STAGE
| Keep it in the air: The Chaoyang Theater is one of the Beijing theaters to present acrobatics(杂技 ) all year round．Top acrobatic artists invited from all over the country perform for Chinese and foreign tourists．The program contains trick cycling, leaping through hoops and Chinese magic tricks．Some of the artists have won prizes in international competitions． Time: 7∶15 p．m．Daily Place: 36, Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District Tel: 65072421, 65071818 |
| Use your head: Green Hat is a new drama given by a group of young Chinese actors．It’s a rewrite of American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novel The Scarlet Letter． It describes the heroine’s great courage in finding the true love against the public disagreement． Time: 7∶15 p．m．until March 5, except Mondays Place: China Children’s Theater Tel: 66037255, 66037265 |
| Mix and match: Story of Puppets tells of a fairy, Zixia, who looks for true love in the human world．After watching a puppet play Peony Pavilion, she thinks there must be true love in reality, so she uses magic to turn the puppet characters into humans, wanting to fall in love with the puppet hero．But things don’t go as she planned．．．Li Liuyi, the director of the play has made several successful attempts to present different traditional operas in one play．This time he combines Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera, Pingju Opera along with a band, using the structure of modern drama． Time: 7∶ 30 p．m．until March 10, except Mondays Place: Small Playhouse of Beijing People’s Art Theater Tel: 65250123 |
| Peking Opera: The Beijing Peking Opera Troupe will give two performances at the Chang’an Grand Theater．Each performance includes two classical excerpts(选段)．One is Wenxi(a play focusing on singing and dancing); the other is Wuxi (a play full of acrobatic dancing)．The first night will be The Crossroad and Presenting a Pearl of the Rainbow Bridge．And the second night will see the performance of The Goddess of Heaven Scatters Flowers and Havoc in Heaven． Time: 7∶30 p．m．February 27, 28 Place:Chang’an Grand Theater Tel: 86531043 |
We can learn from the text that________．
| A．story of puppets is a play held in China Children’s Theater |
| B．the artists who have won prizes will perform magic tricks |
| C．on March 5 there will be two plays for us to choose |
| D．the artists in the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe are from all over the country |
If a tourist wants to see a performance on March 15, he can call_______to book a ticket．
| A．86531043 | B．65250123 | C．66037255 | D．65071818 |
According to the text, which of the following statements is true?
| A．The director of the Story of Puppets combines different operas in it． |
| B．Green Hat is based on a famous novel acted by some American artis |
| C．Top Acrobatic artists will present their performances around our country． |
| D．The Beijing Peking Opera Troupe will give two performances with the same excerpts． |
BBC News (May 11, 2008) —Edinburgh Zoo plans to bring a pair of giant pandas from China to Scotland. Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have recently returned from China. They signed a letter of intent (意向书) there, making a promise to bring giant pandas to the Zoo.
It has been suggested that the pair of giant pandas should be on loan (暂借) to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) for 10 years. The pair of giant pandas would give birth to babies during that time. Edinburgh Zoo would be the eighth zoo in the Western world to care for the species if the project goes ahead.
Zoo chiefs said that looking after the endangered animals could benefit conservation. David Windmill, chief of RZSS, said, "Working with giant pandas means so much more to us than introducing a new species to our collection. It is an opportunity to work on a global level with other conservationists to gain a better understanding of the giant pandas, the threats they face, and what we can do to ensure their survival."
At present, there are only around 1,500 giant pandas in the wild. RZSS has been working on the project for almost a year, hoping to have giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo by 2009, the year of the society’s centenary (一百周年纪念日). Mr. Windmill said that the project has received strong support from the UK and Scottish Governments. He also said that this must continue if the Zoo is to reach an agreement with the Chinese. As part of the agreement with the Chinese Government, Edinburgh Zoo will work together with Chinese scientists on research projects benefiting conservation in the wild.
