TANG Dynasty writer Du Mu once wrote in a poem titled Qingming: "The ceaseless drizzle drips all the dismal day; So broken-hearted fares the traveler on the way.Where can a wine house be found to drown his sadness ?A cowherd points to Almond Flower (Xing Hua) Village in the distance."
Qingming, the traditional tomb-sweeping day on the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on April 4 this year. Qingming Jie was proclaimed（正式宣布） a Chinese national holiday in 2008. It is a time for remembering loved ones who have departed (去世). People visit their ancestors’ graves to sweep away the dirt and get rid of any weeds. They also leave offerings (祭品) of food and flowers, and burn incense (香) and paper money. Chinese tombs are usually built in the woods or on mountains, far from the city. It is believed that an area that faces south, with many pine trees, is a proper place for a tomb. People believe such a place will make the ancestors happy, and in return, they will look after the living family.
Nowadays, more and more residents are choosing environmental-friendly ways to spend the holiday such as flower sacrifices and memorial ceremonies on the Internet or at home. As one of the traditional ways to celebrate Tomb-sweeping Day – burning paper or incense – isn't exactly good for air quality
In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers, people also enjoy hope of Spring on this day. The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines brightly, the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively. Since ancient times, people have followed the custom of Spring outings. At this time tourists are everywhere
Many people fly kites on Tomb Sweeping Day. They are usually made from a bamboo crossbow with coloured paper. The kite vibrates and buzzes as it rises into the sky, counterbalanced by its tail. Large kites can be as broad as three metres across, with a tail of six to ten metres. Most kites have a rectangular shape, and many have patterns of crabs, centipedes, butterflies, dragonflies, or Chinese characters such as "good fortune" or "long life".What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?
| A．The cultural difference between the east and the west. |
| B．The traditional customs on tomb-sweeping day. |
| C．Various ways to care for the dead in the world. |
| D．Qingming Festival |
All of the following practices are mentioned on tomb-sweeping day EXCEPT_____ .
| A．Weeping over the passed-away. |
| B．Flying kites made from bamboo and paper |
| C．Sending flowers to their ancestors’ graves. |
| D．Burning incense and paper money for the dead. |
Which of the following is correct according to passage?
| A．Du Mu ,the well-known poet in Song Dynasty wrote a poem about Qing Ming. |
| B．Qingming Festival used to be a Chinese national holiday. |
| C．People have the custom of flying kites on Qing Ming. |
| D．Those whose ancestors were buried in proper places will have a bright future. |
The writer write the passage in order to____________ .
| A．enable us to observe traditional tomb-sweeping day. |
| B．show traditional and present ways to spend Qingming Festival . |
| C．educate people to show their respect to the ancestors |
| D．raise people’s awareness of environmental protection. |
Little Tommy was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything -- tutors, cards, special learning centers -- in short, everything they could think of. Finally they took Tommy to a catholic(天主教的) school.
After the first day, little Tommy came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn't kiss his mother hello. Instead, he went straight to his room and started studying. Books and paper were spread(铺开)out all over the room and little Tommy was hard at work. His mother was surprised. She called him down to dinner and as soon as he finished eating, he went back hitting the books as hard as before. This went on for some time, day after day while the mother tried to understand what was happening.
Finally, little Tommy brought home his report card. He quietly put it on the table and went up to his room and hit the books. His mother looked at it and to her surprise, little Tommy got an A in math. She could no longer hold her curiosity(好奇心). She went to his room and asked, "son, what was it? Was it the nuns(修女)?"
Little Tommy looked at her and shook his head(摇动), "No."
"Well then," she asked again. "What was it?"
