2 . Mark Twain left school when he was twelve. He had little school education. In spite of this, he became the most famous writer of his time. He made millions of dollars by writing. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but he is better known all over the world as Mark Twain, his pen name.

Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected to live through the first winter. But with his mother’s tender care, he managed to survive. As a boy, he caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play jokes on all of his friends and neighbours. He didn’t like to go to school, and he constantly ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi River. He was nearly drowned nine times.

After his father’s death in 1847, Mark Twain began to work for a printer, who only provided him with food and clothing. Then, he worked as a printer, a river-boat pilot and later joined the army. But shortly after that he became a miner. During this period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards he became a full-time writer.

In 1870, Mark Twain got married. In the years that followed he wrote many books including Tom Sawyer in 1876, and Huckleberry Finn in 1884, which made him famous, and brought him a great fortune.

Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts in bad investments (投资) and he had to write large numbers of stories to pay these debts. In 1904, his wife died, and then three of their children passed away.

At the age of 70, his hair was completely white. He bought many white suits and neckties. He wore nothing but white from head to foot until his death on April 21, 1910.

1. Mark Twain left school at 12 to________.

A．work as a miner

B．write stories

C．join the army

D．make a living

2. Which of the following about Mark Twain is NOT true?

A．He was not a healthy boy.	B．He caused much trouble for his parents.
C．He gained lots of money by writing.	D．He had a happy childhood but a sad later life.

3. ________brought him fame and lots of money.

A．His works	B．His investments
C．His printing	D．His family

4. The best title of this passage is________.

A．Mark Twain’s Works	B．Mark Twain’s Life
C．Mark Twain’s Fame	D．Mark Twain’s Success

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

China is a big old country,     1     has a history of more than five thousand years. We are proud of     2    (it) culture and part of the culture even influences the world     3    (great), for example, the thought of Confucius. As Chinese economy develops very fast and plays     4     important role in the world, more and more     5    (foreign) learn Mandarin (普通话) in Confucius Institutes. The Chinese traditional culture can be tested by time. It unites the whole nation and no matter     6    kind of disaster comes, we will fight together for the country’s future. Today, many young people lose faith in the traditional culture and they are crazy     7     the western culture. They follow the western fashion,     8     (think) we are out of style. But someday, they     9     (realize) it is wrong     10     (reject) the traditional culture.

4 . How many languages are there in Google Translate?

A．133.

B．157.

C．300.

5 . If you go to a fast food restaurant, you will probably see a lot of children. Today, some children are too fat, and this is because of their bad eating habits (习惯). Most children are fond of food with a lot of fat, oil, salt and sugar. People call this kind of food “junk food”.

We find many children eat unhealthily. Some don’t have breakfast before they go to school. During the day, some don’t have proper (正常的) food for lunch. They don’t like vegetables, and many of them don’t like to eat fruit. They love to eat food with a lot of salt, sugar or fat.

Parents today worry about their children’s eating habits. Some doctors advise (建议) children to eat healthily.

＊Children shouldn’t eat too much junk food.

＊Children should eat some fruit and vegetables every day.

＊Children should drink more milk.

＊Children should eat breakfast every day.

1. The underlined (划线的) phrase are fond of in the first paragraph means ________.

A．dislike

B．love

C．hate

D．hope

2. In this passage, doctors advise teenagers to eat more ________.

A．food with little salt and milk	B．food with much sugar and fat
C．vegetables and fruit	D．cola and hamburgers

3. What’s the best title for this passage?

A．Keeping good eating habits	B．Eating unhealthy food is bad
C．Eating fast food is good	D．Eating healthily worries parents

6 . Five years ago, Chinese skater Wu Dajing introduced himself to the skating world by winning a silver medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games. At Pyeong Chang Olympics, Wu not only returned, but also made history.

On Feb 22th, 2018, Wu won the gold medal in the men’s short-track 500-metre race. He set a new world record with a time of 39.584 seconds. He also became the first Chinese man to take home an Olympic short-track gold medal. BBC said Wu’s win was “flawless”, because he was much faster than all of the other skaters.

“I didn’t give them a chance and I kept my speed from the start,” he told the media after the match.

But China’s short-track teams didn’t do well in general at the Games. Chinese skaters in the women’s 500 metres, 3000-metre relay and men’s 1500 metres all failed to take home the gold. Wu was China’s biggest hope, which put a lot of pressure on him. But he proved himself with his great performance.

Wu is now known as a highly talented skater. But things were not always that way. When Wu joined the national team in 2010, he was seen as almost “nothing” compared to gifted skaters like Zhou Yang and Fan Kexin, as his coaches said at the time. Their comments made him quite upset. But as the saying goes. “Winners never quit (放弃) and quitters never win”. Wu didn’t want to give up and worked as hard as he could. He practiced skating all year round. He even didn’t return to his hometown for the holidays for 10 years. “I believe in myself.” he told the media after his match at the Olympics.

