The First of May is a Bank Holiday—the first public holiday of the year in England.
Most people consider it a special day ,the beginning of summer ,a day when the light lasts long into the evening ,and when we can look for warm weather .We don't always get it .We feel disappointed ,but not surprised if there are cold winds and frosts at night in May .Winter should be over .Most people know that in the past ,when farming occupied almost everyone ,the changing seasons were of great importance .In that older time there was every reason to celebrate May Day .Customs of those celebrations remain.
Of these customs ,the best known is the choosing of a May Queen and the dancing round Maypole .Even these customs are little more than memories now—but in the last century it was quite common in villages and small towns ,and even in schools and colleges ,for a pretty and popular girl to be chosen Queen of the May .It was a great honour to be chosen .For a day she wore a light and flowery dress, carried garlands（花环）,and was ceremonially crowned with flowers .She presided over a procession ,as a rule with a number of attendants ,and over the Maypole dancing and all kinds of entertainment .The Maypole was slender（苗条的） tree trunk ,cut off its branches, with beautiful ribbons fastened to the top .The dancing was designed in such a way that the dancer's movements move the ribbons into a pattern. This, as you can imagine ,required skill from the dancer ,and was not achieved without practice .
It's the Celtic（凯尔特的）people who celebrated the First of May as a spring festival .Their celebration seems to have had little to do with taking pleasure in early ,beautiful flowers and in warmer weather! They called it Beltane—the fire of the god Bel .They lit fires ,in the expectation that their blaze would help the sun in its struggle to regain its strength. They drove their cattle between banks of flame in the expectation that the terrified beasts would be purified（净化） and protected from disease .A tree ,which must have been blackened with smoke ,stood in the middle of the fires ,and is thought to have been the origin of the Maypole .Their priests（牧师） made sacrifices to the goods in the hope of good harvests and sufficient store of food for the winter. There was dancing certainly ,but it was noisy and cheerful ,since its purpose was not to weave a pattern of colored ribbons ,but to drive out evil spirits from the earth and to arouse those kind spirits.The main purpose of the passage is to show ________.
| A．the reason why they celebrate May Day |
| B．the start and customs of May Day |
| C．the way they celebrate May Day |
| D．the choosing of a May Queen during May Day |
According to the passage ,which sentence is NOT true?
| A．In the old days they celebrated May Day for the changing of the seasons. |
| B．In England summer begins at the first of May. |
| C．The custom of the choosing of a May Queen still exists in the present May Day celebration. |
| D．The Celtic people celebrated the first of May as a spring festival. |
From the surrounding words and sentences we know that the word “presided” means ________.
| A．管理 | B．越过 | C．指挥 | D．主持 |
The best title for this passage is ________.
| A．The First of May | B．The Beginning of Summer |
| C．May Queen | D．The Holiday of the Year |
Since 1984, Philadelphia has been cleaning up its act. One by one, graffiti-covered walls are being changed into outdoor art. So far, more than 1,800 murals（壁画）have been painted. Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city.
The walls that were once ugly with graffiti（涂鸦）are now covered with beautiful pictures of historical heroes and modern art, thanks to the Mural Arts Program (MAP). Its work makes schools and public places attractive, and its citizens very proud. The program began as part of Philadelphia‟s Anti-Graffiti Network. Jane Golden is the MAP‟s artistic director. “When people ask me what our program is about,” she says, “I answer them with one word: hope.” Each year, the MAP offers youth art programs and workshops. Some one-time graffiti writers even help paint MAP murals.
The MAP‟s work, says Golden, is all about developing a sense of community（社区）．When a neighborhood requests a mural, the MAP works with the people there to develop a message. Some messages have been “Safe Streets,” “Love and Care,” and “Peace Walk.”
The MAP receives up to 50 requests for murals each week. Last year, the workers painted 140 murals.
“The making of a mural enters people‟s collective memory as an extraordinary, pleasant moment in neighborhood history,” says Golden, who began as a muralist in Los Angeles. What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Love, from Graffiti Writers to Muralists |
| B．MAP, a New Company in Philadelphia |
| C．Jane, an Excellent Mural Artist |
| D．Hope, One Wall at a Time |
What is the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia aimed at?
| A．Helping the young find jobs. |
| B．Protecting the neighborhood. |
| C．Fighting against graffiti. |
| D．Attracting more visitors. |
How does the MAP decide on the message for a mural?
By having discussions with people in the community.
