1 . Every year the White House celebrates the day after Easter Sunday in style.The President and the First Lady throw a big party for thousands of guests — mostly kids — on the White House South Lawn and nearby. There is plenty to do at this allday affair — everything from storytelling and stage shows to art activities — and plenty to eat.But it is the eggrolling that attracts the most attention.Easter involves eggs, and the White House celebration has lots of them.Thousands of hardboiled eggs are dyed different colors, and guests go home with special wooden eggs.

Washington, D.C.has been hosting egg parties for quite some time.Some say Dolley Madison and also Abraham Lincoln held eggrolling parties.But most people agree that the Easter Monday party got its start at the United States Capitol in the early 1870s. It moved to the White House South Lawn in 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes was President.Two years later, it was a regular event there.

The Easter parties are never the same.In the late 1880s, John Philip Sousa, a famous director, started performing them.In the late 1920s, he even wrote a musical composition called “Easter Monday on the White House Lawn”. In those years，guests played Egg Ball, toss and catch or Egg Croquet (槌球戏). Sometimes they went on an egg hunt. While egg rolling was a big part of every party, eggrolling races didn’t begin until the early 1970s. And it wasn’t until 1969 that the White House Easter Bunny was invited.He has been at every party since then.

Only a few things can stop the White House Easter Event.It has been cancelled because of war，weather，and work being done on the White House.But nothing seems to keep kids away from this popular public event — one of the oldest in White House history.Two years ago, more than ten thousand guests celebrated Easter and eggrolling in White House style.

1. When and where is the eggrolling party held?

A．On the day before Easter Sunday; in New York.

B．On the day after Easter Sunday; on the White House South Lawn and nearby.

C．On the day before Easter Sunday; in Washington，

D．C..

2. When did eggrolling party become a regular event?

A．In the early 1870s.	B．In 1878.
C．In 1880.	D．In the late 1920s.

3. Which of the following events EXCEPT ______ can stop the White House Easter Event.

A．war	B．weather
C．the children’s own businesses	D．important events on the White House

4. The best title of the passage is ________.

A．Eggrolling, White House Style	B．When Eggrolling Happens
C．How Eggrolling Happens	D．Welcoming Eggrolling

2 . Did you know Saint George's Day?____ for many English people the answer to this question will be “No”. We get very excited about Saint Patrick's Day, and then completely ____ that we have our own national day! For me, it's____to remember the date as it's also my grandma's birthday.
Saint George is the patron saint(守护神）of England. According to legend（传说）, a dragon lived in a lake near a town. People were____of the dragon and every day they would ____it two sheep____there weren't enough sheep, a child would be fed to the dragon____! One day, the king's daughter was ____ The king didn't want to lose his daughter; he tried ____money to the townspeople. However, they didn't want the money and ____his daughter must be fed to the dragon. While the princess ____the dragon by the lake, Saint George rode by on his horse and killed the dragon with a（n）____
Over the years, different versions of the____have been told. There are lots of paintings and sculptures____Saint George. The English flag, which is white with a red cross, is____as the Saint George's Cross. Although it is an important day in the Christian calendar, it is a day which passes____in the UK. It is not a national holiday, ____is it a day with many celebrations. Now, organizations such as English Heritage are trying to____the British public to ____England's national day. Hopefully, their work will____1.

A．Unfortunately

B．Apparently

C．Shamefully

D．Actually

2.

A．forget

B．realize

C．identify

D．believe

3.

A．essential

B．possible

C．simple

D．easy

4.

A．fond

B．tired

C．scared

D．aware

5.

A．send

B．leave

C．feed

D．reserve

6.

A．While

B．As

C．Although

D．If

7.

A．still

B．instead

C．too

D．only

8.

A．killed

B．chosen

C．saved

D．seized

9.

A．providing

B．preparing

C．lending

D．offering

10.

A．insisted

B．required

C．announced

D．admitted

11.

A．looked for

B．dealt with

C．got close to

D．waited for

12.

A．cross

B．knife

C．sword

D．arrow

13.

A．festival

B．dragon

C．story

D．holiday

14.

A．appreciating

B．describing

C．praising

D．informing

15.

A．realized

B．known

C．used

D．shaped

16.

A．silently

B．unbearably

C．unnoticedly

D．successfully

17.

A．nor

B．and

C．either

D．even

18.

A．encourage

B．force

C．demand

D．advise

19.

A．remain

B．celebrate

C．hold

D．memorize

20.

A．come out

B．turn up

C．give in

D．pay off

3 . Food festivals around the world

Stilton Cheese Rolling

May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes, roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors' lane（赛道）. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors are served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.

Fiery Foods Festival—The Hottest Festival on Earth

Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction—food that is not just spicy（辛辣）,but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three clays every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper—officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing's for sure—if you don't like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn't for you!

La Tomatina—The World's Biggest Food Fight

On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts Ea Tomatina—the world's largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week's events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes—official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.

The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50,000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again—and for a much-needed wash!

1. In the Stilton cheese rolling competition, competitors on each team must                      .

A．wear various formal clothes

B．roll a wooden cheese in their own lane

C．kick or throw their cheese

D．use a real cheese weighing about four kilos

2. Where is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival held?

A．In New Mexico.

B．In the Caribbean.

C．In Australia.

D．In China.

3. The celebration of La Tomatina lasts                       .

A．three days

B．seven days

C．less than three days

D．more than seven days

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

A．The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine.

B．More than 10,000 Chinese take pail in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival.

C．Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival.

D．An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina.