Whether you’re eating at a fancy restaurant or dining in someone’s home, proper table manners are likely to help you make a good impression. According to a US expert, Emily Post, “All rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness.”
While Henry Hitchings of the Los Angeles Times admits that good manners can reduce social conflict, he points out that mostly their purpose is protective – they turn our natural warrior-like selves into more elegant ones.
So where did table manners come from?
In medieval England, a writer named Petrus Alfonsi took the lead to urge people not to speak with their mouths full. And King David I of Scotland also proposed that any of his people who learned to eat more neatly be given a tax deduction (减除).
Disappointingly, that idea never caught on. It was during the Renaissance, when there were real technical developments, opinions of correct behavior changed for good. “None of these was more significant than the introduction of the table fork,” wrote Hitchings. “Gradually, as forks became popular, they brought the new way of eating, making it possible, for instance, to consume berries without making one’s fingers dirty.”
Forks were introduced to Britain in 1608 and 25 years later, the first table fork reached America. Yet while most of the essentials (基本要素) are the same on both sides of the Atlantic, there are a few clear differences between what’s normal in the US and what holds true in the UK. For example, in the US, when food needs cutting with a knife, people generally cut a bite, then lay aside the knife and switch the fork to their right hand. Then they pick up one bite at a time. By contrast, Britons keep the fork in the left hand and don’t lay the knife down.
Though globalization has developed a new, simpler international standard of table manners, some people still stick with the American cut-and-switch method.The Los Angeles Times noted, “They are hanging on to a form of behavior that favors manners above efficiency.”What does the story mainly talk about?
| A．The importance of proper table manners . |
| B．The development of table manners in Western countries. |
| C．Some unwritten rules of table manners in the US and UK. |
| D．Differences between American and British table manners. |
The underlined phrase “caught on” in the passage probably means ______.
| A．worked in practice | B．became popular |
| C．drew attention | D．had a positive effect |
Which of the following events influenced people’s table manners most according to the article?
| A．The introduction of forks. |
| B．The tax deduction policy. |
| C．The rise of the Renaissance. |
| D．Petrus Alfonsi’s efforts in promoting table manners. |
What can we conclude from the article?
| A．British and American table manners are completely different from each other. |
| B．American people pay more attention to their table manners than British people do. |
| C．With globalization, the American cut-and-switch method has been abandoned in the US. |
| D．British people’s way of using a knife and fork may be more efficient than American people’s. |
The publication of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" gladdens booksellers across China. The British and American editions were No. 1 and No. 3 respectively on the sales chart of the Beijing Xidan Book Building last week. The book's poster is highlighted and news about the book can often be heard on the radio.
Why is the book so attractive to children? With curious mood, the author got a copy of "Harry Potter". Originally, I wanted to glance over it and made some criticisms. But, out of expectation, the author has been deeply attracted by the magic world. On the other hand, one cannot help asking: where is our own "Harry Potter"?
The Chinese nation has a history of 5,000 years, which cannot be regarded as short and its culture as not profound. With a vast market of youngsters, China did publish many books popular among children. However, why are the present works not as good as those imported?
There come two major reasons: Firstly, quite a number of children's books are of strong sense of teaching, and lack interest and entertainment. Children often have a feeling of being "educated". No wonder they don't like them. Secondly, children's reading materials involving "idiom stories" and "Chinese talents' stories", though always in different covers, are usually much the same or plagiarized. One knows the ending as early as in the beginning. In final analysis, the authors of the books seldom take children's requirements into consideration.
As a matter of fact, each child has his own wonderful imagination. They long to understand the world and nature. Similarly they have their own choices. They dislike similar stories, even if the stories are excellent. First-class reading for children should be very interesting, which contains knowledge and the essence of national culture, which are presented in children's language.
Market is a touchstone for products. The theory also holds true for cultural products. It is hoped that the authors of children's books can learn something from the good market of "Harry Potter" and write out more and better books loved by children.
64. The disadvantages of our books are the following except_______.
A. they have little sense of interest and entertainment
B. many of our books are of the same
C. the authors didn’t pay much attention to the children’s tastes.
D. Our authors never know what our children need.
65. The reason why the imported book is so popular is that _______.
A. it has no sense of teaching
B. it opens a wonderful world for children to explore
C. it is only written in children’s language
D. it is advertised more on TV or poster.
66. What’s the feeling of the writer when he finishes reading “Harry Potter”?
A. He is so angry that he wants to criticize the book
B. He is also attracted by the book
C. He is shocked by the book, meanwhile he is worried about our books.
D. He can’t help looking for Harry Potter.
67. What does the writer mean by writing “where’s our own Harry Potter”?
A. We are short of books for children
B. We Chinese must produce books as popular as “Harry Potter”.
C. Authors should write books in the same way as “Harry Potter”
D. Our authors are hoped to make the market of our books for children take off
B
Particles from car exhausts generate more persistent clouds but less rain, new research suggests. Furthermore, putting more of these particles into the atmosphere reduces the low-level winds, which could reduce the amount of wind power available in very polluted regions. The dry but populated regions may therefore suffer a triple blow as a result of vehicle pollution：less water, less hydropower and less wind energy.
