1 . Sweetest Day is always the third Saturday in October.This holiday is much more important in some regions than in others (Detroit,Cleveland and Buffalo being the biggest Sweetest Day cities).It is a holiday that is gaining in popularity every year throughout the country.

Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy.It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick,aged,and orphaned,but also friends,relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.

Over 60 years ago,a Cleveland man,believing that the city's orphans and shut-ins too often felt forgotten and neglected,formed the idea of showing them that they were remembered.He did this through the distribution of small gifts.With the help of his friends and neighbors,he distributed these remembrances on a Saturday in October.During the years that followed,other Clevelanders began to participate in the celebration ceremony,which came to be called "Sweetest Day".In time,the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor was broadened to include everyone,and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift.And soon the idea spread to other cities all over the country.

Sweetest Day is not based on any single group's religious belief or on a family relationship.It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning.Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift-giving,Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care,in a practical way.

1. Sweetest Day is celebrated to     .

A．spread religious belief	B．make someone cheer up
C．strengthen family relationship	D．help the poor get out of trouble

2. Sweetest Day originated in     .

A．Detroit	B．Cleveland
C．Buffalo	D．New York

3. The underlined word "remembrances" in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to "     ".

A．tasks	B．ideas
C．gifts	D．pills

4. What can we know from the text?

A．Sweetest Day is celebrated in the form of a family party.

B．Over 60 years ago,men too often felt forgotten and neglected.

C．Only a few religions have the tradition to celebrate the holiday.

D．The idea of creating Sweetest Day came from a man who cared for orphans.

2 . The sleepover（通宵派对）is so common in America.Usually,it reminds us of images of girls in clean nightclothes,having pillow fights,doing makeup and gossiping.I'll say this now:most sleepovers are like that,but mine usually aren't.I've never been that girl as a child,so I have never really found doing makeup interesting,but there are some ways of sleepovers that stay the same.Let's take a closer look.

Usually,the activities start in the late afternoon.Girls show up carrying a sleeping bag and a pillow.After all the guests arrive,it's usually time to have dinner.Even though it differs,the most common food for sleepovers is pizza.

My friends and I usually go back to my room and start our crazy activities.Sometimes we have a dance party, sometimes we play games on the Internet,and other times we play role-playing games,which is my favorite thing to do as a child.My friends and I are all movie lovers,so sometimes we will pretend to be characters from a favorite movie.It's pretty clownish,but it was a very unforgettable part of my childhood.

When it gets to be past one o'clock in the morning,most of the girls are sleepy already but we usually keep doing whatever we are doing.Most of us end up falling asleep at around 5.

The sleepover is a great experience for girls.While the activities are different,the feelings are still the same.We all experience happiness and excitement.Sleepovers are fun because we get to be with our friends,which is the most important thing.

1. Which of the following things do most American girls usually do in the sleepover?

A．Watch TV.	B．Take schoolbags out.
C．Sleep all night.	D．Do pillow fights.

2. What was her favorite activity when the author was a kid?

A．Playing role-playing games.	B．Having dance parties.
C．Surfing the Internet.	D．Eating pizza.

3. What does the underlined word "clownish" in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Unbelievable.	B．Boring.
C．Valuable	D．Silly.

4. In the sleepover,the most important thing for the author is      .

A．having different feelings	B．tasting delicious pizza
C．being with her friends	D．relaxing herself

3 . No one knows for sure when and where the idea of April Fool’s Day for silly jokes started. One thing is for sure：Humans have been celebrating this holiday for hundreds of years，in many cultures.

One popular theory has to do with the calendar. Many ancient cultures celebrated the new year in spring，around April 1. In Europe，Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new calendar in 1582. The calendar named January 1 as the new start of the year. Many people and countries did not accept the change for years. The story goes that people made fun of the people who still celebrated the new year on April 1.

In some countries，people exchanged gifts on New Year’s Day. So another theory is that people began to give joke gifts on April 1 after the calendar changed. But there are probably as many explanations for the tradition as there are cultures that participate.

