For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub. Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news.
As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites. The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “The Old Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.
However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.
That’s how things used to be. Things are beginning to change. It is said that the credit crunch(信贷紧缩) is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of business. People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer. Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.
This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 1l pm. Previously, with 1l pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly. The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.
In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market. British pubs now offer something for everyone. A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men's Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter. Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems. Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.The passage mainly tells us something about ______.
| A．the past and present of British pubs |
| B．the decline of British pubs |
| C．the long history of British pubs |
| D．the importance of British pubs |
Which may not be the cause of the decline of British pubs?
| A．The credit crunch. |
| B．The present closing time. |
| C．The ban of smoking. |
| D．Having no spare money. |
We can infer from the passage that ______.
| A．British people used to like drinking slowly |
| B．closing the pubs early will reduce social problems |
| C．binge drinking means drinking less beer |
| D．British government aims to discourage people from binge drinking |
We can see from the last paragraph that the author _______.
| A．is against the admission of too many women to the pubs |
| B．holds an optimistic attitude towards the British pubs |
| C．thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems |
| D．thinks that British pubs should offer everything you need |
John Milton was born in 1606. His father expected him to enter the church of England, but Milton wanted to be a poet. At twenty-nine Milton set off for a travel on the continent. He traveled in France, Switzerland and Italy, winning the friendship of many artists and scientists, including Galileo, the famous Italian scientist who suffered for his discovery in prison. In 1639, he was planning to go on this journey when the news reached him of the break between the king and Parliament(国会). Milton returned to England immediately, and put himself into the struggle against the king, for which he had long been prepared. During the Civil war, Milton worked as the spokesman of the revolution. By the beginning of 1652, Milton had become completely blind, yet he didn’t stop fighting. After the Restoration(复辟), his books were burnt, and he himself avoided being killed because of his blindness.
John Milton was not only a brave revolutionary but also a great poet. His famous poem Paradise Lost(失乐园) was an immediate success. But, for its publication (being published), Milton received only 18 pounds. He died in 1671.The underlined word “continent” in the first paragraph means ________.
| A．Asia | B．Europe | C．America | D．Africa |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．In 1635 Milton made friends with many artists and poets. |
| B．Milton was put in prison for his discovery. |
| C．Paradise Lost was popular and was a hit at that time. |
| D．Milton was determined to be a poet because he didn’t like churches. |
Milton would have been killed if ________________.
| A．he had been the spokesman of the revolution |
| B．his books hadn’t been burnt |
| C．he hadn’t written the poem Paradise Lost |
| D．he hadn’t been completely blind |
Edda, a Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School
Written and illustrated(配图) by Adam Auerbach.
32 pp. Christy Ottaviano/Holt. $15.50.
Edda’s home is in Asgard, “a land full of magic and adventure.” But Edda, the littlest Valkyrie, doesn’t have quite enough to do, until her father flies her “all the way to Earth for the first day of school.”
The contrast between home and school is hard to get used to (in one, she can ride reindeer; in the other she gazes guinea pig(天竺鼠) through glass at the classroom). In his first picture book, Auerbach mixes the two worlds perfectly. Children are likely to appreciate the joke.
Planet Kindergarten
By Sue Ganz-Schmitt. Illustrated by Shane Prigmore.
32 pp. Chronicle. $14.99.
After careful preparations and a successful blastoff, a boy finds himself in a very unfamiliar environment. “We’re aliens from many galaxies(星系) on Planet Kindergarten,” he reflects as he sees his very varied classmates for the first time.
Prigmore, who designs for the movie industry, uses black backgrounds and bright colors to give this space adventure visual excitement and humor.
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade
By Justin Roberts. Illustrated by Christian Robinson.
42 pp. Putnam. $18.99.
It makes sense that the author of the long, rhyming lines in “The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade” is a children’s music performer. The story is about the power of one small person to fight prejudice.
Sally, whom no one ever seems to notice, is “paying super extra special attention” to the “terrible stuff” happening around her. When she decides to take action, she’s not alone for long.
And Two Boys Booed
By Judith Viorst.
32 pp. Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $16.59.
Ever felt quietly confident one minute, and a shaking mess the next? In Viorst’s story about determination, a little boy wakes up thinking about singing his song in the class talent show.Which of the following is true about the book Edda, a Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School?
| A．Edda found it easy to apply herself to the life on earth. |
| B．The book was Adam Auerbach’s first picture book. |
| C．The book was illustrated by Shane Prigmore. |
| D．The story of the book was about a little boy’s determination. |
If you are interested in space adventure, you would probably choose______.
| A．Edda, a Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School |
| B．Planet Kindergarten |
| C．The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade |
| D．And Two Boys Booed |
The book The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade was published by__________.
| A．Christy Ottaviano/Holt. |
| B．Chronicle. |
| C．Putnam |
| D．Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. |
All of the four books mentioned_______________.
| A．are for children |
| B．have the same number of pages |
| C．have colorful pictures in them |
| D．need reading under parents’ guidance |
Japanese students work very hard but many are unhappy. They feel heavy pressures from their parents to do well in school. Most students are always being told by their parents to study harder so that they can have a wonderful life. Though this may be good ideas for those very bright students, it can have very bad results for many students who are not quick enough at learning.
