1 . Magic (魔术) is believed to have begun with the Egyptians, in 1700 BC. A magician named Dedi of Dedsnefu was reported to have performed for the pharaoh (法老), or the king. He was also known to have entertained (使娱乐) the slaves who built the pyramids. The “Cups and Balls” trick that he was particularly good at is still performed by magicians all over the world today.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were also fascinated by the idea of magic. Actually, one of their main interests was the art of deception (欺骗). This explains why at that time the priests even built magic devices into their temples. These devices made it possible for doors to open by themselves and wine to flow magically out of statues’ mouths. This was done mainly to make people believe that the priests had unusual power.

Magic however, was not well accepted before the 1800s. Magicians were thought to be freaks(怪物) and, were only allowed to perform in a circus. It was in the 19^th century that the magician Robert Houdin came along and changed people’s views and attitudes about magic. It was because of Robert Houdin that many magicians were able to add Dr. or MD to their names. Today magicians try hard to find new ways to show their practiced skills. Magic is now entertainment for families all over the world.

1. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Magical Tricks	B．A Great Magician
C．Magic as Entertainment	D．The History of Magic

2. The underlined word “fascinated” in Paragraph 2 means _______.

A．amused

B．encouraged

C．attracted

D．moved

3. In ancient Greece, what did the priests do to show people they had unusual power?

A．They performed magical tricks to entertain people.

B．They made the statues in the temples drink wine as they wished.

C．They treated the people with wine flowing down from statues’ mouths.

D．They built magic devices in the temples to make doors open by themselves.

4. What did people think of magic before the 1800s?

A．Magic should be used only in temples.

B．Magic could only be performed in a circus.

C．Magic was performed by freaks and doctors.

D．Magic was the major daily activity for the pharaohs.

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Magic began about 3,700 years ago.

B．Dedi of Dedsnefu performed magic for kings only.

C．Robert Houdin was the first magician to perform magic.

D．The “Cups and Balls” trick has been performed for about 1,700 years.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the woman doing?

A．Asking for advice.

B．Chairing a meeting.

C．Hosting a program.

2. When was Bergen founded?

A．In 1070.

B．In the 1200s.

C．In the 1830s.

3. What does Mr Wilson suggest people do in Bergen?

A．Read a fairy tale.

B．Walk around the city.

C．Buy a wooden house.

3 . The University of Sheffield

Back to its origin

The University of Sheffield is a research university in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original “red brick” universities, which are a group of top and famous old universities. The University of Sheffield was originally formed by the combination of three colleges. The Sheffield School of Medicine was founded in 1828, followed in 1879 by the opening of Firth College by Mark Firth, a steel manufacturer (制造商), to teach arts and science subjects. Firth College then helped to provide money for the opening of the Sheffield Technical School in 1884 to teach applied science. In 1897 the three institutions were joined together to form the University College of Sheffield, which in turn became the University of Sheffield by Royal Charter (特许) in 1905. This university is famous for its good education and boasts a number of Nobel Prize winners among its former students.

More information

System:   The University has five departments: Arts and Humanities; Engineering; Pure Science; Social Sciences;   Medicine,   Dentistry   and   Health.   Sheffield   also   has   many   research   programs   in   fields   including aerospace, environmental science, psychology, and biology.

City show: Sheffield is a lively city in the north of England. Sheffield is known as the greenest city in Europe because of its 2 million trees. As a result, there are many parks and woods throughout the city and beyond. Sheffield is the greenest city in England with 150 woodlands and 50 public parks within the city. Once, in Sheffield, the folk hero—Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest with 150 of his loyal friends. And Charlotte Bronte, the English writer noted for her novel Jane Eyre was born in Sheffield.

1. Sheffield is in the of England.

A．east	B．west
C．south	D．north

2. Which statement about the University of Sheffield is not TRUE?

A．It has a good fame for many great graduates.

B．It has a long history of more than 180 years.

C．It is one member of “red brick” universities.

D．It owns different departments and research programs.

3. What can we infer from the text?

A．Sheffield has very beautiful scenery.

B．Charlotte Bronte is an English writer.

C．Sheffield is the biggest city of England.

D．Robin Hood is a character in Jane Eyre.