Australia is famous for its beautiful beaches. And Australian people love swimming and going to the beach. But it wasn't always that way.
Different Climate, Different habits
When Europeans first invaded Australia, the only people here who were good at swimming were the Aboriginal people. The Europeans came from climates where it was too cold to swim. Also some people worried that they would get sick if they wet their whole body.
However the warm climate of Australia soon changed their attitude to swimming. At first, only men swam. They swam naked - there were no women to see them.
Cover up!
By the 1880’s and 90’s visiting the beach was very fashionable and a lot of people went there, especially in warm weather. They wore everyday street clothes - much more than people wear at the beach today.
In those days, people believed they should cover most of their body so it would not be seen by the opposite sex. Special bathing costumes were designed for women. These costumes used a lot of cloth and were very heavy when wet, making it difficult to swim.
Laws Made and Laws Changed
The government decided to stop men swimming naked．It passed a law which forbade bathing between 6am and 7pm. Many people objected to this law and wrote letters to the government asking it to change the laws. In 1903, the laws changed; people could swim in the daytime, but they had to wear neck-to-knee costumes.
The Shrinking Costume
As time passed, swimming costumes became smaller and more convenient.
At first men and women were covered from neck to knee. Then the arms became bare. Then more of the legs were uncovered．Each new change was regarded by many as shocking and rude and people wrote letters to the newspapers complaining about the new costumes. Nowadays some people go to special "nude (裸体) beaches" to swim naked．
However, most people cover their bodies more than they did ten years ago -- not because they think bare skin is shocking -- but to protect their skin from the harmful rays of the sun.The climate of Australia _____.
| A．made European setters think differently about swimming |
| B．change European setters’ swimming costume |
| C．made European setters hotter |
| D．made European setters swim naked |
During the late 19th century, swimmers should _____.
| A．hide when they see a person of the opposite sex |
| B．cover their bodies |
| C．wear many heavy clothes |
| D．take no notice of their clothes |
According to the law just before1903, people must _____.
| A．not swim in the main daylight hours |
| B．only swim between 6am and 7pm |
| C．have a bath at 6am and 7pm |
| D．swim with neck-to-knee costumes between 6am and 7pm |
The last paragraph of the passage states that _____.
| A．people worry about getting skin cancer from too much sun |
| B．people protect their ten-year-old sons from bare skin |
| C．people are shocked by the sun |
| D．people think it rude to swim with the smaller costumes |
Dear Betty,
My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.
Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?
Yours,
Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
Yours
BettyKnowing Nothing wrote a letter to Betty to _____.
| A．tell Betty some good news |
| B．ask for some advice |
| C．answer some questions |
| D．invite her to dinner |
According to Betty, Knowing Nothing ______ when going to a dinner party.
| A．can only bring some flowers |
| B．can’t bring wine |
| C．should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late |
| D．should arrive twenty minutes late |
Betty does NOT advise Knowing Nothing to _____.
| A．relax at the dinner table |
| B．watch the other guests |
| C．ask the person beside him |
| D．keep silent at table |
After a dinner party , Knowing Nothing should _____________.
| A．say nothing but goodbye. |
| B．send a card to thank them the day after. |
| C．thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness at once |
| D．invite the host and hostess for a dinner the next day |
Mark Twain was a great writer. He was from the USA. He was born in 1835. He was also a famous speaker. He was famous for his sense of humour. Many people liked to listen to him talk because he liked to tell some interesting stories to make people laugh all the time.
One day Mark Twain was going to a small town because of his writing. Before he was going to leave, one of his friends said to him that there were always a lot of mosquitoes in the town and told him that he’d better not go there. Mark Twain waved (摇动) his hand and said, “It doesn’t matter. The mosquitoes are no relatives of mine. I don’t think they will come to visit me.”
After he arrived at the town, Mark Twain stayed in a small hotel near the station. He went into his room, but when he was just about to have a rest, quite a few mosquitoes flew about him. The waiters felt very sorry about that. “I’m very sorry, Mr Mark Twain. There are too many mosquitoes in our town.” One of them said to him.
Mark Twain, however, made a joke, saying to the waiter, “The mosquitoes are very clever. They know my room number. They didn’t come into the wrong room.” What he said made all the people present laugh heartily.
