Valentine’s Day is on Feb. 14, and Chinese call it “lovers day”. I don’t think the translation is an accurate one, since it doesn’t only belong to lovers. Valentine’s Day is for expressing affection of all sorts. But it is uniquely for the romantically involved who shine the brightest, who spend the most money, whose hearts are the most engaged.
When I was b boy, my mother would buy enough cheap cards with ugly drawings of butterflies and little rabbits and honeybees for me to give one to every kid in my class, about 20 or so. The cards came in bags, and each card had a few foolish words-“Be Mine” or “I like you” or “You’ve Got My Heart” or the uninteresting words, “Hi, Valentine!” I would sign my name on the cards quickly and the name of one of my classmates on each easily-broken envelope. I would lick （舔）each one shut, but they were so cheap that the envelopes rarely had enough glue. On Valentine’s Day, I would take the cards to school-everyone did. We would have a party in our classroom, with cupcakes（杯形蛋糕）and juice and tiny candy hearts, which also had Valentine messages printed on them-“You’re sweet” or “Cupid（爱神丘比特）”or “Love”.
Ah, love! That’s the Valentine’s Day message: love. No one knows for certain the origin of the holiday. Several, Catholic victims were named Valentine, but it’s difficult to separate legend from fact. One story tells of a priest（牧师）named Valentine who was imprisoned and may have been stoned to death around 270 for performing marriages in going against the orders of the Roman Emperor Claudius II. But it’s hard today to find any religious connection.From the first paragraph, why does the author say that we Chinese call Valentine’s Day “lovers’ day ”is not accurate?
| A．Because only lovers would spend it. |
| B．Because it is only spent on Feb. 14. |
| C．Because it doesn’t only belong to lovers. |
| D．Because only those rich people could enjoy it. |
A priest named Valentine was stoned to death for the sake of .
| A．his not attending a ceremony on time. |
| B．his stealing something from the church |
| C．his rude words to Roman Emperor Claudius II |
| D．his not obeying the orders by Roman Emperor Claudius II |
According to the passage, we can know Valentine’s Day may be related to .
| A．religion | B．sports | C．entertainment | D．art |
Students who say they never or hardly ever used dictionaries often speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes.
The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either. The ones who look up every new word do not read fast. Therefore they do not have time to read much. Those who use small two-language dictionaries have the worst problems. Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as translations of English. But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English.
The most successful students are those who use large college edition dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context. Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, or divide it into syllables (音节), they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form, they check these in a dictionar
y. The writer thinks that .
| A．choose a good dictionary, and you’ll be successful in learning English |
| B．dictionaries are not necessary to the students who learn English |
| C．it is very important for students to use good dictionaries properly |
| D．using dictionaries very often can’t help to improve writing |
According to the passage, which of the following is wrong?
| A．Dictionaries have little effect on learning to speak English. |
| B．Whatever new words you meet while reading, never use dictionaries. |
| C．Small two-language dictionaries have serious defects (缺陷). |
| D．Reading something for the first time, you’d better not use dictionaries. |
When in the reading does the writer advise students to use a good dictionary?
| A．At the beginning of the reading |
B．At the end of the readi ng |
| C．During the first reading |
| D．After the first reading |
This passage mainly tells us .
| A．students shouldn’t use small two-language dictionaries |
| B．what were the defects of small two-language dictionaries |
| C．why students should use large college edition dictionaries |
| D．what dictionary students should choose and how to use it |
Which is not mentioned in this passage?
