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During the Christmas shopping rush in London, the intriguing story was reported of a tramp(流浪汉) who, apparently through no fault of his own, found himself locked in a well-known chain store late on Christmas Eve. No doubt the store was crowded with last minute Christmas shoppers and the staff were dead beat and longing to get home. Presumably all the proper Security checks were made before the store was locked and they left to enjoy the three-day holiday untroubled by customers desperate to get last minute Christmas presents
However that may be, our tramp found himself alone in the store and decided to make the best of it. There was food, drink, bedding and camping equipment, of which he made good use. There must also have been television sets and radios Though it was not reported if he took advantage of these facilities, when the shop re-opened, he was discovered in bed with a large number of empty bottles beside him. He seems to have been a man of good humour and philosophic temperament---as indeed vagrants(流浪汉) very commonly arc. Everyone also was enjoying Christmas, so he saw no good reason why he should not do the same. He submitted, cheerfully enough, to being taken way by the police. Perhaps he had bad a better Christmas than usual. He was sent to prison for Seven days. The judge awarded no compensation to the chain store for the food and drink our tramp had consumed. They had, in his opinion, already received valuable free publicity from the coverage the story received in the newspapers and on television. Perhaps the judge had had a good Christmas too.
1. The tramp was locked in the store____
A. for his mistakes. B. due to a misunderstanding
C. by accident. D. through an error of judgment.
2. The staff were 'dead beat' means they were _____
A. half asleep B. exhausted. C. annoyed. D. forgetful.
3. What action did the tramp take? He_____
A. looted the store. B. made himself at home.
C. went to sleep for 2 days. D. had a Christmas party.
4. When the tramp was arrested, he _____
A. laughed at the police. B. looked forward to going to pr)son.
C. rook his bottles with him. D. didn't make any fuss
5. Why didn't the judge award compensation to the chain store?
A. The tramp had stolen nothing of value B. The store had profited by the incident.
C. The tramp deserved a happy Christmas D. The store was responsible for what happened.
I walked alongside my father, clutching his right hand．All my clothes were new: the black shoes, the green school uniform, and the red cap．They did not make me happy, however, as tins was the day I was to be thrown into school for the first time．I tried in vain lo convince him that I did nothing wrong all the way, but it didn’t help．
When we．arrived at the sate we could see the courtyard, vast and full of boys and girls．I hesitated and clung to his hand, but he gently pushed me from him．"Be a man, "he said．"today you truly begin your life．You will find me waiting for you when it’s time to leave．"
I took a few steps．Then the faces of the boys and girls came into view．I did not know a single one of them, and none of them knew me．I felt I was a stranger who had lost his way．But then some boys began to glance at me in curiosity, and one of them came over and asked, " Who brought you? "
"My father," I whispered．
’’My father’s dead, " he said simply．
I did not know what to say．The gate was now closed．Some of the children burst into tears．The bell rang．A lady came along, followed by a group of men．The men began soiling us into ranks．We were formed into an intricate pattern in the great courtyard surrounded by high buildings．
Well, it seemed that my misgivings had had no basis．From the first moments I made many friends and fell in love with many girls．I had never imagined school would have this rich variety of experiences．
We played all sorts, of games．In the music room we sang our first songs．We also had our first introduction to language．We saw a globe of Earth, which revolved and showed the various continents and countries．We started lean-line numbers, and we were told the story of the Creator of the universe．We ate delicious food, took a little nap, and woke up to go on with friendship and love, playing and learning．
Our path, however, was not totally sweet and unclouded．We had to be observant and patient．It was not all a matter of playing and fooling around． Rivalries could bring about pain and hatred or give rise to fighting．And while the lady would sometimes smile, she would often yell and scold．Even more frequently
she would resort to physical punishment．
The bell rang, announcing the passing of the day and the end of work．The children rushed toward the gate, which was opened again．I said goodbye to friends and sweethearts and passed through the gate．I looked around but found no trace of my father, who had promised to be there．I stepped aside to wait.The writer hesitated and clung to his father’s hand when they got to the school gate because ____．
| A．he loved his father and didn’t want to leave his father |
| B．he had thought attending school meant being punished |
| C．he was afraid of the punishment given by teachers |
| D．he did not want to leave his mother and his rather alone at home |
What happened to him first during his first day at school?
