Weddings in the United States vary as much as the people do. There are church weddings with a great deal of fanfare； there are weddings on mountain-tops with guests barefooted； and there have been weddings on the ocean floor with oxygen tanks for the guests. But
many weddings, no matter where or how they are performed, include certain traditional customs.
Before a couple is married，they become engaged. And then invitations are sent to those who live nearby, their close friends and their relatives who live far away. When everything is ready，then comes the most exciting moment.
The wedding itself usually lasts between 20 and 40 minutes. The wedding party enters the church while the wedding march is played. The bride carrying a bouquet enters last with her father who will "give her away". The groom enters the church from a side door. When the wedding party is gathered by the altar， the bride and groom exchange vows. It is traditional to use the words "To have and to hold from this day forward， for better， for worse， for richer， for poorer， in sick
ness and in health， to love and to cherish， till death do us part". Following the
vows， the couple exchange rings. Wearing the wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand is an old custom.
After the ceremony there is often a party, called a "reception" which gives the wedding guests an opportunity to congratulate the newlyweds.
The car in which the couple leaves the church is decorated with balloons, streamers and shaving cream. The words "Just Married" are painted on the trunk or back window. The bride and groom run to the car under a shower of rice thrown by the wedding guests. When the couple drives away from the church， friends often chase them in cars， honking and drawing attention to them. And then the couple go on their honeymoon. What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Introducing the kinds of wedding in the USA |
| B．introducing the whole procedure of the wedding in the USA |
| C．Introducing the traditional wedding ceremony in the USA |
| D．Introducing a forgetful wedding party in the USA |
Which of the following sentences is true?
| A．In American ,before a couple are married, they never get engaged. |
| B．It is an old custom to wear the wedding ring on the fourth finger of the right hand. |
| C．They don’t invite the relatives who live far away to the wedding party. |
| D．The couple will go on their honeymoon on the very wedding day. |
Which is the last but one step of the wedding ceremony?
| A．The bride carrying a bouquet enters with her father who will "give her away" |
| B．t he bride and groom exchange vows |
| C．the couple exchange rings |
| D．The wedding party enters the church while the wedding march is played |
However urban life strikes you, cities worldwide have been growing ever more rapidly. Some of this growth has happened in the developed world, but the most dramatic increase has been in the Third World. Almost all the world’s population growth over the next 30 years will take place in the cities of developing countries.
By the year 2030, for the first time in history, 60 percent of the world’s people will be living in cities.
This is actually good news in some ways. “Cities are the fundamental building blocks of prosperity(繁荣),” says Marc Weiss, chairman of the Prague Institute for Global Urban Development, “both for the nation and for families.” Industrial and commercial activities in urban areas account for between 50 and 80 percent of the GDP(国内生产总值) in most countries of the world. “There’s the crazy idea that the way to deal with a city’s problems is to keep people out of them.” Weiss continued. “But the problems of the rural life are even more serious than those of the city.” For better or worse, urban-watchers are clear on one point: The quality of life for most people in the future will be determined by the quality of cities. Those cities will be bigger than ever. And yet, population numbers by themselves don’t determine a city’s prospects; after all, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Hamburg, Germany, have the same population. Nor is explosive growth necessarily the determining factor. “City problems,” one authority points out, “mostly have to do with weak, ineffective, and usually unrepresentative city governments.”According to the passage, in the year of 2030 _______.
| A．there will be many cities having a population of more than 10 million. |
| B．rural area will be extinct (灭绝). |
| C．most people will live in cities. |
| D．the third world will keep up with the developed world. |
In the author’s opinion, _________.
| A．better city, better life |
| B．both urban and rural areas will have a large population |
| C．the larger the population is, the faster a city develops |
| D．both urban and rural areas have larger GDP |
The last paragraph implies that ____________.
| A．Public services are ineffective. |
| B．Cities are increasing too fast. |
| C．Population is not linked with development. |
| D．Government should be responsible for the problems in the cities. |
Museums in Germany
Germany is one of the most important countries in Europe. You can visit many museums in Germany and learn about the country, its culture and people.