| A．How to make good use of a dictionary. |
B．When to use a dic tionary. |
| C．How to improve spoken English. |
| D．How to practise reading fast. |
When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend on new clothes． Think about the kind of clothes you really need． Then look for those clothes you really need． Then look for those clothes on sale．
There are labels(标签) ins
ide all new clothes． The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes． The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water． A sweater l
abel may tell you to wash in cold water． The label on a coat may say “dry clean only”, for washing may ruin this coat． If you do as the directions (说明)on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time．
Many clothes today must be dry cleaned． Dry cleaning is expensive． When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned． You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed．
You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made． Well-made clothes last longer． They look good even after they have been washed many times． Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily(不一定) better made． They do not always fit better． Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes．If you want to save money, you had better buy clothes that __ ．
| A．don’t fit you | B．don’t last long |
| C．need to be dry cleaned | D．can be washed |
The labels inside the clothes tell you______．
| A．how to keep them looking their best | B．how to save money |
| C．whether they fit you or not | D．where to get them dry cleaned |
The first thing for you to do before you buy clothes is __ ．
A．to look for well-made clothes |
| B．to see how much money you can spend on it |
| C．to know how to wash them |
| D．to read the labels inside them |
We learn from the passage that cheaper clothes __ ．
| A．are always worse made | B．must be dry cleaned |
| C．can not be washed | D．can sometimes fit you b etter |
The best title for the passage should be __ ．
| A．Buy Less Expensive Clothes |
| B．Taking Enough Money When Shopping |
| C．Being a Clever Clothes Shopper |
| D．Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes |
Many teenagers(青少年) feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends．They believe that their family members don’t know them as well as their friends do．In large families, it is quite often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for some ideas．
It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or a group of friends．Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone．This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something．These things are difficult to tell their family members．
However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them．Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends．Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who chooses your friends?
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like?
Your answers are welcome． Many teenagers think that ____ can understand them better．
| A．friends | B．brothers | C．sisters | D．parents |
When teenagers have something difficult to tell their parent
s, they usually____．
| A．stay alone at home | B．fight with their parents |
| C．discuss it with their friends | D．go to their brothers and sisters for help |
The sentence (句子) “Your answers are welcome．” means _______．
| A．You are welcome to discuss the questions with us |
| B．We’ve got no idea, so your answers are welcome |
| C．Your answers are always right |
| D．You can give us all the right answers |
Which of the following is the writer’s attitude(态度)?
| A．Parents should choose friends for their children． |
| B．Children should choose everything they like． |
| C．Parents should understand their children better． |
| D．Teenagers should only go to their friends for help． |
Part of the purpose of this
passage is to ___.
| A．give information for the parents to make their own judgment (判断) |
| B．give advice to children who want to choose their friends |
| C．help parents to find better friends for their children |
| D．get some information from many readers |
The playwright George Bernard Shaw once said humorously, “England and America are two nations divided by a common language. If he were writing today, he might add ‘divided by a common technology--- e-mail’”.
Two completely different styles of e-mail have formed on either side of the Atlantic-Euromail and Amerimail. Americail is informal and chatty. It’s likely to begin with a “Hi” and end with a “Bye”. The chances of Amerimail containing a smiley face or an “xoxo” are disturbingly high. We Americans are unwilling to dive into the meat of an e-mail. We feel we have to first inform recipients (收信人) about our vacation on the island which was really excellent except the jellyfish were biting and the kids caught a cold, so we had to skip the whale watching trip, but about that investors’ meeting in New York. Amerimail is a bundle of contradictions, casual and yet direct, respectful yet over proud. In other words, Amerimail is America.
Euromail is stiff and cold often beginning with a formal “Dear Mr. X” and ending with a simple “Sincerely”. You won’t find any mention of kids or the weather or jellyfish in Euromail. It’s all business. It’s also slow. Your correspondent might take days even weeks to answer a message. Euromail is exactly like the Europeans themselves.
Recently about 100 managers were asked on both sides of the Atlantic whether they noticed differences in e-mail styles. Most said yes. Here are a few of their observations:
“Americans tend to write (e-mail) exactly as they speak.”
“Why don’t you just call me instead of writing five e-mails back and forth?”
“Europeans are less interested in checking e-mail”.
“In general, Americans are much more responsive to e-mail—they respond faster and provide more information.”
So which is better, Euromail or Amerimail? I realized it’s not popular these days to suggest we have anything to learn from Europeans, but I’m fed up with an inbox filled with casual, barely meaningful e-mails from friends and colleagues. If the alternative is a few earnestly written, carefully worded bits of Euromail, then I say, “Bring it on.” What did George Bernard Shaw mean by saying “England and America are two nations divided by a common language”?
| A．There is not much difference between British English and American English. |
| B．Both England and America speak the common language, so they are much the same. |
| C．Either England or America is a divided nation, though they share a common language. |
| D．There is sharp difference between England and America despite their common language. |
Which of the following is most likely to be the “meat” of an Amerimail?
