The year 2009 is the Year of Ox. The ox is a representative of the fanning culture of China. In the farming economy (经济), oxen are the major animals pulling plows (犁).
Of course, the good of oxen is not limited to plowing. In fact, they are seen as “boats on land” for their ability to carry loads. Besides, the whole body of an ox is full of treasures. Their meat and milk are food full of nutrition, and their skin can be used to make clothes and shoes. With all these qualities, oxen are regarded as generous creatures.
In the past, oxen played an important role in the spiritual life of the Chinese. Even today, oxen still play a special part in some folk activities. For example, some people who1ive in southwest China will cook cattle bone soup and share it among family members when holding the ceremony for children who reach 13. They believe that the cattle bone soup represents the blood relationship among family members. In order to express their love for oxen, people in some other areas will run to shake off diseases on the 16th day of the first month by the lunar calendar (农历), and during their run they will take their oxen along, which indicates they regard the creature as human.
Because of the con
tribution of oxen in their lives, the Chinese people are very grateful to the animal. In addition, the use of oxen in ceremonies and the thanks people owe to oxen help to develop various traditional customs, which becomes an important part of the folk culture of the Chinese nation.
（1）The words “boats an land” underlined in Paragraph 2 refer to ____
A. animals for taking goods B. creatures for pulling plows
C. treasures of the folk culture D. tools in the farming economy
（2）From the third paragraph, we know that ____
A. oxen are no more important today than in the past
B. ceremonies are held when people cook cattle bone soup
C. oxen are treated as human in some areas of China
D. people run with oxen to shake off diseases every month
（3）Which of the following helps to develop tradi
tional customs? ____
A. The special role of oxen in farming.
B. People’s respect and love for oxen.
C. The practical value of an ox’s body.
D. The contribution of oxen to the economy.
（4）Why does the author write the text? ____
A. To stress the importance of oxen in farming.
B. To introduce the Chinese folk culture.
C. To describe how to celebrate the Year of Ox.
D. To explain how to develop agriculture with oxen.
Explore the State of California
California is one of the most interesting states of America that offers a lot of wonderful sceneries and fun attractions. It is also the most populated state and the third largest in land area. Anyone who has been to California would agree that it is indeed a place that offers a lot to tourists of all ages. Here are some top picks of the best places to visit in California State.
San Francisco Bay Area - Witness the famous San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge which is one of the city's landmarks; and enjoy the beauty of Fisherman's Wharf that offers a lot of seafood restaurants. You should not miss the city's world-famous Cable Car System which is by far the only manually operated cable car system in the whole world.
Yosemite National Park - This is one of the very first wilderness parks in the whole of America. It is known for
its natural beauty and breathtaking sceneries. It offers a breath of fresh air away from the city life. Major places to visit include the Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Dome, El Capitan, Mariposa Grove and Glacier Point among many others.
Los Angeles - Explore the home of the L.A. Lakers and do not fail to visit the Disneyl
and which is one of the major attractions of the city. The warm weather in Los Angeles makes it possible to do a lot of outdoor activities especially during the summer months. It is a family-friendly place that offers a wonderful shopping and dining experience. For those who particularly love the city and night life, L.A. can offer the best of almost everything.
Napa Valley - With over a million visitors every year, Napa Valley is indeed a place you s
hould not 
miss if you are in California. It is California's most popular wine growing region. You can also experience the Wine Train and hot air balloon ride over the valley. From the first paragraph, we know that_____.
A．the State of California has the largest population in the US |
| B．California offers a lot to tourists of young people |
| C．California is also the largest in land area |
| D．California is the most interesting state of America |
. According to the passage, if you want to breathe the fresh air, you’ll go to _____.
| A．San Francisco Bay Area |
| B．Yosemite National Park |
| C．Los Angeles |
| D．Napa Valley |
. The underlined word “region” in the last paragraph may probably mean _____.
| A．company | B．valley | C．factory | D．area |
. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Napa Valley will bring us a wonderful shopping and dining experience. |
| B．San Francisco Bay Area is California's most popular wine growing region. |
| C．Los Angeles allows us to visit the Disneyland and enjoy almost everything. |
| D．In Yosemite National Park, we can see the Yosemite Falls, Golden Gate Bridge. |
London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At that time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that 
it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people h
ad a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system, was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engin
e soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot, as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in the first year
..
What led the British government to build the London Underground?
| A．Traffic jams and pollution |
| B．Population and pollution |
| C．Overcrowding and traffic jams |
D．The poverty and s ubway problems |
. The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “_____”.
| A．be troublesome | B．become popular and fashionable |
| C．keep up with | D．seize |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．To locate the workers’ homes outside London, the government built the subway |
| B．There were so many problems and delays that in the 18th century the first subway opened |
| C．The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic |
| D．There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened. |
. It seems that the writer is going to talk about _____.
| A．more problems with subways | B．subways around the world later on |
C．th e history and culture of London |
D．the Beijing subway |
Reading is very important to help you learn English. To learn as much as you can from reading, you need to
read different kinds of English. This book provides not only different kinds of English but also a good way to check your reading ability.
There are four parts in the book:
Part 1 is Messages: In this part somebody wants to wad(填塞) information in writing to somebody else. There is a test on timetables and a test on text messages.
Part 2 is People: In this part all the tests are about people. For example, there is an informal letter between friends. There is formal (正式的) English in biography (传记). There is a job application as a model to help with your writing, as well as testing your reading.