Scientists studied the effects of aerosol（浮质）pollution from cars and industry. They correlated satellite data on wind speeds and the amount of aerosol particles in the atmosphere above the South Coast Basin in California and above China. Results showed that higher concentrations of aerosols were closely associated with slower ground winds. Scientists then used computer models to support the idea that there was a cause and effect relationship behind this correlation.
Particles floating in the atmosphere block energy from the Sun, preventing it from warming the surface of the Earth. Cooler surface temperatures during the day means the low—level and slow moving air does not rise up and mix with the faster winds at higher altitudes. Slower winds also induce less evaporation from oceans, rivers and lakes. And finally, once clouds have formed, they store less moisture in the form of rain. This is because raindrops form around small particles— dust, for instance, or pollution. With more particles in the atmosphere, it takes longer for enough water to condense（凝结）onto a particle to form a raindrop. And if the cloud of fine droplets（小滴）moves to a drier area before its would-be rain can rail, the moisture evaporates once more and the cloud disappears.
Scientists note their new work does not contradict previous findings that suggest global warming might lead to more tropical storms, because there is far less particulate（微粒的）pollution over the oceans.
60. The first paragraph mainly talks about .
A. the results of vehicle pollution
B. an introduction to particles from car exhausts
C. less wind energy in polluted regions
D. less water caused by vehicle pollution
61. From this passage we can learn that .
A. scientists supported their idea by using material models
B. the new study is contrary to the previous findings
C. if there are more particles in the atmosphere, there will be more raindrops
D. there is a cause and effect relationship between wind speeds and particle pollution
62. The underlined word “induce” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean _ .
A. reduce B. persuade C. cause D. produce
63. What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Pollution and Global Warming B. Car, Wind and Rain
C. Industry Pollution D. How Rain Forms
第三部分：阅读理解(共20小题，每小题2，满分40分)
A
When he thought of the past,my grandfather would sometimes show us photographs of himself at school. They were brown and faded,and it was hard to believe that the blurred figure of the little boy in the short trousers and socks could ever have been Grandfather. Besides,he wore a cap---andthe boys in the photographs wore caps pulled so far forward that half of their faces were obscured. When Grandfather asked us to pick him out from the group,we would surely point to the wrong boy.
On one such occasion my younger sister,aged six,burst into tears when Grandfather proudly guided her finger to the right boy. "How could that boy be you?"she cried. "He should have a beard.” We were,of course,all convinced that grandfathers should have beards ,preferably white and bushy,like our owngrandfather's.
"I wasa good scholar ,”Grandfather would say,wagging his beard over the photographs."I should have been top of the c1ass if I hadn't had to get up at six every morning to milk the cows and chop the wood,and again when I came home from school.”
"But Saturdays?What did you do on Saturdays?"
"Saturdays,if it was fine, I’d be out all day in the fields with the men,"replied Grandfather."And if it was wet,I’d be helping my mother with odd jobs round the house.There wasn't much time for studying."
We all tried hard to imagine what it would have been like to have been Grandfather getting up at crack of dawn and never,obviously,having amoment for himself.It seemed we had learnt something from what Grandfather had said about his childhood.
56.In the first paragraph of this passage,what theauthor really tells us is that_______.
A.his grandfather used to wear short trousers,socks and a cap as well
B.it was difficult to tell which of the boys inthe photographs was Grandfather
C.he didn't believe Grandfather wore a cap pulled forward when he was at school
D.it was fun to watch boys in the photographs wearing caps pulled forward
57. The author's sister burst into tears because________.
A.she did not get a chance to pick outGrandfather in the photographs
B.she was told which was the right boybefore she herself could pick him out
C.other children did not agree with her thatGrandfather should have had a beard
D.she found Grandfather in the photographsdid not have a beard
58.When Grandfather said,"I should have been topof the class….",he meant________.
