The most important holiday in spring, especially for Christians, is Easter. This Christian holiday is not on the same date every year，but it’s always on a Sunday. It can be any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Many people celebrate Easter by buying new clothes. Children celebrate by hunting for colored eggs that their parents have hidden around the house. People also give Easter baskets filled with candy and other goodies to one another to celebrate the day.
But the holiday is more than new clothes and good things to eat. On Easter, many people go to church to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection（复活）from the dead. Most people color Easter eggs. Some people hide them. Others just eat them. But no matter what one does with Easter eggs，they are an important Easter tradition throughout the Western world. People from many different cultures celebrate Easter. In both America and Belgium, children look for Easter eggs hidden on lawns and in bushes. In America, children believe the eggs are hidden by the Easter bunny (兔子).But in Belgium, the hidden eggs are supposed to have fallen from church bells. In Bulgaria (保加利亚), red Easter eggs are lucky in churches. Bulgarian families also hit these Easter eggs together to see whose is the strongest. The winner looks forward to good fortune that year. Still dozens of other Easter traditions exist. In parts of Austria，for example，children sing from door to door and are rewarded with colorful eggs.Easter comes _______.
| A．on the same date every year |
| B．on Sunday on March 22 |
| C．on Sunday on April 25 |
| D．on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25 |
To celebrate Easter, people ___________.
| A．go shopping, hide colored eggs and children hunt for them |
| B．give Easter baskets filled candy and goodies to one another |
| C．buy new clothes, hide colored eggs and children look for them around the house |
| D．both B and C |
For Christians the more important thing to do on Easter is________.
| A．going to church to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection |
| B．buying new clothes |
| C．eating delicious food and paint color eggs |
| D．exchange beautiful gifts each other |
People from different cultures have different ideas about Easter egg _________.
| A．In both American and Belgium, children hunt for Easter eggs hidden in rooms and in bushes |
| B．In Belgium, the hidden eggs are thought to have fallen from doorbells |
| C．In American, children believe the eggs are hidden by the Easter bunny |
| D．In America, the hidden eggs are supposed to have fallen from doorbells |
In some places of Austria, children sing from door to door for_______.
| A．blesses | B．Easter eggs |
| C．candy and goodies | D．Easter bunny |
| ØSPRING RESTAURANT Telephone: 3324545 Address: East Road Open: Mon. to Fri. 7:30 am—2:30 pm and 5:00 pm—9:00 pm Sat. 7:30am—2:00pm and 5:00 pm---9:30 pm Sun. 11:00 am---2:00pm and 5:00 pm –9:30 pm |
| ØSCIENCE MUSEUM Telephone: 3351352 Address: Green Road Open: Mon. to Fri. 9:00 am—5:00 pm(Tuesday free) Sat. 9:00 am---6:00 pm |
| ØSUNSHINE SHOPPING CENTER Telephone: 3374398 Address: Peace Road Open: Mon. Wed. and Fri. 9:30 am—5:30 pm Tues. Thurs. and Sat. 9:30 am ---9:00 pm |
| ØHUATAI HOTEL Telephone: 3368432 Address: West Road Coffee shop: Mon. to Fri. 6:00 am Sat. and Sun. 7:00 am Mon. to Wed. to 10:00 pm Thurs. to Sat. to 11:00 pm Sun. to 9:00 pm. |
You do not have to pay money on Tuesday if you go to _________.
| A．Spring Restaurant | B．Science Museum |
| C．Sunshine Shopping Center | D．Huatai Hotel |
What can’t you do at 3 o’clock on Saturday afternoon?
| A．Go to Spring Restaurant. |
| B．Have coffee in Huatai Hotel. |
| C．Visit Science Museum. |
| D．Shop in Sunshine Shopping Center. |
If you want to drink coffee early on weekdays, you can go to _________.
| A．Peace Road | B．East Road |
| C．West Road | D．Green Road |
Which place is still open after 10:00 pm on Thursday?
| A．Spring Restaurant. | B．Science Museum |
| C．Sunshine Shopping Center. | D．Huatai Hotel |
The text is probably taken from_________.
| A．a novel | B．a guide book |
| C．a dictionary | D．a science report |
| Join Us Basketball Club: We have a basketball club. It opens in the school on Saturdays. |
| Lost and Found Lost: A black bag in Room 601. Phone Jack White at 6880322. Found: Man’s gold watch. Please call Mr. Green at 6444997. |
| On Sale Pants — for boys, black and new. TV— old but works. Phone number: 5234065, 5234066. |
Where does the basketball club open?
A．In the school. B．In Room 601. C．In the store.Jack White wants to________.
A．find a black bag B．join a club C．buy an old TV setYou can call at ____________ to get your watch back.
A．6880322 B．5234065 C．6444997How is the TV on sale?
A．It’s new and it works.
B．It’s old but it works.
C．It’s old and it doesn’t work.Which sentence is TRUE?
A．Mr. Green can’t find his bag.
B．Mr. Green finds a watch.
C．Mr. Green likes basketball.
In Western society, especially in the English-speaking world, the chance for young people to see the other countries and experience life is considered important. Many young people, when they finish school at the age of 18, take a gap year before they go to university.