Part 3 is Places: In this part, too many different kinds of English are shown, some informal and some formal. There is informal English of a holiday postcard. There is also fo
rmal English in a letter of complaint.
Part 4 is Things: You will find some descriptive writing in this part. There are descriptions of clothes and of a computer.
You can do these tests in any order you like, or you can do all the tests with a formal or informal text. I enjoyed writing this book and I hope you 
enjoy using it.. We can find the introduction to a product in _____.
| A．Part 1 | B．Part 2 |
| C．Part 3 | D．Part 4 |
. Which of the following is most probably written in informal English?
| A．A letter of complaint. |
| B．A computer handbook. |
| C．A letter to a friend. |
| D．A story of a president. |
The passage is most probably written for_____.
| A．test designers | B．students |
| C．test-takers | D．teachers |
. What is the best title of the book?
| A．Test Your Reading |
| B．Help with Your Writing |
C．Learn Different Kinds of English |
D．Practise Englis h in Different Ways |
When Chato’s barking didn’t stir Jerrica Seals, the recently adopted dog tried nibbling on the teenager’s leg to get the girl out of the burning house.
“No one was hurt.” Fort Myers firefighters responded at about 7:00 a.m.
Five people lived in the Garcia’s home. That was neighbor Janice Hamilton’s main concern when she looked out of her window Friday and saw the flames. “I just threw my pants on to run outside and make sure they knew how many people lived there,” Hamilton said. “It was scary.”
“Seals called me screamingly,” said Leticia Vega, 36, the sister of Se
als’ boyfriend, Javier Garcia, 23, who owns the house. “She said the dog woke her up barking, jumped on the bed and bit her on the leg.”
It is said that Garcia’s brother brought Chato home several weeks ago after
the animal wandered onto a Lehigh Acres construction site. Since then, Vega said, Chato had been mostly quiet until it mattered. “He doesn’t usually bark.” Vega said. “He’s really friendly.”
According to deputy fire chief Steve Clyatt, possibly the fire started because of an improper extension cord(电缆) used on a window air conditioner. More than half of the house was burned down. There was extensive smoke and water damage in the remainder of the structure. Estimates （估计）for repair costs were unavailable. “I’d say it’s unlikely they will recover this, but I’ve been surprised before.” Clyatt said.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Janice Hamilton Helps Save Neighbors |
| B．Firefighters Put out House Fire |
| C．A Dog Saves the Whole Family from House Fire |
| D．Family Needs Help Due to House Fire |
The underlined word “they” in the third paragraph most probably refers to_______.
| A．other neighbors | B．Hamilton’s family members |
| C．Vega and her brother Garcia | D．the firefighters |
By saying “I’d say it’s unlikely they will recover this, but I’ve been surprised before.” in the
las
t paragraph, Clyatt means_______.
| A．it’s a wonder that Seals survived the fire | B．the house was badly damaged |
| C．such a big fire was seldom seen | D．Chato is a very clever dog |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned?
| A．The person who called the firefighters. |
| B．The possible cause of the accident. |
| C．The relationship between Seals and Garcia. |
| D．The owner of the house. |
Whether you’re headed to another country for business or pleasure, it is likely that you need to keep in touch with family or business partners in the United States. But if you plan to do that using your cellphone, you could have an unwelcome surprise—U.S. cellphones don’t work abroad. U.S. companies use different forms of technology, not like most of the international community, including Europe.
However, there is an easy, cost-effective solution to staying in touc
h while you’re traveling. You can rent a phone that is guarante
ed（保证）to work in the countries you’re visiting. Roadpost offers a 30-day cellphone rental plan that includes free incoming calls, free voicemail and call waiting services.
The service is convenient and simple. You can place your order online and yourphone will be shipped to a
rrive on the date you want. If an unexpected business trip comes up, Roadpost can provide next-day delivery for
most cities. In addition to the phone, Roadpost provides a spare battery, travel charger and a leather carrying case.
When your phone is shipped from Roadpost, you receive an e-mail confirmation（确认）that contains your international cellphone number so you can leave it with family members and business partners; Roadpost even provides business cards preprinted with your international phone number.
Those who don’t want to be without e-mail while traveling can rent an international BlackBerry. It can be hard to stay in touch by e-mail when traveling. With an international BlackBerry, you can e-mail as much as you like, without worrying about an expensive bill. If you’re traveling to very remote areas, you may want t
o consider renting a satellite phone, because it receives its signals from satellites, this phone works anywhere on the planet, including oceans and mountains. When you return, simply ship the phone or BlackBerry back to Roadpost using the return kit the company provides.The first paragraph mainly tells us that_________.
| A．Americans need to change their cellphones |
| B．European form of technology is different from America’s |
| C．U.S. cellphones don’t work abroad |
| D．Americans who go abroad will meet an unwelcome surprise |
According to the text,it can be inferred that__________.
| A．an international BlackBerry is only used to send e-mail |
| B．Roadpost can offer cellphones using in different areas |
| C．you should select a bag used to send your cellphone |
| D．Roadpost sells the best cellphones |
Which of the free services can you get from Roadpost?
| A．Voicemail. | B．Sending e-mail. |
| C．Shipping the phone back. | D．Call waiting services. |
Which of the following will help you a lot in mountainous areas?
| A．BlackBerry. | B．The return kit. | C．E-mail. | D．Satellite phones. |