1 . In many parts of the world, there are four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. In the U.S., there are only three: football, basketball and baseball. If you want to know what season it is, just have a look at what people are playing.

For many people in the U.S., sports are not just for fun. They’re almost a religion. Thousands of sports fans buy expensive tickets to watch their favourite teams and athletes play in person. Other fans watch the games at home. The most devoted sports buffs never miss a game. Many a wife becomes a “sports widow (寡妇)” during her husband’s favorite season.

America’s devotion to athletics has created a new class of wealthy people: professional athletes. Sports stars often receive million -dollar salaries. Some even make big money appearing in advertisements for soft drinks, shoes and even toiletries (化妆品).

Sports are an important part of Americans’ culture. Throughout their school life, Americans learn to play many sports. All students take physical education classes in school. Some try out for the school teams, while others join school sports leagues. Athletic events at universities attract scores of fans and benefit the whole community.

1. The most popular sports in America are the following EXCEPT       .

A．soccer	B．American football
C．basketball	D．baseball

2. What does the underlined word “buffs” (in Paragraph 2 ) mean?

A．Athletes	B．Fans
C．Clubs	D．Teams

3. By saying “sports widow”, the writer means       .

A．some American men love sports more deeply than their wives

B．some American men often quarrel with their wives during their favourite season

C．some American men can hardly find time to be with their wives during their favourite season

D．some sports starts’ wives are left home alone during their favourite season

4. In general, professional athletes in America       .

A．are well paid

B．often appear in advertisements

C．live a busy life

D．make big money by selling products such as soft drinks and shoes

5. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Sports seasons in America	B．American sports fans
C．Americans’ sports culture	D．Sports in America

2 . How long have you not written a character?

Popular TV program National Chinese Characters Contest has brought people's attention back to written Chinese.

The    1    (compete)is the Chinese version of a classic word game American Spelling Bee, Pupils,    2    usually come from the fifth or sixth grade,    3    (divide)into different teams and try to write down every word according to Its pronunciation.

In less than two hours, the contestants need to solve dozens of questions    4    ( concert) error- prone(容易出错的) characters. Many students keep up with the show. They refer to    5    as “the interesting Chinese lessons on TV”. Teachers and parents are also happy to see that children can learn and have fun at the same time.

The program has gone beyond the circle of primary school students. “It is     6    (surprising) instructive. I have corrected a lot of my own mistakes by watching the show,” said    7    adult viewer.

Guan Zhengwen, chief director of the show, considers written Chinese    8    the root of Chinas    9    (culture)

heritage, “TV shows on Chinese language mean more than just a trend,” he said. “Mass media need to seek innovation(创新) in order to preserve our culture, We hope that National Chinese Characters Contest will get more people    10    (brush)up our written language.”

3 . Chinese audiences seemed not to have been satisfied with the third season of the highly anticipated food documentary A Bite of China.

Even though the series has maintained high viewership ratings since its comeback last week, much higher than other programs aired at the same time, the ranking on Douban, a social networking website featuring films, literature and events, slipped to 4.2 out of 10, as of Tuesday, compared with 9.3 and 8.4, respectively, for the first two seasons.

Picky viewers complain that some of the narration is not accurate, while others pinpoint misleading content. At the same time, food blogger @barbara questioned whether it is appropriate to give a close-up shot of the poisonous plant Nandina(南天竺)in a food program.

A Bite of China, which debuted in 2012, became hugely popular nationwide for its quality introduction of some rarely-known and mouth-watering domestic cuisine. In the new show, however, watchers are not satisfied with “irrelevant” food references, such as lipsticks made of Chinese traditional medicine and martial arts master.

The first episode introduced a hand-made iron frying pan from east China’s Shandong province, which prompted thousands of Chinese Internet users to buy one from China’s leading e-commerce website Tmall in the next few days. Sales of the pan at “Zhensanhuan” surged 6,000 times compared with a year ago, according to Beijing Youth Daily.

In response to overwhelming criticism and questions, A Bite of China production crew responded on Weibo that they seek innovation despite the risks following the first two phenomenal seasons.

“It is unavoidable to make comparisons with the first two, and some audiences may not accept the changes,” the crew said. “We explore the culture and civilization behind food, and give food a historic touch. That’s why we feature culinary(烹饪的)tools, feast and rituals, as well as a healthy diet to show Chinese wisdom and philosophy, which has not been shown in any food programs before.”

1. Why does the passage mention Nandina?

A．Because some of the narration is not accurate.

B．Because it may be improper to give a close-up shot of a poisonous plant.

C．Because it is misleading content.

D．Because it is not attractive at all to most picky viewers.

2. Which of the following elements leads to viewers’ dissatisfaction with the new show?

A．some mouth-watering domestic cuisines

B．food-unrelated items

C．some rarely-known cuisines

D．the increasing sales of the pan at “Zhensanhuan”

3. According to its production crew, what is unique to ‘A Bite of China III’?

A．It makes comparisons with the first two episodes.

B．It tells the story of some martial arts related to food.

C．It receives overwhelming criticism and questions from audience.

D．It focuses on cooking tools, rituals and healthy eating.

4. What is the best the title for the passage?

A．'A Bite of China III' Draws Criticism from Audiences

B．'A Bite of China III' Maintains High Viewership Ratings

C．'A Bite of China III' Changes for the Worse

D．'A Bite of China III' Explains its Purposes

4 . As we know, many teen celebrities(名人) feel and think that having a slimmer figure can do great good to them. But, does size really matter? Are teenage fans trying hard to become like their celebrity idols(偶像)? Do celebrities really have the power to influence people, especially teenagers?
For the longest time, many parents blame teen idols for influencing the way their kids act. Have you noticed how teens idolize the celebrities these days? Even, their personal affairs are being followed by kids these days. Take for example the case of Lindsay Lohan of Mary Kate Ashley. They are definitely famous teen stars. But, since they are trying to project an image to satisfy a lot of people in show business, their health and body suffer. Many kids are aware of this problem. But they are easily influenced by these celebrities to exercise and eat less.
It is a fact that the media, and especially famous teen celebrities, can influence people powerfully. But teenagers are easily influenced because teenage years are the period when our personality and identity developments take place. Teens watching TV shows and reading magazines are easily pulled into the dieting and harmful eating habits because the media have some ways to pull these acts. They use thin models and celebrities to endorse(做广告宣传) products or to star in an up-and-coming shows or movies. With fierce competition, celebrities are forced to eat less and do extreme exercise routines to get the roles or offers that come their way.
Living in today’s time and generation is a bit disturbing to a lot of parents. Media, especially as well as the celebrities, have a very powerful influence to drive teenagers to good or bad. It’s good that we can control ourselves to avoid bad things from happening. If not, parents should really be aware and guide their teens to determine what’s in and what’s out.
1. From the passage we can find Lindsay Lohan        .

A．doesn’t get any exercise

B．lives a rich and happy life

C．lives an unhealthy lifestyle

D．sets a good example for teenagers

2. According to the writer, why are teenagers easily influenced by some TV shows?

A．They are tired of school.

B．Their celebrity idols appear in many TV shows.

C．They have nothing to do in their spare time.

D．They’re in their development period.

3. Many celebrities have to be on diet ______.

A．to keep a slim size

B．to survive under pressure

C．to keep healthy to face competition

D．to satisfy their teenage fans

4. What’s the title of the passage?

A．Parents’ responsibilities.

B．Bad influences of celebrities.

C．Advice on self-control.

D．Media’s bad influences.