Parents often want their children to grow up a little and see what the real world is like when they finish school. Although they are worried about their safety, many think that the advantages of independence and experience are worth the worries. Children are encouraged to be brave, independent and to explore the world on their own or with friends.
Young people also want to experience freedom and see what life is like on the other side. This other side could be the other side of the world or just the other side of life. For example, if they have a rich life, they may want to see how people in poor areas live.
A gap year after school is also an important chance for young people to spend time thinking about what they want to do with their lives. A little bit of growing up and experience will help them make their important career decisions, especially when they are unsure about what they want to study.
Another reason for going straight after school is to get a break from studying before they start the next few years of university. So anywhere you travel in the world, you will meet young European people exploring the world.
So much of the world has been travelled and explored. The young people are now looking for more worthy experiences. Some of them work as volunteers to do something for the country they are visiting. Many gap year volunteers are now spending a few months teaching English in Thailand, helping feed giant pandas in China or building a well(井) in a village in Africa.
These young people’s wish to explore the world is an expression of the values of the societies that they are part of. Both discovering the world and making a positive difference in it are important parts of the Western mind.Which is NOT a reason for young people to take a gap year?
| A．Young people want to take a break from studying. |
| B．Young people want to be sure about what to study. |
| C．Parents encourage them to be brave and independent. |
| D．Parents encourage them to live a free and wealthy life. |
Now a gap year volunteer might do something more valuable like .
| A．experiencing different cultures |
| B．helping protect rainforests in Brazil |
| C．making friends with more people |
| D．enjoying traditional local food |
By taking a gap year, young people may .
| A．stay with their parents all the time |
| B．make money for their further study |
| C．help change the world for the better |
| D．change the Western mind completely |
The purpose of writing this article is to .
| A．show different opinions about gap year |
| B．offer readers information about gap year |
| C．discover new ways to take a gap year |
| D．tell young people when to take a gap year |
Research says that husbands do not do their fair share of work around the house. A study from an American university says that men seldom do the same share of housework. Researchers interviewed 182 working couples who became first-time parents. Both husbands and wives worked almost the same number of hours in full-time jobs. However, men did five hours a week less housework than women after their baby was born.
It is a different story for mothers. Becoming a parent added 21 hours a week to a mother’s work. Most of this was looking after her baby. New fathers did not do more woke because they did not realize the mother was doing so much more. Another reason is that after a baby is born, fathers follow the “traditional” roles. That is, the mother looks after the baby and the father works outside. This happens even when the mother is working the same number of hours in her job.It is found that ______ do less housework.
| A．wives | B．husbands |
| C．parents | D．babies |
The underlined sentence “It is a different story for mothers.” Probably means ______.
| A．mothers come from different families |
| B．mothers like reading different stories |
| C．mothers work more hours than fathers |
| D．different mothers have different children |
What is the “traditional” role of a father?
| A．Working outside | B．Looking after the baby |
| C．Doing housework | D．Doing part-time jobs |
Which part of a newspaper can this passage be taken from?
| A．Sports | B．Medicine |
| C．News | D．Society |
| From: Wendy and Jack Brown Date: September 22, 2014 To: 8th and 9th graders at R.L.S. Junior School Subject: Bonjour! Bonjour! (That means hello in French.) We hope you all had a great summer. Ours was a lot of fun. We have seen so many new things and met so many wonderful people. The French gave us a warm welcome and helped us get used to living here soon. We have so many things to share with all of you. We are going to send you more emails, but here are the best parts of our holiday in France so far. We had a fantastic time seeing the Tour de France this summer. It is the most famous bicycle race in the world. The riders travel more than two thousand miles in about a month! We got a quick look at the riders as they sped past! After the race, our family rented bikes, and rode along part of the route that the cyclists used. A few of you asked whether the French really eat snails(蜗牛). The answer is yes. We went out to dinner the other day, and our parents ordered some. We each tried one and it didn’t taste too bad. The snails, called escargots, are served with lots of butter. They feel a little rubbery when you bite into them, but they don’t really have much taste. Mum’s favourite food here is the French pastries. Dad loves the red wine. Our favourite is the fresh bread from the shop down the street. We went to visit the Eiffel Tower a few weeks ago. We went all the way to the top. It was a sunny day, so we could see for miles and miles into the distance. Dad doesn’t like heights, so he stayed at the bottom of the tower and took pictures from the ground. We miss all of you a lot. Write back to us and let us know what is new at home. Au revoir! (Can you guess what that means in French?) Wendy and Jack Brown |
What do the Browns think of French people?
| A．Friendly. | B．Funny. |
| C．Welcome. | D．Popular. |
Jack’s favourite food in France is .
| A．tasty snails | B．French pastries |
| C．fresh bread | D．red wine |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the email?
| A．Wendy and Jack got used to the life in France soon. |
| B．Tour de France is the best-known bicycle race in the world. |
| C．The Browns have seen many wonderful things in France. |
| D．The Browns went to the top of the Eiffel Tower together. |
Wendy and Jack wrote this email to .
| A．tell a story about riding bicycles in France |
| B．tell a story about their experiences in France |
| C．advise the readers to try escargots in France |
| D．advise the readers to visit France in summer |