One thing is for sure，almost everyone has fun！

Mexicans celebrate a kind of fools’ day on December 28. You’re in trouble on that date if you lend someone something，because you won’t get it back！In India，March 31 is the day for tricks. Portuguese，who celebrate on the Sunday or Monday before the Christian holiday of Lent，throw flour on their friends. People in England say playing tricks after noon on April 1 brings bad luck to the jokers. The U.S. holiday doesn’t have special traditions.

Humor expert Joel Goodman of the Humor Project teaches businesses and individuals how to enjoy the positive power of humor in daily life. When asked to define the difference between a good prank and a disgusting one，he explains，“It is the difference between laughing with someone and laughing at them. Humor should lift people up！”

So start thinking now. If it looks like rain，fill someone’s closed umbrella with pieces of paper and watch them pour down when it is open. Glue a coin to the sidewalk with superglue. When people get annoyed trying to pick it up，remember to yell，“APRIL FOOLS！”Of course，kids can reply with the “Disappearing Class”. When the teacher goes out of the room for a moment，all the kids hide. Just remember，the person you play a trick on should be laughing，too. So keep the tradition going in the right spirit.

1. What is certain about April Fool’s Day？

A．It dated back to 1582.

B．People enjoy this holiday.

C．Its origin is related to a calendar.

D．Pope Gregory XIII created this holiday.

2. Which of the following is a good joke on April Fool’s Day？

A．Skip a class when the teacher is out.

B．Fill someone’s closed umbrella with water.

C．Give someone soap that turns his hands dirty.

D．Frighten someone to death by dressing up as a ghost.

3. The underlined phrase “lift people up”（Paragraph 5）probably means＿＿＿＿.

A．be used in daily lives

B．make people feel happier

C．change people’s attitude

D．be appreciated by people

4. What does the author remind people when they play tricks？

A．Tricks played should be amusing and harmless.

B．The crazier the tricks are，the better.

C．It’s better to use some special tools.

D．Keep playing them for fun.

4 . It’s said that one can know the nature of both man and woman by their behaviors at table. Indeed table manners are closely related to one’s life and one’s job. As the saying goes“ When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, English learners should know what the proper table manners are in western countries if invited to a dinner party. The followings are some suggestions that may be helpful to you.
The first important thing you need to know is when to begin eating. Before dinner, the hostess usually serves guests first and herself last. So do not eat as soon as you are served but wait until the hostess has also been served and has picked up her fork as the signal to begin. But at a large dinner party where there are many guests, the hostess may ask everyone to begin eating as soon as they are served. If you want to talk while eating, your mouth should certainly not be full of food because it is considered very bad manners. But it is possible to speak with a little food in the mouth. When you have to answer a question, naturally you must wait until the food in your mouth is eaten.
When a dish is passed to you with a fork in the plate, you should use it to take your food. Do not take too much at a time and make sure that the other guests can have enough food.
Anyway, good table manners are very important and they are not so simple as we thought. But it is necessary for one to know what good table manners are because they can help one succeed in his life!
1. Table manners are closely related to one’s _______ in paragraph 1.

A．life and name	B．job and age
C．job and name	D．life and job

2. what is the first important thing to know at a dinner party?

A．what to eat	B．whether to talk
C．when to begin eating	D．How to use forks.

3. If you have to answer a question while eating, you should ________.

A．refuse to answer it

B．answer it immediately

C．tell him/her to ask it later

D．wait until the food in your mouth is eaten

4. In which section(栏目) of a newspaper can you find such a passage?

A．Sports

B．Culture

C．Music

D．News

5 . In Africa, Christmas day begins with groups of carolers (欢唱颂歌的人) walking to and fro through the village, along the roadway, by the houses of the churchmen, singing the lovely carols known the world around. Often people may be awakened by a group of carolers beginning to gather at the church. They return home to make final preparation as to the clothes one must wear and also as to his offering for the Christmas service. The most important part of their Christmas service is the love offering. This is the gift in honor of Jesus. At about 8 or 9 o'clock, everyone makes their way to the celebration of the birthday of Jesus. Everyone who attends the service goes forward to lay down their gift upon the raised platform near the Communion table. Not one person will attend the service without giving a gift.
Christmas in South Africa is a summer holiday. There is no snow, but it has many flowers, many beautiful varieties of wild flowers being in their full pride.
In Ghana, most churches announce the coming of Christmas by decorating the church and homes beginning with the first week in Advent, four weeks before Christmas. This season happens to be the cocoa harvest time, so it is a time of wealth. Everyone returns home from wherever they might be, such as farms or mines.
In Africa, it is the traditional dinner of turkey, roast beef, mince pies, suckling pig, yellow rice with raisins, vegetables, and plum pudding, or crackers. In the afternoon, families go out into the country and usually there are games or bathing in the warm sunshine, and then home in the cool of the evening. Boxing Day is also a public holiday of real relaxation usually spent in the open air, which falls on December 26.
1. The writer of this passage mainly wants to _________.