RZSS will also provide money to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild. Giant pandas live in mountainous regions in central China and almost mainly feed on bamboo, which makes up 99% of what they eat. What do we know from the first two paragraphs?
| A．China will give a pair of giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo. |
| B．Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have been to China. |
| C．The Scottish Government has signed a letter of intent with China. |
| D．Edinburgh Zoo is the first Western zoo to have giant pandas. |
According to the text, RZSS may be ___________.
| A．a company that deals with international business |
| B．an organization that researches endangered animals |
| C．a government department in charge of Western issues |
| D．an activity having something to do with animals |
We can know from the text that _____________.
| A．David Windmill is Edinburgh Zoo’s chief |
| B．the number of giant pandas in the wild is still unknown |
| C．RZSS will celebrate its centenary in 2009 |
| D．RZSS knows the threats the giant pandas face well |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Edinburgh Zoo expects giant pandas from China. |
| B．Edinburgh Zoo does research into giant pandas. |
C．Scotland supports giant panda  conservation. |
| D．Giant pandas live happily in central China. |
The United States is one of the richest countries in the world. Most people live in urban areas, and the large stretch of land left unused is full of scenic beauty. On the one hand it is proud of its urban areas, and on the other hand, it has the rich wealth of forests, mountains, plains and much more.
On the east coast of the country there are cities like New York, the leading city in business. Washington, D.C. is the capital of the country, where you will get an opportunity to see the White House. The city will simply impress you, with many museums showing the culture, lifestyle, art and architecture of the country. Another place worth visiting is Miami, one of the most popular international tourist destinations. It is also well known for its Latin culture, wonderful urban nightlife and beaches.
Moving to the west coast, you will come across the most amazing places in which to relax. Los Angeles is the place where you can see life in all its many forms; this city is world-famous for its Hollywood film industry. It also has beaches that can offer breathtaking surfing experiences.
Moving on to the Pacific Coast Highway, we get to see the beauty of San Francisco. Clean beaches and mountains topped (盖住) by clouds are worth seeing. Travelers can enjoy day trips to beaches, deserts a
nd wine-producing regions. Chicago lies on the shore of the Great Lakes and is believed to be the fastest growing city in the world, with its high standard of living and rich lifestyles. The city is a center for many theaters and is world-famous for its strong tradition of music jazz and the blues. According to the first paragraph, we know that ______.
| A．most American people live in the countryside |
| B．a lot of land has not been used in the US |
| C．the US has the largest forest in the world |
| D．the US has a larger area of urban land than wild land |
Which city in the US is famous for its Latin culture?
| A．New York. | B．San Francisco. |
| C．Los Angeles. | D．Miami. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The article refers to four cities on the east coast. |
| B．You can go to Los Angeles to experience surfing. |
| C．You cannot enjoy the blues in Chicago. |
| D．San Francisco is a center for many theaters. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．One of the reasons why the US is rich. |
| B．The customs and culture of the US. |
| C．A brief introduction to some American cities. |
| D．The beautiful landscapes of the US. |
I chose to study in Madrid because I had a desire to learn Spanish. My first impressions of Madrid were incredible. It was before the New Year that I arrived in Madrid for the first time. While traveling to my Spanish friend’s house in a taxi, I appreciated the buildings along the road which were different from those of my own country.
There are an incredible number of restaurants and bars from all over the world. If you are really into sightseeing, I hope you have rechargeable batteries for your digital camera, because one week really isn’t enough time to see everything here including a number of art, science, and historical museums as well as parks, buildings, and amazing landscapes.
What I liked best about life in Madrid was the fact that if you were frustrated with schoolwork and wanted to have some fun, you can easily go out. The nightlife never seems to stop and the people are all very friendly. You can meet people and practice Spanish while having fun at the same time.
What I liked least was the fact that many people smoked in the streets. Also, coming from the US, I was used to having a big breakfast every morning, but while living with an actual Spanish family, I wasn’t really satisfied with the food in the morning.
I think I have definitely become more independent since I came back from Spain. Living in a big city like Madrid I found that it is necessary to plan ahead and to make a schedule (时间表) for future. There is so much to see, not just in the Spanish World, but in the European World as well.What’s the purpose of the text?
| A．To attract people to tour around Madrid. |
| B．To show how to enjoy Spanish culture. |
| C．To give advice on how to study Spanish. |
| D．To describe the author’s life in Madrid. |
The author went to Madrid to _________________.
| A．visit his friend | B．go on a sightseeing tour |
| C．study Spanish | D．complete his trip around Europe |
Why did the author suggest taking rechargeable batteries?
| A．It’s difficult to deal with the used batteries. |
| B．It’s not convenient to recharge batteries. |
| C．There are few stores that sell ordinary batteries. |
| D．You will find lots of places worth taking pictures of. |
Which of the following in Madrid didn’t please the author?
