Valentine’s Day is named for Saint Valentine an early Christmas churchman who reportedly helped young lovers. Valentine was killed for his Christian beliefs on February 14 more than 1700 years ago, but the day that has his name is even earlier than that.
More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Romans celebrated a holiday for lovers. As part of the celebration, girls wrote their names on pieces of paper and put them in a large container. Boys reached into the container and pulled one out. The girl whose name was written on the paper became his lover or sweet heart for a year.
Lovers still put their names on pieces of paper and they sent each other Valentine’s Day cards that tell of their love. Sometimes they also sent gifts, like flowers of chocolate candy. Americans usually send these gifts and cards through the mail system. But some used another way to send this message. They have it printed in a newspaper. The cost is usually a few dollars. Some of the messages are simple and short “Jane, I love you very much”. Others say more. This one, for example, “Dan, Roses are red. Violets are blue. I hope you love me as much as I love you. Forever. May.”
Most of the newspapers that print such messages are local, but USA Today is sold throughout the United States, and 90 other countries as well. This means someone can send a Valentine message to lover in a far-away city or town almost anywhere in the world. These messages cost 80 dollars and more. An employee of USA Today says readers can have a small heart or rose printed along with their messages this year. Will this kind of Valentine’s Day message reach the one you love? Well, just make sure he or she reads the newspaper.
1. When was the day named after Valentine?
A. More than 1700 years ago before Valentine’s death
B. More than 2000 years ago
C. On February 24
D. It is not mentioned in the passage.
2. Which is not true about the Roman holiday?
A. Girls put into a container large pieces of paper with their own names on them.
B. Boys and girls became sweet hearts by chance
C. Girls and boys were not lovers for a year.
D. It was celebrated as a holiday for lovers
3. What is the cost of printing a message to show one’s love? It’s _______________.
A. a few dollars B. 80 dollars, and more C. very expensive
D. a few dollars in a local newspaper and 80 dollars in USA Today
4. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The ancient Roman girls were more open and easy-going than boys
B. Valentine was killed for helping lovers
C. Readers of USA Today can send roses to their lovers along with printed messages
D. Valentine was honored by people for his firm Christian belief and warm heart
5. What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To briefly introduce the origin of Valentine’s Day and the modern style.
B. To advertise for USA Today.
C. To tell you that Americans are open to express their love
D. To sell roses on Valentine’s Day.
Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, driest area in North America. This California National Park has less than 5 cm of rainfall a year and temperature up to 53℃ in summer. That’s enough to keep Americans away during the hottest months from June to August. But it is the high temperature and terrible heat that draw their most crazy fans, the foreign tourists. From all over the world, they come to the valley floor in cars, carrying maps and water bottles, and fanning themselves with newspapers to keep cool.
About 1.3 million visitors enter the park each year, from June through August. 90% of them are foreigners. They go there to experience the summer heat that gives Death Valley its name. The average high in July is 53.2 ℃ and the low 30 ℃. For August, the average high is 52.2 ℃ and the low 29.4 ℃.
So what do Americans think of the foreign visitors who arrive for the heat, just when locals from the United States try to avoid it? Park manager Brenda Henson says, “ The foreigners want to experience the heat in Death Valley. We think it’s crazy.”
In fact, Death Valley is a series of salt flats (盐滩) 225 km long and 6 km to 26 km wide. Birds and animals are largely absent, and only the hardiest plants have some chance of existence in this extreme place.
One tourist from Paris concluded, “ We come to it because we can tell all our friends and family that we’ve been to the hottest place in the world.”The real attraction of Death Valley for foreigners is that _____.
| A．summer heat keeps Americans away |
| B．experiencing the heat in it is cool |
| C．it is a series of salt flats |
| D．it is a famous place in the world. |
What does the underlined word “ hardiest” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Most difficult. | B．Most energetic. | C．Strongest. | D．Best. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The hottest time in Death Valley is from June to August. |
| B．Not all the visitors to Death Valley are foreigners. |
| C．The lowest temperature in Death Valley is 29.4 ℃. |
| D．Death Valley is made up of salt flats. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Crazy Fans of Death Valley. |
| B．Importance of Death Valley. |
| C．Beauty of California National Park. |
| D．The Best Tourist Attraction in North America. |
I had been rather proud of myself when my friends and family got the ticket，whether it was for speeding，parking or stop sign violations (违反)．It was something that happened to others. But last Friday I joined the club.
I was asked to do a new project last week. On Friday morning on my way to work，I suddenly remembered that I had spent the past six weeks without considering that I had a week’s vacation planned during that time. I was very disappointed with myself for not remembering it. The fact is that I was not paying enough attention to my driving and I did not come to a complete stop at the stop sign in front of a school. I was so distracted (思想不集中的)that I didn’t even notice I had a policeman on my tail with his lights flashing. Finally I looked in my mirror and caught on.
The policeman was rude and took my papers. Fortunately，I had everything up to date and since I had never had a ticket before，there was nothing for him to do but write me a ticket. While I was sitting there in the seat of “shame”，I felt bad. If I had been that distracted and a child had run onto the road，perhaps I would have not reacted as well as I could have. It was a wake-up call.