| A．He was moved to tears by a sad story told by a girl． |
| B．He together without other students was grouped． |
| C．He learnt music and other courses and had a good time． |
| D．He got punished by die woman teacher because of his impatience． |
Which of the following subjects did he not probably have?
| A．Cooking． | B．Math． | C．Music． | D．Geography． |
From the last but one paragraph we can learn that ______.
| A．they got on well with one another all the time |
| B．they had a good time at school without being scolded |
| C．their teacher was more kind to them than strict with them |
| D．more often than not they experienced physical punishment |
The writer stepped aside after he got out of the school gate because .
| A．he was polite to let other students go before him |
| B．he left something behind in his classroom |
| C．he wanted to say goodbye to his teacher |
| D．his father has promised to wait for him |
“Everybody loves a bargain.” Is a well-known saying. One person’s useless, ugly, or broken object can be another person’s bargain. That is why so many Americans do not throw things away. They put them outside their house. They put on a "For Sale" sign. And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale.
The sellers put a paid announcement in a local newspaper. It tells when and where the yard sale will take place. These sales are very popular during weekends in spring, summer, and autumn.
Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house. Then they sit all day in the sunlight -- like tired guests at a party -- waiting for someone to take them home.
Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale. Sometimes, there are more clothes than anything else. Cooking equipment is also popular. So are old toys, tools, books, tables, and chairs. Then there are objects called "white elephants." A white elephant is something you think is extremely ugly or useless. It may be an electric light shaped like a fish. You feel a sharp pain whenever you look at it. To someone else, however, it might be a thing of beauty and joy.
Some people go to yard sales to find a special thing that they collect. It may be old toy trains, for example, or paintings of dogs. Experts say more Americans are collecting old things now than ever before. Most people who go to yard sales, however, are not looking for anything special. They might buy an object simply because it costs so little. They enjoy negotiating over prices, even if they really do not need the object. Later, they may hold their own yard sale to sell all the things they have bought.What kind of things will go to a yard sale?
| A．Cheap and ugly things． | B．Things people no longer use． |
| C．Things out of season． | D．Things of great value． |
A white elephant refers to ______ ．
| A．something that can cause n feeling of pain |
| B．something disliked by the owners while appreciated by others |
| C．something sold at the lowest price |
| D．a toy shaped like a fish |
Most people go to yard sales to ______ ．
| A．find Valuable paintings | B．look for something special |
| C．find a bargain | D．kill their time |
Which of the following is NOT true about a yard sale?
| A．It may not be held when the weather is very cold． |
| B．It can last for a whole day． |
| C．It is usually held with a party． |
| D．It is held outdoors． |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ______ ．
| A．people may find something of great value on a yard sale |
| B．yard sales only attract those who have a low income |
| C．things on a yard sale can cost people a lot |
| D．most people who go to yard sales want to make money |
If your cellphone suddenly stops working, don’t blame the service provider．The malfunction（故障） might well have been caused by something bigger -- a solar storm．Experts expect that Earth will see more solar activity in the near future．The malfunction of electronic devices will just one of the effects．
Sunspots（太阳黑子） serve as an indicator of the sun’s activity．For the past two years, sunspots have mostly been missing．Their absence, the most prolonged in nearly 100 years, has taken even seasoned sun watchers by surprise．
When the number of sunspots drops at the end of each 11-year cycle, solar storms die down and all become much calmer. This “solar minimum” doesn’t last long. Within a year, sunspots and solar storms begin to build toward a new crescendo, the next solar maximum.
What’s special about this latest cycle is that the sun is having trouble starting the next solar cycle. The sun began to calm down in late 2007, so no one expected many sunspots in 2008. They should return in 2010. Scientists have predicted that the next solar cycle could be the most active on record: more sunspots and more solar storms. However, sunspots are mostly missing now.
Since the earth is in close contact with the sun, strong solar activities can bring trouble to our life. People of the 21st century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. Air travel and radio communications can be affected by strong solar activities. A big solar storm could cause 20 times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.
