The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago. There are some traditions that you can find almost anywhere, anytime, such as sending birthday cards, blowing out the candles(吹熄蜡烛) on a birthday cake and singing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song. Others are only found for certain ages and in certain countries.
In China, on a child’s second birthday, family members put many things on the floor around the child. According to Chinese tradition, the first thing that the child picks up tells you what job the child will choose later in life.
For Japanese children, the third, fifth and seventh birthdays are especially important. At this age, there is a special celebration(庆祝) Shichi-Go-San (seven, five, three in Japanese) when children go to the temple wearing a new kimono (和服). The priest (僧侣) gives them special sweets, and the parents usually organize a party for their friends in their home.
In Argentina, Mexico and several other Latin American countries, girls have a special birthday celebration when they reach the age of fifteen. After a special ceremony (仪式), the girls dance a waltz with their father and other boys.
Eighteen is the traditional ‘coming of age’— the age when (in many countries) you have the right to vote (选举权), join the army （参军）and (in Britain) drink alcohol （酒）or buy a house.
In many English-speaking countries, a twenty-first birthday cake often has a key on top, or the cake itself is sometimes in the shape of a key. The key means that the young person is now old enough to leave and enter the family home at any time they want to! Which of the following birthday traditions can you find almost anywhere, anytime?
A. Putting many things on the floor.
B. Sending birthday cards.
C. Dancing a waltz. Mexican girls have a special birthday celebration at the age of .
A. five B. seven C. fifteen In many countries you can ___ when you reach the age of eighteen.
A. join the army B. have a key C. have a special ceremony Which of the following sentences is NOT true?
A. The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago.
B. Some birthday traditions are only found in certain countries.
C. You become the owner of your house at the age of fifteen.Which is the best title of this passage?
A. Birthday Traditions around the World
B. The Drinking Age in Many Countries
C. Japanese Special Celebration
The traditional Chongyang Festival, or Double Ninth Festival is a special day in China. It is on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month. On the day, people like to climb a high mountain best. Why do people like to climb high mountains on this day? Here’s a story.
It was said that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, a monster could make everyone ill and die if it appeared（出现）.There was a young man named Huan Jing. After he lost his parents, he learned magic（魔法）from a famous man. The man could predict the future.
One day the man asked Huan Jing to go home because the monster was going to appear on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month. Also, the man told him to take the people to the top of the mountain and give each person a leaf and a cup of wine. The advice and Huan Jing’s brave fighting saved all the people, and the monster was beaten to death.
Today, people believe climbing a high mountain on this day will bring them good luck and help the old live longer.
根据短文内容简要回答问题：When is Double Ninth Festival?
____________________________________________________________What do people like to do best on Double Ninth Festival?
___________________________________________________________What would happen if the monster appeared?
__________________________________________________________
Barbara was driving her six-year-old son, Benjamin, to his piano lesson. They were late. There was always so much to do, and Barbara, a night-duty nurse at the local hospital, had recently worked extra hours. She was tired.
“Mom!” Ben cried. “Look!” Just ahead, a car had lost control (控制) on the icy road and wildly rolled over, and then crashed (撞) into a telephone pole. Barbara went over. Thank goodness she was a nurse — she might be able to help these unfortunate passengers. Then she stopped. What about Ben? She couldn’t take him with her. Little boys shouldn’t see scenes (场面) like this one. But was it safe to leave him alone?
For a little moment Barbara thought of going on her way. Someone else was sure to come along. No! “Ben, honey, promise me you’ll stay in the car!” “I will, Mommy,” he said as she ran.
Two girls of high school age were in the car. One was dead and the driver was still breathing. But if help came soon, the girl would live.
A trucker had pulled up and was calling for help on his cell phone. Soon Barbara heard the ambulance sirens (救护车汽笛).
Later, Barbara was able to meet the families of the victims (受害人). They expressed their gratitude (感谢) for the help she had provided.What did Barbara do? _________
| A．A doctor. | B．A nurse. |
| C．A piano teacher. | D．A bus driver. |
What was the weather probably like that day? _________
| A．Rainy. | B．Sunny. |
| C．Snowy. | D．Windy. |
How many people were killed in the car accident? _________
| A．Two. | B．One. |
| C．Three. | D．Four. |
What’s the best title of the passage? _________
| A．An unforgettable experience. |
| B．Be careful when you drive. |
| C．Young girls shouldn’t drive alone. |
| D．Little children should help others. |
It’s three thirty in the afternoon at Raynham Primary School in London. Students are ready for their after-school math lesson. Thousands of kilometers away, their math tutors are also arriving for class. Each pupil gets an online tutor. The students work on their computer screen and wear a headset (耳机) to talk to their tutor.
