On Saturday, millions of people around the world will celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, which honors Patron Saint (or main religious figure) of Ireland. Communities across the United States will host parades, parties, and other festivities to mark the occasion.
This year, cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago have organized massive events celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. In New York City, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to watch the Saint Patrick’s Day parade—the nation’s largest. It is one of the most watched parades in the world. Last year, almost 2 million spectators and more than 150,000 participants filled the streets. The parade, first held in 1776, is also one of the oldest.
Chicago also throws a big celebration. Every year, the Chicago River, which crosses the city, glows green as event organizers dump about 40 pounds of fluorescence, a powerful dye, into the water.
Boston keeps its parade rolling for three hours or more. It is the nation’s second-largest parade. The city will also salute one of its most famous former residents, President John F. Kennedy, by opening the exhibit "A Journey Home: John F. Kennedy and Ireland," at his official library.
Patron Saint lived in Britain in the early fifth century, when it was still part of the Roman Empire. He was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland when he was only 16．He eventually escaped slavery and turned to a life of religious devotion. He trained to become a minister and set out to spread Christianity throughout Ireland. After 30 years as a religious leader, Patrick died on March 17, 1461．Saint Patrick’s Day is always celebrated on March 17．In Ireland, it is an official holiday.
55. What’s the best title of the passage?
A．History of Saint Patrick’s Day B．An Official Holiday in US
C．The Largest Parade in the World D．Celebrations across the Country
56. What do you think is the official color of St. Patrick’s Day?
A．Green B．Red. C．Black. D．Yellow.
57. The last paragraph is mainly about _____.
A．the cruel slave trade. B．Saint Patrick’s contribution.
C．activities during Saint Patrick’s Day D．Ireland’s Patron Saint
58. Which of the following is not correct according to the passage?
A．Parade is a most important event to observe Saint Patrick’s Day.
B．Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday.
C．Saluting the former president has become a main event on the occasion.
D．The Saint Patrick’s Day parade has a history of over two centuries.
What makes a house a home? A home is a place of companionship with people in it who love each other, who are harmonious (和谐的) and closer with one another than with those in the workplace or with classmates at school. A home is a place that’s so magnetic that it’s difficult to leave. In a home there is love, sharing and appreciation, and the members help one another.
I have seen families on the street. But if they live, sleep, talk, and eat together, they are a family, even if they are poorly off. You don’t need a roof to make a home. The truly homeless are some of the rich people who build multi-million-dollar houses and are too busy to really live in them. The truly homeless are those who have turned their home into a hotel lobby. The parents work and the children misbehave. They don’t talk and eat together every day. They rarely see each other. The truly homeless people are those with babysitters, caretakers, gardeners and maids. However, people are unaware of this, as they are too busy making money outside the home that they don’t live in. This is another way of looking at the rich and the homeless. Who is to be pitied?
Control of the computer and the Internet is also important to make a house into a home. If the computer is on all the time, the house turns into an office, even if everyone is at home. Many homes these days are just offices. Human communication has stopped. The computer eats up all the time that one should be giving to others within the home. Using the computer moderately gives us time for play and communication, not with a screen, but with other people. Which of the following may serve as the best title for this passage?
| A．How to make a house a home? | B．What makes a house a home? |
| C．Who are truly homeless? | D．What is a home for? |
The purpose of the first paragraph is to tell us ____ .
| A．that where there is home there is love | B．how to have a happy home |
| C．what people think a home is | D．the author’s concept of home |
The underlined word “those” refers to ____ .
| A．people who build multi-million-dollar houses |
| B．people who don’t spend time with the family |
| C．people who have lost their family members |
| D．homeless families living on the street in America |
Which of the following is FALSE according to the passage?
| A．Computers and the Internet are important for a happy home. |
| B．A home is a place where you are willing to stay. |
| C．Sometimes it’s the rich that should be pitied. |
| D．Even the poorest people can have a happy home. |
According to the passage, which is NOT mentioned as an element (要素) of a home?
