Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset（不安的）if your English friends don’t invite you home. It doesn’t mean they don’t like you. Dinner parties usually start between 7 and 8 p.m. and end at about 11. Ask your hosts（主人）what time you should arrive. It’s polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine as a gift. Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks（小吃）. If you want to be extra polite, say how much you like the room, or the pictures on the wall. But remember－it’s not polite to ask how much things cost. In many families, the husband sits at one of the table and the wife sits at the other end. They eat with their guests. You’ll probably start the meal with soup or something small, then you’ll have meat or fish with vegetables, and then dessert（甜点心）, followed by coffee. It’s polite to finish everything on your plate and to take more if you want it. Did you enjoy the evening? Call your hosts the next day, or write them a short “thank you” letter. British and American people like to say “thank you, thank, thank you” all the time! If your English friend doesn’t invite you to dinner at home, it means he or she ______.
| A．doesn’t like you | B．likes you |
| C．can’t afford to do so | D．is too busy |
It’s impolite ______.
| A．to ask about the price of a certain thing |
| B．to say “thank you” to hosts |
| C．take nothing with you when you are invited to dinner |
| D．to eat up everything on your plate |
The meal ends with _______ usually.
| A．soup | B．coffee | C．meat or fish | D．dessert |
When you are invited to a dinner party, you’d better _______.
| A．ask what time you should arrive | B．take your wife with you |
| C．drink as more as possible | D．eat more snacks as you can |
Which of the following is true?
| A．The hosts like the people who sit closer to them. |
| B．The hosts like the people who ask them time, price, age, etc. |
| C．The husband and the wife usually sit together. |
| D．You can call your host the next day or write a letter of thanks after that |
There are many wetlands in China and some of them have become the world’s important wetlands. The Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands are among them. They are in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. They are home for many different kinds of birds and animals. The world’s largest Milu Deer Nature Reserve(自然保护区) is in them. More than700 milu deer live freely there. There are not many red-crowned cranes in the world, but every winter you can see some in the Red-crowned Cranes Nature Reserve in the Yellow Sea Wetlands.
The temperature in the wetlands is usually neither too high nor too low. There is a lot of rain and sunshine, too. They are usually good places for wildlife. Offering food and home for some special kinds of animals and birds is not the only reason why we need to protect wetlands. Wetlands are important because they also prevent(阻止) flood(洪水). But some people want to change the wetlands to make more space for farms and buildings. This means there will be less and less space for wildlife.
Luckily, more and more people are beginning to realize(意识到) the importance of wetlands and wildlife. Every year, on February 2nd, many activities are held to tell people more about wetlands.The Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands are in______.
| A．Zhejiang | B．Jiangsu |
| C．Jiangxi | D．Hubei |
Usually the weather in the wetlands is______.
| A．not too cold or hot | B．cold |
| C．hot | D．dry |
The World Wetlands Day is probably(可能) on ______.
| A．April 22 | B．June 25 |
| C．February 2 | D．March 22 |
We must protect wetlands because ______.
| A．they are home for wildlife |
| B．they can prevent flood |
| C．they can offer food to the animals and birds |
| D．all of the above |
The best title for the passage is ______.
| A．China’s wetlands have all entered the world’s list |
| B．Wetlands-home for wildlife and people |
| C．Special animals in the Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands |
| D．Wetlands—valuable resources (珍贵资源) of land on the earth |
Do you know how to talk to others politely in English? Have a look at the following.
Could you give me five minutes? VS Go away.
You’re really busy, but your classmate needs your help. When you’re busy and can’t help him or her, you can’t say “Go away”. And you can say, ”Could you give me five minutes?”
Excuse me. VS Move
Telling someone to move out of the way is very rude(无礼的). When someone is in your way, you should say “Excuse me”.
I’m afraid I can’t. VS No
It can often be difficult to decline an invitation from a friend. Saying “No” would be impolite. It’s a good idea to say,”I’m afraid I can’t.” if you have to say no to an invitation.
Would you mind…? VS Stop it!
If someone is doing something rude, would you like them to stop? You shouldn’t say, “Stop talking on your phone in the cinema!” You can say, “Would you mind not using your phone in the cinema, please?”The passage mainly tells us___.
| A．how to talk to others politely |
| B．how to ask questions |
| C．how to solve our problems |
| D．how to make others happy |
Which is a polite way to talk to others?
| A．Stop it! | B．Go away! | C．Excuse me | D．Shut up |
If you don’t want to go to your friend’s birthday party, you may say,”___”.
| A．I’m busy | B．No, I don’t. |
| C．I have no interest. | D．I’m afraid I can’t. |
If you don’t like what someone is doing, what can you say?
| A．Would you mind not stopping your car here? |
| B．Don’t stop your car here. |
| C．Move out of the way. |
| D．Stop smoking here |
The underlined word “decline” means ___in Chinese.
| A．拒绝 | B．解决 | C．接受 | D．收到 |
When someone says extinct(灭绝的) animals, you may think about dinosaurs(恐龙). But now many other animals are becoming less and less in number. These animals might disappear from the earth very soon. Take a look at the following animals. They are all in danger.