| A．The jellyfish were biting. |
| B．We had an excellent vacation on the island. |
| C．We had to skip the whale watching trip. |
| D．We were to attend the investors’ meeting in New York. |
On receiving an e-mail, Europeans tend to __________.
| A．respond to it immediately and earnestly |
| B．take more time than Americans to respond to it |
| C．respond by calling up their correspondent |
| D．never respond to it all |
What are characteristics of Amerimail?
| A．Informal and chatty | B．Casual and indirect |
| C．Stiff and cold | D．Formal and direc60 |
We can conclude from the passage that __________.
| A．the different e-mail styles do much harm to the relationship between the two sides on Atlantic |
| B．Amerimail is more appreciated by the writer for being informative and casually written |
| C．Euromail always impresses the writer as something more pleasant to read |
| D．the writer doesn’t favor either e-mail style as both have their own shortcomings |
TOKYO -- The number of domestic infections cases of influenza A/H1N1 in Japan hits 42 on Sunday after a total of 34 people in Osaka and Hyogo counties were confirmed to have been infected, local media reported.
The total number of the infection in the country now stands at 46, including the first four cases contracted abroad.
The country is now facing the risk of grass-root outbreak which could lead the WHO to raise its new flu pandemic alert（传染病预警）to the highest level of 6 from the current 5, experts has warned.
The 34 newly confirmed domestic cases, 11 in Osaka and 23 in Hyogo, included high school students, college students and teachers, the health ministry and local governments said Sunday.
Japan on Saturday confirmed the first eight cases of domestic infection on students of a Kobe high school. The later confirmed cases in Osaka are said to have contacted the Kobe students in a volleyball match. Osaka and Hyogo are neighboring in the Kansai region.
All of the 42 people had no record of overseas travel.
Meanwhile, a total of 143 students at the Kansai Okura Senior High School where many infections in Osaka were found, have shown symptoms of influenza since around Monday, according to local media reports.
The privately run school said it will be closed from Monday through Saturday.
More than 1,000 educational facilities -- kindergartens, and elementary, junior and senior high schools -- in Osaka and Hyogo counties have decided to suspend classes for certain periods following the confirmation of new flu infections in the counties, Kyodo News reported.
The two counties have requested private schools to follow suit.
Osaka Governor Toru Hashimoto held a meeting of a new flu task force on Sunday and decided to ask facilities such as movie theaters to suspend operations to prevent the spread of the flu.
TV clips showed people in Kansai region started to wear masks in public spaces and rushed to drug stores for buying medicines.
The Japanese government on Saturday shifted the stage of its new-flu action program from “a period of overseas outbreak” to “a period of domestic outbreak” and called for companies and schools in the areas concerned to allow individuals to avoid commuting（出行） during rush hours.
The Kyodo News quoted Masato Tashiro, a member of the World Health Organization's emergency committee, as saying that several hundred people in Japan already may have been infected with the new flu. According to the passage, the total number of the A/H1N1 infection in Japan now is __________.
| A．42 | B．34 | C．46 | D．143 |
The reasons for the happening of the later confirmed cases in Osaka are the following Except __________.
| A．143 students at the Kansai Okura Senior High School have shown symptoms of influenza. |
| B．Some students in a Kobe High school got infected. |
| C．Osaka and Hyogo are next to each other in the Kansai region. |
| D．The later infected people contacted the Kobe students in a volleyball match. |
What is the implied meaning of what Masato Tashiro said in the last paragraph?
| A．The real situation about the new flu in Japan may be worse than it has been reported. |
| B．Several hundred people have been infected but they don’t know it. |
| C．The WHO has to raise its new flu pandemic alert to the highest level. |
| D．The WHO’s emergency committee are trying to confirm the number of infection in Japan. |
Which of the following is one of the measures already taken by the Japanese government?
| A．Raising the new flu pandemic alert to the highest level. |
| B．Holding a meeting to ask some facilities in the country to stop their operations. |
| C．Calling for individuals in the whole country to avoid commuting during rush hours. |
| D．Changing its stage of its new-flu action program to a more serious level. |
The purpose of the passage is __________.
| A．to introduce the domestic infection cases in Japan. |
| B．to draw people’s attention to the worsening situation. |
| C．to give some advice on preventing the spread of the flu. |
| D．to call for educational facilities in Japan to suspend classes for some time. |