Their classroom teacher, Altus, says he has seen an improvement in results. Nine-year-old Samia says she enjoys the online lessons. She said, “It helps me because sometimes when we’re doing it in class, I don’t hear the teacher very much and I don’t understand, but online is better.”
Tom Hooper started the company. It provides the online tutoring. The company is called Bright Spark Education.
Children today feel very confident(有信心的)online, so they enjoy their learning. Online tutoring costs between twenty and twenty-five dollars an hour. An online tutor is about half the cost of traditional face-to-face tutoring.
Bright Spark Education says the online tutoring is used only as an addition to the regular teaching. The company says its service doesn’t threat the teachers’ jobs in Britain.
Some parents say they are pleased with the results. But some students still hate math. Even with the latest technology(技术) to teach it, math is still not everyone’s favorite subject.Why does Samia like to learn online? _________
| A．Because the tutor is only for her. |
| B．Because she likes playing on the screen. |
| C．Because it’s cool. |
| D．Because she can hear the tutor clearly. |
How much do you have to pay for learning for two hours online at least? ________
| A．50 dollars. | B．25 dollars. |
| C．20 dollars. | D．40 dollars |
What does the underlined word “threat” mean? _________
| A．促进 | B．威胁 | C．经营 | D．开发 |
What’s the main idea of the text? _________
| A．Each pupil gets an online tutor. |
| B．Children feel very confident online. |
| C．Students in London learn math online. |
| D．Math is not everyone’s favorite subject. |
Expert(专家) say that students usually need eight to ten hours’ sleep at night, but most Chinese students do not get enough sleep. Some Chinese parents are usually glad to see their children studying late. They will think their children work very hard, but not all parents are happy about this. Once a mother told us that every morning her 10-year-old boy put up one finger (手指)with his eyes still closed, asking for one more minute to sleep. Like thousands of students “ early birds” in China, he has to get up before six every morning.
A report shows that without a good night’s sleep, students seem to be weaker than they should be. Many students have fallen asleep during class at one time or another. Too much homework is not the only reason why students stay up late. Some watch TV or play the computer games late into the night.
Experts have ever said that the students should develop good study habits. So some clever students never study late, they are able to work well in class.The 10-year-old boy asked for more minute to sleep because__________
| A．he didn’t have enough sleep |
| B．it wasn’t time for him to get up |
| C．he didn’t want to go to school |
| D．he wanted his mother to wake him up |
In this passage we know if students don’t get enough sleep, they may________
| A．become too weak to sleep | B．not work well in class |
| C．go to bed early | D．be weak in English |
In this passage “early birds” means “persons who __________”
| A．get up early | B．get up late |
| C．sleep less | D．don’t want to sleep |
According to the passage, which of the following is right?_________
| A．If you want to study better, you must work hard at night. |
| B．Sleeping less means working hard. |
| C．Some clever students are able to work well in class because they have good study habits. |
| D．Students don’t have enough sleep because they have lots of homework to do. |
Mr Smith works in an office. He’s very busy and has no time to have a good rest. Every evening, when he comes back from his office, he’s always tired and wants to go to bed early. But his wife often tells him many interesting things after supper. It’s usually too late and Mr Smith has to get up in the morning when she is asleep.
One day the man felt terrible and couldn’t go to work. Mrs Smith went to hospital with him. Before her husband said what was wrong with him, the woman had told the doctor everything and the doctor understood why. He wrote out a prescription (药方). And when Mrs Smith brought the medicine back, the doctor said to her, “This is for your husband and the pills are for you.”
“For me?” the woman said in surprise. “I’m fine. I don’t need any medicine!”
“I don’t think so,” said the doctor. “They are sleeping pills. Your husband will soon be all right if you take them.”Why does Mr Smith have to get up in the morning when his wife is asleep?
| A．Because he must make breakfast for his wife. |
| B．Because he has to go to work. |
| C．Because he doesn’t want to sleep. |
| D．Because his wife asks him to get up. |
We can learn from the passage that Mr Smith will soon be all right if ______.
| A．he often goes to see the doctor |
| B．Mr Smith takes the pills |
| C．they don’t argue with each other |
| D．Mrs Smith stops talking too much in the evening |
Which is NOT talked about in this passage?
| A．Mr. Smith is very busy and tired. |
| B．Mr. Smith felt something wrong with himself. |
| C．Mrs. Smith felt something wrong with herself. |
| D．The Smiths went to see the doctor and talked a lot to him. |