In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed By an Austrian conductor decided to hold an intemational festival of music,dance and theatre in EdinBurgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival.Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947,in the Belief that everyone should have the right to perform,and they did so in a puBlic house disused for years.
Soon,groups of studentsfirstly from EdinBurgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and CamBridge,Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre By little-known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of EdinBurgh.
Today the “Fringe”,once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre,music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yetas early as 1959,with only 19 theatre groups performing,some said it was getting too Big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the numBer rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows By over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1,25 million tickets were sold.Point was the purpose of EdinBurgh Festival at he Beginning?
| A．To Bring Europe together again. |
| B．To honor heroes of World War 11. |
| C．To introduce young theatre groups. |
| D．To attract great artists from Europe. |
Why did some uninvited theatre groups come to EdinBurgh in 1947?
| A．They owned a puBlic house there. |
| B．They came to take up a challenge. |
| C．They thought they were also famous. |
| D．They wanted to take part in the festival. |
Who joined the "Fringe" after it appeared?
| A．they owned a puBlic house there |
| B．University students. |
| C．人rusts from around the world. |
| D．Performers of music and dance. |
We may learn from the text that EdinBurgh Festival.
| A．has Become a non-official event |
| B．has gone Beyond an art festival |
| C．gives shows all year round |
| D．keeps growing rapidly |
阅读下面短文并回答问题
[1]Stamp collectors usually collect stamps only from certain countries or regions. The traditional method of stamp collecting is to organize stamp collection according to the issue dates.
[2]Of course, there are many ____________. You can collect stamps relating to a particular theme. For example, sport lovers may choose the Olympic theme. They try their best to find Olympic stamps issued by various parts of the world every four years. Some of them may want to concentrate on even more specific sport activities like ball games, gymnasium, swimming, etc.
[3]If you like astronomy, you may be keen on collecting stamps describing the stars, planets, spacecraft, spacemen, etc. once you have fixed the topic, you no longer need to bother about stamps other than the theme you selected. Then, you can put all your effort to collect the stamps around it.
[4]China issues zodiac animal stamps (十二生肖邮票) every year to celebrate the Lunar New Year. They are extremely popular and a lot of collectors wait patiently for 12 years to collect a full set of them. Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year special stamp series began in 2000 with the Year of Dragon and the twelfth and final set was issued in 2011, the Year of Rabbit. Recently some Western countries have issued zodiac animal stamps, which attract a lot of attention as well.
[5]You may choose any theme you like. However, you should bear in mind an essential point. The topic you choose should not be too narrow. Otherwise, it is very difficult to accumulate stamps around the topic. You will be depressed and even lose your interest in collecting stamps.
[6]Collecting stamps with themes is especially popular among teenagers because there is a wide range of choices for them. The main challenge is how you organize and expand your collection around your theme.What is the main idea of the passage? （no more than 5 words）
___________________________________________________________________________Fill in the blanks in Paragraph 2 with proper words． （no more than 5 words）
Of course, there are many ____________________________________________.What should you do if you want to collect a full set of zodiac animal stamps? （no more than 7 words）
_______________________________________________________________________________List the three general themes in collecting stamps mentioned in the passage． （3 words）
_______________________________________________________________________________What does the word "them" （Line2, Paragraph6） probably refer to? （1 word）
_______________________________________________________________________________
For those who make journeys across the world, the speed of travel today has turned the countries into a series of villages．Distances between them appear no greater to a modern traveler than those which once faced men as they walked from village to village. Jet planes fly people from one end of the earth to the other, allowing them a freedom of movement undreamt of a hundred years ago.
Yet some people wonder if the revolution in travel has gone too far. A price has been paid, they say, for the conquest (征服) of time and distance. Travel is something to be enjoyed, not endured (忍受). The boat offers leisure and time enough to appreciate the ever-changing sights and sounds of a journey. A journey by train also has a special charm about it. Lakes and forests and wild, open plains sweeping past your carriage window create a grand view in which time and distance mean nothing. On board a plane, however, there is just the blank blue of the sky filling the narrow window of the airplane. The soft lighting, in-flight films and gentle music make up the only world you know, and the hours progress slowly.
Then there is the time spent being "processed" at a modern airport. People are conveyed like robots along walkways; baggage is weighed, tickets produced, examined and produced yet again before the passengers move to another waiting area. Journeys by rail and sea take longer, yes, but the hours devoted to being "processed" at departure and arrival in airports are luckily absent. No wonder, then, that the modern high-speed trains are winning back passengers from the airlines.
Man, however, is now a world traveler and cannot turn his back on the airplane. The working lives of too many people depend upon it; whole new industries have been built around its design and operation. The holiday maker, too, with limited time to spend, patiently endures the busy airports and limited space of the flight to gain those extra hours and even days, relaxing in the sun. speed controls people's lives; time saved, in work or play, is the important thing-or so we are told. Perhaps those first horsemen, riding free across the wild, open plains, were enjoying a better world than the one we know today. They could travel at will, and the clock was not their master.
| 1． |
What does the writer try to express in Paragraph 1?