| A．Communication. | B．Appreciation. | C．Kindness. | D．Companionship. |
Many do-it-yourself homeowners are interested in 
trying out solar power to leam about the technology and
perhaps to provide energy for limited-use applications．
There are a variety of ways to find cheap solar panels
（板）, including buying used and building your own
with factory seconds．Both methods will save money
while forcing you to learn the ins-and-outs of a solar
power array （阵列）．
We've all seen solar-powered street signs or PV
panels being used for various purposes at remote locations．
When those units become cracked or chipped and are considered "unsafe", companies are forced to replace them, generally to avoid responsibility issues．Because it's difficult to get rid of PV panels, many companies, if approached, are willing to give them away or to sell them for modest prices．Depending on the degree of damage present, expect to see performance degradation （降级） in the range of 10% to 60%．A multimeter （万用表） can be used to test the panel before buying．If the panel's free, take it anyway．It could still be useful in a home solar project．
A solar panel is really nothing but a box serving as a container for a large group of solar cells．Factory second solar cells are usually sold on eBay at a small part of their regular cost．The cells come in a variety of sizes．You will need to figure out how much power a single cell produces to determine how many will need to be wired together to form an array．
A simple search of the Internet will show numerous sites detailing home solar panel projects．Do-it-yourself lovers are generally quite generous in supply photographs of their work and description of what went wrong and right with the project．
Getting cheap solar panels with slight imperfections, either used or through sales of factory seconds, is a perfect solution for home-built renewable energy projects．The high number of solar lovers online provide a wealth of useful information．Only limited skills are required, plus an understanding of the basic wiring involved．All are well within the talents of almost any home handyman．Beyond the satisfaction of having completed the project, you'll come away with a functional solar panel that will be a source of power for use around the house or at remote locations．
Solar energy systems are quickly becoming more popular with homeowners as prices continue to decline．
72．The author writes the passage to introduce ____．
A．ways of finding cheap solar panels B．ways of saving energy
C．a way of making a solar panel D．a home-built energy system
73．What does the phrase "factory seconds" in the passage refer to?
A．Second-hand factory products． B．Cheap but perfect factory products
C．Faulty factory solar cells． D．The second best factory solar cells
74．From Paragraph 5, we can learn about home-built energy projects that ____．
A．none of them are beyond home handymen
B．a lot of useful information is available on the Internet
C．a perfect solution is to get cheap and perfect solar panels
D．understanding electrical wiring is not necessarily needed
75．What is the author's attitude towards the future of solar energy systems?
A．Optimistic． B．Pessimistic. C．Indifferent． D．Doubtful
Bernice Gallego sat down one day this summer, as she does pretty much every day, and began listing items on eBay. She dug into a box and pulled out a baseball card. She stopped for a moment and admired the picture. “Red Stocking B. B. Club of cincinnati,” the card read, under the reddish brown color photo of 10 men with their socks pulled up to their knees.
As a collector and seller, it's her job to spot old items that might have value today．It's what Bernice, 72, and her husband, Al Gallego, 80, have been doing since 1974 at their California antique （古玩） store．
This card, she figured, was worth selling on eBay．She took a picture, wrote a description and put it up for auction （拍卖）．She put a $10 price tag on it, deciding against $15 because it would have cost her an extra 20 cents．Later that night she got a few odd inquiries—someone wanting to know whether the card was real, someone wanting her to end the auction and sell him the card immediately．
The card is actually 139 years old．Sports card collectors call the find "extremely rare" and estimate the card could fetch five, or perhaps, six figures at auction．
Just like that, Bemice is the least likely character ever for a rare-baseball card story．"I didn't even know baseball existed that far back," Gallego says, "I don't think that I've ever been to a baseball game．" The theory is that the card came out of a storage space they bought a few years back．It is not uncommon in their line of work to buy the entire contents of storage units for around $200．
When she met with card trader Rick Mirigian, she found out what the card was—an 1869 advertisement with a picture of the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings．
"When I came to meet her and she took it out of a sandwich bag and she was smoking a cigarette, I almost fainted," Mirigian says．"They've uncovered a piece of history that few people will ever be able to imagine．That card is history．It's like unearthing a Mona Lisa or a Picasso．"
68．What can we conclude from Paragraph 3?
A．Bernice had to pay some fees for her card on eBay．
B．Bernice wanted to end the auction that night．
C．Bernice decided to sell the card for $15．
D．eBay charged her 20 cents for the card．
69．The underlined word "fetch" in Paragraph 4 most probably means "____"．
A．go and bring B．add up to C．go down to D．be sold for
70．From the passage, we may learn that ____．
A．Bernice is a baseball fan
B．Bernice is the last person to purchase the rare-baseball card
C．Bernice unexpectedly became the owner of the rare-baseball card
D．Bernice didn't realize the value of the card until she put it up for auction
71．What would be the best title for the passage?