Little Tommy looked at her and said, "Well, on the first day of school, when I saw that man nailed(钉) to the plus sign(加号), I knew they weren't joking." Why did Tommy's parents send him to a catholic school?
| A．Because he could eat well there. |
| B．Because he could learn more about nuns. |
| C．Because his parents wanted him to do better in his math. |
| D．Because his parents didn't want him to learn math any more. |
Tommy's mother felt surprised that his son _____.
| A．was still the same |
| B．ate so much at dinner |
| C．kissed her hello after school |
| D．worked so hard but said too little |
The phrase "hit the books" means “_____” in Chinese.
| A．用功 | B．捶书 | C．发泄 | D．振作 |
The last sentence in the passage shows that ______.
| A．Tommy felt sorry for the man |
| B．Tommy didn't like the plus sign |
| C．Tommy was afraid of being nailed |
| D．Tommy liked playing jokes on others |
Most people know that a wedding ring is symbolic of the bond(连结物) of love and commitment（承诺） between two people. But not everyone knows about the history behind this small yet powerful symbol. The history of the wedding ring goes back not just hundreds but thousands of years. No other currently practiced wedding tradition has been around as long.
The Egyptians were the first recorded civilization to use the wedding ring. In Egyptian hieroglyphics（象形文字） a circle represented eternity. Once a woman accepted the ring she became the “property” of the person who gave it to her and she was in a sense “his.” The first wedding ring could have been made of braided grass or hay （which would have been changed often）, ivory, bone, or leather. Eventually, metal was used, but the first wedding bands were crude（未加工的） and rough. However, the sentiment（情感） remained the same-eternal commitment and love.
The Egyptians wore the wedding ring on the left hand because it was believed that a vein（静脉） in the left hand went straight to the heart. This tradition is still commonly practiced today in most parts of the world largely for practical purposes （most people are right handed.）It is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. But there are some countries and groups which do not follow this tradition. In the Jewish faith, the wedding ring is put on the index finger. Roman Catholics traditionally wore their wedding band on the right hand, and in many countries and regions in Europe some people still follow this tradition.
It is interesting to note that in the long history of the wedding ring that it is only in the last century that men have begun to wear them. However, now both men and women show their love and commitment by exchanging rings on their wedding day.
Once you begin shopping for rings you may be amazed by the choices that await you. There are several different types of metals: traditional gold, white gold, platinum, and titanium. You can have an inscription（刻字） put on the inside of the band（镶边） if you like. Some people are even choosing a tattoo（刺花） band. The styles vary from a simple, yet elegant（优雅的） band to an elaborate（精致的） ring covered with jewels. If you do not buy the wedding and engagement rings as a set you will want to be sure the styles are compatible（一致的）. Choose carefully because this choice will need to stand the test of eternity.What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．History of rings | B．Interesting facts about rings |
| C．Different beliefs about rings | D．The meaning of the rings. |
What may the word “eternity” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Elegance | B．Marriage | C．Wedding | D．Foreverness |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The meaning of the rings remained unchanged. |
| B．One should be careful of choosing a ring in a shop from different kinds. |
| C．Jewish are so faithful to their beliefs to wear rings on the fourth finger. |
| D．Now most people in the world still follow Roman Catholics traditionally. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Men were looked upon by women for thousands years. |
| B．Only women have the right to make themselves beautiful. |
| C．women wore rings thousands of years earlier than men. |
| D．You can have an inscription put on the inside the band. |
A young man went to a town and worked there. He did not have a wife and a servant did the work in his house.
The young man liked laughing a lot. He nailed the servant’s shoes to the floor on Monday, and then laughed, because he put his feet in them and fell down. The servant was not angry, but smiled.
Then the young man put brushes in his bed on Tuesday. The servant got into bed and hit the brushes with his feet. He was afraid. The young man laughed loudly again. Again the servant was not angry, but smiled.
Then on Wednesday the young man said to his servant, “You’re a nice, kind man. I am not going to be unkind to you again.”
The servant smiled and said, “And I’m not going to put any more mud from the street in your coffee.” He played a joke on the servant because.
| A．he hated him |
| B．he was not satisfied with the food the servant prepared for him |
| C．he wanted to get pleasure |
| D．he liked to show off himself |
When the young man played a joke on him, the servant was not angry but smiled because _____.
| A．he liked the young man’s action | B．making the young man laugh is his job |
| C．he was afraid to be fired | D．he thought he shouldn’t be angry with a child |
What did the servant do in return to the young man?
| A．He stole something from the house. | B．He gave a smile to the young man. |
| C．He had a fight with him. | D．He put mud into the young man’s coffee. |
Why did the young man stop playing jokes on the servant? Because ___.
| A．the servant showed kind and nice behavior to him |
| B．the servant told him the truth |
| C．he wanted to be a good man |
| D．his father told him to do so |
Experience the newly opened Grand Canyon (大峡谷) West Skywalk in Colorado. Departing from Grand Canyon's South Rim by Airplane to Grand Canyon's West Rim, you will land and take a ground tour to the Skywalk! Walk on air for 70 feet over the edge of Grand Canyon West.
