Many foreigners who have not visited Britain call all the inhabitants(居民) English, for they are used to thinking of the British Isles as England. In fact, the British Isles contain a variety of peoples and only the people of England call themselves English. The others refer to themselves as Welsh, Scottish, or Irish, as the case may be; they are often slightly annoyed(苦恼) at being classified as 'English'.
In Scotland the sound denoted by the letter 'R' is generally a strong sound, and 'R' is often pronounced in words in which it would be silent in southern English. In the Highlands and the Western Isles the ancient Scottish language, Gaelic, is still heard. The Scots are said to be a serious, cautious, thrifty(节约的) people, rather inventive(善于创造的) and somewhat mystical. All the Celtic peoples of Britain (the Welsh, the Irish, the Scots) are often described as being more 'fiery(暴躁的)' than the English. They are often of a race that is quite different from the English.
The Welsh have protected their language to a remarkable extent. The English generally look upon the Welsh as an emotional(易动感情的) people who are, however, somewhat difficult to get to know easily.
Ireland is divided into two parts. The six countries of Northern Ireland are still part of Great Britain, though, in normal circumstances(环境), they have their own Parliament. The Irish are known for their charm and vivacity(活泼), as well as for the beauty of the Irish girls. Irish, often calls Erse, is a form of Gaelic. It was in danger of dying out, but when the territory(地域) of the Republic became independent, Erse was received, and is now the official first language of the Republic, English being the second. The Irish are known for their charm and vivacity, as well as for the beauty of the Irish girls.Why do many foreigners call the inhabitants English?
| A．Because only English live on the British Isles. |
| B．Because only English plays a more important role than the others. |
| C．Because all the people are glad to be regarded as English. |
| D．Because they are used to thinking of the British Isles as England. |
Today we still can hear Gaelic--the ancient Scottish language in __________.
| A．both England and Scotland |
| B．both Wales and Ireland |
| C．both Highland and Western Isles |
| D．both Northern Ireland and England |
According to the passage, which of the statements is TRUE?
| A．“R” is often pronounced in words in which it would be silent in north English. |
| B．The Welsh, the Irish and the Scots are all the Celtic peoples of Britain. |
| C．The Celtic peoples are often of a race that is little different from the English. |
| D．The Welsh have not protected their language very carefully. |
Irish is a form of ________, and is now the official ______ language of the Republic.
| A．English; first | B．Gaelic; second | C．Gaelic; first | D．English; second |
Fun is, in fact, a word heard far more frequently in families today than in the past, when "duty'' and "responsibility" were often the words used.
Parents today are more youthful in appearance and attitudes. Their clothes and hair-styles are more casual, helping to bridge the divide. Those who are athletically inclined also enjoy Rollerblading, snowboarding, and rock-climbing with their children.
For the past three years, Kathy and Phil Dalby have spent at least one evening a week at a climbing gym with their three children. "It's great to be able to work together," Mrs Dalby says. "We discuss various climbs and where the hard parts are. Sometimes that leads to other Conversations. We're definitely closer."
A popular movement of parent effectiveness training in the 1970s has helped to reshape generational roles. The philosophy encourages children to describe their feelings about various situations. As a result, says Robert Billingham, a family-studies professor at Indiana University, "Parents and children began talking to each other in ways they had not before."
On the plus side, he adds, these conversations made parents realize that children may have important thoughts or feelings that adults need to be aware of.
But Professor Billingham also sees a downside: Many parents started making decisions based on what their child wanted. "The power shifted to children. Parents said, 'I have to focus on making my child happy', as opposed to 'I have to act as a parent most appropriately'."
Other changes are occurring as the ranks of working mothers grow. Time-short parents encourage children's independence, making them more responsible for themselves. "They'll say, 'We trust you to make the right decisions' (whether they're ready to assume the responsibility or not) ,"says Billingham.
The self-esteem movement of the past quarter-century has also affected the family dynamics (原动力). Some parents worry that if they tell their child no, it will hurt the child's self-esteem.What's the trend in parent-child relationship mentioned in the passage?
| A．Parents are chasing after fashion and ignoring the feelings of their children. |
| B．More parents and children are sharing the same enthusiasm for a certain sport. |
| C．Parents are taking more responsibility and setting more limits for their children. |
| D．The generation gap is narrowing and parents are respecting their children's thoughts more. |
Which of the following has NOT contributed to the change in the parent-child relationship?
| A．Younger parents. | B．Parent effectiveness training. |
| C．More working mothers. | D．The self-esteem movement. |
What's Billingham's attitude towards parents who make children more responsible for themselves?