People at work asked me if I tried to talk my way out of it. Frankly，it never occurred to me. I felt guilty. Now I no longer have a clean driving record. Please be careful out there，as a moment’s distraction can lead to tragedy.What is this passage mainly about?
| A．The writer’s most unforgettable experience. |
| B．How the writer got her first ticket. |
| C．An accident caused by the writer. |
| D．Why the writer is always so careful. |
We can infer that the underlined part “the club” in Paragraph 1 here refers to ________.
| A．people who are crazy about driving cars |
| B．a club for drivers without much experience |
| C．people who get tickets for breaking traffic rules |
| D．a club for people to talk about their driving stories |
What made the writer unable to focus on her driving?
| A．Planning how to spend the vacation. |
| B．Thinking of the forgotten vacation. |
| C．Thinking about her work. |
| D．Missing her children. |
From the experience，the writer has probably learnt ________.
| A．what is really important to her |
| B．how to deal with policemen |
| C．to enjoy the small things in life |
| D．to be much more careful |
Today most Chinese teenagers are happy to be favored by two parents and four grandparents in their families. But have you ever thought about how to take care of four to twelve old people when you grow up and get married? This could be a problem for most Chinese youths as China is entering a new stage of an aging society.
An aging society refers to one where 10 percent or more of its population is over 60. By the end of 2007, Chinese over 60 years old have made up 11.7 percent of the nation’s total population. “China is getting old before becoming rich,”said Cai Chuang, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The population increase that has powered Chinese growth for three decades will give way over the next ten years to a rapid aging of the society. This will lead to weaker economic growth, because of a lack of labor resources.
As a result of the family planning policy, it is expected that the country’s total working population will decrease after 2015.
China is not the only country getting old. More that 60 countries have become aging societies and one in three people in the European Union is a senior citizen.
However, experts said that China doesn't have a highly developed social security network to support the old. Social security is an insurance program protecting those in need, including the old, the disabled and others.An aging society is a society that _________.
| A．less that 10% of its population is over 60 |
| B．10% or more of its population is over 60 |
| C．there are four old people in a family |
| D．most of its population is over 60 |
If China enters an aging society, __________.
| A．there will not be enough labor resources |
| B．the family planning policy will be ended |
| C．everyone needs to take care of four to twelve old people |
| D．China will have a highly developed social security network |
What does Cai Chuang mean by saying“China is getting old before becoming rich.”?
| A．China will be an aging society, then be a developed country. |
| B．China will be a rich country before being an aging society. |
| C．An aging society will affect Chinese economy development. |
| D．China will stop developing because of its aging problem. |
The passage mainly talks about .
| A．an aging society | B．Chinese social problem |
| C．family panning policy | D．aging problem in China |
His first successful fight was for the equal rights of black people in South Africa. Then, as the first black president, he fought to unite the country and organize the government. Now Nelson Mandela has set his sights on a new enemy, AIDS.
On March 19 the 82-year-old, former president, hosted his second AIDS-awareness concert. He warned that 25 million people in Africa were already infected with the fatal disease.
Mandela was born in a small village in South Africa in 1918. He was adopted by the chief of his tribe and could have been a chief himself and lived a happy country life.
But he refused to be a chief when his people lived under racial discrimination(歧视). He decided to fight for equal rights for all the people in South Africa. Before 1990, under the country’s Racial Segregation Law, colored and white people lived separately. Black people were treated unfairly even when taking a bus. Blacks had to stand at the back of the bus to make room for white people even when there were only a few of them on board.
For his opposition to the system, Mandela was arrested and spent 27 years in prison. He was freed in 1990 and became the president of the country after the first election were held in which everyone could vote.
Mandela was not only a political fighter who attacked with speeches. He was also a trained boxer and fought in the ring when he was young.
“Although I did not enjoy the violence of boxing, I was interested in how one moved one’s body to protect oneself, how one used a strategy both to attack and retreat”, he wrote in his autobiography.
As a skillful fighter, he chose music as his weapon against AIDS. He hopes to win another victory against AIDS.When was Mandela arrested?
| A．In 1963 | B．In 1990 |
| C．When he refused to be a chief | D．When he became the president |
Nelson Mandela succeeded in doing the following except _______.
| A．winning the equal rights for the black people in South Africa |
| B．Uniting South Africa |
| C．organizing a government in South Africa |
| D．controlling the spread of AIDS |
If Nelson Mandela hadn’t fought against racial discrimination, he_______.
| A．could have been the president of South Africa |
| B．could still have lived a happy life |
| C．could have been in a difficult situation |
| D．would have been an excellent boxer |
Which of the following statements can best describe the life of Nelson Mandela?
| A．struggle is his life |
| B．sports make his fame |
| C．fight for equal rights |
| D．a great fighter against government. |
Have you ever heard the old saying ,"Never judge a book by its cover" ?This is a good rule to follow when trying to judge the intelligence of others. Some people have minds that shine only in certain situations. A young people with an unusual gift in writing may find himself speechless in the presence of a pretty girl when he speaks. He may not be able to find the right words. But don't make mistake of thinking him stupid, with a pen and a paper, he can express himself better than anybody .
Other people may fool you into overestimating (过高估计) their intelligence by putting up a good front. A student who listens attentively and takes notes in class is sure to make a favorable impression on his teachers. But when it comes to exams, he may score near the bottom of the class .
It all boils down to this: you can't judge someone by appearance. The only way to determine a person's intelligence is to get to know him. Then you can see how he reacts to different situations. The more situation you see, the better your judgment is likely to be. So take your time. Don't judge a book by its cover .The passage suggests that ______.
| A．a good writer may not be a good speaker |
| B．a good writer is always a good speaker |
| C．a speechless person always writes well |
| D．a good writer will find himself speechless |
According to this passage, a student who listens attentively and take notes in class ______.
| A．is an intelligence student |
| B．may not be a intelligence student |
| C．will score better in exams |
| D．will not be a good student |
The passage suggests that we should judge a person's intelligence through ______.
| A．his teachers | B．his deeds in the classroom |
| C．his appearance | D．his reaction to different situations |
The writer of this passage wants to tell us ______.
| A．not to judge a book by the cover |
| B．not to make the mistake of thinking a young man stupid |
| C．not to overestimate a student's intelligence |
| D．not to judge person’s intelligence by his appearance |