1 . I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles”(风格)of directions every time I ask “ How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused(困惑的)in Japan because most streets there don’t have names. In Japan, people use landmarks(地标)in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “ Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat. In many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “ Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map. They measure distance in time, not miles. “ How far away is the post office?” you ask. “ Oh,” they answer, “ it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “ Yes, but how many miles is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “ Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “ I don't know”. People in Yucatan believe that “I don't know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
1. When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually _______ .

A．describe the place carefully

B．show him a map of the place

C．tell him the names of the streets

D．refer to recognizable buildings and places

2. What is the place where people measure distance in time?

A．New York.	B．Los Angles.
C．Kansas                 C. Iowa

3. People inYucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________ .

A．in order to save time	B．as a test
C．so as to be polite	D．for fun

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences.

B．It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly.

C．People have similar understanding of politeness.

D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.

2 . Below is a discussion on a website.

http://www.TalkingPoints.com/
Stuck on a desert     island?
Started on 23rd April by Steve Posts 1 – 7 of 42
Post 1 Steve USA	Hi, everyone. What would you miss most and least if you were stuck on a desert island? For me, it would be the changing seasons in New England. I guess this will sound stupid but I’d probably miss the rain, too. I wouldn’t miss getting up at six every day to go to work, though! What about you?
Post 2 Tomas Germany	Good question. Steve, I think I’d miss different types of bread, and shopping at the supermarket. I’d miss the food most. What would I miss least? My mobile phone---I’d like to be completely quiet --- at least for a little while
Post 3 Paola Italy	I would miss the company of people because I know I’d like to have someone to share experiences with. I’d go mad on my own. And I sure wouldn’t miss junk mail(垃圾邮件) --- I hate coming home every evening and a pile of junk mail in my post box.
Post 4 Miko Japan	Hi, I would miss Manga cartoon, the internet and Japanese food, like sushi. I’d also miss TV shows and shopping for clothes… In fact, I’d miss everything.
Post 5 Roger UK	I would miss my daily newspaper and listening to the news on TV and radio. I’d feel very cut off if I didn’t know what was happening in the world. What I’d miss least would be traffic jams in the city, particularly my journey to work.
Post 6 Jayne	Why hasn’t anyone mentioned their family? I’d be lost without my husband and two kids. They’re the most important for me. And I can’t get started in the morning without a cup of black coffee. I wouldn’t miss doing the housework!
Post 7 Jaime Mexico	It would have to be music. I couldn’t live without my music. I wouldn’t miss going to school at all or doing homework!

1. Who would miss his or her family most?

A．Jaime

B．Jayne

C．Miko

D．Paola.

2. Which of the following people would feel most uncomfortable without the news media?

A．Steve.

B．Jaime

C．Roger.

D．Tomas

3. How many of them mentioned that they would miss food or drink?

A．One

B．Two

C．Three

D．Four

3 . Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man,” she said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice (临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter (计价器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
1. The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ________.

A．show she was familiar with the city

B．see some places for the last time

C．let the driver earn more money

D．reach the destination on time

2. The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ________.

A．wanted to do her a favor

B．shut off the meter by mistake

C．had received her payment in advance

D．was in a hurry to take other passengers

3. What can we learn from the story?

A．Giving is always a pleasure.

B．People should respect each other.

C．An act of kindness can bring people great joy.

D．People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.

4 .

Is veg food healthier than non-veg food? I feel this is a very common topic that people speak on．Please give me your opinions on this topic．
Rao 12-18-08	So far as veg food is concerned, it is also proved to be a healthy and nutritious diet, but has very few items which can provide us with proteins, but if you see non-veg food like eggs, chicken, and many more, such foods have a large content of proteins in them.
Sai 12-19-08	Man basically is herbivorous（食草的）. If we look at the animal kingdom We can see that all the herbivorous animals have the similar dental（牙齿的） structure, which clearly shows that the human being also ought to be vegetarian by birth. It is only the living conditions that make man carnivorous（食肉的）. The vegetarian foods are easily digestible.
Santos 12-20-08	Non-veg food items are better than veg items. A healthy person requires complete diet and veg + meat makes the diet complete. The only caution that needs to be taken is not to have non-veg items on a daily basis. Once in a week or couple of weeks will be best.
Krishna 01-03-09	When we eat non-veg, we are all veg by nature. The chicken that we eat feeds on grains, the mutton that we eat feeds on grass, and the fish that we eat feeds on simple plants. So non-veg food by logic（逻辑）is better and suited for hauman beings.
Khan 01-05-09	Non-veg food is equally important in our diet as it helps in many ways, especially fish and other seafood as fish contains omega 3 which makes our immune system（免疫系统）stronger. Do you know that most of the veg food put together does not contain as much omega 3 as fish alone contains!

1. According to Rao, what is the problem with veg food?

A．It damages our immune system.	B．It has few nutrients.
C．It contains too much omega 3.	D．It is lacking in protein.

