a fact that, extreme sports are gaining in popularity.
Nowadays more and more young athletes are taking part in the risky activities.
1. All the following sports are X-sports EXCEPT| A．ice climbing |
| B．snow boarding |
| C．skiing |
| D．mountain-biking |
| A．Risky. |
| B．Challenging. |
| C．Exciting. |
| D．Unskilled. |
| A．replacement |
| B．activity |
| C．equipment |
| D．competition |
| A．people can get better equipment to make sure they will not get hurt |
| B．people are not interested in the traditional sports any more |
| C．people want to do something risky after doing the same thing on weekdays |
| D．extreme sports are easy to learn and less expensive. |
| A．all young people like extreme sports |
| B．playing basketball is still a popular game |
| C．people prefer extreme sports to traditional sports |
| D．bike riding and skiing are boring sports. |
4 . In a cold winter,a couple had to move out from the expensive house because of bankruptcy. The husband worked day and night to support the family but with no care of his wife. So she thought“he doesn't love me anymore,he just cares his business.. not me.”
One day she began to take a bath, he stopped her at the door. "Let me take it first, OK?" “Why not let me shower first," she asked. “I was tired, sweetie, you take it later, OK?” She was totally depressed.
On a morose(郁闷的) day , she found nothing to do and turned on his computer,a few words blurred her eyes. It was his diary.
Today,I was quite sad,she asked me why I was always taking the bath first,and I said to her,I was exhausted. She was unhappy ,in her mind,I treated her not as well as usual,but how can I do? I wasn't as rich as before! We moved to the small apartment, there was only a shower in such a freezing winter. But I found that if one person took the shower first,the room could get a little warmer,so every time I rushed to the bathroom first. I was thinking that, when she took the shower, the room would get warmer,at least1℃,2℃ or 3℃.
Now I can't give her comfortable life,bring her the luxury restaurant, buy expensive dresses for her,but at least,I can give her 1℃ love.
1. Why was the husband always taking the bath first?| A．Because he was tired from work. |
| B．Because he didn't love her anymore. |
| C．Because he treated his wife not as well as usual. |
| D．Because he wanted to get the bathroom warmer. |
| A．Her husband didn't love her. |
| B．She thought her husband didn't love her any longer. |
| C．They had no money. |
| D．She couldn't have a bath first. |
| A．Crash. |
| B．Moving. |
| C．Disease. |
| D．Failure. |
| A．Surprised. |
| B．Angry. |
| C．Moved. |
| D．Disappointed. |
| A．A Trouble |
| B．1℃Love |
| C．Husband and Wife |
| D．A Romantic Story |
5 . It used to be that Christmas, with a little help from Blue Peter, was about adding the personal touch. We'd sit there for hours making cards and gifts for family and friends, knowing that the thought put into them would be properly appreciated.
Nowadays, time is against us, but there is still one easy way for you to make someone's Christmas this year — a personalised card from M＆S’ new website. To celebrate their new site, M＆S is offering Times readers two-for-one on all cards. Simply choose one of the 300 exclusive Christmas designs — starting from￡1.99, personalise it by changing the name and writing a message or uploading a photo. Then, add the receiver’s address and the card will be sent for you. Order by 2pm and it will be posted the same day.
In all, there are l,500 card designs to choose from, covering all kinds of special occasions. So if you want to get ahead of yourself for 2010, you know where to visit. You can even choose to be reminded of those important dates every year.
To claim your two-for-one on M＆S personalized cards, simply visit marksandspencer-personalised.com. Remember to enter the code ‘TIMESFRI’ on the payment page. This code is available for two days.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: M＆S PERSONALISED CARDS
1. The product given for free must be of equal or lower value.
2. Payment of postage is required.
3. Marks＆Spencer reserves the right to take back this offer without prior notice.
1. What does the underlined part “two-for-one” in Paragraph 2 mean in the ad?| A．Two paid cards and one free card. | B．One paid card and two free cards. |
| C．Your name and a message on one card. | D．Your photo and the receiver’s on one card. |
| A．a website selling Christmas cards only | B．an agency of the newspaper Times |
| C．a company promoting the sales of cards | D．an advertising agency of card producers |
| A．enter a code on the payment page of M＆S’ website |
| B．always order it before two o'clock in the afternoon |
| C．put into the card your own date of birth and address |
| D．spend time making cards with the help of Blue Peter |
| A．they can be delivered free of charge |
| B．you can enjoy the special offer all the year round |
| C．their value may be lower than that of a free card |
| D．you can get a favor of at least ￡1. 99 |