A．A Surprisingly Valuable Discovery B．Bemice Gallego—A Lucky Collector
C．Sports Card Collectors D．The History of the Baseball Card
The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program （ISP） at the International Center provides a welcoming place for immigrants where they can build the skills they need to fully participate in the professional and social life of their new country．
About the Program
The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program （ISP） at the International Center provides an integrated （综合的） set of educational, cultural, and professional activities at ICNY to help immigrants:
●improve their English
●develop the networks they need to achieve their goals and fully participate in American life
●find a welcoming "home away from home"
Participants have access to a wide-range of programming, including:
●more than 40 weekly classes in English language and American culture
●practical and career-skills workshops
●opportunities to explore New York City and the nearby area through trips and tours
ISP is particularly focused on helping newly arrived immigrants at a critical point in their lives．Recent arrivals in financial need receive one-year scholarships and low-cost meals．ISP is funded by Andrew Romay and a sum of money from the Open Society Institute．
If you are interested in applying for ISP, please fill out our online application or contact ISP Program Manager, Elaine Roberts at （212） 255-9555 or at eroberts@intlcenter．org．
Resources for Current ISP Members
RECOMMENDED CLASSES
●Intermediate level: Introduction to Writing & Interviewing Skills on Wednesday, from
11 am-l2:l0pm．
●High Intermediate/Advanced: Tips for Success at Work and Beyond on Tuesday, from 2-3:25pm．
●Advanced: Career Skills Workshop on Wednesday, from 6-8pm．Sign-up required．
●For all levels: Interviewing Skills Workshop on Saturday, from 11 am. - 2 pm. Sign-up required.
UPCOMING EVENTS
To see a list of upcoming events, visit our News & Events page.
OTHER RESOURCES
If you would like helpful resources on topics such as ESOL, healthcare, housing, or finding a job, please visit our Member Resources page．
65．The main purpose of ISP is to ____．
A．help new immigrants set up a home away from home
B．equip new immigrants with the skills needed
C．provide support for new immigrants in financial need
D．help old immigrants at a critical point
66．You can become a member of ISP by ____．
A．visiting News & Events page B．surfing Member Resources page
C．contacting Andrew D．contacting Elaine
67．Which class best suits Tracy, who hopes to improve her interviewing skills but is busy on weekdays?
A．Intermediate level． B．High Intermediate/Advanced．
C．Advanced． D．For all levels．
The Couch Surfing network is an online community stretching across the globe with over one and a half million members．The basic concept is to provide a platform for travelers to contact people who are willing to put them up free of charge．Travelers connect with potential hosts online and, if they like each other, exchange details to make further arrangements．
Basil is one traveler from Switzerland who is currently couch surfing with a Chinese host in Beijmg．"I thought staying in hostel is nice but you mostly meet foreigners and speak English．If you use Couch Surfing you have chance to meet people living here and really get a chance to know the life of the place you visit．" Basil was speaking during a regular meeting of the Beijing network of Couch Surfing with a membership of almost 2,000．
Although some people may have concerns about meeting complete strangers and giving them full access to your house, Beijing group member Fred Sharp from California says that the Couch Surfing community is one that generally attracts trustworthy people．
"I have never had a problem with guests。I'd say that this Couch Surfing community worldwide is a fairly trustworthy community Like I say, always be cautious, make sure that you read everyone's profile that you're considering hosting, and if it doesn't feel right just say 'no', it's ok．"
Originally launched in the US as a non-profit organization in 2004, Couch Surfing is growing fast across the world．China is no exception with around 30,000 members and hundreds more signing up each week．One of them is Beijing resident Hai Yan who joined in November 2009．She says the first time she hosted a guest was a very positive experience．"My first guest was from Italy He was very kind and helpful．He bought me a present from Italy, a handbag．It's a famous brand!"
As the organization grows from strength to strength, hotel owners across the world will be watching very closely and possibly thinking twice about raising their prices too high．
61．The Couch Surfing network is intended to ____．
A．give reliable information about hotels
B．provide people with a platform to contact each other
C．find potential hosts who want to supply travelers with couches
D．offer travelers convenience to find suitable hosts for free accommodations
62．According to Fred Sharp, ____．
A．couch surfers can fully rely on Couch Surfing community
B．Couch Surfing community enables you to meet different people
C．Couch Surfing community is trusted by all couch surfers
D．couch surfers may form a judgment on hosts and make a final decision
63．We can infer from the passage that ____．
A．Couch Surfing has a long history
B．Hai Yan is satisfied with her host
C．Couch Surfing is getting popular in China
D．Basil works at the Beijing Network
64．The last paragraph suggests that hotels will ____．
A．be replaced by the organization B．probably not charge too much
C．not consider raising their prices D．show no concern about the organization