A．persuade us to have a holiday in Africa

B．introduce to us when Christmas came into being

C．tell us how people celebrate Christmas in Africa

D．describe some important holidays in Africa

2. The correct order of the following festivals should be ________.

A．Christmas→ Boxing Day→ Advent

B．Boxing Day→ Christmas→ Advent

C．Christmas→ Advent→ Boxing Day

D．Advent→ Christmas→ Boxing Day

3. If you visit South Africa on Christmas day, you’ll find ________.

A．everyone returns home to harvest cocoa

B．people enjoy a traditional dinner

C．the church and homes are being decorated

D．it is snowing heavily everywhere

4. In Africa, the traditional dinner for Christmas including the following EXCEPT ________.

A．pumpkin pies	B．yellow rice
C．crackers	D．turkey

6 . The influence of America is increasing in my country. Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do these things every day.

I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the programs and documentaries(记录片) we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to see are made in Hollywood.

In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe.

American culture is a part of Spanish life now. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of people’s lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I’ve known about Coca Cola for my whole life.

However, it’s different with Western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people, The Spanish people normally eat at home.

On the other hand, maybe McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It’s true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and it is more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it’s obvious that American culture is becoming more and more a part of our lives every day.

1. From the first paragraph we can know that       .

A．the influence of America on Spain can be found everywhere.

B．most Spanish people don’t like to listen to their own music,

C．fast food spreads from Spain to the United States.

D．some Spanish actors go to America to improve their acting skills.

2. What plays an important part in the spreading of American culture in Spain?

A．American novels.	B．Hollywood movies.
C．McDonald.	D．American music.

3. Why did the government set some rules for the films shown in Spain?

A．To protect foreign culture in Spain.

B．To earn more money from Spanish films.

C．To limit the number of foreign movie.

D．To unite European Communities.

4. What do you think Spanish tapas might be?

A．The name of a drink.	B．The name of a restaurant.
C．A clothing brand.	D．A certain kind of food.

7 . Here are the comments on CRI (China Radio International) given by people from different countries on the Internet.

People	Comments
Yingtian Hu Guangzhou, China	This is the first time that I participate in CRI. And I like it very much. I hope its website will become the most excellent one with the foreign languages. And I choose the important news which I think has a great influence on our society and our lives. In the end, I hope that more and more persons join in CRI and make it perfect!
SujanParajuli, Select city, Nepal	I am both a regular listener of CRI and visitor of its wonderful Website. First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to CRI for its great efforts to keep the listeners up-to-date during the year 2008. We, the listeners, are greatly grateful to CRI for its praise-worthy efforts to quench the thirst of its dear listeners.     During the Year 2008, I found all of your programs quite interesting, informative     and educational.   Once again, thanks a lot for offering lots of information,     news, entertainment and many items which have indeed broaden the horizons of our     knowledge and understanding as well.
Ibrahim Rustamov, Tajikistan	With CRI, I was impressed by China’s rapid development in all spheres. But I felt so sorry to get to know about the snowstorms in China and Wenchuan earthquake. CRI and CCTV play a great role in introducing China to the world! Kudos! My friends and I wish CRI all the best!
Mike Thatcher, London	My family and I are all keen on Chinese Culture, especially the beautiful Chinese folk music. Various interesting programs by CRI just open a window for us foreigners, through which we can know more about China and have a better understanding of the Chinese culture. Best wishes to CRI! Best wishes to China!

1. Which of the following benefits of CRI is NOT mentioned above?

A．CRI helps to keep its listeners up-to-date.

B．CRI helps its listeners to better understand China.

C．CRI helps its listeners to practice and improve foreign languages.

