People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer a chance to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child-care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one stands for a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services(宗教仪式) to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit their graves(墓). On these days, families get together at home and in restaurants. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries（面包房）, telephones companies and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
45.Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A Parents bring up children
B Parents give love and care to children
C Parents educate children to be good persons.
D Parents pass away before children grow up
46.What do you know from the passage?
A Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May.
B Fewer women worked outside the home in the past
C Not all the children respect their parents
D Fathers are not as important as mothers at home
47.Which do you think is right about “carnation”?
A It only has two kinds of color.
B It is a special kind of clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
C It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.
D People can wear carnations only on the third Sunday in June.
48.What do you think “florists” do?
A They sell flowers B They made bread or pastry
C They offer enough room for having family parties.
D They sell special candy for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Guide dogs are going to be available for the children who are unable to see normally in the UK for the first time, as the age limit is to be removed. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is to begin training dogs to help blind people under the age of 16.
The association says too many youngsters with impaired eyesight are lacking in independence. They have only a limited social life because of their disability. Giving some of them guide dogs at a younger age is intended to help them to widen their range of activities and to improve their sense of self-confidence and independence. Guide dogs for these teenagers will begin to be provided from next year. There has been an experimental project to test the use of guide dogs with younger people.
Charlotte, aged 14, was among the youngest guide dog owners. She had been gradually losing her eyesight since the age of eight, and lost her eyesight completely this year. She has been assisted by a two-year-old guide dog. Charlotte used to have a long stick to help her move around, but having a guide dog allows her much more freedom and makes her feel safer.
However, the association says there is a worryingly patchy supply of services for the young blind people across the UK, and it calls for national standards to be introduced. As with adult blind people, only a small number of them are likely to be considered suitable for a guide dog. Most will continue to rely on extra help and training from education and social services. We can learn from the text that owning guide dogs.
| A．may meet with difficulties sometimes |
| B．is beneficial to blind children’s development |
| C．became possible in the UK recently |
| D．is quite universal in the UK |
According to the text, Charlotte’s example proves that.
| A．it is necessary to carry out the experimental project |
| B．guide dogs can get along well with disabled people |
| C．the association’s opinion is not quite right |
| D．youngsters need companions and friends |
What does the underlined word “patchy” in the last paragraph probably mean?
| A．Endless. | B．Perfect. | C．Inadequate. | D．Diverse. |
What is the main idea of the text?
| A．Blind people need guide dogs’ assistance in their daily life. |
| B．Age limit for the blind to have guide dogs is to be removed. |
| C．More guide dogs will be trained in the UK. |
| D．The project of using guide dogs is to begin. |
The other day when I was passing a clothing store, I fell in love with a skirt. I knew it would suit me best at first sight. But when I looked at the price tag (标签), I knew I had to give it up.
The love for beautiful clothes has been planted in my heart the day when I was born to be a woman. Several years ago I read an article in a magazine. The article stated that when a woman is at her best time, she is usually poor or tasteless, so she can’t get the right clothes; when she can afford to buy the clothes she likes, she often finds that they do not suit her anymore.
On the way home, I was quite disturbed by such thoughts. It was just a pity, like many other pities. I thought to myself this way. But when I was about to enter the building where I was living, I saw the big mirror placed in the entrance. I saw a girl in it who was in cheap but cleanly washed sweater and jeans. She was rather young, healthy and energetic. For quite a while I was touched by what I had seen in the mirror.
Then I almost forgot the tale: A person without shoes cried until he saw a man without feet. Being young without good clothes is like the person without shoes. I should have felt grateful that I haven’t lost my feet.How did the author feel when she decided not to buy the skirt?
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Wise. | C．Regretful. | D．Relieved. |
The underlined word “She” in Paragraph 3 refers to .
| A．the author’s friend | B．a stranger |
| C．the author’s roommate | D．the author |
Why was the author touched by what she saw in the mirror?
| A．She came to realize what she really possessed. |
| B．She was reminded of her devotion to beauty. |
| C．She didn’t feel at ease when looking into a mirror. |
| D．She never thought over the other side of a person. |
We can learn from the text that the author considered her love for beautiful clothes as .
| A．funny | B．natural | C．silly | D．simple |
It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams,the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life,but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver's seat is another matter.
Road politeness is not only good manners,but good sense. It takes the most cool－headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand,a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and becomes so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behaviorsof politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers nowadays don't even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However,misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who waves a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may not be able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever andwhenever they want to.
An experienced driver,whose manners are faultless,told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings.
Unfortunately,modern drivers can't even learn to drive,let alone master the road man ship. Years ago,experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give-and-takefrom all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.The passage mainly talks about________.
| A．Road politeness |
| B．Traffic jams |
| C．Good manners |
| D．Modern drivers |
Troubles on the road are often caused by________.
| A．great speed |
| B．traffic jams |
| C．terrible road conditions |
| D．the behavior of the drivers |
According to the writer,a good driver should________.
| A．beat back when forced to face rude driving |
| B．be able to recognize politeness when he sees it |
| C．join in traffic stream quickly however other people feel |
| D．encourage old ladies to cross the roads whenever they want to |
It is not always right for drivers to________.
| A．master roadman ship |
| B．create atmosphere of good will |
| C．encourage old ladies to cross the road |
| D．give a friendly nod to show politeness |
Chinese Dinner Table
Of course, the main difference on the Chinese dinner table is chopsticks instead of knife and fork, but that’s only superficial. Besides, in decent restaurants, you can always ask for a pair of knife and fork, if you find the chopsticks not helpful enough. The real difference is that in the West, you have your own plate of food, while in China the dishes are placed on the table and everyone shares. If you are being treated to a formal dinner and particularly if the host thinks you’re in the country for the first time, he will do the best to give you a taste of many different types of dishes.
The meal usually begins with a set of at least four cold dishes, to be followed by the main courses of hot meat and vegetable dishes. Soup then will be served (unless in Guangdong style restaurants) to be followed by staple food ranging from rice, noodles to dumplings. If you wish to have your rice to go with other dishes, you should say so in good time, for most of the Chinese choose to have the staple food at last or have none of them at all.
Perhaps one of the things that surprise a western visitor most is that some of the Chinese hosts like to put food into the plates of their guests. In formal dinners, there are always “public” chopsticks and spoons for this purpose, but some hosts may use their own chopsticks. This is a sign of genuine friendship and politeness. It is always polite to eat the food. If you do not eat it, just leave the food in the plate.
People in China tend to over-order food, for they will find it embarrassing if all the food is consumed. When you have had enough, just say so. Or you will always overeat!The real difference on dinner table between China and West is that___________.
| A．You’re treated to a formal dinner for the first time. |
| B．On Chinese dinner table, chopsticks replace knife and fork. |
| C．The host will do the best to give you a taste of many different types of dishes. |
| D．You have your own plate of food in West while in China everyone shares the dishes. |
If you have a dinner in a Chinese home, in which order will the food be served?
a. serving soup.
b.a set of four cold dishes.
c. staple food such as rice, noodle or dumplings.
d. the main courses of hot meat and vegetable dishes.
| A．badc | B．cabd | C．bdac | D．cdab |
The “public chopsticks and spoons” are used to ______.
| A．taste different dishes |
| B．consume the food in the plate |
| C．show the friendship and politeness |
| D．put food into the plates of their guests |
According to the message, the author’s attitude towards Chinese dinner table is______
| A．critical | B．objective | C．negative | D．positive |
Comment on CRI
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 bonanza 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! |
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. |
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 |
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. |