A if he had had more time for studying,hewould have been the best in his class
B.he should have spent more time studyingrather than playing ballgames
C.his school days should not have been so hard and miserable
D.he could have never been the best studenteven if he had studied still harder
59. In the last paragraph the author said,"We all tried hard to imagine…"because________.
A. the figures of the boys in the photographswere small and blurred
B. the children had never experiencedlife like that of Grandfather
C.the photographs Grandfather showed them were brown and faded
D.Grandfather failed to tell them about his childhood in detail
第二节信息匹配（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）
请阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。
以下是演讲会的资料：
| A．Are you interested in “Dream of the Red Mansion” (Hong Lou Meng)? Listen to a lecture on this classical novel. Venue: National Museum of Chinese Modern Literature (Beijing) Time: 9:30 am Price: free Tel: 010-84615522 |
| B．“Jiaguwen” is among the oldest pictographic characters in the world. How much do you know about it? Get all the answers at this free lecture. Venue: Dongcheng District Library (Beijing) Time: 9:00 am Price: free Tel: 010-64013356 |
| C．Former United Nations interpreter Professor Wang Ruojin speaks about her experiences at the UN and shares her understanding of the cultural differences between East and West. Venue: National Library of China (Beijing) Time: 1:30 pm—4:00 pm Price: free Tel: 010-68488047 |
| D．Qi Baishi, one of China’s greatest modern painters, was also a poet, calligrapher (书法家) and seal-cutter (刻印家). Can you appreciate his works? Then come to spend the time with us. |
Venue: Beijing Art Academy Time: 9:00 am—11:00 am
Price: 10 yuan Tel: 010-65023390
E. It is the year of the Tiger, and you can see “Fu” everywhere. But what is “Fu” and where does it come from? Why do people hang “Fu” character upside down on the door? Get all the answers from this free lecture.
Venue: Capital Library (Beijing) Time: 2:00 pm
Price: free Tel: 010-67358114
F. About 160 cultural relics from Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong are on display to April 15th. Meanwhile experts will talk about the important roles these three cities have played in the past two thousand years of Sino-Western exchanges.
Venue: Beijing Art Muse
um Time: 2:00 pm—5:00 pm
Price: 20 yuan, students 10 yuan Tel: 010-83659337
以下是想去听演讲的人员的基本信息，请匹配适合他们的演讲内容：
56. Alice is now studying in Beijing University, and she is especially interested in Chinese writing. In her spare time she enjoys drawing, writing poems and is fond of sharing her pieces with her classmates.
57. Simon comes from Egypt. He is now studying in Beijing Art Academy. He shows great interest in Chinese ancient characters. Now he wants to know much about it.
58. Lora and Peter, visiting professors from Australia, are both crazy about Chinese traditional culture. At weekends they like to call on Chinese families to learn about Chinese festivals as well as their history.
59. Edward is a senior student in Beijing Foreign Language University. He likes traveling very much and has made up his mi
nd to work as an interpreter for some joint-venture enterprises (公司).
60. Steve and Mark are both studying in the Chinese Department of China’s Renmin University. They want to do some research on Chinese ancient literature.
C
I went to the Chinatown market in London last Sunday. The first thing I did was to go to one of the Chinese green grocers’ shops. As soon as I entered the shop, I smelt mixtures of Chinese spices and saw the new season’s fruits. My son wanted a bag of sweets, so we popped into the shop next door which sells many kinds of candy.
There’s a lot of noise in the Chinatown market and you will see many tourists too. There are a lot of cars and trucks that never stop beeping. While people are loading and unloading their goods, most of them have their cars and trucks parked in the middle of the road. This causes great inconvenience for other drivers. Can you imagine that?
After we had done all our shopping, my son and I went to a restaurant for lunch. We enjoyed our meal very much. But the shopping made us both very tired at the end. We headed down the road to catch our bus home. My son and I enjoyed riding in the bus. We also enjoyed looking at different buildings and people walking by dressed in fancy outfits. Although Chinatown can be a busy place to shop, I do enjoy going there now and then. I can buy some of my necessities, and I can also look and browse around the other shops and department stores where I can indulge (使沉迷) myself with some nice things. Chinatown is located in the heart of central London where you can find tons of shops and other places to amuse you. And for me, I certainly don’t mind going back there again soon.
51. The underlined words “popped into” most probably could be replaced by “_____”.
A. broke into B. rushed into C. pushed intoD. walked into
52. The author probably didn’t go to a ______.
A. restaurant
B. grocery C. clothing storeD. sweets shop
53. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Rich people won’t go to Chinatown for shopping.
B. The traffic conditions in Chinatown are not very good.
C. The food that the author ate in Chinatown didn’t taste good.
D. Chinatown has changed a lot since the author’s last visit.
54. From the passage, we can infer that the author most probably went to Chinatown by _____.
A. bike B. car C. bus D. motorbike
55. What does the last sentence of the passage imply?
A. The writer doesn’t have a good impression on Chinatown.
B. The writer won’t go to Chinatown for a long time.
C. The writer likes Chinatown because it’s near.
D. The writer will come to Chinatown again before long.