D．CRI helps its listeners broaden their knowledge with its rich contents.

2. The underlined phrase “quench the thirst” refers to _____.

A．satisfy one’s need

B．supply drinks

C．take care of

D．keep in touch with

3. What can be concluded from the four comments?

A．CRI has a great influence on our society and lives.

B．Wonderful though CRI is, there are still many weaknesses.

C．CRI plays an important role in introducing the world to China.

D．CRI has made great efforts to make itself better and gained popularity.

8 . Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons—for example, economic (经济的) reasons—why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?

In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.

It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的)and do not like change.

Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward . If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different , even though that might be the more risky choice.

1. What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?

A．Some of them are not attractive.

B．Most of them ate too expensive to preserve.

C．They are more pleasing than modern buildings.

D．They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area.

2. Which of the following is true according to the author ?

A．We should reproduce the same old buildings.

B．Buildings should not dominate their surroundings.

C．Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in.

D．No one understands why people speak against new buildings.

3. By “move things forward ” in the last paragraph , the author probably means“      ”

A．destroy old buildings

B．put things in a different place

C．respect people’s feelings for historical buildings

D．choose new architectural styles

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To explain why people dislike change.

B．To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.

C．To warn that we could end up living in caves.

D．To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.

9 . The speed and convenience of modern travel means that destinations that used to take a long time to travel to can now be reached quickly and easily. Even though” faraway” countries may now seem closer thanks to air travel, they may still be different from your home country.    1    Following are some fundamental rules   that will make communication easier, and your trip more enjoyable.

    2    If you do not know the word for something in local language, or can not make yourself understood verbally, try drawing a picture, or pointing to an object.

Avoid topics of conversation that you think may be sensitive.    3    .Feel free to show interest in the history and customs of the place you are visiting, but don’t ask too many questions about why things are done a certain way; you may offend the local people.

    4    Kissing on the street or in public places is unacceptable behavior and should be avoided. If you are unsure of how to behave, watch the local people and copy them---if they don’t behave in a certain way, you probably shouldn’t either.

Finally, if you are traveling on business, or plan to stay with a host to family, and you wish to take a gift, do some research.     5    . One of the easiest ways to offend somebody is to give the wrong gift.

Wherever you go in the world, always be tolerant of the local customs. Avoid being critical; try instead to show respect for the values of the country you are in, even if you do not necessarily agree with them.

A．Keep in mind that in many cultures, display affection in public is considered taboo.

B．Consider the main lifestyle of the country you plan to visit.

C．Never raise your voice in order to make yourself understood.

D．If a topic is sensitive in your own culture, it will more than likely be the same in other cultures.

E．The idea of the perfect gift varies greatly from country to country.

F．The opening of gifts is also treated very differently around the world.

G．Therefore, it is important to adapt your behavior not to offend the local people.

10 . The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40th birthday party. The time printed on the invitation was 7:30 pm. Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine, food, and song.
By 9:45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were starving. But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11:00, there was still no food, and everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and angry.
Their experience suggests that the words on the printed invitations need to be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently. Most of us would agree that 6:30 - 8:30 pm means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards; 8:00 pm or 8:30 pm means possible dinner, but 9:30 pm and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, arrive late．
But this is not always the case. If asked to a students’ party at 6:30 pm, it is unaccepted for guests to appear on time. Being the first to arrive — looking eager — is social death. When my mother is asked to a party at 6:30, she likes to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven．My age group (late thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we’re young, we’re probably closer to student-time than grown-up time.
The accepted custom at present is confusing, sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that precious element of surprise.
1. The underlined words “off their heads” probably mean _______.

A．tired

B．crazy

C．happy

D．encouraging

2. Jane and David’s story is used to show that _______.

A．party invitations can be confusing

B．party-goers usually get hungry at parties

C．people should ask for food at parties

D．birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull

3. For some young people, arriving on time for a students’ party will probably be considered _______.

A．very difficult	B．particularly thoughtful
C．friendly and polite	D．socially unacceptable

4. What is the general idea of the text?

A．It’s safe to arrive late just when food is served.

B．It’s wise to eat something before going to a party.

C．It’s important to follow social rules of party-going.

D．There’s no need to read invitations carefully.