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| 2． |
How does the writer support the underlined statement in Paragraph 2?
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| 3． |
According to Paragraph 3, passengers are turning back to modern high-speed trains because．
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| 4． |
What does the last sentence of the passage mean?
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| 5． |
What is the main idea of the passage?
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Big Brothers Big Sisters is based on the simplicity and power of friendship．It is a program which provides friendship and fun by matching vulnerable young people (ages 7-17) with a volunteer adult who can be both a role model and a supportive friend.
Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life—married, single, with or without children. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are not replacement parents or social workers. They are tutors: someone to trust, to have fun with, to talk and go to when needed.
A Big Sister and Little Sister will generally spend between one and four hours together three or four times each month for at least twelve months. They enjoy simple activities such as a picnic at a park, cooking, playing sport or going to a football match. These activities improve the friendship and help the young person develop positive self-respect, confidence and life direction.
Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations exist throughout the world. It is the largest and most well-known provider of tutor services internationally and has been operating for 25 years.
Emily and Sarah have been matched since 2008. Emily is a 10-year-old girl who has experienced some difficulties being accepted by her schoolmates at school. “ I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me.”
Emily’s mum came across Big Brothers Big Sisters and thought it would be of benefit to Emily by “providing different feedback (反馈) about herself other than just relying on schoolmates to measure her self-worth.
Sarah wanted to get involved in a volunteer program. “I googled it and found out how to be a part of it. I thought it would be fun for me to get involved in making time to do something because sometimes it is all work and no play.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been of great benefit and enjoyment to both Emily and Sarah. They love and look forward to their time together and the partnership has certainly helped Emily be more comfortable in being the wonderful, happy and unique girl she is!What is the aim of Big Brothers Big Sisters?
| A．To offer students public services． |
| B．To help students improve their grades． |
| C．To organize sport activities for young people． |
| D．To provide partnership and fun for young people． |
A volunteer is usually expected to work within a year for at least______．
| A．24 hours | B．36 hours | C．48 hours | D．72 hours |
According to Emily’s mother, this program may provide Emily with______．
| A．advice from her teachers |
| B．a new way to assess herself |
| C．a new way to judge her schoolmates |
| D．more comments from her schoolmates |
Why did Sarah want to get involved in the program?
| A．She used to be a volunteer. |
| B．She needed a part-time job. |
| C．She felt a bit bored with her life. |
| D．She wanted to get a challenging job. |
According to the passage, “vulnerable young people” are probably those who are _________.
| A．popular at school | B．rather weak physically |
| C．easily hurt emotionally | D．confident in themselves |
A Book Review-The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty
The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages.
The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James' swimming coach says to him: "You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going."
The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents (养父母). Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James' parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically.
The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James' foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, "the snake stone" which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: "Take good care of Sammie. It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there.
The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger's door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, "I was home."
| 1． |
What is the main theme of the novel?
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| 2． |
What do the coach's words in Paragraph 2 suggest?
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| 3． |
The snake stone in the novel is.
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| 4． |
Which of the following is true about the novel?
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| 5． |
It can be concluded that James' journey is.
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Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously. Jason was determined not to go against their father's wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loved experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
"Dad will be really mad if he finds out you've been playing with his new computer." Jason said, "He told us not to touch it."
"He won't find out." Mark said, "I'll just have a quick look and shut it down."
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father's equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
It was a strange-looking machine -one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. "It's an experimental model," his father had explained, "so don't touch it under any circumstances." But his father's warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colors, shifting and changing and then two big white words appeared in the center of the screen: "SPACE TRANSPORTER."
"Yes!" Mark cried excitedly, "It's a computer game. I knew it! Dad's only been pretending to work. He's really been playing games instead." A new message appeared on the screen:
"ENTER NAMES
VOYAGER 1: …
VOYAGER 2: …"
Mark's fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
"INPUT ACCEPTED. START TRANSPORT PROGRAM. AUTO-RETRIEVE INITIATED（自动回收程序已启动）."
The screen turned even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.
"I think we'd better shut it off, Mark," Jason yelled, reaching for the power switch. He was really frightened.
But his hand never reached the switch. A single beam of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow (光芒), until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed.
"TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL. DESTINATION（目的地）: MARS. RETRIEVE DATE: 2025."
| 1． |
Why did Mark touch the computer against his father's warning?
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| 2． |
Where did the boy's father most likely work?
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| 3． |
Mark thought "SPACE TRANSPORTER" on the screen was the name of.
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| 4． |
Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?
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| 5． |
What happened to the boys at the end of the story?
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