Unfortunately, a number of students killed themselves. Others are after comfort in using drugs. Some do bad things with trouble-makers and turn to crime. Many of them have tried very hard at school but have failed in the exams and have disappointed their parents. Such students feel that they are less important and leave school before they have finished their study.
It is surprising that though most Japanese parents are worried about their children, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are not able to help their children and that it is the teachers’ work to help their children. To make matters worse, a lot of parents send their children to special schools called juku-cram schools. These schools are open during the evening and on weekends, and their only purpose is to prepare students to pass exams. They do not try to educate students in any real sense of the real world. It thus comes as a shock to realize that almost three quarters of the junior or high school population attend these cram schools.
Ordinary Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the students’ hair to their clothes and things in their school bag. Child psychologists now think that such strict rules often lead to a feeling of being unsafe and being unable to fit into society. They regard the rules as being harmful to the development of each student. They believe that no sense of moral values is developed and that students are given neither guidance nor training in becoming good citizens.A lot of Japanese students are unhappy at school because_______.
| A．they work very hard |
| B．they find they can't do well at school |
| C．they feel unimportant |
| D．they are under too much pressure |
Because of their failure at school, some students take drugs to .
| A．kill themselves | B．seek comfort |
| C．disappoint their parents | D．make trouble |
In juku-cram schools students_________.
| A．are taken good care of by the teachers |
| B．feel no pressure |
| C．are trained to pass exams |
| D．can learn a lot of useful things |
In ordinary Japanese schools,______________ .
| A．there are strict rules |
| B．students feel safe |
| C．students can do anything |
| D．learning is not important |
A flock of hungry pigeons were flying across the sky in search of food. Having traveled a long distance, they felt tired and settled down on a tree. Just below the tree, they saw grains strewn (撒满) all over the ground. The pigeons were happy to have found enough food to eat. All the pigeons came down from the tree and started eating the grains. As they were doing so, a huge net fell on them and trapped them all.
The pigeons were taken aback(大吃一惊). They noticed a hunter sitting at a distance from the tree, a bow and arrow in hand. The pigeons realized it was the hunter who had trapped them in the net. The hunter got up and began to move towards the pigeons.
The leader of the pigeons spoke, “Friends, we are in great trouble. The hunter will catch us if we do not act swiftly in a few seconds. There is only one option available at this moment. Let all of us use our force together and fly up along with the net. If all of us use our force and fly together, we can fly carrying the net along with us. Let us start now.”
All the pigeons agreed with him and flew high carrying the net along with them. After traveling enough distance away from the hunter, the pigeons settled on a tree and carefully came out of the net one by one and thus escaped the evil design of the hunter.Who strewed the grains over the ground?
| A．A villager. | B．The hunter. |
| C．The pigeon owner. | D．The writer. |
What does the underlined word “option” mean?
| A．reason | B．choice | C．action | D．opinion |
How did the pigeons react when they got trapped?
| A．They didn't know what to do. |
| B．They tried to fly in all directions. |
| C．They remained calm. |
| D．They decided to fight against the hunter. |
This story wants to tell us that ________.
| A．two heads are better than one |
| B．confidence will save everyone |
| C．teamwork can work wonders |
| D．actions speak louder than words |
Four Simple Keys to Transform Your Life
The Power of Choice．Every one of us makes countless choices every day．Every choice we make has an impact on our lives．Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel．When hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food．The more important the decision, the greater its effect．For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way．
How Do You Make Choices? If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those around you．This foundation is to choose based on what's best for all．Imagine a world where every parent, spouse（配偶）, friend, teacher, businessperson, and politician truly did their best to choose what's best for all involved in every decision they made We would certainly live in a more caring, supportive world．
It's the Intention．"But how do I know what is really best?" you might ask．The answer is simple．It doesn't matter．What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice．What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what's best for all．If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there's no need forguilt．Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what's best for all, your conscience stays clear and open．This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and mind．
What's Best for Me, Too! Choosing what's best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for others．An overly(过度的) exhausted mother can lose her temper easily．Some time off for this mother might seem selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children．So as we move through each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what's best for all．Which of the following is FALSE?
| A．Whenever hunger strikes, we will reach for a junk snack |
| B．Every choice, however big or small, has an influence on us． |
| C．Even small choices affect how we feel． |
| D．We make choices every day． |
How should we make choices?
| A．To be interested in a richer, fuller life． |
| B．To make life better for ourselves． |
| C．To imagine a world where everyone did their best． |
| D．To choose based on what's best for all． |
Why does the author say, “What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice”?
| A．Because the choice you make is not important． |
| B．Because you may have made a bad choice． |
| C．Because this allows you to stay clear and improve． |
| D．Because there is no need for guilt． |
How to choose what is best for us?
| A．We need to devote all our life to others． |
| B．We need to put away some time for ourselves． |
| C．We need to sacrifice ourselves for others． |
| D．We need to be selfless every minute． |