1. People began to know Wu Dajing by the time he .

A．won the second place at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games

B．won a gold medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games

C．won a gold medal at Pycong Chang Olympic Winter Games

D．entered the Pycong Chang Olympic Winter Games

2. What does the underlined word “flawless” mean?

A．common

B．valuable

C．perfect

D．difficult

3. According to the passage, which of the following is RIGHT?

A．Wu won a gold medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games four years ago.

B．Wu broke the world record with a time of 39.584 seconds and made history.

C．Wu’s coaches placed great hope on him when he joined the national team.

D．Chinese skaters in women’s 500 metres, 3000-metre relay took home the gold.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The national team and coaches thought Wu as a talented skater all the way.

B．Wu kept on practicing skating all year round even in the holidays for 10 years.

C．Zhou Yang and Fan Kexin were more hard-working on skating than Wu Dajing.

D．It is the hardwork, confidence and strong will that have made Wu a winner.

7 . Ireland’s beautiful countryside has always had a great influence on its people and traditions. The country has a long history of producing great writers and poets. Its beautiful countryside excites and inspires all, offering something for each of the senses.

The peaceful landscape of the “Emerald Isle” and its many green counties is a true feast for the eyes, with its rolling green hills dotted with sheep and cattle. And down by the sea, the roar of the ocean waves and cries of the seabirds make up the music of the coast.

On a quiet morning in the mountains, feel the sun on your skin, and breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song. With all this beauty, it is not surprising that Ireland has developed strong traditions that include music, dancing, and dining. To have a chance of experiencing this, stop by a village pub and relax with a glass of wine or a local beer. Better yet, enjoy a delicious traditional Irish Beef Stew. If you’re lucky, you might be able to enjoy some traditional music and dancing, too. And if you introduce yourself to a friendly face, you are more than likely to experience local culture and customs first-hand.

1. Why has Ireland produced many great writers and poets?

A．The beautiful countryside gives them inspiration.	B．The people there are all good at writing.
C．The modern industry makes them free from labor.	D．The education system there is advanced.

2. Which of the following can not be seen in the “Emerald Isle”?

A．Many green counties.	B．Rolling green hills.
C．Sheep and cattle.	D．Beautiful lakes.

3. What should you do if you want to experience local culture and customs first-hand?

A．Meet a local people.	B．Surf the Internet.
C．Introduce yourself to a friendly face.	D．Have a trip with your parents.

4. Ireland has developed its strong traditions that doesn’t include ___________.

A．songs

B．shopping

C．dancing

D．food

8 . It was great ___________ (see) them again. (所给词的适当形式填空)

9 . 语法填空

Many people     1    (confuse) about the meaning of the names: the United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain and England. To solve this puzzle, knowing a little bit about British history will help. In the     2    (sixteen) century, the nearby country of Wales were joined to the Kingdom of England.     3    (final), in the 20th century, the southern part of Ireland broke away from the UK. Even though the four     4    (country) belonging to the United Kingdom work together in some areas, they also have some differences. Anyhow, the United Kingdom has     5     long and interesting history to explore,     6     can help you understand much more about the country and     7    (it) traditions.

10 . I experienced the Naadam Festival in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region for the first time this year. The festival falls on the fourth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, usually lasting for three days. Naadam means “games” in Mongolian, and it is represented by three events: horse racing, wrestling, and archery, which are all so exciting to watch!

On the first day, I set off to the games early with my friend Burin. I saw a lot of people wearing fancy Mongolian robes. Some were feeding their horses, some were practising archery, and others were chatting or taking photographs. Burin told me that Mongolians travel every year from near and far to attend the festival, just as their ancestors had done for centuries.

After the opening ceremony and some amazing performances,the wrestling competition began. Mongolian wrestling is different from the wrestling in the Olympic Games. There are no rounds,and wrestlers are not separated by weight. The wrestler loses if any part of his body above his knee touches the ground. After singing some songs, the competitors danced onto the green field, waving their arms in the air as if they were eagles. I was quite moved by their show of strength and grace.

I absolutely enjoyed the archery, too, but the horse races were my favourite part. However, I was surprised to see that the riders were boys and girls! I heard it is because children are lighter and the horses can run faster and farther. At first, I was a little worried about the children’s safety, but Burin said, “Don’t worry. They’ve been riding horses all their lives. They’ll be just fine.” That was the moment I started to understand why people say “Horses are at the heart of Mongolian culture”. ...

I’m finally back home now, feeling really tired, but celebrating Naadam with my friend was totally worth it. He invited me back for the winter to stay in a traditional Mongolian tent and eat hot pot. I can’t wait!

1. How long does the Naadam Festival last?

A．2 days.

B．3 days

C．4 days.

D．5 days.

2. The Naadam Festival in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

A．has a long history	B．only allows men to take part in
C．has only three events	D．falls on the fifth day of the sixth month

3. which of the following is the writer’s favourite?

A．Archery

B．Wrestling

C．Horse racing

D．The opening ceremony

4. What does the writer think of his Naadam experience?

A．Amazing

B．Horrible

C．Graceful

D．Outstanding