In Vietnam(越南), Tet-trung-Thu, or Mid- autumn Festival, is one of the most popular holidays. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month in lunar calendar
Vietnamese families plan their activities around their children on this special day. In a Vietnamese story, parents were working so hard to prepare for the harvest that they left the childen playing by themselves. To make up for the lost time, parents would use the Aid-Autumn Festival as a chance to show their love and than for their children.
As a result, the Mid- autumn Festival is also called the Children’s Festival. In the USA, this tradition continues in many Vietnamese- American families. Tet-trung-Thu, activities are often centered on Children and education. Parents buy lanterns for their children so that they can take part in a lantern parade at dawn. Lanterns mean brightness, while the parade means success in school. Vietnamese markets sell different kinds of lanterns, but the most popular children’s lantern is the star lantern. Other children’s activities includes arts and crafts(手工艺) in which children make face mas and lanterns. Children also perform traditional Vietnamese dances for grown-ups and take part in contests for prizes and scholarships. Unicorn(麒麟) dancers are also very popular at Tet-trung-Thu festivities.
Like the Chinese, Vietnamese parents tell their children folk stories and serve moon-cakes and other special treats under the bright moon. A favorite folk story is about a carp(鲤鱼) that wanted to bee a dragon. The carp worked hard and finally changed itself into a dragon. Parents use this story to encourage their children to work hard so that they can bee whatever they want to be.
1. The Tet-trung-Thu Festival is held ________.
A. in China and other Asian countries. B. in Vietnamese-American families.
C. all over the world, except Vietnam. D. Across the United States.
2.In Both Vietnam and China, on Mid-autumn Festival people would ___________.
A. eat moon-cakes B. buy lanterns for children.
C. take part in contests. D. buy a carp
3.What is the center of the Mid-Autumn festival in Vietnam?
A. Family get-together. B. Children on education.
C. Relaxation and fun in the middle of the year.
D. parents having more time with their children.
4.According to the passage, parents tell their children folk stories, because __________.
A. children like listening to folk stories in the evening.
B. parents want to show their love for their children.
C. parents want to teach the children to work hard.
D. parents want to make up for the lost time.
Just 25 years ago，the top three career hopes for young people in Britain were teacher，banker and doctor. Now，they want to be sports star，pop star and actor，according to a survey by the Guardian newspaper.
Rachel，a character in the popular TV show Glee，may be said to speak for British teenagers. “Nowadays being nobody is worse than being poor，” he said.
Emma Brockes，a reporter from Guardian，believes it is “the bad influence of celebrity(名人) culture” that is to blame. “When children wanted to be doctor，it wasn't because they were really more interested in the functions of human organs than they are now；you go where the respect is，”she wrote.
It could explain why there has been such an increase in levels of anxiety and depression. Dr. Carlo Strenger，of Tel Aviv University，studied the sense of self for his new book The Fear of Insignificance：Searching for Meaning in the 21st Century. He told Daily Mail that young people now are affected by the close connection to the global entertainment network，which has turned ranking and rating people according to wealth and celebrity into an obsession(痴迷)．
“As humans，we naturally measure ourselves against those around us，but now we live in a global village. We are comparing ourselves with the most ‘important’ people in the world and finding ourselves wanting，” he said. Today，even high achievers constantly fear that they are insignificant when they compare themselves to success stories in the media.
The way out？Simply stop measuring your achievements through a fantasy of wealth and celebrity. Dr. Strenger said that it is a process called “active self-acceptance through a constant search for self-knowledge through life”．
“The fear of insignificance can only be overcome through strong individual and cultural identity over and above measurable achievements，” he said.Nowadays，young people in Britain want to ________.
| A．choose jobs based on interests |
| B．become famous |
| C．be teacher，banker or doctor |
| D．earn more money |
According to Emma Brockes，what causes the increasing level of anxiety?
| A．The choice of future career. |
| B．The access to the global network. |
| C．The bad influence of celebrities. |
| D．The endless comparison with others. |
Which of the following is true of Dr. Carlo Strenger?
| A．He is a newspaper reporter. |
| B．He is a spokesman of teenagers. |
| C．He tells success stories on TV. |
| D．He is against ranking people by wealth. |
Dr. Carlo Strenger suggests that young people should ______.
| A．seek active self-acceptance |
| B．stick to their own dreams |
| C．make great achievements |
| D．search for the secret of wealth |
The text is mainly written to ________.
| A．talk about job choices |
| B．analyze a social phenomenon |
| C．encourage celebrity culture |
| D．introduce three famous people |
Most American students go to traditional public schools. There are about 88,000 public schools all over the US. Some students attend about 3,000 independent public schools called charter schools.
Charter schools are self-governing. Private companies operate some charter schools. They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools. They receive tax just as other public schools do. Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning. These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate.
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools. Local，state or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach. Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them. Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools.
Governments strongly support charter schools as a way to reorganize public schools that are failing to educate students. But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools. One teachers' union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools.
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government's delay in releasing the results of the study，which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse in math and reading tests than students in regular public schools.