The African Elephant
The African elephant is a clever animal. It has a very good memory. But people kill it for its tusks(长牙). Half of the African elephants have disappeared.
The African Lion
The African lions have nowhere to live because of wars in Southern Africa. Besides, hunters and farmers often kill them.
The Tortoise
George is a tortoise. It is the last Pinta Island(平塔岛) giant tortoise. It was found in 1971. Now it lives in a research station. It can still live for another 200 years. But it is the last one of this species(物种) of tortoise.
The Tadpole Shrimp(蝌蚪虾)
Maybe you’ve never seen a tadpole shrimp. This is one of the oldest species on the earth. People have found them in fresh water pools on four continents(州). A tadpole shrimp can only live for two months or less.When someone says extinct animals, you may think about____?
| A．monkeys | B．dinosaurs | C．pandas | D．tigers |
People kill the African elephant for its_____
| A．fur | B．tusks | C． nose | D．ears |
According to the passage, we know that George ____.
| A．is the name of a scientist |
| B．is 100 years old |
| C．is the last one of its species |
| D．was born in 1971 |
The tadpole shrimp____.
| A．is in danger because of its special illness(疾病) |
| B．lives on four continents |
| C．lives in a research stations now |
| D．is the second oldest species on the earth |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．A tadpole shrimp can live for 100 years. |
| B．The number of some animals are becoming smaller and smaller. |
| C．All the animals in the world are in danger of extinction |
| D．African elephants have nowhere to live. |
One morning, it was already a quarter to eight when I got up. I was afraid that I would be late so I put on my clothes hurriedly and left without breakfast.
There were so many people at the bus stop that it was not easy to catch a bus. Five minutes went by, I still couldn’t get on one. The only thing I could do was to walk. I rushed through the crowded and ran towards my school. Unexpectedly, I hit an old woman, and she fell down. Without saying sorry, I left her and went on my way.
That evening, when I was back from school, I learned that the old woman was badly hurt in the leg from the fall. Some kind people sent her to a hospital after I left. I felt very sorry and nearly cried. The only way for me to ask her pardon was to pay her a visit.
The next day, I went to the hospital, I met the old woman and told her who I was. At first I thought that she would give me a scolding. To my surprise, she didn’t, but smiled. For me, that smile was worse. She touched my hand and said, “Never mind, my girl, I knew you didn’t want to hurt me, did you? Don’t worry, I will be better soon.”The writer had to walk to school because ____________.
| A．he got up early | B．he hit the woman the bus |
| C．the bus was late | D．it was difficult to get on |
What happened to the old woman after her fall?
| A．her leg was badly hurt |
| B．She was all right |
| C．She scolded the writer |
| D．The writer sent her to a hospital. |
The underlined phrase “a scolding” means some__________.
| A．cold eyes | B．bad words |
| C．warm smile | D．useful money |
From the passage, we know that___________.
| A．The writer might be a manager in a company |
| B．The writer wanted to hit the old woman. |
| C．The old woman understand the writer very well. |
| D．The old woman was probably ill at home. |
Beijing Opera is also called Peking Opera. It came into being after 1790 when the famous four Anhui opera troupes(戏班) came to Beijing. Its music and singing(唱腔) come from Xipi and Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei. Its costumes are all fascinating and artistic. It is the highest expression of the Chinese culture. It’s full of famous stories, beautiful facial paintings, and wonderful gestures and fighting. This kind of opera is very popular with Chinese people.
There are four main roles in Beijing Opera: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. Sheng is the leading male (男性) actor. For example, a Wusheng is a soldier or fighter. A Xiaosheng is a young man. A Laosheng is an old man. Dan is the female(女性) role. Jing, mostly male, is the face-painted role and Chou is the comedy actor or clown.
Stories in Beijing Opera are very interesting. Some of them are from the history book, but most of them are from the literature, especially famous novels. The people in the story usually have some disagreements. They become angry and unhappy. They are sad and lonely. Sometimes they are nervous and worried. Then they find a way to make peace. The stories usually end with happiness and laughter and people are all happy in the end. Beijing Opera’s singing is from _________.
| A．Anhui and Hubei | B．Beijing and Anhui |
| C．the history book | D．the literature and novels |
The second paragraph(段落) of the reading is about the _________ of Beijing Opera.
| A．stories | B．roles | C．gestures | D．paintings |
From the reading, we know the role Chou most probably has a (n) _________ feature.
| A．honest | B．funny | C．dull | D．serious |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Peking Opera is full of different gestures. |
| B．There are only four roles in Beijing Opera. |
| C．Beijing Opera is the most popular in the world. |
| D．The people in the story usually are in agreement. |