| A．Parks and buildings. | B．Restaurants and bars. |
| C．Nightlife. | D．Breakfast. |
Weather is the subject matter of Westerners whenever they met
. Housewives, businessmen, factory workers as well as farmers all talk about the weather. It’s everyday news, whether or not conditions change. Many newspapers carry a regular front page news story in addition to the full reports on as inside-page provided by the weather service. Here are several different types of weather reports taken from the western papers:
No. 1 Regional Forecast
| New Jersey Today: Considerably cloudy with showers likely. High: 75-79. Southwesterly winds at 15-20m.p.h.. Precipitation(降水) probability 70 percent. Tonight: Warm and cloudy, rain likely. Low: 55-63. Southwesterly winds at 15 to 20m.p.h.. Tomorrow: Showers and thunderstorms likely. High: 75-79. Wind S to SW at 15 to 20m.p.h. |
No. 2 Three-day Forecast
| Westchester, Rockland Friday: Mostly fine to partly cloudy. Saturday: Cloudy with some showers. Sunday: Mostly fine. Temperature: Daytime highs will average in the upper 60’s to 70’s while overnight lows will average in the low to 50’s throughout the period. |
No. 3 Weather Stories
Bitter cold, inten sified(加剧) by high winds, gripped(控制) the Upper Midwest today, sheets of ice and snow left by the winter’s first major storm on highways throughout the area.At least six deaths were blamed on the storm. Hundreds of schools closed throughout the Upper Midwest yesterday and thousands of travelers waited out the weather at roadside shelters(避难处). Temperatures dropped well below zero early today from the Northern Plains through the Western Great Lakes under clearing skies. A 25-below-zero reading was forecast. Nearly a foot of snow fell on northern sections of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. And hardest hit were Duluth, Minn. and Superior, Wis., where 12 inches were recorded. Winds went up to 50 miles an hour. |
In a street corner of London, two strangers may begin their talk with “_____”.
| A．Hi, how are you? | B．What are you doing here? Waiting for someone? |
| C．A nice day, isn’t it? | D．Didn’t you listen to the weather report last night? |
The noon temperature of _____ is nearly 70’s at the weekend.
| A．Western Great Lakes | B．Duluth, Minn |
| C．Westchester, Rockland | D．New Jersey |
It seems that _____ has plenty of rain at the present season.
| A．Western Great Lakes | B．Wisconsin | C．Westchester Rockland | D．New Jersey |
Which of the following is most probable according to No.3?
| A．The traffic was terribly affected. |
| B．The Five Great Lakes were covered by heavy snow. |
| C．The temperatures might drop to 50℃. |
| D．Many schools were damaged in the snowstorm. |
It was the perfect weather for leaf watching, and my housemate Julie and I meant to spend the weekend with our friends in the north Georgia mountains. "Don’t you want to come along? "Julie asked her 15-year-old son, Mark. "Enjoy the leaves by yourselves,” he told her. "I’ll be fine staying home by myself. "Julie and I drove there in my car after work on Friday. On Saturday morning we hiked along the mountainside and enjoyed the beautiful colors. All of a sudden, I had a terrible feeling. "Go home," a voice seemed to urge me. I couldn’t explain it, but I didn’t want to be here any more. I just wanted to go home. "Carol, calm down. You’re being silly, "Julie said. But the urge just got stronger. "I’ve got to leave," I said. "If you want to stay, you can get a ride back with everyone else tomorrow. "Julie stood up. "No, I’ll go with you, "she said. We almost didn’t talk during the two-hour trip back. I felt very guilty. Finally, we pulled in. The lights were on in the house, but something was strange. The windows seemed to be fogged up. Julie opened the door and smoke poured out. "Mark!" she shouted. "Mark!" We rushed inside and found him asleep on the sofa. Shaking him awake, Julie grabbed him. I grabbed the source of the smoke —a pillow too close to the fireplace. I then took it outside and threw water on it. Mark had built a fire to keep warm, and some embers (灰烬) had flown out. The whole house could have gone up if we hadn’t gotten there just then!What do we know from the text?
| A．Leaf watching was Mark’s hobby. | B．Mark stayed home with his friends. |
| C．Carol went to work on Friday. | D．Mark was Carol’s cousin. |
The underlined phrase "pulled in" in the last paragraph probably means "_______".
| A．started the car | B．arrived home and stopped the car |
| C．moved away from the station | D．came home late |
While driving home Carol ________.
| A．was very terrified | B．drove at a great speed |
| C．knew she had made a mistake | D．hardly said anything |
Why did Carol want to go home?
| A．She didn’t enjoy the leaves. | B．She received her son’s telephone call. |
| C．She felt something urged her to go home. | D．She followed Julie’s advice. |