If you are interested in learning about the history of the country, then you can have a look at the displays in the wonderful museum in the Roman Open Air Museum in Hechingen Stein. This museum, with its large numbers of artifacts (手工艺品) like paintings, pieces of pottery, tools, jewelry and other items, provides a complete picture of Roman history in Germany. The museum is built inside an ancient Roman house called “Villa Rustica”.
Apart from this, another German museum that is worth visiting is the DB Museum, or the German Railway Museum. It is the oldest railway museum in the country, and it offers a comprehensive insight into the history of the railways in Germany. Here, you can see models of trains and engines from an ancient era. If this interests you, you can also visit the Museum of Communication, where you can learn a lot about the transport in Germany. It is a great place to visit with your family.
Another famous museum in Germany, where you can learn a lot about the culture, is the Gutenberg Museum. This museum is filled with ancient memorabilia and artifacts that deal with the history of printing, not only of Germany, but of the whole world. This, in fact, is the oldest printing museum in the world. Amongst the many displays of interesting objects, the most famous is the second Gutenberg Bible. Apart from the museums mentioned above, other museums that are worth visiting include the German Leather Museum, Kingspor Museum, Optical Museum Jena, Deutsches Museums and others. Each of the museums in Germany deals with a different theme.
You can visit the museums in Germany with your family and have a good time looking at the displays.Which of the following is not displayed in the Roman Open Air Museum?
| A．Pieces of pottery. | B．Jewelry. | C．Paintings. | D．Models of trains. |
What can we learn about the German Railway Museum?
| A．It is the oldest railway museum in Europe. |
| B．It covers the history of the railways in Germany. |
| C．It offers information about the transport in Germany. |
| D．It is built inside an ancient Roman house. |
If you want to learn about the history of Germany, you can go to the _______.
| A．Roman Open Air Museum | B．Kingspor Museum |
| C．Optical Museum Jena | D．Deutsches Museums |
What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
| A．To attract more visitors to the museums. |
| B．To act as an introduction to the history of Germany. |
| C．To make Germany more popular. |
| D．To call on people to do something for the museums. |
A jobless man applied for the position of “office boy” at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
“You are employed,” he said. “Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start.”
The man replied, “But I don’t have a computer, neither an e-mail.”
“I’m sorry,” said the HR manager. “If you don’t have an e-mail, that means you do not exist. And he who doesn’t exist cannot have the job. ”
The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do, with only ten dollars in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10kg tomatoes. He then sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home happily with 60 dollars.
The man realized that he could survive in this way, and started to go every day earlier, and returned late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers(零售商) in the US.
He started to plan his family’s future and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker(保险业经纪人) and chose a protection plan.
When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his e-mail. The man replied, “I don’t have an e-mail.”
The broker answered curiously, “You don’t have an e-mail, and yet have succeeded to build an empire(帝国). Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?” The man thought for a while and replied, “Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!”Why can’t the man have the job at Microsoft?
| A．Because he was lazy. | B．Because he didn’t pass the test. |
| C．Because he didn’t have an e-mail. | D．Because he didn’t have a computer. |
The underlined word “triple” can be replaced by ______.
| A．become large | B．become 3 times | C．increase quickly | D．decrease quickly |
The man can be described as _______.
| A．helpful and grateful | B．positive and generous |
| C．smart and hardworking | D．stubborn and unselfish |
Which proverb can best describe the story?
| A．Misfortune may be an actual blessing. | B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．Accidents will happen. | D．No pains , no gains. |
Public schools in Washington, D.C. provide students with musical instruments for free. When something goes wrong with an instrument, Charles West and Larry Jernigan do the repairs. Both men approach their work with a passion(激情). For them, it’s important that students have a joyful experience with music.
The two have worked together for almost 20 years. This year alone, they’ve fixed about 450 instruments. Both men are musicians and music lovers, so learning to do repairs came naturally.
