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Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means “bright”; Beatrice means “one who gives happiness”; Donald means “world ruler”; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”.
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook(小溪)；Someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter — a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter —a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors(祖先) of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name. English-speaking people added –s or –son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell.
Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?

A．Places where people lived.

B．People’s occupations.

C．Talents that people possessed.

D．People’s characters.

According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably _______.

A．owned or drove a cart

B．made things with metals

C．built houses and furniture

D．made kitchen tools or contains

Suppose an English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named _______.

A．Donald Greenwood	B．Leonard Carter
C．George Longstreet	D．Beatrice Smith

The underlined word “descendants” in the last paragraph means a person’s _______.

A．later sponsors	B．later generations
C．friends and relatives	D．colleagues and partners

Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames (绰号). Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag. Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence (影响) on the world of music .
Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said,” Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent (天赋) for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy’s home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal.
In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong began. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity (仁爱) and warmth that caused many listeners to say, “Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style (风格) and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death, on July 6, 1971, was headline news around the world.
Armstrong was called Pops because he _______________.

A．looked like a musician	B．traveled to play modern music
C．showed an interest in music	D．was a musician of much influence

The third paragraph is developed ________________.

A．by time

B．by examples

C．by space

D．by comparison

Which statement about Armstrong is true?

A．His tale began in New Orleans.

B．His music was popular with his listeners.

C．He was born before jazz was invented.

D．He learned popular music at a boy’s home.

Which would be the best title for the text?

A．The Father of the Jazz Style	B．The Making of a Musician
C．The Spread of Popular Music	D．The Invention of the Jazz Music

Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Noble Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson(1907-1964)
Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects(影响) of pollution on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Angela Merkel (1954- )
In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany’s leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930- )
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court(最高法院）in 1981 after years of hard work.
Margaret Thatcher(1925- )
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister. She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain’s Iron Lady.
Marie Curie (1867-1934 )
Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation. Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911.
Who once won the Nobel Prize?

A． Jane Addams and Marie Curie

B．Jane Addams and Margaret Thatcher.

C．Marie Curie and Angela Merkel

D．Marie Curie and Rachel Carson

We can infer from the text that Rachel Carson worked to ______.

A．help the poor

B．spread geographic knowledge

C．protect the environment

D．protect the rights of women

Who once failed to find a job？

A．Jane Addams	B．Sandra Day O’Connor
C．Rachel Carson	D．Margaret Thatcher

What would be the best title for the text?

A．Great women.	B．Famous scientists
C．Strong leaders	D．Ways to success for women

The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before a huge pile of troublesome stuff they call “books”.
I was going to have my examination the next day. "When can I go to bed?" I asked myself. I didn’t answer, in fact I dared not.
The clock struck 12. "Oh, dear!" I cried, "ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to study so hard when he was a boy ."
The clock struck one. I was quite hopeless now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh, God, Please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were heavy, so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.
When the author was going over his lessons, all the others in the house were_____ .

A．asleep	B．working in bed
C．outside	D．quietly laughing at him

Reviewing his lessons didn’t help him because ________.

A．it was too late at night

B．he was very tired

C．his eyes lids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open

D．he hadn’t studied hard before the examination

What do you suppose happened to the author？

A．He went to a church to pray again

B．He passed the exam by luck

C．He failed in the exam

D．He was punished by his teacher

The best title for the passage would be __________ .

A．The Night Before the Examination

B．Working Far into the Night

C．A Slow Student

D．Going Over My Lessons

Hi Hongbo,
I’m so glad to read about the changes talking place in your city. It’s really good news that you can travel by subway in Xi’an, though there’s only one line there. Here in London we have twelve lines. By the way, we don’t use the word “subway” here. It’s American English. We call it “the Underground”, instead.
The London Underground is very famous. It’s famous for several reasons. First of all, part of the underground railway today is the oldest in the world, which opened in 1863. Secondly, the London Underground is also the first line to have electric trains, in 1890. Thirdly but not the last, the London Underground is the second largest metro system in the world, after the Shanghai Metro. There are 270 stations in the Underground and it has 402 kilometres of tracks(轨道). What’s more, the city of London itself helps make the transportation system famous! I’ve got a few photos to help you build a clear picture of the Underground in my city. They are together with this mail.
In your email, you also said workers were building more lines. I’m sure your city is developing fast. Maybe you can send me a few photos of your city today. I really want to see the changes taking place there. I’m happy for you to live there in an ancient city with such a new look!
So much for now. I’ll write soon again. Best wishes!
Where is the writer from？

A．From London

B．From Shanghai

C．From Xi’an.

D．From New York

The second paragraph mainly tells us ?

A．when the first subway was opened in the world.

B．when the London Underground first used electric trains

C．why the London Underground is the oldest subway in the world.

D．why the London Underground is famous in the world

In the email, the words “subway”, “underground”, and “metro” mean.

A．three different things	B．two different things
C．almost the same thing	D．nothing like each other

What does the writer want Hongbo to do?

A．To buy a good book about Xi’an for him.

B．To send him a few photos of Xi’an.

C．To post him some postcards of Xi’an.

D．To tell him more about Xi’an subway.

People	Comments
Yingtian Hu Guangzhou, China	This is the first time that I participate in CRI. And I like it very much. I hope its website will become the most excellent one with the foreign languages. And I choose the important news which I think has a great influence on our society and our lives. In the end, I hope that more and more persons join in CRI and make it perfect!
SujanParajuli, Select city, Nepal	I am both a regular listener of CRI and visitor of its wonderful Website. First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to CRI for its great efforts to keep the listeners up-to-date during the year 2008. We, the listeners, are greatly grateful to CRI for its praise-worthy efforts to quench the thirst of its dear listeners. During the Year 2008, I found all of your programs quite interesting, informative and educational. Once again, thanks a lot for offering bonanza of information, news, entertainment and many items which have indeed broaden the horizons of our knowledge and understanding as well.
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A．satisfy one’s need	B．supply drinks
C．take care of	D．keep in touch with