B. By seeking advice from the city government.
C. By learning from the young graffiti writers.
D. By studying the history of the city. Which of the following words best describes the work of the MAP?
| A．Difficult. |
| B．Dangerous. |
| C．Experimental. |
| D．Successful. |
Some people believe that a Robin Hood is at work, others that a wealthy person simply wants to distribute his or her fortune before dying. But the donator who started sending envelopes with cash to deserving causes，accompanied by an article from the local paper, has made a northern German city believe in fairytales (童话）•
The first envelope was sent to a victim support group. It contained €10,000 with a cutting from the Braunschtveiger Zeitung about how the group supported a woman who was robbed of her handbag； similar plain white anonymous (匿名）envelopes, each containing €10,000, then arrived at a kindergarten and a church.
The envelopes keep coming, and so far at least €190,000 has been distributed. Last month, one of them was sent to the newspaper ’s own office. It came after a story it published about Tom, a 14-year-old boy who was severely disabled in a swimming accident. The receptionist at the Braunschweiger Zeitung opened an anonymous white envelope to find 20 notes of €500 inside , with a copy of the article. The name of the family was underlined.
"I was driving when I heard the news,” Claudia Neumann, the boy s mother, told DerSpiegel magazine. “I had to park on the side of the road； I was speechless. ”
The money will be used to make the entrance to their house wheelchair-accessible .and for a course of treatment that their insurance company refused to pay for.
“For someone to act so selflessly, for this to happen in such a society in which everyone thinks of himself, was astonishing," Mrs. Neumann said. Her family wonder whether the donator is a Robin Hood character, taking from banks to give to the needy.
Henning Noske, the editor of the Braunschweiger Zeitung, said： “Maybe it is an old person who is about to die. We just do not know. ” However, he has told his reporters not to look for the city’s hero, for fear that discovery may stop the donations.The Braunschweiger Zeitung is the name of .
| A．a church |
| B．a bank |
| C．a newspaper |
| D．a magazine |
Which of the following is TRUE about the donation to Tom?
| A．The donation amounted to €190,000. |
| B．The donation was sent directly to his house. |
| C．The money will be used for his education. |
| D．His mother felt astonished at the donation. |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A．the donator is a rich old man |
| B．the donation will continue to come |
| C．the donation comes from the newspaper |
| D．the donator will soon be found out |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Money Is Raised by the Newspaper |
| B．Newspaper Distributes Money to |
| C．Unknown Hero Spreads Love in Envelopes |
| D．Robin Hood Returns to the City |
Mini Book Excerpts（节选）
Biography
When Salinger learned that a car park was to be built on the land,the middle-aged writer was shocked and quickly bought the neighboring area to protect it… The townspeople never forgot the rescue and came to help their most famous neighbor.
J. D. Sulinger：A Life by Kenneth Slawenski
（Random House,$27）Mystery（疑案小说）
“You’re a smart boy. Benny’s death was no accident, and you’re the only who saw it happen. Do you think the murderer should get away with it ? ”The boy was starting stubbornly at his lap again.
A thought suddenly occurred to Annika,“Did you …You recognized the man in the car, didn’t you?”
The boy hesitated, twisting his fingers,“Maybe,”he said quietly.
Red Wolf by Liza Marklund（Atria Books, $25. 99）
Short Stories
She wants to say to him what she has learned,none of it in class. Some women are born stupid,and some women are too smart for their own good. Some women are born to give ,and some women only know how to take. Some women learn who they want to be from their mothers,some who they don’t want to be. Some mothers suffer so their daughters won’t. Some mothers love so their daughters won’t.
You Are Free by Danzy Senna （Riverhead Books,$15）
Humor
Do your kids like to have fun? Come to Fun Times! Do you like to watch your kids having fun? Bring them to Fun Times! Fun Times!’s “amusement cycling”is the most fun you can have,legally,in the United States right now. Why spend thousands of dollars flying to Disney World when you can spend less than half to that within a day’s drive if most cities?
Happy And Other Bad Thoughts by Larry Doyle（Ecco,$14. 99） If the readers want to know about the lite of Salinger , they should buy the book published by.
| A． Ecco |
| B． Atria Books |
| C．Riverhead Books |
| D．Random House |
The book Happy And Other Bad Thoughts is intended for.
| A． young children |
| B． Disney World workers |
| C． middle school teachers |
| D．parents with young children |
Which book describes women with characters of their own?