| A．He supports them. | B．He admires them. |
| C．He disagrees with them. | D．He thinks they're unreasonable. |
What will probably be discussed following the last paragraph?
| A．The effect of more working mothers on children' s education. |
| B．The benefits of the new relationship between parents and children. |
| C．The importance of self-esteem and ways to develop children's self-esteem. |
| D．The risks of setting no rules and some suggestions on how to have a balanced attitude. |
What's the best title for the text?
| A．Parents and Children as Friends. | B．Parents and Professors as Debaters. |
| C．Growing Mutual Understanding. | D．Disappearing Responsibility. |
Tayka Hotel De Sal
Where: Tahua, Bolivia
How much: About $95 a night
Why it’s cool: You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood, but salt? That’s something few can claim．Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt—including the beds (though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses (床垫) and blankets)．The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni, a prehistoric dried-up lake that’s the world’s biggest salt flat．Builders use the salt from the 4,633-square-mile flat to make the bricks, and glue them together with a paste of wet salt that hardens when it dries．When rain starts to dissolve the hotel, the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where: Vythiri, India
How much: About $240 a night
Why it’s cool: Ridding a pulley(滑轮)-operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure．As you look out of your open window—there is no glass!—you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy．Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel, or just sit on your bamboo bed and read．You don’t even have to come down for breakfast—the hotel will send it up on the pulley-drawn “elevator”.
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where: Cottonwood, Idaho
How much: $92 a night
Why it’s cool: This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet．Sweet Willyis a 30-foot-tall dog with guest rooms in his belly．Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side．You can relax in the main bedroom, go up a ffew steps of the loft(阁楼）in Willy’s head, or hang out inside his nose．Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters, there is also a toilet in the 12-foot-tall fire hydrant (消防栓）outside.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where: Ayvali, Turkey
How much: Between $130 and $475 a night.
Why it’s cool: This is caveman cool! Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago, when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash．But your stay will be much more modern．Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel, and the white volcanic ash, called tufa, keeps the rooms cool, about 65℉in summer．(Don’t worry—there is heat in winter.)What do we know about Tayka Hotel de Sal?
| A．It is located on a prehistoric lake. |
| B．It should be protected against the rain. |
| C．Everything in the hotel is made of salt. |
| D．You have to cross a rope bridge to the hotel. |
What is the similarity of the four hotels?
| A．Being expensive. | B．Being comfortable. | C．Being natural. | D．Being unique. |
What does the underlined part “Sweet Willy” refer to?
A．The name of the hotel.
B．The name of the hotel owner.
C．The building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.
D．The name of a pet dog of the hotel owner.Which of the hotels makes you have a feeling of living in the far past?
| A．Tayka Hotel De Sal | B．Green Magic Nature Resort |
| C．Dog Bark Park Inn B&B | D．Gamirasu Cave Hotel |
What may be the purpose of the writer writing the passage?
| A．To show his wide knowledge. | B．To introduce some interesting hotels. |
| C．To develop business in tourism. | D．To attract attention from the readers. |
Birthdays often involve surprises. But this year's surprise on the birthday of the great British playwright William Shakespeare is surely one of the most dramatic.
On April 22, one day before his 441st birthday anniversary, experts discovered that one of the most recognizable portraits of William Shakespeare is a fake. This means that we no longer have a good idea of what Shakespeare looked like. "It's very possible that many pictures of Shakespeare might be unreliable because many of them are copies of this one," said an expert from Britain's National Portrait Gallery.
The discovery comes after four months of testing using X-rays, ultraviolet light, microphotography and paint samples. The experts from the gallery say the image —commonly known as the "Flower portrait"— was actually painted in the 1800s, about two centuries after Shakespeare's death. The art experts who work at the gallery say they also used modern chemistry technology to check the paint on the picture. These checks found traces of paint dating from about 1814. Shakespeare died in 1616, and the date that appears on the portrait is 1609.
"We now think the portrait dates back to around 1818 to 1840. This was when there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare's plays," Tarnya Cooper, the gallery's curator (馆长), told the Associated President.
The fake picture has often been used as a cover for collections of his plays. It is called the Flower portrait because one of its owners, Desmond Flower, gave it to the Royal Shakespeare Company.
"There have always been questions about the painting," said David Howells, curator for the Royal Shakespeare Company. "Now we know the truth, we can put the image in its proper place in the history of Shakespearean portraiture."
