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Many of us already know about several American superstitions(迷信). Having a black cat cross your path, walking under a ladder, and breaking a mirror are all bad luck. In addition, there are many other superstitions that are worth knowing. Understanding them will keep you safe from evil spirits —if you believe in such things —and impress your American friends when you mention them.
Like the superstitions in other cultures, American superstitions often involve the things important in daily life, such as health, numbers, and marriage. For example, have you ever had a cough that would not go away? According to one American superstition, you should take a piece of your hair and put it between two slices of buttered bread. Next, feed this hair sandwich to a dog and say, “Eat well, you hound, may you be sick and I be sound.” This will trick the evil spirits and help your cough. It will also raise some eyebrows if you try it.
In American superstitions, the number three is very important. Often, Americas will say, “All things come in threes.” Three is lucky because it represents the traditional family: mother, father, and child. Therefore, gifts, letters, and guests will often arrive at your home in groups of three. However, it is also possible for bad events, like accidents and funerals, to come in threes as well.
Another time people pay attention to superstitions is when they get married. During a wedding, brides must wear or carry “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”. The old and borrowed things will bring luck to the person who gives them to the bride. The new and blue things will bring good fortune to the bride herself. The next time someone you know is getting married, be sure to recite this phrase.
As it would be unlucky to discuss one more superstition, we will wind things up here. Keep your fingers crossed, and stay lucky!
The passage is most probably entitled        .

A.American’s Bad Luck B.Cross-culture and Superstitions
C.American Superstitions D.Daily Life in Superstitions

The underlined sentence in the second paragraph “It will also raise some eyebrows if you try it.” means        .

A.when you try it, the dog will raise its eyebrows.
B.you will make people surprised when you try this trick
C.only if you raise your eyebrows can the trick work
D.you will believe in the trick after you try it

In American’s view, the number three is a(n)         number.

A.lucky B.unlucky C.special D.ordinary

On the wedding, the bride often uses old and borrowed things so as to          .

A.save some money for the wedding
B.bring good luck to the people who give them to the bride
C.give the good luck to the bride herself
D.pass the bad luck to others

After reading the passage, we may feel it is written in a         tone.

A.formal B.serious C.humorous D.critical
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Woman Uses Daughter's Key to "Steal" Car
Charlie Vansant, a college student of Athens, Ohio who reported that his car was stolen, got a surprise when he learned a woman had mistaken it for her daughter's car and taken it-using her key.
Kate Anderson became an accidental car thief when picking up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson spotted the Toyota Camry(丰田凯美瑞)and used her daughter's key to unlock the car, start the engine and drive home-without realizing that the car wasn't her daughter's.
When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car had been towed, but when the police couldn't find a record of it, they took a theft report.
The morning after Anderson took the car, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant's name on paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the website for the university.
When Anderson told Charlie the car was in her driveway, "It sounded real suspicious at first, as she wanted to hold the thing for ransom(赎金),” said Vansant. He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to the police report, the case was closed "because of mistaken car identity", Anderson wasn't charged.
Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the "thief". "Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition(点火装置) as well - so high-five for Toyota. I guess." he said.
What does the underlined word "towed" mean in paragraph 3?

A.removed. B.damaged.
C.stolen. D.sold.

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A.Mrs. Anderson's daughter discovered the car her mother drove was not hers.
B.Mrs. Anderson stole Charlie's car at the request of her daughter.
C.Charlie had thought he had to give Anderson money to get his car back.
D.Mrs. Anderson used her daughter's key to unlock Charlie's car and drive home.

What does Charlie mean by "high-five for Toyota"?

A.He is blaming Toyota for the poor quality of car keys.
B.He should thank Toyota for returning his car.
C.He wants to celebrate with Toyota for getting his car back.
D.He thinks highly of Toyota for producing large quantities of cars.

What is likely to happen next according to the passage?

A.Mrs. Anderson was charged with stealing a car.
B.Charlie blamed Mrs. Anderson for mistakenly taking his car.
C.Charlie would ask the Toyota Company to give him an explanation.
D.The Toyota Company would give Charlie a new car as compensation.

We each have a unique genetic(基因的, 遗传的)make-up. Every cell of our body has the same set of about 100, 000 separate genes made of DNA. These are the instructions for producing a person. Genes decide everything from the colour of our skin to the way our brain works. We have one of several billion combinations of DNA which come from the random mixing of our parents’ genes. Except for identical twins(同卵双胞胎), no one has the same combination as another person. We are unique! We are unique in another way, too: in the way we are raised and all the experiences we have from before birth to adult life. These experiences influence us, our behaviour and attitudes, and the choices we make.
But are genes or life experiences more important in shaping our appearance and personality? Scientists are studying twins to find out. One set of twins occurs every 70 births—some are identical and others are non-identical twins. Identical twins are special because they share exactly the same genes and often the same environment. Non-identical twins are more like ordinary brothers and sisters.
Some identical twins have been adopted and brought up in different homes. With identical genes but a different home environment, scientists can study twins to see how much a particular feature depends on the genes we inherit(继承). For example, we know that eye problems, like short-sightedness, are mostly genetic. But resistance to pain is largely dependent on experiences. Genes also influence our eating habits. Identical twins brought up apart often like to eat at the same time of day and feel full after eating the same amount. Non-identical twins in similar circumstances have more varied eating habits. Identical twins are also more likely to follow the same patterns for marriage and divorce than non-identical twins.
Scientists are trying to identify the different genes that influence our behavior. Some people are thrill-seekers and get into risk-taking and adventurous activities. They take up extreme sports like bungee jumping and possibly take drugs. Scientists have discovered a gene which affects this.
We could ask, “Are our lives determined by our genes or our upbringing? ”Scientists are learning more all the time, but it is certainly true that both are important in making us who we are.
What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A.Both our genes and our experiences make us who we are.
B.How we turn out depends on our parents’ genes.
C.Everyone has a physical double somewhere in the world.
D.We cannot easily change our physical appearance.