“I have been a musician all my life.” says West. “I played in an orchestra here in the city. I majored in music in college. I played in an army band.”
Jernigan’s musical interests are varied. “I was formerly trained in the piano and guitar. The alto sax, and the flute, I picked up while working here.”
In addition to fixing instruments, the two also go to schools to instruct teachers and students on how to make minor repairs on their own.
West believes if children start early and stay concerned with music, it enriches other areas of their lives. “I see that in other kids. I see it in myself. I have seen it hundreds of times and it works,” he says. “They learn teamwork. They learn patience and respect.”
But West has concerns about the future of music in the electronic age.
“This instant age has taken away from the sit-down, the patience. And to learn to play an instrument, it takes patience, it takes diligence, it takes time.”
Being able to enjoy music on the job is one of the benefits of the job. Both men agree their best rewards are the students’ performances. What’s the job of West and Jernigan at school?
| A．Teaching music. | B．Writing music. |
| C．Making musical instruments. | D．Repairing musical instruments. |
They love the job because they can .
| A．earn more money | B．learn repair skills |
| C．enjoy music | D．watch performances |
Which of the following is true of the two men?
| A．They have fixed 450 instruments in the past 20 years. |
| B．They can play and repair musical instruments. |
| C．Jernigan used to play in an army band. |
| D．West was trained to play the piano. |
According to West, what can people learn from music?
| A．Teamwork and patience. | B．The value of time. |
| C．The truth of society. | D．Diligence and confidence. |
What is mainly talked about in the text?
| A．How to repair musical instruments. |
| B．Learning experiences of two repairmen. |
| C．How to prepare a musical performance. |
| D．The enjoyable job of two music lovers. |
International students in Christine Rhodes’ English class in Australia share their favorite places they have visited in Australia.
Canberra, the nicest city in Australia.
Siggi Siebold from Germany
I went for a short holiday to Canberra because my son lives there. It’s the nicest city in Australia, a little bit similar to Cairns. There’re lots of big rivers and trees around the city. The small city of Mount Isa
Indra Ekanayake from Malaysia
I came to Mount Isa six months ago. It’s a long way from Brisbane-about 2,000 km .It’s a small city, with a population of 21,000, but it has all the basic facilities(设施)such as a hospital, six schools and supermarkets. It’s a mining city. It’s hot and gets little rain. There’re two big lakes to keep the rainwater for drinking for the city.Lake Moondarra and a mine
Ida Robb from Indonesia
In Mount Isa, there’s a dam called Lake Moondarra. On the weekend you can go there with your friends. People go fishing and even catch a crocodile. There’s a big mine in Mount Isa. Many people come to work in the mine and earn much money. It isn’t a beautiful green place, but many people love it.My impression(印象)of Sydney
Namfon Pitaxsin from Thailand
The fist time I came to Australia, I was happy. I traveled to Sydney. Four million people live there ,and many are Asians. I saw the harbor (港口)，Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House and I went to see the koalas and kangaroos in Taronga Park Zoo. After that I went to the Thai restaurants. There is a revolving (旋转的) restaurant, so you can eat and see the city.Why did Siggi Siebold go to Canberra?
| A．Because it’s the nicest city in Australia. |
| B．Because her son lives there |
| C．Because it is similar to her hometown |
| D．Because there’re lots of rivers |
According to Indra Ekanayake, Mount Isa______
| A．is a famous harbor in Ausralia |
| B．has a large population |
| C．probably doesn’t have enough drinking water |
| D．doesn’t have enough basic facilities |
Where is Lake Moondarra?
| A．In Canberra. | B．In Mount Isa. | C．In Brisbane. | D．In Sydney |
The first time Namfon Pitaxsin went to Australia, she________
| A．saw some special Australian animals |
| B．met more Americans than Asians |
| C．ate in a revolving restaurant |
| D．enjoyed the music in the Opera House |
How many cities does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four. | D．Five |