This Skywalk has been open since March 28, 2007. Daily visitorship to the Skywalk has been over 4,000 people. Please be patient to enjoy your moment on the Skywalk.
After you have experienced the one and only Grand Canyon Skywalk Glass Bridge, you will return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and take your Airplane for a flight back to the South Rim of the Canyon. This is a tour never to be forgotten as you will have walked on air over the Grand Canyon.
Tour Itinerary (行程)
| Tour Duration |
5.7 Hours |
The Grand Canyon Adventure Skywalk |
| Flight from Grand Canyon South Rim to Grand Canyon West |
1 Hour |
Experience a bird's-eye view of the Grand Canyon as you make your way to Grand Canyon West. |
| Light Lunch at Guano Point at Grand Canyon West |
2 Hours |
You'll be taken by bus to Guano Point with breathtaking views of the western part of the Grand Canyon where the Calorado River makes its way into Lake Mood. Every table for lunch has a view. |
| Walk on the World Famous Skywalk |
1.5 Hours |
Finally you'll board your bus to Eagle Point, home of the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Now it is time for you to walk on air for 70 feet over the Grand Canyon. |
| Flight Back to Grand Canyon South Rim |
1.2 Hours |
After time on the Skywalk, you'll return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and return to Grand Canyon South Rim in time for dinner and sunset. |
| 1． |
This advertisement is for __________.
|
| 2． |
The package fee does NOT cover the cost of _______. |
| 3． |
The Grand Canyon Skywalk Bridge is made of glass because ______.
|
| 4． |
According to the Tour Itinerary, the route is ______.
|
There are three branches of medicine. One is called "doctor medicine," or "scientific medicine." Scientific doctors try to observe sicknesses, look for logical patterns, and then find out how the human body works. From there they figure out what treatments may work. This kind of medicine is believed to date from the 4th century BC. Although nowadays it is successful, in the ancient world this approach probably did not cure many patients.
A second kind of medicine is called "natural cures," or "folk medicine," in which less educated people try to cure sicknesses with various herbs. These folk healers also use observation and logic, but they are not so aware of it. They try things until they find something that seems to work, and then they keep doing that. Folk medicine flourished（繁荣） long before the development of scientific medicine and was more successful in ancient times than doctor medicine.
The third kind is called "health spas," or "faith healing." Sometimes this may be as simple as touching the holy man and being immediately healed. Other times, a magician may make you a magic charm, or say a spell, to cure you. Some religious groups organize special healing shrines（圣坛） for the sick. In these places people rest, get plenty of sleep, eat healthy food, drink water instead of wine, and exercise in various ways. They also talk to the priests and pray to the gods. If you are feeling depressed or you have been working too hard, going to these places may be just the right thing to make you feel better. Doctor medicine __________.
| A．has a longer history than folk medicine |
| B．has been practiced for around 1,600 years |
| C．bases its treatments on observation and logic |
| D．was very successful in curing sicknesses in ancient times |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT used in health spas?
| A．Magic power. | B．Various herbs. | C．Religious faith. | D．A healthy life style. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Folk healers choose different herbs to cure diseases without any sound basis. |
| B．People who practice folk medicine need lots of formal education on herbs. |
| C．The success of folk medicine led to the development of doctor medicine. |
| D．Natural cures worked better than scientific medicine in ancient times. |
The author's primary purpose in this passage is to __________.
| A．describe different types of medicine |
| B．argue for the importance of medicine in health care |
| C．show the crucial role religion plays in medical treatments |
| D．compare the educational background of three different types of patients |