Why are scientists studying twins?

A.To find out how many twins are born every year.
B.To discover what shapes us as individuals.
C.To compare differences between twins.
D.To study brother-and-sister relationships.

According to the passage,.

A.one in 70 twins are genetically identical
B.non-identical twins are usually not of the same sex
C.twins separated at birth behave exactly the same
D.identical twins are genetically the same

What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A.Our love of sports. B.Our attitude to risk-taking.
C.Our skill at bungee jumping. D.Our ability to take drugs.

Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a ‘territory’ is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢)season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language of their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.
Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually________.

A.an expression of happiness B.a way of warning
C.an expression of anger D.a way of greeting

What does the underlined word “territory’’ mean?

A.A place where families of other species are not accepted
B.A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice
C.An area for which birds fight against each other
D.An area which a bird considers to be its own

Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?

A.Because they want to invite more friends
B.Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away
C.Because they want to find outsiders around
D.Because their singing helps get rid of their fears

How does the writer explain bird’s singing?

A.By comparing birds with human beings
B.By reporting experiment results
C.By describing birds’ daily life
D.By telling a bird’s story

Our Community
One Tuesday evening in the beginning of the fall 1996 semester (学期) at Shippensburg University, sirens sounded. These sirens were not in celebration; they were a cry to the university that something was wrong. A house, only one block away, was on fire. Nine of the university’s students lived there.
From the minute the word got out that help was needed, it seemed like everyone showed up. The victims (受灾者) of the fire were offered endless invitations for housing for the night. The very next day, everyone got into gear to do their part in helping them. Flyers(传单) were posted with items that were immediately needed, just to get these students through this next couple of days. Boxes for donations (捐赠品) and money jars were placed in every residence hall (学生宿舍).
As a residence director, I went before the students in my hall to ask them to do what they could. I knew that college students don’t have much, but I asked them to do their best: “Every little bit will help.” I really didn’t think they could do much. I was proved wrong.
At the hall council meeting the night after the fire, my residents decided to have a wing competition, where each wing of the building would team up to see who could bring in the most donations. I announced that the wing who won would receive a free pizza party.
Thursday evening we announced over the PA system that we were beginning the wing competition. Within minutes, the place exploded. The single large box that I had placed in the lobby (大厅) was overflowing. We quickly grabbed more boxes, and we watched in amazement as they, too, filled to the brim(边;沿). Members of the resident assistant staff and I began to count the items. I was astonished by what I saw, and I was inspired by these kids.
When we came to the final tally(得分), the winners turned to me and announced that they would like to donate their winnings as well. They wanted the victims of the fire to have their pizza party.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I had watched these students jump to action, work tirelessly and donate all that they could. And then, as if that were not enough, they handed over their reward. I was touched and so very proud of them.
The writer mainly wanted to________ by the story.

A.tell us nine of the college students suffered from a fire
B.sing praise of the college students helping the victims selflessly
C.describe how successful the wing competition was
D.express he was deeply moved by the college students’ action

At first, the residence director thought ________.

A.it was impossible to expect the college students to donate anything
B.it was easy to collect a lot of donations from the college students
C.the college students would donate something, but not much
D.the college students would donate all they could

The wing competition was held ________.

A.several days after the fire B.the night after the fire
C.a week after the fire D.two days after the fire

The phrase “in amazement” in Paragraph 5 means ________.

A.satisfactorily B.excitedly
C.surprisedly D.happily

April Fools’ Day, not officially considered a holiday, is most definitely a notable day that is celebrated in many countries on April 1. The thing that is so special about April 1 is that it is the day for playing tricks and practical jokes on others. The aim of these jokes is to bring embarrassment to others.
Superstitions(迷信)have it that the practical jokes are meant to be played before noon, and that those that are performed afterwards will bring bad luck. This limitation is widely losing its value due to the fact that many major hoaxes throughout history appear after noon. Another superstition is that anyone who fails to respond properly to the jokes played on them is also said to be easy to suffer from bad luck.
Some people think that being fooled by a pretty girl will be accompanied by marriage, or at least a friendship with her. That sounds like a good deal if she is truly pretty. Some people believe that being married on April Fools’ Day is not a good idea for a man, and that forever in the future he will be ruled by his wife.
The origin of April Fools’ day is not clearly known, but it is generally accepted to have come about as a result of the changes in the calendar system. The New Year celebrations used to begin on 25 March and last for a week, ending on 1 April. In 1582, Charles IX, King of France brought in the new Gregorian calendar, in which the new year began on 1 January. Unfortunately, some people did not hear about the change, and many others simply refused to break the tradition.
April Fools’ Day is different from other festivals probably because .

A.it is not official holiday
B.jokes can be played on this day
C.people are relaxed on this day
D.it is an important day

If jokes are played on you by a beautiful girl you’ll probably .

A.dislike her B.make much money
C.make many friends D.get married to her soon

A man would rather not get married on April probably because .

A.he loves his wife very much
B.he is eager for a bright future
C.he doesn’t want to obey his wife
D.he doesn’t like playing jokes

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A.April Fools’ Day B.The New Year
C.The Superstitions D.The New Gregorian Calendar

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