What the sun will do next is beyond our ability to predict. Most astronomers think that the solar cycle will go on but at low level. However, there is also evidence that the sun is losing its ability to produce sunspots. By 2015, they could be gone altogether.The sun watcher feel surprised at .
| A．the longest sunspots’ absence | B．the largest sunspot number |
| C．the malfunction of electronic devices | D．the serious damage by sunspots |
What does the underlined word “crescendo” in paragraph 3 most probably mean?
| A．small number | B．high level |
| C．usual cycle | D．fresh start |
We can infer that in the past two years .
| A．solar activities have brought much trouble to our life |
| B．the number of sunspots has increased to a large extent |
| C．the solar minimum took the place of the solar maximum |
| D．our cellphones have seldom been interrupted by the solar storm |
Which statement does the text lead you to believe?
| A．Solar activities do no harm to our daily life. |
| B．Hurricane Katrina is also a type of solar storms. |
| C．It’s difficult to predict sunspots. |
| D．From now on there’ re no sunspots. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The earth is in close contact with the sun. |
| B．Sunspots can cause trouble to our life. |
| C．Introduction of sunspots. |
| D．Introduction of the solar storm． |
When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob（烤肉串）hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything else．
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack．
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming．
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking．
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, and reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plate piled with food．
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large．Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well．
The food especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill （烤肉架）．
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat．
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grilled chicken pieces served with either rice or bread．Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, a kabob consisting of grilled beef．
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious．It is a place that should not be overlooked．When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it ________．
| A．is splendidly decorated | B．has pleasant smells of kabobs |
| C．is crowded with dining tables | D．looks like a common restaurant |
What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?
| A．Watching news events on TV． | B．Drinking a kind of black coffee． |
| C．Reading local English newspapers． | D．Discussing world topics in low voices． |
The food of the restaurant ________．
| A．is served in small amounts | B．is rather expensive |
| C．is rich in variety | D．is very healthy |
What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?
| A．Rice | B．Chicken | C．Bread | D．Beef |
It can be inferred from the passage that the restaurant ________．
| A．occupies a large space | B．owns a favorable location |
| C．is popular for its special food | D．has a quiet environment inside |
Five years ago, Wang Baoqiang was a nobody to most Chinese people. However, he is now a household film star in China.
Wang is the youngest child of a poor family in Hebei province . Dreaming of becoming an actor, he left home at the age of 8 to study kung fu at Shaolin Temple, since kung-fu actors seemed to appear most often on the big screen.
At 14, he moved to Beijing for his acting career for the first time, with little money in his pocket. He worked at a construction site（建筑工地）for 20 to 25 yuan per day, and spent his free time standing in front of the Beijing Film Studio, eager to be chosen as temporary（临时的）actors.
This was the most difficult time for the boy. His opportunity finally came one day after he went for a role in the movie “Blind Shaft”. He was chosen to play a young coal miner. The movie won him three prizes in Thailand, France and Taiwan. But his success didn’t make any difference to his life.
That year, he went home for the Spring Festival. He gave his family his earnings from the movie, around US$250 and then returned to Beijing with 500 yuan, the same amount he had when he first set foot in the city. His life was as simple as before.
Thanks to his natural performance in “Blind Shaft,” he was invited by the famous director Feng Xiaogang to act in the film “A World Without Thieves” in 2004, which made him famous
immediately. People called him “Shagen,” the name of his character in the movie.
Wang’s latest work, “Soldiers’ Sortie” has made him the most popular actor on the Chinese mainland . For the actor, it’s a dream coming true.
“Dreams come true. I think my life is exactly a course of pursuing（追求）dreams. No matter how tough one thing is, I can make it as long as I put great effort into it,” he said. Why does Wang Baoqiang leave for Shaolin Temple at his early age ?
| A．To study kungfu to build up his strength . |
| B．He has seen through the human society . |
| C．To realize his childhood dream to be an actor . |
| D．To make money in support of his family . |
Which of the following films made him win three prizes ?
| A．A World Without Thieves | B．Soldiers’ Sortie . |
| C．Plot Against | D．Blind Shaft |
What would be the best title for this passage ?
| A．The Movies about Wang Baoqiang | B．Pursuing Dreams |
| C．How to Become Famous | D．Overnight Well-known |