A. Happy And Other Bad Thoughts
B. J. D. Salinger:A Life
C. You Are Free
D. Red Wolf After finishing the book Red Wolf, the readers would learn that .
| A． the boy helped arrest the murderer |
| B． Benny died of an accident |
| C．the murderer got away with the crime |
| D．Annika carried out the crime |
When we think of leadership ,we often think of strength and power .But what are these really ,and how do they operate?
Leadership today is not about forcing others to do things. If this is even possible, it is short-term, and tends to backfire. If you order someone to do something against their will, they may do it because they feel they must ,but the anger they feel will do more harm in the long-term ,They will also experience fear.
Fear causes the thinking brain to shut down, making the person unable to function at his or her best .If they associate you with this emotion of fear. They will become less functional around you ,and you will have succeeded in not only shooting yourself in the foot .but possibly making a very good employee or partner unable to perform effectively .Fear has no place in leadership.
The way we influence people in a lasting way is by our own character, and our understanding and use of emotion .We can order someone to do something ,which may be part of the work day; or we can employ them at the emotional level ,so they became fully devoted to the projects and provide some of their own motivation (积极性). Today’s work place is all about relationships
Anyone works harder in a positive environment in which they are recognized and valued as a human being as well as a worker.. Everyone produces just a bit more for someone they like. Leaders understand the way things work .They know the pay check is not the single most motivating factor (因素) in the work life of most people.
The true strength of leadership is an inner strength that comes from the confidence of emotional intelligence---knowing your own emotions , and how to handle them ,and those of others . Developing your emotional intelligence is the single best thing you can do if you want to develop your relationships with people around you, which is the key to the leadership skills. An employee may have a feeling of fear in the work place when ________.
| A．he is forced to do things |
| B．be cannot work at his best |
| C．he feels his brain shut down |
| D．he thinks of his work as too heavy |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．People tend to associate leadership with fear |
| B．Working conditions affect people’s physical health |
| C．Good relationship is the key to business success |
| D．Smart people are more functional in the work place. |
Good leadership is mainly seen in a leader’s ability to ________.
| A．provide a variety of project for employees |
| B．help raise employee’s living standards |
| C．give employees specific instructions |
| D．deal wisely with employees’ emotions |
Here is your best chance to travel around the UK in 2012: More than 200 B&Bs（bed & breakfast）across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are selected to offer you amazing services for your stay at their lowest prices! Don’t miss it. Just collect the vouchers（活动券）in our B&B Daily printed from 01/04/2012 to 07/04/2012 and book the stays for your travel following the terms and conditions below:
The offer includes a room for the night and a breakfast the next morning.
The offer is of two kinds: ￡20 per room, valid（有效的）during stay period of 02/04/2012—31/05/2012 and then again 01/09/2012—31/10/2012；￡35 per room, per night, valid during stay period of 01/06/2012—31/08/2012.
The offer is valid for a basic twin or double room only.
The stay must be booked directly with the chosen B&Bs before 28/04/2012.
Each voucher can only be used by the holder to book one room for one night.
If voucher holders book either the ￡20 or ￡35 per room per night, any additional services such as lunch, evening meal or activities may require an extra charge. But these are not required in order to take up the offer. Please check directly with your chosen B&Bs to see what extra services are available.
Vouchers must be presented on arrival. If no vouchers are presented, the B&Bs may reserve（保留）the right to charge at full price for every night of stay.
Vouchers may not be used together with any other offer.
The voucher holders must pay for the stay in full at the time of booking. Additional ￡10 may be paid to confirm（确认）the booking and will be returned on arrival.
The B&Bs reserve the right to refuse voucher holders’ bookings for people under the age of 18.The voucher can be used for a stay at the chosen B&B on ______.
| A．09/01/2012 |
| B．04/02/2012 |
| C．01/03/2012 |
| D．28/04/2012 |
How much should be paid for a two-night stay in October 2012 at a chosen B&B?
| A．￡70 |
| B．￡40 |
| C．￡35 |
| D．￡30 |
What right do the B&Bs reserve?
| A．To charge extra ￡10 for bookings with no vouchers. |
| B．To refuse bookings for guest under the age of 18. |
| C．To charge at full price for stays not confirmed. |
| D．To request extra charges as tips. |
By taking up the offer, the voucher holders can choose to ______ .
| A．book either a basic twin or double room at the chosen B&Bs |
| B．have lunch or evening meal without paying extra money |
| C．use the B&B offer together with other offers |
| D．book the stays though B&B Daily |