Two other images of Shakespeare, are also being studied as part of the investigation (调查) and the results will come out later this month._________________What makes the birthday of Shakespeare dramatic this year?
| A．It was found that he painted a portrait in 1814 instead of in 1609. |
| B．The Flower portrait has been found to be a fake. |
| C．Three portraits of Shakespeare are being tested to identify a real one. |
| D．It was found that there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare's plays around 1818 to 1840. |
Which statement is True according to the passage?
| A．Portraits of Shakespeare are all unreliable. |
| B．"Flower portrait " was a portrait of Shakespeare given to Desmond Flower. |
| C．1814 might be when the portrait was drawn. |
| D．The Flower portrait is not often used as a cover for Shakespeare's play. |
How many methods were used to test the portrait?
| A．Not mentioned. | B．Two | C．Three | D．At least four. |
The best title for this passage is _________.
| A．Birthdays often involve surprises |
| B．The surprise on the 441st birthday of Shakespeare |
| C．One portrait of Shakespeare is a fake |
| D．How can we know Shakespeare's appearance? |
Which is the best sentence to fill in the blank in the last paragraph?
| A．Soon we'll know which portrait is reliable. |
| B．Maybe we cannot find a real portrait of Shakespeare. |
| C．If the two portraits are found to be false, they will test more. |
| D．For now what Shakespeare really looked like will remain a mystery. |
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June.
Mother’s Day was proclaimed a day for national observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915. Ann Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia, had started the idea to have a day to honor mothers. She was the one who chose the second Sunday in May and also began the custom of wearing a carnation.
In 1909, Mrs. Dodd from Spokane, Washington, thought of the idea of a day to honor fathers. She wanted to honor her own father, William Smart. After her mother died, he had the responsibility of raising a family of five sons and a daughter. In 1910, the first Father’s Day was observed in Spokane. Senator Margaret Chase Smith helped to establish Father’s Day as a national commemorative day, in 1972.
These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead．Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.According to the passage, which of the following about the second Sunday in May is not true ?
| A．It is a day to show love to mothers |
| B．It is a day to wear carnations |
| C．It is a day for people to visit the cemetery |
| D．It is a day for many people to attend religious services |
Choose the right time order of the following events.
a. The first Father’s Day was observed
b. Mother’s Day was proclaimed a day for national observance
c. Father’s Day became a day for national observance.
d. The idea of honoring fathers was bought up
| A．a b c d | B．d a b c | C．b a c d | D．d a c b |
Who plays the most important role in Father’s Day becoming a national commemorative day?
| A．Mrs. Do | B．Margaret Chase Smith | C．Ann Jarvis | D．Woodrow Wilson |
From the passage, we know in the U.S ________________.
| A．one should wear a red carnation if one’s mother pass away |
| B．on Mother’s Day, families often go out to have barbecues |
| C．on Father’s Day, people often stay at home to celebrate the special day. |
| D．The purpose to have these two special days is to show love to parents |
The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to __________
| A．call on people to love and respect their parents. |
| B．introduce Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. |
| C．tell the difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day |
| D．show how important fathers and mothers are |
During the 19th century, scientists found that when certain parts of the brain of a person were hurt, he would lose the power of doing certain things. And so people thought that each part of the brain does a different job. But modern research has discovered that this is not so, for it is not easy to show exactly what each part of the brain does.
In the past fifty years there has been a great increase in the amount or research done on the brain. Scientists have found out that the way the brain works is not so simple as people in general may think. Chemists tell us that about 100,000 chemical changes take place in the brain every second. Some recent researches also suggest that we can remember everything that happened to us. We may not be able to think of the things we have heard and seen but it is kept there in the store-house of the human mind. Earlier scientists thought that the power of one’s brain got weaker and weaker as one grows older. But it is plenty of exercise, it keeps its power. It is now thought that is not true. As long as the brain is given plenty of exercise, it keeps its power. It has proved that an old person who has always been active in the mind has a quicker mind than a young person who has done physical work without using much of his brain.In the last century, scientists found that a person would lose the power to do certain things _____.
| A．when he got weaker in health |
| B．if certain parts of his brain were hurt |
| C．after he did a quite different job |
| D．when he grew older |
Scientists today are still unable to show exactly ______.
| A．what each part of the brain is doing |
| B．how many chemical changes take place in the brain each second |
| C．whether each part of the brain does the same job |
| D．which part of the brain is the most important |
It has been found that one’s brain usually works ______.
| A．faster when he is old |
| B．a little now and a little then |
| C．in a very simple way |
| D．without any rest all day long |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
| A．Scientists are working hard at the researches on the brain. |
| B．As many as six million chemical changes take place in the brain every minute. |
| C．A young man doing physical labor is sure to have a much slower mind. |
| D．Even an old man has a quick mind only if his brain is given much exercise. |
The more work we give our brains,___________.
| A．the less result we will gain |
| B．the more work they are able to do |
| C．the weaker their power will get |
| D．the more tired they will feel |