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools. Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand more student progress.If a private company wants to operate a charter school，it must ________.
| A．try new methods of teaching |
| B．prove its management ability |
| C．obey all local and state laws |
| D．get the government's permission |
Charter schools are independent because ________.
| A．they make greater progress |
| B．their class size is smaller |
| C．they enjoy more freedom |
| D．they oppose traditional ways |
What's the governments' attitude toward charter schools?
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Supportive. |
| C．Subjective. |
| D．Optimistic. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．More students choose to attend charter schools. |
| B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools. |
| C．Students in charter schools are well educated. |
| D．People have different opinions about charter schools. |
It can be inferred from the text that ________.
| A．charter schools are part of the public education system |
| B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students |
| C．the number of charter schools will be limited |
| D．charter schools are all privately financed |
Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris? The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370 under Charles V. By the seventeenth century, it had stopped to be important for defense. Cardinal Richelieu turned it into a prison. It was not an ordinary prison to punish common crimes. Its huge doors closed only on enemies of the King. The Bastille's workings were secret. Prisoners were taken to it in closed vehicles. Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall. No talking was allowed. Worst of all, a prisoner never knew if he would be there a day, a week, a year, or forever. Only the King's letter could set him free.
Over the years, the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer. By the time of its fall, most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptions(贪污腐败)of the government. Voltaire, the famous French writer, spent a year there in 1717-1718, and another 12 days in 1726.
For those who believed in free speech and free thinking, the Bastille stood for everything evil. The day it was captured, only seven prisoners were found inside. Still, the Bastille was hated by the people. It was a symbol of the King's complete power.The Bastille had been a prison ______.
| A．since the time of Charles V |
| B．since the time of Cardinal Richelieu |
| C．before the seventeenth century |
| D．since 1370 |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．Anyone who did something wrong could find himself suddenly in the Bastille. |
| B．The Bastille was only for those who were opposed to the King. |
| C．Things done in the Bastille were hardly known to people outside. |
| D．Voltaire was twice put in the Bastille. |
At the time of its fall, the Bastille housed ______.
| A．a large number of prisoners |
| B．a lot of writers who had been against the government |
| C．some dozens of people who believed in free speech and free thinking |
| D．only a few prisoners |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The King could put people in, or let them go out, as he wanted. |
| B．Over the years the number of prisoners in the Bastille was getting more and more. |
| C．All prisoners in the Bastille had to stay there for life. |
| D．At the time it was captured, there were so few prisoners in it that it meant little to the people. |
This passage mainly ______.
| A．tells how the prisoners were controlled by the King |
| B．tells how little was known about the Bastille |
| C．shows the inner workings of the Bastille |
| D．gives a brief history of the Bastille |
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks throughout the world today. In fact, according to some estimates, over 30% of all adults in the world drink coffee at least once a day on the average. Coffee contains a kind of drug called caffeine. Caffeine is a chemical that stimulates (刺激) the nerves of the body. Drinking coffee tends to make people a little bit more awake―at least for a short time―because of this stimulating effect on the nervous system. A cup of coffee has, on the average, about 3% caffeine in it.
One story of the discovery of the coffee plant relates to this effect of caffeine. According to the story, coffee was discovered in East Africa. The story says that coffee was first found by a goat farmer named Kaldi. This was about the year 850. Kaldi was leading his animals through the mountains and the goats were stopping repeatedly to eat the plants near the path. Suddenly, some of the goats started jumping up and down in a very strange way. Kaldi figured out that the goats were acting this way because of the plants they were eating. Kaldi himself tried eating some of the green beans (豆荚) that the goats had been eating. He, too, felt the stimulating effect of the beans. Kaldi wanted to prove what had happened, so he picked some of the beans and took them back to the village, where he told his story.
The green bean got the name "Kaffa" and later "coffee" because the beans were discovered in a place called Kaffa in Africa. Then for years, people used to eat a few of the green Kaffa beans when they were in the mountains and needed extra energy to do their work. It was later found that the coffee beans could be picked and then dried until they turned brown, and then they could be stored. If the beans were dried and stored, they could be used at any time.What is the purpose of drinking coffee?
| A．To become more awake. | B．To become more healthy. |
| C．To become more happy. | D．To become more clever. |
How did the goats react after eating the plants?
| A．They fell asleep. |
| B．They could not find their way home. |
| C．They started jumping up and down. |
| D．They wanted to eat more. |
Why did the green bean get the name "Kaffa"?
| A．Because Kaldi loved his home village very much. |
| B．Because Kaldi's goats loved the green bean very much. |
| C．Because the beans were discovered in a place by this name. |
| D．Because the beans could be picked and dried. |
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom's house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored(发起) "Tom Thumb" weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.The underlined words "Talk of the town" means________.
| A．it was in the newspaper |
| B．it was the most popular topic |
| C．people spread bad rumors about it |
| D．it was discussed in a city meeting |
What does the author think about Tom's wedding?
| A．Tom and Lavinia were stupid. |
| B．People gave it too much of their attention. |
| C．It was funny and ridiculous. |
| D．It helped people cheer up in a dark time. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine. |
| B．People are always disappointed during war time. |
| C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose. |
| D．People should be married when they are small children. |