Birthdays often involve surprises．But this year's surprise on the birthday of the great British playwright William Shakespeare is surely one of the most dramatic．
On April 22, one day before his 441st birthday anniversary, experts discovered that one of the most recognizable portraits of William Shakespeare is a fake．This means that we no longer have a good idea of what Shakespeare looked like．“It's very possible that many pictures of Shakespeare might be unreliable because many of them are copies of this one,” said an expert from Britain's National Portrait Gallery．
The discovery comes after four months of testing using X-rays, ultraviolet light, microphotography and paint samples．The experts from the gallery say the image —commonly known as the “Flower portrait”— was actually painted in the 1800s, about two centuries after Shakespeare's death．The art experts who work at the gallery say they also used modern chemistry technology to check the paint on the picture．These checks found traces of paint dating from about 1814．Shakespeare died in 1616, and the date that appears on the portrait is 1609．
“We now think the portrait dates back to around 1818 to 1840．This was when there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare's plays,” Tarnya Cooper, the gallery's curator （馆长）, told the Associated President．
The fake picture has often been used as a cover for collections of his plays．It is called the Flower portrait because one of its owners, Desmond Flower, gave it to the Royal Shakespeare Company．
“There have always been questions about the painting,” said David Howells, curator for the Royal Shakespeare Company．“Now we know the truth, we can put the image in its proper place in the history of Shakespearean portraiture．”
Two other images of Shakespeare, are also being studied as part of the investigation and the results will come out later this month．________．What makes the birthday of Shakespeare dramatic this year?
| A．It was found that he painted a portrait in 1814 instead of in 1609． |
| B．The Flower portrait has been found to be a fake． |
| C．Three portraits of Shakespeare are being tested to identify a real one． |
| D．It was found that there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare's plays around 1818 to 1840． |
Which statement is True according to the passage?
| A．Portraits of Shakespeare are all unreliable． |
| B．“Flower portrait” was a portrait of Shakespeare given to Desmond Flower． |
| C．1814 might be when the portrait was drawn． |
| D．The Flower portrait is not often used as a cover for Shakespeare's play． |
How many methods were used to test the portrait?
| A．Not mentioned． | B．Two |
| C．Three | D．At least four． |
The best title for this passage is ________．
| A．Birthdays often involve surprises |
| B．The surprise on the 441st birthday of Shakespeare |
| C．One portrait of Shakespeare is a fake |
| D．How can we know Shakespeare's appearance? |
Which is the best sentence to fill in the blank in the last paragraph?
| A．Soon we'll know which portrait is reliable． |
| B．Maybe we cannot find a real portrait of Shakespeare． |
| C．If the two portraits are found to be false, they will test more． |
| D．For now what Shakespeare really looked like will remain a mystery． |
Last Sunday afternoon, 1 was having dinner in a restaurant when my friend Poor came in. Poor and I were born in the same village. We have been friends since primary school.
Now we are working in the same bank. Poor has earned a lot of money, but he has a habit of not taking money with him. Whenever he needs to use money, he would borrow money from his friends and never pays it back. Because of this, his friends don’t like going out with him. They think Poor is too mean(吝啬的）. Poor saw me and came to sit at my table. He had never borrowed any money from me. When he was eating, I asked him to lend me two dollars. To my surprise, he gave me the money without hesitation. "I have never borrowed any money from you, "Poor said. " So you can pay for my dinner. "The story happened .
| A．at home | B．in a restaurant |
| C．in a bank | D．in an office |
Poor is the name of a man and the writer .
| A．Knows him well |
| B．Doesn't know him |
| C．often lends him some money |
| D．often borrows money from him |
Poor is a man.
| A．busy | B．clever | C．rich | D．poor |
Why was Poor glad to lend the writer two dollars?
| A．Because they are brothers. |
| B．Because Poor is rich. |
| C．Because the writer is rich. |
| D．Because Poor wanted the writer to pay for the dinner. |
The best way of learning a language is by using it. The best way of learning English is talking in English as much as possible.
Sometimes you will get your words mixed up and people will not understand you. Sometimes people will say things too quickly and you can’t understand them. But if you keep your sense of humor，you can always have a good laugh at the mistake you make. Don’t be unhappy if people seem to laugh at your mistakes. It’s much better for people to laugh at your mistakes than to be angry because they don’t understand what you are saying. The most important rule for learning English is “Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, everyone makes mistakes.”The most important thing in learning a language is ____.
| A．laughing | B．writing |
| C．remembering | D．practicing |
In learning English, you should ____.
| A．speak as quickly as you can |
| B．laugh as much as you can |
| C．use it as often as you can |
| D．write more than you read |
When you make a mistake you’d better ____.
| A．do the same thing again |
| B．ask others for help |
| C．have a sense of humor |
| D．run away |
When people laugh at your mistakes, you should ____.
| A．not be unhappy | B．be angry with them |
| C．be more careful | D．not speak English any more |
All students need to have good study habits. When you have good study habits, you learn things quickly. You also remember them easily.
Do you like to study in the living room? This is not a good place because it is usually too noisy. You need to study in a quiet place, like your bedroom. A quiet place will help you only think about one thing, and you will learn better.
Before you begin to study, do not forget to clean your desk. A good desk light is important, too. You’ll feel tired easily if there is not enough light.When you have good study habits, you will ____.
| A．learn things quickly | B．remember things easily |
| C．think about one thing | D．both A and B |
The living-room is not a good place for study because it is too____.
| A．quiet | B．noisy | C．good | D．clean |
You’ll feel tired easily if the light is____.
| A．good | B．enough | C．bad | D．wonderful |
The best title for this passage is____.
| A．Study in the Bedroom | B．Good Study Habits |
| C．How to Study | D．Desk Light is Important |
I travel a lot, and I find out different "styles" of directions every time I ask "How can I get to the post office?"
Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don't have names; in Japan, people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, "Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop."
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, "Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile."
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. "How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh," they answer, "it's about five minutes from here." You say, "Yes, but how many miles away is it?" They don't know.
It's true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, "Sorry, I have no idea." But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers "I don't know." People in Yucatan believe that "I don't know" is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place they usually________.
| A．refer to recognizable buildings and places |
| B．show him a map of the place |
| C．tell him the names of the streets |
| D．describe the place carefully |
What is the place where people measure distance in time?
| A．New York. | B．Kansas. |
| C．Los Angeles. | D．Iowa. |
People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________.
| A．so as to be polite | B．as a test |
| C．in order to save time | D．for fun |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．It's useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly. |
| B．It's important for travelers to understand cultural differences. |
| C．People have similar understandings of politeness. |
| D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors. |
Holidays
Holiday News
Vacancies(空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season.
The Snowdonia Centre
The Snowdonia Centre for young mountain climbers has a mountain climbing lesson. The beginners’ costs are ￡57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost. You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of mountain climbing adventure.
The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime
Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking, waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about — from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong. For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped for can be yours.What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?
| A．Go to the Snowdonia Centre. |
| B．Choose the holiday in Devon. |
| C．Join the World Sea Trip of 2008. |
| D．Visit Acapulco and Hawaii. |
In what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?
| A．It provides chances of family gatherings. |
| B．It provides customers with good food. |
| C．It offers comfortable rooms. |
| D．It offers a sports lesson. |
What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?
| A．You can sleep on a ship and tour many places. |
| B．You can have free meals on deck every day. |
| C．You will have chances to watch and act in a play. |
| D．You have to do your own packing and unpacking. |