But that night Mark Twain slept well. Do you know why? That was because all the waiters in the hotel were driving the mosquitoes away for him during the whole night.That day Mark Twain went to the town _____.
| A．to see one of his friends |
| B．because he wanted to do something there for his writing |
| C．because he was told there were a lot of mosquitoes there |
| D．to see one of his relatives |
The waiters felt sorry because _____.
| A．they did something wrong to Mark Twain |
| B．their hotel was too small |
| C．the room was not very clean |
| D．there were quite a few mosquitoes in Mark Twain’s room |
All the people present laughed heartily because _____.
| A．the mosquitoes were very clever and they didn’t come into the wrong room |
| B．the mosquitoes knew Mark Twain’s room number |
| C．Mark Twain gave the waiters some nice presents |
| D．Mark Twain made a joke |
From the story we know _____.
| A．no mosquitoes troubled Mark Twain in the night |
| B．the owner of the hotel told the waiters to look after Mark Twain well at night |
| C．Mark Twain didn’t have a good rest that night |
| D．there were not mosquitoes in the hotel any longer |
People are overweight for many reasons, the most important one of which is that they eat the wrong foods, get the wrong types of calories per meal, and they also eat meals at the wrong time each day. Food is more powerful than any weight loss pill(减肥药), because the food that you eat can either make you thin or fat. This is true because your body is like an engine, and it only needs certain foods at certain intervals(间隔)each day. Low-calorie Diets Do Not Work
The reason people cannot lose weight by starving themselves is that their metabolism(新陈代谢)will detect any major drop in calories and it will then adjust(调整)itself by burning fewer calories each day. That is the reason why you can eat 1,000 calories per day and not lose any weight, while your friends can eat 2,500 calories per day and not gain any weight.
Low-fat Diets Do Not Work
Many people in today’s society are buying mostly low- fat or non-fat food at the grocery store. Everybody knows how much fat is inside the food they buy. However, people are getting fatter than ever before by doing this. They are not losing weight by changing to this low fat lifestyle.
Losing weight has nothing to do with these things. One of the most important things you can do to control your weight is to eat the proper foods, such as fruit and vegetables, eat them at the right time, and exercise every day. If people make this a habit, they will lose weight.What is the main reason why people are overweight?
| A．They eat the wrong foods at the wrong time. |
| B．They eat food with lots of calories. |
| C．They don’t take any weight loss pills. |
| D．They burn many calories every day. |
The article is written in order to _______.
| A．tell readers not to buy low-fat or non-fat food |
| B．tell readers how to lose weight |
| C．tell readers about an important scientific discovery |
| D．call on people to lose weight and stay healthy |
To realize the aim of your weight loss plan, you should ________.
a. do exercise every day
b. eat meals at the right time
c. eat fruits and vegetables
d. eat low-fat or sweet food
e. eat the proper foods at each meal
| A．a, b, c, d | B．a, b, d, e | C．a, c, d, e | D．a, b, c, e |
Suppose you are working as a manager in a famous company in China, and you will be sent to New York for a further study soon, but you don't think your English is good enough. So you are looking for a place where you can improve your English, especially your spoken English.
Here are some advertisements about English language training from newspapers. You may find the information you need.
. What is special about the 2lst Century English Training Centre?
| A．Its teaching quality is better. |
| B．It is the nearest to the city center. |
| C．Its courses are more advanced. |
| D．It requires an entrance examination. |
. Which school will you choose if you are busy in the daytime?
| A．Global English Center and Modern Language School. |
| B．Global English Center and the International House of English. |
| C．Modern Language School and the 2lst Century English Training Centre. |
| D．The 2lst Century English Training Centre and the International House of English. |
. If you prefer to have English course on weekends, which telephone number will you call?
| A．67353019. | B．67705272. |
| C．67801642. | D．67432308. |
London has become a cycle friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme. It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London.
So how does it work? First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes, which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go, for the length of time you use the bike.
Transport for London, which runs the scheme, is hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year. The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion (拥挤 ) in London and is expected to create up t0 40 ,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been 6ifilled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses".
However, there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday. On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered. Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few "teething problems" and have said they wouldn't charge for the first day as a "gesture of goodwill". Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles.
Despite the comments, the green-thinking London Mayor still seems very positive about things, saying, "My campaign for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a big pedal-powered push forwards. ". London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the new bike scheme in order to______.
| A．reduce the air pollution of the city |
| B．deal with the city's traffic problems |
| C．increase employment opportunities |
| D．encourage the citizens to take exercises |
. If you want to hire a bike, in which order will you do?
a. pay for the key to a bike
b. sign up as a member to get a key
c. cycle in and around central London
d. pay for the bike according to the time you use it
| A．b→a→c→d | B．b→d→c→a |
| C．d→c→b→a | D．d→b→c→a |
. All the following are the problems of the scheme EXCEPT_____.
| A．the high cost to hire a bike |
| B．docking the bikes properly |
| C．not registering their usage of the bikes |
| D．not charging for the first day of the scheme |
. From the passage, we can infer that_______.
| A．the cycling revolution is not successful |
| B．all the citizens in London support the scheme |
| C．the London Mayor is confident in the scheme |
| D．the scheme will be cancelled because of the problems |