2. In the opinion of Sai, humans are born vegetarian because humans        .

A．have the same teeth structure as plant-eating animals

B．believe that veg foods are good for their teeth

C．belong to the plant-eating animal family

D．can adapt to the living conditions like plant-eating animals

3. What advice is given by Santos?

A．To have a daily veg + meat diet.

B．Not to eat non-veg food every day.

C．To eat digestible food every day.

D．Not to eat food without protein.

5 .

True End of an Era

SURPRISE, surprise---David Beckham is in the news again! Sure, the England football star was never one to shy away from the headlines. But this time it seems people are talking as much about what Beckham is not doing as what he is.

Beckham won’t be playing for England at the 2010 World Cup in South AfricA． An injury he picked up while playing for AC Milan will likely rule the 34-year-old out for four months. It could be a sad end to the career of a player who has given his all to England since his debut (首次登场) in 1996. But rather than feeling sorry for the loss, some people are finally calling for us to move on from the Beckham obsession (着迷).

“The romantic wish of him seizing the day and inspiring England to glory was poppycock (胡扯),” according to an editorial in the Guardian. It argued that Beckham is past his best and would only have played a minor role at the World Cup anyway. But you might not have guessed it from the reaction of the rest of England.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent Beckham a “get well soon” message, and a Scottish poet even wrote a poem about the injury, comparing Beckham to the Greek hero Achilles.

But is it possible to forget about Beckham? Over his career Beckham has embodied (体现) everything the English like to think is good about their country. Beckham was never the most naturally gifted of footballers, but he reached the top through hard work and determination. He never gave up, even when things looked hopeless. And even as a superstar, he never forgot where he came from.

For this, the English took him to their hearts. Not a day goes by without seeing Beckham’s name in the newspapers, but the reality is his fantastic career is coming to the enD．Of course, it is sad that he’ll miss the World Cup, but this is a chance for England to find a new hero.

As a global icon(偶像) we will certainly miss him playing for England in South Africa this summer. But I think it’s time we finally give Beckham a break from the headlines.

1. Which of the following may not be a result of Beckham’s injury?

A．Not being able to take part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

B．Not being able to play for England for four months.

C．People forgetting him.

D．This injury perhaps ending his career.

2. ______ gave Beckham a negative evaluation.

A．Gordon Brown	B．An editorial in the Guardian
C．A Scottish poet	D．Most British people

3. Which is not the reason for it being hard for people to forget Beckham?

A．He has embodied British good characteristics and traits (特征).

B．He is one of the most naturally gifted footballers.

C．He is determined to achieve his goals.

D．He always remembers his country.

6 . Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook by yourself? Have you been doing Internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can't you be bothered to do?
A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of the adults are so idle (懒散的) that they'd catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
Just over 2000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain's largest health center. The results were extremely surprising.
About one in six people questioned said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up.
More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
This led the report to conclude that it's no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese (very fat) before they start school.
Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said, “People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently their pets too.”
“If we don't start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most fundamental tasks.”
And Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most idle city in the UK, with 75% questioned admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%.
The results bring serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year.
1. How many people questioned don't play with their children?

A．1280.

B．More than 333.

C．654.

D．About 420.

2. The study leads us to believe that          .

A．the pets in the UK will be in trouble if their owners keep their way of life

B．Glasgow people feel ashamed because they don't get enough exercise

C．British people are the laziest around the world

D．five sixths of the British children are healthy

3. How does the author convince the readers?

A．By presenting the results of a study.	B．By providing answers to questions.
C．By interviewing some experts.	D．By telling a story.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．A study of British people's laziness.	B．A study of British people's lifestyles.
C．The health service in the UK.	D．The obesity problem in the UK.

7 . Societies all over the world name places in similar ways. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference by people. Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name. Frequently it happens that a place has two names: One is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits die hard and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost.

Many roads and places in Singapore（新加坡）are named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries ---- in both the West and the East.

Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were originally from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named in former British bases. If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus ---- obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel.

Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example, “Base Basah” means “wet rice” in Malay（马来语）. Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road.

A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is “Circular Road” for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Crescent”. This road is called a crescent（月牙） because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again.

1. We learn from Paragraph 1 that _____.

A．the government is usually the first to name a place

B．many places tend to have more than one name

C．a ceremony will be held when a place is named

D．people prefer the place names given by the government

2. What does the underlined phrase “die hard” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Change suddenly.	B．Change significantly.
C．Disappear mysteriously.	D．Disappear very slowly.

3. Which of the following places is named after a person?

A．Raffles Place.	B．Selector Airbase.
C．Piccadilly Circus.	D．Paya Lebar Crescent.

4. Bras Basah Road is named _______.

A．after a person

B．after a place

C．after an activity

D．by its shape

5. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Some place names in Singapore are the same as in Britain.

B．Some places in Singapore are named for military purposes.

C．The way Singaporeans name their places is unique.

D．Young Singaporeans have forgotten the pioneers.